Heavy match-ups

Class			Strategy
Heavy	vs	Scout	Scouts normally pose little threat beyond close range combat and will often try to avoid you. Be aware that at close range or while recovering from a stun, Scouts can circle strafe very quickly. Trickier Scouts will use this to their advantage by attempting to hug your face whilst dishing out damage, making them difficult to keep your crosshair square on them. Don't forget, however, that there is no limit to how fast you can turn around when your Minigun is spun up. Some Scouts will even be so bold as to attempt to leap on top of your head whilst you are unaware; if you start to take damage and there is no enemy behind you, remember to look up. The Shotgun is a decent counter to this type of behavior; it will allow you to jump around in the same way he does, and with your vast superiority in health you can simply out-last him. Consider using Natascha if the enemy is running a lot of Scouts, it renders them more or less powerless at close to medium range. A Scout with unlockable weapons is a greater threat. Force-A-Nature Scouts will bounce you away and attempt to pick you off bit by bit rather than fight you face-to-face. There is not much you can do about this, except try to catch him whilst he's reloading. You make a prime target for Sandman stuns at all ranges, due to your slow speed. Bear in mind that you can keep your Minigun revved up whilst stunned by holding secondary fire down; with their very low health you can quickly chew up cocky Sandman Scouts who forget this. Beware of Scouts armed with Mad Milk. If you find yourself under its effects, you'll find yourself in tough situation, as the Scout will be able to drain life from you with every hit, making them much more difficult to kill. The best strategy is to kill them before the Scout takes advantage of your slow speed and high health. Even if you kill the Scout, his teammates will be able to use the effects for themselves, making you a large target if the enemy classes see this. You're better off retreating to the nearest Medic, Dispenser, or respawn closet.
Heavy	vs	Soldier	The Heavy is, in fact, one of the more effective vanilla Soldier counters around; you are the only class which boasts more health than him and outguns him, he is a big target and he lacks the speed to get away from you in time. Smart Soldiers will try to stay at medium range or abuse cover, where they have a distinct advantage over you with their rockets. Due to the Heavy's slow speed, dodging rockets is difficult, but not impossible. Quickly un-deploying the Minigun and leaping in the air to one side can often minimize if not completely avoid the effects of an incoming rocket. You want to be within medium range of the Soldier to take them down fast, but remember not to get too close as Heavies are easy targets for directs hits with the Rocket Launcher. If he is abusing cover, your best bet is to either pursue a better angle, or retreat while laying down suppressive Shotgun fire. Ultimately, the best strategy is to take him down as quickly as possible before he does the same to you. A Medic behind you works wonders. The Soldier poses a greater threat to you when equipped with the Direct Hit and the Equalizer. It is no trouble at all to a Direct hit Soldier to land very hard hitting rockets upon you whilst you are spun up; consider taking your Shotgun along to allow you to dodge them more effectively. Natascha is a good counter to Equalizer-equipped Soldiers who try to escape you or attempt to "backstab" you with it. Although you should be able to mow down low-health Soldiers before they get near with the Equalizer, keep a careful eye out for Soldiers attempting to use it, because the pick-axe can do considerable damage, even to a Heavy. Remember that a critical hit with the Equalizer can kill you if you are not buffed by a Medic. And with the advantage of a speed buff they have the means to accomplish this. The Soldier equipped with the Black Box will prove to be more difficult to take down as each shot that manages to do some damage to you will reward the Soldier with an extra 15 health. At long range, it'll prove to be more of an annoyance as Soldiers will pelt you with rockets for extra health, while up-close, they can be dangerous as they will survive the battle longer with each shot. The only real strategy here is to make your shots count and kill the Soldier quickly. The Soldier will always take 15 health per successful shot, so if you manage to close the distance between you and him, you'll cut him down faster than they can heal.
Heavy	vs	Pyro	Pyros may seem the least dangerous when they attack head-on, but when surprised by one, they can make short work of a Heavy. The general strategy is to merely kill them as you spot them. Pyros tend to avoid you as your primary will rip them to shreds. Instead, they'll make use of the battlefield's many exits and entries and flank you. If a Pyro does succeed in surprising you with just the flames, you may have enough time to turn and tear them apart. However, the afterburn itself will claim you if you do not find a health source quickly. Pyros armed with the standard Flamethrower or the Degreaser prove to be even more vicious if they make use of the Compression Blast, which will send you flying backwards a good distance. If pinned against the wall, they will attempt to finish you off with their Axtinguisher, known as Puff n' Sting. Pyros armed with the Backburner may seem less of a threat due to the lack of the compression blast function, but they remain a large threat, as the criticals granted from attacking behind will make short work of any Heavy too slow on the draw and caught off guard, and with the damage bonus, it will hurt. At times, a Pyro will try to be bold and attack you head-on, jumping and circle-strafing you in hopes to kill you quickly. The best way of killing a point-blank Pyro is simply with practiced aiming. At longer ranges, a Pyro may pelt you with their Shotgun or try to bait you to a corner with the Flare Gun; either end the fight quickly by retreating, or attack from a safer position. The Flare Gun can pose a threat to you as it can score Critical hits at long range if your already on fire. After any Pyro battle, if you are still on fire with no Medic in sight, break out the Sandvich or Dalokohs Bar and take a bite; the resulting health boost will most likely keep you alive until the flames extinguish themselves. Be sure to do so in relative safety. If you think it too dangerous to stand around and eat, toss and grab it up as you fall back.
Heavy	vs	Demoman	An undeterred Demoman can take you out swiftly with a volley from his Grenade Launcher (it's not so hard to quickly score four direct hits on a slow-moving Heavy). Your best bet is to send some bullets his way to force him into cover, where he'll probably try a less efficient indirect attack. At this stage you will want to close the gap between you and the Demoman as soon as possible. Charge to his position, leap towards him and deploy your Minigun. If the terrain is tight, you may have better luck approaching with your Shotgun. Avoid or gun down Stickybomb carpets, as your slow speed makes you a very vulnerable target for these. Even when paired with a Medic, a cluster of stickies will either take you out in one hit or severely damage you. Instead, if you have ammo to spare, you can use your Minigun fire to destroy them. Make sure to move on through before he catches on and resets his bombs. You act as a fine counter to Demomen with the Eyelander. Although their grenades still pose a threat to you, you can very easily mow down foolish Demomen who think you are a good target for decapitation. Take along Natascha if any of them build up a speed buff or try using the Chargin' Targe to escape you.
Heavy	vs	Heavy	Other Heavies can go down surprisingly quickly provided you: A. have more health/ A Medic healing you and B. Spin up before he does (Remember that your alternate fire keeps your Minigun spinning). Having more ammo also helps. Remember that if one Heavy starts firing Criticals, he will almost always win the encounter. Try to get behind cover if you hear the tell-tale sound of an enemy Heavy's Criticals. It is very possible to take down an enemy Heavy paired with a Medic at close range by simply being the first to fire, even if you do not have a Medic yourself. Since you will be doing hundreds of damage per second, you can damage him much faster than his Medic can heal. If you see a Heavy from afar, take out the Shotgun, then fire a few shots before he can spin up his Minigun. Go back around the corner and take out your Minigun, spinning it up before he reaches you. This gives you a higher health advantage that could potentially win the fight. Just one second of close range shooting from either of the Heavy's miniguns can potentially kill any class, as they're capable of dishing out over 500 damage a second at point-blank. If you are equipped with the Minigun, and the enemy Heavy is equipped with Natascha, the task of taking him down will become much simpler, as you do more damage to him then he does to you. This works both ways however, so you should never attack a Minigun-wielding Heavy with a Natascha, unless you are able to surprise him, get more shots on him before he spins up, are being healed by a Medic, or you know they have lower health then you. Using the Fists of Steel, you can easily reduce the damage done to you by a Heavy if he has already spun-up. In this case, break out the Fists and retreat behind a corner. If you hear him approaching, you can do one of two things. Either run and try to desperately melee him to death (as the Fists will keep you from being damaged too severely by the Minigun damage), or rev up your Minigun and surprise him with a jump from around the corner. You can also trick a Heavy into pulling out his melee weapon if he is seeing that his Minigun is doing no damage to you, and then quickly switch to your Minigun and make work of him while he is switching weapons.
Heavy	vs	Engineer	A low level Sentry Gun is a negligible threat: the Heavy can take it down easily with sustained fire, but don't ignore them! A level one Sentry Gun, despite its low health, is hardly be noticeable if you're busy destroying the opposition, so keep your eyes peeled. If he has good cover and a Medic behind him, a Heavy can also take out a level two or three Sentry Gun. If the Sentry needs to spin around to target you and you have a wall to duck behind, careful players can destroy level 2 and 3 Sentry Guns with ease. If it is accompanied by an Engineer, you will have to be very close to be able to out-gun it. Alternatively, have a Medic ÜberCharge you in order to get close to the Sentry Gun and destroy both it and the Engineer, allowing your team-mates to rush through. As with most ÜberCharges, it is important that the Medic runs out ahead in order to distract the Sentry Gun, this will allow you to get as close as possible in order to take it down. Remember that when crouching the Heavy is harder to knock back. Use this to your advantage to avoid the effect of Sentry Gun fire. When facing a lone Engineer, you should have no problems as you will be able to cut through him like butter, even at long range. A Revengineer, or Engineer wielding a Frontier Justice, is somewhat of a greater threat. Even if you destroy their Sentry Gun, there's still the threat of their revenge criticals, which can really put a hole in you if they get too close. The best way, and only real way, to deal with these kinds of Engineers is to simply put them down before they do the same to you with their Revenge Criticals. Wrangled Sentry Guns will prove to be an even bigger threat, and even more problematic, as the added shield absorbs 66% damage, making Sentry Guns tougher while putting them in the hands of the Engineer himself, making it essential that you destroy the Engineer first or get extremely close to the sentry to try and take it down if attacking the Engineer is out of the question. Engineers equipped with the Gunslinger may not seem like a huge threat, but their ability to deploy Combat Mini-Sentry Guns, which will be either an annoyance or your worst enemy. Despite the fact they have a tiny amount of health and are small, these Sentry Guns have an increased rate of fire, can be thrown down for only 100 metal, and can be put up at half the rate a normal level one sentry can. Out in the open, it's hardly a threat. But placed in unexpected locations, it can be quite evil, especially for a Heavy. Your best bet is to take them down as soon as you spot them. Try to find the Engineer placing them down to stop the waves of mini-Sentry Guns. If you're having problems with Sentry Gun damage, consider taking the Fists of Steel to severely reduce the damage done to you by them. This effect is even better when you have a Medic with you, as he can help you outlast one for a good period of time.
Heavy	vs	Medic	Medics pose very little threat to a Heavy unless they are using their ÜberCharge on or healing an enemy team member. If the Medic is healing an enemy Heavy or Soldier, avoid the pair unless they haven't noticed you and you're close to the Medic (nothing stands a chance against a quick burst from a mini-gun close up, including Heavies being healed). You won't be able to do enough damage to the healing target before you die if you are at a distance, and will likely need a Medic of your own before taking them on. Although Medics tend to shoot you from afar with the Syringe Gun, it shouldn't pose much of a threat to a Heavy, though the Blutsauger can cause you a lot of trouble, especially with your slow speed. Medics won't be able to run away from you easily if you use Natascha, and with careful application at long range you can slow the enemy Medic to the point where he loses his healing target should they be unaware of your firing.
Heavy	vs	Sniper	One of the most dangerous foes you will face at range, the Sniper is a real nightmare for any Heavy. At long range, a Sniper's fully-powered headshot will kill you even if you're overhealed at maximum as the Sniper Rifle can deal up to 450 damage. . Your slow speed and large size makes for an extremely easy target, so avoid Snipers at all costs as you will not be able to dodge a good Sniper for long. Their threat, of course, diminishes as you close in on them. You can use sustained fire on their position to keep them in hiding as you approach, however this will not work on a experienced Sniper; you will be dead before you can begin to spin up your Minigun. This is why it's best to use the Shotgun as it will allow you to move at full speed, seeking cover, while firing at a distance. As long as one bullet hits the Sniper it's enough to makes his scope jump, making it a whole lot easier to approach a Sniper without being killed. A Sniper at medium to close range is very little threat; simply mow him down with your Minigun. Be aware of Sniper dots; if you see one, avoid walking out in the open. Remember, you have the biggest head in the game. If you spot a Sniper dot or know a Sniper is watching a certain area with no way around it, try to jump. The Sniper may jump the gun too soon and fire at your torso or legs instead of the head. Snipers armed with the Huntsman are less of a threat at max overheal, even if they manage a headshot as it'll only deal up to 360 damage. Snipers armed with the Sydney Sleeper are even less of a threat by themselves, dealing only up to 160 damage on fully charged shots. However, this rifle is capable of inflicting the Jarate effect, so any subsequent shots afterward will hurt, or any damage for that matter, will hurt. If you're equipped with the GRU, you can pass through some areas more quickly without being subject to a headshot with your increased speed. Remember to duck occasionally and unpredictably in addition to other evasive tactics when you have to pass through Sniper-infested areas or while laying down suppressive fire with your shotgun; the more you can keep your head moving, the harder a target it is for any enemy Sniper. Also consider taking the Fists of Steel in Sniper friendly areas, as it will dramatically reduce the damage of any headshot that lands. You will therefore not be killed by a fully charged shot if you are lucky enough to pull them out in time. If the Sniper decides to try to melee you, simply switch to your Minigun and make quick work of him.
Heavy	vs	Spy	Another one-hit killer to watch out for when playing a Heavy is the Spy and his dreaded backstab. One of the tasks of an enemy Spy is to assassinate key targets, one of them being troublesome Heavy/Medic pairs. They are, however, very easy to kill once you've caught them. You will want to Spy check very, very often if you can afford to; there is no such thing as Spy-checking too often. Do not rely on your Medic to spot Spies for you, as one of your jobs is to prevent them from backstabbing him. Listen to your Medic's alerts; if you hear or see that your Medic is killed, immediately turn around, as this is often a sign of your impending death. However, a Spy armed with Your Eternal Reward, the threat of a sneak attack is greater as you'll never hear the Medic's death cry. When on your own, you are an even more vulnerable target, so don't forget to stay alert for people behind you at all times. If possible, try to keep your back to a wall when firing to help discourage backstabs. If you've equipped the GRU, you'll be tougher to attack from behind as you'll move the same speed as the Spy. This does not mean he won't use sneaky ways to catch up and cut corners. If a Spy cloaks and runs away, the spread of your Minigun fire should allow you to find him and mow him down. This is made far easier when using Natascha, as the Spy will be slowed to the point where his Cloak may run out before he reaches cover. Try not to let him escape, because often he will return for a second attempt at a backstab. A cloaked Spy in disguise will remain unaffected by the slowdown effect of Natascha, so keep track of him until he's down for sure. Spies armed with the Dead Ringer will prove to be much more bothersome, as they will feign death in order to escape a sticky situation, only to come back a second time unexpectedly. In close-quarters combat, avoid letting the Spy get in your rear 180-degree arc where he can use his backstab, as he may well outmaneuver you before you cut him down. You can also team up with a friendly Pyro to cover your back. Be extra aware for a Spy equipped with the Saharan Spy set, as you'll not hear them uncloak from behind no matter how perceptive you are of their uncloaking sound. Always Spy-check, if you know a Spy wielding this set is lurking about.

See also

• Team strategy