VS Saxton Hale Mode (custom game mode)

Saxton Hale as he appears in the mod.

“

I'd rather get down there and tell them myself... With my bare hands! — Saxton Hale on communication

”

The VS Saxton Hale Mode is an unofficial Juggernaut-style modification of the Arena gamemode. The modification pits the RED mercenaries against Mann Co. CEO Saxton Hale. Armed with plenty of health and his bare hands, the player who takes control of Saxton Hale has to eliminate all of the Mercenaries to win, while said Mercenaries either attempt to kill him, or capture the map's control point (which can also be captured by Saxton).

Gameplay

This mode is similar to Arena, in the sense that if a player dies, they will not respawn until the round has ended. Every player but one is put onto one team, leaving the other team with a single player, whom now takes the role of Saxton Hale. This player has unique stats as Saxton Hale, which include increased health, a special jump ability, and a rage taunt. However, this player can only use his bare hands (an invisible and modified Shovel) to kill the other players. Many actions that would instantly kill a normal player, such as backstabs and taunt kills, will only deal a large amount of damage to the player playing Saxton Hale rather than killing him outright.

In addition, there is a small chance that the player will take the role of the Vagineer, the Horseless Headless Horsemann Junior, or the Christian Brutal Sniper instead of Saxton Hale.

Plugin Information

• Current version: 1.32
• Needed SourceMod extensions: TF2Items, SDKHooks, Socket
• Plugin is avaliable to download from 31 dec 2010 on Random Fortress Forum. From 2 Jan 2011 - on Allied Modders Forum.

Changelog

Changelog:

Version:1.28

• Christian Brutal Sniper is a regular character.
• CBS has 3 melee weapons ad bow-rage.
• Added new lines for Vagineer.
• Now Mode uses in-game model change function. (Attachables are broken from Hatless Update)

Version:1.27

• Many bug fixes and code optimization.

Version:1.26

• Added the second URL for auto-update.
• Fixed problems, when auto-update was corrupt plugin.
• Added a question for the next Hale, if he want to be him. (/haleme)
• Eyelander and Half-Zatoichi was replaced with Claidheamh Mor.
• Dispenser and TP won't be destoyed after Engineer's death.
• Mode uses the localization file.
• Saxton Hale will be choosed randomly for the first 3 rounds (then by queue).
• Fan O'War replaced with Sandman

Version 1.25

• Fixed silent HHHjr's rage.
• Now bots (sourcetv too) will not be Hale.
• Fixed invalid uber on Vagineer's head.
• Fixed other little bugs.

Version 1.24

• Fixed destroyed buildables associated with spy's fake death.
• Syringe Gun replaced with Blutsauger.
• Blutsauger, on hit: +3 to uber-charge.
• Removed crits from Blutsauger.
• CnD replaced with Invis Watch.
• Fr.Justice replaced with shotgun.
• Fists of steel replaced with fists.
• KGB replaced with GRU.
• Added /haleclass.

Version 1.23

• Added Super Duper Jump to rescue Hale from pit.
• Removed pyro's ammolimit.
• Fixed little bugs.

Version 1.22

• Now it's working. Also little optimize about player count.

Version 1.21

• Point will be enabled when X or less players be alive.

Version 1.20

• Added new Hale's phrases.
• More bugfixes
• Improved super-jump.
• Coming soon: point will be disabled until last X living players.

Version 1.12

• More bugfixes.
• Now "(Hale)<mapname>" can be nominated for nextmap.
• Medigun's uber gets uber and crits for Medic and his target.
• Fixed infinite Specials.
• Now gamemode's ConVars saves in file (addons\sourcemod\configs\saxton_hale_config.c fg)
• And more bugfixes.

Version 1.11

• Fixed immortal spy.
• Fixed crashes associated with classlimits.

Version 1.10

• Added hale_enabled convar.
• Fixed bug, when all hats was removed...why?

Version 1.00

• Release!!!

Saxton Hale Dialogue

For version 1.20 many new custom lines of dialogue were added to the mod. These additional Saxton Hale responses take place during specific events.

Boss Characters & Abilities

Saxton Hale

• Superjump: In order to use this ability, the player must crouch on the spot, look up and release crouch. After doing so, the player will propel themselves up into the air. This ability has a five-second cooldown before its next use.
• Rage: When Saxton Hale has taken approximately 1,900 damage, his rage meter will be full. Taunting with a full rage meter will stun all enemy players in close proximity. The stun effect is similar to that produced by the Ghost in Harvest and the Horseless Headless Horsemann. It's worth noting that Saxton Hale's taunt also affects Sentry Guns, as they are disabled for the stun duration.
• Equalizer Effect: Movement speed increases as Saxton Hale (the player) takes on more damage.
• Super Duper Jump: Only works in the pits and precipices. This is why the ammunition was again increased for the Pyro. It was added in patch 1.23.

Vagineer

• Superjump: In order to use this ability, the player must crouch on the spot, look up and release crouch. After doing so, the player will propel themselves up into the air. This ability has a five-second cooldown before its next use.
• Rage: When the Vagineer has taken approximately 1,900 damage, his rage meter will be full. Taunting with a full rage meter will make the Vagineer become ÜberCharged for 8.5 seconds. The Vagineer's taunt also stuns the nearby players, similar to that produced by the Ghost in Harvest and the Horseless Headless Horsemann. The Vagineer's taunt, however; does not affect and disable Sentry Guns, but will affect Übercharged targets.
• Equalizer Effect: Movement speed increases as the Vagineer (the player) takes on more damage.
• Super Duper Jump: Only works in the pits and precipices. That is why the ammunition was again increased to Pyro. It was added in patch 1.23.

Horseless Headless Horsemann Junior

• Teleport: The player must crouch on the spot, look up and release crouch. After doing so, the player will be sent to a random enemy. This ability has a fifty second cooldown before its next use.
• Rage: When HHH Jr. has taken approximately 1,900 damage, his rage meter will be full. Taunting with a full rage meter will stun all enemy players in close proximity. The stun effect is similar to that produced by the Ghost in Harvest and the Horseless Headless Horsemann. It's worth noting that the HHH Jr.'s taunt also affects Sentry Guns, as they are disabled for the stun duration.
• Equalizer Effect: Movement speed increases as the HHH Jr. (the player) takes on more damage.

Christian Brutal Sniper

• Superjump: In order to use this ability, the player must crouch on the spot, look up and release crouch. After doing so, the player will propel themselves up into the air. This ability has a five-second cooldown before its next use.
• Rage: When the Christian Brutal Sniper has taken approximately 1,900 damage, his rage meter will be full. Taunting with a full rage meter will grant the Christian Brutal Sniper a modified Huntsman and stuns all enemy players in close proximity. The stun effect is similar to that produced by the Ghost in Harvest and the Horseless Headless Horsemann, as well as Saxton's in this mod. It's worth noting that Christian Brutal Sniper's taunt also affects Sentry Guns, as they are disabled for the stun duration.
• Equalizer Effect: Movement speed increases as the Christian Brutal Sniper (the player) takes on more damage.

Cave Johnson

• Aperture Long Distance Hop: In order to use this ability, the player must crouch on the spot, look up and release crouch. After doing so, the player will propel themselves up into the air. This ability has a five-second cooldown before its next use.
• Lemon Rampage: When Cave Johnson has taken approximately 1,9000 damage, his rage meter will be full. Taunting with a full rage meter will stun all enemy players in close proximity. The stun effect is similar to that produced by the Ghost in Harvest and the Horseless Headless Horsemann. It's worth noting that Cave Johnson's taunt also affects Sentry Guns, as they are disabled for the stun duration.

This will grant Cave Johnson a modified Rocket Launcher with rapid fire (Similar Robin Walker's Valve Rocket Launcher) that on hit will set fire to the target.

• Equalizer Effect: Movement speed increases as Cave Johnson (the player) takes on more damage.

Balancing Specifics

File:Saxtonvagineerhp.jpg

Saxton Hale (Vagineer) health chart.

File:HHHJRhp.jpg

Horseless Headless Horsemann Junior health chart.

Saxton Hale's (and thusly the HHH Jr.'s, Vagineer's and CBS's) health increases based on the number of players taking part in the game. The health follows a formula based upon the initial number of players on the enemy team at the start of the round. His health is calculated as [(n+320)*n]^1,14, where n is the initial number of players on the enemy team. When n<=5, n increments by 2. For the HHH Jr.: when n>10, he has the following formula: n=n-(n-12)/3.

Saxton Hale (Vagineer) Number of players on the server Modifier (n) Max (spawn) health of boss 1 1 720 2 2 1593 3 3 2538 4 4 3535 5 5 4575 6 6 5651 7 7 6761 8 8 7900 9 9 9067 10 10 10259 11 11 11068 12 11 11887 13 12 12716 14 13 13556 15 13 14405 16 14 15264 17 15 16132 18 15 17009 19 16 17895 20 17 18790 21 17 19693 22 18 20605 23 19 21526 24 19 22455 25 20 23392 26 21 24337 27 21 25290 28 22 26251 29 23 27220 30 23 28197 31 24 29182 32 25 30175

Horseless Headless Horsemann Junior Number of players on the server Modifier (n) Max (spawn) health of boss 1 1 720 2 2 1593 3 3 2538 4 4 3535 5 5 4575 6 6 5651 7 7 6761 8 8 7900 9 9 9067 10 10 10259 11 11 11068 12 12 12716 13 13 13556 14 13 14405 15 14 15264 16 15 16132 17 15 17009 18 16 17895 19 17 18790 20 17 19693 21 18 20605 22 19 21526 23 19 22455 24 20 23392 25 21 24337 26 21 25290 27 22 26251 28 23 27220 29 23 28197 30 24 29182 31 25 30175 32 25 31175

Some weapons equipped by players on RED will be changed into their default counterparts or edited for balance issues:

• All classes: Non-backstab melee weapons will always perform Crits, to reward the player for taking risks with close-range combat.
• Scout: The Crit-a-Cola gives full Crits instead of Mini-Crits. Fan O' War replaced with a Sandman.
• Soldier: The Battalion's Backup is replaced with a Shotgun. The Rocket Jumper is not allowed and is replaced with default Rocket Launcher. The Half-Zatoichi is replaced by the Shovel.
• Pyro: The Axtinguisher is not allowed and is replaced by the Fire Axe.
• Demoman: The Chargin' Targe blocks one hit from Saxton Hale. The Sticky Jumper is not allowed and is replaced with default Sticky Launcher. The Half-Zatoichi, Eyelander, and the Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker are replaced with the Claidheamh Mòr.
• Heavy: If a Heavy has Natascha equipped, it is replaced by the Minigun. Fists of Steel and Killing Gloves of Boxing are replaced with Fists. The Minigun starts with 100 ammo.
• Engineer: The player can only find small metal packs. The player also starts with 158 metal. Frontier Justice is replaced with normal Shotgun.
• Medic: Medi Gun is replaced with Kritzkrieg. Syringe Gun is replaced with Blutsauger. The Medic spawns with 40 percent ÜberCharge. ÜberCharge grants both Critical Hits and Invulnerability to Medic and patient. ÜberCharge lasts 50% longer. Needles from the Blutsauger grant 5 percent ÜberCharge on each successful hit. Crusader's Crossbow always performs Critical hits (no ÜberCharge gain on successful hit). At the end of an ÜberCharge the Medic gains 40 percent ÜberCharge.
• Sniper: Jarate is not allowed and is replaced with the SMG. All usable Sniper weapons perform Critical hits.
• Spy: A backstab from the Knife deals roughly 10% of the enemy character's max health in damage. Upon a successful backstab a message stating that the enemy was stabbed is displayed to him and Saxton. In addition, the Spy is unable to backstab again for approximately 2 seconds. This is similar to backstabbing a Sniper wearing the Razorback. Your Eternal Reward replaced with Knife.

Remember however that balance specifics such as boss speed, rage taunt damage, rage taunt distance, and appearance of characters other than Saxton Hale may vary from server to server, as these specifics are adjustable via server console variables.

Strategy

Playing the Classes

General

• As this is a modified version of Arena mode, Arena tactics also apply here.
• Stick together! Teamwork here is vital.
• Try to attack the enemy from afar. He can only use melee weapons.
• Saxton's punch does about 174-220 damage. A critical hit does 585. This means that only the Heavy and possibly Soldier can survive a hit without a health buff. Pyros and Demomen with the Bottle or Ullapool Caber may be lucky to stay alive with one hitpoint left. If you somehow manage to survive, don't get cocky - search for Medic, find a Dispenser or a health pack.
• With the exception of the Spy's Knives, all melee weapons have crits forced upon them. Some weapons that normally would not be granted critical hits have this disability negated because of this.
• Taunts only do 500-600 damage. Because of this, taunt kills are rarely seen as a legitimate tactic.
• Momentum is Saxton's worst enemy. Airblasts, Sentry Guns, and other knockback inducing attacks are always good ideas to consider.
• Some servers give you critical hits after successfully taunting. Be cautious, however - taunt ONLY if you know that Saxton is far away and/or you have someone to watch your back.
• Communicate! Alert your teammates of Saxton's whereabouts at all times.
• Never let your guard down. Saxton may sneak up behind you and quickly kill you.
• Don't purposefully capture the point unless very desperate. It's general etiquette.
• Against the HHHJ, try to stay in one big group or go around in a few strong groups. If you are caught alone in the HHHJ's teleport, it is almost a certain death.
• When fighting Vagineer, be sure to have at least one Pyro with the Flamethrower or Degreaser equipped. Airblasting Pyro is possibly Vagineer's worst nightmare.

Scout

• Because of the fragility of the Scout, Saxton can one-hit kill you even with the full Special Delivery set, so using it will not give you an advantage.
• ALWAYS stay at long range. Your job isn't to deal major amount of damage to Saxton, but to harass and annoy him.
• Your Pistol has critical hits forced upon it, therefore it has a higher damage output than any of your primary weapons.
• The Force-A-Nature knocks back Saxton Hale. Try to push him away from teammates or into a chasm.
• As an emergency weapon, Bonk! Atomic Punch can help you get away from close encounters.
  • Get some distance between you and Saxton before drinking Bonk as, while drinking, you are completely vulnerable.
• Crit-a-Cola is less of a high-risk, high payoff situation for Scouts as one hit from Saxton Hale will kill you regardless of mini-crits.
• On a team without Medics, Mad Milk will help your team get much needed health back from close encounters with Saxton Hale.
• The Sandman becomes an upgrade of the Bat as you will gain the power to stun. Saxton can one-hit kill you without the health penalty anyways.
• The Candy Cane is the same as the Bat in this mode: you won't get the health benefit from killing Saxton, but he can't use explosive damage anyway.
• The Boston Basher can be useful if you dart in and out, whacking him when he's not paying attention. Since this is an Arena-like mode, however, aim carefully.
• The Sun-on-a-Stick is a downgrade from the Bat or Sandman, since it deals 25% less damage.
• Despite being faster than Saxton, don't get too cocky when running away from him or running around him. He might get a lucky hit in.

Soldier

• After the Scout, you're the class with most mobility, especially with the Gunboats equipped. Try to stay away from your teammates and act as a sort of backup if your teammates are in danger. Just shoot some critical rockets in their way and hope that they'll push Saxton back.
• Unless critical, your rockets don't do much damage, although they provide significant knockback.
• If Saxton is too close, you can rocket jump to escape.
• The Black Box is very useful on a team without Medics as it will heal you when you hit Saxton.
• If you have a lot of teammates, consider equipping the Buff Banner to help deal some extra damage to the stronger Saxton Hale.
• The Concheror can be used to heal yourself and your teammates. If your team has either a Medic or a Dispenser, however, it won't be of much use.
• In this mod, the Equalizer becomes more of an escaping weapon rather than a high damage weapon.
• The Pain Train is infinitely better than the Shovel since Saxton uses his bare hands. Note, however, that unless you want to capture the point, it won't matter much.

Pyro

• Never charge at Saxton. Your weapons do little damage, and your primary requires you to stay close to him. Even with criticals, your Flamethrower/Degreaser deals very small amount of damage compared to the other weapons.
• Consider not using the Backburner, since +10% damage bonus won't make a difference, and you'll be able to use the Airblast four times only.
• Your airblast can prove to be invaluable. Blasting Saxton Hale around can disorient him, allowing your team to get some easy shots in. In addition, try airblasting him into environmental hazards such as the saw blades in Sawmill or off a cliff such as the cliff in Lumberyard.
• Stay close to ammo resources, such as Dispensers and Ammo Boxes, as you will lose ammo very quickly when firing or airblasting.
• Beware of maps with water. Saxton can easily drop in and extinguish the afterburn.
• The Flare Gun's purpose is to light Saxton on fire, not to deal major damage to him.
• The Gas Jockey's Gear's speed boost may prove to be useful in escapes.
• The Powerjack is a pure downgrade from the Fire Axe because the health gain bonus is useless and it makes you more vulnerable to melee attacks while it is active.
• Use of the Back Scratcher is based off of many different factors. Are there any Medics/Engineers on your team? Are there healthpacks on the given map?
• The Sharpened Volcano Fragment is marginally useful here, if you dart in and out hitting him randomly.
• An easy way to alert your teammates of Saxton's presence is to light him on fire. It would be hard to not spot a running human torch. This is especially useful on some of the darker maps such as Sawmill.
• The HHHJ's Superjump is actually an instant Teleport, keep this in mind the next time you Airblast HHHJ into a Death Pit or Sawblade as he can teleport at you and kill you instantly.
• You are Vagineer's worst nightmare. With a nearby Dispenser and a Medic healing you, you'll become an obstacle he can't avoid.

Demoman

• You can deal most damage in a single hit, so you will be one of Saxton's prime targets.
• Always stay in high places and away from your teammates, so you will be unaffected by Saxton's stun. Your purpose is to use stickybombs to protect teammates if they're in danger, not engage in direct combat.
• Plant stickies near an Engineer's nest. If Saxton gets near, detonate them.
• If you have the Scottish Resistance equipped, place one sticky near you, so you may escape when Saxton comes after you.
• The Chargin' Targe is more for defensive purpose, as it allows you to survive one hit. Do not charge toward Saxton Hale as he can easily notice and hit you.
  • Instead, use the Targe as an escaping weapon as Saxton cannot keep up with the Targe's speed.
  • Some servers make Targe force critical hits upon your primary weapon. This might prove useful if you manage to score direct hits with your grenades.
• Because of the knockback provided by Direct Hit grenades, it may be difficult to hit Saxton with all four. Consider using Loch-n-Load for a higher damage output.
• With the Targe and Loch-n-Load equipped, you are unable to sticky jump and pipe jump. Consider this when fighting Saxton.
• Set plenty of stickytraps along map routes used by Saxton. The Scottish Resistance can come in handy for this.
  • Alternatively, place a concentrated amount of Stickybombs where Saxton will come from. The Scottish Resistance's extra 6 bombs will help.
• Some servers give you Crits/Mini-crits after taunting. If you plan on defending a certain place, taunt before laying your traps. Critical stickies will deal astonishing amount of damage, as well as send Saxton flying.
• If you are cornered, as a last ditch attempt, place sticky bombs near you and detonate them just before you get hit by Saxton. This will kill you, but will deal damage to Saxton at the same time.
• The Eyelander, Headless Horseless Horsemann's Headtaker, and Half-Zatoichi are replaced with the Claidheamh Mòr. This is beneficial when using the Chargin' Targe because of the extra charge distance.
• The Scotsman's Skullcutter will deal more damage, but escaping from Saxton will be harder.
• The Ullapool Caber is best used as a VERY last resort. Since all melee weapons have crits forced upon them, the Caber will deal a massive amount of 410 damage and propel you upward, possibly saving your life. Use this extra chance to escape and find a better spot.

Heavy

• Always have a Medic with you. You will be Saxton's main priority.
• You are the ultimate gunner in your team. Try not to go anywhere alone.
• Don't rely on your high health to survive. Saxton can beat you down in two well-placed hits.
• Stay close to a Dispenser; your guns will chew through ammunition easily and most fallen weapons will be taken accidentally by teammates.
• If you plan to just stick to one place, consider using the Brass Beast. Aside from the higher damage output, if you're constantly firing at Saxton Hale and you have a refillable ammo source, he will also be knocked back.
• If you get lucky, you may jam Saxton in a corner via your Minigun's knockback. At this stage, simply go to town with your guns until Saxton recovers.
• On a team without Medics, consider using the lunchbox items for the Heavy, as health becomes a scarcity in this mode. Even with Medics, nutritious food will help your buddies survive.
• The Sandvich and Buffalo Steak Sandvich can be dropped. Try to aim them at very wounded teammates.
• The G.R.U is very useful with a Medic; you can hit Saxton with your Minigun, and flee when he approaches.
• The Warrior's Spirit health loss will not matter much; Saxton will still be unable to kill you in one hit. The damage bonus will be useful, though.

Engineer

• Stay hidden in the initial few minutes until you have your Dispenser and Sentry Gun up, mainly because you will be one of Saxton's top priority targets.
• Build your Dispenser first. Your team needs lots of ammo and health.
• Some servers have the option to replace Dispensers with Amplifiers, a machine that gives nearby teammates critical hits. Converse with your fellow Engineers to make sure you don't have only Dispensers/Amplifiers.
• After building a Sentry Gun and Dispenser, you can build a Teleporter to use as an in-case-of-emergency escape if Saxton gets too close. Beware, however, as it takes some time to teleport when you are on the teleporter entrance.
• Your Sentry will stay stunned longer than players. If your sentry gets stunned, it is usually a good idea to bail out and rebuild your buildings from scratch.
• If your Sentry gets stunned by Saxton's taunt, it will lose about half of its health and you will not be able to repair it unless you haul and redeploy it.
  • When doing so, hitting it while it is upgrading itself will make you lose metal as if you're repairing it, but the health of it will not increase.
• If you die, your Sentry Gun will be destroyed. Keep this in mind when fighting Saxton.
• Be careful when building a sentry nest against the Headless Horseless Headmann Junior. His teleport ability may allow him to wreak chaos in the nest.
• Sentry Guns provide significant knockback. With enough Engineers, you may provide enough force to relocate Saxton.
  • This is especially useful against the Vagineer as his taunt merely Übercharges him and is still affected by knockback.
• The Wrangler is useful in dealing a high damage output and for stalling Saxton if your sentry is put in a small tunnel or doorway.
• In the Saxton Hale Mod, the Southern Hospitality is a direct upgrade to the regular Wrench, since Saxton doesn't use fire and it makes Saxton bleed - although you probably won't be engaging in a melee battle with Saxton.
• The Gunslinger gives you the ability to build Mini-Sentry Guns that takes less metal. Use them as a temporary defense or as an alert to see where Saxton is.
• Consider bringing the Jag for the faster build rate.
• Try getting a Pyro with you so he/she can Airblast Saxton if he gets too close to your Sentry Nest.
• If there is a Horseless Headless Horsemann Junior present, consider Sentry Jumping to places where the Horsemann can't reach you without teleporting.

Medic

• Remember that you will be one of Saxton's priority targets, due to the fact that you can heal and ÜberCharge.
• Heal everyone. Do not prioritize one class. With the exception of a Scout wearing a Sandman and a Spy wearing a Conniver's Kunai, any class fully buffed can survive a hit from Hale.
• Do not hesitate to deploy your ÜberCharge on a teammate in danger. One extra person could mean the result of the round.
• Hale's stun is your largest threat. However you are immune to it whilst ÜberCharged. Try to stay behind your team mates to avoid being stunned and be prepared to use your ÜberCharge to save team mates when they are stunned.
• ÜberCharge gains from the Blutsauger can build your ÜberCharge extremely fast as you gain 5 percent ÜberCharge on each successful hit. Firing needles whilst backing away from Hale can quickly build a full ÜberCharge.
• The Crusader's Crossbow is useful if played on a large map, such as Watchtower.
• Heal your teammates often, either by using your Medi Gun or the Amputator, depending on the situation and the number of potential patients.
• Don't use your Übersaw to build up your ÜberCharge unless Saxton is very distracted or if you are trying to stun him with the Spinal Tap taunt.
  • However it is a conceivable tactic whilst being ÜberCharged by another Medic.
• Healing Engineers who have built a Sentry Gun will cause the Sentry to deal mini-crits to Saxton. This is a good way to deal large amounts of damage to Saxton.

Sniper

• Since all of your weapons have a critical boost, your SMG will have a higher damage output compared to a Heavy's Minigun.
  • However, your SMG has a low amount of ammo so be careful of trying to shoot Saxton to death.
• Your critical un-zoomed shot (or uncharged in the case of Huntsman) can deliver 150 damage alone. Considering the speed of Saxton Hale, it is in generally preferable to shoot him unscoped/uncharged, or go for body shots.
• A possible, but risky tactic is to use the Sniper's Skewer taunt. The taunts initial thrust is coupled with a stun on the target, meaning you can quickly take down Saxton with the help of another Huntsman Sniper if both players lock him in a taunt chain. Beware, however, of Saxton's rage taunt.
• Stay well away from Saxton. None of your weapons receive damage falloff meaning you can deal large amounts of damage to him at long ranges.
• Your fully charged Sniper Rifle is stronger than your fully charged Huntsman. The Sniper Rifle is also more accurate than the Huntsman, so as a general rule, don't bring the bow.
• Because of the full critical boost for your primary weapon, the Sydney Sleeper is a direct upgrade over the Sniper Rifle. It'll Jarate Saxton, and the charge rate will help. You probably won't be able to headshot Saxton anyway.

Spy

• The Ambassador should only be reserved for a true marksman, since its damage and firing speed is slower.
• Using L'Etranger is recommended as it allows the Spy to recharge his Dead Ringer faster and potentially survive an extra hit.
• Always go for backstabs, as the knives do not deal Critical hits.
• A successful backstab will decrease the health of the boss by 10%. Meaning, if the boss has around 1000 health, you will deal 100 damage to Saxton. It takes only a few backstabs to deal a devastating amount of health to Saxton.
• The Cloak and Dagger will be replaced by the default Invis Watch. Generally, the Dead Ringer will be more useful, for both distracting Saxton, and surviving a hit or two from him.
• Because Saxton Hale is always moving, using the Invisibility Watch to uncloak behind him is difficult to pull off. Instead, use the Dead Ringer to ensure you survive most of his attacks.
• Saxton's rage taunt can reveal cloaked Spies. Cloaked Spies will remain invisible but a ring of ghosts will still float on top of their heads.
• Using the Conniver's Kunai is generally a bad idea because it decreases the amount of fake deaths you can have consecutively while using the Dead Ringer. Also, you won't absorb his health.
• If you are the last surviving member on your team, going invisible will be pointless. Some servers make the "Last Man Standing" have a glowing ring around them, which won't go away when you go invisible. The Dead Ringer can still be used to survive a close encounter with Hale, but don't expect to elude him with invisibility.
• If you manage to successfully backstab Saxton, you will automatically switch to your Revolver, and a notification of the backstab will show up on both your screen, and Saxton's. Also, the "Last Weapon Used" quick key won't let you switch to your knife, so if you want to quickly stab Hale again, you have to switch to your knife with the "3" key.

Playing the Bosses

General

• General etiquette is not to cap the point(s) as one of the bosses unless desperate; generally, that's when your health drops under 2000. However, should the opponents be heavily entrenched, cap the point to draw them out. On high enough health, actively attacking is expected when playing as a boss. It is also generally accepted to cap when there is only a single Scout left who is running away.
• Remember that you are not invincible, especially on a small server with a small amount of opponents (e.g. if you only have one opponent your health is about 500). If you can not charge forward, find another route toward their stronghold.
• Be careful of chasms such as the pits in Nucleus as they are difficult to get out of them and even if you do escape, it will have taken a big chunk out of your health.
• Another thing to be wary of are the other environmental dangers in the map such as getting trapped in a lift door or getting hit by a train. Some of these cannot be escaped from and you become more or less at your enemy's mercy.
• Fire is your friend, especially if you have high enough health. It is effective in that you use it to charge your rage meter.
• Knockback will be your worst enemy. Deal with Pyros, Force-A-Nature Scouts, Heavies, and Engineers/Sentry Guns first before you go after other classes.
  • However, do not be unwilling to go with the flow. You might just get knocked back in the direction of another enemy.
  • If a Pyro is constantly airblasting you, remember that they only have 200 ammo with them at one time.
• On a server with large amount of players, feel free to use a brute-force approach against the enemy. Chances are more probable that you will catch one or two easily.
• Remember to use your taunt! (default "g"). Despite being a taunt, you can still move around and beat enemies to death. However, don't spam the taunt button as it will cause you to do a normal taunt after your stun taunt. You should use your taunt when one of the following was encountered:
  • Trying to catch a Scout, the only class that can outrun you.
  • Knockback clusters (e.g. Pyro and Scouts). Even though they might be a small group, but they are your worst opponents as they prevent you from approaching.
  • A cluster of opponents, as well as Sentry nests. The taunt, aside from allowing the boss to quickly dispatch a bunch of opponents, also helps eliminate the knockbacks from the Sentry Guns.
  • The last player(s) on the other team that you just can't catch up to.
• If the Engineer dies, his Sentry Gun is also destroyed. Using this knowledge, if both an Engineer and his Sentry Gun are both stunned, go after the Engineer.
• If you find a teleporter, break it. it will either force the Engineer to go and replace it or deny said Engineer an escape route.
• Superjump may have disadvantages in some situations; a cluster of well placed Sentry Guns and Heavies can easily send you hovering above ground, making you a floating target; possibly until you die.
• Using the Superjump to reach a Sentry nest and then instantly deploying your rage taunt before the Sentry Guns can respond will allow you to catch anyone up there off-guard.
• If you manage to hit a Spy, chances are that they're using the Dead Ringer. If you suspect a Dead Ringer Spy, you can use your taunt to locate him or smash likely hiding spots.
• If you fall on top of an enemy, they will be crushed to death. However, don't rely on this to eliminate the other team and only rely on it for unsuspecting enemies below you and the lucky kill now and again.
• If there are Spies around, resist the urge to do a superjump. Your speed will descrease significantly and it will give Spies the perfect chance to backstab you.
• Superjumping while you are already airborne or Jumping, while moving forward, will lunge you forward at a fast speed and still maintains a height of a normal super jump. Just remember not to charge the Superjump fully while you are airborne as you may lose time and hit the ground first. Use this to quickly go around enemies or to go across the map.

Horseless Headless Horsemann Junior

• If you have low health, retreat to a safe corner, provided that your opponents are not capturing the point.
• Use teleport to surprise them before either giving your opponent a quick chop or stunning them with your taunt. For players all they need to do is hit you with a melee weapon and you will pop out of them so try not to have anyone looking at you while you are teleporting so that they don't get there melee out.
• Right before letting go of the crouch button before teleporting, press your attack button, as this will cause you to chop the person you teleport in to.
• Remember that you cannot Superjump, so high places (such as the boxes on Granary) are relatively unaccessible, especially if there are Sentry Guns or Pyros that will knock you back if you try walking there.
  • In order to counter this, make sure you have a teleport charge ready, and hope that you will end up in the high place you were planning to go while simultaneously taunting to make sure no one can escape.
• The Horseless Headless Horsemann Junior's Super Duper Jump is actually just an instant teleport, like a normal HHHJ teleport, but without the charge time.
• As of June 3, 2011 patch, you can perform the Decapitation taunt. Use it if you get stunned by the Sandman or locked in a taunt-chain.

Vagineer

• Your taunt will only stun players a small distance away, but it provides a lengthy ÜberCharge. When taunting, go after more damaging targets such as Heavies or Sentry Guns.
• If you deploy the Übercharge whilst pinned by Sentry Guns, the Charge will protect you from them and allow you to land so you can take them out. Watch out for Pyros though, as their airblast is the Übercharge's only weakness.
• Remember that your scare taunt has an extremely limited range. Only go for the scare taunt when you are very close to an enemy.
• Be sure to take out Pyros who can easily airblast you into a corner for the duration of your ÜberCharge as it does not protect you from pushback by weapons.
• Sentry Guns are the HARDEST things that Vagineer can encounter. Due to the fact that your scare taunt has a limited range, and because you cannot effectively disable Sentry Guns, always go for Engineers first, especially in maps such as Granary where Engineers can build on top of the boxes.
• Superjump can also be used when you run, but only in the leap.

Boss Model Application Method

Saxton Hale is a fully rigged (full skeleton) model that is then attached to the Soldier class via the head bone named "bip_head". This is in effect mimicking the process in which hat models attach.

Due to hat models usually only having one bone, they stay in one place, the Saxton Hale model however (having a fully rigged bone structure) automatically maps to the bones of the same name across the body of the relevant class. Then, using SourceMod (required to run VS Saxton Hale), the Soldier model is forced to become completely transparent by making the opacity of his texture to be "0" using built in commands. The same applies to each class and boss character model used in the mod. However, this can bring up a large amount of bone merge warnings within the console.

Bugs

• When Saxton is defeated, he may sometimes leave a Soldier ragdoll, or both a Saxton and Soldier ragdoll.
• Darwin's Danger Shield seems to be prohibited. Despite this, the Sniper will be forced an SMG whilst still holding a Danger Shield on their back.
  • This seems to be the case for the Razorback as well.
• Occasionally, the boss can use his normal weapons instead of just his melee.
• When a Spy Backstabs Saxton while he has less than 10% of his Health, he may glitch and become stuck with a negative amount of Health.
• Occasionally, during the first round of a new map, Saxton may not take damage from either Players or damage from sawblades or death pits.

Trivia

• When Saxton Hale scares an Engineer wearing the Hotrod, the mask flips down.
• Saxton Hale's line "-Pffft- Screw gravity!" is a reference to asdfmovie3, a popular flash video by Thomas Ridgewell.

Gallery

• 

  A Sniper wielding both the SMG and Danger Shield.

• 

  A RED Vagineer.

• 

  A BLU Vagineer.

• Saxton Hale Horseless Headless Horsemann Junior.jpg

  The Horseless Headless Horsemann Junior.

• 

  Saxton Hale.

Update history

April 14, 2011 Patch (Hatless Update)

• Server-side model attachments are now entirely disabled. Now it uses in-game model change function.

See Also

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External Links

• Mode Credits
• News on Kotaku.com