Difference between revisions of "Community Spy strategy/fr"

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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Stratégie communautaire du Spy}}
 
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Stratégie communautaire du Spy}}
 
{{Trans}}
 
{{Trans}}
−
{{stub}}
+
[[File:Spybackstab.png|300px|right|Fuyez.]]
 +
 
 +
{{Quotation|'''Le Spy'''|Vous voulez un bon conseil ? '''Fuyez'''.|sound=Spy_taunts11 fr.wav}}
 +
 
 
Le [[Spy/fr|Spy]] est l'une des classes les plus difficile à maitriser complètement. Il est spécialisé dans le sabotage, peut [[backstab/fr|backstab]] ses ennemies, se rendre [[Cloak/fr|invisible]], se [[Disguise/fr|déguiser]] et [[sap/fr|saboter]] les constructions ennemis.
 
Le [[Spy/fr|Spy]] est l'une des classes les plus difficile à maitriser complètement. Il est spécialisé dans le sabotage, peut [[backstab/fr|backstab]] ses ennemies, se rendre [[Cloak/fr|invisible]], se [[Disguise/fr|déguiser]] et [[sap/fr|saboter]] les constructions ennemis.
  
Line 94: Line 97:
 
* Méfiez-vous des serveurs alltalk, car votre bulle de voix est visible même par les ennemis, même si vous l'avez masqué. La plupart des serveurs alltalk permettent aux joueurs de désactiver les voix individuellement (en général en disant "voiceall /", mais cela varie); soyez donc sûr de l'avoir fait avant de prendre le Spy. Si vous ne pouvez pas, utilisez la [[Cloak and Dagger/fr|Cloak and Dagger]] et surveillez le chat ennemi.
 
* Méfiez-vous des serveurs alltalk, car votre bulle de voix est visible même par les ennemis, même si vous l'avez masqué. La plupart des serveurs alltalk permettent aux joueurs de désactiver les voix individuellement (en général en disant "voiceall /", mais cela varie); soyez donc sûr de l'avoir fait avant de prendre le Spy. Si vous ne pouvez pas, utilisez la [[Cloak and Dagger/fr|Cloak and Dagger]] et surveillez le chat ennemi.
  
−
==Spécifique par arme==
+
== Spéciqique par arme ==
 +
 
 +
=== Armes Principales ===
 +
 
 +
==== [[Revolver/fr|Revolver]] / [[Big Kill/fr|Big Kill]] ====
 +
{| class="wikitable grid" width="100%" style="text-align: center;"
 +
! class="header" width="17%" rowspan=2 | Arme
 +
! class="header" width="16%" rowspan=2 | Icône de frag
 +
! class="header" width="17%" colspan=2 | Munitions
 +
! class="header" width="50%" colspan=4 | Dégâts
 +
|-
 +
! class="header" width="8%"| Chargées
 +
! class="header" width="8%"| Transportées
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| A bout portant
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| A moyenne portée
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| A longue portée
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Critique
 +
|-
 +
! {{Table icon|Revolver|Standard}}
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Revolver}}
 +
| rowspan="2" |6
 +
| rowspan="2" |24
 +
| rowspan="2" |55-60
 +
| rowspan="2" |35-45
 +
| rowspan="2" |16-25
 +
| rowspan="2" |120
 +
|-
 +
! {{Table icon|Big Kill|Promotionel}}
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Big Kill}}
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
* The Revolver is the Spy's primary weapon. While not as powerful as the Knife's backstabbing capabilities, it is still an integral part of the Spy's arsenal.It is moderately accurate and has a fast reload time.
 +
 
 +
* Use the Revolver for killing low-health classes and when Backstabs are not easy or possible due to the location of the enemy. It's also viable when you are being chased; 6 medium range shots will take down most classes.
 +
 
 +
* Due to the Scout's quick movement, it can be better to shoot Scouts rather than try to stab them.
 +
 
 +
* Use the Revolver against Snipers who use the Razorback. While the Ambassador can deal critical damage on a Headshot, the Revolver is also a good option because of it's fast rate of fire. It is also better against [[Huntsman]]-wielding Snipers, as they tend to move around more.
 +
 
 +
* Use the Revolver in conjunction with the Elector Electro Sapper. Sap an Engineer's Sentry Gun and when he returns to repair it, shoot him. 3 to 4 hits will kill him, after which you can shoot his buildings if necessary.
 +
** If the Engineer has just begun building his Sentry Gun, Dispenser, or Teleporter, 1 to 2 shots will take it down - use the Revolver instead of the Electro Sapper for a long-range destruction. This will help prevent you from being discovered as well.
 +
 
 +
* Remember that the Revolver is 100% accurate if you allow 1.25 seconds between shots (approximately how long it takes to reload your Revolver). Use this to pick off wounded enemies or to snipe buildings from a distance. Long range shots, despite only doing about 20 damage to players, will deal full damage to buildings.
  
−
===Armes Principales===
+
* When navigating narrow corridors, keep your Revolver out. If they are fooled by your disguise, run by them and backstab them. If they begin to attack you, begin to backpedal while side-strafing and shooting them.
  
−
====[[Revolver/fr|Revolver]] / [[Big Kill/fr|Big Kill]]====
+
==== [[Ambassador]] ====
−
*The Revolver is the Spy's primary weapon. While not as useful as the Knife, it is still an integral part of the Spy's arsenal. A Critical hit with this weapon does 120 damage, enough to kill all damaged classes with low default HP level, like [[Scout]], [[Sniper]], [[Spy]] and [[Engineer]]. It is also moderately accurate, enabling a skilled Spy to use it for medium-range sniping. It also has a very fast reload time.
+
{| class="wikitable grid" width="100%" style="text-align: center;"
 +
! class="header" width="17%" rowspan=2 | Weapon
 +
! class="header" width="16%" rowspan=2 | Kill icon
 +
! class="header" width="17%" colspan=2 | Ammo
 +
! class="header" width="50%" colspan=4 | Damage
 +
|-
 +
! class="header" width="8%"| Loaded
 +
! class="header" width="8%"| Carried
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Point blank
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Medium range
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Long range
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Critical
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" | {{Table icon|Ambassador|Unlock}}
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Ambassador}}
 +
| 6
 +
| 24
 +
| 46-56
 +
| 31-37
 +
| 15-19
 +
| 102
 +
|-
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Sniperriflehs}}
 +
| 6
 +
| 24
 +
| 102
 +
| 102
 +
| 102
 +
| 102
 +
|}
  
−
*Use the Revolver for killing low-health classes when backstabs are not easy or possible (for instance, if a Sniper has their back against a wall). Additionally, it is a good getaway weapon: if you are being pursued by a Pyro, for instance, the Revolver is powerful enough at short range to take the Pyro down within 4-6 direct shots (fewer, if one of the shots is a Critical hit). However, the majority of any Spy's kills will come from skilled use of the Knife.
+
* At the cost of weaker bullets and slower firing rate, The Ambassador deals crits upon a headshot.
 +
** The Ambassador will only headshot if the crosshair is at its smallest size. Allow just under one second in between shots to ensure your ability to headshot.
  
−
*A good scenario for using the Revolver is to sap a lone building, then shoot the Engineer who comes to save his building (If the Spy can land 3-4 solid hits on the Engineer, the Engineer will die). The Spy can also shoot the sapped building to speed up the demolition process, but patches have made this less effective.
+
* The Ambassador can also be used to snipe Engineer buildings from a distance, similar to the Revolver, as an alternative to sapping. Remember, if an Engineer is working on the building, killing the Engineer first is preferable.
 +
** Headshotting the Engineer may lead him to run away to find a source of Health. Use the time that he is away to destroy his buildings.
  
−
*Another good use is a get away weapon, since the Knife is both short ranged and will do even less damage in that range that is not a backstab.
+
* With good aim, the Ambassador can be deadly against a [[Scout]]. If you manage to headshot him at close quarters, he will only have 23 health left (8 with the [[Sandman]], 48 with [[Item sets#The Special Delivery|The Special Delivery]] set's health bonus), therefore you can finish him off with a single slash of the [[Knife]] or another shot, depending on your range.
  
−
*The Revolver can also be used to prevent Engineers from setting up buildings without having to get close enough to sap. Buildings can be destroyed with one or two shots if you shoot them right after they are placed, and because buildings are large, unmoving targets and the Revolver is quite accurate, the Spy can destroy them from far away so that the Engineer cannot find him(getting above the position works well).
+
* Razorback Snipers have resistance against backstabs, but not against bullets. Take the time to headshot enemy Razorback Snipers. Assuming the [[Sniper]] is not overhealed, a single headshot followed by a simple body shot - which can be fired faster than the Sniper is able to react - is enough to kill him.
 +
** Conversely, if the Sniper is wearing [[Item sets#The Croc-o-style Kit|The Croc-o-style Kit]] and he could be finished off with a headshot, either backstab him or shoot him several times in the body. If you do headshot him, he will be left with one health point, still requiring another shot.
  
−
*Remember that the Revolver is always 100% accurate (as accurate as a [[Sniper Rifle]] bullet) when putting a delay of 1.25 seconds (an accurate wait time is to hold down reload while firing the first shot, let the reload play, and when your ammo count goes back up to 6, fire again for a 100% accurate shot.). Use this to snipe buildings from far away, pick off wounded enemies, or to weaken far away enemies from a distance. Every long-ranged shot from the Revolver deals about 20 damage.
+
* The ability to see enemy health is invaluable when equipped with the Ambassador. When it drops below half of its base value, the health meter is shown in red. Against all classes except the Heavy, this means a guaranteed kill upon a headshot.
  
−
====[[Ambassador/fr|Ambassadeur]]====
+
* If you miss a backstab on a low-health class (but still get a hit), switch to the Ambassador and a headshot will likely dispatch the enemy.
  
−
*The Ambassador is the Spy's unlock for the [[Revolver]]. Its headshots can be very useful, especially against distracted foes. If caught unaware, two headshots will prove lethal for any class aside from the [[Heavy]] (discounting [[Overheal]]ing).
+
==== [[L'Etranger]] ====
 +
{| class="wikitable grid" width="100%" style="text-align: center;"
 +
! class="header" width="17%" rowspan=2 | Weapon
 +
! class="header" width="16%" rowspan=2 | Kill icon
 +
! class="header" width="17%" colspan=2 | Ammo
 +
! class="header" width="50%" colspan=4 | Damage
 +
|-
 +
! class="header" width="8%"| Loaded
 +
! class="header" width="8%"| Carried
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Point blank
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Medium range
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Long range
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Critical
 +
|-
 +
! {{Table icon|L'Etranger|Craft}}
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=L'Etranger}}
 +
| 6
 +
| 24
 +
| 44-48
 +
| 28-36
 +
| 15-18
 +
| 96
 +
|}
  
−
*Remember that the [[Headshot]] ticker icon shows the bullet coming from behind. This suggests that the developers may have intended the Ambassador to be something of a 'ranged [[backstab]]', and the weapon does work well towards that end.
+
* The L'Etranger converts firepower into potential fleeing power. It allows you to turn scenarios where scoring a kill with the Revolver or Ambassador is too difficult into the ability to run away - and save your life.
 +
** Be aware that the L'Etranger has a very distinctive "crack" sound when fired, which will alert nearby enemies to your presence.
  
−
*The Ambassador can also be used to "snipe" Engineer buildings from a distance, as an alternative to sapping. Remember, if an Engineer is working on the building, shooting the Engineer first is preferable.
+
* The +15% Cloak per hit is applied regardless of the amount of damage you do to the opponent or your distance from him. Remember that the L'Etranger is 100% accurate 1.25 seconds after shooting and use this to recharge your Cloak safely from a distance.
  
−
*With good aim, the Ambassador can be deadly against a [[Scout]]. If you manage to headshot him at close quarters he will have only 23 hp left, so you can finish him off with a single slash of the [[Knife]] or another shot, as he may flee in search of [[health]].
+
* Keep in mind that both the Invisibility Watch and Dead Ringer's Cloak timers can be replenished by picking up Ammo boxes or weapons or standing next to a Dispenser.
 +
** As the Cloak and Dagger is not recharged by sources of ammo, the L'Etranger can be very effective when used with it.
 +
** Nonetheless, always be aware of your surroundings when using the L'Etranger. It is not recommended for you to try and regain Cloak via the L'Etranger if there are many enemies around with no allies. In a case like this, it is better to hide instead.
  
−
*The Ambassador makes the Razorback almost entirely useless; Assuming that the [[Sniper]] is not overhealed, a single headshot followed by a regular shot is enough to kill him.
+
* Remember that the L'Etranger does less damage than both the Revolver and Ambassador. If you need more firepower, consider using one of those alternatives.
−
*The ability to see enemy health is invaluable with the Ambassador. When it drops below half of its base value, the health meter is shown in red. Against all classes except Heavy, this means a guaranteed kill upon headshot.
+
** The L'Etranger also does less damage to buildings, making a Sap-n-Shoot technique harder.
  
−
''Most, if not all, tactics concerning Engineers will only work if the Engineer is not surrounded by allies. Use these tactics wisely.''
+
* Though the L'Etranger can be used effectively with the Dead Ringer, be aware that once players realize both items are being used, they will likely Spy check around your fake corpse and try to make sure you are actually dead.
 +
 
 +
* Positioning is key as Spy, and when using the L'Etranger is no exception; when shooting from a relatively hidden position, you are less likely to be found while regaining your Cloak.
 +
 
 +
==== [[Enforcer]]====
 +
{| class="wikitable grid" width="100%" style="text-align: center;"
 +
! class="header" width="17%" rowspan=2 | Weapon
 +
! class="header" width="16%" rowspan=2 | Kill icon
 +
! class="header" width="17%" colspan=2 | Ammo
 +
! class="header" width="50%" colspan=4 | Damage
 +
|-
 +
! class="header" width="8%"| Loaded
 +
! class="header" width="8%"| Carried
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Point blank
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Medium range
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Long range
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Critical
 +
|-
 +
! {{Table icon|Enforcer|Craft}}
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Enforcer}}
 +
| 6
 +
| 24
 +
| 70-72
 +
| 41-55
 +
| 24-26
 +
| 144
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
* The Enforcer is a [[Revolver]] replacement that trades stealth for extra firepower. In exchange for a bonus 20% base damage inflicted, the Spy takes 0.5 seconds longer to {{botignore|cloak}}.
 +
** While 0.5 seconds may sound insignificant, it is in fact approximately a 42% increase in Cloak time for the [[Invisibility Watch]]/[[Enthusiast's Timepiece]] and [[Cloak and Dagger]].
 +
** The Enforcer is a wise choice when using the [[Dead Ringer]] as the Cloak time penalty does not affect the watch's instant Cloak when feigning death.
  
−
*A tremendously useful ability to have is the power to surprise an enemy Engineer. The worse the Engineer is at Spy checking, the better. An excellent way to check if an Engineer is in the vicinity is to Cloak, run in, and survey the area before retreating. However, this technique is less effective with the Dead Ringer equipped, as you cannot Cloak at will. When a lone Engineer is blocking an objective with a Sentry Gun, you can use the Ambassador to attempt to take out the Engineer at long range first, using nearby objects for cover. Most Engineers will not see it coming. An alternative strategy is to use the Engineer's own buildings against him. This can be done by disguising as a player with low health, and crouching near the Dispenser to heal your disguise, while simultaneously using the Dispenser as cover from the Sentry Gun. Using this strategy will allow you to eliminate the Engineer at close quarters, while being safe from his Sentry Gun's fire.
+
* Use cover when cloaking - although the Enforcer reduces the time you can effectively {{botignore|cloak}}, you do not want to be caught in the process of cloaking.
  
−
*A lonely Engineer building a Sentry Gun can be easily killed by the Ambassador. Shooting him first in the head and then on any body part will kill him; afterward, you simply sap the building. Very useful if the Engineer is busy wrenching the said building.
+
* The Enforcer allows you to kill low health classes in 2 shots at point-blank range. Therefore, you can kill Razorback Snipers or Engineers trying to remove an Electro Sapper easily.
  
−
*If an Engineer leaves his buildings unattended, some players may simply rush in and sap everything in sight. It is advised you do ''not'' do this, unless you are totally sure that the Engineer is dead or too far away to respond in time. What you should do is shoot at a building once, and then hide in cover to defend against the Sentry Gun. The Engineer may come rushing back to hit it with the Wrench, allowing you to then follow him back to wherever he was previously. Wait at the area and backstab him as he attempts to return to his buildings.
+
* The Enforcer will destroy any [[Engineer]] buildings faster than the [[Revolver]], taking 5 shots for a Level 3 [[Sentry Gun]]. You can use this to take down enemy buildings faster, by sapping them and then shooting at them while they're disarmed.
  
−
*A similar tactic is to find an enemy building outside of the Sentry Gun's field of vision and sap that, then pull out the Ambassador and wait. When the engie comes to remove the Electro Sapper, quickly headshot him then shoot him, as the headshot is unlikely to kill him. Since it takes two whacks with the Wrench to remove an Electro Sapper, you should have ample time.
+
* A Critical hit with the Enforcer can kill any non-[[overheal]]ed low health classes with one shot.
  
−
===Armes de Mêlée===
+
====[[Diamondback]]====
 +
{| class="wikitable grid" width="100%" style="text-align: center;"
 +
! class="header" width="17%" rowspan=2 | Weapon
 +
! class="header" width="16%" rowspan=2 | Kill icon
 +
! class="header" width="17%" colspan=2 | Ammo
 +
! class="header" width="50%" colspan=4 | Damage
 +
|-
 +
! class="header" width="8%"| Loaded
 +
! class="header" width="8%"| Carried
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Point blank
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Medium range
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Long range
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Critical
 +
|-
 +
! {{Table icon|Diamondback|Promotional/Craft}}
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Diamondback}}
 +
| 6
 +
| 24
 +
| 47-51
 +
| 30-33
 +
| 14-21
 +
| 102
 +
|}
  
−
====[[Knife/fr|Couteau]] / [[Saxxy/fr|Saxxy]]====
+
* The Diamondback is a promotional weapon for the Spy. It does less damage per shot than the Revolver and is incapable of random Crits, but has the ability to store Critical hits when your Electro Sappers are involved in the destruction of enemy buildings. Each destruction or assist involving your Electro Sapper will give the Diamondback one guaranteed Critical hit.
−
*When you are basically guaranteed a successful backstab, the Spy will ready his Knife for a stab with a reverse-grip. If the Spy doesn't have his Knife in a reverse-grip, then you will simply do a low-damage slash. Always look for the change in grip before attempting a backstab if you're unsure if the backstab will actually register. It's best not to actually wait for this indicator, but it's a good indicator if you're just starting out playing the Spy.
 
  
−
*Before backstabbing a Sniper, make sure the Sniper doesn't have the Razorback. If he does have the Razorback, shoot him with the Revolver or the Ambassador. When the Sniper is under attack, it will take him a while to react and fight back giving you plenty of time to finish him off. It's also very easy to headshot a still Sniper from behind.
+
* Consider using the Diamondback if the enemy team has several Engineers. When you have several Crits, you can drop any non-overhealed class in 3 shots, thus becoming a major threat.  
  
−
*If a Razorback wielding Sniper is standing beside a corner, it can sometimes be more rewarding to backstab the Razorback, then round the corner and Cloak. When the Sniper finishes Spy checking (which they often don't do because they don't recognize the sound of a Razorback breaking, or they don't have sound on), come back and backstab them.
+
* You can use the Diamondback's rather loud firing to lure enemies into a backstab trap.
  
−
===Spécial===
+
* Even if you lack Crits, the Diamondback is still a relatively viable weapon. It does the same about of damage as the Ambassador, but with no firing speed penalty.
  
−
====[[Disguise Kit/fr|Kit de déguisement]]====
+
* The Diamondback is 100% accurate if you allow 1.25 seconds between shots. When combined with the Crit boost, the 100% accurate bullets can effectively snipe enemies at long range. Most enemies will die in 2 to 3 shots.
  
−
* Le Kit de [[Disguise/fr|Déguisement]] est l'outil majeure de l'infiltration du Spy. Voir [[Disguise/fr|Déguisement]] pour plus de détails sur son utilisation.
+
===Secondary weapons===
 +
==== [[Electro Sapper]] ====
 +
{| class="wikitable grid" width="100%" style="text-align: center;"
 +
! class="header" width="17%" rowspan=2 | Weapon
 +
! class="header" width="16%" rowspan=2 | Kill icon
 +
! class="header" width="17%" colspan=2 | Ammo
 +
! class="header" width="50%" colspan=4 | Damage
 +
|-
 +
! class="header" width="8%"| Loaded
 +
! class="header" width="8%"| Carried
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Point blank
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Medium range
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Long range
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Critical
 +
|-
 +
! {{Table icon|Electro Sapper|Stock}}
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Electro Sapper}}
 +
| 1
 +
| ∞
 +
| N/A
 +
| N/A
 +
| N/A
 +
| N/A
 +
|}
  
−
===Armes Secondaires===
+
* The Electro Sapper is a tool used to take down an [[Building|Engineer's buildings]]. You have an unlimited supply of Sappers, and there is no "reload" delay between placing them. A Spy can continuously sap a building until it has been destroyed even if an Engineer is repairing it since as soon as the Engineer knocks off an Electro Sapper, a new one immediately replaces it. Sappers still do damage during the two Wrench hits it takes to remove them.
  
−
====[[Electro Sapper/fr|Saboteur]]====
+
* Holding {{Key|MOUSE1}} when approaching a building will place the Electro Sapper as soon as you are in range. This also allows you to replace an Electro Sapper immediately after an Engineer removes it.
−
*The Electro Sapper is a tool used to take down an [[Building|Engineer's buildings]]. There is an unlimited supply of these Sappers, and there is no "reload" delay between placing them.  Thus a Spy can continuously sap a building until it has been destroyed even if an Engineer is repairing it, since as soon as the Engineer knocks off an Electro Sapper, a new one immediately replaces it. (And Sappers still do damage during the 2 Wrench-hits it takes to remove them.)
 
  
−
*Holding MOUSE1 when using the Electro Sapper is enough to place another Electro Sapper (after the first is destroyed or if you're aiming another building), from the moment you can reach the building (then the sapping emplacement is delimited in white).
+
* In many instances, you can sap a building from well below or above it, allowing you to confuse its Engineer. This can also allow you to more safely retreat from the Engineer's nest if your sabotage efforts are interrupted.
  
−
*Spies can destroy their own Sappers with the console command "destroy 4" (0-3 correspond to Engineer buildings). In most situations this is an undesirable and counterproductive tactic; but it can be useful for drawing an Engineer away from his nest, particularly now that Spies can take enemy Teleporters. It can also be used to refill your Cloak bar by picking up broken Electro Sapper parts.
+
* The [[Homewrecker]] allows [[Pyro]]s to remove Electro Sappers from Engineer buildings. This, combined with their [[Flamethrower]]'s [[Spy checking]] ability, will make your job much harder. Therefore it is strongly advised to either eliminate these Pyros before attempting to sap any buildings or to avoid them completely if possible.
  
−
*The [[Homewrecker]] permits Pyros to remove Electro Sappers from Engineer buildings. This, combined with their [[Flamethrower]]'s [[Spy checking]] ability, will make your job '''much''' harder. Therefore, it is '''strongly''' advised to eliminate such [[Pyros]] before attempting to sap buildings.
+
* When sneaking up on an Engineer who using the [[Wrangler]], stab first and then sap. Killing the Engineer will cause his Sentry Gun to become disabled for three seconds, which will be more than enough time to place an Electro Sapper.
  
−
*When sneaking up on an Engineer using the [[Wrangler]], stab first, then sap. Killing the Engineer will cause his Sentry Gun to become disabled for a few precious seconds, which will be more than enough time to place an Electro Sapper.
+
* It is possible to stab an Engineer and then quickly sap the Sentry Gun. When attempting this, it is recommended that you circle strafe away from the Sentry Gun to have more time to sap.
  
−
===Montre===
+
* If an Engineer has his Wrench out and you sap his building, he most likely will attempt to repair the Sentry first instead of trying to kill you. Since it take two hits to knock the Electro Sapper off, this gives you a window of opportunity to stab him. This can be easier then the stab and sap method because you don't have to account for which way the Sentry is facing and circle-strafing the opposite way. 
  
−
====[[Invisibility Watch/fr|Montre d'invisibilité]]====
+
* It also can be rapidly deployed to slowly destroy buildings while the Engineer removes them. This is best applied on Teleporters, where the Engineer will only be able to try and remove your Sappers from one end, while you eventually destroy one or both sides outright.
  
−
*[[Cloak]]ing is the Spy's special ability. Right clicking (by default) activates the Cloak, which renders the Spy fully invisible for enemy players. Players on the Spy's team can still see an outline around him. When cloaked, you can not use any of your weapons. Taking damage or running into an enemy will make the Spy flicker for a very brief period of time.
+
* When dealing with Teleporters, it may be ideal to forgo the Electro Sapper and use your Revolver. If the Engineer is not near either end, it will attract less attention if you destroy one end as the Engineer will not automatically know a Spy was the culprit. Additionally, you can combine both to ensure one end is destroyed, while the Electro Sapper encourages the Engineer to leave his other buildings unprotected.
  
−
*The Cloak is best used to get into an enemy base, where you should uncloak and continue being disguised. Cloaking takes 1 full second and uncloaking takes 3 during which you can be recognized by the enemy. Therefore, it is advisable to look for a safe and covered spot to uncloak. See the [[Cloak]] article for a more detailed explanation.
+
===Melee weapons===
 +
==== [[Knife]] / [[Saxxy]] / [[Sharp Dresser]] / [[Knife|Festive Knife]] / [[Black Rose]] ====
 +
{| class="wikitable grid" width="100%" style="text-align: center;"
 +
! class="header" width="17%" rowspan=2 | Weapon
 +
! class="header" width="16%" rowspan=2 | Kill icon
 +
! class="header" width="20%" rowspan=2 | Attack interval
 +
! class="header" width="50% colspan=4 | Damage
 +
|-
 +
! class="header" width="20%" | Point blank
 +
! class="header" width="20%" | Critical
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" | {{Table icon|Knife|Stock}}
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Knife}}
 +
| 0.8 seconds
 +
| 40
 +
| 120
 +
|-
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Backstab}}
 +
| 0.8 seconds
 +
| N/A
 +
| 6× victim's health.
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" | {{Table icon|Saxxy|Promotional}}
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Saxxy}}
 +
| 0.8 seconds
 +
| 40
 +
| 120
 +
|-
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Backstab}}
 +
| 0.8 seconds
 +
| N/A
 +
| 6× victim's health.
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" | {{Table icon|Sharp Dresser|Promotional}}
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Sharp Dresser}}
 +
| 0.8 seconds
 +
| 40
 +
| 120
 +
|-
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Sharp Dresser Backstab}}
 +
| 0.8 seconds
 +
| N/A
 +
| 6× victim's health.
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" | {{Table icon|Festive Knife|Uncrate}}
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Knife}}
 +
| 0.8 seconds
 +
| 40
 +
| 120
 +
|-
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Backstab}}
 +
| 0.8 seconds
 +
| N/A
 +
| 6× victim's health.
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" | {{Table icon|Black Rose|Promotional}}
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Black Rose}}
 +
| 0.8 seconds
 +
| 40
 +
| 120
 +
|-
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Backstab}}
 +
| 0.8 seconds
 +
| N/A
 +
| 6× victim's health.
 +
|}
  
−
*The margin of error with the Invisibility Watch is small given that you cannot feign your demise as with the Dead Ringer nor hide in plain sight as with the Cloak and Dagger. Plot your courses carefully; approach targets as though being spotted would result in instant death. If you have second thoughts, attempt to retreat and regroup. Throwing your life away at a lost cause not only leaves you waiting to respawn but also alerts the enemy to your potential targets and methods.
+
* When you are in range for a successful backstab, the Spy will ready his Knife for a stab with a reverse-grip stance. If the Spy doesn't have his Knife in a reverse-grip, you may perform a low-damage slash instead. Look for the change in grip before attempting a backstab if you're unsure if the backstab will actually register.
 +
** Although a backstab grip guarantees a backstab, many other pokes will register a backstab as well. As long as your stab connects with the enemy's rear-facing half, any swipe or poke should kill him.  
 +
** The Knife does nearly no damage when it's not a backstab. Only attack with it if you are certain it will backstab or else you will deal minimal damage and give away your position.
 +
** The Saxxy does not have a backstab stance.
  
−
*Maintain movement to decrease the likelihood of being detected and cornered. Unlike the Cloak and Dagger, the standard Invisibility Watch only recharges when you are uncloaked or if you are able to procure ammo boxes, fallen weapons, or scrap metal from destroyed buildings. However, the Invisibility Watch does not drain as quickly as the Cloak and Dagger when moving, allowing you to maneuver from position to position quickly.
+
* In most scenarios, you should switch to the Revolver to fight enemies once you've been discovered. Even in close range, the Revolver is significantly more powerful than non-backstab Knife swipes.
  
−
*When detected, attempt to feign the direction in which you will retreat. If you run toward an exit while cloaking followed immediately by moving in another direction when fully invisible, the enemy is likely to pursue you along the path you appeared to use.
+
* Because a backstab is always a critical hit, enemies killed by a Knife backstab will always emit a blood-curdling scream upon death. It is important when killing an enemy that you have a plan to either run from or kill nearby foes as soon as you perform your first stab.  
  
−
*Grab metal where you can, when you can while cloaked. More observant enemies may detect an ammo box inexplicably disappearing but more often than not they will be too preoccupied to notice. This is especially the case when in the midst of a firefight. Even if the enemy does notice, so long as you remained invisible, their efforts to track you down will either be fruitless or divert critical attention from mission objectives.
+
* A quick stab with the Knife into air is generally the fastest way to silently drop your disguise. This can be used to perform covert Capture Point captures.
  
−
====[[Cloak and Dagger]]====
+
* If you encounter a Sniper with the Razorback, it is generally a good idea to shoot him with a Revolver, rather than trying to stab him.
 +
** If a Sniper equipping the Razorback is standing near a corner, it is much quieter to stab his Razorback, turn the corner and {{botignore|cloak}}. When the Sniper either finishes Spy checking or doesn't react, backstab him. If he returns to a Resupply Cabinet, shoot him; even though it's louder, he will quickly catch on and possibly find you.
  
−
*Despite being less focused on movement, the Cloak and Dagger can be preferable to take on maps with not enough ammo boxes to get you past a large enemy front, such as if the enemy team has the center of [[Turbine]].
+
* Be aware that the Saxxy and the [[Spy-cicle]] leave very noticeable corpses, the former being made of shimmering Australium Gold, the latter being an ice sculpture. They are very likely to reveal your presence.  
  
−
*The Cloak drain is based on how fast you are moving, however, it is capped at the Spy's normal walking speed, so moving any faster than that will not increase the drain rate. Though it is still not advisable to fall from great heights.
+
* When discovered, an advanced technique to help fend off the pursuer is to run up a slope, jump over the head of the pursuer, do a 180 degree turn, crouch, and backstab him.  This is commonly called the stair-stab. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5To9pU8xEY&feature=related]
  
−
*You cannot pick up ammo boxes to replenish your Cloak. Be sure to take this into account when attempting to infiltrate the enemy base.
+
==== [[Your Eternal Reward]] / [[Wanga Prick]] ====
 +
{| class="wikitable grid" width="100%" style="text-align: center;"
 +
! class="header" width="20%" rowspan=2 | Weapon
 +
! class="header" width="20%" rowspan=2 | Kill icon
 +
! class="header" width="20%" rowspan=2 | Attack interval
 +
! class="header" width="40% colspan=2 | Damage
 +
|-
 +
! class="header" width="20%" | Point blank
 +
! class="header" width="20%" | Critical
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" | {{Table icon|Your Eternal Reward|Craft}}
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Your Eternal Reward}}
 +
| 0.8 seconds
 +
| 40
 +
| 120
 +
|-
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Backstab}}
 +
| 0.8 seconds
 +
| N/A
 +
| 6× victim's health.
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" | {{Table icon|Wanga Prick|Craft}}
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=wanga prick}}
 +
| 0.8 seconds
 +
| 40
 +
| 120
 +
|-
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Backstab}}
 +
| 0.8 seconds
 +
| N/A
 +
| 6× victim's health.
 +
|}
  
−
*While it is possible to remain cloaked and sneak into the enemy Intelligence room, it is VERY slow and requires a lot of patience.
+
* Since you cannot disguise at will if using Your Eternal Reward or the Wanga Prick, you will have to rely more heavily on efficient cloaking and teammate distractions to acquire kills.
 +
** This restriction also means that in most scenarios at least one person (your last victim) will know what your disguise is at all times. Because of this, it is important to continue to rely on your Cloak as a primary stealth tool.
  
−
*With the Cloak and Dagger Spies can safely report important information to their team, such as the locations of Enemy Sentry Guns or Offensive Pushes, with a much lower risk of getting caught.
+
* Kills with Your Eternal Reward are truly silent; the victim will not scream and their bodies disappear upon death whether they are backstabbed or not. Also, the enemy will not see their kill notification.
  
−
*While it is recommended to stay out of high-traffic areas while recharging your Cloak, try to avoid the most obvious places. Don't hide in corners or crevices that have a good vantage point on the immediate area, as smart Pyros will regularly puff into these areas in order to flush out Spies. If possible, hide in an open area that is rarely traveled, as most enemies will never expect a Spy to hide out on the open.
+
* This weapon is extremely well-suited for taking out Sentry Guns when you already have a disguise. The Stab-n-Sap technique is made easier and kills in front of Sentry Guns are safer because the Sentry Gun will not detect you between disguises.
 +
** If you do not have a disquise and an Engineer is still guarding his Sentry Gun you can uncloak behind the Engineer and use him as cover as the Sentry Gun turns around to face you. Stab him, and then sap his Sentry Gun.
 +
** Consider switching back to the original Knife when fighting off multiple Sentry nests, especially if the Engineers can watch each other. Those situations usually have a greater need to disguise at will than the ability to quickly disguise after attacking. Remember that it is likely all of the Engineers will react to one Sentry Gun being sapped.
  
−
*Standing on elevated terrain (such as on top of a crate, barrel, or rock formation) will prevent most enemies from inadvertently bumping into you, and give you a good vantage point, as well as a chance to run if you see an enemy approaching. It's also a fair defense against Pyros, since some don't Spy-check above eye level.
+
* Your Eternal Reward is very good when dealing with a crowd of enemies. After backstabbing the enemy farthest back in the group, you are able to continue to push forward without raising suspicion from those around him. Continue stabbing until you kill all of the enemies or you need to escape.
  
−
*If you have been discovered by an enemy, it is often best to stop, and then duck. If you have been discovered by a Pyro, then you should try to evade.
+
* Using the [[Dead Ringer]] alongside [[Your Eternal Reward]] will instigate a strong element of luck and skill, whether the Saharan Spy set is worn or not. The inability to Cloak or disguise at will will render backstabs much more difficult. However, once a disguise is acquired, the [[Dead Ringer]] can make an excellent escape plan should anything go wrong.
 +
** The Saharan Spy set will reduce the sound of de-cloaking with any watch, notably the Dead Ringer. Since the Dead Ringer has a characteristically loud sound that can be deafened, its only major drawback is solved. Use this to your advantage.
  
−
====[[Dead Ringer]]====
+
* Be aware that successful backstabs with Your Eternal Reward will not stop enemies capping a Control Point or pushing the Payload Cart. It will, however, slow them down until there are none left. It may be a better choice to shoot enemies with the Revolver so that you can inflict damage while stopping the enemies from capturing.
  
−
*The Dead Ringer makes a distinctive sound that lets all the enemies in the vicinity know that you are using the item. Try to uncloak in a safe location, then move in for the kill.
+
* When using Your Eternal Reward on Control Point maps, be wary when defending the final control point. Because the Eternal Reward disguises instantaneously, stabbing enemies capping your last point will not disrupt the cap (it will, however, slow the capping with one less person). This can allow for survivors to continue to cap while you frantically try to stab them. Pulling out your selected Revolver at this time to stall for friendly backup is usually the best response.
  
−
*To make feigned deaths appear more realistic, you can take fire for about a second, then pull out the Dead Ringer.
+
* Try finding lone targets to gain your first disguise.
  
−
*While cloaked with the Dead Ringer, you take 90% less damage, and you do not flicker from enemy shots. Use this to your advantage when crossing chokepoints with a large amount of enemy fire.
+
* Try to prioritize disguise over kills. While getting a lone, low-health Heavy seems good, you'll be restricted in your movement and will likely want to lose your disguise anyway, to regain that speed.
 +
** Remember that if you {{botignore|cloak}} with a slow disguise, you will run at your normal walking speed until you uncloak.
  
−
*You can recharge your Cloak with ammo, even while cloaked. However, be warned that after 5 seconds (the normal time you would uncloak if you hadn't picked up any ammo) you no longer take a reduced 90% damage.
+
* If you accidentally overrun an enemy Medic but retained your disguise, simply run past him and go for other enemies. It is possible that, because Your Eternal Reward dissipates enemy ragdolls with very little sound, the Medic will not notice you stabbing his allies until it is too late.  
  
−
*Remember, with the Dead Ringer, you can't Cloak on demand.  When possible, take the high road in maps such as Pipeline and ease into enemy territory.  A fairly safe choice of disguise when doing this is disguising yourself as an enemy Spy because Spies are expected to infiltrate enemy territory. To the naive team, you will appear as a Spy that is coming back to resupply.
+
* The Cloak and Dagger works well with this Knife because you can wait for people to backstab without having fear of being exposed. This works especially well on commonly used paths - wait for a straggler, then begin your attack.
  
−
*The Dead Ringer is most effective when the enemy is very close by. When the game boils down to the last control point and the enemy is in your base, the Dead Ringer can be a better alternative than the Cloak and Dagger.
+
* Remember that in close encounters, even if you or a teammate kills your target, unless you finish the enemy with a backstab, you will be left without a disguise.
  
−
*A decoy tactic would be to use the Dead Ringer in combination with the Disguise Kit to fake the enemy Snipers into thinking you are a Sniper and wasting their headshots on you rather than your team's Snipers. You don't die from headshots, just resupply after being shot (it's easy to do on 2Fort). Likewise, disguising as a friendly Heavy or other offensive class at the start-up gates and being on the front-lines ensures that not only do you take the initial hit that would likely kill a teammate, but you get a believable way to Cloak past the front lines. Make sure to yell battle cries to further authenticate your disguise as well before the gates open.
+
* If you backstab the target of a Medic, you will become the new heal target. This is best applied when the Medic is not watching his target, as the Medic may notice a player disappearing when you backstab an enemy.
 +
** Due to the instant disguise, you can backstab enemy players while being Übercharged without stopping the Übercharged, unlike any other knife.
  
−
*A useful tactic for using the Dead Ringer is to equip it during the beginning of Payload maps, this allows you to run through enemy defenses relatively easy without anyone noticing that you are a Dead Ringer. It also helps your team by getting rid of Stickybombs at the door, as most Demomen will blow the stickies at the first sight of an enemy.
+
* Be aware that weapons will not disappear when you kill an enemy. If your Revolver or Cloak (except for the Cloak and Dagger) is not at full ammo or charge respectively, you should instantly pick a dropped weapon up, hiding the evidence.
  
−
*The Dead Ringer comes with its own unique style of terror, as you can tell when your teammates spot a Dead Ringer they tend to warn others that there is a Dead Ringer. This can be useful to both your team as well as yourself, allowing for you to cause several wild goose chases. The more confused your enemy is the easier it is to uncloak, however this does tend to bring more Spy checkers into the game, so switching between Dead Ringer and Cloak and Dagger is a good idea.  
+
* Be aware that visiting a [[Respawn#Resupply|Resupply locker]] will remove your disguise.
  
−
*The Dead Ringer can be held up when capturing a point, carrying enemy Intelligence, or pushing a cart on Payload map, making it a relatively safe method for doing so, especially in combination with friendly unit disguises. If you are hit by enemy fire that causes the Cloak to activate, however, you will drop the Intelligence/cease to capture the point until you uncloak again.
+
* If you plan on using the Saharan Spy set, it is advisable not to use the Wanga Prick as a substitute to Your Eternal Reward since it doesn't count as part of the set.
  
−
*A fairly effective tactic is to use ammo boxes to your advantage and constantly Cloak and uncloak while picking up ammo boxes, so as to replenish your Cloak. Since the Dead Ringer removes 90% of damage taken, this tactic can be used for an incredibly  long time. However, with a recent patch, the Dead Ringer cannot be fully recharged with a Large Ammo Box.
+
====[[Conniver's Kunai]]====
−
: Also, once the Dead Ringer's initial Cloak duration (approximately 6.5 seconds) is up, you will no longer benefit from the 90% damage reduction, nor the 'flicker-less' Cloak effects.
+
{| class="wikitable grid" width="100%" style="text-align: center;"
 +
! class="header" width="20%" rowspan=2 | Weapon
 +
! class="header" width="20%" rowspan=2 | Kill icon
 +
! class="header" width="20%" rowspan=2 | Attack interval
 +
! class="header" width="27% colspan=2 | Damage
 +
! class="header" width="13% colspan=1 | Healing
 +
|-
 +
! class="header" width="13%" | Point blank
 +
! class="header" width="13%" | Critical
 +
! class="header" width="13%" | From backstab
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" | {{Table icon|Conniver's Kunai|Promotional/Craft}}
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Conniver's Kunai}}
 +
| 0.8 seconds
 +
| 40
 +
| 120
 +
| N/A
 +
|-
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Backstab}}
 +
| 0.8 seconds
 +
| N/A
 +
| 6× victim's health.
 +
| Target's current health, capping at 180 health.
 +
|}
  
−
*When on fire, don't immediately pull out the Dead Ringer. Unless you were at extremely low health, an immediate death due to fire will look suspicious. It is much more effective to escape the Pyro and Cloak while out of its view. Simply turn a corner or jump off a ledge to escape, then use the Dead Ringer to make your "death" look more authentic.
+
* The Conniver's Kunai decreases your default Health to 60. However, backstabbing with the Kunai will leech all of the victim's health and [[overheal]] you to a maximum of 180 health, which decreases at 2 health per second back to 60.
  
−
*The Dead Ringer can be helpful for dealing with Soldiers. Smart Soldiers will constantly [[Spy check]] suspicious team mates by firing two well placed rockets at them. Since it only takes two rockets to kill you, this can make playing as Spy difficult. Because of this the Dead Ringer can be a life saver against teams with a lot of Soldiers.  
+
* With the [[Conniver's Kunai]] equipped, you will have to efficiently use your Cloak. Enemies can kill you much easier due to your reduced health. The [[Dead Ringer]] and [[Cloak and Dagger]] are recommended over the [[Invisibility Watch]].
  
−
*If you are waiting for your foe to come to you, or are otherwise out in the open and undisguised, keep the Dead Ringer active. An enemy Spy may attempt to kill you with his own [[backstab]], and thus you'll have baited him out of hiding for a few moments, and may even catch a glimpse of his next disguise.
+
* Prime targets for the Kunai are Heavies and Soliders. A backstab on one will fully overheal you, assuming they have taken little (if any) damage.  
  
−
*Using the Dead Ringer will always cost you at least 60% of its charge, regardless of whether you de-activate it before that amount of charge is used. As such, you should maximize the time the Dead Ringer affords you, rather than simply flicking it on and off.
+
* Be aware that many weapons can kill you in one hit while you are at 60 health. Choose your initial targets carefully to ensure that you don't die before gaining any overheal via backstabbing. A successful backstab will keep you in the fight much longer than other Spies.
  
−
*When using the Dead Ringer, if you choose to not take the high or back roads it is better to disguise as another friendly class rather than an enemy one as a the other team will become suspicious if they see a disguised Spy ruining straight towards the front line.
+
* Be careful when you exit your spawn room or turn corners - one stray rocket, grenade, or other attack can easily kill you.
−
*When you are at full health, only activate the Dead Ringer if an enemy is after you and firing at you. If he shoots you once without you cloaking, and then shoots you a second time and sees you die, they'l be more convinced that you are actually dead.
 
  
−
==[[Sentry Gun]]s==
+
* You can be a bit quicker to getting behind enemies and stabbing them, because even if you begin to take damage from another source, you can out-heal it with a backstab.
−
*A [[sap]]ped Sentry Gun cannot fire. If the [[Engineer]] is standing next to them, you have several options:
 
−
**Sap the Sentry Gun and then run out of the room with the [[Intelligence]] (or try and cap a fast-capping/partially capped point) (but remember: Be careful if the Sentry Gun is close to the Intelligence; if you accidentally touch the Intelligence while disguised, you will lose your disguise, and the Sentry Gun will attack you).
 
−
**Sap the Sentry Gun and stab the Engineer if he goes to repair it. If he is already in position and repairing the Sentry Gun, the Electro Sapper will be removed before you can switch to the Knife and [[backstab]]. If he is out of position, you will have time to make the attempt. If he is in position and is repairing the Sentry Gun, all you can do is run for it, or keep putting new Sappers on the Sentry Gun. He will keep removing them as you place new Sappers, but it takes a long time to destroy a Sentry Gun this way.  You will almost certainly be spotted by a teammate of the Engineer and be killed without destroying the Sentry Gun.
 
−
** Your [[Revolver]] can destroy Sentry Guns at long range well (due to no damage falloff against buildings). Firing at a Dispenser first is the key to succeeding; once it's down, fire at the Sentry Gun. With your Cloak you can move around and try shooting from different angles, finding nice hiding spots where no one notices you firing is the key to succeed. When an Engineer first deploys a building it's vulnerable to damage, one or two Revolver shots will take it down fast before the Engineer has time to set it up. Note that Sapping the Sentry Gun and then immediately unloading your Revolver into it, worked well until the {{Patch name|12|20|2007}}, which reduced damage done by the Spy to the Sentry Gun he sapped,  now the Sentry Gun does not go down and the Engineer has time to save it and then the Sentry Gun will kill you. Your Revolver does more damage against buildings that aren't sapped, so if you find a lone Teleporter or Dispenser and Engineer isn't far off shooting it without sapping it is the best course of action. But when there isn't any Engineer near by, sapping it and running away is the best way to avoid been spotted.
 
−
**In certain situations, a Sentry Gun may be built so close to the cap point that you can reach it while capping. In this instance, you can quickly sap the Sentry Gun, un[[disguise]], and resume sapping the Sentry Gun over and over. However, watch out for the Engineer breaking the capture with his body. Watch the [http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=mUMWs1AKx-E Spy Guide Part#2 Engineers: Section 2] by [ESG] Orca to see how it's done.
 
−
**Communicate with your teammates asking them to tell you via [[voice commands]] or [[voice chat]] when they need a Sentry Gun disabled, and then repeatedly sap the Sentry Gun.
 
−
**A Sentry Gun takes about a second to execute a full 180° rotation. If you are directly behind a Sentry Gun and the Engineer is close to and facing his Sentry Gun it is possible to take out the Engineer and then the Sentry Gun. It requires that you backstab and as soon as the Knife hits the Engineer use the quick switch key to change to your Electro Sapper and place one before the Sentry Gun locks on. Strafe ''with'' the Sentry Gun's rotation (remember that the Sentry Gun will attempt to rotate as little as possible to shoot its target) so that you will have more time to place your Electro Sapper. Note that due to lag, it is possible for the Sentry Gun to shoot you between the actual placement of the Electro Sapper and the Sentry Gun being shut down. A level 3 Sentry Gun will not always kill you immediately (although it has a good chance of doing so unless your reaction time is superb); however, it will still be sapped and most likely destroyed. Watch "[[How to play the Spy]]" for a demonstration.
 
−
**If the Sentry Gun and Dispenser are in such a position that you cannot reach the back of the Engineer for a backstab, try jumping on the Sentry Gun or Dispenser and sitting on the Engineer's head. This is an ideal spot as it is in your victim's blind spot and will allow you to backstab him from above (and apply the stab and sap trick above). However, if the Engineer is crouched and tries to stand or jump, they will be unable to do so and suspect a Spy. At that range, a Shotgun blast or two will kill you instantly. This trick also works well against a Heavy taking the role of a makeshift Sentry Gun.
 
−
**A difficult trick is to take advantage of the fact that Engineers take damage from the gunfire of their own Sentry Gun. Stand in a position where the Engineer is between his Sentry Gun and you, then uncloak. You will die, but hopefully so will the Engineer. This is useful if the Engineer is in a position where you simply cannot backstab him.
 
−
**A variation of this trick can be used against a common Engineer Sentry Gun/Dispenser setup. Some Engineers like to sandwich themselves between their Sentry Gun to the front and a Dispenser to the back. Disguise as a Pyro (as if you are helping the Engineer Spy-check) and walk up behind him, so the Dispenser is between you and the Engie. As quick as you can, fire a few rounds into the Engineer with the Revolver. Duck as soon as the Engineer dies from the combined damage of your Revolver and the Sentry Gun's fire. If done correctly, the Sentry Gun will lose you as you hide behind the Dispenser. Re-disguise, sap everything and leave. Watch the [http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=mUMWs1AKx-E Spy Guide Part#2 Engineers: Section 1] by [ESG] Orca for a demonstration of how this is done.
 
−
**A usually difficult technique is to stab a Sentry Gun to death.  It takes a bit of practice and won't work if there are enemies nearby to kill you.  Essentially you crouch on top of a Sentry Gun and strafe around it so it does not lock onto you - it keeps tracking, and you repeatedly stab it until it dies.  The reason this is difficult is because you have to time your strafing carefully to stop the Sentry Gun locking on; going too fast results in the Sentry Gun turning in the other direction and you not having time to react, and going too slow means it simply catches up to you.  You can also do this just circling the Sentry Gun, but you'll need a rather large mouse pad to pull that off.
 
−
**The Engineer's [[Wrangler]] weapon permits the Engineer to control his Sentry Gun entirely. Take '''extreme''' caution, as many Engineers will [[Spy checking|Spy-check]] with this, and it will make sapping the Sentry Gun much harder. Killing the Engineer while he is using the Wrangler will give you a few crucial seconds to sap his Sentry Gun bullet-free.
 
  
−
==[[Dispensers/fr|Distributeurs]]==
+
* Remember that effects such as [[afterburn]] and [[bleed]] can be instantly negated by a successful backstab. However, you cannot heal from health packs if you are overhealed. Therefore, if you have one of these effects you will not be able use Health packs to stop these effects until your overheal has ended.
  
−
* Gardez un oeil sur les distributeurs une fois dans la base ennemie. Ils pourront vous soigner si vous êtes déguisé et/ou invisible (seulement si vous utilisez la [[Invisibility Watch/fr|Montre d'Invisibilité]] ou la [[Dead Ringer/fr|Dead Ringer]]). Les distributeurs d'un niveau supérieur au Niveau 1 permettent de recharger votre montre quand vous êtes invisibles et que vous êtes déguisé. Les distributeurs de niveau 1 ne rechargent pas votre montre au lieu de ça il stabilise votre temps restant d'invibilité. Les distributeurs de niveau 2 rechargent votre montre lentement et les distributeurs niveau 3 rechargent rapidement votre montre, ainsi les distributeurs ainsi que leur niveau peut être crucial dans la réussite de votre plan. Notez que le faisceau de guérison ne peut être vu quand vous êtes invisible et à coté du distributeur, faîtes attention à l'Ingénieur car il coure constamment vers son distributeur, peuvent et révéler votre position. Pour éviter l'Ingénieur, sautez sur le haut du distributeur au lieu de rester à côté d'elle. Faîtes cependant attention car ses coéquipiers peuvent traverser le distributeur et révéler votre position.
+
* It is generally a bad idea to use your Revolver in a 1 on 1 confrontation with an enemy. Due to your low health, you will likely not survive.
  
−
==[[Teleporters/fr|Téléporteurs]]==
+
==== [[Big Earner]] ====
−
* If you're disguised as an enemy and take one of your team's Teleporters, the glowing ring and trail effect will not show up. Using friendly Teleporters with friendly disguises will give you a ring and trail but these are removed when you next use an enemy disguise.
+
{| class="wikitable grid" width="100%" style="text-align: center;"
 +
! class="header" width="20%" rowspan=2 | Weapon
 +
! class="header" width="20%" rowspan=2 | Kill icon
 +
! class="header" width="20%" rowspan=2 | Attack interval
 +
! class="header" width="40% colspan=2 | Damage
 +
|-
 +
! class="header" width="20%" | Point blank
 +
! class="header" width="20%" | Critical
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" | {{Table icon|Big Earner|Craft}}
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Big Earner}}
 +
| 0.8 seconds
 +
| 40
 +
| 120
 +
|-
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Backstab}}
 +
| 0.8 seconds
 +
| N/A
 +
| 6× victim's health.
 +
|}
  
−
* Être sur une sortie de téléporteur lorsque quelqu'un s'en sert vous tue, c'est ce qu'on appelle le "téléfrag".
+
* The Big Earner reduces your overall health to 100, but grants a 30% Cloak refill for any watch upon a melee kill.
  
−
* When you find an exit Teleporter, watch it to see which way players come out. Then stand behind the Teleporter and wait. When the next player comes out, backstab him instantly. He should report this to his team, but he'll be dead for a bit, so you can risk waiting a little for a second Teleport and kill, or you can just sap the Teleporter and leave the area. This is called tele-camping, which is usually frowned upon by most TF2 players.
+
* The Big Earner will generally allow for easier escapes due to you getting your Cloak back in exchange for riskier assaults, as you lose 25 base health.
  
−
* Due to the {{Patch name|8|13|2009}} whenever a teleport entrance or exit is sapped, the other automatically has an Electro Sapper placed on it as well, regardless of their distance from one another. However, the Engineer can now remove Sappers from both the entrance and the exit by using his Wrench on either. Although this makes it much harder for Spies to get cheap points by sapping Teleporter entrances outside the enemy spawn, a successful Electro Sapper on an active Teleporter will now give two points.
+
* Consider using the Dead Ringer or Cloak and Dagger over the Invisibility Watch in conjunction with the Big Earner. As you have reduced health, your survival may depend on the use of cloaking.
 +
** The Big Earner's ability to regain Cloak faster and the Dead Ringer's survival ability can negate the health loss caused by the Big Earner by significantly reducing damage when activated.
 +
** Normally, the only way to regenerate your Cloak and Dagger is through waiting or visiting a Resupply Locker. The Big Earner bypasses this hindrance.
  
−
* If you see enemy Teleporter entrances and exits in unusual places (often near their objectives), it could mean you are walking into an Engineer's trap - many Engineers place their Teleporters inside their base as an early warning system, hoping that you will be unable to resist sapping them and will thus alert the Engineer to your presence. (One way you can trick the Engineer in this scenario is by firing 2-3 Revolver shots at it, or if the Engineer is close by, hit it with your Knife as it is much quieter, but not enough to destroy it. Engineers will almost always expect a Spy to sap it if anything, so this may throw off the Engineer who built it)
+
* Remember to pick up the enemy's dropped weapon after you kill them. The combination of the Big Earner and a dropped weapon can nearly refill your Cloak entirely.
  
−
* Depuis la mise-à-jour Sniper vs Spy, le Spy est maintenant en mesure d'utiliser les téléporteurs ennemi. Ce qui peut-être utile pour atteindre une mitrailleuse bien défendu ou inaccessible normalement.
+
* Note that non-backstab and taunt kills will still reward you with a 30% bonus to the charge on your Cloak. If you're in a desperate situation or the enemy is low on health, try to stab any way you can, if you need Cloak. If you do not need charge on your Cloak, it is generally a better idea to use your Revolver and shoot the enemy.
  
−
*Si vous attendez le bon moment, vous pouvez saboter l'entrée d'un téléporteur pour le rendre inutilisable. Toutefois depuis le {{Patch name|8|13|2009}} c'est plutôt inutile, car vous pouvez obtenir le même effet en sabotant la sortie du téléporteur. Toutefois, il vous permet d'harceler l'Ingénieur alors qu'il tente d'enlever votre saboteur.
+
==== [[Spy-cicle]] ====
 +
{| class="wikitable grid" width="100%" style="text-align: center;"
 +
! class="header" width="20%" rowspan=2 | Weapon
 +
! class="header" width="20%" rowspan=2 | Kill icon
 +
! class="header" width="20%" rowspan=2 | Attack interval
 +
! class="header" width="40% colspan=2 | Damage
 +
|-
 +
! class="header" width="20%" | Point blank
 +
! class="header" width="20%" | Critical
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" | {{Table icon|Spy-cicle|Uncrate/Craft}}
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Spy-cicle}}
 +
| 0.8 seconds
 +
| 40
 +
| 120
 +
|-
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Backstab}}
 +
| 0.8 seconds
 +
| N/A
 +
| 6× victim's health.
 +
|}
  
−
*If you are lucky, you may manage to [[telefrag]] an enemy upon taking an opposing Teleporter. While this normally applies to your own team's Teleporters as well if an enemy somehow stands on it without destroying it, the likelihood is higher as a Spy, as enemies may be clustered around the exit on the other side. In some cases, you may even be able to telefrag the enemy Engineer on the other side. However, be aware that telefragging will immediately alert the Engineer who built the Teleporter.
+
* The Spy-cicle causes any backstabbed players to leave a frozen ragdoll, but causes a relatively silent death. There is still a rather distinct sound emitted whenever you backstab an enemy. Upon any contact with flames, the knife provides a two-second fire immunity, but requires a fifteen-second recharge period before it can be used again.
  
−
*A clever Spy can sneak his way to the enemy's Teleporter entrance, sap it, and then stand on it, waiting for an Engineer on the exit side to knock off the Electro Sapper. Once the Electro Sapper has been knocked off the Spy will teleport to the other side, telefragging the Engineer if he is close enough, and is free to sap any buildings the Engineer has built. This is a risky but effective way of taking down forward bases built by one Engineer.
+
* This knife allows for a nearly silent kill like [[Your Eternal Reward]], but leaves a unique corpse not unlike the [[Saxxy]]; as a result, it draws minimal immediate attention, but alerts anyone finding the body to your presence, requiring the player to employ hit-and-run tactics to remain undetected.
  
−
*However, the above strategy becomes obsolete if there are two Engineers babysitting their buildings in the same location. The second Engineer will no doubt see/hear his buddy trying to repair his Teleporter and dying. There is usually no way to fight the second Engineer without the Sentry Guns swiveling and shooting you dead once you uncloak/remove your disguise. Your best hope in this situation is to either run, or sap BOTH the Sentry Guns as fast as you can, while avoiding the Wrench. If you're VERY lucky, you'll be able to get both of them, and then deal with your hard-hatted assailant. Assuming he doesn't just repair the Sentry Guns or Shotgun you to death, you could also try the continuous sap strategy.
+
* Be aware that once Pyros notice you are using the Spy-cicle they may begin to follow you for an extended period of time to ensure your death.
  
−
*Another way to deal with Teleporters is to simply sap the entrance, and then put another back on immediately after it gets knocked off, and repeating. As the Engineer cannot repair the Teleporter while it is being sapped, you can slowly wear down the entrance and take out both sides with little to no risk; this is one of the safer courses of action if the Engineer is smart enough to stand off of his exit and Wrench whoever comes through right after he knocks the Electro Sapper off. However, beware that this takes a long time, and in the case of spawns with only one exit, greatly increases the risk of an enemy seeing you and killing you. In this case, you can simply take out your Revolver and empty it into the entrance after sapping it, this will usually kill the entrance in most cases. If the Engineer is quick enough to knock off your Electro Sapper before you can destroy the entrance, simply place a second one on immediately and repeat, though repeatedly sapping will probably work better as your Revolver may be out of ammunition. This method is faster and reduces the risk of being discovered by the enemy in their spawn, but leaves you more vulnerable as you will not be disguised.
+
* If you are disguised or cloaked and a Pyro Spy checks you, be aware that you'll be instantly extinguished and are immune to fire for two seconds, but you will still exclaim that you're on fire, so it's unlikely you will be ignored. Use the fireproof time to put some distance between you and the Pyro.
  
−
==Infiltration==
+
* Since any contact with fire renders your knife temporarily useless, you may have to rely on your Revolver to defend yourself. Consider picking a gun that doesn't suffer from a damage decrease like the [[L'Etranger]].
−
*You can [[disguise]] as your own team by hitting the minus (-) sign (or the e key if you have the simple disguise menu enabled) at the top of the keyboard after bringing up the [[disguise]] interface. As a friendly non-Spy class, players on the other team are much less likely to alert each other to Spies entering the base if they see you. However, the best way to get in and out is to Cloak properly.
+
** Try to avoid the [[Diamondback]] with this knife; since it comes with a damage decrease and requires a successful sap in order to grant guaranteed crits, players without a knife will be unable to stab-sap an Engineer near a Sentry Gun, temporarily trapping them with a weak gun and no crit bonuses.
 +
** Be cautious when choosing the [[Enforcer]]; its additional damage is useful when without a knife, but being caught due to additional Cloak times can leave you with low health ''and'' no knife.
  
−
*While it may not seem immediately obvious to the Spy, as you slowly de[[Cloak]] you take on the color of your team until you are 100% visible. It is vital to let the Cloak come on fully before entering into areas where you would be seen. Try to de[[Cloak]] around a corner where an opponent can't see you. It's very obvious that you are a Spy as no other class is able to Cloak.
+
=====[[Fencing]]=====
 +
{| class="wikitable grid" width="100%" style="text-align: center;"
 +
! class="header" width="17%" |
 +
! class="header" width="16%" | Kill icon
 +
! class="header" width="10%" | Weapon
 +
! class="header" width="10%" | Damage
 +
! class="header" width="10%" | Duration
 +
! class="header" width="37%" | Details
 +
|- style="height: 110px;"
 +
| {{Table icon|Fencing}}
 +
| align="center" | {{Icon killicon|weapon=Fencing}}
 +
| [[Knife]], [[Saxxy]], [[Your Eternal Reward]], [[Conniver's Kunai]], [[Big Earner]], [[Wanga Prick]], [[Black Rose]]
 +
| 500
 +
| 4 seconds
 +
| The Spy transfers his weapon to his left hand and begins to practice a deadly Fencing maneuver, resulting in damage or death for anyone in the way.
 +
|}
  
−
*While cloaked, remember to avoid all enemy fire - if you're hit, you flicker visible. The same is true if you bump into an enemy. If you plan to rush out, tell your team-mates to let you go first (cloaked), so that stray fire from the enemy team at your visible team-mates doesn't reveal or kill you.
+
* This taunt can be used with any of the Spy's knives (except the Sharp Dresser and the Spy-cicle) to kill distracted enemies with one hit; however, due to the taunt's long duration and the minimal damage dealt by the first two swings, using a taunt kill is a very risky strategy.
 +
** The Fencing taunt is a viable last resort during the [[Humiliation]] round.
  
−
* If you are discovered and must Cloak to run away (assuming that you are not using a [[Dead Ringer]]), use misdirection to break away from your foes. If you are running in a certain direction while you Cloak, your enemies will usually head in that direction, so you can immediately make a radical turn after becoming completely invisible, or even turn in the immediate opposite direction to get behind them for a backstab opportunity.
+
* It can be effectively used to destroy Engineer buildings with one hit, so the Engineer won't have time to see his building being sapped or damaged and return to save his buildings. However, do not attempt to destroy an enemy [[Sentry Gun]] in this way because you must remove your disguise in order to be be able to perform the taunt, and attempting to do so will cause the Sentry to target and kill you.
  
−
*While cloaked, avoid giving away your position, especially to Snipers or if you have been busted, your pursuers. So do not:
+
* If a Sentry is close enough to a [[Dispenser]], then you can hide behind it without being detected and perform the taunt. The extra reach of this taunt means that it can often destroy both buildings.  
−
** ...pick up medkits (unless you're burning) or ammo crates.
 
−
** ...enter the enemies' line of sight before your Cloak is fully active. (See above)
 
−
** Also, if you go through an automatic door while cloaked and no one else is around, it is obvious that there is a Spy. If the door is very narrow, you still will become a very easy target, as you only have one direction to run in. Also, if you come out of swimmable [[water]], water will be visible dripping from you.
 
  
−
* When the Spy activates a disguise, his health level will appear to the enemy as between 50% and 100%, regardless of his actual health or choice of disguise. His health level will not appear to go down if they shoot him, but will appear to go up if he is healed by an enemy or friendly [[Medic]]. This feature is a double-edged sword; The idea is that it looks less suspicious when a Spy runs into the enemy base calling for a [[Medic]] (since he usually appears injured), but the more observant players that know of this feature will often be wary of anyone who appears to be injured when near their spawn area, and may be more likely to pursue and [[Spy check]] him. Note: This no longer applies in the PC version as of the {{Patch name|5|21|2009}}.  Instead, you appear to have the same health that the person you're disguised had when you took on that disguise.
+
* Also, keep in mind that, even if you are able to catch anyone unaware, the Spy speaks during the taunt, and this may give your presence away. This can be negated by quickly performing a voice command, preferably a short command, such as "No."
  
−
* Get a friendly Medic to heal you while you are disguised, because your disguised health level also rises to 100%, thus making you less suspicious when disguised while around the enemy spawn however appearing to be injured may be a good idea so you can get an enemy Medic to heal you. Note that overhealing will also be visible on your disguise, and if the enemy team has no Medics, walking around with an [[overheal]] may be a dead giveaway.
+
* Fencing with [[Your Eternal Reward]] is not recommended as you have to remove your disguise in order to taunt, and you won't get a disguise even if the taunt kill succeeds.
  
−
* Avoid walking over medkits unless your real health is injured, your fake health level will appear to be injured and if you don't pick up a medkit when walking over it is's a dead giveaway that you're a disguised Spy. You can only increase your disguised health level from [[Dispensers]] and [[cart]]s if your real health is injured. So if you're receiving a healing beam, and your health is not appearing to increase then those that know this telltale sign will know you're a Spy, so it's best to use a Dispenser and cart only if you're truly injured. But against less experienced players, being healed by a Dispenser or cart can makes you seem less suspicious.  As of the {{Patch name|5|21|2009}}, in the PC version, walking over a medkit will add to your disguise health.  You will also pick up medkits if your disguise health is down, even if your real health is full.
+
* Successfully Fencing with the [[Big Earner]] will still grant the 30% Cloak bonus, but it is still not advised as it also requires no disguise and your lowered health may put your life at risk if you fail.
  
−
* Alternatively, if you have the [[Cloak and Dagger]] equipped, you can deliberately grab medkits in order to deny them to the enemy. While they will probably know that an enemy Spy is in the area, you can assist your team in this way by making your opponents easier to kill if your teammates are also relatively close by; however, this is also a double-edged sword since you can accidentally deny the medkit to a teammate who needs it.
+
===PDA Slot===
 +
====[[Disguise Kit]]====
 +
{| class="wikitable grid" width="100%" style="text-align: center;"
 +
! class="header" width="17%" rowspan=2 | Weapon
 +
! class="header" width="17%" colspan=2 | Ammo
 +
! class="header" width="50%" colspan=4 | Damage
 +
|-
 +
! class="header" width="8%"| Loaded
 +
! class="header" width="8%"| Carried
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Point blank
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Medium range
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Long range
 +
! class="header" width="13%"| Critical
 +
|-
 +
! {{Table icon|Disguise Kit|Stock}}
 +
| N/A
 +
| N/A
 +
| N/A
 +
| N/A
 +
| N/A
 +
| N/A
 +
|}
  
−
[[Image:Spy for Medic.jpg|thumb|right|BLU Spy déguisé appelant un Medic RED]]
+
*The [[Disguise Kit]] is the Spy's major infiltration tool. Most of your time spent disguised will be done pretending to be an enemy. Each plays differently when trying to blend in.
  
−
* Remember that you can call for and be healed by enemy Medics while disguised. This is a great way to hold your cover, and also a good opportunity to backstab the opponent's support. Beware that this also risks drawing undue attention to yourself, especially if your alter-ego notices his own name calling for a Medic. For these reasons it is probably best to do this as a retreating maneuver.
+
====[[Scout]]====
 +
* Statistics
 +
** '''Speed:''' 100% '''(33% slower than actual Scout.)'''
 +
** '''Stature:''' Short, Skinny
 +
* Inconspicuousness
 +
** '''Element of surprise:''' Medium
 +
** '''Believability:''' Low
 +
* Fake-Reloads
 +
** '''[[Scattergun]]:''' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUJATkPjjUE#t=3s Partial, Short]
 +
** '''[[Force-A-Nature]]:''' Partial, Short '''(Wrong animation, visible shells!)'''
 +
** '''[[Pistol]]:''' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUJATkPjjUE#t=9s Full, Short]
 +
 +
The Scout disguise is best applied when you are trying to hide or when you will only be visible to the enemy for a short period of time. The Scout's character model is very small and is rather useful for hiding. However, it is not very believable, as you will not gain speed to match that of the Scout and because you cannot double jump. As Scouts tend to wander for extended periods of time, the Scout disguise is usually viable for quick glances, especially from long distances. The Scout disguise is common in [[competitive play]] due to the nature of team composition and the fact that disguises do not work well for blending in against coordinated teams, regardless of disguise.
  
−
* Once in the enemy's base, ''communicate'' with your team. Talking might not move you up on the scoreboard but reporting Sentry Gun placements, if a group of enemies are taking an alternate route, or building a minibase can make a big difference and bring your team closer to victory.
+
====[[Soldier]]====
 +
* Statistics
 +
** '''Speed:''' 80%
 +
** '''Stature:''' Normal
 +
* Inconspicuousness
 +
** '''Element of surprise:''' High
 +
** '''Believability:''' Medium
 +
* Fake-Reloads
 +
** '''[[Rocket Launcher]]:''' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUJATkPjjUE#t=75s Partial, Short]
 +
** '''[[Shotgun]]:''' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUJATkPjjUE#t=80s Partial, Short]
  
−
* You can walk backward while heading for the enemy base, or look backwards occasionally while walking forwards. Retreating into an enemy base while disguised looks much less suspicious than running into it at full tilt (unless your disguise health is relatively low), but as this trick has been done so many times, it can appear obvious to the astute observer.
+
The Soldier disguise is useful for blending in when stabbing a slow-moving target, as most people do not suspect Soldier Spies due to their slow movement speed. However, you will likely have trouble dodging enemy fire and avoiding blocking enemy movement. If your target starts moving at full speed, unless it is a Heavy, you might not be able to catch up to him without losing your disguise. You may be able to infiltrate enemy lines by simply walking in backwards, as it is common practice for Soldiers to retreat this way - you might even get an enemy Medic healing or ÜberCharging you. Try not to have your disguise weapon as the [[Equalizer]]; you will not go faster and enemy Medics will still be able to heal you, easily giving you away.
  
−
* When you disguise yourself, you take the name of an enemy player that is playing the same class as the disguise. It is crucial that you try to use a class that is well represented by the enemy side to decrease the risk of coming face to face with the person you stole the name from. As of the {{Patch name|5|21|2009}}, you can see whose name you have taken on on your disguise nameplate.
+
====[[Pyro]]====
 +
* Statistics
 +
** '''Speed:''' 100%
 +
** '''Stature:''' Normal
 +
* Inconspicuousness
 +
** '''Element of surprise:''' Low
 +
** '''Believability:''' Medium
 +
* Fake-Reloads
 +
** '''[[Shotgun]]:''' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUJATkPjjUE#t=58s Full, Long]
  
−
* If you disguise as a class not represented by the enemy team, you take on a name randomly. This can be a dead giveaway as a glance at the score table will make your trickery obvious, so try to disguise as a class that you know the enemy has.
+
As a class with 100% move speed, no need to reload primary weapons, and reasons to hide by himself among teammates and near [[Sentry Gun]]s, the Pyro disguise is fairly well-rounded. Pyros aren't expected to attack until they get close to others, and they commonly patrol their own bases. Therefore, a Pyro disguise can get in and out of enemy areas nicely. However, the Pyro disguise has a couple of flaws that make it less than perfect. The Pyro disguise is common and very easy to Spy check (Pyros don't catch on fire, but you will). Also, Pyros are expected to Spy check constantly, so enemies may attack you once they realize you are not doing so. If you are trying to hide, switch to a secondary or melee weapon, as all Flamethrowers have long weapon models and can sometimes be seen through walls or props. The Pyro disguise's fake Shotgun reload is arguably tied with the Engineer's for being the best in the game.
  
−
* Try to act natural. Many times, an enemy will shoot you and not notice your health go down; however, if you react to their shots, you can be certain that they and the rest of their team will hunt you down. If you continue heading in the same direction and if you seem to ignore the attack (assuming that it doesn't kill you), many times you will be left alone.
+
====[[Demoman]]====
 +
* Statistics
 +
** '''Speed:''' 93%
 +
** '''Stature:''' Normal
 +
* Inconspicuousness
 +
** '''Element of surprise:''' Low
 +
** '''Believability:''' Medium
 +
* Fake-Reloads
 +
** '''[[Grenade Launcher]]:''' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUJATkPjjUE#t=23s Partial, Short]
 +
** '''[[Stickybomb Launcher|Sticky Launcher]]:''' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUJATkPjjUE#t=29s Partial, Short]
  
−
*Expanding  on the above, standing still while in the enemy base is highly suspicious, and most players will try to [[Spy checking|Spy-check]] you. Making it seem like you were NOT harmed by this attack is the key to getting sneaky backstabs when they turn away. Be incredibly careful of Pyros however. If you see one heading for you, and he is actively Spy checking, RUN!
+
The Demoman disguise is very average, with slightly reduced move speed counteracted by a Demoman's reasons to stay in his team's base. However, if Stickybombs are not place and your disguise does not include a shield, you will easily be discovered as a fraud. While the Demoman is used in both offense and defense, he is generally expected to constantly use his weapons. The disguise has average body and weapon size, and is therefore good for quick glances. However, enemies are generally not fooled if you stay in one location for too long. Both fake reloads are moderately believable.
  
−
* Before the Sniper/Spy update, when disguised as a Medic, no [[ÜberCharge]] percentage showed up when an enemy targeted you, which was a big giveaway. This was fixed in the {{Patch name|5|21|2009}}, and now disguising as Medic you appear to have a [[ÜberCharge]] percentage that the Medic you're disguised had when you took on that disguise. If there aren't any enemy Medics you will simply have a random [[ÜberCharge]] meter.
+
====[[Heavy]]====
 +
* Statistics
 +
** '''Speed:''' 77%
 +
** '''Stature:''' Tall, Wide
 +
* Inconspicuousness
 +
** '''Element of surprise:''' High
 +
** '''Believability:''' Medium
 +
* Fake-Reloads
 +
** '''[[Shotgun]]:''' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUJATkPjjUE#t=88s Partial, Short]
 +
 +
Because of its severely reduced [[speed|move speed]], a Heavy disguise is rare. This disguise hinders your ability to chase for a backstab, to move around the map quickly, and to hide. However, due to its rarity, many players won't expect it. The Heavy disguise is a great choice if you want a Medic to heal or possibly ÜberCharge you regardless of your health level. The Heavy's primary weapon is not usually fired on whim, due to its spin up and spin down times; therefore an enemy Medic will not immediately Spy check you if you don't shoot. While this disguise is good for backstabbing enemy Heavies that are revved up, there are other, better alternatives, and the large model size and extremely slow move speed make the Heavy disguise generally a bad choice.
  
−
* You may, while entering the enemy base, notice that an attack force is heading for your base. Running in the opposite direction to them will likely result in a Spy check. A great method to single-handedly stop this attack is trying to run with them, towards your base. This works well, as it appears to the opposite team that you are not a Spy, and you can slow yourself down a little bit to get to the back of the pack and backstab most, or even all of them. Just be sure the person you are disguised as is not among them, or you will be very dead very quickly.
+
====[[Engineer]]====
 +
* Statistics
 +
** '''Speed:''' 100%
 +
** '''Stature:''' Short
 +
* Inconspicuousness
 +
** '''Element of surprise:''' Low
 +
** '''Believability:''' Medium
 +
* Fake-Reloads
 +
** '''[[Shotgun]]:''' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUJATkPjjUE#t=36s Full, Long]
 +
** '''[[Pistol]]:''' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUJATkPjjUE#t=44s Full, Short]
 +
 +
The Engineer disguise can be useful for taking down enemy structures. The Engineer has 100% move speed, small character and weapon models, and a reason to stay around his own base and buildings. Enemies are prone to Spy checking Engineers that do not use their Wrench for too long, though. Engineers are rarely seen outside of their base unless they have the Gunslinger equipped, so be aware of which melee weapon your disguise has. The Engineer disguise's fake Shotgun reload is arguably tied with the Pyro's for being the best in the game.
  
−
* A dead giveaway that you're a Spy in disguise is the fact that your enemies are unable to walk through you. Once they bump into you they will try to kill you immediately. When in small enclosed spaces (e.g. the sewers in [[2Fort]]), walk close to the walls and be sure to leave enough room for enemy players to run past you.
+
====[[Medic]]====
 +
* Statistics
 +
** '''Speed:''' 100% '''(7% slower than actual Medic.)'''
 +
** '''Stature:''' Tall
 +
* Inconspicuousness
 +
** '''Element of surprise:''' High
 +
** '''Believability:''' Low
 +
* Fake-Reloads
 +
** '''[[Syringe Gun]]:''' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUJATkPjjUE#t=68s Full, Short]
 +
** '''[[Blutsauger]]:''' Full, Short
 +
 +
The Medic disguise is not very good for maintaining believability. While most enemies will not notice the lack of increased move speed, the Medic disguise is incapable of healing. Because Medics are expected to heal whenever they're with a teammate and are rarely alone, your disguise quickly loses credibility. One benefit of the disguise is the ability to lure enemies into thinking they can get healed by you, and then you may dispatch them anyway you like. You can also use the disguise to come from behind an enemy for a backstab, as it is completely natural for a Medic to be behind his patient. The Medic disguise also has a rather good fake reload.
  
−
*However, deliberately trying to avoid people in corridors is like saying 'Hey! Here I am! Shoot me!', and is likely to get you Spy-checked and killed. If you see someone barreling down a corridor at you, it's usually a better idea to open fire on them then to risk bumping into them and being melee'd by them. Remember, your Knife isn't exactly fantastic in a face-off, it's only good for backstabs and taking out already weakened enemies; you cannot count on facestabs to save you.
+
====[[Sniper]]====
 +
* Statistics
 +
** '''Speed:''' 100%
 +
** '''Stature:''' Tall, Skinny
 +
* Inconspicuousness
 +
** '''Element of surprise:''' Low
 +
** '''Believability:''' High
 +
* Fake-Reloads
 +
** '''[[SMG]]:''' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUJATkPjjUE#t=9s Full, Short]
  
−
* Keep an eye on the enemy players that are about to respawn. When did they die? What class did they play? What is their skill? Remember: these are the players that are going to be in your back in a few seconds. Use this knowledge to time your actions. If you know that the opponents #1 Scout will respawn in a few seconds, let him pass by before you take any backstabbing/sapping action. Also remember, if you've just killed the same player say twice in the exact same spot, he's going to be checking for you being there next time he comes through.
+
The Sniper disguise is generally effective if you are standing on a balcony or other common sniping location. It is not suspicious for Snipers to stay within their base for extended periods of time, and are not expected to Spy check allies. However, you are unable to zoom in, which can reveal your identity after a while and if you stray too far from Sniper posts, you are likely to be Spy checked. Also be aware of enemies attempting to light your arrow if you are disguised with the [[Huntsman]]. The Sniper disguise is relatively small with 100% move speed.
  
−
* Most importantly: There are many people ([[Pyro]]s) who will Spy check everyone they see, ever, just as a precaution. Because of this, you must always remember to keep moving, change disguises frequently, and whenever possible, avoid being seen by the enemy entirely.
+
====[[Spy]]====
 +
* Statistics
 +
** '''Speed:''' 100%
 +
** '''Stature:''' Tall, Skinny
 +
* Inconspicuousness
 +
** '''Element of surprise''' Medium
 +
** '''Believability:''' High
 +
 +
* Fake-Reloads
 +
** '''[[Revolver]]:''' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUJATkPjjUE#t=52s Full, Short]
 +
** '''[[Ambassador]]:''' Full, Short
 +
 +
The Spy disguise can work, but it primarily relies on the Spy checking habits of your enemies. It is the only disguise where you have a reason to be with your teammates without attacking. Be aware that the enemy Spy disguise will not affect the color of your disguise smoke or your Cloak, so enemies can still recognize those effects. The Spy disguise can be risky because many players instinctively fire at all Spies, even friendly ones. The Spy disguise as a good fake reload.
  
−
*As long as there's a damage indication on your HUD, you are semi-visible. To ensure that you're completely invisible, wait until the damage indicator clears before moving.
+
====Friendly disguises====
 +
Friendly disguises can prove handy in a variety of situations. Friendly disguises are useful at the beginning of rounds, especially during setup time, because they will avoid giving away there you are a Spy, while making the enemy team prepared for a class that isn't necessarily in use. If you're having trouble getting behind enemy lines, a friendly disguise can be used to scare enemies (for example, a friendly Pyro disguise in close quarters) or to feign a death more convincingly. If an ally needs help, you can use a friendly disguise, such as a Heavy, to draw enemy fire. Your hit box is not the same as your disgusie class, so you can draw Sniper fire with some disguises with a reduced risk of being Headshot. Friendly disguises, particularly Medic and Sniper, are good for baiting, as many enemy will not expect a friendly disguise. Use this bait to prepare for a stab or by shooting the target with your Revolver. These tricks can be used more safely and repeatedly with the Dead Ringer, as you can fake friendly deaths.
  
−
*Avoid disguising yourself as a Scout. While your speed will be slower when disguised as a Heavy or Soldier you will not get a speed boost or be able to double jump when disguised as a Scout. Due to this, the enemy will see a slow Scout running slower than normal. This is one of the quickest ways to be detected. However, the speed difference is not as noticeable if running towards or away from enemies, and disguising as Scout can be effective if the enemy team has a lot of Scouts or just several newbie ones.
+
===PDA2 slot===
 +
====[[Invisibility Watch]] / [[Enthusiast's Timepiece]]====
 +
{| class="wikitable grid" width="100%" style="text-align: center;"
 +
! class="header" width="17%" rowspan=2 | Weapon
 +
! class="header" width="83%" colspan=5 | Cloak
 +
|-
 +
! class="header" width "17%"| Cloak type
 +
! class="header" width "17%"| Duration
 +
! class="header" width "17%"| Activation time
 +
! class="header" width "17%"| Deactivation time
 +
! class="header" width "17%"| Recharge
 +
|-
 +
! {{Table icon|Invisibility Watch|Stock}}
 +
| rowspan="2" | Standard Recharge
 +
| rowspan="2" | 9 seconds
 +
| rowspan="2" | 1 second
 +
| rowspan="2" | 1.8 seconds
 +
| rowspan="2" | 30 seconds
 +
|-
 +
! {{Table icon|Enthusiast's Timepiece|Promotional}}
 +
|}
  
−
*A good idea to make your disguise more believable is to get behind or near the enemy spawn, then put on your disguise, wait until no-one is around/not watching you and then run forwards so it looks like you just respawned. Not only can it put you behind players leaving said spawn, but also makes enemy players less likely to Spy check you, think that you're someone who just came from their own spawn.
+
* [[Cloak]]ing is an ability exclusive to the Spy, which renders him fully invisible to enemy players. Your teammates will still be able to see you, albeit faintly. While cloaked you cannot use any weapons, but you can still switch weapons and disguise. Taking damage or running into an enemy will make you flicker for a brief period of time.
  
−
* Picking up the enemy [[Intelligence]] does not yet make you a suicide flag runner. You can drop the Intelligence anytime("l" key by default), put on a disguise or Cloak to Scout ahead for danger and/or clear out an ambush, then return to the Intelligence and resume carrying it when the path is clear. This is especially useful against Sentry Guns which you can sap and then return to the intelligence and Demomen, who like to block your path with stickies, essentially trapping you between themselves and anyone pursuing you from the enemy base. It's also a good way to lure other classes out of ambush, as they will move from their spot to check why has the Intelligence been dropped.
+
* When your Invisibility Watch runs out you will automatically uncloak, revealing yourself. While you are cloaked, pick up ammo packs or weapons to recharge your watch.
  
−
* Disguises only fool enemies "at-a-glance". So it's best to avoid being seen altogether and use the Cloak more often.
+
* When compared to the other watches, the Invisibility Watch allows for the farthest distance traveled while invisible.
  
−
* While disguised, try to use voice commands, such as the battle cry. It will make your disguised model talk and do some mimics, and so it can fool some enemies who don't think about Spies being able to do so.
+
* Cloaking can be pivotal when attempting to infiltrate an enemy base. Be aware that cloaking will take 1 full second while uncloaking will take a little over 2 seconds, during which you can be recognized by the enemy, even if you are disguised, but cannot attack or use your [[Electro Sapper]]. Therefore, you should attempt to look for a safe, hidden spot to uncloak.
  
−
*Reloading the Revolver/Ambassador will reload the weapon equipped by your disguise. Use this for added realism.
+
* Plot your course and approach targets carefully - being spotted may result in a quick death, as you can not feign a death, as with the Dead Ringer, or hide in one spot until an opportunity arises, as with the Cloak and Dagger.
 +
** Always try to move while you are using the Invisibility Watch. You will only regain Cloak if you are not cloaked or if you pick up ammo boxes or fallen weapons. However, the Invisibility Watch lasts longer than the alternative watches.  
  
−
* If you are using the [[Cloak and Dagger]], try to jump up on obstacles and ledges as you move through the map. Players use the obvious running pathways and will run right past you if you are cloaked. Standing on a create allows you to recharge your Cloak with out being bumped into and giving away your position. Standing on top of obstacles is also a good place to avoid Spy checking and escape pursuing players as they often forget to check the tops of boxes and ledges etc.
+
* If you know an enemy has seen you Cloak, head in one direction while you are partially visible, and when you are fully invisible, change your path to trick him.
  
−
* Always remember to players who shoot in the air at any time. Avoid especially Pyros, Engineers and Scouts.
+
* Grab dropped metal whenever you can while cloaked. Some enemies will notice an ammo box disappearing for seemingly no reason, but even if they do (and realize it was a cloaked Spy who took it) you should be able to escape, if you remain invisible for long enough. If they do still try to chase you, their efforts will likely only divert their attention from the game objective.
  
−
==Map Specific==
+
* Hiding near an enemy Dispenser of any level will maintain or lengthen your Cloak's charge if you are disguised. This will give you as much time as you need to wait to strike an Engineer's sentry nest, whether you need the Engineer to leave or you are waiting for your team to make a push in.
  
−
===[[Well]]===
+
* Knowledge of a map's layout, especially locations of ammo boxes, will prove very useful for crossing the map quickly, while invisible. Take not of shortcuts and the locations of ammo boxes as you learn a map.
−
* An effective start rush is to disguise, then swim so you're under the grate just as the round starts; the grate opens, you go up and immediately Cloak. Then go into the central Control point 3 and over to the ramp on the far side. As you run up, the opposing force should already be in front of you and you're at the back of the CP area, so you can uncloak as you go up; then you'll be standing right behind a bunch of players who are typically busy firing at your team-mates on the other side of the CP itself.
 
  
−
* Lots of swimming: Swim out of your base and into the center of the map (where the trains pass), cloaking just as you pop out of the water. Remain invisible until you've reached the water entrance on the other side of the tracks. The water makes a great place to Cloak/decloak and change disguises unsupervised, as most other classes don't use the water tunnels at all.  However, do note that coming out of water while cloaked makes a water-dripping outline appear for several seconds.
+
====[[Cloak and Dagger]]====
 +
{| class="wikitable grid" width="100%" style="text-align: center;"
 +
! class="header" width="17%" rowspan=2 | Weapon
 +
! class="header" width="83%" colspan=5 | Cloak
 +
|-
 +
! class="header" width "17%" | Cloak type
 +
! class="header" width "17%" | Duration
 +
! class="header" width "17%" | Activation time
 +
! class="header" width "17%" | Deactivation time
 +
! class="header" width "17%" | Recharge
 +
|-
 +
! {{Table icon|Cloak and Dagger|Unlock}}
 +
| Motion Sensitive
 +
| 6.2 seconds
 +
| 1 second
 +
| 2.2 seconds
 +
| 15 seconds
 +
|}
 +
* The length of time the Cloak and Dagger lasts, while constantly running, is shorter than the Invisibility Watch.
 +
** This time can be elongated through crouch walking. If you stand still or uncloak, your watch will regenerate to 6.2 seconds of cloaking time. You cannot extend the Cloak and Dagger's length through picking up ammo sources of any kind, but Dispensers will hasten your Cloak regeneration.
  
−
* Fighting generally happens in clusters on Well, and when the middle point is being fought over, the first and sometimes second enemy points may be entirely undefended. This is a great opportunity for the patient Spy to capture points solo, especially the final point, which can be captured by a single combatant in a matter of moments. A Spy seeing his team pushing hard on point 2 can slip to the rear of the base and stay hidden, waiting for the moment point 2 is taken. Then he can step out of hiding and quickly nab the final point, winning the round.
+
* Although the Cloak and Dagger promotes laying in wait, it can be useful to travel through maps that lack enough ammo boxes to get you past a group of enemies, such as if the enemy controls the center of [[Turbine]].
  
−
* Since Well is such a long map, enemy Engineers will often drop Teleporter entrances outside their first spawn point, and then build their Sentry Guns near capture point 2 or 3. As a result, a Spy who manages to infiltrate all the way to the rear of the enemy base can easily score points by sapping these unattended Teleporters. Better yet, stand behind an exit Teleporter and stab people just as they come out.
+
* The speed at which the Cloak and Dagger drains depends on how fast you are moving, but is capped at the Spy's normal walking speed (being launched by Stickybombs will not increase your drain rate, for example). Taking fall damage will still cause you to make sounds associated with falling.
  
−
* When a point is being hotly contested, freshly spawned combatants on the offense ([[Soldier]]s, [[Heavy|Heavies]], [[Demomen]], and [[Medic]]s) will rush out of their spawn and hustle into combat, one after the other. A Spy waiting just outside the base can tag along behind them, backstabbing as he goes, often taking out an entire string of enemies who are too busy to look behind them.
+
* While you can go further without having to wait to recharge if you crouch-walk, it is generally more efficient to run to a low-traffic area and recharge rather than slowly progressing with a crouch-walk.
  
−
===[[2Fort]]===
+
* When using the Cloak and Dagger, you can report information to your team, such as Sentry Gun placement or when an enemy is pushing, with a much lower risk of being caught.  
−
[[image:CTF 2Fort BluBase.png|thumb|right|Passez par les égouts]]
 
  
−
====Offense====
+
* If possible, hide in an open area that is rarely traveled. Most enemies will not expect you to high out in the open. However, many enemies will Spy check in common hiding areas for Spies.
−
There are four main tasks for a Spy on 2fort:
+
** Standing on top of objects or rocks will prevent many enemies from bumping into you.
  
−
* Killing [[Sniper]]s on the Sniper deck
+
* Because you can Cloak indefinitely while not moving, it can be useful to lead an enemy around a corner, {{botignore|cloak}} while out of sight, and then hide to the side. If the enemy is a Pyro, it may be better to simply run.
−
* Destroying Sentry Guns
 
−
* Killing enemy players as they cross the bridge
 
−
* Getting hold of the enemy Intelligence
 
  
−
The best way to get into the enemy base is to run from the spawn over the Sniper deck and into the water. [[Cloak]] before you come out onto the Sniper deck, so that you are fully invisible as you step out and fall down into the water. Once you're under the bridge and so well shielded from above, uncloak. Don't forget to get your [[Revolver]] out - you're running towards the enemy in a narrow passage, so the [[Knife]] isn't useful. Run through the sewers and up the stairs into the enemy base. Once you get to the top of the stairs you then have a choice; you can take the left passage, if you want to go for the [[Intelligence]], or you can go straight on, if you wish to attack enemy [[Sniper]]s on the Sniper deck.
+
* Consider using the Your Eternal Reward with this watch; you will have to rely more heavily on your Cloak as you cannot disguise on command.
  
−
If you go left, the ten seconds of Cloak is just the right amount to let you be fully cloaked as you turn into the longer passageway leading to the open air area, and remain cloaked right up until you're far enough down the back stairs to the basement that you won't be seen. You then continue down into the basement, dealing with whatever is down there and then taking the Intelligence.
+
* Using this watch, you can assist teammates in destroying Sentry Guns hidden behind proximity-activated doors. If you {{botignore|cloak}} and stand near one of these doors, it will remain open while a teammate, such as a Soldier, can safely destroy the Sentry Gun from a distance.
  
−
If you go straight on, Cloak as late as possible before coming into the open air area and running up the main stairs. Then cross over into the Sniper deck and kill the Snipers there. Once you've done this, don't stay on the deck; when they respawn, they'll be looking for you. Either drop back down to your own base for a quick break, or better, run into the Grate room and [[disguise]] as a [[Demoman]]. You're out of sight, and if someone does come in, there's a chance they may think you're holding a [[Stickybomb]] trap from that position.
+
* The Cloak and Dagger can be used for 'Spy capping'. To Spy cap, sneak past enemy lines and wait, while cloaked, on a [[Control Point (objective)|Control Point]]. Once the Control Point is open, uncloak (making sure you are not disguised), and capture the final point.
  
−
If there is more than one Sniper on the deck (And there usually is) They might notice you backstabbing their buddies. As the Sniper decks are fairly cramped, they'll usually pull out their Kukri and charge you. To circumvent this, the best strategy is to run around the structure in the middle of the Sniper deck, Cloak, and then crouch walk onto the tiny ledge that surrounds said structure. You can then laugh as the Sniper runs around, swinging his Kukri and everyone and everything. This also give your OWN Snipers a good giggle, and an easy target. Snipers will catch onto this strategy eventually, and try to get onto the ledge as well...all the more fun for your own Snipers. Just remember: ''This ledge can save your life''.
+
====[[Dead Ringer]]====
 +
{| class="wikitable grid" width="100%" style="text-align: center;"
 +
! class="header" width="17%" rowspan=2 | Weapon
 +
! class="header" width="83%" colspan=5 | Cloak
 +
|-
 +
! class="header" width "17%"| Cloak type
 +
! class="header" width "17%"| Duration
 +
! class="header" width "17%"| Activation time
 +
! class="header" width "17%"| Deactivation time
 +
! class="header" width "17%"| Recharge
 +
|-
 +
! {{Table icon|Dead Ringer|Unlock}}
 +
| Feign Death
 +
| 6.5 sec
 +
| 0 sec
 +
| 1.8 sec
 +
| 16 sec
 +
|}
  
−
If however you simply want to get kills, a good place to wait is up against the front of the opposing fort. Enemy players generally spawn and then run to the Sniper deck and fall off to the area in front of the bridge; very few players actually exit via the ground floor. As such, a Spy waiting up against the front of the fort isn't seen and is behind the enemy players as they run down the narrow, straight bridge.
+
* The Dead Ringer makes a loud, distinctive sound which can reveal your location. Try to uncloak in a safe area, then move in for the kill. Note that the Saharan Spy set will reduce the magnitude of this sound.
  
−
Disguising as a Demoman in the basement where the Intelligence is found is also good. Wait in front of the resupply and if any Engineers or Demomen come down, wait until they go into the Intelligence room or into the resupply. Right when they come out again, stab them. But this will only work once, usually, because the victim will report to his/her team (Unless he/she doesn't have a mic!).
+
* Try being damaged for about a second and then pull out the Dead Ringer. It will make your feigned death appear more realistic.
  
−
=== [[Granary]] ===
+
* While cloaked with the Dead Ringer, you take 90% less damage and you do not flicker if you take damage or bump into an enemy. Use this to your advantage when crossing choke-points.  
−
* There is an overhead passageway with a circular exit (leading from Control point 2 to Control point 3) which you may take to avoid wasting precious Cloak time.
+
** Note that these effects only work for the Dead Ringer's initial duration.
−
* Stand on containers at Control point 3: Enemies are less likely to expect attacks from above them than in front of them (Who is?). Be wary of enemy Snipers on the opposite side of the map however.
+
** You can recharge your Cloak with ammo while cloaked, however after the Dead Ringer's initial duration has passed, you will resume taking full damage and flickering if you take damage or bump into an enemy.
  
−
=== [[Dustbowl/fr|Dustbowl]] ===
+
* Disguising as a friendly offensive class, such as the Heavy, at the beginning of the round will make for a more convincing death and easier passage into enemy territory.
 +
** This can also be used to cause a Demoman to trigger his Stickybombs unnecessarily, clearing the way for your teammates to come in, especially at the beginning of rounds.
  
−
==== En Attaque ====
+
* You can hold the Dead Ringer out while capturing a Control Point, carrying enemy Intelligence, or pushing the cart on a Payload map. Use this in combination with a friendly disguise to cause for a convincing death while helping out your team. You will need to uncloak to continue capturing an objective, however.
  
−
===== Stage 1, Point A =====
+
* If ignited while you are cloaked, you can run to your teammates, as the Pyro will either not follow, or will be killed when he does.
  
−
* Si le Spy BLU parvient à s'infiltrer derrière les lignes ennemies, il sera d'une grande utilité pour l'équipe. En effet, les défenses RED sur ce point ont tendance à se concentrer juste devant les sorties des tunnels, pour former une défense massive et compacte, empêchant les incursions. Un nid d'Engineer est souvent présent dans la cabane du Point A, posant souvent de multiples problèmes aux BLU si il n'est pas détruit rapidement. Il est assez difficile de s'infiltrer derrière les lignes RED, car les tunnels sont étroits et vous avez de fortes chances de croiser un RED. Il faut donc user de stratégies de diversion avec l'aide de votre équipe, ou plus simplement de savoir être opportuniste.
+
* [[Jarate]] and [[Mad Milk]] will not wash off if you use the Dead Ringer while covered in it.
  
−
* Les tunnels seront la plupart du temps occupés, et il vaut mieux éviter d'être repéré par un ennemi qui signalera aussitôt votre présence, ou de tomber malencontreusement sur un Pyro tout content de vous cueillir au coin d'un angle étroit... Usez donc de votre invisibilité, -avec la montre standard ou en restant caché dans un coin avec la Cloak and Dagger- et passez par la voie ferrée qui passe au dessus du Point A. A partir de là, les défenses RED sont beaucoup moins concentré. Passez donc faire un tour devant le Spawn pour Electro Sapper les entrées de téléporteurs, ou encore surprenez un ennemi ne s'attendant pas à être attaqué à sa sortie du Spawn.
+
* If you are waiting or you are in an open area, keep the Dead Ringer held out if you aren't fighting. An enemy Spy or stray enemy fire could kill you while you aren't ready.
  
−
* L'infiltration réussie, vous pouvez prendre l'ennemi à revers, en enchaînant plusieurs poignardages rapidement, en profitant ainsi de la densité des troupes ennemies. Chaque ennemi aura un temps de respawn assez long, et qui entraînera donc un avantage provisoire pour votre équipe.
+
* When using the Dead Ringer, try choosing friendly disguises while heading into enemy lines and then switching to an enemy disguise once you have infiltrated the enemy base.
−
* When attacking Stage 1 Cap 1, use the canyon pathway to sneak up on the attackers by using the back door. Be sure once you sap the Sentry Guns, you have a Demoman or Soldier standing by to destroy it. Be sure when going through the canyon you are fully cloaked or Snipers will take you down as you come out. Do not wait by the grating; wait next to it or they will be aware of your way of attack.
 
  
−
* Before Stage 1 Cap 1 is taken, you can quickly run to the enemies Control point 2. Although this is locked, if your team is close to taking it then it would be a good idea to stay here and base camp. Although this is discouraged due to the fact that this is camping, it can help end the stage faster and the enemies will most likely not make it in time to stop you. This also works on Stage 2 and 3.
+
* Try to disguise after you use the Dead Ringer. If the watch activated in the middle of you disguising, you will still emit smoke visible to the enemy team.
  
−
* When defending Stage 2 Cap 1, have a Spy stay near the Control point building. This Spy will be able to backstab any enemies that come through.
+
* If possible, don't pick up the nearest Health or Ammo pick-up. Many enemies will look to see if the pick-ups disappear. If you are low on Health, however, go for the pick-up and then escape.
  
−
=== [[Hydro]] ===
+
* If you need to take a long fall but don't have the Health to survive it, hold out your Dead Ringer to negate a large portion of the damage. You can also use fall damage to trigger your Cloak to get behind enemy lines.
−
* There's always one path that nobody uses. Take it, and you're less likely to bump into an enemy or die from random explosions, or bursts of gunfire.
 
−
* More often than not, enemy Sentry Guns will be put in spots which can be shot at from afar with the [[Ambassador]]. In this case, try to snipe the Engineer so that you will have a clear sapping of his Sentry Gun (this should take only 2 shots if you headshot him first then follow up with a bodyshot while he tries to see where the shot came from, or less if he was already damaged enough).
 
−
* When defending either of the last points, you can hide behind the ramps that just out of the ground as entrances to the undergound cap area, both to recharge Cloak with the [[Invisibility Watch]] or the [[Dead Ringer]] or to pick targets for ambushing and call out attacking Spies with the [[Cloak and Dagger]].
 
  
−
=== [[Gravel Pit]] ===
+
* You can prevent enemy movement for a short period of time by Dead Ringing and standing in front of a doorway or hall. This may allow your team enough time to regroup.
−
* Since Gravel Pit has 2 initial Control points it can be useful to soften up a lesser defended point (sap Sentry Guns, backstab Snipers etc.) coordinated by an immediate rush by some of your team (a Scout rush works best in this situation) to easily capture the point. Usually this point is A because it's considered harder to defend.
 
  
−
* A Spy can be quite necessary on the most heavily defended Control point as there are usually at least one or two Sentry Guns that are supported by other players, making them almost indestructible. The best way to deal with these Sentry Guns is to co-ordinate with your team to sap the Sentry Gun and follow it with a push. Keep in mind that as you do this it's likely you'll be seen and killed.
+
* Disguising as a friendly Medic, staying on the outskirts of your team's territory, and then Dead Ringing may trick the enemy team into pushing forward.
  
−
*Defending Engineers will often create Teleporters from their respawn to their front line. If you sap these Teleporters it will slow down the defensive players, and also coax the Engineer(s) away from their Sentry Gun(s), allowing your team to destroy it easier. Keep in mind that doing this will often result in the C area to be Spy-checked, so the best idea would be to sap them, Cloak and then run back into your own territory.
+
==Item Sets==
 +
===[[Item sets#Spy|The Saharan Spy Set]]===
 +
{{Set|The Saharan Spy}}
  
−
*After the first point has been captured but before the second, you can Cloak up to the C point and camp there until the second point has been captured, when you can undisguise and quickly capture the point.  It is likely that defenders will come up and kill you when they notice their point is being captured, but you may finish capping the point before they get there. This is position is easy to hold, because defenders rarely ever go up there until the second point is being captured, but you must make sure that they can't see you from the ground.  If they do they'll usually start checking the point. Keep in mind though that the same task could be done with a Scout with usually a better outcome once you get on the point.
+
*The uncloak volume reduction this set grants you is invaluable when using the Dead Ringer; its main problem of people detecting you upon uncloaking is nullified, and as such it is entirely possible to backstab targets who just triggered your Cloak by uncloaking directly behind them.
  
−
=== [[Badwater Basin]] ===
+
*The Invisibility Watch is completely silent when decloaking in conjunction with the Saharan Spy set.
−
==== Offense ====
 
−
*The first stage of this map is good for Spies on BLU as they can use their Cloak to quickly move over the hill, but this is often dangerous as the exit of the tunnel and top of the hill are bound to have Pyros or Demomen locking down the area with their flames or grenades.
 
  
−
*A large part of your helping the team here will be Sentry Gun destruction, as the prime spots for Sentry Guns are all directly below a piece of easily accessible terrain (such as a Sentry Gun at the tunnel exit being below the cliffs, or a Sentry Gun on the right behind the rocks being reachable from over the rocks). With this in mind, it may be best to try to coordinate a charge with your team so when you drop down to sap a Sentry Gun they can back you up and push the point.
+
*However, with the normal Invisibility Watch or the Cloak and Dagger, bumping into people or running out of Cloak will cause your silhouette to flicker for a lot longer, revealing you much more easily. As such, it is inadvisable to use these unless it is a situation where the Dead Ringer cannot be used effectively.
  
−
*Before your team reaches the first point with the cart, try to sneak ahead and take the back entrance up onto the roof to prevent enemy Engineers from building up too much so your team has a much easier time getting passed the potential Sentry Gun trap.
+
*A regular Spy works wonders among packs of enemies, where he cannot be noticed, while the Saharan Spy is much better at dealing with lone targets or in very big maps, where a regular Spy's decloak noise would give his position away. Keep this in mind and change your loadout accordingly.
  
−
*The second point is an area that Spies can easily access on attack, as the back courtyard allows Spies of both teams to move between the first and second point areas with relative ease.  
+
*Remember that even if you can uncloak silently, trying to stab and steal someone's disguise in an area guarded with Sentry Guns is not recommended unless you already have a disguise. This makes using the Dead Ringer to proceed behind enemy lines a lot more risky, as if you uncloak in a hostile area there will be no escape.
  
−
*The roof will likely have a Sentry Gun or two on it, which can be easily sapped when the Engineer is on the ground floor, dead, or is otherwise distracted, and the courtyard on either side of the building can be jumped down into to escape.  
+
*If an enemy sees you undisguised with the Familiar Fez equipped, they may assume you are using the Dead Ringer or Your Eternal Reward. Try to minimize the amount of time you are undisguised behind enemy lines.
 +
**For this same reason, you can exploit your appearance by purposely not using the whole set, but just wearing the hat. Most players will still assume you have the pros and cons of the set bonus.
  
−
*Defending Snipers will often sit just behind the concrete wall next to the point and scan the main corridor, but do not try to kill them unless you are sure there are no Sentry Guns or Pyros covering the area.
+
*When using the Dead Ringer in conjunction with the Saharan Spy Set an easy way to get behind enemy lines is take fall damage to activate the Dead Ringer, then move from ammo box to ammo box until a suitable backstab target can be found.  This way, the enemy is unaware of your presence until you achieve the first backstab.
 +
**Try not to trigger the Dead Ringer when using the set, as your "deaths" will seem very obvious.
  
−
*The third point is difficult for BLU Spies to attack beyond sapping any Sentry Guns in the ditch and coordinating with your team because there are no alternate routes to the are beyond the point. As a result, it may be worth running around one of the corners and sapping a Sentry Gun so that whether or not you die, your team can destroy the Sentry Gun and hopefully capture the point.  
+
*When approaching a group of targets from behind, try to stab a faster moving class such as a Pyro, Demoman, Medic, or Sniper first.  This will allow you to run up to the slower moving classes more easily than if you started by stabbing a Soldier or Heavy first.
  
−
*You may want to hang back in blind spots such as the dark alcove next to the cart tracks to take out any Übers or kritzkriegs set to push your team back.  
+
*Just because you can't disguise without getting a backstab does not mean you are incapable of taking out a Sentry Gun.  Approach the sentry while cloaked, and uncloak directly behind the sentry while holding down Mouse1 with the Electro Sapper out.  The sentry will not lock on to you until you are completely decloaked, at which time the Electro Sapper will be placed.  This tactic is extremely difficult if enemies are around.
  
−
*If you can get by the main chokepoint of the point, you can try to take an Engineer's Teleporter at their spawn and telefrag him, allowing you to single handedly destroy their setup for your team to take advantage and push.
 
  
−
*The last point is also an area where Spies are useful due to there often being hidden Sentry Guns that only Übers can usually take care of otherwise. However, it is difficult to move around and stay in the main area as it is so open and there will be many RED players running between the spawn doors and the main ramp. To remedy this, try to spend as little time as possible in the open, and get out of there as fast as you can once you have sapped a Sentry Gun and/or killed the Engineer.
+
===[[Item sets#Spy|The Man of Honor]]===
 +
{{Set|The Man of Honor}}
  
−
*There are also a few good corners to hide in (including one with a Maximum Health pickup and the stairs near their lower spawn) but be cautious of Pyros around these parts. When jumping down from the balcony or windows, do be careful of fall damage revealing you as before.
+
* This set is designed for the Spy who likes to make large amounts of damage and escape quickly. The Enforcer and the Big Earner work together towards this goal, providing a higher damage output and a way to refill your Cloak faster.
  
−
*It is not advisable to use the Dead Ringer to get behind their enemy lines unless you are very sure of your route, as there are a limited number of places to get metal on the route to the enemy spawn/the third point. Ideally though, now would be the best time to destroy BLU Teleporters and Sentry Guns though, as it is a long walk to the front lines for them otherwise and their Sentry Gun will likely be the only thing stopping your team from pushing them back and using Kritzkriegs to halt their charges.
+
* Even though this set lets you choose your watch at will, the Dead Ringer is usually the Watch of choice to carry with this set eqquiped:
 +
** The Enforcer's downside does not apply to it, making this weapon a straight upgrade to the default Revolver.
 +
** The Dead Ringer's death fake ability helps offset the Big Earner's health penalty.
 +
** As an extra bonus, the Big Earner's Cloak boost reduces the chance of 'coming up empty' in an emergency with the Dead Ringer, allowing more leniency for mistakes
  
−
==== Defense ====
+
==Weapon Combinations==
−
*On defense the rocks serve good hiding spots both behind and on top of them, but if you are using the Cloak and Dagger be careful you don't pick a place that other players will jump over and attract fire to/bump into you if they're on the enemy team.
+
{| class="wikitable grid collapsible collapsed" width="65%"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan=4 class="header" | Example combinations
 +
|-
 +
! colspan=3 class="header" | Combo
 +
! class="header" | Usage
 +
|-
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Ambassador|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Ambassador]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Knife|icon-size=40x40px}} or {{Icon weapon|weapon=Sharp Dresser|icon-size=40x40px}} or {{Icon weapon|weapon=Festive Knife|icon-size=40x40px}} or {{Icon weapon|weapon=Black Rose|icon-size=40x40px}}
 +
'''[[Knife]]''' or '''[[Sharp Dresser]]''' or '''[[Knife|Festive Knife]]''' or '''[[Black Rose]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Cloak and Dagger|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Cloak and Dagger]]'''
 +
|
  
−
*The large vertical drops are also a problem while cloaked as they can reveal you when you take fall damage or even trigger your Dead Ringer. To combat this, try to move down through lower routes and crawl down ledges to minimize contact with BLU players, taking your time if necessary and choosing your moment to strike before retreating over the hill or through the tunnel.
+
This set-up is useful for a Spy who likes to take their time and survive as long as possible and is best used against classes that don't move much like Engineers and Snipers. The Cloak and Dagger lets the Spy stay invisible as long as he doesn't move too much. The Spy may headshot a Sniper with Razorback or wait for an Engineer to build and quickly take him out from a distance using the Ambassador. The Knife allows him to then disguise at will and sap the buildings.  
  
−
*You can effectively defend the second point by hiding in the BLU team's blind spots near the cart (like the alcove to the left of the cart or under the garage overhang next to the first point) and stabbing crucial targets like a Heavy to be Übered or Medic with an ÜberCharge as they pass.
+
|-
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Revolver|icon-size=40x40px}} or {{Icon weapon|weapon=Big Kill|icon-size=40x40px}}
 +
'''[[Revolver]]''' or '''[[Big Kill]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Knife|icon-size=40x40px}} or {{Icon weapon|weapon=Sharp Dresser|icon-size=40x40px}} or {{Icon weapon|weapon=Festive Knife|icon-size=40x40px}} or {{Icon weapon|weapon=Black Rose|icon-size=40x40px}}
 +
'''[[Knife]]''' or '''[[Sharp Dresser]]''' or '''[[Knife|Festive Knife]]''' or '''[[Black Rose]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Invisibility Watch|icon-size=40x40px}} ''or'' {{Icon weapon|weapon=Enthusiast's Timepiece|icon-size=40x40px}}
 +
'''[[Invisibility Watch]]''' or '''[[Enthusiast's Timepiece]]'''
 +
|
  
−
*You can also loop around the back of people coming up the stairs via the rear courtyard to foil charges at the roof, but be careful on repeat runs as the BLU team may expect you and go round another way/kill you when they see you regardless of your disguise.
+
The default loadout allows for a quick-moving, versatile Spy. The Revolver is useful to pick off lone enemies, damage Engineer buildings from a distance, or as a backup when you are discovered. The Knife allows you to disguise at-will, unlike Your Eternal Reward. The Invisibility Watch is the most versatile of the watches: quieter than the Dead Ringer, allows more mobility than the Cloak and Dagger, and can be replenished with ammo or metal. Move quickly, complete your objective, and move on.
  
−
*Defending the third point is significantly easier as a Spy due to the fact you will often have the height advantage, allowing you to literally get the drop on enemies charging in. It is at this point it may be worth destroying the BLU Teleporters if they have any, as it is quite a trip from their spawn.
+
|-
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=L'Etranger|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[L'Etranger]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Conniver's Kunai|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Conniver's Kunai]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Cloak and Dagger|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Cloak and Dagger]]'''
 +
|This is a medium-risk high-payoff loadout for Spies who like to have a lowered risk of being caught. The Spy should hide at the back of groups, waiting for an opportunity to get the first backstab. Then he can kill other nearby enemies. If you are caught early, then the L'Etranger can be used to fill the Cloak for a quick escape. Because the Kunai can remove negative effects that mark him as a Spy ([[Bleeding]], [[Fire]], etc), this loadout can be used to safely hide quite quickly if there is a handy distracted enemy nearby.
  
−
*BLU Snipers may also position themselves on the roof of the second point, a spot you can easily access and hide in due to its secluded nature (just be wary of Snipers if they have [[Jarate]] or the [[Razorback]].  
+
|-
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Enforcer|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Enforcer]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Conniver's Kunai|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Conniver's Kunai]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Dead Ringer|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Dead Ringer]]'''
 +
|This is a high-risk high-payoff loadout for Spies who like to do as much damage to the enemy as possible. The Spy should hide at the back of groups, waiting for an opportunity to get the first backstab. Then he can kill other nearby enemies. The Dead Ringer will increase your chances of surviving while using the Kunai. If you are caught early, then the Enforcer can be used to kill enemies quickly and effectively. Because the Kunai can remove negative effects that mark him as a Spy ([[Bleeding]], [[Fire]], etc.), this loadout can be used to safely hide quite quickly if there is a handy distracted enemy nearby.
  
−
*Drop down on enemy charges from the various balconies and stab them to thin out their offense, also sapping any buildings an Engineer might be building around the corner if you can.
+
|-
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=L'Etranger|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[L'Etranger]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Big Earner|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Big Earner]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Cloak and Dagger|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Cloak and Dagger]]'''
 +
|This set focuses on staying out of sight. Due to the Cloak and Dagger's fast Cloak consumption, and to it's ability to not be able to use ammo packs to recharge your Cloak, L'Etranger and the Big Earner allow you to be cloaked often and escape most situations invisibly. Keep in mind that this set greatly relies on dealing damage to regain Cloak, which means that you will often be without your disguise and therefore vulnerable. This is mostly a set for people who know ideal cloaking spots and pathways in the map they are playing on.
  
−
*On defense your main area of action will be around the chokepoint at the top of the ramp leading to the third point, and the top right courtyard where the top window can be reached. Up there, you can take care of any intrusive Snipers and also loop around to the chokepoint ready to stifle any charges or Snipers standing at the top of the ramp.  
+
|-
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Ambassador|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Ambassador]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Your Eternal Reward|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Your Eternal Reward]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Invisibility Watch|icon-size=40x40px}} ''or'' {{Icon weapon|weapon=Enthusiast's Timepiece|icon-size=40x40px}}
 +
'''[[Invisibility Watch]]''' or '''[[Enthusiast's Timepiece]]'''
 +
|This set is for the Spy who likes to kill an enemy, move on and repeat. The Ambassador  allows him to kill the victim if the backstab misses and gives him a significant way of killing people without backstabbing. Your Eternal Reward allows the Spy to be rewarded with a disguise, so he can be ready for a follow-up. The normal Invisibility Watch forces him to keep moving quickly and to uncloak, Cloak and collect ammo boxes constantly. It also gives him enough time to catch up with his next target. Note that for this set, you want to make as many kills as possible in one life, as you are most effective at killing efficiently. This also means that if you are discovered, you do not always get killed and you have some defense. You should make every kill count if you use this set, for you cannot gain disguises without killing somebody.
  
−
*If you hide in the darkness of the rooms next to the top of the ramp you can easily stab BLU players coming from either side and quickly run back into the safe zone your team is in.
+
|-
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Ambassador|icon-size=40x40px}} ''or'' {{Icon weapon|weapon=Diamondback|icon-size=40x40px}} ''or'' {{Icon weapon|weapon=Enforcer|icon-size=40x40px}}
 +
'''[[Ambassador]]''' or '''[[Diamondback]] or '''[[Enforcer]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Spy-cicle|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Spy-cicle]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Dead Ringer|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Dead Ringer]]'''
 +
|This set is for the Spy who faces a team with a small number of paranoid, defensive Pyros. The Spy-cicle gives the Spy an opportunity to escape if caught by the Pyro. In the event that the Spy is discovered and knows that the Pyro will not give up, each of the three Revolver variants provides a different way to take out the Pyro quickly. The Ambassador is recommended for those with superior aim, the Diamondback for those who have buildings to sap, and the Enforcer for everyone else. The Dead Ringer provides yet another means of escape, should the above fail.
  
−
=== [[Junction]] ===
+
|-
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Enforcer|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Enforcer]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Big Earner|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Big Earner]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Dead Ringer|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Dead Ringer]]'''
 +
|'''The Man of Honor - with Dead Ringer'''
 +
This set is especially recommended for those who use the Dead Ringer frequently or otherwise rely on it. The downside of the Enforcer will be nullified with the Dead Ringer, making it a straight upgrade to the default [[Revolver]]. The already-increased Cloak recharge rate of the Dead Ringer pairs very well with the bonus of the Big Earner. A single backstab is usually already enough to use the Dead Ringer again, once it has been used. Due to the Dead Ringer's great damage reduction, the downside of the Big Earner is somewhat negligible.
  
−
*Junction is a map best suited for the Dead Ringer, due to its tight spaces and few possible hiding spots. You can use the normal watch or the Cloak and Dagger on offense quite well (with the numerous areas around the RED spawn letting you watch over the enemy Teleporters), but if you want to survive long enough to do some damage then use the Dead Ringer before running to the nearest BLU spawn door. On defense, any of the watches can be used depending on your personal preference, but be careful when using the Cloak and Dagger as the narrow halls and lack of potential hiding places make you easily bumped into no matter where you hide.
+
|-
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=L'Etranger|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[L'Etranger]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Your Eternal Reward|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Your Eternal Reward]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Dead Ringer|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Dead Ringer]]'''
 +
|'''The Saharan Spy w/ Dead Ringer'''
  
−
==== Attack ====
+
This is a risky but recommended setup when using the full Saharan Spy pack, as it fully utilize the set bonus (namely the quiet Cloak) to the maximum benefit, allowing the Spy to play with his enemies. Once the Spy has got himself a disguise, he can backstab Engineers and then take out their buildings with ease, without worrying about the Sentry Gun killing him. Should the enemy discover the Spy, he could feign death with the Dead Ringer and escape relatively easily; the reduced cloaking sound provided by the set will make it far less obvious to enemies that you are using Dead Ringer, and the extended blink time offered by the Saharan Spy set is ignored by the standard duration of the Dead Ringer. Combining L'Etranger with the Dead Ringer allows for a much quicker Cloak refill in extreme situations. 3-4 bursts of L'Etranger will nearly fill your Cloak, allowing you to feign death again. Also, having the complete Saharan Spy pack of the L'Etranger, Your Eternal Reward, and the [[Familiar Fez]] will greatly reduce the sound of the Dead Ringer, making the illusion of your death all the more believable.
  
−
*Try not to rush into a point area on your own, especially if there are many RED players lying in wait. The tight space and aforementioned lack of suitably dark places to uncloak mean that should you be discovered (likely, due to the enhanced effect of splash damage and flames the cramped space grants) you will almost certainly not make it out alive (unless using the Dead Ringer, in which case be sure to retreat to spawn and not behind the enemies as they will be able to feel you pushing through them).
+
|-
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=L'Etranger|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[L'Etranger]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Your Eternal Reward|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Your Eternal Reward]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Cloak and Dagger|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Cloak and Dagger]]'''
 +
|'''The Saharan Spy w/ Cloak and Dagger'''
  
−
*Only sap Sentry Guns when your team is absolutely ready to charge in and take it out while you are sapping. Otherwise, it is likely the Engineer will be able to keep his Sentry Gun alive and for one of his teammates to kill you as you are sapping.
+
This strategy is for Spies preferring to camp in one place, and is not recommended without the Familiar Fez. The Spy can wait in a corner cloaked until a good victim runs past him. Then he can silently backstab and instantly disguise as the victim making it unlikely for the rest of the enemies to notice anything. The L'Etranger can be used to quickly fill your Cloak when fast fill is needed since you can't pick up ammo packs to fill it. With the Familar Fez, the Spy has a more silent Cloak at the cost of a longer blink time, so it makes it easier to hide from enemies. It should be noted that in most public games the importance of killing any one single enemy player is less, so camping for too long in one space not doing anything makes you dead weight to your team.
  
−
*When attacking A, try to use the corridor that links A and B together to access the raised area from C that is normally inaccessible except to Soldiers and Demomen. This place is a good, out of the way area to watch over the point, Scout out any potential threats to your team and also remain until your team makes their push.
+
|-
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Enforcer|icon-size=100x100px}}
 +
'''[[Enforcer]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Knife|icon-size=40x40px}} or {{Icon weapon|weapon=Sharp Dresser|icon-size=40x40px}} or {{Icon weapon|weapon=Festive Knife|icon-size=40x40px}} or {{Icon weapon|weapon=Black Rose|icon-size=40x40px}}
 +
'''[[Knife]]''' or '''[[Sharp Dresser]]''' or '''[[Knife|Festive Knife]]''' or '''[[Black Rose]]'''
 +
! align="center" | {{Icon weapon|weapon=Invisibility Watch|icon-size=40x40px}} ''or'' {{Icon weapon|weapon=Enthusiast's Timepiece|icon-size=40x40px}}
 +
'''[[Invisibility Watch]]''' or '''[[Enthusiast's Timepiece]]'''
  
−
*Do not hide in the stairwells that go directly to the point, as they are too tight and well lit to allow adequate hiding or waiting.
+
|This setup works well for veteran Spy players who are used to using the Spy's stock weaponry. The [[Enforcer]] is nothing more than a stronger [[Revolver]], and can take out most enemies with two or three hits at mid range. This makes the [[Enforcer]] a much more viable primary weapon when you're just out of [[Knife]] range or when you're being chased. Long range shots will still deal about 25 damage per shot, and could seriously persuade oncoming enemies to retreat. The downside is that since cloaking takes longer, you could be frequently forced into situations where you must fight as opposed to cloaking and retreating. Therefore, it is advised to stay away from large packs of attentive enemies or more than one [[Pyro]].
  
−
*At B, you can use the crates dotted around the hall as cover, and move directly onto the point. Here you can uncloak safely unless there is a RED player directly on the point, and you can then walk down the stairs and stab anybody locking down your spawn.
+
|}
  
−
*If possible, try to get into the hallway behind B that joins onto C, as this area is a good, dark spot for uncloaking and following key targets.
+
== Against Engineers ==
 +
''Most, if not all, tactics concerning Engineers will only work if the Engineer is not surrounded by allies. Use these tactics wisely.''
  
−
*At the last point, focus more on sapping Sentry Guns and killing Engineers than actually trying to capture the point. The point itself is far too cramped and easily accessible to the RED team for you to attempt a Backcap, and does not capture fast enough for you to do it as soon as both previous points have been captured (by which time the RED team will have already begun setting up at C).
+
*A tremendously useful ability to have is the power to surprise an enemy Engineer. The worse the Engineer is at Spy checking, the better. An excellent way to check if an Engineer is in the vicinity is to Cloak, run in, and survey the area before retreating. However, this technique is less effective with the Dead Ringer equipped, as you cannot Cloak at will. When a lone Engineer is blocking an objective with a Sentry Gun, you can use the Ambassador to attempt to take out the Engineer at long range first, using nearby objects for cover.
 +
** An alternative strategy is to use the Engineer's own buildings against him. This can be done by disguising as a player with low health, and crouching near the Dispenser to heal your disguise, while simultaneously using the Dispenser as cover from the Sentry Gun. Using this strategy will allow you to eliminate the Engineer at close quarters, while being safe from his Sentry Gun's fire.
  
−
*If you are unsure of where exactly all the Sentry Guns are located, try to access the upper left ledge (though the stairwell in the windows). This lets you survey the entirety of C, and also is a good spot for uncloaking and/or hiding while the enemy team is looking for you.
+
*A lonely Engineer building a Sentry Gun can be easily killed by the Ambassador. Shooting him first in the head and then on any body part will kill him; afterward, you simply sap the building. Very useful if the Engineer is busy wrenching said building.
  
−
==== Defense ====
+
*If an Engineer leaves his buildings unattended, some players may simply rush in and sap everything in sight. It is advised you do ''not'' do this, unless you are totally sure that the Engineer is dead or too far away to respond in time. What you should do is shoot at a building once, and then hide in cover to defend against the Sentry Gun. The Engineer may come rushing back to hit it with the Wrench, allowing you to then follow him back to wherever he was previously. Wait at the area and backstab him as he attempts to return to his buildings.
  
−
*Use the pieces of cover at A and B to hide behind, chasing enemy players as they rush into your point. This works better with the Cloak and Dagger, as you will not be seen until the last moment, if at all.
+
*A similar tactic is to find an enemy building outside of the Sentry Gun's field of vision and sap that, then pull out the Ambassador and wait. When the Engineer comes to remove the Electro Sapper, quickly headshot him then shoot him, as the headshot on its own is unlikely to kill him. Since it takes two whacks with the Wrench to remove an Electro Sapper, you should have ample time.
  
−
*The multiple sets of stairs up to each point allow you to come from the least watched side of the point when the BLU team are in the process of capturing. Do not try this if there are more than 4 people on the point (or more than 2 Scouts/[[Pain Train]] Soldiers or Demos due to their increased rate of capture), as it will mean that even killing one person will not affect the maximum capture rate.
+
===[[Sentry Gun]]s===
 +
*A [[sap]]ped Sentry Gun cannot fire. If the [[Engineer]] is standing next to them, you have several options:
 +
**Sap the Sentry Gun and then run out of the room with the [[Capture the Flag#Intelligence|Intelligence]] or try and cap a fast-capping/partially capped point. Remember, if you accidentally touch the Intelligence while disguised, you will lose your disguise, and the Sentry Gun will attack you.
 +
**Sap the Sentry Gun and stab the Engineer if he goes to repair it. If he is already in position and repairing the Sentry Gun, the Electro Sapper will be removed before you can switch to the Knife and [[backstab]]. If he is out of position, you will have time to make the attempt. If he is in position and is repairing the Sentry Gun, all you can do is run for it, or keep putting new Sappers on the Sentry Gun. He will keep removing them as you place new Sappers, but it takes a long time to destroy a Sentry Gun this way.  You will almost certainly be spotted by a teammate of the Engineer and be killed without destroying the Sentry Gun.
 +
** Your [[Revolver]] can destroy Sentry Guns at long range well due to no damage falloff against buildings. Firing at a Dispenser first is the key to succeeding; once it's down, fire at the Sentry Gun. When an Engineer first deploys a building, it's vulnerable to damage. One or two Revolver shots will take it down quickly before the Engineer has time to set it up. Your Revolver does more damage against buildings that aren't sapped, so if you find a lone Teleporter or Dispenser, and an Engineer isn't far off, shooting it without sapping it is the best course of action. However, when there are no Engineers near by, sapping a building and fleeing is the best way to avoid being spotted.
 +
**In certain situations, a Sentry Gun may be built so close to the cap point that you can reach it while capping. In this instance, you can quickly sap the Sentry Gun, un[[disguise]], and resume sapping the Sentry Gun over and over. However, watch out for the Engineer breaking the capture with his body. Watch the [http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=mUMWs1AKx-E Spy Guide Part#2 Engineers: Section 2] by [ESG] Orca to see how it's done.
 +
**Communicate with your teammates asking them to tell you via [[voice commands]] or [[voice chat]] when they need a Sentry Gun disabled, and then repeatedly sap the Sentry Gun.
 +
**A Sentry Gun takes about a second to execute a full 180° rotation. If you are directly behind a Sentry Gun and the Engineer is close to and facing his Sentry Gun it is possible to take out the Engineer and then the Sentry Gun. It requires that you backstab and as soon as the Knife hits the Engineer use the quick switch key to change to your Electro Sapper and place one before the Sentry Gun locks on. Strafe ''with'' the Sentry Gun's rotation (remember that the Sentry Gun will attempt to rotate as little as possible to shoot its target) so that you will have more time to place your Electro Sapper. Note that due to lag, it is possible for the Sentry Gun to shoot you between the actual placement of the Electro Sapper and the Sentry Gun being shut down. A Level 3 Sentry Gun will not always kill you immediately (although it has a good chance of doing so unless your reaction time is superb); however, it will still be sapped and most likely destroyed.
 +
**If the Sentry Gun and Dispenser are in such a position that you cannot reach the back of the Engineer for a backstab, try jumping on the Sentry Gun or Dispenser and sitting on the Engineer's head. This is an ideal spot as it is in your victim's blind spot and will allow you to backstab him from above (and apply the stab and sap trick above). However, if the Engineer is crouched and tries to stand or jump, they will be unable to do so and suspect a Spy. At that range, a Shotgun blast or two will kill you instantly. This trick also works well against a Heavy taking the role of a makeshift Sentry Gun.
 +
**A difficult trick is to take advantage of the fact that Engineers take damage from the gunfire of their own Sentry Gun. Stand in a position where the Engineer is between his Sentry Gun and you, then uncloak. You will die, but hopefully so will the Engineer. This is useful if the Engineer is in a position where you simply cannot backstab him. Use carefully as this technique can easily backfire on you.
 +
**A variation of this trick can be used against a common Engineer Sentry Gun/Dispenser setup. Some Engineers like to sandwich themselves between their Sentry Gun to the front and a Dispenser to the back. Disguise as a Pyro (as if you are helping the Engineer Spy-check) and walk up behind him, so the Dispenser is between you and the Engineer. As quick as you can, fire a few rounds into the Engineer with the Revolver. Duck as soon as the Engineer dies from the combined damage of your Revolver and the Sentry Gun's fire. If done correctly, the Sentry Gun will lose you as you hide behind the Dispenser. Re-disguise, sap everything and leave. Watch the [http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=mUMWs1AKx-E Spy Guide Part#2 Engineers: Section 1] by [ESG] Orca for a demonstration of how this is done.
 +
**The Engineer's [[Wrangler]] weapon permits the Engineer to control his Sentry Gun entirely. Take '''extreme''' caution, as many Engineers will [[Spy checking|Spy-check]] with this, and it will make sapping the Sentry Gun much harder. Killing the Engineer while he is using the Wrangler will give you a few crucial seconds to sap his Sentry Gun bullet-free.
  
−
*If you are trying to thin out the BLU team as they capture A, try using the Ambassador from a range. With enough people on the point it is likely you will often get a headshot, and may damage them enough to either kill them or weaken them for your teammates to kill them when blocking the capture.
+
*With [[Your Eternal Reward]], you can backstab someone in the range of the Sentry Gun including the Engineer behind it without being detected. Just remember that you need a disguise equipped before you can do this, otherwise the Sentry Gun will kill you as soon as you step in range uncloaked.
  
−
*When defending C, use the many different corridors going to A, B and the area between to get behind the enemy lines. Then, run back toward C via the main entrances and stab anybody moving towards the point. This will not only foil enemy pushes from that side, but also increase the likelihood of you surviving thanks to the instant transition to a safe area (C, assuming there is a least one Sentry Gun guarding the doors).
+
===[[Dispenser]]s===
 +
*Keep an eye out for Dispensers once you infiltrate the enemy base. They will still heal you and you can use them while your Cloak is still active (when using the default [[Invisibility Watch]] or while cloaked with the [[Dead Ringer]]). In fact, all Dispensers above Level 1 can recharge your Cloak even while you're cloaked. Level 1 Dispensers don't recharge your Cloak but your Cloak won't drain, either. Instead, it'll stay at the same level, giving you time to plan your next actions. Level 2 Dispensers recharge it slowly and Level 3 recharge it much faster, so Dispensers can be crucial to your plan. Note that the healing beam CANNOT be seen when cloaked and when next to a Dispenser - but be sure to watch out for Engineers, as they will constantly run back to their Dispenser, possibly running into you and revealing you. To avoid the Engineer, jump on top of the Dispenser instead of standing beside it. Be careful though, as his teammates can still run through it and, if they do, reveal your location.
 +
*Note that on maps with narrow corridors, like 2Fort, Engineers may place superfluous Dispensers in locations that block your path. They also use these Dispensers to lure you into sapping them, thus alerting him and his team of your presence. If this is the case, you have 3 options: Crouch behind the Dispenser and use your Revolver to take it out or at least damage it (Provided there aren't any enemies around, they will hear the sound of your Revolver), crouch jump over the Dispenser (unless the Dispenser is placed in a position where you would've normally jumped on to the platform to reach it) or simply take another route.
 +
*When uncloaked, avoid standing on Dispensers. Because most players (except the Engineer who built the Dispenser) will clip through buildings, being spotted in this position will instantly ruin your disguise, unless you are disguised as the Engineer, but he will almost certainly see a clone of himself and kill you. Unless you have backstabbed the Engy already and you disguised as him, or the Engy is dead and you are disguised as him, do not go on top of a Dispenser uncloaked.
 +
*If you have no other option, using a Scout disguise and crouching behind a Dispenser while uncloaking may minimize the odds the Engineer will spot you instantly. This can be useful in small, commonly camped areas.
  
−
*If the BLU team congregate on the point itself, rush in with your Knife. It may be possible to get a stab or two and block the capture slightly, thus creating a window of opportunity for your team to aid you.
+
===[[Teleporter]]s===
 +
* If you're disguised as an enemy and take one of your team's Teleporters, the glowing ring and trail effect will not show up. Using friendly Teleporters with friendly disguises will give you a ring and trail but these are removed when you next use an enemy disguise.
  
−
=== [[Steel]] ===
+
* Walking over an enemy Teleporter exit when someone uses it kills you, a term called telefragging.
  
−
==== General ====
+
* When you find an exit Teleporter, watch it to see which way players come out. Then stand behind the Teleporter and wait. When the next player comes out, backstab him instantly. He should report this to his team, but he'll be dead for a bit, so you can risk waiting a little for a second Teleport and kill, or you can just sap the Teleporter and leave the area. This is called telecamping, which is usually frowned upon by most TF2 players.
  
−
* La multitude de chemins secondaires et les points multiples favorise le Spy qui est prêt à prendre le temps d'apprendre la mise en page de la carte et se placer derrière l'ennemi
+
* Due to the {{Patch name|8|13|2009}}, whenever a Teleport Entrance or Exit is sapped, the other automatically has an Electro Sapper placed on it as well, regardless of their distance from one another. However, the Engineer can now remove Sappers from both the entrance and the exit by using his Wrench on either. Although this makes it much harder for Spies to get cheap points by sapping Teleporter entrances outside the enemy spawn, a successful Electro Sapper on an active Teleporter will now give two points.
  
−
* Il y a presque toujours une voie différente à prendre pour tout objectif moins fréquentée. Utilisez-les pour infiltrer la base ennemie.
+
*If you're trying to telefrag enemies with their own Teleporters, either step over them while cloaked or use a slow disguise (Heavy and Soldier are the best) in order not to draw too much attention towards you.
  
−
==== Offense ====
+
* If you see enemy Teleporter entrances and exits in unusual places (often near their objectives), it could mean you are walking into an Engineer's trap - many Engineers place their Teleporters inside their base as an early warning system, hoping that you will be unable to resist sapping them and will thus alert the Engineer to your presence. (One way you can trick the Engineer in this scenario is by firing 2-3 Revolver shots at it, or if the Engineer is close by, hit it with your Knife as it is much quieter, but not enough to destroy it. Engineers will almost always expect a Spy to sap it if anything, so this may throw off the Engineer who built it)
−
===== Point A =====
 
  
−
* Take the route to the right by the windows and over to cliff to quickly move behind any enemy Snipers or Heavies that may be unaware of your presence. Be aware that the RED spawn is very close to the point, so keep an eye out for reinforcements.  
+
*As of the Sniper vs. Spy Update, the Spy is now able to use enemy Teleporters. This can be useful for getting into well-defended Sentry Gun nests and/or nests that would otherwise be unreachable.
  
−
* Be very careful when decloaking, there is very little cover near the point. A good place to decloak is the Sniper bunker overlooking Point E, though it may be difficult to get past the enemy spawn to get there.  
+
*If you can time it just right, it's possible to sap an enemy Teleporter entrance just as it teleports you. However, due to the {{Patch name|8|13|2009}} this is rather pointless as you can achieve the same effect by taking the teleport and then sapping the exit. However, it does allow you to harass the Engineer as he attempts to knock your Electro Sapper off.
  
−
* If there is a Sentry Gun, co-ordinate with your team so that they wait just over the cliff edge while you sap it before rushing in to destroy it.  
+
*If you are lucky, you may manage to [[telefrag]] an enemy upon taking an opposing Teleporter. While this normally applies to your own team's Teleporters as well if an enemy somehow stands on it without destroying it, the likelihood is higher as a Spy, as enemies may be clustered around the exit on the other side. In some cases, you may even be able to telefrag the enemy Engineer on the other side. However, be aware that telefragging will immediately alert the Engineer who built the Teleporter.
  
−
===== Point B =====
+
*A clever Spy can sneak his way to the enemy's Teleporter Entrance, sap it, and then stand on it, waiting for an Engineer on the exit side to knock off the Electro Sapper. Once the Electro Sapper has been knocked off the Spy will teleport to the other side, telefragging the Engineer if he is close enough, and is free to sap any buildings the Engineer has built. This is a risky but effective way of taking down forward bases built by one Engineer.
 +
**However, the above strategy becomes obsolete if there are two Engineers babysitting their buildings in the same location. The second Engineer will no doubt see/hear his buddy trying to repair his Teleporter and dying. There is usually no way to fight the second Engineer without the Sentry Guns swiveling and shooting you dead once you uncloak/remove your disguise. Your best hope in this situation is to either run, or sap BOTH the Sentry Guns as fast as you can, while avoiding the Wrench. If you're VERY lucky, you'll be able to get both of them, and then deal with your hard-hatted assailant. Assuming he doesn't just repair the Sentry Guns or Shotgun you to death, you could also try the continuous sap strategy.
  
−
* Taking the path from A, through E to B is the best route to take for flanking, if a bit long. This will put you behind the entire enemy team.  
+
*Another way to deal with Teleporters is to simply sap the entrance, and then put another back on immediately after it gets knocked off, and repeating. As the Engineer cannot repair the Teleporter while it is being sapped, you can slowly wear down the entrance and take out both sides with little to no risk; this is one of the safer courses of action if the Engineer is smart enough to stand off of his exit and Wrench whoever comes through right after he knocks the Electro Sapper off. However, beware that this takes a long time, and in the case of spawns with only one exit, greatly increases the risk of an enemy seeing you and killing you. In this case, you can simply take out your Revolver and empty it into the entrance after sapping it, this will usually kill the entrance in most cases. If the Engineer is quick enough to knock off your Electro Sapper before you can destroy the entrance, simply place a second one on immediately and repeat, though repeatedly sapping will probably work better as your Revolver may be out of ammunition. This method is faster and reduces the risk of being discovered by the enemy in their spawn, but leaves you more vulnerable as you will not be disguised.
  
−
* Once again, the enemy spawn is just beside the point. There is a good place to hide just below the spawn door where you can wait for a Medic or Heavy to backstab. Also keep an eye on any Snipers that may be looking out from the windows across from the spawn door. They will be easy targets to a [[Backstab]] as long as they don't hear you.  
+
*You can quickly kill Teleporters by sapping them and then shooting them a few times with your Revolver. Although this will attract more attention than just sapping, it may destroy at least one side of the Teleporter before the Engineer can remove your Electro Sapper thus reverting the other side of the teleport to level 1.
  
−
* The pathway to point C is another good place to decloak. There is also [[Health]] and [[Ammo]] there if you need to ever retreat.  
+
*Hitting a Teleporter with a Wrench will only remove Sappers from the other end if the end being hit has finished building.  If you sap a teleport early in its build, the Engineer may not have enough time to save the other end even if they're able to remove the Electro Sapper.
  
−
===== Point C=====
+
==Infiltration==
 +
*You can [[disguise]] as your own team by hitting {{Key|-}} (or {{Key|E}} if you have the simple disguise menu enabled) at the top of the keyboard after bringing up the [[disguise]] interface. As a friendly non-Spy class, players on the other team are much less likely to alert each other to Spies entering the base if they see you. However, the best way to get in and out is to Cloak properly.
  
−
*There are only two narrow pathways up to the elevated point. Don't linger on them if you must take them. It is almost assured that an enemy will bump into you eventually. The lack of any decent cover on or near the point also makes it easy for enemies to Spy-check and find you easily. It is recommended that you generally avoid trying to hide on the point.  
+
*While it may not seem immediately obvious to the Spy, as you slowly [[Cloak|decloak]] you take on the color of your team until you are 100% visible. It is vital to let the Cloak come on fully before entering into areas where you would be seen. Try to [[Cloak|decloak]] around a corner where an opponent can't see you. It's very obvious that you are a Spy as no other class is able to Cloak.
  
−
*It is possible to get behind the enemy, but the pathway is long. Go to Point D and move up  the stairs towards the spawn door. Run along the plank sitting on the box and jump across to the extended platform. This pathway is very rarely used, so you may have a very good element of surprise.  
+
*While cloaked, remember to avoid all enemy fire - if you're hit, you flicker visible. The same is true if you bump into an enemy. If you plan to rush out, tell your team-mates to let you go first (cloaked), so that stray fire from the enemy team at your visible team-mates doesn't reveal or kill you.
  
−
===== Point D =====
+
* If you are discovered and must Cloak to run away (assuming that you are not using a [[Dead Ringer]]), use misdirection to break away from your foes. If you are running in a certain direction while you Cloak, your enemies will usually head in that direction, so you can immediately make a radical turn after becoming completely invisible, or even turn in the immediate opposite direction to get behind them for a backstab opportunity.
  
−
* This point has four routes to access it from; Two from point A, one from point C and one from point E. The third route is best for a Spy that wishes to get behind the enemy, though it is a long path.  
+
*While cloaked, avoid giving away your position, especially to Snipers or if you have been busted, your pursuers. So do not:
 +
** ...pick up medkits (unless you're burning) or ammo crates.
 +
** ...enter the enemies' line of sight before your Cloak is fully active. (See above)
 +
** Also, if you go through an automatic door while cloaked and no one else is around, it is obvious that there is a Spy. If the door is very narrow, you still will become a very easy target, as you only have one direction to run in. Also, if you come out of swimmable [[water]], water will be visible dripping from you.
  
−
* Be careful along the windowed path from A to D, the enemy can see your legs through the windows and may notice when you Cloak or disguise.  
+
* You appear to have the same health as the target of your disguise did at the moment you took on that disguise.
  
−
* If your teammates are attacking point E, start capturing point D until the enemy diverts some players to stop you, then Cloak and hide until they leave, before repeating. This will take the pressure off your teammates and you may even be able to capture it by yourself. The [[Dead Ringer]] works very well in this role. This strategy also applies on point E if your teammates are capturing point D.
+
* Get a friendly Medic to heal you while you are disguised, because your disguised health level also rises to 100%, thus making you less suspicious when disguised while around the enemy spawn however appearing to be injured may be a good idea so you can get an enemy Medic to heal you. Note that overhealing will also be visible on your disguise, and if the enemy team has no Medics, walking around with an [[overheal]] may be a dead giveaway.
  
−
===== Point E =====
+
* Avoid walking over medkits unless your real health is injured, your fake health level will appear to be injured and if you don't pick up a medkit when walking over it, it is a dead giveaway that you're a disguised Spy. You can only increase your disguised health level from [[Dispensers]] and [[Payload#Carts|Payload carts]] if your real health is injured. So if you're receiving a healing beam, and your health is not appearing to increase then those that know this telltale sign will know you're a Spy, so it's best to use a Dispenser and cart only if you're truly injured. But against less experienced players, being healed by a Dispenser or cart can makes you seem less suspicious.  As of the {{Patch name|5|21|2009}}, in the PC version, walking over a medkit will add to your disguise health.  You will also pick up medkits if your disguise health is down, even if your real health is full.
  
−
* You can only access this point if C has been captured. You can, however, help your Scouts, Demomen and Soldiers by waiting by the enemy spawn exit to E and backstabbing them as they attempt to remove your teammates. Be sure to communicate with your team so that they know what you are doing.  
+
* Alternatively, if you have the [[Cloak and Dagger]] equipped, you can deliberately grab medkits in order to deny them to the enemy. While they will probably know that an enemy Spy is in the area, you can assist your team in this way by making your opponents easier to kill if your teammates are also relatively close by; however, this is also a double-edged sword since you can accidentally deny the medkit to a teammate who needs it.
  
−
* The windowed room above the RED spawn exit to E is a good place to hide, as it is out of the way and has [[Health]] and [[Ammo]] if you need it. Consider waiting here until you spot a powerful target of opportunity like a Medic or a Sentry Gun.
+
[[Image:Spy for Medic.jpg|thumb|right|''Friendly'' disguised Blu Spy calling for a Red Medic]]
  
−
* Once point D is captured, the enemy only has two pathways to E: through D or through C. Consider waiting near these spawn exits and follow the enemies, they will likely be focussed on saving their point rather than Spy checking.
+
* Remember that you can call for and be healed by enemy Medics while disguised. This is a great way to hold your cover, and also a good opportunity to backstab the opponent's support. Beware that this also risks drawing undue attention to yourself, especially if your alter-ego notices his own name calling for a Medic. For these reasons it is probably best to do this as a retreating maneuver.
 +
** Do note that if you are in a situation that you may think it is safe to call a Medic, such as separation from the other members, there is one giveaway that a person paying attention would notice. As a Spy, your Medic call copies '''your''' health, not the health of that who you are disguised as. Therefore, if the person you are disguised as has above half health, but you have below half health, then your Medic call will be red or vice versa and the deadly wounded teammate will call Medic in pure white, therefore if the Medic pays attention to the signs, calling Medic at the wrong health may be a dead giveaway that you are a Spy. If you notice that you might give yourself away, such as medicalling while almost dead while your disguise is healthy, then call Medic and look at them for signs. If they pull out a weapon like the Übersaw or [[Needle Gun]] and look at you, this may be a sign that you have just revealed your disguise to them.
  
−
==== Defense ====
+
* Once in the enemy's base, ''communicate'' with your team. Talking might not move you up on the [[Scoreboard]], but reporting Sentry Gun placements if a group of enemies are taking an alternate route or building a minibase can make a big difference and bring your team closer to victory. Note that on alltalk servers, your speech bubble is your own team color even when cloaked.
  
−
=====Point A=====
+
* You can walk backward while heading for the enemy base, or look backwards occasionally while walking forwards. Retreating into an enemy base while disguised looks much less suspicious than running into it at full tilt (unless your disguise health is relatively low), but as this trick has been done so many times, it can appear obvious to the astute observer.
−
* Use the [[Cloak and Dagger]] to hide to the right of the BLU spawn exit and wait for the opportune time to kill any Medics with ÜberCharges ready. Also keep an eye on any Snipers or Heavies that may be harassing your team and consider taking them out. Communicate the enemy movements and plans to your own team to warn them of incoming attacks.  
 
  
−
*The shed beside the RED spawn exit contains a full health pack but be careful, there's only one exit. If you are being chased by an enemy, Cloak and make it appear you are going to grab the Health before moving away at the last second, leaving your chaser confused as to your new location. You can pick up the Health once he leaves.  
+
* When you disguise yourself, you take the name of an enemy player that is playing the same class as the disguise. It is crucial that you try to use a class that is well represented by the enemy side to decrease the risk of coming face to face with the person you stole the name from. As of the {{Patch name|5|21|2009}}, you can see whose name you have taken on on your disguise nameplate.
  
−
* While you cannot get up to the raised pathway that BLU may take, you can still harass the enemy with the [[Revolver]] or [[Ambassador]]. Use this to distract enemy Snipers, Demomen or Heavies that may be about to attack.
+
* If you disguise as a class not represented by the enemy team, you take on a name randomly. This can be a dead giveaway as a glance at the score table will make your trickery obvious, so try to disguise as a class that you know the enemy has.
  
−
===== Point B =====
+
* Try to act natural. Many times, an enemy will shoot you and not notice your health go down. If you do react to their shots, you can be certain that they and the rest of their team will hunt you down. If you continue heading in the same direction and if you seem to ignore the attack (assuming that it doesn't kill you), many times you will be left alone.
  
−
* The pathway from A to B will likely be used for all the enemies that just captured A. Wait at the bottom of the drop in the small alcove with the Health for any targets of opportunity. Be aware that injured enemies may try to take the Health, try not to bump into them.  
+
*Expanding  on the above, standing still while in the enemy base is highly suspicious, and most players will try to [[Spy checking|Spy check]] you. Making it seem like you were NOT harmed by this attack is the key to getting sneaky backstabs when they turn away. Be incredibly careful of Pyros however. If you see one heading for you, and he is actively Spy checking, RUN!
  
−
* The main pathway from the BLU spawn to B has a small alcove you can hide in to surprise the enemy. Be aware that it is suspicious for the enemy to see someone exit from there if they didn't see them go in. Keep an eye on the enemy spawn and only decloak once it's clear.  
+
* Before the Sniper vs. Spy Update, when disguised as a Medic, the ÜberCharge percentage did not show up when an enemy targeted you. This was a big giveaway. This was fixed in the {{Patch name|5|21|2009}}, and now disguising as a Medic you appear to have a ÜberCharge percentage that the Medic you're disguised had when you took on that disguise. If there aren't any enemy Medics you will simply have a random ÜberCharge meter.
  
−
* The route that takes the enemy up onto the elevated platform is narrow and twisted. Keep an eye out for enemies as you navigate it and use the shack at the end of the platform to decloak. Note that you are still close enough to any enemies on that platform that they may hear you decloak.  
+
* You may, while entering the enemy base, notice that an attack force is heading for your base. Running in the opposite direction of them will likely result in a Spy check. A great method to single-handedly stop this attack is trying to run with the group towards your base. This works well as it appears to the opposite team that you are not a Spy, and you can slow yourself down a little bit to get to the rear of the pack and backstab most, if not all, of them. Just be sure the person you are disguised as is not among them, or you will be very dead very quickly.
  
−
=====Point C=====
+
* A dead giveaway that you're a Spy in disguise is the fact that your enemies are unable to walk through you. Once they bump into you, they will try to kill you immediately. When in small enclosed spaces, e.g. the sewers in [[2Fort]], walk close to the walls and be sure to leave enough room for enemy players to run past you.
−
* After capturing B, the enemy will likely be grouped behind the opening gate to C. Don't try to attack them when they are milling around, there are too many people watching behind them. Wait until the door opens and they funnel through before getting a few quick backstabs and retreating.  
 
  
−
* Take one of the two pathways to get from C to B in order to get behind the enemy. The higher path is shorter but more dangerous while the lower path is longer and safer. Warn your team of any enemies that are moving down these pathways as you travel down them.  
+
*Deliberately trying to avoid people in corridors is like saying, "Hey! Here I am! Shoot me!" and will likely get you Spy checked and possibly killed. If you see someone barreling down a corridor at you, it is usually a better idea to open fire on them then to risk bumping into them and being melee'd by them. Remember, your knife isn't exactly fantastic in a face-off. It is only good for backstabs and taking out already weakened enemies; you cannot count on facestabs to save you.
  
−
===== Point D =====
+
* Keep an eye on the enemy players that are about to respawn. When did they die? What class did they play? What is their skill? Remember, these are the players that are going to be on your back in a few seconds. Use this knowledge to time your actions. If you know that the opponent's #1 Scout will respawn in a few seconds, let him pass by before you take any backstabbing/sapping action. Also remember, if you've just killed the same player twice in the exact same spot, they are going to be checking the area the next time they come through in order to find you.
−
*Engineers often build between point A and point D. Check here occasionally to prevent them from setting up all their [[buildings]]. Coordinate with your team to remove and Sentry Gun nests that may be constructed.  
 
  
−
* Snipers may start using the windowed area above point A to attack your team. Help them out by removing the threat.  
+
* Most importantly: There are many people ([[Pyro]]s) who will Spy check anyone they see, regardless of team affiliation, just as a precaution. Because of this, you must remember to keep moving, change disguises frequently, and, whenever possible, avoid being seen by the enemy entirely.
  
−
===== Point E =====
+
*As long as there's a damage indication on your HUD, you are semi-visible. Wait until the damage indicator clears before moving to ensure that you're completely invisible.
−
*Taking the pathway from C to E is often your best bet if D has been captured as most of your teammates will probably go from D to E.  
 
  
−
* Taking the pathway from D works as well if you go around towards A to come up behind any enemies that are sitting on E.
+
*A good idea to make your disguise more believable is to get behind or near the enemy spawn, put on your disguise, wait until no one is around/not watching you, and then run forwards so it looks like you just respawned. Not only can it put you behind players leaving said spawn, but it also makes enemy players less likely to Spy check you thinking that you're someone who just came from their own spawn.
  
−
=== [[Pipeline]] ===
+
* Picking up the enemy [[Capture the Flag#Intelligence|Intelligence]] does not yet make you a suicide flag runner. You can drop the Intelligence anytime ({{Key|L}} by default), put on a disguise, or Cloak to recon ahead for danger and/or clear out an ambush. Afterwards, return to the Intelligence and resume carrying it when the path is clear. This is especially useful against Sentry Guns, which you can sap and then return to the Intelligence and Demomen, who like to block your path with stickies, essentially trapping you between themselves and anyone pursuing you from the enemy base. It's also a good way to lure other classes out of ambush, as they will move from their spot to check why has the Intelligence been dropped.
  
−
*The twisting hallways and tight corridors allow for excellent flanking opportunities as long as you don't run into anyone.  
+
* Disguises only fool enemies "at-a-glance". It's best to avoid being seen altogether and use cloaking more often.
  
−
*Remember that most players who are on a cart usually have their attention directed forward. This present a prime opportunity to thin out the opposition with a few quick stabs. Don't expect to live long if there are [[Soldier]]s, [[Heavy|Heavies]] or [[Pyro]]s on the cart.
+
* While disguised, try to use voice commands such as Battle Cry. It will make your disguised player speak and do some mimics, and therefore it can fool some enemies who don't think about Spies being able to do those mimics.
  
−
*Don't be afraid to move the cart a little further, even at the risk of your own death. The cart never moves backwards on even terrain, so every inch helps. This is especially helpful when the cart is very close to the final point and the Defenders are occupied. Slip in and capture the cart before they can respond.  
+
*Reloading the Revolver/Ambassador will reload the weapon equipped by your disguise. Use this for added realism.
  
−
*At the start of the map, take the pathway through the door on the far left. This will take you above and behind the enemy. Use the elevated ground to spot [[Sniper]]s, [[Medic]]s and [[Engineer]]s with Sentry Guns. Plan your attack, and move in.
+
* If you are using the [[Cloak and Dagger]], try to jump up on obstacles and ledges as you move through the map. Players use the obvious running pathways and will run right past you if you are cloaked. Standing on a crate allows you to recharge your Cloak without being bumped into and giving away your position. Standing on top of obstacles is also a good place to avoid Spy checking and escape pursuing players as they often forget to check the top of boxes and ledges.
  
−
*The long sight lines favour Snipers, so be sure to remove them if you are in the area. Be careful, as the [[Respawn]] is usually right behind them.
+
==Backstabbing techniques==
 +
:''For more information, see [[Backstab#Backstabbing Techniques|Backstab]]''
  
−
*Use the elevated wooden platform beside the cart track to hide and wait for approaching enemies before leaping over the railing to backstab them.  
+
=== Approaching the target ===
 +
Approaching your victim for a backstab is difficult without getting caught. It is common for an enemy player to randomly Spy check hiding places and teammates. You can expect the enemy team to Spy check more often if they are alerted to the presence of a Spy.
  
−
*For the second section of the map, take the route in the back of your base that will take you straight to the enemy team's base, placing you behind the enemy and close to their Snipers.  
+
The easiest targets to approach are ''distracted'' players who are busy with another task. Common targets are Engineers that are building/upgrading and Snipers who are looking through their Sniper Rifle.  
  
−
*The tunnel with the carts can be a death trap for a Spy due to all the weapons being fired in it. Attempt to flank and take other routes whenever possible.
+
There are a few things to keep in mind before going in for the killing blow:
  
−
*Use the high platforms and balconies to Scout out the enemy team, relaying informations to your teammates before attacking.
+
*Determine who your target is, and if they are a good target, before you approach.
 +
*Don't panic when you are discovered.
 +
*Make sure to double check the routes behind you ''before'' decloaking, especially in routes which are commonly used. A recently spawned enemy player might catch you decloaking.
 +
*Check your surrounding first before cloaking. An enemy player might be looking at your general direction. If you are lucky, they might not be suspicious of you, but if they start shooting at you, run and hide.
 +
*Check the Scoreboard for dead enemy players so you can be aware if someone will come out from spawn.
 +
*If you know that someone has just spawned, you can wait for them to pass by you. You can also try to delay their movement to the front line by timing your kill so they would be forced to look for you.
 +
*Your disguise protects you from passing glances, but only until they get suspicious. Kill your target as soon as possible.
 +
*Be aware of the speed of your Heavy and Soldier disguise. While enemies may be less suspicious of these uncommon disguises, you will have a much harder time trying to hunt down your victim.
 +
*A common mistake is to Cloak when the target is attacking you. Even if the target is aware of you, you can still kill them with techniques like stairstabbing, sidestabbing, or shooting.
 +
*Be careful on approaching the same target too often. Even the most inexperienced player will start checking their back after being stabbed too frequently.
 +
*When attempting to backstab during an enemy push, be sure to wait until they have engaged your teammates. Be wary of enemy players who are watching their team's back.
 +
*When you see a friendly Spy approaching a target, choose another target. If your teammate targets an [[Engineer]], sap their buildings while they are distracted. You can also watch your teammates' back by targeting approaching reinforcements.
 +
*Use elevated areas to your advantage. With good timing and positioning, you can get your target within a couple of seconds.
  
−
*The third section of the map makes it difficult for Spies to effectively attack the enemy cart, as there are only two thin paths for you to follow. Communicate with teammates to distract the enemy before moving in.
+
A Spy's weapons and gadgets can drastically change how a Spy has to approach his target. Keep these tips in mind when choosing your loadout:
  
−
*Use the wooden pathways to get up to the enemy Sniper nest, removing the threat to your team while they move the cart
+
*If you have the Dead Ringer, refill the watch as much as possible before going for your target. It makes for great insurance in case you fail to catch your victim and you start becoming the enemy's target. Make sure your death is convincing though or the area will be double-checked.
 +
*The L'Étranger can help quickly refill the Cloak meter in areas without ammo boxes, therefore you can Cloak in order to hide in case a backstab attempt fails. Be careful if you decide to shoot unaware players as they will turn their attention toward you.
 +
*With [[Your Eternal Reward]], you cannot disguise until you backstab someone. You will need to proceed with caution when attempting a backstab.
 +
*Be aware of the level of noise each of your cloaking devices make. A common mistake is decloaking too close to your target, thus enabling them to hear you. The [[Item Sets|Saharan Spy Set]] nullifies your cloaking sound to a whisper, but it does not mean players cannot hear the cloaking sound.
 +
*Also, when using [[Your Eternal Reward]] try to predict and calculate your enemies movement and patterns to look for an opening in getting the first kill.
  
 
==Techniques de Backstab==
 
==Techniques de Backstab==
−
* [[Backstab/fr|Backstab]]
+
* Voir : [[Backstab/fr|Backstab]]
  
−
== A voir ==
+
==Voir aussi==
 
*[[Spy match-ups/fr|Confrontations du Spy]]
 
*[[Spy match-ups/fr|Confrontations du Spy]]
  

Revision as of 08:18, 27 March 2012

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— Le Spy
 »

Le Spy est l'une des classes les plus difficile à maitriser complètement. Il est spécialisé dans le sabotage, peut backstab ses ennemies, se rendre invisible, se déguiser et saboter les constructions ennemis.


Général

  • Votre invisibilité et votre déguisement met une seconde pour être complètement effective. Un pas dans les lignes ennemis avant que l'opération soit complète et vous vous retrouverez mort sur le champ. Vous pouvez voir si vous êtes complètement déguisé/invisible grace à l'image en bas à gauche de votre écran. A cause de ça, vous ne pouvez pas staber un Engineer et vous déguiser immédiatement après pour éviter les tirs de sa mitrailleuse.
  • Essayez de vous déguiser en une classe à laquelle il est facile de se faire passer, éviter le déguisement du Medic ou du Scout.
  • Quand vous vous rendez de nouveau visible, il y a une période de 3 secondes pendant laquelle vous ne pouvez utiliser aucun équipement. N'oubliez pas de prendre ce moment en considération avant d'attaquer un ennemi.
  • La montre d'invisibilité par défaut prend une seconde pour se rendre invisible, et une seconde pour se rendre de nouveau visible et vous obtenez 8 secondes d'invisibilité totale (à moins que vous rechargiez votre montre avec des munitions). La recharger quand elle est à vide prend 30 secondes, gardez ça en considération quand vous êtes caché derrière les lignes ennemis.
  • Toutes les sources de munition, incluant le métal des bâtiments détruits, rechargera votre montre d'invisibilité par défaut et votre Dead Ringer, même si elles sont actives. Les distributeurs rechargeront aussi votre montre, cependant, seuls les distributeurs de niveau 2 ou 3 peuvent restaurer complètement votre taux d'invisibilité. Les distributeurs de niveau 1 gardera votre taux d'invisibilité à un niveau fixe sans la recharger entièrement. Vous devez utiliser un déguisement ennemi pour utiliser un distributeur ennemi. Le chariot ennemi dans les cartes Payload ne rechargera pas votre montre quand vous êtes invisible, mais vous pouvez toujours l'utiliser comme source de munitions et de vie quand vous êtes visible et déguisé.
  • Utilisez des angles morts (zones ou le joueur ne peut pas vous voir, généralement dans un angle de 90°) pour recharger votre invisibilité si vous n'utilisez pas la Cloak and Dagger. Un exemple de cette technique dans 2Fort, dans le coin juste avant l'entrée de la base ennemi, la plupart des joueurs passeront sans même regarder sur les côtés, vous permettant de recharger votre invisibilité ou surprendre un groupe s'apprêtant à traverser le pont.
  • Seule votre montre peut vous gardez en sécurité. les déguisements doivent être temporaires - ne comptez jamais dessus car faire du Spy-check est simple et tout le monde en fait en permanence. utilisez vos déguisements uniquement quand vous sappez des constructions adverses ou si vous faites face a la base ennemie. aussi pour réduire les chances d'être découvert, déguisez vous en une classe qui convient a votre comportement, et essayez d'agir comme cette classe. par exemple sur 2Fort quand vous entrez dans le camp ennemi déguisez vous en Sniper pour que les ennemis qui vous voient vous croient a votre place.
  • Quand vous êtes déguisé, les Mitrailleuses ne vous attaqueront pas et vous pouvez utiliser les Distributeurs. Les Medic ennemi peuvent vous guérir si vous arrivez à les faire croire que vous êtes un allié. Notez bien que même si vous êtes déguisé, les mitrailleuses peuvent toujours vous tuer si vous vous trouvez malencontreusement dans son champ de tir quand elle tire sur un de vos alliés.
  • Évitez de montrer des signes évident que vous êtes un Spy, ne courez pas à travers la foule, ou sur un Demoman se tenant près de ses stickies, ou courir vers un Engineer ne faisant rien se tenant à côté de ses bâtiments. Si quelqu'un commence à vous tirer dessus, vous pouvez essayer de le tuer avec votre Revolver, ou vous rendre invisible et rapidement aller sur les côtés (mais n'oubliez pas qu'il faut 1 seconde pour se rendre entièrement invisible).
  • Évitez à tout prix les Pyros, ce sont vos bêtes noires attitré. Ils sont aussi rapide que vous, leurs flammes rend votre invisibilité inutile et le costume du Spy en est vulnérable. Les Pyro ont tendances à enflammer toutes les zones pour vérifier si un Spy est invisible, et si vous en cognez un il se mettra directement à enflammer tout autour de lui. Ils adorent chasser les Spy.
  • Ne sous-estimez pas la puissance du Revolver. Si vous êtes pourchassé, courrez en arrière tout en tirant sur votre ennemi.
  • Si vous êtes en feu, laissez tomber immédiatement votre invisibilité et courrez chercher de la santé (des packs de santé ou un Distributeur ennemi). Avec un peu de chance vous pouvez vous échapper et vous perdre dans la foule. Etant donné le faible nombre de points de santé du Spy, trouver des packs de santé et des munitions est votre problème principal.



  • Toujours allez derriere le dos de vos ennemis avec le Couteau. Le Couteau ne fait pas tout le temps des Backstabs, votre Couteau est faible autre part que sur le dos. Si vous avez besoin de fuir, prenez le Revolver. Toutes les autres armes du jeu sont plus puissantes que le Couteau. Cependant, le Revolver est plus puissant et plus précis, donc vous aurez peut-être envie d'utiliser le Couteau pour ne pas attirer l'attention.
  • Utilisez le Revolver pour Sniper. Le Spy fait un Sniper décent à longue portée mais les dégâts sont faibles, mais il a une bonne cadence de tir et est très précis. A long terme, le Revolver peut faire plus de dégâts que le Fusil à pompe et même plus qu'un Heavy armé du Minigun, si le Heavy est assez stupide pour rester à grande distance. Un Spy sachant bien viser peut même abattre un Scout prenant la fuite.
  • Quand on vise les bases d'Ingénieurs ennemis :
    • L'Ingénieur est derrière sa mitrailleuse: Poignardez l'Ingénieur, sabotez la mitrailleuse avant qu'elle se retourne.
    • L'Ingénieur n'est pas là: Sabotez la mitrailleuse, Poignardez L'Ingénieur quand il reviendra. L'autre alternative est de changer immédiatement pour le Revolver et tirer sur la construction sabotée pour la détruire plus rapidement. Pour les mitrailleuses, cela marchait avant le Patch du 20 décembre 2007; avec le nouveau saboteur, cela ne marche plus - Même après un sabotage et six balles de Revolver, L'Ingénieur aura toujours le temps pour enlever le saboteur et la mitrailleuse vous tuera quand vous n'aurez plus votre déguisement.
    • La façon la plus simple pour détruire le nid d'un Ingénieur est de coopérer avec votre équipe. Prenez un Pyro, Soldat ou Demoman allié juste après avoir saboté la mitrailleuse.
    • Quand vous surveillez le nid d'une mitrailleuse et que l'Ingénieur n'est pas visible, Regardez une construction pour trouver son nom et après regardez son nom dans le tableau des scores pour voir si il est mort. Si il est coincé dans le spawn vous serez souvent capable de détruire ses constructions sans pitié.
  • L'un des meilleurs moyen de stopper un ennemi est de poignarder un Medic, spécialement si ils possèdent leur Ubercharge. Un meurtre rapide sur des Medics ennemis peut rapidement détruire une attaque de l'équipe adverse.
  • Si il vous arrive de poursuivre un duo Medic et Heavy, utilisez votre jugement pour choisir votre cible. Si plusieurs ennemis sont aux alentours, le Medic est prioritaire puisque il peut soigner tout le monde. Si le duo est seul, Poignarder le Heavy laissera le Medic sans Défenses. Si le duo est autour de vos alliés, la meilleure solution est de poignarder le Heavy et laisser passer votre équipe tuer le Medic si vous n'en n'êtes pas capable. Si le Medic a du mal à suivre le Heavy, occupez-vous du Medic en premier et du Heavy juste après.
  • Les Snipers, et les Heavys seuls sont les meilleurs cibles des Spies débutants, du fait de leurs lents déplacement lorsqu'ils se concentrent ou tirent. Et aussi, en éliminant les Snipers se sera plus facile pour votre équipe d'avancer dans la base ennemie. Tuer plusieurs fois des Snipers doués sans protection pourrait leur donner envie de changer de classe !
  • En agissant tout le temps comme personne d'autre dans l'équipe ennemi pourrait vous coûter un poignardage venu de nulle part. Soyez "très" prudent en approchant les ennemis qui ne sont pas distraits par le combat.
  • Vous pouvez élaborer un plan si il y a de l'action dans un endroit clos. Déguisez-vous et devenez invisible. Avancez aux alentours du paquet d'ennemis, soyez extrêmement prudent à ne pas rentrer dans quelqu'un et rendez-vous visible derrière un ennemi pour le backstabber. Choisissez vos cibles en fonction de leur position, en commençant par le plus en retrait et en finissant par le plus avancé. Vous pouvez enchainer plusieurs morts avant que l'ennemi ne tourne son attention vers vous. Il y a un délai d'attente entre chaque backstab avant que vous ne puissiez poignarder à nouveau, soyez donc très prudent.
  • Se déguiser comme un membre de votre équipe peut être un bon moyen pour approcher la base ennemie, la Dead Ringer est conseillée. Si vous approchez avec un déguisement d'un ennemi, c'est évident que vous êtes un Spy, et si vous approchez en étant invisible, vous épuisez votre temps d'invisibilité qui est précieux. Aussi, approcher rapidement et avec une classe dangereuse comme les Pyros peut être utilisé pour effrayer les ennemis Spy et Scout qui vous éviterons. La plupart du temps enemies vont être floués par le déguisement si ils vous repèrent; utilisez cela comme avantage. Disparaissez et soyez hors de vue et allez derrière eux, ils seront plus facile à backstabber / se faire tuer par le Revolver pendant qu'ils seront attaqués par leur ennemi imaginaire.
  • Quand vous vous déguisez ou que vous changez votre déguisement, votre corps va être couvert par de petites fumées visible pour tout le monde ( même les ennemis !). Si vous êtes invisible, cette fumée ne peut être vue que par vos alliés. Cependant, si vous avez la Dead Ringer équipée, la fumée sera visible plus longtemps si vous vous déguisez trop rapidement avant que vous soyez " mort ", ce qui fait que ce sera évident que vous serez toujours en vie !
  • Si vous marchez sur L' Intelligence ennemie, vous allez immédiatement la prendre et perdre votre déguisement. Cela peut résulter à une mort due à une Sentry Gun ennemie, donc regardez où vous marchez quand vous opérez près de l'intelligence ennemie. Notez toutefois que vous ne pouvez prendre l'intelligence ennemie en étant invisible.
  • Le nom sous lequel vous apparaissez pour l'ennemi est le nom d'un joueur ennemi qui joue la même classe que vous avez choisie. Si l'ennemi n'a pas de joueurs jouant la classe dont vous êtes déguisé, un nom de joueur ennemi sera choisi aléatoirement (Cela arrive à chaque fois que vous changer de déguisement !). Cela peut facilement vous trahir, alors assurez vous de vous déguiser en une classe dont vous êtes sur qu'un ennemi joue.
  • Si un ennemi voit votre disparition, allez dans une direction quand vous êtes encore visible partiellement, puis quand vous êtes totalement invisible, changez brusquement de direction afin de leurrer l'ennemi sur votre position.
  • Quand vous vous déguisez, Le niveau de santé de votre déguisement (ce que l'ennemi voit) va mimer le niveau de santé du joueur que vous êtes en train de vous faire passer pour au moment ou vous activez le déguisement. Donc si le Demoman que vous êtes en train de vous faire passer pour à un niveau de santé faible, votre déguisement laissera apparaître le même niveau de santé, même scénario si le Demoman en question est overhealé. Vous pouvez augmenter votre faux niveau de santé en vous faisant soigné par un Medic, en restant près du Wagon (en étant en défense) ou d'un Distributeur ennemi, et prendre un medkit, mais sachez que vous prendrez les medikits même si le niveau de santé de votre déguisement est au maximum, alors évitez de les prendre si les ennemis sont aux alentours sauf si blessé car il semble louche que vous preniez un medkit alors que voit santé est pleine
  • Faites attention à votre apparence et aux bruits que vous faites, un Scout se déplaçant à la moitié de sa vitesse d'origine est un signe évident d'un Spy comme le coup de feu de votre Revolver et la fin de votre invisibilité. Retenez que tout, incluant l' Electro Sapper, ait un bruit fort et identifiable par la plupart des joueurs talentueux pourront reconnaitre et localiser. Alors rester discret jusqu'à ce que vous pourrez causer de lourds dégats à l'attaque/défense ennemie.
    • Méfiez vous des hautes chutes quand vous êtes invisible, vos ennemis peuvent entendre le son de votre chute. Quand c'est inévitable (ou simplement plus rapide), essayez de tomber sur des rampes ou d'autres plates-formes surélevées pour éviter les dommages de chute. Marcher sur du métal cliquetant provoque aussi du bruit pouvant vous faire repérer.
  • Si des joueurs proches ont des soupçons sur vous et essayent de vous tirer dessus (principalement avec une arme secondaire comme le SMG ou le Pistolet, pour ne pas gaspiller de munitions principales), ils vont leur prendre une décision suivant votre réaction. Essayez de ne pas leur prêter attention, puisque tourner autour ou paniquer est le meilleur moyen de détruire votre couverture, simplement continuez d'avancer. Ils vont généralement arrêter si vous ne réagissez pas ou si vous ne mourrez pas dans les deux à trois secondes. Si le joueur est un Pyro, ignorez les phrases du dessus, courrez et tirez!
  • Les Spy peuvent choisir quelle arme doit utiliser leur déguisement actuel. Cela vous aidera à paraître plus convaincant aux yeux de vos ennemis. Par exemple, sortez le Kukri du Sniper qui vous sert de déguisement dans les endroit clos; vos adversaires croiront que vous tentez de débusquer un Spy, ce qui semble plus logique qu'avec le fusil du Sniper. Accompagnez même votre mise en scène avec un "Spy!". De la même manière, équipez vous de la Clef de l'Engineer prêt des constructions adverses.
  • Le changement d'arme se fait par la touche "Dernier Déguisement Utilisé". Cela changera votre "fausse" arme que le Spy déguisé utilise. Utiliser votre Revolver changera votre "fausse" arme pour l'arme primaire de la classe qui vous sert de déguisement (Le Fusil à Dispersion du Scout, le Lance Roquette du Soldier...). Même chose avec le Saboteur, votre déguisement utilisera son arme secondaire (Pistolet du Scout, Fusil à Pompe du Soldier...). Enfin, utiliser votre couteau et votre déguisement utilisera son arme de mélée (Batte de Baseball du Scout, la Pelle du Soldier...).
    • Le changement d'arme est instantané et n’émet pas de fumée ou de miroitement; cela ressemble juste à un changement d'arme classique. Utilisez précieusement cet atout pour semer la confusion chez vos ennemis !
    • Vous ne serez qu'en mesure d'utiliser l'arme primaire, secondaire et de mêlée de votre déguisement; les PDA de construction et de destruction de l'Engineer et la boite à outil (juste avant de poser une construction), tout comme le Kit de Déguisement et le Saboteur du Spy ne seront pas utilisables comme "fausse" arme.
    • Vous pouvez manier n'importe quelle "fausse" arme du jeu. Par exemple, si vous êtes déguisé en Pyro utilisant le Brûleur arrière, vous serez visible avec le Brûleur arrière équipé, et non le Lance-Flammes de base.
  • Le Spy peut voir les noms des ennemies et leur santé quand ils sont déguisés. Ceci peut être utile pour planifier si vous avez une chance de tuer votre ennemi ou pas,vous pouvez aussi prévoir sa direction (un ennemi blessé est plus susceptible d'aller vers une trousse de santé). Le Spy peut également voir la santé,le niveau des constructions des Engineers mais aussi qui l'a construit.
    • Utiliser votre revolver plutôt que le couteau contre les ennemies possédant une faible santé. The ability to keep at a distance will allow you to score an easy kill without (completely) blowing your cover. If this is against a high threat target (Pyros, Demomen, Scouts, anything that can kill you quickly once they know you're there), all the better for your next backstab run!
    • You can also spot enemy Spies this way! Enemy Spies using Cloak, regardless of their disguise, will show the Spies name and health. Of course, as you cannot see them, you'll need to scan around to keep a track of him, but this can be a great asset to your team by keeping a running tab on a dastardly Spy and keep your Medics and Engineers safe from their backstabbery! Be wary, though, as Spies using your team's disguise (same color as you) can also spot you too! Keep in mind that you need to assume an enemy disguise to see the Spy (friendly disguises or your normal Spy mode won't activate the enemy name and health display when you mouse over them).
    • The moment you lose your disguise by switching to a friendly disguise, attacking, or what-have-you, you won't be able to see the name and health display until you re-disguise.
    • You can also see the Medic's ÜberCharge / Kritzkrieg charge status! While it's always been somewhat obvious when a Medic is at 100% charge, it does help prioritize targets when that enemy Medic is at 80+% charge!
    • Try to single out the better enemy players and target them for assassination (Medics still have priority though). Sometimes you can stop a push in its tracks by killing the good player acting as its mainspring.
    • More deviously if the teams are uneven and the next player killed is due to be rebalanced to your side sometimes you'll be in a position to 'headhunt' a good player to your cause.
  • Si vous savez qu'il y a un Spy ennemi dans la base déguisez-vous en Pyro de votre équipe, ainsi le Spy vous tournera le dos et vous aurez une chance de le backstaber. si il cours face à vous essayez de l'emmener vers un coin ou un groupe de coéquipiers.
  • Si vous posséder l'Intelligence ennemi, déposez-là et rendez-vous invisible, car vous gagnerz rarement un combat directe, vous pourrez ensuite passer derrière l'ennemi, le Backstabber et ramassez l'Intelligence à nouveau.
  • A Spy can be healed by an enemy Medic if he's disguised. Depending on the situation, Spies can get heals, and even get an ÜberCharge out of enemy Medics. The easiest way of achieving this is to wait for the Medic to gain an ÜberCharge. If his heal target dies, disguise as a target a Medic would normally Über (Pyro, Demoman, Heavy). The Medic is in hot water, being out numbered by your team mates without a heal target. In such situations, the Medic will be in panic, desperately trying to find someone to heal. The Medic probably won't even take the time to Spy check you. Once you're disguised properly, start calling Medic and see if you can get his attention. When he starts to heal you, simply walk to whatever your team is defending and tell your Medic to hit his Über charge. There's a high chance the Medic will waste his ÜberCharge on you.
  • Méfiez-vous des serveurs alltalk, car votre bulle de voix est visible même par les ennemis, même si vous l'avez masqué. La plupart des serveurs alltalk permettent aux joueurs de désactiver les voix individuellement (en général en disant "voiceall /", mais cela varie); soyez donc sûr de l'avoir fait avant de prendre le Spy. Si vous ne pouvez pas, utilisez la Cloak and Dagger et surveillez le chat ennemi.

Spéciqique par arme

Armes Principales

Revolver / Big Kill

Arme Icône de frag Munitions Dégâts
Chargées Transportées A bout portant A moyenne portée A longue portée Critique
Revolver
Standard
Revolver 		Killicon revolver.png 6 24 55-60 35-45 16-25 120
Big Kill
Promotionel
Big Kill 		Killicon big kill.png
  • The Revolver is the Spy's primary weapon. While not as powerful as the Knife's backstabbing capabilities, it is still an integral part of the Spy's arsenal.It is moderately accurate and has a fast reload time.
  • Use the Revolver for killing low-health classes and when Backstabs are not easy or possible due to the location of the enemy. It's also viable when you are being chased; 6 medium range shots will take down most classes.
  • Due to the Scout's quick movement, it can be better to shoot Scouts rather than try to stab them.
  • Use the Revolver against Snipers who use the Razorback. While the Ambassador can deal critical damage on a Headshot, the Revolver is also a good option because of it's fast rate of fire. It is also better against Huntsman-wielding Snipers, as they tend to move around more.
  • Use the Revolver in conjunction with the Elector Electro Sapper. Sap an Engineer's Sentry Gun and when he returns to repair it, shoot him. 3 to 4 hits will kill him, after which you can shoot his buildings if necessary.
    • If the Engineer has just begun building his Sentry Gun, Dispenser, or Teleporter, 1 to 2 shots will take it down - use the Revolver instead of the Electro Sapper for a long-range destruction. This will help prevent you from being discovered as well.
  • Remember that the Revolver is 100% accurate if you allow 1.25 seconds between shots (approximately how long it takes to reload your Revolver). Use this to pick off wounded enemies or to snipe buildings from a distance. Long range shots, despite only doing about 20 damage to players, will deal full damage to buildings.
  • When navigating narrow corridors, keep your Revolver out. If they are fooled by your disguise, run by them and backstab them. If they begin to attack you, begin to backpedal while side-strafing and shooting them.

Ambassador

Weapon Kill icon Ammo Damage
Loaded Carried Point blank Medium range Long range Critical
Ambassador
Unlock
Ambassadeur 		Killicon ambassador.png 6 24 46-56 31-37 15-19 102
Killicon sniperriflehs.png 6 24 102 102 102 102
  • At the cost of weaker bullets and slower firing rate, The Ambassador deals crits upon a headshot.
    • The Ambassador will only headshot if the crosshair is at its smallest size. Allow just under one second in between shots to ensure your ability to headshot.
  • The Ambassador can also be used to snipe Engineer buildings from a distance, similar to the Revolver, as an alternative to sapping. Remember, if an Engineer is working on the building, killing the Engineer first is preferable.
    • Headshotting the Engineer may lead him to run away to find a source of Health. Use the time that he is away to destroy his buildings.
  • With good aim, the Ambassador can be deadly against a Scout. If you manage to headshot him at close quarters, he will only have 23 health left (8 with the Sandman, 48 with The Special Delivery set's health bonus), therefore you can finish him off with a single slash of the Knife or another shot, depending on your range.
  • Razorback Snipers have resistance against backstabs, but not against bullets. Take the time to headshot enemy Razorback Snipers. Assuming the Sniper is not overhealed, a single headshot followed by a simple body shot - which can be fired faster than the Sniper is able to react - is enough to kill him.
    • Conversely, if the Sniper is wearing The Croc-o-style Kit and he could be finished off with a headshot, either backstab him or shoot him several times in the body. If you do headshot him, he will be left with one health point, still requiring another shot.
  • The ability to see enemy health is invaluable when equipped with the Ambassador. When it drops below half of its base value, the health meter is shown in red. Against all classes except the Heavy, this means a guaranteed kill upon a headshot.
  • If you miss a backstab on a low-health class (but still get a hit), switch to the Ambassador and a headshot will likely dispatch the enemy.

L'Etranger

Weapon Kill icon Ammo Damage
Loaded Carried Point blank Medium range Long range Critical
L'Etranger
Craft
L'Étranger 		Killicon l'etranger.png 6 24 44-48 28-36 15-18 96
  • The L'Etranger converts firepower into potential fleeing power. It allows you to turn scenarios where scoring a kill with the Revolver or Ambassador is too difficult into the ability to run away - and save your life.
    • Be aware that the L'Etranger has a very distinctive "crack" sound when fired, which will alert nearby enemies to your presence.
  • The +15% Cloak per hit is applied regardless of the amount of damage you do to the opponent or your distance from him. Remember that the L'Etranger is 100% accurate 1.25 seconds after shooting and use this to recharge your Cloak safely from a distance.
  • Keep in mind that both the Invisibility Watch and Dead Ringer's Cloak timers can be replenished by picking up Ammo boxes or weapons or standing next to a Dispenser.
    • As the Cloak and Dagger is not recharged by sources of ammo, the L'Etranger can be very effective when used with it.
    • Nonetheless, always be aware of your surroundings when using the L'Etranger. It is not recommended for you to try and regain Cloak via the L'Etranger if there are many enemies around with no allies. In a case like this, it is better to hide instead.
  • Remember that the L'Etranger does less damage than both the Revolver and Ambassador. If you need more firepower, consider using one of those alternatives.
    • The L'Etranger also does less damage to buildings, making a Sap-n-Shoot technique harder.
  • Though the L'Etranger can be used effectively with the Dead Ringer, be aware that once players realize both items are being used, they will likely Spy check around your fake corpse and try to make sure you are actually dead.
  • Positioning is key as Spy, and when using the L'Etranger is no exception; when shooting from a relatively hidden position, you are less likely to be found while regaining your Cloak.

Enforcer

Weapon Kill icon Ammo Damage
Loaded Carried Point blank Medium range Long range Critical
Enforcer
Craft
Exécutant 		Killicon enforcer.png 6 24 70-72 41-55 24-26 144
  • The Enforcer is a Revolver replacement that trades stealth for extra firepower. In exchange for a bonus 20% base damage inflicted, the Spy takes 0.5 seconds longer to cloak.
  • Use cover when cloaking - although the Enforcer reduces the time you can effectively cloak, you do not want to be caught in the process of cloaking.
  • The Enforcer allows you to kill low health classes in 2 shots at point-blank range. Therefore, you can kill Razorback Snipers or Engineers trying to remove an Electro Sapper easily.
  • The Enforcer will destroy any Engineer buildings faster than the Revolver, taking 5 shots for a Level 3 Sentry Gun. You can use this to take down enemy buildings faster, by sapping them and then shooting at them while they're disarmed.
  • A Critical hit with the Enforcer can kill any non-overhealed low health classes with one shot.

Diamondback

Weapon Kill icon Ammo Damage
Loaded Carried Point blank Medium range Long range Critical
Diamondback
Promotional/Craft
Diamondback 		Killicon diamondback.png 6 24 47-51 30-33 14-21 102
  • The Diamondback is a promotional weapon for the Spy. It does less damage per shot than the Revolver and is incapable of random Crits, but has the ability to store Critical hits when your Electro Sappers are involved in the destruction of enemy buildings. Each destruction or assist involving your Electro Sapper will give the Diamondback one guaranteed Critical hit.
  • Consider using the Diamondback if the enemy team has several Engineers. When you have several Crits, you can drop any non-overhealed class in 3 shots, thus becoming a major threat.
  • You can use the Diamondback's rather loud firing to lure enemies into a backstab trap.
  • Even if you lack Crits, the Diamondback is still a relatively viable weapon. It does the same about of damage as the Ambassador, but with no firing speed penalty.
  • The Diamondback is 100% accurate if you allow 1.25 seconds between shots. When combined with the Crit boost, the 100% accurate bullets can effectively snipe enemies at long range. Most enemies will die in 2 to 3 shots.

Secondary weapons

Electro Sapper

Weapon Kill icon Ammo Damage
Loaded Carried Point blank Medium range Long range Critical
Electro Sapper
Stock
Saboteur 		Killicon electro sapper.png 1 ∞ N/A N/A N/A N/A
  • The Electro Sapper is a tool used to take down an Engineer's buildings. You have an unlimited supply of Sappers, and there is no "reload" delay between placing them. A Spy can continuously sap a building until it has been destroyed even if an Engineer is repairing it since as soon as the Engineer knocks off an Electro Sapper, a new one immediately replaces it. Sappers still do damage during the two Wrench hits it takes to remove them.
  • Holding MOUSE1 when approaching a building will place the Electro Sapper as soon as you are in range. This also allows you to replace an Electro Sapper immediately after an Engineer removes it.
  • In many instances, you can sap a building from well below or above it, allowing you to confuse its Engineer. This can also allow you to more safely retreat from the Engineer's nest if your sabotage efforts are interrupted.
  • The Homewrecker allows Pyros to remove Electro Sappers from Engineer buildings. This, combined with their Flamethrower's Spy checking ability, will make your job much harder. Therefore it is strongly advised to either eliminate these Pyros before attempting to sap any buildings or to avoid them completely if possible.
  • When sneaking up on an Engineer who using the Wrangler, stab first and then sap. Killing the Engineer will cause his Sentry Gun to become disabled for three seconds, which will be more than enough time to place an Electro Sapper.
  • It is possible to stab an Engineer and then quickly sap the Sentry Gun. When attempting this, it is recommended that you circle strafe away from the Sentry Gun to have more time to sap.
  • If an Engineer has his Wrench out and you sap his building, he most likely will attempt to repair the Sentry first instead of trying to kill you. Since it take two hits to knock the Electro Sapper off, this gives you a window of opportunity to stab him. This can be easier then the stab and sap method because you don't have to account for which way the Sentry is facing and circle-strafing the opposite way.
  • It also can be rapidly deployed to slowly destroy buildings while the Engineer removes them. This is best applied on Teleporters, where the Engineer will only be able to try and remove your Sappers from one end, while you eventually destroy one or both sides outright.
  • When dealing with Teleporters, it may be ideal to forgo the Electro Sapper and use your Revolver. If the Engineer is not near either end, it will attract less attention if you destroy one end as the Engineer will not automatically know a Spy was the culprit. Additionally, you can combine both to ensure one end is destroyed, while the Electro Sapper encourages the Engineer to leave his other buildings unprotected.

Melee weapons

Knife / Saxxy / Sharp Dresser / Festive Knife / Black Rose

Weapon Kill icon Attack interval Damage
Point blank Critical
Knife
Stock
Couteau 		Killicon knife.png 0.8 seconds 40 120
Killicon backstab.png 0.8 seconds N/A 6× victim's health.
Saxxy
Promotional
Saxxy 		Killicon saxxy.png 0.8 seconds 40 120
Killicon backstab.png 0.8 seconds N/A 6× victim's health.
Sharp Dresser
Promotional
Stylet Aiguisé 		Killicon sharp dresser.png 0.8 seconds 40 120
Killicon sharp dresser backstab.png 0.8 seconds N/A 6× victim's health.
Festive Knife
Uncrate
Couteau festif 		Killicon knife.png 0.8 seconds 40 120
Killicon backstab.png 0.8 seconds N/A 6× victim's health.
Black Rose
Promotional
Rose Noire 		Killicon black rose.png 0.8 seconds 40 120
Killicon backstab.png 0.8 seconds N/A 6× victim's health.
  • When you are in range for a successful backstab, the Spy will ready his Knife for a stab with a reverse-grip stance. If the Spy doesn't have his Knife in a reverse-grip, you may perform a low-damage slash instead. Look for the change in grip before attempting a backstab if you're unsure if the backstab will actually register.
    • Although a backstab grip guarantees a backstab, many other pokes will register a backstab as well. As long as your stab connects with the enemy's rear-facing half, any swipe or poke should kill him.
    • The Knife does nearly no damage when it's not a backstab. Only attack with it if you are certain it will backstab or else you will deal minimal damage and give away your position.
    • The Saxxy does not have a backstab stance.
  • In most scenarios, you should switch to the Revolver to fight enemies once you've been discovered. Even in close range, the Revolver is significantly more powerful than non-backstab Knife swipes.
  • Because a backstab is always a critical hit, enemies killed by a Knife backstab will always emit a blood-curdling scream upon death. It is important when killing an enemy that you have a plan to either run from or kill nearby foes as soon as you perform your first stab.
  • A quick stab with the Knife into air is generally the fastest way to silently drop your disguise. This can be used to perform covert Capture Point captures.
  • If you encounter a Sniper with the Razorback, it is generally a good idea to shoot him with a Revolver, rather than trying to stab him.
    • If a Sniper equipping the Razorback is standing near a corner, it is much quieter to stab his Razorback, turn the corner and cloak. When the Sniper either finishes Spy checking or doesn't react, backstab him. If he returns to a Resupply Cabinet, shoot him; even though it's louder, he will quickly catch on and possibly find you.
  • Be aware that the Saxxy and the Spy-cicle leave very noticeable corpses, the former being made of shimmering Australium Gold, the latter being an ice sculpture. They are very likely to reveal your presence.
  • When discovered, an advanced technique to help fend off the pursuer is to run up a slope, jump over the head of the pursuer, do a 180 degree turn, crouch, and backstab him. This is commonly called the stair-stab. [1]

Your Eternal Reward / Wanga Prick

Weapon Kill icon Attack interval Damage
Point blank Critical
Your Eternal Reward
Craft
Ton Éternelle Récompense 		Killicon your eternal reward.png 0.8 seconds 40 120
Killicon backstab.png 0.8 seconds N/A 6× victim's health.
Wanga Prick
Craft
Aiguille de Wanga 		Killicon wanga prick.png 0.8 seconds 40 120
Killicon backstab.png 0.8 seconds N/A 6× victim's health.
  • Since you cannot disguise at will if using Your Eternal Reward or the Wanga Prick, you will have to rely more heavily on efficient cloaking and teammate distractions to acquire kills.
    • This restriction also means that in most scenarios at least one person (your last victim) will know what your disguise is at all times. Because of this, it is important to continue to rely on your Cloak as a primary stealth tool.
  • Kills with Your Eternal Reward are truly silent; the victim will not scream and their bodies disappear upon death whether they are backstabbed or not. Also, the enemy will not see their kill notification.
  • This weapon is extremely well-suited for taking out Sentry Guns when you already have a disguise. The Stab-n-Sap technique is made easier and kills in front of Sentry Guns are safer because the Sentry Gun will not detect you between disguises.
    • If you do not have a disquise and an Engineer is still guarding his Sentry Gun you can uncloak behind the Engineer and use him as cover as the Sentry Gun turns around to face you. Stab him, and then sap his Sentry Gun.
    • Consider switching back to the original Knife when fighting off multiple Sentry nests, especially if the Engineers can watch each other. Those situations usually have a greater need to disguise at will than the ability to quickly disguise after attacking. Remember that it is likely all of the Engineers will react to one Sentry Gun being sapped.
  • Your Eternal Reward is very good when dealing with a crowd of enemies. After backstabbing the enemy farthest back in the group, you are able to continue to push forward without raising suspicion from those around him. Continue stabbing until you kill all of the enemies or you need to escape.
  • Using the Dead Ringer alongside Your Eternal Reward will instigate a strong element of luck and skill, whether the Saharan Spy set is worn or not. The inability to Cloak or disguise at will will render backstabs much more difficult. However, once a disguise is acquired, the Dead Ringer can make an excellent escape plan should anything go wrong.
    • The Saharan Spy set will reduce the sound of de-cloaking with any watch, notably the Dead Ringer. Since the Dead Ringer has a characteristically loud sound that can be deafened, its only major drawback is solved. Use this to your advantage.
  • Be aware that successful backstabs with Your Eternal Reward will not stop enemies capping a Control Point or pushing the Payload Cart. It will, however, slow them down until there are none left. It may be a better choice to shoot enemies with the Revolver so that you can inflict damage while stopping the enemies from capturing.
  • When using Your Eternal Reward on Control Point maps, be wary when defending the final control point. Because the Eternal Reward disguises instantaneously, stabbing enemies capping your last point will not disrupt the cap (it will, however, slow the capping with one less person). This can allow for survivors to continue to cap while you frantically try to stab them. Pulling out your selected Revolver at this time to stall for friendly backup is usually the best response.
  • Try finding lone targets to gain your first disguise.
  • Try to prioritize disguise over kills. While getting a lone, low-health Heavy seems good, you'll be restricted in your movement and will likely want to lose your disguise anyway, to regain that speed.
    • Remember that if you cloak with a slow disguise, you will run at your normal walking speed until you uncloak.
  • If you accidentally overrun an enemy Medic but retained your disguise, simply run past him and go for other enemies. It is possible that, because Your Eternal Reward dissipates enemy ragdolls with very little sound, the Medic will not notice you stabbing his allies until it is too late.
  • The Cloak and Dagger works well with this Knife because you can wait for people to backstab without having fear of being exposed. This works especially well on commonly used paths - wait for a straggler, then begin your attack.
  • Remember that in close encounters, even if you or a teammate kills your target, unless you finish the enemy with a backstab, you will be left without a disguise.
  • If you backstab the target of a Medic, you will become the new heal target. This is best applied when the Medic is not watching his target, as the Medic may notice a player disappearing when you backstab an enemy.
    • Due to the instant disguise, you can backstab enemy players while being Übercharged without stopping the Übercharged, unlike any other knife.
  • Be aware that weapons will not disappear when you kill an enemy. If your Revolver or Cloak (except for the Cloak and Dagger) is not at full ammo or charge respectively, you should instantly pick a dropped weapon up, hiding the evidence.
  • If you plan on using the Saharan Spy set, it is advisable not to use the Wanga Prick as a substitute to Your Eternal Reward since it doesn't count as part of the set.

Conniver's Kunai

Weapon Kill icon Attack interval Damage Healing
Point blank Critical From backstab
Conniver's Kunai
Promotional/Craft
Kunaï du Conspirateur 		Killicon conniver's kunai.png 0.8 seconds 40 120 N/A
Killicon backstab.png 0.8 seconds N/A 6× victim's health. Target's current health, capping at 180 health.
  • The Conniver's Kunai decreases your default Health to 60. However, backstabbing with the Kunai will leech all of the victim's health and overheal you to a maximum of 180 health, which decreases at 2 health per second back to 60.
  • Prime targets for the Kunai are Heavies and Soliders. A backstab on one will fully overheal you, assuming they have taken little (if any) damage.
  • Be aware that many weapons can kill you in one hit while you are at 60 health. Choose your initial targets carefully to ensure that you don't die before gaining any overheal via backstabbing. A successful backstab will keep you in the fight much longer than other Spies.
  • Be careful when you exit your spawn room or turn corners - one stray rocket, grenade, or other attack can easily kill you.
  • You can be a bit quicker to getting behind enemies and stabbing them, because even if you begin to take damage from another source, you can out-heal it with a backstab.
  • Remember that effects such as afterburn and bleed can be instantly negated by a successful backstab. However, you cannot heal from health packs if you are overhealed. Therefore, if you have one of these effects you will not be able use Health packs to stop these effects until your overheal has ended.
  • It is generally a bad idea to use your Revolver in a 1 on 1 confrontation with an enemy. Due to your low health, you will likely not survive.

Big Earner

Weapon Kill icon Attack interval Damage
Point blank Critical
Big Earner
Craft
Grand Gagnant 		Killicon big earner.png 0.8 seconds 40 120
Killicon backstab.png 0.8 seconds N/A 6× victim's health.
  • The Big Earner reduces your overall health to 100, but grants a 30% Cloak refill for any watch upon a melee kill.
  • The Big Earner will generally allow for easier escapes due to you getting your Cloak back in exchange for riskier assaults, as you lose 25 base health.
  • Consider using the Dead Ringer or Cloak and Dagger over the Invisibility Watch in conjunction with the Big Earner. As you have reduced health, your survival may depend on the use of cloaking.
    • The Big Earner's ability to regain Cloak faster and the Dead Ringer's survival ability can negate the health loss caused by the Big Earner by significantly reducing damage when activated.
    • Normally, the only way to regenerate your Cloak and Dagger is through waiting or visiting a Resupply Locker. The Big Earner bypasses this hindrance.
  • Remember to pick up the enemy's dropped weapon after you kill them. The combination of the Big Earner and a dropped weapon can nearly refill your Cloak entirely.
  • Note that non-backstab and taunt kills will still reward you with a 30% bonus to the charge on your Cloak. If you're in a desperate situation or the enemy is low on health, try to stab any way you can, if you need Cloak. If you do not need charge on your Cloak, it is generally a better idea to use your Revolver and shoot the enemy.

Spy-cicle

Weapon Kill icon Attack interval Damage
Point blank Critical
Spy-cicle
Uncrate/Craft
Spy-lactite 		Killicon spy-cicle.png 0.8 seconds 40 120
Killicon backstab.png 0.8 seconds N/A 6× victim's health.
  • The Spy-cicle causes any backstabbed players to leave a frozen ragdoll, but causes a relatively silent death. There is still a rather distinct sound emitted whenever you backstab an enemy. Upon any contact with flames, the knife provides a two-second fire immunity, but requires a fifteen-second recharge period before it can be used again.
  • This knife allows for a nearly silent kill like Your Eternal Reward, but leaves a unique corpse not unlike the Saxxy; as a result, it draws minimal immediate attention, but alerts anyone finding the body to your presence, requiring the player to employ hit-and-run tactics to remain undetected.
  • Be aware that once Pyros notice you are using the Spy-cicle they may begin to follow you for an extended period of time to ensure your death.
  • If you are disguised or cloaked and a Pyro Spy checks you, be aware that you'll be instantly extinguished and are immune to fire for two seconds, but you will still exclaim that you're on fire, so it's unlikely you will be ignored. Use the fireproof time to put some distance between you and the Pyro.
  • Since any contact with fire renders your knife temporarily useless, you may have to rely on your Revolver to defend yourself. Consider picking a gun that doesn't suffer from a damage decrease like the L'Etranger.
    • Try to avoid the Diamondback with this knife; since it comes with a damage decrease and requires a successful sap in order to grant guaranteed crits, players without a knife will be unable to stab-sap an Engineer near a Sentry Gun, temporarily trapping them with a weak gun and no crit bonuses.
    • Be cautious when choosing the Enforcer; its additional damage is useful when without a knife, but being caught due to additional Cloak times can leave you with low health and no knife.
Fencing
Kill icon Weapon Damage Duration Details
Fencing
Escrime 		Killicon fencing.png Knife, Saxxy, Your Eternal Reward, Conniver's Kunai, Big Earner, Wanga Prick, Black Rose 500 4 seconds The Spy transfers his weapon to his left hand and begins to practice a deadly Fencing maneuver, resulting in damage or death for anyone in the way.
  • This taunt can be used with any of the Spy's knives (except the Sharp Dresser and the Spy-cicle) to kill distracted enemies with one hit; however, due to the taunt's long duration and the minimal damage dealt by the first two swings, using a taunt kill is a very risky strategy.
    • The Fencing taunt is a viable last resort during the Humiliation round.
  • It can be effectively used to destroy Engineer buildings with one hit, so the Engineer won't have time to see his building being sapped or damaged and return to save his buildings. However, do not attempt to destroy an enemy Sentry Gun in this way because you must remove your disguise in order to be be able to perform the taunt, and attempting to do so will cause the Sentry to target and kill you.
  • If a Sentry is close enough to a Dispenser, then you can hide behind it without being detected and perform the taunt. The extra reach of this taunt means that it can often destroy both buildings.
  • Also, keep in mind that, even if you are able to catch anyone unaware, the Spy speaks during the taunt, and this may give your presence away. This can be negated by quickly performing a voice command, preferably a short command, such as "No."
  • Fencing with Your Eternal Reward is not recommended as you have to remove your disguise in order to taunt, and you won't get a disguise even if the taunt kill succeeds.
  • Successfully Fencing with the Big Earner will still grant the 30% Cloak bonus, but it is still not advised as it also requires no disguise and your lowered health may put your life at risk if you fail.

PDA Slot

Disguise Kit

Weapon Ammo Damage
Loaded Carried Point blank Medium range Long range Critical
Disguise Kit
Stock
Kit de Déguisement 		N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
  • The Disguise Kit is the Spy's major infiltration tool. Most of your time spent disguised will be done pretending to be an enemy. Each plays differently when trying to blend in.

Scout

The Scout disguise is best applied when you are trying to hide or when you will only be visible to the enemy for a short period of time. The Scout's character model is very small and is rather useful for hiding. However, it is not very believable, as you will not gain speed to match that of the Scout and because you cannot double jump. As Scouts tend to wander for extended periods of time, the Scout disguise is usually viable for quick glances, especially from long distances. The Scout disguise is common in competitive play due to the nature of team composition and the fact that disguises do not work well for blending in against coordinated teams, regardless of disguise.

Soldier

The Soldier disguise is useful for blending in when stabbing a slow-moving target, as most people do not suspect Soldier Spies due to their slow movement speed. However, you will likely have trouble dodging enemy fire and avoiding blocking enemy movement. If your target starts moving at full speed, unless it is a Heavy, you might not be able to catch up to him without losing your disguise. You may be able to infiltrate enemy lines by simply walking in backwards, as it is common practice for Soldiers to retreat this way - you might even get an enemy Medic healing or ÜberCharging you. Try not to have your disguise weapon as the Equalizer; you will not go faster and enemy Medics will still be able to heal you, easily giving you away.

Pyro

  • Statistics
    • Speed: 100%
    • Stature: Normal
  • Inconspicuousness
    • Element of surprise: Low
    • Believability: Medium
  • Fake-Reloads

As a class with 100% move speed, no need to reload primary weapons, and reasons to hide by himself among teammates and near Sentry Guns, the Pyro disguise is fairly well-rounded. Pyros aren't expected to attack until they get close to others, and they commonly patrol their own bases. Therefore, a Pyro disguise can get in and out of enemy areas nicely. However, the Pyro disguise has a couple of flaws that make it less than perfect. The Pyro disguise is common and very easy to Spy check (Pyros don't catch on fire, but you will). Also, Pyros are expected to Spy check constantly, so enemies may attack you once they realize you are not doing so. If you are trying to hide, switch to a secondary or melee weapon, as all Flamethrowers have long weapon models and can sometimes be seen through walls or props. The Pyro disguise's fake Shotgun reload is arguably tied with the Engineer's for being the best in the game.

Demoman

The Demoman disguise is very average, with slightly reduced move speed counteracted by a Demoman's reasons to stay in his team's base. However, if Stickybombs are not place and your disguise does not include a shield, you will easily be discovered as a fraud. While the Demoman is used in both offense and defense, he is generally expected to constantly use his weapons. The disguise has average body and weapon size, and is therefore good for quick glances. However, enemies are generally not fooled if you stay in one location for too long. Both fake reloads are moderately believable.

Heavy

  • Statistics
    • Speed: 77%
    • Stature: Tall, Wide
  • Inconspicuousness
    • Element of surprise: High
    • Believability: Medium
  • Fake-Reloads

Because of its severely reduced move speed, a Heavy disguise is rare. This disguise hinders your ability to chase for a backstab, to move around the map quickly, and to hide. However, due to its rarity, many players won't expect it. The Heavy disguise is a great choice if you want a Medic to heal or possibly ÜberCharge you regardless of your health level. The Heavy's primary weapon is not usually fired on whim, due to its spin up and spin down times; therefore an enemy Medic will not immediately Spy check you if you don't shoot. While this disguise is good for backstabbing enemy Heavies that are revved up, there are other, better alternatives, and the large model size and extremely slow move speed make the Heavy disguise generally a bad choice.

Engineer

The Engineer disguise can be useful for taking down enemy structures. The Engineer has 100% move speed, small character and weapon models, and a reason to stay around his own base and buildings. Enemies are prone to Spy checking Engineers that do not use their Wrench for too long, though. Engineers are rarely seen outside of their base unless they have the Gunslinger equipped, so be aware of which melee weapon your disguise has. The Engineer disguise's fake Shotgun reload is arguably tied with the Pyro's for being the best in the game.

Medic

  • Statistics
    • Speed: 100% (7% slower than actual Medic.)
    • Stature: Tall
  • Inconspicuousness
    • Element of surprise: High
    • Believability: Low
  • Fake-Reloads

The Medic disguise is not very good for maintaining believability. While most enemies will not notice the lack of increased move speed, the Medic disguise is incapable of healing. Because Medics are expected to heal whenever they're with a teammate and are rarely alone, your disguise quickly loses credibility. One benefit of the disguise is the ability to lure enemies into thinking they can get healed by you, and then you may dispatch them anyway you like. You can also use the disguise to come from behind an enemy for a backstab, as it is completely natural for a Medic to be behind his patient. The Medic disguise also has a rather good fake reload.

Sniper

  • Statistics
    • Speed: 100%
    • Stature: Tall, Skinny
  • Inconspicuousness
    • Element of surprise: Low
    • Believability: High
  • Fake-Reloads

The Sniper disguise is generally effective if you are standing on a balcony or other common sniping location. It is not suspicious for Snipers to stay within their base for extended periods of time, and are not expected to Spy check allies. However, you are unable to zoom in, which can reveal your identity after a while and if you stray too far from Sniper posts, you are likely to be Spy checked. Also be aware of enemies attempting to light your arrow if you are disguised with the Huntsman. The Sniper disguise is relatively small with 100% move speed.

Spy

  • Statistics
    • Speed: 100%
    • Stature: Tall, Skinny
  • Inconspicuousness
    • Element of surprise Medium
    • Believability: High

The Spy disguise can work, but it primarily relies on the Spy checking habits of your enemies. It is the only disguise where you have a reason to be with your teammates without attacking. Be aware that the enemy Spy disguise will not affect the color of your disguise smoke or your Cloak, so enemies can still recognize those effects. The Spy disguise can be risky because many players instinctively fire at all Spies, even friendly ones. The Spy disguise as a good fake reload.

Friendly disguises

Friendly disguises can prove handy in a variety of situations. Friendly disguises are useful at the beginning of rounds, especially during setup time, because they will avoid giving away there you are a Spy, while making the enemy team prepared for a class that isn't necessarily in use. If you're having trouble getting behind enemy lines, a friendly disguise can be used to scare enemies (for example, a friendly Pyro disguise in close quarters) or to feign a death more convincingly. If an ally needs help, you can use a friendly disguise, such as a Heavy, to draw enemy fire. Your hit box is not the same as your disgusie class, so you can draw Sniper fire with some disguises with a reduced risk of being Headshot. Friendly disguises, particularly Medic and Sniper, are good for baiting, as many enemy will not expect a friendly disguise. Use this bait to prepare for a stab or by shooting the target with your Revolver. These tricks can be used more safely and repeatedly with the Dead Ringer, as you can fake friendly deaths.

PDA2 slot

Invisibility Watch / Enthusiast's Timepiece

Weapon Cloak
Cloak type Duration Activation time Deactivation time Recharge
Invisibility Watch
Stock
Montre d'invisibilité 		Standard Recharge 9 seconds 1 second 1.8 seconds 30 seconds
Enthusiast's Timepiece
Promotional
Montre du Passionné
  • Cloaking is an ability exclusive to the Spy, which renders him fully invisible to enemy players. Your teammates will still be able to see you, albeit faintly. While cloaked you cannot use any weapons, but you can still switch weapons and disguise. Taking damage or running into an enemy will make you flicker for a brief period of time.
  • When your Invisibility Watch runs out you will automatically uncloak, revealing yourself. While you are cloaked, pick up ammo packs or weapons to recharge your watch.
  • When compared to the other watches, the Invisibility Watch allows for the farthest distance traveled while invisible.
  • Cloaking can be pivotal when attempting to infiltrate an enemy base. Be aware that cloaking will take 1 full second while uncloaking will take a little over 2 seconds, during which you can be recognized by the enemy, even if you are disguised, but cannot attack or use your Electro Sapper. Therefore, you should attempt to look for a safe, hidden spot to uncloak.
  • Plot your course and approach targets carefully - being spotted may result in a quick death, as you can not feign a death, as with the Dead Ringer, or hide in one spot until an opportunity arises, as with the Cloak and Dagger.
    • Always try to move while you are using the Invisibility Watch. You will only regain Cloak if you are not cloaked or if you pick up ammo boxes or fallen weapons. However, the Invisibility Watch lasts longer than the alternative watches.
  • If you know an enemy has seen you Cloak, head in one direction while you are partially visible, and when you are fully invisible, change your path to trick him.
  • Grab dropped metal whenever you can while cloaked. Some enemies will notice an ammo box disappearing for seemingly no reason, but even if they do (and realize it was a cloaked Spy who took it) you should be able to escape, if you remain invisible for long enough. If they do still try to chase you, their efforts will likely only divert their attention from the game objective.
  • Hiding near an enemy Dispenser of any level will maintain or lengthen your Cloak's charge if you are disguised. This will give you as much time as you need to wait to strike an Engineer's sentry nest, whether you need the Engineer to leave or you are waiting for your team to make a push in.
  • Knowledge of a map's layout, especially locations of ammo boxes, will prove very useful for crossing the map quickly, while invisible. Take not of shortcuts and the locations of ammo boxes as you learn a map.

Cloak and Dagger

Weapon Cloak
Cloak type Duration Activation time Deactivation time Recharge
Cloak and Dagger
Unlock
Cloak and Dagger 		Motion Sensitive 6.2 seconds 1 second 2.2 seconds 15 seconds
  • The length of time the Cloak and Dagger lasts, while constantly running, is shorter than the Invisibility Watch.
    • This time can be elongated through crouch walking. If you stand still or uncloak, your watch will regenerate to 6.2 seconds of cloaking time. You cannot extend the Cloak and Dagger's length through picking up ammo sources of any kind, but Dispensers will hasten your Cloak regeneration.
  • Although the Cloak and Dagger promotes laying in wait, it can be useful to travel through maps that lack enough ammo boxes to get you past a group of enemies, such as if the enemy controls the center of Turbine.
  • The speed at which the Cloak and Dagger drains depends on how fast you are moving, but is capped at the Spy's normal walking speed (being launched by Stickybombs will not increase your drain rate, for example). Taking fall damage will still cause you to make sounds associated with falling.
  • While you can go further without having to wait to recharge if you crouch-walk, it is generally more efficient to run to a low-traffic area and recharge rather than slowly progressing with a crouch-walk.
  • When using the Cloak and Dagger, you can report information to your team, such as Sentry Gun placement or when an enemy is pushing, with a much lower risk of being caught.
  • If possible, hide in an open area that is rarely traveled. Most enemies will not expect you to high out in the open. However, many enemies will Spy check in common hiding areas for Spies.
    • Standing on top of objects or rocks will prevent many enemies from bumping into you.
  • Because you can Cloak indefinitely while not moving, it can be useful to lead an enemy around a corner, cloak while out of sight, and then hide to the side. If the enemy is a Pyro, it may be better to simply run.
  • Consider using the Your Eternal Reward with this watch; you will have to rely more heavily on your Cloak as you cannot disguise on command.
  • Using this watch, you can assist teammates in destroying Sentry Guns hidden behind proximity-activated doors. If you cloak and stand near one of these doors, it will remain open while a teammate, such as a Soldier, can safely destroy the Sentry Gun from a distance.
  • The Cloak and Dagger can be used for 'Spy capping'. To Spy cap, sneak past enemy lines and wait, while cloaked, on a Control Point. Once the Control Point is open, uncloak (making sure you are not disguised), and capture the final point.

Dead Ringer

Weapon Cloak
Cloak type Duration Activation time Deactivation time Recharge
Dead Ringer
Unlock
Dead Ringer 		Feign Death 6.5 sec 0 sec 1.8 sec 16 sec
  • The Dead Ringer makes a loud, distinctive sound which can reveal your location. Try to uncloak in a safe area, then move in for the kill. Note that the Saharan Spy set will reduce the magnitude of this sound.
  • Try being damaged for about a second and then pull out the Dead Ringer. It will make your feigned death appear more realistic.
  • While cloaked with the Dead Ringer, you take 90% less damage and you do not flicker if you take damage or bump into an enemy. Use this to your advantage when crossing choke-points.
    • Note that these effects only work for the Dead Ringer's initial duration.
    • You can recharge your Cloak with ammo while cloaked, however after the Dead Ringer's initial duration has passed, you will resume taking full damage and flickering if you take damage or bump into an enemy.
  • Disguising as a friendly offensive class, such as the Heavy, at the beginning of the round will make for a more convincing death and easier passage into enemy territory.
    • This can also be used to cause a Demoman to trigger his Stickybombs unnecessarily, clearing the way for your teammates to come in, especially at the beginning of rounds.
  • You can hold the Dead Ringer out while capturing a Control Point, carrying enemy Intelligence, or pushing the cart on a Payload map. Use this in combination with a friendly disguise to cause for a convincing death while helping out your team. You will need to uncloak to continue capturing an objective, however.
  • If ignited while you are cloaked, you can run to your teammates, as the Pyro will either not follow, or will be killed when he does.
  • Jarate and Mad Milk will not wash off if you use the Dead Ringer while covered in it.
  • If you are waiting or you are in an open area, keep the Dead Ringer held out if you aren't fighting. An enemy Spy or stray enemy fire could kill you while you aren't ready.
  • When using the Dead Ringer, try choosing friendly disguises while heading into enemy lines and then switching to an enemy disguise once you have infiltrated the enemy base.
  • Try to disguise after you use the Dead Ringer. If the watch activated in the middle of you disguising, you will still emit smoke visible to the enemy team.
  • If possible, don't pick up the nearest Health or Ammo pick-up. Many enemies will look to see if the pick-ups disappear. If you are low on Health, however, go for the pick-up and then escape.
  • If you need to take a long fall but don't have the Health to survive it, hold out your Dead Ringer to negate a large portion of the damage. You can also use fall damage to trigger your Cloak to get behind enemy lines.
  • You can prevent enemy movement for a short period of time by Dead Ringing and standing in front of a doorway or hall. This may allow your team enough time to regroup.
  • Disguising as a friendly Medic, staying on the outskirts of your team's territory, and then Dead Ringing may trick the enemy team into pushing forward.

Item Sets

The Saharan Spy Set

Article principal : Ensembles d'objets
Spy du Caire
Backpack The Saharan Spy Bundle.png
Effet(s)

Ajoute des effets de particules personnalisés lors d'une raillerie

  • The uncloak volume reduction this set grants you is invaluable when using the Dead Ringer; its main problem of people detecting you upon uncloaking is nullified, and as such it is entirely possible to backstab targets who just triggered your Cloak by uncloaking directly behind them.
  • The Invisibility Watch is completely silent when decloaking in conjunction with the Saharan Spy set.
  • However, with the normal Invisibility Watch or the Cloak and Dagger, bumping into people or running out of Cloak will cause your silhouette to flicker for a lot longer, revealing you much more easily. As such, it is inadvisable to use these unless it is a situation where the Dead Ringer cannot be used effectively.
  • A regular Spy works wonders among packs of enemies, where he cannot be noticed, while the Saharan Spy is much better at dealing with lone targets or in very big maps, where a regular Spy's decloak noise would give his position away. Keep this in mind and change your loadout accordingly.
  • Remember that even if you can uncloak silently, trying to stab and steal someone's disguise in an area guarded with Sentry Guns is not recommended unless you already have a disguise. This makes using the Dead Ringer to proceed behind enemy lines a lot more risky, as if you uncloak in a hostile area there will be no escape.
  • If an enemy sees you undisguised with the Familiar Fez equipped, they may assume you are using the Dead Ringer or Your Eternal Reward. Try to minimize the amount of time you are undisguised behind enemy lines.
    • For this same reason, you can exploit your appearance by purposely not using the whole set, but just wearing the hat. Most players will still assume you have the pros and cons of the set bonus.
  • When using the Dead Ringer in conjunction with the Saharan Spy Set an easy way to get behind enemy lines is take fall damage to activate the Dead Ringer, then move from ammo box to ammo box until a suitable backstab target can be found. This way, the enemy is unaware of your presence until you achieve the first backstab.
    • Try not to trigger the Dead Ringer when using the set, as your "deaths" will seem very obvious.
  • When approaching a group of targets from behind, try to stab a faster moving class such as a Pyro, Demoman, Medic, or Sniper first. This will allow you to run up to the slower moving classes more easily than if you started by stabbing a Soldier or Heavy first.
  • Just because you can't disguise without getting a backstab does not mean you are incapable of taking out a Sentry Gun. Approach the sentry while cloaked, and uncloak directly behind the sentry while holding down Mouse1 with the Electro Sapper out. The sentry will not lock on to you until you are completely decloaked, at which time the Electro Sapper will be placed. This tactic is extremely difficult if enemies are around.


The Man of Honor

Article principal : Ensembles d'objets
Homme d'Honneur
Item icon Mobster Monday Bundle.png
Effet(s)

Aucun effet

  • This set is designed for the Spy who likes to make large amounts of damage and escape quickly. The Enforcer and the Big Earner work together towards this goal, providing a higher damage output and a way to refill your Cloak faster.
  • Even though this set lets you choose your watch at will, the Dead Ringer is usually the Watch of choice to carry with this set eqquiped:
    • The Enforcer's downside does not apply to it, making this weapon a straight upgrade to the default Revolver.
    • The Dead Ringer's death fake ability helps offset the Big Earner's health penalty.
    • As an extra bonus, the Big Earner's Cloak boost reduces the chance of 'coming up empty' in an emergency with the Dead Ringer, allowing more leniency for mistakes

Weapon Combinations

Against Engineers

Most, if not all, tactics concerning Engineers will only work if the Engineer is not surrounded by allies. Use these tactics wisely.

  • A tremendously useful ability to have is the power to surprise an enemy Engineer. The worse the Engineer is at Spy checking, the better. An excellent way to check if an Engineer is in the vicinity is to Cloak, run in, and survey the area before retreating. However, this technique is less effective with the Dead Ringer equipped, as you cannot Cloak at will. When a lone Engineer is blocking an objective with a Sentry Gun, you can use the Ambassador to attempt to take out the Engineer at long range first, using nearby objects for cover.
    • An alternative strategy is to use the Engineer's own buildings against him. This can be done by disguising as a player with low health, and crouching near the Dispenser to heal your disguise, while simultaneously using the Dispenser as cover from the Sentry Gun. Using this strategy will allow you to eliminate the Engineer at close quarters, while being safe from his Sentry Gun's fire.
  • A lonely Engineer building a Sentry Gun can be easily killed by the Ambassador. Shooting him first in the head and then on any body part will kill him; afterward, you simply sap the building. Very useful if the Engineer is busy wrenching said building.
  • If an Engineer leaves his buildings unattended, some players may simply rush in and sap everything in sight. It is advised you do not do this, unless you are totally sure that the Engineer is dead or too far away to respond in time. What you should do is shoot at a building once, and then hide in cover to defend against the Sentry Gun. The Engineer may come rushing back to hit it with the Wrench, allowing you to then follow him back to wherever he was previously. Wait at the area and backstab him as he attempts to return to his buildings.
  • A similar tactic is to find an enemy building outside of the Sentry Gun's field of vision and sap that, then pull out the Ambassador and wait. When the Engineer comes to remove the Electro Sapper, quickly headshot him then shoot him, as the headshot on its own is unlikely to kill him. Since it takes two whacks with the Wrench to remove an Electro Sapper, you should have ample time.

Sentry Guns

  • A sapped Sentry Gun cannot fire. If the Engineer is standing next to them, you have several options:
    • Sap the Sentry Gun and then run out of the room with the Intelligence or try and cap a fast-capping/partially capped point. Remember, if you accidentally touch the Intelligence while disguised, you will lose your disguise, and the Sentry Gun will attack you.
    • Sap the Sentry Gun and stab the Engineer if he goes to repair it. If he is already in position and repairing the Sentry Gun, the Electro Sapper will be removed before you can switch to the Knife and backstab. If he is out of position, you will have time to make the attempt. If he is in position and is repairing the Sentry Gun, all you can do is run for it, or keep putting new Sappers on the Sentry Gun. He will keep removing them as you place new Sappers, but it takes a long time to destroy a Sentry Gun this way. You will almost certainly be spotted by a teammate of the Engineer and be killed without destroying the Sentry Gun.
    • Your Revolver can destroy Sentry Guns at long range well due to no damage falloff against buildings. Firing at a Dispenser first is the key to succeeding; once it's down, fire at the Sentry Gun. When an Engineer first deploys a building, it's vulnerable to damage. One or two Revolver shots will take it down quickly before the Engineer has time to set it up. Your Revolver does more damage against buildings that aren't sapped, so if you find a lone Teleporter or Dispenser, and an Engineer isn't far off, shooting it without sapping it is the best course of action. However, when there are no Engineers near by, sapping a building and fleeing is the best way to avoid being spotted.
    • In certain situations, a Sentry Gun may be built so close to the cap point that you can reach it while capping. In this instance, you can quickly sap the Sentry Gun, undisguise, and resume sapping the Sentry Gun over and over. However, watch out for the Engineer breaking the capture with his body. Watch the Spy Guide Part#2 Engineers: Section 2 by [ESG] Orca to see how it's done.
    • Communicate with your teammates asking them to tell you via voice commands or voice chat when they need a Sentry Gun disabled, and then repeatedly sap the Sentry Gun.
    • A Sentry Gun takes about a second to execute a full 180° rotation. If you are directly behind a Sentry Gun and the Engineer is close to and facing his Sentry Gun it is possible to take out the Engineer and then the Sentry Gun. It requires that you backstab and as soon as the Knife hits the Engineer use the quick switch key to change to your Electro Sapper and place one before the Sentry Gun locks on. Strafe with the Sentry Gun's rotation (remember that the Sentry Gun will attempt to rotate as little as possible to shoot its target) so that you will have more time to place your Electro Sapper. Note that due to lag, it is possible for the Sentry Gun to shoot you between the actual placement of the Electro Sapper and the Sentry Gun being shut down. A Level 3 Sentry Gun will not always kill you immediately (although it has a good chance of doing so unless your reaction time is superb); however, it will still be sapped and most likely destroyed.
    • If the Sentry Gun and Dispenser are in such a position that you cannot reach the back of the Engineer for a backstab, try jumping on the Sentry Gun or Dispenser and sitting on the Engineer's head. This is an ideal spot as it is in your victim's blind spot and will allow you to backstab him from above (and apply the stab and sap trick above). However, if the Engineer is crouched and tries to stand or jump, they will be unable to do so and suspect a Spy. At that range, a Shotgun blast or two will kill you instantly. This trick also works well against a Heavy taking the role of a makeshift Sentry Gun.
    • A difficult trick is to take advantage of the fact that Engineers take damage from the gunfire of their own Sentry Gun. Stand in a position where the Engineer is between his Sentry Gun and you, then uncloak. You will die, but hopefully so will the Engineer. This is useful if the Engineer is in a position where you simply cannot backstab him. Use carefully as this technique can easily backfire on you.
    • A variation of this trick can be used against a common Engineer Sentry Gun/Dispenser setup. Some Engineers like to sandwich themselves between their Sentry Gun to the front and a Dispenser to the back. Disguise as a Pyro (as if you are helping the Engineer Spy-check) and walk up behind him, so the Dispenser is between you and the Engineer. As quick as you can, fire a few rounds into the Engineer with the Revolver. Duck as soon as the Engineer dies from the combined damage of your Revolver and the Sentry Gun's fire. If done correctly, the Sentry Gun will lose you as you hide behind the Dispenser. Re-disguise, sap everything and leave. Watch the Spy Guide Part#2 Engineers: Section 1 by [ESG] Orca for a demonstration of how this is done.
    • The Engineer's Wrangler weapon permits the Engineer to control his Sentry Gun entirely. Take extreme caution, as many Engineers will Spy-check with this, and it will make sapping the Sentry Gun much harder. Killing the Engineer while he is using the Wrangler will give you a few crucial seconds to sap his Sentry Gun bullet-free.
  • With Your Eternal Reward, you can backstab someone in the range of the Sentry Gun including the Engineer behind it without being detected. Just remember that you need a disguise equipped before you can do this, otherwise the Sentry Gun will kill you as soon as you step in range uncloaked.

Dispensers

  • Keep an eye out for Dispensers once you infiltrate the enemy base. They will still heal you and you can use them while your Cloak is still active (when using the default Invisibility Watch or while cloaked with the Dead Ringer). In fact, all Dispensers above Level 1 can recharge your Cloak even while you're cloaked. Level 1 Dispensers don't recharge your Cloak but your Cloak won't drain, either. Instead, it'll stay at the same level, giving you time to plan your next actions. Level 2 Dispensers recharge it slowly and Level 3 recharge it much faster, so Dispensers can be crucial to your plan. Note that the healing beam CANNOT be seen when cloaked and when next to a Dispenser - but be sure to watch out for Engineers, as they will constantly run back to their Dispenser, possibly running into you and revealing you. To avoid the Engineer, jump on top of the Dispenser instead of standing beside it. Be careful though, as his teammates can still run through it and, if they do, reveal your location.
  • Note that on maps with narrow corridors, like 2Fort, Engineers may place superfluous Dispensers in locations that block your path. They also use these Dispensers to lure you into sapping them, thus alerting him and his team of your presence. If this is the case, you have 3 options: Crouch behind the Dispenser and use your Revolver to take it out or at least damage it (Provided there aren't any enemies around, they will hear the sound of your Revolver), crouch jump over the Dispenser (unless the Dispenser is placed in a position where you would've normally jumped on to the platform to reach it) or simply take another route.
  • When uncloaked, avoid standing on Dispensers. Because most players (except the Engineer who built the Dispenser) will clip through buildings, being spotted in this position will instantly ruin your disguise, unless you are disguised as the Engineer, but he will almost certainly see a clone of himself and kill you. Unless you have backstabbed the Engy already and you disguised as him, or the Engy is dead and you are disguised as him, do not go on top of a Dispenser uncloaked.
  • If you have no other option, using a Scout disguise and crouching behind a Dispenser while uncloaking may minimize the odds the Engineer will spot you instantly. This can be useful in small, commonly camped areas.

Teleporters

  • If you're disguised as an enemy and take one of your team's Teleporters, the glowing ring and trail effect will not show up. Using friendly Teleporters with friendly disguises will give you a ring and trail but these are removed when you next use an enemy disguise.
  • Walking over an enemy Teleporter exit when someone uses it kills you, a term called telefragging.
  • When you find an exit Teleporter, watch it to see which way players come out. Then stand behind the Teleporter and wait. When the next player comes out, backstab him instantly. He should report this to his team, but he'll be dead for a bit, so you can risk waiting a little for a second Teleport and kill, or you can just sap the Teleporter and leave the area. This is called telecamping, which is usually frowned upon by most TF2 players.
  • Due to the Patch du 13 août 2009, whenever a Teleport Entrance or Exit is sapped, the other automatically has an Electro Sapper placed on it as well, regardless of their distance from one another. However, the Engineer can now remove Sappers from both the entrance and the exit by using his Wrench on either. Although this makes it much harder for Spies to get cheap points by sapping Teleporter entrances outside the enemy spawn, a successful Electro Sapper on an active Teleporter will now give two points.
  • If you're trying to telefrag enemies with their own Teleporters, either step over them while cloaked or use a slow disguise (Heavy and Soldier are the best) in order not to draw too much attention towards you.
  • If you see enemy Teleporter entrances and exits in unusual places (often near their objectives), it could mean you are walking into an Engineer's trap - many Engineers place their Teleporters inside their base as an early warning system, hoping that you will be unable to resist sapping them and will thus alert the Engineer to your presence. (One way you can trick the Engineer in this scenario is by firing 2-3 Revolver shots at it, or if the Engineer is close by, hit it with your Knife as it is much quieter, but not enough to destroy it. Engineers will almost always expect a Spy to sap it if anything, so this may throw off the Engineer who built it)
  • As of the Sniper vs. Spy Update, the Spy is now able to use enemy Teleporters. This can be useful for getting into well-defended Sentry Gun nests and/or nests that would otherwise be unreachable.
  • If you can time it just right, it's possible to sap an enemy Teleporter entrance just as it teleports you. However, due to the Patch du 13 août 2009 this is rather pointless as you can achieve the same effect by taking the teleport and then sapping the exit. However, it does allow you to harass the Engineer as he attempts to knock your Electro Sapper off.
  • If you are lucky, you may manage to telefrag an enemy upon taking an opposing Teleporter. While this normally applies to your own team's Teleporters as well if an enemy somehow stands on it without destroying it, the likelihood is higher as a Spy, as enemies may be clustered around the exit on the other side. In some cases, you may even be able to telefrag the enemy Engineer on the other side. However, be aware that telefragging will immediately alert the Engineer who built the Teleporter.
  • A clever Spy can sneak his way to the enemy's Teleporter Entrance, sap it, and then stand on it, waiting for an Engineer on the exit side to knock off the Electro Sapper. Once the Electro Sapper has been knocked off the Spy will teleport to the other side, telefragging the Engineer if he is close enough, and is free to sap any buildings the Engineer has built. This is a risky but effective way of taking down forward bases built by one Engineer.
    • However, the above strategy becomes obsolete if there are two Engineers babysitting their buildings in the same location. The second Engineer will no doubt see/hear his buddy trying to repair his Teleporter and dying. There is usually no way to fight the second Engineer without the Sentry Guns swiveling and shooting you dead once you uncloak/remove your disguise. Your best hope in this situation is to either run, or sap BOTH the Sentry Guns as fast as you can, while avoiding the Wrench. If you're VERY lucky, you'll be able to get both of them, and then deal with your hard-hatted assailant. Assuming he doesn't just repair the Sentry Guns or Shotgun you to death, you could also try the continuous sap strategy.
  • Another way to deal with Teleporters is to simply sap the entrance, and then put another back on immediately after it gets knocked off, and repeating. As the Engineer cannot repair the Teleporter while it is being sapped, you can slowly wear down the entrance and take out both sides with little to no risk; this is one of the safer courses of action if the Engineer is smart enough to stand off of his exit and Wrench whoever comes through right after he knocks the Electro Sapper off. However, beware that this takes a long time, and in the case of spawns with only one exit, greatly increases the risk of an enemy seeing you and killing you. In this case, you can simply take out your Revolver and empty it into the entrance after sapping it, this will usually kill the entrance in most cases. If the Engineer is quick enough to knock off your Electro Sapper before you can destroy the entrance, simply place a second one on immediately and repeat, though repeatedly sapping will probably work better as your Revolver may be out of ammunition. This method is faster and reduces the risk of being discovered by the enemy in their spawn, but leaves you more vulnerable as you will not be disguised.
  • You can quickly kill Teleporters by sapping them and then shooting them a few times with your Revolver. Although this will attract more attention than just sapping, it may destroy at least one side of the Teleporter before the Engineer can remove your Electro Sapper thus reverting the other side of the teleport to level 1.
  • Hitting a Teleporter with a Wrench will only remove Sappers from the other end if the end being hit has finished building. If you sap a teleport early in its build, the Engineer may not have enough time to save the other end even if they're able to remove the Electro Sapper.

Infiltration

  • You can disguise as your own team by hitting - (or E if you have the simple disguise menu enabled) at the top of the keyboard after bringing up the disguise interface. As a friendly non-Spy class, players on the other team are much less likely to alert each other to Spies entering the base if they see you. However, the best way to get in and out is to Cloak properly.
  • While it may not seem immediately obvious to the Spy, as you slowly decloak you take on the color of your team until you are 100% visible. It is vital to let the Cloak come on fully before entering into areas where you would be seen. Try to decloak around a corner where an opponent can't see you. It's very obvious that you are a Spy as no other class is able to Cloak.
  • While cloaked, remember to avoid all enemy fire - if you're hit, you flicker visible. The same is true if you bump into an enemy. If you plan to rush out, tell your team-mates to let you go first (cloaked), so that stray fire from the enemy team at your visible team-mates doesn't reveal or kill you.
  • If you are discovered and must Cloak to run away (assuming that you are not using a Dead Ringer), use misdirection to break away from your foes. If you are running in a certain direction while you Cloak, your enemies will usually head in that direction, so you can immediately make a radical turn after becoming completely invisible, or even turn in the immediate opposite direction to get behind them for a backstab opportunity.
  • While cloaked, avoid giving away your position, especially to Snipers or if you have been busted, your pursuers. So do not:
    • ...pick up medkits (unless you're burning) or ammo crates.
    • ...enter the enemies' line of sight before your Cloak is fully active. (See above)
    • Also, if you go through an automatic door while cloaked and no one else is around, it is obvious that there is a Spy. If the door is very narrow, you still will become a very easy target, as you only have one direction to run in. Also, if you come out of swimmable water, water will be visible dripping from you.
  • You appear to have the same health as the target of your disguise did at the moment you took on that disguise.
  • Get a friendly Medic to heal you while you are disguised, because your disguised health level also rises to 100%, thus making you less suspicious when disguised while around the enemy spawn however appearing to be injured may be a good idea so you can get an enemy Medic to heal you. Note that overhealing will also be visible on your disguise, and if the enemy team has no Medics, walking around with an overheal may be a dead giveaway.
  • Avoid walking over medkits unless your real health is injured, your fake health level will appear to be injured and if you don't pick up a medkit when walking over it, it is a dead giveaway that you're a disguised Spy. You can only increase your disguised health level from Dispensers and Payload carts if your real health is injured. So if you're receiving a healing beam, and your health is not appearing to increase then those that know this telltale sign will know you're a Spy, so it's best to use a Dispenser and cart only if you're truly injured. But against less experienced players, being healed by a Dispenser or cart can makes you seem less suspicious. As of the Patch du 21 mai 2009, in the PC version, walking over a medkit will add to your disguise health. You will also pick up medkits if your disguise health is down, even if your real health is full.
  • Alternatively, if you have the Cloak and Dagger equipped, you can deliberately grab medkits in order to deny them to the enemy. While they will probably know that an enemy Spy is in the area, you can assist your team in this way by making your opponents easier to kill if your teammates are also relatively close by; however, this is also a double-edged sword since you can accidentally deny the medkit to a teammate who needs it.
File:Spy for Medic.jpg
Friendly disguised Blu Spy calling for a Red Medic
  • Remember that you can call for and be healed by enemy Medics while disguised. This is a great way to hold your cover, and also a good opportunity to backstab the opponent's support. Beware that this also risks drawing undue attention to yourself, especially if your alter-ego notices his own name calling for a Medic. For these reasons it is probably best to do this as a retreating maneuver.
    • Do note that if you are in a situation that you may think it is safe to call a Medic, such as separation from the other members, there is one giveaway that a person paying attention would notice. As a Spy, your Medic call copies your health, not the health of that who you are disguised as. Therefore, if the person you are disguised as has above half health, but you have below half health, then your Medic call will be red or vice versa and the deadly wounded teammate will call Medic in pure white, therefore if the Medic pays attention to the signs, calling Medic at the wrong health may be a dead giveaway that you are a Spy. If you notice that you might give yourself away, such as medicalling while almost dead while your disguise is healthy, then call Medic and look at them for signs. If they pull out a weapon like the Übersaw or Needle Gun and look at you, this may be a sign that you have just revealed your disguise to them.
  • Once in the enemy's base, communicate with your team. Talking might not move you up on the Scoreboard, but reporting Sentry Gun placements if a group of enemies are taking an alternate route or building a minibase can make a big difference and bring your team closer to victory. Note that on alltalk servers, your speech bubble is your own team color even when cloaked.
  • You can walk backward while heading for the enemy base, or look backwards occasionally while walking forwards. Retreating into an enemy base while disguised looks much less suspicious than running into it at full tilt (unless your disguise health is relatively low), but as this trick has been done so many times, it can appear obvious to the astute observer.
  • When you disguise yourself, you take the name of an enemy player that is playing the same class as the disguise. It is crucial that you try to use a class that is well represented by the enemy side to decrease the risk of coming face to face with the person you stole the name from. As of the Patch du 21 mai 2009, you can see whose name you have taken on on your disguise nameplate.
  • If you disguise as a class not represented by the enemy team, you take on a name randomly. This can be a dead giveaway as a glance at the score table will make your trickery obvious, so try to disguise as a class that you know the enemy has.
  • Try to act natural. Many times, an enemy will shoot you and not notice your health go down. If you do react to their shots, you can be certain that they and the rest of their team will hunt you down. If you continue heading in the same direction and if you seem to ignore the attack (assuming that it doesn't kill you), many times you will be left alone.
  • Expanding on the above, standing still while in the enemy base is highly suspicious, and most players will try to Spy check you. Making it seem like you were NOT harmed by this attack is the key to getting sneaky backstabs when they turn away. Be incredibly careful of Pyros however. If you see one heading for you, and he is actively Spy checking, RUN!
  • Before the Sniper vs. Spy Update, when disguised as a Medic, the ÜberCharge percentage did not show up when an enemy targeted you. This was a big giveaway. This was fixed in the Patch du 21 mai 2009, and now disguising as a Medic you appear to have a ÜberCharge percentage that the Medic you're disguised had when you took on that disguise. If there aren't any enemy Medics you will simply have a random ÜberCharge meter.
  • You may, while entering the enemy base, notice that an attack force is heading for your base. Running in the opposite direction of them will likely result in a Spy check. A great method to single-handedly stop this attack is trying to run with the group towards your base. This works well as it appears to the opposite team that you are not a Spy, and you can slow yourself down a little bit to get to the rear of the pack and backstab most, if not all, of them. Just be sure the person you are disguised as is not among them, or you will be very dead very quickly.
  • A dead giveaway that you're a Spy in disguise is the fact that your enemies are unable to walk through you. Once they bump into you, they will try to kill you immediately. When in small enclosed spaces, e.g. the sewers in 2Fort, walk close to the walls and be sure to leave enough room for enemy players to run past you.
  • Deliberately trying to avoid people in corridors is like saying, "Hey! Here I am! Shoot me!" and will likely get you Spy checked and possibly killed. If you see someone barreling down a corridor at you, it is usually a better idea to open fire on them then to risk bumping into them and being melee'd by them. Remember, your knife isn't exactly fantastic in a face-off. It is only good for backstabs and taking out already weakened enemies; you cannot count on facestabs to save you.
  • Keep an eye on the enemy players that are about to respawn. When did they die? What class did they play? What is their skill? Remember, these are the players that are going to be on your back in a few seconds. Use this knowledge to time your actions. If you know that the opponent's #1 Scout will respawn in a few seconds, let him pass by before you take any backstabbing/sapping action. Also remember, if you've just killed the same player twice in the exact same spot, they are going to be checking the area the next time they come through in order to find you.
  • Most importantly: There are many people (Pyros) who will Spy check anyone they see, regardless of team affiliation, just as a precaution. Because of this, you must remember to keep moving, change disguises frequently, and, whenever possible, avoid being seen by the enemy entirely.
  • As long as there's a damage indication on your HUD, you are semi-visible. Wait until the damage indicator clears before moving to ensure that you're completely invisible.
  • A good idea to make your disguise more believable is to get behind or near the enemy spawn, put on your disguise, wait until no one is around/not watching you, and then run forwards so it looks like you just respawned. Not only can it put you behind players leaving said spawn, but it also makes enemy players less likely to Spy check you thinking that you're someone who just came from their own spawn.
  • Picking up the enemy Intelligence does not yet make you a suicide flag runner. You can drop the Intelligence anytime (L by default), put on a disguise, or Cloak to recon ahead for danger and/or clear out an ambush. Afterwards, return to the Intelligence and resume carrying it when the path is clear. This is especially useful against Sentry Guns, which you can sap and then return to the Intelligence and Demomen, who like to block your path with stickies, essentially trapping you between themselves and anyone pursuing you from the enemy base. It's also a good way to lure other classes out of ambush, as they will move from their spot to check why has the Intelligence been dropped.
  • Disguises only fool enemies "at-a-glance". It's best to avoid being seen altogether and use cloaking more often.
  • While disguised, try to use voice commands such as Battle Cry. It will make your disguised player speak and do some mimics, and therefore it can fool some enemies who don't think about Spies being able to do those mimics.
  • Reloading the Revolver/Ambassador will reload the weapon equipped by your disguise. Use this for added realism.
  • If you are using the Cloak and Dagger, try to jump up on obstacles and ledges as you move through the map. Players use the obvious running pathways and will run right past you if you are cloaked. Standing on a crate allows you to recharge your Cloak without being bumped into and giving away your position. Standing on top of obstacles is also a good place to avoid Spy checking and escape pursuing players as they often forget to check the top of boxes and ledges.

Backstabbing techniques

For more information, see Backstab

Approaching the target

Approaching your victim for a backstab is difficult without getting caught. It is common for an enemy player to randomly Spy check hiding places and teammates. You can expect the enemy team to Spy check more often if they are alerted to the presence of a Spy.

The easiest targets to approach are distracted players who are busy with another task. Common targets are Engineers that are building/upgrading and Snipers who are looking through their Sniper Rifle.

There are a few things to keep in mind before going in for the killing blow:

  • Determine who your target is, and if they are a good target, before you approach.
  • Don't panic when you are discovered.
  • Make sure to double check the routes behind you before decloaking, especially in routes which are commonly used. A recently spawned enemy player might catch you decloaking.
  • Check your surrounding first before cloaking. An enemy player might be looking at your general direction. If you are lucky, they might not be suspicious of you, but if they start shooting at you, run and hide.
  • Check the Scoreboard for dead enemy players so you can be aware if someone will come out from spawn.
  • If you know that someone has just spawned, you can wait for them to pass by you. You can also try to delay their movement to the front line by timing your kill so they would be forced to look for you.
  • Your disguise protects you from passing glances, but only until they get suspicious. Kill your target as soon as possible.
  • Be aware of the speed of your Heavy and Soldier disguise. While enemies may be less suspicious of these uncommon disguises, you will have a much harder time trying to hunt down your victim.
  • A common mistake is to Cloak when the target is attacking you. Even if the target is aware of you, you can still kill them with techniques like stairstabbing, sidestabbing, or shooting.
  • Be careful on approaching the same target too often. Even the most inexperienced player will start checking their back after being stabbed too frequently.
  • When attempting to backstab during an enemy push, be sure to wait until they have engaged your teammates. Be wary of enemy players who are watching their team's back.
  • When you see a friendly Spy approaching a target, choose another target. If your teammate targets an Engineer, sap their buildings while they are distracted. You can also watch your teammates' back by targeting approaching reinforcements.
  • Use elevated areas to your advantage. With good timing and positioning, you can get your target within a couple of seconds.

A Spy's weapons and gadgets can drastically change how a Spy has to approach his target. Keep these tips in mind when choosing your loadout:

  • If you have the Dead Ringer, refill the watch as much as possible before going for your target. It makes for great insurance in case you fail to catch your victim and you start becoming the enemy's target. Make sure your death is convincing though or the area will be double-checked.
  • The L'Étranger can help quickly refill the Cloak meter in areas without ammo boxes, therefore you can Cloak in order to hide in case a backstab attempt fails. Be careful if you decide to shoot unaware players as they will turn their attention toward you.
  • With Your Eternal Reward, you cannot disguise until you backstab someone. You will need to proceed with caution when attempting a backstab.
  • Be aware of the level of noise each of your cloaking devices make. A common mistake is decloaking too close to your target, thus enabling them to hear you. The Saharan Spy Set nullifies your cloaking sound to a whisper, but it does not mean players cannot hear the cloaking sound.
  • Also, when using Your Eternal Reward try to predict and calculate your enemies movement and patterns to look for an opening in getting the first kill.

Techniques de Backstab

Voir aussi


Stratégie de Base
Leaderboard class scout.png · Leaderboard class soldier.png · Leaderboard class pyro.png · Leaderboard class demoman.png · Leaderboard class heavy.png · Leaderboard class engineer.png · Leaderboard class medic.png · Leaderboard class sniper.png · Leaderboard class spy.png
v • d • m
Stratégie communautaire
Leaderboard class scout.png · Leaderboard class soldier.png · Leaderboard class pyro.png · Leaderboard class demoman.png · Leaderboard class heavy.png · Leaderboard class engineer.png · Leaderboard class medic.png · Leaderboard class sniper.png · Leaderboard class spy.png
Confrontations des classes
Leaderboard class scout.png · Leaderboard class soldier.png · Leaderboard class pyro.png · Leaderboard class demoman.png · Leaderboard class heavy.png · Leaderboard class engineer.png · Leaderboard class medic.png · Leaderboard class sniper.png · Leaderboard class spy.png
Stratégie contre les classes
Leaderboard class scout.png · Leaderboard class soldier.png · Leaderboard class pyro.png · Leaderboard class demoman.png · Leaderboard class heavy.png · Leaderboard class engineer.png · Leaderboard class medic.png · Leaderboard class sniper.png · Leaderboard class spy.png
Astuces officielles
Leaderboard class scout.png · Leaderboard class soldier.png · Leaderboard class pyro.png · Leaderboard class demoman.png · Leaderboard class heavy.png · Leaderboard class engineer.png · Leaderboard class medic.png · Leaderboard class sniper.png · Leaderboard class spy.png
v • d • m
Leaderboard class spy.png Spy
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