Anti-Pyro strategy

“

Go to hell and tell the devil I'm comin' for him next! Click to listen — The Demoman

”

The Pyro is a relatively hardy class that excels at close range combat, particularly in confined areas where his Flamethrower is difficult to avoid. Due to the Flamethrower’s wide damage spread, the Pyro can focus more on outmaneuvering his opponents than aiming and has more leeway when fighting at close range. Additionally, the Pyro has access to the compression blast, a powerful source of utility that allows him to forcibly reposition enemies or reflect projectiles. The overall theme of the Pyro’s available weapons is close range power; because he lacks strong ranged weaponry, he is most vulnerable when distant from enemies or when in open areas.

General

Attributes	Anti-Pyro strategy
Role	The Pyro finds success in ambushing opponents rather than approaching them head-on. Be aware of your surroundings; take note of what available routes Pyros can take to ambush you.
Health	The Pyro has above-average health and can be a hassle to take down if allowed to enter close range.
Speed	Although the Pyro is relatively hardy, he only travels at the standard movement speed and is susceptible to being outmaneuvered or even defeated before he gets too close.
Power	The Pyro is strong at close range but has no effective long range weaponry. Keeping your distance will prevent much of the Pyro's possible damage.

Weapon-specific

Main article: Pyro weapons

Primary weapons

Weapon	Anti-Pyro strategy
Flame Thrower + reskins	It is very difficult to escape the Pyro's Flame Thrower once caught, so take note of routes he can take so that you can repel him before he reaches you. If you can't escape the Pyro, try to weaken him for your teammates before he kills you. Extinguish yourself as soon as possible once he sets you on fire to reduce afterburn damage. Remember where medkits and bodies of water are located or stay close to friendly Pyros and Medics who can extinguish you quickly .
Backburner + reskins	Watch your surroundings at all times to reduce the chances of a successful ambush by a Pyro. Never run away from a Pyro using the Backburner, or he will deal crits and kill you three times as quickly. Keep facing him while backing up. The Backburner uses much more ammunition for compression blasts; forcing a Pyro to reflect projectiles with it will quickly deplete the weapon's ammo. Knowing this, a Backburner Pyro will use their compression blast less often.
Degreaser	The Degreaser allows a Pyro to quickly switch weapons. This makes weapon heckling much less effective. The Degreaser deals minimal afterburn damage and requires slightly more ammo to airblast. Expect the Pyro to use another weapon to finish you off. Popular combinations include using the Flare Gun or Axtinguisher alongside the Degreaser.
Phlogistinator	The Phlogistinator promotes an aggressive playstyle. Don't allow the Pyro to easily enter close range or he will quickly fill his "Mmmph" meter. While a Pyro is taunting to activate the Phlogistinator's ability, he remains immobile. You can prepare for his attempted rampage by having your team focus fire him. Individually, class-specific methods for preparing include laying a carpet of Stickybombs, charging the Sniper Rifle, and getting into position for the Knife's backstab. The Phlogistinator cannot airblast, so you can freely use rockets, grenades, and other projectiles against the Pyro without fear of them being reflected.
Dragon's Fury	Bear in mind that this weapon does not play like any of the Pyro's other primaries, aside from the close-quarter-combat role. Avoid very tight areas where there is little room to move. Air vents and small corridors are where this weapon is most dangerous. Be as unpredictable as you can; the weapon is most destructive if a Pyro can land successive shots on you. While able to use the compression blast, this temporarily disables the Pyro's ability to attack with this weapon while it recharges. Using more rockets, grenades, or other projectiles during the period can be deadly. Keep in mind that a skilled user knows when to take cover or retreat. The weapon has a longer range than the other Pyro's other Primaries; try to land medium-range attacks on him.
Compression Blast	The compression blast's most obvious use is to shove enemies into environmental hazards, such as cliffs, or into corners and the air, where you are easier to target. Stay away from areas where a Pyro can easily pin you down or push you off the map. The compression blast can reflect projectiles; use bullets or fire your projectiles away from the Pyro's line of sight to reduce the chances of being struck by a reflected one. While the compression blast can reflect projectiles, there is a small cooldown time. Two or more teammatees can easily overwhelm a Pyro with more projectiles than he can reflect. The compression blast uses a significant amount of ammunition; if you can trick the Pyro into wasting compression blasts, his offense will be diminished. Try to delay firing successive shots - if you hold down the “fire” button, the Pyro may predict when you will fire the next projectile and reflect it with ease.

Secondary weapons

Weapon	Anti-Pyro strategy
Shotgun + reskins	The Shotgun is the Pyro's best secondary weapon against foes barely outside the Flamethrower's range. Maintain a wide distance from Pyros to reduce the effectiveness of both their primary and their secondary, leaving them helpless.
Flare Gun + reskins	The Flare Gun's projectiles should be easy to avoid in open areas, even at close range, as long as your movement is difficult to predict. The Flare Gun's projectiles deal guaranteed critical hits to burning enemies. If you are set on fire from a distance, extinguish yourself before re-engaging the Pyro. If lit up close, move erratically to reduce a Pyro's chance of finishing you off with a critical flare.
Detonator	The Detonator's flares can be remotely triggered by the Pyro to explode, creating a small blast that can ignite multiple targets. Stay away from your teammates to minimize the potential splash damage. Detonator flares only deal mini-crits to burning players, making it less effective at finishing enemies off. A Pyro can use the Detonator to perform a small Flare Jump, at the cost of a significant amount of health. Stay aware of all possible routes that the Pyro can take to reach you.
Reserve Shooter	The Reserve Shooter is capable of landing mini-crits on targets airborne through every type of knock back excluding airblast and bullets. A Pyro might deploy it to deal mini-crits on enemies that have been propelled in the air by a teammate. The Reserve Shooter's reduced magazine size makes the Pyro far less effective at anywhere outside close range, especially since it will not deal mini-crits on targets launched by the Pyro's airblast.
Manmelter	The Manmelter has unlimited ammunition and faster projectiles, making it more effective at continuous long-range harassment. Keep moving to reduce this weapon's effectiveness. The Manmelter's projectiles do not deal increased damage to burning players, making it less effective at finishing foes off. A Pyro will likely engage you with his Flamethrower instead. If an enemy is set on fire, try to finish them off before a Manmelter Pyro can extinguish them and gain a critical hit.
Scorch Shot	The Scorch Shot can ignite multiple targets with one hit. Don't stay clustered with teammates. The Scorch Shot's main draw is how its flares can knock enemies back; the knock back increases if you already are on fire. Don't idle while crossing places with long falls or other environmental hazards. The Scorch Shot focuses on keeping enemies on fire rather than finishing them off. Remember where you can find healing to negate afterburn.
Panic Attack	The Panic Attack deals less damage per shot and its bullet spread grows wider with consecutive shots, but it is barely affected by random spread, shoots more pellets at once and deploys 50% faster. Keep your range and force him to keep firing and increase his weapon spread. The Panic Attack is nearly useless at medium to long range. Keep your distance, and the Pyro will be helpless against you.
Thermal Thruster	The Thermal Thruster allows the Pyro to get an extreme amount of mobility that they otherwise lack. When fired, it flings the Pyro into the air, similar to a rocket jump. On take off, the Thermal Thruster is capable of extinguishing teammates and igniting enemies. The Thermal Thruster takes a second to activate before the Pyro can “jump”; ensure you are out of range during this moment. The direction the Pyro goes is based off the direction he is looking at; take this into account when they activate the Thermal Thruster. Avoid being in the landing zone; the Pyro can do 3 times the fall damage to enemies he lands on (similar to the Mantreads). Anyone in the landing zone will also be knocked out of the way. While this is not a reliable way for Pyro to do damage, be aware of this and make sure to avoid the incoming Pyro. A Pyro can use the Thermal Thruster twice in rapid succession; each “jump” requires 15 seconds to recharge, so take advantage of this if you know the Pyro has used both his charges. The Pyro can switch weapons in mid-flight. As such, they may already have their Primary out and ready to attack before they even land!
Gas Passer	This weapon can be considered the Pyro's version of Jarate or Mad Milk. Anyone who is in the Gas Cloud upon or enters it during the cooldown will be doused in Gas for ten seconds. If they take any form of damage is taken, the enemy will be afflicted afterburn for 10 seconds. This includes Pyros! Even the Rocket Jumper is capable of igniting you - though most Soldiers will not attempt to do this, keep this in mind. As such, it is generally best for you to avoid walking into the cloud. Continuous healing from either a Medic or a Dispenser will reduce the gas effect to five seconds. Lingering in the cloud does not reset the gas effects. Despite the fact that this is not shown in the weapon’s tooltip, the Gas Passer can extinguish teammates. Keep this in mind if you are in a large crowd of friends and foe alike. Unlike other rechargeable items, the Pyro does not initially spawn with the weapon ready for deployment. Instead, they have to wait 60 seconds before it can be deployed, though the charge time can be reduced as the Pyro deals damage. This leaves him with only his Primary and Melee to work with, so try to take advantage of his lack of range! If you are fighting him underwater, you will have a major advantage. 750 damage will fill the Gas meter up completely. The charge is retained in-between deaths, so keep in mind that killing a Pyro does not affect the Gas Passer's charge time - he may respawn with a full charge of gas! A Player is not considered "wet" when covered in Gasoline. As such, you will not take extra damage from the Neon Annihilator.

Melee weapons

Weapon	Anti-Pyro strategy
Fire Axe + reskins	Most of the Pyro's alternate melee weapons outclass the Fire Axe in terms of utility, since the Pyro is already fighting at melee range with the Flamethrower. As such, a Pyro will seldom use it. A Pyro attempting to use the Fire Axe in standard combat is likely new to the game - the Shotgun will deal more damage.
Axtinguisher + reskins	The Axtinguisher is usually used alongside any weapon that can inflict afterburn to quickly dispatch most classes. Keep vigilant to avoid being ambushed. Equipping the Degreaser or the Reserve Shooter allows a Pyro to switch to and attack with the Axtinguisher considerably faster. Repel the Pyro before he closes the gap, as the Axtinguisher deals massive damage against burning targets. The longer your afterburn duration, the more damage it does. A hit from the Axtinguisher from Degreaser fire will deal less damage than an Axtinguisher hit from Flame Thrower fire. Upon a successful killing blow to a burning player, the Pyro is granted a speed boost. The weapon does very low damage than the standard Fire Axe on non-burning players. As such, they are at a disadvantage if you are not on fire. The weapon holsters 35% slower. While this isn't much time, players can take advantage of this, as the Pyro will be unable to attack.
Homewrecker + reskins	Pyros equipped with the Homewrecker often watch over their team's buildings, protecting them from Spies. This playstyle can leave them more susceptible to attacks from long distances, especially enemy Snipers. Spies will have increased difficulty sapping buildings that are guarded by a Pyro equipped with the Homewrecker. Coordinate with teammates to distract or eliminate the Pyro. Buildings should not be left unattended, as the Homewrecker can destroy them in two hits. While an uncommon tactic, Medics sometimes will Übercharge a Pyro using the Homewrecker as a means of destroying Sentry Nests. This can be extremely destructive if left unchecked.
Powerjack	The Powerjack grants the Pyro bonus movement speed while it is active, allowing him to outrun any class except the Scout. The Powerjack gives the Pyro a 20% damage vulnerability. If you catch him moving between areas with it out, you can get in extra damage before he switches weapons. In combat, the Pyro will someitimes switch to the Powerjack to finish you off and regain some health. The damage vulnerability it gives the Pyro gives you a chance to fend him off yourself.
Back Scratcher	Engage a Pyro wielding the Back Scratcher from a distance, as you will more likely lose in close combat. The Back Scratcher gives a Pyro that roams alone increased healing from medkits. Try to take any nearby health packs before he can use them. A Pyro holding the Back Scratcher is healed by Dispensers and Medics at an extremely slow rate. Although it makes the Pyro a bad Medic buddy, a competent enemy Medic may use this to build an ÜberCharge faster.
Sharpened Volcano Fragment	A Pyro may use the Sharpened Volcano Fragment to conserve Flamethrower ammo, or as a last resort for lighting enemies ablaze. Regardless, never let the Pyro come close enough to reach you with the weapon.
Third Degree	As a Medic, consider temporarily breaking off contact with his patient when approached by Pyro with the Third Degree, in order to prevent yourself from taking damage. Hide behind your patient and heal him with the Crusader’s Crossbow. The Flamethrower is often more effective than the Third Degree when it comes to attacking a Medic and his patient. Either way, beware of possible ambushes.
Neon Annihilator	A Pyro may try to finish you off with the Neon Annihilator if you are wet. Keeping your distance remains a sound strategy. Beware fighting Scouts (who throw Mad Milk) and Snipers (who throw Jarate) in enemy territory; they may give opportunities to a Pyro trying to ambush you with the Neon Annihilator. The Neon Annihilator gives the Pyro one strong underwater weapon to use alongside his Shotgun. As when on land, keep a distance to minimize his effectiveness. The Neon Annihilator is able to break Sappers in 2 hits. Treat it like if the Pyro was holding the Homewrecker.
Hot Hand	Much like the Fire Axe, this weapon is usually foregone for other weapons with more utility. The weapon attacks the opponent in two consecutive hits. In order for a Pyro to do full damage, they have to hit you both times. Keep this in mind, as the weapon is not effective if the user cannot regularly get both hits in. The user gets a very brief speed boost on hit. This can help them get the second slap. Like the Holy Mackerel the weapon announces each Slap in the kill feed. This can be used to track down Dead Ringer Spies. The weapon will announce a kill as a "SLAP KILL!" in the kill feed. If you are a Spy using a Dead Ringer, keep in mind that the "SLAP KILL" will not show up in the kill feed. An observant Pyro may become aware of your feigned death! The weapon will only roll for random Critical Hits once. In other words, if the first hit is a Critical Hit, then the second one will also be a Critical Hit.

See also

• Fire
• Compression blast
• Team strategy