Community Scout strategy

The Scout is the fastest class and the quickest Control Point capturer in the game, making him a vital part of many teams. His small health reserve means that he needs to avoid direct combat at all costs, preferring circle strafing or just jumping on your head to get past you.

If your team is failing to capture Control points, the speed of the Scout can often make up the difference, even when under fire.

General

Combat

Never attack head-on. The Scout is designed to use his speed - his greatest advantage - to attack from the side or from behind, fire quickly, and retreat before the enemy has a chance to react. Scouts can die easily from a stray grenade or rocket, much less an aimed attack.

Without much health, wait for the correct moment to strike. Use walls and corners to your advantage, firing and retreating repeatedly to avoid losing health.

Double jump and fire your Scattergun at enemies; this gives them less chance to dodge. This works well with Heavies, who can't move out of the way quickly.

Scouts are extremely good at causing distractions, be it by using Bonk!, or simply getting past the front lines and causing mayhem near the enemies' spawn area. Pestering the enemy and getting them to chase you into distant areas of the map can give your team time to set-up defenses or stage an assault to push-back their front lines. Due to your superior maneuverability, you can often lead many enemies on a wild goose chase as they try to hunt you down and kill you.

Remember to retreat if the situation does not seem ideal for you as a Scout. Do not attempt to gun down a Heavy/Medic combo who is aware of your presence. A retreat from a battle does not mean that the battle is lost. Counter attack once your enemy thinks that you are no longer a threat.

The Scout is the smallest class and can hide behind objects better than every other class. When hiding, do not use the bat as your active weapon as it sticks out. This can be useful while waiting for a group of enemies to pass by.

While reconnaissance is an underused and undervalued activity in TF2, despite their name, Scouts are not particularly good at scouting. Snipers can see over long distances and Spies can Cloak and evaluate enemy movements, and both of these can fight pretty well while doing so. Scouts are very noticeable and not very easily used for disrupting enemy movement, but if you spot an enemy group, fall back and inform your team. If you don't have a microphone, use the "Incoming!" voice command (default key "X" + "1").

Try staying on the ground whilst fighting classes using hitscan weapons such as shotguns. Jumping can become predictable and can also make it harder to maneuver and aim.

You can't fight a Sentry Gun head-on, but if you can approach it sideways, you can take advantage of the Sentry Gun's slow rotation speed. Pop out of cover long enough to take a shot at it with your Scattergun. Wait about one second for the Sentry Gun to turn back to its default position. It is also possible to circle strafe a Sentry Gun, as it cannot turn quickly enough to fire at you. This is very difficult, however, and requires that you be as close to the Sentry Gun as possible.
- Alternatively, you can simply run past a Sentry Gun that isn't aimed right at you. This won't work if you pass through the Sentry Gun's default cone of fire.

Empty a clip of Pistol ammo into the back of a slower class (Heavy, Soldier, etc...) before you get within Scattergun range, then jump over them before they turn around to see what just bruised them and finish them with the Scattergun. This will not work on players with a fast reaction time as you're likely to be shot in the face as you attempt to jump over them.

Taking on a Heavy is not as suicidal as it might seem. Circle strafe around him, firing until he spins his gun up. If you are highly skilled with the Scout's double jump, after he begins firing his Minigun, double jump over him or try to land on his head. Aim down and fire away or switch to the Bat. If you are not skilled at double jumping or circle strafing, simply retreat and attack again once the Heavy turns his attention elsewhere.

If you are standing behind a Sniper, get as close to him as possible and fire your Scattergun twice. It will kill him immediately and he will have no time to react. The Force-A-Nature's knockback will disorient him even further, and you may even kill him by knocking him off a ledge.

Against Pyros attempting to airblast you into a corner and kill you with the Axtinguisher, it is a good idea to save your double jump until he gets close, then jump over his head.

An entire team of Scouts can attempt a Scout rush, but this is a risky maneuver. Joining forces with even a handful of other Scouts is still a good idea, since the Scouts can buy time for the team while the slower, stronger classes catch up. When in a Scout rush, coordinate your fire for maximum damage.

Speed

As the fastest character, it's best to keep moving at all times unless you find a safe spot to rest and heal for a few seconds.

You still run a lot faster than any other class when running backwards, so if retreating you should try running backwards to get a few more shots in.

When running to the front lines, run through your teammates as a form of Spy check. If you get halted, shoot the offender or bonk them on the head with your Bat a few times.

Jumping

Whichever movement key you are holding at the time of the double jump is the direction you will go. This allows you to immediately turn 90 or 180 degrees in any direction in mid air, and is a very good way to confuse defenders. This is especially effective against Snipers, who usually aim where they expect you to be just after their shot is fired.

Performing a double jump without pressing W, A, S, or D will cancel all directional momentum, regardless of speed. Use this to your advantage!
- Since you cannot change direction during the second jump, predict where people are attacking before double jumping.

The double jump can save you from fall damage. Simply jump just before you hit the ground, or jump to a ledge nearby as you're falling.

Use your double jump to full advantage. Take the higher roads over railroad cars and bridges. Most opponents will not look up, only forward. If it is safe to do so, attack from above, preferably on the enemy's head, to take them by surprise.

Certain ledges may require you to crouch-jump in order to reach them. Holding the crouch button while performing your double jump will allow you to reach those ledges.

If you are taking fire from an enemy, it's possible that jumping over their head and running away may help you evade. You can also use this maneuver to squeeze off a few more shots as they try to get a bead on you.

You are able to perform a triple jump of sorts if you have the Force-of-Nature equipped as your primary weapon, as the knockback from firing can be used to propel you an extra few feet upwards when aimed down.

Objectives

In Capture the Flag, your primary role is capture, not destruction. Evading enemy fire and then losing pursuing enemies in the map is sometimes easier than engaging them.

If you a meet a slower team-mate who has taken the enemy Intelligence, consider asking him to drop the Intelligence (Default key: 'L') so that you may carry it away faster. If he doesn't give you the Intelligence, try to draw attention away from the flag runner by harassing the other team at another location.

On Payload maps, the Scout's low profile can be hidden by crouch-walking next to the cart. This serves as a barrier from Sentry Gun fire or possibly a Heavy's Minigun fire while simultaneously pushing the cart.

Miscellaneous

As a general rule, the usefulness of Scouts is inversely proportional to the number of players in the server and the size of the map. However, even in a full 32 player server on the final area of Dustbowl a Scout can be useful on either offense or defense. But, as is also the case with many other classes, it is not a good idea to have too many.

You may want to increase your mouse (on Xbox: "Look") sensitivity if you plan to play as a Scout. When running at full speed and jumping in all directions, it will come in handy, especially in close-quarters. (see the Sniper strategy for more details.)

Alternatively, you could turn your sensitivity down. Aiming precisely may be difficult at high speed; a low sensitivity gives you more control and precision, especially when attacking mid-range with a Shortstop, Pistol, or the Sandman.

Keep your weapon fully loaded whenever possible. After a firefight, make sure to reload your weapon, as the Scout's weapons have precious few rounds in each clip, and having that extra shot will come in handy when when you need it most, such as during an ambush in tight quarters or an attack by another Scout.

Switch weapons after you've emptied your shotgun's clip, it's a lot faster to switch to your pistol and finish off your enemy rather than load a new shot into your shotgun, and can win you the firefight.

Weapon Specific

Example Combinations
Combo			Usage
Scattergun	Bonk! Atomic Punch	Sandman	This setup is most useful when you need to get by enemy Sentry Guns in order to capture a control point or intelligence, as the Bonk! Atomic Punch will allow you to run past unharmed. The Scattergun's larger magazine size compares to the Force-A-Nature's makes up for the lack of a Pistol. The Sandmans's ability to hit a stun ball can serve as a last minute attack when the last shell has been fired, or as an offensive mechanism to get in a couple of good hits when attacking. It also gives a better long range alternative, since the Scattergun is useless beyond close range. In medieval mode, this setup is good to leap over enemy lines, while providing some minor ranged attack with the stun ball.
Force-A-Nature	Pistol	Sandman	A modification for the Force Knockback Setup in which the normal bat is replaced with the Sandman. Use caution while using this setup though; The Sandman takes away 10% of your health and therefore will make you prone to dying early. On the bright side, this setup has a very effective use. Get up close and personal with your opponent with the Force-A-Nature and knock them off balance with it. Should you do something wrong and didn't make the kill, use your stun ball as you retreat and plan again for another strike. Simple as that.
Shortstop	Mad Milk	Holy Mackerel	The Special Delivery Setup This setup is the weaponry of The Special Delivery pack, and when paired with the Milkman, will provide 25 extra health. The Shortstop deals 20% less damage than the Scattergun, and holds less slugs, but fires quicker, and has a much faster reload. The Mad Milk is great for when you're against more than one enemy, or when you've taken considerable damage. Paired with the Shortstop's ability to slow down enemies, it is easier to get the most health out of a Mad Milk toss. The Holy Mackerel is a reskin of the Bat, and has the same capabilities and downfalls as it. Use this setup when you know you'll be facing multiples of enemies, or when there are few medics on your team.
Shortstop	Crit-a-Cola	Boston Basher	Pairing the Shortstop with the Crit-a-Cola is a smart way to deal massive damage. The Shortstop deals great damage with even Mini-Crits, and paired with 4 rounds per mag, and a speedy reload, is potentially lethal to even Heavies themselves. The Boston Basher is great with the Crit-a-Cola due to its bleeding effect. Given that Crit-a-Cola also makes you prone to guaranteed Mini-Crits as well, it is important to have a nearby healing source or Medic in case one misses with the Boston Basher.
Force-A-Nature	Mad Milk	Candy Cane	An ideal setup in Medieval mode, and an acceptable supportive mode in normal gameplay. Since the only explosive attack is from the Ullapool Caber, the Candy Cane, coupled with the Mad Milk, can help you and your teammates survive long enough to capture a point. In normal gameplay, however, players of this setup have to be careful from explosive damages, and thus should not be enaging in front lien combat unless required.

Scattergun

When using your Scattergun, a reliable way to ensure you hit consistently is to actually not use your mouse to aim, but to strafe left and right with your cross-hair centered, firing when your cross-hairs and opponent match up. This allows you to focus on moving more efficiently and erratically, making you harder to hit, while at the same time making your aim smoother and more accurate via prediction.

Teamed with a double jump, the Scattergun can be used to kill an enemy Medic with an unactivated ÜberCharge before he is aware of your presence. It is important that your first shot hits because your target will see tracers fly by and hear your gunshots, leaving them alerted to your presence. Two point-blank shots to a Medic will normally kill him, while 3-4 at medium range will do the same job.

Beware of the stronger classes. Sometimes three point-blank shots with the Scattergun fail to kill enemy Soldiers, especially when overhealed.

Range makes a huge difference to the damage the Scattergun inflicts. If you are undetected, avoid firing early. Wait until you are as close as you can get to the enemy and then open fire. This reduces the number of times you need to hit the enemy, giving them less time to react, and means you won't run out of ammunition in the middle of a firefight.

Coupled with the Sandman, the Scattergun has a much higher damage potential than the Force-A-Nature. It is able to deal a maximum of around 300 damage if you manage to get all six shots in before they recover, over a period of a few seconds.

It takes roughly 2 to 3 Scattergun shots to kill a Level 3 Sentry Gun, assuming all pellets hit. Coupled with the lesser spread, higher ammo count, and steady rate of fire, the Scattergun is much better suited for 'Edging' and/or destroying a Sentry Gun than the Force-A-Nature.

When dueling an enemy Scout, staying at mid range is generally the best policy, unless you can get in close between their shots to achieve a close range meatshot and deal huge damage. By staying at mid range you allow yourself more room to dodge or hide behind cover, as well as more time to reload. That said, if your aim is good enough, close range can be just as good due to the ease of dodging by jumping over them here, assuming their aim is worse.

When attacking enemies from behind, don't ruin the surprise with an ineffective shot at long range. Close in to nearly point-blank before opening fire.

Force-A-Nature

When using this weapon, try not to get into a firefight with more than a few enemies. The slow reload time, small clip, and short range is not suited for these kinds of fights. Instead, try to take on only one enemy at a time so you don't get overwhelmed, and try not to approach them from the front. Come from the sides or behind to take him out before he knows what hit him.

If you plan on using the Force-A-Nature, you should probably bring the Pistol as well. The Force-A-Nature's small clip size means that without the Pistol, you will be essentially weaponless for the two seconds after you fire both shots.

Keep in mind that you can jump even longer distances with this weapon by jumping, aiming below you and firing at the end of your second jump. Only fire one shot, as the second shot fired while in the air has no effect on you. A couple of interesting facts regarding the Force-A-Nature jump: A Force-A-Nature jump has slightly higher clearance than the standard double-jump. Finally, while at maximum speed, you can gain no forward momentum what-so-ever from the Force-A-Nature, so firing in such a way as to try and lengthen your jump is fruitless in this situation (when stationary or moving slower than normal, such as under the influence of Natascha you will gain momentum up to the Scout's normal maximum speed).
- However, you can gain rearward momentum when in the air moving backwards, so if you are traveling through an open area, you can clear large distances quickly and perhaps more importantly off the ground and out of the crosshairs of Snipers by doing a quick 180 turn, simultaneously switching from forward to backward movement, jumping, and firing the Force-A-Nature just after the peak of the jump's height.
  - Although firing a second shot in midair does not affect your momentum, it is unwise to engage an enemy with only one shot loaded, and reloading with one bullet in the barrel will throw it away. It is invaluable to know when to reload and when you can afford to save the bullet for a quick shot or another triple jump.

Use the Force-A-Nature's knockback ability to your advantage, two simultaneous shots can send enemies several meters and into hazards such as the pits in Lumberyard and Steel. It's particularly useful in Steel and Mann Manor where the enemies tend to huddle around the last point. You can jump in, blast two people right off the point and run to reload and strike again later (provided they have yet to raise the safety rails).

A good overall strategy to do with the Force-A-Nature is to use the knockback ability and then follow through by sinking a clip from your Pistol into them, it is much easier since they will be knocked back in a straight line, giving you some time to get some quick shots in. You might kill them, but even if you don't, they're probably so weak that one of your allies should be able to take them down easily; thus granting you an assist kill.

If you spot an enemy from far away, and he hasn't spotted you, don't fire at him over a long or even medium distance. Wait until you are at point blank then fire the two shots to get the maximum effect.

Be wary that a point-blank shot from the Force-A-Nature will send your target flying a significant distance. So if at all possible, be wary of where your shot will throw them into. It's not terribly hard to accidentally send your target into a med-kit, into the safety of Sentry Gun coverage, or even into a cluster of his teammates.
- However, this same concept can be used to your advantage. You may use the knockback capabilities of the Force-A-Nature to send your enemies flying towards your teammates, who will then be able to finish them off, or into the line of fire of your friendly Sentry Guns, or even off of a cliff or into an environmental hazard, such as Trains or Saws.

Firing point blank at an upward angle, either by terrain or by crouching and looking up can send your target quite high into the sky, making falling damage a factor. It might just be enough to finish an opponent who had initially survived your two shots.

Be careful when trying to fire at an enemy from above with the Force-A-Nature, as while the knockback keeps enemies pinned down for a second, the self-knockback will keep you in the air or blast you slightly backwards, possibly throwing off your aim and sending you in a predictable line for people to aim. For this reason, the Force-A-Nature is generally better to attack enemies on the same level or from below, so that they take the full force of the knockback and you still have control.

When you use this weapon, a good idea is to turn off the automatic-reload feature if it is active. The Force-A-Nature discards the remaining round if reloaded with the other one in so you must either make a choice to fire or to reload at will.

The Force-A-Nature can be used for Spychecking effectively. Try to rush through any suspicious team mates you see, and if that fails, use the Force-A-Nature's knockback to immobilize the Spy and prevent him from killing someone quickly.

Use the extra boost to your advantage, to jump long distances double jump and then shoot. Use this to reach far places quickly such as Control Points!

A handy little trick with the Force-A-Nature is to zip away from incoming projectiles. Every now and then you'll find a projectile hurtling towards you with both of your jumps expended. Take a quick turn to the side and fire off a blast and you'll find that attack hurtling past where you used to be.

The Force-A-Nature can push ÜberCharged enemies. Use this either to push enemies away from your teammates, or to break the Medi Gun beam and attack the now-vulnerable target.

The Force-A-Nature has quite possibly the worst accuracy of the Scout's weapons. Keep this in mind when you're trying to take down an enemy. Pairing the Force-A-Nature with the Sandman works quite well as being able to stun them, even at minimum range, will allow you to get in and hit them with two quick shots.

Hitting an enemy with two Force-A-Nature shots and then running behind him as he flies backwards will allow you to hit him with another two shots. This fast combo can deal up to 260 damage, so most classes can be taken down before they have a chance to counter attack.
- Keeping that point in mind, you can use the Force-A-Nature to quickly assassinate lighter classes (e.g. Engineers, Scouts, Spies but most importantly Medics.) Use the Scouts speed to get point blank, and quickly unload the 2 shots.

"Hit and run" tactics are quite effective with this weapon. Try to fire both shells at close range, and then quickly dart behind cover or at least create some distance between you and the enemy. Time it so that by the time you are reloaded, you are back in close-quarters and ready to finish off your opponent.

Shortstop

Halfway between a Pistol and a Shotgun, the Shortstop has advantages and disadvantages from both weapon types, making it a good choice when you want to be prepared for a little bit of everything.

The Shortstop is useful at both long and short range. Try attacking an enemy up close, then retreating to finish him off.

The Shortstop pairs well with Crit-a-Cola, as its slightly faster firing rate and quick reload, combined with its movement-hampering effects, can maximize the damage inflicted by the Mini-Crits.

Using the Crit-a-Cola from range and firing off a few Mini-Crits will serve to weaken your opponent before getting up close. This will help level the playing field health-wise, since Scouts have low health compared to the other classes, and especially so if they have the Sandman equipped.

Using the Crit-a-Cola at a long distance with the Shortstop can help to neutralize the negative effect of the cola. Keep moving while blasting away at your opponents with Mini-Crits; most classes with long range ability will find it difficult to keep up with a Scout's dodging speed.

The Shortstop has a very loud distinctive boom when shot, alerting unaware enemies you may be trying to flank. Don't forget about your much-quieter Bat!

Four direct hits from the Shortstop can kill most classes, but the Heavy can survive four point blank shots, leaving you vulnerable while reloading.

When combined with Mad Milk, this weapon can be devastating against the heavier classes, healing you as you deal damage. With good accuracy, you can even take down a Heavy in 6 shots using the healing effect.

The Critical hits from this weapon are devastating. 194 damage possible per shot, with 4 fast shots, translates to 776 damage. You can easily kill an overhealed Heavy from mid-range, and if you manage to not kill your target with the Crits, you've likely wounded them enough that you can finish them off easily. If you see yourself fire a Crit, blast away!

The Shortstop draws from the same ammunition reserve as the Pistol. Pairing these two weapons will drain your ammo reserve quickly. Conversely, because the Shortstop makes the Pistol somewhat redundant, it is a natural choice to pair with any of the Scout's secondary drinks.

Remember that each shot fired brings with it mild knockback to airborne opponents, and 4 shots can push them fair distances similar to the Force-A-Nature. Use this to your advantage when fighting Scouts and soldiers trying to jump or rocket to your location or a vantage point. This can be used to cause environmental deaths, so positioning yourself on the opposite side of a hazard with an opponent between can be helpful.

The Shortstop has a capability allowing a very speedy reload. To perform this extra speedy reload when drained of your ammunition, simply hold the reload button when firing. This cuts at least 40% off of the reload time and can cause you to gain the upper hand.

The Shortstop is the Scout's most accurate primary weapon, making it a good weapon for sniping enemy Sentry Guns from a distance.

Usually, it is a much better idea to fire all four shots from the Shortstop rather than using just one and aiming the next three, since Shortstop´s reloading time is very fast. This is somewhat similar to what happens with the Force-A-Nature.

Pistol / Lugermorph

Targets too far away for the Scattergun should be fought with the Pistol. It is also a reasonable back-up weapon for when your Scattergun runs out of ammunition, and has reliable aim. It can destroy Sentry Guns, Dispensers, and Teleporters at medium range if the situation calls for it; but expect this to use up around half of your Pistol ammunition.

When running towards enemies aware of your presence, try firing at them with your Pistol before closing in on them with your Scattergun or Force-A-Nature. When taking on 125HP classes, 2–3 seconds of accurate Pistol fire can take away a quarter to a third off their maximum health allowing you to finish them off with a strong blast of your primary weapon.

One of the Pistol's primary uses is to finish off wounded targets attempting to retreat.

Scouts only carry 36 spare rounds of Pistol ammunition on top of the 12 round magazine in the weapon. The Pistol can waste a lot of ammunition if fired haphazardly into a firefight. Choose your targets wisely, and aim carefully.

The Pistol reloads much faster than the Scattergun. When both are empty, reloading the Pistol first will have you firing much sooner.

Be wary of when the Pistol actually reloads. Changing weapons before it finishes reloading only means that you have to reload again. Wait about a half-second after the pistols reload animation finishes, and make a mental note of when your magazine count changes. It's fairly easy to screw up a reload because it doesn't exactly sync with the end of the animation.

The Pistol is also a great distraction. If you can run behind enemy lines and squeeze a few shots from the rear and then run away, players will often try to follow, making your team's life easier.

The Pistol works well with the Force-A-Nature. Simply sink two shots into your enemy with the Force-A-Nature, switch to your Pistol and fire at them. It is much easier as the enemies will be knocked back and you won't have to account for movement for a few precious shots.

The Pistol is one of the more deadly weapons to have criticals for, if you happen to get first blood in Arena, switch to your Pistol as it can take ANY class down in one clip including most overhealed enemies if you fire fast and accurately enough.

Though the Scattergun trumps it in short ranges, at medium to long ranges your Pistol is a far better option for taking out Sentry Guns than any other Scout weapon. If you're out of the Sentry Gun's range, hitting the Engineer with a Sandman ball and then destroying the Sentry Gun with your Pistol will make this job infinitely easier.

It is best to take the Pistol as opposed to Bonk if you are not planning on working in areas with enemy Sentry Guns, though using the Pistol as stated before is just as effective on enemy Sentry Guns.

The Pistol shares ammunition with the Shortstop, so using both together is probably a bad idea, unless you play on a map with tons of metal, such as Dustbowl.

Bonk! Atomic Punch

Use Bonk! for dodging around things you would normally run away from, like Sentry Guns, Heavy-Medic pairs, or large groups of enemies. It makes for a very good retreating device, assuming you survive the time required to bring out the can and drink from it and are also able to distance yourself sufficiently from the enemy.

While a Scout on his own isn't all that grand for scouting as stated above, this changes when using Bonk!. It's a very good idea to take a drink before turning a corner that could potentially have a Sentry Gun or sticky bombs around it, especially if there are allies behind you. Doing so can allow for an ad-hoc über situation where your allies can take out the opposition while you provide cover and distraction. If you have no one backing you, simply reporting what you found via voice chat or yelling 'Sentry Ahead' can potentially save your teammates.

It is very easy to distract enemies while you are under the influence of Bonk!. Enemy Snipers can be distracted as they try to shoot you or keep their crosshairs on you waiting for your invulnerability to wear off. Running into Soldiers and Demomen will usually result in them hurting themselves as well as being distracted. Heavies and Pyros are also easily distracted if you run circles around them. This strategy can also be used to counter enemy ÜberCharges; body-blocking a Medic's patient can waste up to six seconds of their preciously short invincibility or Critical hits period. More importantly, it saves your Medic's ÜberCharge for dealing with the enemy, rather than countering the enemy's ÜberCharge.

Bonk! can be used as a temporary ÜberCharge for taking out Sentry Guns, providing a distraction while your teammates attack. This tactic is of particular use on low population servers or on Arena, where ÜberCharges can be quite rare or lengthy to build up.

You can use enemies to travel long distances using Bonk! as well. This is mainly something used in conjunction with an enemy Engineer's Sentry Gun or a Demoman's sticky bombs. With a Sentry Gun, simply jumping while being fired at will cause you to go flying in the direction the Sentry Gun is firing when you jump, combined with a double-jump you can get more height as well (Though be mindful of the map, as the Sentry Gun can easily pin you into a corner on the ceiling). A Demoman's sticky bombs can safely send you behind enemy lines; this is particularly useful on Attack/Defend maps like Dustbowl or Payload maps while on the offensive team; not only will you potentially disarm stickys at the gate for your teammates, but there's a good chance the blast will send you flying behind enemy lines.

Use Bonk! to distract enemy Demomen. If he detonates his stickies, your team is safe. If he doesn't detonate them, you will be in a prime position to take him on head to head. Often times the Scattergun will trump the Grenade Launcher due to its speed and increased close range damage. It is a lot safer for you to fight close range than it is for a Demo, just make sure to stay out of melee range.

Bonk! can be used to reset an intelligence return countdown, or to keep a Payload cart from moving backwards if it's being heavily defended. In the case of Intelligence, you can actually run off with it if you're very lucky. At the very least you should be able to move it into a more favorable position for your team.

Bonk! can be used to avoid the after-burn damage from Pyros when you're already on fire. Though the after burn will continue to damage you when Bonk wears off, the life extension Bonk gives you just might be enough to reach a water pool, med pack or Medic before you burn to death. However, you will continue to take after-burn damage if you are set on fire by a Flare Gun.

The energy drink can also be used to safely get in range to circle strafe kill a Sentry Gun that is in the open. As long as the path is clear enough for you to run 360 degrees around the Sentry Gun, you can circle strafe and kill the Sentry Gun with either Shotgun or even your Bat. Just be careful not to run too fast so the Sentry Gun switches directions and be wary of its angry owner and teammates stopping your circle strafing. This is easily one of the hardest things to accomplish as a Scout, so don't expect to walk away from these attempts often, if at all.

If you drink some Bonk! after emptying your Scattergun clip, you can fully reload your gun while you are invulnerable.

Bonk! can be used to safely kill an Engineer with his own Sentry Gun by putting him between you and his gun. Often the Engineer will be hiding behind his gun when it is firing, so you will have to loop around and hope he does not move with the Sentry Gun. If the Engineer has a Dispenser up which he is sitting in front of, you can loop around to behind the Dispenser, wait for his Sentry Gun to kill him and then crouch so that the Sentry Gun does not notice you unless you poke your head over the top. This is especially useful for taking care of the Sentry Gun assuming you don't destroy the Dispenser first, as you can edge it and use close range Scattergun shots to dispose of it as it detects you and turns.

If covered by Jarate, drink Bonk! to immunize yourself from the increased damage you will take otherwise. The combined time of switching to Bonk!, drinking it, and then waiting out the effects should be enough time for the Jarate to wear off. It is also possible to be Jarate'd during the effects of Bonk!, so if this happens make a hasty retreat before you begin taking damage again.

Crit-a-Cola

Crit-a-Cola is a high-risk, high-reward weapon. A Mini-Crit-boosted Scattergun is a very powerful weapon, but its glow can single you out as a target, and since you'll take Mini-Crits too, you can die very fast. This encourages more of an ambush style of play for the Scout.

During the 6-second Mini-Crit period, a Scout can fire up to 7 Scattergun shots, 6 Force-A-Nature shots, 9 Shortstop shots, and swing any melee weapon 10 times.

At point-blank range, one blast from the Scattergun or Force-A-Nature, with the Mini-Crit buff, is capable of killing any 125-HP class from full health. Therefore, if you find yourself behind multiple Snipers, the Crit-a-Cola can theoretically give you one kill per shot.

Sometimes, it's wiser to only fire off a few shots and run away after drinking Crit-a-Cola as opposed to staying and fighting for the whole duration, since your opponents can kill you so easily.

Mini-Crits don't suffer from damage falloff, so your primary weapon will remain useful at a longer range.

Combined with the Force-A-Nature, the Mini-Crits provided by Crit-a-Cola can become a devastating 'Alpha-Strike' attack, especially if you have the drop on your opponent. This tactic is best used for taking out a single, high-priority target, such as a Medic with a prepared ÜberCharge, or distracted in the middle of a Kritzkrieg rush. At point-blank range, a single round is capable of dealing up to 150 damage, making it possible to kill any class (asides from overhealed enemies, Demoman, Soldiers, and Heavies) with both rounds under ideal circumstances.

Crit-a-Cola is also a good partner with the Shortstop because you can take down any class (except for a heavy) in one clip with Mini-Crits. The Shortstop's extra range and tighter spread combined with the Mini-Crits not being effected by damage falloff allows the Scout to effectively strike opponents with Mini-Crits from a safer distance than is possible with the Scattergun or Force-A-Nature.

On the other hand, using the Scattergun will allow you to deal much more damage overall during the Mini-Crit period. The Shortstop's lower damage ratio and Force-A-Nature's constant reloading prevent them from dealing as much damage as the Scattergun.

If you're using the Crit-a-Cola, and you're lucky enough to catch several opponents unaware simultaneously, take advantage of the fact that your Melee weapon is extremely quiet, and does not require reloading like guns do. This tactic works better with the standard Bat, rather than The Sandman, as the unlockable Sandman lowers your total HP, making you easier to kill once your enemies catch onto your plan.

As soon as you get covered in Jarate, drink Crit-a-Cola. If done quickly enough, it will finish before the Jarate does, making you stronger, while the Mini-Crit penalty of Crit-a-Cola does not stack with that of Jarate.

Similarly, if the enemy team is pushing with a Buff Banner (Or, of course, an enemy Scout with Crit-a-Cola), drink Crit-a-Cola. Its Mini-Crit debuff does not stack with the enemy team's Mini-Crits, while granting you Mini-Crits without a downside may level the playing field a little in terms of both teams dealing Mini-Crits. There may be a slight advantage to using Crit-a-Cola against an enemy who has a Critical hit Boost, as their criticals will not stack with your Mini-Crit debuff. This is a risky strategy, however.

Inversely, never drink Crit-a-Cola when under the effects of a friendly Buff Banner, a Critical hit Boost or when facing an enemy covered in Jarate. Your Mini-Crits do not stack with Critical hits or other Mini-Crits, and weakening yourself with a Mini-Crit debuff is detrimental.

The same rule applies when facing only an enemy Scout under the effects of Crit-a-Cola, since they already receive Mini-Crits it is redundant to drink your Crit-a-Cola. However when more enemies are present or the enemy Scout's Mini-Crit period ends, then drinking Crit-a-Cola gives you an advantage.

A good tactic is to drink Crit-a-Cola while under the effects of a friendly Battalions Backup, since the defense boost makes you immune to not only Critical hits, but Mini-Crits as well.

Avoid drinking Crit-a-Cola when facing alert Soldiers. You will die to a single direct hit from the regular Rocket Launcher, and if you are using the Sandman, one point-blank Shotgun shell will also kill you.

It's recommended to avoid using the Sandman when equipped with Crit-a-Cola, simply because the 15 health lost may be very well needed during the Mini-Crit period.

Be careful when going up against Snipers with the Bushwacka equipped, as they will Crit you during the effect of the Crit-a-Cola.

Keep in mind when you use Crit-a-Cola you will automatically switch to your bat after drinking it, so remember to either have a plan for using your bat, or switch as quickly as you can to your primary.

Crit-a-Cola synergizes best with the Shortstop because its tight spread allows the Scout to fight at a distance. This reduces the danger of being hit by enemies and also means the Scout doesn't need to waste most of the drink's active period closing in on enemies for an up-close shot.

Mad Milk

Mad Milk allows you to remain in a combat situation for longer without dying/retreating, as you will be regaining health as you fight.

Aside from The Special Delivery set bonus, the Mad Milk can actually be more effective with the Scattergun over the Shortstop, as the two extra shots can keep you alive longer via the milk's effect as well as kill an enemy the latter gun would not have.

While still risky, it makes head-on approaches to bulky classes like Heavies more viable, and you will need fewer chances to drop out and hide with the more shots you land on your target. A heavy's slow speed combined with his high Health allows you or your teammates heal a lot of health.

Mad Milk is also a great supplement for an offensive (or defensive) push, allowing attackers to replenish their health quickly.
- A good example of this is when your team is pushing through with a Kritzkrieg. The high damage that your teammates will do should keep them restoring their health at a high rate, healing 75% of the high x3 damage they'll be doing. Be sure to highlight the milk being thrown to your teammates if possible, as this will allow them to prioritize.

Thanks to the Scouts maneuverability the Mad Milk can come in handy when used against enemies in the front lines. Simply throw it in and retreat while firing to both heal yourself and teammates. This makes overpowering the enemy much easier during pushes and saves a lot of time and trouble.

Don't be afraid to throw milk at Spies rather than some groups of enemies. This could save the lives of heavy-Medic combos and other important classes.

It also gives you some of the benefits of Jarate: extinguishing teammates or yourself, and shorting out nearby Spy cloaking devices. Note that covered Spies won't take any extra damage, so you will need to chase them for longer.

Mad Milk is hard to notice on an affected person's HUD (a small white drop next to the health icon). If you can cover someone in milk in the middle of an assault or push, it is unlikely they will notice and could put themselves into a situation that will greatly benefit your teammates.

While not directly associated with Mad Milk, unless you are utilizing the extra 25 health from the Scout's pack bonus, try to wear other hats than the Milkman. Enemies will expect you to use the milk if you have the hat on, and dodge accordingly.

Since the Mad Milk can extinguish afterburn, if you happen to be set aflame, run away to a safe area and splash Mad Milk on yourself to douse the flames.
- This is most efficiently used if you're with a group where a Pyro ambushes the group. Since the group travels as one big pack, splash the Mad Milk in the center to extinguish everyone.
- Alternatively if you're alone, you can splash the Mad Milk at the Pyro and time your shots so you can completely negate the Afterburn effects.

Bat

You may prefer to kill situationally-unaware or aiming-impaired Heavies with the baseball Bat by circle strafing around them or jumping on top of their large bodies. A couple of fast hits with the Bat can take out injured or weaker classes quickly. This is useful when you're low on ammo, or your Scattergun or Force-A-Nature needs reloading.

While using the Bat you may need to somewhat compensate for the movement of your targets, especially against other Scouts.

Against any class other than the Pyro or Heavy, the Bat is an excellent weapon if you've already closed with them. Remember that fast things appear to be going faster the closer they are to you; just jump into a group of enemies and start running around, swinging as fast as you can. You won't be terribly accurate but neither will they, and you swing faster with your Bat so you should connect enough times to get a few kills. This is a dangerous tactic but when it works it can be devastating.

When wielding the Bat, try to always circle strafe your victim. You'd always be better off using your Scattergun otherwise.

The Bat can be effectively used to circle strafe lower-level Sentry Guns, especially when used with the Force-A-Nature, since it will not run out of ammo or need to reload.

Often times a swing of the bat can effectively kill a player that has been weakened by your Scattergun.

The bat is useful when the -15 health from the Sandman causes problems. (ex. While using Crit-a-Cola)

Sandman

The Sandman's stun ball slows the target and prevents them from using their weapons. The duration of the effect increases with the distance between you and your target. However, after a certain very long range, the ball will cause the target to be completely immobile and unable to fire their weapons for the maximum possible duration, in a similar manner to how the stun effect used to work at all ranges in older game versions. Hitting someone with a ball at this range unlocks the Moon Shot achievement.

This is a great tool for stunning key targets, like upfront attacking classes, or supportive classes like Medics and Snipers.

When equipping the Sandman, beware of the -15 health loss. A Soldier can kill you with a single rocket up close, as well as a well as a Demoman with a well placed pipe bomb. This can be a hindrance when trying to get up close to most other classes.

Also be aware that you also recover less health from Medkits because of the less overall max health.

This weapon can be a great supportive weapon for your team. Stunning a target who has a KritzCharge activated on them can hold great benefits for your team. However, this can be a risky maneuver on your part.

This weapon is great against classes who you can't normally get close to, like Heavys and Pyros.

Stunning a target can be a great way to retreat.

Hitting a target with the ball within a very close range will not yield the stun effect.

The Heavy makes for one of your best targets with the ball. Being slow means that he often can't move out of the way of the stun in time. The Heavy is also one of the easiest enemies to hit with the Home Run, due to his large size.

If alone against a Heavy on Arena, you can use the Sandman to your advantage. Whenever you are being chased by a Heavy, possibly around a corner, stun him and shoot him as much as possible before he regains control again. When the Heavy regains control, duck behind the corner and to the nearest escape route. Repeat if needed.

If a Heavy catches you with the Natascha, you have a precious few seconds to fire the ball and stun him. This can give you enough time to close the gap and attack him, or retreat.

If you're taking on a Heavy or Soldier, it may be in your best interests to bring the Sandman along, Bonk them, and then make your approach. They can both survive a one-two from your Scattergun, so by stunning them, it gives you an opportunity to fire both shots, then switch to your Bat and kill them.

A stunned Demoman will not be able to detonate his placed stickies.

A lone Engineer is another prime target for the Sandman's ball. While stunned, the Engineer cannot repair his Sentry Gun. Use this opportunity to attack the Sentry Gun. This is especially useful if the Sentry Gun is being wrangled since hitting the Engineer with the ball will effectively deactivate it.

A stunned Medic who has an ÜberCharge ready will not be able to activate it.

Hitting the ball into a Sniper nest will stun any Snipers there, since they often stay still while scoped, and you don't have to be in their line of sight to attack them. This can be a great aid to your team's Snipers.

The Sandman's ball fires with an arc similar to the Flare Gun's, however, the ball launches slightly above the crosshair - take this into account while aiming with the Sandman.

The Sandman's ball recharges automatically after being fired, and picking up fallen ammo will not replenish this process any faster. However, a Sandman ball on the ground or the Supply Closets located in the spawn room will instantly replenish the ball. Listen for the bell sound to tell you if your ball has recharged so you don't have to gaze at the meter all the time.

When fighting close to a Supply Closets, firing Sandman balls and running back to restock may be effective to support the team. It is not a good idea to attempt to taunt kill enemies who are stunned, unless he is alone and you hit him with a Crit baseball at short range. The taunt kill is very long and your target will likely recover and move out of the way before they get hit.

When too close to another object (any players or Sentry Guns), secondary fire will not launch the ball; instead, it will swing the Bat as normal.

A Mini-Crit Sandman ball, whether by Jarate, Buff Banner or Crit-a-Cola, will often stun an enemy long enough for you to kill them, even at the minimum stun range.

The Sandman can be used as a effective escape weapon, when being chased by a enemy that can be a threat that you can't handle, you can take out your Sandman, start running backwards, and easily hit your chaser then flee from battle.

Aiming the stun ball isn't all that easy, but in certain cases it can be. For example, the bridge in Badlands is just long enough for you to hit an enemy with a moon shot, maximum strength stun ball, and is quite simple to hit someone with it since it is a straight away.

Home Run

It is advisable to only use your killing taunt on scoped Snipers, very distracted Heavies, or someone that has been stunned by a critical ball, because the taunt animation takes so long.

The taunt is best used for a little revenge during humiliation. If you're on the losing team, try to lure an enemy close to you but be sure to take heed of the taunt's attack time so that you can get them right as you're about to do your called shot. For example, they come around a corner and right as they do, you hit them with the taunt. It also works when you're on the winning team if the other player isn't moving too much. However, one of three things usually happen: other players are hiding (so you can't kill them), they're actively dodging you, or your allies will kill them before you can.

If you manage to hit a target with a ball at just over the range required to halt their movement completely, if you start running towards them before the ball lands and do the Sandman's taunt-kill, you can finish the animation before the target is able to move out of the way. You need an area long enough to hit a ball far enough to get the complete stun effect, an unobstructed straight path to your stunned target, and a good deal of luck to pull this off.

If equipped with Bonk! Atomic Punch, drink it, then immediately unleash the Bonk Taunt in front of an enemy respawn or around corners to avoid being hit. The enemy will think you are unarmed and charge at you with a primary or melee weapon.

Along with the Sniper's Skewer Taunt and the Medic's Spinal Tap Taunt, this taunt is completely quiet until executed. Unlike those two taunts though, the kill gives off a much louder sound upon execution and gives no stun. Be sure to get ready for any attention you'll draw to yourself from the loud cheering sound after a successful Home Run.

Be aware that stunned targets can use taunts kills. This can be a problem if you try to taunt kill or melee someone who has been completely immobilized. Heavys can also attack using their secondary fire when equipping their melee when stunned (Need confirmation). However, the likelihood of this happening to you is very slim, and you shouldn't even be doing this if you aren't playing seriously, so this shouldn't be problem if you get killed.

Demonstration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LoQLXbF3_Q (This needs to be fixed)

Holy Mackerel

The Holy Mackerel is more akin to a regular bat in practice, but is quite humiliating to be killed by, as it is announced with each consecutive hit and has a very distinct wet slapping sound on contact.

Using the Holy Mackerel on scoped Snipers is the safest option, but because of the noise the fish makes on contact they may realize even faster that you're there and will have ample time to turn around and melee you. Snipers with the Darwin's Danger Shield will have even more health than usual, so if you see the crocodile skin and tail on their backs it may be easier to shoot them instead.

The question of whether the Bat and The Holy Mackerel have any significant choice differences has been debated, but the difference is in its ability to grab attention. Any player that knows the location of the teammate a Scout has been humiliating knows everything they need to know:

1. There is a Scout, forewarning what to expect and act accordingly.

2. His location, giving the player an element of surprise and superior location when approaching the Scout.

3. The fact that he is using his melee weapon, giving a huge advantage to any player with guns at the ready.

If a Scout wishes to avoid giving all this information away, then the Bat is far more subtle.

Alternatively, The Holy Mackerel is a great way to quickly communicate with your teammates, especially on defense: the kill is much more noticeable than other weapon kills, teammates will know that enemies are around your location, if the enemy is not killed then your team will know as well, and it is a great Spy detector, as it is not always clear when an invisible Spy is hit.

The Holy Mackerel does not provide a FISH KILL notice when triggering a Spy's Dead Ringer.

Any fish hits on a cloaked Spy will continue to be displayed on the kill feed.

Fish hits on a disguised Spy will not display in the kill feed.

Candy Cane

Use the Candy Cane to support your team with health packs.

Using the Candy Cane can restore your health after a melee battle.

Make sure to avoid or dodge Soldiers and Demomen due to the explosive damage penalty.

Using this and Mad Milk can allow you to fully heal yourself if no medics or health packs are nearby.

Use this to check for Dead Ringer Spies as they will not drop health kits

Boston Basher

When using this weapon, make sure not to miss your enemy or you'll hit yourself.

Don't hold the attack button. Instead, keep tapping it when the enemy is close to minimize misses.

The bleed effect can be useful for tracking down Spies.
- However, at the same time, the Basher is bad at finding Spies as you can not spam Melee to reveal one.

Crit-a-Cola can be useful with this, but also very deadly if you happen to miss.

This can be used for a "Hit and Run" tactic as you can hit someone and finish them off with you primary weapon.

By hitting yourself while being healed, you can boost a friendly Medic's charge speed.

The Special Delivery

The +25 health this item set gives you is a great help when fighting other Scouts, trying to outlast after-burn, or surviving wayward explosives.

Remember though that your only ranged weapon will be the Shortstop, which is ineffective at ranges where the Pistol is. Therefore, you are restricted to being able to reliably damage enemies at close and mid ranges.

Using the Mad Milk in combination with the Shortstop will allow you to take advantage of your health increase even more, staying in the battle for much longer (assuming you hit with your shots).

As above though, the Holy Mackerel has its own share of problems. If you are not particularly enticed by the +25 health, use the regular Bat.

The health bonus from using this set allows you to survive four Shortstop shots at medium range, point-blank Direct Hit rockets and other high damage sources that would normally kill you. (If they aren't Crits or Mini-Crits)

The Milkman hat is a dead giveaway of a Milkman set Scout, so be prepared that in group fights enemies may concentrate a great deal of fire on you to take you down because of the health boost.

Weapon Heckling

Overview

Weapon Heckling refers to the Scout's ability to exploit other classes varied weapons using his speed. By rapidly changing his weapons and spacing from the enemy, he forces them to switch their weapons, and then exploits its shortcomings, effectively allowing the Scout to defeat any class in a one on one fight. The concept is described and demonstrated in detail in Daedalus's How to Play the Scout. Note: most veteran players will most likely stick to one weapon, so be warned. Also be warned that this strategy is very hard without the Pistol, but not impossible if you carry only the Scattergun. It still works in combination with the Force-A-Nature and Pistol, albeit less effectively. Also, it can be used with help from the Sandman, although this can sometimes be difficult. Classes that can be heckled:

Heckling A Pyro

The Pyro is the classic heckling target, because he uses his two weapons, the Flamethrower and Shotgun or Flare Gun, in two different spaces. The Flamethrower inflicts massive damage at close range, but outside of that he must switch to his Shotgun to be effective. The Scout relies on a window of vulnerability to inflict massive damage.

Pester the Pyro with the Pistol or Scattergun just outside his Flamethrower range so that he must switch to the Shotgun to damage you. As he is switching to Shotgun, take this opportunity to get close and blast him a few times. If he then switches to his Flamethrower, run away from the Flamethrower's range and repeat until he is dead. A Pyro with a Flare Gun, however, is not a threat outside the Flamethrower's range; just be careful not to run into the Flare.

Avoid Degreaser Pyros: Their fast weapon switching can make it extremely dangerous to heckle them.

Heckling A Soldier

Somewhat like the Flamethrower the Rocket Launcher is most deadly at close range, but outside of that, a competent Scout should dodge all of his shots. Almost verbatim from heckling a Pyro, pester him at medium range, he will quickly realize his rockets are worthless. As he switches to Shotgun, give him a nice buckshot greeting. Run back when he switches weapons. Repeat. If he sticks to his Shotgun, try to attack from another angle. Be careful if he is using an unlock that replaces his Shotgun, because if he does, he will more than likely keep firing rockets. Get too close and you could easily be killed. If you're equipped with the Bonk! Atomic Punch use it to run into the Soldier, blocking his movement and rockets. This can cause him to be hit by his own splash damage seriously wounding or killing him.

Heckling A Demoman

Any of the Demoman's ranged weapons will kill you in two direct hits, but none of them are particularly suited for close or long range. Jumping into close quarters will force the Demoman to shoot stickies under his feet (in which case he can damage or kill himself) or pull out the Bottle/Eyelander - in both cases you can simply jump outside of the Demoman's range and fill him with buckshot as he frantically tries to reload. More experienced Demomen will use their Grenade Launcher for close range combat, and although grenades may be difficult to dodge, the Grenade Launcher runs out of ammo quickly. Stay out of his range, dodging his grenades until he has to reload. When he does, run in and blast him. He will then try to melee you to death or try to reload, either way you can again pull out and shoot him a few more times. If he is carrying the Chargin' Targe instead of the Sticky Launcher or the Scottish Resistance, use the Grenade Launcher strategy. When he runs out of ammo for the Grenade Launcher, he will only be able to melee you and he might use up his dash to retreat instead, during which you can stop him from fleeing with the Pistol.

Heckling A Medic

Heckling a Medic is almost the opposite of heckling a Pyro or Soldier. When fighting a Medic, he will probably have his Syringe Gun or Blutsauger out and shooting you from medium range. Get in close, dodging as many needles as you can and attack him. He will then whip out his Bonesaw and attempt to melee you to death. Once this happens, move out of his range and keep attacking him until he either dies or pulls his Syringe Gun back out, then repeat. If he sticks to his Syringe Gun at point blank or he has good aim with the Blutsauger, immediately pull out before you die.

Heckling a Heavy

The Heavy is extremely deadly, and can cut through you like butter at any range, but he has one weakness: Minigun-spinning. Get in when he does not know you are there, and quickly pump 2 scatter gun shots into him. He will turn around and attempt to fire his gun at you, at which point you can retreat behind a corner. He will likely ignore you after you've fled, starting to fire at something else or going off to find a medkit. At this point, you can repeat the first 2 steps until he is dead. If he is smart enough to switch to his Shotgun, then run in, jump around to mess up his aim, and fill him with buckshot. He will then pull out his Minigun again, so then repeat the first steps. If he sticks to his Shotgun or carries a Sandvich to eat during your pause, its best to run as he can simply outlast you until you die. Be careful if the Heavy starts eating a Sandvich, as his healing may cause you to use all your Scattergun shots to try and kill him, leaving you with no loaded ammo. If you know for sure that the Heavy is almost dead, then a few shots can kill him as he is eating.

A Heavy using Natascha is extremely difficult to deal with as a Scout, as one single hit from its bullets will slow you enough that the Heavy can aim right at you, causing almost certain death. Just attack him while he has his gun spun down, and escape before he spins it up. Repeat as necessary.

Listen carefully for the sound of a Heavy when he spins down- astute players can discern from sound the type of Minigun the Heavy is using (Minigun or Natascha) and then plan tactics accordingly. If he's using Natascha, wait for him to stop spinning, although greater risks can be taken if the heavy prefers Sasha.

Heckling a Sniper

Heckling a Sniper is harder than most of the classes, due to the Scout's weapons not being too accurate at long ranges. The Pistol is the most useful against a Sniper; try to keep the fire on him to prevent him from hitting you. Remember, a fully-charged body shot will kill a Scout. Above all else, keep moving unpredictably. Also, try to look for a Sniper with the Razorback or Jarate, as they won't have an SMG to deal with you. This means they will have to rely on trying to snipe you at close range or pull out the Kukri. These attacks can be dodged by an observant and quick Scout.

Heckling a Spy

Spies typically wish to avoid a heckling situation by retreating while firing one of the many revolvers they have or attempting to Cloak outright and hide. Scouts can take advantage of their great speed to get in close to retreating or hiding Spies using the Bat or Force-A-Nature. Typically, the success of a heckling situation is dependent upon the distance between the Spy and the Scout. Longer distances provide the Spy with the greater advantage to hide, change disguise or get assistance from teammates. It is inadvisable to attempt to heckle an uncloaked Spy up close using the Bat or Sandman if the Spy is wielding his knife due to the chance of a lucky backstab. In this situation, switch to the Force-A-Nature, or Scattergun for best results. Scouts can cover much more distance faster than any other class, use this to your advantage when dealing with a Spy that tries to Cloak and hide by swinging your bat constantly as you run through an area you suspect a Spy is hiding in. Many Spies will continue to attempt to stay cloaked and hide once they are bumped into (or damaged) providing you enough time to eliminate them.

Heckling an Engineer

Weapon Heckling can also be used on the Engineer, although doing this is relatively pointless and over-complicates the encounter. Only heckle if the Engineer is in plain sight, as he may have a nest set up around a corner or on a higher elevation that he can Wrangle his sentry from and kill you with relative ease. Further complicating matters is if the Engineer has a Gunslinger or Southern Hospitality instead of a regular Wrench, as a Gunslinger Engineer can deploy a sentry behind you that will finish assembly before you have time to turn around, bleed you to death with his Hospitality or critical you if he has any saved up with his Frontier Justice.

Heckling a Scout

Heckling a Scout is a bit harder to do. If he's using the Force-A-Nature or the Scattergun, stay out of his range and Pistol/Shortstop him to death. If he switches to the Pistol, switch to your primary weapon and get in close for a point-blank attack.

Map Specific

2Fort

Use the roof of the bridge to double jump into the enemy battlements.
Use the small ramps at the ground entrance to either base to force jump into the battlements. This will surprise enemy Snipers that are focused on the bridge, its rooftop and opposing battlements.
The roof is a great means of getting behind an opposing attacking force and attacking them from behind. This is especially good for going after trailing Medics.
At the start of a new round, rather than do the expected double jump to the enemy battlements, go from your barracks directly to the opposing sewer system. If this is timed well, you will meet no resistance in the opposing base as they attack on the upper levels, and any Sentry Guns in the ramp room will only be level 1.
With the Force-A-Nature, a Scout can easily execute a double jump followed by a timed recoil to gain access to the bridge roof from the ground level. This can be done by jumping from one of the two entrances on each side. You can surprise some Snipers if you execute this trick on their side and then jump on their battlements.
You can also get to the other side of the bridge by double jumping over the water and using the Force-A-Nature's recoil to propel yourself to the other side. Most enemies will think you fell into the water below instead and ignore you.
If the Intelligence is dropped in the Grate room and it is located right near the hole to drop down, a Scout can use a double jump and the Force-A-Nature's recoil to snatch it.
Use the Sandman as a defensive tool while staying near your base. Launch baseballs from your team's Sniper nest or front, ground entrance at advancing enemies on the bridge. This can stun attackers out in the open making them more vulnerable to attack. Recharge your ball quickly by retreating to the nearest spawn room.
When defending from your base, use the Force-A-Nature to force jump back up to the spawn closest to your Sniper nest. This is helpful to escape enemies or to recharge the Sandman quickly.
Use a combination of the Short Stop and Crit-a-Cola to defend your base. Sitting near the grate in the Grate room, crouch, drink and pepper enemies that attempt to enter through your base's front entrances. This also provides you with quick access to ammo, health and your resupply room to recharge your drink.
Use the Bonk! Energy Drink to draw enemy Sniper fire from your base's nest. Drink, crouch and move; peak around corners to drawn enemy Sniper fire. This can help friendly Snipers eliminate enemy Snipers.
The Scout's speed is incredibly useful for Spy-Checking (especially Cloak and Dagger Spies). Use the bat, Sandman, or Holy Mackerel constantly while running and strafing throughout your base to bump into and eliminate enemy Spies.
The long tunnel of the Sewers leading to each base is great for using the Sandman's baseball. The narrow confines of the tunnel make dodging the baseball more difficult and make it easier to retrieve the ball after a successful hit.
Consider using the Bonk! Energy Drink while playing on 2Fort, the tendency for teams to turtle combined with the lack of alternate routes can make it an invaluable tool.

Granary

Attacking middle point

Same as all maps, here you need to be covering your team from flanking classes like Scouts, Pyros, etc.
Watch the left hand side or far right hand side, occasionally running across the point to harass enemies not covered by heavy support, such as a Demoman.
If you get a chance to get behind the enemy, take it. It will allow you to cause havoc, pick off their Medics, etc.
Using the crates that rise above the point can be a double edged sword. Soldiers use the area very often, though it does allow you to maneuver around the enemy incredibly well.

Defending middle point

If you're still in the middle, your team will most likely be covering the right hand side.
All you need to do is watch the left hand side for anyone trying to sneak behind your team or run up the ramps to the crates above the middle point.
However, while defending the middle point you may have moved up to the yard area to defend.
In this case, you yet again watch the left hand side, but run around the area to check for people using the tunnel above the yard to get behind your team, and don't be surprised if someone attempts to back-cap middle and pull you back there.

Attacking second point

Since you will have been watching the left hand side, wait for your team to move in, and then enter the point from here. This will allow you to duel down enemies trying to take the high ground, and enemy Scouts trying to get behind your team.
You are then able to go above the second point, and harass the enemy from above, jumping down to pick off players weakened by your team.
You can also stay on the level of the point and harass from here, though the lack of a height advantage can be a pain in such an enclosed area, and it allows enemies to take the high ground.
If your team is clearly going to win the point, you can also attempt to run straight to the last and capture it.

Defending second point

Here, you either need to be watching the "garage" area if facing the middle point, or the left hand side if facing the last point.
In both areas your job is standard defense, prevent enemies from getting past you, and poke out of the doors to see if you can rush the next area or kill off an unsuspecting enemy.
Also beware here of enemies taking the upper areas, as they will easily kill you off from here.
Be ready to run back to your team to provide support if necessary.

Attacking last point

Strategy here is no different to any other point, wait for your team to enter the area, and come in after checking the area behind is clear.
Preferably, use the top exit or the left door, though if the main bulk of the team is using this, do not hesitate to use another exit into the last point.
Once in the area, harass the enemy, pick off weakened players, and run on and off the point to start a capture when you get the chance.
Also, beware of Sentry Guns and Snipers, they are often positioned at the back left of the point, behind the wall. If a Sentry Gun is there, let your team know and stay out of it's way until it's destroyed.
As usual, kill off Snipers before they do the same to your team!

Defending last point

Here you can't do much but wait for the enemy to attack. Poking through their doors or running into the upper area is likely to get you killed until they've left the area.
Once the enemy move in, either harass them or attempt to back-cap.
Don't forget to defend your team from the enemy Scouts, and as usual beware of Snipers; they love to stand in the windows or door of the upper area.

Dustbowl

When attacking Stage 1 Point A, use the canyon pathway. It is the least checked spot and with the Scout's speed, you'll be able to run past the defenders without them knowing what happened. Hug the walls—don't let the defenders see you. Don't stand near the gate during setup or the enemies will know that you are going that way.

Before Stage 1 Point A is taken, you can quickly run to the enemy's Control point 2. Although this is locked, if your team is close to taking Point A, then it would be a good idea to stay here and hide (and then rush to the second control point when the first is captured). If the enemy is unprepared, you can take the second point before they can get there.

Well (CP)

The Scout Rush is not particularity a good idea on this map. Although the center control point is easy enough, the entrances to the bases can be easily covered by Sentry Guns, and the train yards are very heavily favored towards Snipers.

In general, tactics for this map are roughly the same as for Granary, don't forget to watch the water!

Before the round starts, you can get over the stationary train cars on both sides without using the Force-A-Nature. Jump onto the ground-level railroad lights that blink when the train comes, then do a double jump directly onto the train car. The second jump has to be timed perfectly, and it may take a few tries.

Hydro

There are a lot of long, open vistas on this map, so you will often be fighting opponents from a distance. Learn to love your Pistol.
The various vents and tunnels in this map provide good flanking spots for getting to the enemy point another way, and may help in distracting the enemy team so your teammates can make a big push.

Turbine

Strafing is a good idea because there are often Snipers on the platforms. Switch to your Bat when going through the vents, but be careful of explosive classes that could insta-gib you at close range or heavier classes trying to melee you back in such a confined space.
Using double jump in this map can get you to places other classes can't. When you are low on health you can double jump on that ledge in front of the Intelligence room in each base, this can be effective when versing Engineers, Medics, Snipers, Heavies and especially Pyro to get the upper advantage or even to run away.
Take advantage of the turbines and shipping containers in the Turbine Room. Use them as cover, for taking high ground or for getting across the room while avoiding encounters and evading crossfire.
Avoid using the vents if you know the enemy team is already out there or if they are swarming around the central area. With nowhere to run or dodge, your pretty much a sitting duck if confronted by an enemy in the vents.
However, using the Sandman in the vents is very effective. Stay at the end of the vent next to your base to heal yourself if your hit. When an enemy runs down the vents, smash him with your ball. This will stun him and give you a chance to go in for the kill. With nowhere to run, this should be an easy kill. Refrain from attacking if you've stunned a heavy, a Soldier, or someone being buffed by a Medic.
The Sandman strategy works even better when done with teammates, especially if your teammates are power classes.

Gravel Pit

When on offense, try to stick to one Control point (A or B) depending on how many people are assaulting the point. Let your teammates soak up enemy fire; you can dash into the point as soon as it is safe. B is usually the better bet since the Engineers Sentry Guns are highly unlikely to be finished when the round proper begins.
Another valid tactic is to head straight to CP C and wait on the roof of the point before the enemy sets up defenses. If your teammates keep the enemy busy, you may be able to capture it before any enemies can get to you (much like Dustbowl, see above).
Defending Gravel Pit as a Scout may or may not be such a good idea, depending on how well you can avoid enemy fire, but the various flanking routes available (such as the tunnel between B and A) give you an advantage and the possibility to take down enemy Medics.

Badlands

Attacking middle point

At first, both teams rush to the 1st capture point and because of your speed, you're able to be there first. Usually you are up at against the Scouts from the other team, until the rest of yours arrives.
The fastest way to the middle point is to run down the right hand side, jumping from the vent on the balcony area to the wooden bridge near the resupply, through the house and onto the point, or down through the valley the wooden bridge is over.
A nice strategy is to jump on and off the point in between hassling your opponents, at the very least you'll be able to block them from capturing.
Despite this, you will usually want to be watching the underside of the point for enemy Scouts attempting to run through the towers on the corners of the bridge the point is on to get behind your team, and to protect from Scouts doing the same as you. This also allows you to run into the enemy and attack them directly from behind, escaping before they can react.
As usual, staying with the main bulk of your team is often the best way to go, as they need defense from Scouts attacking from behind,
You can also try to sneak through the defense and enter the enemy base, in order to pull off a back cap after the middle point is captured by your team.

Defending middle point

Due to the large number of flanking routes here, you as a Scout should be watching the valley area and the house, ready to call out any aggressors to your team so they can deal with them, and pushing back enemy Scouts who try and move in.
Again you can also attempt to back cap here, to give your team an opportunity to move in, though bear in mind the enemy team will be defending the spire area at this point.

Attacking second point

When attacking the Spire area, jumping onto the balcony via the small gap near to the resupply will allow you to get on the point more easily, if the enemy team have not yet fallen back.
If a Soldier or Demoman attempts to jump you here, get off the point and start taking potshots at them from range, until they're forced away and you can move back on. Either that or jump around the point with your double jump to make it hard for them to hit you while shooting them, much the same way you would deal with a Heavy.
Other than this, as a Scout your job is much the same as usual, watch for enemies behind your team and pick off stragglers who have been weakened by the rest of your team.

Defending second point

Often when defending the second point you will be in the upper area of the lobby outside last point.
When this is the case, you will want to be watching the lower right stairs to make sure enemy Scouts do not come out to attack your team.
Be ready to run back to the second point from this area to stop any back cappers.
If you are waiting outside the lobby area, you need to get a height advantage, so either stand on the spire to block people trying to capture it, and drop down on enemies from above, or watch the resupply area to stop people coming out from the vent. Your team can deal with the main door to the lobby.

Attacking last point

Due to the enclosed nature of this point it's best to wait until your team has moved in and attack from the lower right area, or move in directly behind your team and go straight for any enemy Demomen, Heavies, Medics, etc. The reason for this is that all these classes are a huge threat to your team in an enclosed space.
This is often a time when enemy Scouts attempt to back cap, so do be prepared to leave for the second point to defend if necessary.
It is often possible to get onto the final point and capture it while no enemies are looking at it, so be aware of where the enemy is looking as well as just the person you're focused on attacking.

Defending last point

Here you will want to watch the lower left area and the lower main corridor, for people attempting to sneak onto the point and cap it before your team can react.
When the enemy moves in you have two choices, firstly to harass them and their main offensive classes, or secondly to run out behind them and attempt to capture the second point before they can do the same to your final point.
Otherwise, simply try and protect important members of your team.

Freight

Attacking middle point

At the beginning of the map both teams are rushing towards the middle for the mid-fight as usual. You have the speed advantage as always, being the fastest class, so you will likely be there first up against enemy Scouts.
The fastest route to the middle is to run left down the ramp at the last point, turn left in the second point and go up out of the left ramp straight to the middle point.
Your best bet as a Scout on the middle is to shoot across the point at anyone trying to cross, and watch the extra routes enemies can take to get into your team, such as the right side stairs, the left side crate, and the water.
If your team has a Sniper, protecting him can often give your team much more offensive power as the Sniper denies a good portion of the map to the enemy.
Do not go on the point yourself unless you're confident it's safe or you can deal with any threats coming to you, as the area is very tight and easily spammed by explosives.

Defending middle point

If you're defending middle point, the enemy will be coming from their second point.
As a Scout you cannot do much here, so your best bet is to watch the water by jumping in and coming up for air when necessary.
To increase mobility in the water, do not move forwards or backwards, only strafe, as forward or backward motion reduces strafe speed in water.
Be prepared for your team to launch an offensive and be on the watch for this happening.
Watching the two doors can work as a Scout, and can be highly useful for sneaking in behind the enemy to kill off high priority targets such as a Medic, however this requires a high level of skill.
Do not be surprised if your team is forced to fall back as the area can be difficult to keep control of, so be prepared to run away or hide to get behind the enemy.

Attacking second point

Upon attacking the second point, the best option for a Scout is usually to go through the left door after checking for any stickies. Then running to the walkway above second point to get behind or above the enemy, or to run straight down the left and harass enemies from behind or the side.
Equally, priority targets such as a Medic should be your focus as an enemy ÜberCharge can ruin your team's push into the area.
Other classes that pose a serious threat are as usual Heavies, Demomen, and Soldiers, while surprisingly enemy Scouts are dealt with most often by the rest of your team.
There is often a short period before any attack is made on the second point where Medics on your team will build their Übercharges.
Be prepared to run ahead to the last point for a quick win if the entire enemy team has been taken out.

Defending second point

Here your best bet is to hide on the upper levels and pop out occasionally to take pot-shots at enemies poking through the doors from the middle point.
As is often the case with the Scout you are at your most useful when you can get behind the enemy, so either try and escape the area via the water located in the room next to the resupply in this area, or sneak out one of the side doors.
If you manage to escape, attempt to force the enemy to move in by assaulting their Medic and forcing their ÜberCharge, or totally stall them by killing said Medic.
Failing this, wait for the enemy to move into the area and come in to harass them during their attack or afterward.
In this area, assuming the rest of your team can hold the fort, escaping out to the middle point to back-cap while the enemy team attacks second can bring your team back outside. The enemies do not often expect it, and can be complacent about it due to their own confidence in attacking the second point.

Attacking last point

Upon the final push to last point a Scout should be coming in to clean up enemies after the main bulk of the team has inflicted their damage, and to cap the point.
In this area coming in from the lower area or the top left is your best bet, but watch out for Sentry Guns hidden behind the sheet metal, Snipers on the crates at the back of the point, and Heavies hidden in place of Sentry Guns.
Running on and off the point to increase how far it has been capped is a good strategy here, as you can cap the point just as an enemy moves off it to attack someone else due to the fast capture speed on the last point.
If the enemy Medic uses an ÜberCharge here, you should keep out of the way of it and harass the other players until it wears out.

Defending last point

Here a Scout can do very little but attempt to get behind the enemy and harass them, however the main areas that need watching are the top right for Snipers, and the bottom for anyone else trying to sneak in.
When the enemy team push in, look for players who have not been Übered and attack them at close range to inflict maximum damage with your Scattergun, as they will most likely be focused on other people.
In general, this area needs to be played depending on the situation in game at the time, but the basic idea is to prevent Snipers picking off your team, and harassing enemies until you're able to finish them off or your team can kill them.

Coldfront

Attacking middle point

As with all 5 CP maps, both teams rush to the middle at the start, Coldfront however plays differently to most maps of this style for a Scout.
The fastest route to the middle here is to run down the left hand side of the map all the way.
Upon reaching the middle, Scouts are dumped straight into the action, going on the point here is generally a bad idea due to how easily it can be spammed with explosives. This is a genuine problem for Scouts on this map as the main bulk of the team can arrive very soon after you.
Scouts should instead use the cover of the house and wooden boards to move around the point, attempting to protect the main bulk of their team from enemy Scouts, or if the opportunity arises, assault the Medic, Demoman, or other priority targets on the other team.
If nobody is watching it, jumping up onto a small ledge on the left hand side and then onto the elevated area on the enemies side of the map can allow you to pick off stragglers from the mid-fight with ease.

Defending middle point

This is not a situation which arises often on this map due to respawn timers and the like.
If as a Scout you do find yourself having to defend the middle point, all you can do is watch the exits from the second point, so simply watch the side the bulk of your team is not watching so you can draw attention to the area if needed.
If you are on your own here the enemy team will not hesitate in moving out, so hiding on the walkways that allow entry to the point can put you in perfect position for a back-cap.
As a general tip, you want to stick with your team on this area, there are few opportunities to get behind the enemy, and your team will need all the help they can get holding the enemies back.

Attacking second point

Once you're ready to make a move into the second point, hang around outside for a few seconds until your team is on the offensive. Enemy Scouts and other classes may attempt to sneak out behind to attack your Medic or try and back-cap.
Once your team have moved in and you're satisfied the area outside is clear, making a move down the far right tunnel, or up and down the ramps on the left side is a good idea.
When inside the point, your team should be distracting the enemies, so you should be killing off enemy Scouts, and then picking off the classes which pose the biggest threat to your team's push. This should be relatively easy due to the explosives being laid down by your team.
Despite this, do not be surprised if you and your team are forced back out of the point from another wave of enemies, as this can happen often on this map, as such you should try and kill off the enemies as fast as possible.
In this area, the point itself is also quite open, so it is perfectly possible to run on and off it to help capture, while dodging any enemy attacks, or simply to create a distraction.
Your biggest threat here will be an enemy Heavy. If you see one, try and keep out of the way of their Minigun, get behind them, or just run away.

Defending second point

In this area Scouts should be watching the left hand tunnel and not much else. Your team will usually be holding the right hand side, and the middle area is spammed easily by your team should you ask them to watch it.
The most use you can be here is to make sure nobody sneaks into the point to attack your Medic, and perhaps attempt to sneak out of the stairs to the outer walkways from the middle area of the point.
As per usual when the enemy moves in, waiting in secluded areas to ambush them, or harassing and killing off weakened players is the order of the day.
Much the same applies to when you've been able to sneak out. However, if your team is confident they can hold off an enemy push, attempt a back-cap on the middle point, as it can force some of the enemy team to fall back to you, allowing your team to push out more easily.

Attacking last point

This area is quite nice for a Scout to attack, it's wide open with lots of ways around the enemy, making it hard for them to trap you with explosives.
Of course, your main priority is to keep enemy Scouts off your team or from back-capping, and then to pick off any Demomen, Medics, Heavies, etc., that appear.
This area can be a problem if Engineers have built up Sentry Gun nests, so do check the area through the glass partitions and wait for your team to destroy them if this is the case.
The lack of glass behind the final point here makes it incredibly easy to jump on from behind, so if the enemies are not looking, you can easily grab your team a win here.

Defending last point

The openness of this area works against a Scout on defense, you can watch the far left and right sides, but you run the risk of being killed by enemy explosives.
Here as a Scout, you will probably want to hide yourself somewhere to assault enemies as they come past you, or run behind them to back-cap the final point as your team holds the final point. At the very least, you'll distract the enemy for a short time.
Usual Scout tactics apply during an enemy push, keep out of the way of the ÜberCharge and harass anyone who you can get to.

Yukon

Attacking middle point

Middle point on Yukon is an interesting affair for Scouts as there are so many ways into, out of, and around the point.
The fastest way to get there as a Scout is to run down the pipe or the right hand side at last point, depending on where you spawn, and then go through the tunnel on the right side of second point.
Despite this being the fastest route, you may want to stay with your team on this map to protect them from enemy Scouts.
On the middle point itself, you can duel enemy Scouts on the point, as it's open enough to allow you to dodge incoming explosives, however you should make yourself aware of enemies coming from above.
Snipers are a huge threat to everyone here, preferring to hide behind the rocks across the point or even back at the entrances to the area, so if you see one, make sure to take it out as soon as possible or ask someone else to.
If the point itself is too dangerous to go on, the map has various other areas you can move into, for instance the bridge above the point and the two side buildings make great flanking routes. As such these are also areas you should watch if you're protecting your team.

Defending middle point

In general, your team will be standing around the rocks closest to the enemy base if you're holding this area. Surprisingly, defending it is relatively easy.
As a Scout you should be watching the tunnel area that links to second point, as your team will be watching the main routes and in all likelihood do not need help in doing so.
Spies can be a problem on Yukon, so a good idea can be to run through players on your team when you get the chance to check them, just in case.
Aside from this, a Scout cannot do much while defending this area, so you may want to attempt to run in via the tunnel to second point and take out an enemy Medic or other class.

Attacking second point

Due to the nature of this map, you will probably want to stay in position for middle point defense to make sure no enemies sneak out behind your team.
Once you're satisfied of this, either move in via the main route, or the tunnel to second point, both are good routes.
The point itself often gets quite crowded, so as a Scout you'll want to hang around underneath the point, or get behind the enemy, to ambush people falling off the point, or assault the enemy team respectively.
Stealing the health-kits under the point is often a good idea if your team are going to be healed by a Medic, as it prevents enemies who fall off from regaining their health.
In order to get behind the enemies, either run all the way through to the final point and jump onto the pipe, or use the small ramp from the area below second point, on the left as you come in through the tunnel from middle.

Defending second point

Once again, a Scout is limited here in making sure enemies do not come from behind the team, and waiting for the team to make a move as a whole.
Areas you should be watching are the tunnel from middle, and the far tunnel which is part of the main entrance to middle. Your team themselves should be holding the area to the right of this far tunnel, just in front of the point.
If you can get onto the roof by jumping on the wooden planks from the middle main entrance, this gives you a perfect vantage point to watch all these areas and call out threats to your team.
If you find that the tunnel to middle is in fact clear, use it to get out behind in position for a back-cap, or to pick off a Medic, but don't back-cap until the enemy team moves into the second point area, as otherwise they can turn back too quickly to deal with you.

Attacking last point

Here you do not often want to be moving with the main bulk of your team, as it will be being spammed with explosives.
Instead, take either the lower right tunnel into the last point, or the far left tunnel.
If you end up in the area below the pipe, get out as you will die, there is almost no use to this area for a Scout, except for sometimes moving across the area to pick off an important class.
As the area is quite open, you are more or less free to move right into the enemy and start harassing them, but remember to deal with Snipers as soon as possible as they are a huge threat to your team in this area.

Defending last point

Scout is very limited in use here, so you may want to switch class.
However, Scouts can provide good cover on the enemy flanking routes, dueling enemy Scouts during an enemy push can keep your team safe.
As such, watch the upper right area, and be prepared to run across the area to attack anyone trying to move in from the lower left.
Of course the usual applies in regards to back-caps, wait until you're satisfied it's safe, and run behind the enemy as they make a push. In fact this can be very effective on Yukon if done at the right time, but does require skill to deal with enemy Scouts rushing you on the second point.

Fastlane

Attacking middle point

Fastlane is a good map for Scouts; the routes to the middle point all more or less take the same amount of time, Scouts always get there first, and the map is very open with many flanking routes.
On the middle point, Scouts need to be dealing with enemy Scouts first and foremost, as usual, and then either capturing the control point if the enemy team are slow, or running around behind using the left building or right valley routes.
Due to the openness of the area it is however very easy to dodge explosives, so you can stay in the main area and harass the enemy team this way.
The openness of the area however does mean you need to be constantly watching all possible areas for enemies to be attacking you or your team from, with particular notice being taken of the areas near the health kits.
You may find it impossible to do huge amounts here due to the height advantage given by the point itself, however you can do a good deal of damage to an enemy team by cleaning up people on low health.
The final thing you need to be on the watch for is enemy Snipers, who will appear on the balcony on the far right. Take these out as quickly as possible.

Defending middle point

Defending this area as a Scout is very straightforward, you only need to watch two areas, and your team will do the rest.
First of all, the left side house is a good place to watch, especially if you can get inside, as it is a place Demomen like to place sticky traps, and so you can easily ambush them here before they get set up. Furthermore you can prevent enemy Scouts getting behind your team here.
Secondly, the right valley needs to be watched, again for enemy Scouts, but also for Snipers attempting to pick off people entering the middle point.
Aside from this, defending the middle point is usually a waiting game to see which team is going to attack the other first, as it is very hard to get behind the enemy without being noticed here.

Attacking second point

Strategy for this area is very similar to attacking the middle point, except the enemy team will often have an ÜberCharge already.
Your best bet is to run on and off the point as usual to cap it off while harassing the enemy team, going behind here is of limited use unless you're going for a back-cap.
If you do go for a back-cap, the best way to go is usually the top tunnel, though this is more easily seen by enemies, or the bottom right tunnel.
Once again the openness of the area allows you to easily dodge explosives here, so you may be able to get an easy kill on an enemy Medic.

Defending second point

While defending this area you have two choices, straight up defense and full on attack.
The areas you need to stand in for both these choices are much the same, you can attack down the left and right flanking routes to get behind the enemy, or you can defend said flanking routes, occasionally checking the middle.
When the enemy move in to attack you, hiding in the houses around the point can allow you to come out and pick them off as they try and capture the point.

Attacking last point

In this area Scouts are somewhat limited as it's very enclosed, however the upper balcony, if not covered by Sentry Guns, is a very good place to harass the enemy from.
Other than distracting the enemy from your team, watching for people escaping out to the second point to back-cap, and attempting to cap the final point yourself, a Scout has nothing to do here.
The upper area is usually the best place to go, as if someone does run for a back-cap, you can quickly get back to the second point to deal with them.

Defending last point

Scouts again have little to do here, your team will be watching the two lower doorways. The best you can do is help watch the lower left which is slightly better covered from your team, and the upper corridor as this is where most enemy Scouts will come from.
Aside from this, getting out down the left areas to back-cap the enemy is the only other thing you can do. Be prepared to get out as quickly as possible once the enemy start moving in.

Gold Rush

On offense, your most important job is to keep the cart moving. If you are not under fire, stand near the cart as much as possible. If you are under fire, you can keep it moving longer by hopping around the cart in circles, or take cover by crouching behind the cart. If you have teammates nearby, you can also hide behind them sometimes.
Although you will be on linear maps, they still have multiple paths through each area. Use your speed to your advantage by popping out unexpectedly from side corridors while everyone's attention is on the track. Then you can either pick opponents off while they are not looking, or speed in and tag the cart in order to keep it from sliding back.
Gold Rush is a Sniper heaven, but Scouts can easily circumvent the more open areas and close the distance between them and the Snipers.

Badwater Basin

Overall, Badwater Basin is a good attacking Scout map at first, but it gradually becomes more linear and so there are less safe routes for Scouts to flank from. It is more effective to be a Scout defending as the various routes you can take to get behind the BLU team are often out of their sight, so flanking and ambushing is easier unless the BLU team lock down their front line with Sentry Guns.
The first area is a Scout's paradise as it offers a large range of cover to hide behind (the different outcrops of rocks), wide open spaces to dominate single enemies, and cliffs to drop down behind enemies and ambush them (particularly useful on defense).

Attack

The tunnel offers attacking Scouts an instant means of getting behind the enemy, but there is a risk of Sentry Guns and other enemies blocking the way, thus forcing you to take the high road (though this is remedied by using Bonk!, at the sacrifice of your trusty Pistol).
The area behind the second point is also the Scout's domain as it's wide open, has health kits and also allows the Scout to effectively flank, possibly killing that one Medic or Engineer so that your team can successfully rush the point. The corridors also let your Scattergun work at its best, allowing you to get in as close as possible and kill off key enemies as they move between the ground floor and the roof.
The last point is probably the least open to BLU Scouts because it will be heavily locked down, presumably with at least one Sentry Gun and numerous enemies. Aside from the stairs going to the ground floor and the upper balconies, there aren't many places a BLU Scout can go safely, but it is possible to double jump/Force-A-Nature jump up to their spawn via the right corridors and windows, allowing you to destroy those possibly vital Teleporters or harass enemy Snipers that may be preventing the final push.

Defense

For defenders, the tunnel is especially good when using the Sandman as it is closed enough to prevent easy dodging, and prevents cart pushers from escaping death if they choose to push the cart on their own.
The second point rear courtyard is good for defending Scouts, as it allows them to flank the attacking team and get behind them (provided the BLU team is not using Sentry Guns to stay in place).
The third point is not so good for defending Scouts unless they are using the Sandman or ambushing from the gaps in the ramps with the Crit-a-Cola, as the main routes behind the enemy are often all occupied at once. Attacking Scouts are good here if they have the Force-A-Nature, as they can use it to jump to the balcony of the building to the left of the third point (from attackers' side), and get behind them to harass their Snipers and Engineers (though Bonk! may be needed in the drop behind them to their rear area).
On last point defense, the best thing a Scout can do would be to prevent the BLU team from setting up behind the top right building (up the stairs), and use this area to flank them and stall for time so your team can prepare Übers or build up their defenses.
The Sandman may also help when the BLU team attempts to push through the main chokepoint up the ramp, as it will pin them down so they can be sniped or killed easily.

Gorge

Being an attack/defense map, Gorge is not so great for Scouts on offense when it comes to capturing due to the fact that all of the defending team's focus will be on the currently open control point. This means that it is almost impossible to capture the point on your own if the enemy team has more than one or two people defending it, or if a Sentry Gun is set up. However, this map compensates by being great for Scouts trying to harass the enemy team and flank them instead of trying to capture the point.
The corridors between the first and last points are not ideal Scout zones for either team as they are cramped in places and too linear to ambush or get around threats with. They will also be home to Engineer buildings and projectile spam from both teams, making any passage difficult even with Bonk!.
The length of the rooms, however, is good for firing your Pistol down and using the Sandman to keep the pressure up. If you can sneak into a corner behind a far door while the enemy team is pushed back, Crit-a-Cola also becomes handy as you can take care of the players backing that charge up, like Snipers or even Pyros.

Attack

The first yard will initially be difficult for Scouts to move around in when attacking as the spawn doors are easily accessible to the RED team (allowing them to effectively fire into your spawn) and the wide open spaces will be protected by Sentry Guns or Heavies, limiting your movement even further.
At this point, it is best to either pick another class or play support and distract Sentry Guns with Bonk! or throw Sandman balls into the fray.
The area surrounding the first point is where BLU Scouts properly come into play, as it has multiple paths to the other side of the point. The left side is especially useful as you can sneak behind the garage across the gorge and then run up the stairs and behind their lines if they are not guarding it well (if they are, use Bonk! to evade damage and pass through). Watch out for Snipers aiming from the right side of the point though, as they will be aware of the route's convenience and seek to put a stop to it.
Support your team's charges onto the point by distracting Sentry Guns with Bonk! and batting Sandman balls at any vigilant enemies, such as spun up Heavies or Snipers. You can also cover the ground behind your allies faster, allowing you to chase any possible Spies and Spy-check them as necessary.
You can hide under the point should you need the health kit below or a good spot to ambush from, but this is also a dangerous place as there is likely to be a Sentry Gun on one of the sides behind the point.
The last point is where Scouts resume being effective as it has wide open spaces and several routes to access different parts of it. This is more apparent with the BLU team as they have the upper corridor and walkways to drop down from, perfect for a Scout willing to sneak to the RED spawn to destroy Teleporters and take out any Snipers standing in the middle above the point.
Attacking Scouts, aside from the aforementioned harassment strategy, can also use Bonk! to good effect here as there will likely be one Sentry Gun tucked away underneath the point's main overhang. When possible, coordinate with your team so you can distract the Sentry Gun in time with a push and back them up with your increased capture rate.
The Sandman is especially useful here as the distance from one side of the point to the other is both a safe distance and will give the ball enough air time to significantly lengthen the stun time of anybody it hits (it may even cause a maximum stun and net you an achievement if you've yet to get it).

Defense

Defending the first yard as a Scout requires you to be a lot more active then on offense, using the Sandman or Pistol to stun/pick off enemies at long range and occasionally chasing key targets like Medics or Snipers to kill them, even if they manage to make it into spawn.
One can also use ambush gameplay effectively on defense if you have the Crit-a-Cola or Force-A-Nature, as either of the two will surprise the enemy enough for you to make a quick escape and kill at least one person with it (the Force-A-Nature is less likely of this but you can take care of 125 health classes easily like this). If you choose to do this, there are some nooks and crannies next to the containers in the middle of the yard to hide in and wait for your chance, and also behind some crates on the left side.
Alternatively, stand on top of the containers with friendly Soldiers and fire down, but be warned of Demomen or Soldiers firing/jumping up at you.
Defensive Scouts can make use of the several pathways and gorge to surprise BLU Snipers on the left and right sides, and even get behind the BLU team's front line if they are stealthy enough. They can also do this by going up the stairs on the right side and dropping down from the balcony in the first yard, but be careful of any Sentry Guns put up to hold their front line.
You can hide inside the windowed corridors and take people by surprise as they run through the point, possibly even forcing a BLU ÜberCharge early if using the Force-A-Nature. The same effect can also be achieved by hiding below the edges of these windows on the near side or in the garage door between the middle building and the right stairway as a crouched Scout will be small enough to remain hidden.
Use the Sandman to harass pushes onto the point or to the right side where the BLU Snipers may be, as you may even stun a potential Über candidate for their Medics as they charge towards your Sentry Guns and other defenses.
During pushes, try to keep pressure on the BLU team from the sides of the point, firing up at them from the Gorge and stopping any more enemies from coming through the left or right doors.
On defense the last point is not as good for Scouts as there are only 2 ways of accessing area between the last point and first point, the main door and the right corridor. If you can get into the main door room, hide behind some of the crates and use your Scattergun (if possible in conjunction with Crit-a-Cola) to surprise attackers before retreating via either of the exits.
It is not worth going to the BLU spawn as it is raised and inaccessible to non-Soldiers or Demomen. In which case, try taking out the exits of enemy Teleporters with the Engineer guarding them if you are attempting this.
The right corridor has a series of pipes you can hide behind to ambush from, but they are quite thin and so unless the enemy is distracted you are unlikely to go unnoticed for long.
If the BLU team pushes directly onto the point and destroys your team's defenses, try firing your Scattergun into the group of people on the point and even run in with your Bat/Sandman, if only to stop the capture for a couple of seconds (which may be all your team needs to retaliate, and as such buy precious time for them).

Junction

Junction is not a map that Scouts can work on so effectively as other maps, mostly because it is very limited in its space and all of the capture points are in very small, cramped areas that can easily be rushed or spammed by the RED team if you are capping. Conversely, RED Scouts will have a hard time flanking the enemy as the corridors are so tight and the escape routes you may need to take are limited at best. As such, the Scout works better as an ambush class on Junction, with many corners and little rooms to hide in for passing targets.

Attack

As mentioned above, offensive Scouts have very few options as to what they can safely do when attacking the points. If a Sentry Gun is set up, with the Engineer or another class alive to protect the Sentry Gun it will be almost impossible to destroy on your own as most Sentry Gun placements in this map will be in raised areas that can aim directly at your spawn doors. Instead, act as a supporting role and run in with your teammates so you can boost the cap speed and even distract enemies with Bonk! should you need to.
Bonk! is another way you can help your team to spearhead pushes into the point areas, as it will allow you to distract Sentry Guns long enough for your team to take it out/the Engineer out. Try to drink Bonk! as close to the Sentry Gun as you possibly can, as it means you will be the closest target (and therefore the one it focuses on), preventing any teammates from being killed off by it.
The Scout can also take advantage of some of the pathways (such as the route to C from the A-B corridor) to flank and kill single enemies or Teleporters. While this may not seem like a worthy effort, remember that every effort to delay reinforcements for the RED team makes your team's job a whole lot easier (though this also becomes near impossible if a Sentry Gun is set up on C, protecting the paths to the areas behind the RED defenses).
If you manage to start capturing either of the first two points, stay in a spot where you can see RED players coming in from C. This allows you to drop down or loop round behind them and then take them by surprise, possible preventing that one enemy from stopping the capture.
When capturing the last point, do not run onto the point itself if there are already 3-4 people standing on it. Instead, stand on the top left ledge or door way and ambush enemies rushing out of spawn, preferably with Crit-a-Cola to increase the speed of the process and your chance of success (prioritize on Soldiers, Demomen and Pyros though, as these classes with their explosives/flames can wreak havoc on the small area the point is in).

Defense

Once again, defending Scouts will have a hard time directly engaging the BLU team as any pushes they make in such a small map with have multiple people and at least one heavy class, so try to single out key targets and pick them off when they stray too far from their teammates.
Alternatively, use Crit-a-Cola and the regular Scattergun to ambush BLU players passing one of the numerous hiding spots or corners in the map. Be careful when doing this however, as you will need to escape immediately before you can be hit for lethal amounts of Mini-Crit damage.
If you are using the Force-A-Nature, use the self knockback to your advantage and jump to higher areas or across gaps to stay on the move and prevent yourself getting cornered when flanking.
The Sandman may also be useful to a degree for stunning enemies in the hallways near C, but otherwise do not use it as the limited space and decreased max health will make your choice a death wish.

Pipeline

Due to its multiple paths and ways to the enemy areas, Pipeline is good for Scouts who want to harass and use hit and run tactics. However, as it is essentially a Payload map with more focus on chokepoints, pushing the cart solo is generally a bad idea unless otherwise noted.

Section 1

The upper path that goes to the balcony overlooking the opposing area as well as their spawn is a good place to go if you are trying to sneak up on enemy Snipers or enemies hiding from your team's pushes. However, be careful of Sentry Guns, as they will force you to go through the main chokepoint otherwise.
If the enemy team is not watching the cart despite it being right next to the capture point, drop down from the upper ledge onto or behind it. You may be able to push the cart closer to victory, or even win the round should the enemy team not react fast enough.
The long range of the first area makes the Sandman very usable, and the curve of the central hill means you can fire balls over and stun unseen enemies if you know where to aim. Do not use the Sandman if you are primarily planning to push the cart over anything else, as you will need the extra health to spend more time next to the cart in enemy territory.

Section 2

The main corridor where both carts pass through is good for the Sandman, but not much else. This area is perhaps the most prominent chokepoint in the map, and it will be impossible do any direct attacking here due to the amount of enemies on the opposite side of the corridor.
The rear area, conversely, is very good for Scouts. Its darker corridors and higher ground above the main point areas make this great for flanking Scouts, but be cautious of any Sentry Guns set up on the ground floor near the main corridor.
If you can, try to get into the stairwell on the enemy side of the main corridor. This is an ideal ambush spot for passing enemies, and if you have Crit-a-Cola it becomes extremely useful for killing key targets.
Use Bonk! when going around the corner from the main corridor to the enemy area, as they may have a Sentry Gun lying in wait. Work with your team to distract the Sentry Gun while they destroy it.
Once again, you can use the rear pathways to jump onto the cart should it be within meters of the capture point, and possibly cap the point in the process. This works especially well if you have a distraction, such as your team pushing in from the opposite direction.

Section 3

The third point is good for Force-A-Nature Scouts as they can jump between the ramps AND over to the enemy Sniper deck. This is useful if you need to clear out any Snipers causing problems for your team.
As a Scout, your speed will allow you to reach the top of the tracks the quickest. Do this at the start of the round to prevent any enemy Engineers or other classes from building defenses up there and so limiting your team's movements around the middle area.
Flank enemies on the middle raised area by going through the ground floor tunnels directly below. This path is rarely used, and can make for a good surprise.
Use the hiding spots near the enemy spawns to your advantage, killing select targets and running over to your side of the middle rocks to cause confusion and panic among the spawning enemies.
In the rare event of a Sentry Gun being set up at the top of the ramps, use Bonk! to distract it, and push the cart by crouching on your team's side of it (to stop yourself being sniped).

Hightower

Hightower is an interesting map for Scouts, as it has several flanking paths, a large open area with cover dotted around (the rocks in the centre, the crates) and also a very exposed final area for the cart (the elevator).
As soon as the round starts, you can rush to the enemy team's starting area to stop their lighter classes from pushing the cart. Should they have a Heavy or other more dangerous classes, you can still potentially deal with them by using the nearby health kits and open space to your advantage.
Be careful of Combat Mini-Sentry Guns placed near your team's cart. This map is a very popular one for offensive Engineers (especially those with the Gunslinger) and could result in your team's lighter classes being unable to push the cart due to a Sentry Gun (in this case, try to work together with someone while using Bonk! to destroy it, or use your Pistol at long range).
The Force-A-Nature can work surprisingly well here, as there are plenty of raised areas to knock people off of, and in the best situation, you can blast them off the cliff at the far side of the map to an untimely death. You can also use the Force-A-Nature's triple jump capabilities to reach higher areas without having to use the stairs or ramps.
Remember to use the passage behind the elevators that links the starting areas together. This will allow you to slip behind the enemy lines unseen, and also leads you to health kit in an alcove should you need it.
As soon as your team's cart reaches the bottom of the ramp near the enemy spawn, your own effectiveness at pushing the cart will be severely limited. Instead, try to put your efforts into stopping them from pushing their cart.
However, if you have Bonk! you can be a key player to your team, as you can use it to distract the inevitable Sentry Guns around the ramp so your team can destroy them. If necessary, you can also approach with this method from the opposite side your team is coming from, making it much more of an ambush and increasing your chances of success.
When the cart has reached its respective elevator, try crouching behind it on your team's side, as this will stop you from being sniped from the enemy spawn, and also mean only a few classes will be able to reliably hit you once you're off the ground (namely Rocket jumping Soldiers, Demomen and Snipers aiming from the cliffs). On the other hand, if the enemy team is pushing the cart up the tower, use the Force-A-Nature or ramps around the area to jump onto it and kill off any players capturing. You may die in doing so, but it will stop the enemy team from winning (and also kill anybody unfortunate enough to be standing underneath the elevator as it falls).
The various pieces of cover and darkened areas in this map make Crit-a-Cola fairly effective. When you drink it though, try to employ hit-and-run tactics and run in the direction of your team's area after killing/wounding your target. Otherwise, the glow from the Crit-boost will draw attention to you and make you a very easy target for more alert players.
There are paths that lead to the enemy spawn and the enemy Sniper deck. Though unlikely, you can use these paths to destroy any Teleporters they have set up, and take care of any wrangling Engineers or Snipers positioned on the Sniper deck (by jumping onto the crates outside their spawn, then into the stairwell).
Remember that the Sandman prevents enemies from capturing points or pushing carts. If you see a lone enemy on the cart and nobody is taking care of them, you can stun them to halt their capturing efforts and then kill them quickly with your primary weapon. This is especially useful if someone is pushing their cart on the elevator, as it will assume there is nobody to keep the elevator up there and will cause it to fall back down.
Don't forget you can use the ramps around the central tower to get to the higher ground. This is key if you want to knock off or kill any enemies firing down from there, as there is very little space for them to move around in, a medium health kit and the fall will almost definitely inflict damage on them.

Nucleus

You can easily reach the health pack on the catwalk below the doomsday device by double jumping from the lower perimeter.
By using Bonk! or the Force-A-Nature's triple jump, you can jump from the catwalk to the lower perimeter.
Weapons like the Force-A-Nature and the Sandman are very effective on this map. Wait on the catwalk, and when someone comes jumping down for the health, stun them with the Sandman, then knock them off the side with the Force-A-Nature.

Steel

Defending Point A

By hopping along the rock pillars near point A and double jumping onto the metal ledge beside the hill outside the BLU team's window exit, the Scout can get the drop on attackers trying to rain rockets and grenades from above.

External links

TF2 - How to play the Scout by EvilDaedalus

Community Scout strategy

Contents

General

Combat

Speed

Jumping

Objectives

Miscellaneous

Weapon Specific

Pistol / Lugermorph

Weapon Heckling

Overview

Heckling A Pyro

Heckling A Soldier

Heckling A Demoman

Heckling A Medic

Heckling a Heavy

Heckling a Sniper

Heckling a Spy

Heckling an Engineer

Heckling a Scout

Map Specific

Attacking middle point

Defending middle point

Attacking second point

Defending second point

Attacking last point

Defending last point

Attacking middle point

Defending middle point

Attacking second point

Defending second point

Attacking last point

Defending last point

Attacking middle point

Defending middle point

Attacking second point

Defending second point

Attacking last point

Defending last point

Attacking middle point

Defending middle point

Attacking second point

Defending second point

Attacking last point

Defending last point

Attacking middle point

Defending middle point

Attacking second point

Defending second point

Attacking last point

Defending last point

Attacking middle point

Defending middle point

Attacking second point

Defending second point

Attacking last point

Defending last point

Attack

Defense

Attack

Defense

Attack

Defense

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Defending Point A

See also

External links

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