Slowdown

“

What da hell's goin' on? Click to listen — The Scout on being slowed down

”

Slowdown or Slow is a gameplay mechanic that decreases the speed of a player for a set time. This effect can be applied to a player when under attack by certain weapons or as a penalty for using a certain item. Naturally a player can slow themselves down by crouch, which reduces movement speed by 33% of the classes speed. Running backwards will reduce a classes movement speed by 10%. More of class speed can be read on the Speed section of the Classes article.

Falloff

The Slowdown effect has no falloff distance; players hit from any length will always be slowed down. However, the mechanics of bullet spread make the Slowdown effect more difficult to apply on players who are farther away. A patch issued on December 17th causes Natascha's slow effect to be reduced over distance. It's unofficial as to how much it is reduced and over what distance.

Weapon Effect

Natascha

On Hit: 100% chance to slow target

Every bullet that hits the target will slow them down to approximately 113 Hammer Units per second. Differences in class or normal running speed will not change this figure. As of the December 17 patch, Natascha's Slow effect is reduced over distance. It is currently unofficial as to how much it is reduced and over what distance.

Sandman

The Sandman's secondary fire launches a baseball that can stun the target. The stunned target will be slowed and cannot use any weapon for the duration of the effect. If the baseball is launched at the maximum ranged distance, the victim will be completely immobile and be not be able to move at all for the duration of the effect.

Weapon Slowdown Uses

The first use of the slowdown effect would be to diminish your opponent's ability to flee from a fight, allowing you or your teammates to finish them off. The slowdown effect will also cause airborne targets to lose momentum, perhaps preventing them from jumping across certain gaps. Defensively, the slowdown effect can be used to prevent certain enemies, such as Pyros or Demomen with the Chargin' Targe, from coming too close to you.

Weapon Penalty

Sniper Rifle / Sydney Sleeper

Movement speed reduces to 27% whiled zoomed in; While zoomed and crouching it reduces to 1.33%.

Huntsman

Movement speed is reduced to 45% while an arrow is drawn.

Minigun / Natascha / Iron Curtain

Movement speed is reduced to 37% while spun up.

Disguise

Depending on the class a Spy is disguised as, his movement speed can be effected. As a Demoman movement speed will decrease to 93%, Soldier will decrease it to 80%, and Heavy will decrease it to 77%.

Hauling

While hauling a building, an Engineer's movement speed will decrease to 75%, just a little slower than a Heavy.

Brass Beast

Movement speed is reduced to 14.66 while spun up.

Scotsman's Skullcutter

-15% movement speed on wearer

So long as the Scotsman's Skullcutter remains in the Demoman's loadout, his movement speed will constantly be lowered from 280 units per second (93% of normal speed) to 238 units per second (78% of normal speed), rendering him only marginally faster than a Heavy.

Removed Slowdown

Shortstop

The Shortstop was intended to have a slow effect but it didn't function properly. As a result, the effect was removed in the December 17, 2010 Patch.

Razorback

When first released, the Razorback would slow the Sniper down to 85% movement speed. This was removed in the June 23, 2009 Patch.

Environmental Slowdowns

Scared

On the map Harvest Event, there will occasionally be a ghost belonging to Zepheniah Mann wandering around certain areas of the map. If any players are near the ghost, they will be frightened and have their movement speed reduced. The Horseless Headless Horsemann in Mann Manor can scream and give the players a similar effect.

Related Achievements

Heavy

Don't Touch Sandvich Kill 50 Scouts using Natascha.

Scarechievements

Scared Stiff Kill a player scared by a ghost.