Engineer match-ups
| “ | Son, I'm gonna' blow that dumb look right off your stupid face!
Click to listen
— The Engineer on his battle plan
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” |
| Class | Strategy | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 Engineer |
vs. |  Scout |
Relative merits: Your Sentry Gun makes you the best class for defending an area against the Scout. The Sentry Gun never misses, preventing the Scout from using his mobility to dodge its shots, and it quickly chews through the Scout's small pool of 125 health. The Scout's weapons are not powerful enough to handle a Sentry Gun directly; the best he can do is try to chip away at one from outside its maximum range with the Pistol, or run past it entirely with the invincibility from Bonk! Atomic Punch.
In a direct head-to-head fight without assistance from your Sentry Gun, the two of you have similar weapons, but the Scout's Scattergun hits slightly harder and his high mobility gives him the upper hand. Tactics: Stay close to your Sentry Gun. A Scout essentially can't fight you at all if you remain within its line of sight. If the Scout tries to chip away at your Sentry Gun from afar, you can usually repair it with your Wrench faster than he can damage it. Depending on where the Scout is shooting from, you might be able to force him to retreat by firing back at him with your own weapons. If you can rely on your teammates to defend the map's main areas without your assistance, placing your Sentry Gun near flank routes will prevent Scouts (as well as most other classes) from using them to ambush you and your team. If possible, try to place your Sentry Gun so that it covers multiple entrances and cannot be shot at from outside its maximum range or easily hit from around a corner. If you're playing very aggressively or are constantly on the move, you may run into a Scout without having a Sentry Gun built nearby. In such a fight, try to move erratically to make yourself hard to hit, and fire back at the Scout with your Shotgun. Both of you only have 125 maximum health, so a direct fight like this comes down to whether or not you can land enough shots to kill the Scout before he kills you. Useful weapons:
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Engineer |
vs. |  Soldier |
Relative merits: The Soldier's Rocket Launcher allows him to deal heavy damage to your buildings from outside your Sentry Gun's range. In a direct fight, his large health pool, high damage output, and the large blast radius of his rockets' explosions puts you at a significant disadvantage.
Tactics: Try to position your Sentry Gun somewhere that an enemy Soldier cannot easily destroy it. Avoid placing your buildings too close to each other, as the large blast radius of rockets can allow a Soldier to hit multiple buildings simultaneously. If a Soldier breaks through your team's defenses, retreat immediately (hauling one of your buildings with you if possible); the Soldier's slow movement speed makes it difficult for him to chase you unless he commits to a rocket jump. A common strategy for Soldiers dealing with a Sentry Gun is to repeatedly step in and out of cover while firing rockets. If a Soldier attempts to damage your buildings in this way, either focus on repairs while asking your teammates to deal with the Soldier, or use your Shotgun to fire at him whenever he steps out of cover. Even if you don't kill him outright, you may damage him enough to force a retreat. In a direct one-on-one fight, the Soldier generally outmatches you. However, your Shotgun is a powerful enough weapon at close range that you may be able to kill him if you take him by surprise, or if he's distracted by your Sentry Gun. Take note of which primary weapon the Soldier has equipped. The Direct Hit has harder-hitting rockets that can easily destroy your buildings, the Beggar's Bazooka and Air Strike can unleash a devastating salvo of rockets in quick succession, and the Cow Mangler 5000, although it deals almost no damage to your buildings, can temporarily disable them with a charged shot. Useful weapons:
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Engineer |
vs. |  Pyro |
Relative merits: The limited range of the Pyro's weapons makes it extremely difficult for them to deal with a well-positioned Sentry Gun. However, if they manage to get close enough, their Flame Thrower can deal massive damage to you and your buildings.
Tactics: Be mindful of where you position your Sentry Gun. Try to place as much distance as possible between your Sentry Gun and any areas that it can't see, such as cover or doorways. Otherwise, it's possible for a Pyro to quickly rush down your Sentry Gun and destroy it with their Flame Thrower. An intelligent Pyro may try to quickly step out of cover to bait a level 3 Sentry Gun into firing rockets at them, then use their Flame Thrower's compression blast to reflect it back at you and your buildings. If you notice a Pyro doing this, shoot at them with your Shotgun (or ask your teammates to shoot at them) to force them to retreat, or potentially kill them outright. It may also be possible to flank the Pyro and attack them from the other side of the cover they're using, forcing them to make the lose/lose choice of either getting shot by you or backing up and getting shot by your Sentry Gun. In a direct one-on-one fight, a Pyro has more health than you do and their Flame Thrower sprays a wide, hard-to-avoid cone of fire. Try to shoot down the Pyro from outside their Flame Thrower's range. If you get set on fire, make your way to your Dispenser or a nearby health kit before you burn to death. Useful weapons:
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Engineer |
vs. |  Demoman |
Relative merits: The Demoman is one of your greatest threats. He can fire projectiles from behind cover or simply prepare a pile of Stickybombs to destroy your buildings in a single explosion, preventing any repairs.
Tactics: Avoid placing your Sentry Gun out in the open or right around corners, where a Demoman can easily place a carpet of Stickybombs. Rather than sit behind and continuously repair your buildings, take the fight to an aggressive Demoman with your Shotgun or lay down suppressive fire with the Wrangler. If necessary, shoot the Stickybombs with bullets to destroy them or haul your Sentry Gun away. You have considerably less to worry about if the Demoman trades in the Stickybomb Launcher for a shield and melee weapon. Check his shoes however. If he does not have the Ali Baba’s Wee Booties, it means he has a Grenade Launcher equipped and can still pose a hazard. Useful weapons:
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Engineer |
vs. |  Heavy |
Relative merits: Your Sentry Gun has plenty of firepower and bulk, but you yourself do not. Your Sentry Gun may need support to hold an area against an aggressive Heavy.
Tactics: Repair your Sentry Gun as it does your dirty work, crouching between your buildings to minimize the damage you take. At medium range or beyond, a level 3 Sentry Gun under constant repair can tank a Heavy's fire for the full duration of an ÜberCharge. At point blank range, however, a Heavy can easily destroy any Sentry Gun, no matter how fast it's being repaired. If the knock back from your Sentry Gun can't keep him at bay, flee. Useful weapons:
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Engineer |
vs. | Engineer |
Mirror match-up: Because of your defensive nature, you’re unlikely to come up against another Engineer unless one of you moves to an aggressive position.
Tactics: More often than not, both of you will have a full nest of buildings that deters the other from attacking, so leave taking out enemy buildings to your teammates. If he’s near his Sentry Gun, the best you’ll probably be able to do is harass him at range with your Pistol. In an offensive push, hauling a level 3 Sentry Gun up to a chokepoint can give you zone control against the enemy Engineer. Useful weapons:
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Engineer |
vs. |  Medic |
Relative merits: An enemy Medic provides healing to his team as they harass your Sentry Gun from behind cover. Without interference from your team, it is only a matter of time before you cannot keep up with repairs. A lone Medic is at a slight disadvantage with you if fighting one-on-one, but that will rarely happen.
Tactics: Evaluate the enemy team as they harass your position. If you think your team can hold, crouch behind your Sentry Gun while repairing to minimize the damage you take. Otherwise, haul one building out and regroup for the next fight. The main threat brought by a Medic is his ÜberCharge, which will render a chosen teammate immune to your Sentry Gun's firepower. While invulnerable, he will generally run in front of his patient to draw fire and knock back from the Sentry Gun, allowing his patient to get close and easily destroy it. Useful weapons:
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Engineer |
vs. |  Sniper |
Relative merits: You have no long ranged options, so a Sniper can freely target you and a poorly positioned Sentry Gun. Your Shotgun holds the advantage at close range, should you pursue him.
Tactics: A Sentry Gun that is placed in a bad position can be easily picked off. If you use the Wrangler to fight back or try to repair your buildings, you risk being shot yourself. For this match-up, consider a more concealed spot for your Sentry Gun, even if it covers a smaller area. If you are desperate, use your Sentry Gun as impromptu cover as you continuously repair it. Useful weapons:
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Engineer |
vs. |  Spy |
Relative merits: The Spy is your natural predator. A disguised Spy doesn’t draw your Sentry Gun’s fire, allowing him to use Sappers to disable all of your buildings so his team can freely attack.
Tactics: If your buildings aren't under enemy fire, stay busy by looking for enemy Spies. Use your Shotgun or the Wrangler to Spy-check anyone that comes within range of your Sentry Gun and listen carefully for the Spy’s decloaking sound. To prevent backstabs as you work, glance over your shoulder between swings of your Wrench to check for any approaching “teammates”. If a Spy saps your equipment, eliminate the Spy first, as he can place Sappers faster than you can remove them, and be ready for any enemies that might simultaneously attack. Refrain from standing on your Teleporter Exit at all times, as even an undisguised Spy can come through to telefrag you. Useful weapons:
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See also
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