The Sandman is an unlockable melee weapon for the Scout. It is a wooden bat with a smooth black grip, complete with a logo reading "The Sandman" engraved on the side, and a black band tied around the end holding a cracked section of wood together. Accompanying the bat is an "All Ballers League" baseball manufactured by "Ball Fortress".
In addition to sharing the attack speed and damage of the normal Bat, pressing alternate fire with the Sandman will cause the Scout to launch the baseball towards the enemy. Successfully hitting a target with the baseball will stun the enemy as well as damage them provided that they are a sufficient distance away. The further the ball flies before hitting the enemy, the longer the victim will be stunned, ranging from 1 to 7 seconds. If the enemy is hit with a baseball from extreme range, the victim will suffer a moonshot, identifiable by a cheering audience sound clip, and will be completely immobile for the maximum stun duration. If the Scout launches the ball short of the minimum stun distance, the ball will hit and inflict damage but will bounce off the enemy. The Scout is also only equipped with one baseball, which will reload after a 15-second interval indicated in the cooldown bar on the HUD.
Baseballs can be picked up off the ground, whether owned by the player or another Scout, or by visiting a Resupply locker. Baseballs are not classed as ammunition and thus cannot be retrieved by picking up dropped weapons or ammo packs. A baseball that does not hit an enemy will remain on the ground and disappear after 15 seconds, effectively the time it takes the Scout to gain a new one. After stunning an enemy, it will disappear much more quickly - after about three seconds - but can still be picked up and used again if acquired before it disappears. As a projectile, the ball will arc towards the ground, and can be deflected by an enemy Pyro. The ball can also hit and bounce off of enemy grenades, Jarate, Mad Milk, and even enemy Scout baseballs.
Scouts carrying the Sandman will lose 15 max health points, lowering their base health to 110. The weapon is therefore suited to support tactics, as it places the player at greater risk of death during combat.
Taunting with the Sandman equipped allows the Scout to perform the Home Run Kill taunt.
The Sandman is automatically given to any player who obtains 16 Scout achievements.
The kill icon for the Sandman was contributed by NeoDement.
Damage and function times
Melee damage
Damage and function times
|
Damage
|
Base damage
|
100%
|
35
|
Point blank
|
30-40
|
Critical
|
105
|
Mini-crit
|
40-54
|
Function times
|
Attack interval
|
0.5 s
|
Values are approximate and determined by community testing.
|
Baseball
Damage and function times
|
Shot type
|
Projectile
|
Effect
|
Stuns proportionally to distance
|
Damage
|
Base damage
|
100%
|
15
|
Point blank
|
13-17
|
Critical
|
45
|
Mini-crit
|
17-23
|
Function times
|
Attack interval
|
0.25 s
|
Recharge time
|
15 s
|
Values are approximate and determined by community testing.
|
Demonstration
Crafting
Blueprint
As a crafting ingredient
Related achievements
|
Brushback Stun 50 enemies while they are capturing a point or pushing the cart.
|
|
Foul Territory Cause an environmental death by stunning or slowing an enemy.
|
|
Moon Shot Stun an enemy for the maximum possible duration by hitting them with a long-range ball.
|
|
|
|
Out of the Park Bat an enemy 25 meters.
|
|
Strike Zone Kill or assist kill 50 enemies while they are stunned or slowed.
|
|
Update history
February 24, 2009 Patch (
The Scout Update)
- The Sandman was added to the game.
February 25, 2009 Patch
- Removed the damage reduction against non-stunned enemies on the new bat.
- Fixed the BONK! particles appearing in the air when this weapon's taunt kill is used on a target.
March 13, 2009 Patch
- Players who are stunned by a ball now take 50% less damage.
- The minimum distance to stun a player using this weapon was increased.
May 26, 2009 Patch
- Fixed kill descriptions for Force-A-Nature & Sandman so server logs can distinguish them.
August 13, 2009 Patch (Classless Update)
- This weapon's stun effect went under numerous changes.
- Players using this weapon will now receive 1 point for stunning an enemy, and 2 points for a long range stun.
- Stunned players now take 75% of all incoming damage instead of 50%.
- ÜberCharged players can no longer be stunned.
- Heavies spinning their Miniguns will continue to spin when stunned (whether the left or right mouse button is pressed).
- The minimum distance to stun a target has been reduced.
- The negative attribute was changed from "no double jump" to "-30 max health".
- [Undocumented] Primary fire for the Sandman now swings the bat, while alt fire now launches the baseball.
- [Undocumented] Added new swinging animations to the Sandman when a Scout swings the bat with the ball still in his hand.
December 17, 2009 Patch (WAR! Update)
- This weapon will only stun on a max range hit.
- All shorter hits now force the enemy into the third-person fleeing state (also removed the damage reduction on them).
- A recharge sound was added to this weapon's recharge ability.
December 22, 2009 Patch
- Updated the Baseball's HUD indicator to stay on screen when full.
January 6, 2010 Patch
- Reduced the health penalty on The Sandman to "-15 max health".
January 13, 2010 Patch
- Fixed this weapon being able to bat balls through doors.
April 28, 2010 Patch
- Added a slight speed reduction to stunned players.
May 12, 2010 Patch
- [Undocumented] The Sandman was added to the Pain Train's crafting blueprint.
July 8, 2010 Patch (The Engineer Update)
- This weapon now uses the Bat kill icon, while the ball's stun uses the existing Sandman's kill icon.
September 30, 2010 Patch (The Mann-Conomy Update)
- [Undocumented] The Sandman was added in the Holy Mackerel's crafting blueprint.
October 12, 2010 Patch
December 21, 2010 Patch
- [Undocumented] The Sandman was added in the Ullapool Caber's crafting blueprint.
- [Undocumented] The Sandman was added in the Boston Basher's crafting blueprint.
January 7, 2011 Patch
- This weapon was given a unique kill icon.
February 14, 2011 Patch
- Fixed this weapon's melee attack not destroying remote detonation pipes (Stickybombs).
March 15, 2011 Patch
- [Undocumented] The Sandman was removed from the Ullapool Caber's crafting blueprint.
June 23, 2011 Patch (Über Update)
- [Undocumented] The Sandman was added in the Atomizer's crafting blueprint.
July 12, 2011 Patch
- [Undocumented] Added Strange Quality.
July 22, 2011 Patch
- [Undocumented] The stun attribute wording was changed from "This bat knocks out a mean stun ball" to "Alt fire: Launches a ball that stuns opponents."
- [Undocumented] Fixed a Head-up display bug in which the ball recharge meter for The Sandman would show the improper amount of charge under certain circumstances.
Bugs
- Rarely, if a player throws the ball at a wall while the Scout is in close range and they pick it up off the ground, let it refill, or go to a Resupply locker, the recharge bar will be full but the baseball will be missing resulting in it not being usable until the player dies.
- It is possible to perform melee attacks while stunned by using secondary fire with any of the Heavy's melee weapons.
- Occasionally, the Sandman's ball will be able to hit an opposing player through the starting gate.
- With careful timing and a run up, a player can hit the Sandman's ball through thin walls.
- In instances where the ball recharge meter is full and the Scout holds the ball ready, it cannot be launched.
- If the Scout kills the enemy while that enemy is stunned, he will assist himself and gain 1.5 points, for the kill and the assist.
- Stunning opponents while they are taunting will make them able to move at the reduced stun speed before the taunt's completion, unless a moonshot is achieved.
- The base of the weapon clips with the Scout's hand.
Trivia
- The weapon's name refers to the Template:W reputed to induce sleep by putting sand or dust in the sleeper's eyes.
- It may also refer to baseball "sand-lots" — low maintenance, and often ersatz, public baseball diamonds common in urban environments, such as Boston.
- The in-game model and logo for the Sandman are based on the "classic" Louisville Slugger baseball bats made by the Template:W.
- Upon release, the stun ball was fired upon attack unless very close to an enemy or solid prop. It has since been made the Sandman's alt-fire feature.
Gallery
First-person view without baseball
See also
External links
Scout |
---|
| Weapons |
Primary | | | Secondary | | | Melee |
Bat ( Frying Pan, Saxxy, Conscientious Objector, Freedom Staff, Bat Outta Hell, Memory Maker, Ham Shank, Golden Frying Pan, Necro Smasher, Crossing Guard, Batsaber, Prinny Machete) · Sandman · Holy Mackerel ( Unarmed Combat) · Boston Basher ( Three-Rune Blade) · Candy Cane · Sun-on-a-Stick · Fan O'War · Atomizer · Wrap Assassin | | | | | | |
| | Abilities | | | Cosmetics | | | Item sets | | | Special taunts | | | Achievements | | | Character | | | Strategy | | | Other | |
|