Community Pyro strategy

“

Click to listen

— The Pyro on strategizing

”

The Pyro is a close range class wielding a Flamethrower, dealing huge amounts of damage to enemies. Pyros ambush their enemies, or charge in and disrupt groups of opponents with a cloud of flame. Enemies can usually be ignited and then left to die from the afterburn, making the Pyro a very good hit-and-run class. Although the Pyro has a low difficulty curve, making it an easy class to pick up, intricacies of mastering the compression blast, ambushing, and weapon-switching have rendered the Pyro much harder to master in recent updates.

Quick Tips

Stay away from water and open areas. If you can't avoid them, wait to follow another friendly player.

Pushing enemies away with the compression blast can disorient them, but it's usually the wrong move because it puts them out of range of your best weapon. Save it for the right situations (Such as a Demoman charge).

General

Playing Pyro requires a different mindset than other classes. Pyros tend to be weak on frontal attacks; they will lose to most other classes if they are seen coming. However, if you catch the enemy by surprise, you can be the most dangerous class in the game.

Always try for an ambush. Learn the maps and use side pathways rather than main ones, and use speed in order to flank the enemy team.

Weaker classes like Scouts, Engineers, Medics and Snipers tend to retreat when they are on fire. Light them up and quickly retreat, then return with the Shotgun drawn. These classes often expose their backs for easy follow-up shots as they retreat. If set on fire, Medics may attempt to regain their health by attacking with the Blutsauger - either leave them to burn or switch to the Shotgun and pursue from a distance.

You wear a flame retardant suit and cannot be ignited, but they still take contact damage from the flame particles. The Shotgun is more useful in most cases for fighting an enemy Pyro.

Use caution when fighting near water or a source of enemy healing, such as Health pickups, Medics, or Dispensers, as these can extinguish a burning player quicker than the fire would normally go out. Enemies that have been damaged sufficiently by your primary weapons can often be easily finished off with the Shotgun. If possible, try to pick up any health packs near burning enemies to prevent them from extinguishing themselves.

The ability to use compression blast makes you an invaluable minesweeper class. Use it to:
- Deflect rockets, grenades, flares, Huntsman arrows, or Sandman balls back at the attacker or other enemies. Reflected projectiles deal Mini-Crits to enemies and are harmless to allies. Smaller projectiles like arrows, flares, or balls are much harder to reflect. Reflected arrows can Headshot enemies.
- Push Stickybombs away from important objectives like Control Points or Intelligence. Deflected Stickybombs remain dangerous to teammates and friendly buildings, but can also damage the Demoman who fired them. Deflected Stickybombs do not deal Mini-Crits.
- Reflect enemy Sentry Gun rockets for 135-147 damage, potentially killing the Engineer or other weaker classes. Be aware that the Sentry Gun's gun barrels will still cause significant damage. This tactic is most effective in conjunction with a friendly Medic.
- Knock enemies away from objectives like Control Points and Payload Carts.
- Separate and distract ÜberCharged enemies and prevent them from pushing forward.
- Extinguish burning allies, saving them from extended burn damage.
- Knock enemies into environmental hazards on the map.

The flames seen on the screen do not match the flames' "real" presence on servers, as the "real" flames lag behind what Team Fortress 2 renders. This is why it is easy to miss fast classes like Scouts with the initial burst. In order to compensate, be sure to aim ahead of targets, so that they walk into the flame particles. This can be be used as an advantage in fights, especially against enemy Pyros - players can fire while retreating backwards in a straight line, so that their flames will lag behind and damage any enemy Pyros that are pursuing, while the enemy Pyro will not be able to deal damage due to the lagging flame hitbox.

When flaming an enemy, it's best to listen for the higher pitched sizzling sound to know when the enemy is being damaged. The flames might be hitting the enemy on screen, but they won't cause damage unless the sizzling sound is heard. Turning on damage numbers and/or the hit sound can help with tracking burning foes and exactly when the enemy is taking damage.

Ambushing/Roaming

Ambushing is your specialty. As stated above, you are weak on frontal attacks as you will lose to most other classes if you are seen coming. However, if you catch the enemy by surprise, you can be the most dangerous class in the game.

Ambushing can be effective in both offense and defense. Attacking the enemy push from behind while teammates push at the same time is both an excellent offensive and defensive tactic.

When planning an ambush, be sure to keep these tips in mind:

Use alternate routes to organize a synchronized attack on the enemy, igniting them from behind while teammates attack from the front.

Use elevation to get the drop on the enemy. Most unaware players do not look above eye level.

Know which corners on the map are blind corners or offer cover from enemies coming around them. These can often be good points to attack single enemies or small groups of slightly more vulnerable classes such as Scouts.

Be sure to check for stragglers or other ambushers before attempting to perform an ambush against enemy groups. Sometimes Snipers stay behind the enemy push to focus their fire on ambushers such as Scouts, Spies, and, of course, Pyros.

Be prepared for one-on-one combat. Enemy players looking to perform their own ambushes may also use side paths, and can sometimes be encountered in such situations.

If things don't go according to plan, be sure to have an escape route.

Frontline Combat/Support

Ambushing isn’t the only way you are an offensive class though. Like any good class that has offensive potential, you have an important place in offensive pushes at the front lines.

When conducting pushes alongside teammates, consider these words of advice:

Charging into a group of enemies and setting them all on fire is a good way to sow chaos and disrupt an offensive push. Five incoming enemies are much more dangerous than four panicked, burning enemies looking for health packs and jumping into water. Keep in mind that this is usually considered a suicidal tactic.
- Target enemy Medics first. This can prevent the enemy from quickly recovering from attacks.

If an Engineer has left a Sentry Gun near a corner, it's possible to pop around the corner and take out the Sentry Gun at point-blank range. This works against Level 1 Sentry Guns but rarely Level 2 or 3, because of the knockback. Alternatively, Sentry Guns that are very close to corners or on some platforms can be "edged" by approaching the corner and firing the Flamethrower without being detected and targeted, hopefully igniting the Engineer and forcing him or her to retreat. If the Sentry Gun is positioned far from a corner, it's possible to circle-strafe around even a Level 3 Sentry Gun and burn it down, but this depends on the orientation of the Sentry Gun.

An ÜberCharged Pyro can lay waste to a Sentry Gun nest faster than most other classes, but they are also more easily thwarted by knockback than other classes. They must get to point blank range before the Sentry Guns start firing. Try to approach from around corners whenever possible, and the Medic should always go first to draw the Sentry Guns' fire and knockback. The Backburner's additional damage can also facilitate the destruction of the Sentry Gun faster. With the regular Flamethrower, it can be helpful to compression blast the Engineer out of range of the Sentry Gun to prevent him or her from repairing it, making it go down much faster.

Be sure to check the health of allies that are on fire to organize last-second priorities. There may only be a couple of seconds to put them out with the Compression Blast before the afterburn kills them!

Defensive

While you are a good offensive class, you can also be effective in defense, since it's easier to ambush enemies that are trying to actively attack teammates than ones sitting in prepared positions waiting for incoming attacks.

When protecting the back-lines, try these strategies to keep the enemy at bay:

Stand near the Capture point or Intelligence, preferably out of sight, and ignite anyone who comes near.

Using your primary weapon on teammates is a good way to Spy-check. Only a momentary burst of flame is needed to ignite an enemy Spy; briefly puffing every teammate is a cost-effective method of minimizing Spy encounters.

Without the need to reload, your primary weapons can immediately use any ammo with which they're supplied. Standing next to a Dispenser can allow you to act as a stationary flame turret for guarding an Engineer fortification or the Intelligence room of Capture the Flag maps. A Spy cannot pass through without serious health loss and exposure.

Know what paths the enemy may try to take in order to attack the team's base. Map knowledge goes a long way to countering the enemy by attacking from their blind spots. For example, when the enemy rushes the front doors in 2Fort, try to ambush them by dropping through the grate and attacking them from behind.

The Compression Blast can save the lives of many Sentry bases, especially when the Engineer isn't around. Reflect away projectiles or Übers that are targeting Sentry Guns, and push away Spies before they start sapping.

As a member of defense, don't forget to alert teammates of any serious danger that is approaching the base!

Compression blast

The Compression Blast can knock enemy players into map hazards, such as the instant death pit on Steel or the trains in Well, or simply push enemies away to deny a decisive combat action.

Compression Blasts can be used to blast enemies away from Health pickups they are trying to get. If paired with a Medic, this can be crucial in keeping the Medic alive.

Enemy movement can be limited by well-timed blasts, such as preventing Scouts under the effects of the Bonk! Energy Drink from reaching their objective, or even to hold enemy players in place until the effects wear off and they become vulnerable again.

Remember that the Compression Blast can put out allies on fire. This allows Pyros to stop allies from sustaining burn damage, and can be especially instrumental in saving burning Medics on the front line as they can regenerate health and continue healing teammates. In some cases, stopping a teammate from burning to death until they can find some health can make all the difference.

One of the most useful roles of the Compression Blast is to knock back the enemy Intelligence carrier. On many CTF maps, the enemy will often resort to suicide Scouts and Spies to constantly touch the Intelligence and prevent the Intelligence timer from expiring. This can be turned against them by allowing them to pick up the Intelligence and then airblasting them in the opposite direction, causing them to lose much more ground than they gain. It's best to tell teammates not to kill the Intelligence carrier when doing this.

Depending on reflexes and timing, it's possible to deflect projectiles fired by an enemy back at their own team. This can significantly help teammates by negating potential damage to teammates and turning it into potential damage against the enemy team. Projectiles that can be deflected include Sandman balls, Mad Milk bottles, Soldier rockets, Pyro flares, Demoman explosives (both types), Sentry Gun rockets, Huntsman arrows, and Jarate jars.
- Any deflected projectiles will automatically cause Mini-Crits on anybody enemies hit by the projectile, with the exception of Stickybombs from the Stickybomb Launcher or Scottish Resistance. If the projectile is already a Critical hit, it will return as a critical as well. Jarate does not cause damage but will inflict Mini-Crits on any enemies hit by it, and Huntsman arrows can cause headshots if they hit an enemy in the head.

Having a Crit boost will cause all reflected projectiles (excluding Stickybombs) to reflect as a Critical hit.

It is very difficult to reflect objects at close range, so for these situations, extra attentiveness is called for. Timing the delay between projectiles or watching the enemy player's animation can help in judging when to use a Compression Blast more easily than watching the projectile itself.

It's possible to use explosives to perform explosive jumps via the use of deflected explosives, excluding sticky bombs, which remain under the ownership of the Demoman who fired them.

Level 3 Sentry Guns that are far away or sit around a corner can be compromised with their own rockets by using the Compression Blast. This tactic can be used to separate Engineers from their Buildings, destroy the supplying Dispenser, or cause a distraction long enough for another teammate to storm in and take care of the situation. Moving quickly in and out of a Sentry Gun's range will minimize damage taken, as it will only fire about three bullets along with the rocket before losing its target, if performed correctly.

The Compression Blast can also be used very effectively to stop enemy ÜberCharged pairs. Usually an ÜberCharged pair will ignore all other threats to attack the most threatening targets, giving players an opportunity to get in close and disrupt their plans. Players can choose to block both enemies or try to separate the Medic from the ÜberCharged player. This works best when near ledges and cliffs. However, beware that wary enemies will always target Pyros first in order to prevent being juggled.

Weapon Specific

Primary Weapons

Flamethrower

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Afterburn	Critical
Stock Flame Thrower		200	6.2/particle	3.72/particle	60 over 10 seconds	11-19/particle

The Flamethrower is a close quarters weapon with a very short range. It's devastating at point-blank range and sets fire to all classes except other Pyros.

Medics, Dispensers, the Payload Cart (depending on setting and team), Jarate, Mad Milk, Health kits, Compression Blasts from ally Pyros, and water will put out flames. Try to deny such sources to the enemy prior to attacks in order to maximize the amount of afterburn damage done.

Since the Flamethrower penetrate multiple targets, buildings and players in the line of the stream may all be hit at one time, giving you some additional utility against groups.

The Flamethrower is very useful for destroying Buildings - Sentry Guns built near a corner can be destroyed without exposing you to the Sentry Gun's range, and Sentry Guns built at a bad angle to an entrance can be rushed, circle-strafed, and destroyed without taking significant damage.

Walls do not obstruct fire unless they actually obstruct line of sight back to the origin point. This allows Pyros to attack through small cracks and crevices much more effectively than hitscan weapons.

Backburner

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Afterburn	Critical
Unlock Backburner		200	6.82/particle	4.09/particle	60 over 10 seconds	12-21/particle

The Backburner is an unlockable primary weapon for the Pyro. It inflicts 10% more damage than the Flamethrower or Degreaser and can guarantee Critical hits when attacking a target from behind, but in turn it uses 150% more ammo when performing a Compression Blast.

Choosing to use the Backburner is a case of effort put in versus reward. The Flamethrower or Degreaser have more utility in most one-on-one confrontations, but in cases where an entire enemy team is caught off-guard, the Backburner is good for mowing down everything in its way.

Remember that the Backburner uses much more ammo while performing a Compression Blast (50 compared to the 20 for the Flamethrower and Degreaser), so its utility will be greatly diminished. Try to only use it in emergency situations, such as when deflecting critical explosives, or for extinguishing multiple teammates at once.

Because of the bonus damage that the Backburner deals, it's an ideal weapon to use against enemy Pyros. Try to overwhelm them with raw damage and circle-strafe around them to get Critical hits in.

When using the Backburner, you must rely more on performing ambushes than in attacking in frontal assaults. Take alternate routes into enemy territory and loop back to the front lines.

While the narrow Crit area for the Backburner may prove difficult to account for with the hectic movement of combat (short of chasing enemies running in a straight line), an alternative is to find a group of enemies and strafe laterally behind them while firing the Backburner. While this is less likely to result in 1-second kills, the chance of finding and frying at least one open back is higher.

Degreaser

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Afterburn	Critical
Craft Degreaser		200	6.2/particle	3.72/particle	45 over 10 seconds	11-19/particle

The Degreaser is a craftable primary weapon for the Pyro. It allows you to switch between weapons 65% faster than normal. As a penalty, afterburn damage is reduced by 25%, meaning that enemies will take a maximum of 45 afterburn damage from being set on fire by the Degreaser, instead of the normal 60.

The Degreaser is great for dealing with Scouts that try to perform a Weapons heckle. The faster switch time applies to all weapons while the Degreaser is carried, so players can quickly switch to and from any weapon to deal with the Scout as appropriate.

Due to the decreased weapon switch time, the Degreaser is recommended for Pyros who like to quickly ignite enemies and Compression Blast them into the air for quick Shotgun blasts, Flare Gun or Axtinguisher kills.

If you are fighting against a Soldier constantly switching with his Rocket Launcher and his Shotgun (in order to prevent you to reflect him his projectiles), the Degreaser allows you to be more efficient; switching your weapons faster than him, you can attack him with your Shotgun or your Flare Gun, and reflect him when he tries to surprise you with a rocket.

Secondary Weapons

Shotgun

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Stock Shotgun		6	32	86-90	24-67	3-26	120

The Shotgun is an excellent weapon to follow up from an attack with a Flamethrower. It allows you to deal damage from a safer distance.

Consider switching to the Shotgun when moving in open spaces, as the short range of the Flamethrower will make it mostly ineffective in ambush situations.

The Shotgun is also a good sneaking weapon. Its shape is less visible than the Flamethrower's or the Degreaser's long nozzles, yet it allows you the ability to deal a fair amount of damage quickly if caught, while not restricting the player to close range like a melee weapon would.

If forced to cross open ground where enemy Snipers are known to be on the lookout, consider firing the Shotgun at them after leaving cover. While not as useful as the Flare Gun in keeping them suppressed, Shotgun rounds can shake the scopes of rifle-carrying Snipers long enough get back to a safe spot.

Flare Gun

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Loaded	Carried	Base Damage	Afterburn	Critical	Projectile Speed
Unlock Flare Gun		1	16	30	60 over 10 seconds	90	1450 Hammer units/sec

The Flare Gun is an unlockable secondary weapon for the Pyro. A completely different weapon from the Shotgun, it fires one flare at a time and reloads slowly. Any enemies hit by a flare will suffer moderate damage and be ignited. Ignited enemies will receive a Critical hit.

The Flare Gun projectile will start to arc after traveling a fair distance, approximately the length of 2Fort's bridge. Be sure to compensate at long distances.

The Flare Gun does not have falloff damage, meaning that it does the same base amount of damage at all ranges. The projectile is hard to dodge at medium ranges, and enemies may run into it by mistake.

One general use for the Flare Gun is for dispatching fleeing enemies at long range. Often, if a low- or medium-health class (such as a Scout, Medic, or Demoman) is ignited, they will turn around and retreat for health, leaving their backs wide open for a Critical flare. Most players will generally flee in a straight line, making them easy targets to lead.

The Flare Gun is much less powerful against Pyros because they cannot catch fire, but don't underestimate the contact damage the flare itself deals. At longer ranges, the Shotgun's pellet spread and damage falloff makes the Flare Gun a more effective weapon against enemy Pyros.

The Flare Gun can also be used as an ambush and counterattack weapon. When fighting lone enemies, hit them with a flare and then feign a retreat around a corner. If the enemy take the bait, follow up with the Axtinguisher for a nasty surprise.

Detonator

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Loaded	Carried	Base Damage	Afterburn	Flare Detonation	Flare Explosion	Self-Damage	Critical	Projectile Speed
Craft Detonator		1	16	30	60	10-20	56	39-68	90	1450 Hammer units/sec

The Detonator is a craftable secondary weapon for the Pyro. It functions much in the same way as the Flare Gun, except clicking the Alt-Fire button will detonate the flare projectile in mid-flight. As a downside, you take 25% more self-damage from flares detonating near you.
- The Detonator also only receives Mini-Crits on burning players, instead of the full Critical hits of the Flare Gun.

The explosive knockback of the Detonator permits the Pyro to perform a maneuver similar to than the Rocket Jump.
- The Pyro takes extra damage from blasts from his own Detonator, reducing the effectiveness of this strategy.

Hadouken

	Kill Icon	Weapon	Damage	Duration	Details
Hadouken		Shotgun, Flare Gun, Detonator	500	3 seconds	The Pyro winds his hands back, concentrates, then releases his inner fire energy as a Hadouken. Capable of hitting multiple enemies and can destroy buildings. If the enemy survives the attack, he will be set on fire.

At the beginning of a round, on a level with setup time (like Gold Rush or Dustbowl), taunting with 0:01 left on the timer will cause the taunt to launch just as the gates open, and may catch more inattentive players in the blast.

The Hadouken can be effective during stalemate and humiliation.

An inattentive Sniper or an idle, non-moving player can be the perfect target for a surprise attack or humiliation.

This taunt can take out multiple enemies, so it's very useful against groups of enemies, if timed perfectly.

Melee Weapons

Fire Axe / Saxxy

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Point Blank	Critical
Stock Fire Axe		0.8 seconds	65	195
Promotional Saxxy		0.8 seconds	65	195

When used, its effect is much more likely to be passed off as a stray bullet from outside the target's field of view than being attacked by the Flamethrower is. To this end it can be used to knock down a target's health before attacking with the Flamethrower.

Additionally, because the Flamethrower does not ignite enemy Pyros, the Fire Axe is more viable against them than the Axtinguisher.

While not as effective as the Axtinguisher with the "Puff and Sting", the Fire Axe can still deal significant damage to enemies if they are pinned to a wall or corner, and random Critical hits can often have the same effect.

Axtinguisher / Postal Pummeler

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	On Burning Enemies	On Non-Burning Enemies and Buildings	Critical
Unlock Axtinguisher		0.8 seconds	65	33	195
Craft Postal Pummeler		0.8 seconds	65	33	195

The Axtinguisher is an unlockable melee weapon for the Pyro. When used against targets that have been ignited, it inflicts a Critical hit. However, against targets that are not on fire it does only 50% damage. The Axtinguisher also does not roll for random Critical hits.

The Axtinguisher is best used as an ambush weapon. It's not recommended to be used in direct combat due to the time necessary to switch between weapons, unless carrying the Degreaser. Furthermore, as a melee weapon, it requires the player to move in close, which cannot be done easily whilst under fire.

Setting foes on fire with the Flamethrower or Degreaser and then knocking them into the air with Compression Blasts, then finishing them with the Axtinguisher is also a very effective tactic, called the "Puff and Sting". Blasting targets into a corner or into a wall will restrict their movements (against Scouts, a second blast may be required as they can double-jump away after the first blast), disorient them, make it harder for them to counterattack, and line them up for a perfect chance to land the killing blow as the enemy is coming down.

The extremely high damage makes the Axtinguisher very useful when ambushing classes with high health, such as Heavies, Soldiers and Demomen. It's often preferable to use the Axtinguisher in these situations because these classes can easily out-damage a Pyro if they have enough time (it is useless against Pyros and anyone underwater). Additionally, it can easily kill a burning and cloaked Spy.

If used to ambush bigger classes, the Flare Gun may give you a better chance of successfully landing an Axtinguisher hit, as it sets them on fire from a longer distance and thus gives players more time to switch to the Axtinguisher while closing the distance, as well as increasing the burn duration. Furthermore, a stray shot from the Flare Gun is considerably less likely to make the enemy turn around than multiple hits from a Flamethrower. However, flares must be aimed very precisely, as a missed flare passing right past them will alert enemies very quickly.

Homewrecker / Maul

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	On Enemies	On Buildings	Critical
Craft Homewrecker		0.8 seconds	42-55	130	147
Promotional/Craft Maul		0.8 seconds	42-55	130	147

The Homewrecker is a craftable melee weapon for the Pyro. It does double damage against Engineer Buildings and has the ability to destroy Electro Sappers placed by enemy Spies in one hit, but inflicts 25% less damage against non-building targets.

The Homewrecker can readily two-shot any building at full health in 1.6 seconds, or 0.8 seconds after the first swing, which is marginally less time than a Backburner in certain circumstances. The Homewrecker can also one-shot Combat Mini-Sentry Guns.

The Homewrecker is more subtle than a Flamethrower, so a sneaky Pyro could theoretically sneak behind the front lines and destroy a Teleporter Entrance in two swings without drawing the attention of opposing players turning around at the sound of fire.

A Pyro with the Homewrecker equipped is the best friend to any Engineer. Constant flames will keep out Spies, while the Compression Blast throws rockets, grenades and otherwise lethal stickies away as well as toss ÜberCharged players away, and the Homewrecker stops the Sappers of any Spy that manages to get through.

It's possible, although difficult, to circle-strafe around a Sentry Gun whilst attacking it, and avoid damage completely. Remember, however, that this is highly dependent on the Sentry Gun's orientation relative to you.

Despite the damage bonus, attempting to attack Wrangled Sentry Guns is not a good idea. However, if they are offline due to the Engineer dying, the Homewrecker stands a good chance of destroying it before it can re-activate.

Powerjack

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage	Healing
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Point Blank	Critical	From Kill
Craft Powerjack		0.8 seconds	65	195	75

The Powerjack is a craftable melee weapon for the Pyro. Upon killing an enemy with the Powerjack, you are rewarded with 75 HP, which can Overheal in the normal manner. However, while wielding it, you will take 20% more melee damage from enemies.

Due to the melee vulnerability, it's recommended to only use this weapon in ambushes where the enemy will not have enough time to take out a melee weapon to counter.

The Powerjack can amicably pull off its own version of the Puff and Sting tactic, and the Powerjack's ability to restore health as part of the bargain makes this remarkably effective at keeping you alive.

Back Scratcher

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage	Healing
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Point Blank	Critical	From Small Health Packs	From Medium Health Packs	From Mediguns	From Dispensers	From Payload Carts
Craft Back Scratcher		0.8 seconds	81	244	54	132	6-18/sec	2.5-5/sec	2.5/sec

The Back Scratcher is a craftable melee weapon for the Pyro. It does 25% more base damage than the Fire Axe, and has the further advantage of replenishing 50% more health when the player picks up health packs, but reduces the healing rate from Medics and Dispensers by 75%.

The Back Scratcher is ideal if you like to replenish your health from picking up health packs rather than from being healed by friendly Medics and Dispensers. As such, it makes surviving while behind enemy lines considerably easier.

Due to the reduced healing rate,if you're carrying the Back Scratcher, try to avoid being a primary heal target for Medics, as this can put the Medic in danger when attempting pushes.
- Conversely, the Back Scratcher can allow Medics to build up their ÜberCharge meters faster due to the reduced healing rate.

The Crusader's Crossbow will still heal you as normal.

A coordinated Back Scratcher Pyro and Candy Cane Scout can make for strong allies; the Pyro can engage enemies, distracting them while the Scout comes in to finish them off, awarding a boosted health kit for the Pyro to use.

The Payload cart will also heal you more slowly, so keep that in mind when you are on BLU in Payload, or playing Payload Race.

Sharpened Volcano Fragment

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Point Blank	Afterburn	Critical
Promotional, Craft Sharpened Volcano Fragment		0.8 seconds	52	60 over 10 seconds	156

The Sharpened Volcano Fragment is a promotional and craftable melee weapon for the Pyro. Upon hitting an enemy, the target is ignited, however, the Sharpened Volcano Fragment does 20% less damage than the Fire Axe.

The Sharpened Volcano Fragment can be used to ignite enemies in situations where using the Flamethrower would alert the enemy to a nearby Pyro. However, its reduced damage reduces its utility in other situations where killing the enemy has higher priority than stealth.

In Medieval Mode, the Sharpened Volcano Fragment is one of only two weapons capable of igniting enemies (the other being the Sniper's Huntsman). This can provide a useful tactical advantage for teammates, both doing damage over time and "painting" targets for a Scout with the Sun-on-a-Stick or fellow Pyro wielding the Axtinguisher to capitalize upon.

The Sharpened Volcano Fragment is very useful for spychecking teammates when conserving ammunition is a priority.

When carrying this weapon, the Flare Gun is an effective secondary weapon to carry, as it can be used to deal large amounts of instantaneous damage.

Note that the afterburn made by the Sharpened Volcano Fragment is not affected by the Degreaser, this can be used to ignite enemies with this weapon to negate the Degreaser's downside.

Item Sets

The Gas Jockey's Gear

Main article: Item sets

The Gas Jockey's Gear
	Degreaser Powerjack Attendant
Effect	Leave a Calling Card on your victims

With the Gas Jockey's Gear item set equipped, you can make some jumps that you otherwise could not, such as jumping directly onto the final point on Steel.

The set bonus' 10% movement speed increase is helpful when flanking, chasing and ambushing enemies, in addition to dodging their attacks.
- In addition, moving at 110% speed makes hunting Medics easier, as Medics move at 107% speed.

The 10% increased hitscan vulnerability puts you at a disadvantage against Soldiers using the Shotgun, Engineers, enemy Pyros using the Shotgun, Heavies, Scouts, and even Sentry Guns.

Remember that the set bonus does not require a specific secondary weapon. Take advantage of the two weapons' differing qualities at different ranges by switching between them.

Heavies wielding Natascha are a powerful weakness if you're wearing the Set, especially if the Heavy is overhealed. Their high-rate of fire combined with a consistent slow down can take a huge advantage of the set's bullet weakness and nullify its speed bonus.

The Gas Jockey item set can assist considerably in dealing with Spies, as the faster movement speed allows you to chase down Spies more easily. However, beware that the increased hitscan vulnerability makes it easier for Spies to fight back.

Weapon Combinations

Example Combinations
Combo			Usage
Backburner	Shotgun	or Powerjack or Back Scratcher	For the patient "Roaming Pyro" that likes to ambush the enemy team. Sneak around the map, avoiding direct confrontations whenever possible. Attack from behind when the enemy is unaware or distracted, dealing Critical hits with the Backburner; remember that with a restricted Compression Blast, explosives are more of a threat. Ambushing groups of enemies from behind can also produce devastating results, as the Backburner's spread will deal Critical hits over multiple enemies, which can single-handedly stop pushes. The Shotgun is to be used against enemies that are fighting from outside of the Backburner's range. Using either the Powerjack or the Back Scratcher will affect playing priorities and tactics. The Powerjack is more dangerous to wield due to its increased melee vulnerability, but allows players to replenish their health more reliably from Medics and Dispensers. The Back Scratcher can allow players to eliminate enemies more decisively due to increased damage and random Critical hits, and increases survivability behind enemy lines due to being able to replenish more health from health packs, but greatly decreases survival when fighting alongside teammates. Good circle-strafing is required to use this set effectively.
Flamethrower	Flare Gun	Homewrecker	This setup is ideal for dedicated support Pyros, rather than for players that like to take the fight to the enemy. The Flamethrower can be used to deflect projectiles, shepherd Sentry Guns, and push back Übers; the Degreaser's faster switch time is not required and its reduced afterburn damage reduces its ability to support teammates, while the Backburner's limited Compression Blast ability makes it a liability and the increased damage is not necessary for support purposes. The Flare Gun allows players to ignite enemies at a distance, making things easier for teammates, and can be used to harass enemy Snipers, reducing the enemy's ability to support their own team. The Homewrecker can save friendly Buildings from Electro Sappers and quickly destroy any Mini-Sentry Guns that any enemy Engineer may try to place.
Degreaser	or Shotgun or Flare Gun	Powerjack	This is The Gas Jockey's Gear setup, which will provide 10% more speed but 10% more bullet vulnerability when wearing the Attendant. The Degreaser allows players to switch to other weapons much faster, reducing the Scout's ability to perform a Weapons Heckle, as well as switch to the Shotgun to deal with enemies outside of the Degreaser's range. Deciding between the Shotgun and Flare Gun will depend on the role players wish to play. The Shotgun allows players to personally dispatch players more reliably in duels, while the Flare Gun allows players to support their team from a distance, and can be used to negate the Degreaser's reduced afterburn damage by hitting enemies with a flare after igniting them with the Degreaser.
Degreaser	Shotgun	or Axtinguisher or Postal Pummeler	The Degreaser's faster switch time allows players to pull off weapon combos with ease, and one of the best to take advantage of is the Axtinguisher's "Puff and Sting." A Degreaser-Axtinguisher combo can give players a tremendous advantage in 1-on-1 situations, and allows players to whittle down large-HP targets with relative ease. The Shotgun is better for general purpose combat than the Flare Gun, and gives players an advantage when taking on enemy Pyros.
Backburner	Detonator	Back Scratcher	For players who are used to QWTF/TFC, especially those who assault head-on alone against other players. The Backburner, along with the Back Scratcher, provides the much needed high damages for head-on assaults, at the cost of minimize defense due to its limited airblast. The Detonator allows the Pyro to attack a number of enemies, but be warned it is weaker against Sentry Guns when compared to the Shotgun.