Anti-Pyro strategy

“

Go to hell and tell the devil I'm comin' for him next! Click to listen — The Demoman

”

The Pyro is an extremely dangerous class at close range. Generally, the best way to engage a Pyro is from a distance because the Pyro lacks substantial ranged weaponry. The Pyro excels in close-quarters combat so try and fight him in the open, away from areas where he can trap you. Keep in mind that a Pyro can use his compression blast ability to deflect projectiles back at you.

General

Attributes	Anti-Pyro strategy
Role	Pyros are most successful when they ambush their opponents. If you see them coming, prepare for them! Set up your own ambush, position yourself in a spot with a good escape route if things go awry, or retreat to a more suitable location.
Health	The Pyro has an above average amount of health, and with their excellent close range combat they can be a hassle to take down if you attract their attention.
Speed	The Pyro is only useful at close range, so he will try to get close to you by chasing you down. The Pyro moves at the standard speed, so you can retreat while attacking in order to avoid damage.
Power	Keeping your distance will negate much of the Pyro's strength. The Flare Gun and the Detonator are the Pyro's only long-range weapons, and they are both slow to fire and can be hard to score hits with, especially in open areas. While it is easier to score hits with the Detonator, it only mini-crits if it hits you again. The only other ranged weapon the Pyro has is the Shotgun, which is only viable at short or moderate distances.

Weapon-specific

A list of useful tidbits about the Pyro's tools, and how to counter them:

Primary weapons

• Compression blast
  • Pyros will often panic when confronted by a Soldier or Demoman and immediately use their Compression Blast in an attempt to deflect projectiles. Fire your rockets or grenades immediately after the airblast to hit the Pyro and avoid being damaged/killed by your own weapon.
  • You can often cause an enemy Pyro to waste ammunition by firing projectiles off to the side where they can not be reflected.
  • Do not fire your explosives straight at an enemy Pyro. This allows it to both aim and reflect them more easily. Aim near the Pyro and rely on splash damage instead.
  • Each Compression Blast takes 20 units of ammo out of 200 total (unless it's a Backburner, which uses 50 units of ammo). Try and make the Pyro waste ammo by firing projectiles into the ground just short of the Pyro before making your actual attack; this also has the benefit of not allowing the Pyro to hit you with your own projectile. The Pyro may already be low on ammo and will have to switch to a much weaker weapon. Be careful engaging a Pyro near a Dispenser, however; it won't run out of ammo that quickly.
  • Avoid fighting or retreating near cliffs or dangerous objects such as the Sawblades in Sawmill when fighting a Pyro. A proficient Pyro will use Compression Blasts to kill you instantly via environmental damage.

Weapon	Anti-Pyro strategy
Flamethrower/Festive Flamthrower	Do not panic if you are set on fire, as it will take time to lower your health. By running you expose yourself to more damage, especially if you're playing a class with less speed than the Pyro. Try and finish off the Pyro before running off to extinguish the fire. Remember that many classes possess the ability to instantly put out burning teammates (ex. Snipers with Jarate, friendly Pyros with their compression blast, etc.). If you have access to those abilities, be sure to help out your teammates who have been lit.
Backburner	The Backburner uses much more ammo for Compression Blasts than the standard Flamethrower. A careless Pyro can be tricked into wasting its blasts by firing multiple projectiles at it. Alternatively, a Pyro may be less likely to use a Compression Blast in order to conserve ammo, unless they are near a Dispenser or can readily access other sources of ammo. Always try to keep a Pyro using the Backburner in front of you. If he gets close to you and starts strafing, he may get a lucky Critical hit from behind or from the side. The Backburner inflicts 10% more damage than the regular Flamethrower, so stay well away from a Pyro using one, and prevent it from closing the gap between you. If cornered by a Pyro with the Backburner, it may be better to try and deal damage to it before it kills you; to turn your back on the Pyro and attempt to flee will give it an added advantage with the weapon.
Degreaser	The Degreaser allows a Pyro to quickly switch weapons, making close-quarters combat extremely dangerous. If a Pyro lights you on fire, try to stay out of melee range, as it can quickly bring out the Axtinguisher and finish you off in one or two hits. The Degreaser inflicts 25% less afterburn damage than the regular Flamethrower, making it more likely that you'll survive being set on fire. Never attempt to weapon heckle a Pyro using the Degreaser.
Phlogistinator	A Pyro with the Phlogistinator cannot reflect attacks, so use rockets, grenades and other projectiles to juggle it to prevent it from advancing and also damage it. If the Pyro activates the Phlogistinator's critboost (which is readied by the Pyro damaging enemies with fire), you will see it taunt while a particle effect surrounds it. During this taunt the Pyro receives full health and has 90% resistance to all damage, making attempts to hurt it futile. Instead, use the time given by the taunt to get away from it, as the critical damage from the Phlogistinator will be deadly at close range. During the taunt, Demomen can consider using the time while the Pyro is frozen to place stickybombs around the Pyro and detonate them when the taunt is finished and the Pyro loses its damage resistance. Snipers can likewise line up a headshot. Spies could place themselves behind the Pyro and prepare to backstab it, but remember the Pyro will be in third person during the taunt and will see anyone too close. Pyros with the Phlogistinator have a tendency to charge and play very aggressively. Give them a distraction target and then overwhelm them with firepower. A Pyro behaving uncommonly wary and attempting to snipe with the Flare Gun, Detonator or Manmelter could be attempting to build up a charge, so it is a good idea to take them out before they damage a vital offensive.

Secondary weapons

Weapon	Anti-Pyro strategy
Shotgun	This weapon is only truly effective at mid-range or closer due to its bullet spread. Most classes have much more dangerous ranged weapons to use if the Pyro is forced to engage you from a distance. Watch out for the Pyro lighting you on fire and then finishing you off with the Shotgun. Move outside its range quickly to avoid this.
Flare Gun	This weapon is slow to fire and can be difficult to score a hit with. While it can set you on fire, the damage from the flare itself is low and it will take time for the Pyro to hit you again with it. Further, the flare is very easy to avoid in open areas. Most Pyros use this weapon as a long-range harassment weapon. It should be easy enough to find a body of water, a Dispenser, or a Medic without having to fight the Pyro up-close. If you do get lit on fire, keep your distance from the Pyro so they cannot inflict even more damage on you with the Flamethrower or the Axtinguisher. If you are on fire, avoid flares at all costs, as they will deal critical hits on burning enemies.
Detonator	Most of the rules for countering the Flare Gun also apply to the Detonator. Detonator flares can be remotely triggered by the Pyro that fired them, creating a small blast radius that can ignite multiple targets simultaneously. Teammates should stay scattered to minimize the amount of damage Detonator flares can inflict. Detonator flares have a distinctive 'whine' they emit while in the air, making them easy to distinguish from standard Flare Gun shots. Pyros equipped with the Detonator can use its explosive effects to mimic Rocket jumping, at the cost of nearly a third of their health. One should thus be wary of potential ambushes from above, in addition to typical Pyro ambush locations.
Reserve Shooter	This weapon is an effective counter to other Pyros, due to the compression blast capable of launching the target into the air, whereby the attacking Pyro can subsequently shoot for mini-crits. This can make exchanges between Pyros very quick, compared to the slower (and more dangerous) method of a head-on Flamethrower battle, which usually leaves one Pyro dead and the other at very low health. This weapon can also be used for open combat where the Pyro is at a disadvantage against enemies such as the Demoman or Soldier, where Pyros can blow enemies away while simultaneously back pedalling with the Reserve Shooter, hopefully dealing large amounts of damage. This tactic is limited as the Reserve Shooter, like all shotguns, suffer from bullet spread with increasing range. The Reserve Shooter only carries 3 rounds as opposed to the standard Shotgun's 6. Thus, Pyros will need to be aim more carefully when shooting. Conversely, this means that enemies may use the frequent reload periods to launch a counterattack. Enemies must avoid close quarter combat with Pyros using the Reserve Shooter with the Degreaser at all costs. The Pyro now has an even greater weapon-switch time, and will exploit this to their advantage by using the Reserve Shooter in the case that the Axtinguisher has missed.
Manmelter	The Manmelter behaves similarly to the Flare Gun, but with a distinctive purple-coloured projectile, and unlimited ammo. However, the Manmelter projectiles move 50% faster than flares, so they are more difficult to avoid at medium range. This weapon does not do critical damage to burning target like the Flare Gun, but the damage potential of the afterburn means attacks should still be dodged. The harassment potential of this weapon is higher due to the infinite ammo, so lurking Manmelter Pyros should be rooted out swiftly, especially if they are using this weapon in combination with the Phlogistinator to build up charge.

Melee weapons

Weapon	Anti-Pyro strategy
Fire Axe / Saxxy / Conscientious Objector	Most Pyros will use other melee weapons instead of the Fire Axe. If a Pyro is using this, he's either counting on a random critical hit or he's out of Flamethrower ammunition. Use this to your advantage and press your attack.
Axtinguisher/Postal Pummeler	This is arguably the Pyro's most dangerous weapon, as it usually only takes one hit to kill most classes. You won't usually see the Pyro use this weapon unless you're on fire and in close range of the Pyro, because it deals very little damage to a non-burning target. Heavies and overhealed Soldiers usually take two (or sometimes three) hits before dying to this weapon. If you're being healed by a Medic, be sure to hit the Pyro with everything you have; that extra second or two can make the difference between life and death. The best strategy for dealing with the Axtinguisher is prevention. Avoid being caught on fire, and avoid getting within melee range if you do get lit. This holds especially true against Pyros who pair this weapon with the Degreaser; the faster weapon switch allows for much faster kills.
Homewrecker/Maul	The Homewrecker/Maul does decreased damage to players making it less effective as a melee weapon. Watch your Buildings, as a Pyro with the Homewrecker/Maul can easily destroy them due to the increased damage. Spies will have increased difficulty sapping Buildings if a Pyro wielding the Homewrecker/Maul is defending them; it only takes a single hit to destroy an Electro Sapper. Either kill the Pyro first, or change to/get help from a class equally or more suited to destroying Buildings, such as the Demoman.
Powerjack	Pyros tend to use this weapon in a similar manner as an Axtinguisher; they will light you on fire and attempt to finish you off with the Powerjack in order to gain back health. As the weapon doesn't deal critical hits to burning foes like the Axtinguisher can, this may give you more time to fend off a Pyro who attempts this. While equipped, this weapon gives the Pyro a 20% vulnerability to melee weapons. If a Pyro equips the Powerjack, exploit this weakness by attacking it with your own melee weapon. However, as the Powerjack is capable of overhealing the Pyro, killing it can still be a difficult task. Be careful engaging in close combat with a Pyro you've witnessed murder a few of your teammates with the weapon.
Back Scratcher	The Back Scratcher makes it harder for a Pyro/Medic combo to be effective because the Pyro will be healed at a much slower rate. This can make it a lot easier to take out the Pyro first, rather than attempting to kill its Medic first. Avoid a melee fight with a Pyro wielding the Back Scratcher; the weapon deals 25% more damage than the standard Fire Axe, giving the Pyro the advantage. If there are health kits around the area, have yourself or your allies take them as soon as possible, as the health of a Pyro is replenished more quickly when it takes a medkit with the Back Scratcher equipped. Wounded Pyros wielding the Back Scratcher can greatly help a Medic build his UberCharge. Be sure to finish off the Pyro and its Medic quickly.
Sharpened Volcano Fragment	This weapon inflicts 20% less damage than the regular Fire Axe, but this is offset by the fact that a successful hit can set enemies on fire. Stay out of melee range by walking backwards and attacking using your ranged weapons, much like you would with against the Flamethrower. Many Pyros use the Sharpened Volcano Fragment as a last resort to set enemies on fire, or in Medieval Mode as one of only two ways to burn their foes. Since this weapon engulfs its victims in flames, you should always be wary of other enemy Pyros wielding the Axtinguisher or Flare Gun as well as enemy Scouts with the Sun-on-a-Stick. If you are struck, keep an eye out for friendly Medics, Dispensers, water sources and health packs in order to counteract the afterburn damage.
Third Degree	This weapon transfers damage between players connected by Medi Gun beams. If playing as Medic, as you are free to look around while healing, ensure you keep a watch for Pyros armed with this weapon.

Item set effects

Main article: Item sets

Set	Anti-Pyro strategy
The Gas Jockey's Gear	The Pyro has an increased 10% bullet vulnerability while using this set. Use bullet-based weapons to harass him at long range, and prevent him from getting into close quarters with his extra 10% movement speed and 65% faster weapon switch speed.

See also

• Team strategy