Community Pyro strategy

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— The Pyro on strategizing

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The Pyro is a class whose combat strategies mostly revolve around close-range combat. His Flamethrower can dish out huge amounts of damage at close range, along with his Shotgun. The Pyro can also alter the flow of gameplay with his compression blast, pushing back enemies, even ÜberCharged enemies, and extinguish on-fire teammates.

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 not advisable because it puts them out of range of your Flamethrower. Save it for the right situations, such as an enemy ÜberCharge.

When fighting in water if both you and your enemy are at the top of the water you can burn them with the Flamethrower if you shoot it above the water.

General

Playing Pyro requires a different mindset than other classes. You tend to be weak on frontal attacks; 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.

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 follow up with shots from the Shotgun.

You cannot be lit on fire by other Pyros, but you still take contact damage from the flame particles. If fighting an enemy Pyro, using the Shotgun would be a good idea.

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, stickybombs (mid-air or stuck to the ground), flares, Huntsman arrows, Sandman balls, and Wrap Assassin ornaments back at the attacker or other enemies. You can also reflect enemy Jarate and Mad Milk back at the thrower and their teammates to use for our own advantage. Reflected projectiles deal Mini-Crits, or Crits if the projectile was initially a Crit, to enemies and are harmless to allies. 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.
- 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.

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. Incoming enemies are much more dangerous than panicking enemies looking for water or health packs.

If an Engineer has left a Level 1 Sentry Gun near a corner, it's possible to pop around the corner and take out the Sentry Gun at point-blank range.

When ÜberCharged, you can lay waste to a Sentry Guns faster than most other classes, but you are also more easily thwarted by knockback than other classes. Try to approach from around corners whenever possible, and your Medic should always go first to draw the Sentry Guns' fire and knockback.

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.

The Scout's weapon, the Sun-on-a-Stick, always crits on burning enemies. When playing medieval, a Pyro with the Sharpened Volcano Fragment and a Scout with the Sun-on-a-Stick can become a deadly duo.

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.

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.

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 Sentry Guns, especially when the Engineer isn't around. Reflect away projectiles or ÜberCharges that are targeting Sentry Guns, and push away Spies before they start sapping.

If defending try hiding in a corner or somewhere no one can see you , when enemies come by run behind them and torch them with a Flamethrower.

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.

Remember that the compression blast can extinguish allies on fire.

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 returning to a team's base. 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.

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.

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. For example, most Soldier players will hold down their attack button down when firing, to kill you as quickly as possible and remove any delay. Predict when he will fire the next rocket and it will likely be a reflected one, with a little luck.
- Soldiers will often choose The Direct Hit as a direct counter to you, due to its' high projectile speed. Instead of attempting to reflect the projectile, consider setting the Soldier on fire and blast him away. At which point, run and hide to have the best chance of surviving.

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 damaged 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.

If your fighting a Heavy/Medic combo if possible try to compression blast either the Medic or Heavy away from the other off a second floor or edge of a hill. If done correctly you can fight the enemy still up with you. Most likely you will be able to defeat that enemy before their ally comes back up. Note that this plan usually works when you sneak up and attack from behind launching the enemy off.

Beware though, your compression blast takes up 20 ammo (with the Flamethrower and Degreaser) meaning that with full ammo you can only launch 10 compression blasts before you run out, and that also means that you can not light the enemy on fire to damage them. This is even more so with the Backburner, which costs 50 ammo, meaning you have only 4 compression shots before you run out, so use Backburner blasts with care.

The Phlogistinator has no airblast whatsoever, leaving you more vulnerable to Soldiers and Demomen at mid-long range. Rely more strongly on retreating from these enemies or using your Charge to catch them before they can run away.

Weapon Specific

Primary Weapons

Flamethrower/Festive 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
Uncrate Festive 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, Jarate, Mad Milk, dropped Sandviches and Buffalo Steak Sandviches, Health kits, compression blasts from allied Pyros, secondary fire from Manmelters, 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 penetrates 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.

The Flamethrower inflicts sixty points of damage if the target stays on fire for the duration of the afterburn. Expect to get kills while you are dead.

If facing a Medic pair, do not try to attack the Medic's partner. Rather, aim for the Medic and try to kill him first.

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 and guarantees Critical hits when attacking a target from behind, but in turn it uses 150% more ammo when performing a compression blast.

Remember that the Backburner uses 50 ammo for a compression blast compared to 20 for the Flamethrower and Degreaser. 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 hitbox for the Backburner's guaranteed Crits may prove difficult to account for with the hectic movement of combat, an alternative is to find a group of enemies and strafe behind them while firing the Backburner.

When facing a stronger enemy, such as a Heavy or overhealed Soldier, back away. Hide somewhere inconspicuous and then nail them later with the crits when they do not see your incoming attack.

If a Medic pair is causing serious damage to your team, go around them and target the Medic, then his buddy. The damage from behind is so powerful most Medics cannot even activate an ÜberCharge in time.

Soldiers are your worst enemies! Do not try to rush against a Soldier unless you are sure you can kill him. The high airblast cost makes reflecting rockets unwise.

The sheer power of the Backburner can destroy Sentry Guns quickly if you circle-stafe around it. Try to get into a position so you can do so.

Drop down from above! Because enemies rarely look up, you can stop a party of enemies effectively.

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 you 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 if you like to quickly ignite enemies and Compression Blast them into the air for quick Shotgun, Reserve Shooter, Flare Gun, Detonator or Axtinguisher kills.
- The Reserve Shooter's additional weapon switch time stacks with the Degreaser's bonus (stacks multiplicatively); the switch time becomes effectively zero with both of these equipped.

If you are fighting against a Soldier constantly switching with his Rocket Launcher and his Shotgun to prevent you from reflecting his rockets, you can quickly attack him with your Shotgun or your Flare Gun, and reflect his rockets when he tries to surprise you.

The Degreaser does well with the Reserve Shooter as you can Compression Blast enemies into the air and quickly shoot them for mini-crits. The decreased weapon switch time is helpful as well.

Burn your targets for as long as possible. Your reduced afterburn may ensure their survival, so try to deal as much damage as possible to large targets before you must run.

Reflecting projectiles works well with this weapon. For instance, reflect a rocket at a Soldier to launch them in the air and switch to another weapon to finish him off.

The Degreaser works well against enemy Pyros. Afterburn does not affect Pyros anyway, and the increased switch time allows one to quickly change to a secondary or melee weapon to deal more damage effectively.

Phlogistinator

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Afterburn	Critical
Craft Phlogistinator		200	5.6/particle	3.35/particle	60 over 10 seconds	9.9-17.1/particle

The Phlogistinator is a primary weapon for the Pyro. It's incapable of air blasts and random crits, but instead it charges a "Mmmph" meter. When the meter is full, it can be utilized to provide healing and a crit-boost.

Activating the "Mmmph" meter uses a taunt that will refill health completely. During this taunt, the wielder has 90% damage resistance, which makes it very useful in tight spots.
- If you're in a tough situation, do not hesitate to activate the Mmmph bar. Survival is more important than wasting the critical hits.
  - For example: when you cannot get to cover from a Payload explosion, activate your Mmmph charge. If you have at least 80% of your health, you will likely survive the explosion (Though doing so will knock you out of the taunt, freezing you in place until it would normally end).

The lack of airblasts makes it harder to deal with Stickybomb carpets. The Phlogistinator can be paired with the Detonator to solve this problem. This makes defending Engineers or capturing objectives harder.

The Manmelter pairs well with the Phlogistinator due to the Manmelter's ability to extinguish teammates, which a lack of an airblast leaves you unable to do.

Hitting an opponent with a Hadouken fully charges the Mmmph meter. It is more beneficial to hit inattentive enemies with a Hadouken instead of burning them with your primary weapon.

The Phlogistinator is a wonder at stopping enemy pushes. Ambush an enemy push from behind. Remember, your flames go through enemies, which will charge your Mmmph very very quickly. Activate it once full. If the enemies don't flee, they could either turn around and try to kill you, which will leave them severely injured, or ignore you and die. Even if you die, the ability to stop a push almost instantly will prove to be game-changing.

The Phlogistinator works well with a Medic. If ÜberCharged with a full Mmmph meter, you will be able to deal crits and stay alive with impunity.

The Phlogistinator does not require very much fire damage to activate its effect. If facing a powerful defense, try to slink around their base and charge up the meter so you can break through with crits.

Any fire damage done to enemies will charge your Mmmph, so if it's too risky to fight enemies in close quarters, you can hit them with the Flare Gun, Detonator, or Manmelter to fill the meter.

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	180

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 any of your primary weapons' long nozzles, yet it gives you the ability to deal a fair amount of damage quickly if caught, while not restricting you 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.

Constantly fire at enemies to harass them at long distances. This may distract them and allow your team to take them out from another direction.

If you are forced to airblast your opponent so you can escape, pedal backwards while firing your Shotgun to try and deal some last shots.

If you engage in battle with another Pyro, the Shotgun will be your best friend. Use all your shells at medium-long range, then go in for the Flamethrower kill. Note that if the enemy Pyro uses a Flare Gun, Detonator or Manmelter, you will have a major advantage against them, due to your fire-retardant suit.

The Shotgun is the Pyro's main weapon while underwater. Use it as you approach your enemy, then switch to your melee weapon for a finisher.

Reserve Shooter

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Craft Reserve Shooter		3	32	86-90	24-67	3-26	120

The Reserve Shooter is a craftable secondary weapon for the Pyro and Soldier. It allows you to switch between weapons 15% faster than normal, as well as deals mini-crits to any enemy who is airbourne for 3 seconds after switching weapons. At the cost of this, it comes with only 3 loaded shells.

This weapon does very well with the Puff'n'Sting tactic. After airblasting an enemy, switch to the Reserve Shooter to score mini-crits on your targets.
- This tactic works even better if you're using the Degreaser, as your switch time increases to approximately 70% faster.

If you see airborne enemies, such as Soldiers or Demomen explosion jumping or Scouts double-jumping, pull this out and score your mini-crits.

Note that the Mini-crits apply to any enemy in the air, not just enemies launched in the air by your compression blast.

If you are competent with the compression blast, try to juggle enemy Soldiers and Demomen by reflecting their explosives at their feet and finish them off with the Reserve Shooter.

The Reserve Shooter only has three shells. Try to aim for the center of the target as much as possible to reduce risk of missing and wasting ammo.

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.

A Heavy's slow speed makes them an easy target for flares. If you are unable to ambush one because they've seen you, try hitting them with repeated Flare Gun shots while popping out from behind cover to take them down.

The Flare Gun is much less powerful against enemy Pyros because they cannot be lit on fire, but don't underestimate the contact damage the flare itself deals.

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 takes the bait, follow up with the Axtinguisher for a nasty surprise.

If you are pinned down by Snipers, shoot flares at them. They will be ignited and their scope will constantly shake, and a following flare will kill anyone inattentive enough to run.

The Flare Gun works well with the Flamethrower and Degreaser. Ignite your enemies with your Flame Thrower, then compression blast them and finish them off with a flare while they're disoriented.

The reload of the Flare Gun takes some time. Remember this when trying to hit enemies from a long distance.

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 over 10 seconds	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 deals 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 Detonator jump, a maneuver similar to a small rocket jump.

Using the alt-fire on a group of stickybombs can quickly clear them off a surface.

The Detonator can be used to annoy a large group of players by constantly firing flares at them to damage and ignite them.

Though the mini-crits of the Detonator aren't as useful as the Flare Gun's full crits, they are still potent enough to kill a retreating weaker class.

Manmelter

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Loaded	Carried	Base Damage	Afterburn	Critical	Projectile Speed
Unlock Manmelter		4	∞	30	60 over 10 seconds	90	1450 Hammer units/sec

The Manmelter is a secondary weapon for the Pyro. It operates in a similar way to the Flare Gun, but it has unlimited ammunition and doesn't score random critical hits (or critical hits for hitting a burning opponent.) Additionally, the secondary-fire can extinguish teammates which provides a stored critical hit, similar to the Frontier Justice and Diamondback.

The Manmelter's projectile also travels 50% faster than a regular flare, making it one of the fastest projectiles in the game. This lets you land long ranged flares more consistently than the Flare Gun or Detonator and makes it extremely hard to dodge in short/mid range.

The Manmelter's lack of ammo usage makes it useful to use instead of a more costly airblast to extinguish allies. It pairs particularly well with the Phlogistinator's lack of an airblast, or the Backburner's more-expensive airblast.

At a long-range, players often flee when hit by a regular Flare Gun, making landing a second one difficult. With a stored crit, the initial damage followed by the afterburn can kill weaker opponents unable to extinguish the flames in time. If you're confident about your aim, you can use this to take out Snipers.

The Manmelter's increased projectile speed compared to the Pyro's other flare guns pairs well with the Phlogistinator as it is much easier to hit opponents and ultimately charge your "Mmmph" gauge.

Keep in mind the Manmelter has slower firing rate than the Flare Gun.

Hadouken

	Kill Icon	Weapon	Damage	Duration	Details
Hadouken		Shotgun, Flare Gun, Detonator, Reserve Shooter	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 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 well.

Melee Weapons

Fire Axe / Saxxy / Conscientious Objector

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

When used, the Fire Axe's 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 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.

Setting foes on fire with your primary weapon 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, 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 Degreaser in these situations because these classes can easily out-damage you if they have enough time.

It takes one hit to kill burning Scout, Engineer, Sniper, Spy (if they are even overhealed) and non-overhealed Medic and Demoman; two hits are enough to kill all burning classes except overhealed Heavy, who requires an additional third hit. Using this weapon and Degreaser allows you to kill any enemy in 1-2 seconds (the faster switch rate also lets you Axtinguish enemy Pyros).

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 you more time to switch to the Axtinguisher while closing the distance, as well as increasing the burn duration.

The Axtinguisher pairs very well with the Degreaser, as the faster weapon switch time allows you to quickly puff an enemy with flames and then finish him off without leaving yourself vulnerable. Try to ambush enemies as much as you can, as they will most likely won't have enough time to react when caught by surprise.

Rushing at an enemy and trying to Axtinguish them does not work well. Try approaching enemies from the side or behind to ensure you will survive the encounter.

Working with a Medic can help, as running at people with an Axtinguisher can leave you severely damaged.

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.

With the Homewrecker equipped, you are a 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.

Despite the damage bonus, attempting to attack Wrangled Sentry Guns is not a good idea. However, during the cooldown period, the Homewrecker stands a good chance of destroying it before it can re-activate.

Coordinated Homewrecker Pyros and Diamondback Spies can be strong allies. A Spy can sap any building, and then the Pyro can destroy the building in 2 swings, while the Spy distracts anyone guarding the building. Done well, this can clear out a position, and will reward the Spy with Crits to use.

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.

Most kills will be gained in the same way as the Axtinguisher, I.E. igniting then airblasting an unaware opponent into a corner or otherwise restrictive space and finishing off with melee hits.

Pairing with the Degreaser and Flare Gun can easily make up for the damage lost by giving up the Axtinguisher in return for easily gained health from inattentive opponents.

Unless full overhealed, try to get a Powerjack kill as often as you can. However, don't start fights you can't finish.

The Powerjack does not work well against enemies that only use melee weapons, such as Engineers holding wrenches or Demoknights. Use your primary instead.

If facing an enemy you are sure you can defeat, such as an idle Sniper or a lone Spy, don't hesitate to be opportunistic and whack away at them.

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, Dispensers, and the Payload cart 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.
- Alternatively, if you're in a safe spot, the Medic can build up ÜberCharge faster by healing you.

The Crusader's Crossbow will still heal you as normal with the Back Scratcher equipped.

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.

Do not use this weapon if you're the offence in Payload maps. Healing from the cart will be diminished, which will prove to be a problem.

Though finishing off an enemy with this weapon may not give any benefits, it is still quicker and more decisive than your Flamethrower at close range.

The Back Scratcher is a great weapon for Medieval Mode. Since all enemies drop health packs and only melee weapons are allowed, the damage bonus and increased healing from packs can make you a force to be reckoned with.

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. 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.

The Sharpened Volcano Fragment is very useful for Spy-checking 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 damage.

Third Degree

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Point Blank	Critical
Craft Third Degree		0.8 seconds	65	195

The Third Degree is a craftable melee weapon for the Pyro. On hitting an opponent connected to another via a Medic beam, both players are damaged for the full weapon damage.

If more than one Medic is healing a single target or Medics are forming a "chain", hitting just one player will damage them all.

The Third Degree has no downsides and therefore should be used over the Fire Axe.

Be situational. Do you know if the opposing team has Medics? If you know they do not, stick with a different weapon.

Item set effects

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, Engineers, enemy Pyros, and Heavies using the Shotgun, as well as Scouts and Sentry Guns.

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.
or Flamethrower or Festive Flamethrower	Flare Gun	or Homewrecker or Maul	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 ÜberCharges; 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 or Shotgun or Flare Gun or Reserve Shooter	Powerjack	The Gas Jockey's Gear w/ Shotgun/Flare Gun/Reserve Shooter 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, Flare Gun or Reserve Shooter 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. The Reserve Shooter will mini-crit on airblasted enemies and its weapon switch bonus stacks with the Degreaser, allowing for lightning quick switches.
Degreaser	Flare Gun	or Axtinguisher or Postal Pummeler	This setup is for the assassin Pyro, who likes to kill his enemies quickly. 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. If their target is running away after he has set them on fire, he can easily take them down with a carefully aimed Flare Gun shot as it crits on burning characters unlike the Detonator, that only does mini crits on burning targets. Keep in mind that you should sneak behind enemy lines and ambush enemies as they are approaching their objective so the Pyro can easily set them on fire and take them out with crits.
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.
Phlogistinator	or or Flare Gun or Detonator or Manmelter	Sharpened Volcano Fragment	This set emphasizes upon building the Phlogistinator's "Mmmph," as the bar is filled up by any fire damage, not just that caused by the Phlogistinator itself. The various Flare Guns can build up your "Mmmph" from far away while the Sharpened Volcano Fragment allows you to deal fire damage even with melee hits, which can come in handy should you run out of ammo. The Detonator is good for those unsure of their aim or who want to ignite multiple enemies at once to build "Mmmph" faster. The standard Flare Gun is for those more-confident in their aiming ability, as it requires steadier aim and can't ignite as many enemies as quickly, but guarantees full crits on burning targets. The Manmelter not only fires faster shots than either of the other two, but allows you to retain your ability to extinguish teammates and ensures you don't have to worry about running out of flares. Using this set, killing 2-3 people in any way should net you a full "Mmmph" bar so you can heal, unleash the Phlogistinator's crits, and prolong your assault.
Phlogistinator	Shotgun	or Powerjack or Back Scratcher	For the Pyro where survival is the first goal. The Back Scratcher will help getting healed by small and medium Medkits, while the Powerjack can give you some valuable Overheal. The Shotgun was chosen over the three Flare Guns for damage purposes. When your "Mmmph" is full after a battle, you can use it to restore to full health.
Backburner	or or Flare Gun or Detonator or Manmelter	or Homewrecker or Maul	A more defensive setup for the Pyro, this combo is great for ambushing any Spy that isn't watching his surroundings, and is closing in for the sap. It's also good for hunting down any sneaky Engineers in your base that may be trying to set up a forward position (i.e. the sewers in 2Fort, or the vents in turbine). As the Backburner's airblast costs a whopping 50 ammo, bringing the Manmelter along for extinguishing teammates can go a long way in conserving that ammo.
Phlogistinator	Manmelter	Third Degree	The Moonman Pack The Moonman Pack is focused on dealing critical hits. Use the Phlogistinator with the Manmelter to build up "Mmmph" for later crits and healing. The downside of the Phlogistinator - no airblast - can be partially countered with the Manmelter's ability to extinguish your allies and gain even more crits. Should you come across a pesky Medic that heals those you ignite, use the Third Degree to kill both your victim and their Medic so you can continue your fiery rampage. However, this set is not recommended if you find a Sentry Gun. Since buildings aren't affected by crits, your Phlogistinator's lack of airblast and Manmelter's slow fire speed can have you killed in a matter of seconds.