Demoman match-ups
| Class | Strategy | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 Demoman |
vs |  Scout |
Scouts are difficult to kill as a Demoman, and at high level play are considered your main counter. They can dodge and evade your Grenades and can run past your Sticky bombs if you don't see them coming. Your best bet is to attempt to second guess their actions. Lead them with the Grenade Launcher if they are attempting to strafe you, Sticky trap corners and doors if you happen to see a Scout approaching, shell in front of them if they are trying to run away.
If they try to get in close, take advantage of the increased accuracy this gives you with your grenades; a grenade to the face should one hit a Scout, and the splash damage should severely injure him otherwise. If using the classic Sticky Bombs, you might be able to kill the Scout by planting stickies and detonating them as soon as possible while jumping erratically to mess up the Scout's shot. If in one-on-one combat the Scout won't slow down, switching to your bottle or Eyelander may yield better results, though it's best to be used as a last resort; the Scout can easily back off and you won't be able to reach him. A Scout can usually easily dodge a Chargin Targe attack. On the other hand, if you have managed to collect a few heads already you can very often surprise a backpedaling Scout with your own speed and the range of the Eyelander, and claim another. |
Demoman |
vs |  Soldier |
Soldiers can be tedious to fight. At medium and long ranges you'll both probably be dodging as much as possible, and at close range you both tend to hurt yourselves. Overall, rockets are easier to control and harder to evade, and Soldiers have more health than you, so a slugfest favors them. Also they can switch to their Shotgun, which is much harder to dodge. Consider using your stickies to keep them at a distance. Their slow speed also makes them an easier target for these if you can aim them well.
With the Chargin' Targe and the Eyelander, rockets do less damage to you, but can still knock you back and interrupt charges. Also keep in mind that a Soldier skilled with the Equalizer will more often than not defeat you with your Eyelander. In this scenario you should backpedal and use grenades. Two direct hits will generally kill the Soldier. |
Demoman |
vs |  Pyro |
Pyros can kill you quickly if you're caught off guard, such as when planting stickies. A Pyro with the Flamethrower equipped can make your grenades useless with the compressed air blast, which changes their color, allowing them to hurt you. However, if you know they are coming, plant stickies on/around their path and detonate them when they come close. If you are already in Flamethrower range you will not have time to detonate your stickies. Use your Grenade Launcher on them in those cases, as direct hits will be very likely inside Flamethrower range.
The Chargin' Targe will allow you to survive afterburn much more easily due to the passive fire damage reduction, but it is ill-advised to go toe-to-toe with a Pyro with melee, since the Targe does not protect you from contact damage from the Flamethrower. Any intelligent Pyro will usually win in a 1-1 with an Eyelander Demo if they simply pull out their Axtinguisher. On the other hand, Pyros distracted by other team-mates are great targets for charges. If you miss, or he gets wise to you, run backwards and use grenades. |
Demoman |
vs | Demoman |
Demomen use the same tricks as you. Try and hit them with your Grenade Launcher before they do likewise, or lay stickies under their feet. If an enemy Demoman has laid stickies all over the ground or against a wall, you can use one of your own stickies to detonate near and scatter them.
Eyelander Demos act essentially like counters to regular Demomen—the latter's lack of bullet based weaponry puts him at a significant disadvantage. If you have the Stickybomb Launcher or the Scottish Resistance instead, take out your bottle and hope for a Critical hit or run away if you can. Remember that the Scottish Resistance can break regular stickies. Friendly Engineers will be very grateful if you plant one or two SR stickies in their nests. But be careful! A Demoman with Scotsman's Skullcutter is much more dangerous than a Eyelander Demoman! The skullcutter can kill you with one Critical hit even if you have 4 heads. It also has the ability to randomly Crit where the Eyelander does not. |
Demoman |
vs |  Heavy |
You can be one of the more dangerous threats for a Heavy. The one thing to bear in mind is that whilst his weapons all have significant damage drop off over distance, yours do not. Abuse cover and ground wherever possible. Lay carpets of stickies around him whilst he is distracted, and land nades on him whilst he is wound up- even with a Medic he can't stand up to the amount of damage you can dish out to a slow target. In a one-on-one fight, backpedal while firing your Grenade Launcher at him, and lure him into your sticky trap. Make sure to get behind cover as quickly as possible if caught in a head on fight, and sticky the corner you passed to cover your retreat.
Don't try to use the Chargin' Targe and Eyelander combo against a Heavy unless he is distracted. His Minigun spread will take you down within a second and don't underestimate his Fists or the K.G.B. if he runs out of Minigun ammo. However, the Scotsman's Skullcutter's Crit hits for over half an overhealed heavy's health, so if you can charge him from a blind spot, it is possible to finish off a heavy with another one or two well-aimed axe strikes, probably before he can react in time. Remember, if you see the Heavy carrying Natascha, it will almost nullify your charge. |
Demoman |
vs |  Engineer |
You are highly unlikely to survive in a head-to-head battle against a Sentry Gun (unless you're ÜberCharged or outside of their range). Your grenades and stickies are excellent at taking them out where they don't have line of sight or sufficient range. An added advantage is that your weapons will often take out the Engineer trying to repair them, too: your launchers are the only weapons in the game capable of inflicting damage through buildings. Three stickies or more will destroy both the Engineer and any building.
If you're using the Chargin' Targe, Sentry Guns are more threatening since you don't have your sticky launcher and you're more prone to running into their line of sight. Learn to shell positions indirectly using the Grenade Launcher. Even without direct hits, grenades can easily destroy a sentry nest. |
Demoman |
vs |  Medic |
Medics are pretty quick, which makes them a little more difficult to kill. Try and hit them with your grenades, or juggle them with a few sticky bombs. If he has a Medic buddy, stay out of sight and take out his buddy with stickies. Your sticky bombs are powerful enough to kill even overhealed targets in clusters of four or more.
The Sticky bombs have an arch to them, this is perfect for shooting over the medics patient landing the sticky on him instead. |
Demoman |
vs |  Sniper |
Snipers will kill you with ease at long range. Try to get close enough to lob grenades and stickies at them from where they can't see you. This has the added advantage of allowing your team-mates to rush past without fear as they make for cover. Alternatively, use the long range launch of your stickies to lob them onto distant Sniper decks and wait for the Sniper to walk into blast range. Snipers are an easy enemy to defeat if you can corner or sneak up on them with the Eyelander, or even with the ordinary Scrumpy bottle. It only requires two hits or one Crit to kill a Sniper at full health.
Like the Medic, a base level Eyelander Demo can be killed at full health by one fully charged bodyshot. Most Snipers will easily kill you if you charge directly at them. On the other hand, if you manage to flank them, their necks are delightfully stationary. |
Demoman |
vs |  Spy |
Spies can Cloak to pass over your stickies and so can lead to an unexpected death for you if you don't stay alert. Luckily, they usually place greater priority on Medics, Heavies, Engineers, and Snipers. Simply watch your back, especially when you stand still to place sticky bombs or lay down fire and Spy check suspicious team-mates occasionally. Most of the time, Spies will attempt to get in close to fight you. Bring out your bottle and scrumpy them to death, or glory in their slaughter with your Eyelander. Two hits or one Critical hit should do it, with either weapon.
If you have the Eyelander equipped, you should consider using it to Spy check regularly, as killing a Spy who is using the Dead Ringer will still add to your head count. This effectively gives you the chance to gain two heads from a single player. |
See also
