Community Engineer strategy

“

You're all about to have a real bad day! Click to listen — The Engineer to enemies before Setup concludes

”

The Engineer is a unique class due to his ability to construct buildings. He can get his teammates to the front lines faster with Teleporters, create a powerful Sentry Gun to ward off enemies, and can build Dispensers to heal and supply ammunition to his teammates. The Engineer's low Health and average speed make it important for him to rely on his Sentry Gun, other buildings, and his teammates for protection. While his ways can seem somewhat passive and methodical, Engineers are not to be underestimated. A talented Engineer can make it much easier for his team to hold its ground, keep up the pressure on the attack, and defend vital objectives such as control points and Intelligence.

Quick tips

• A team without an effective Engineer is at an extreme disadvantage, especially while playing Defense on Attack/Defend maps.

• Always stay close to your buildings. Unguarded buildings are especially vulnerable to Spies, Demomen, and Soldiers.

• The Teleporter can be your most important contribution to your team's success. If properly placed and defended, a Teleporter will allow your team to keep the pressure on the enemy team.

• All buildings build faster during construction if you repeatedly strike them with your melee weapon.

• You can construct a building in safety, then right-click to haul it to the battle. It is also possible to carry buildings through Teleporters.
  • However, if you die while carrying a building, the building is destroyed.

• You can help other Engineers by hitting their buildings with your melee weapon to speed up the building's construction or repair and upgrade the existing buildings.

• Your Shotgun and Pistol are not useless in combat; use them in supplement to your Sentry Gun fire to peck away at the enemy's health.

• Avoid standing in front of your Sentry Gun. This reduces the chances of your sentry shooting you, as well as lowers the chance of being shot easily, as the Sentry can intercept enemy fire.

• When playing Arena, make sure you have Dispensers to help out teammates with ammo and health.

• Try to set your Sentry Gun at chokepoints where enemies frequently prowl, thereby maximizing its effectiveness.
  • This is of huge importance when playing on Defense.

• Spies can sap your sentry faster than you can remove it. Kill the Spy first, then get rid of the Sapper.

General

• As an Engineer, you can do more than just upgrade and repair your buildings. If you have metal, don't hesitate to hit friendly buildings with your melee weapon to either repair or upgrade them. Watching your teams buildings allows other Engineers to set up Sentry Guns, Dispensers, and Teleporters in other areas.

• You can rotate the placement of a building while the blueprint is out by pressing the alternate fire button. Changing a Sentry Gun's direction allows you to place them in corners and other hard-to-reach locations. Rotating a Teleporter exit affects the direction one faces when exiting. An arrow on the blueprint indicates said direction. Remember that the direction one faces could mean life or death in some situations. Rotating a Dispenser has no effect on its function, but can allow you to place it into a tight space or help conceal its location.
  • You can also place a building while it is turning to place it on a different angle.

• Alternate fire while looking at a building you placed allows you to "haul" that building to another location. While hauling a building, your movement speed is reduced, and you are unable to switch weapons. If you are killed while carrying a building, the building will be destroyed.
  • A redeployed building will construct faster than normal without help from an Engineer, though you can still speed up the building of the structure by hitting it with your Wrench. Once built, if the building has already been upgraded to level 2 or 3, it will then undergo the animations for deploying to those levels as well.

• Enemy players, including disguised Spies, cannot walk through buildings belonging to your team. You can use this for Spy checking by placing buildings in chokepoints, such as doors and hallways.

• It is not a good idea to build your buildings, particularly your Sentry Gun, in the exact same location as another Engineer on your team. Clustering too many Engineer buildings together maximizes their weakness to explosives or other weapons that deal splash damage, and clustering makes it easier for an enemy Spy to sap all of your buildings. In addition, remember that friendly buildings block the line of sight and line of fire of friendly Sentry Guns.

• If your buildings are under attack by Soldiers or Demomen, try to time your repair hits in between enemy rockets or grenades to avoid getting killed, or build your Sentry Gun near cover that you can use to shield yourself. If your buildings are under attack by multiple Soldiers and Demomen, your buildings are likely going to go down and take you alongside them unless you have support from friendly Medics, Engineers, or Pyros using the compression blast.
  • Your best friend is often an allied Pyro. Pyros are excellent for taking care of an Engineer's greatest weaknesses: keeping Spies at bay; destroying Sappers on your buildings with the Homewrecker, Neon Annihilator, or Maul; and deflecting incoming rockets, grenades, stickybombs, and invulnerable enemies. This is also usually beneficial for Pyros, as they often run out of ammunition and health spamming their Flamethrower, which a Dispenser can restore, and are poor at mid to long range: an Engineer's forte.

• Build where you can support your team and where your team can support you. Sentry Guns provide high-volume firepower at decent range, but it is still supporting fire that is best served to cover your teammates and deny areas to enemy movement. Do not expect to be able to fight off entire enemy attack groups with just your Sentry Gun. It is very unlikely that anyone on your own team will be down there with you to support you, and without your Sentry Gun in a more forward location, enemies have a much easier time getting inside the base and causing havoc.

• Setting up a nest with a Teleporter, a Dispenser and a Sentry Gun near the front lines can help your team maintain its position. A skilled enemy team can push you right back to your first spawn, forcing you to gain ground again even if you have already captured the first point.

• To make the best use of Setup time, it is important to know ahead of time where effective spots to build are and the best way to set up your buildings the fastest.

• On offense, when you have a 'team advantage' (most of the enemy team or their best players are dead) and you have a Level 3 Sentry Gun, haul it and charge into the fray. Drop the Sentry Gun near the Final Capture point and attack yourself with your weapons. With most of their team dead and a Level 3 Gun suddenly appears, the enemy team will be shocked and you will most probably win, unless the enemy team uses a well-spent Übercharge. Do note that Level 2 Sentry Guns can also be used if there is no time to make the Sentry level 3 or the level 3 deployment time will take too long to be effective.

• Out of all the Engineer's primary and secondary weapons, the Stock weapons are the weapons that can deal the most damage overall. In case it is required to equip any non-stock primary/secondary weapon, it is highly recommended to equip the other secondary/primary weapon slot with its stock weapon.
• On offense, NEVER forget this golden rule: Level 2 is good. If you are not going to camp at your teleporter base and you don't have time to haul a Level 3 Sentry Gun, haul a Level 2. The same goes for Teleporters: A Level 2 has double the recharging speed of a level 1; however a Level 3 decreases recharge time by a further 3 seconds instead of five seconds, thus having less of a reward for 200 Metal.

• Competent teammates will likely save ammo packs for you, due to your ability to construct Dispensers.

• On Offense, be sure to build a Teleporter that will allow your teammates to get to the front lines faster, as well as a Dispenser to keep them (and you) in the fight.
  • Don't forget to build a Sentry Gun to protect your gear from enemies who get too close. Also, move up your gear when your team has the advantage!

• Remember that an Engineer's buildings can work underwater. Use this to your advantage on maps such as Asteroid. If one is able to sneaks into the water successfully, they can easily set up a nest without the enemy team knowing, creating a sort of 'forward spawn' for your team.

Weapon specific

Primary weapons

Shotgun + reskins

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Stock Shotgun		6	32	86-90	24-67	3-26	180
Uncrate Festive Shotgun

Of the Engineer's Primary weapons, the Shotgun is the most versatile due to its larger clip size and lack of reliance on a Dispenser, a Sentry Gun, or a specific positioning of enemies.

• If you're intending to stay close to your Sentry Gun, make sure to build it in a spot where you can keep enemy players in groups. You will be able to fight on more even ground after the Sentry Gun has softened them up for a Shotgun blast.

• Its large spread pattern is quite useful for Spy checking. Fire at corners, 'teammates', or in the Spy's general direction and look for tell-tales. Often, the spread will allow for at least one pellet to hit a cloaked Spy, giving you a glimpse of his location.

• It is good at destroying Stickybombs due to its spread.

• It can be used to deal extra damage against enemies outside the Sentry Gun's range or who are damaged and retreating when the Sentry Gun is not in any immediate danger.

• The Shotgun is a powerful weapon, especially at close-range. Don't be afraid to use it in combat situations; it can mean the difference between life and death.

• Keep in mind that due to its spread, it's not suitable for engaging enemies at long ranges. Switch to the Pistol for long-range attacks.

Frontier Justice + reskins

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Unlock Frontier Justice		3	32	86-90	24-67	3-26	180
Uncrate Festive Frontier Justice
Advanced+ Mann Up Reward Australium Frontier Justice

The purposes of the Frontier Justice are similar to those outlined for the stock Shotgun above, but the introduction of revenge crits modifies the accompanied playstyle.

• Sentry Guns should be built in more aggressive areas where kills and assists will be awarded relatively easily.

• Revenge crits should be used sparingly, as the Frontier Justice's small clip size gives it a disadvantage when in combat unaided by Sentry Guns.

• Revenge crits can support offensive pushes. Placing the Gunslinger's Combat Mini-Sentry Guns or an upgraded sentry into enemy territory and fighting with revenge crits while it builds can buy time for your Sentry to deploy and join the fight.
  • Despite this, even large supplies of revenge crits are usually insufficient to be able to take down clusters of opponents, and it is usually unwise to try.

• Revenge crits are only granted upon a Sentry Gun's destruction: Sentry Guns that have gained kills and assists may be demolished for immediate crits. This is a risky maneuver that should only be used in dire scenarios, when moving up while playing offensively, or when combined with the more disposable Combat Mini-Sentry Guns.
  • However, "cashing-in" during a quiet period in a safe area can be useful, as you can re-build and re-upgrade your Sentry in peace and have some revenge crits on hand for a sticky situation. Just be careful about this, because if you die after redeeming the crits, they'll have gone to waste and you'll be left with a fresh Sentry empty of kills and potential crits.
• Spy-checking with revenge crits is often unwise because if the Dead Ringer is equipped, the Spy could cause the wastage of a crit by triggering the feign death. Monitor the watches used by the opposing team.
• Make conscious decisions whether or not to take out the Frontier Justice when not ready to fire. The crit glow on the Frontier Justice could either make you a target for the enemy team, such as Snipers, or be used to scare away stray opponents.

Widowmaker

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Promotional/Craft Widowmaker		1 per 30 Metal	N/A	86-90	24-67	3-26	180

• The Widowmaker uses construction metal as ammo. Only use the Widowmaker if you are confident in your aiming abilities. Otherwise, you're best off using the default Shotgun.

• Don't try shooting enemies from afar with the Widowmaker; you'll only be wasting metal. Pick them off with your Pistol or Wrangler instead.
• The Widowmaker is best used in conjunction with a Dispenser. Even if you miss a few shots, you can easily refill at your Dispenser.
• When using the Widowmaker, make sure you have sufficient ammo at all times to fight off enemies. You are highly vulnerable and easy to kill at close range if you cannot fire your primary weapon.
• If a teammate approaches and appears suspicious, the Widowmaker can be used to perform a Spycheck. If an accurate shot from the Widowmaker yields ammo, the player is a Spy - if no ammo is given back upon hit, the player is not a Spy.
• With practice, the Widowmaker can make an effective offensive weapon. Continuous short-range usage allows you to retain ammo far away from your Dispenser, and the ability to keep shooting without reloading gives you an advantage over slower classes.

Pomson 6000

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Craft Pomson 6000		4	N/A	52-68	31-41	31-41	108-180

The Pomson 6000 functions like the Soldier's Righteous Bison in terms of its projectiles and unlimited ammo, but instead of projectile penetration, it provides anti-Spy and anti-Medic capabilities.

• Whilst protecting a Sentry under attack is usually priority, the Pomson 6000 gives the bonus of reducing an attacking Medic's ÜberCharge faster, giving the potential of rendering an ÜberCharge push useless or - assuming you can hit the Medic within a small time window - cause him to charge into danger without a full charge.

• On a successful hit, the Pomson eats into the Spy's Cloak, forcing him to retreat if he is using conventional watches.
  • Should the Spy be using the Dead Ringer, he will have 10% less time if he cloaks on a Pomson hit, reducing the already-low amount of time he has.

• When the beam hits a Medic or Spy, a distinct sound is made.
  • Use this sound to tell if you have hit a cloaked Spy.

• Due to the Pomson's nature, it excels at long-range damage and finishing off enemies but is generally poor in close quarters. As such, the Pomson is generally best used when supporting teammates at long range. Spamming shots will prevent enemies from strafing around a lot, making it easier for teammates to aim for them.

• Shooting a friendly Sniper's Huntsman will cause his arrow to catch fire. Flaming arrows are more powerful than standard arrows, as they deal afterburn in addition to the initial hit. As a Sniper with the Huntsman, full-charge "body shot" arrow hits deal 120 damage. After the initial hit, weaker classes will be killed in a few seconds if the arrow was on fire.
  • Remember - shooting your teammates is also a measure of Spy checking, as a hit on a Spy will produce a distinct sound. The Pomson's unlimited ammo comes in handy for this, as you can spycheck often.

• A Spy can only use his Dead Ringer if he has a full Cloak meter. If an enemy Dead Ringer Spy is fleeing to refill Cloak, you can hunt him down with the Pomson. Simply keep shooting at the Spy, and he won't be able to use his Dead Ringer. You'll also still be inflicting some damage on him.

• Although its projectiles travel slowly and are easy to avoid, the Pomson is a very accurate weapon. It's even more accurate than your Pistol. Although you lose the close-range damage of the Shotgun and the fast reload of the Pistol, you gain a very accurate weapon.

• The Pomson pairs well with the Wrangler. The Pomson maintains an ability to make accurate shots that you would otherwise make with the Pistol, and similarly, ammo is not an issue. Having a Pomson and Wrangler equipped gives you a high degree of accuracy.

Rescue Ranger

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Craft Rescue Ranger		4	16	51-55	31-35	20-25	105

• The Rescue Ranger fires bolts similarly to the Pomson 6000, only that the projectile arcs. Take account of this when firing this weapon.

• The hauling ability of this weapon is powerful on open maps, where you can get a clear line of sight of your buildings from a distance. Use this ability to move your buildings up front quickly, or to pull your buildings out when they are under attack, and you are too far away to retrieve them.

• As hauling your buildings from a distance costs 100 metal, try to haul your Dispenser first. If you cannot do this, find a source of metal before you haul your buildings.

• While not good in direct combat, the Ranger can be used for medium to long range harassment and for supporting other Engineers from long range by repairing their buildings.

• The Rescue Ranger pairs well with Wrangler Jumping, as you don't have to destroy your Sentry Gun after the jump.

• This weapon can help negate the Jag's slightly lower repair rate, and compliment the mobility the Engineer gains with his buildings around the map! Make sure to equip the Pistol if using this combo to help compensate for your other weapons and their lower damage output.

• When hauling buildings with the Rescue Ranger, you will be marked for death. Make sure there are no enemies close by before you haul your buildings.

Panic Attack

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Craft Panic Attack		0	32	86-90 (Health-depending)	24-67 (Health-depending)	3-26 (Health-depending)	180 [6 damage × 10 pellets] (Health-depending)

The Panic Attack is a craftable primary weapon for the Engineer. It allows slightly faster weapon firing, along with an increasing fire rate and spread as health decreases. Upon pressing and holding down primary fire, the player will begin loading shells into the magazine port, and will continue to do so as long as primary fire is held down. Upon releasing, the player will fire all shots one-by-one. Up to four shells can be loaded and fired in this fashion.

• The Panic Attack has a 34% faster reload time compared to the Shotgun. This allows you to inflict damage at a quicker rate, and makes up for having 0 ammo loaded.
  • It is a good idea to begin loading ammo before you encounter the enemy. Not doing so will allow the enemy to continue firing at you before damage can be dealt back.

• Use the Panic Attack alongside other teammates. This will ensure that as you and your team takes damage, your health loss will be minimal, your damage dealt increases, and death will not be greatly risked.

• The Panic Attack cannot be holstered whilst ammo is loaded into the chamber. This can be problematic if you want to switch to the wrench to protect buildings that are being shot at, but have ammo loaded. To counter this problem, only load ammo when necessary if on defense.

• • If on offense, ammo should be loaded at all times.

Secondary weapons

Pistol + reskins

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Stock Pistol		12	200	22	10-15	8-9	45 (Range does not affect damage)
Promotional Lugermorph
Uncrate C.A.P.P.E.R

The Pistol has four main strengths over the Shotgun; its greater accuracy and damage at longer distances, its large ammunition reserve, and its faster reload time. These give the Pistol several key functions:

• It can be used to ward off Snipers by instigating recoil and dealing notable damage.
• It can be used to pick off retreating units (who are usually doing so due to low health).
• It can be used to peck away enemy health, especially if supplementing Sentry fire.
• It is the most reliable weapon to use in conjunction with the Gunslinger's Combat Mini-Sentry Guns, as they also are most effective at a similar range, enabling opponents to be worn down quickly while staying at a reasonably safe distance.
• When the Shotgun has run out of ammunition, the Pistol or Lugermorph can be switched to when in direct combat with an enemy to ensure that there is more damage per second being dealt to the opponent during the fight.
• The high ammunition reserve and fast reload speed also allows you to provide covering fire during a firefight and support your teammates' own attacks. The higher accuracy and range than the Shotgun also means you can hang back somewhat while doing this and not expose yourself to too much fire. It is also possible to do this up close; however, it is risky without the Gunslinger and the Shotgun is much better at short range.
• Remember that the Pistol always fires a perfectly accurate shot before its bullet spread goes into effect. However, every shot after that will be less accurate. This bullet spread resets after at least 1.25 seconds since firing the last shot. As such, it's important to keep in mind that spamming your Pistol can mean you lose a great deal of accuracy. Try to time your shots so that they can land consistently accurately.
• The Engineer's Pistol has the highest ammo count out of any gun in the game. Keep that in mind, as you can lay out a ton of bullets in a short amount of time.

Wrangler + reskins

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Unlock Wrangler		N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Uncrate Festive Wrangler
Uncrate Giger Counter

About the Wrangler

• The Wrangler is a secondary weapon for the Engineer. It replaces the default Pistol when equipped.
• When the Wrangler is held, your Sentry Gun aims to where you point. It shoots when you click. If your Sentry Gun is level 3, you can shoot its rockets by right-clicking.
• When being used, it forms a shield around the Sentry Gun, which absorbs 2/3rds of the damage taken by the Sentry Gun. Be advised that this 2/3rds reduction also applies to repairs of the Sentry Gun.
• The firing rate of the Sentry Gun is doubled when fired manually.
• A Sentry Gun being controlled by a Wrangler has infinite range.
• The Wrangler can be utilized for Wrangler Jumping.

Usage

• You can't use the Wrangler at the same time as your Shotgun. If you need to defend yourself, use either your primary weapon or melee weapon, as it's generally easier than aiming with the Wrangler.
• It's easier to stand close to or behind your Sentry Gun when using the Wrangler.
  • When using the Wrangler, the Sentry Gun can only shoot if both you and the Sentry Gun can "see" the point you're shooting at. Standing near your Sentry Gun minimizes situations where the Sentry Gun cannot shoot a certain target because you cannot see it.
  • The protective shield around the Sentry Gun formed when the Wrangler is equipped will also help to shield the player.
• Pay attention. The Sentry Gun cannot automatically fire when the Wrangler is in use, so unless you manually shoot them, enemies will get by the Sentry Gun without trouble.
• It is advantageous to have a friendly Engineer repair and supply ammo to your Sentry Gun while you are using the Wrangler, since you cannot do these things yourself at the same time.

Wrangler Jumping

• Wrangler Jumping is a technique done by standing on your Sentry Gun, aiming it upwards, and firing while jumping. This shoots you up into the air, allowing you to reach high places.
  • Wrangler Jumping can also be done by firing a Level 3 Sentry Gun's rocket at your feet while jumping. This follows the same principle as Rocket Jumping, where crouching during a jump increases the knockback of the explosion.
• You will take a good amount of damage, so it's good to have a Dispenser next to the Sentry Gun.
• Aim the laser straight up and directly in front of you. Do not move the mouse or you may fall out of the laser's path.
• Wrangler Jumping will take a good amount of practice, but once mastered it allows you to jump to great heights.
• Once you've made it to the desired location, build a Teleporter exit. This means you can jump back down, grab some ammo, build a Teleporter entrance on the ground, and get back to said location without having to Wrangler Jump again.
• A skilled Engineer can pick up his sentry immediately after a Wrangler Jump. This takes practice, of course, but will allow an Engineer to not waste metal building another Sentry Gun.
  • Alternatively, you can use the Rescue Ranger's secondary mouse fire to pick up your building from long range, but it costs 100 metal to do so.

Short Circuit

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Critical
Promotional/Craft Short Circuit		1 per 5 Metal	N/A	5	18

The Short Circuit is a promotional and craftable secondary weapon for the Engineer. At the cost of 5 metal for each shot, the Short Circuit creates a small electrical charge that damages enemies in your crosshair. It also has an attack activated with alt-fire that costs 15 metal. This attack has a much slower attack interval, but does more damage and automatically targets all enemies in your field of view, and also destroys all projectiles near you.

• This weapon's primary use is defensive. Should you and your sentry be cornered by a Demoman or Soldier, you can prevent them from using blast damage to destroy your sentry by vaporizing their explosives, thus forcing them to change tactics.
• This weapon also has offensive capabilities on Payload maps; should your allies be under attack by several projectile-using enemies, you can provide reasonable protection from harm without risk of running out of Metal due to the Dispenser on the cart.
• Explosives aren't the only projectiles you can vaporize. With good timing, you can destroy Sandman balls, Jarate, Mad Milk, Huntsman arrows, and many others.
• This weapon is extremely weak in combat, dealing only 10 damage per shot, meaning its primary use should be for defense, support, or self-defense. Under the right circumstances, however, it can be highly effective at eating into enemy health; since it's possible to attack near 6 times per second, it's possible to seriously harm a Soldier, Demoman, or preoccupied enemy.
• The Short Circuit really shines in supporting other Engineers and defending nests, where there's a steadier supply of metal from Dispensers and more buildings to defend at once. You might be better off taking another secondary if you're largely working alone or your buildings are spread-out and projectiles aren't much of a problem.
• The Short Circuit's alt-fire attack will target disguised and invisible Spies, and can hit infinitely many enemies in a single attack, making it very useful for Spy-checking.
• While it only uses a small amount of metal per shot, it is unwise to equip the Widowmaker unless you're stationed in an Engineer nest, as you may find yourself defenseless very quickly with two weapons (as well as your repair costs) eating into the same ammo pool.

Melee weapons

Wrench + reskins

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical
Stock Wrench		0.8 seconds	65	195
Promotional Golden Wrench
Promotional Saxxy
Uncrate Festive Wrench
Botkiller Wrench
Advanced+ Mann Up Reward Australium Wrench
Achievement Necro Smasher

• When a Spy is repeatedly sapping your Sentry Gun in an attempt to destroy it, your Wrench serves two purposes. First, you can use it to swing at the opposing Spy, 2-3 hits being enough to kill a Spy, ignoring Critical hits. After that, you can quickly turn around and repair your Sentry Gun. Two strikes from the Wrench will disable a Sapper and halt the progressive damage it causes; you can then fully repair the Sentry Gun after the Spy is killed. A good strategy would be to hit the Sentry Gun a single time, and then change targets towards the Spy, kill him, and then take off the Sapper with another swing.
• While it may be tempting to use the Wrench's high critical hit rate to club enemies to death, melee combat is usually not where the low-health Engineer shines. Use the Shotgun instead at close range in order to quickly finish off the enemy.
• Team Fortress 2 prioritizes repairing buildings over melee combat when using the Wrench. This means that if there is an enemy -- say, a Spy -- next to a friendly structure and you are using the Wrench to attempt to kill the enemy, you will find the Wrench hitting the building near or even behind the enemy you are trying to strike instead of the enemy. Switch to the Shotgun or Pistol to deal with enemies that are very close to one of your buildings to avoid this.

Gunslinger

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical
Unlock Gunslinger		0.8 seconds	65	195
			N/A

About the Gunslinger

• The Gunslinger replaces the normal Sentry Gun with a Combat Mini-Sentry Gun. The Combat Mini-Sentry Gun is a smaller, quick-building version of the Sentry Gun.
• It provides an extra 25 health, for a total of 150. This allows for a more aggressive fighting style, as opposed to the Engineer's usual defensive fighting style.
• If an enemy is hit three times in a row with the Gunslinger, the third hit will be a critical hit.

Usage

• A Mini-Sentry is good for being deployed quickly and picking enemies off.
• Do not expect the Mini-Sentry to last very long. Its low health means that it is very vulnerable.
• When paired with the Wrangler, the Mini-Sentry can be deadly. The Wrangler gives it more health and a much longer range.
• Unless you're only covering a short distance, it's usually not worth hauling a Mini-Sentry, as carrying it causes you to walk a lot slower. If you want to change its location, destroy the previous one and place the new one.
• If a Mini-Sentry gets destroyed, replace it as soon as possible.
• With the Gunslinger equipped, it may not even be worth building a Dispenser near it. A Mini-Sentry is, in most cases, not powerful enough to defend a Dispenser on its own. Don't let that stop you from building Dispensers at all, though. Even if you're not setting up camp, leaving a Dispenser at a good fallback location can do wonders for you and your team.
• A good strategy to use with the Gunslinger is to destroy your Mini-Sentry when durability is low, and replacing it with a fresh Sentry Gun. This allows to keep the pressure on the enemy without having to constantly worry about it being destroyed.
• A Mini-Sentry costs 100 metal to build, as opposed to a regular Sentry Gun, which costs 130. The reduced metal cost allows you to place a maximum of 2 (3 if you haul one in) Mini-Sentry Guns on the battlefield before having to collect more metal. Take advantage of this, as you will be able to keep the pressure on the enemy for a longer period of time.
• Pair the Gunslinger with the Widowmaker (provided you're confident in your ability to aim) to act as an effective and easy-to-set-up defense for your team while gaining metal for both the weapon and for future buildings.
• Pairing the Gunslinger with the Frontier Justice will often grant you frequent revenge crits, although in smaller quantities than if a regular sentry is destroyed.
• The Mini-Sentry starts with 50% health when it is placed in the world, and heals up to 100% at full construction. Placing it directly in front of enemies will only serve to put you back 100 metal.

Placement

• Place your Mini-Sentry in an area where enemies pass through frequently. Using a Mini-Sentry as long term defense is not recommended.
• It's a good idea to place your Mini-Sentry near a health pack, since health packs attract low-health enemies - easy kills for a Mini-Sentry.
• Try putting your Mini-Sentry around a corner, or on top of a high building. If enemies can't figure out where a Mini-Sentry is before it kills them, it'll be less likely for them to destroy it.
• Since the Mini-Sentry has a relatively short range, smaller spaces are preferable to wide-open spaces, where Snipers, Soldiers, or other classes can pick it off without the Mini-Sentry being able to defend itself.
• A Mini-Sentry hidden away underwater can temporarily confuse enemies as to how they're being shot.
• For a rather cruel, ironic twist, hide Mini-Sentry Guns under large ammo boxes. The Mini-Sentry is just small enough that the only part of it not covered is the kickstand, though the particle effect from the light can sometimes be seen.
• When playing the role of a Battle Engineer, get into the habit of dropping a Mini-Sentry on a whim, without any real rhyme or reason to its placement. This can grant you vital cover-fire and provides a distraction should the situation go south.
  • With the recent change to the Gunslinger, this strategy has diminished in effectiveness quite a lot. However, doing this in defensive situations near objectives is still effective. Cover your front line teammates with a Mini-Sentry slightly behind them to allow them a small safe zone they can retreat to.

Southern Hospitality

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical
Craft Southern Hospitality		0.8 seconds	65	195
Bleeding		40 damage over 5 seconds	N/A	N/A

• The Southern Hospitality is nearly as versatile as the normal Wrench, with only a few situational weaknesses. As such, it is an upgrade to the default Wrench unless the enemy team has more than one actively attacking Pyro. The lack of random crits is compensated for by the Bleed status and the retained ability to wear opponents down further with other weapons.
• The Southern Hospitality favors a defensive playstyle. Camping Engineers rarely encounter Pyros without having a Sentry Gun in between to win the skirmish whereas when pushing into enemy territory, should the Engineer encounter a Pyro, then the Engineer is at extreme disadvantage due to extra 20% fire vulnerability.
• The presence of bleeding on this weapon makes it an excellent anti-Spy tool, allowing you and your teammates to monitor their movements should they try to escape. However, the inability to randomly crit makes killing Spies more difficult in a short span of time. Instead, hit them repeatedly with the Southern Hospitality, thus doing more average Wrench damage and resetting the Bleed timer each hit, or hit them with the Southern Hospitality, then switch to your Shotgun or Frontier Justice to finish them off.
• ÜberCharged Pyros are a major threat with the 20% increase to fire vulnerability. If one approaches, the most valuable building should be moved to a safe(r) location to be ready when the ÜberCharge wears off. If the Pyro is too close for you to haul a building to safety, flee, and be prepared to rebuild.
• The Southern Hospitality is very viable within Medieval Mode as the 40 damage added by Bleeding is a strong buff, and sources of fire damage are reduced significantly.

Jag

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical
Craft Jag		0.68 seconds	48.75	146

• The Jag now properly adds its full 30% bonus to construction speed; Wrench-boosting construction of buildings with the Jag will construct buildings at just shy of three times the normal rate, compared to 2.5x with most other wrenches. The Jag also swings 15% faster, further speeding up the process of creating level 3 buildings.
  • This also serves to legitimize construction of regular Sentry Guns even in an offensive situation where normally a Mini-Sentry would suffice. A level 2 Sentry will not take terribly long to make with ample metal available, and it will have a tremendous area control advantage over the Mini-Sentry. If your buildings aren't being pressured by Spies or other enemies, this could be something to consider.
• Try to avoid melee combat due to the damage penalty. If your team is good at Spy checking, however, this won't matter much, and the extra swing speed will make up for some of the lost damage.
• Get in the habit of hitting your buildings all the way to completion as soon as you plant them.
• The Jag is also useful in situations such as rebuilding a destroyed Teleporter Entrance or Exit while the other half is still up; being able to speedily rebuild the destroyed half means you can teleport back to your other buildings a few seconds faster.
• The Jag is a great weapon for "helper" Engineers who are only being Engineer temporarily to help other Engineers upgrade or maintain their buildings.
  • Although sometimes counter intuitive, you can temporarily equip the Jag to quickly construct higher leveled buildings at spawn, and switch to another Wrench (besides the Gunslinger) to relish the Jag's bonus, but keep another Wrench as your 'main'. This is best seen on defending Dustbowl's 3rd Stage.
• The Jag pairs well with the Rescue Ranger both by being able to quickly deploy buildings hauled from long range and healing any damage suffered to them to make up for the repair rate penalty; however, it becomes detrimental to equip the Pistol because the Jag is a straight downgrade to the default Wrench in combat and the Ranger is not very good at combat either. You may switch to the Wrangler if you prefer to keep your distance or try and Wrangler jump to unusual locations. This provides great utility with the Ranger by being able to pick up your sentry while jumping then teleport your Dispenser to yourself.
• The Jag's repair rate penalty stacks with the repair reduction of the Wrangler's shield. It may be advisable to use a different Wrench if your Sentry spot necessitates the Wrangler.
• The Jag takes 3 hits instead of 2 to destroy an enemy Sapper. It may be useful to use a different Wrench after you deploy your Buildings.

Eureka Effect

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical
Craft Eureka Effect		0.8 seconds	65	195

• The Eureka Effect allows for more flexibility on your building placement where ammo packs (or lack thereof) discourage building. The Eureka Effect comes with a secondary ability to teleport back to spawn or a teleporter exit in exchange for a slower construction hit speed boost and half the metal received from Dispensers & Pickups.
• You and your buildings are more vulnerable when being constructed, try to build in safe areas and know your limits on how aggressive you can place buildings.
• Triggering a teleport forces the player to wait 3 seconds while the Engineer performs a brief taunt; since taunting leaves the Engineer completely defenseless, retreating with low health or when the enemy is advancing can result in death if care is not taken.
• The Eureka Effect can be extremely useful in game modes lacking a source of healing (such as a health pickup, Medi Gun, or a Dispenser). You can engage an enemy, go to safety when you're at low health, teleport back to base, come back with full health (and metal), and repeat.
• The Eureka Effect can be useful in setting up and upgrading a Sentry nest quickly; having it equipped means an Engineer is able to run back and forth between spawn or a teleport exit and their nest very quickly by using the Eureka Effect's taunt and an active teleporter, allowing an instant metal refill with each trip.
• The Eureka Effect gives the defending team an advantage on attack/defense maps; if the penultimate point is being captured, a tactful teleport can allow an Engineer to fall back and prepare for an incoming attack.
• The teleport action also allows a teleporter exit to be placed at the front lines during setup on Payload maps; a quick teleport back to spawn and the teleporter is ready to go quickly.
• This Wrench is great for passive chokepoint holding on the attacking team, as teleporting back to spawn can guarantee a steady teleport system and get your slower classes back to the front quickly.
• You can sneak past enemy lines on maps where the spawns change (such as Frontier), and set up a teleporter exit near the last point. Then, you can teleport back to spawn, restock, and take the teleporter to the point. Getting some of your teammates to take the teleporter can effectively "sandwich" the enemy, making for an easier fight.
  • On the other hand, if a Spy has destroyed your teleporter entrance or is currently spam-sapping it, the Eureka Effect allows you to surprise any Spies and/or rebuild an entrance.
• Crafty Engineers can possibly carefully sneak past enemy lines and plant a teleporter exit in a place where the other side won't suspect it will be, such as the Control Point building in Dustbowl after it's captured, and then teleport back to the spawn safely where they can upgrade and repair it as needed. This allows for other classes, like Spies, to quickly go to that area without raising much suspicion.
• The Eureka Effect can be used to attempt accurate telefrags. This requires very good timing.

Map specific

Control Point (Attack/Defend)

Steel

• Steel is an excellent map when it comes to tactical Engineer-based pushes. One well placed Blu teleporter can win a game quickly and effectively, due to the ability to capture Point E without the requirement to capture Points A-D first. A Sentry Gun in the area around Point E can lock it down and provide effective cover for Blu's Soldiers and Scouts as they capture.
• While on Blu, it can often be a handy idea to use the following loadout:
  • Primary - Shotgun
  • Secondary - Short Circuit
  • Melee - Jag
• Because of the large amount of tight areas and general lack of wide open spaces on Steel, the Short Circuit can be a very helpful tool to use over the Wrangler or Pistol, as Engineers will often find themselves in situations where a Soldier or Demoman may be firing rockets, grenades or stickybombs at their base from around a corner or through a window and the Short Circuit will destroy the projectiles before they can hit the buildings or be detonated.
• The Jag can be a handy item to have when it comes to quickly placing a Sentry Gun to assault enemies where they least expect it.
  • An effective example of this would be to build your sentry to Level 3 during setup time, and then haul it up the stairs to the right of the spawn doors. Provided of course that there are no enemy Sentry Guns within direct range of yours, place it on the elevated walkway next to Point A. Although it may be destroyed shortly afterwards, it can provide ample support which will allow your team to capture the point while denying Red that entire area.
• If you are confident that your team will capture the point without support from you or your buildings, setting up a teleporter exit and base near the proceeding control points can often be a good way to catch your enemy off guard. This will allow for your team to begin capturing the points before the enemy team has a chance to set up defenses of their own.
• When defending, it can often lead to setup positions similar to the ones mentioned in the last point. If you are confident that the enemy team will capture Point A fairly quickly, it may be a good idea to have a complete setup on Point B or even C.
  • One of the most surprising sentry placements on Steel will often be the narrow area leading from Point B to Point C. Setting up your nest here while on Red can catch the enemy team off guard and allows for Point C to get a defense set up by your teammates while you prevent Blu from directly entering the area. If they do begin firing projectiles at your buildings, they can be protected by the Short Circuit. This base will often last the entire round if you defend it properly, mainly due to the lack of access points. It is recommended that you haul to another spot though, as the enemy team will usually give up trying to pass through this point and take another route.
• If Blu only needs to capture Point E to win, a very effective way to figure out where to place a sentry is to take note of where the enemy team is pushing from. Once satisfied you have the right entrance, place a sentry not guarding the entrance itself or even the point, but the area that the team needs to pass through to get to this entrance. This will prove a lot more effective than placing it exactly where they typically expect it to be, thus catching them off guard preparing for something that is sooner upon them than they thought.

Buildings

Sentry Gun

Level	Kill Icon	Health	Cost	Weaponry	Damage	Ammo
1		150 (effectively 450 with the Wrangler shielding)	130 Metal	Semi-Automatic Firing Barrel	Damage: 16 Shots per second: 4 (8 with Wrangler) Average DPS: 64 (128 with Wrangler)	100 rounds
2		180 (effectively 540 with the Wrangler shielding)	330 Metal	Dual Rotational Minigun Barrels	Damage: 16 Shots per second: 8 (16 with Wrangler) Average DPS: 128 (256 with Wrangler)	120 rounds
3		216 (effectively 648 with the Wrangler shielding)	530 Metal	Dual Rotational Minigun Barrels Target Guided Rocket Launch Support System	Damage: 16 Shots per second: 8 (16 with Wrangler) Average DPS: 128 (256 with Wrangler) Rockets fire every 3 seconds (slightly faster with the Wrangler), dealing 53 to 150 damage on direct hit (falloff is calculated from the distance of the Engineer to the target, not from the Sentry to the target). The rockets can be deflected with the Pyro's compression blast.	144 rounds 20 rocket salvos

Combat Mini-Sentry Gun

Level	Kill Icon	Health	Cost	Weaponry	Damage	Ammo
N/A		100 (effectively 300 with the Wrangler shielding)	100 Metal	Semi-Automatic Firing Barrel	Damage: 8 Shots per second: 6 (12 with Wrangler) Average DPS: 48 (96 with Wrangler)	100 rounds

• The difference between excellent Sentry Gun placement and average Sentry Gun placement can sometimes be very little; a matter of inches, or an angle that is off by a few degrees, can determine whether a Sentry Gun can effectively cover a certain approach, whether it will give away its location to enemies too easily, whether it will take too long to rotate into firing positions, and so on. This does not mean that you should take a long time to adjust the Sentry Gun blueprint before placing it – doing so is a hallmark of inexperienced Engineer play. However, observe how certain placements perform, and if the Sentry Gun demonstrates any weaknesses in that position, try to place the Sentry Gun so it will be more effective in the future.
  • A good rule of thumb for Sentry Gun placement is a location that maximizes the Sentry Gun's range while minimizing its corner weakness. In other words, any location where approaching enemies will likely receive fire from the Sentry Gun at close to its maximum range but will be unable to fire back from outside that range. This is because Sentry Guns do not suffer from damage falloff at range. While this does not always limit the damage your Sentry Gun will take in return (damage falloff due to range does not apply to damage done against buildings), it does reduce the damage you will take while you maintain the Sentry Gun, and it also reduces damage from short-range and/or high spread weapons such as the Scattergun, Flamethrower, and Minigun. Making good use of the Sentry Gun's range also gives the Sentry Gun a bigger field of fire and it gives you more warning of approaching enemies (and incoming projectiles), while denying the largest area to your enemies, one of the Engineer's primary roles.
• Sentry Guns are usually best built on high ground. However, you should avoid choosing an elevated spot that allows your Sentry Gun to be seen by enemies from beyond its ability to fire back. The best Sentry Gun placements allow a Sentry Gun to shoot at enemies at the same time or even a little before enemies are able to see and shoot back at the Sentry Gun, and high ground can help achieve this, as the diagram below-right demonstrates.
  • High ground is also great because it makes the Sentry Gun harder to hit with splash damage. As long as it is not built with its back to a wall, most projectiles will arc either too high or too low to hit hard, and the precision aiming required forces enemies to take the Sentry Gun's full weight of fire to try to take their shot. Conversely, low ground creates the opposite effect, effectively "funneling" even stray projectiles such as Grenades right into the Sentry Gun. Avoid low ground positions such as pits and valleys.
  • High ground is also very useful by making it more difficult for Spies to get into sapping range. High ground placements reduce the number of routes Spies can use to get close, making it easier for you and your team to discover and remove potential Spy threats before they get a chance to disable your Sentry Gun.
• Build in areas that are open, but not too open, and give you some room to work. This allows you to dodge and gives yourself good angles for using the Wrangler while keeping a safe distance from your Sentry Gun if it is under fire. If possible, have a wall or other cover near to the Sentry Gun that you can use as cover while you repair, but try not to have an obscured view of what is attacking your Sentry Gun.
• Avoid "gimmicky" Sentry positions such as looking down holes in ceilings, in the middle of narrow hallways, or around sharp corners. Sentry Guns can certainly get kills in such positions, but while these positions can surprise the enemy temporarily, they aren't terribly effective since they won't seriously interfere with your opponents' movement. High level Sentry Guns take a lot of time and resources to make, so building them in areas where they will be useful only rarely is a waste.
• Great Sentry positions will allow the Sentry Gun to put suppressing fire on a number of key areas and also allow it to act as a first line of defense for your team. A Sentry being repaired or Wrangled (or both) is excellent at absorbing damage that would otherwise be directed at your fellow teammates.
  • Sentry Guns should not therefore be viewed as a "last line of defense". Building with this mentality is flawed, because while an Engineer and his Sentry can fend off most lone opponents fairly effectively, as little as two enemies can overwhelm an unsupported Engineer position, even if the base is well constructed and the Engineer is skilled.
• Don't build yourself into a corner if you want to be hanging around your Sentry Gun repairing; you deny yourself a line of retreat and ensure that you get damaged as much as your Sentry Gun. Sentry Guns right around corners can catch enemies off guard, but if you build such an "ambush" Sentry Gun, don't sit right on it. Leave it on its own and maybe support it offensively with your own weapons, and then move it or rebuild it once it becomes ineffective.
• In addition to building on high ground and in a moderately open area, you should build the Sentry Gun such that it covers narrow areas in the map called "Chokepoints". This maximizes the area your team has to work with and minimizes the maneuvering room for attackers. This forces the enemy team to bunch up in narrow hallways and doorways, making them easy prey for your Sentry Gun's rockets or the splash damage from your team. Sentry Guns are at their best when they force enemies to fight from a disadvantageous position.
• Take note of where other Engineers have set up their Sentry Guns and set up yours to create overlapping fields of fire that can catch opponents in crossfire. Being within sight of another Engineer on your team makes it easy for you to help one other repair during times when either of you is dead or occupied. It also concentrates your team's defense and prevents your team from spreading too thinly. Two Sentry Guns that are spread out yet still covering the same choke point combined with adequate Spy checking can be an absolute nightmare for the enemy team to deal with and forces them to either come with everything they have or not come at all.
  • Conversely, try not to build two Sentry Guns next to each other; this doesn't help cover a wider area and allows a Demoman or Spy to take out both Sentry Guns at once.
• After building a Sentry Gun, stand behind it and build a Dispenser behind your position; if a few enemies or an ÜberCharged enemy comes, you can crouch behind the Sentry for protection and continually repair the damage done to it while having your Metal replenished by the Dispenser behind you. This strategy works well wherever enemies are forced through a bottleneck while approaching the Gun or have no line of sight to the Dispenser, but does not work well in open areas where the Dispenser can be targeted from the side or from above.

Figure 1. Dustbowl, Stage 2, Point B example of excellent Sentry placement. Both Sentries A and B are on high ground in open areas covering chokepoints, with double coverage of two major chokes. Both Sentries are nearby and face each other, making it easy for each Engineer to watch the other.

Figure 2. Illustrates the advantages of elevated placement. Sentry is in the open covering a chokepoint, is able to lock on and begin firing an instant before approaching enemies, preventing abuse of cover and maximizing Sentry damage. Attacking Demomen in particular will have poor attack angles.

Dispenser

Level	Health	Cost	Resource Output Rate
			Health	Ammo	Metal
1	150	100 Metal	10/sec	20%/sec	40/5 sec
2	180	300 Metal	15/sec	30%/sec	50/5 sec
3	216	500 Metal	20/sec	40%/sec	60/5 sec

• Build your Dispenser in a convenient location for your teammates to reach.
• Do not place your Dispenser in areas with lots of enemies nearby. Dispensers are fragile, and without anything to guard them, they will be destroyed quickly. Try to locate the Dispenser behind an obstacle, such as a crate or a low wall, which will shield it from a fair amount of incoming damage.
• It's a good idea to place your Dispenser next to your Sentry Gun, and stand in a position where you can reach both with your Wrench at the same time. This allows you to receive ammo and upgrade/repair your Sentry Gun instantly, instead of having to carry the ammo across long distances.
• Make sure your Dispenser isn't blocking your Sentry Gun. Enemies can take advantage of blind spots behind Dispensers to destroy your buildings.
• A savvy Engineer can use his Dispenser to 'Dispenser jump.' An Engineer can jump on top of his Dispenser and then reach an otherwise unreachable ledge.

Teleporter

Level	Health	Cost	Recharge time
Level 1	150	125 Metal	10 seconds
Level 2	180	325 Metal	5 seconds
Level 3	216	525 Metal	3 seconds

• Place your Teleporter Entrance close to your team's respawn point in plain sight.
• Place your Teleporter Exit either -
  • Somewhere hidden within enemy territory, such as behind a crate or on the rooftop of a shed.
  • Near your other buildings.
• Avoid standing right on top of your Teleporter Exit, so as to avoid being telefragged.
• Make sure which direction to head is obvious to your teammates. When the Teleporter is being carried, pressing Alt-Fire rotates it 90 degrees. Use this to face your Teleporter away from walls, corners, etc.
• During setup time, or at the start of a round, it's a good idea to build a Teleporter entrance. This is a good preparation strategy. It gives you the ability to deploy an exit on demand, and respond to changes in the front line by relocating the exit.
• When defending a highly-trafficked chokepoint, you may want to place a Teleporter entrance or exit somewhere where attacking enemies will see it as they are entering your area of the map. They will often destroy it, giving you a heads-up about their presence. Beware that some players will be suspicious of the Teleporter's real function as an early warning system and will purposely leave it alone so as to retain the element of surprise.
• Avoid building Teleporters during Arena mode. The quick nature of Arena maps and the scarcity of ammo during such games means that you're better off using your metal to build Dispensers or Sentry Guns.

Taunt Attacks

Dischord

	Kill Icon	Weapon	Damage	Duration	Details
Guitar Smash		Frontier Justice	500	4 seconds	The Engineer takes out his loyal guitar, plays a chord, and then hits it into the head of any enemy that's in the way.

• Dischord can be used on immobilized, unaware, or distracted enemies. However, the chord may give you away.
• Dischord can be useful during Humiliation or Stalemate.

Organ Grinder

	Kill Icon	Weapon	Damage	Duration	Details
Arm Blender		Gunslinger	500	4 seconds	The Engineer pulls a rip-cord from his mechanical prosthetic, revving the hand of his Gunslinger up to vicious speeds, after which he thrusts it forward, gibbing any enemy player within reach.

• With correct timing, you might be able to kill a distracted enemy, so keep in mind that it takes some time for the Engineer to spin his hand up.
• You can use the stunning effect of Organ Grinder to stun ÜberCharged enemies and waste their Über time.
• Organ Grinder is also effective during humiliation.

Weapon combinations

Example Combinations
Combo			Usage
Shotgun or Panic Attack	Pistol or Short Circuit	Wrench or Southern Hospitality	For a purely defensive Engineer. This combination allows the Engineer to hold positions against attack, albeit with high cost in Metal and upgrade time. The Short Circuit and Pistol provides defense against rockets and explosives (the greatest bane of a Sentry Gun), although it increases the Engineer's reliance on having a functioning, upgraded, and well-placed Dispenser. The weak damage of the Short Circuit can leave you open to other attacks, such as Spies and flank attacks. The Pistol by comparison is a great weapon for attacking enemies from long range, along with the increase of ammo for defending the buildings. Nonetheless, as the sentry is free to fire on its own and won't be disabled by the Wrangler, this combination allows the defensive Engineer to be a bit more independent. This weapon set will allow you to preserve your Sentry Gun as long as possible and use the Shotgun to weaken foes or kill any Spies in range, or use the Panic Attack as a means to quickly confront a lone threat to any of your buildings and use it in conjunction with Sentry Gun fire to deal additional damage in a short burst, which can come in a handy if an enemy has a Medic providing Overheal. The Southern Hospitality provides excellent defense against Spies and prevents them from escaping via invisibility, however your weakness to fire can make any sort of offensive pushing much more risky; if there is a great number of Pyros on the other team, and constantly ambushing your buildings, try using the Wrench over the Southern Hospitality.
Frontier Justice or Widowmaker	Pistol	Jag	For an advanced supportive Engineer. This set allows you to deploy your buildings quickly with the 30% faster construction rate granted by the Jag. This may give you more time to walk around and help maintain the buildings of other Engineers. The Revenge crits will become useful if your sentry happens to be destroyed. The Widowmaker is a great weapon if you don't need time to reload and drop the enemies health. The Pistol provides an alternative firearm and is great for conserving your Revenge Crits or not use metal if you used the Widowmaker. You can freely use the Wrangler instead for long-range offense with your sentry to keep your opponents at bay, though this will distract you from your and other Engineers' buildings.
Shotgun	Wrangler	Jag	This combination is similar to the advanced supportive Engineer set but there are small changes. You can use your Wrangler to dispatch Snipers quickly and weaken enemies at a long distance. But having no bonus health means you are more likely to die. This can also be a good loadout for an Engineer who likes to try and build behind the enemy lines. The Jag helps build up the base more quickly and the Wrangler can help the Engineer build in some unusual locations and immediately attack foes with the enhanced firepower.
Frontier Justice or Widowmaker or Panic Attack	Pistol	Gunslinger	This set is for an assault-oriented Engineer who doesn't want to camp in the enemy base for the whole battle and get out and fight. The Gunslinger paired up with the Frontier Justice gives you many stored crits because the combat mini-sentry is very weak and will get destroyed often. Alternatively, the Widowmaker can be used at close range to replenish your metal quickly. Also, the Panic Attack can serve as an upper hand against a close-range swarm due to the faster load rate of shots, and can work even better due to faster firing rate that comes with lower health. The Pistol also gives you the upper hand when fighting from a distance, and you can also use it to finish off enemies weakened by a revenge crit. The extra 25 health from the Gunslinger gives you extra fighting time and the ability to take more damage. You can also place your mini-sentry to give you some more firepower in a battle. But this set is sometimes risky when going against classes that have a larger amount of firepower than you do, such as soldiers. An Engineer using these weapons can be used for support, as he can be effective when he sticks by his teammates and helps them out with his revenge crits and mini-sentry. You still pack a punch in most battles, think before you whip out your mini-sentry, as sometimes enemies will have much more firepower than you do. If so, plant you mini-sentry and retreat before they can catch you.
Frontier Justice	Wrangler	Gunslinger	This is another assault oriented setup, however this gives you a range advantage with a wrangled Mini Sentry and allows you to get more revenge crits from said wrangled Sentry Gun. Wrangled sentry kills still count as kills that can go towards your revenge crits so using your Wrangler a lot can benefit you in good areas. For the most part, if you get at a distance from an enemy attacking your mini you can pump rounds into him by firing your sentry at him where 1 of 3 things will happen, either he will destroy your sentry without it having kills where you can simply run away, he'll destroy it with kills on it and you can mow him down with revenge crits, or you'll just get another sentry kill. With this setup, you can hold down offensive lines very well, but be careful of Heavys or Medic combos as they will have little trouble with you and your Sentry Gun.
Widowmaker	Short Circuit	Wrench or Gunslinger	The Deus-Ex Set This set will eat up your metal very quickly. Enough misplaced shots from the Widowmaker will render you useless, and force you to replenish your metal. These weapons are best used after you've already constructed your Sentry Gun and Dispenser. This way, you still have other means of survival, and the Dispenser can replenish any metal you lose with missed or poor shots. You can also use the Short Circuit to prevent enemy Soldiers or Demomen from destroying your buildings. This setup does, however, leave you with no reliable medium/long range weaponry, so stay close to your Sentry Gun in order to not be taken by surprise. Alternatively, when using the Gunslinger, you can make use of the reduced cost of the Mini-Sentry to fire a few shots and then still have enough metal to place a Mini-Sentry. Also, you can use the metal output to recharge your supply to continuously throw down Mini-Sentry Guns, keeping a constant force of pressure on the enemy. However, this leaves you mostly defenseless, as a Mini-Sentry is not something to hide behind when you're out of metal. Stay within running range of an upgraded Dispenser to always have a source of ammo.
Frontier Justice	Pistol	Eureka Effect	For a defending Engineer who focuses more on building than retaliating. The Eureka Effect is perfect for jumping back to the nearest spawn quickly for an instant refill, which allows faster nest building and grants the option to quickly fall back and rebuild (or to surprise a Scout/Spy making a bee line for the last control point). Since the Eureka Effect repairs slower, the Frontier Justice counters this hindrance through granting easy crits when your Sentry is inevitably destroyed by an enemy or yourself when falling back/repositioning your nest. Finally, the Pistol/Lugermorph allows you to defend yourself over ranges the Frontier Justice cannot reach and/or to avoid wasting crits.
Shotgun or Pomson 6000	Wrangler or Short Circuit	Gunslinger	This set is for an Engineer on offense, although not going directly into combat. The Gunslinger's Mini-Sentry Guns are useful for harassing the enemy, and providing an extra gun on the battlefield. The Shotgun and the Pomson both are reliable weapons compared to the Frontier Justice or the Widowmaker, allowing you to provide extra firepower when against the enemy without much fear of losing metal or being stuck in a situation where you need to reload. The Pomson's extra effect of decreasing Übercharge on Medics and Cloak on Spies can be very helpful to prolong a Medic's Übercharge. The Wrangler is useful for setting up your Mini-Sentry farther back and utilizing the Wrangler to harass the enemy from far away, while the Short Circuit is used when you are up close with your team, to destroy any incoming projectiles on the cart or a point.
Pomson 6000	Wrangler or Short Circuit	Eureka Effect	Dr. Grordbort's Brainiac Pack The Braniac Pack is well suited to a purely defensive lone wolf. The Pomson 6000's drain effect allows Engineers to slow down oncoming Medics and Medic buddies, or to prevent Dead Ringer Spies from escaping. The Eureka Effect can be used to gather metal from your spawn room while maintaining momentum, and to quickly build during set-up time. However, if your position is overrun, it can also serve as a convenient means of escape. The Short Circuit works well with the Eureka Effect, as its high metal consumption is offset by the Eureka Effect's ability. Alternately, the Wrangler can be equipped to harass incoming enemies from a distance and increase your Sentry Gun's rate of fire and survivability. However, The Pomson fares poorly against enemy Engineer buildings, meaning you will be hard-pressed to counter encroaching Engineers without additional team support.
Pomson 6000 or Frontier Justice or Rescue Ranger	Short Circuit	Jag or Gunslinger	This setup is designed for Engineers who are sharing a nest with other Engineers. The Pomson's ability to drain Cloak and Ubercharge from enemy Spies and Medics may make holding a defensive position easier, whereas the Frontier Justice may be used to store utilize extremely deadly Revenge Crits if your Sentry happens to be destroyed in a rush, making future defensive efforts (or fending off a rush that resulted in the destruction of your Sentry Gun) easier. The Rescue Ranger is used to repair buildings from long range and to harass incoming enemies from range(making up for the lack of a Pistol) and to make an urgent retreat by falling back yourself and then pulling your most important building towards you. The Short Circuit's ability to disintegrate projectiles is very useful for resisting enemy Demomen and Soldiers, and with at least two nearby Dispensers it should not be difficult to maintain a steady supply of Metal for this purpose. The Jag's ability to help buildings build faster is very useful for rebuilding a nest if buildings are destroyed, and can be used to help your fellow Engineers get their defenses up faster as well. The Gunslinger, and the mini-Sentry Guns it provides, are not as useful for long-term defense, but are a decent way to temporarily fill a defensive hole, and cost less metal than a regular Sentry Gun, making defense somewhat more tenable if your use of the Short Circuit has depleted your metal reserves.
Rescue Ranger	Pistol	Jag or Gunslinger	This is a recommended setup for mobile Engineers who are always on the move, but want to be able to have a Level 3 Sentry instead of a Mini-Sentry. The Rescue Ranger allows an Engineer to move his buildings from distances and repair it from a distance, at the cost of metal. The Jag helps to quickly rebuild Buildings that the Engineer just moved to get them ready for action as quickly as possible. The Pistol is used for combat, as both the Rescue Ranger and the Jag are inefficient when in battle. This loadout is especially recommended for Control Point maps where moving buildings across long distances quickly is a necessity. However, players may choose to use the Gunslinger for a more suitable offensive push. With the Rescue Ranger, this eliminates the need to pick up your sentry normally or even destroy it, but at the cost of 100 Metal (The same as deploying a new Mini-Sentry). This is a good combination for Gunslinger Engineers who don't want to waste time deploying a new one. This combo also maintains the ability to attack/defend easily, this allows the Engineer to constantly attack/defend anywhere while moving from place to place. This is also resolves the issue of the long redeployment time of a Level 3 Sentry Gun, as with the Mini-Sentry, you can constantly grab it with the Rescue Ranger and haul it to a new location to attack/defend.
Rescue Ranger	Wrangler	Wrench or Southern Hospitality	This weapon combination focuses on providing Engineers with greater utility, opening up a variety of strategical options. The Rescue Ranger, while less usable as a weapon, fires bolts which can repair buildings, allowing you to maintain them from a distance. In the event that movement is necessary, such as with an offensive push or hasty retreat, you can easily bring your buildings with you so long as they are in sight. The Wrangler increases the power and usable range of your Sentry Gun while also greatly shielding it from damage. With it, you can neutralize or rid of threats that are too much for an unwrangled Sentry to handle. In addition, Wrangler Jumping, when used in conjunction with the Rescue Ranger's hauling and ranged repair abilities, can give access to otherwise impossible building locations. Due to the lack of a Shotgun or Pistol, you will often have to resort to your melee weapon in direct combat. The Wrench has no downsides, however the Southern Hospitality provides an additional bleeding effect which can help with fighting enemies at the cost of no random critical hits and extra fire vulnerability. Choose the one which better fits your situation.

Class Combat Strategies

See also: Engineer match-ups

 Scout

• Scouts are a fragile class and usually don't bother Engineers. However, they can be quick to arrive before you can set up your buildings in 2-sided game modes such as Capture the Flag. and King of the Hill. Scouts excel in one-on-one combat so the best options of countering are either to use the Gunslinger and have a Combat Mini-Sentry Gun or to have support from your team mates.
• A Scout's greatest asset is his speed and evasiveness. While the auto-targeting of your Sentry Gun can render this moot, an experienced Scout will utilize the rotation time of the Sentry Gun, as well as nearby Dispensers or map scenery as protection, allowing them to fire at you and your buildings from a location that may be inconvenient to you. Be aware of your surrounding environment and make sure that there is nowhere for enemies to hide from your defenses.
• Should you find yourself face to face with a Scout without the assistance of your buildings or team mates, switch to your Shotgun and attempt an evasive retreat to safety. Sometimes the Scout's speed can play against him in terms of accuracy, so if you are ducking and diving out of danger he can have a much harder time landing a hit on you.
• Be aware that a Scout under the effects of Bonk! Atomic Punch won't take damage from your Sentry Gun, and that the Sentry Gun will continue to fire on the invulnerable Scout so long as he is in range, providing a distraction for his team. Using this, the Scout may allow an opening for enemy team mates to attack or retrieve Intelligence while your Sentry Gun fires pointlessly at the invulnerable Scout.
• While under the effect of Bonk! Atomic Punch, a clever Scout may attempt to focus Sentry Gun fire at you. So long as you are aware that this could happen, you can easily escape the line of fire once the Sentry Gun locks onto the Scout and pushes him away.

 Soldier

• Directly, a Soldier is a very powerful adversary. A single shot from his Rocket Launcher could be the end of you. Only fight head on if necessary, otherwise, try and lead him into your Sentry Gun.
• Because of his range, a smart Soldier will try to attack your Sentry Gun from out of range with his Rocket Launcher. If this happens, remain in cover while repairing your buildings.
  • If necessary, use the Wrangler in an attempt to fire back and increase the life span of your Sentry Gun.
  • The Short Circuit will stop any incoming projectile fired from any primary weapon that the Soldier possesses.
• While the Righteous Bison deals greatly reduced damage to your buildings, it will still hit you through them.
• The Cow Mangler 5000's charged shot can disable any building. You can repair the damage while the building is disabled, but any building won't perform its function until the 4 seconds are over. 4 seconds without buildings such as the Sentry Gun or the Dispenser could lead to your position being overrun. It may be in your best interest to fall back and live to build again if the Soldier is not alone.
• When the Frontier Justice is equipped, attacking Soldiers who have activated their Battalion's Backup with Revenge crits is unwise; switch to another weapon or use your Sentry to attack the Soldier instead if waiting for it to wear off is not ideal.

 Pyro

• As with most other classes, it is not recommended to face a Pyro head on. What the Flamethrower lacks in range, it makes up for in damage. Stay out of its range and pick away at the Pyro's health with your Shotgun and Pistol.
  • Due to the short range, they may switch to the Shotgun or Flare Gun in an attempt to harm you or your buildings from a distance. Due to the Flare Gun's guaranteed Critical Hit on a burning target, if you are hit once or already on fire, take cover to prevent a possibly fatal shot.
• If using the Gunslinger, don't be afraid to drop a Mini-Sentry as a distraction to escape. They always deploy with full health and as a result can keep a Pyro busy just long enough for you to retreat to safety and let your team handle him.

 Demoman

• Because of his Stickybombs and Grenades, the Demoman is a worthy adversary in one-on-one fights and while you are protecting your nest. His weapons cause a lot of damage and are deadly at close range.
• If placed in the open, your buildings could easily be destroyed by a Demoman's Stickybombs. If he keeps firing, it's better to haul the building or run away than try to constantly repair your buildings and be killed. Think about this when building near a corner or in an open area.
• A smart Demoman will arc his grenades over your Sentry Gun in order to harm you, so don't rely on it to provide a shield.
• The Short Circuit can render a Demoman virtually ineffective against you. Even though equipping it means you have to rely on your primary weapon, the trade-off is often worth it especially when in a nest with other Engineers who can provide mutual support.
• Be cautious of using the Wrangler when a Demoman is nearby, as you cannot pick up your building or repair it with the Wrangler active.

 Heavy

• With the amount of firepower the Heavy possesses, it is unlikely that you will survive a one-on-one encounter unless you ambush him.
• Remain close to your buildings if a Heavy is lurking around. Without proper surveillance, a Heavy can single-handedly destroy any Engineer outpost.
• If you're facing a Heavy and Medic pair and the Medic deploys an ÜberCharge, you may be able to fend them off until it wears off, if your Dispenser and Sentry are level 3. Crouch behind your Sentry with your Dispenser nearby. They will likely shoot your Sentry Gun, so crouch behind it and keep repairing it. However, if the two are accompanied by teammates or are in close quarters, it's better to flee to safety than die alongside your buildings.
• Heavies aren't as big of a threat if at long range, as they are primarily a point blank class. Use a Wrangler to take out Heavies from a distance.

 Engineer

• Because of the defensive nature of the Engineer, it is unlikely that a head on conflict will occur. From a distance, deter him with your Pistol and if they move in close, use your Shotgun.
  • It might also be a good idea to draw them into your nest if possible.
• Your Pistol is quite effective against enemy Sentry Guns and because damage fall-off is not counted against buildings, this is a quite effective (and often necessary) strategy but remember to stay out of the Sentry Guns' range; otherwise you are asking to be gunned down.
  • Watch for enemy Engineers utilizing this strategy. The Wrangler is a good counter to this.

 Medic

• A Medic's ÜberCharge is very problematic for an Engineer.
• Once ÜberCharged, especially with the default Medi Gun, the first priority of any experienced ÜberCharged enemy is to destroy your buildings.
• In most situations, you are helpless against ÜberCharges. The best option is usually to grab a building (preferably the most upgraded one) and get out before being killed.
  • However, if the ÜberCharge lacks support from the Medic's team, use the Wrangler to give your Sentry extra health! As the targets are invincible, it does not matter for any damage output. But as the Wrangler can increase a level 3 Sentry Gun's health to (roughly) 648, you can switch on and off the Wrangler to maintain this health pool, and repair. This can be best seen against a ÜberCharged Heavy.
• Kritzkrieg ÜberCharges, however, are somewhat neutral. On a positive note, all buildings are unaffected by Criticals, giving some survivability. On the other hand, the crits can dispatch of you easily. Be prepared if a Medic decides to go in with this charge.
• Quick-Fix ÜberCharges are fairly easy to take out. However, the tripled heal rate requires a concentrated amount of consecutive damage to take out, so make sure to switch to another weapon or use your Wrangler for the increased firing rate to help increase the damage the ÜberCharged enemy is taking.
• Similar to the Quick-Fix ÜberCharges, the Vaccinator ÜberCharges can be fairly easy to take out. The damage resistance works with one type of damage, and your Level 3 Sentry Gun does two types of damage at the same time, so use the Rockets as well when using the Wrangler. In other situations where a Level 3 Sentry is unavailable, either fire with your weapons, or use the Wrangler for increased fire rate to counter the lack of damage.

 Sniper

• Because Snipers fight at long range, it is unlikely that either of you will come in contact. If you do, odds are that it will be away from your Sentry Gun. Use your Pistol for long range and your Shotgun for close range combat.
• Due to the long range of Snipers, they can easily pick off any building that is placed in the open. Try to keep from placing your buildings in areas with large lines of sight.
  • Snipers using a Machina are capable of destroying your buildings in two shots, with only one of them needing to be charged. Keep this in mind when building a nest for yourself.
• If you are soaked in Jarate, you will have extra troubles if your nest is attacked. Stand next to your Dispenser as it halves the time you will be covered.
• If you happen to spot a Sniper trying to destroy your Sentry Gun, wrangle your sentry to try and pick him off. Remember that when wrangled, your Sentry Gun has unlimited range.

 Spy

• The Spy is typically the mortal enemy of the Engineer. Due to the Spy's ability to sap your buildings, it makes him more than a match for you in a strategic sense. Sappers shut down your buildings immediately, leaving them effectively "destroyed" until you remove them. A building that gets Sapped while under fire is typically impossible for a lone Engineer to save.
  • The Spy's ability to disguise himself as any class on either team is also quite bothersome. While wearing a friendly disguise, the Spy has access to your buildings, allowing him to restore health and Cloak from your Dispenser and travel through your Teleporters. Note that this also prevents your Sentry Gun from shooting at him.
• Watch for Spies using the Your Eternal Reward. This knife, upon a backstab, allows the Spy to take the form of his victim without dropping his disguise. Spies using it will not hesitate to backstab you or your allies within range of an active Sentry Gun if they get the chance.
• Spies have the potential to hide anywhere and appear as anyone. As such, you cannot rely solely on your Sentry Gun to protect you. Remain alert at all times and refrain from being stationary even while protecting your position to prevent Ambassador headshots and backstabs. If someone seems suspicious, don't be afraid to Spy-check them.
• A good Spy will often appear without warning, quickly sap your Sentry Gun, and start attacking you immediately with his Revolver or Knife, especially if you are alone. If you come under attack in this way, worry about the Spy first. A Spy can place Sappers faster than you can remove them and repair your buildings. It is much more important to eliminate the Spy before he causes any more damage. Use your Shotgun or melee weapon to dispatch the trespasser before repairing your buildings.
• Most of the time, you should save your Dispenser first, as it will break from a Sapper faster than an upgraded Sentry Gun, and regenerating its Metal supply takes a lot of time. If you are staying in the same spot, saving your Dispenser first will always allow you to rebuild much faster because you'll have more Metal available. However, if the Spy has removed his disguise nearby, or there's urgent need for offense, you should save your Sentry Gun first. On some maps, your Teleporter can actually be your most important building as it allows your team to keep a constant stream of reinforcements going. Losing your Teleporter is especially annoying due to the fact that you will lose both ends of it, requiring you to travel all the way to your Spawn to replant your Entrance. If you have sentry-jumped to your location, you may wish to save your teleporter so you can get back. Teleporters take the longest to get destroyed from Sappers, but you should still try to save them. Deciding which Building to save first always depends on the circumstances. Practice is the best guide.
• While being in a crowd of your own teammates usually helps you defend against Spies more easily, it can sometimes be difficult to pick out which one of your "teammates" is actually a Spy placing Sappers. Even though placing Sappers will not break a disguise, the disguised Spy will actually move his hand in a "placing" motion at your Building when it does so. This is subtle, but you may be able to use it pick out the Spy in a crowd. If you are letting your team deal with the Spy while you remove Sappers, keep your back to something.
• A creative Spy will often disguise as an Engineer to try to fool you and your allies into thinking he is an Engineer trying to remove Sappers when he is in fact the one sapping. They may even use the voice command warning about Spies to add to the deception. Watch for teammates who aren't swinging or firing their weapons, as a disguised Spy cannot attack. Even better, Spy-check anyone nearby.
• If you have revenge crits, try to save some of them for the inevitable Spy attack. Having a glowing Frontier Justice out can be enough on its own to deter a Spy. While it's true that you might waste a shot on a Dead Ringer Spy, don't be afraid to do it. A Spy who feigns death likely won't be attacking you for at least a short duration, giving you time to call for help.
• Simply standing with your back facing the wall or continuously moving greatly minimizes the Spy's danger to you as it makes it harder for them to instantly kill you. The Spy is therefore forced to attack one of your buildings, which destroys their disguise. In this case, make it your priority to kill the Spy before attending to your buildings.
• If your building is continually being sapped as you remove the Sapper, attack your Wrench in multiple areas around your building, as a Spy will be distant from you as you swing your Wrench.
• If a teammate appears to be standing directly on top of you, attack them immediately. Enemy Spies are able to stand on top you, while teammates cannot.

See also

• Team strategy