Heavy (competitive)

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Heavy.png
This article is for competitive play, based on the standard community competitive format. For the generic article on this topic, see: Heavy.
The community competitive scene changes frequently. Some or all info may be outdated.

The Heavy is a situational pocket and utility class sometimes used in the standard competitive lineup, valued for his tanking capacity and sustained damage output.

Information

Health

Class Health Overheal Quick-Fix Overheal
Leaderboard class heavy.png Heavy 300 450 376
Under the effects of the Dalokohs Bar or Fishcake 350 500 426
With the Fists of Steel equipped 300 390 346
With the Fists of Steel equipped and while under the effects of the Dalokohs Bar or Fishcake 350 440 396

Theoretical value. Overheal does not exceed 150% of the classes' maximum health.

Speed

Condition Normal Backward Crouched Swimming
Leaderboard class heavy.png Heavy
77 %
69 %
26 %
61 %
Any of the Heavy's Primary weapons spun up, except the Brass Beast
37 %
33 %
0 %
29 %
Brass Beast spun up
15 %
15 %
0 %
12 %
Under the effects of the Buffalo Steak Sandvich
104 %
93 %
35 %
83 %
Wielding the Gloves of Running Urgently
100 %
90 %
33 %
80 %
Wielding the Eviction Notice
88 %
79 %
29 %
71 %

Weapons

Main article: Heavy weapons (competitive)

The Heavy relies on his primary weapon to deal large damage at close range regularly. He is slow, and even more so while spun up- although most players invalidate (for a short time) this by spinning their minigun in mid-air which can be useful in ambushing or use Gloves of Running Urgently to get to a destination faster, but he shouldn't ever use it in a war zone.

Primary

Weapon Kill icon Ammo
Loaded
Ammo
Carried
Damage Range Notes / Special Abilities
Minigun
Stock
Minigun
Killicon minigun.png 200 N/A Base: 9

Crit: 27

[40 rounds / sec.]

Pictogram info.png Secondary fire spins-up the barrel without firing.

Pictogram info.png Fires 4 bullets per unit of ammo used.

Iron Curtain
Promotional
Iron Curtain
Killicon iron curtain.png
Natascha
Unlock
Natascha
Killicon natascha.png 200 N/A Base: 6.75

Crit: 20.25

[40 rounds / sec.]

Pictogram info.png Secondary fire spins-up the barrel without firing.

Pictogram info.png Fires 4 bullets per unit of ammo used.
Pictogram plus.png On hit: slows down enemy players.

Pictogram info.png Slowdown-on-hit effect is reduced over distance.

Pictogram plus.png +20% damage resistance when spun up and health is less than 50% of max.
Pictogram minus.png Deals 25% less damage.
Pictogram minus.png 30% longer spin-up time.

Brass Beast
Craft
Brass Beast
Killicon brass beast.png 200 N/A Base: 10.8

Crit: 32.4

[40 rounds / sec.]

Pictogram info.png Secondary fire spins-up the barrel without firing.

Pictogram info.png Fires 4 bullets per unit of ammo used.
Pictogram plus.png +20% damage bonus.
Pictogram plus.png 20% damage resistance when spun up and health is less than 50% of max.
Pictogram minus.png 50% slower spin up time.
Pictogram minus.png 60% slower move speed when deployed.

Tomislav
Craft
Tomislav
Killicon tomislav.png 200 N/A Base: 9

Crit: 27

[33 rounds / sec.]

Pictogram info.png Secondary fire deploys the barrel without firing.

Pictogram info.png Fires 4 bullets per unit of ammo used.
Pictogram plus.png 20% faster spin up time.
Pictogram plus.png 20% more accurate.
Pictogram plus.png Silent Killer: No spin-up sound.
Pictogram minus.png 20% slower firing speed.

Huo-Long Heater
Promotional / Craft
Huo-Long Heater
Killicon huo-long heater.png 200 N/A Base: 8.1

Crit: 24.3

[40 rounds / sec.]
Afterburn:
8 / sec. × 7.5 secs.

Pictogram info.png Secondary fire deploys the barrel without firing.

Pictogram info.png Fires 4 bullets per unit of ammo used.
Pictogram plus.png Create a ring of flames while spun up.
Pictogram plus.png 25% more damage against burning players.
Pictogram minus.png Deals 10% less damage.
Pictogram minus.png Consumes an additional 4 ammo per second while spun up.


Usage

The Heavy, due to his slow speed, is a situational utility. However, the Heavy's large amount of health and high close-range damage output make him ideal for holding crucial Control Points, especially the final Control Points of 5-CP maps like Badlands. A team will generally switch out a Scout for a Heavy, though substituting a Soldier for a Heavy is a common tactic as well.

Common Tactics

Usually, a team's Medic will focus on healing the team's Heavy, as a the Heavy is able to possess a maximum amount of 450 health. The heavy is also able to output very high damage at close range which is crucial for keeping the Medic alive (therefore often replacing the Pocket Soldier, or turning both Soldiers into Roamers). Competitive players playing as Heavies should learn when to spin up and spin down their Minigun, allowing them to balance mobility with protection for their Medic. Heavies often get used defending the last Point on 5 CP-maps, or A/D maps such as Gravel Pit. Since the Mann-Conomy Update, the Heavy has the ability to run with 299 Units per Second when he has the G.R.U. equipped, making him faster than a Demoman without the Eyelander's speed boost, and therefore very valuable even in the Middlepoint of 5 CP-maps. However, it is banned from most competitions in America and Europe.

5-CP Push Strategies

A team should rarely use a Heavy at the start of a 5-CP map. His slow speed means that a team starting off with one will attack the mid point with one less player than the other team, which may make the difference between capturing and losing the mid fight. If a team uses a Heavy on the final point of a 5-CP map, the Heavy should try to stay on or near the point itself. His high health is what makes him a useful defender, allowing him to take a lot of damage and in turn delay the enemy team. Heavies should pay attention to the enemy Demoman, however, as a slow target standing on a small area dies very quickly to grenades and sticky bombs, even if that target has 450 health.

As with most of the other utilities, a team will generally avoid starting off a round on a 5-CP map with a Heavy. Due to his extreme lack of mobility, a Heavy will force his team to fight the mid fight at a numerical disadvantage until he finally catches up to them, which can easily mean the loss of the middle point early on. The exception to this rule is on Gullywash due to the short distance to the middle point. A Heavy can be run all the time on Gullywash which is unusual seeing as normally a Scout will temporarily switch to a Heavy to defend a point. When a Heavy is going to be used for the entire match, normally a Soldier will switch out, this means that the Medic still have a manageable amount of health that he can heal easily.

If a team needs to defend a relatively open area where there is little cover, a Heavy may be useful in buying time for the rest of the team to organize and repel a push because of his large amount of health.

Attack-Defend Strategies

When defending on an Attack/Defend map, the Heavies' pathetic mobility is mitigated somewhat, as enemies will come to him instead of the other way around. This allows him to keep his Minigun spun up more often without worrying as much about needing to move around compared to a Heavy on the offending team. As in 5-CP maps, when defending a point, Heavies should try to stay on or very close to the point itself- using their large amount of health to block the enemy objectives. Heavies are still very vulnerable to spam and/or crossfire sent towards the point, as their large frame and their movement impairment makes them more easily killed than faster classes such as Soldiers. An example of when the Heavy is advantageous is on Point C of Gravel Pit. When he is on the point, he can discourage or even prevent the attackers from advancing farther. The only flaw of this scheme is if the enemy team is running a Sniper or other classes that excel in terms of range and damage output.

Capture-the-Flag Strategies

The Heavy can be a great asset when defending the Intelligence room in maps such as Turbine, where there is a very little cover in Turbine's hallways. A heavy fully buffed to 450 HP can halt an enemy advance and repel attackers, assisting the team's Engineer in a defense of the Intelligence room. While the Heavy's inability to chase down attackers who are escaping with the intelligence is difficult to overlook, and his slow speed makes him a poor choice for escaping with the enemy intelligence himself, the open hallways of Turbine make the Heavy less vulnerable to Soldiers. If a team that is attacking the enemy intelligence chooses to use a Heavy, a possibly useful strategy may be to have him to let his teammates pick up the enemy intelligence, and cover their backs with Minigun fire as they make their escape. If the Heavy can lay down enough damage and cause a big enough distraction, he can often ensure that his team's flag carrier will not be attacked on his way back to his team's Intelligence room.

See also