Cloak

“

Peek-a-boo! Click to listen — The Spy

”

Cloak, or cloaking, is an inherent ability of the Spy, embodied in a type of watch worn or held by the class's hand. For brief periods of time, a player may become invisible. This allows the class to move unnoticed through enemy lines or make a quick escape when attacked.

The nature and strategy for cloaking depends on the type of watch the Spy uses in battle.

General attributes

Firstly the Spy is unable to use his weapons or taunt whilst cloaked, but the player can still use the Disguise Kit. Disguising whilst cloaked will remove the team tinted smoke particle effect, allowing seamless disguise changing to fit certain situations.

Secondly, the Spy is completely invisible to all enemies when cloaked, athough teammates will be able to see the class as a semi-transparent silhouette tinted in the team colour.

Furthermore, regardless of what type of watch used, bumping into enemy players or being damaged results in the Cloak malfunctioning, producing a temporary outline shimmer that is visible to all players regardless of team (although with the Dead Ringer this is only shown after a certain time cloaker). A Spy therefore cannot simply charge through an enemy offensive with the cloak.

Weapons used against the class that produce visual effects, such as Jarate, Bleeding and fire, will render the Cloak useless as the effects will make the Spy clearly visible. Similarly, emerging from water will cause the Spy to drip even when cloaked. Falling from a certain height will also produce a blood particle effect, and an audible crack.

Upon decloaking, the Spy is make a unique noise and briefly appear in his team colour, regardless of disguise. Players must therefore decloak away from enemies to avoid being discovered.

Each watch will display its cloak meter on the model viewed by the player. The meter is also visible in the HUD.

Invisibility watch strategies

For more information see the article on Invisibility Watch

With the default watch, players can cloak for a maximum of 9 seconds, during which they can move through enemy lines, across [{Sentry Gun]] paths, or away from attackers. Picking up ammo through boxes or dropped weapons will replenish the cloak at the default rate. Therefore layout of the map and location of various ammo points are important to players who wish to be cloaked for a longer period of time. Dispensers on either team can also fill the cloak meter even when the Spy is cloaked. Be advised that using an enemy Dispenser will require the correct disguise, and that the Spy may be discovered if bumped into by Engineers collecting their metal.

Uncloaking will produce a quiet 'whooshing' sound that can be heard by other players in the immediate vicinity. Experienced spies should therefore uncloak in a lone location, prefereably with the correct disguise, in order to avoid enemies who may start searching the area upon hearing the noise.

The direct counter of the cloak is the Pyro. The Spy will be rendered visible and will burn with a team-coloured ambience if set on fire. Players should avoid Pyros at all costs when cloaked; if bumped into, the Pyro will immediately begin to Spycheck the vicinity.

Dead Ringer Strategies

For more information see the article on Dead Ringer

The Dead Ringer watch is a unique gadget in terms of cloaking. The watch does not cloak when the correct bound key is pressed, but rather it will be held up in the player's view in a ready position. However, the next time the Spy is dealt damage, either by enemies or falling, he will drop a fake corpse and immediately become cloaked for a total of 6.5 seconds. During this time the player will have damage against them reduced by 90%, and they will not shimmer when attacked or bumped into by enemies.

The corpse dropped is dependant on the disguise the player was using at the time. Dropping a friendly disguise as a corpse, therefore, may allow the Spy to move into enemy territory without arousing suspicion. Similarly, dropping a spy corpse by being attacked when wearing an enemy disguise will trick the enemy into spychecking in all directions, allowing the Spy to move through undetected anyway because the cloak is not affected by damage. The player should note that the dropping of the corpse ragdolls is somewhat bugged and noticeable to experienced players, who may alert their team of a Dead Ringer Spy being present. Furthermore, activating the Dead Ringer upon being attacked once will almost immediately be suspicious to the enemy. Players should therefore wait a couple of seconds if under continuous fire before cloaking to provide a more convincing fake death. This should not apply to competent Snipers, Sticky Bomb traps or forms of critical attacks.

Spies with the Dead ringer can collect ammo and use dispensers to replenish the cloak, albeit at a reduced amount compared to the Invisibility Watch. Once cloaked for longer than 6.5 seconds, however, the Spy will shimmer upon damage or contact with the enemy as with any other watch. Making a run through the map with the Dead Ringer, therefore, is just as risky as with the default watch.

The main disadvantage of the watch is the loud and distinctive uncloaking sound. Players should therefore utilise cover or remote locations to uncloak.

The Spy can still be set on fire by a Pyro. The damage reduction, however, may allow the player to seek out water and extinguish themselves where otherwise they would have died. Most Pyros will continue to chase the Spy once alight, however, making escape more difficult. Should the Pyro prowl the area outside the water, players should consider hiding in the water for as long as the cloak permits until the Pyro leaves. Shooting at the Pyro from underwater is also a viable option, as his Flamethrower is ineffective underwater. On the other hand, leading the Pyro into a friendly Sentry Gun or experienced teammate may prove successful.

Aside from providing normal cloak espionage, the Dead Ringer can serve as a paranoia tool. Making an obvious fake death can lead to enemies spending more time Spychecking, possibly even causing Medics to deploy their Ubercharge early. This can allow teammates an opportunity to advance on an objective, or wait for the enemy Ubercharge to end before activating their own.

Cloak and Dagger Strategies

Use the ability to recharge Cloak by standing still to your advantage. Use 'odd' objects on maps to your advantage and stand on top of them to heal your Cloak. In tunnels, sticking near corners to refill your Cloak and then uncloaking to take out an enemy that walks by you works very well; this tactic also works near one-way doors, such as the ones on Dustbowl stages 1 and 2. The Cloak and Dagger's Cloak runs out much faster when you move vertically, so avoid jumping or falling while cloaked.

As a whole, the Cloak and Dagger's usefulness can be infinite. Defensive Spies can use the watch to Cloak near active control points and flag areas, uncloaking to backstab any enemies that come by to capture either one, then quickly re-Cloak and camp in the same spot. Offensive Spies can Cloak outside of high-traffic areas that the enemy is sure to walk down, getting behind them as they turn their backs to uncloak and backstab them.

Spies using the Cloak to move through areas should pay close attention to their Cloak meter. When the meter is drained, the Spy does not become fully visible, but like when bumping-in a enemy, being half-cloaked will be visible to the enemy, easily identifying his location. Avoid moving cloaked through quiet areas where the enemy will not see you or areas your team has secured to avoid wasting Cloak time.

Although you will become only half-cloaked when your Cloak meter runs out, you can still move and be partially camouflaged in certain areas, depending on your team color. For instance, BLU Spies with no Cloak left still might not be spotted if they are in places like in their own base (since their base probably has blue colored walls) or underwater. RED Spies can blend in with the reddish rock walls on maps like Hydro and Badlands, as well as in their base. Keep in mind that for camouflage to be most effective you must move slowly and stay far away from your enemies. Crouching while camouflaged is the best way to travel and not be seen. Also keep in mind that this will only fool your enemies at a glance; if you are in danger of being bumped into, or they are extremely close to you, it is wise to stand perfectly still so you can become completely invisible again and avoid detection.

The introduction of the Cloak and Dagger has made the Spy incredibly useful for surveying enemy movements. Simply stand near the enemy spawn cloaked and tell your team via in game voice chat what you see coming out. Following the enemy team and letting your team know what they seem to be planning works very well. Once both teams encounter each other, you can remove your Cloak and land some easy backstabs on enemies who are concentrating on fighting your team.

Cloak and Dagger vs. Invisibility Watch

The Cloak and Dagger may seem superior to the Invisibility Watch due to its potentially endless amount of Cloak time. However, this may not always be the case. The Cloak and Dagger does give the Spy 'unlimited' Cloak, but it this perk comes at a cost which may make some players reevaluate their decision to take it over the standard Invisibility Watch.

First, the Cloak and Dagger drains Cloak much faster while moving than the Invisibility Watch. This means that to stay cloaked over the same distance traversed, a Spy equipped with the Cloak and Dagger will have to take multiple breaks, in many cases, right in the middle of a path, where he may be bumped into by an enemy, hit by a stray bullet, or burned by a Pyro doing Spy-checks. Using the Invisibility Watch in a situation like this allows the Spy to travel further while cloaked, making it less likely for him to be trapped and discovered in an area heavily traversed by the enemy.

The other main drawback of the Cloak and Dagger over the Invisibility Watch is the fact that it cannot be recharged by picking up ammo or weapons. This may seem to be not that much of an advantage at first, but when used in an offensive manner, it can potentially make the Invisibility Watch much more useful. Coupled with the first point (being able to run further while cloaked), being able to replenish your Cloak bar instantaneously when encountering ammo boxes or weapons allows a Spy armed with the Invisibility Watch to be able to traverse massive distances of a map while staying cloaked. This is especially effective on the Payload maps, where ammo boxes are extremely common. Players who play Spy often may also find the Invisibility Watch more useful than the Cloak and Dagger, because depending on the situation, common Spy players will react quickly when their Cloak meter runs out (e.g running to the nearest ammo kit/ taking out the closest enemy). This allows them to cover ground faster, and get more kills quicker than the Cloak and Dagger, while those who use Cloak and Dagger will often find themselves wasting two minutes or more getting to their spot to start taking out enemies, while those who use the Invisibility Watch are able to get into those areas quicker. Overall, it all boils down to if you want more quick kills (Invisibility Watch), or if you're focusing on survival (Cloak and Dagger).

Overall, the choice between Cloak and Dagger and the Invisibility Watch really depends on personal preference as well as play style. The Cloak and Dagger is no doubt more useful for a defensive Spy, or a Spy who likes to "camp" in certain spots and wait for an enemy to approach. However, for the offensive or the highly-mobile Spy, the Invisibility Watch may sometimes prove to be more useful than the Cloak and Dagger.

Related Achievements

Pyro

Spontaneous Combustion Ignite 10 cloaked Spies.

Demoman

Shorn Connery Decapitate a cloaked Spy.

Heavy

Spyalectical Materialism Kill or assist in killing 10 cloaked Spies.

Engineer

Search Engine Kill 3 cloaked Spies with a Sentry Gun under control of your Wrangler.

Sniper

Jarring Transition Use Jarate to reveal a cloaked Spy.

Shoot the Breeze Kill a fully invisible Spy in a single hit.

Spy

Burn Notice Survive 30 seconds after being ignited while cloaked.

Spies Like Us While cloaked, bump into an enemy cloaked Spy.

See also

• Disguise Kit - Another means of infiltration
• Spy strategy - In depth strategy for the Spy class (including how to use the Cloak effectively)