Community Engineer strategy

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

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This article is about Community Engineer strategy.

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 point 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. You can even 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 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.

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 on 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 odd 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.
• Alternate fire while looking at a building you placed allows you to "haul" that building to new locations. While hauling a building, your movement speed is reduced to slightly slower than a Heavy, and you are unable to switch weapons. If you are killed while carrying a building, the building will be destroyed.
  • A redeploying 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 melee weapon. 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 unless you have support from friendly Medics, Engineers, or Pyros using the compression blast.
• 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.
  • 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 or Maul; and deflecting incoming rockets, grenades, Stickybombs, and invulnerable enemies. This is also usually beneficial for Pyros, as they often run of ammunition and health spamming their Flamethrower, which a Dispenser can restore, and are poor at mid to long range: an Engineer's forte.
• Setting up a base with a Teleporter, a Dispenser and a Sentry Gun near the front lines after capturing an initial control point can help your team maintain their 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.

Weapon specific

Primary weapons

Shotgun

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Stock Shotgun		6	32	86-90	24-67	3-26	120

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

• It works well in narrow corridors. 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 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, 'team mates' 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 an idea of his location.
• It is good for destroying planted Stickybombs due to its spread.
• It can be used to deal some 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.

Frontier Justice

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	120

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 cripples it in combat unaided by Sentry Guns. The player relies more on highly damaging direct hits.
  • This is even more true when the Wrangler is equipped as the removal of reserve ammunition size further handicaps unprotected players.
• 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 deployed 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 as if the Dead Ringer is equipped he 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 Sniper's 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	120

• 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; 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.

Pomson 6000

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Pomson 6000		4	N/A	17-63	11-42	11-42	36-60

The Pomson 6000 functions like the Soldier's Righteous Bison in terms of its projectiles and unlimited ammo, but provides the bonuses of 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.
• The Pomson also eats into a Spy's Cloak on successful hit, forcing him to retreat if 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.
• 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.
• Shooting a Huntsman Sniper on your team will cause the arrow to catch fire. Flaming arrows are more powerful than standard arrows as they deal afterburn in addition to the initial hit. Shoot your team's Snipers when you get a chance.
  • Remember, shooting your teammates is also a measure of Spy checking, as a hit on a Spy whose Cloak meter isn't empty will produce a distinct sound. The Pomson's unlimited ammo can come in handy for this.
• The Pomson is a good way to attack a Medic and his patient. The Pomson's shots penetrate players, meaning it's fairly easy to catch the Medic off guard and hit him with a couple of shots, draining his ÜberCharge meter.
• 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 often hunt him down with the Pomson. Simply keep shooting at the Spy, and he won't be able to use his Dead Ringer, and you'll be doing some damage to him.

Secondary weapons

Pistol/Lugermorph

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Stock Pistol		12	200	22	10-15	8-9	45
Promotional Lugermorph

The Pistol has three main strengths over the Shotgun, its greater accuracy and damage at longer distances, its large ammunition reserve and 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 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.
• Its large ammunition reserve allows it to be a great Spy checker, especially down narrow corridors.
• It can be switched to when in direct combat with an enemy and the Shotgun has run out of ammunition to ensure that there is more damage per second throughout the fight done to the opponent.
• 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.

Wrangler

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

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 even control when it shoots rockets.
• When being used, it forms a shield around the Sentry Gun, which absorbs 2/3rds of the damage taken by 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.

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.
• You will take a good amount of damage, so it's good to have a Dispenser next to the Sentry Gun.
• Crouch while Wrangler Jumping. It will allow you to achieve better heights.
• 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.

Short Circuit

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Critical
Promotional/Craft Short Circuit		1 per 35 Metal	N/A	5	18

The Short Circuit is a promotional and craftable secondary weapon for the Engineer. At a cost of uses 35 Metal for each shot, it creates a small electrical field that destroys all projectiles and does minor damage to enemies. Like the Widowmaker, it never requires reloading, and eats less Metal for ammo at the cost of no random Critical hits.

• While it only uses a small amount of Metal per shot, it's wise to equip a Shotgun other than the Widowmaker unless you're stationed in an Engineer nest, as you may find yourself defenseless very quickly with two weapons eating into the same ammo pool.
• Note that 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.
• This weapon is extremely weak up front, dealing only 5 damage per shot. It is recommended to use the Shotgun whenever in combat, and using the other weapon for defense, support, or self-defense (such as against a Kritzkrieged Soldier). Only use the Short Circuit to attack as a last-ditch effort, when death seems certain otherwise. You may just find the enemy was low enough on health for you to kill them and make an escape.
• This weapon is recommended if you are having a problem with Demomen: it negates both their primary and secondary weapons, provided you have ammo.
• This weapon can be used to defuse traps made by multiple Demomen since it can destroy a nearly unlimited amount of projectiles provided they are at range.
  • It is also possible to destroy stickybombs if you are close around a corner, this can be used to disarm a trap without worries of getting blown up by the Demoman.
• 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 also lends a hand in Spy Checking 'team-mates' that are around your buildings.

Melee weapons

Wrench/Golden Wrench/Saxxy/Festive Wrench

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical
Stock Wrench		0.8 seconds	65	195
Promotional Golden Wrench
Promotional Saxxy
Uncrate Festive Wrench

• 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 an Electro 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 Electro 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 that you instead hear the Wrench hitting the building near or even behind the enemy you are trying to strike. 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
		0.8 seconds	N/A	195

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 more 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.
• It's usually not worth picking up and moving 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.

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 another class 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.

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 lost damage is compensated for by the Bleed status and the retained ability to wear opponents them 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		0.8 seconds	49	146

• Due to a bug in how construction rate is calculated, the Jag only adds a 15.79% faster build rate to under-construction buildings being hit with it. Consider this when determining your loadout.
• Try to avoid melee combat due to the damage penalty. If your team is good at Spy checking, however, the loss of damage won't matter much.
• Get in the habit of hitting your buildings all the way to completion as soon as you plant them. Where the Jag really shines is in the construction of Dispensers. Taking 84.21% of the time to build a Dispenser speeds up supply of Metal which in turn can speeds other upgrades and buildings.
• 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 repair their buildings.

Eureka Effect

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

• The Eureka Effect functions the same as the default Wrench, but it comes with the secondary ability to teleport back to spawn in exchange for being unable to move 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 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 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 best avoided when on the attacking team, as teleporting back to spawn requires you to abandon potentially vulnerable buildings, and you can't move buildings up when your team advances.
  • 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.

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 their 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 makes the Spy's job of sapping Sentry Guns easier.
• 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 kneel 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.
• 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.

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 and not obvious to passer-byes(e.g. on the rooftop of a shed).
  • Right next to your other buildings.
• Avoid standing right on top of your Teleporter Exit, 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.

Weapon combinations

Weapon Combinations
Combo			Usage
Shotgun	Short Circuit	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 provides defense against 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 Short Circuit can leave you open to other attacks, such as Spies and flank attacks. Nonetheless, as the sentry it 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 Spy in range. 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.
Frontier Justice	or Pistol or Lugermorph	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 Pistol provides an alternative firearm and is great for conserving your Revenge Crits. 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 the 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.
or Frontier Justice or Widowmaker	or Pistol or Lugermorph	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. 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	Jag	For the Engineer that likes to control his Sentry Gun. The Jag allows you to quickly deploy your Sentry Gun and the Wrangler grants you manual control over your Sentry Gun. If the Sentry Gun is destroyed while you are off getting Metal, you will be granted Revenge Crits. An important aspect of this set is that you should deploy your Sentry Gun in a hidden and safe spot, then slowly move it to the front lines while (hopefully) being accompanied by a Medic or a strong class (such as a Heavy) that is more likely to attract enemy fire. The Frontier Justice's reduced magazine size is not that much of a problem, since you will be spending more time defending yourself with the Sentry Gun than with a Shotgun.
Widowmaker	Short Circuit	or or or or Wrench or Golden Wrench or Saxxy or Festive 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	or Pistol or Lugermorph	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 prevents moving buildings, 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.

Class Combat Strategies

See also: Engineer match-ups

 Scout

• Scouts are a fragile class and usually don't bother Engineers. Just staying near your Sentry Gun should be off-putting enough for most Scouts.
• Should you find yourself face to face with a Scout, your Shotgun is the best option.
• Be aware that a Scout under the effects of Bonk! Atomic Punch won't take damage from your Sentry Gun.

 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 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.

 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.

 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 you 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, if your Dispenser and Sentry are level 3, you may be able them off until it wears off. 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.

 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.

 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.

 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 Shotgun when close.
• 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.
• Beware Snipers with Jarate equipped. If you are covered, you are more vulnerable to damage. This can be especially bothersome when your nest is under fire.

 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 an Electro 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. 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.

See also

• Team strategy