Sandman
| Sandman | |
|---|---|
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| Kill Icons | |
| Basic Information | |
| Used by: | Scout |
| Slot: | Melee |
| Released: | The Scout Update |
| Availability: | Unlock, Drop, Craft, Purchase or Uncrate #23 (Strange) |
| Tradable: | Yes |
| Giftable: | Yes |
| Craftable: | Yes |
| Nameable: | Yes |
| Craft No.?: | No |
| Medieval: | Yes |
| Available Qualities | |
| Loadout Stats | |
 The Sandman |
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| “ | You Scouts are gonna love this highly collectible bat that smacks baseballs at the other team, stunning the living crap outta anybody dumb, slow, drunk, mute or Australian enough to get in the way.
— Sandman publicity blurb
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” |
The Sandman is an unlockable melee weapon for the Scout. It is a wooden bat with a smooth black grip, complete with a logo reading "The Sandman" engraved on the side, and a black band tied around the end holding a cracked section of wood together. Accompanying the bat is an "All Ballers League" baseball manufactured by "Ball Fortress".
In addition to sharing the attack speed and damage of the normal Bat, pressing alternate fire with the Sandman will cause the Scout to launch the baseball towards the enemy. Successfully hitting a target with the baseball will stun the enemy as well as damage them provided that they are a sufficient distance away. The further the ball flies before hitting the enemy, the longer the victim will be stunned, ranging from 1 to 7 seconds. If the enemy is hit with a baseball from extreme range, the victim will suffer a moonshot, identifiable by a cheering audience sound clip, and will be completely immobile for the maximum stun duration. If the Scout launches the ball short of the minimum stun distance, the ball will hit and inflict damage but will bounce off the enemy. The Scout is also only equipped with one baseball, which will reload after a 15-second interval indicated in the cooldown bar on the HUD.
Baseballs can be picked up off the ground, whether owned by the player or another Scout, or by visiting a Resupply locker. Baseballs are not classed as ammunition and thus cannot be retrieved by picking up dropped weapons or ammo packs. A baseball that does not hit an enemy will remain on the ground and disappear after 15 seconds, effectively the time it takes the Scout to gain a new one. After stunning an enemy, it will disappear much more quickly - after about three seconds - but can still be picked up and used again if acquired before it disappears. As a projectile, the ball will arc towards the ground, and can be deflected by an enemy Pyro. The ball can also hit and bounce off of enemy grenades, Jarate, Mad Milk, and even enemy Scout baseballs.
Scouts carrying the Sandman will lose 15 max health points, lowering their base health to 110. The weapon is therefore suited to support tactics, as it places the player at greater risk of death during combat.
Taunting with the Sandman equipped allows the Scout to perform the Home Run Kill taunt.
The Sandman is automatically given to any player who obtains 16 Scout achievements.
The kill icon for the Sandman was contributed by Template:Steam profile link.
Contents
Damage and function times
Melee damage
| Damage and function times | ||
|---|---|---|
| Damage | ||
| Base damage | 100% | 35 |
| Point blank | 30-40 | |
| Critical | 105 | |
| Mini-crit | 40-54 | |
| Function times | ||
| Attack interval | 0.5 s | |
| Values are approximate and determined by community testing. | ||
Baseball
| Damage and function times | ||
|---|---|---|
| Shot type | Projectile | |
| Effect | Stuns proportionally to distance | |
| Damage | ||
| Base damage | 100% | 15 |
| Point blank | 13-17 | |
| Critical | 45 | |
| Mini-crit | 17-23 | |
| Function times | ||
| Attack interval | 0.25 s | |
| Recharge time | 15 s | |
| Values are approximate and determined by community testing. | ||
Demonstration
Crafting
Blueprint
| Class Token - Scout | Slot Token - Melee | Scrap Metal | Possible Results | |||||||||||||||||||
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As a crafting ingredient
| Sandman | Scrap Metal | Pain Train | ||
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| Sandman | Reclaimed Metal | Holy Mackerel | ||
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| Sandman | Tribalman's Shiv | Boston Basher | ||
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| Sandman | Bonk! Atomic Punch | Reclaimed Metal | Atomizer | |||
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Related achievements
Scout
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Soldier
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Update history
- The Sandman was added to the game.
- Removed the damage reduction against non-stunned enemies on the new bat.
- Fixed the BONK! particles appearing in the air when this weapon's taunt kill is used on a target.
- Players who are stunned by a ball now take 50% less damage.
- The minimum distance to stun a player using this weapon was increased.
- Fixed kill descriptions for Force-A-Nature & Sandman so server logs can distinguish them.
August 13, 2009 Patch (Classless Update)
- This weapon's stun effect went under numerous changes.
- Players using this weapon will now receive 1 point for stunning an enemy, and 2 points for a long range stun.
- Stunned players now take 75% of all incoming damage instead of 50%.
- ÜberCharged players can no longer be stunned.
- Heavies spinning their Miniguns will continue to spin when stunned (whether the left or right mouse button is pressed).
- The minimum distance to stun a target has been reduced.
- The negative attribute was changed from "no double jump" to "-30 max health".
- [Undocumented] Primary fire for the Sandman now swings the bat, while alt fire now launches the baseball.
- [Undocumented] Added new swinging animations to the Sandman when a Scout swings the bat with the ball still in his hand.
December 17, 2009 Patch (WAR! Update)
- This weapon will only stun on a max range hit.
- All shorter hits now force the enemy into the third-person fleeing state (also removed the damage reduction on them).
- A recharge sound was added to this weapon's recharge ability.
- Updated the Baseball's HUD indicator to stay on screen when full.
- Reduced the health penalty on The Sandman to "-15 max health".
- Fixed this weapon being able to bat balls through doors.
- Added a slight speed reduction to stunned players.
- [Undocumented] The Sandman was added to the Pain Train's crafting blueprint.
July 8, 2010 Patch (The Engineer Update)
- This weapon now uses the Bat kill icon, while the ball's stun uses the existing Sandman's kill icon.
September 30, 2010 Patch (The Mann-Conomy Update)
- [Undocumented] The Sandman was added in the Holy Mackerel's crafting blueprint.
- Fixed server crash caused by a Scout using the Sandman on an enemy Scout who has used Bonk! Atomic Punch.
- [Undocumented] The Sandman was added in the Ullapool Caber's crafting blueprint.
- [Undocumented] The Sandman was added in the Boston Basher's crafting blueprint.
- This weapon was given a unique kill icon.
- Fixed this weapon's melee attack not destroying remote detonation pipes (Stickybombs).
- [Undocumented] The Sandman was removed from the Ullapool Caber's crafting blueprint.
- [Undocumented] The Sandman was added in the Atomizer's crafting blueprint.
July 12, 2011
- [Item schema update] Added Strange Quality.
- [Undocumented] The stun attribute wording was changed from "This bat knocks out a mean stun ball" to "Alt fire: Launches a ball that stuns opponents."
- [Undocumented] Fixed a Head-up display bug in which the ball recharge meter for The Sandman would show the improper amount of charge under certain circumstances.
- Refined recoil force for the Sandman
Bugs
- Rarely, if a player throws the ball at a wall while the Scout is in close range and they pick it up off the ground, let it refill, or go to a Resupply locker, the recharge bar will be full but the baseball will be missing resulting in it not being usable until the player dies.
- It is possible to perform melee attacks while stunned by using secondary fire with any of the Heavy's melee weapons.
- The Sandman's ball is able to hit an opposing player through starting gates and thin walls.
- In instances where the ball recharge meter is full and the Scout holds the ball ready, it cannot be launched.
- If the Scout kills an enemy while that enemy is stunned, he gains 1.5 points, for the kill and the assist.
- Stunning opponents while they are taunting will make them able to move at the reduced stun speed before the taunt's completion, unless a moonshot is achieved.
- If the High Five! taunt is performed while holding the Sandman, the ball will disappear from the Scout's hand. It will only reappear if the secondary attack is used, and the ball recharges or is retrieved.
Trivia
- The weapon's name refers to the Template:W reputed to induce sleep by putting sand or dust in the sleeper's eyes.
- It may also refer to baseball "sand-lots" — low maintenance, and often ersatz, public baseball diamonds common in urban environments, such as Boston.
- The in-game model and logo for the Sandman are based on the "classic" Louisville Slugger baseball bats made by the Template:W.
- Upon release, the stun ball was fired upon attack unless very close to an enemy or solid prop. It has since been made the Sandman's alt-fire feature.
Gallery
First-person view
First-person view without baseball
Ball.
Stun icon
See also
External links
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