Community Heavy strategy

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— The Heavy

”

The Heavy, as the class name suggests, is the full frontal attack force of Team Fortress 2. The class itself is a heavy weapon - big, slow, tough, and powerful - players can wade into battles where other classes dare not. The Heavy's usefulness as a shock troop on the front lines, defense breaker, and wide-area defender should not be underestimated or ignored by either side.

1 Quick tips
2 General
3 Weapon Specific
4 Item set effects
- 4.1 The Hibernating Bear
5 Weapon combinations
6 Class combat strategies
- 6.1 Scout
- 6.2 Soldier
- 6.3 Pyro
- 6.4 Demoman
- 6.5 Heavy
- 6.6 Engineer
- 6.7 Medic
- 6.8 Sniper
- 6.9 Spy
7 Cooperative class strategies
- 7.1 Scout
- 7.2 Soldier
- 7.3 Pyro
- 7.4 Demoman
- 7.5 Heavy
- 7.6 Engineer
- 7.7 Medic
- 7.8 Sniper
- 7.9 Spy
8 See also

Quick tips

Hurry through any open areas. You're the favorite target of Snipers. Using the Gloves of Running Urgently will make you a harder target to hit.

Look out behind you! A Spy will almost invariably be behind you. Listen for the de-cloaking sound.

The Sandvich heals very quickly, and will keep you in the fight. Use it from cover.

You can right-click to throw your food items to someone else, like your Medic.

Consider arming the Fists of Steel while crossing open areas, and as a strategy for distracting Sentry Guns.

If you have a Medic healing you, keep them protected by having them stay behind you.

Pick up ammo often. Though 200 seems like a lot, your Miniguns will deplete it quickly.

General

As the class with the most HP, the Heavy is capable of absorbing a large amount of damage before going down. This endurance can allow players to stay on the front lines for longer durations than other classes. Use this to keep the pressure on the enemy if teammates need to replenish their health or ammo.
- However, remember that due to the Heavy's slow speed and large hitbox, it's far easier for players to cause damage to the Heavy, so always be ready to retreat behind cover. As powerful as the Heavy is, players should keep in mind that they are still vulnerable to concentrated attacks, and that the Heavy's slow movement can increase this vulnerability.

Beginner Heavy players should aim to develop a mentality that they will automatically retreat no matter what when their health drops to around 125 HP (plus/minus 25 HP). As they gain experience they will be better suited to judge a situation to see if they should retreat early or to stay and fight to the death.

With 300 HP, the Heavy is capable of being overhealed up to 450 HP, which can allow players to absorb even more damage. A Heavy with a Medic in tow is easily one of the most powerful combinations in the game.

Being the slowest class in the game, the Heavy usually has top teleporter priority. In the absence of Teleporters, it is important to plan your route ahead so as to not waste time by going the wrong way.

Thanks to the class's size, strength, firepower, and general obviousness, Heavy players draw a lot of attention in a fight. This allows Heavies to dictate the focus and pace of a battle merely by their presence and positioning. Heavies can be used to distract enemies while more maneuverable classes such as Scouts and Pyros can ambush and flank the enemy, and their absence can be used to lead the foe into a false sense of security.

Remember that, in spite of the class's considerable offensive power, the Heavy is a Defensive type class. Heavies used in defensive situations can suppress enemy movements and break up pushes.

A Heavy standing next to a Dispenser can get a constant supply of ammo and health, letting players fire their Minigun without the need for a resupply or Medic.

File:Headshot heavy.jpg

Snipers can take out a Heavy with one fully charged Headshot, so keep out of their sights!

Watch out for the enemy colored laser dot. Though Heavies have a large health pool, one well placed Sniper shot can take them down easily.
- Firing the Minigun at Snipers may not do much damage, but will cause them to lose accuracy.

Heavies are big targets for Spies. Constantly watch your back when spinning up.
- Because of the Minigun's wide spread, firing occasionally out in the open can hit and reveal a cloaked Spy. This allows players to Spy-check over longer distances.

Pushing the cart in Payload games can be quite effective if there are teammates to support the push. Use the cart as cover and shoot from behind it. Furthermore, as the cart acts as a moving Dispenser, health and ammo will be replenished automatically, increasing the Heavy's already impressive endurance.

Take care of Medics! A Heavy/Medic pair can be a devastating force, but only if the two of them work together. Remember that a Medic usually has other teammates to worry about besides a Heavy, so be observant of when the Medic is and isn't healing you. Be sure to throw your Sandvich to your Medic if he is low on health. You can also block incoming projectiles for your Medic if necessary.

Communication is the key! Keep communicating with your Medic to reduce the chance of getting separated. This can also help with Ubercharge because you can tell your Medic when to deploy it so that it is not wasted.

Lunchbox items such as Sandviches cannot be eaten in situations where the Heavy is considered airborne or swimming. However, it can still be thrown with secondary fire with the exception of the Dalokohs Bar or the Fishcake.

Weapon Specific

Primary Weapons

Minigun/Festive Minigun/Iron Curtain

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Stock Minigun		200	50-54	5-30	5-10	27
Uncrate Festive Minigun
Promotional Iron Curtain

Remember that holding alternate fire will keep the Minigun spun up and ready to shoot at a moment's notice; taking up station in strategic defensive positions and staying spun up is often an excellent alternative to attempting an assault as a Heavy.
- Beware that spinning up the Minigun will greatly reduce movement speed as well as emit a distinctive sound. Nearby enemies will know that you are nearby.
- Tap the alternate fire button to move at a normal speed while still being able to spin up quickly.

Mouse tracking speed doesn't decrease when the Minigun is spinning. Setting the mouse to a high sensitivity can allow players to quickly lock on to moving targets.

Knowing when not to fire is key to good Heavy play. Wasting ammo whittling away long-range targets or on ÜberCharged pairs will leave players without bullets at a crucial point.

One of the keys to using the Minigun effectively is learning to jump and spin up at the same time. Use this when going around corners to effectively ambush the enemy.

Natascha

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Unlock Natascha		200	32-36	5-20	3-10	20.25

Natascha is particularly effective against faster classes (such as the Scout) since it counteracts their speed advantage. Use Natascha to prevent speedy classes from reaching cover, making them easier to pick off.

Due to Natascha doing less damage, it's best to avoid fighting Heavies that are wielding a different primary weapon (especially the Brass Beast), or an Engineer's Sentry Gun, unless a Medic is providing support or teammates are nearby.

When working with a teammate on defense such as a Demoman, Soldier, or Minigun-wielding Heavy, Natascha can make Scouts, Medics, and Pyros easier targets for slow-moving projectiles and allows other Heavies time to spin up their guns.

Natascha can be a better choice than Minigun for dealing with Spies, as Natascha reduces the chance of an enemy Spy fleeing after a successful Spy-check.

The slowdown of Natascha also affects vertical momentum, meaning that any opponent trying to jump (including rocket jumps and sticky jumps) will come up short when hit. This can be used to defend high vantage points against Soldiers and Demomen trying to take the high ground.

Natascha can slow Demoman who use the Chargin' Targe or Splendid Screen to charge.

Brass Beast

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Craft Brass Beast		200	60-65	6-36	5-12	32.4

Carrying the Shotgun as a secondary weapon is recommended due to the Brass Beast's long spin-up time. This allows players to quickly have a weapon ready to fire in event of an ambush.

Due to the extremely slow walking speed while spun up, this weapon is great in defensive situations that do not require a significant amount of movement.
- Take advantage of its greater damage potential by guarding bottlenecks and choke points, where the enemy has less room to maneuver and avoid fire.

In team defenses, try to pair up with another Heavy that is using Natascha. The Natascha-wielding Heavy can slow nearby targets down, maximizing the amount of damage that the Brass Beast can do.

Make good use of Dispensers with this weapon. The slower movement speed when spinning means it's difficult for players to keep the Brass Beast well-stocked with ammo, as others may take the dropped weapons of dead foes first, as well as making the Heavy an easier target for explosive splash damage.

With the Brass Beast equipped, enemy Heavies are often less of a threat; you should nearly always win against other Heavies.

Hiding around the corner for unaware players is a good way to make a quick ambush.

Tomislav

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Craft Tomislav		200	50-54	5-30	5-10	27

A Tomislav-equipped Heavy is ideal for surprising foes as they turn corners. Ambushing a foe at point-blank range in this manner results in a very quick, nearly unavoidable kill; they cannot retreat fast enough to escape the finishing burst as you follow them, and they usually cannot outlast the Heavy's health if they choose to fight anyway.

If you find an area where you can efficiently execute such ambushes, make sure you do not use the same spot each time. Victims of your rampage will quickly warn their teammates, who will bring backup or keep their weapons ready as they close into the kill zone.

The Tomislav's rapid spin-up generally compensates for many of the weaknesses of the Shotgun. If your ammo efficiency is good and/or you expect to use mostly defensive tactics, a consumable may be a better use of your secondary slot.

An aggressive Heavy can take advantage of the Tomislav's quick spin-up in order to advance more quickly with almost no risk. If you run out of targets, feel free to stop spinning up and reposition rapidly; you can re-enter the fight or respond to surprises quite rapidly.

Normally, switching to the Minigun while boosted from the Killing Gloves of Boxing is an inefficient use of the Crit-boost period; the Tomislav is a powerful exception to this rule, as you can switch to, deploy, and fire the weapon less than a second after you connect with the gloves. This is a great way to clear an area while ÜberCharged.

When coordinating with a Medi Gun equipped Medic, feel free to close the distance more in the early part of an offensive ÜberCharge, as you will have additional time to fire nonetheless.

Listen carefully for enemy Heavies and their Miniguns; should you engage, you will lose in a head to head fight with all but Natascha-wielding Heavies (assuming both of you are spun up and ready to fire and all else being equal). Catch them close and undeployed, and you will win the damage race before they can deal too much damage.

The Tomislav's fast spin-up can be rather useful against lighter classes such as Scouts.

Secondary Weapons

Shotgun

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

The Shotgun is the maneuvering weapon of the Heavy. Use it in situations where losing mobility is disadvantageous, such as:
- Fighting Demomen and Soldiers, where they can use cover to damage you whilst remaining safe from Minigun fire. This also allows you to dodge their shots more easily:
- Whilst retreating.
- Whilst attempting to close distance whilst ÜberCharged.
- Fighting whilst in view of an enemy Sniper.
- When getting to Health and Ammo pickups quickly is important.
The Shotgun also provides a ranged backup weapon when you have run out of Minigun ammo.

If there are multiple friendly Medics on the team, then it may be a better idea to bring this over the Sandvich, since replenishing health is not an issue.

Keep in mind that without the Sandvich, players will need to rely more on Health Packs and Medics to stay alive. Try to memorize the map's health pack locations, and keep within easy distance of teammates should the need to retreat arise.

You can also try and use the Shotgun to bait more reckless enemies around corners if going around said corner is too dangerous or you're low on health. This strategy is more effective with the Tomislav, as the enemy won't be aware of your plan until it's in full effect.

Sandvich

Weapon	Ammo		Eating
Weapon	Loaded	Carried	Health Gained	Duration	Recharge Time
Unlock Sandvich	1	∞	300	4.3 seconds	30 seconds

When eaten, it fully restores the Heavy's HP over four seconds; during this process, the Heavy becomes immobile and emits loud eating noises.

Remember to use the Sandvich only when behind cover and in the presence of teammates. As the Heavy is completely immobile while recovering health, enemies can very easily follow up at their leisure.
- Try to eat while backed up against a wall, as a Spy that happens upon a dining Heavy can spell disaster. In addition, make sure to stand somewhere where a Spy is unable to use a height advantage to climb over and perform a backstab from above.

Use alternate fire to throw the Sandvich onto the ground. A dropped Sandvich acts as a medium health pack, replenishing 50% of a player's HP when picked up, and stopping burning/bleeding damage. Use it to help endangered teammates quickly recover health. This is especially advisable for healing Medics, as they cannot heal themselves and doing so helps them to retain their ÜberCharge meter.
- Sandviches cannot be used on yourself this way. Picking it up will replenish your Food bar.

Enemies can use dropped Sandviches from either team, so it's possible to set traps by dropping a Sandvich and ambushing enemies that try to pick it up.

The Sandvich has a 30 second cooldown if it's thrown or eaten when injured. Picking up a Health pack while at full HP restores the Sandvich instantly.
- This can be used to teammates' benefit when picking up small health packs, as the Sandvich can be dropped for a teammate, and the small health pack picked up to restore the Food meter, effectively turning the small health pack into a medium one.

Without a fallback weapon such as the Shotgun or the Family Business, you are forced to rely solely on using the Minigun to do damage in open areas.

By immediately performing a taunt upon equipping the Sandvich, the one-second weapon-change delay can be bypassed, allowing for faster consumption.

Dalokohs Bar/Fishcake

Weapon	Ammo		Eating
Weapon	Loaded	Carried	Health Gained	Duration of Eating	Effect Duration
Craft Dalokohs Bar	1	∞	60 or if at full health, raises maximum health to 350.	4.3 seconds	30 seconds
Promotional Fishcake	1	∞	60 or if at full health, raises maximum health to 350.	4.3 seconds	30 seconds

Consuming the Dalokohs Bar restores 60 HP over four seconds when eaten, and increases the Heavy's maximum health to 350 HP for 30 seconds. As with the Sandvich, the Heavy becomes immobile and makes highly audible eating noises.

At the end of the 30-second time limit, any health over 300 becomes overheal health and will fully drain away in around 7 seconds.

Unlike the Sandvich or Buffalo Steak Sandvich, the Dalokohs Bar has no cooldown timer, and thus can be consumed consecutively multiple times to restore health. However, be wary that consuming it will still take time, so it's often wiser to simply look for more health pickups if the chance of being ambushed by enemies is high.

The extra 50 HP allows the user to withstand a minimum of one more shot from the Scattergun, the Grenade Launcher or the Sniper Rifle (minimally charged headshots or bodyshots). It may also allow a minimum of one more shot from the Stickybomb Launcher and Direct Hit when fighting outside very close range. All of these weapons are used by the Heavy's most common enemies and the extra hit may give the Heavy time to finish off his opponent, however without the 100% healing power of the Sandvich they will be troubled to find healing afterward.

The Dalokohs Bar can be particularly useful for Heavies that can obtain a constant source of healing but lack a nearby friendly Medic for overhealing or a Dispenser for healing.

The Dalokohs Bar has good synergy with Medics using the Quick-Fix. The improved healthpool provided by the Dalokohs Bar works well with the Quick-Fix's inability to Overheal, thus allowing the Heavy the benefits of both a sort-of-overheal and the improved heal rate of the Quick-Fix, which makes the Heavy fairly difficult to kill, especially for support classes like the Engineer.

Even though the Dalokohs Bar increases maximum health to 350, Medics can still only overheal the Heavy to 450 HP, making the bar less effective when there are numerous friendly Medics.
- Furthermore, due to a bug, Dispensers and Quick-Fix Medics will still only heal Heavies under the effect of the Dalokohs Bar up to 300 HP.

Buffalo Steak Sandvich

Weapon	Ammo		Eating
Weapon	Loaded	Carried	Buff	Eating Duration	Duration of Effect	Recharge Time
Craft Buffalo Steak Sandvich	1	∞	Increases speed by 35% and turns all damage dealt and taken into Mini-Crits.	4.3 seconds	15 seconds	30 seconds

Like the Sandvich, the Buffalo Steak Sandvich can be dropped with alternate fire. A dropped Buffalo Steak Sandvich behaves the same as a regular Sandvich, replenishing 50% of the health of whoever picks it up, excluding the person who threw it.

The speed boost can be handy in more ways than simple offense; it can aid in scouting and can help get players to their destinations quickly. Note, however, that players are more vulnerable to attack after eating a Buffalo Steak Sandvich due to having Mini-Crits inflicted on them.
- A particularly effective tactic is to use the Buffalo Steak Sandvich at the start of Arena mode's setup time; the now-faster Heavy will be able to reach the front lines faster and the effect will wear off as combat begins, allowing players to make surprising offensive rushes and ambushes against lighter classes.
- The speed boost can also be used to gain access to places that were previous inaccessible to Heavies. Some jumps that would normally only be accessible to most other classes can be done by a Heavy under the effects of the Buffalo Steak Sandvich.

If an enemy is chasing at a distance, turn a corner and use the Buffalo Steak Sandvich. Using the third-person camera, it's possible to spot the enemy whilst eating and, with good timing, pop out again with a surprise melee attack.

Make sure not to charge at enemies because they can still use their projectile weapons at range, which can result in swift death when combined with Mini-Crits.

The Fists of Steel can be combined with the Buffalo Steak Sandvich for soaking up the Mini-crit damage caused by the Buffalo Steak Sandvich's side-effect.
- However, be especially wary when using the Fists of Steel in combination with the Buffalo Steak Sandvich, as all melee attacks by the enemy will inflict double damage on top of Mini-Crits.

Family Business

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Craft Family Business		8	32	74-76	20-52	3-22	102

The Family Business does best at longer ranges compared to the Shotgun, where its ammo count gives it a notable damage advantage per-mag over the Shotgun. At closer ranges, the difference is much smaller, though the Family Business still does more damage per-magazine than the Shotgun.

Though the decreased damage makes it less useful in direct combat and as an ambush weapon, the increased magazine size makes it useful for picking off distant or wounded targets that are unsuitable for being targeted by a Minigun due to distance or the Minigun's slowdown.
- The Family Business is particularly useful for Snipers and Engineers; against the former, it can push Snipers around and mess up their aim from afar, whilst against the latter, the spray of ammo makes it more likely you can damage an Engineer trying to hide behind its Sentry when attacking the Sentry itself is unfeasible. It can also help throw off the aim of Wrangler-using Engineers.

The added ammo of the Family Business makes it possible to destroy a Mini-Sentry or Level 1 Sentry from just outside its maximum targeting range. This is technically also possible with the Shotgun, but is considerably harder to pull off, as all the shots need to hit for it to happen, whereas with the Family Business, it's a lot more likely to due to the extra ammo eclipsing the lowered damage.

The added ammo of the Family Business makes it a superior "Run and Gun" weapon for the Heavy - it lacks the spin-up time of a Minigun, and when running forward, accuracy is often secondary in necessity compared to volume of fire. In this situation, the Family Business makes for a great weapon for running between objectives, and a little better than the Shotgun for this purpose. It also is quite handy, in the same vein, for chasing down enemies trying to flee, especially faster classes like Spies and Scouts, since - again - volume of fire helps a lot more than raw punch in such a situation.

The lack of the Tomislav's firing noise means that the Family Business is a great backup weapon for it - enemies won't have any clue what you're going to use until you start firing, making the Tomislav and Family Business a good ambush combo. While the Shotgun can be used the same way, the Family Business' larger clip size means fewer reloads in the face of enemy aggression and more overall damage dealt per-clip.

There's a number of situations where the Shotgun's a better choice than the Family Business, so fight accordingly. The higher damage of the Shotgun means that it's much better when it comes to ambushing foes, medium-and-close-range combat (where the Shotgun will typically win a damage race against the Family Business), and for dissuading mobile melee attackers, such as Demomen.

The Family Business pairs well with the K.G.B.'s Crit-boost, as the increased ammo clip means you can deal more critical damage than with the Shotgun.

Melee Weapons

Fists / Saxxy / Conscientious Objector / Apoco-Fists/Frying Pan

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Point Blank	Critical
Stock Fists		0.8 seconds	65	195
Promotional Saxxy
Craft Conscientious Objector
Promotional Apoco-Fists
Promotional Frying Pan

The Fists are a fallback weapon and are the Heavy's only fallback weapon if a secondary weapon other than the Heavy's Shotguns is equipped. It's also good against any class that is cornered or not expecting a Heavy to engage in melee combat.

Holiday Punch

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Point Blank	Critical
Uncrate/Craft Holiday Punch		0.8 seconds	65	N/A / 195^†
Uncrate/Craft Holiday Punch		0.8 seconds	65	N/A / 195^†

^† While rolled crits force the victim to laugh, a boosted Heavy will inflict a normal critical hit.

While remaining a last resort like the other versions of the Fists, the Holiday Punch is notable as it provides the advantage of forcing the enemy to laugh upon a hit to the back or a critical hit; as a result, consider surprising or repeatedly punching enemies in order to gain an easy kill.
Since the Minigun needs to spin up, the Shotgun is not too powerful and the Holiday Punch comes with the Showdown taunt, it is recommended you abuse the instant kill ability by taunting upon stunning an enemy.
The Holiday Punch can be a great ambush weapon if used correctly, and paired with weapons such as the Tomislav, it can be used to immobilize one or more enemies from behind and finish them off with a fast hitting weapon.
This weapon can crush Übercharge pushes if you can get the element of surprise. Simply go behind and hit the Medic, breaking the healing beam, and waste up to five seconds of precious time.

Showdown

	Kill Icon	Weapon	Damage	Duration	Details
High Noon		Fists, Saxxy, Apoco-Fists, Holiday Punch	500	3 seconds	The Heavy mimics a quick-draw Pistol Showdown, resulting in instant death for any enemy in the way.

Keep in mind the attack speed for this taunt. If it can be timed right, it's a perfect revenge tool during humiliation. It also can be used against either distracted Heavies or scoped Snipers, saving ammo for other classes.

Unlike other taunts, the Showdown taunt must be manually aimed. This allows players to hit targets from above or below, as long as the target is within the player's line of fire when the "lethal" portion of the taunt is executed.

The Showdown acts as a short ranged but very wide hitting Pistol, making it the only kill taunt with range. In melee-only Sudden Death, this can provide a considerable advantage.

In Attack/Defend and Payload maps, it's possible to achieve a kill with this. Stand in front of the gates, and taunt when there is a second left on the Setup clock.

The taunt attacks in a straight line, so it's possible to aim it through tight spaces and surprise unaware targets. It's possible to do a "Pinshot" by aiming the taunt through a thin crack that leads to another part of the map. For example, a crack under a bridge can be exploited to hit someone under or above the bridge.

Killing Gloves of Boxing

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage	Effect
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Point Blank	Critical	Critical Boost
Unlock Killing Gloves of Boxing		0.97 seconds	65	195	5 seconds

The guaranteed critical hits can be transferred to other weapons as well. Therefore, it's possible to kill an enemy, then quickly switch to another weapon to kill enemies beyond melee range. However, switching weapons wastes precious time, and spinning up the Minigun wastes even more; in addition, the Shotgun's Criticals are less powerful than those of the K.G.B. If possible, get multiple kills (2 or more) with the K.G.B. before switching to another weapon.

The slow swing speed coupled with the Heavy's slow movement speed makes using the K.G.B. a risky prospect. It's best to use them when facing a cornered enemy, or have a Medic to provide constant healing.
- However, if the Crit-boost can be achieved in tight corridors, keep using the K.G.B. while there are still enemies around; a Critical hit with the K.G.B. will kill all non-overhealed classes with a single hit except Soldiers, Demomen (with the Eyelander and with 4 or more heads) and Heavies, who will fall if a second hit is landed.

Using the Buffalo Steak Sandvich can assist in getting the first melee kill, as players will be able to move faster and deal Mini-Crits. However, beware that all damage taken will be Mini-Crits for the duration of the Buffalo Steak Sandvich's buff, so try to time an attack so that the Buffalo Steak Sandvich's effects run out as soon as a melee kill is achieved.
- This strategy is even more effective in Medieval Mode, as most other enemy classes will not be carrying long-range weapons.

Gloves of Running Urgently

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage	Effect
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Point Blank	Self-Damage	Critical	Speed Boost
Craft Gloves of Running Urgently		0.8 seconds	33	6 per second	98	299 Hammer units/sec

Use the G.R.U. to reach the front lines faster and keep up with teammates, but make sure to know the location of health kits on the map, have a Medic to negate the health loss, or have a lunchbox item equipped, so as not to begin a fight with insufficient HP.
- The G.R.U. can also be used to escape losing combat situations. This can allow players to survive and rendezvous with teammates to continue the fight, rather than be killed and forced to respawn.
- Dodging enemy fire is also more effective when using the G.R.U., since players can use the increased maneuverability to actively dodge projectiles as well as make it more difficult to aim Hitscan weapons.

With a Medic tagging along, the -6 HP/sec penalty can be nullified, which can also help to build the Medic's ÜberCharge meter as well. A Sandvich can also be used to sustain health where necessary. The Dalakohs Bar works as well, but the lower health regained makes it less effective compared to the Sandvich.
- Remember that the Buffalo Steak Sandvich's speed boost does not stack with that of the G.R.U. A Heavy under the effects of both will still only move at a maximum speed of 311 HU/sec.

As with the Buffalo Steak Sandvich, players can use trick jumps that the faster classes can do, like jumping onto the bridge awning on 2Fort.
- The damage penalty also adds a very slight amount of knockback while airborne. It's possible to time the damage intervals so that one in the middle of a jump will propel the Heavy slightly further, thus allowing players to reach even more previously inaccessible places (such as point E in Steel).

The G.R.U. do much less damage than standard melee weapons which makes them all but ineffective at melee combat, particularly with the health loss.

When under the effects of an ÜberCharge, use the G.R.U. to push in closer to a Sentry Gun until close enough to nullify its knockback. The extra acceleration allows players go straight up to a Sentry Gun and use the Minigun's full damage potential, rather than at longer ranges where the spread makes a Heavy ineffective.

Beware of running out of ammo on all other weapons. Remember that when a weapon runs out of ammo, the Heavy will automatically switch to an alternate weapon, and then the melee weapons as the final resort; situations may arise where players will be forced to equip the G.R.U., and take damage.

Warrior's Spirit

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Point Blank	Critical
Craft Warrior's Spirit		0.8 seconds	85	254

The Warrior's Spirit can be used to give players an edge in melee fights. As the Heavy already has a significant amount of HP, being able to deal more damage allows players to kill their enemies before they take too much damage.

Due to the health penalty, the maximum amount of health that a Medic can overheal the Heavy to is 420, rather than 450.
- The Dalokohs Bar can be used to partially negate the health penalty. However, the Dalokohs Bar's buff does not increase the maximum overheal health.

One thing that should be noted about the Warrior's Spirit is that it blocks a lot of the screen, making it difficult to keep track of your surroundings, something of high priority when using a melee weapon. Use it wisely!

Fists of Steel

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Point Blank	Critical
Craft Fists of Steel		0.8 seconds	65	195

The Fists of Steel can significantly reduce the Heavy's vulnerability if ambushed or when attacked while traversing areas. As the Heavy has effectively 500 HP, it's possible to survive fully-charged headshots under certain conditions.

When retreating, equipping the Fists of Steel can increase the chances of a successful escape. Enemy players trying to finish such a fleeing Heavy will not be able to deal enough damage to get a kill before the Heavy can retreat behind cover or find some health.

The damage resistance makes the continuous healing given by Medics, Dispensers and the Payload more effective by proportion.

A Heavy with the Fists of Steel equipped can effectively shield a Sentry Gun from a barrage of rockets with ease and soak up quite a bit of Minigun damage, which makes it ideal for protecting friendly Sentry Gun nests against an enemy ÜberCharge.

The Fists of Steel are extremely valuable for accomplishing objectives such as capturing points, pushing the Payload cart or capturing the Intelligence. As most players will often try to protect objectives from a distance, using the Fists of Steel can give the Heavy a much greater chance of success at accomplishing such objectives.

Make sure not to get into a melee battle, due to the double damage enemies can deal with their melee weapons.
- Because of this, it's generally a bad idea to equip the Fists of Steel in Medieval Mode, unless there's a large amount of Snipers using the Huntsman or Medics using the Crusader's Crossbow on the opposing team.

A Heavy using the Fists of Steel can be an enticing target for classes that would otherwise use ranged weapons. Baiting an enemy into chasing you with a melee weapon, then switching to your Minigun, can be a very effective technique.

The Tomislav is a good weapon to pair with the Fists of Steel, as you can quickly spin the Tomislav up to take out faster enemies wielding melee weapons trying to take advantage of the double damage melee weapons will inflict on you.

The slowed weapon switching speed impedes switching between your Shotgun and Minigun, making such tactics much less effective.

Eviction Notice

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Point Blank	Critical
Craft Eviction Notice		0.4 seconds	26	78

The Eviction Notice's improved attack rate makes the Heavy's melee attack faster than even most of the Scout's melee weapons, while dealing roughly equivalent damage.
While this is only about 80% of the damage the Heavy normally deals, Damage-per-second-wise, meaning other melee weapons are overall more effective, however the chance of Critical hits paired with the high attack rate means this is considerably more effective for beating down a weakened opponent, especially with the Buffalo Steak Sandvich's Mini-Crits and speed buffs.

The Eviction Notice is used to great effect when used to corner, panic, or ambush enemies. Because the Eviction Notice will get off 4 punches in the time it takes the K.G.B. to attack twice, it is extremely effective at taking enemies down quickly, provided you get the element of surprise.

The higher melee speed paired with the Heavy's natural punch means this weapon can also be effective in "Bull Rushing" players off of cliffs and off ledges, for much the same reason the Scout can - the first instinct of many players when melee attacked is to clear some distance, and the Eviction Notice's rapid punch rate means players will be in that much more of a panic when they try to escape.

Item set effects

The Hibernating Bear

Main article: Item sets

The Hibernating Bear
	Brass Beast Buffalo Steak Sandvich Warrior's Spirit Big Chief
Effect	No effect

Note that a Heavy using this item set cannot survive a fully charged headshot even when fully overhealed, as a headshot will still do 428 damage, while the Heavy's maximum HP when overhealed is 420.

The reduced Critical damage extends to Mini-Crits as well. This makes the Heavy more effective in the face of Jarate and the Buff Banner.

The combination of the Warrior's Spirit with the Buffalo Steak Sandvich is one of the best loadouts for Medieval Mode. Since almost all damage will come in form of melee, the health penalty of the Warrior's Spirit is somewhat negligible. The damage bonus, combined with the Mini-Crits offered by the Buffalo Steak Sandvich allows you to defeat most classes in melee combat.

Weapon combinations

Example Combinations
Combo			Usage
or or Minigun or Festive Minigun or Iron Curtain	or Dalokohs Bar or Sandvich	Fists of Steel	This setup is good for an all-rounded, objective oriented Heavy. As most enemies generally attack with ranged weapons, the Fists of Steel can provide 40% damage reduction from player and Sentry Gun fire, allowing the Heavy to walk right into heavily defended objectives; this increased damage resistance can also allow particularly aggressive players to use melee attacks to successfully kill players or destroy Sentry Guns. In a Payload map, the Heavy can even use the bomb cart as an additional shield, as well as health replenishment, allowing players to escort the cart with ease. The Minigun provides a modest amount of damage, while the short spin-up time allows Heavy players to switch from the Fists of Steel directly with minimal penalties. As the Minigun does not suffer any spin-up penalties compared to the Heavy's other two unlockable primary weapons. Due to the obstacles a Heavy with this loadout faces, a lunchbox item is preferred over the Shotgun. The Dalokohs Bar is useful by giving the Heavy extra health in the event that there are no Medics nearby to give a buff, or to heal 60 HP when injured. The Sandvich is useful for healing a supporting Medic to guarantee longer survivability for both.
Natascha	Sandvich	G.R.U.	A good offensive-support setup for when facing non-Heavies in close-quarter combat, and when paired with a Medic constantly. Natascha's slow effect can be used to help teammates finish off any particularly fast enemies, and a Pocket Medic allows players to sustain fire even in the face of overwhelming force. While replenishing health with the Sandvich will not always be necessary due to having a Medic along, the Sandvich can be dropped both to keep the Medic alive as well as keep other teammates in the fight if the Medic is too busy. The GRU gives players a significant maneuverability advantage, allowing them to quickly respond to enemy movements or to reach objectives more quickly, and the self-damage while equipped will build up the Medic's ÜberCharge meter faster.
Brass Beast	Family Business	or K.G.B or Fists of Steel	This set-up is for a strictly defensive Heavy whose main goal is to mow down enemy offensive pushes and stop them from advancing. The Brass Beast's increased damage allows players to counter Sasha-wielding Heavies, but its increased spin-up time and slow movement speed means that strategic positioning is required, preferably next to a Dispenser. The Family Business can provide vital secondary fire in the event of an ambush where players cannot spin up the Brass Beast in time, and its choice over Shotgun is due to its overall benefit as an escape weapon. Which melee weapon to use will depend on the type of defense needed: The K.G.B. can be used to quickly give players a temporary boost in firepower to deal with offensive pushes decisively. Due to the long spin-up time of the Brass Beast, the Shotgun is incredibly useful for utilising the 5 second Crit boost. Furthermore, the K.G.B can be used to decisively deal with any Heavies on the other team who attempt to use the Fists of Steel's sheer defensive potential to accomplish objectives, due to being able to kill such Heavies quickly with melee attacks without worrying about receiving double melee damage in return. The Fists of Steel can be used to physically prevent enemies from accomplishing an objective by using the high ranged weapon damage reduction, but beware of Scouts or Fists of Steel-equipped Heavies.
Brass Beast	Buffalo Steak Sandvich	Warrior's Spirit	The Hibernating Bear Having 5% Crits protection in exchange of having max health of 280hp, this Polycount set is geared toward strategic positioning, high-damage attacks, with provisions against Crits – especially useful due to the stationary nature of a deployed Brass Beast. The Brass Beast's increased damage potential makes it a good direct assault weapon, but its slower movement speed and higher spin up time requires careful positioning on the player's part. Alternatively, it can be used for defense, especially if friendly Engineers have not had the time to properly deploy their Sentry Guns yet; the Crit protection will force opponents to be more skillful instead of relying on the random roll. In Medieval Mode, the Warrior's Spirit's higher base damage and a relatively fast swing can provide much-needed offensive potential when fighting against Demomen using the Chargin' Targe and melee weapon combination. The Buffalo Steak Sandvich can either be eaten normally to increase the melee damage and speed of the Heavy, or thrown on the ground for quick healing; combined with the increased resistance against Critical hits, this set makes the Heavy a good class for assault in Medieval Mode.
Tomislav	Sandvich	G.R.U.	One of the best setups for the offensive lonewolf. The G.R.U. allows the Heavy to quickly arrive to the battle, while the quick spin-up of the Tomislav eliminates the need of the Shotgun, and allows the Heavy to use cover, shoot a few rounds, and then retreat behind cover to heal with the Sandvich. Do note that the slower firing speed makes it a bad choice against other Heavies, so if Minigun/Brass Beast Heavies are encountered, the Tomislav-wielding Heavy should quickly retreat or attempt to take advantage of their longer spin-up time.
or or Minigun or Festive Minigun or Iron Curtain	Buffalo Steak Sandvich	or or or or or or or Fists or Saxxy or Conscientious Objector or Apoco-Fists or Holiday Punch or K.G.B. or Eviction Notice or Frying Pan	This setup is for a Heavy who utilizes the Buffalo Steak Sandvich to surprise enemies with a couple Mini-Crit punches and retreats before extra fire can be drawn to him, or attacks another distracted enemy. The Fists (and variants) provide supple damage output, without any real drawbacks. The Holiday Punch should be used when you can effectively circle-strafe around the enemy, and cause them to laugh after punching them in the back. Mini-Crits will not cause an enemy to laugh, but do provide Mini-Crit damage, so you must hit them in the back or get a random critical hit to cause them to laugh. The K.G.B. is more of a high risk, high reward weapon when combined with the Buffalo Steak Sandvich, as you have decreased attack speed, but when you do kill someone, you will gain a critical hit boost, which can kill most enemies in 1 hit. The Eviction Notice has a much higher DPS than the regular Fists (and variants), killing enemies much faster, although the hit sound is a dead giveaway to you. The Minigun provides a reliable weapon when the Buffalo Steak Sandvich is recharging, and a good offensive weapon. This setup should not be used if you are the only Heavy on your team, as when the enemy sees a Heavy, they almost always direct their fire to him.

Class combat strategies

Scout

As Scouts cannot take Heavies on in direct confrontations, most Scout players will rely on flanking and ambushing their targets and retreating before they can counterattack. As such, make sure to be careful of being ambushed whenever pushing forward, and always be aware of possible side paths that Scouts may use to try to perform flanks.
- While the Minigun is capable of killing Scouts almost immediately upon targeting them, good Scout players will only attack moving Heavies and retreat before they can spin up. Using the Shotgun can provide some measure of self-defense against Scouts when on the move.
- Scouts using the Force-A-Nature are particularly deadly, as they can land two shots inside of one second and retreat before the Heavy can react, on top of the knockback preventing players from pursuing. Always be ready for the Scout to follow up with another attack from a different direction.
Be especially careful when using a lunchbox item. Unlike other classes, Scouts can easily pursue Heavies and attack from unexpected directions.

Because a spun-up Heavy is an easy target, Scouts using the Sandman can easily stun Heavies over long distances, leaving them vulnerable to subsequent attacks. Try to minimize this by fighting at close ranges, where a Sandman stun will only last for a short duration.

A Scout using the Fan O'War can mark inattentive Heavies for death, allowing their teammates to deal Mini-Crit damage. If marked for death, it's usually wise to retreat away from enemy fire until the effects disappear.

Soldier

The Soldier's Rocket Launcher is extremely damaging, but so is your Minigun. Because you have more health, a Heavy will usually win the resulting damage race at close range.
The Soldier is one of the classes that is often best fought with a Shotgun. Using a Shotgun will allow you to move around and avoid his rockets, while still keeping up the damage.
When shooting your Minigun at the Soldier, remember that you're extremely slow, so the Soldier's Rocket Launcher will almost always hit you. If you are part of a Medic-Heavy pair, however, they cannot deal damage to you faster then the Medic can heal you, because of the time it takes to reload the launcher; use this to your advantage.
With a Shotgun, if the Soldier is attacking and not retreating, fire at the Soldier, duck behind cover to reload, and then pop out again to fire again. It's difficult to time rockets to hit you in the short frame of time, forcing them to move foward more or retreat. Conversely, a Soldier may use the same technique on you, usually with a Rocket Launcher.
In the event of a Shotgun battle, you will generally win, as you have far more health.
Of all the Soldier's rocket launchers, the Direct Hit is the most dangerous. The Direct Hit deals souped up damage, but only if it hits directly; you are a large target to the extremely fast-moving rockets, which makes them hitting you almost inevitable. When dealing with a Direct Hit user, you need to either close the distance or get behind cover; it's not a good idea to try and kill them with your Minigun.
A Soldier wielding the Equalizer at low health moves at about the speed of a Scout, and can kill you in two or three hits, making him incredibly dangerous if he hits you. If you see one, make him your first priority. As they rely on closing the distance to kill you, it's often effective to switch to you’re primary, as they will jump erratically to try to avoid all attacks, 1 second of Minigun fire can kill them.
One of the most effective ways to fight a Soldier is to use his own rockets against him. Jump towards him as he shoots for your feet, and you will do a rocket jump of your own towards him. Spin up in mid air and you will land at his feet with your Minigun blazing, invariably resulting in a kill.

Pyro

Regard Pyros with the same kind of caution you would Scouts. Pyros will adopt similar tactics like ambushing, but can do it with the added effects of Afterburn and more health. Unless you have seen the Pyro outside of close range and can spin up your Minigun before closing in, keep your Shotgun handy. This is imperative for Brass Beast users, whose primary of choice takes especially long to spin up.

The Compression Blast of a Pyro's primary weapon can be an especially great nuisance to a Heavy, particularly a Heavy under the effects of an ÜberCharge. Even if the Pyro is killed while repelling a Heavy on the move in this manner, the Heavy's slow foot speed and reliance on prior positioning make it time-consuming to return to the fore, especially when on the front lines and in the middle of combat. If opposing Pyros are using these tactics, consider countering by advancing with teammates who can engage the Pyros quickly, allowing you to cover ground lost to a Pyro playing keep-away using Compression Blasts.

If you engage a Pyro one-on-one, keep your opponent at arm's length. You have the advantage of at least one extremely powerful midrange weapon in the form of your primary, and have a 125 Health advantage to outlast damage from Shotguns or ignition from a Flare Gun. Keep the Pyro in sight at all times: Pyros run faster than Heavies, and if the Pyro gets out of your sight that may be all that is needed to get within Flamethrower range.

Two of the Pyro's weapons, the Flare Gun and the Axtinguisher, are very lethal if you aren't paying attention. The Axtinguisher gets full crits if a Pyro hits you while you are burning; he can kill you in 2 hits if you aren't overhealed, and the Flare Gun does crits to burning targets; you are a very easy target. Most Pyros will ambush you with these, so stay alert.

Demoman

Demomen rely on their grenade launchers for indirect attacks and laying "traps" for enemies. While your greater health will provide some protection against their attacks, a competent Demoman can down a Heavy in many situations.
When facing an enemy Demoman, try to force them into the open. At close range your Minigun can shred even the most accurate grenade-shooting Demoman, but only if your view of them is unobstructed. In the open and up close you have a distinct advantage over Demomen.
At medium ranges, the Grenade Launcher is extremely damaging. The Demoman will often shoot shells at you, retreat to cover to reload, and then come back out and empty more shells on you, limiting the time he spends in your firing line without limiting the amount of damage he can do. In these situations it's best, if possible, to close the distance quickly so you can engage him head-on, where you have the advantage.
Demomen love corners and obstructions. They will often run away, round a corner, and set a Stickybomb trap for you. When persuing an enemy Demoman, be extremely careful of any doorframes, corners, or other objects that could potentially harbor Stickybombs.
If you are being hit by grenades that are being angled off of corners you need to retreat. Although Demomen can hit you around corners, they cannot see where their grenades are going, so you can move away and find another way to attack them.
At long ranges your Minigun can hit enemy Demomen but they will be hard-pressed to do the same. This allows you to pick off damaged enemies, but the Minigun's damage dropoff is too high to kill a healthy Demoman.
When dealing with enemy Demoknights (Demomen carrying swords and shields), treat them like you would Pyros. Demoknights are very similar in many respects - like Pyros they deal damage primarily at extremely close range, and also like Pyros they can be shredded with the Minigun if you are healthy and aware of them.
- Natascha's slowdown can stop a Demoknight charge in its tracks and prevent him from running away, making the gun highly lethal against Demoknights.
- The Tomislav's faster spin-up allows you to set to killing Demoknights more quickly.
- Of all the Miniguns, the Brass Beast is most hampered when fighting Demoknights, as by the time it takes to lower the weapon the enemy Demoknight can whittle down as much as two thirds of your health.

Heavy

Heavy vs Heavy fights usually boils down to a handful of simple factors.
- Who attacks first.
- Whose weapon has a higher damage output. (Brass Beast > Minigun > Tomislav > Natascha)
- Who has more health.
- Who has a Medic healing them.
- Whether one begins dealing critical hits.
If you believe you have the disadvantage, do not engage the enemy Heavy first; whenever possible let your teammates distract or soften him up before you attack.
However an exception to this general rule is when you have an obstacle between him and you. You can use small obstacles and props to cover up some of your body, thus taking far less damage from the enemy Heavy, while still being able to project all of your damage towards him. Corners are a fairly common place to employ this tactic, though general props such as boxes/crates, discarded wheelbarrows, stalagmites and such will perform the same role admirably. This tactic can afford you semi invulnerability against other Heavies when used properly, depending on the obstacle.

Engineer

While a lone Engineer is a small threat to a Heavy, even a low-level Sentry Gun can pose a serious threat to an unprepared Heavy. Heavies lack the speed and maneuverability needed to dodge low-level Sentry Guns, and the Heavies substantial health is rarely enough to withstand the rapid fire and missile capabilities of a level three Sentry Gun. It's best to attack these threats with a partner, where the Heavy can serve to provide suppressing fire or absorb damage while a second party takes out the Sentry nest.
- With a Medic in tow, a skilled duo can make up for the concentrated fire of a powerful Sentry Gun, and the Heavy's wide spread from his gatling gun can simultaneously damage both the Engineer and his Sentry Gun.
- Using good communication, a Spy can set a Sapper on an Engineer's buildings moments before a Heavy comes upon the nest. While the Buildings are disabled by the Sapper is a great time to help take them down, and a Heavy's fire is a great opportunity for a Spy to survive should they be discovered in the attempt.
If you destroy a Sentry Gun, but the Engineer survives, beware if he goes after you with the Frontier Justice. If he has at least 3 crits stored, he can kill you in three shots if you aren't overhealed. Try to kill him before this happens.

Medic

Although a lone Medic is no problem at all to take out as a Heavy, Medics are usually accompanied by a formidable combat class that could kill you under the healing support of a Medic.
You have no chance to take out a target that is Übercharged, unless you are being pocketed for the duration of their Übercharge. It would be best to retreat and prepare to attack again if you are alone.

Sniper

With his large size, slow speed, and lack of reliable long range weaponry, there is little a Heavy can do against a skilled Sniper in long-range combat. The Heavy would do best to avoid open spaces where Snipers can get clear shots, and to stay in motion at all times. However, a Heavy is a very tempting target and a perfect distraction to keep a Sniper occupied while other classes neutralize the threat or complete objectives.

When encountered one-on-one at close-mid range, however, a Sniper is easily dispatched, though beware, a good Sniper can still get a headshot in if you're not careful, even at close range.

Spy

Spies prey on vulnerable classes, and Heavy is more vulnerable to Spies than any other class. Being a slow and large class, Spies will backstab you fast and will be gone faster. Watch your back, and Spycheck with your Minigun. The Minigun has the strength to almost instantly kill a disguised or cloaked Spy. However, spinning the Minigun will make you even slower, so unless you're Spychecking, the Shotgun or Fists will work just as good.

In a Heavy-Medic pair, the Medic will most likely be taken out first, as he is the source of mainly, Ubercharging and protecting the Heavy. Protect your Medic, make sure they never leave your sight. If you are backstabbed, leaving a defenseless Medic could mean a lot for your team, although in teamwork, he can switch to pocket another class, in enemy territory, a Medic cannot stop Spies as efficiently as Heavies. Use communication, albeit voice or text, to secure your Medic if you're dead. Considering Spies disguise fast after killing, you should be able to see who they disguise as in your freezecam. Tell your teammates this, and make sure they are aware of the Spies presence.

Listen carefully. Often when your Medic is taken out you will hear the sound. If the Spy is using the default knife then you will surely hear your Medic die.

Two of the Spy's knives, Your Eternal Reward and the Spy-cicle, will not cause your Medic to scream upon a backstab. The best way to counter this is to look behind you if your Medic suddenly stops healing you. You just might stop a backstab.

Although it gives you health, eating a Sandvich or Dalokohs Bar leaves you extremely vulnerable to being backstabbed. Find a wall or corner to push your back up against while eating. The health you gain during eating will usually heal damage done with stabs or shots from the front.

Cooperative class strategies