User:TheJohns

MvM Assessments

Class	Assessment
Scout	Excellent money collector  Great support capability  Flexible builds  Fast respawn time  Somewhat limited early game Due to the Scout's unique abilities involving money collection, multiple debuff applications and a myriad of viable upgrade options, the Scout is an excellent addition to any team composition. Early game, the Scout is primarily focused on collecting the money while applying Mad Milk or the Fan O'War mark for death when opportunity presents, as well as marginal damage. Later, the Scout will have enough money to either buy resistance and focus on "tanking" or upgrade his primary so that he can dish out damage as well. He can also switch to the Sandman and buy the Mark on Death upgrade to make applying mini-crits easier.
Weapon	Assessment
Scattergun	Probably the best choice for Scouts going for an offensive build. Buying Projectile Penetration early lets Scout provide a bit of "chip damage" early, and once you have enough money for damage, reload speed and clip size, he can dish out significant damage on his own. Rating: Very Good
Force-A-Nature	The Force-a-Nature is suited for a more support type build. While the pushback is somewhat difficult to control, pushback in general is useful, particularly in stalling giants in the FaN's case. While it can be built for damage like the Scattergun, its small clip size makes it somewhat less efficient than the Scattergun. Rating: Good
Shortstop	Rating:
Soda Popper	Similar in the FaN's capabilities, except it swaps out pushback for mini-crits. The constant mini-crit boosts lets the Scout deal more damage at certain periods and also lets the Scout be a threat at mid-range, thanks to the lack of damage falloff. While still not as good in terms of raw damage as the Scattergun, the Soda Popper is more effective against waves of regular robots. Rating: Good
Baby Face's Blaster	While the speed boost can be useful at times, the disadvantages often overshadows its advantage. The damage reduction means it's much weaker offensively, and the reduced speed without damage dealt often makes the Scout less effective at collecting money than without it, especially in cases where the Scout died before he can collect a lone pile of money far from the Teleporter. Rating: Weak
Mad Milk	Arguably the "best" secondary for the Scout. The Mad Milk's healing grant sustainability that allows the class to tank hits while damaging the robots, and is particularly useful against giants. The slowdown is also a nice addition to the Mad Milk's already powerful debuff. Generally, Mad Milk should be fully upgraded first, regardless of build. Rating: Very Good
Bonk! Atomic Punch	If money is sitting on or behind a highly dangerous area, Bonk allows the Scout to bypass that danger, especially in situations where the Scout just respawned or doesn't have enough health. It can also be used to tank incoming fire for a few seconds. While by no means bad, it's overshadowed by the Mad Milk's sheer effectiveness, and the invulnerability can be substituted with an Uber canteen, even though it costs money. Rating: Good
Crit-a-Cola	Gives the Scout more damage and is one of the only sources of mini-crits against Tanks. However, taking mini-crits is very dangerous for Scouts, and is much more limited in its capabilities compared to his other secondaries. Can be used as a last-ditch effort against a Tank that's giving the team a very hard time. Rating: Situational
Fan O'War	Mark for death is a very powerful debuff against giants and the like. What makes the Fan O'War truly shine is it requires no credit investment to use it effectively. Later in the game, it can be substituted for a Sandman, or you can just stick to the Fan O'War if you don't plan on investing money on the Sandman. Rating: Very Good
Sandman	While it reduces the Scout's max health, marking an enemy at a range is far more safer than making a "suicide run" to mark a robot using the Fan O'War. Even then, as long as you continue to collect money the health penalty should be rather negligible. Rating: Very Good

Class	Assessment
Soldier	High AoE damage   Great vs. Tanks   Doubles as support   Very money-dependent The Soldier is a bread-and-butter class, and provides the team a little bit of everything. Any of his primaries can demolish a wave of robots, and when upgraded and combined with a crit boost, the Soldier can deal an insane amount of burst damage to giants and Tanks. The Soldier can also buff his teammates, and the Buff Banner is one of the only sources of mini-crits against tanks.
Weapon	Assessment
Rocket Launcher	High damage, large splash radius and ease of aim means the Rocket Launcher is just as powerful as it is in the base game. Although the default Rocket Launcher is an acceptable option, the other primaries have bonuses that will outweigh its disadvantage pretty fast, particularly clip size. Rating: Good
Direct Hit	Rating:
Black Box	Rating: Good
Cow Mangler 5000	While slightly weaker than the default Rocket Launcher, the Cow Mangler's main strength is its infinite ammo, which by itself is a big advantage, as it removes the need to retreat to collect ammo and saves money. However, the Cow Mangler comes with a huge disadvantage of not being able to be crit boosted at all, thus greatly reducing its effectiveness against Tanks. The alt-fire charge shot also useless, since it uses up all the ammo regardless of clip size. Rating: Good
Beggar's Bazooka	Many Soldiers swear by the Begger's Bazooka as their choice of primary in MvM, and for a good reason. Firing multiple rockets means the Soldier can take out a wave of robots or a giant very quickly, and it makes the most out of a crit boost Canteen once reload and firing speed are fully upgraded. It does have its disadvantages, as ammo is a constant issue and you can't gain ammo from dispensers, range deviation means you have to get close to make sure all the rockets hit, and the Begger's Bazooka requires a lot of money to reach its peak. Rating: Very Good
Buff Banner	The best secondary for the Soldier in MvM, period. You won't be relying on your secondaries for damage in MvM, and compared to the Battalion's Backup or the Concheror, the mini-crit boost from the Buff Banner is the most useful out of the three. It is the most accessible source of mini-crits in general, and practically the only source of mini-crits against Tanks. Rating: Very Good
Battalion's Backup	The damage resistance aid you and your team's survivability, plus it makes crit-boosted robots a much lower threat for a few seconds. Unfortunately, the fact that it can only be charged by taking damage makes charging it a hassle. The start-up times makes using it cumbersome if you don't use it ahead of time. Rating: Situational
Concheror	While healing increases survivability against constant fire, it's not as generally useful as mini-crits and is often overshadowed by the Mad Milk. The startup makes using it in an emergency cumbersome. Rating: Situational
Righteous Bison	Rating:
Escape Plan	Probably the only viable melee weapon choice for the Soldier. Thanks to the effectiveness of his primary after upgrades (as well as its dependency on upgrades), there will only be few cases where you use your Melee for damage. The Escape Plan's speed boost makes it a great weapon for retreating. Rating: Good
Equalizer	Rating:
Disciplinary Action	Rating:

Class	Assessment
Pyro	Can Airblast   Lots of weapon choices   Flexible builds   Short range effectiveness   Dependent on resistances The Pyro's trump card is his airblast, allowing him to stall giants and most importantly, reset the bomb by pushing the bomb carrier into a pit. A Pyro dedicated to resetting the bomb can greatly increase the chance of his team winning a mission. Beyond this, the Pyro is capable of other roles, whether it's drawing fire and tanking hits, dealing heavy damage up close with an upgraded Flamethrower or heavy damage long range with an upgraded Flare Gun.
Weapon	Assessment
Flame Thrower	Typically, the dedicated "pusher" Pyro will simply upgrade his airblast force and ammo capacity, and dump the rest on resistances and Uber Canteens. However, the damage capabilities of the Flamethrower should not be overlooked. If you can manage to upgrade the damage, the Flamethrower can burn through waves of robots, giants and even Tanks. Rating: Very Good
Degreaser	Although slightly weaker than the default Flamethrower, the reduced damage is almost negligible in case of pure "pusher" Pyros, as they are not focused on dealing damage in the first place. The Degreaser is more suitable if you plan on relying on another weapon for damage. Rating: Very Good
Backburner	Rating: Situational
Phlogistinator	Rating:
Flare Gun	The Flare Gun allows the Pyro to be a threat at long range, particularly against giants. If you can manage to upgrade it, it allows the Pyro to deal a constant 120 damage per hit after the first shot while being out of harm's way. While not as powerful as the Flamethrower, it's also cheaper to upgrade. Rating: Good
Detonator	If used the same way as the Flare Gun, it's inferior in every way. It only mini-crits burning enemies, so its power is greatly diminished. Detonating it to light multiple enemies has little point, since the burn damage is rather negligible. Rating: Weak
Manmelter	Pyro robots are an uncommon sight, so there are few opportunities to charge it, and even then you are not likely to deliberately extinguish a teammate, let alone find a burning one. It deals no bonus damage against burning enemies, which makes it already inferior to the Flare Gun. Even when charged, you are limited to how many times you can charge it, while the condition required to crit with the Flare Gun is to simply hit the target once. Rating: Very Weak
Scorch Shot	Rating:
Axtinguisher	The Axtinguisher is perfect for Pyros who don't plan on upgrading the Flamethrower's damage. It allows you to conserve your ammo for airblasts and does not require heavy investment to use it effectively. You can use it to take out Uber Medics in desperate situations, but you need to do it fast. Rating: Very Good
Back Scratcher	Rating:
Powerjack	Rating:
Third Degree	While its use is limited, it does have one trick: If crit boosted, it will eliminate a Medic in one hit. You can use this to take out a group of Uber Medics all healing the same giant if you lack any other way to eliminate them in one hit. Rating: Situational

Class	Assessment
Demoman	High AoE damage  Good vs. Tanks & Uber Medics  (Demoknight) Natural resistances  (Demoknight) Good vs. Steel Gauntlets  (Both) Very money-dependent  (Demoknight) Melee-range effectiveness  (Demoknight) No Sticky Launcher Similar to the Soldier, the Demoman also excels in dealing heavy AoE damage. Unlike the Soldier who deals damage in a "spray and pray" style, the Demoman needs a little more time to prep his shots. The Demoman's ability to stack Sticky Bombs means that he has little trouble dealing with Uber Medics. Should he decide to swap his Sticky Launcher for the board, the Demoknight has some powerful advantages, although it means he will often the the brunt of the attack.
Weapon	Assessment
Grenade Launcher	If you plan on using your Grenade Launcher as your main weapon, its functionality is similar to the Rocket Launcher. You can use it behind cover more effectively than the Rocket Launcher, but it's ineffective at longer ranges. Combine with the Chargin' Targe and you got a slightly more durable and faster Soldier. It had little use as a sidearm to the Sticky Launcher later in the game. Rating: Good
Loch-n-Load	While the extra damage is a strong bonus, it requires utmost accuracy to use, and it can become difficult to aim in certain situations. You also won't be able to "Spray and Pray" at a safe location. Rating: Situational
Loose Cannon	The damage reduction after contact on surface makes it more difficult and less effective as an AoE weapon, but the knockback is a very valuable asset. It's easier to knockback with the Loose Cannon than with other explosive weapons, and it can be used to push back giants and ubered robots when needed. The utility makes it a strong sidearm to the Sticky Launcher. Rating: Very Good
Ali Baba's Wee Booties	The Booties is a good item to have if you plan on relying exclusively on your Sticky Launcher, as it gives you a slight boost to your health in exchange for a weapon you don't plan on using. On the other hand, on a Demoknight setup, this means that you have no ranged capabilities whatsoever, which makes the Demoknight helpless against melee-oriented giants and forces you to play offensively. Rating: Situational
Stickybomb Launcher	The Sticky Launcher is a very effective weapon in MvM mode. It is a powerful AoE weapon especially with upgrades, and it can be prepped between waves of robots to deal massive damage in an area. It uses Crit canteens very efficiently, and it eliminates Uber Medics very effectively. Rating: Very Good
Scottish Resistance	Just as powerful as the Sticky Launcher, but even more effective Tat defense. The extra sticky bombs deployable allows for even better sticky carpets, and the ability to selectively detonate bombs makes it more efficient. The bonus firing speed also saves some money on upgrades. However, the longer priming time makes it harder to use when under pressure or in succession. Rating: Very Good
Chargin' Targe	Equipping the Chargin' Targe means you are sacrificing the very powerful Sticky Launcher, but it does come with its own benefits. The extra resistances provided helps the Demoman survive longer, and the charge can be used to get in or get out of fights quickly. Having the Chargin' Targe equipped lets you upgrade your melee weapon damage. Rating: Situational
Splendid Screen	Same as the Chargin' Targe, except with weaker resistances. Typically shield bash is rarely used as a main source of damage, which makes its advantage mainly useless. Rating: Weak
Bottle	Rating: Very Good
Ullapool Caber	Rating: Very Good
Eyelander	The standard Demoknight weapon. The main drawback of the Eyelander is its weak start, in both that you need kills to offset its health penalty and you need invest a significant amount of money on both the weapon and your resistances. But once you are able to rack up kills and keep them, the Demoman becomes a fast and tanky melee character. Rating: Good
Half-Zatoichi	Unlike the Eyelander, the Half-Zatoichi has a much easier early game. The heal on kill saves money as the health on kill is not a requirement early on, and it lacks a health penalty. The Honorbound mechanic is not a big drawback, as kills are plentiful in MvM. Rating: Very Good
Scotsman's Skullcutter	Rating: Situational
Persian Persuader	Rating: Situational

Class	Assessment
Heavy	Consistent damage  Great at mid range  Has some defensive capabilities  Does not scale as well late game The Heavy's main strength is his never-ending source of damage, as long as he's near an ammo supply. His Minigun allows him to endlessly mow down a wave of robots, and buying upgrades such as Destroy Projectiles and Knockback Rage lets him diminish the effectiveness of the robot's all-out offense. While late game he lacks pure damage compared to the Soldier or Demoman, he is nevertheless a welcome addition to any team.
Weapon	Assessment
Minigun	The Heavy's Minigun deals heavy damage to multiple robots as long as you have ammo for it. Even when it doesn't kill a robot, it's perfect for softening up other robots for other classes to finish off. With crits or mini-crits, it can even be used at longer ranged effectively. The standard minigun is strong, but the other primaries have bonuses more suitable for MvM. Rating: Good
Brass Beast	Most Heavies in MvM use this. The bonus damage is a very strong bonus, especially since the Heavy can't upgrade the damage of his Minigun. The reduced spin-up time and movement speed while spun up hardly matters in MvM where you're often sitting in one spot and firing endlessly. Rating: Very Good
Natascha	The slowdown effect on the Natascha slows advancing waves of robots to a crawl, and it is the best possible weapon against Super Scouts. While it's great for buying time, its reduced damage is a significant penalty, especially against Tanks, which are immune to its slowdown effects. Rating: Good
Huo-Long Heater	The ring of fire adds a very slight boost to your damage at point blank range, but opportunities to use this are limited. It also chews up ammo very fast, even with extra ammo upgrades, which makes the Heavy require constant ammo restocking. Rating: Situational
Tomislav	Slightly faster spin up time for reduced firing speed. Silent spin up is useless, and the slightly faster spin up is largely a weak bonus. Rating: Weak
Sandvich	The Heavy's best secondary, but mainly because his other choices have little use. The Sandvich allows you to survive a little longer when you need to, but only if you can find the time to eat it. Rating: Very Good
Gloves of Running Urgently	Getting to the front line ASAP is very important for the Heavy, so naturally the G.R.U. is a very good melee for the Heavy to have. Its penalties are mainly superficial, but try to unequip it as soon as possible. Rating: Very Good
Fists of Steel	Since the path from spawn to the front lines are almost always safe, the Fists of Steel is best used to retreat safely. Another thing the Fists of Steel can do is to let the Heavy take on a gimmicky "pure tank" role, due to how large the damage reduction is in addition to more resistances. Rating: Situational

Class	Assessment
Engineer	Practically a requirement in MvM  Attracts Sentry Busters Due to the fact that Mann vs. Machine involves playing defense, the Engineer naturally shines in this mode. His Teleporter let his teammates get to the front lines faster, the Dispenser heals and restocks ammo for him and his teammates, and the Sentry Gun excels against groups of robots and giants. The Engineer's sheer effectiveness means that you will need at least one Engineer in any MvM game.
Weapon	Assessment
Frontier Justice	Your Sentry will be doing most of the work, which means the Frontier Justice will rack up revenge crits very fast. You can easily gain revenge crits between waves. If you can manage to upgrade this slightly, the Engineer himself can deal tons of damage effectively. Rating: Very Good
Widowmaker	The Widowmaker is suitable for a more combat-oriented Enginner, especially if he is using a Gunslinger. It is extremely cheap to upgrade, and as long as he's near a Dispenser and is frequently close enough, it will practically never run out of ammo. Rating: Good
Rescue Ranger	Rating: Very Good
Pistol	As a regular Engineer, you will likely be too busy looking after your Sentry Gun to use the Pistol regularly. For Gunslinger Engineers, it's an excellent sidearm in cases where you're trying to conserve your primary or attack at longer ranges where it's safer. Rating: Situational
Wrangler	If you won't be using the Pistol regularly, the Wrangler is great choice. It allows your Sentry Gun to deal damage outside of its range, focus down a giant or Tank, and can even be used to protect it against waves of incoming projectiles. Rating: Very Good
Short Circuit	Rating:
Wrench	The Engineer's best tool. You'll be constantly repairing your buildings, so you will have your Wrench out almost all the time. It can also be used to fend off enemy Spies. Rating: Very Good
Jag	The Jag has a slight advantage where you're trying to reconstruct your buildings as soon as you can without spending money on Upgrade Buildings canteens. On the other hand, you are slightly more vulnerable against Spies. Rating: Very Good
Eureka Effect	Unless you team can take down Sentry Busters 100% of the time, using the Eureka Effect means than you won't be able to save your Sentry from the Sentry Buster. Being able to retreat to spawn can be useful, but the penalty is too severe to compensate for it. Rating: Very Weak

Class	Assessment
Medic	Heals his teammates  Gives his teammates Ubers & Crits  Little to no direct damage Just like in the base game, the Medic's primary goal is to keep his teammates alive. A powerful feature of the Medic is his ability to share his Canteens, further increasing the effectiveness of his teammates. While he won't be dealing much damage directly, the Medic's indirect power makes him a powerful asset.
Weapon	Assessment

Class	Assessment
Sniper	Has Jarate  Excels vs. Giants & Snipers  Explosive Headshot can clear waves  High skill cap  Highly situational  Very money-dependent  Weak vs. Tanks The Sniper's effectiveness fluctuates greatly depending on several factors such as wave composition and has a high skill cap, which is why playing Sniper tends to draw hate from teammates. In no way does this mean the Sniper is useless. His Jarate is a very accessible source of mini-crits, and once his Sniper Rifle is significantly upgraded, he can deal an extreme amount of damage to giants and deal heavy AoE damage to clusters of robots surrounding the giant with Explosive Headshots. On the down side, the Sniper is weak against tanks.
Weapon	Assessment

Class	Assessment
Spy	Versatile role  Sapper is the only source of hard disable  Can deal great damage to giants  Good vs. Steel Gauntlets, Uber Medics & Engineers  Situational effectiveness  Weak vs. Tanks The Spy fulfills a variety of roles in MvM, including it's money collecting, disabling a group of robots and slowing giants to a crawl or backstabbing a giant halfway to death. While the Sapper has a significant cooldown time, it completely disables regular robots, making it a valuable weapon against a dangerous group of robots. The Spy is very ineffective when dealing with Tanks, however.
Weapon	Assessment