Team strategy

In Team Fortress 2, it can be very hard for a single player to effectively combat the enemy team. Working with your team is important for success. This article is designed to help you and your team achieve that victory. For a guide on improving your own game, see Strategy. For map-specific strategies, see the individual pages for each map.

General Strategy

Communication

Communication is a key element in Team Fortress 2. The Class-based nature of the game means that there will often be situations that a lone player simply cannot handle alone. Coordination between different players and Classes is usually needed to win a game (even if that coordination was accidental). Also, the lack of a "mini-map", "radar", or "motion detector" feature commonly found in other first-person shooters makes communication of enemy locations and activities that much more crucial. Voice commands and text messages are better than nothing, but microphones are strongly recommended for anyone who wishes to play Team Fortress 2 beyond a purely casual level (that is, someone interested in actually being on winning teams often). Communication is so important that a team without any sort of microphone communication can easily lose to a team with a single microphone user even if it has more skilled players overall. Information such as the location and Disguise of enemy Spies, the location of enemy Sentry nests and Sticky Bomb traps, and the timing of attacks and Übercharges simply cannot be communicated effectively without voice chat. Effective team communication and coordination is especially prevalent in the more competitive venues of the game.

Team Composition

Team Fortress 2 is a class-based, team game in which players on a team usually have to cooperate and coordinate to some extent in order to achieve victory. The nine different Classes have their own strengths and weaknesses and their own unique styles of play based around maximizing their strengths and minimizing their weaknesses -- however it is impossible for any one player no matter how skilled to completely compensate for the weaknesses of the class they are currently playing. One player may be less skilled than another but still win in an encounter due to being a Class that has a natural advantage over the other, such as a less-skilled Pyro beating a skilled Spy. This not only makes the choice of what Class to play very important and rewards players who are willing to learn and play different Classes, but also makes playing cooperatively equally important.

A mistake many new players make is to view Team Fortress 2 outside of a team context, focusing instead on the Class(es) they prefer to play and thinking of strategy only in terms of a series of one-on-one match-ups against the other Classes they will meet in battle. However most combat in Team Fortress 2 is between groups of players playing as different Classes, and part of being a skilled player is paying some attention to overall team strategy. This can include being aware of what Classes currently make up your team and the opposing team, or what is referred to as team composition. It is often possible to gain an advantage over the opposing team by having several players play as Classes that the other team is currently ill-equipped to deal with. One of the most obvious examples would be running several Spies to counter an enemy team that has several Engineers, Snipers, and Heavies but few, if any, Pyros. Paying no attention to what Classes are currently giving your team the most trouble and how best to counter-attack is a fast way to lose. However, over-compensating can also happen, for example if a team is having trouble with enemy Spies too many players might decide to switch to Pyro depriving your team of offense. Use the "Tab" key periodically to keep an eye on your team's current classes and recommend adjustments accordingly -- and be willing to change your Class as well from time to time.

The Classes

The heart of Team Fortress 2's gameplay are the nine different Classes and how they interact with both friend and foe. Even if you play only one or two of them on a regular basis, it is still enormously helpful to learn about the role of each Class in the overall context of a game. Each Class has unique attributes that determine their strengths and weakness: health, movement speed, and weaponry, and other innate abilities such as health regeneration or the ability to Double Jump. This section categorizes the different Classes and is meant to draw attention to how the different Classes can work together to become more powerful in groups than they would be functioning alone. NOTE: this categorization is different from the "official" class roles of Offense, Defense, and Support defined by Valve, and is meant to draw attention to strategic and play-style similarities as opposed to an arbitrary "theme."

1. General Combat

• Classes: Demoman, Heavy, Pyro, Scout, Soldier
• Common Characteristics: All the members of this group possess high average firepower, survivability, or maneuverability and in some cases a good mix of all three. All of them except for the Scout have a Health range of 175-300 without overhealing, and will receive the vast majority of Übercharges due to their powerful Primary weapons which have a high rate of damage over time and also due to their simple presence on the front lines.
• Group Role: Makes up the majority of most teams, and engages in the heaviest and most direct fighting. The members of this group are generally the most responsible for spearheading pushes into enemy territory and securing objectives, and usually must be aggressive. Their success is usually measured in kills made and damage dealt before dying. A team entirely made up from Group 1 classes won't have any critical weaknesses and can often do pretty well over short periods, but to break down tough defenses and hang in a sustained firefight, help from Groups 2 and 3 becomes necessary.

The Artillery

• Classes: Demoman, Soldier
• Common Characteristics: Both of these Classes have a high amount of damage potential, resilience, and mobility
• Group Role:

The Shock Troops

• Classes: Heavy, Pyro, Scout
• Common Characteristics:
• Group Role:

2. The Assassins

• Classes: Sniper, Spy
• Common Characteristics:
• Group Role:

3. Support

• Classes: Engineer, Medic
• Common Characteristics:
• Group Role:

Class Specific Strategies

These guides are meant to help you understand what to do in certain situations and when fighting other opponents. Use these guides to know more about the Classes and their abilities.

• Basic Scout strategy (match-ups)

• Basic Soldier strategy (match-ups)

• Basic Pyro strategy (match-ups)

• Basic Demoman strategy (match-ups)

• Basic Heavy strategy (match-ups)

• Basic Engineer strategy (match-ups)

• Basic Medic strategy (match-ups)

• Basic Sniper strategy (match-ups)

• Basic Spy strategy (match-ups)

Team Tactics

These are the strategies of the game that most players should learn and understand if they want to help their team. Using these in combat will allow you to get a leg up on the competition.

• Flanking

Find alternate routes and use them (even if they take longer than direct route). Don't take the same flanking route too often to avoid becoming predictable -- the enemy will quickly learn to anticipate your strategy.

• Ambushing

Wait around corners and surprise your enemy. You and a few of your allies could wait around corners and ambush any enemies that walk by as a defensive or offensive tactic.

• Ubercharging

Communicate with your Medic buddy. Try not to waste your ÜberCharge, but remember that it's better to spend your charge and survive than to die with a charge ready. Have a plan for what you will do when Übered.

The Barrage

• Overview: a creeping hail of explosives moves though an area to clear the way for the rest of the team.
• Details: Demomen and Soldiers fire continually into an area to make it a no-go zone for the opposing team. Attackers follow the barrage by moving into the cleared area and holding it.

The Demomen and Soldiers must use a spread of fire across the intended area to ensure it is all cleared.

Über push

• Overview: the attacking team coordinates a series of ÜberCharges to clear an area.
• Details: Two or more Medics build up an ÜberCharge. The first Medic activates his charge and enters the area; after 9 seconds the second Medic follows and moves into the area. If the situation allows, the second Medic can follow immediately, taking advantage of the distraction provided by the first Über pair and moving deeper into enemy territory before activating the second charge. Communicating who will Über first is key.

Minefield

• Overview: Demomen lay series of sticky bombs over an open area.
• Details: a spread out carpet of Sticky bombs is laid over an open area in sequence by several Demomen. When attackers push forward, detonate each set of Stickies in series to kill multiple waves of attackers. It is important that the other Demomen wait for the previous set to be detonated before detonating the next set. Using the Scottish Resistance makes this strategy more efficient, easier to pull off, and somewhat lessens the need for multiple Demomen, as a single Demoman can have up to 14 stickies and selectively detonate them.

Coordinated Sap

• Overview: Spies sap Sentry Gun emplacements to enable an attack by teammates.
• Details: a Spy or Spies sap Sentry Gun emplacements just before an offensive push, enabling teammates to safely attack the disabled Sentry Guns. Communicate when you have sapped the Sentry Gun to enable the attack to commence immediately. Continue to sap to enable the attacker to take out the Engineer first.

Medic Luring

• Overview: a "Soldier/Heavy" disguised Spy lures Medics into ambush points.
• Details: instead of attempting to kill an enemy Medic, a Spy disguised as an enemy assault class can lure an unaware Medic into an ambush. Thinking you are a member of his team, the Medic may follow you into your team's base, allowing your team to ambush him with a Sentry Gun or a group of allies. Remember that Spies look less suspicious when they appear to be trying to help the team.

Rushing

Main article: Rush

• Overview: All players select the same class to overwelm the enemy.
• Details: All players choose only one class or a majority of one class. The class usually depends on the situation. For example, a Scout rush allows your team to reach and capture the first point very quickly, hopefully before the entire enemy team arrives.

Tactical Direction

• Overview: In certain maps your team will have to decided whether to go one path or another.
• Details: this decision usually comes into play in 3cp maps such as Gravel Pit.

Practice

It's important to practice both with your friends and your team. Learn your team's strengths and weaknesses. If you are aware of your team's weaknesses you can help remove them, and if you are aware of your team's strengths, you can amplify them. When your team is in need of a certain class, try to find a player who plays that class well, or who is not already fulfilling a vital role -- asking your team's only Engineer to switch to Medic may not be the most effective use of your teammate's ability.