Community Scout strategy

“

Hit the road, bozo, let a real Scout get to work! Click to listen — The Scout on impersonators

”

The Scout has the fastest movement speed, is a great Control Point capturer, and deals a decent amount of damage from short to medium range. His low maximum health of 125 makes direct combat difficult and risky. The preferred technique of combat involves circle strafing or weapon heckling.

Quick tips

• You capture twice as fast as any other class. If you're anywhere near an enemy Control Point, stand on it.
  • In Payload maps, crouch-walking behind the Payload to use it as a shield can be very effective since your hitbox is smaller than those of other classes.

• Know where the health packs are on every map, because you have the tendency to work alone.
  • You can use Mad Milk on maps with few health packs to avoid leaving combat for healing.

• Never try to out-gun tougher classes, unless you know they are low on health. Your job is to deal damage and distract, then disappear before the enemy has a chance to shoot back.

• Use your maneuverability to catch enemies off-guard. Your extra speed and double-jump can get you over gaps and other obstacles that block most of the other classes.

• Sentry Guns should be avoided, because the Scout relies on not being hit; a Sentry Gun's attacks are very strong and its bullets never miss, making it a natural counter.
  • You can use Bonk! Atomic Punch, however, to distract an enemy Sentry Gun while a teammate destroys it, or to slip past the Sentry Gun while avoiding damage.

General

Combat

• The Scout excels at one-on-one combat. Wandering players are good targets for a Scout.

• Call for help if you can't handle enemies by yourself.

• Your speed is useful for avoiding backstabs and headshots; however, jumping will leave you suspended in a predictable arc against Snipers.

• Try to fight on open ground as much as possible; tight spaces limit your evasive options and will make staying alive much harder.

• Never stand still when you are attacking someone as a Scout. Use your speed to your advantage by strafing left and right while attacking someone. When facing other Scouts, try to mirror their strafing movements to make them easier to hit.

• When low on health, wait for the correct moment to strike. Use walls and corners to gain an advantage over enemies by firing and retreating repeatedly to avoid enemy fire.

• The Scout is the smallest class and can hide behind objects better than every other class. This can be useful while waiting for a group of enemies to pass by.
  • Take note of the object you are hiding behind. If it is tall but narrow, equipping your bat will allow you to hide without your Scattergun or Pistol protruding through and giving you away. Your primary or secondary weapons, however, would be better for short but wide hiding spots.

• Try to be unpredictable while fighting classes that are using hitscan weapons, such as the Shotgun.

• Do not confront a Sentry Gun head-on. If you can approach it from behind or to the side, you can take advantage of the Sentry Gun's slow rotation speed. Pop out of cover long enough to take a shot at it, then wait about one second for the Sentry Gun to turn back to its default position.
  • It is also possible to circle-strafe a Sentry Gun, as it cannot turn quickly enough to fire at you. This is very difficult, however, and requires that you be as close to the Sentry Gun as possible.

• When fighting enemy Pyros that are attempting to airblast you into a corner and kill you with the Axtinguisher, use your second jump to escape from above.

• If you find yourself circling an enemy, try to find the right moment to line up with your target and fire your weapon.

• Find a mouse sensitivity that is suitable for playing Scout. Whilst a high sensitivity may seem to pair with the speed of the class, a low sensitivity, paired with more mouse movement, makes it considerably easier to land shots with your Scattergun.

• When playing as Scout, always be on the move. If a confrontation goes poorly, you can always continue running, using your speed to escape. You can then find a health kit and often come back to finish your opponent off before they have a chance to do the same.

Speed

• Run into players to Spy check. If you don't pass through them, and instead bump into them, then they're a disguised Spy.

• Your speed will allow a Medic using the Quick-Fix to get to the front lines much more quickly.

• Because you can easily outrun other classes, it is possible to backcap Control Points. If successful, this will lock the enemy out of capturing your own Control Point.

• Your speed allows you to decide which battles to engage in; enemies cannot run from you if you engage them, nor can they pursue you if you don't want to engage them.

• Death is less of a penalty for you since you will spend less time than other classes running to where the battle is. You are also first to the fight at the beginning of the round.

• Speed makes you more difficult to hit, and beyond certain ranges, your speed can render certain projectile weapons useless, since you can always react and move out of the way in time.

• You are the ideal Intelligence carrier.

• You can reach health/ammo kits or Dispensers more quickly than other classes when needed, minimizing your down-time.

The Scout's double jump is incredibly versatile; use it well.

Jumping

• Whichever movement key is being held at the time of the double jump is the direction you will go. This allows you to immediately alter your path in mid air and confuse enemies.
  • This is especially effective against Snipers, who usually aim where they expect you to be just after their shot is fired. Skilled Snipers, however, may be able to predict the path of your second jump, since you cannot move in mid-air after it.

• Jumping in combat is a double-edged sword. Against weaker players, it can effectively throw off their aim. More experienced players, however, can wait for you to commit to a double- or triple-jump. Once you've committed, your trajectory is locked and skilled players can easily predict your path and kill you.

• Performing a double jump without pressing anything bound to the movement commands will cancel all horizontal momentum, regardless of speed.
  • As a result of this, try to predict where enemies are aiming before double jumping.

• Double jumping can save you from fall damage; simply jump just before you hit the ground.

• Use the double jump to take the higher roads over railroad cars and bridges. Most opponents tend to look forward, rather than up. If it is safe to do so, attack from above to take enemies by surprise.

• Certain ledges may require you to crouch-jump in order to reach them. Holding the crouch button while performing a double jump will allow you to reach those ledges.

• If you are under fire, try jumping over the enemy's head to disorient them. You can also use this maneuver to land a couple of extra shots at close range.

• You are able to perform a triple jump of sorts if the Force-A-Nature is equipped as your primary weapon, as the knockback from firing can be used to propel yourself a few feet upwards when aimed down.
  • Similar results can be achieved using the Boston Basher's self damage, though this is much riskier.
  • The Atomizer allows you to do a triple jump in the same manner as regular jumping, at the cost of 10 health.
    • You can use the both the Force-A-Nature and the Atomizer to perform a quad jump.
    • The Soda Popper allows you to quintuple jump after filling the Hype meter; however, this does not stack with the Atomizer.
    • The Winger increases the height of your jumps.

• When an enemy Soldier or Pyro decides to pull out his Reserve Shooter, try to not jump for a few seconds while fighting, as the Mini-Crit damage can be lethal. After 5 seconds have passed and the Reserve Shooter's airborne Mini-Crits buff wears off, begin utilizing your jumps to confuse the enemy while he is reloading.

• A slightly difficult, yet potentially useful, strategy is to jump on top of a class's head, and attack from there. This is best used against Heavies, whose slow movement speed make it easier to stay on them.

Weapon Specific

Primary Weapons

Scattergun + reskins

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Stock Scattergun		6	32	85-105	10-40	3-10	180
Uncrate Festive Scattergun
Botkiller Scattergun
Two Cities Reward [[Australium Scattergun|Template:Dictionary/items/australium scattergun]]

• When using your Scattergun, a reliable method to hit your target is to strafe left and right with your cross-hair centered and firing when your cross-hair crosses your opponent rather than solely using your mouse to aim. This allows you to focus on moving more efficiently and erratically, making you harder to hit, while at the same time making your aim smoother and more accurate via prediction.

• The Scattergun does large amounts of damage at close range, with three shots being enough to take out a non-overhealed Heavy. Think about how to engage your opponent without alerting them to your presence. Many classes will go down quickly if caught off guard.

• Range makes a huge difference to the damage the Scattergun inflicts. If you are undetected, avoid firing early. Wait until you are as close as you can get to the enemy and then open fire. This reduces the number of times you need to hit the enemy and gives them less time to react. This may also mean you won't need to reload in the middle of a fight.

Force-A-Nature+ reskins

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Unlock Force-A-Nature		2	32	92-113	11-43	3-11	194
Uncrate Festive Force-A-Nature
Two Cities Reward [[Australium Force-A-Nature|Template:Dictionary/items/australium force-a-nature]]

• The Force-A-Nature is an unlockable primary weapon for the Scout. It has a smaller magazine size, a faster firing speed, and reloads both shots at once. It is inherently good for hit-and-run tactics. The Force-A-Nature trades off 10% less damage for 20% more pellets, requiring the Scout to be much closer to enemies when attacking for maximum damage. The Force-A-Nature will knock nearby targets back, and when he is in mid-air, the Scout as well. This mechanic allows triple jumps (and quadruple jumps if accompanied by the Atomizer).

• When using the Force-A-Nature, try not to get into a firefight with many enemies at once. The slow reload time, small magazine, and short range is not suited for large firefights. Instead, try flanking to take on one roaming enemy. Try not to approach them from the front; instead, attack from the side or behind.

• If you equip the Force-A-Nature, equip the Pistol as well. With the Pistol, you have the ability to finish off enemies that survived your Force-A-Nature shots without having to wait for the Force-A-Nature's reload.

• Keep in mind that you can jump even longer distances with the Force-A-Nature by jumping, aiming below you, and firing at the end of your second jump. Another way is to jump, fire quickly, and jump again. Only fire one shot, as the second shot fired while in the air has no effect on you.

• Use the Force-A-Nature's knockback ability to your advantage, since two simultaneous shells can send enemies flying several meters and into hazards such as the pits in Lumberyard and Steel. It's particularly useful in places where enemies huddle together. You can jump in, blast two people away from the objective, and retreat to reload and strike again.

• Use the knockback to reach high places in order to kill unaware classes from above. It lowers your chances of being killed when getting closer because players don't usually look up. The Force-A-Nature works better while the target is busy with something, such as an Engineer setting up a building.

• Be wary that a point-blank shot from the Force-A-Nature will send your target flying a significant distance. So if at all possible, determine where your shot will throw them into. It's not hard to accidentally send your target into a med-kit, into the safety of Sentry Gun coverage, or even into a cluster of his teammates.

• Be careful when trying to fire at an enemy from above with the Force-A-Nature. While the knockback keeps enemies pinned down for a second, the self-knockback will keep you in the air or blast you slightly backwards, possibly throwing off your aim and sending you in a predictable line for people to aim. For this reason, the Force-A-Nature is generally better to attack enemies on the same level or from below, so that they take the full force of the knockback and you don't lose control.

• Because the Force-A-Nature discards the second round if reloaded before both rounds are fired, it might be wise to turn off the automatic reload feature from the Advanced Options menu.

• The Force-A-Nature can push ÜberCharged enemies. Use this to either push enemies away from your teammates or break the Medi Gun beam and attack the now-vulnerable target.

Shortstop

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Craft Shortstop		4	36	69-72	24-48	6-12	144

• The Shortstop is a craftable primary weapon for the Scout. It has a fast firing speed along with a clip-based reload for prolonged combat. The Scout is able to keep his distance while still doing decent damage because each pellet does double damage compared to the Scattergun, albeit with only four pellets. The Shortstop shares ammo with the Pistol, so it may be wise to run a different secondary, such as Bonk! Atomic Punch. When active, it grants 20% bonus healing, but makes the Scout 40% more vulnerable to push force taken from damage or from the Pyro's Compression Blast.

• The Shortstop pairs well with the Crit-a-Cola, as its slightly faster firing rate, greatly increased accuracy and quick reload can maximize the potential of the Mini-Crit boost's duration.

• Four direct hits from the Shortstop can kill most classes, but be cautious when facing tougher classes like the Heavy, who may survive the four shots of the Shortstop and kill you as you reload.
  • This can be mitigated by using the Mad Milk, which heals you based on the damage you do, effectively giving you more health to square off against bulkier classes, so long as you land your shots.

• The Critical hits from this weapon will deal 144 damage at point-blank range, meaning that you cannot one-shot Medics unless they are using the Vita-Saw. However, the Medic will be left with very little health and you can probably finish him off with another shot before he can retreat or his teammates can react.

• The Shortstop has a moderate reloading time; turning on auto-reload may cut off a good chunk of the reload time.

• The Shortstop works well for dealing with Sentry Guns. A Mini-Sentry Gun will go down in about a clip, even when you're standing outside of its range.

• Since the Shortstop uses the same pool of ammo as the Pistol does, it's best to pick up as much ammo as possible, as you will be burning through ammo rapidly or pair it with another weapon.

• Be careful when using this weapon against Soldiers, Demomen, and Pyros, as the 40% increase in knockback taken allows you to be easily taken down or pushed into an environmental hazard by them.
  • Use this to your advantage; although the knockback may push you into an environmental hazard, you can use the extra knockback to escape from your pursuer. This is called "Surfing"
    • Jumping and Crouching before getting shot will increase your knockback. Use this gain more momentum when surfing
    • Make use of air-strafing to control your trajectory. Not only will this make you more mobile, but will also make it harder for enemies to aerial you. To air-strafe, turn in the direction you want to move and move left (bound to 'A' by default) or move right (bound to 'D' by default).
    • Heavies and Mini-Sentry Guns can be great sources of knockback to surf off of at medium range, as they shoot at a consistent rate. Beware that Heavies can rip you to shreds in less than a second.

Soda Popper

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical	Distance to Activate Hype	Hype Duration
Craft Soda Popper		2	32	90	24-67	3-26	180	5200 Hammer Units	8 seconds

• The Soda Popper is a craftable primary weapon for the Scout. It is very similar to the Force-A-Nature, firing two shells in fast succession and reloading both shots, but with the damage and pellet count of the normal Scattergun, .41 seconds faster in reload time, and no knockback. In addition, while moving with the Soda Popper active, a "Hype" meter fills. When completely filled, tapping the alt fire key will grant you 5 extra air jumps while it lasts. The Hype meter takes roughly 13 seconds of constant movement to completely fill.

• At the beginning of a round, you can run toward your objective with the Soda Popper equipped; when the Hype meter is full, be ready to use it. This way, you can use the air jumps and grant yourself great deals of mobility, giving you a major advantage against an enemy after you encounter one.

• The air jump boost given will give you a heavy boost in mobility once used. This allows you to fight enemies, scan the area, and attack enemy bases more easily.

• This weapon pairs very well with the Winger, as it lets you finish off any enemies (particularly Heavies) that survive both shots of your Soda Popper. The Winger's Jump Boost also lets you reach even greater heights when using the Soda Popper's Hype.

• When using the Soda Popper at full charge, a Scout may be able to dodge shots and projectiles with ease. The ability to change direction in mid-air at will, may cause trouble for classes that rely on tracking a target, such as Sniper. Be warned when fighting Pyros; an efficient Pyro can use its airblast to negate your multiple jumps, and easily kill you with mini-crits caused by the Reserve Shooter.

Baby Face's Blaster

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Craft Baby Face's Blaster		4	32	90-105	10-40	3-10	180

• The Baby Face's Blaster is a craftable primary weapon for the Scout. This weapon decreases the Scout's speed by 10% and has a 34% smaller clip then the default Scattergun. It also includes a boost meter. As damage is dealt, the meter fills and the Scout's speed increases. At full boost, the Scout runs 40% faster then a normal Scout. The boost will reset after death, and decrease by 25% upon any air jump.

• Your full speed boost is capable of chasing down or retreating from any classes, especially the Scout.
  • However, the only class you cannot chase down or retreat from is another Scout with full speed boost of Baby Face's Blaster. Have this in mind when fighting against one.

• As air jumping will partially deplete your boost, try to only double jump when you are sure you can deal least 25 damage after the jump.

• Use your favorite secondary to collect boost as quickly as possible. Harass enemies with pistols or the guillotine at a distance, or boost the blaster with Crit-a-Cola.

• At full boost, you will be extremely hard to hit as long as you move unpredictably. Only Sentry Guns, the Natascha and Flame Throwers are constant threats.

• The Baby Face's Blaster is useful on capture the flag maps, where your boosted speed is especially useful for grabbing the Intelligence and returning it quickly.

• Due to the reduced clip size, the number of enemies you can damage and/or kill during an ambush is smaller compared to the Scattergun.

• The Atomizer is not recommended to use with this weapon, as a triple jump will also deplete boost, resulting in a total half boost loss upon a triple jump.

• The Winger may be used in conjunction with this weapon, as the Winger's additional jump height can be used instead of a double jump, allowing you to keep your current boost.

• The Baby Face's Blaster is a strong weapon for those who stick to a "hit-and-run" Scout playstyle. The quick speed allows a skilled player to dodge in and out of a fight, taking small chunks of health from a target multiple times before killing them.

• Shooting an enemy Scout under the effects of Bonk! Atomic Punch will charge the Blaster's boost.
  • Shooting an enemy under the effects of a stock Medi Gun's Ubercharge will not charge the boost.

Back Scatter

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Craft Back Scatter		4	32	90-105	8-32	2-8	180

• The Back Scatter deals mini-crits when fired at close range from behind, at the cost of 20% accuracy and reduced clip size.

• Some strategies that apply for Spy may also apply here. The damage output is high enough to kill most classes in a few seconds.

• Because of the accuracy decrease, engaging at medium to long distance, or in general direct combat, is not suggested.

• Getting behind enemy lines is crucial in using this weapon most efficently. Use Bonk! Atomic Punch to get there without too much trouble.

Secondary Weapons

Pistol + reskins

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Stock Pistol		12	36	20-22	10-15	8-9	45
Promotional Lugermorph

• Targets too far away for the Scattergun should be fought with the Pistol. It's also a viable backup weapon for when your Scattergun runs out of ammunition. It can destroy Sentry Guns, Dispensers, and Teleporters at medium range if the situation calls for it, but expect this to use up around half of your Pistol ammunition.

• When running towards enemies aware of your presence, try firing at them with your Pistol before closing in on them with your Scattergun. When taking on lighter classes, 2–3 seconds of accurate Pistol fire can take away a quarter to a third of their maximum health, allowing you to finish them off with a strong blast of your primary weapon.

• One of the Pistol's primary uses is to finish off wounded targets attempting to retreat.

• The Pistol can waste a lot of ammunition if fired haphazardly into a firefight. Choose your targets wisely and aim carefully.

• The Pistol reloads much more quickly than the Scattergun. When both are empty, reloading the Pistol first will have you firing sooner than reloading the Scattergun.

• Be wary of when the Pistol finishes reloading. Changing weapons before it finishes reloading means that you have to reload again. Wait until when your magazine count changes before switching weapons.

• The Pistol is also a great weapon for creating distractions. If you can run behind enemy lines, hit a few shots and then run away, players will often try to follow, making it easier for your team to accomplish objectives.

• The Pistol works well with the Force-A-Nature. Simply sink two shots into your enemy with the Force-A-Nature, switch to your Pistol and fire at them. Since enemies will be knocked back, you won't have to account for movement for a few precious shots.

• The Pistol is one of the more deadly weapons to get Critical hits with. If you happen to get First Blood in Arena, switch to your Pistol as it can take any class down in one magazine, including most overhealed enemies, if you fire fast and accurately.

• Though the Scattergun trumps the Pistol in short ranges, at medium to long ranges your Pistol is a far better option for taking out Sentry Guns than any other Scout weapon. If you're out of the Sentry Gun's range, hitting the Engineer with a Sandman ball and then destroying the Sentry Gun with your Pistol will make this job infinitely easier.

Bonk! Atomic Punch

Weapon	Ammo		Effect
	Loaded	Carried	Drink Effect	Duration	Recharge Time
Unlock Bonk! Atomic Punch	1	∞	Invulnerability but unable to attack, capture or defend	8 seconds	24 seconds

• The Bonk! Atomic Punch is an unlockable secondary weapon for the Scout. When consumed, you will become invincible for 8 seconds, although you are still affected by knockback, similar to an ÜberCharge. While active, the camera shifts to a third-person view, and the Scout cannot attack (but can still taunt-attack). The effect lasts 8 seconds and can be used again in 24 seconds.

• Use Bonk! for dodging things you would normally run away from, like Sentry Guns, Heavy/Medic combos, or large groups of enemies.

• While being on your own isn't all that grand for scouting as stated above, this changes when using Bonk!. It's a very good idea to take a drink before turning a corner that could potentially have a Sentry Gun or Stickybombs around it, especially if there are allies behind you. Doing so can allow for an crucial Über situation where your allies can take out the opposition while you provide cover and distraction. If you have no one backing you, simply reporting what you found via voice chat or yelling "Sentry Ahead" can potentially save your teammates.
  • Be careful where you drink Bonk!; for the duration of the drinking animation, you are immobile and vulnerable to damage.

• It is very easy to distract enemies while you are under the influence of Bonk!. Enemy Snipers can be distracted as they try to shoot you or keep their crosshair on you, waiting for your invulnerability to wear off. Running into Soldiers and Demomen will usually result in them hurting themselves as well as being distracted. Heavies and Pyros are also easily distracted if you run circles around them. This strategy can also be used to counter enemy ÜberCharges; body-blocking a Medic's patient can potentially waste all eight seconds of their ÜberCharge. More importantly, it saves your Medic's ÜberCharge for dealing with the enemy, rather than countering the enemy's ÜberCharge.

• Bonk! can be used in place of a ÜberCharge for taking out Sentry Guns, as you provide a distraction while your teammates attack.
  • If the enemy Engineer is using the Wrangler, this tactic may be rendered useless.

• Bonk! can be used as a way to rocket jump across maps using sentry rocket fire. However, were you will go is often unpredictable, and a defensive Engineer will likely not build their Sentry in a way you can do this.

• Save Sentry Guns from enemy fire by taking rockets and bullets before they can hit. Be careful to know when your Bonk! runs out though.

• Bonk! can be used to avoid the afterburn damage from Pyros or Bleeding. Though the after-burn will continue to damage you after Bonk! wears off, the life extension Bonk! gives you just might be enough to reach a water pool, health kit, or Medic before you burn to death.

• You can still perform some actions after you have drunk Bonk!, such as reloading your Scattergun and taunting.

• If covered by Jarate, drink Bonk! to immunize yourself from the increased damage you will take otherwise. It's also possible to be covered in Jarate during the effects of Bonk!, so if this happens, make a hasty retreat before you begin taking damage again.

• Try to avoid enemy Medics using the Ubersaw, as they can still fill up their ubercharge meter by hitting you.

Crit-a-Cola

Weapon	Ammo		Effect
	Loaded	Carried	Drink Effect	Duration	Recharge Time
Craft Crit-a-Cola	1	∞	Increases speed by 25%, turns damage dealt into Mini-Crits and inceased damage taken by 10%.	8 seconds	24 seconds

• The Crit-a-Cola is a craftable secondary weapon for the Scout. When consumed, all damage dealt will be Mini-Crits for 8 seconds and all damage taken will be increased by 10%. In addition, the Scout will run 25% faster. The active weapon will glow and crackle with electricity (similar to a Crit boost, but with a much lighter color). The effect lasts 8 seconds and can be used again in 24 seconds.

• The Crit-a-Cola is a high-risk, high-reward weapon. A Mini-Crit boosted Scattergun is a very powerful weapon, but its glow can single you out as a target, and since you take additional damage, you can die very quickly. Because of this, the Crit-a-Cola encourages an ambush style of play.
  • Sometimes, it's wiser to only fire off a few shots and run away after drinking Crit-a-Cola as opposed to staying and fighting for the whole duration, since you're very susceptible to enemy damage.

• During the 8-second Mini-Crit period, you can fire up to 7 Scattergun shots, 6 Force-A-Nature shots, 9 Shortstop shots, or swing any melee weapon 10 times.

• At point-blank range, one blast from the Scattergun or Force-A-Nature, with the Mini-Crit buff, is capable of killing any 125-HP class from full health. Therefore, if you find yourself behind multiple Snipers, the Crit-a-Cola can give you one kill per shot.

• Mini-Crits don't suffer from damage falloff, so your primary weapon will remain useful at a longer range.

• Combined with the Force-A-Nature, the Mini-Crits provided by Crit-a-Cola can produce a devastating attack. This tactic is best used for taking out a single, high-priority target, such as a Medic with a prepared ÜberCharge, or distracted in the middle of a Kritzkrieg rush. At point-blank range, a single round is capable of dealing up to 150 damage, making it possible to kill any class (besides overhealed Heavies) with both rounds under ideal circumstances.

• The Crit-a-Cola pairs well with the Shortstop because you can take down any class in one clip with Mini-Crits. The Shortstop's extra range and tighter spread combined with Mini-Crits not being affected by damage falloff allows the Scout to effectively strike opponents with Mini-Crits from a safer distance than is possible with the Scattergun or Force-A-Nature.

• The Crit-a-Cola and Soda Popper can be used together well because the speed boost from the Crit-a-Cola allows the Scout to charge the Soda Popper's hype meter more quickly. The speed boost can also allow for much farther jumps while the Soda Popper's hype is activated.
  • However, you sacrifice a secondary weapon, making you less effective at long range.

• If you're using the Crit-a-Cola, and you're lucky enough to catch several opponents unaware simultaneously, take advantage of the fact that your melee weapon is extremely quiet, and does not require reloading like guns do.

• When you get covered in Jarate, DO NOT drink Crit-a-Cola. As Mini-Crits stack with 10% increased damage taken, it worsens the downside of the Crit-a-Cola. Also, even if you use the Crit-a-Cola intending to use the speed boost to escape, you will likely be taken down during your escape, as Mini-crits do not suffer damage falloff.
  • Similarly, if the enemy team is pushing with any Mini-Crit boost, do not drink the Crit-a-Cola for under the same reason.
  • On the flipside, there are no advantages except for increased speed against an enemy who has a Critical hit Boost, as their Criticals will still stack with your 10% increased damage debuff.

• Never drink the Crit-a-Cola when under the effects of a friendly Buff Banner, a Critical hit Boost, or when facing an enemy covered in Jarate. Your Mini-Crits do not stack with Critical hits or other Mini-Crits, and weakening yourself with a 10% increased damage debuff is detrimental.

• When facing an enemy Scout under the effects of the Crit-a-Cola, consider drinking your own Crit-a-Cola, as he will deal Mini-Crits on you but you can only deal 10% increased damage and will be harder to hit due to his increased speed.
  • Since Mini-Crits do not suffer damage falloff, the enemy can kill you from a distance more easily than you can kill him. As you are vulnerable while drinking the Crit-a-Cola, it is better to hide, drink it, then fight back.

• Coordinate drinking Crit-a-Cola with a friendly Soldier's Battalion's Backup; the defense boost will overcome your increased vulnerability and will allow you to deal Mini-Crits with slightly increased resistance to damage.

• Avoid drinking the Crit-a-Cola when facing alert Soldiers or Demomen. You will die to one or two direct hits from the regular Rocket Launcher or Grenade Launcher, and if you are using the Sandman, one point-blank Shotgun blast can also kill you.

• It's recommended to avoid using the Sandman when equipped with the Crit-a-Cola, simply because the 15 health you would lose may be very well needed during the Mini-Crit period.

• Keep in mind when you use the Crit-a-Cola, you will automatically switch to your currently equipped Melee weapon after drinking Crit-a-Cola, so remember to either have a plan for using your melee weapon, or switch as quickly as you can to your primary weapon.

• The speed boost from Crit-a-Cola can allow you to rush very effectively; this can be useful to quickly sneak by enemies undetected or to rush to a point at the start of a King of the Hill or Special Delivery match.
  • Likewise, the additional speed may be useful to get back to the front lines after respawning or retreating a fair distance behind friendly lines. Take note, however, that this means you will have to wait for it to recharge before you can use it in the battle, and that you will be more vulnerable to enemies that have wandered closer to your spawn point.
  • Alternatively, the extra speed can be used to stage a successful retreat. Be vigilant in avoiding incoming damage, however, as the increased damage you take may prove fatal.

• When using the Baby Face's Blaster with the Crit-a-Cola, it is much easier to get your boosts (both speed and damage) at a distance. It also negates the clip size penalty on the Blaster due to the Mini-Crits. Since it increases the speed you run at, it also decreases the running speed penalty initially incurred by the Blaster.

Mad Milk + reskins

Weapon	Ammo		Effect
	Loaded	Carried	Effect on Enemies	Effect on Teammates	Duration	Recharge Time
Craft Mad Milk	1	∞	60% of all damage dealt is returned as health. Also shorts out Cloak.	Extinguishes flame on yourself and/or teammates.	6 seconds / 2.5 seconds	24 seconds
Uncrate Mutated Milk

• The Mad Milk is a craftable secondary weapon for the Scout. Mad Milk is a thrown weapon that covers enemies in the substance. 60% of all damage (except for afterburn) will heal anyone who attacks a player covered in Mad Milk. Similar to Jarate, it will nullify the Cloak of enemy Spies and extinguish teammates and the player when on fire. The Mad Milk has a recharge time of 24 seconds.

• The Mad Milk allows you to remain in combat for longer without dying or retreating, since you will regain health as you do damage.

• The Mad Milk can actually be more effective with the Scattergun over the Shortstop, as the two extra shots can keep you alive longer using Mad Milk's effect.

• While still risky, Mad Milk makes head-on approaches to bulky classes like the Heavies more viable, as it allows you to need fewer chances to drop out and hide.

• Using Mad Milk on classes like the Heavies can be a great benefit to your team because it allows your teammates to regain large amounts of health, due to the Heavy's slow speed and high health.

• Mad Milk is also a great supplement for an offensive push, allowing attackers to replenish their health quickly.
  • For example, while using the Kritzkrieg's high damage output, teammates heal a great amount of health due to the fact that they will be healing 180% (60% * 3) of the damage they do while under the effects of the Kritzkrieg.

• Thanks to your maneuverability, Mad Milk comes in handy when used against enemies in the front lines. Simply throw it in and retreat while firing to both heal yourself and teammates. This makes overpowering the enemy much easier during pushes.

• Hitting an enemy with the Fan O'War and dousing them with Mad Milk will return more health per hit.

• Mad Milk is a useful tool for dealing with enemy Spies. The dripping effect will blow their cover if they're disguised and prevent them from evading your team by cloaking.
  • Additionally, the white particles of any player dripping in milk makes them more visible in dark maps such as Sawmill.

Winger

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Craft Winger		5	36	25	15-19	10-12	52

• The Winger is a craftable secondary weapon for the Scout. It is much like the Pistol, but with only 5 rounds per magazine counterbalanced by 15% more damage per round. It also allows the user to jump 25% higher when active.

• The Winger is a better weapon-heckling version of the Pistol, inflicting higher damage per round in exchange for a much smaller magazine.

• Much of the strategy incorporated with the use of the Pistol can be used with the Winger, but players must be wary of the Winger's quick, but frequent, reloading.

• The higher base damage of the Winger makes it better suited for taking out Sentry Guns at a distance; remember that shots fired at buildings don't factor in damage ramp-up/fall-off.
  • However, the larger clip of the Pistol makes for more sustained damage. Choose whichever one is preferable for the engagement.

• Despite its drawback, the Winger can be seen as a direct upgrade to the Pistol. Its drawback, 5 rounds per mag, allows players to manage the ammo pool of the Winger more easily, and the increased damage, while not as great as the Pistol's damage-per-second due to its larger clip, is still useful as a backup weapon with your primary weapons. Consider this when determining your loadout.

• The Winger is a more precise and rewarding version of the Pistol. If you can't aim well, consider using the Pistol.

• The increase in jump height applies to every jump the Scout makes, including Atomizer and Soda Popper's extra jumps.

Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Craft Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol		12	36	22	13-17	8-10	45

• The Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol is a craftable secondary weapon for the Scout. It boosts the Scout's max health to 140 and negates any fall damage, but comes with a 50% fire damage increase (including afterburn) and fires 25% slower than the stock Pistol.

• It is generally best to avoid direct fights with Pyros and not engage unless you are ambushing them. If you are lit on fire, the afterburn will cause a very high amount of damage and likely kill you unless you find a health kit, Medic, or any other fire-extinguishing source.

• The Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol's health boost will nullify the health penalty of the Sandman, so consider using both together.

Flying Guillotine

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Critical	Recharge Time
Craft Flying Guillotine		1	∞	50	150	6 seconds
Bleeding		N/A	N/A	40 damage over 6 seconds	N/A	N/A

• The Flying Guillotine is a craftable secondary weapon for the Scout. It is a thrown weapon that causes bleeding when it hits an enemy. It does not roll for random critical hits, but instead deals mini-crit damage provided the weapon has been thrown from a long range. It also scores guaranteed crits when thrown at stunned enemies.

• The Flying Guillotine deals no damage to buildings: when thrown at any building, the weapon will simply bounce off.

• One can pair the Flying Guillotine with the Sandman, which can provide a deadly combination: stunning an enemy with the Sandman's ball and then following up with the Flying Guillotine will cause an automatic critical hit on that enemy.

• Bleeding damage included, a regular hit will fill up most of the Baby Face Blaster's boost gauge in one hit.

• This weapon can be very useful on Payload matches because when pushing the cart, most players will be moving slowly and/or not paying attention to whatever doesn't pose an immediate threat to themselves, so you can dish out a solid amount of damage, plus the added bleeding effect negates the healing from the cart and you can move in and easily kill the player with your Scattergun.

• Paired with the Force-A-Nature, you can use the Flying Guillotine to cripple an enemy's health greatly, and while they go to find a health kit, you can chase them down with the Force-A-Nature and finish them off with 2 quick shots to the back. This works better with lower-health classes like Sniper, Spy, or even another Scout, while leaving the classes with more health to your teammates.

Melee Weapons

Bat + reskins

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical
Stock Bat		0.5 seconds	35	105
Promotional Saxxy
Drop Conscientious Objector
Uncrate Festive Bat
Promotional Frying Pan
Promotional Freedom Staff
Drop Bat Outta Hell
Drop Ham Shank

• You may prefer to kill situationally-unaware or aiming-impaired Heavies with the Bat by circle strafing around them or jumping on top of their large bodies. A couple of fast hits with the Bat can take out injured or weaker classes quickly. This is useful when you're low on ammo, or your primary and secondary weapons need to be reloaded.

• You may use the bat when ambushing an enemy who is constantly strafing (as melee weapons require less precise aim to hit).

• Unless under the conditions described above, you'd generally be better off using your Scattergun.

Sandman

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical	Stun Time	Recharge Time
Unlock Sandman		0.5 seconds	35	105	N/A	N/A
		0.25 seconds	15	45	1-7 seconds	15 seconds

• The Sandman is an unlockable melee weapon for the Scout. With secondary fire, the Scout will launch a baseball that will stun an enemy on hit for 1-8 seconds, depending on the distance the ball has traveled, but carrying this weapon will lower the Scout's maximum health by 15, to a total of 110. Stunned targets are not totally immobile, but are considerably slowed and cannot jump or attack. Hitting an enemy with the ball at maximum range will render the target immobile. The ball has a recharge rate of 15 seconds, but can instantly be reused by picking up a baseball that has been launched by you or another Scout.
  • The ball counts as a projectile, and can be airblasted.
  • A launched ball lingers for 3 seconds if it hits someone, or 15 seconds if it doesn't.

• The Sandman is a great tool for stunning key targets, like Heavies, Medics, or Snipers.

• Critical hits lengthen the stun time. The baseball also uses the same base crit chance of 17% as any melee weapon, making such criticals relatively common.

• When equipping the Sandman, be aware that you start with only 110 health. A Soldier can kill you with a single rocket up close, as can a Demoman with a well placed explosive.

• The Sandman can be a great supportive weapon for your team. Stunning a target that has a Kritzkrieg activated on them can halt the enemy's push.

• If you are caught in a bad situation, the stun can buy you enough time to get to safety.

• Similarly, if you are in a situation to get the first strike, stunning your opponent can give you time to do fatal damage before they can react.

• A lone Engineer is another prime target for the Sandman's ball. While stunned, the Engineer cannot repair his Sentry Gun. Use this opportunity to attack the Sentry Gun. This is especially useful if the Sentry Gun is being Wrangled; stunning the Engineer will deactivate the Sentry Gun.

• Aiming the stun ball isn't always easy, but in certain areas it can be. For example, the bridge in Badlands is just long enough for you to hit an enemy with a moon shot, a maximum strength stun, and it is relatively easy to hit someone with it since the bridge is a straight pathway.

• Avoid using the Sandman with Crit-a-Cola, as the 15 health deduction will cause you to die quicker while taking 10% increased damage.

Holy Mackerel + reskins

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical
Craft Holy Mackerel		0.5 seconds	35	105
Craft Unarmed Combat
Uncrate Festive Holy Mackerel

• The Holy Mackerel and Unarmed Combat are craftable melee weapons for the Scout. Each hit will be announced on the kill feed, and with a kill will show "FISH KILL!" or "ARM KILL!", but otherwise functions the same as a Bat.

• Hitting a cloaked Spy will be displayed on the kill feed. Conversely, killing a Dead Ringer Spy or hitting a disguised Spy will not be displayed in the kill feed.

• The Holy Mackerel and Unarmed Combat will make your presence known to any enemy who looks at the kill feed and draw attention to you.

Candy Cane

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical
Craft Candy Cane		0.5 seconds	35	105

• The Candy Cane is a craftable melee weapon for the Scout. When the player kills an enemy, a small Health pack is dropped regardless of what weapon the player was using in order to kill the enemy. As a drawback, the Scout takes 25% more damage from explosives.

• Killing an enemy with any of your weapons while you have the Candy Cane equipped will drop a health kit.

• Try to avoid Soldiers and Demomen due to the explosive damage penalty. With the Candy Cane equipped, a direct hit from any of their primary weapons at point-blank range will instantly kill you.

• Using the Mad Milk with the Candy Cane can allow you to fully heal yourself and teammates if no Medics or Health kits are nearby.

• Use the Candy Cane to check for Dead Ringer Spies, as feigned deaths will not drop Health kits.

• A successful kill with the Candy Cane in Medieval mode will cause two health kits to be dropped instead of one.

• The Candy Cane can be both a blessing and a curse when fighting groups of enemies. While the dropped Health packs can allow you and your teammates to stay in the fight for longer, they can also be picked up by the enemy, making them more difficult to kill.

Boston Basher + reskins

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical
Craft Boston Basher		0.5 seconds	35	105
Promotional/Craft Three-Rune Blade
Bleeding		40 damage over 5 seconds	N/A	N/A

• The Boston Basher is a craftable melee weapon for the Scout. On hit, the enemy will bleed for 5 seconds, but on miss, it will apply the damage and bleed effect to the user. The user will not be damaged when hitting a teammate, any world geometry, or a prop.

• Don't hold the attack button. Instead, keep tapping it when the enemy is close to minimize missing.

• The bleed effect can be useful for preventing Spies from escaping by cloaking. However, trying to hit a Spy that has already turned invisible is inadvisable.

• The Crit-a-Cola can be useful with the Boston Basher; self inflicted damage will not be boosted by Crit-a-Cola's effect, and the Mini-Crits will greatly increase the bleed damage on an enemy player.

• By hitting yourself while being healed, you can boost a friendly Medic's charge speed.

• By swinging right before jumping, you can boost yourself with the self damage of the Boston Basher to heights comparable to the Pyro's Detonator jump.
  • By combining the boost of the Boston Basher with the ability of the Force-A-Nature to perform a third jump, you can jump over long stretches of a map.

• If you land a successful hit on an enemy using the Boston Basher while the enemy is coated in Mad Milk, the bleed damage will heal you.

• If you end up making yourself bleed, you can stop the bleeding by drinking Bonk! Atomic Punch and getting a Health kit to recover.

Sun-on-a-Stick

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical
Promotional/Craft Sun-on-a-Stick		0.5 seconds	26	79

• The Sun-on-a-Stick is a craftable melee weapon for the Scout. It delivers 25% less damage than the Bat, but guarantees a Critical hit whenever you strike a burning enemy.

• Only equip the Sun-on-a-Stick when you have a Pyro on your team, as the Critical hits only come into play when your opponent is suffering from afterburn.

• The best gamemode to use this weapon in is Medieval mode. Snipers and Pyros can light opponents on fire with the Huntsman and the Sharpened Volcano Fragment.

Fan O'War

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical	Marked for Death Time
Promotional/Craft Fan O'War		0.5 seconds	4	13	15 seconds

• The Fan O'War is a craftable melee weapon for the Scout. A player hit by the Fan O'War will be "marked for death", indicated by the enemy having a skull with crossbones floating above their head, and all damage they take will be Mini-Crits. The "marked for death" effect lasts 15 seconds. As a drawback, the Fan O' War deals 90% less damage on hit.
  • The Fan O' War's effect can only be applied to one enemy at a time.

• Remember that the Fan O'War is essentially the melee equivalent of Crit-a-Cola; while you don't receive increased damage from enemies, it still requires that you get within point-blank range of enemies, so timing is still vital.

• Note that ambushing and good maneuvering are crucial with the Fan O'War; whether you're using it on the front lines or the opposing base, remember that surprising the enemy is key to landing a hit (as rushing straight towards almost any class is not a great idea).
  • Try attacking enemies that are by themselves, so that you aren't killed by his teammates once you mark him for death.

• The Fan O'War is perfect for countering Spies; even if a marked Spy cloaks with a Dead Ringer, the skull symbol will remain above their head, allowing you to prevent his escape.

• Because of the significant decrease in damage, the Fan O'War is not a weapon for dealing damage. Use your Primary and Secondary weapons to deal damage once you have marked a target for death.

Atomizer

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			On Enemies	On Buildings	Self-Damage	Critical
Craft Atomizer		0.65 seconds	28	35	10	84

• The Atomizer is a craftable melee weapon for the Scout. It grants the Scout the ability to triple jump with a cost of 10 self-damage on the third jump, but also has a 30% slower swing speed in addition to 20% less damage done to players.

• The Atomizer's third jump can be useful, but choose wisely when to triple jump. The 10 health points you lose can be critical at times.

• If you are about to take fall damage after using your double jump, don't be afraid to use the triple jump to save yourself. It is less risky to lose 10 health than to take more damage from falling.

• With the Force-A-Nature equipped, you can perform a Quad Jump by combining the Atomizer's triple jump with the Force-A-Nature's knock back.

• Consider bringing the Bonk! Atomic Punch when using the Atomizer, as the self-damage from the triple jump is negated by Bonk!'s invulnerability boost.

• Using the Atomizer's third jump, you can often take shortcuts into places in the map you couldn't otherwise reach. Try using them for devastating flanks.

• If you have the Force-A-Nature equipped, it's normally a better idea to use the knock back instead of doing a triple jump, as this won't waste any health.

• Consider not pairing the Atomizer with the Baby Face's Blaster, as the Blaster loses some of its speed boost each jump, which penalizes you for jumping.

Wrap Assassin

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical	Recharge Time
Craft Wrap Assassin		0.5 seconds	11	32	N/A
		0.25 seconds	15	45	15 seconds
Bleeding		40 damage over 5 seconds	N/A	N/A	N/A

• The Wrap Assassin is a craftable melee weapon for the Scout. It allows you to launch a Bauble similar to the Sandman's baseball, but causes damage and bleeding on hit instead of stun. The drawback is its melee damage, which is reduced by 70%.

• The bleed damage of the Wrap Assassin can greatly benefit from Crit-a-Cola as it will deal a greater amount of damage to enemies.

• Try to aim at groups of people clustered together, such as near a control point, to increase your chance of hitting a target.

• Although the Flying Guillotine does more damage and has a faster recharge time, the Wrap Assassin allows you to choose a secondary of your preference and retain a weapon that causes a bleeding effect.

Taunt Attacks

Home Run

	Kill Icon	Weapon	Damage	Duration	Details
Grand Slam		Sandman Atomizer	500	5 seconds	The Scout points to the sky, winds up, and swings a deadly blow.

• It is advisable to only use your killing taunt on scoped Snipers, very distracted Heavies, or someone that has been stunned by a critical ball because the taunt animation takes so long.

• The taunt is best used for revenge during humiliation. If you're on the losing team, try to lure an enemy close to you but be sure to take heed of the taunt's attack time so that you can kill them as they walk by.

• If you manage to hit a target with a ball at just over the range required to halt their movement completely, if you start running towards them before the ball lands and do the Sandman's taunt-kill, you can finish the animation before the target is able to move out of the way. You need an area long enough to hit a ball far enough to get the complete immobilization effect, an unobstructed straight path to your stunned target, and a good deal of luck to pull this off.

• You can use this taunt attack after drinking Bonk! Atomic Punch to be invulnerable during the taunt. You can, however, still be knocked back, ruining the taunt attempt.

• This taunt is completely quiet until executed. However, the kill gives off a much louder sound upon execution. Be sure to get ready for any attention you'll draw to yourself from the loud cheering sound after a successful Home Run.

Weapon combinations

Example Combinations
Combo			Usage
Scattergun or Force-A-Nature	Pistol or Bonk! Atomic Punch	Bat or Sandman	This balanced, offensive stock Scout set focuses on allowing you to do what the Scout was intended for: capturing the intelligence in a Capture the Flag game or a point in Control Point gamemodes in a blink of the eye. The Scattergun's larger magazine size compared to the Force-A-Nature's makes up for the lack of a Pistol, while the Force-A-Nature allows you to finish off any injured opponents or push away other defenders that may stand in your way. Bonk! Atomic Punch is most useful when you need to get by enemy Sentry Guns in order to capture a control point, capture the intelligence, or allow you to run past unharmed with ease, but isn't much to fully stop a Sentry for good, or for mid-ranged self defense, unlike the Pistol. If you need to augment your survivability, swap the Sandman for the Bat. The Sandman's ability to hit a stun ball, however, can serve as a last minute attack when either Scattergun needs to be reloaded, or as an offensive mechanism to get in a couple of easy hits. Use caution while using the Sandman, however; the Sandman's -15 health drops your health down to only 110, allowing Demomen and Soldiers to kill you with one shot at close range. Should you not make a Scattergun kill, either close in again with the Pistol if you have one or use your stun ball as you retreat to prevent the enemy from following you.
Force-A-Nature	Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol	Bat	This is a balanced loadout for the Scout based on a more "defensive" playstyle, useful for playing gamemodes such as Payload, Capture the Flag, and Control Points. The Force-A-Nature, while it's mostly used for it's stopping power on offense, can also be used for it's knockback on defense and can temporarily disorient a foe and leave them in the line of Sentry Gun, or teammate, fire; especially at close range, this weapon can be very devastating. The Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol is used for the health increase that makes the Scout's health rival that of a Vita-Saw Medic, and a passive addition to the removal of to all fall damage, but makes him even more vulnerable to Pyros, even with the increased health. The Stock Bat is also essential, as using the Sandman would simply remove the health increase altogether making it completely useless. The Holy Mackerel, while optional, can also be used to Spy check, with the absence of Mad Milk or a Pyro buddy in sight.
Shortstop	Crit-a-Cola	Boston Basher	Pairing the Shortstop with the Crit-a-Cola is a viable way to deal large amounts of burst damage. The Shortstop deals high damage with Mini-Crits, and paired with 4 rounds per magazine and a speedy reload, it is potentially lethal even to Heavies. The Boston Basher is great with the Crit-a-Cola due to its bleeding effect. Given that Crit-a-Cola also makes you prone to guaranteed Mini-Crits as well, it's important to have a nearby healing source or Medic in case you miss with the Boston Basher.
Shortstop or Scattergun	Mad Milk	Sandman	This is a great combo when you want to help your team survive longer. The Shortstop and Scattergun are excellent weapons when you don't have your Pistol equipped. When a Medic is not around, the Mad Milk's ability will provide your teammates with an opportunity to heal when they hit a soaked enemy. The Mad Milk will also reveal cloaked Spies, aiding your team with Spy checking. The Sandman's ball can stun an enemy and allow your teammates to quickly kill him.
Shortstop	Mad Milk	Candy Cane	This is an ideal loadout for Medieval mode. Since the only explosive attack is from the Ullapool Caber, the Candy Cane coupled with the Mad Milk, can help you and your teammates survive long enough to capture a point. In normal gameplay, however, you need to be careful to not engage in front line combat unless required because of the likelihood of stray explosives. Because of the additional health this loadout provides to your team, it is also very useful in Arena mode.
Scattergun or Force-A-Nature	Pistol	Fan O'War	This combo best uses the Fan O'War, as it allows you to capitalize on the Mini Crits with weaponry that has the the most ammunition and the overall best power output. Using the Fan O'War will make the best out of a bad situation, such as when going up against a Heavy with the Natascha, or a Soldier or Demoman in a tight corridor. Consider using this loadout when you know you will be facing high HP enemies.
Scattergun	Mad Milk	Sun-on-a-Stick	This combination is recommended if you want to provide support for Pyros on your team. The Sun-on-a-Stick's guaranteed Critical hits on burning players allows for easy kills when working in conjunction with a Pyro. Mad Milk will provide more health for Pyros against a group of enemies, and allows them guaranteed critical hits if they are using the Neon Annihilator. The Scattergun can damage burning enemies from a distance, hastening their death due to afterburn, or weaken high HP classes such as the Heavy or Soldier. This load out also works well in Medieval Mode if you have a Pyro on your team.
Shortstop or Force-A-Nature	Mad Milk	Fan O'War	This setup is for an entirely support-based Scout. The Mad Milk can be thrown onto any approaching enemies to allow your teammates to restore health, while the Fan O'War allows your team to deal more damage to high-priority targets. Both of these weapons can also be used to reveal cloaked or disguised Spies; The Mad Milk will drip from them when hit, and the 'Marked for Death' symbol will remain above their heads for 10 seconds after a successful hit. Both of them are also unaffected by the Dead Ringer, making them yet more effective. The Shortstop's fast firing rate and short reload time make up for a lack of Pistol (or melee weapon), whereas the Force-A-Nature makes up for a lack of firepower, and at close ranges can knock enemy players away from important locations and allow you to reach more advantageous positions to throw Mad Milk from or prepare to flank from.
Force-A-Nature	Pistol or Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol	Atomizer	This combination allows you to reach tremendous heights by using the Atomizer's triple jump ability in combination with the Force-A-Nature's knockback jumps to pull off a quadruple jump to reach great heights. However, as the Atomizer does little damage, it's best to use Force-A-Nature blasts, followed by a retreat with the Pistol if you don't have enough time to reload the Force-A-Nature. If you have the Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol in your disposal, you will be given the advantage of some extra health as well as immunity to fall damage, so you don't have to worry if you fall from a great height. Remember that the Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol fires 25% slower than your stock Pistol and you will take 50% more damage from fire.
Soda Popper	Crit-a-Cola	Fan O'War	This loadout is for Scouts who want to hit hard and hit often. The Crit-a-Cola, the heart of this set, can be used to immediately run in with Mini-Crits, while running around with the Soda Popper out will increase its own Hype gauge. Controlling how often you run and what weapon you're holding when you do will allow you to activate the Soda Popper's jump boost as soon as the Crit-a-Cola's effect wears off, or to wait until the next skirmish. The Fan O'War will allow you to mark a single enemy to continue the Mini-Crits while your other weapons' effects recharge. Your teammates will also get the Mini-Crit boost on marked targets, should you retreat or get killed. Always make sure you have plenty of primary ammo, else you could be left with nothing to defend yourself. Also, beware of Engineer buildings and enemies buffed by a Batallion's Backup, as Mini-Crits do not affect either.
Scattergun	Mad Milk	Boston Basher	This loadout is good for surviabilty and is best when combining the Mad Milk's self healing with the the Bleeding by the Boston Basher or Three-Rune Blade, causing self healing over time. The Scattergun can quickly dispatch enemies at close range for burst healing when enemies are covered in Mad Milk.
Baby Face's Blaster	Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol	Bat or Sandman or Candy Cane	The Public Enemy Setup When used together, The Public Enemy Setup can be very effective. The Baby Face's Blaster's discourages jumping, which the fall damage negation presented by the Pocket Pistol complements. The boost provided by the Baby Face's Blaster presents more opportunities for ambushes, which makes the Pocket Pistol effective. Stay away from Pyros, however, as they will be your biggest threat. When using the Candy Cane, if you are set on fire, you can improve your chances of survival by extinguishing yourself with a dropped health pack.
Baby Face's Blaster	Pistol or Winger or Flying Guillotine	Wrap Assassin or Sandman	This set is centered on building Boost quickly, and then using the increased speed to your advantage, through weapon heckling, for example. A Pistol is recommended over other Scout secondaries, as its higher rate of fire and quick reload can make it easier to quickly build Boost quicker. While the Pistol does less damage, its clip size makes it easier to spam, and is recommended for Scouts who are not as accurate when in motion. The Winger does more damage, and a full clip of damage can almost fill up the Boost meter, but the reduced clip means a less accurate Scout may spend more precious time reloading than doing damage. The Flying Guillotine can also build the Boost very quickly. Although it is harder to land hits, a single hit will fill the Boost almost all of the way. The Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol, however, doesn't build the Boost as quickly due to its slower firing rate, and the fire vulnerability of the Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol will make a Pyro encounter almost assuredly lethal, especially if your Boost is too low at the time to outrun the Pyro. However, you must be careful near drops, as if you fall, you will have to choose between either taking fall damage or giving up your Boost. The Wrap Assassin is the preferred melee weapon for this set. The damage reduction is negligible at first, as melee weapons will not be as useful with an initially low speed. However, the ability to inflict Bleed at long ranges can fill over half of your Boost meter. Also, this allows you to be able to build Boost over time without having to put yourself in harm’s way. However, if you are using the Flying Guillotine, another bleeding projectile is redundant. The Sandman's stun can make it easier to land hits on an enemy, will give a critical hit with the Guillotine, and fill your Boost meter instantly. Also, it deals full damage, so once your Boost is full, you have a functional melee weapon to fight with. You must be very careful, however, as your survivability is reduced with the 15 health penalty of the Sandman. While the Boston Basher and Three-Rune Blade can also inflict Bleed, you will not be able to catch up to an enemy quickly with a low Boost, and when Boost is high, you may be going too fast to hit accurately with a melee weapon, and thus risk inflicting Bleed on yourself.
Baby Face's Blaster	Bonk! Atomic Punch	Sandman	This set monopolizes on your ability to make quick getaways and use hit-and-run tactics. While using this set initially leaves Scout vulnerable with his slow starting speed and 110 HP, the reward is often worth the risk. The Baby Face's Blaster gives the Scout 172.5% base speed at full boost, allowing him to fly in and out of battle at blazing speeds. Pairing this with the Bonk! Atomic Punch's effects gives you the absolute maximum infiltration and retreating potential. Capture the Flag maps become fairly easy for grabbing the intelligence if the opposing team doesn't have many Sentry Guns. Arena and King of the Hill modes are also less intimidating in that you can retreat to heal with minimal chance of being injured while running away. The Sandman is used to stun enemies, further opening your window of opportunity to close in quickly for a kill or to escape on a whim.
Force-A-Nature or Soda Popper	Crit-a-Cola or Flying Guillotine	Sandman	This setup mainly focuses on the Scout using alternative routes to sneak up on opponents and deal a lot of damage in a short period of time. The Force-A-Nature and Soda Popper are preferred over the other Scatterguns due to their faster firing rate. If using the Force-A-Nature, the Crit-a-Cola is the preferred secondary weapon of choice, as it will enable you to kill most classes in a single Force-A-Nature clip. If not, the Flying Guillotine can be used as a long ranged backup weapon. Soda Popper's jump boost will allow you to reach massive heights, while also ambushing from behind the enemy's defenses. The Sandman's ability to fire stun balls can be used to ambush or escape combat more effectively. If using the Flying Guillotine and Sandman together, you can stun enemies and follow up with a critical cleaver for a quick kill.
Baby Face's Blaster	Crit-a-Cola	Bat or Sandman or Fan O'War or Wrap Assassin	This set focuses on maximizing the Scout's movement speed to it's fullest potential, making you a very hard target to hit, at the cost of survivability, and requires good aiming. The Baby Face Blaster rivals the other Scatterguns' power, yet, decreased magazine make it slightly less useful. Coupled with the Crit-a-Cola, a Scout, especially if hitting multiple targets at close to mid range, can build boost almost instantly, and included with the movement boost provided by Crit-a-Cola, the Scout is even more faster, however, since you take in increased damage if Crit-a-Cola is currently in use, can make short work of you, but most of the time, you will be fast enough to dodge most projectiles, just be careful for explosives, and airblasting Pyros. The Bat makes up for the Sandman's health reduction, but with the Sandman, you can stun enemies to make them more vulnerable to your combo, but you are now even more vulnerable to explosives and Pyros, so watch out. The Fan O' War can also help your teammates out, by making enemies take in Mini Crits, instead of normal damage, while also giving you even more versatility to use Mini Crits and the Wrap Assassin's bleed effect, with Crit-a-Cola, can make you accumulate boost even faster but when choosing the latter do not plan on trying to finish your opponents with these two weapons, since the reduced damage makes them a liability, not suitable for damaging opponents.
Soda Popper	Winger	Atomizer	The #1 Fan This setup rewards good aiming and ambushing tactics, with increased damage output and jumping height. The faster reload speed of the Soda Popper gives your enemies less time to catch you unarmed, while its faster firing speed helps you to kill unaware foes before they can even react. The "Hype" meter fills up by simply running or falling, and the additional air jump when activating "hyper" allow Scout to have much better aerial maneuverability, allowing you to flank your enemies and set up ambushes The increased damage of the Winger, along with its jump boost, allows you to easily jump over obstacles, enemies, and even higher. Keep in mind that you should focus on Hit-And-Run tactics because of the reduced clip size of both the Soda Popper and the Winger. The Atomizer's third jump provide a good fall back to help you in to escape when your hype meter is not filled, but be aware that it does take 10hp when said ability was used. The best way to use the set is fill up the hype meter, then switch to the Winger for the majority of the time. When needed to, switch to the popper, activate hype, and then switch back to Winger to boost the air-jumps. This allow you to jump over enemies heads and shoot them from behind.
Unless marked with a †, all weapons can be substituted with reskins.

Cooperative Class Strategies

 Scout

• An experienced Scout alone is powerful, but two or more, or even a squadron can cause massive havoc for the enemy team. A coordinated ambush can easily take down any enemy with ease.
• Because a Scout's main duties are to provide a distraction and rush to the objective, one Scout has the ability to distract a whole team at once by shooting from one route, while another Scout can go through an alternate route to the objective without any hassle.
• When teaming up with another Scout, make sure your loadout complements their loadout's weaknesses. For example, a Scout equipped with the Flying Guillotine, but not the Sandman, usually doesn't do much alone; however, if you're equipped with the Sandman, you can be a deadly combo.
  • A team of Scouts can fulfill many roles; distracting Sentry Guns with Bonk, stun enemies for a powerful Scattergun blast to take them down, heal teammates and Spy check via Mad Milk, and even take down a Heavy-Medic combo.
• If a team is experienced enough and is willing to cooperate, they can utilize a Scout Rush to swarm over enemy objectives before the enemy team has time to prepare a defense.
  • In Capture the Flag, a team of Scouts can get to the enemy base before the other team has time to set up defenses. Once the Scouts are situated in the flag room, it is only a matter of time before they capture the flag.
  • In Attack/Defend, a team of BLU Scouts can overwhelm the RED defense before they are fully prepared to counter-attack. Coupled with the outrageous capture speed of a Scout rush and the RED team's long respawn time, this strategy is very hard to combat.
  • In Payload Race, the cart only requires two Scouts to reach maximum speed, while the rest of the team can rush to the other cart and prevent them from advancing further. With the majority of teammates focused on the enemy while the enemy is focused on their cart, the attacking team will make easy work of the opposition.

 Soldier

• While it may seem unlikely, a Soldier-Scout team up can easily decimate any obstacle that happens to move into their sights; with the combined power of the Scattergun and Rocket Launcher, it is unlikely that anything will survive.
• This team up can also make a great Anti-Sentry setup; the Scout can use Bonk! Atomic Punch to distract Sentry Guns, while the Soldier can destroy them and any Engineers with a few Rockets.
• If the Soldier's primary weapon is out of ammo, he can still use his Reserve Shooter by having the Scout blast enemies in the air with his Force-A-Nature as the Soldier switches weapons.
• Although the Scout is the master of the ground, the Soldier is the master of the air. While the Scout engages an enemy from below, the Soldier can rocket jump and blast rockets on the ground to overwhelm his enemies. While both teammates are focused on the same enemy, they can easily take down any foe together.
• The Soldier, with his rocket jumps, can be just as mobile and speedy as the Scout. This pairing can be used to their advantage.
  • In Control Points, this means that they can both ambush the same point together with the efficiency of three players. If the Soldier is using the Pain Train, this pair-up is especially effective.
  • In Capture the Flag, this allows the Scout and Soldier to capture the flag in double-time. While the Scout goes into the base to steal the flag, the Soldier waits outside for the Scout. The Scout gives the flag to the Soldier, where he rocket jumps back to his home base. The Scout goes back to the enemy base as he captures, and the cycle starts anew.
  • On Steel, the Soldier and Scout can both rush to Point E while the enemy team is distracted at other control points. The Scout can deny enemy troops a clear path by spamming bullets, and the Soldier can target specific enemies so that they don't interfere.
  • In Payload, a Scout can hide behind the cart while a Soldier can stand on top the cart to shoot at enemies. This pairing defends the Scout's invaluable double-capture bonus while still clearing a straight path to the next capture zone.

 Pyro

• The Pyro and Scout are both excellent and efficient ambushing classes. A coordinated ambush can result in killing practically any enemy without too much effort.
• Pinning an enemy against the wall while stunning him with a Sandman ball can result in an unopposed kill when combined with the Pyro's Airblast and Flamethrower.
• A Pyro who sets an enemy on fire can be finished off quickly by a Scout with the Sun-on-a-Stick, and combined with the Mad Milk, this combo can be even more efficient.
• Enemies doused in Mad Milk can be crit by the Neon Annihilator. In addition to the extra damage, the Mad Milk will heal the Pyro for 94 health on a successful hit.
• A Scout equipped with a Candy Cane that kills an enemy will drop a health pack, which is especially beneficial if the Pyro is carrying the Back Scratcher. A Pyro can light enemies on fire while the Scout provides the finishing blow, giving you both a steady stream of health. Likewise, the Scout's 25% damage vulnerability to explosives can be neutralised by simply airblasting away any explosives.
• The Mad Milk pairs especially well with the Phlogistinator and the Backburner. The Phlogistinator's -10% damage output is made up for by the Mad Milk's healing rate, healing up to 83 health points per second at close range. The Milk lasts the entire length of a Pyro's Mmmph, allowing the Pyro to not only fill up his whole health capacity in under a second, but to also destroy any opponent in range. The Backburner operates on the same principles as the Phlogistinator with its potential for critical damage, but deals standard damage for a slightly faster heal rate and with no cooldown timer for crits.
• The Pyro's Fire combined with the Scout's Bleeding (when equipped with either the Flying Guillotine, Wrap Assassin, Boston Basher, or Three-Rune Blade) has the potential to deal damage ranging from 95-150 health in 10 seconds, depending on the weapon selection of the combos.
• The Scout's Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol's 50% fire damage vulnerability is negated by the Pyro's ability to extinguish teammates on fire.
• If the Pyro is using the Phlogistinator or its primary weapon is out of ammo, the Pyro can still use the Reserve Shooter by having the Scout use his Force-A-Nature in order to blast enemies in the air as the Pyro switches weapons.

 Demoman

• Another unlikely team up, the Demoman and Scout are complete opposites of each other; the Scout focuses on quick, offensive ambushing, while the Demoman focuses on defense and keeping the enemy at bay from mid range. However, when combined, they can fill a number of roles together.
• Mad Milk can offset the -25 health penalty incurred by the Eyelander, giving the Demoman more survivability.
• Because the Sandman ball can stun enemies for quite a long period of time, a Demoman can place multiple Stickybombs around a stunned enemy and detonate them all at once to guarantee an instant kill.
  • The Scout can also use the Force-A-Nature to launch stunned enemies into Stickybomb traps for an easy kill.
• Because the Scout specializes in distractions and weapon heckling, a lone Scout is able to lead an enemy right into a Sticky trap even from far away.

 Heavy

• The Heavy and Scout are complete opposites when it comes to movement speed; the combined force of their weapons, however, is not much of a laughing matter.
• The pair can complement each other's healing capabilities through combining the Heavy's Sandvich and the Scout's Mad Milk.
  • Mad Milk is especially useful with the Dalokohs Bar or Warrior's Spirit, where the former's +50 health increase will give the Heavy even further augmented survivability, and the latter's -20 health decrease will be offset by the constant healing.
• The Heavy's Natascha's slowdown effect combined with the stun effect of a Sandman ball will make enemies practically immobile, giving either of you an easy kill.
• Because the Scout is good for distracting enemies, leading them into the path of a Heavy will force them to retreat, allowing you to finish them off after the Heavy has inflicted his share of damage.
• If a Heavy stands in a narrow doorway expecting enemies to come by, the Scout can use his Bonk! and walk in front of him to act as a human shield. Since enemies can't shoot through you and the friendly Heavy can, the Heavy's survivability greatly increases.
• Because the Heavy carries huge firepower and very slow speed, this makes him a prime target for Spies to backstab him. A Scout can Spy-check the area by throwing his Mad Milk or attacking teammates.

 Engineer

• Scouts, at first, don't seem to be a potential Engineer buddy. However, the Scout's abilities not only make up for what the Engineer lacks, but can also be a vital part of a base.
• If the Engineer is trying to get to the enemy base to build a Teleporter, the Scout should go in front of him to check for danger. Additionally, if enemies come out of one route while the Engineer wants to build in another route (such as the vents on Turbine), the Scout should distract the enemies so that the Engineer can slip by unnoticed.
• Using the Crit-a-Cola while standing next to a Dispenser will offset the +10% damage penalty, allowing you to roast your enemies from afar when coupled with the Shortstop.
• One of the Scout's purposes is to see what's ahead of the team and alert them to it. If a Scout sees an incoming threat, such as a Heavy, Demoman, or Soldier, alert the Engineer as soon as you can so he can prepare better.
  • If it's a weaker class, such as another Scout, it may be best to kill him yourself or let the Sentry Gun kill him.
• One of the Sentry Gun's primary counters is a Heavy and Medic pair. Luckily, the Scout can take action to keep the Sentry active.
  • If a Scout has Bonk! equipped, use it to body-block the Heavy's bullets. The Sentry Gun should kill the Heavy before your invincibility wears off.
  • If the Heavy isn't Ubered, you can use the Sandman's ball in order to stun him for a few seconds and give the Engineer some time to repair.
  • If the Heavy is Ubered, you can use the Force-A-Nature to knock either him or the Medic off-course, messing up his aim. However, this strategy won't work on a Quick-Fix Über, as it prevents all knockback.
  • If you can hit the Heavy with the Fan of War, all damage he takes will be increased by 35%, including ramp-up damage. This will cause the Heavy to take much more damage than a Medic can heal, dramatically decreasing his survivability.
• A Scout has much better Spy-checking abilities than the Engineer does. Use this to your advantage.
  • A Scout's Pistol is useful for surveying the area for Cloaked Spies. If you stand near a Dispenser while spamming bullets, you gain as much ammunition as the Engineer normally would.
  • A Scout's speed allows him to run into teammates to check for Spies; if you can't go through a teammate, he's an enemy Spy. Furthermore, if the Spy attacks you on a reflex, he will reveal himself and be gunned down by the Sentry Gun.
  • If you see an enemy Spy and the Engineer is away from the base, use the Force-A-Nature to knock the Spy backwards in order to prevent him from Sapping the buildings.
  • The Mad Milk will reveal Cloaked and Disguised enemy Spies. If you think you see a Disguised Spy or if he tries to Cloak in order to escape, use your Mad Milk in order to track him down.
  • The Scout's Bleed mechanic works in the same way as the Mad Milk, while dealing damage over time. Don't be afraid to hit teammates with the Boston Basher if you aren't sure he's a Spy; if you hit an ally or a world prop, you won't take any self-damage.
  • The Holy Mackerel or Unarmed Combat will reveal Cloaked Spies in the kill feed when hit. However, they will not reveal Disguised Spies or those using the Dead Ringer.

 Medic

• It isn't recommended for a Scout and Medic to team up, unless the Medic has the Quick-Fix and/or Overdose. The Scout's main job is to protect the Medic at all costs and escort him to other teammates so he can heal them as quick as possible.
• Always be sure to Spy-check, as Medics are usually the main killing priority for Spies; alert teammates immediately if you find a possible Spy that is trying to target your Medic.
• The Crit-a-Cola can be used in a pinch if the Medic needs an extra burst of speed, especially on large maps such as Gravel Pit.
• Because the Scout is usually always low on health, it is a good idea for a Medic to stay nearby in order to top him off as necessary.
  • Keep in mind that in the order of classes to heal, Scouts are a relatively low priority. If more important teammates are injured, heal them first.
• Using the Boston Basher's self-inflicted damage is extremely useful for building an ÜberCharge. If the Scout keeps hurting himself, the Medic will be able to fill his meter in half the time he could if the Scout was at full health.
  • A less effective strategy is to use the Atomizer's triple jump self-damage. Because it only deals 10 damage in a slow time frame as compared to the Boston Basher's large amount of damage in a quick amount of time, this strategy is only viable in a pinch.
• Although a Scout shouldn't be healed all the time, if he has the Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol, his Overheal health will increase to 210 health, even more than a Soldier's normal health.
  • However, the Quick-Fix's Overheal will only go as far as 175 health, as much as a Pyro's normal health.
• Do not ask for an UberCharge to be deployed, unless it's an emergency or if the Medic is using the Kritzkrieg or Quick-Fix; if you do, you can easily waste an ÜberCharge that would have been more beneficial with another teammate.
  • The Kritzkrieg's full critical hits bonus can be very powerful if used correctly. A full Pistol clip, aimed correctly, deals enough damage to take down any class. Additionally, the Scattergun's crits can take down any overhealed target in just 3 hits at close range, even a Heavy.
• Although it's generally a bad idea to pocket a Scout, it can be viable if you use the Quick-Fix.
  • In Control Points, the Scout's speed and evasiveness can allow a Medic and Scout pair to get behind enemy lines in order to back-cap the point. The Scout's firepower and the Medic's rapid healing allows the duo to hold the point until it becomes available to capture.
  • In Capture the Flag, the Medic can ride with the Scout until he reaches the Intelligence room. When the Medic is situated in the enemy base, the Scout can run off without him to capture the flag. The Medic can then wait for teammates to arrive and give them assistance with the next cap.
  • If the Scout uses the Baby Face's Blaster, the Medic will receive speed directly proportional to the Scout's boost bar. When the Scout is at full speed, the Medic will go ludicrously fast, allowing them to get to the front lines much faster.

 Sniper

• The Scout and Sniper can make a good combination, since the Scout focuses on close range combat while the Sniper focuses on long ranged combat, allowing the both of you to guard one another.
• The Sniper and Scout can form an adequate Spy checking team. With the combined force of the Wrap Assassin, Mad Milk or Flying Guillotine, Bushwacka or Tribalman's Shiv, and Jarate, a Spy usually cannot escape.
• A Sniper can protect you from other Scouts and Snipers, if trying to capture an Intelligence, capturing a point, or escorting the Payload, and you can do the same for the Sniper as well.

 Spy

• It's very rare for a Scout to ever team up with a Spy, but it's possible and has potential, due to each classes' tendencies to ambush on command.
• Make it look like you're being chased by an enemy (example, friendly Spy disguised as an enemy Pyro, Heavy, etc), for a quick distraction, allowing the Spy to get an easy kill. It makes it more convincing if the Spy uses the "Help!" command using C+1.
• A Bonk! Atomic Punch distraction combined with the Spy's ability to sap buildings can quickly eliminate an entire sentry nest before reinforcements arrive.
• A Scout can stand in front of the enemy team shooting at them and distracting them while a Spy sneaks up behind them and scores some easy back stabs

See also

• Team strategy
• Double jump