Basic Scout strategy

The Scout is a short range, high speed, fragile class with the ability to double jump. He captures Control Points and Payload carts at double speed.

His role is to flank rapidly, dodge wildly, and kill enemies with his high damage Scattergun.

General

• You are the fastest class in the game, and double-jumping allows you to cross complex terrain in unusual and confusing ways. Don't be predictable, and stay on the move.

• The Scout excels at single combat. If you find players alone, pick them off.

• Stay on the ground while fighting classes with hitscan weapons such as Shotguns. Jumping makes you somewhat predictable. However, against foes with constantly firing weapons or high explosives, jump often and rapidly change directions.

• If a foe is using knock back to trap you, double jump immediately after they've pushed you. If done right, you can pass over their heads or to one side and escape.

• Sentry Guns are your most dangerous foes. Try to destroy them from a corner or at a distance, but don't be surprised if you must avoid them until teammates can assist you.

• The double jump can save you from fall damage. Simply jump just before you hit the ground, or jump to a ledge nearby as you're falling.

• If you have caught an enemy off guard, wait until you are next to him to start shooting. At very short ranges, the Scattergun does well over a hundred damage, and two shots can kill an opponent before they can react.

• If you a meet a slower team-mate who has taken the enemy Intelligence, consider asking him to drop the Intelligence (Default key: 'L') because you can carry it faster.

• You deal excellent damage. With enough practice, you are one of the best combat classes.

• The Scout can "heckle" enemies. Stay at range when foes use weapons that are good at close range, and then approach when enemies use weapons that are good at long range.

Weapon Specific Tips

Scattergun

• While using your Scattergun, don't rely on your mouse alone to track foes. Use your movement to keep the opponent centered on your screen, firing when your cross-hairs and opponent match up. This allows you to focus on moving efficiently and erratically, making you harder to hit, while at the same time making your aim smoother and more accurate via prediction.

• The Scattergun can be used to kill an enemy Medic with an unactivated ÜberCharge before he is aware of your presence. Two point blank shots will normally kill him, while 3-4 at medium range will do the same job.

• Over time, the Scattergun has much higher damage potential than the Force-A-Nature. In short bursts, the Force-A-Nature beats the Scattergun.

Force-A-Nature

• The Force-A-Nature has very high burst damage but can't sustain that damage over time. Engage foes in shorter fights, so that your constant reloading doesn't place you at a disadvantage.

• If you plan on using the Force-A-Nature, you should probably bring the Pistol as well. The Force-A-Nature's small clip size means that without the Pistol, you will be essentially weaponless for the two seconds after you fire both shots.

• Force Jumps and Triple Jumps allow you to reach unusual positions and dodge even more erratically than the double jump allows.

• Use the Force-A-Nature's knock back ability to your advantage. A foe launched into the air is generally predictable, so your second shot can reliably hit your target. Fire the second shot as soon as possible to deal maximum damage!

Shortstop

• Halfway between a Pistol and a Shotgun, the Shortstop deals less damage up close, but it reliably deals excellent damage at range.

• The Critical hits from this weapon are devastating. It generates them like a Pistol, so if you fire one critical in a clip, the rest of the clip is guaranteed to Crit as well.

• The Shortstop draws from the same ammunition reserve as the Pistol. Pairing these two weapons will drain your ammo reserve quickly.

• The Shortstop reloads rapidly, allowing consistent damage over time.

Pistol / Lugermorph

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

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

• Pistol criticals are deadly. If you happen to get first blood in Arena, switch to your Pistol as it can take any class down in one clip, including most overhealed enemies.

• Though the Scattergun trumps it at short ranges, at medium to long ranges your Pistol is an excellent option for dealing consistent damage.

Bonk! Atomic Punch

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

• Bonk! is useful to push through sticky traps to attack the Demoman.

• Bonk! can be used as a temporary ÜberCharge for taking out Sentry Guns, providing a distraction while your teammates attack. This tactic is of particular use on low population servers or on Arena, where ÜberCharges can be quite rare or lengthy to build up.

• Use Bonk! for passing through the enemy team to reach the enemy spawn. You can then destroy teleporter entrances and pick off fragile foes.

• Bonk! can be used to reset an intelligence return countdown, or to keep a Payload cart from moving backwards if it's being heavily defended.

Crit-a-Cola

• 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.

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

• Crit-a-Cola is a good partner for the Shortstop because you can deal excellent damage at range, enough to often kill a Heavy outright.

• Don't drink Crit-a-Cola while 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 Mini-Crit debuff is detrimental.

• Be careful when going up against Snipers with the Bushwacka equipped, as they will Crit you during the effect of the Crit-a-Cola.

Mad Milk

• Mad Milk makes fighting bulky classes like Heavies easier, as your continuous damage will help you tank some of their firepower.

• Mad Milk is also a great supplement for an offensive (or defensive) push, allowing attackers to replenish their health quickly.

• It also gives you some of the benefits of Jarate: extinguishing teammates or yourself, and shorting out nearby Spy cloaking devices.

• Mad Milk is hard to notice on an affected person's HUD (a small white drop next to the health icon). If you can cover someone in milk in the middle of an assault or push, it is unlikely they will notice and could put themselves into a situation that will greatly benefit your teammates.

• Mad Milk does not wash off in water.

Bat

• A swing of the Bat can often kill a player that has been weakened by your Scattergun.

Sandman

• The Sandman's stun ball slows the target and prevents them from using their weapons. The duration of the effect increases with the distance between you and your target.

• The Heavy is one of your best targets for the ball. He's slow and easy to hit, and the stun stops his incredibly high damage. Remember, he will remain spun up while stunned, so be prepared when the stun wears off.

• The Sandman's ball fires with an arc similar to the Flare Gun's, however, the ball launches slightly above the crosshair - take this into account while aiming with the Sandman.

Holy Mackerel

• The Holy Mackerel is exactly like the Bat, except it announces each blow in the kill feed. Use the Bat if you want to remain off the board. Use the fish if you want the attention.

• Hits on disguised Spies do not display in the kill feed.

The Special Delivery Set

• The +25 health this loadout gives you is helpful against other Scouts, afterburn, and wayward explosives.

• Remember that your only ranged weapon will be the Shortstop.

See also

• Community Scout strategy
• Scout match-ups
• Double jump