Obtaining Pyro achievements

Arsonist Destroy 50 Engineer buildings. Difficulty: Easy How to obtain: Try to take out unguarded enemy Teleporters and Dispensers, or attack an Engineer who is just starting to set up, as buildings that are still under construction also count towards this achievement. While it is possible to circle-strafe active Sentry Guns, this only works reliably with those that are level 2 or below. Don’t bother trying this with level 3 Sentry Guns unless you are already positioned behind it or are under the effects of an ÜberCharge. If using the Flamethrower or Degreaser, try to use your compression blast to compromise level 3 Sentry Guns with their own rockets. Play close attention to Engineers who are picking up their buildings (identified by a voice clip as well as a tool box held over their shoulder), who are easy to ambush due to their reduced speed. Their buildings are required to go through all the building animations if fully upgraded, allowing you to destroy even a level 3 Sentry Gun if you attack early enough. Carrying the Backburner or Homewrecker may assist in destroying buildings more quickly. Destroying the Sappers of enemy Spies with the Homewrecker count towards this achievement.

Attention Getter Ignite 100 enemies with the flare gun. Difficulty: Easy How to obtain: Unlike the Flamethrower, the Flare Gun requires precise aim to hit a target. As flares travels in an arc, you must lead and aim above your intended target accordingly. Shooting flares at areas where players tend to congregate, such as control points, Payload carts, and narrow corridors will work well. Snipers, Engineers, and Heavies make great targets for your Flare Gun. Snipers tend to stand still while aiming. Engineers working on their buildings can safely be hit from outside the normal range of a Sentry Gun (beware of the Wrangler). Heavies are large targets and lack the mobility to dodge when spinning their gun. As with all achievements that involve igniting enemies, hitting Pyros with fire will not count, as they do not ignite.

Baptism by Fire Force 10 burning enemies to jump into water. Difficulty: Very Easy How to obtain: Simply patrol areas with bodies of water and ignite any enemies you encounter. They will likely head for the nearest body of water to extinguish themselves. Note that the water has to be deep enough for a player to completely submerge themselves. Thus, certain bodies of water, such as the shallow rivers on Hydro, cannot put players out. It is possible to “help” your opponents into the water by using the compression blast.

BarbeQueQ Cause a dominated player to leave the server. Difficulty: Very Easy How to obtain: While this achievement is largely out of your hands, eventually someone you are dominating will leave the server, so never leave a server when you are dominating another player. Try to avoid direct confrontation with the dominated player to cut down the chance of them taking their revenge. You can get this achievement by dominating a player as any class, then switching to Pyro before they leave the server. Beware that the player you are dominating may be playing as a class that is strong against the Pyro, such as the Soldier or Heavy.

Burn Ward Ignite 3 Medics that are ready to deploy an ÜberCharge. Difficulty: Easy-Medium How to obtain: It is not necessary to kill the Medic for this achievement. You only need to set the Medic on fire, so it is possible to use the Flare Gun at a distance to accomplish this. Coming across a lone Medic who is fully charged is rare. Use alternate routes to flank the Medic and his escorts, attacking before the Medic can activate his charge. Competent Medics will have an ÜberCharge ready before the setup phase on a CP or Payload map ends, presenting an opportune time to ignite them as the round begins. Firing the Flare Gun into the enemy spawn room will occasionally hit a Medic.

Camp Fire Kill 3 enemies in a row, all within the same area. Difficulty: Easy How to obtain: This will usually happen incidentally. Make use of the Pyro’s excellent close-quarters ability and ambush enemies from behind in a busy area or chokepoint. You can attempt to achieve both this and Pyrotechnics at the same time while on the offensive and ÜberCharged. The kills do not all have to be within a certain amount of time, so it is possible to retreat if you run low on health or ammo, and return later.

Clearcutter Kill 6 people with your axe in one life. Difficulty: Hard How to obtain: See Lumberjack. Given the Pyro’s close-quarters nature, it is very hard to survive long enough to find enough targets to safely get this achievement. Play extremely conservatively, only going for easy kills such as Snipers and Spies. Take advantage of 24/7 servers running CTF maps such as 2Fort, which may have increased time and capture limits, allowing you to take your time. A more aggressive way to attain this achievement is with the combination of the Degreaser and Axtinguisher. The faster weapon switch of the Degreaser will allow you to quickly light an enemy on fire and deliver the axtinguisher's critical melee hit. This achievement works with all of the Pyro’s melee weapons, including the Homewrecker and the Powerjack, and is attainable during a match where melee-only is enforced.

Combined Fire Use your shotgun to finish off 20 players you've ignited. Difficulty: Easy-Medium How to obtain: If a foe retreats out of Flamethrower range while firing at you (such as Scouts, Engineers, and Spies), taking out your Shotgun should be the default course of action. Remember to have your Shotgun as your quick-switch weapon, so that you can quickly hit 'Q' to equip it. The faster weapon switch time granted by the Degreaser will allow ignited players to be finished off by the Shotgun more efficiently.

Controlled Burn Ignite 50 enemies capturing one of your control points. Difficulty: Easy How to obtain: This will happen over time. Stay around control points, burn enemies, then let your teammates finish them off. The Payload cart counts as a control point, so igniting enemies pushing it will count towards this achievement. Ambushing the capturers while they are on the point is a surefire way to net multiple points towards this achievement. Remember that the Flare Gun can ignite enemies form a distance, providing a safer alternative.

Cooking the Books Ignite 5 enemies carrying your intelligence. Difficulty: Easy How to obtain: The beginning of a CTF round will usually begin with Scouts rushing towards the enemy intelligence before Engineers can set up proper defenses, so camp the intelligence room and ignite anyone that touches the intelligence. Sniping intelligence carriers with the Flare Gun will also work.

Dance Dance Immolation Kill 3 enemies while they're taunting. Difficulty: Medium How to obtain: Keep an eye out for enemies attempting to get various taunt kill achievements and attack. A Heavy eating a Sandvich will be considered taunting and often be low on health. You may have luck hitting taunting enemies behind the start gates on Attack/Defense or Payload maps. Enemies often taunt during Humiliation, presenting a good opportunity to get points towards this achievement.

Dead Heat Kill an enemy in the same second that he kills you. Difficulty: Easy-Medium How to obtain: An enemy you fight (and lose against) will usually be on fire and close to death once he kills you. Hope that they have taken enough damage to be finished off by the flames after you die. It is possible to accomplish this when fighting an enemy Pyro. Due to the innate lag time of flames, there is a chance that you’ll flame each other to death at the same time.

Fire and Forget Kill 15 players while you're dead. Difficulty: Easy-Medium How to obtain: This achievement will come after a decent amount of Pyro playtime. Attempt to deal as much fire damage as possible before dying. It may help to attack classes that lack the ability to extinguish afterburn as well as steal any nearby Medkits to prevent enemies from extinguishing themselves. Groups without any Medics or Pyros nearby are prime targets, as they will lack the ability to heal or use compression blasts.

Fire Chief Kill 1000 enemies. Difficulty: Easy How to obtain: This is a grinding achievement, and will happen after some time playing as Pyro. Follow the same tactics used for the “Firefighter” achievement.

Firefighter Kill 500 enemies. Difficulty: Easy How to obtain: You will naturally attain this achievement after some time playing as Pyro. Remember that only kills, not assists, count towards this achievement, so always try to be the one to finish off your enemies whenever possible. Play to your strengths, killing unsuspecting Snipers and Spies, and always fight enemies on your own terms. Use flanking and ambushing tactics, and fight in enclosed areas where enemies cannot flee as easily.

Firewall Ignite 5 Spies who have a sapper on a friendly building. Difficulty: Very Easy How to obtain: Hang around friendly Engineer buildings located in high-action choke points on maps as Dustbowl and Gold Rush, where Spies will come along more frequently. Watch the kill notifications for placed Sappers, Spy-check the area if Sappers appear on the buildings, and listen for the tell-tale “Spy’s sappin’ my Sentry!” reports coming from friendly Engineers. Some spies may refuse to decloak to place Sappers on buildings if the area is patrolled too closely, so try to wander away occasionally to coax them into revealing themselves.

Firewatch Ignite 10 Snipers while they are zoomed in. Difficulty: Easy-Medium How to obtain: An inattentive Sniper is an often irresistible target for any Pyro. However, maneuvering to their perch can be challenging, as they will often be located away from direct combat, behind enemy lines. Maps with easily accessible Sniper decks such as 2Fort are optimal for this achievement. Take routes that are infrequently used in order to ambush them. Note that the Huntsman does not have a scope, so be sure to target Snipers that have the Sniper Rifle or Sydney Sleeper equipped. This achievement can be accomplished using the Flare Gun, which allows you to ignite Snipers from a longer range. Keep in mind that if you can fire your Flare Gun at the Sniper from mid-long range, they can use their Rifle to fire back at a much faster speed. Strafe from side to side if within his view, and try to find cover to fire from.

Freezer Burn Provide enemies with freezecam shots of each of your taunts. Difficulty: Very Easy How to obtain: Kill an enemy with any of your weapons and taunt over their body immediately upon their death. Although each weapon slot has its own unique taunt, you don’t have to use different weapons for each kill if you’re quick at switching weapons. For example, even if you kill an enemy Spy with your Flamethrower, you can immediately switch to your Shotgun and taunt to receive a point towards this achievement. Killing classes that are generally isolated from the rest of the enemy team, such as Snipers and Spies, reduce your chances of being ambushed as you taunt. This achievement can be gradually accomplished; there is no need to show all three of your taunts in a single life or to a single person.

Got A Light? Ignite an enemy Spy while he's flicking a cigarette. Difficulty: Medium-Hard How to obtain: It is rare to actually see an enemy Spy taunting, let alone one taunting with their Disguise Kit out. Try to find an enemy Spy attempting to get the “For Your Eyes Only” achievement, which requires the Spy to taunt with the Disguise Kit out. Most Spies will be cautious about getting this achievement and will only attempt it if they are sure that they will be safe for the duration of the taunt. Make sure to stay hidden until you see the Spy taunt. The Flare Gun can be used to snipe the Spy from a greater distance. Igniting a Spy performing the alternate Disguise Kit taunt, the “Spy Crab” will also count towards this achievement.

Hot on Your Heels Kill 50 enemies with your flamethrower, from behind. Difficulty: Easy How to obtain: Ambush enemies and attempt to circle-strafe behind them if they turn to face you. If you can position yourself behind a Medic healing another player, be sure to kill the Medic first to prevent any healing. His patient may not notice until it is too late, as well. Provided you can sneak your way behind them, inattentive Snipers also make good targets. The Backburner can be useful for obtaining this achievement, as it will kill enemies much faster from behind than the standard Flamethrower. Fleeing enemies will generally present their backs for you to attack, guaranteeing Critical hits.

Hot Potato Reflect 100 projectiles with your compressed air blast. Difficulty: Very Easy How to obtain: The Flamethrower’s compression blast can be a bit tricky to time at first, especially when the server latency is high. However, practice makes perfect, and this will eventually happen after some time playing as Pyro. Reflectable projectiles include the Sandman baseballs, Mad Milk, Rockets, flares from the Flare Gun, Grenades, Sticky bombs, Sentry Gun rockets, Huntsman arrows, and Jarate. Demoman explosives, especially carpets of Sticky bombs, are some of the easier targets to blow away. While you can safely use the compression blast on Sticky bombs without them detonating in your face, don’t stand too close.

Hotshot Kill a Soldier with a reflected critical rocket. Difficulty: Hard How to obtain: There are two challenges to this achievement: learning how to effectively use the compression blast, and actually reflecting a Critical rocket once it appears. Once you can successfully alter the trajectory of a rocket, begin specifically targeting Soldiers and you will eventually reflect a Critical rocket back at them. Watch for Soldiers under the influence of Kritzkrieg. All the rockets they fire will be Criticals, giving the perfect opportunity to pull off at least one reflect. If you are under the influence of Kritzkrieg, any rockets you reflect will deal Critical damage and count towards the achievement. While this can be done against Soldiers using the Direct hit, reflecting normal rockets may prove easier, due to their slower move speed and larger splash radius. Alternatively, if a Soldier fighting you at close range kills himself with a Critical rocket and you are credited with the kill, you will also receive this achievement.

I Fry Ignite 10 disguised Spies. Difficulty: Very Easy How to obtain: Using the Flamethrower to check for Spies is one of the Pyro’s jobs. Routinely Spy-checking any suspicious teammates will inevitably reveal a number of Spies, and eventually nab you this achievement. Be sure you check all of your teammates occasionally, as experienced Spies can imitate them fairly well.

Lumberjack Kill 3 people with your axe in one life. Difficulty: Medium How to obtain: Use the 'Q' key to quick-switch between your axe and Flamethrower. Use the Flamethrower to do the bulk of the damage, then switch to the axe for the finishing blow. Play cautiously, and retreat if your health gets too low or if the enemy would be too dangerous to fight against (such as if they were a Heavy). Using the Axtinguisher with the Puff and Sting tactic, especially when combined with the Degreaser, can make this achievement easier. Going for lone targets, such as a Sniper or an ignited, Spy-checked Spy, make for easy kills. This achievement works with all of the Pyro’s melee weapons, including the Homewrecker and the Powerjack, and is attainable during a match where melee-only is enforced.

Makin' Bacon Kill 50 Heavies with your flamethrower. Difficulty: Medium-Hard How to obtain: The Heavy’s Minigun will shred Pyros who opt for a frontal assault, so either take an alternate route to ambush them or attack them alongside your teammates. It is almost necessary to circle-strafe to avoid the Heavy’s insanely powerful close range damage output. Assists do not count toward this achievement, so always try to get in the last shot on enemy Heavies under fire. The Backburner might be of use for this achievement; any player generally will not turn around quickly enough before succumbing to the guaranteed Critical hits from behind.

Next of Kindling Ignite an enemy, and the Medic healing him. Difficulty: Very Easy How to obtain: This should happen naturally after some time played as a Pyro. Try to ambush the Medic and his patient from behind to increase your chances of igniting them before dying. Killing the pair is optional (but helpful). As with all ignite achievements, this will not work if the Medic is healing another Pyro.

OMGWTFBBQ Kill an enemy with a taunt. Difficulty: Medium-Hard How to obtain: Taunt with the Shotgun or Flare Gun equipped to fire a Hadouken. Due to the long execution time of the taunt attack, it is best performed on unaware players. Distracted Snipers make prime targets. On certain maps with indoor vantage points and small, enclosed spaces (such as the lofts overlooking the final point on Badwater Basin or the buildings overlooking the points on the first two stages of Pipeline), performing a Hadouken on a distracted enemy can be somewhat easier, due to the increased likelihood that they’ll strafe right into the taunt. Be aware that the Pyro does make mumbling sounds while performing the taunt. These might alert your victim and result in your death.

Pilot Light Ignite a rocket-jumping Soldier while he's in midair. Difficulty: Easy-Medium How to obtain: Stay on the lookout for Soldiers attempting to rocket jump to high places, such as the battlements on 2Fort, and light them up. Incidentally, using the compression blast to reflect a rocket back at an enemy Soldier and then igniting him will also count towards this achievement. If you see a Soldier rocket-jumping at a distance, you can also try to ignite him with the Flare Gun.

Plan B Kill 10 enemies while you're both underwater. Difficulty: Medium How to obtain: The Pyro does not excel in underwater combat. When underwater, the Flamethrower will not deal damage, the Axtinguisher will deal reduced damage, and the Flare Gun cannot fire at all. You must nonetheless prowl bodies of water for this achievement. Specific maps with bodies of water close to the main combat area include 2Fort and Well. Use your Shotgun on anyone that enters the water and keep use the Fire Axe if they come too close. You can use the compression blast to push enemies into the water to finish off. Depending on the map and situation, enemies who jump into the water may already be injured, making them easier to finish off.

Pyromancer Do 1 million points of total fire damage. Difficulty: Easy How to obtain: This achievement will unlock after playing as a Pyro for a long time. Note that this is 1 million points of fire damage, so using your Shotgun or melee weapons to deal damage will not count towards this achievement. The primary weapon you use is your choice. The Flamethrower and Degreaser come with the compression blast, increasing your survivability and team synergy, while the Backburner is a better choice if you want raw damage.

Pyrotechnics Kill 3 enemies in a single ÜberCharge. Difficulty: Medium How to obtain: In general, charging an enemy chokepoint while under the influence of an Übercharge will result in at least a couple of kills unless something unfortunate happens (such as if an enemy Pyro were to use his compression blast on you or if multiple Sentry Guns were to push you away). It is advantageous to be under the effects of the normal Medigun rather than the Kritzkrieg, as the Pyro’s necessity to fight at shorter ranges will decimate his survivability if he weren’t invincible. Finding a Medic trying to get the Autoclave achievement might make this achievement easier.

Second Degree Burn Kill a burning enemy who was ignited by another Pyro. Difficulty: Very Easy How to obtain: This achievement is fairly straightforward when working together with other Pyros, and should happen frequently in large games. Use any weapon you see fit to finish off players who have been ignited by a friendly Pyro. The more Pyros there are, the more chaos that is caused when flanking a crowded area. Take advantage of the confusion to attain this achievement.

Spontaneous Combustion Ignite 10 cloaked Spies. Difficulty: Very Easy How to obtain: Look for telltale puffs of smoke and shimmering, using those to chase down your target in his probable hiding area. Consistently checking areas where Spies often try to hide to recharge their Cloak and Dagger is a useful tactic for this achievement. Puff flames into corners and hidden recesses, or patrol narrow chokepoints frequently with your Flamethrower ready. On any map with setup time, ignite the area around the setup gates as soon as they open, in an attempt to catch any sneaky Spies.

Trailblazer Ignite 10 enemies that have recently used a teleporter. Difficulty: Medium How to obtain: Players that have recently used a Teleporter will leave a distinctive glowing trail for 10 seconds. While not difficult, this achievement may make a while. Whenever you take out an Engineer’s nest of buildings, try to leave the Teleporter exit intact. Assuming that no teammates come over to destroy the Teleporter, sooner or later an enemy will teleport in. It is fairly simple to incinerate them before they even realize what is going on, especially if you stand behind the teleporter and use the Backburner (althought telecamping is looked down upon by many players). Upgraded Teleporters recharge faster, but will still leave the sparkle effect on a player for the full 10 seconds, allowing you to burn many players if they use an upgraded teleporter in quick succession.

Weenie Roast Have 2 enemy Scouts on fire at the same time. Difficulty: Medium How to obtain: Play on a map that suits Scout rushing, such as Granary and 2Fort, and defend a chokepoint as they come through. Should you have trouble encountering two Scouts at the same time, try igniting and chasing one away, looking for a second one before the first one dies or puts himself out. Because enemies only burn for 10 seconds after ignition, a lot of this is based on luck and circumstance.