Pyro match-ups

Class			Strategy
Pyro	vs	Scout	Avoid combat with a Scout if he knows you're there, if he doesn't then all you don't even need one second of contact to kill him. Use common sense when fighting a scout: he's faster than you and can weapon heckle you very easily. Alternatively, you can use the Flare gun to ignite him from a distance if you are accurate, and if he doesn't die he will normally retreat to find a medkit or body of water, and keep him off your back for a short time allowing you to get to a more enclosed area. Using your flamethrower can also make the scout less accurate, disorientating his view and making his Scattergun shots do a lot less damage. Another technique with the flamethrower is to move the fire's direction around the place. The fire's movement can be disorienting to the scout and aids in dodging his attacks in close range situations. Using the Compression Blast will disorient him and prevent double-jumping antics: a good tactic is to light the Scout on fire, airblast him and take him down with the shotgun. If they are using the unlockable weapons, you will find they have shorter range than if they aren't, so they cannot weapon heckle as effectively. If they try using the Sandman's baseball against you, you can send the thing back with your airblast. If they try to run using Bonk! Atomic Punch, just airblast them multiple times, this will allow you to put them where you want him to your advantage without having him fire at you.
Pyro	vs	Soldier	Soldiers are bad news. They are a nightmare (especially at medium range), so if you must fight a Soldier, try to ambush him from behind (as with anyone). With a Backburner equipped, he'll go down before he knows it. It may be wise to set him on fire and run away so your teammates can finish him, or finish him with the shotgun or flare gun from further away. Soldiers are likely to try to juggle you. If a Soldier fires rockets directly at you, it is advised that you use your compressed air to fire them back at him and his team. Beware that the Direct hit is harder to blast back because of the speed of the rocket. Remember to strafe while doing so, as the compressed air cannot keep up with the rate of incoming rockets. One strategy that can surprise most Soldiers is to jump onto their rockets; the splash damage will often propel you right into the Soldier, allowing you to take him down quickly. Be careful though, moving through the air makes you far more predictable than if you are on the ground. Remember, the Axtinguisher is your best friend against the Soldier! Because that fire makes 6 damage per second and all melee weapons Critical hit does 198 damage (except for the Scout that does 105 damage)! The fire and the Axtinguisher is a very deadly combination. Use it well against enemies like the Soldier.
Pyro	vs	Pyro	A Pyro is one of the more irritating enemies to kill, since all Pyros are flame-resistant, though the flame itself does deal damage at close range. If you backpedal while fighting another Pyro and he chases, your flames will do more damage than his. If you're out of flamethrower range, shotgun the enemy Pyro. Often, a good way to deal with an unaware enemy Pyro is to surprise him with an Axe or Backburner from behind. The Flare gun and Axtinguisher are next to useless against enemy Pyros, since Pyros cannot catch fire and both of these weapons only work by setting people on fire or killing them when on fire, although the Flare gun can outdamage the shotgun at long range, and there is a tiny window of opportunity for the Axtinguisher to Crit. They can also send back flares with their air-blast. A slightly riskier strategy (mainly because of random crits) is to simply switch to your shotgun and take him out at close range by moving erratically, circling him and changing direction often, which is able to confuse most Pyros as they expect you to also play ring around the fire with them. If there are a lot of Pyros on the other team, consider using the Shotgun and Fire Axe as opposed to the Flare Gun or Axetinguisher.
Pyro	vs	Demoman	Closing with a Demoman makes you an easier target for the Grenade launcher. A wily Demoman may also lay a Sticky bomb to kill you as you chase him down, though inexperienced Demomen often misjudge how fast you can close in. Use the compression blast to deflect grenades back at the Demoman and blow sticky bomb/ carpets away and allow yourself passage. In smaller rooms and corridors, be sure to reflect both grenades and sticky bombs back- even though the grenades may not hit him directly, the splash damage is enough to give you the upper hand. Demoman are a very high threat from just outside of your flamethrower range, as you are an easy target for the Grenade Launcher, but as soon as you get in range you become a very high threat to them, even if they are carrying the Chargin' Targe. Once you are in range, not only will they be taking damage from the flames, but their grenades will start to hurt themselves, meaning that if you do get in range, the chances are high that he won't be surviving.
Pyro	vs	Heavy	Never approach a Heavy from the front; you should flank or ambush him if you want to survive the encounter. Circle-strafe around him while keeping your flame in his face to disorient him. The best way to take down a Heavy is through a successful ambush. Your tactics here depend heavily on your choice of flamethrower. If you have selected the Backburner and manage to catch him in the back by surprise, he'll go down very quickly. If you you have the regular flamethrower it will be a bit more tricky; there is a chance that he will manage to turn around and rev up his Minigun before the flames consume him. A good tactic in this case is to give him a quick puff to set him on fire and then immediately pull out your Axtinguisher and give him 1-2 swings with it; this should kill him before he has time to react. Remember to make good use of your compression blast ability if you have to go toe-to-toe with a Heavy; set him on fire, blast him away to disorient him and take you out of the immediate range of his Minigun and back away; if you're lucky, you might manage to finish him off with your shotgun from afar. If he is with a Medic, set them both on fire from behind. Take out the Medic first.
Pyro	vs	Engineer	An Engineer isn't too threatening if you set him on fire and/or use your Shotgun, though you should watch out for his own Shotgun (you do however have more health than him so it shouldn't be a problem). The main problem is his Sentry gun. If it is placed around a corner, the Flamethrower may be able to hit it without letting the Sentry shoot back. Don't try to fight it head on if that's the only way unless you can get close enough to circle strafe it while flaming it to pieces. Failing that, let another class deal with it or find a helpful Medic with a ready Über, since you will be able to lay waste to it. Take note that the Homewrecker may destroy a building faster than the Backburner. On open maps, if you have the Flare Gun and if the engineer isn't around, you can stay out of the sentry's range and kill even a level 3 sentry given enough time. Be ready to give up and run if the engineer or his friends come at you though.
Pyro	vs	Medic	A lone Medic should be fairly easy prey if you close to point blank range and use your Flamethrower. However, keep in mind that a Medic runs faster than you, and can easily take you out with a Syringe gun or Blutsauger by running backwards just out of your flamethrower range. Blutsaugers are especially tricky, as they almost cancel out afterburn damage completely. If this occurs, take out your shotgun or retreat until you can get the drop on him. Even if he is in your range, don't stand still - strafe to avoid his saw and gun. If he is with anyone else, try to take the Medic out, or set him and his target on fire and leave them to be picked off by a teammate. Medics can be very troublesome as they can heal burning team mates to stop them from dying. As such, make the Medic the priority for the kill even if it means being picked off by his target. Though if possible, a good compression blast can easily send the Medics or their patients away, though the Medic would be a sitting duck. One way to nullify an ÜberCharge is to puff the Medic's target away, removing his invulnerability by putting him out of range.
Pyro	vs	Sniper	Because of your small head, some Snipers may have trouble headshotting you, though this isn't something to count on. If you get the jump on a Sniper while he is scoped, he will go down quickly. If he is on the move or is quick to react, strafe to avoid the fire from his Submachine gun and his Kukri swings. If you see his sniper dot, then try zig-zagging across his view or firing your Flamethrower in the air to obscure his vision. Ideally, avoid that route and come in from a flanking angle. Using the Flare gun it is possible to counter-snipe enemy Snipers. Even if you don't hit them, if you are forcing them to unzoom in order to dodge the flares, then you're still making it more difficult for them to charge a shot or take aim. Being on fire also shakes their vision while scoped. If you get into their sniper nests, they are as good as dead. If the Sniper has The Huntsman, be sure to keep airblasting him off the ground to prevent arrow shots. If the sniper has Jarate, be quick to reflect the jar against him and kill him.
Pyro	vs	Spy	The Spy is your natural prey. A Spy disguised as your team or cloaked burns like any other enemy, alerting nearby teammates that he is a Spy. Spy-check your teammates constantly. If a Spy retreats, use your Shotgun to finish him off. Beware Revolvers; they deal high damage, out-damaging the shotgun at longer range. Watch your back; a Pyro not expecting to be backstabbed can be an easy target for a Spy. Be mindful of where your team's Engineer buildings are; if you're prepared when a Spy begins sapping buildings, you can quickly find and kill him. You can also destroy sappers quickly with the Homewrecker. Be aware that if you charge a Spy head-on, experienced ones may quickly strafe past you and backstab you. Keep track of where a Spy is at all times. When giving chase to a spy, try running straight for the closest ammo source and burn the immediate area- Spies often run to ammo for longer cloak times in the heat of the battle.

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