Obtaining Pyro achievements

Arsonist Destroy 50 Engineer buildings. Difficulty: Easy How to obtain: Carrying the Backburner or Homewrecker may assist in destroying buildings more quickly. Try to take out unguarded enemy Teleporters and Dispensers while circle-strafing Sentry Guns that are level 1 or 2. If the enemy Engineer is nearby, make sure to kill him or her first to deny a chance to repair the buildings. Don't try to circle-strafe a level 3 Sentry Gun unless you are already positioned behind it or are under the effects of an ÜberCharge. Pay close attention to Engineers who are either starting to set up or carrying buildings; it is rather simple to dismantle buildings that are still under (re)construction. Destroying the Electro Sappers of enemy Spies with the Homewrecker will 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 travel in an arc, you must lead and aim above your intended target accordingly. Shoot flares at areas where players tend to congregate, such as control points, carts on Payload and Payload Race maps, and narrow corridors. 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), and Heavies are large targets and lack mobility when spinning their gun. As with all achievements that involve igniting enemies, hitting Pyros with any sort of fire or flare projectile 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: 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; certain bodies of water, such as the shallow rivers on Hydro, cannot put players out.

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 being killed and your opponent getting revenge. You can get this achievement by dominating players 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 Heavy.

Burn Ward Ignite 3 Medics that are ready to deploy an ÜberCharge. Difficulty: Easy-Medium How to obtain: Coming across a lone Medic who is fully charged is rare. Use alternate routes to flank the Medic and his or her escorts, attacking before the ÜberCharge can be deployed. 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. You only need to set the Medic on fire, you do not need to get a kill, so it is possible to use the Flare Gun at a distance to accomplish this.

Camp Fire Kill 3 enemies in a row, all within the same area. Difficulty: Easy How to obtain: Make use of the Pyro’s excellent close-quarters ability and ambush enemies from behind in a busy area or chokepoint. The kills do not all have to be within a certain amount of time, so it is possible to retreat and return later if you run low on health or ammo.

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. It is highly recommended to utilize the Puff and Sting tactic to kill opponents quickly with the Axtinguisher, as it can guarantee kills against all but a Heavy in a single hit. Don't be afraid to take your time; you can play extremely conservatively, only going for easy kills such as Snipers and Spies. This achievement works with all of the Pyro’s melee weapons, including the Homewrecker, Powerjack, and the Back Scratcher.

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 your Flamethrower's range while firing at you, taking out your Shotgun should be the default course of action. Remember to have your Shotgun as your quick-switch weapon, in order to quickly access 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: Stay around control points and burn any enemies you see. Igniting enemies pushing the Payload cart will count towards this achievement; try to ambush the cart whenever you see multiple players pushing it, netting you multiple points at once. Remember that the Flare Gun can ignite enemies from a distance, providing a safer alternative.

Cooking the Books Ignite 5 enemies carrying your intelligence. Difficulty: Easy How to obtain: Guard the Intelligence and play defensively. The beginnings of a round, when Scouts are almost guaranteed to rush towards the enemy Intelligence, present opportune moments to earn points towards this achievement. Equip the Flare Gun so you can ignite Intelligence carriers at a distance.

Dance Dance Immolation Kill 3 enemies while they're taunting. Difficulty: Easy-Medium How to obtain: Keep an eye out for enemies attempting to get various taunt-related achievements and attack. A Heavy eating a Sandvich will be considered taunting and often is low on health. Enemies often taunt during Humiliation, presenting a good opportunity to get points towards this achievement. If you have the Flare Gun, you can ignite enemies who taunt at ranges where they think that they are safe.

Dead Heat Kill an enemy in the same second that he kills you. Difficulty: Easy-Medium How to obtain: Enemies that you fight (and lose against) will usually be on fire at the end of a duel. 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 both flame each other to death at the same time, depending on what weapons you are both carrying.

Fire and Forget Kill 15 players while you're dead. Difficulty: Easy-Medium How to obtain: 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.

Fire Chief Kill 1000 enemies. Difficulty: Easy How to obtain: A follow-up to "Firefighter," simply play Pyro long enough and you will eventually get this achievement.

Firefighter Kill 500 enemies. Difficulty: Easy How to obtain: 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 such 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 telltale “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 wander away occasionally to coax them into revealing themselves.

Firewatch Ignite 10 Snipers while they are zoomed in. Difficulty: Easy-Medium How to obtain: Inattentive Snipers are often irresistible targets for any Pyro. However, maneuvering to their perches can be challenging, as they will often be located away from direct combat and 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 far more easily by using the Flare Gun, which allows you to ignite Snipers from range. Keep in mind that if you can fire your Flare Gun at Snipers from mid-long range, they can use their Rifle to fire back.

Freezer Burn Provide enemies with freezecam shots of each of your taunts. Difficulty: Very Easy How to obtain: Kill enemies with any of your weapons and taunt over their body immediately upon their death. Remember that you do not need to get the kills with different weapons, you can quickly switch weapons and taunt. 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 player.

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 enemy Spies taunting, let alone ones 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.

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 eliminate any sources of healing. The Medic's 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 Flamethrower or Degreaser. It also allows you to land guaranteed Critical hits on enemies that try to flee by turning their backs on you.

Hot Potato Reflect 100 projectiles with your compressed air blast. Difficulty: Very Easy How to obtain: The Flamethrower and Degreaser’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 from any of the Soldier's primary weapon, 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: Medium How to obtain: Once you have enough experience reflecting projectiles, start specifically targeting enemy Soldiers and use the compression blast to reflect their rockets back at them. Because all reflected projectiles Mini-Crit, killing any Soldier with a reflected rocket will earn you this achievement. However, reflecting fully Critical rockets will deal enough damage to kill the Soldier in almost any situation.

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 Flamethrower to do the bulk of the damage, then switch to the axe for the finishing blow. Play cautiously, and retreat if the situation becomes too dangerous. Using the Axtinguisher with the Puff and Sting tactic, especially when combined with the Degreaser, can make this achievement somewhat easier. Lone targets, such as a Sniper or ignited Spy, make for easy kills. This achievement works with all of the Pyro’s melee weapons, including the Homewrecker, Powerjack, and the Back Scratcher.

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 the Heavy or attack alongside your teammates. Remember to circle-strafe around the Heavy to reduce the amount of damage you will take from his Minigun. Assists do not count toward this achievement, so always try to get in the last shot on enemy Heavies under fire, or do enough damage to make sure that they will succumb to the afterburn. The Backburner can make this achievement easier, as you can ambush and quickly overwhelm any Heavy with Critical hits from behind.

Next of Kindling Ignite an enemy, and the Medic healing him. Difficulty: Very Easy How to obtain: 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), you only need to ignite them. 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 unleash a Hadouken. Due to the long execution time of the Hadouken, it is best performed on unaware players, such as distracted Snipers. 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 makes some noises before executing the taunt, which may alert your target prematurely.

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 or her will also count towards this achievement. If you see a Soldier rocket-jumping at a distance, you can also try to ignite him or her 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. Specific maps with bodies of water close to the main combat area include 2Fort and Well. Use your Shotgun and Fire Axe on anyone that enters the water. You can use the compression blast to push enemies into the water, and then chase after them to finish them off. Depending on the map and situation, enemies who jump into the water may already be injured, making them easier to kill.

Pyromancer Do 1 million points of total fire damage. Difficulty: Medium How to obtain: Note that this achievement requires one million points of fire damage, so using your Shotgun or melee weapons to deal damage will not count towards this achievement. While this achievement is not exactly difficult, it does require a considerable amount of time. If grinding for this achievement, remember that the Backburner is better for those who want to deal more raw damage, while the Flamethrower and Degreaser can provide players with more opportunities to inflict fire damage as the compression blast gives you more options. Damage inflicted by the Flare Gun counts as well, and can be highly effective when used to deal Mini-Crits and full Crits to already-burning enemies.

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 you were pushed away by an enemy Pyro or multiple Sentry Guns). It is advantageous to be under the effects of an ÜberCharge from the Medi Gun rather than the Kritzkrieg, as the Pyro’s need to fight at shorter ranges will allow you to be easily killed before getting within range if the enemy sees you coming.

Second Degree Burn Kill a burning enemy who was ignited by another Pyro. Difficulty: Very Easy How to obtain: Use any weapon you see fit to finish off a player who has been ignited by a friendly Pyro. In general, simply killing any enemies that are on fire will get you this achievement as long as you were not the one who ignited that player.

Spontaneous Combustion Ignite 10 cloaked Spies. Difficulty: Very Easy How to obtain: Use the telltale puffs of smoke and shimmering to chase down your target in his or her probable hiding area. Consistently checking areas where Spies often try to hide will prove advantageous. Puff flames into corners and hidden recesses and patrol narrow chokepoints frequently, as Spies using the Cloak and Dagger will often hide in such places to recharge their cloaks.

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 ten seconds. Use this to discern where enemy Engineers have placed their Teleporters. Whenever you take out an Engineer’s nest of buildings, try to leave the Teleporter exit intact. Sooner or later an enemy will teleport in, where you are then free to ignite him or her.

Weenie Roast Have 2 enemy Scouts on fire at the same time. Difficulty: Medium How to obtain: Play on a map that suits Scouts, 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 succumbs to the flames or find a health source to extinguish them.