Scout match-ups
| “ | I'm gonna headbutt ya, I'm gonna headbutt ya, I'm gonna headbutt ya!
Click to listen
— The Scout on his delicate battle plan
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| Class | Strategy | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 Scout |
vs. | Scout |
Mirror match-up: You are most likely to run into other Scouts when both of you are away from teammates, such as during the initial rush to a map objective or at the outskirts of a battlefield. Both of you do high damage at close range and have low maximum health, so the fight will likely be over within a few seconds.
Tactics: Raw skill is the greatest factor in winning a Scout duel; shoot the enemy Scout and avoid being shot yourself. Look carefully at your opponent's movement; it is easiest to hit your shots while he is moving in straight lines or landing from a double jump. You can make yourself harder to hit by changing directions unpredictably and mixing single jumps in with your double jumps. If you find yourself losing, enter extremely close range to make aiming chaotic for your opponent. You give and take more damage at close range, but this is less of an issue if you are already at low health. Unlike with the other classes, you can't outrun an enemy Scout. As you duel, stay closer to health kit spawns, as even a small health kit can help you survive another shot. If you need to retreat, flee to nearby teammates or a Sentry Gun. Useful weapons:
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Scout |
vs. |  Soldier |
Relative merits: Both you and the Soldier are effective close-range combatants, but you have the advantage of movement speed. A Soldier will typically aim his Rocket Launcher at your feet to deal splash damage, but your ability to double jump makes it easier to avoid being hit directly.
Tactics: Try to stay in open areas to make the best use of your mobility. Prevent the Soldier from rocket jumping to high ground by presenting yourself as a constant threat, which forces him to fire at you, or shooting him mid-rocket jump to disrupt his movement. Stay at medium range, where you are far enough away to dodge rockets but still deal respectable Scattergun damage. You can double jump to avoid rocket splash damage, but avoid double jumping so predictably that the Soldier shoots a rocket where you land in advance. If you need to retreat, stay alert in case he decides to rocket jump after you. Useful weapons:
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Scout |
vs. |  Pyro |
Relative merits: You have the speed to outmaneuver the Pyro, provided you have room to maneuver, and a longer effective range. However, your low maximum health makes you vulnerable to afterburn, and the wide hitbox of fire particles means that a Pyro has an easier time hitting you than most other classes.
Tactics: Defeating a Pyro is all about spacing. Use your speed to stay just outside Flame Thrower range while taking shots with your Scattergun (or Pistol) as opportunity presents. Avoid enclosed areas, where the Pyro can use the compression blast to shove you into a corner for an easy kill. Try not to get hit at all; afterburn can take off up to half of your health and may empower certain Pyro weapons, like the Flare Gun or Axtinguisher. If you are trapped in Flame Thrower range, get as close to the Pyro as possible - at point blank, your primary weapons outdamage the Flame Thrower. Kill the Pyro as quickly as possible, then retreat to a health kit/Dispenser/Medic to extinguish yourself. Useful weapons:
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Scout |
vs. |  Demoman |
Relative merits: Both you and the Demoman have extremely high damage output. While your weapons use bullets, the Demoman's weapons all use explosive projectiles. Combined with your mobility, you have a much easier time hitting him than he has hitting you, which gives you a significant advantage.
Tactics: The Demoman is weakest at close range, where he cannot attack you with explosives without damaging himself. Stay outside melee range but close enough to do significant damage with your Scattergun. Alternatively, you can remain at a distance to more easily dodge the Demoman's explosives entirely. As you dodge, watch for grenades that bounce nearby and are about to explode, as even an indirect hit can take away half your health. Stickybombs are ineffective against you in a direct fight, as you have the speed to run outside their explosive radius before the Demoman can detonate them. However, a pre-laid Stickybomb trap can kill you instantly. Keep an eye out for doorways, walls, or other surfaces that may contain a trap, and avoid pursuing the Demoman into such areas. If need be, take alternate routes to avoid his traps and ambush him. A "Demoknight" using the Chargin' Targe or other shield does not have a Stickybomb Launcher, but will likely use a melee weapon with increased melee range, such as the Eyelander. A shield-charging Demoknight is one of the few things faster than you, but his charge is generally linear. Stay out of melee range, and if he charges, run sideways or double jump up nearby objects instead of trying to outrun him. If he is already low on health, you can also just try to shoot him mid-charge, as none of his shields grant bullet resistance. Pay attention to whether the Demoknight has taken the Grenade Launcher or Ali Baba's Wee Booties to decide how else to fight him. Useful weapons:
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Scout |
vs. |  Heavy |
Relative merits: The Heavy is, in many ways, your exact opposite - he lacks mobility, but has the highest pool and the rapid-fire Minigun. In a direct fight, he can out-damage you; don't engage against a Heavy without some sort of advantage.
Tactics: The element of surprise is your strongest weapon. If you catch the enemy Heavy unprepared, you can kill him with just a few point blank shots before he can spin up his Minigun. If the Heavy has already spun up his Minigun, he is immobile and has to fight from his current position. Approach him from the back or sides. Once he has his sights on you, weave in and out of cover between shots, circle strafe, or double jump over his head to make tracking you harder. Note the sound his weapon makes before deciding to fight - the distinct whir of the Natascha, which can slow you to a crawl, is a sign to stay back. Don't hesitate to retreat if the Heavy's position is too entrenched, as you can always target his teammates instead. Useful weapons:
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Scout |
vs. |  Engineer |
Relative merits: The Engineer has similar weapons to yours, but far less mobility. However, he will commonly be patrolling around his Sentry Gun, which has perfect aim and extremely high damage. You are ill-equipped to deal with Sentry Guns on your own.
Tactics: Avoid routes covered by Sentry Guns and check around corners before blindly rushing into new areas. If you locate a Sentry Gun, steer clear of that area and inform your team of its location so other classes can destroy it. If the Sentry Gun is unattended, you might be able to slowly chip away at it from far away with your Pistol or the Shortstop. Otherwise, when an Engineer is near the Sentry Gun, the best you’ll be able to do is harass him from long range. You may find a Gunslinger-wielding Engineer, who deploys Combat Mini-Sentry Guns instead of regular Sentry Guns, closer to the front lines. The Mini-Sentry takes a few seconds to deploy, in which you should decide whether to target the Engineer, take two shots to kill the Mini-Sentry, or maintain a distance with the Pistol Useful weapons:
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Scout |
vs. |  Medic |
Relative merits: A Medic provides valuable healing, overhealing, and ÜberCharges to his teammates. Because of this, he is one of your highest-priority targets. The Medic himself is extremely weak in a fight, but usually surrounded by his teammates, making him difficult to reach.
Tactics: The Medic will likely stay near his teammates to heal them - these enemies will have plenty of health and are therefore more difficult for you to pick off. Additionally, the Medic is free to turn around and assess the battlefield while healing, so you need to approach carefully. Wait for when the Medic and his teammates are unaware or distracted, and fire a few carefully-aimed shots at the Medic to drop him. Don't get greedy; if you get noticed after (or before) you kill the Medic, feel free to fall back to avoid the wrath of his patients. An ÜberCharged Medic and his patient are extremely dangerous. Your speed lets you quickly retreat from such a pair until the ÜberCharge wears off. Alternatively, you can use your speed to get right in the ÜberCharged pair's face and attempt to dodge their shots; this is dangerous, but can help draw fire away from the rest of your team. Useful weapons:
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Scout |
vs. |  Sniper |
Relative merits: Your mobility makes you difficult for a Sniper to hit. However, if you do get hit, one headshot or fully charged bodyshot will instantly kill you. Move unpredictably to throw off the Sniper's aim, and attempt to engage him at close range, where he is much weaker.
Tactics: Ideally, take a route where the Sniper will not see you coming. If you do need to enter his sightline, zigzag, jump, and strafe to become a difficult target to hit. If possible, harass the Sniper with your Pistol at long range to throw off his aim. Once you close the distance, you have the advantage. Even at close range, take care, as the Sniper may try to quickly scope in and headshot you anyway. Useful weapons:
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Scout |
vs. |  Spy |
Relative merits: Your speed makes you hard to backstab and allows you to chase fleeing foes, making you one of the Spy’s deadlier opponents. He has some of the game’s weakest weapons, so once you spot him, a fight is heavily in your favor.
Tactics: You can easily Spy-check by simply running into your teammates; if you can’t move past them, they’re a Spy. If he Cloaks and flees, use your Scattergun's spread or other useful weapons to reveal him and give chase. If the Spy stays for a direct fight, strafe back and forth, land solid Scattergun shots, and take care not to expose your back to his Knife in the heat of the moment. Useful weapons:
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See also
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