Anti-Scout strategy

“

Never send a boy to fight a man's war. Click to listen — The Soldier

”

The Scout is a very fast and maneuverable class capable of hit-and-run attacks who makes up for his low amount of health with his high amount of firepower at close range. Scouts excel when they have a lot of room to maneuver as they can change their direction in midair due to their double jump ability; generally the best way to engage them is in close-quarters where they have little room to run or jump around. Keep in mind that Scouts, depending on their loadout, have the ability to stun enemy players, heal themselves and their allies, as well as become invulnerable to damage for a short period of time. Attacking them from a distance a distance is usually the best way to deal with them due to their lack of effective long-range weaponry.

General

Attributes	Anti Scout Strategy
Role	When you spot a Scout trying to get across a battlefield to reach an objective or cart, always keep an eye out for him until you have time to hunt him down. A Scout carrying the intelligence will likely try and avoid direct combat on the way back to his base by taking a quieter route or one better suited to his double-jump abilities. Try to block these routes or use weapons with a knockback effect to push him towards your teammates. If a Scout is trying to ambush an unsuspecting ally, always warn the ally in order to fend off or eliminate the Scout.
Health	His tiny amount of health can be nearly depleted with a hit from a rocket or grenade. If a Scout has been severely injured, switching to a hitscan weapon may help you finish him off and/or conserve ammunition.
Speed	Always think one step ahead of the Scout before attacking; he can run much faster than the other classes. Try to predict where the Scout will land when using projectiles.
Power	The Scout is quite devastating at close range with his primary weapons, so try to fight the Scout at mid-to-long range in order to avoid taking large amounts of damage.

Weapon Specific

A list of useful tidbits about the Scout's tools, and how to counter them.

Primary Weapons

Weapon	Anti Scout Strategy
Scattergun	The Scattergun has more damage ramp-up at close range than other weapons, so it may be best to keep Scouts at mid range. The Scattergun is much less effective if few pellets hit its target. If a Scout is attacking you, jump around and move erratically to minimize the damage that you take.
Force-A-Nature	The Force-A-Nature has only two shots to a clip and takes a while to reload. Take advantage of this and attack the Scout between reloads.
The Shortstop	The Shortstop has a tight spread suited to medium range. If you close the distance, the Scout may find it more difficult to hit you. The Shortstop shares its ammo with the Pistol. By engaging the Scout at a longer range, he can quickly deplete this ammo and be left with only his melee weapon.

Secondary Weapons

Weapon	Anti Scout Strategy
Pistol / Lugermorph	When a Scout uses his Pistol, his primary weapon may be out of ammo. Move in and attack, as the Pistol is less effective at close range. The Pistol can only hold 4 full clips of ammo. By counting the when the Scout reloads, it is easy to tell when he's running low.
Bonk! Atomic Punch	Bonk! is designed to get a Scout past choke points. Impede his movement until the effect runs out by just body blocking him, or by using Knockback, Stun, or Slowdown.
Crit-a-Cola	Crit-a-Cola is excellent for ambushing; however, if you are watchful, the attacking Scout's advantage will disappear.
Mad Milk	If you get hit by Mad Milk, try to retreat or deal with your assailant quickly, as he will have the advantage in a protracted battle.

Melee Weapons

• The Scout's speed makes it difficult to retreat from a melee attack, and their high swing speed can make them disorientating. Try to keep the Scout in your view, and use your own melee/close-range weapons to deal with him. Alternatively, weapons with knockback effects can help you make an escape.

Weapon	Anti Scout Strategy
Bat / Holy Mackerel	The Bat deals less damage than most other melee weapons. Just be careful and watch for Scouts who may try to circle-strafe you while attacking with the Bat.
Sandman	While stunned, try to stay alive and keep your aim on the Scout so that you can immediately counter-attack once the effect wears off. You can still attempt a Taunt Kill if stunned; this can kill a Scout rushing towards you.
Candy Cane	When equipped with this weapon, the Scout has a 25% explosion damage vulnerability. Switch to an explosive weapon for additional damage. With this weapon equipped, enemies killed or assisted in being killed by the Scout will drop small Health kits. Try to steal them before the Scout can heal.
Boston Basher	Jump away from Scouts rushing forward with the Boston Basher. If you're lucky, the Scout will miss his swing, take damage from the miss, and be distracted by the bleeding effect.

Class Set

Set	Anti Scout Strategy
The Special Delivery	In the majority of cases, a Scout with the Milkman equipped will be carrying all the set weapons. This allows you to accurately predict his entire loadout and engage him accordingly. Be aware of the extra 25 health granted by the item set, and fight accordingly. The Mad Milk increases the Scout's chances for survival even further, so attack him with as much firepower as you can muster.

See also

• Scout strategy
• Community Scout strategy
• Double jumping
• Scout match-ups
• Team strategy