Basic Spy strategy

The Spy is a fragile class specializing in sneak attacks. He can backstab, Cloak, disguise, and sap buildings. His role is to eliminate dangerous or important targets, ruin Engineer nests, and pick off targets of opportunity.

General

• Your Cloak and Disguises take one second to become fully effective. A common error is to step into an enemy's line of sight before the change is complete.

• Disguises matter, but the exact disguise isn't as important as how long you spend in an enemy's view.

• Disguising while cloaked doesn't produce any smoke visible to the enemy team. Don't be afraid to change your disguise while invisible.

• After uncloaking, there is a cooldown period where you cannot use any equipment. Always take this into consideration before uncloaking to start a sap or attack.

• Any source of ammunition, including metal from destroyed buildings, will recharge Cloak time for the default Invisibility Watch and the Dead Ringer, even if they are active.

• Never count on Disguises. Spy-checking is easy and everyone does it constantly. Only your Cloak keeps you safe.

• Your most dangerous counter-class is the Pyro. When given the opportunity, avoid or take him out first.

• It's easiest to stab enemies distracted by a fight with your teammates. Don't approach idle players who'll take the opportunity to Spy check you.

• Spies can see enemy names and health.

• If you're behaving like a Spy, they'll know you're a Spy. For example, following people without good reason, staring at them, or standing somewhere unusual will make others suspect you.

• The more damage you do to the enemy team, the more they will become paranoid of Spies.

• Avoid running into enemies while cloaked.

Weapon Specifics

A list of useful tidbits about the Spy's tools.

Revolver / Big Kill

• 雖然不是很有用的刀，左輪手槍的一個組成部分Spy的軍火庫。點擊率最高的做類似的損害，獵槍，和關鍵的點擊率是120點的傷害。

• 使用左輪手槍殺死敵人時受損背刺不容易或可能的。

• 一個好的方案使用的手槍是SAP的一個孤獨的建設，然後拍的工程師當他來拯救他建築。您還可以拍攝建築物的破壞後，削弱它更快。

• 左輪手槍總是 100％準確（準確為狙擊步槍子彈）時，把一個延遲1.25秒拍攝間隔。使用此功能可以在狙擊敵人。

Ambassador

• 大使使拉卓貝克幾乎完全無用。假設狙擊手是不是overhealed，一個爆頭其次是定期射門就足以殺死他。

• 能夠看到敵人的健康是無價的大使。當它下降到低於其基準值的一半，健康米以紅色顯示。除了對所有的類重，這是保證爆頭殺。

• 一個孤獨的工程師建立一個哨兵槍可以很容易地殺害了大使。他第一次拍攝的頭部，然後在任何身體部位會殺了他，之後，你只需SAP的建設。

• 一個類似的策略是尋找敵人建築物外的崗哨槍的視野和SAP的，然後拉出大使和等待。

L'Etranger

• L'Etranger 轉換火力逃離隱形在的能量。

• 隱形的15％，每擊中應用於不論金額破壞你做你的對手或遠離他。一個聰明的間諜可以安全地從他的隱形手錶充電距離。

• 不要太貪心。三發是綽綽有餘的，因為它可以使手錶一半的能量回來。

• 由於隱形與匕首不能充隱形能量，在L'Etranger是非常有用的其他來源提供的電力。

• L'Etranger對酷似良好的另一個電力來源，恢復能量來的迅速。

Electro Sapper

• The Electro Sapper is a tool used to take down an Engineer's buildings. There is an unlimited supply of these Sappers, and there is no "reload" delay between placing them. Place them as quickly as necessary.

• The Electro Sapper has a significant vertical range in addition to its horizontal range. In many instances, you may be able to sap a building from well below or above it, allowing you to confuse its Engineer.

• The Homewrecker allows Pyros to remove Electro Sappers from Engineer buildings. This, combined with their Flamethrower's Spy-checking ability, will make your job much harder.

• When sneaking up on an Engineer using the Wrangler, stab first, then sap. Killing the Engineer will cause his Sentry Gun to become disabled for a few precious seconds, which will be more than enough time to place an Electro Sapper.

• As a Spy, you can sneak up behind an Engineer repairing his Sentry Gun, backstab him, and quickly sap the gun. The Sentry takes a couple seconds to turn around, giving you ample time to sap it.

• Shooting or knifing a Sapped building will speed up the destruction, but your weapons will do reduced damage as long as the Electro Sapper is in place.

Knife

• Always remember the Knife does pitiful damage and cannot Crit outside of backstabs and critboosts. In most scenarios, you should switch to the Revolver to fight enemies once you've been discovered.

• However, it's often easier to hit a dodging opponent with your Knife than with your gun. If only a little more damage is required to kill your enemy, the Knife makes a reliable finisher.

• While you can use disguises or binds to remove an enemy disguise, a quick swipe of the Knife into thin air is usually the fastest way to silently drop your disguise.

Your Eternal Reward

• The lack of easy disguises while using this weapon means a greater reliance upon cloaking efficiently and choosing good hiding places.

• This weapon is extremely well-suited for taking out Sentry Gun placements when you already have a disguise. You can backstab the Engineer and the Sentry Gun won't detect your presence between disguises.

• If you do not have the full Polycount set, it is a good idea to use the original default Cloak, because it produces less noise than the Cloak & Dagger. However, if you have the full Polycount set, it is a good idea to use Cloak & Dagger or Dead Ringer.

• Prior to obtaining your first disguise, look for enemies who are separated from the rest of their team. Once you stab them and obtain their identity, approach their front lines from behind.

• If you're stuck with a slower disguise (Soldier, Heavy, Demoman), remember that you can Cloak at any time to move at normal walking speed. Your disguised speed will resume when you uncloak.

• The Cloak and Dagger works well with this knife, since you can search for people to backstab and disguise without having fear of being exposed.

Disguise Kit

• The Disguise Kit is the Spy's major infiltration tool. See the Disguise page for more details on its use.

Invisibility Watch / Enthusiast's Timepiece

• Compared with the Dead Ringer and the Cloak and Dagger, the Invisibility Watch uses the least amount of energy and allows the furthest amount of distance while invisible.

• The margin of error with the Invisibility Watch is small given that you cannot feign your demise as with the Dead Ringer nor hide in plain sight as with the Cloak and Dagger.

• Maintain movement to decrease the likelihood of being detected and cornered.

• When detected, attempt to feign the direction in which you will retreat; begin cloaking while running in one direction, then change your heading the moment you're fully invisible.

• Grab metal where you can, when you can while cloaked. More observant enemies may detect an ammo box inexplicably disappearing but more often than not they will be too preoccupied to notice.

Cloak and Dagger

• Despite being less focused on movement, the Cloak and Dagger can be preferable to take on maps with not enough ammo boxes to get you past a large enemy front.

• The Cloak drain is based on how fast you are moving.

• Don't haunt the same area too long. It encourages enemies to Spy check for you.

Dead Ringer

• The Dead Ringer makes a distinctive sound that lets all the enemies in the vicinity know that you are using the item. Try to uncloak in a safe location, then move in for the kill.

• While cloaked with the Dead Ringer, you take 90% less damage, and you do not flicker from enemy shots. Use this to your advantage when crossing chokepoints with a large amount of enemy fire.

• You can recharge your Cloak with ammo, even while cloaked. However, after 5 seconds you no longer take a reduced 90% damage.

• When on fire, don't immediately pull out the Dead Ringer. Unless you were at extremely low health, an immediate death due to fire will look suspicious, and Pyros will more than likely set you on fire again while cloaked.

• When you're bleeding with the Dead Ringer active, you won't flicker from the damage. However, the bleeding effect will still show, revealing your location to enemies.

• When falling short distances that you can survive, don't ready the Ringer. If it activates, most people will realize that you're a Spy.

The Saharan Spy

• The uncloak volume reduction this set grants you is invaluable when using the Dead Ringer.

• If an enemy sees you undisguised with the Familiar Fez equipped, they may assume you are using the full set, and they usually assume you are using the Dead Ringer or Your Eternal Reward.

• When using the Dead Ringer in conjunction with the Saharan Spy Set, an easy way to get behind enemy lines is take fall damage to activate the Dead Ringer, then move from ammo source to ammo source until a suitable backstab target can be found.

• When approaching a group of targets from behind, try to stab a faster moving class such as a Pyro, Demoman, Medic, or Sniper first. This will maintain your speed and allow you to chase down slower classes without having to drop your disguise.

See also

• Community Spy strategy
• Spy match-ups
• Team strategy