Basic Scout strategy

The Scout is a short-range, high-speed fragile class with the ability to double jump. He counts as two players while capturing Control Points and Payload carts.

His role is to flank rapidly, dodge wildly, and use hit-and-run tactics in order to eliminate enemies with his deadly Scattergun.

General

• The Scout is the fastest class in the game, and double-jumping allows players to cross complex terrain in unusual and confusing ways. Scouts should always be unpredictable, and should stay on the move at all times.

• The Scout excels in one-on-one combat. With practice, his natural fragility can be mitigated, and his extreme damage and mobility give him the edge over most enemies.

• Unlike the majority of classes, players are easily able to escape from knock back. The most effective technique is to double jump immediately after being pushed in order to pass over an opponent's head or change direction completely.

• The Sentry Gun is one of the Scout's most dangerous foes. Sentry Guns can be destroyed by cornering, firing from a distance, or by using Bonk! Atomic Punch in order to pass by safely. Well-placed Sentry Guns may require the assistance of a teammate, and as will Sentry Guns protected by an Engineer.

• Double jumping can prevent fall damage. Jumping just before hitting the ground, or jumping to a nearby ledge when falling will mitigate any damage when falling from a significant height.

• Scouts can also double jump in order to change direction of travel in mid-air, making it harder for enemies to predict the Scout's movement pattern. Players should use this to their advantage, especially against Snipers and Soldiers.

• If an enemy has been caught off-guard, Scouts should move as close as possible before firing. At very short range, the Scattergun can inflict over one hundred damage. This means that two shots can often kill an opponent before he has time to react.

• If a slower teammate has taken the enemy Intelligence, players should consider asking their teammate to drop it (Default key: 'L'). This will allow the Scout can capture the Intelligence more quickly, and keep the stronger classes on the frontlines.

• The Scout's fast speed allows him to provoke enemies. Scouts should keep their distance when an opponent uses close-range weapons, and then charge in for the kill when the enemy switches to long-range alternatives.

• Scouts have low health, and Medics aren't always available. Therefore, it is suggested that players memorise the locations of health packs on each map for future use.

• Depending upon the situation, Scouts should try to avoid running backwards as it slightly reduces movement speed and could result in a quick death if the Scout accidentally backs into a wall or corner.

Weapon Specific Tips

Scattergun

• While using the Scattergun, players should not rely on the mouse alone to track foes. Players should use their movement to keep the opponent centered on the screen, and fire whenever the cross-hairs and opponent are synchronised. This allows players to focus on moving efficiently and erratically, making them harder to hit while at the same time making their aim smoother and more accurate via prediction.

• The Scattergun can be used to kill an enemy Medic with an unactivated ÜberCharge before he is aware of the Scout's presence. Two or three point-blank shots will normally do the job.

• Over time, the Scattergun has much higher damage potential than the Force-A-Nature. In short bursts however, the Force-A-Nature beats the Scattergun.

• Like the Shotgun, the Scattergun has a wide spread. Instead of wasting their primary ammunition at range, players should try switching to their Pistol in order to weaken enemies at long-range before moving in for the kill.

• In order to maximize their efficiency with the Scattergun, players should try to create a rhythmic pattern in their head based upon the the firing speed of the Scattergun. As strange as it sounds, it helps to know exactly when to aim without sacrificing movement control, which can be affected by aiming radically.

Force-A-Nature

• The Force-A-Nature deals excellent burst damage but can't sustain it over time. It's better used as a hit-and-run weapon.

• If you plan on using the Force-A-Nature, you should probably bring the Pistol as well. The Force-A-Nature's small clip size means that without the Pistol, you will be essentially weaponless for two seconds after you fire both shots.

• Force Jumps and Triple Jumps allow you to reach unusual positions and dodge even more erratically than double jumping allows.

• Use the Force-A-Nature's Knock back ability to your advantage. An enemy launched into the air is generally predictable, so your second shot can reliably hit your target. Fire the second shot as soon as possible to deal maximum damage.

• It's sometimes better to fire the remaining shot in a half-empty Force-A-Nature rather than reload manually, as the shell is lost either way. You may hit something.

Shortstop

• Halfway between a Pistol and a Shotgun, the Shortstop deals less damage up close, but it reliably deals excellent damage at range.

• The Critical hits from this weapon are devastating. It generates them like a Pistol, so if you fire one critical in a clip, the rest of the clip is guaranteed to Crit as well.

• The Shortstop draws from the same ammunition reserve as the Pistol. Pairing these two weapons will drain your ammo reserve quickly. Instead, consider using Bonk! Atomic Punch, Mad Milk or Crit-a-Cola with it.

• The Shortstop reloads rapidly, allowing consistent damage over time.

Pistol / Lugermorph

• One of the Pistol's primary uses is to finish off wounded targets.

• The Pistol reloads much faster than the Scattergun. When both weapons are empty, reloading the Pistol first will have you firing much sooner.

• Pistol criticals are deadly. If you happen to get first blood in Arena, switch to your Pistol as it can take any class down in one clip, including most overhealed enemies.

• Though the Scattergun trumps it at short ranges, at medium to long ranges your Pistol is an excellent option for dealing consistent damage.

• The Pistol is recommended for players who want to deal as much damage as possible, before having to retreat. Being the only secondary weapon that does this, the Pistol is the perfect choice.

• After using your primary weapon, while retreating to get health, ammo, backup, reload, or whatever it may be, turn around and use your Pistol to possibly get a few kills or assists.

Bonk! Atomic Punch

• Bonk! is a situational but effective utility item.

• Use Bonk! for dodging around things you would normally run away from, such as Sentry Guns, Heavy-Medic pairs, or large groups of enemies.

• Bonk! is useful to push through sticky traps to attack the Demoman.

• Bonk! can be used as a temporary ÜberCharge for distracting Sentry Guns.

• Use Bonk! for passing through the enemy team to reach the enemy spawn. You can then destroy Teleporter entrances and pick off fragile foes.

• Bonk! can be used to easily pick up intelligence in the field, or to keep a Payload cart from moving backwards if it's being heavily defended.

• Use Bonk! to escape otherwise lethal situations.

• Bonk! can also be used sometimes to block enemies from passing through small openings or navigating tight hallways.

• Bonk! is excellent for getting away with as much health left as possible, and is perfect at this if on fire or bleeding, giving you enough time to get to a health kit or find a nearby Medic.

Crit-a-Cola

• At point-blank range, one mini-crit from the Scattergun or Force-A-Nature will kill any low health class. Drink it when you can surprise your foes.

• Mini-Crits don't suffer from damage falloff, so your primary weapon can deal fair damage at range.

• Crit-a-Cola meshes well with the Shortstop, as it is made for longer-range engagements.

• Don't drink Crit-a-Cola while under the effects of a friendly Buff Banner, a Critical hit Boost or when facing an enemy covered in Jarate. Your Mini-Crits do not stack with Critical hits or other Mini-Crits.

• For the same reason, it won't hurt to use it when the enemy already has a Crit or Mini-Crit buff against you. The penalties can't stack.

• Be careful when going up against Snipers with the Bushwacka equipped, as they can Crit you outright due to the effect of Mini-Crits becoming full on Critical Hits.

Mad Milk

• Mad Milk makes fighting bulky classes such as Heavies easier, as your continuous damage will help you tank some of their firepower.

• Mad Milk is also a great supplement for an offensive (or defensive) push, allowing attackers to replenish their health quickly.

• It also gives you some of the benefits of Jarate: extinguishing teammates or yourself, or revealing a cloaked Spy.

• Mad Milk is hard to notice on an affected person's HUD (a small white drop next to the health icon). If you can cover someone in milk in the middle of an assault or push, it is unlikely they will notice and could put themselves into a situation that will greatly benefit your teammates in their assault.

Bat

• Use the Bat to finish off a player that has been weakened by your Scattergun.

• Track your enemy as if you were using a regular melee weapon. The Bat's rapid swings won't make up for poor play.

• The Holy Mackerel has the exact same stats as the Bat. Use the Bat if you want to get through the enemies without being detected and remain off the board.

• Being a Scout, you can catch up to any class. Use this to your advantage if an enemy is running away. This usually means they are low on health or have run out of ammo, and can not easily defend themselves.

Sandman

• The Sandman's stun ball slows the target and prevents them from using their weapons. The duration of the effect increases with the distance between you and your target.

• The Heavy is one of your best targets for the ball. He's slow and easy to hit, and the stun stops his incredibly high damage. Remember, his Minigun will remain spun up while stunned, so be prepared when the stun wears off.

• The Sandman's ball fires with an arc similar to the Flare Gun's, however, the ball launches slightly above the crosshair - take this into account.

• The Sandman reduces your Health by 15. Play to your strengths and work with your teammates, or switch away from the weapon.

• Be aware that enemy Pyros can use their compression blast to reflect your baseball. It can even stun you or your teammates.

Holy Mackerel

• The Holy Mackerel is exactly like the Bat, except it announces each blow in the kill feed. Use the Bat if you want to remain off the board. Use the Holy Mackerel if you want the attention.

• Hits on disguised Spies do not display in the kill feed.

• A hit that triggers a feign death will be displayed as a hit, instead of a kill. This is a good way to know if a Spy was using the Dead Ringer.

Candy Cane

• You don't need to kill the enemy with the Candy Cane to get the health pack. So long as you're carrying it, any kill or assist you score will cause the health pack to drop.

• The health pack dropped from the Candy Cane can be a lifesaver after beating an enemy Pyro, since packs extinguish flames instantly.

• If there are Spies lurking, the Candy Cane can be great for detecting Dead Ringers. A Spy who fakes death with the Dead Ringer will not drop a health pack. However, this is a harder way of detecting Spies, but can still be effective if used correctly.

• Great for Medieval Mode as two small health kits will be dropped after ever kill.

Boston Basher

• Hit an unaware opponent once and then use ranged weapons. Trying to finish them off with the Basher is a surefire way to accidentally hit yourself and risk death.

• Swinging the Basher around wildly is extremely hazardous to your health. Do not attack with the Boston Basher unless you are sure that you will strike an enemy, a single miss will damage and disorient you, presenting the risk of imminent death at the hands of your foes.

• You can use the Basher to damage yourself and help a Medic fill their ÜberCharge more quickly if the two of you are alone.

• The Basher can be an effective tool for tracking down Dead Ringer Spies, especially in Medieval Mode.

• The Basher's self-damage can knock you higher into the air at the cost of roughly 1/4 your health.

• Be prepared to find a Health pack or Medic if you hit yourself. Sticking to the fight while bleeding is often suicide.

Sun-on-a-Stick

• Work with a friendly Pyro to hit enemies after they are ignited.

• In Medieval mode, team up with a Pyro carrying the Sharpened Volcano Fragment. Your one-two punch will be very effective.

• Similarly, be alert for Snipers using ignited arrows with their Huntsman. Your Sun-on-a-Stick can easily provide the death-blow to a damaged, burning adversary.

The Special Delivery

Holy Mackeral

• The +25 health this loadout gives you is helpful against other Scouts, afterburn, and wayward explosives.

• Remember that your only ranged weapon will be the Shortstop.

• Before running into a large group of enemies, throw your Mad Milk on them and quickly switch to your Shortstop, this is very effective when matched with the extra 25 max health you receive from wearing The Special Delivery.

See also

• Double jump