Buff Banner
“ | Admit it: Every so often, you suspect you’re carrying your team... How about motivating those lazy sons of bitches to put on their war face and fight?
— Buff Banner publicity blurb
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” |
The Buff Banner is an unlockable secondary weapon for the Soldier. It is a tattered, battle-standard flag mounted on a small backpack and accompanied by a dented brass bugle. The war flag itself – which is rectangular and colored faded yellow with a brown starburst design and moves realistically – remains hidden in the backpack until it is activated, at which point it appears on a pole mounted to the pack.
Equipping the Buff Banner adds a "Rage meter" to the Soldier's HUD, which is filled by dealing damage to enemies. The Rage meter becomes full after the Soldier has dealt 600 damage in a single life, at which point he can sound his bugle to rally his teammates (playing a different tune on RED than when on BLU). Telefragging an enemy results in a fully charged rage meter, regardless of the previous charge or the type of class killed. Switching classes, dying, or unequipping the Buff Banner empties the Rage meter completely.
During the 10 seconds following this rallying call, all hits made by allies positioned within 450 Hammer units of the Soldier, including his own, become Mini-Crits. Buffed players within the radius emit team-colored rings of light from their feet, and their weapons brighten similarly to a Crit boost. It is possible to delay the release of the effect of the Buff Banner after the bugle call, and thereby delaying the buffing effect, by holding down the primary fire key (default key: MOUSE1).
Though players only receive the buff while positioned within the buff radius, the source or sources of their damage need not be within the radius, so traveling rockets, pre-laid stickybombs, Sentry Guns, bleeding and afterburn deal Mini-Crit damage as long as their creator is buffed when the damage is actually dealt. Likewise, a damage source created within the buff radius does not gain a Mini-Crit benefit if its creator no longer has the buff when the damage is dealt.
The Buff Banner is automatically given to any player who obtains 17 Soldier achievements.
Contents
Damage and function times
Damage and function times | ||
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Effect range | 450 Hammer units | |
Damage | ||
Charge fill damage | 600 | |
Function times | ||
Effect duration | 10 s | |
Activation time | 3 s | |
Values are approximate and determined by community testing. |
Demonstration
Crafting
Blueprint
Class Token - Soldier | Slot Token - Secondary | Scrap Metal | Possible Results | |||||||||||||||||||
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As a crafting ingredient
Buff Banner | Reclaimed Metal | Battalion's Backup | ||
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Buff Banner | Reclaimed Metal | Sticky Jumper | B.A.S.E. Jumper | |||
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Strange variant
Related achievements
Soldier
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Mann vs. Machievements
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Update history
- The Buff Banner was added to the game.
- Fixed the Buff Banner not working when
+reload
has been forced in the console. - Fixed inconsistent Rage generation with the Buff Banner.
- Fixed the player keeping their rage setting when the Buff Banner isn't equipped.
- Fixed resupply cabinet not clearing the rage and the buff status effect.
- Soldier Rage bar no longer resets when touching a resupply cabinet.
- Increased the rate of the Soldier's Rage generation by 40%.
- Reduced the duration of the Soldier's Buff Banner effect from 14 seconds to 10.
- Added jiggle bones to the Buff Banner.
September 30, 2010 Patch (Mann-Conomy Update)
- [Undocumented] The weapon was added in the crafting blueprint for the Battalion's Backup.
- Soldiers no longer maintain their rage level when changing loadout.
- Updated flag model with optimizations and LODs.
March 10, 2011 Patch (Shogun Pack)
- Updated bugle model with optimizations and LODs.
- Fixed a bug that caused players to see the wrong backpacks on some classes.
- Fixed incorrect player animations for the Buff Banner.
- Fixed Soldier buffs and rage meters not always being reset.
December 20, 2012 Patch (Mecha Update)
- Added Festive variant.
- [Undocumented] Rage can now be generated from Tanks in Mann vs. Machine.
- Fixed Strange Festive Buff Banner not always tracking usage.
- Added The Festive Buff Banner to the list of items allowed in Medieval Mode.
- [Undocumented] Added "Mini Crit!" next to the health bar when under the effects of the Buff Banner.
- [Undocumented] Changed description from "Provides an offensive buff that causes nearby team members to do Mini-Crits." to "Provides an offensive buff that causes nearby team members to do Mini-Crits. Rage increases through damage done."
- [Undocumented] Added Collector's quality.
- [Undocumented] Fixed Crit boosted glow not showing.
- [Undocumented] Updated model.
- Added Strange quality.
July 18, 2024 Patch #1 (Summer 2024 Update)
- Updated the material for The Buff Banner to add phong mask and missing material parameters (community fix from Lindon).
Unused content
- There are two unused textures for separate "attack" and "defense" banners in the game files, which depict an explosion with an orange background and a shield with a green background, respectively. Why the defense concept was not included on release is unknown, but the concept has since been given to the Battalion's Backup.
- In the VPK, there exists a BLU version of the Buff Banner flag (listed as
c_buffbanner_blue
).
Bugs
- If the player switches to another secondary weapon while the rage is active, the Mini-Crit buff is deployed until the rage is depleted.
- If the player switches to another banner and then touches a Resupply locker, the rage is carried over.
- The Strange variant of the item can rank up during battles against bots and when
sv_cheats
is set to1
.
Trivia
- The bugle was originally issued to American monkeynaut Poopy Joe as a means of calling for help before it was acquired by Mann Co. under entirely innocent circumstances.[1]
- The bugle is actually used in this way at the end of a round on the Special Delivery map Doomsday. The sound of the Buff Banner's bugle can be heard as the rocket begins to crash after prematurely running out of fuel.
- The Buff Banner has text on its back, reading "Screaming Eagles". This is a reference to the United States Army's 101st Airborne Division, nicknamed the Screaming Eagles, and is also a phrase used by the Soldier.
- The Festive variant of the Buff Banner has the "Screaming Eagles" text replaced with "Smissmas".
- It also replaces the skull patch with one that appears to have an image of the Pyromancer's Mask with two candy canes acting as crossbones.
Gallery
References
See also
External links
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Weapons | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Primary | Scattergun | Rocket Launcher | Flame Thrower | Grenade Launcher | Minigun | Shotgun | Syringe Gun | Sniper Rifle | — | |
Force-A-Nature Shortstop Soda Popper Baby Face's Blaster Back Scatter |
Direct Hit Black Box Rocket Jumper Liberty Launcher Cow Mangler 5000 Original Beggar's Bazooka Air Strike |
Backburner Degreaser Phlogistinator Rainblower Nostromo Napalmer Dragon's Fury |
Loch-n-Load Ali Baba's Wee Booties Bootlegger Loose Cannon B.A.S.E. Jumper Iron Bomber |
Natascha Iron Curtain Brass Beast Tomislav Huo-Long Heater |
Frontier Justice Widowmaker Pomson 6000 Rescue Ranger Panic Attack |
Blutsauger Crusader's Crossbow Overdose |
Huntsman Sydney Sleeper Bazaar Bargain Machina Hitman's Heatmaker AWPer Hand Fortified Compound Classic Shooting Star |
— | ||
Secondary | Pistol | Shotgun | Shotgun | Stickybomb Launcher | Shotgun | Pistol | Medi Gun | SMG | Revolver | |
Bonk! Atomic Punch Lugermorph Crit-a-Cola Mad Milk Winger Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol Flying Guillotine Mutated Milk C.A.P.P.E.R |
Buff Banner Gunboats Battalion's Backup Concheror Mantreads Reserve Shooter Righteous Bison B.A.S.E. Jumper Panic Attack |
Flare Gun Detonator Reserve Shooter Manmelter Scorch Shot Panic Attack Gas Passer Thermal Thruster |
Chargin' Targe Scottish Resistance Sticky Jumper Splendid Screen Tide Turner Quickiebomb Launcher |
Sandvich Dalokohs Bar Buffalo Steak Sandvich Fishcake Family Business Robo-Sandvich Panic Attack Second Banana |
Lugermorph Wrangler Short Circuit C.A.P.P.E.R Giger Counter |
Kritzkrieg Quick-Fix Vaccinator |
Jarate Razorback Darwin's Danger Shield Cozy Camper Cleaner's Carbine Self-Aware Beauty Mark |
Ambassador Big Kill L'Etranger Enforcer Diamondback | ||
Melee | Bat | Shovel | Fire Axe | Bottle | Fists | Wrench | Bonesaw | Kukri | Knife | |
Sandman Frying Pan Holy Mackerel Boston Basher Candy Cane Sun-on-a-Stick Fan O'War Three-Rune Blade Saxxy Atomizer Conscientious Objector Unarmed Combat Wrap Assassin Freedom Staff Bat Outta Hell Memory Maker Ham Shank Golden Frying Pan Necro Smasher Crossing Guard Batsaber Prinny Machete |
Equalizer Pain Train Frying Pan Half-Zatoichi Saxxy Disciplinary Action Market Gardener Conscientious Objector Escape Plan Freedom Staff Bat Outta Hell Memory Maker Ham Shank Golden Frying Pan Necro Smasher Crossing Guard Prinny Machete |
Axtinguisher Homewrecker Frying Pan Powerjack Back Scratcher Sharpened Volcano Fragment Maul Saxxy Postal Pummeler Conscientious Objector Third Degree Lollichop Neon Annihilator Freedom Staff Bat Outta Hell Memory Maker Ham Shank Golden Frying Pan Necro Smasher Crossing Guard Prinny Machete Hot Hand |
Eyelander Pain Train Scotsman's Skullcutter Frying Pan Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker Claidheamh Mòr Ullapool Caber Half-Zatoichi Saxxy Persian Persuader Nessie's Nine Iron Conscientious Objector Scottish Handshake Freedom Staff Bat Outta Hell Memory Maker Ham Shank Golden Frying Pan Necro Smasher Crossing Guard Prinny Machete |
Killing Gloves of Boxing Frying Pan Gloves of Running Urgently Fists of Steel Warrior's Spirit Saxxy Eviction Notice Conscientious Objector Apoco-Fists Holiday Punch Freedom Staff Bat Outta Hell Memory Maker Ham Shank Golden Frying Pan Bread Bite Necro Smasher Crossing Guard Prinny Machete |
Golden Wrench Gunslinger Southern Hospitality Jag Saxxy Eureka Effect Golden Frying Pan Necro Smasher Prinny Machete |
Ubersaw Frying Pan Vita-Saw Amputator Saxxy Solemn Vow Conscientious Objector Freedom Staff Bat Outta Hell Memory Maker Ham Shank Golden Frying Pan Necro Smasher Crossing Guard Prinny Machete |
Tribalman's Shiv Bushwacka Frying Pan Saxxy Shahanshah Conscientious Objector Freedom Staff Bat Outta Hell Memory Maker Ham Shank Golden Frying Pan Necro Smasher Crossing Guard Prinny Machete |
Your Eternal Reward Conniver's Kunai Saxxy Big Earner Wanga Prick Sharp Dresser Spy-cicle Black Rose Golden Frying Pan Prinny Machete | ||
Primary PDA | — | — | — | — | — | Construction PDA | — | — | Disguise Kit | |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
Secondary PDA | — | — | — | — | — | Destruction PDA | — | — | Invis Watch | |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Cloak and Dagger Dead Ringer Enthusiast's Timepiece Quäckenbirdt | ||
Building | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sapper | |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Red-Tape Recorder Ap-Sap Snack Attack | ||
Taunt | Grand Slam | Grenade | Hadouken Armageddon Execution Gas Blast |
Barbarian Swing | High Noon | Arm Blender Guitar Smash |
Oktoberfest Uberslice Medicating Melody |
Arrow Stab | Fencing |
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