Anti-Scout strategy

Kay, this does not look good here, um...

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— The Soldier

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The Scout is a very fast and maneuverable class, capable of hit-and-run attacks that make up for his low amount of health. He packs a 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 with their double jump ability. 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 is usually the best way to deal with them due to their lack of effective long-range weaponry.

General

Attributes	Anti-Scout Strategy
Role	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 more quickly than the other classes. Try to predict where the Scout will land when using projectiles. If he is airborne, wait until his double-jump has been exhausted before trying to land airshots.
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. Less experienced Scouts tend to overcompensate when turning to aim at you while running in circles. Sometimes you can stand in one place while firing and the Scout will fire bullets around you. Engaging a Scout in close quarters can be risky, as he can deal large amounts of damage but has less room to move around. Take advantage of this before he does. A class which deals splash damage can often take less damage from it's own attacks than a Scout, making spamming rockets or stickies a viable strategy. However, this is often compensated for by the Scout's mobility and can end up easily backfiring.

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 only a 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 Force-A-Nature deals huge knock back. Try to avoid fighting Scouts near hazards like cliffsides, trains, and saw-blades where the knockback effect might instantly kill you.
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.

Secondary Weapons

Weapon	Anti-Scout Strategy
Pistol / Lugermorph	If you catch a Scout who is low on Pistol ammunition, fight at range to take advantage of his inability to use his secondary weapon.
Bonk! Atomic Punch	Bonk! is designed to get a Scout past choke points. Impede his movement until the effect runs out by body blocking him or using Knockback, Stun, or Slowdown.
Crit-a-Cola	Crit-a-Cola is designed for ambushing and killing unprepared enemies. 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 mobility makes it difficult to retreat from or fend off a melee attack. Try to keep the Scout in your view, and use your own melee/close-range weapons to deal with him. Weapons with knock back effects may prove useful.

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, surprising and killing the Scout.
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 or his teammates can take them.
Boston Basher / Three-Rune Blade	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.
Sun-on-a-Stick	Avoid Scouts using this weapon when you are on fire as the Sun-on-a-Stick deals critical damage to burning players. Try to find a nearby Medic, Health kit, or Water source to extinguish the fire first before dealing with the Scout, as the Sun-on-a-Stick does less base damage.
Fan O'War	Avoid Scouts using this weapon when low on health or when he uses his primary weapon, as the damage can be devastating. Try not to run into a crowd of teammates if you are being pursued by a Scout with the Fan O'War, as he could easily attack your other teammates, giving his team the advantage of mini-crits.