Basic Heavy strategy

The Heavy is the largest, toughest, but slowest class in the game. Although his Minigun takes some time to rev up, it possesses some of the greatest damage output in the game, especially at close range. The Heavy can continue to keep his weapon revved in anticipation for future encounters. His great health pool and firepower makes him a very good Medic buddy. However, his large size and slow speed makes him a juicy target, especially for enemy Snipers or Spies, and his general loudness makes him subpar at ambushing. A good Heavy will coordinate with his team to tackle mission objectives together. His usefulness as a shock trooper while on offense or defense should not be underestimated by either side.

Primary Weapons

Minigun / Iron Curtain

Think of the Minigun as a rapid-fire Shotgun. With it, you are capable of taking nearly any opponent in a one-on-one setting. You can rev it while in midair, allowing you to catch enemies by surprise as you jump around corners. If there is no time to ready your Minigun, consider switching to your Shotgun.

Natascha

The Natascha will slow enemies, forcing them to stop and face you in combat. The effects of slowdown will interrupt a Demoman using the Chargin' Targe, any taunts, and the consumption of lunchbox items. The reduced damage dealt means you will be at a significant disadvantage when facing an enemy Heavy with the normal Minigun or Brass Beast.

Brass Beast

While the Brass Beast is the strongest weapon in the game, in terms of pure damage per second dealt, you are incredibly immobile while using it. The long spin-up time makes it unsuitable for ambushing or constantly moving around. If you haven't already revved it up, you are very vulnerable to even frontal attacks. Use it alongside the Shotgun in defensive situations where you will move around less.

Tomislav

The Tomislav's faster rev time allows you to deal more initial damage, compensating for the overall reduction in firepower. Additionally, the silent spin-up makes it an excellent choice for ambushing enemies. Against most enemies, save perhaps an enemy Heavy armed with the standard Minigun, you should be able to quickly deal enough damage before the Tomislav's firepower disadvantage becomes significant. Pair it with the Gloves of Running Urgently to gain a relatively high degree of mobility.

Secondary Weapons

Shotgun

If healing yourself or your allies is not an issue, pick the Shotgun over the Sandvich. Although it may be a secondary weapon, it still deals plenty of damage, so use it when moving between areas or when there is no time to spin up your Minigun.

Family Business

The increased clip size of the Family Business is balanced by its reduced damage, allowing it to be used for the same purposes as the Shotgun.

Sandvich

Use the Sandvich to quickly patch yourself up in between fights. Make sure to find a safe spot before taking it out, as you are completely helpless while eating. Alternatively, you can throw it on the ground to quickly heal yourself or your Medic while at the front lines. The Minigun will be your only ranged weapon, so keep an eye on your ammunition.

Dalokohs Bar / Fishcake

The Dalokohs Bar cannot heal you as quickly as the Sandvich and cannot be dropped for allies. However, because it has no cooldown, you can eat it at any time to heal minor wounds and continuously keep your increased maximum health. The Dalokohs Bar can be beneficial if your team lacks a Medic but does have a constant source of healing from either a Dispenser or medkits.

Buffalo Steak Sandvich

The Buffalo Steak Sandvich is best used to move around the battlefield quickly. Because you are restricted to melee weapons only, avoid engaging enemies while under its effects. Consider using it alongside the Fists of Steel to mitigate the increased damage you take from ranged attacks. It can still be thrown onto the ground to heal yourself or injured teammates.

Melee Weapons

Fists / Saxxy

If an enemy takes you by surprise at close range, it may still be worth it to just spin up your Minigun instead of switching to your Fists; you are slow and will probably be unable to get within melee range of your foe. Still, your large health pool does give you an advantage in a melee fight against one opponent.

Killing Gloves of Boxing

Take out the Killing Gloves of Boxing when you have the enemy in a corner and can easily land your punches. Once you've obtained the critical hit boost, make the best use of it by switching to the Shotgun or simply continue swinging. Unless you're using the Tomislav, switching to your primary weapon will waste a significant portion of the boost.

Gloves of Running Urgently

Use the G.R.U. to quickly reach the front lines or to retreat from dangerous foes. You can use the Sandvich or Dalokohs Bar to negate the self-damage once you've reached your destination. When wearing them, you can help build a Medic's ÜberCharge meter at the maximum rate.

Fists of Steel

The Fists of Steel make you very difficult to kill with ranged weaponry, so take them out when crossing open areas. If an enemy tries to melee you, switch one of your powerful ranged weapons and shred them.

Warrior's Spirit

The slight damage increase does aid in killing enemies faster. If you are being healed by a Medic, the health penalty is negligible. However, unless you actively seek melee combat, use a different melee weapon to give yourself some utility.

Eviction Notice

The increased attack speed of the Eviction Notice does not make up for the reduced damage. Unless you are fairly inaccurate in melee combat and could benefit from firing twice as many punches, you're better off using a different melee weapon.

Item sets

The Hibernating Bear

The item set grants a negligible resistance to critical hits, and is usually not very noticeable in play. It will not keep you from dying from a Sniper's fully charged headshot, even when overhealed. Despite the questionable utility of the bonus, the set is well-rounded for independent action, though highly-contrasting strengths and weaknesses combined with the reduction of maximum health brought on by the Warrior's Spirit make it less desirable for use in the front-line.

Black Market Business

The weapons in the item set focus on firing more shots that do less damage. It is best compared to the vanilla Heavy loadout, as the Family Business and Eviction Notice function similarly to the standard Shotgun and Fists. With that in mind, there is little incentive to be equipped according to the standards of the set: neither the Family Business nor the Eviction Notice are any more useful than default weapons, and lack any useful abilities or enhancements.