Equalizer

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Get close enough to death, and you will become Death himself.
— Equalizer publicity blurb

The Equalizer is an unlockable melee weapon for the Soldier. It is a weathered and well-used pickaxe, and is therefore often referred to as the "Pickaxe".

Once this weapon is equipped, it has the unique ability to increase the damage and movement speed of the player as their Health is diminished. It is therefore capable of destroying most buildings in two hits when the player is at low health. Consequently, the weapon blocks healing from all Medic weapons when it is being used in game. Players wielding it are also unable to call for Medics. Its critical hit animation is a backhanded swing, striking the enemy with the sharp end of the weapon.

Taunting with the Equalizer will perform the Soldier's Kamikaze kill taunt. A variation of the taunt is available to players who equip the Lumbricus Lid.

The Equalizer is automatically given to any player who obtains 5 Soldier achievements.

Damage

See also: Damage

Scales inversely with health. Approximately 113.7 − 0.405 × H (113.7 minus 0.405 multiplied H), where H is the amount of health the player currently has as a percentage of their max health, with a minimum of 33 when the player is at or above 100% health, and a maximum of 113 (before random damage and critical hits).

Health Damage Notes
200+ 33
121 65 Base damage of Shovel
64 88 Mini-Crit damage of Shovel
1 113

Speed

Equalizer speed and comparisons
Main article: Speed

Speed values are based on player's current health. For reference, the standard movement speed is 100%, which is 300 velocity units per second — the speed of the Spy, Sniper, Engineer and Pyro — whilst the Scout moves at 400v, 33% above the standard movement speed.

Health range Speed (units per second) Relative speed increase Notes
300-161 240 0%
160-121 264 10%
120-81 288 20% Faster than Demoman
80-41 336 40% Faster than Medic
40-1 384 60%

Function times

  • Attack Interval: 0.8

All times are in seconds. Times are approximate and determined by community testing.

Demonstration

Crafting

See also: Crafting

Blueprint

Class Token - Soldier Slot Token - Melee Scrap Metal Possible Results
Item icon Class Token - Soldier.png + Item icon Slot Token - Melee.png + Item icon Scrap Metal.png =
Item icon Equalizer.png Item icon Pain Train.png Item icon Half-Zatoichi.png Item icon Disciplinary Action.png
Item icon Market Gardener.png Item icon Escape Plan.png Item icon Freedom Staff.png Item icon Ham Shank.png
Item icon Bat Outta Hell.png Item icon Conscientious Objector.png

As a Crafting Ingredient

Equalizer Scrap Metal Homewrecker
Item icon Equalizer.png + Item icon Scrap Metal.png = Item icon Homewrecker.png

Related Achievements

Leaderboard class soldier.png Soldier

Ain't Got Time to Bleed
Ain't Got Time to Bleed
Kill 3 players with the Equalizer in a single life without being healed.


Duty Bound
Duty Bound
While rocket jumping kill an enemy with the Equalizer before you land or just after landing.
Near Death Experience
Near Death Experience
Kill 20 enemies with your Equalizer while you have less than 25 health.


Spray of Defeat
Spray of Defeat
Use a grenade to gib a player.

Leaderboard class demoman.png Demoman

Slammy Slayvis Woundya
Slammy Slayvis Woundya
Decapitate an enemy Soldier who is brandishing the Equalizer.


Update history

December 17, 2009 Patch (WAR! Update)
  • The Equalizer was added to the game.

December 18, 2009 Patch

  • Fixed a server crash caused by using the Equalizer.

January 13, 2010 Patch

  • Players can no longer survive Kamikaze by equipping the Gunboats.

April 15, 2010 Patch

  • Reduced the damage bonus the Equalizer receives as the player loses health.
    • The speed boost was not changed.

May 12, 2010 Patch

  • [Undocumented] The weapon was added in the crafting blueprint for the Homewrecker.

August 26, 2010 Patch

  • Fixed the Lumbricus Lid not playing the correct sound during the Kamikaze taunt.

September 30, 2010 Patch (Mann-Conomy Update)

  • [Undocumented] Kamikaze self-damage has been increased to 320, which prevents Soldiers from surviving the taunt when overhealed normally.

January 7, 2011 Patch

  • The Lumbricus Lid Kamikaze taunt kill received a unique kill icon.

February 3, 2011 Patch

  • Updated model with optimizations and new LODs.

February 14, 2011 Patch

  • Fixed melee attacks not destroying remote detonation pipes (Stickybombs).

February 22, 2011 Patch

April 14, 2011 Patch (Hatless Update)

  • Tuned high-end damage range so it's no longer possible to one-shot certain classes .
  • Suppress the Medic call effect while active.

May 5, 2011 Patch (Replay Update)

  • [Undocumented] Added a voice response for the Kamikaze taunt.

Bugs

  • The weapon has the draw sound and animations of the Shovel.
  • A Spy who is disguised as a Soldier with the Equalizer will not move faster than default Soldier speed, regardless of the Spy's fake health display or actual health. Medics will be able to heal the disguised Spy even if the disguise weapon is the Equalizer.
  • The currently tested Beta Version of the Equalizer allows Medics to heal you, calling a Medic is still blocked, though.

Trivia

  • Before becoming an official weapon, the Equalizer was first conceived by community members Tom Francis and jibberish. These users were to receive a unique version of the weapon, called "The Great Equalizer"[1], but currently they are both labeled "Community Equalizer".
  • Based on the hidden Poopy Joe page on the WAR! Update, the Equalizer was originally a pickaxe issued to American Monkeynaut Poopy Joe for him to "pierce the Vault of Heaven itself" before it was acquired by Mann Co. in entirely innocent circumstances.
  • After the Soldier throws the Equalizer over his shoulder when taunting, it simply disappears. This was to fix a bug which would cause him to drop two Equalizers upon the taunt's completion (one from the drop, the other from dying).

Gallery

See also

External links