Equalizer
| Equalizer | |
|---|---|
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| Kill Icon | |
| Basic Information | |
| Used by: | Soldier |
| Slot: | Melee |
| Released: | WAR! Update |
| Availability: | Unlock, Craft, Drop, Purchase, Uncrate (#1) |
| Tradable: | Yes |
| Giftable: | Yes |
| Craftable: | Yes |
| Nameable: | Yes |
| Craft No.?: | No |
| Medieval: | Yes |
| Available Qualities | |
| Loadout Stats | |
 The Equalizer |
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| “ | Get close enough to death, and you will become Death himself.
— Equalizer publicity blurb
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” |
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.
Contents
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
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
Blueprint
| Class Token - Soldier | Slot Token - Melee | Scrap Metal | Possible Results | |||||||||||||||||||
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As a crafting ingredient
| Equalizer | Scrap Metal | Homewrecker | ||
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Related achievements
Soldier
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Demoman
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Update history
- The Equalizer was added to the game.
- Fixed a server crash caused by using the Equalizer.
- Players can no longer survive Kamikaze by equipping the Gunboats.
- Reduced the damage bonus the Equalizer receives as the player loses health.
- The speed boost was not changed.
- [Undocumented] The weapon was added in the crafting blueprint for the Homewrecker.
- 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.
- The Lumbricus Lid Kamikaze taunt kill received a unique kill icon.
- Updated model with optimizations and new LODs.
- Fixed melee attacks not destroying remote detonation pipes (Stickybombs).
- Fixed the Amputator and the Crusader's Crossbow healing teammates that have the Equalizer as their active weapon.
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 backpack lists the healing blocking as blue and therefore a positive attribute, when it should in fact be colored neutral.
- The weapon has the draw sound and animations of the Shovel.
- As a result, the Soldier doesn't appear to grip this weapon correctly.
- 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. This could be used as a good spy-check strategy.
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
1st person view.
See also
External links
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