Community Scout strategy

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Hit the road, bozo, let a real Scout get to work! Click to listen — The Scout on impersonators

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This article is on Community Scout Strategy.

The Scout has the fastest movement speed and is a great Control Point capturer, while also dealing a decent amount of damage from short to medium range. His low maximum health of 125 makes direct combat difficult and risky. The preferred technique of combat involves circle strafing or weapon heckling.

Quick tips

• You capture twice as fast as any other class. If you're anywhere near an enemy Control point, stand on it.
  • In Payload maps, crouch-walking behind the Payload to use it as a shield can be very effective.

• Know where the Health packs are on every map, and grab them every chance you can.
  • However, if you're not too badly injured and another teammate is, leave the health pack for them. Do not use your speed to grab a Health pack when another teammate is injured more than you are.

• Never try to out-gun tougher classes. Your job is to deal damage and distract, then disappear before the enemy has a chance to shoot back.

• Use your maneuverability to catch enemies off-guard. Your extra speed and double-jump can get you over gaps, around corners, and over obstacles that block most of the other classes.

• Sentry Guns should be avoided.
  • You can use Bonk! Atomic Punch, however, to distract an enemy Sentry Gun while a teammate destroys it, or to slip past the Sentry Gun while avoiding damage.

General

Combat

• The Scout excels at one-on-one combat. Wandering or lone-wolf players are good targets for a Scout.

• Try to be as unpredictable as possible. Jumping is an easy way to stay out of the way of Rockets or Pipe Bombs, and Circle-Strafing is a good way to take down other foes.

• When low on health, wait for the correct moment to strike. Use walls and corners to gain an advantage over enemies by firing and retreating repeatedly to avoid enemy fire.

• The Scout is good at causing distractions, using the Bonk! Atomic Punch or his speed to get behind enemy lines. Pestering enemies and getting them to chase him into distant areas of the map can give his team time to set up defenses or stage an assault.

• Remember that retreat is an option if the situation is not ideal for a Scout. Do not attempt to gun down a Heavy/Medic combo that is aware of your presence. A retreat from a battle does not mean that the battle is lost; counter attack once enemies think you are no longer a threat.

• The Scout is the smallest class and can hide behind objects better than every other class. This can be useful while waiting for a group of enemies to pass by.
  • Do not pull out any melee weapon while hiding, as their height may give away your position.

• Use the Scout's high speed to inform teammates of incoming attacks. The "Incoming!" command is bound by default to X + 1.

• Try to be unpredictable while fighting classes that are using hitscan weapons, such as the Shotgun. Use the double jump to launch yourself at an unexpected angle to make yourself harder to hit.

• Do not confront a Sentry Gun head-on. If you can approach it from behind or to the side, you can take advantage of the Sentry Gun's slow rotation speed. Pop out of cover long enough to take a shot at it, then wait about one second for the Sentry Gun to turn back to its default position.
  • It is also possible to circle strafe a Sentry Gun, as it cannot turn quickly enough to fire at you. This is very difficult, however, and requires that you be as close to the Sentry Gun as possible.
  • Alternatively, you can simply run past a Sentry Gun that isn't aimed right at you, as long as you does not pass through the Sentry Gun's field of view.

• Empty a magazine of Pistol ammo into the back of a slower class (Heavy, Soldier, etc.) before getting within Scattergun range, then jump over them before they turn around to see what just attacled and finish them with the Scattergun. This may not work on enemies with a quicker reaction time.

• Taking on a Heavy is not as suicidal as it might seem. Circle strafe around him, firing until he spins his Minigun up. After he begins firing, double jump over him or try to land on his head. Aim down and fire away or switch to your melee weapon. Strafing left to right repeatedly while emptying Scattergun shells to him is an easier to perform tactic, but is more risky.

• When approaching an unaware enemy Sniper, get close to him and fire the Scattergun twice. Two shots at close range will kill him, and he will have no time to react.
  • The Force-A-Nature's knockback will disorient him even further (if he survives), and may even kill him by knocking him off a ledge.

• When fighting enemy Pyros that are attempting to airblast you into a corner and kill you with the Axtinguisher, use your second jump to escape from above.

• An entire team of Scouts can attempt a Scout rush, but this is a risky maneuver. Joining forces with even a handful of other Scouts is still a good idea, as they can buy time for the team while the slower, stronger classes catch up.
  • While participating in a Scout rush, coordinate attacks with fellow Scouts for maximum damage.

• If you find yourself circling an enemy, try to find the right moment to line up with your target and fire your weapon.

• As a general rule, the usefulness of Scouts is inversely proportional to the number of players in the server and the size of the map.

• Find a mouse sensitivity that is suitable for playing Scout. Some players prefer a higher sensitivity due to the speed of the class, but a lower sensitivity may make it easier to land Pistol shots or Sandman baseballs at mid-range.

Speed

• As the fastest class, you should should keep moving at all times, unless you're in need of healing.

• As a Scout, since you run faster than any other class, when retreating, you can backpedal and get a few more shots in on an enemy in pursuit.

• When running to the front lines, run through into players to Spy check. If you don't pass through them, and instead bump into them, then they're a disguised Spy.

• Attempt to get a friendly Medic using the Quick-Fix to heal you, as your speed will allow him to get to damaged teammates quicker.

• Because you can easily outrun other classes, it is possible to backcap Control Points. If successful, this will lock the enemy out of capturing your own Control Point(s).

The Scout's double jump is incredibly versatile, use it well.

Jumping

• Whichever movement key is being held at the time of the double jump is the direction you will go. This allows you to immediately turn 90 or 180 degrees in any direction in mid air, and is a very good way to confuse enemies.
  • This is especially effective against Snipers, who usually aim where they expect you to be just after their shot is fired. However, skilled Snipers may be able to predict the path of your second jump, since yout cannot move in midair after it.

• Performing a double jump without pressing anything bound to the movement commands will cancel all directional momentum, regardless of speed.
  • As a result of this, try to predict where enemies are aiming before double jumping.

• Double jumping can save you from fall damage; simply jump just before you would hit the ground.

• Use the double jump jump to take the higher roads over railroad cars and bridges. Most opponents tend to look forward, rather than up. If it is safe to do so, attack from above, preferably on the enemy's head, to take them by surprise.

• Certain ledges may require you to crouch-jump in order to reach them. Holding the crouch button while performing a double jump will allow you to reach those ledges.

• If you are under fire, try jumping over the enemy's head to disorient them or throw their aim off. You can also use this maneuver to land a couple extra shots at close range.

• You are able to perform a triple jump of sorts if the Force-A-Nature is equipped as your primary weapon, as the knockback from firing can be used to propel yourself a few feet upwards when aimed down.
  • Similar results can be achieved using the Boston Basher's self damage, though this is much riskier.
  • The Atomizer allows you to do a triple jump in the same manner as regular jumping, at the cost of 10 health. Use it when you feel as though you are in a safe area.

• When an enemy Soldier decides to pull out his Reserve Shooter, it would be very wise to not jump for a few seconds while fighting, as the Mini-Crit damage can be lethal. After 3 seconds have passed and the Reserve Shooter's airborne Mini-Crits buff wears off, begin utilizing your jumps to confuse the Soldier while he is reloading.

Weapon Specific

Primary Weapons

Scattergun

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Stock Scattergun		6	32	85-105	10-40	3-10	180

• When using your Scattergun, a reliable way to ensure you hit consistently is to actually not use your mouse to aim, but to strafe left and right with your cross-hair centered, firing when your cross-hairs and opponent match up. This allows you to focus on moving more efficiently and erratically, making you harder to hit, while at the same time making your aim smoother and more accurate via prediction.

• Teamed with a double jump, the Scattergun can be used to kill an enemy Medic with an unactivated ÜberCharge before he is aware of your presence. It is important that your first shot hits because your target will see tracers fly by and hear your gunshots, leaving them alerted to your presence. Two point-blank shots to a Medic will normally kill him, while 3-4 at medium range will do the same job.

• Beware of stronger classes. Your low health means classes like the Soldier and the Heavy can easily take you out in a short amount of time.

• Range makes a huge difference to the damage the Scattergun inflicts. If you are undetected, avoid firing early. Wait until you are as close as you can get to the enemy and then open fire. This reduces the number of times you need to hit the enemy, giving them less time to react, and means you won't run out of ammo in the middle of a firefight

• When fighting enemy Scouts, staying at mid range is generally the best strategy, unless you can get in close between their shots to achieve a close range shot and deal huge damage. By staying at mid range, you allow yourself more room to dodge or hide behind cover, as well as more time to reload.
  • That said, if your aim is good enough, close range can be just as good due to the ease of dodging by jumping over them here, assuming their aim is worse.

Force-A-Nature

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Unlock Force-A-Nature		2	32	92-113	11-43	3-11	194

• The Force-A-Nature is an unlockable primary weapon for the Scout. It has a smaller magazine size with a faster firing speed, firing two shells in fast succession for hit-and-run tactics, along with reloading both shots instead of individually. However, the Force-A-Nature has 20% more pellets per slug in exchange for 10% less damage per pellet, forcing the player to fire much closer to use all the pellets in the shot for maximum damage. In addition, when in a close enough range, the Force-A-Nature will knock back the target, and when in mid-air, the Scout as well, confusing enemies, and allowing triple-jumps (and quadruple with the Atomizer) when firing downwards to reach places other classes cannot.

• When using this weapon, try not to get into a firefight with more than a few enemies. The slow reload time, small magazine, and short range is not suited for these kinds of fights. Instead, try to take on only one enemy at a time so you don't get overwhelmed, and try not to approach them from the front. Come from the sides or behind to take him out before he knows what hit him.

• If you plan on using the Force-A-Nature, you should probably bring the Pistol as well. The Force-A-Nature's small magazine size means that without the Pistol, you will be essentially weaponless for the two seconds after you fire both shells.

• Keep in mind that you can jump even longer distances with this weapon by jumping, aiming below you and firing at the end of your second jump. Another way is to jump, fire quickly, and jump again. Only fire one shot, as the second shot fired while in the air has no effect on you. A couple of interesting facts regarding the Force-A-Nature jump: A Force-A-Nature jump has slightly higher clearance than the standard double-jump. Finally, while at maximum speed, you can gain no forward momentum what-so-ever from the Force-A-Nature, so firing in such a way as to try and lengthen your jump is fruitless in this situation (when stationary or moving slower than normal, such as under the influence of Natascha you will gain momentum up to the Scout's normal maximum speed).
  • However, you can gain rearward momentum when in the air moving backwards, so if you are traveling through an open area, you can clear large distances quickly and perhaps more importantly off the ground and out of the crosshairs of Snipers by doing a quick 180 turn, simultaneously switching from forward to backward movement, jumping, and firing the Force-A-Nature just after the peak of the jump's height.
    • Although firing a second shot in midair does not affect your momentum, it is unwise to engage an enemy with only one shot loaded, and reloading with one bullet in the barrel will throw it away. It is invaluable to know when to reload and when you can afford to save the shell for a quick shot or another triple jump.

• Use the Force-A-Nature's knockback ability to your advantage, two simultaneous shells can send enemies several meters and into hazards such as the pits in Lumberyard and Steel. It's particularly useful in Steel and Mann Manor where the enemies tend to huddle around the last point. You can jump in, blast two people right off the point and run to reload and strike again later (provided they have yet to raise the safety rails).

• A good overall strategy to do with the Force-A-Nature is to use the knockback ability and then follow through by sinking a magazine from your Pistol into them, it is much easier since they will be knocked back in a straight line, giving you some time to get some quick shots in. You might kill them, but even if you don't, they're probably so weak that one of your allies should be able to take them