Scout (competitive)

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This article is for competitive play, based on the standard community competitive format. For the generic article on this topic, see: Scout.
The community competitive scene changes frequently. Some or all info may be outdated.
Scout.png

The Scout is the default utility class of the standard competitive lineup, valued for his objective-capturing and picking abilities.

Information

Health

Health State Max Health Overheal Max Pill Bottle First Aid Tin
Normal
125 hit points
185 hit points
+26 hit points
+63 hit points
Sandman-Equipped
110 hit points
165 hit points
+23 hit points
+55 hit points
The Special Delivery pack
150 hit points
225 hit points
+31 hit points
+75 hit points

Speed

Movement State Running Backpedaling Swimming Crouching
Normal 133.33% (400 u/s) 120% (360 u/s) 106.67% (320 u/s) 44% (133.33 u/s)

Speeds written in "u/s" refer to in-game units per second. When running in a certain direction causes slowness, rapidly switching between diagonals usually improves speed.

Weapons

Main article: Scout weapons (competitive)
# Weapon Damage Critical Damage Function Times Special
1 Scattergun
Wiki scattergun.png
Point-Blank: 104
512u: 6/hit, avg 6 hits
1024u+: 3/hit
Critical: 18 per hit (max 180)
Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 141
512u+ Mini-Crit: 8/hit
Attack: 0.64s
Reload Start: 0.76s
Reload More: 0.56s
Affected by fixed weapon spread (1 extra pellet at center).
Force-A-Nature
Force-A-Nature.png
Point-Blank: 113
512u: 5.4/hit, avg 7 hits
1024u+: 3/hit
Critical: 16.2/hit (max 194)
Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 152
512u+ Mini-Crit: 7.29/hit
Attack: 0.33s
Reload: 1.64s
Banned or restricted in some leagues.
Affected by fixed weapon spread (2 extra pellets at center, 1 extra at middle-right).
Hits dealing at least 40 damage cause knockback based on damage and positioning.
Reloading always consumes entire clip, even if 1 shot still loaded.
Allows for triplejumps and forcejumps.
Shortstop
Shortstop.png
Point-Blank: 72
512u: 12/hit, avg 4 hits
1024u+: 6.34/hit
Critical: 36/hit (max 144)
Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 97
512u+ Mini-Crit: 16.2/hit
Attack: 0.36s
Reload: 1.01s
Banned in most leagues for acquisition time.
Affected by fixed weapon spread (4 close pellets: center, left, right, down).
Shares ammo with Pistol/Winger.
Soda Popper
Soda Popper.PNG
Point-Blank: 104
512u: 6/hit, avg 6 hits
1024u+: 3/hit
Critical: 18/hit (max 180)
Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 141
512u+ Mini-Crit: 8/hit
Attack: 0.315s
Reload: 1.23s
Banned in most leagues for acquisition time.[citation needed]
Damage statistically identical to Scattergun
Affected by fixed weapon spread(1 extra pellet in center).
Reloading always consumes entire clip, even if 1 shot still loaded.
After running 5200u, approx. 14 seconds, with weapon active, automatically activates 8 second mini-crit boost for all weapons.
2 Pistol
Pistol.png
Point-Blank: 22
512u: 15
1024u+: 8
Critical: 45
Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 30
512u+ Mini-Crit: 20
Attack: 0.125s
Reload: 1.36s
If unfired in the past 1.25 seconds, shot has perfect accuracy.
Bonk
RedBonk.png
N/A N/A Drinking: 1.25s
Invulnerability: 6s
Total Recharge: 30s
On-hit effects still apply when invincible.
Recharge starts when invulnerability starts.
Is useless underwater.
Lugermorph
Weapon lugermorph.png
Point-Blank: 22
512u: 15
1024u+: 8
Critical: 45
Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 30
512u+ Mini-Crit: 20
Attack: 0.125s
Reload: 1.36s
Statistically identical to Pistol.
Crit-a-Cola
Crit-a-Cola.png
N/A N/A Drinking: 1.25s
Mini-Crit Effect: 6s
Total Recharge: 30s
Banned or restricted in some leagues.
While active, causes Scout to deal and receive Mini-Crits on all attacks.
Recharge starts when Mini-Crit effect starts.
Useless underwater.
Mad Milk
Mad Milk.png
N/A N/A Effect Duration: 6s
Refill Time: 10s
Banned in most leagues for acquisition time.
Affected foes grant self and allies 60% lifesteal on hit.
Splash goes through doors and grates.
Extinguishes fire on teammates.
Reveals Spies (can't be removed by DR, unlike fire).
Winger
Winger.PNG
Point-Blank: 25
512u: 17
1024u+: 10
Critical: 52
Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 35
512u+ Mini-Crit: 23
Attack: 0.125s
Reload: 1.36s
If unfired in the past 1.25 seconds, shot has perfect accuracy.
3 Bat
Wiki bat.png
Melee: 35 Critical: 105
Mini-Crit: 47
Attack: 0.5s Lowest DPS of all non-unlock melee besides non-backstab knife.
Sandman
Sandman.png
Melee: 35
Ball Point-Blank: 15
Ball 512u+: 11
Melee Critical: 105
Melee Mini-Crit: 47
Ball Critical: 45
Ball Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 20
Ball 512u+ Mini-Crit: 15
Attack: 0.5s Banned or restricted in most leagues.
"Fleeing state" time based on target distance; stuns at max distance.
Ball does not have damage fall-off, but does have damage ramp-up.
Cannot throw ball underwater.
Reduces max health by 15 (see above).
Holy Mackerel
Holy Mackerel.png
Melee: 35 Critical: 105
Mini-Crit: 47
Attack: 0.5s Banned in some leagues for acquisition time.
Statistically identical to bat.
Globally announces hits on killboard (doesn't reveal Spies).
Boston Basher
TheBostonBasher.png
Melee: 35
Bleed: 4/hit (40 total)
Critical: 105
Mini-Crit: 47
Attack: 0.5s Banned in most leagues for acquisition time.
If swung without hitting an entity, prop, or world object, applies half melee damage and full bleed effect to user.
Candy Cane
RED Candy Cane.png
Melee: 35 Critical: 105
Mini-Crit: 47
Attack: 0.5s Banned in most leagues for acquisition time.
Statistically identical to bat.
25% explosive damage vulnerability on wearer.
Creates a small health pack on kill.
Three-Rune Blade
Three-Rune Blade.png
Melee: 35 Critical: 105
Mini-Crit: 47
Attack: 0.5s Banned in most leagues for acquisition time.
Statistically identical to Boston Basher.
Sun-on-a-Stick
Sunonastick.png
Melee: 26.25 Critical: 78.75
Mini-Crit: 35.4375
Attack: 0.5s Banned in most leagues for acquisition time.
Always crits on burning enemies.
Fan O'War
Fan O'War.png
Melee: 3.5 Critical: 10.5
Mini-Crit: 4.725
Attack: 0.5s Banned in most leagues for acquisition time.
Lowest damage of any weapon.
Struck enemies suffer from mini-crits for 15 seconds.
Striking another enemy transfers status.
Saxxy
Saxxy.png
Melee: 35 Critical: 105
Mini-Crit: 47
Attack: 0.5s Limited item from Replay Update.
Statistically identical to bat.
Enemies killed by weapon turn gold on death instead of ragdolling.
Atomizer
RED Atomizer.png
Melee: 28 Critical: 84
Mini-Crit: 37.8
Attack: 0.65s Banned in most leagues for acquisition time.[citation needed]
Grants triple jump
Deals 10 damage to self upon every triple jump.
Upon double or triple jumping, shows a purple cloud particle effect under feet.
Conscientious Objector
Conscientious Objector.png
Melee: 35 Critical: 105
Mini-Crit: 47
Attack: 0.5s Statistically identical to bat.
Unarmed Combat
RED Unarmed Combat.png
Melee: 35 Critical: 105
Mini-Crit: 47
Attack: 0.5s Statistically identical to bat.
"u" stands for "units of distance." "+" stands for "or more." "s" stands for "seconds." "Reload Start" refers to how long it takes for 1 ammo to be reloaded after beginning to reload, and "Reload More" refers to how long it takes for each additional ammo to reload after the first. Damages and times are approximate and determined by community testing.

Usage

The Scout is ideal to guard the flanks against the enemy. His mobility, ability to 2-shot enemy medics and Scouts, and advantage when fighting enemy demos make him useful for picking in a variety of situations. A Scout is at his best when he has a full buff.

Common Tactics

Scouts are perhaps the best class for flanking and ambushes in competitive TF2. Their speed, absurd damage output at close range, and their ability to easily dodge the projectiles fired by Soldiers and Demomen make them ideal for flanking the enemy team and killing the Medic and Demoman. A competitive Scout should always keep an eye out for opportunities to rush in and cripple the enemy team, but without forgetting to cover certain areas of the map to prevent the enemy scouts from doing the same. Due to the speed and mobility of Scouts, they are good for hunting down and eliminating enemy Scouts, taking pressure off of their team's combo and Demoman.

One way that the scouts can take the pressure of the combo and the rest of the team is by back-capping; the threat of having scouts rampaging behind them is something no team wants. Not only that, but the scouts are quicker than any other class so they can get to the next point quicker than anyone else. If the team doesn't have any team mates respawning then it's possible that the scouts can make it back to the last point. Even when it's not successful, back-capping will give the team a chance to regroup and respawn, it can be the difference between keeping control of the point and losing the point and possibly even the round.

During mid battles scouts have two main duties to fulfill, either they need to protect their demo and medic from the enemy scouts, or go aggressive and try to kill the opposing medic or demo. Normally the scouts will try to do the best of both worlds, one scout will play passively whilst the second scout will wait for an opportunity to attack the medic and demo. For example, on Badlands middle, what usually happens is that one scout will go and watch Valley, and the other will watch the small house; if one of the scouts calls that both scouts are going one way then the other scout will go and help out.

5-CP Push Strategies

Scouts will generally be one of the first classes to arrive at the middle point of most 5-CP maps. On some maps, like Badlands Demomen can arrive a couple of seconds ahead. On these maps, Scouts should beware of enemy sticky traps early on, as they are needed at the mid fight. There will be few seconds before the Soldiers and Medics of both teams arrive.

In order to avoid the early stickies on those maps the scouts can go a different way and skip the choke points where the stickies are normally placed. For example, on Badlands, when they rollout, one scout should go choke via main, and the other scout should drop down into valley instead of going through house with their combo. In general scouts should never be in a choke point if they can avoid it, this is simply because they are too fragile and can easily die.

Scouts usually push on the flanks, this is for two reasons, firstly they make sure that the enemy scouts don't manage to sneak behind and start a back-cap, and secondly, it allows them to get in close whilst the enemy are distracted by your combo. Once the scouts are in close they can deal a lot of damage and mop up any remaining enemies.

Attack-Defend Strategies

On attack defend maps, scouts are generally switched off to a utility class such as sniper, spy, or engineer when on defense. Scouts are still useful for the offensive team as they provide faster cap time and have good deathmatching abilities and can keep pressure at the attacking points.

When they are on the defending team the scouts are normally switched out for utility classes because there is no need for their mobility seeing as the point cannot move. Commonly used utility classes are the engineer, sniper and heavy, with the pyro seeing occasional use, and the spare rarely at all. Gravelpit is a good example of where utilities are commonplace, quite often defending teams choose to run an engineer and a sniper (known colloquially as using a Dignitas Lineup).

The engineer is the lynchpin of the defense because not only can the sentry gun stop any jumping Soldiers or Demos from killing the defending medic, but the teleporter helps to combat the longer spawn that the defending team gets. The Sniper is useful for killing the attacking medic and consequently delaying the teams push for another 40 seconds (the time it takes to get an Über).

However, scouts on the attacking side can also offclass, sniper or spy are particular favourites because they can kill the medic with ease and crush a defense. After all, trying to defend against an ÜberCharge is a very hard thing to do. Another use that scouts have an attack is to take the damage from the stickies that defending Demomen like to place on the entrances; when Scouts try to capture point A on Gravelpit the defending Demoman normally puts stickies on the entrance. By using the Bonk, a scout can get through the door without dying.

Capture-the-Flag Strategies

Whilst the scout normally isn't the class that retrieves the enemy intelligence, he's normally the class that caps it due to his mobility. The scouts job in Capture-the-Flag apart from guarding the flanks, is to capture the intelligence, and if necessary, offclass to counter the enemy.

The normal utility that's used is the Sniper due to his ability to take out the medic and stall the push. A Heavy can also be used when you are are at an Über disadvantage or need the extra firepower. Finally, an engineer can be used to defend the intelligence, the only problem with this is that it's extremely defensive and can lead to a defensive mentality within the team and result in the team turtling.

Pocket Scout

The Pocket Scout is a term used to describe a Scout who tends to push in with the combo when pushing into the enemy team. Many teams choose to have a Scout come in at a delayed time, after their ÜberCharge is usually about to finish to receive the remaining charge and overheal to clean up the remaining hurt enemy players.

There are also certain times (usually on the last control point) where the enemy team is using a Pyro where ÜberCharging in a Soldier would result in your Über being pushed back and it quintessentially being wasted. On the other hand, Übering in a scout would allow the scout to fire his shots at the Pyro and having no fear of his shots being blasted back at him.

See also