The Heavy, as the class name suggests, is the full frontal attack troop of TFC. The class itself is a heavy weapon - big, slow, tough, and powerful - players can to wade in where other classes dare not. The Heavy's usefulness as a shock troop on the front lines, defense breaker, and wide-area defender should not be underestimated or ignored by either side.
General
- As the class with the most armor, the Heavy is capable of absorbing a large amount of punishment before going down. This endurance can allow you to stay on the front lines for longer durations than other classes. Use this to your advantage by keeping the pressure on the enemy if your teammates need to replenish their health or ammo.
- However, remember that due to the Heavy's slow speed and large hitbox, it is far easier for players to cause damage to the Heavy, so always be ready to retreat behind cover. As powerful as the Heavy is, players should keep in mind that they are still vulnerable to concentrated attacks, and that the Heavy's slow movement can increase this vulnerability.
- As the slowest class in the game, Heavy players should get used to planning their moves ahead of time. Knowing what path to take, where the best places to deploy your Minigun are, and the shortest path to cover and support can mitigate the Heavy's slow speed.
- Similarly, Heavies are among the highest priority classes for Teleportrers. While other classes like Scouts can quickly reach the front lines from spawn, doing so as a Heavy wastes precious time during which you could be attacking the enemy team.
- Conversely, due to your slow speed, successfully setting up an ambush can have devastating effects, if only for the reason that the other team will not expect you to be there. A Heavy that can surprise a group of enemies can easily kill 2-3 of their number and force the rest to retreat.
- As it is relatively uncommon for players to look up, setting up an ambush from above lets you mow down unaware enemies from close range before they can react. This can negate your slow speed as you do not have to race to chase down your enemies if you get behind them.
- Thanks to the class's size, strength, firepower, and general obviousness, Heavy players draw a lot of attention in a fight. This allows Heavies to dictate the focus and pace of a battle merely by their presence and positioning. Heavies can be used to distract enemies while more maneuverable classes such as Scouts and Pyros can ambush and flank the enemy, and their absence can be used to lead the foe into a false sense of security.
See also
