W+M1 Pyros, and Why They're Horrible

[shad0w_luigi2012]

In a salty rage, a tf2 player wrote a post that he, on any other day, would not agree with. Here, it is archived for many tf2 players to witness one truth; Don't salt and write.

In this little post here, I'm going to do what many people have done and I'm going to complain about the w+m1 pyro. Many people whine about this breed of pyro, and I am one of those people. But I think that I can concisely write down my thoughts on why this kind of player is truly atrocious. Let's begin.

What is an W+M1 Pyro?

A W+M1 pyro is characterized by the controls in which they are using. W to walk foward, and M1 for attack. This creates a walking wall of flame that can easily be killed by a class such as Soldier, Demo, Heavy, Sniper, and Scout. While this pyro is easily killed by power classes, and the far away pick classes, there are some classes that get a bit of the short end of the stick. This leads into the problem of W+M1 pyros.

Well if they're so dumb, why are you dying to them, you ♥♥♥♥ing idiot.

Listen. When I'm playing spy, and some pyro that just started up tf2 for the first time can just walk at me with no fear, and no thought, and still get the upper hand on me simply because of something random I could not predict, I get upset. When the entire enemy team is filled with these type of pyros, I get angry. They're just walking at me? Corner stab. Wait, no, he ran into the wall on accident and accedentally saved himself. Try to headshot him with ambi? Nope, he moves with no thought, therefore making him unpredictable. Why not just look out for them and avoid them? Can't do that, they come out of nowhere. I can't win. Now let's say I'm playing medic. I could just be with my team healing people, when suddenly a pyro walks at me and lights me ablaze. No problem, I'll just fall back into my team, surely he won't follow me past a heavy, two soldiers, a demoman, and a sentry. Oh, he will. And he does. And he does it with the most blank, clueless, stupid expression, staring at me through his empty, souless eye holes. I have seen people with thousands of hours fall to the stupidity of a W+M1 pyro. It's rediculous.

Okay, let's go beg Gaben to get rid of pyros.

No, don't do that. Please? Just try to spread awareness about things such as M2, or secondary and melee weapons. The last thing we need is to try and get rid of the pyro. Believe it or not, skilled pyro's exist, and they're amazing. Every time I get reflect killed, I'm not even mad. I know then and there that I have been outplayed. When I get critical killed by a flare gun shot, I know that there was thought put into killing me effectively. When I'm on fire, and a friendly pyro extinguishes me, it makes me want to hug them. I love it when pyros use the skills they have at their disposal to kill me, apposed to them just walking at me.

Can anything be done to fix it?

I do have some ideas. But i'm not sure if they would work the way I would expect. One idea would be to nerf fire, and how it works in the game. Maybe there could be damage falloff depending on how long the pyro holds down the attack button? I personally think that afterburn is way too strong. If a pyro happens to nip you with a flame, he instantly does 60 damage over a period of 10 seconds. (40 over 10 seconds for degreaser) Personally, I think that is rediculous. I never have felt good about dying as a pyro, and seeing someone die in the killfeed from my flame 8 seconds after I'm dead. It feels cheap and unfair every single time. I think that 40 damage over 10 seconds should be the default. But that's just me. I know that nerf would ♥♥♥♥ off a lot of pyro mains. Then again it might not, seeing as pyro mains use the degreaser, get their damage through combos such and flare crits and axtinguisher crits, and reflect kills. I think it would need a lot of fine tuning, but the pyro needs a fire nerf specifically targeting people that hold down W+M1.

This has been my rant of a post, please don't leave stupid hate comments in the comment section. Actually have some bearing behind it. Like, don't hate on me for this, it's my opinion, if it's dumb, tell me why it's dumb, don't say it is then leave.
-Lifemarr

"There are some things that can beat smartness and foresight? Awkwardness and stupidity can. The best swordsman in the world doesn't need to fear the second best swordsman in the world; no, the person for him to be afraid of is some ignorant antagonist who has never had a sword in his hand before; he doesn't do the thing he ought to do, and so the expert isn't prepared for him; he does the thing he ought not to do; and often it catches the expert out and ends him on the spot." -Mark Twain
(credits to reddit user Clearskky for using this in the same comparison)

TL;DR: You don't find w+m1 pyros, they find you.

updated TL;DR: Don't make a post when you're salty.

[one entire sergal]

Dude you screwed up the formatting here

[shad0w_luigi2012]

Originally posted by Thyrell:

Dude you screwed up the formatting here

Yeah I know
I'm fixing it

[Nemesis]

TL;DR

[Mocaff]

All i see is

[shad0w_luigi2012]

Originally posted by Affreux:

All i see is

I put in there for a reason. This stew is salty.

[Ric Assley]

I find these pyros one of the hardest things to kill as sniper. It is hard to predict their movements as op said, and it is hard to hit their head because it is shrouded in fire and you are running for your life.

The fire can't be dodged as hitscan and projectiles can, and once you are on fire it is often game over because afterburn ticks so much damage off.

At least some are dumb enough to use the degreaser. The afterburn on that thing is terrible; reason enough not to use it.

[Nemesis]

I mean honestly, sure, W+m1 can be annoying/cheap/whatever you nerds want to call it, but sometimes it's viable.

Like circlestrafing a heavy, among other things.
As for your medic issue, you shouldn't be surprised. You are the prime target in a group. If the W+m1 pyro is able to make it past your support, chase you down and roast you alive....you need a better team. Plus, everyone knows Pyro is the hard counter to spy.

Point being, if they're just doing w+m1, move backwards and shoot them. Less damage that way because of how the particle system of the flamethrower works.

[one entire sergal]

Originally posted by Phoenix Wright:

I find these pyros one of the hardest things to kill as sniper. It is hard to predict their movements as op said, and it is hard to hit their head because it is shrouded in fire and you are running for your life.

The fire can't be dodged as hitscan and projectiles can, and once you are on fire it is often game over because afterburn ticks so much damage off. At least some are dumb enough to use the degreaser. The afterburn on that thing is terrible; reason enough not to use it.

dude they shouldn't be a high priority as sniper

[BronzeBull]

Or, since you say the entire enemy team is WM1 pyros, you could go one of the power/pick classes to counter them, rather than whine all day on the forums.

[Waffles]

I wonder why the wm1 tactic is sooo well rewarded by the game...
Sometimes, I come across a wm1 Pyro and, since I'm out of rockets, I can't counter them.
I mean, why can't people land at least ONE melee hit while running at pyros? Because the flames take literally less than a second to kill you.

[TVMAN]

I stopped reading once you started talking from the viewpoint of a Spy. Pyro is your hard counter. so you're supposed to frequently die to him. Either figure out how to counter or avoid Pyro, or play a different class.

[shad0w_luigi2012]

Originally posted by Pyrrha Nyx:

I mean honestly, sure, W+m1 can be annoying/cheap/whatever you nerds want to call it, but sometimes it's viable.

Like circlestrafing a heavy, among other things.
As for your medic issue, you shouldn't be surprised. You are the prime target in a group. If the W+m1 pyro is able to make it past your support, chase you down and roast you alive....you need a better team. Plus, everyone knows Pyro is the hard counter to spy.

Point being, if they're just doing w+m1, move backwards and shoot them. Less damage that way because of how the particle system of the flamethrower works.

You have a really good point with the circle strafing. And as far as the medic thing goes, I probably shouldn't've (is that a word?) used medic as an example, but instead just any class.

[Nemesis]

Originally posted by 308th Dr. Staidanom:

I wonder why the wm1 tactic is sooo well rewarded by the game...
Sometimes, I come across a wm1 Pyro and, since I'm out of rockets, I can't counter them.
I mean, why can't people land at least ONE melee hit while running at pyros? Because the flames take literally less than a second to kill you.

Use the Shotgun.

[TVMAN]

Originally posted by 308th Dr. Staidanom:

I wonder why the wm1 tactic is sooo well rewarded by the game...
Sometimes, I come across a wm1 Pyro and, since I'm out of rockets, I can't counter them.
I mean, why can't people land at least ONE melee hit while running at pyros? Because the flames take literally less than a second to kill you.

You're wanting to beat a CQC specialist class in close quarters combat? lmao get out of here.

[Nemesis]

Originally posted by BBB-HLLifemarr:

You have a really good point with the circle strafing. And as far as the medic thing goes, I probably shouldn't've (is that a word?) used medic as an example, but instead just any class.

Makes sense. But most classes can counter a w+m1 pyro to some extent. Scout has agility, heavy is king of close range DPS, soldier and demo have explosives.
I could list off the multiple ways to counter a w+m1 pyro but eh.

My hard counter for w+m1 pyros is the stock shotty. And this is coming from a Pyro main.