TF2 Offensive Classes Guide

This is a comprehensive guide on how to play the offensive classes in TF2.
I hope you enjoy.

Important Stuff (And a Disclaimer)

Hey guys, I hope you enjoy this guide I made. This has been 3 months in the making and I've had to balance this and schools during the meantime. I hope you enjoy.

(Note: Quite a few opinions are in here on certain guns and the like, if you think you have strategy that works better than what I've outlined in my guide by all means use it.)

Leave a rating if you enjoy.
It helps.
Thanks.

Scout

The Scout:
Health: 125
Unique Class Effects:
-Can Double jump.
-Captures points/Pushes payload to the same effect as two people (scout has a factor of 2 instead of one)

Class Description:
Everyone’s favorite Boston Boy is regarded as a staple of any team’s lineup. With the fastest speed in the game (133%) he can easily escape and outmaneuver enemies. Here are some key points about the class to help you in gameplay.
• Remember, speed is your ally. If you’re not moving, you’re playing scout wrong.
• You capture points twice as fast as other classes, use this with your speed to get to points and capture them before the enemy can get there.
• You don’t have a lot of health as a scout, use your speed to get out of potentially bad situations.
• Your scattergun works most effectively at close to medium range, uses your speed to get in and kill a class before they even know what happened.
• DON’T BE AFRAID TO RETREAT! As a scout you don’t have that much health, and even pros will tell you that it’s ok to retreat from bad areas.
• Use your double jump to change direction of movement.
• Pistols are better for range than your scattergun.
• Your bat isn’t the most effective close range weapon in your arsenal, use the scattergun for better effect.

Primary Weapons

The Stock (Scattergun):
Say what you want, but this is one of the most effective weapons in the game. It is solid in almost every situation and with six bullets, has enough ammo in one clip to take out every class at short to medium range. It’s only downside is the reload speed (each bullet is reloaded individually). Otherwise, It’s a solid gun.

The Backscatter:
The Backscatter provides an interesting idea, of supplying mini-crits upon hitting a target’s back. However, in practice this doesn’t work, the mini-crits are hard to hit and, the loss of two bullets in a clip, as well as the ability to random crit , the shotgun is purely situational, and ends up being stock minus two bullets.

The Shortstop:
A good weapon for scouts who want fast reload and fire speed, at the expense of a drop in damage due to fewer pellets fired (15-20% loss of damage), 2 fewer bullets, and increased push force from damage and the pyro’s air blast. However, the gun is solid and reloads all four bullets at once, making it very effective in situations of fast-paced firing.

The Force-A-Nature:
This weapon has its perks and downsides, the main downsides being the loss of damage (20%), and the loss of 4 bullets. However, with the perks it’s given it has more pellets fired and can take out classes with below 150 health (Engineer, Scout, Spy, Sniper, Medic) with relative ease at short to medium range with one clip. It also has an automatic reload, and faster fire speed for nice spams in corridors and small areas. As one last feature it has, it deals knockback to both the scout firing the weapon and the person who is hit. Can be situational, but also a good all-around gun in some cases.

The Baby Face Blaster:
The Baby Face Blaster has a unique effect called boost that is charged by doing damage to enemy players. While the status effect is a good escape for bad situations the gun has negatives as well. The biggest being a 10% drop in movement speed, which cause the scout to lose his edge of speed over many of the other classes, the loss of two bullets in the clip, and the boost effect loses progress upon receiving damage (-4% boost for each point of damage taken, 25 damage drains entire bar.), and double jumping (-75% boost). This makes the boost unreliable to charge and makes the scout have to play defensive (a bad idea for scouts) until he charges the effect, and if he overextends, he can barely escape

The Soda Popper:
The Soda Popper has its own effect, Hype , which when used effectively can be devastating with the weapons fast reload (also single clip reload) and fire rate at close to medium range. This gun really has no other downsides, other than the fact it suffers from 4 fewer bullets in a clip. This gun is amazing for scouts who like maneuverability.

My ranking for these weapons is as follows:
Overall:
1. Stock
2. The Soda Popper
3. The Shortstop
4. The Force-A-Nature
5. The Backscatter
6. The Baby Face Blaster
Situational :
1. The Shortstop
2. The Force-A-Nature
3. Stock
4. The Soda Popper
5. The Backscatter
6. The Baby Face Blaster

Secondary Weapons

The Stock Pistol :
The stock is a good gun choice for scouts who like consistency, because it plays well with the shotgun primary they use. With 12 bullets a clip, the pistol itself does substantial damage at short range (can do 180 damage with a full clip (15 a bullet), provided you hit every shot) and isn’t bad at long range either (96 damage (8 a bullet)), and makes for a nice gun to use in the case you run out of ammo in your primary, however since this doesn’t happen much, the gun can sometimes sit in your item bar, not doing much.

The Winger:
The Winger has a couple of interesting qualities for a significant tradeoff in ammo (-7 bullets a clip, totaling 5 bullets per clip) the scout gains a huge buff to his jump while the weapon is active (25%), allowing access to routes not accessible by other classes. The weapon also gets a 15% damage buff, and while small, it at least makes the weapon more usable at close and medium ranges (17 damage a bullet at close range (85 a clip if all shots landed), and 10 at medium to long range (50 a clip if all shots land). The weapon is good for scouts who aren’t using their secondary weapons often.

The Pretty Boy’s Pocket Pistol:
This gun is WAY better thanks to the pyro update and now has better stats. It does damnage equal to that of the pistol, and compliments it’s only detriment, that being a 25% smaller clip size (from 12 to 9), with the fact that it restores 3 health a hit (2.4% of your total health). Add on a 15% faster fire rate, and you have solid gun that can be used almost anywhere. If you’re in a tight spot and you need some health, whipping this out can save your life.

Crit-a-Cola:
This is for scouts who want a nice edge on opponents. It is a consumable item that lasts for 8 seconds, and grants the scout mini-crits for its duration. This can be nice if your in a situation where damage is needed, but be aware as every attack you make causes a marked for death effect for 5 seconds (this doesn’t stack). Just note that you need to make careful decisions on when you uses this and hopw you attack with it, as it can make or break your game.

Bonk! Atomic Punch:
Is there a pesky sentry blocking a part of the map you need to get through? Well bonk atomic punch is the consumable for you! The consumable gives you 8 seconds of invincibility (with a recharge time of 24 seconds), making you the ultimate distraction for sentries, heavies, and everyone else. This is a good secondary for scouts with the exception that while under the effect, you cannot fire weapons. Also note that after the effect you receive a speed debuff based on how much damage you absorbed (from 25% decrease to a 50% decrease at 200+ damage) Otherwise, this secondary is a great escape and distraction.

Mad Milk:
This weapon is great if you want to give up a secondary weapon (which let’s be honest, as a scout you aren’t using that much anyway.) to help your teammates. All players hit by mad milk return 60% of damage done by attacker back to the attacker as health (though keep in mind you cannot overheal with this method.). This is quite overpowered in situations where you don’t have medic, or the medic is dead, and your team needs healing. This weapon can be useful it situations that aren’t going well for you either. (keep in mind the only way to get rid of mad milk if it gets on you is to wait for the effect to wear off (10 seconds), visit a resupply locker, be completely submerged in water, or be healed by a medic for 2.5 seconds)

The Flying Guillotine:
This weapon is okay, but not really rewarding. While the weapon does do a solid 50 damage, as well as 5 seconds of bleed on top of that, it can’t really have as constant a stream of damage that you can get from other weapons. And while yes, you do get a 1.5 decrease on recharge time on a long range hit, the weapon all in all, can’t really deliver as much damage as liked.

My ranking for these weapons is as follows:

Overall:
1. The Winger
2. The Pretty Boy’s Pocket Pistol
3. Crit-a-Cola
4. Bonk! Atomic Punch
5. Mad Milk
6. Stock
7. The Flying Guillotine

Situational:
1. The Pretty Boy’s Pocket Pistol
2. The Winger
3. Bonk! Atomic Punch
4. Crit-a-Cola
5. Mad Milk
6. The Flying Guillotine
7. Stock

Melee Weapons

Stock (Baseball Bat):
The bat is one of the weaker bats you have available to you in the game. It has an attack damage of 35, and an attack interval of .5 seconds. All in all this weapon doesn’t do much in comparison to other weapons.

The Sun on a Stick:
This is a weapon that is best used in conjunction with pyros, as this weapon does guaranteed crit if a player is on fire (79 Damage a hit (also note this weapon has a 25% damage decrease so a regular hit does 26 damage)). This weapon also has a 25% fire resistance effect on the player while it’s equipped (can help escape pyros, etc.), so while the weapon relies on a situational area to work effectively, it’s not all bad for the scout, a class not heavily reliant on melee.

The Sandman:
This weapon has the same damage stats as the regular bat, but has a special ability as well; the ability to hit a baseball that slows targets. The slow duration lasts longer the further away you land the shot from to a maximum of 4.5 seconds. Also note the baseball itself does damage and can, upon a successful hit, do 15 damage (45 for crit). The weapon’s only downside is that it takes away 15 total health from the user (scout would have a maximum of 110 health). But otherwise, the weapon is solid and a good addition to your arsenal if used correctly. (also note that you can pick up the baseball to skip the recharge timer.)

The Boston Basher:
The Boston basher is one of many weapons that offer a risk reward scenario, with the case for this weapon being that it causes a bleeding effect on enemies on hit (Bleed for 5 seconds, 8 Damage/sec), however the same effect is done to yourself if you miss (note that this doesn’t apply if you hit a teammate, a prop, a wall, or are under the medic’s ubercharge . The bat does the same damage as stock (though slightly reduced upon hitting yourself (18 damage compared to 36)) Also, crits/mini-crits do not apply if you hit yourself (though the crit sound effect will still be played).

The Candy Cane:
That annoying Pyro continually killing you with afterburn ? Then stop the afterburn by using the Candy Cane, the weapon that drops a small health kit upon killing another player! Thereby negating the afterburn (or bleed) effects, at the low price of being able to be one shot by demos and soldiers! The weapon has the same damage as the stock bat, however the wearer takes 25% MORE explosive damage. All in all it’s not an effective weapon as it’s a trade of being killed by one class for being killed by two.

The Fan-o-War:
The Fan-o-War is a unique weapon that causes any target you hit to be marked for death (refer to footnote 11) for 15 seconds. This can be overpowered if you get the drop on unsuspecting enemies, hit them once, then spray with a scattergun. This weapon does little damage however in comparison with some of the other choices out there (does 9 damage a hit, compared to stock 36), however it compensates for this by doing crits whenever it would normally mini-crit (very useful with marked for death effect, doing 29 damage a hit). So in a bad situation the weapon can still protect you.

The Atomizer:
The Atomizer is for the unpredictable scout who wants some more mobility. It can grant a triple jump while deployed, letting the scout get even higher than he already can. Melee attacks with the weapon while airborne can also mini-crit causing the bat to do 35 damage. Just note that the weapon has a 50% slower deploy speed, so you can’t just do a quick switch to get the triple jump. This weapon also has the detriment of doing 25% less damage to players, so it can be an issue when you try to kill somebody with the weapon.

The Wrap Assassin:
This weapon is similar to the sandman, but with a different projectile. The Wrap Assassin uses a Christmas ornament as a projectile that does bleeding damage upon hit (8 damage per second for 5 seconds, as well as 15 damage for initial impact). The downside is the 65% damage penalty making the attacks do 12 damage compared to the regular 36 (it crits for 37). So the weapon has one use and that being all, it’s not too effective.

My ranking for these weapons is as follows:

Overall:
1. The Sandman
2. The Atomizer
3. The Fan-o-War
4. The Boston Basher
5. The Sun on a Stick
6. Stock
7. The Candy Cane
8. The Wrap Assassin

Situational:
1. The Sandman
2. The Fan-o-War
3. The Sun on a Stick
4. The Boston Basher
5. The Atomizer
6. Stock
7. The Wrap Assassin
8. The Candy Cane

Recommended Class Builds

Number 1:
-The Soda Popper
-The Winger
-The Atomizer
This class is one that work effectively if you’re the kind of scout that likes to use your maneuverability to your advantage. Not only will you get a third jump with the atomizer, but with the winger you can get the most out of your jumps. Also, the soda popper can get you five consecutive jumps, keeping you away from all classes that mean you harm. But I stress, if you are a scout that is not good at moving AND firing AND jumping DON’T PLAY THIS CLASS. Trust me, I have seen this be used incorrectly and it doesn’t end well.

Number 2:
-The Shortstop
-The Pretty Boy’s Pocket Pistol
-The Boston Basher
This class is for scouts who want to be jacks of all trades. The health you can gain back from the PBPP lets you can counteract the health loss from the basher. And with the shortstop as the primary you can have a solid weapon in your back pocket for bad situations. This scout MUST be good at knowing what fights it can’t win. If you are uncertain about situational combat DON’T PLAY THIS CLASS.

Number 3:
-The Force-a-Nature
-Bonk! Atomic Punch
-Stock
This is a total distraction loadout, meant to help your team by distracting that engie’s sentry that’s been terrorizing your team, that heavy-medic combo while the spy comes up and stabs them, or baiting enemies into friendly sentries. The Bonk! Atomic Punch does help do this via its invincibility effect, and with the Force-a-Nature and Stock to make sure you are a player to be reckoned with. Make sure you understand Bonk! Atomic Punch’s effect before you seriously use it, or else you could accidentally come out of the effect right next to the enemy, and immediately die.

Number 4:
-Stock
-Crit-a-Cola
-The Boston Basher
This loadout is for scouts who love the hit’n run style of play the scout offers. The loadout emphasizes this with Crit-a-Cola, since it gives you a damage buff, and with the stock scattergun it provides a solid source for the damage in addition with the Boston Basher, which with the mini-crit effect of Crit-a-Cola can do 101.25 damage a hit (provided you let the bleed effect last. If you don’t, the weapon does 47 damage a hit). The combo of the Boston Basher and stock scattergun can lead to devastating combos, but make sure you get out before your effect wears off, due to the fact you will be significantly weaker, and be marked for death. Otherwise, this loadout is solid.

Number 5:
-Stock
-The Winger
-The Sandman
This is the best overall class. There is an answer to most situations you can encounter, from pyros to heavies. The Sandman can help stun to get a quick getaway, the Winger is used to make you a more maneuverable target, and the stock scattergun helps you kill most classes effectively. The class works well in all situations, and can make you a deadly scout. If you’re not sure about what to play try this loadout.

Soldier

The Soldier:
Health: 200
Unique Class Effects:
Able to rocket-jump .

Class Description:
The American icon of the game, the soldier is a versatile class able to hold his own in many situations. His rockets do amazing damage, and with a shotgun and shovel to back him up, he can be an all out killing machine. Let’s just say there’s a reason that he is the most played class in the game right now, as his only real downside is his speed (80% movement speed, only class slower is heavy). Out of all the classes on the list, you should make sure you at least understand this one so you can keep it at the ready when its needed, because it will. Here are some key points about soldier to help you in-game.

• Rockets don’t experience the same falloff damage effect bullets do, so if you aim and time your shots, you can do a lot of damage.
• Rockets have a spherical range of damage, making damage higher the closer an enemy is to the projectile.
• Aim for your target’s feet, it’s a lot harder to dodge as compared to firing directly at a target.
• Rocket jumping can let you access places even scouts couldn’t reach, use it to effectively leave/enter situations.
• You can be damaged by your own rockets, so watch out.
• Your speed is your biggest weakness. Use your range with rockets to stay away from classes that do a lot of damage up close.

Rocket Jumping (A BRIEF guide)
Rocket jumping is one of the MOST useful skills a soldier can acquire. Once you make the deadliness of the soldier incredibly mobile, you can essentially be the terror of a server. If you want to learn about the skill of rocket jumping more, Look for tutorials on YouTube, or any number of other tutorials existing. Trust me when I say a visual demonstration is better than a text one. Basically this you jump, and while you jump, you fire a rocket at your feet to propel yourself into the air.

Primary Weapons

The Stock (Rocket Launcher):
This weapon packs a punch. It does a good 90 damage for direct hits, and with a crit, can do 270 damage for a direct hit (can kill every class but the heavy in one hit, provided they aren’t overhealed). In addition they also hold 4 rockets, and with the only downside being reload speed, this gun (launcher, whatever) can reap devastating consequences on the enemy team, also add on the fact that these rockets aren’t affected by gravitational dropping, so will stay on course until they hit a solid surface (walls, props, players, etc.). This is also an ideal weapon for jumping, but there ae better launchers for jumping than this one. Don’t under estimate this weapon’s power, because it is not lacking in any way.

The Airstrike:
This weapon is for soldiers who understand the merits and values of rocket jumping and want a launcher that expresses this fact. The Airstrike harnesses the power with its unique ability in that it increases the clip size for every kill earned, and while rocket jumping it fires at a much faster interval (from an attack speed of .9 seconds per shot to .26 seconds per shot) this allows for massive bursts of rockets that can be spammed at enemies, making an almost inescapable barrage of rockets to pelt enemies. This weapon does balance this power with the fact is suffers from a 15% damage penalty (fom 90 damage a shot (direct hit) to 76 damage) and a smaller explosion radius (10% reduction). But, if you’re a player who understands rocket jumping, this is an amazing weapon to play with.

The Direct Hit:
Let’s just say there’s a reason this weapon has been nicknamed “The Direct ♥♥♥♥”. While this weapon has its perks, those being a 25% increase in damage (from 90 damage to 115 damage), a 80% increase in projectile speed, and causing mini-crits (159-180 (depending on distance)) to enemies made airborne via airblasts, explosions, and damage. But, the gun suffers from the fact it loses 70% of its explosion radius. This makes the gun impossible to land, unless you’re both amazing at predicting movement and landing shots. In the end it falls short, making it impossible to land shots and damage enemies.

The Black Box
The Black Box is a weapon for those who are who are worried about dying as the soldier. The weapons grants the shooter up to 20 health (depending on how much damage dealt) for damage dealt to enemies, at the expense of a rocket (bringing the total per clip to 3 instead of 4). This weapon is amazing when medics are sparse or aren’t evenly distributing healing. This weapon makes you a bit more self-reliant and allows for you to extend a bit further than normal without fear that you will run low on health.

The Cow Mangler 5000:
The Cow Mangler is an interesting weapon that has the perks of not needing ammo (a handle on the side of the weapon is used to reload but it doesn’t require any addition rounds from ammo packs or otherwise), and firing a charged shot (Mouse 2) that can do a mini-crit (112 damage) and afterburn damage (for 6 seconds at 8/sec) for a total of 160 damage enough to kill multiple classes in the game. The weapon also has it’s negatives of being unable to get crits by any means, and they are instead converted to mini-crits (Humilitation , Kritskrieg, etc.) and also does 80% less damage to buildings. This makes the weapon lose an essential part of soldier, that being the critical rockets. Without this the weapon loses a certain punch that other launchers have. Otherwise, this weapon is identical to stock (holds 4 ammo per “clip”, does 90 damage on direct hit, etc.).

The Rocket Jumper:
This is a meme weapon. You literally only use this for Trolldier . It does no damage. This weapon has no use for damage and ends up wasting a slot for other amazing weapons (unless you want to play Trolldier in which case this is one of the best weapons available.). This weapon’s only use is it’s name, you can rocket jump for no damage.

The Beggar’s Bazooka:
This weapon is amazing, depending if you know how to use it correctly. Upon holding mouse 1, the soldier will begin loading rockets in the launcher (to a maximum of three rockets) and after reaching capacity, you can release the rockets in a quick barrage (as the weapon fires 70% faster than normal) (also note the weapon makes it to your rockets have an angled deviation of up to 3 degrees). This can be devastating to teams, and if used correctly, can make for amazing rocket jumps. The deviation can also be nice against enemies who can read movements, because how can they know where the rockets are going if YOU don’t even know. Now you might be thinking “what downsides can this weapon possibly have?” well for starters, over loading the bazooka causes the weapon to damage yourself, doing full damage AND has a 20% smaller explosion radius. This makes the weapon a game of timing, as you must keep an eye on ammo WHILE playing the game. (Note that while this weapon is active you cannot pick up ammo from dispensers.)

The Liberty Launcher:
The Liberty Launcher is for soldiers who want to rocket jump but don’t want the disadvantage of the Rocket Jumper’s zero damage output. The launcher gains an extra rocket in its clip, does 25% less damage on rocket jumps, and rockets travel 40% faster from the rocket. The only downside is a loss of 25% damage per rocket (from 90 to 68) but otherwise this launcher is good for situations you can encounter while rocket jumping, and the increased speed of shots can make it an overall good weapon.
My ranking for these weapons is as follows:

Overall:
1. Stock
2. Liberty Launcher
3. The Airstrike
4. Black Box
5. Beggar’s Bazooka
6. Direct Hit
7. Cow Mangler 5000
8. The Rocket Jumper

Situational:
1. The Airstrike
2. Black Box
3. Beggar’s Bazooka
4. Stock
5. Rocket Jumper
6. Liberty Launcher
7. Direct Hit
8. Cow Mangler 5000

Secondary Weapons

Stock (Shotgun):
Soldiers who want good damage when enemies get close enough should use this weapon. When that pesky scout is getting to close, using the shotgun to stop him in his tracks can be very effective. Since the weapon can do a solid 60-90 damage (depending on how close you are to the target and how many pellets hit. The weapon fires 10 that can do 6-9 each. (also note that after one second of not firing the weapon will fire 1 pellet 100% accurately wherever you’re aiming)), 180 on full critical, and with six bullets this weapon can dispense a lot of hurt in close proximity situations. However, one of its main downfalls is its reload time, with each bullet being loaded individually, it can take a long time to get your full clip back. (you can force fire before all bullets are loaded, but then you have less bullets to work with, but it can also save your life. Use at your own discretion.)

The Reserve Shooter:
The Reserve Shooter is literally the best secondary for soldiers that can control their aim, and can consistently knock enemies airborne. It does the same damage as stock, but this weapon rewards you with mini-crits on enemies that are knocked airborne via: Grapple hooks (not in standard gameplay.), rockets, and rocket packs. This can be very useful in stopping pyros that are launching into your base, stopping scouts running into your base, and killing literally anything that goes into your base. It also features a 20% faster deploy rate, and a 15% faster reholster rate. With this you can quickly deploy the gun on enemies you launch into, or see launched into the air. This weapons only downsides are 2 less bullets in its clip, but otherwise it’s a solid weapon.

The Panic Attack:
The Panic Attack is a nice secondary to keep and enemy off your chest. If someone is pressing to close, pulling out the panic attack is a good idea, sporting a 50% faster deploy time, and a 50% bonus to firing speed, its only flaws being, 1, that successive fired shots become less accurate, 2, the shots are fired in a fixed pattern, making it hard to hit an enemy with all the pellets like with a normal shotgun, and 3, it does 30% less damage (The weapon does 4.2 damage compared to the normal shotgun’s 6, but fires 50% more pellets (15 to stock’s 10) so this can be sometimes cancelled out). Otherwise this can be a solid back up in a bad situation.

The Righteous Bison:
The Righteous Bison is an ok gun, and is similar to the Cow Mangler 6000 in the fact it doesn’t require ammo. Shots from the bison can penetrate players and buildings, and does 20 damage a tick (except to buildings as it only does 20% damage to those so instead deals 4 damage a tick), and its projectiles, cannot be reflected via airblast (but can be avoided due to the fact that the projectile travels in a similar way to the rocket launcher.) This weapon’s use is limited to hallways, chokepoints, or players who don’t understand how to move to avoid things. But if you want and effective secondary that deals damage use the stock, or the reserve shooter.

The Gunboats:
The Gunboats are a passive wearable that allows soldiers to take less damage from rocket jumps, with a 60% reduction (note that this reduction also applies to misfires by the Beggar’s Bazooka) in blast damage taken in from them. This is a nice equip for those who don’t want to give up a heavy hitting weapon in order to rocket jump effectively, however, you have to sacrifice a secondary spot for good banners and guns that can replace it. This weapon can be good in situations but not in the long run.

The Mantreads:
This is probably the worst secondary option in the game for soldier at this point. It allows you to take a 75% reduction in push force done to your player, but this doesn’t include airblasts, the most common push force in the game. And while the damage of falling on another player is increased (3x damage done by falling on players) this damage tends to peak out at a meager 40-50 damage. The boots also require you to be skilled enough in rocket jumping and airstrafe mechanics to be able to not miss. All-in-all, when you boil down this secondary, it’s rewards are outshadowed by banners and just plain old guns.

The Base Jumper:
The Base Jumper is what is referred to as a crutch. It allows for you to float to safety, not taking fall damage, but also makes you free food for the enemy snipers, soldiers, and literally anyone who can aim. But, if used correctly it can sometimes work, however it’s generally a good idea to stray away from this weapon.



Banners:
These secondaries need a category for their own, due to their unique nature. The banners the soldiers has are awesome for helping your team accomplish objectives, and you will rarely want to overextend , instead staying close to your team in order to help them. All the banners also have a specific number of damage to charge their banners as well (listed below), so staying in a position you can retreat from in order to save that damage count is important.
Damage Requirements
1. Buff Banner – 600 Damage
2. Battalion’s Backup – 600
3. The Concheror – 480
The Buff Banner:
The Buff Banner is amazing for defense and offense, really shining in both catagories due to its ability to give guaranteed mini-crits to all players within a small radius. This can DRASTICALLY change the tide of a battle, and allow your team to make considerable dents in enemy lines. The weapon also lasts for a good 10 seconds, really allowing for said pushes. Its only down side is that in order to activate its ability you have to spend three seconds to do it, and during that time you can get easily backstabbed or headshot if you aren’t careful. But in all other aspects, this banner is great.

The Battalion’s Backup:
The Battalion’s Backup is quite literally the best banner for offensive pushes and defensive retreats, as it gives, first off, a 20+ health boost to yourself, and when activated blocks 35% of ALL incoming damage and 50% of all incoming sentry damage. This can literally make a push, and when used correctly, can make a retreat possible too. This weapon also has a slightly faster deploy rate than the Buff Banner, but the effect lasts for the same amount of time.

The Concheror:
The Concheror makes for a good retreat mechanic, and can also help to make sure your teammates (or yourself, since the weapon gives 4 health/second) don’t die. The weapon gives a speed buff to yourself and allies (which varies from class to class) and allows 35% of damage done to be returned as health. Honestly though, this banner is one of the least used, and with good reason. The weapon is outshined by the battalion’s backup and buff banner’s incredible effects. So, while it’s still good, the other options are better. (note that this weapon feature the same deploy and effect duration times as the Buff Banner.)


My ranking for these weapons is as follows:
Overall:
1. The Buff Banner
2. The Battalion’s Backup
3. Stock
4. The Reserve Shooter
5. The Concheror
6. The Panic Attack
7. The Righteous Bison
8. The Gunboats
9. The Mantreads
Situational:
1. The Battalion’s Backup
2. The Reserve Shooter
3. The Buff Banner
4. The Concheror
5. Stock
6. The Panic Attack
7. The Gunboats
8. The Righteous Bison
9. The Mantreads

Melee Weapons

Stock (Shovel):
The Shovel isn’t the worst weapon in the game, but is arguably the worst melee weapon in the soldier’s arsenal. It does do a solid 65 damage a hit though (with 195 on a critical), and in a pinch, if you’re using this weapon it can come in handy in a up close and personal situation, but if this is an issue, the shotguns are usually better for this sort of conflict.

The Market Garderer:
The Market Gardener is the same as the stock in terms of damage, but offers two unique variations, the first is a 20% slower swing speed, but I more than makes up for it by allowing guaranteed crits while rocket jumping. This can allow you to be a terrifying mobile killer if you are confident in your ability to rocket jump. The 195 damage allows you to kill every class except soldier and heavy, classes that can afterwards be killed by a good one or two extra swings. This weapon can be devastating if used correctly.

The Equalizer:
The Equalizer is a weapon that sounds good in theory but is bad in practice. The weapon does more damage the less health you have, so you can do up to 107 damage (321 for crit) a hit (note that this damage starts as 33 when at full health or overheal, so until you pass the half health limit, you actually do less damage. So trying to engage with, at the cost of getting 90% less health from medic sources. The issue becomes: when you’re low on health, the last thing you want to do is run AT the enemy, and, with 6 out of the 9 classes being adequate to amazing at short range combat, it becomes impossible to apply the damage boost because you can’t hit the target to do it. However, in a close combat situation, it can sometimes be ok, as long as its’ a melee weapon battle.

The Escape Plan:
The escape plan is what you get when you look up “Best overall soldier weapon”. The weapon is incredible and give the soldier back the one thing he usually needs in a bad situation, his speed. Like the equalizer, this weapon has a stat that gets better as you take more damage, except instead of the equalizer that focuses on buffing its’ own damage, this weapon will buff your speed (while equipped) While this weapon also suffers from the 90% less healing from medic sources that the equalizer does, it more than makes up for it and at its’ fastest speed (at 40 health and below.) you can move 96% as fast as a scout. This weapon’s only other downside is that you receive a marked for death effect on yourself while it’s equipped (and for a brief time afterwards), but it’s well worth it for the benefit.

The Pain Train:
The Pain Train offers an interesting benefit, giving it users +1 to their capture rate, allowing them to capture as fast as a scout can. Its’ only downside is the fact it makes the wearer take 10% more bullet damage, but in the long run, the benefit of this weapon is WAY better than its’ downsides. This can be effective when you are on maps that have stationary points, but on payload modes, this weapon can fall short. With this weapon as well, movement is the name of the game. Knowing effective rollout methods and being able to retreat when the battle is going poorly will make this weapon 100% more effective. (note this weapon deals the same damage as the stock (65 normal, 195 crit))

The Disciplinary Action:
The Disciplinary Action is a team weapon, and because of that it becomes one of the most common melees I will have equipped besides the market gardener. The weapon allows you to hit allies for a speed buff to both them and yourself for a duration of 2 seconds. This can help for getting you and your allies to a front faster, especially with wave spawning. This weapon also has, while not directly stated in it’s description, a 70% further reach than most melee weapons even edging out the Eyelander. The weapon’s only downside is that it suffers from a 25% damage penalty (49 normal, 146 on crit), but when your priority isn’t on using your melee but more rocket launchers (or a secondary), this penalty doesn’t really hinder you too much.

The Half Zatoichi:
This weapon is shared by both demoman and soldier, but it works way better on the former. The soldier is notorious for weapon switching, and always having the right gun for the right situation. While demoknights aren’t. The weapon gives you back half of your base health on kill, but if sheathed before killing someone, you take 50 damage, due to a quality called “honorbound”. The weapon also doesn’t allow for critical hits, making the weapon even harder to use. If done effectively however, that 100 health you can get back is a BIG deal, especially if you’re playing a loadout that frequently overextends to the point where you have little to no medics (which let’s be honest, there won’t be any of those anyway.). However, the lack of critical hits make this weapon hard to use. (note this weapon does the same damage as the stock shovel.

My ranking for these weapons is as follows:
Overall:
1. The Disciplinary Action
2. The Escape Plan
3. The Market Gardener
4. The Pain Train
5. The Equalizer
6. The Half Zatoichi
7. Stock

Situational:
1. The Market Gardener
2. The Escape Plan
3. The Pain Train
4. The Disciplinary Action
5. The Half Zatoichi
6. The Equalizer
7. Stock

Recommended Class Builds

My recommended soldier loadouts:
Number 1:
-The Liberty Launcher
-The Reserve Shooter
-The Market Gardener
This class is about mobility, trying to maximize damage output while being a terrifying mobile target, making you hard to predict and hit. The liberty launcher is your way of transporting fast without giving up the damage that you lose with the rocket jumper, and that in combination with things like the market gardener, allow for large swaths of damage. Put the reserve shooter in for the mini-crits, and you are and unstoppable killing machine. While not nessecary, the market gardener aspect works better in open maps.

Number 2:
-The Black Box
-The Battalion’s Backup
-The Disciplinary Action
This is for the team player. The Battalion’s backup is your push helper, and with your Disciplinary Action, the speed buffs you give to your allies can be an amazing help. This allows you to make pushes while taking less damage and quickly. The black box helps with it’s passive health regen to allow you to stay alive with your teammates, while you buff them.

Number 3:
-The Rocket Jumper
-Stock
-The Market Gardener
Similar to the first class but with a better rocket jumper as a primary, so it has more focus on the market gardener. Make sure you are VERY confident in your rocket jumping ability before playing this class, or you can be caught attempting something you can’t do. Use the shotgun when your too far away to melee. This RELIES HEAVILY on open maps.

Number 4
-The Airstrike
-The Base Jumper
-The Market Gardener
This class is for what I like to call the “Orbital Bombardment”. First you rocket jump with the Airstrike, and float with the base jumper, to hover in the air as you aim accurately, then once done attacking you can drop down with the market gardener for the 195 crit damage. This is really effective in maps without real enclosed areas, or areas open in a nice choke-point of a position on defense. Stray away from ENCLOSED MAPS.

Number 5:
-Stock
-Buff Banner
-The Escape Plan
This loadout is another team loadout, the variation being the escape plan for a quick escape if you are low on health. Use the buff banner to make sure your pushes are effective. This loadout is VERY effective in bottleneck situation.

Pyro

The Pyro:
Health: 175
Unique Class Effects:
Immune to Afterburn damage
Able to Airblast

Class Description:
Who is he? What is he? No one knows, but this class can shred almost any class up close with flamethrowers that do ridiculous damage, and apply an effect called afterburn, that damages enemies even after they fought you. Base defense and up-and-close combat are no issue with this guy, and with a recent update, he got even more “fire”power (excuse the horrendous pun). The class’s only real detriment is the fact it lacks consistent long-range attacks, but otherwise this class can be a team’s worst nightmare.

• You are literally the bane of every spy’s existence, spy-checking is a valid strategy.
• Airblast and flame combos work, don’t become tilted by some one calling you a “dirty M1” or “dirty M2” Pyro.
• Don’t go for head-on assaults, as a Pyro, you want to focus your efforts on catching another person or punishing those who get to close.
• Don’t get into ranged fights. They usually don’t go well for you.
• Camp around chokepoints and tight hallways or corners. These areas make it a LOT harder for someone to outrun you.
• Use afterburn strategically, if done right you can kills 5 seconds after an engagement with someone.

Primary Weapons

Stock (Flamethrower):
This is for players who like consistency, but is still one of the least used stocks in the game as pyro has so many better options at their disposal. This gun can deliver however doing a solid 13 damage (18 mini-crit, 39 on crit) for every tick an enemy is in the flame, and then does afterburn damage (time of the effect is proportional to time you were individually burning the target) and the combo of the two can do devastating damage. This gun fits all playstyles, but is better for a more defensive playstyle, not trying to ambush enemies as much as just straight up burning them to a crisp in a good 3 seconds. the gun has 200 ammo and uses ammo dependent on how long you have the flamethrower actively attacking for. An airblast uses 20 ammo. Also note that an airblast can extigish teammates on fire, and restores 20 health to you.

The Backburner:
Fufill your dreams of being a spy, with the backburner, the flamethrower for the ambush pyro. This gun has the same stats as the stock but with two major changes. One, the airblast costs 150% more (costing 50 instead of the stock 20), and two the gun does guaranteed critical hits from behind (39 damage a tick). This makes it so if you catch an enemy off guard, they die relatively instantly (yes this include heavys). If done right you become a terror of a server, and can kill off teams that are surrounding the payload with ease. This gun is very effective for someone who likes the M1 playstyle, but doesn’t want to lose their airblast.

The Phlogistinator:
The Phlogistinator is a weapon that is for people that never use the airblast, and even though the stereotype around the weapon is negative, you can’t deny the weapon is good. It does the same damage as stock, but loses its ability to, one, airblast, and two, get random crits. However, this gun has an ability to use an ability called “Mmph” (the function works similar to the soldiers banners, as the bar fills with damage done (300 damage to fill)) that when activated give the weapon wielder guaranteed crits for a period of 8 seconds (after a taunt that auto plays when you activate the ability). This when used correctly makes for a devastating ability that is ridiculously hard to counter. The best way to make the most out of it is to chill with a defensive strategy, and then make pushes with your team once the bar is full. Note that you lose the ability to extinguish teammates so picking a secondary that can is a huge perk.

The Degreaser:
This weapon is amazing for weapon switching having a 66% faster deploy time and a 33% faster reholster time. It’s only downfall is it’s 66% less afterburn damage (doing 1 instead of the normal 4) and a 25% more expensive airblast (to 25 from the stock 20). The weaons does the same damage as stock otherwise though, and the potential combos with this weapon are high, from the reserve shooter to the axetingisher.

The Dragon’s Fury:
This weapon is great for killing other pyros, with it firing 1 shot of fire (it does 25 damage a hit), instead of the infinite spray of stock and doing a guaranteed crit on burning targets (for 75 damage). It also feature a higher repressurization rate on hits becoming 50% faster for every hit, and 50% slower for every time the player airblasts. Other than a clip of 40 shots, this weapon remains the same as stock. Using this in conjunction with the gas passer can do devastating damage to enemies in it. Note this weapon can hit multiple targets with one shot.

The Rainblower:
Stock but with MAGICAL UNICORNS AND GUMDROPS.

My ranking for these weapons is as follows:
Overall:
1. Backburner
2. Dragon’s Fury
3. The Degreaser
4. Stock (and Rainblower)
5. Phlogistinator
Situational:
1. Backburner
2. Dragon’s Fury
3. The Degreaser
4. Phlogistinator
5. Stock (and Rainblower)

Secondary Weapons

Shotgun:
The stock shotgun for this class is the same as the soldiers, so if your looking for stats look there. This gun is an effective pyro secondary, as the ability to pull it out and deal a nice 30-60 damage to someone already in range is great if you ever run out of flamethrower ammo in a battle. This also works with the flank heavy pyro playstyle, as using this to deal a high initial amount of damage, then following up with a quick burn to finish them off. This leads to great combos with the Degreaser by taking advantage of the quick switch rate to be able to get the right gun faster. All in all this is a quite effective gun.

The Flare Gun:
This gun is a single shot that fires a burning projectile at other players that does Both fire and bullet damage. It does 30 on a hit and sets a target on fire. But its biggest buff comes from the fact it can get 100% critical hit rate on burning players for 90 damage. Since it isn’t like the flamethrowers where the afterburn time is determined by how long it burns you for (as obviously this isn’t a constant stream of fire), it’s set at 7.5 seconds of afterburn before the effect fades (for a total of 30 damage). This lets you take on opponents from range which is a nice perk to a class that is generally lacking in the ranged department. Add on the fact that it can do crits to burning players and you’ve got your ideal secondary.

The Scorch Shot:
This Gun is a variation of the Flare gun that takes a 35% damage penalty (making a hit do 20 damage instead of the 30 of the flare gun) and also does 35% more self-force damage (If you by chance shoot yourself, make you do 15 to 30 damage on a hit to yourself). But it more than makes up for it by also having the 100% crit ability on burning players, as well as gain the ability to do splash damage, exploding wherever it hits for aoe damage. This makes it nice for hitting groups of player you were going to burn as it applies the effect to all of them (in radius), which makes for some effective crowd control. It’s definitely a workable alternative to the already good Flare gun.

The Detonator:
The Detonator offers another unique take on the Flare gun offering players the opportunity to detonate their flares after they launch them doing aoe damage (23-33 damage(depending how close they are to detonation)). The gun unfortunately does 25% less damage (doing 23 instead of 30) and does 50% more damage to yourself which can be detrimental when you’re trying to not die in a close quarters situation. This gun though can be a big asset in long range gameplay though, offering the ability to not be a god at close range and not much more.

The Manmelter:
The final gun in the category of “flare”, this gun offers a 50% faster projectile speed in addition to being able to extinguish teammates that are on fire, restoring 20 health and giving you a guaranteed crit for every one extinguished. Oh, did I mention it also doesn’t need ammo? Now, you might be asking “How could this gun possibly be bad?” Well, for one it loses it’s ability to get guaranteed crits on burning players, as well as also losing the ability to random crit, making it a very specific use case. Otherwise, it’s damage is the same as the stock flare gun.

The Panic Attack:
Weapon stats can be found on the soldier’s class list. As for the pyro, this weapon is really just ok. It’s not horrible, but not amazing either. While the quick deploy can cause for good damage in certain scenarios, the guns fixed pattern doesn’t allow for good damage cluster like can be found in other guns. This leads to you not getting the damage you need to really get the early spring on your targets, but otherwise, it can be a good gun for tight corners and hallways.

The Reserve Shooter:
Weapon Stats can be found on the soldier’s class list. This what some might call the ideal pyro secondary, and to be honest they have a point. The fast switch time on this weapon allows for ridiculous combos with it and your flame thrower, allowing for massive damage in short periods of time. The gun is reliable and beyond the 2 bullet loss and the lack of long range options, this weapon can be one of the most reliable secondaries the pyro had to offer.

The Gas Passer:
The Gas Passer gives pyros, one, a great way to fight other pyros, and two, a great crowd control secondary. It is a throwable object that has a 60 second charge rate, and has the perk that damage done, can decrease the charge time. The effect it makes is a significantly large cloud of gas, and if you are covered in it, the next damage taken will ignite you on fire, and this includes pyros! This weapon can be a HUGE asset on maps that contain chokepoints or lots of indoor or enclosed areas, but can also work in events like covering the payload in a game.

The Thermal Thruster:
The Thermal Thruster is a jetpack. Need I say more? (seriously though it just increases mobility by a lot, because IT’S A JETPACK) It fires in short bursts that send you flying in a direction that your facing. You have two boosts and recharge a boost after 15 seconds apiece. The landing does knockback, pushing away enemies (amount determined by how fast you’re travelling).

My overall rating for these weapons is as follows:
Overall:
1. The Reserve Shooter
2. The Scorch Shot
3. The Thermal Thruster
4. The Flare Gun
5. The Gas Passer
6. Stock
7. The Detonator
8. The Panic Attack
9. The Manmelter
Situational:
1. The Thermal Thruster
2. The Gas Passer
3. The Reserve Shooter
4. The Scorch Shot
5. The Flare Gun
6. Stock
7. The Manmelter
8. The Panic Attack
9. The Detonator

Melee Weapons

Stock:
Nice simple melee weapon. It does 65 damage a hit and 195 on a crit. Equipping this weapon in close corner situations is a great way to deal with spies, and can kill 7 of the nine classes (with stock equips) in three hits (one crit).

Axtinguisher:
(note that this weapon is the same as the Postal Pummeler) The Axtinguisher is an interesting variation of the stock axe. It has a 33% damage decrease (doing 44 damage, 131 on crit) but does guaranteed mini-crits on players on fire, and does more damage proportional to how much afterburn your target has left (up to 60 damage max bonus (note that this damage is also adjusted by crit chance)) Making this a very effective combo for pyros comfortable with their switch speed and feel they can get the melee kill. In addition to damage, killing blows upon burning players grants the wielder a speed boost, useful for a generally slower class.

The Third Degree:
Stock, but with the added bonus that all player connected via medigun are hit. It has no downsides and otherwise is a just a direct stock upgrade in essence.

The Homewrecker:
The Homewrecker is the spawn of the “pybro” term for pyros that help their teammates in game, mostly because damage from the homewrecker can remove sappers, which is huge for engineers on your team, because if they die you can still protect your team’s buildings. In addition to that this weapon does 100% more damage to buildings, for a total of 130, which can 2 shot a level three sentry. This weapon’s only downside is the fact it does 25% less damage to players, dealing 49 damage (146 crit). But it’s upsides are pretty significant.

The Back Scratcher:
The Back Scratcher is for the players who enjoy to be highly mobile, and understand that pub medics are the rarest of all species. This weapon offers a 25% damage buff to the weapon (81 damage, 244 on crit) and also allows you to get 50% more health from medkits (36 small, 132 medium) but, you receive 75% less healing from medics. Overall, this leads to a general buff to a mobile pyro.

The Powerjack:
This is considered the meta weapon for pyro’s mainly because of its direct upgrade to move speed (offering a 15% bonus buff to move speed). Ina addition it also gives 25 health for every kill. This is a coupled by a 20% greater damage vulnerability (100 damage becomes 120) but it’s upsides are very great and shouldn’t be looked down upon. The speed increase is one of the best passive weapon perks in the game.

The Neon Annihilator:
Pyroshark. This weapon does guaranteed crits on wet players. Just, pyroshark.

Sharpened Volcano Fragment:
The Fragment is good for combo pyro playstyles as it offers that if you hit a target player they will be engulfed in flame. This comes at a 20% damage penalty (52 base damage, 156 crit) but it can offer a good method for combo pyros or spychecking.

My ranking for these weapons is as follows:
Overall:
1. The PowerJack
2. The Axtinguisher
3. The Homewrecker
4. The Back Scratcher
5. Sharpened Volcano Fragment
6. The Neon Annihilator
7. Third Degree
8. Stock
Situational:
1. The Axtinguisher
2. The Homewrecker
3. The Powerjack
4. The Back Scratcher
5. Sharpened Volcano Fragment
6. The Neon Annihilator
7. Third Degree
8. Stock

Recommended Class Builds

My recommended Pyro loadouts:
Number 1:
-Phlogintonator
-Manmelter
-Powerjack
Call it what you will but this is an effective loadout for the pyro. The Phlogintonator does massive damage and the ability that the manmelter gives to be able to still extinguish teammates, as well as being able to (somewhat) play in ranged situations is invaluable, and to finish, the Powerjack gives you movement to really make the most out of your “mmph”.

Number 2:
-Backburner
-Thermal Thruster
-Backscratcher
This loadout is equivalent to being a winged god of death. The Thermal Thruster lets you maneuver around enemies, with the Backburner to capitalize on the situational moment the thruster provides. And the Backscratcher gives better health so you don’t need medics. You can spray death upon those whom dare to challenge you.

Number 3:
-Degreaser
-Scorch Shot
-Axtinguisher
This Loadout is meant to combo. You can quick switch between all these weapons, and it allows for nasty plays. Burning someone with the degreaser then switching to hit them with a flare then fishing with the axtinguisher is such a powerful combo. Hence “combo pyro”.

(not as many for this section as pyro builds can be boiled down to offense, combo, and manuver)

End

Thank you to everyone who helped me with this guide.
Med-Man
Josedolf Staller
You guys really helped me with this thing whether it was playing the game or proofreading.

I hope this guide helped you!

[Bazooks]

Steam limits comments to 1000 characters, so here's all that I want to say:
https://pastebin.com/FHWqXPEN

[Pootis McPootbird]

You could also add the Pybro loadout, as it's still a very effective loadout:

- Stock
- Scorch Shot
- Homewrecker

The reason why I chose stock over any other primary is the cost of an airblast. While Degreaser may still be a viable option, the ability to keep enemy projectiles off an Engineer's buildings or to airblast away spies is important for a Pybro. The Scorch Shot can be used to spycheck from a longer range, and I suppose you already know why the Homewrecker is here.

[bleezses]

"you dont need medics"

[Gengis Khan]

thanks man now i can destroy people on a server (hence my username and profile picture)

[Kwoel]

Amazing guide wow

[ChipL3ss]

:b cool

[Sniper enjoyer]

TF2 *OFFENSIVE* Classes Guide

T R I G G E R D

[AWSTEN KNIGHT REVEAL]

This guide is amazing.

[Olive]

encourages backburner use DISLIKED UNSUBBED

[Lorincel]

Rocket Jumper is a meme weapon?
It is used a lot from soldiers that rocket jump behind (or in top) of enemies and smack them with melee