A spy guide for beginners/intermediate players

This guide is based from my experience playing spy for quite some time, note that I am not at the level of a god spy main, and that some of you may disagree with me due to different playstyles or opinions. This is just for me to share from what i experienced suffering amounts of deaths. This also is my first guide ever created.

I.Introduction

Spy is a support class that helps teammates push through chokepoints, as such taking out/disabling sentries, taking out key targets like Medic, Spy, Sniper, Heavy, and Engineer. The spy can use his disguise tool to act as one of the enemies teammates, and use his knife or revolver to kill the said keytargets. In this short guide i will just layout the things i experienced in some situations and how to deal with them.

II.Gameplay Situations

*during gameplay i tend to see a lot of spies going with the deadringer and knife/kunai*

• Taking out nest
  When your team is having a hard time taking out a sentry nest, don`t use the deadringer and kunai. As the deadringer, you will only eventually die due to players obviously knowing you`re a spy and they automatically will hunt you down, and for the kunai the engineer or other strong classes may kill you first due to your low health. I'd say the best solution is equip the yer (your eternal reward) and inviswatch, i wouldn't say the cloak n dagger is bad, but chances are you will die to random pyro or you'll be sitting like a duck waiting for your cloak to fill up
  
• More than 2 Spies
  When there are more than 2 spies in your team, go for other classes like soldier or demoman, because what would happen is when you play spy too, chances are you'll get caught easily due to the enemy team being paranoid, and no one will be pushing due to lack of power classes. You can go spy if the server is friendly, or your team says: "ALl SpY!!" just for the fun of it, In short, 2 spies too much, pick other classes it will be more fun than dying.
  
• Aggressive playstyle
  When doing aggressive playstyle, don't just run in front of the enemy team with your deadringer popped out, it will be too obvious that they can't kill someone with one shot, unless it's a crit. try going through areas where there's not a lot people.
  -Badwater fo example:
  Some cliche sentry spots/nest (red circles) and enemy spots guarding, most likely snipers and pyros (green)
  -Only go thru red path if the enemy team is distracted or some of them that can take you out easily are gone
  -Using the invis/cnd, always go first for the engineer and it`s nest (signal your team that you had sapped the sentry and it`s their time to push), and for the dr I doubt you'll take a sentry nest that easily,unless they are distracted

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• Targets
  How to deal with them 101
  
  • Scout
    If you ever come to face to face with a scout, just retreat immediately, you will have no chance against good scouts. You can use your gun to take them down if you know you can kill them.
    
  • Soldier
    This guys just love to make everything explode by shooting everything with their rocket launcher, Don't come face to face them you will just die immediately, instead:
    
    • Long range
      Shoot them, only go for a backstab if you are already behind them from a distance, do not walk in front of them they will shoot you
      
    • Mid range
      Retreat, the solly can get you easily in this range, pop your deadringer if the soldier ever sees you, 9/10 he will surely shoot you.
      
    • Short range
      Most dangerous range to come close to with a soldier, the damage of the rocket will deal alot more than from a long and mid range. I`d say Retreat or YOLO and go for a matador or quickly just strafe to their side (refer to part III. circlestrafe).
  • Pyro
    Spies's arch nemesis, for me there are 2 types of pyros.
    
    • Hunts and flame you down
      This are typically called wm1s, you can easily get them with you gun or go for a quick matador stab, long strafes tend to fail so be careful of dealing with these guys.
      
    • Airblasts you into a corner
      Best solution, just use your gun and pop your deadringer and ran away, trickstabs do sometimes work but not all the time. For survivability just strafe to one side when the pyro airblasts you upwards (a and d keys, don't press w while strafing) that way you can evade the pyro's flare shot or axetinguisher.
  • Demoman
    This guys are scary if they can hit pipes like an aimbot, or that they the one-eyed beast charging at you with their long sword ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).
    
    • Pipes
      You have to get behind the enemy's frontlines first before you go picking off this guys, if you were to rush into their line of sight they can kill you with 1-2 shots. If they are using their stickybomb launcher you could try running at them and go for a matador (this can confuse the demoman) , but if the demoman starts shooting near him with the sticky so that he could get you and not at you just retreat, you'll die from trying to kill him. I can't actually put into words from what I am thinking
      
    • Swordsman
      If the demoman is faraway, he would charge at you, it`s better to gun him down or ignore and go for the keytargets. If he were following you everywhere try for a trickstab in tightspots like corridors. If it were short range, you'll be basically forced to fight him ( Cuz SpY iNstiNcts) I suggest try for a matador or circlestrafe, use your w and s keys, it's much more effective than a and d. Or just use your gun and retreat. This guys are really hard to deal with if you don't have the experience fighting them.
    
    
  • Heavy
    Spy's favourite but sometimes hard to kill, cause they check everything and are always paranoid of spies. It's a spy's job to take them down, so try for a drop stab or a short matador ( don't be afraid to try and bump to the heavy) or just get them when they are distracted/ walking cluelessly.
    
  • Engineer
    Hard to take out when they are guarding their nest playing safe, and their wrench can always land a crit on you (happens all the time). Stab and Sap always work fine if they are distracted, but if they are looking out for spy, just take out other targets first like Soldier, Medic etc, so that your team can push and be a distraction for the engineer and thus creates an opening for you.
    
    • Nest
      Deadringer isn't effective in this scenario, just equip the invis watch and yer, sneak past the enemy, take out the engineer first and sap everything. (Happens all the time in Dustbowl, third round, last point).
      
    • Nest with pyros
      Scary when this happens, you'll need your team's help for pushing, the sapper won't take out the buildings by itself, trust me. Better yet, switch classes and help your team push (Soldier, Demoman, Medic, Heavy). This scenario happens most in borneo last point.
    
    
  • Medic
    Essential target, hard to kill because of melee crits and paranoid always, quite like the heavy but fast. Not really i can say about this, I don't encounter much medics but gunning them down when they are at low health ( 40-70 health) always work, and go for them if they are distracted. Well if they do see someone suspicious they automatically pull out their melee and check you, as soon as the medic sees you,1. if there are no nearby enemies gun him down 2. If there are enemies nearby, as soon as the medic sees you, strafe in one direction and go for a matador as the medic approaches to check on you.
    
  • Sniper
    Same as the Medic and Engi, melee crits like all the time, hard to kill especially with the razorback, just gun them down if they do have the razorback equipped.
    
    • Noob
      You wouldn't have problems with these guys they are easy to kill because they tend to stand around scoped in finding targets, watch out for crits though, Gaben watches over these guys.
      
    • Intermediate
      This guys tend to have razorbacks and tend to be alot more paranoid, i suggest only go for them if they are distracted. if not you'll just die from trying
      
    • Pro
      Don't even bother trying.
  • Spy
    They are most obvious ones to spot if you had main spy, they tend to disguise as scout or spy. You could use this advantage to protect you teammates if you are on defense. When trickstabbing this guys it's just a matter of outstrafing your enemy or hope that the enemy lags so you could get the stab.

III.References to look into

From Delfy,
A good guide which might even be better than this one i created.

============================================================================
*Only learn this if you understand when you can kill someone and that trickstabs only work when the enemy is distracted or pressured Or you'll look like a noob running at enemies at point-blank range trying to trickstab

This Tutorial is 5 part tutorial, 1 hour each.

Trickstabs is for survivability
Thanks to CulRulDud for studying and perfecting movement mechanics""

IV.Conclusion

When playing spy don't go rushing to the enemies face, all those frag montages you have watched only happens when the enemy is distracted or pressured. As a spy it is your job to to take out targets that hinders your team from pushing. If you know that you can't get a kill or it is impossible to take out a nest don't be stubborn and choose other classes for the sake of your death count and the team.

I give thanks for anyone who tried and had read my first guide even thought it's not that good I hope that it helped some people and have them learn something new.

[Columbo_WannaBe]

i can safely say this is a good guide because the spy main is a weeb and all weebs have this magical ability to be good spies

[NewDrawn]

I think I just suck at spy. It seems any time i'm cloaked I just get shot, and when i'm disguised I get shot by physically everyone in a 2 mile radius

[Kirby Poto]

hey gracias por la guia, se aprecia. Saludos de argentina.

[grzegodezw8]

spy gaming shut the fuck up nigger

[Database Program: 00432]

Tip #1: don't play spy

[Androidonator]

no weeb is gonna give advices to spy gaming how to spy gaming

[gamer]

hey bro,nice guide :)

[BendGMS]

why u help new france tuxedo terrorists to get better ?

[Fanshi]

great guide, i would add tips section, things like: stick to wall, use revolver etc

[0% ACCURACY]

Very glad for the awesome feedbacks !