The Disguise Kit: A Complete Analysis

In this guide, I will explain every aspect of the Spy's diguise kit, from uses to tricks to who is guaranteed to NOT be a spy.

Introduction

Hey everybody! I've finally decided to start writing again. The title and description of this guide should have already provided plenty of information about our topic today, so let's get going!

Disguise Kit basics

What in the world is this thing?

The Spy's disguise kit is normally pretty well understood, but if you don't know or think you may still need to see something about it, then this section should be read.

First things first, the disguises themselves. There are 18 to choose from, being each class from each team. By pressing 4, the Spy can pull up their disguise kit and select 1-9 to choose an enemy class. To select your own team, press the - button next to the + button at the top right of your keyboard.

Now, on to other mechanics. Disguising will surround the spy in smoke while the disguising occurs. This takes about 1 second. While the spy is disguised, cloaking and uncloaking will surround him in a team-colored outline, as will being burned. Additionally, your silhouette will appear when hit by jarate or mad milk, while you still appear to be the class that you are disguised as. Any attack will drop the Spy's disguise. Also, you may change disguises at any time by selecting a new one, but you will still have the smoke and team-colored outline.

Oh, also, press B to disguise as the last disguise you wore and press B while disguised to change weapons (what weapon is switched to matches what you are holding i.e. knife will show melee, sapper will show Medigun for medic).

Note by Hell-met: While a spy is disguised, ALL knockback is reduced to zero unless the attack is specifically designed to deal knockback (Airblast, Force-a-Nature, etc.). Also, pain grunts and blood splats are muffled except for bleeding.

Tips on Spotting Spies: Positioning

I found them!

With the ability to appear to be anyone on your team, Spies can be really hard to spot. Luckily, they aren't usually very smart about positioning and end up looking suspicious.

These are areas where you should expect to find teammates.

Front Lines:
Heavy
Soldier
Demoman
Pyro
Scout (Sandman/Cleaver or Point Capture)

Fallback Point:
Medic
Injured Frontliners
Engie (Minisentry)
Sniper (Huntsman)

Base defense:
Engie (Sentry nest)
Sniper (Rifle)

Behind Enemies:
Spy
Pyro (Backburner)
Scout

If any of your "teammates" are not in these positions, they are suspicious and should be spychecked. Whack them with your melee or try to burn them if you can.

Tips on Spotting Spies: Movement

Oops. Shouldn't have been there.

Spies are constantly paranoid about getting found out. As such, they either want to stick to the edges and pick off enemy Snipers or get their mission (Sap buildings, stab medic, whatever) done quickly and get out of there. This leads to an odd psychological effect in spies where they will run straight at their target. This can be difficult to notice if you're targeted for a backstab, but teammates and engineers will be immediately suspicious.

Teammates watching a full-health pyro make a beeline for the team's Medic will surely lob a grenade or two into the mix, and Engineers at their nests are sure to monitor visitors. If a "teammate" rushes your sentry at full health, shoot them or hit them with your wrench.

Other times, a spy will be moving in the wrong direction for no reason. Why would that RED Heavy be running from the front lines even though a medic is not 5 feet away and he's not in immediate danger? Or why would a soldier sit at the fallback point waiting for something? Keep an eye for questionable decisions for teammates.

Tips on Spotting Spies: Context

Doesn't seem out of place at all.

Sometimes spies can pull off a correct movement with the correct disguise in the correct place, but at a time that makes no sense. For instance, possible mistimings may include:

"Why is that demoman being followed by an identical-looking Demoman?"

"Why is there a RED medic being ignored in a horde of BLUs?"

"Why is that Homewrecker Pyro running from the sapped sentry?"

"Where did my socks go?"

OK, maybe not that last one. But the point is, spies need to use timing to evaluate their movements. It really sucks when you turn a corner and literally bump into "yourself" when disguised as a Pyro. If anything seems odd about the behavior of a teammate, spycheck immediately.

Types of Spychecking

Sure. That works too.

Now that you know basic issues with Spy behavior, let's learn how to Spycheck.

These are the types of spychecking, from least to most subtle (and best to worst).

Setting them on fire/Status change (Jarate/Mad Milk/Bleed)

Shooting them

Whacking them with your melee

Swinging at them / Acting aggressive

Staring at them

Bumping into them

Monitoring their position

Checking leaderboards for the player they are disguised as (score/class/dead or alive)

So, why put the leaderboards at the bottom? Checking takes time, and only alerts you to their presence. Generally, anything near the bottom of this list will then lead to something higher on it. My personal favorite as Engineer is staring, as newer spies will panic and do one of 3 things. a) rush in and stab/sap quickly, b) run away or back up and shoot, or c) cloak. This gets rid of the spy for at least a few seconds and allows you to spy-proof your nest.

Disguise Combos

Spies can often use their kit to devastating effect when comboing it with another teammate or weapon. These include (Disguise/Comboed thing):

Friendly Heavy or Soldier / Medic healing

Friendly disguise / Dead Ringer

Enemy disguise / reloading

Enemy disguise / "Shot" by friendlies

Enemy Medic / Backstabs galore

Spies can also annoy aware enemy Snipers. Disguised spies do not have an altered hitbox, so disguising as a taller or shorter merc can make it hard to hit headshots.

So Who's NOT a Spy?

Stop staring at me with those cold, dead eyes! Creepy.

So, you can now identify and kill a disguised spy. However, it's tiresome to spycheck everyone, and takes valuable ammo. So, here's a list of every teammate who CANNOT possibly be a spy.

Medics with Ubercharge at 1% or greater (Spies always have 0%)

Spies without a disguise mask on (Spies as enemy spies will have on a mask).

Anyone who shoots

Anyone who taunts

Enemies (Spies can disguise as a teammate, but it becomes useless when they try to make an attack/sap run, just treat them like a normal enemy).

Flame-retardant Pyros (Spies still burn)

Scouts going faster than you

Charging Demomen/Demomen with a green-glowing eye (indicates heads counter >0)

Revved-up heavies

An engineer holding a building

A spy with the disguise kit

Scoped-in or Drawn Bow Snipers

One tip though. Spies who disguise as a nonexistent enemy (RED has no demomen, Blu spy disguises as Demoman) will have no hats, a random enemy's name, and STOCK LOADOUTS. This is suspicious, as no pyro would be caught dead with the fire axe unless they are new to the game.

Spycology

Get it, like Spy psychology? No? Ok then.

So, with these disguises in hand, what is a spy to do with them? Well, Spies generally use different disguises for different roles. Here is a list from most to least used, along with role sets.

Spy (Basic infiltration, initial run from spawn to frontlines)

Engineer (Nest assault)

Demoman (Frontline charging / "Spawning" from enemy base)

Pyro (Same as Demoman, but Pyros are more suspicious)

Medic (HEALS! JK.)

Sniper (Sniper Spots/Back lines)

Scout (Frontlines, highly suspicious)

Soldier (Slow Frontliner)

Heavy (Medic stealing/stabbing, very slow)

Spies use these mentalities as guides for their actions. If anyone appears to be following this pattern, it may be worth it to spycheck them.

Conclusion

Sorry for the delay, guys! I intended to get this done earlier, but I had to really decide what was disguise-kit focused and what wasn't (I caught myself writing on how to counter the Dead Ringer). The disguise kit overlaps with so much of spy that this was difficult to write. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!

Here's a link to the guides' group!

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/tipstrickssubclasses

And here's a link to my other works, check them out if you're interested!

http://steamcommunity.com/id/digitic/myworkshopfiles/?section=guides

[Core]

Actually, there's only 17 disguises the spy can choose from since the spy can't diguise as a friendly spy.

[Digitic]

@HOW DOES ONE AIM

I don't actually know when I'll do another guide yet (but it is a when question). I'm tossing around a few ideas right now, and I'll actually probably start writing one soon. I always post new guides on the group page though, so join that or just check it from time to time!

[$25 T-Shirt]

when will you make a new guide?

[Noirasaur]

Good to have ya back Digitic

[Rymska]

Great guide, like always. I can always count on having good information about the game, weather I already know some or not, to be told to me from there guides.. But what about the one top most important thing a spy can do with a Duisgise Kit..? You know..? No? Okay then... Its spycrab! I am pretty sure you included spycrabs in one of your guides, even for a little detailed brief moment, and I thought that the Duisgise Kit made one of the most funny glitches, and the best Weapon Taunt in game where you can even gamble on trades... { Still Safer Than Un-crating}

[joe swanson]

Freezerburn's Top list of disguises (Pubs) Substitute=When there isnt one or the disguise is getting old and suspicious
1.Pyro,Short ranged,they wont expect you to shoot
2.Sniper,Hop around on the nest to scout for targets
3.Engineer,when around sentry nests and pyro substitute,pretend your finding a spot to build
4.Demoman,Pyro substitute,backstab classes as they slowely pass you up
5.Soldier,When you know there are going to be people behind you and you need them to pass you up
6.Heavy,Just steal medic heals and/or make them waste an uber
7.Spy,Rare Pyro substitute or when you are amongst your own team
8.Scout,When people are paranoid and spycheck everybody,used for different hitbox
9.Medic,I don't know,um,when you are trolling? A medic should be healing or fighting

[VoidAnarchy]

Engineer*

[VoidAnarchy]

Good guide,however there is something that makes me die of laughter thanksto the players of the game...
"Why is that Homewrecker Pyro running from the sapped sentry?".
From past experiences as Enginee,Homewrecker pyros don't give two sh*ts about your sentries

[Digitic]

Not ELITE CAM's post. There is a phisher ad that keeps getting posted.

[Digitic]

@MK64

I know, I try to delete it every time I see it but they just keep reposting it. I can't block them either. *shrugs*