Understanding Trickstabs

Always wanted to know how those fancy Spies seem to get amazing trickstabs? Want to learn yourself?

Well, don't look any further. In this guide I will explain how to do all the basic trickstabs in the game, while also telling you what the phsychology behind it is. Because that is essentially what trickstabs are: tricking your opponent with phsychology, which translates to prediction and game mechanics.

This guide is aimed at Spies that want to know how to use trickstabs as a plan B, not the wannabe-mlg-pro's that want to stairstab the ♥♥♥♥ out of everybody. Also, if you already know most of the things the Spy has to offer, I recommend you look elsewhere, as this is mainly basics.

A quick note

Before we get started, there is something important that has to be realised when reading this guide.

Trickstabs are pure psychology, which means you can learn them. They are not defined by luck or any kind of lag/high ping. Playtime on other classes helps too, as movement is a big part when performing trickstabs.

Also, I see myself as a person that uses his head more than his mouse. This is one of the reasons I prefer classes like Engineer over Sniper. In turn, this results in a good amount of gamesense, and, well, psychology, at the cost of general aim. No, I can still aim quite well, don't bother asking.

Take note that this guide originated out of my own experience and watching demo's and frag vids, as well as a ton of tutorials. At the end of the guide I will refer you to a few amazing Spies on YouTube. They will certainly be able to tell you more.

Stairstabs

Probably the most common variant of our well-known trickstabs: the stairstab. Basically, all you have to do is jump over your target, which results in a revealed back. There is much more to all this however.

Because the stairstab is the most basic kind of trickstab, most players will not fall for it. If you mindlessly walk up a staircase, don't expect your enemies to follow you all the time.

Also, when a player sees you jumping over your head, he might decide to do something, messing up your kill. This could be jumping or walking away, or maybe just kill you, if he is able to. That's why something new was invented: the blind stairstab.

Blind stairstabs are stairstabs an enemy won't expect, and they are stabs an enemy can't expect. This makes them a lot more effective than open stairstabs. There are two variants:

• Making yourself blind
  Jumping back while not turning; the other player has to keep walking
  
• And making the enemy blind
  Not showing you are going to perform a stairstab

Both are effective, while they are also very tricky, especially the first one. While blind stabs are less expected, they can also screw you up even more if you fail. If you have the opportunity to stairstab, you most likely have the opportunity to run away. The last option is usually the best, unless you can't avoid it.

Do know that every time you perform a stairstab with a rather high height advantage, you will take a bit of falling damage. This doesn't mean you shouldn't go for it, of course.

Step-by-step

Basic stairstab

• Get the highground: this can be a staircase, but any prop or difference in the ground can help (even teleporters if you have to).
  
• Crouch jump over or on the opponents head. You usually want to aim for their head.
  
• Stab (woah!).

If you are standing on the head of a player that has noticed you, turn around until you are able to backstab him. Be quick though, as they will try to kill you (obviously).

Blind stairstab 1

• Make sure an enemy is focused on you.
  
• Get the highground again; something continious like a hill is perfect.
  
• Jump, but don't turn. Requires timing.
  
• Kill the idiot.

The drawback of this stab is that you can easily mess it up by jumping too early or too late. You could also get backstabbed if you attempt to kill an enemy Spy. So why would you do it?
Well, it's a lot faster than a normal stairstab and less obvious. That's why it's recommend for more experienced players, as it's a hig-risk high-reward thing.

Blind stairstab 2

Basically the same as the normal stairstab. Just make sure you are not detected when you are jumping: the best place to do this is to go around a corner, or predict when an enemy will show up.

Where do I practice this?
Stairstabs require less phsychology than the other stabs, which means you can perform them on bots. That's right, bots. And where can you find these guys? Right, on tr_walkway.
This is a map where you can make bots do whatever you want, like walking forward on a hill. Perfect for practicing any kind of stairstab.


Download link:
http://tf2.gamebanana.com/maps/107794

Just download it, extract with Winrar and place it in your tf/maps folder.

Tutorial

Credits to White Rice. Links in the end.

Cornerstabs

Just like the stairstab, this trickstab is believed to be one of the most obvious, yet very effective. All you have to do, really, is walk around a corner, and walk back again. Be sure to leave enough space for the enemy to walk through.
If all goes well, the player should keep walking and dies a quick and painful death.

Done and done.

Step-by-step

• First, make sure the enemy follows you
  
• Walk around a corner
  
• Walk back (leave enough space for an enemy to walk through)

Result:

Originally posted by Impressed Heavy:

"Ded, not big soup rice."

The faster you do this, the less expected it becomes. Most players will not take a corner very close though, meaning you will just bump into the enemy, resulting in a free ticket to spawn (please don't name your weapon this).

Where do I practice this?

• Go to 2fort with fast respawn.
  
• Take the Dead Ringer, L'etranger and the basic knife.
  
• Stay near the small health pack close to the spawn on the side of the enemy.
  
• Lure enemies to the corner and you're done.

Practice this a few times and you'll do this automatically after some time. Trust me, it really is satisfying at some point.

Quick notes:
Cornerstabbing Pyro's with the Spy-cicle never works, as they will just melt it. Stairstabs will usually work.
When you are disguised as a Soldier, Demo or Heavy (especially with Your Eternal Reward), get used to the speed, or better yet, get rid of the disguise. You really don't want to move so slow.

Tutorial

Slurgi. Helpful guy.

The forgotten trickstabs

Originally posted by You:

"What? 'Forgotten' trickstabs? What does that mean?"

Basically, trickstabs you can't really call trickstabs. They are just a normal kill, with less trick and more stab. Simple, right? As of now there are only two non-trickstabs:

The facestab

Remember those times that Gibus-spy backstabbed you, while you were clearly looking right at his face? Well, that's what we call a facestab. A simple result of lag compensation, a bad server and an odd hitbox radius. Sure, it might look like you are an idiot, but this is legit. Not a good strategy, but there is nothing you can do about it.

This also explains failstabs, where you really hit an enemies back, while it just registers as 40 damage. It's only the exact opposite.

What does this all mean?
Nothing. Respawn and move on.

Now that we're on it, facestabs are a great excuse for players falling for trickstabs. Just admit you got outplayed.

The leapstab

The insane kind of stairstabs. Leapstabs are simply kills you can call 'death from above'. All you have to do is stand on a ledge, and drop down on an enemy. He won't suspect anything, and you get a clean kill.

Because you don't have to do anything, than just, well, wait a bit, this stab really isn't hard, but enemies will never see it coming. Remember the golden rule Muselk taught us:

Originally posted by Muselk:

"Players in TF2 never look up."

That's a fact right there. Other than that, you're better off moving on than waiting half an hour and then getting a single kill.

The hitbox mechanics

Stabby now.

The mechanics

How is it actually possible to pull off these trickstabs? Well, most of the time it's simply letting the enemy expose their back to you, but this is not always the case. This goes mainly for the last trickstab we have to discuss: the Matador stab.

Hitboxes

You see, backstabs aren't always literally backstabs; they are simply a hit on the back half of an enemy, which is about 170 degrees.

Imagine a simple circle. Draw a line in the middle. One half of the circle is the front of a player, the other half is the back (seen from above). On this half you can perform a backstab, and this can lead to some strange kills.

What makes it even stranger is that the direction enemies are looking at is not always what their viewmodels represent. This means that if someone is looking at the Spy, his viewmodel might say otherwise and vica-versa. Again, this is caused by lag, servers, etc.

Overview

In this picture, the squares represent the hitboxes, the circles with the arrows represent the direction the players are looking at. In this strange angle, which obviously isn't the actual back of the body, the Spy is able to get a backstab.
Even worse: the player could see the Spy here with a wide field of view.
Result: the player will call a facestab. This is somewhat legit; it's all a matter of perspective.

These mechanics can be exploited used to get Matador stabs and even facestabs (the two are basically the same).

Matador stabs

Either that, or your serious plan C (plan B is your revolver usually).

Matador stabs are basically cornerstabs without a corner. It's easier said than done though; matador stabs are one of the hardest to master (while luck plays a much bigger role than with the other stabs).

So what do you do when you perform a matador stab? All there is to be done is some fancy movement, very unpredictable movement. The enemy should believe you go in the one direction, while you actually go somewhere else: their back. They have to get in melee-range, and when the opportunity arrises, you strike and... Bam! Let's quote our Heavy again:

Originally posted by Startled Heavy:

"Ded. Not big soup rice."

Step-by-step

Note that enemies have to get close enough for you to backstab them, there needs to be a lot of space to move around and they are really, really a last resort.
Why is that? Well, chances are pretty big you will fail, and as you have to get in melee-range, you'll die faster than you'd think. Two hits, and always sometimes a random crit shows up.

You usually just want to strafe a lot. Let the opponent know you will go somewhere, while you actually don't.

• So make sure you got everything covered that is mentioned above.
  
• Let the enemy believe you go in a direction (like walking up stairs, but suddenly walking back, or just acting like a crazy idiot).
  
• Get the kill. Didn't see that coming, did you?

Pro's:

1. While being very obvious, you could still get a kill even though the enemy really knew about it.
   
2. Pyro's are generally easy to matador, as they use their mouse a lot.
   
3. Luck is a pretty big factor.

Cons:

1. Not reliable.
   
2. Dangerous.
   
3. This also means bad luck.

Improving your matadors

There is a little trick to greatly improve your matador stabs. As I explained earlier, a Spy can get a backstab on very weird angles... as long as he looks in the right direction. That is why matadors usually fail: you weren't looking in the right direction.

Solution? Turn your viewmodel. Where are you looking at? The player's side, or his back? Take note when you try to perform a matador that simply moving won't always do. Only using your strafe keys (A and D) is usually not enough. As you have enough space to perform the trickstab from either side and the back, looking at the right (as in good) side means can still get the stab even if the enemy turns to you. This creates a safer and more confident time when going for a matador.

I would still recommend relying on either your revolver or your legs, which means running away.
What? A coward? Running away simply grants you more safety, while also giving you time to prepare for some actual reliable trickstabs.

Tutorial

Zeigon <3

Understabs

Honestly, these are not only extremely hard, they are also very situational. Known by many Spies to be the actual hardest trickstab to pull off, this is not a reliable and easy way of killing an enemy, however, if you get the chance to do it, just go for it. Who knows if you get the stab right, meaning you will get out safely with an amazing kill.

Step-by-step

Scenario: you are under the bridge near the small water pool at Sawmill. You see a Pyro, standing on top of the roofs, and he sees you. He drops down, trying to go for the kill.

This is the perfect understab oppurtunity. As there are no stairs and wide corners nearby, it might even be the real last effort to get away alive.

Aim for their heels, like you want to stab their shoes. Make sure you are actually under them, and follow their viewmodel - try to stay behind the direction they are going in.

Another scenario: this time, you are on the bridge. A demoman just came out of the sawmill house. Note that in this case there are more things you could do, but I'll go over this anyway, as there will be more times this might appear.

Make it look like you are trying to run away. Turn, if you can, at the last second to get a look of what your enemy will do. Maybe even shoot to make it more convincing; it's all up to you.

Repeat the first scenario.

Where do I practice this?

As I already said, these trickstabs are highly situational. This means there is no need to effectively practice them, and on top of that, there isn't really a good way to practice them.

What you can do is pay a visit to tr_walkway again. Order the bots to jump on the ramp, making them fly in the air. Try to get some understabs on them. This will be very hard in the beginning, but you can get progressively better.

As the bots don't turn, and there is no real way to make them, it's all very basic. This doesn't mean you won't learn from it though.

You can also try to force understabs on your average server, by going to Hightower or Gorge. Stand on a high ledge, get some attention and see what you can do.

Tutorial

Credits to Slurgi.

The end

It was about damn time.

I truly hope you learned something from all the information I was able to write down. Keep in mind that this game is very adaptable, and so are your enemies. If things don't immediately work out, stay satisfied with yourself. On the other hand, if you managed to matador that player by chance, know it might be more luck than skill.

I hate to say this, but practice is seriously key, especially with this subject.

If you don't feel like constantly playing the game, here are some great sources to get you started by watching:

Stabby

I'm sure you know him. Insane Spy main, occasionally plays Scout. Amazing Ambassador aim, tons of matadors everywhere. He has every part of the Spy right.

Playstyle: everything. Check out his video's: https://www.youtube.com/user/stabbyvideo.
Unfortunately, he doesn't upload very often anymore. He streams a lot on Twitch though.

White Rice

He deserves a lot more attention. I love this guy. One of the few people I know that enjoy using the Revolver a lot. He still uploads from time to time, so be sure to take a look: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCajCFKkMqjSzesrZTWa8ExA

Edit: his most recent video explains that he decided to stop playing TF2. His older videos are still great though.

Playstyle: aggressive. Dead Ringer and Revolver all the way, he is on the battlefield all the time. He even does some commentaries.

Zeigon

The one guy that never talks. He mainly uploads frag vids and demo's from his plays in both pubs and Highlander. Very good for understanding how versatile a Spy can be; he uses basically every weapon. Also, some tutorials on his channel will provide tons of information.

Playstyle: passive/aggressive. Changes his loadouts a lot, is used to everything, can do everything. Really worth watching: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK6A6220tdabonP7Kya9ZBA

Slurgi

As inspiring as he can be, this guy made me advance a lot. He does a lot of voice comms, frag video's and tutorials to get you started in the world of spying. Even though he never really plays competitive, I'm sure he could. Very calm and interesting Spy.

Playstyle: passive. I don't see him use anything other than the Saharan Spy set a lot (Your Eternal Reward + L'etranger + Dead Ringer). He puts it to good use, but he is able to play with any other weapons as well, like the good old Kunai. Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNRGJnK2yWqciaABlhwFQbQ

Mr. Paladin

Another educational Spy player out there. He also plays a lot of other classes, but Spy is without a doubt his main. Go check out his channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/MrPaladin1176

Playstyle: I won't include a specific playstyle for him, as he plays too many different classes. This means he is incredibly versatile; I'm unable to find his way of playing. What I can tell you is that he uses the Ambassador a lot, but that's not so special.

Suggested by Vicotaco and You. Thanks for the heads up.


I'm sure these people will help you in any way they can; I recommend watching a few competitive matches and tutorials to understand how these guys work, and how their playstyles work.

Scripting

Interested in scripts for Spy?*

• http://tf2wiki.net/wiki/Spy_scripts
  
• http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1591457

[/i]
[/list]

I personally use most of Stabby's scripts:

• Revolver zoom
  
• Primary hide on attack
  
• Disguise tool

Consider taking a look. Especially the disguise script has helped me a lot.


*If you want me to make an entire guide about Spy scripts, or just want me to help you with something, let me know.

Final words

Here we are nearing the end of my guide. Like I said, I hope this was useful to you in any way possible. Feel free to ask me anything below, and I will see what I can do. A little thumbs up is always appreciated.

Thanks for taking the time to read my guide.

~Fearus

[lime]

how to mess up a stairstab:knockback... no seriously one spy was trying to stairstab me and with the power of knockback(aka:idiot(me) using the market gardener to push him away) messed his stairstab

[hey]

This is a pretty old guide so Swipez and Stary weren't even well known yet. IMO well made guide for the basics tho some words sometimes confuse me xD.

Rip Zeigon. He's completely gone from youtube now wth.

[Dunhill]

This is just some basic info, u need to go in depth and explain stabs based on the moves and how each one affects the enemy.

[♥ Mita ♥]

what about swipez

[Johnny Gobbs]

you forgot to add StaryKrow they're like my main inspiration for working on becoming a spy main

other then that thanks for the guide! i got this really cool understab (i think) on a rocket jumping solly on Hightower

[Mina]

well thats why u should always learn more then 1 stab

[pink]

All of these become completely obsolete when you have more than 10 braincells. You only get one stab.

[Igerus]

It did. Thanks alot for the quick and helpful answer :)

[Jolt]

It depends. Usually internet connection and not lagging is the most crucial. If you get a decent and especially consistent framerate there's not much to worry about. I would recommend you to sacrifice graphics for frames though, they are much more important. 60 or more is ideal. Lower than +/- 30 is concerning.
Causes for trickstabs not registering with a good framerate are essentially the same as the reason you get facestabs: the hitbox is not on par with the model/field of view of your enemy. Again, this is mainly caused by bad internet (either yours or your opponents). Hopefully this could help you out!

[Igerus]

I see you are still active on this post, which makes me kinda happy. There is one thing I've been asking myself for very long: Do my FPS / graphic settings have anything to do with successfull trickstabs? I love nice graphics so I play TF2 on its highest settings. I do not lag, but I certainly feel like sometimes I should have gotten that trickstab. Hope you can help