_______ ____ ____ ___ __ ____ ___ ___ _____ ___ ___ ___ _____
| ______\| ___\| _ \| __\|__\ | ___\/ __\| __\| ____\| __\| __\ / __\/ ___\
\|__ __|| _|‘ / \ ‘| \/ |\|| _| / \‘| \|_ _|| \| _| / | / |\
| | | | |_ / \ | | ‘| |_ | /|< | D | 7 | | D || |_ | A_|| A_| \
| ! | | _|| A || | | _|| || !| < | | ! < | _| \ \ \ \ |
| | | | |_ | _ || | | | | | | |/ || . | | | | . || |_ | | || | | |
\ 7 | |___||_| |_||_|\/|_| | | \__/ |_|_| |_| |_|_||___||___/ |___E |
\|_| |_| |
\ , , , |
\ |\ |\ |\ \ /
\ | \_____|\_|\_|\__|\_| \ | \____|\__.___A__A___.__A____|\____/
\____| \___|
Meet the Demoman v2.0
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Before we start:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I’d like to point out that I’ve written this guide primarily for Xbox 360
users. Because of the setup at GameFAQs, Xbox 360 users and PC users both share
the same sections for games provided in the Orange box, so it’s assured that PC
players will find this guide as well. Though I’m fairly certain that many of
the techniques I will describe are just as effective in the PC version, I’ve
found that the playing styles of players on the computer can be very different
and they will, therefore, loose their practicality. There are also many
exploits on the Xbox that have been corrected for the PC. Bear in mind the
differences between both versions of the games and their players when reading
through this guide.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
_____________________________________________________________________________
| |
| .:Table of Contents:. |
|_____________________________________________________________________________|
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|| ||
|| ||
|| Legalities (and version history) ||
|| ||
|| ||
|| Term Explanation Index ---------------------[S0] ||
|| ||
|| ||
|| Meet the Demoman ---------------------------[S1] ||
|| ||
|| :Weapons ---------------------------[S1A] ||
|| ||
|| :Strategic Considerations ----------[S1B] ||
|| - Defense ||
|| - Offense ||
|| - Support ||
|| ||
|| ||
|| :General Combat Tips ---------------[S1C] ||
|| ||
|| :Advanced Techniques ---------------[S1D] ||
|| - Grenade Jumping ||
|| - Bottling ||
|| - Enemy-Flow Manipulation ||
|| ||
|| ||
|| Enemy Interaction* -------------------------[S2] ||
|| ||
|| :Spy-Checking ----------------------[S2J] ||
|| ||
|| ||
|| Map-Specific Techniques* -------------------[S3] ||
|| ||
|| :2Fort -----------------------------[S3A] ||
|| ||
|| ||
|| F.A.Q. [S4] ||
|| ||
|| ||
|| Gathered Statistics [S5] ||
|| ||
|| ||
|| Conclusion [S6] ||
|| ||
|| ||
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| *incomplete sections/works-in-progress |
|_____________________________________________________________________________|
_____________________________________________________________________________
| |
| .:Legalities:. |
|_____________________________________________________________________________|
===============================================================================
This guide, in part or in its entirety, may not be reproduced on any website
other than GameFAQs.com or through any other meduim without my writen
permission. For all related purposes (questions, comments, suggestions, etc.)
I may be contacted at Kasdorf.Adam@hotmail.com or via my LIVE IGN and Steam ID,
Elestian. Try not to flame or send friend requests without messages attached.
Much appreciated.
This guide is copyright © 2008 Adam Kasdorf. All rights reserved. Team
Fortress 2 and all discussed materials are copyright their respective owners.
Version 1.0 :: 7/24/08
------------------------------------------
> original guide submitted to GameFAQs
Version 2.0 :: 7/27/08
------------------------------------------
> minor revisions to existing writing
> major reformatting for web*
> 2Fort techniques expanded upon
> Spy-Checking subsection added
Notes:
*Simply tried to reformat and stylize the guide to make it more accessable and
easily readable.
_______________________________________________________________________________
*******************************************************************************
_____________________________________________________________________________
| |
| .:Term Explanation Index:. [S0] |
|_____________________________________________________________________________|
===============================================================================
Base Critical-hit Rate -
The initial rate at which a weapon receives a critical damage boost. This
amount increases with better in-game performance, but this increase is
limited only to the duration of the round or game.
Crit -
Simply a contraction of the word ‘critical;’ used to describe a randomized
boost in received or given damage.
HUD -
Abbreviation - Heads-Up Display; displays relevant in-game data: health
meter, current weapon and ammo, timers, and team and enemy objective
statuses.
Sky-Walking -
The use of provided, in-game items to reach heights "outside" of a map
beyond the natural "invisible barriers," allowing players to move around
and Engineers to build structures in mid-air.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clarification of the difference between the terms "exploit" and "glitch":
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The use of the term "exploit" is meant only to describe actions that utilize
map and/or team specific maneuvers that give the player an advantage over the
enemy. This can be, but is not limited to, the reaching of abnormal locations
that remain easily counterable.
"Glitch" is instead used to describe the exploitation of map/team specific
actions that give players an unfair advantage over the enemy with NO easy
counterability, especially those that allow players to reach out-of-map
locations and ‘sky-walking’.
I do not in any way endorse to use of glitches, and therefore will not discuss
any means of practicing them. Instead, I will explain various ways of avoiding
them or, for able-bodied players, countering them in the map-specific
explanations [S3].
_______________________________________________________________________________
*******************************************************************************
_____________________________________________________________________________
| |
| .:Meet the Demoman:. [S1] |
|_____________________________________________________________________________|
===============================================================================
In Team Fortress 2, the Demoman can arguably be the most powerful class when in
the right hands. Though officially labeled a "Defensive" class, the Demo is
extremely useful on all fronts as a defensive, offensive, and supporting
character. In this guide I will attempt to share with others the techniques I
have learned to help them master this class as well as many of the ins-and-outs
and exploits of each map. Bear in mind, however, that simply reading a guide
can never make you good at a game. It will take much practice to develop the
skills needed to handle each situation accordingly. I only wish to (hopefully)
facilitate that process.
Before I begin I would also like to suggest that players use a headset, which
is an especially uncommon item for Xbox 360 users. With a headset you can be
more fully prepared for in-coming enemies and even hear spies de-cloak near you
or walk around while invisible. It is not until a player can make full use of
all the mediums the game delivers (visual, audible, HUD, etc.) that he can
truly become talented.
Many retailers offer a great variety of headsets, some more expensive than
others. I would recommend one with surround sound for its obvious benefits,
but you can still easily determine from where a sound originated with just
stereo. I would recommend the Turtle Beach X1 headset (stereo) for 360 users,
as it’s also the one I use. It’ll set you back around $60, but I’ve found it to
be one of the most well-made and comfortable headsets I’ve purchased to date.
This guide presumes a basic understanding of game mechanics and map layout.
___________________________________________________
---------------------------------------------------
:Weapons: [S1A]
___________________________________________________
The Demoman’s arsenal consists of three weapons: the pipe bomb launcher (a.k.a.
grenade launcher), the coveted whiskey bottle, and the sticky bomb launcher and
its explosive friends, the sticky bombs. From my experiences in TF2 on the 360,
most enemies I have confronted quite commonly use the grenade launcher. I,
however, have a personal affinity for the sticky bombs. While the choice
between the two is mainly a preferential decision and based on the player’s
ability and his experience with the weapons, the fact that almost all those
enemies whom I met frequently ended up in a soup can may serve as an
inclination as to which can be more powerful.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Clarification between the "Grenade Launcher" and "Pipe Bomb Launcher":
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Officially, the so-called Grenade Launcher is really named the "Pipe Bomb
Launcher," and the Sticky-Bomb Launcher is really the "Grenade Launcher."
Though this reversal in names may be confusing (not really), they are misnomers
to which I have grown accustomed and will continue to use for this guide.
To set the record straight, the Grenade Launcher will be henceforth be referred
to as the "Sticky-Bomb Launcher." The Pipe Bomb Launcher will henceforth be
referred to as the "Grenade Launcher."
--------------------------------------
The Grenade Launcher:
--------------------------------------
The grenade launcher is capable of firing shells at a medium distance with a
large amount of force. This weapon’s shells are generally more powerful than
those of the sticky launcher, but it does require more aiming and precision to
use. The shells will either detonate on the *initial* direct impact with an
enemy or after a few seconds. Shells that hit an enemy after ricocheting off
another solid WILL NOT automatically detonate. This gun can be particularly
useful in close quarters (i.e. small rooms and hallways) where enemies have
less maneuverability and your shells are far more likely to explode on impact.
Shells can also be used to destroy enemy structures without a need to reveal
yourself to an on-looking sentry simply by bouncing them around corners.
- average regular damage dealt: 81.5 dmg
- average critical damage dealt: 279 dmg
- average base-critical hit rate: 6%
4 grenades in chamber
24 grenade reserve
--------------------------------------
The Sticky-Bomb Launcher:
--------------------------------------
The sticky bomb launcher is capable of cornering enemies by limiting their
moving-room (those who don’t heed the bombs you’ve thrown across the ground
when in combat will end up in pieces) and is also useful for setting traps into
which enemies can easily be lured. The number of bombs required to kill an
enemy can vary depending upon their distance to the blast and the enemy’s HP,
but I will do my best to summarize the needs when the enemy is hit with a
direct impact.
- A Scout will almost always only need 2 bombs, since they are rarely
followed by a medic and have little health.
- The Soldier usually only needs 3 for a kill, 4 to be safe. When a Medic
is following, however, 5-6 tend to do nicely.
- Heavies, having a butt-load of health, will generally need at least 4
bombs to die. With a Medic, 6 should be ample.
With all other enemies, you should generally never need any more than 3
stickies detonated within a reasonable range.
Also consider the devastating effect critical-hit stickies can have. A single
crit and regular sticky is a safe allotment to kill any enemy.
- average regular damage dealt: 112 dmg
- average critical damage dealt: 300+ dmg
- average base-critical hit rate: 3.7%
(damage dealt to enemy directly over sticky)
8 stickies in chamber
40 sticky reserve (24 on PC)
8 stickies can be set at a time
--------------------------------------
Ye Olde Whiskey Bottle:
--------------------------------------
The whiskey bottle, like all melee weapons, should really only be utilized by
those with experience in the game. I will go into greater detail regarding easy
ways to get melee kills later in Advanced Techniques [S1D] and in the
map-specific explanations [S3].
- average regular damage dealt: 72.3 dmg
- average critical damage dealt: 195 dmg
- average base-critical hit rate: 14.3%
Ulimited Ammo
Ulimited awesome fun
Limited whiskey :(
(Lappy also gives a great explanation of the weapons in his own Weapon and
Equipment Guide: http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox360/file/934384/50550. He
does, however, place a stronger emphasis on using both launchers to your
advantage; whereas I will simply explain the use of the Grenade Launcher as a
supplementary tool at your disposal.)
___________________________________________________
---------------------------------------------------
:Strategic Considerations: [S1B]
___________________________________________________
As noted earlier, the Demo is useful on both offensive and defensive fronts.
The following generic (but lengthy) explanation should be taken into careful
consideration when playing the two.
--------------------------------------
Defense:
--------------------------------------
Many players use stickies to set traps for approaching opponents. When doing
this, you must take into account their visibility. Most enemies will find the
sight of a patch of stickies quite daunting and will either blow them away on
sight or avoid them altogether. Hiding your explosives will decrease the
chances of them being spotted prematurely and help lure unsuspecting enemies
to their location. To do this, make frequent use of the sides of doorways and
tuck them behind other ridges and small, out-jetting walls (like those found in
the courtyard in 2Fort). Always pick a spot in which your stickies can remain
utterly invisible or at least completely hidden until it’s too late for the
enemy to avoid his impending death.
(Many players also try to use ceilings to do this same task. While this will
work effectively on newer players, more veteran players will quickly spot
their location unless they have also been tucked away as I’ve explained.)
* * * * * *
You should also take note of what entrances to your own objective are
accessible. Try to spread out your bombs on multiple entrances to limit the
possibility of an enemy getting into the base. (This is an especially useful
thing to do when defending on 2Fort, because of it’s close-quarters design and
numerous doorways - more on that later :D) Just be sure that all locations are
visible from a single spot in which you can safely look-on.
* * * * * *
Be sure also to never underestimate the blast radius and "splash" of your
bombs. I’ve seen far too many players placing their stickies in very collected
deposits on the capture points or on the intelligence. This coupled with
frequently uncoordinated Demo players led to the rise of the belief that Scouts
could "jump over" sticky bombs and make-off with the objective unharmed. This
is NOT true. Spacing out your bombs and essentially creating a minefield will
not only make it impossible for an enemy to accomplish the aforementioned, but
also will allow you to go far away from the planting location without risking a
late detonation (bringing into account the competent use of your HUD and the
announcer’s warnings).
* * * * * *
You should be able to develop your own patterns and placement styles for sticky
bombs based on your experiences in combat, but remember to be open to changing
them to locations better prepared for the different types of in-coming enemy
classes and their playing styles. It’s also wise to place "leeway bombs" a
short distance from the initial stickies to help compensate for the fast
movement of Scouts (or for your own short attention-span).
For the walls of entrances to hallways and corners I’ve developed my own
T-shaped design, as illustrated below with my *beautiful* ASCII.
T-shaped design:
|
|
| *
| * *
| *
|
|
The three bombs closest to the edge of the corner are capable of killing or at
least mortally wounding the enemy(s). The bomb set apart from the others is my
leeway bomb, in case a Scout gets a bit further into the hallway. This is a
great design if you only want to guard two entrances, since it can be
constructed twice, but you can always modify it to cover more area.
For open doorways, I would recommend placing your stickies on the edges of both
sides of the door, tucked behind or on top of the ridges, if available.
Doorway Design:
| | | |
| | | |
|*| |*|
| | | |
|*| |*|
| | | |
| | | |
This design works great, but its flaw lies in the lack of any leeway. If you
don’t detonate right after the enemy has passed the edges of the door, he will
likely get away with only a mere scratch, blowing your cover and your bombs’
locations.
* * * * * *
Playing defensively in this manner can be a great way of accumulating points.
Unfortunately, some enemies (at least the competent ones) can grow weary of
being blown apart in the same place, and will often either avoid taking the
path in which you’re camping or find a way to counter and kill you once
they’ve realized where you’re hiding your stickies. To prevent this and keep
the enemy on their toes, be sure to switch up your stickies’ locations
frequently. Almost all players will become extremely intimidated and
discouraged when they’re vaporized in a different spot every time. Choose
locations in which enemies commonly feel they’re safe or in which they’re too
distracted from concentrating on another task to be wary of you.
One means of accomplishing this is to alternate between two initial locations.
Then, after multiple kills, move further into or farther out of the base to
place stickies in a new location. Proceed to alternate between this new spot
and another new location or one of the previously used locations. Repeat the
process, constantly randomizing your placements.
* * * * * *
When trying to defend the capture point or the intelligence, themselves, it’s
best to set your bombs around it to make your enemy implode as opposed to
clumping them together to make him explode. I’ve experimented with both
cascading triangular and square designs, and both work fine.
For Open Areas:
- Square - - Triangular -
*
*
* * * *
* [int] * [int]
* * * *
* *
* *
You’ll notice that they’re basically just squares and triangles set in
increasing size (duh). Logically, the triangular design should work more
effectively, since the 2 stickies left over from placing 2 sets of 3 remain to
expand the radius of the "minefield" (haven’t actually tested the difference
though - it’s a bit hard to find any advantage to either when sifting through
the body parts... :D).
For Corners: For Single-side Walls:
___________________ __________________
| * * *
| * * [i*t] *
| [int] * *
|*
| * * *
|
| *
|
| *
(Please note that I’m doing my best to replicate the designs in ASCII, but they
are by no means to scale. I generally put around 1 meter of space between each
sticky that surrounds an object. I don’t apply the rule to any extras like the
one in the center of the example on the right or stickies placed based solely
on location and visibility. I also place stickies that are symmetrical to one
another in positions of equal distance to the objective, so that it is evenly
surrounded. Any apparent vertical or horizontal stretching in the above
examples is unintentional.)
As I’ve done in the single-side wall example, make use of maneuverability
restrictions like walls and objects when setting your stickies. They can allow
you to either spread out the placement of the bombs or place the extra in the
center to (sparingly) concentrate the blast.
* * * * * *
If you choose to leave the visible range of your stickies, be sure to keep a
close eye on your HUD and listen carefully for the announcer, as you’ll need to
be almost instantaneous in your detonation. Also bear in mind that your
stickies are moveable, so keeping yourself in at least some position in which
you can keep the objective from being captured will prove most essential.
For ‘capture point’ maps, many players also attempt to cause you to detonate
prematurely before actually trying to capture the point. For these maps it’s
generally a good idea to keep the point in view so that you can clearly see
enemy players (causing the HUD and announcer to tell you they’re on the point
when they’ve actually quickly backed-off - if you don’t understand this now,
you’ll undoubtedly see this at some point in a match).
You can help to avoid this, once again, by keeping your stickies spaced out. By
rigging not only the capture point but the area around it as well, you’ll have
a greater chance of killing the player even if he tries to back away. The
square design works best; the corners of the inner square set to the inside
edges of the capture point, the outer square in the surrounding area. Of
course, this assumes that the enemy doesn’t shoot away your bombs.
* * * * * *
Remember also that switching weapons will cause a delay in the time it takes to
detonate your stickies. If you switch to the grenade launcher and the enemy
tries to capture, it will take about a second after you’ve taken out the weapon
before pulling the left-trigger will do anything.
* * * * * *
With regards to the grenade launcher, I tend to use it very sparingly. It can
be a useful tool if you need to take out an enemy while maintaining stickies in
a secure location or when patrolling close-quarter areas of your base. As
previously mentioned, it’s a highly recommendable weapon when shooting down
long hallways, and its increased damage and detonation on impact improve it
effectiveness. I’ve also found myself using it to ward-off enemies or simply
hold them at bay - just a consideration.
* * * * * *
Also, be sure to frequently stop by your own base's supply deposits and
spawn/re-supply rooms. Maintain your health and ammo. Self-preservation is
almost always crucial to team success. That said, don't be affraid to die in
defense of the objective. Standing on the cap points will delay the capture,
giving your teammates a chance to rally.
Remember: if the objective is captured, you'll likely end up dying anyway.
--------------------------------------
Offense:
--------------------------------------
Playing offense can always be a trickier thing for a Demo, since it involves
much less tactical planning and more instinctive action. The methods of using
the grenade launcher remain basically the same. However, when using the sticky
bomb launcher, it becomes most helpful in preserving your own life at a medium
range. You’ll need to learn to anticipate enemy movement and action based on
their class and your experience with the opponent's playing style.
* * * * * *
Make sure to keep yourself cut-off from the enemy if he tries to get closer - a
particularly necessary thing with Scouts. Many classes have weapons that are
more effective at close range. Keep them away from yourself by maintaining a
sticky or two between yourself and the enemy or along the path he would need to
follow to reach you. Make sure you are ready to detonate if he attempts to move
towards you.
To kill an enemy at this range, simply shoot your bombs in the direction you
anticipate he’ll be moving at the time you can detonate the explosive. The
stickies can also be used to knock the enemy away or into the air, disorienting
the opponent and also giving you an opportunity to score another hit in the
location to which he falls.
* * * * * *
With enemies that have a greater amount of health or, more importantly, if
there’s a Medic involved, it will be more useful to place multiple stickies
before detonating. Try to trap the enemies by coving their exits/possible
movements in bombs or concentrating explosives near either of your two
opponents. As always, it’s best to take out the Medic first to take away the
more damaging enemy’s health supply.
If the enemy Medic uses an ÜberCharge when you are with an ally(s), do what
you can to help keep your team alive. Blast around the enemies to keep them
disoriented and make sure you have a pocket of stickies beneath them when the
Über ends. If you’ve had a little time to prepare as well, you can separate the
enemies by detonating a load of stickies right before or as the Medic passes.
This will blast him far away or high into the air, giving you a chance to kill
the remaining enemy before he can return.
If you’re alone, however, it’s probably best to run or give the enemies the
run-around before returning to get the kills. If you’ve managed to make it a
considerable distance away, try setting a trap into which they can easily fall
after the Über has ended. Make sure to kill the primary, heavy-damage enemy
first and then pick-off the Medic, since traps usually tend to be set in
close-quarters, a great weakness for yourself (especially important if the
Heal-ee is a Soldier).
* * * * * *
A useful trick to pull when on offense is to feign ignorance or intimidation.
Set stickies in a concealed but accessible and safe location in the enemies’
base. Then walk out into the presence of an enemy and act as though you’re
evaluating the situation before running away, back to a distance beyond the
trap. Wait for the enemy to fall into your hands and watch the body parts fly.
Sometimes it can take a measure of patience to lure enemies directly into traps
set within their own base or defensive area, but it is a valuable trick to
employ in order to help clear a path to the objective.
* * * * * *
When you’ve located a sentry situated on a path essential to your successful
infiltration of the enemy base, you’ll first need to learn to instinctively
evaluate your surroundings. Be certain that you can safely take the time to
take-out an enemy structure without the interference of other enemies. Just 3
bombs can destroy the sentry itself, but setting 4 is always a safe bet. If the
Engineer tries to attack you while you attempt to set stickies, just follow the
previously described procedure of separating yourself from him and taking him
out. Just be weary of the sentry’s range and try not to fall into it for more
than an instant.
Remember, enemy Engineers can be your best friends in this game. They and their
buildings can easily account for a good portion of your points and are
generally fairly easy to take out.
* * * * * *
You’ll also need to maintain a high amount of health when on offense at ALL
times. Always take the opportunity to grab a health pack when needed (unless
an ally needs one more, in which case it’s courteous to help defend the both
of you).
--------------------------------------
Support:
--------------------------------------
Acting supportively is something that every class does in TF2. It’s the nature
of a team-based game. You will frequently need to work with your teammates in
this manner when playing both defensively and offensively.
:Engineers:
Demos often gravitate towards friendly sentries, particularly on the defense.
Though it’s a general courtesy to leave the kills to the Engie (at least on
2Fort, people tend to seem more concerned with winning on capture-point maps),
you can supplement his defensive "nest" by taking out any enemies or groups
that threaten the wellbeing of the Engineer’s buildings and by keeping the
Engineer safe from the unfortunate stabbing-and-sapping ability of Spies.
If you’re planning your defensive strategy around the placement of a sentry, be
sure to make areas from which enemies can harm the Engineer and his structures
inaccessible. Carefully listen for the Engineer’s automated "Spy’s sappin’
my _______" call and also for the sapping sound itself in case the Engineer is
dead or away. You may not be able to save the buildings, but you can easy kill
the Spy.
You would do well pick-off priority targets in the in-coming enemy groups
(namely Spies, Demos, and Medics) to make them more manageable for the sentry.
Many Demomen try to rig the Engineer’s nest itself. This can be a helpful thing
to do in many cases, especially if Spies are consistently making it through and
sapping the buildings. However, bear in mind that this will render you useless
in all other regards unless you’ve also grown skilled with the grenade launcher
or are willing to re-rig the area after dispatching enemies with stickies.
Ultimately, I find it simpler to just kill any Spies after they reveal
themselves rather than waiting for them, as this keeps you free to continue to
perform other duties rather than tie you to any specific task or location.
:Medics:
When being followed by a healing Medic, he becomes your priority! It's that
simple. Pay close attention to his health meter, as displayed in the pop-up
window, and listen for attacking enemies. Ensure his survival and kill any
pursuing threats so that he can do his duty by healing you. Either use your
bombs to surround the enemy or cut him away from your group and take him out.
Protecting your Medic will usually help to keep yourself alive in the long-run
as well.
:Team/General Classes:
In more organized offensive fronts with members that move in all at once, you
can do a great deal of damage by staying relatively hidden or out of the battle
confusion and simply covering the playing field with stickies. Your allies can
easily keep the attention away from yourself. Concentrate bombs on enemy and
building entrenchments and detonate all your explosives at once instead of one
at a time.
If you do get this opportunity, you really can deal a HUGE amount of damage. I
was once able to take out an entire enemy team of 6 and 3 sentries + dispensers
within a 3 second time frame because they were too distracted with the rest of
my team. I mention this in order to emphasize its effectiveness.
In doing so, you can help to take out all opposition far more quickly and, in
turn, help to keep your allies alive.
___________________________________________________
---------------------------------------------------
:General Combat Tips: [S1C]
___________________________________________________
As mentioned before, it’ll take great deal of practice to become better as a
Demo in any situation by which you’re confronted. These are some general tips
that I’ve come to find effective in most circumstances.
* * * * * *
If attacked from behind by a pursuing enemy, you’ll waste time trying to turn
around before shooting. Instead, as you begin turning, fire a single sticky
onto the ground in front of you or on a corner/object you’re about to pass.
Once you’re a few feet away detonate the explosive (by this time you should
also be fully rotated, so you can also more precisely time the detonation when
the enemy is in range). If the enemy takes-wise and backs away, it will at
least give you a chance to better prepare yourself for the kill or gain higher
ground (a usual advantage for Demomen).
* * * * * *
Strafing and jumping around are great methods to employ during combat for Demos
that concentrate on using the sticky bomb launcher. Not only can it make you a
harder target and minimize "splash" damage from rockets, but it also will
minimally affect your accuracy. Because you need only to fire stickies in
generalized locations for them to be effective, this technique will give you
another advantage over your opponents.
* * * * * *
Always watch your back! Never stand still, even while camping. Making yourself
an easy target for a Spy never ends terribly well. Turn around and familiarize
yourself with your surrounds every so often when pushing into an enemy base, or
simply whenever moving through prone locations. You slightly hindered movement
gives Spies a chance to catch up to you when moving. Don't give them the
opportunity.
___________________________________________________
---------------------------------------------------
:Advanced Techniques: [S1D]
___________________________________________________
The following are techniques that should be used only by players who’ve gained
experience in TF2 and/or with the Demo or who feel confident in their own
abilities and the enemies’ lack-thereof.
:Grenade Jumping:
I’ve classified this as an advanced technique for two reasons. First - it can
obviously deal a great amount of damage to the player, himself. Second - I’ve
heard a lot of people complaining about how hard it is. Personally I find
jumping with the Demo incredibly easy but the rocket-jump damn near impossible,
but I suppose that’s debatable.
To grenade jump, you simply need to fire a single sticky onto the ground in the
location you wish to be launched. As you pass over the sticky, jump and time
the detonation so it explodes as you reach the peak of the jump.
Performing this can serve several purposes. The jump can get you to locations
normally inaccessible from your present position and can also be used to push
yourself further into the map more quickly, a useful trick on Well and Granary
(though it’s a good idea to have a health kit available afterwards). To reach
greater distances, simply decrease your angle of elevation from the ground at
the point of the sticky when detonating. More simply put, be closer to ground
and/or somewhat further from the sticky at the time of detonation.
In order to reach greater heights/further distances, you can use two stickies,
but this should generally be used only in dire circumstances or as a last
resort, since you can easily kill yourself.
Below are approximations of the average amount of damage you will take from 1
and 2 stickies based on your distance from the center of the explosion.
____________________________________
| 0’ 1’ 2’ 3’ 4’ |
____________|------------------------------------|
| | |
| 1 sticky | 112 80 67 58 48 |
| | |
| 2 stickies | 175+ 155 145 129 101 |
|____________|____________________________________|
Contrary to natural belief, critical stickies will NOT deal any more damage to
you than an average sticky bomb. Their damage is a factor that only enemies
need to take into account.
You will also take around 30 damage from a vertical drop after having been
directly hit by a single sticky, assuming the fall is not broken and the height
achieved from the blast is not limited by "invisible barriers." The damage from
a vertical drop from 2 stickies will almost always kill you instantly (the only
way to survive the direct hit from 2 stickies is to jump, anyway).
This clearly demonstrates how necessary it is to jump before launching yourself
into the air. If done correctly, it can cut the damage you receive by nearly
half.
:Bottling:
I have also classified using the whiskey bottle as an advanced technique
because, if done brashly, you can easily be killed when attempting to make use
of it. It is, however, quite rewarding to beat down your enemy with a bottle.
You’ll usually want to use the melee weapon when sneaking up on an enemy or
when casing after an enemy Spy (be careful, though - the Spy’s revolver can be
very powerful and has a very high crit rate). This is best done when the
enemy’s movements are easily predictable or if they’re standing still
altogether. There are numerous spots around each map in which you can wait to
pop-out behind an enemy as he runs down a tight corridor, up a stairscase, or
in some area in which maneuverability is restricted.
It can be a good idea to take down the enemy’s health before meleeing as well.
For lower-healthed classes, a single sticky should be sufficient before moving
in. However, it would be wise to first hit Soldiers, other Demos, and Heavies
with 2 stickies instead (maybe 3 for a Heavy). Enemies that you also know to
already have reduced health can be a safe bet.
You may receive other opportunities to score a bottle kill when in natural
combat. A good chance to pull out the bottle is after you’ve managed to launch
an enemy vertically into air, rushing in and meleeing him as he falls,
somewhat disoriented.
Again, the whiskey bottle hits for an average of 72 damage with a 14% base
critical-hit rate.
:Enemy-Flow Manipulation:
Players who become bored of getting "regular" kills can use other techniques in
order to manipulate the movements of enemies for their own advantage. This is
done by simply placing stickies in obvious and unavoidable locations (it also
helps if they can’t be shot away). The usual daunting effect they have on
players can force them to take another route with which they feel more
comfortable. You can do this to compel them to instead move down narrow
sections of a map, putting them at a disadvantage to yourself, other players,
or a sentry, or at which point you can jump down from behind them and score a
relatively easy bottle kill. See the map-specific techniques [S3] for some
locations in which this can be done with relative safetly.
_______________________________________________________________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________________
| |
| .:Enemy Interaction:. [S2] |
|_____________________________________________________________________________|
===============================================================================
Please bear with me as I continue to compose this section as well as the
remaining sections for each map, as they will be very comprehensive. Before I
actually get down to doing this, however, I want to study my own playing habits
in greater detail for each map/enemy in order to ensure the effectiveness of
the techniques I describe.
___________________________________________________
---------------------------------------------------
:Spy-Checking: [S2J]
___________________________________________________
Spy checking, though tedious at times, can spare yourself and your team a great
deal of trouble. Making sure that key allies stay alive and vital sentry
locations remain operational will help you to achieve your objective. Here’s a
quick review of giveaways that can help you locate disguised, enemy Spies.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Absolute indications of a Spy:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- a "Medic" with no ÜberCharge percentage displayed below his name
- a Spy with a "shimmer" or smoke effect color not akin to your own
- a "Scout" unable to run at his "regular" speed or double-jump
- a "teammate" whom you are unable to walk-through as usual
- a "teammate" not matching to the class as which he is displayed on the
scoreboard
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Possible indications of a Spy:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- an allied Spy with no mask and no disguise set
- an ally with a health meter anywhere between full and half-empty (not
half-full, don’t argue with me)
- an ally patrolling in a location not appropriate for his class (i.e. a Scout
or Sniper in the basement of 2Fort)
- an ally holding only his "primary" weapon
- an ally walking back-first into your base with partial health, calling for a
Medic... I don’t know what idiot thought this was a good idea or if it was
just a "technique" told to new Spies as a joke, but it’s the stupidest thing
I’ve ever seen. Nicely done.
To Spy-check anyone whom you suspect may be an enemy Spy, simply fire and
detonate a few stickies by him, fire a grenade through him and check its
collision (it will automatically detonate if it’s an enemy, as always), or
check your own collision with him with your trusty bottle.
Generally speaking, you can tell who is a disguised enemy based on his behavior
after you’ve shown hostility. Most enemies will break character when they begin
taking damage, believing they may have been discovered or simply wanting to
avoid death. They tend to back-off and avoid you, whereas friendlies often
don’t even notice you bottling their backs for a few seconds.
As previously described, also continue to listen for "misplaced" footsteps and
the cloaking/de-cloaking sounds to help locate fleeing or incoming enemy Spies.
_______________________________________________________________________________
*******************************************************************************
_____________________________________________________________________________
| |
| .:Map-Specific Techniques:. [S3] |
|_____________________________________________________________________________|
===============================================================================
In these strategies for the individual maps, each will be divided into sections
for general tips, defending, playing offense, and miscellaneous tips/tricks.
The defense section will describe various locations in which you can easily
hide sticky bombs as well as general reminders and tips for defending each
section of the map. Offense will describe ways of breaking the enemy lines and
eliminating any threats to your team as you push forward. The section
containing miscellaneous items will describe more advanced techniques on the
map as well as its exploits to help the hardened, veteran Demo.
___________________________________________________
---------------------------------------------------
:2Fort: [S3A]
___________________________________________________
2Fort’s close-quarters design can serve as the Demoman’s greatest advantage and
greatest weakness in the map. The various corners, walls, and doorways provide
excellent cover for stickies, but an unwary player can easily be quickly
overtaken by swarming enemies or snuck upon from behind.
--------------------------------------
General Map Tips:
--------------------------------------
Always listen carefully! Because there are so many corridors throughout this
map, it’s very important that you can tell from which an enemy is approaching
without a need to reveal yourself. Listen for footsteps and on what surface
they are being made (wood, dirt, tile, etc.). This can help you to determine
enemy locations as well as what kind of enemy they are based on their type of
footstep (something that experienced players can become used to with a little
guess-and-check practice). Also be sure to listen for the sloshing of footsteps
in water. This is easily the loudest kind you will hear, and by listening for
these you can EASILY hear enemies using your sewers without even being within a
reasonable range!
* * * * * *
If you need to retreat to the straight stairs, it can be an easy place to
defend yourself. Place stickies at the edge of the right side of the main door
and, if needed, on the stairs below you. If you’re inside the Red base,
stickies can also penetrate the frame of the door, helping to conceal them.
This also allows them to damage or kill enemies that appear to be on the other
side of the wall and out or range. This is also an effective technique for
guarding the itelligence if it is dropped towards the top of the staircase but
before the doorway.
* * * * * *
Going down or up on the "spiral stairs" will always take longer than taking the
straight staircase. Generally speaking, it tends to be safer taking the
straight stairs, as you also end up further from the enemy spawn room with a
greater amount of meanuverability.
* * * * * *
Spies frequently stop in similar, concealed locations when recharging their
cloaking device or trying to avoid enemies. Here are a few of the most common
spots I have seen:
- at the entrance to the base, on the first floor in one of the back corners,
or outside in one of the far corners of the map
- in the section set apart in the middle of the Battlements, or to the far
side, by the alternative spawn room door
- in one of the corners of the room above the metal-grate opening at the front
of the base
* * * * * *
There are also common camping spots in which enemies wait. Here's are a few
of those that pose the greatest threat to you and your team:
- atop the Battlements or in the corners of the front of and outside of the
base (usually Snipers)
- near the front of the base behind wide corners, camping near the entrance to
the sewers for players entering the front of the base or camping in the
corner behind the out-jetting wall found on the way to main door to the
courtyard
- at the top of the sewers
- in the courtyard and the main spawn area
- in the intel room; sentries in the open or in the corners, players usually
waiting in the corners
Its important to always check your corners before rushing through the enemy
base. When coming from the sewers, check the ground atop the stairs for
stickies. If it's clear, turn around and inch upwards to check for campers
behind the fencing or on the side. Also check for a Sniper dot on the back
wall. Be sure also the watch for enemies camping in these front areas of the
base before exiting.
* * * * * *
Always pay attention to your HUD! On this capture-the-flag map, the HUD
displays the current statuses of both the friendly and enemy objectives! The
arrows surrounding the circle point to the location of both intelligence
briefcases on a 2 dimensional plane (that is, no "Z axis" - can’t tell you if
it's above or below you). By using this feature, you can easily tell from which
staircase the enemy will be coming. This gives you plenty of time to rig both
sides of the door from which he will walk with 2 stickies. Make a trapezoid
on the ground in front of the spiral staircase; a quadrilateral in front of the
straight stairs. These concealed designs ensure the death of any enemy that
walks through the door with a good amount of leeway.
Trapezoid in front of spiral: Quadrilateral in front of straight:
________| |_________ __________| |__
* *|
* * |
*|
* | (cow)
* * |
If the enemy manages to catch onto this tactic and tries to wait inside, you
can use the grenade launcher to ricochet bombs into the confined areas without
risking being shot. Be wary when switching weapons, however. That one or two
seconds it takes you to switch them out and re-enable your use of the detonator
could be the very time he tries to make a break for it. If you feel comfortable
attacking, you can certainly do so. Just don’t forget your explosives are still
set behind you. While teammates are capable of moving-in for you, they aren’t
always very responsive to their own intel being stolen. Do what you must, but
remember to watch out for other enemies that may come into the base to give
their friend some help.
--------------------------------------
Defense:
--------------------------------------
Defending 2Fort can be a very easy task for the Demo class, since there is a
very limited number of options the enemy can take to get into the base. Enemies
can only enter your base through the two front doors, the battlements, and the
sewers. The courtyard can be entered via four ways: from the main spawn area,
from the two doorways that are accessed from the front of the base, and
from the "straight stairs" in the back of the courtyard that lead up from the
basement. The basement, however, can only be accessed by two means: the
straight stairs and the "spiral staircase," which can be found outside the main
spawn room. In turn, the intelligence-room, itself, can only be entered by the
two side hallways.
All of these entrances can serve as great chokepoints for incoming enemies or
locations around which to base your defense. Choosing a location in which you
can view both approaching enemies and your stickies without risk is vital. Here
are the numerous locations that I have found to be very effective (ordered by
distance into the base):
* * * * * *
Stickies can be quickly tucked behind the base of the two pillars on your
team’s side of the bridge in the middle of the map. When setting them here,
make sure your stickies are COMPLETELY out of sight for approaching enemies. If
spotted, many enemies can easily get around them. Don’t worry about the width
of the bridge being too great for the bombs to actually kill someone; as
always, never underestimate the blast radius of your stickies. Once 3-4
stickies are rigged on both pillars, you can choose to watch from two
locations.
Camping on the battlements is a viable place for more experienced players who
feel capable of watching their backs for the occasion Spy and who can avoid the
enemy Sniper’s line-of-sight. If staying up here, try to keep only a sliver of
the bridge’s walking area within sight, in order to limit any chance of the
crossing enemy seeing you and your own vulnerability to Snipers.
Another location in which to look-on (and generally a much safer one, in my
opinion) is in one of the back corners by the two doors in the front of your
base. Though Snipers at the base of the enemy Battlements can quickly spot you,
you will be shielded from preying eyes on the Battlements, themselves. It is
also ideal because enemies crossing the bridge will only be capable of seeing
you at the last second - right before you detonate. When staying here, keep
your back in the corner unless a Sniper inches across the ground level within
sight. This will protect you from a Spy’s backstab and give you a good
opportunity to score a bottle kill if one approaches you.
The primary weaknesses of using this location are its vulnerability to Snipers,
as noted, and to enemies that jump to the rooftop on the bridge - primarily
Scouts. This generally should not be a problem for those who camp on the ground
level, unless the Scout misses his second jump to your battlements. If this
happens, and the Scout spots you on his way into the base, you can easily
separate yourself from him by running out your own front doors and shooting a
few stickies to the ramps leading down from these main doors (be wary of the
stickies on the bridge, too. Wouldn’t want to blow yourself up, would you? :D).
If you cannot eliminate the Scout here, or simply feel too exposed with your
back to the enemy base, you can quickly retreat to your sewers...
* * * * * *
Camping in the sewers is a great back-up plan for both defense and offense. The
concealed locations of both Red and Blu sewers and their inaccessibility
provide great cover when you need to retreat to get health/ammo for its supply
stash or gain safer grounds.
When entering from the middle, outside entrance, you’ll generally know if you’re
being followed or not. If you feel as though you may be or if there’s even a
chance there may be a pursuing enemy, shoot 3 stickies to the ground at the
circular entrance to the sewer as you continue backing down the corridor.
If you get a chance to detonate on an enemy in sight, do so. Otherwise,
simply detonate after a few seconds when you are deeper into the tunnel. Then
follow step 2...
If you are entering from the stairs leading down from the base, you must again
ensure that no one is following. Ward-off enemies by sporadically shooting a
sticky or two up the stairs as you back down, detonating immediately. This will
give you a few extra seconds to place a few stickies and the bottom of both
these stairs by the corner in the water. Make sure they are out of sight, as
always, and do this as you continue to back down the tunnel, detonating if the
enemy passes.
Step 2: Once you enter the main chamber of the sewers, I’ve found that placing
stickies at the top of the corner between the two circular doors is most
effective. They are almost completely concealed from the perspective of others
entering and can easily demolish anyone. 6 stickies is sufficient, but the more
the marrier.
The only considerable weakness of this spot is, as commonly found, entering
Spies. This is, however, very easy to counter, since you can very easily hear
any approaching player in the water. Just listen for footsteps and look for the
splashing of water with no body moving through it. If you notice these but see
no one enter, continuously look around yourself till you find the enemy, pull
out your bottle, and enjoy the rewards.
* * * * * *
Of all the locations in which you can setup, making use of the courtyard is the
most effective. Its close proximity to the health and ammo locker in your spawn
room make it ideal, and the accessibility of both stairs leading down to the
intel-room make stopping an enemy who’s making-off with your intelligence a
piece of cake and only helps to reinforce its usefulness. There are many ways
to setup in this area, and in doing so you can easily block enemies from
entering all entrances but one - the hole inside the grate-room, found beside
the doorway at the top of the spiral stairs. This makes it impossible for any
enemy to get to your basement except Soldiers and Demos who are competent
enough to jump through the gap. Even then, they must hurt themselves to do so,
which gives you another advantage over them.
:The Setup:
There are three doorways you can guard in this area: the two at the base of the
courtyard and one leading in from your Battlements. With this there are, once
again, several options from which you can choose to setup, depending on what
enemies you know to be incoming and from where.
To cover the doors in the courtyard, simply place 4 stickies on the frames of
both doors. For the long hallway (hence forth known as "long") door - the one
on the right in the courtyard - place 2 stickies along both sides of the
vertical wooden frame of the door. For the other entrance on the left, tuck 2
stickies behind the frame that juts-out on the right. Then place a second set
in the space on the wall to the left of the doorway, underneath the staircase
leading up to the spawn area.
To cover the entrance from the Battlements, I usually place two stickies
outside the doorway that leads immediately to the spawn area - one just to the
right of the door, on the ground, the other further into the spawn area (around
1-2 meters) along the path an enemy would need to travel to rush the spiral
stairs. This gives a great amount of leeway for killing Scouts, and can also
easily and fatally hit a Soldier or Demo that has launched himself up to the
Battlements, thereby weakening himself. These two stickies can also be
substituted for another pair placed right on the corner leading directly to the
Battlements. This can be useful if a friendly Engineer has set up a nest in the
"usual" perch at the edge of the courtyard. The stickies can kill an enemy
damaging this nest from the Battlements, leaving the sentry to take out anyone
incompetent enough to rush through the area.
To cover all three of these places at once, just remove a single sticky from
both sets of 4 placed on the courtyard doors, leaving the 2 extra for the spawn
area. You should remove the stickies based on what moves you anticipate an
incoming enemy will make or in what general direction he will travel. Remove
the stickies from the opposite ways on both doors.
When setting up, also take into account any critical stickies you may place.
Use these to your advantage to help distribute stickies more evenly, thereby
lowering the risk of any enemy breaking through and forcing you to act
impromptu.
:The Execution: (lawl, pun intended :D)
To wait for enemies in the courtyard, picking a spot from which you can view
both or all three entrances is, as always, most important. I’ve found that
crouching along the walkway behind the stairs at the back of the courtyard is
a good spot to do this, regardless of how many doors you’ve rigged. Position
yourself while crouching so that both doors below are only partially in view.
The doorway to long should be visible through the steps of the stairs over
which you’re camping. Then adjust the camera so that you can see both of these
while comfortably viewing the entrance from the Battlements.
You can also camp in the back corner beneath the stairs closest to the spawn
area, if you're guading only the courtyard. This makes you impossible to detect
prematurely from the main door, and still marginally hard to see from long (at
least in time). You can further reduce this by edgeing up the stairs and
watching long at an angle, keeping an eye on the main door through the steps.
You'll be putting yourself in an easy position for Spies, though, so listen a
little more closely for the usual sounds.
Then just wait with patience.
Be sure that you detonate only once the enemy has passed (at least partially)
the edges of the doors, otherwise he could end up making away with those mere
scratches and some hard feelings.
The weaknesses of this location can really only be as great as your own
inability. Since any enemy can come through these paths at virtually any time,
you must always pay careful attention as you wait. Listen for incoming
footsteps and enemy calls.
If you hear footsteps that should be within the courtyard, but see no one, then
shoot 2 stickies to the top of both staircases; we’ve got a Spy on board!
You’ll be able to tell when the Spy begins to walk up the stairs while cloaked
by listening to the change in the sound of his footsteps. You’ll hear the
crunch of feet on dirt change to the thumping of his shoes on the wood. While
listening for this, also determine his proximity to you. If the change in those
sounds happens at a further distance from you, he’s going up the stairs closest
to the spawn area, in which case you’ll want to detonate the stickies about a
second after the change takes place. However, if the sound change occurs closer
to you, he’s going up the stairs closest to the straight staircase. Because
this is somewhat longer path, you’ll want to wait an extra second before
detonating (around 2 total; 1+1=2 - ingenius). Don’t let these times be
absolute, however. Be sure to continue listening for the footsteps to help
determine where exactly the Spy is and trust your own instinct. The rest should
follow suit.
* * * * * *
Another means of camping in the courtyard employs a similar setup, utilizing
the tops of the two courtyard staircases instead of the doors below. Just place
3-4 at the top of each, with a little distance at the wall to give the enemy
one less second to notice them. As before, one can be removed from each to rig
the entrance from the Battlements as well.
This is great because you won’t need to place stickies at the tops of these at
the risk of an approaching, cloaked Spy noticing, giving you a greater chance
of him falling right into the trap with the aforementioned technique. However,
it does put you at greater risk of taking damage from enemies in the courtyard.
Camp in a spot which lets you view the Battlements doorway while staying tucked
back as far as possible into the corner of the courtyard’s balcony. If you hear
enemies approaching below, just crouch and go far back into the corner as
possible. As they enter the courtyard and begin to look around and go up the
stairs, begin sliding along the back wall and refrain from being seen for as
long as possible. Wait for the enemy to walk to the top and detonate.
If, however, the enemy notices you, retreat to the top of the straight stairs
to provide yourself some cover. Watch carefully and dodge shots as best you
can. Some enemies will still try to approach even after they see you, and so
you still may very well have a chance to get the kill with stickies. If they
try to stay down below in the courtyard, you’ll need to improvise and take him
out through another means, usually just by raining down explosives till you get
the kill or he runs. Strafe and jump as much as you feel comfortable doing.
These stickies can also safely be watched from the spawn area. Position
yourself to the right of the Battlements entrance (when facing it) and look
back to the stickies. This can be a better location in which to do this if you
know a larger group of enemies is approaching or if there’s a Medic combo on
its way to which you don’t want to reveal yourself. Obviously you’ll also be
putting yourself at risk of being taken from behind, via the Battlements, so
pay close attention to that as well.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Some players may prefer to remain within a closer range of the
intelligence room to defend it more quickly than from the courtyard. For these
players, there are several locations inside the basement, itself, in which they
can setup...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
As I’ve previously stressed, it’s important to always keep yourself within
range of re-supply caches or spawn rooms to keep yourself in the best
condition. The basement’s re-supply room can be used to your advantage in this
instance while defending the area. The spiral and straight staircases offer the
only access to your basement, and therefore are ideal locations to rig. Begin
by placing 4 stickies at the bottom of the spiral stairs, to the right and left
of the door. If you’re placing them on the ground, itself, make sure that they
arc away from the door to reduce visibility until detonation. Proceed to the
re-supply area.
Next, rig the bottom of the straight stairs. Although there are several designs
with which to do this, you must bear in mind the effectiveness of each in
certain circumstances. You can rig the edge of the corner using the T-shaped
design, but the width of the staircase can allow enemies to edge-by hardly
scathed. The depth of this area also creates a problem for this design because
it is only placed on a single, flat plane. To better the layout, try removing
the leeway bomb from the T and placing it on the ground, slightly askew from
the corner. Though this slightly increases the risk of the placement being
discovered, it helps to eliminate the even greater risk of an enemy getting by.
You can now place yourself at the edge of the re-supply room. Camping in this
spot makes you almost impossible to kill (unless you get the unlucky crit to
the face). Spies won’t be able to back stab you as well, so it cuts back on the
need to multitask. Waiting to detonate on the nearby staircase is relatively
easy - a matter of simply waiting for the enemy to pass the edge. However,
because of its distance from the room, the further staircase can be a bit
trickier unless you’ve got a great deal of depth-perception. So long as the
enemy’s in view from this place, the detonation should kill him, but if they’ve
entered the basement too far to the back wall, they’ll merely get hit to the
side.
Just watch and listen for incoming, and trust your own judgment.
* * * * * *
To camp the intel-room, simply place two T-shaped sticky formations on the
corners of both hallways. Return to the desk on which the intelligence rests
and wedge yourself between it and the wall - back by the office chair.
So long as an enemy passes the corner (generally just when they’re in sight),
the blast should kill him. You’re greatest disadvantage here is your
susceptibility to Spies. You can still hear them come into the room and
de-cloak, but the sounds are significantly overcome by the ventilation shafts
in the room, which create a softly roaring wind. You’ll need to pay extra
attention to protect yourself in this case.
This technique is also great for use in the enemy base. If you’re waiting for
the enemy intelligence to respawn or be captured, or simply want some easy
kills, rig their intel-room in the same fashion. Most enemies will be far less
cautious when patrolling their own base, and likely unsuspecting of any
surprises lying beyond the corners of their own intel-room. Bloody-good mess
it ends as.
--------------------------------------
Offense:
--------------------------------------
Playing offensively in 2Fort is mostly a matter playing safe. Checking corners
and listening for enemy Engineer nests and strong-points can be what saves your
life.
Here are some of the most common sentry gun placements I’ve found, as well as
simple ways of eliminating them:
- between the main spawn area and the courtyard, on the balcony
:This placement, though capable of guarding both staircases, is the
easiest of all to take-out. Eliminate any threats in the courtyard before
worrying about the sentry. Then, using the above balcony as a shield, just
pop 3-4 stickies up to its general location, detonate, and clear out any
remaining enemies/buildings.
The sentry can also be destroyed with relative ease from the Battlements,
however, you’ll be at greater risk of taking damage and running into a
quarrel with the Engineer. To help protect against this, first clear out
the Battlements and then place 3 stickies on the corner of the entrance to
the spawn area. Then inch out until you can fire stickies into the
sentry’s location without it seeing you. If anyone tries to advance on
your location, quickly back away and wait till they’re in range of your
back-ups. Just be sure not to blow yourself up as well. Then simply finish
the job as before.
- on the edge in the center of the courtyard balcony between the respawn area
and the straight stairs
:Sentries placed here are little trouble, either. The only significant
problem with its location is the vulnerability of anyone that tries to
take it out. If you begin firing stickies to the ridge, the Engineer can
easily jump down and cause major problems. So before you attempt to do
this, clear out any enemies in the area. Once you’re certain you can do
the job uninterrupted, go beneath the sentry. Slowly inch along below the
edge of the balcony while simultaneous inching out into the courtyard,
placing yourself at an angle to the sentry. If you can fire stickies next
to the sentry from this position, do so. However, as it frequently is, the
Sentry can be too close to the edge and stickies will fall back to the
ground harmlessly. In this case, try to bounce stickies off the sentry gun
to land on the ground beside it or, if need be, adjust the angle of your
firing so that you shoot the stickies high into the air so that they arc
over the gun. Then, clean up.
- in the center or along the wall of the main area of the basement
:Clearing any sentries in the open of the basement is a simple matter of
shooting stickies beyond the edge of its corners. Since they’re a bit
further into the room, you should have enough time to destroy the building
before an Engineer can react. You’ll also need to worry less about
interference from behind, but it’s still a possibility. Also, some
Engineers will camp inside the re-supply room until an enemy comes to
destroy their nest, as which point they’ll attack from behind. Be sure to
listen for the opening of the door and act quickly if you hear it. If need
be, don’t be afraid to retreat up the straight stairs, as it’s a great
location in which to entrench yourself.
- inside the intelligence room, itself
:Sentries inside the intelligence room are either incredibly hard to
destroy or painfully easy - usually the latter. Sentries placed in the
corners of the room are a quick and simple matter of shooting a few
stickies beyond the walls and clearing out the rest. A sentry placed in the
center of the room or on the desk sometimes need to be taken-out beyond the
corners of the room - a slight disadvantage. You’ll need to charge up the
sticky launcher before popping to fire-off shots. Get a few into its
general area and blow the nest up. You can frequently run into problems
with enemies while doing this, however, especially from behind. To help
reduce this risk, determine first if there are any extra enemies camping in
the room. If so, try to kill them first. They frequently either run
straight towards you or try to sneak in from behind, Engineers included.
You can either lure them to a corner rigged with a few stickies or try to
get them into the outside area to get the kills. Once you’ve eliminated any
possible interference, take your time with setting the charges (though not
too much) to reduce taking damage, and then finish up.
- general locations
:Destroying any sentry is a matter of using your environment as a shield.
Make use of corners, walls, doors - anything to help get your stickies into
their area. The situations are commonly similar and equally easy.
* * * * * *
To help eliminate enemies on your way into the base, try feigning inexperience
as I described earlier. This is particularly easy to do at the entrance to the
sewers. Place stickies to the left of the main door and run blatantly into the
enemy base. When (or if) you run into an enemy, put on a believable performance
as though you’re actually trying before retreating. Taking a bit of damage can
help to create this illusion, but don't do it on purpose. Just use it to your
advantage if it does happen. Then wait for them to take the bait and enjoy!
* * * * * *
When entering to courtyard to access the enemy straight stairs, it’s also wise
to set a trap along edge of the entrance to the area from the enemy's spawn,
right at the top of the stairs. Many enemies will give chase without
consideration, offering you both an easy point and one less enemy to deal with
on your way out.
--------------------------------------
General Tips/Tricks:
--------------------------------------
:Grenade Jumping:
You can very easy launch yourself onto the enemy Battlements with a single
grenade in the front of the base. Watch for other enemies as well, though. I
would not recommend jumping to the bridge rooftop for players planning to enter
the enemy base, as it’s an unnecessary waste of health. This can, however
server other purposes when just attempting to kill other enemies before
returning to your own base. You can access the roof by launching yourself from
below or from your own Battlements (a better option, as you can reduce the
damage you take by jumping further before detonating).
To grenade jump from one team’s Battlements to the other, use just two stickies
slightly spaced out. Angle yourself so that you face the adjacent side (don’t
try to jump to the one on the other side of the bridge) and detonate a few feet
behind yourself to achieve the right angle. It can take a bit of practice but
has its uses. But only use it with full health and as a LAST resort - i.e. one
last attempt to stop the enemy from capturing your intel, or trying to make-off
with the enemies’ with a giant horde after you. When you land you’ll have 20-30
HP remaining and be incredibly easy to kill.
:Sewer Kills:
For players listening for enemies walking in the water, you can easily rush to
the top of the stairs in the sewers and lay down a few stickys to await the
incoming enemy. Continue listening to the footsteps. If they change to feet
walking on dirt, fading away, it was likely a cloaked Spy and you’ll need to
alert your teammates. Otherwise, it’s good-lickin’. Be sure your stickies are
to the side to stairs to avoid detection, as always.
For more daring individuals, you can jump up onto the railing and hang over the
corner edge without being seen from the water below. This is a great
opportunity to score a bottle kill, but can easily go wrong. Jump down
immediately behind most enemies to get a good range, but if you’re crazy enough
to try it on a Scout, you’ll need to jump in front of him to hinder his
movement. Just hope you’re lucky with crits and the Scout can’t aim, as it
frequently ends badly.
:Manipulation:
A very fun way to manipulate enemy-flow in your own base is by setting all 8
stickies in the open outside the main entrance to your courtyard. Many enemies
will instead take the long hallway to avoid them, at which point you can jump
down through the hole from your alternative spawn room right behind him for
another easy bottle kill. This doesn’t ensure that enemies will take this path,
but rather greatly increases the likelihood.
* * * * * *
While on either Blu or Red teams, you can grenade jump into the enemies'
alternative spawn room via the hole above the long hallway. Be careful to
detonate with precision, however, as you can easily hit the ridges along the
sides of the hole and loose a great deal of health without making it into the
room.
When inside, rig the left side of the spawn door and half of the top ridge
above the door with 4-5 grenades. Also place 3-4 inside the ridge on the right
of the doorway through which enemies can walk from the Battlements (this should
be a permeable "solid"). Then just camp to the right of the spawn door on top
of the dumbell weights. Be sure to watch both sticky locations in case enemies
take-wise and try to attack.
If there is an enemy who has done this inside your own base, it's a relatively
easy thing to counter. You can respawn yourself until you spawn inside the main
spawn room by switching between classes. Then come in from the Battlements,
making sure to check the doors and edges for stickies before running into the
area, just in case he's employing the same technique. If they are set, try
launching yourself through the hole in the long hallway to take him by
surprise.
To counter the enemy without respawning, determine whether the enemy is a Demo
or a Soldier. If it is a Demo, open the door and quickly back-off to avoid
damage from the initial detonation. Then return and shoot a single sticky into
his general area. Repeat the process until you feel confident a detonation will
kill him or he flees realizing his impending doom. If it is a soldier, just do
the same thing, but instead of worring about a sticky trap you'll need to avoid
taking damage from rockets and their "splash."
Just remember that you and enemies who choose to do this cannot recieve health
from the lockers inside this room. You can easily be killed by taking small
amounts of damage over time.
* * * * * *
While on the Red team, you can access the enemy Blu team's main spawn room by
sliding through a small gap in the "invisible barrier" as a enemy exits the
room. To this you must crouch while pushing forward as an enemy opens the door.
Instead of closing fully, the door will instead become jammed on top of you.
Then slide to the right as you continue to hold forward. Right before you would
collide with the right edge of the door's frame, you'll slide through the gap
and the door will close behind you.
While inside, you can use a similar rigging style as before to get kills as
enemies exit the spawn area. There's is, however, a greater deal of space in
which to camp on the left side of the door, so I would recommend reversing the
aforementioned placements. This will help to reduce your own visibility to
exiting opponents.
Bear in mind a few things that put you at a greater disadvantage when doing
this. You still cannot recieve any health or ammo from the lockers. Ammo must
be gained from dead enemies. You cannot re-open the main door on your own! The
only means of getting back out from this location is to hide from enemies
(hopefully) ignorant of your presence and rush in behind them as they exit the
room and the door opens.
Countering enemies doing this is incredibly effortless. Because they have
no way of easily exiting, you can quickly pop-in from the main door and deal
great amounts of damage to the enemy, as often they are unable to watch both
doors inside the room at once. If you take too much damage yourself, you can
always retreat and re-supply at your alternative spawn room before returning.
Also know that you CAN carry the enemy intelligence into their own spawn rooms.
This makes for bloody-good fun as you blow them up and taunt them WHILE inside
their spawn room WHILE carrying the intel. Nothing could be more humiliating -
unless you start bottling them as well. >:D
* * * * * *
High-up inside the Blu base courtyard, the are two, small windowsills onto
which you can launch yourself. You'll generally take a little under 30 damage
to your HP from falling, so be careful about staying for too long when
exploiting this spot on the offense. These windows can be found on the wall
that is shared with the base's main spawn room.
There is also an invisible ledge on which you can stand high-up at the front of
the Blu base (in front of the center "tower" connected to and above the
Battlements). It is best to access this spot from the atop the bridge or at the
base of the building in order to reduce the damage you take, since it requires
two stickies to gain the necessary height. You must also be careful when
reaching this location, since falling can easily kill you if you're not wary.
_______________________________________________________________________________
*******************************************************************************
_____________________________________________________________________________
| |
| .:F.A.Q:. [S4] |
|_____________________________________________________________________________|
===============================================================================
This section of the guide contains questions and their answers that I have
either personally come across or those that have been asked of me. I will try
to keep this as up-to-date as possible, So please help me to expand upon this.
If you find anything not covered in the guide, be sure to ask or inform me of
it so that I can add to it and improve upon it for the benefit of others.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Q: I’ve been told that the Demoman is a noob class. Is that true?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A: Well, that would really depend on how you look at it. If choosing a class
that can be both agile and capable of easily vaporizing any careless opponent
despite the ease of its counterability is what makes "noobs" these days, then
by all means it’s a noob class!
People can bitch-and-moan about this all they want; at the end of the match,
they’re the ones who are dead.
Plus, almost all the people who complain about this are hypocrites. They won’t
even notice a Demo on their own team being a "sticky-whore." As long as they’re
winning, they don’t care. But cross that line and use what is without doubt a
legitimate technique that requires the utmost precision and care and they’ll
swear and gripe till they leave the game in frustration.
You want some cheese with that Whine?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Q: Do you know of any other locations that I can hide my stickies in?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A: Of course! There are plenty!
Unfortunately, however, none that I will share with you beyond what I already
have in previous sections. I want to keep some of my more effective places for
my own, personal use. :)
That said, it’s very easy to find and make use of your own on any map. Just
remember to find spots for your stickies that will surprise your enemy. Make
use of locations in which an enemy would not normally expect to find a death
waiting for himself. Catching an enemy off-guard will help to ensure your
success and can be your greatest weapon.
Always have a back-up plan as well. If the explosion does not kill the enemy,
be sure that you are in a position in which you can either easily finish the
job or make a clean get-away.
_______________________________________________________________________________
*******************************************************************************
_____________________________________________________________________________
| |
| .:Gathered Statistics:. [S5] |
|_____________________________________________________________________________|
===============================================================================
The following are accounts of the data I gathered to calculate the average
damages dealt by weapons to the player and enemies, as well as their base
critical-hit rates.
(Please note that there’s obviously no way to actually measure out distances
with precision, so some of the data is really only more to give you a general
idea of the extent of the damage that can be dealt. I also gathered these from
the PC version of the game because empty servers are always available. Though I
have no reason to suspect there are any discrepancies, there may be some
variation between it and the Xbox 360 version of the game. PC stats were
measured on July 14, 2008; they remain prone to change.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Whiskey Bottle Crit-Rate (PC):
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st Trial
Non-crit: 81
Crit: 19
Rate: 19%
2nd Trial
Non-crit: 89
Crit: 11
Rate: 11%
3rd Trial
Non-crit: 87
Crit: 13
Rate: 13%
Total
Non-crit: 257
Crit: 43
Average Base Critical-Hit Rate: 14.3%
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grenade Launcher Crit-Rate (PC):
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st Trial
Non-crit: 95
Crit: 5
Rate: 5%
2nd Trial
Non-crit: 93
Crit: 7
Rate: 7%
3rd Trial
Non-crit: 94
Crit: 6
Rate: 6%
Total
Non-crit: 282
Crit: 18
Average Base Critical-Hit Rate: 6%
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sticky-Bomb Launcher Crit-Rate (PC):
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st Trial
Non-crit: 97
Crit: 3
Rate: 3%
2nd Trial
Non-crit: 95
Crit: 5
Rate: 5%
3rd Trial
Non-crit: 97
Crit: 3
Rate: 3%
Total
Non-crit: 289
Crit: 11
Average Base Critical-Hit Rate: 3.7%
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sticky-Bomb, Self-Damage (PC):
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Sticky
0ft: 115, 112, 111, 110 Average: 112 dmg
1ft: 79, 74, 74, 76, 94 Average: 79.4 dmg
2ft: 67, 66, 66, 68 Average: 66.8 dmg
3ft: 61, 57, 58, 59 Average: 58.8 dmg
4ft: 50, 45, 46, 51, 49 Average: 48.2 dmg
2 Stickies
0ft: 175+, 175+ Average: 175++ dmg
1ft: 159, 152, 158, 152 Average: 155.3 dmg
2ft: 143, 146, 148, 144 Average: 145.3 dmg
3ft: 131, 135, 126, 126 Average: 129.5 dmg
4ft: 101, 106, 90, 107 Average: 101 dmg
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weapons, Enemy Damage (PC):
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crit Sticky:
300+ dmg
Bottle:
Regular - 83, 69, 78, 81, 57, 66 Average: 72.3 dmg
Critical - 195, 195 Average: 195 dmg
Grenade Launcher (direct impact):
Regular - 72, 113, 68, 73 Average: 81.5 dmg
Critical - 279 dmg
_______________________________________________________________________________
*******************************************************************************
_____________________________________________________________________________
| |
| .:Conclusion:. [S6] |
|_____________________________________________________________________________|
===============================================================================
Well there you have it! -All the knowledge (at least the amount of which I can
remember or have bothered to write) spewed out for your own bloody-good use.
I’d like to thank my good friend, Invader Zim (not the cartoon), for helping me
collect some of the data, as well as everyone with whom I continue to
frequently play and all the enemies who put-up with myself without complaint.
Send me an invite or join one of my own sessions!
Special thanks to:
Valve - for being so awesome.
Now get out there and blow some nubs up!
_______________________________________________________________________________
*******************************************************************************
Copyright © 2008 Adam Kasdorf. All rights reserved. Team Fortress 2 and all
discussed materials are copyright their respective owners.
