Team Fortress 2 recently went Free to Play, as you probably know. I joined in on the hype and have been putting quite a few hours into it. I knew that I would be trying to penetrate into a tight-knit and somewhat competitive community, so I read a lot about the basics. Sadly, many of my fellow newbies weren't quite as savvy, and are messing up he very basics. In order to do my part in counteracting this, I decided to write a giant wall of text on the basics of TF2 strategy that no one will probably read. Still worth the shot, though.
Before we go into specifics we first need to know what Team Fortress 2 is about. Unlike many other online first-person shooters, it is not about getting as many kills as possible. Kills are the means, not the objective. The objective is TERRITORY. King of the Hill, Capture the Flag, Control Points and Payloads are just variations on the same game: two teams pushing each other back until one of the teams has enough control over the territory to accomplish it's goal. To this end, you need a team that is balanced. The classes in TF2 are very distinct from each other, and each has a role to play that must be fulfilled within the team. If a role of particular importance is not being fulfilled, you might as well leave the server right away as you are not going to win. The fight can be lost on the character select screen. The key to winning the game is building a team that can TAKE and KEEP territory.
(We will from now on assume that the teams consists of 12 members each, as per official rules, and that the reader has at least some notion on how the game functions)
When it comes to keeping territory, the Engineer is the master. His sentries are extremely effective in defending points of importance, his teleporters ensure the team is right where they need to be, and the dispenser keeps the team healthy and armed. An good engineer can draw a line on the map that the other team simply can not get past unless they come up with a really good plan. In defensive situations, they are absolutely vital. The enemy will need to deal with you, and you first before even considering taking the territory you are defending. You will need two of them on your team when on defence, no exceptions.
On offence, their importance depends mostly on the map. If the respawning members of the team need to walk a mile before they are back on the frontline, you might want to build a teleporter, and set up shop somewhere further ahead, effectively moving the spawn base closer to the frontline, immensely magnifying your team's efficiency and making sure the opponents won't break out of their shell. Other maps do this automatically, however, or the territory you want isn't that far ahead anyway, making the presence of an engineer a humble suggestion that you can disregard if you are so inclined, and having more then one any offensive map is a waste.
Engineer pro-tip: Make sure that you build your base close to a source of metal, be it pickups or the weapons of your fallen foes. Once you run out of metal, it's pretty much over.
The next four classes are what I like to call the 'Frontline Combat Classes'. These are classes that are adapt at both taking and keeping territory, thanks to their good hp values, crowd control and damage output. A sizeable portion of your team should consist of these guys but which to take with you depends on the situations.
The first to be discussed is probably the most important one of the four: the Heavy. With his powerful weapon and incredible HP value, the Heavy can purge entire areas of enemies pretty much by himself, making him the center point of many offensive and defensive manoeuvres. He is, however, a big and slow target, so even with his HP, he will be taken out swiftly if he isn't properly supported since he can not run for cover. Having two of these on your team in any situation is recommended. Having one is mandatory.
Heavy pro-tip: Spin up your weapon BEFORE meeting the enemy. Make sure that you get the first shot no matter what. Your shotgun is mostly useless in combination with the vanilla minigun or Tomislav. Use a sandvich instead.
The next is the Soldier, or 'Dr. Do-It-All'. With strong rockets, he is good at controlling crowds from any distance and taking out sentries. Good damage output, good range, and good health, the man pretty much has it all, and you want them right next to the heavy taking the fight to the enemy. They are still rather slow, though, so run in packs to prevent nasty surprises. Keep the high ground, and aim at people's feet. A rocket to the feet does just as much damage as a rocket to the eye, but you will hit them with splash damage if you miss. Shoot those who get launched into the air again to finish the job.
Soldier pro-tip: Practice rocket-jumping, and you can add 'good mobility' to the list. Also, only reload your rocket launcher when you got the time to do so. Switch the the shotgun otherwise.
Next on the list is the Demoman. Like the soldier, only trading long-range rockets for arcing and bouncing grenades that are great for flushing out foes and sentries out of hard-to-reach places. Can also lay down traps with his powerful sticky-bombs. These can be easily removed by the more careful enemies, but that still means another obstacle on their path, which is always good. This makes them great in many situations, both offensive and defensive, but it depends mostly on the map. If the map is a large, open terrain, they don't have quite as much priority as with a few easily defensible choke points or places where enemies tend to clutter.
Demoman pro-tip: You will probably lose when the enemy gets up close and personal, so make sure that your team mates can help you in such situations.
Last of the Frontline Combat Classes is the Pyro. The Pyro is a little more situational then the others, but can be incredibly lethal when circumstances favour him. Use him when there are many corridors with as many corners to set up an ambush, or in large open terrain where you can simply walk around the distracted enemy frontline and flank them. Don't use them when the enemy can see you coming no matter what. Your flamethrower will cause major panic and damage, so you might be able to force them into a retreat by yourself or set them up for your friends to kill.
Pyro pro-tip: don't just run into the faces of your enemies. Yes, you will probably cause significant damage, but will probably get killed yourself without getting kills. Always attack from the flank to make sure that you shoot before they even know what hit them.
These four frontline classes are the basis of any team. They are your meat and potatoes, and you will need 6 of them at the bare minimum, with at least 1 heavy and the rest in whatever combination seems like a good idea. I can not stress this enough. Without enough of these guys, you can make as many kills as you want, but you will never take the territory you need to win the game. Make sure that, before considering other classes, that these guys are on your team.
Our next class, the Scout, is not quite as important, but can be a huge pain in the ass of the enemy team in the right situations. With his double-jump, and speed, his job is to get into the enemy territory and disrupt whatever offensive they are planning with hit-and-run tactics. You swoop in, fire two or three shots, and you swoop right back out again, only to be back as soon as they gave up on chasing you. A Scout that is not being ignored is a Scout that has helped his team by destroying the enemy's plans before they have properly started. You harass the guys that have just respawned, you destroy engineer's buildings before they have been build, you capture the point before any proper defences are in place, and you make sure everybody look at you. Depending on the situation, you might want to bring one or two scouts. Sentries will rip them to shreds, however, so either you make sure you can do your job without getting in their range, or you stop playing scout. Remember that speed is your weapon and armour. Scouts standing still die.
Scout pro-tip: your shotgun works best when used as a melee weapon. Make sure you are right in your opponents business before firing.
And then we have arrived at the two classes that I wanted to talk about most. You might say that these two are the sole reason I even wanted to write this giant wall of text, because their immense popularity among newer players destroy the balance of the team, losing the game. All too often have teams suffered from these egocentric players that go for personal glory and just don't get what needs to be done in order to actually win the game. These people should not be ignored, but educated on the spot. I am talking about the average Spy and Sniper player.
Now don't worry. You are not particularly stupid. Most of us make the same mistake when we first start playing. The Spy or Sniper's job is to take out key targets swiftly and efficiently. These kills are very satisfying and glorious, so it's not strange that these classes are so popular. But a single kill means nothing in this game if the team can't take advantage of it, and all too often you end up with a team that includes far too many spies and snipers (I've seen as many as five in a 8-person team), which means you have already lost. Spies and snipers can't take territory, they open holes in the opposing lines where the team members that are properly equipped for the job can flow in, and force the enemy into a less favourable position simply by being there. But you never, ever need more then two. That doesn't mean 2 spies and two snipers, no. 1 Spy, and 1 sniper will cover all your spy and sniper needs in most situations. 2 Spies is cool, 2 snipers is cool, but you will probably never need more then that. Neither class needs the advantage of numbers, so if one of either class can't do the job, two or three will probably fail as well.
Besides, they are more dependent of their team then you might think. A spy can only do his job when they are not being watched, and a sniper can only do his job when there is no one nearby to stop him. Both conditions can only be fulfilled by distractions caused by the team as a whole.
Going back to the food analogy, if the frontline combat classes are the meat and potatoes, the spy and sniper are like salt. The perfect finishing touch to a good dish when used in moderation, but no amount of salt could make a meal out of a turd. The Spy and Sniper roles are the very last roles that need filling, if at all.
Sniper pro-tip: Headshot do more damage, sure. But a fully charged body shot will take out pretty much everyone, or take off so much of their health that your team can take them out by breathing in their general direction. If you can't be sure about the headshot, take the body shot.
Spy pro-tip: Most players will learn pretty soon to look behind them to prevent getting backstabbed, so always go for the enemies that are currently distracted by some other task, like shooting at your team.
"But hold on", some of you might now be thinking. "What about those times where the opposing team dug themselves in before the final control point and set up a bunch of sentries that are impossible to hit with explosives without being blast to smithereens yourself? Surely, only a bunch of spies with their awesome sappers could break through that, right?"
The answer to that question is a big no. Spies are one of the worst options in a situation like that, because again, they can only do their job when they are not being watched. And in a situation like this, the defending team watches everything and everyone. The spy will sap a building, engineer 1 will start whacking the sapper, engineer 2 will start whacking the spy, and everyone else will start shooting in your general direction. You will die without accomplishment.
Does that mean there is no hope? Has the defending team won? Is it time to ragequit? NO! There is yet another hero on the field. It is he, the king of teamwork, the bane of sentries, the builder of castles, the man with the plan.
He is THE MEDIC!
To the untrained eye, the medic is the polar opposite of the spy and sniper. Where the spy and sniper seemingly go on a single-player adventure, getting glorious kills, the medic's job seems to be a walking medikit limited to letting others have all the fun. Since the part about the spy and sniper isn't true, as we discussed earlier, the part about the medic might be somewhat off as well.
In reality, the medic may not be getting much kills, but he is the very core of any team. The medic keeps the team on their feet, giving them health even beyond their normal maximum. The team is suddenly much sturdier and able to hold their ground against a seemingly stronger opposing force, pushing them back and winning territory. You on your own can double your team effectiveness. Two heavies defending the controls point are somewhat difficult obstacle. Two heavies and a medic can form a fort that is almost impossible to take down by a team of similar numbers, unless they brought a medic themselves. You are the heart, the core, the mortar that keeps the castle together. And the whole team knows it. Every team needs a medic right behind the frontlines, maybe even two or three.
Medic pro-tip: You don't need to see your healing target to heal them, just be in reach. Use this to stay behind cover, and watch both of your backs for spies.
So what about the wall of sentries we discussed before? A medic can follow a simple four-step-plan to take them out and win the game:
1.Prepare übercharge
2.Find a halfway competent heavy or demoman (soldier or pyro will also do in a pinch)
3.deploy übercharge
4.Watch as the sentries fall like flies and win the game.
And THAT is the superpower of teamwork. THAT is glory. You didn't just score a few points, you didn't just make a few kills, you and whichever team member you brought along for the ride won the game, with one of the most basic strategies available. In this game, teamwork is everything, and a well-build team can and will steamroll a bunch of gloryhogs looking for nothing but kills.
Ok, so now that you made it this far, you will probably have become a little better player. But what to do about all those that haven't read this?
The answer is teamchat (or even better, speak). Just type them a message. They may be naive, but they are probably not stupid. A simple "Less spies, more pyroes" can make the difference. But make sure to put up a good example. No one will listen to the guy who insists on playing sniper will getting the rest to play something else. Be the first to switch class for the team, and try to get the rest to follow you. If they refuse to listen, you can at least face your loss with dignity, as you have done all you could for the team.
I thank you for reading this far. Please spread the word. Then maybe there can be a day where no one will have to suffer from unbalanced teams. Where matches aren't decided on the character select screen. And where everyone will be able to enjoy the match.
Thank you.
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