Team Fortress 2 Strategy

- Written by RabbitsFoot

The Demoman is one of the more difficult classes to master in single combat, due to his relatively slow, gravity-afflicted projectiles, slow speed, and his emphasis typically being on defence and bombardment. Like the other Class, Versus guides, this one tells you not so much how to win, but how to act to maximise your chances. A lot still comes down to skill, especially the skill of landing direct hits with pipe bombs (primary grenades). That said, if this skill is mastered, the Demoman can be a fearsome opponent in any situation and against any class.

Versus the Scout:

Scouts are the bane of the average Demo, mostly because they jump around and make themselves particularly hard to hit, as you lack a hitscan weapon. A key skill that should be used against a Scout is direct piping (aiming for direct hits with the pipe bombs), and this is quite difficult as Scouts are fast. However, many Scouts like to circle strafe whilst shooting you, either with the Scattergun or pistol, and this makes them quite easy to predict.

Remember when piping that the grenades come out just to the bottom right of your reticule. Inside buildings, Scouts are relatively easy to take out, but in the open it is much harder. If you lay a sticky bomb to one side then the Scout will run the other way, allowing you to predict where he is going to be. Remember that once a Scout has performed a double jump it is very easy to predict where he is going to land, and a sticky there will put him down (and if it doesn’t kill him, it blows him into the air, giving you enough time to place another one).

“YO, A LITTLE HELP HERE?!”

Versus the Soldier:

At first the Soldier vs Demo battle appears in favour of the Soldier, as he has a longer range and simpler aiming. However, as the Soldier is slow, he is easier to hit with direct pipes and airburst stickies. This means he should actually go down pretty quickly, if you can get within your preferred range. If the Soldier is competent and is rocket jumping around, then you should be able to sticky where he is going to land, or, if you’re really good (and a force to be feared), you could even try to airshot him with pipes. If you can pull this off then people WILL fear and respect you, as this is one of the hardest skills in the game.

“MEDIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Versus the Pyro:

The Pyro is one of the easiest direct opponents in the game, due to fact they are good at close range, and the Demo is good at medium range. The Pyro will usually rush towards you, so just backpedal away and land a couple of direct pipes. If you see a Pyro approaching from a distance, then use the sticky launcher to lay some traps for him.

If they manage to get the jump on you, then your best bet is usually still to retreat and pipe them. However, bear in mind that the Demoman is slower than the Pyro, so if they are intent on chasing you down, it may be worth surprising them by rushing back with the bottle.

“MMMMM MMM MM!!!!!”

Versus the Demoman:

The Demoman vs Demoman fight essentially comes down to fragging skill, and this means that whoever is better at direct piping and airbursting stickies will wins, hands down. Use ALL of the skills used against other classes – piping, airbursting, trapping, juggling – to gib your opponent into oblivion. If you close to melee range and ammo is scarce, getting your bottle out first will give you a significant advantage.

“KA-BOOOOOOM!”

Versus the Heavy:

If you see a Heavy coming, then try not to take him head on. If he is by himself (i.e. without a Medic) and not overhealed, then circle strafe while piping him; four pipes will gib him completely. He is very slow while spun up, a perfect target for pipes or aiburst stickies. If he has a Medic with him, then you should try to lay some stickies, lob a couple of ‘nades to get his attention, and then run, detonate, rinse and repeat.

“SANDVICH MAKE ME STR-BOOM!”

Versus the Engineer (and his Sentry):

Try to estimate the angle at which you can pipe the sentry without becoming its target. If you can’t, you can try to sticky it from far away; but be aware that this takes time, and the stickies can be destroyed. If you get an übercharge, then rush the sentry, lay 3 or 4 stickies underneath it, and then blow them, as this will stop the knockback, allowing you to get close to the rest of the farm.

Remember also that you are the only class in the game that can effectively kill something without it being in your line of sight. Use this to your advantage by lobbing stickies over walls at known sentry positions, and enjoy the rage generated from the Engineer.

“SENTRY DOWN!” “DISPENSER DOWN!” “TELEPORTER DOWN!”

Versus the Medic:

Medics are not as vulnerable as you may think to a Demoman. They are essentially slower Scouts, but they are faster than ’standard speed’ (i.e. Spy, Sniper, Engie). If they have a ‘heavy’ class with them, then try to lay some stickies, and then backpedal while piping. If the stickies are well placed, and they cannot see them, you can get them to follow you and then watch the gibs! If they are by themself and retreating from you, airbursting stickies will tend to be the best course of action, as they are proficient dodgers of pipes.

“ASSISTANCE BITTE!”

Versus the Sniper:

Dodge, duck, dive, dip, and dodge. If you have the sneak on him, do what any other class would do. If you have to cover a long distance through open terrain, try to do a ‘long’ sticky jump (i.e. wait until you’re past the sticky/ies before you detonate them). He will almost certainly see you coming this way, so be prepared for him to rush you with his kukri, and treat him just like a similarly short-ranged Pyro.

“CRIKEY!”

Versus the Spy:

Watch out for yourself when facing the Spy, as the Demoman is a popular class to disguise as. If the Spy gets the jump on you and attempts a backstab but misses, then just turn and pipe, or even pull out your bottle (though be careful to always keep him in front of you).

“AWWWWW….MERDE!”