The Scout is the fastest class and the quickest Control point capturer in the game, making him a vital part of many teams. His small health reserve means that he needs to avoid direct combat at all costs, preferring circle strafing or just jumping on your head to get past you.
If your team is failing to capture Control points, the speed of the Scout can often help take the Control point, even under fire.
Map Specific
2Fort
- Use the roof of the bridge to double jump into the enemy battlements.
- The roof is a great means of getting behind an opposing attacking force and attacking them from behind. This is especially good for going after trailing medics.
- At the start of a new round, rather than do the expected double jump to the enemy battlements, go from your barracks directly to the opposing sewer system. If this is timed well, you will meet no resistance in the opposing base as they attack on the upper levels, and any sentries in the ramp room will only be level 1.
- With the Force-A-Nature, a Scout can easily execute a double jump followed by a timed recoil to gain access to the bridge roof from the ground level. This can be done by jumping from one of the two entrances on each side. You can surprise some Snipers if you execute this trick on their side and then jump on their battlements.
- You can also get to the other side of the bridge by double jumping over the water and using the Force-A-Nature's recoil to propel yourself to the other side. Most enemies will think you fell into the water below instead and ignore you.
- If the intelligence is dropped in the Grate room and it is located right near the hole to drop down, a Scout can use a double jump and the Force-A-Nature's recoil to snatch it.
Granary
- Use the stacked cargo containers on Control point 3 to your advantage. Pick off Medics and Snipers to help ensure your team gains CP3.
Dustbowl
- When attacking Stage 1 Point A, use the canyon pathway. It is the least checked spot and with the Scout's speed, you'll be able to run past the defenders without them knowing what happened. Hug the walls -- don't let the defenders see you. Don't stand near the gate during setup or the enemies will know that you are going that way.
- Before Stage 1 Point A is taken, you can quickly run to the enemy's Control point 2. Although this is locked, if your team is close to taking Point A, then it would be a good idea to stay here and hide (and then rush to the second control point when the first is captured). If the enemy is unprepared, you can take the second point before they can get there.
Well
- The Scout Rush is not particularity a good idea on this map. Although the center point is easy enough, the entrances to the bases can be easily covered by sentries, and the train yards are very heavily favored towards snipers.
Hydro
- There are a lot of long, open vistas on this map, so you will often be fighting opponents from a distance. Learn to love your pistol.
Gravel Pit
- When on offense, try to stick to one Control point (A or B) depending on how many people are assaulting the point. Let your teammates soak up enemy fire; you can dash into the point as soon as it is safe. B is usually the better bet since the engineers sentries are highly unlikely to be finished when the round proper begins.
- Another valid tactic is to head straight to CP C and wait on the roof of the point before the enemy sets up defenses. If your teammates keep the enemy busy, you may be able to capture it before any enemies can get to you (much like Dustbowl, see above).
- Defending Gravel Pit as a scout may or may not be such a good idea, depending on how well you can avoid enemy fire.
Gold Rush
- On offense, your most important job is to keep the cart moving. If you are not under fire, stand near the cart as much as possible. If you are under fire, you can keep it moving longer by hopping around the cart in circles, or take cover by crouching behind the cart. If you have teammates nearby, you can also hide behind them sometimes.
- Although you will be on linear maps, they still have multiple paths through each area. Use your speed to your advantage by popping out unexpectedly from side corridors while everyone's attention is on the track. Then you can either pick opponents off while they are not looking, or speed in and tag the cart in order to keep it from sliding back.
- Gold Rush is a sniper heaven, but scouts can easily circumvent the more open areas and close the distance between them and the snipers.
Weapon Specific
Scattergun
- Teamed with a double jump, the Scattergun can be used to destroy an enemy Medic with an unactivated ÜberCharge before he knows why more than half his health is gone. It is important that your first shot hits because your target will see tracers fly by and be alerted of your presence. Two point blank shots to the back of a Medic will normally kill him.
- Beware of the stronger classes. Sometimes three point-blank shots with the scattergun fail to kill enemy Soldiers.
- Range makes a huge difference to the damage the scattergun inflicts. If you are undetected, avoid firing early. Wait until you are as close as you can get to the enemy and then open fire. This reduces the number of times you need to hit the enemy, giving them less time to react.
Force-A-Nature
- When using this weapon, try not to get into a huge firefight with over 3, maybe 4 people. The slow reload time, small clip, and short range is not suited for these kinds of fights. Instead, try to take on only one enemy at a time so you don't get overwhelmed, and never approach from the front. Come from the sides or behind to take him out before he knows what hit him.
- If you're taking on a Heavy or Soldier, it may be in your best interests to bring The Sandman along with, Bonk them, and then make your approach. They both can survive a one-two from your scattergun, so by stunning them, it gives you an opportunity to fire both shots, then switch to your bat and kill them.
- If your using The Sandman, bring this along to take advantage of it's "rocket jump-esque" ability, making up for the lack of double-jump. When not using the bat, keep in mind you can jump long distances by double jumping, aiming behind you, slightly towards the floor, and fire both barrels to propel you across large gaps.
Pistol
- Targets too far away for the scatter gun should be fought with the Pistol. It is also a reasonable back-up weapon for when your Scattergun runs out of ammunition, and has reliable aim. It can destroy turrets, dispensers, and teleporters at medium range if the situation calls for it. But expect to use up around half of your pistol ammunition.
- Scouts only carry 36 spare rounds of pistol ammunition on top of the 12 round magazine in the weapon. The pistol can waste a lot of ammunition if fired haphazardly into a firefight. Choose your targets wisely, and aim carefully.
- The Pistol reloads much faster than the Scattergun.
- If you're chasing a heavy, plop a clip of pistol bullets ino his back before you get within scattergun range, this will help you bring him down faster at the expense of backup ammo. This also goes for other slow classes like the Demoman or Soldier
- The pistol is also a great distraction. If you can run behind enemy lines and squeeze a few shots from the rear and then run away, players will often try to follow, making your team's life easier.
Bonk! Atomic Punch
- Despite your first thoughts, don't use the energy drink for quickly entering the enemy base. The cooldown period will make it too hard to take down any resistance. Instead, use it for dodging around things you would normally run away from, like sentry guns, Heavy-Medic pairs, or large groups of bad guys.
Bat
- You may prefer to kill situationally-unaware or aiming-impaired Heavies with the baseball Bat by circle strafing around them or jumping on top of their large bodies. A couple of fast hits with the bat can take out injured or weaker classes quickly. This is useful when you're low on ammo, or your Scattergun needs reloading.
- While using the bat you may need to somewhat compensate for the movement of your targets, especially against other Scouts.
Sandman
- The Heavy makes for one of your best targets with the ball. Being slow doesn't allow him to move out of the way of the stun in time. The Heavy is also one of the easiest enemies to hit with the Bonk (Taunt), due to his large size.
- A lone Engineer is another prime target for the Sandman's ball. Usually, he shouldn't be a big deal if he is attending to his Sentry gun and you're out of the sentry's range. Just bop him once with the ball and let a Heavy, Soldier or Demoman unload on the sentry while he's stunned.
- The Sandman's ball fires with an arch similar to the Flare gun's, however, the ball launches slightly above the crosshair - take this into account while aiming with the Sandman.
- The Sandman's ball recharges automatically after being fired, and picking up fallen ammo will not replenish this process any faster. However, a Sandman ball on the ground or the Supply Closets located in the spawn room will instantly replenish the ball.
- When fighting close to a Supply Closets, firing Sandman balls and running back to restock may be effective to support the team depending on the enemy forces there (such as ubers and Heavys).
- When too close to another object (any players or sentries), the Sandman ball will not fire when swung. Swinging without an obstruction will launch the ball.
Weapon Heckling
Overview
Weapon Heckling refers to the Scout's ability to exploit other classes varied weapons using his speed. By rapidly changing his weapons and spacing from the enemy, he forces them to switch their weapons, and then exploits its shortcomings. The concept is described and demonstrated in detail in Daedalus's How to Play the Scout.
Classes that can be Heckled:
Heckling a Pyro
The Pyro is the classic heckling method, because he uses his two weapons, the Flamethrower and Shotgun, in two different spaces. The Flamethrower inflicts massive damage at close range, but outside of that he must switch to his Shotgun to be effective. The Scout relies on a window of vulnerability to inflict massive damage.
Pester the Pyro with the Pistol or Scattergun just outside his Flamethrower range so that he must switch to the Shotgun to damage you. As he is switching to Shotgun, take this opportunity to get close and blast him a few times. If he then switches to his Flamethrower, run away from the Flamethrower's range and repeat until he is dead. A Pyro with a Flare gun, however, is not threat outside the Flamethrower's range; just be careful not to run into the Flare.
Heckling a Soldier
Somewhat like the Flamethrower the Rocket launcher is most deadly at close range, but outside of that, a competent scout should dodge all of his shots. Almost verbatim from heckling a Pyro Pester him at medium range, he will quickly realize his rockets are worthless. As he switches to Shotgun, give him a nice buckshot greeting. Run back when he switches weapons. Repeat.
Heckling a Demoman
Any of the Demoman's ranged weapons will kill you on direct hit, but none of them are particularly suited for neither close nor long range. Jumping into close quarters will force the Demoman to shoot stickies under his feet (in which case he can damage or kill himself) or pull out the Bottle - in both cases you jump away just outside the blast radius and fill him with buckshot as he frantically tries to reload. More experienced Demomen will use their Grenade launcher for close range combat, which will be difficult to dodge but run out of ammo fast. When he pulls it out, keep your distance to dodge them effortlessly.
Heckling a Medic
Heckling a Medic is almost the opposite of heckling a Pyro or Soldier. When fighting a Medic, he will probably have his Syringe gun or Blutsauger out and shooting you from medium range. Get in close, dodging as much needles as you can and attack him. He will then whip out his Bonesaw and attempt to melee you to death. Once this happens, move out of his range and keep attacking him until he either dies or pulls his Syringe gun back out, then repeat.