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------------Team Fortress 2 – Spy Strategy Guide-----------------
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Version: 3.1
Last Update: August 04, 2008
This guide is subject to change, as it will continually be
updated as seen fit.
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Authors: nodforlife & Delkin525 (aka sR+Orca)
Email: (Delkin525) -
[email protected]
(nodforlife) -
[email protected]
We appreciate E-mails!!!
Steam IDs: nodforlife, Delkin525
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- Version History -
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•Version 3.1 / 08-04-2008 -
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-Added Video Section: (A10) So now you can watch what I praise-
in this guide! At the moment, I've only finished and posted -
Part#1. I assure you there are many parts in the making. I'm -
going to dedicate an entire video to dealing specifically -
with Engineers. Enjoy! Feed back on the video would also be -
great. Thanks, Delkin525 (aka sR+Orca) -
-Updated a ton of the "In-Depth outline Section" -
-Renamed the "General Outline" section to "In-Depth Outline," -
as I realized it was far more than just a general look at the-
Spy's Weapons, Statistics, and Strategies. -
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•Version 3.0 / 08-02-2008 -
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-A few changes to the General Outline section, specifically -
the Butterfly Knife Section. -
-Some other minor changes here and there... -
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•Version 2.9 / 07-02-2008 -
-Huge Updates to the General Outline Section, incorporating -
Speed charts, and other such charts. -
-Updated Disguise section: Added Intro and other info -
throughout -
-Added Pat to the reader comments section. -
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•Version 2.8 / 06-19-2008 -
Largest update since the launch of the guide! -
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The following have been updated: -
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-Fixed some major issues with the index. All of the sections -
and codes now correspond to one another accurately. -
-General Do's and Don'ts (#10, #18, and other various points) -
-The 'How to handle Engineer' section (revised here and there)-
-Quick Tips: #29 has been edited; a few others have been -
added or changed as well. -
-General Outline: Now more of a one-stop place, contains -
specific information regarding each of the Spy's weapons and -
tools. I've incorporated some robust changes here. -
-New Section: Why Spy? (Section 0) -
-Updated Accredited Suggestions to thank more people: AlcyOne,-
johnie102, and Insolence. -
-Moved 'Version History' section to the top of the guide -
-In general, we've modified nearly every section of the guide -
in one way or another... -
-Flipped the Disguise section. Moved the best disguises before-
the bad ones. -
-Also added 'Reader Comments' to Closing section... -
-Added to the Map Strategy section namely: 2Fort strategies, -
and strats for the new map: CTF_Turbine -
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•Version 2.7 / 02-15-2008 -
-Rectified some typos -
-Slight changes throughout -
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•Version 2.6 / 01-15-2008 -
-Added two more sections: Spy Checking / Quick Tips -
-Fixed typos -
-Added information, and edited randomly throughout -
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•Version 2.5 / 01-08-2008 -
-Fixed typos -
-Added a slew of content throughout the guide -
-Added to map strategies, namely Hydro specific information -
-Revised information throughout -
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•Version 2.4 / 12-27-2007 -
-Fixed some typos (I'll always find more) -
-Other various changes -
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•Version 2.3 / 12-18-2007 -
-Again with the grammatical/spelling errors -
-Map Specific Strategies updated: CP_Well update -
-Revised guide layout -
-Added updates throughout -
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•Version 2.2 / 12-15-2007 -
-Reformatted Entire Guide -
-Added New Sections -
-Many grammatical/spelling errors have been fixed -
-Refined initial work, added to sections -
-Spy disguise officially deemed poor disguise -
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Intro:
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The spy is considered by many to be the most difficult of the
classes, and for good reason; he is. Of all the classes he
demands the most micro (or coordination that is acquired over
time with experience). The Spy is unique in the fact that he's
not your typical first-person-shooter experience. You're goal is
not to out-gun the enemy, in fact it's the exact opposite;
you're striving to out-smart them, which makes it all the more
satisfying. The Spy is the weakest of the classes physically,
yet he makes up for it with a slew of cunning tricks that can be
essential for the victory of your team. A well timed sapper can
provide just enough of a lull in the opponent’s defenses to
allow your team to bust through and capture a point. Flanking
the entire team’s rush and stabbing their medics can end their
offensive before it’s even had time to reach your front lines.
Pesky heavies and camping Snipers frequently fall victim to a
capable Spy’s blade. And, really, there’s nothing more
satisfying in TF2 than backstabbing a Medic/Heavy combo and
taking down their 600 combined health with two deft mouse
clicks. The Spy is our favorite class for these reasons, and
despite his obvious deficiencies he can easily dominate the
scoreboards and lead his team to victory. This guide will
provide for you a vast understanding of the Spy, and how he
works, through the eyes of two very Spy-obsessed individuals.
We'll explain in detail in-game scenarios you'll face, how to
deal with specific classes, how to think like a spy, how to move
like a spy, and so much more. By the end of this guide, you'll
be that much closer to turning yourself into a very capable Spy.
The next step is taking what you learn here to heart, and thus
executing your newly acquired knowledge in-game.
Some of you are without doubt hardcore players, and pride
yourselves on clan-related matches, and or league matches. Yet,
I'm sure even a larger number of you will spend the majority of
your time playing in public servers, which is fine. The true
difference between the two isn't really a measure of skill. Just
because you play in cal, or other such league events doesn't
mean you can't be owned by someone in a pub. The difference lies
in team coordination. Teamwork is immensely more coordinated in
league and clan matches, and as such, the match is more
difficult, much more difficult than the sparse coordination
displayed in pub matches. In addition, being that league/clan
players are experienced, playing with them means that you will
have to utilize your Spy strategies to the utmost of precision.
There can't be error, however, don't fret. There's a learning
curve to the Spy and we're more than willing to start you on
that curve. Essentially, league matches are void of noobs; the
majority of players there have a fair degree of skill. If you
take part in league matches, then you're probably treating the
game more as a sport than a simple instrument of fun.
What you'll find in public servers is a vast-array of skill,
from very good players, to the most horrid. I've said that
teamwork is sparse in public matches, this is because each team
usually has a handful of people coordinating (usually via mic)
to accomplish a task. The other players either go along with
their direction, or wander around on their own one-man missions.
With that said, in a pub match if your team isn't winning, or
can't push through a chokepoint, please realize the fact that
this is largely because your team isn't functioning as a single
body; which is a key role to TF2 gameplay.
In conclusion, this guide will provide for you details,
hints, do's and don'ts, strategies, all formed around one of the
most unique classes of any first-person-shooter out there; the
Spy. It's truly a gaming experience like no other! The
information within the premise of this guide will prove
beneficial to any and all players, weather you're hardcore or
just playing for the pure fun of it.
Good luck!
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Index:
=======
This guide is divided into 12 sections. They are as follows:
To skip directly to a section, click ctrl+F (the find command),
then copy and paste the section code into the space provided,
make sure to include the brackets []. Then hit search...
_________________________________________________________________
•Section 0) Why Spy? (code: [A0])
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:A Pros/Cons list for the Spy, designed to help if you are
questioning whether or not to play Spy.
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•Section 1) In-Depth Outline (code: [A1])
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:An in-depth outline of the Spy’s weapons and statistics. This
section also includes a speed chart, depicting the speed of
each class with relations to the Spy. This comes in handy when
chosing a disguise. Also home of advanced strategies.
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•Section 2) Disguises (code: [A2])
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:An in-depth take on which disguises to use and which not to
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•Section 3) General Do's and Don’ts (code: [A3])
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:A collection of random tips, strategies, and hints applicable
to every map
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•Section 4) Targets (code: [A4])
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:A detailed list of the best classes to backstab and the worst
classes to stab; a class by class assessment.
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•Section 5) How to Handle Engineers (code: [A5])
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:Detailed section telling everything a Spy needs to know, and
master when dealing with Engineers.
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•Section 6) Map Specific Strategies (code: [A6])
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:Detailed write-up of how to handle each of the 6 original maps
as a Spy. If the map has attack/defensive sides then each side
is discussed with a fair degree of accuracy.
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•Section 7) Spy Checking (code: [A7])
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:Detailed section that states everything you need to know when
Spy checking.
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•Section 8) Quick Tips (code: [A8])
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:The "Sparknotes" of the guide. Contains many tips, facts, and
tricks, in a very brief 1-2 sentence description. Ideal for
those of you who don't want to read page after page of this
guide-- though I highly recommend that you do
Note: Much of this section is already revealed throughout the
guide in great depth. As I've said it is for those of you
that are daunted by the thought of reading... Hence the
"sparknotes" reference.
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•Section 9) Closing (code: [A9])
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:Closing comments, and a place where we thank those who
contribute. In additon, this is a place where one can
fine reader comments (comments that we've recieevd via
E-mail regarding our guide).
Please E-mail us if you've found this guide helpful! :D
Thanks
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•Section 10) Spy Guide: Video Edition! (code: [A10])
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:Links to Delkin's (aka sR+Orca's) Spy Guide: Video Edition!
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•Section 11) Copyright (code: [A11])
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:Standard copyright for our faq...
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-Section 0) Why Spy? [A0]
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This section is designed to reveal the pros and cons of the
Spy. If you're pondering whether or not to play Spy, hopefully
this section will be insightful, thus leading to a more
concise decision.
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| Why Spy? |
|_______________________________________________________________|
| Pros ] [ Cons |
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
| |-| |
|•Backstab is an instant kill | |•Takes a wealth of experience |
| |-| to truly be successful, due |
|•The revolver is effective at | | to Steeper learning curve. |
| long ranges. |-| |
| | |•Extremely vulnerable to |
|•Can cloak to bypass enemy |-| fire. |
| lines. | | |
| |-|•Poor against scouts. |
|•Far more versatile than most | | |
| classes. |-|•The knife when used to |
| | | attack the front is weaker |
|•Can disable Engineer |-| than every other melee |
| structures. | | weapon. |
| |-| |
|•Can use tele without the glow| |•Oftentimes get caught in |
| at his feet when disguised as|-| enemy crossfire. Depending |
| an enemy. No other class can | | on the scenario and map. |
| avoid this. |-| |
| | |•Oftentimes forced to take |
|•Fairly quick in movement, |-| the roundabout way. |
| faster than Demoman, Soldier,| | |
| and the Heavy. Tied with many|-|•Low health. |
| others for the same speed. | | |
| |-| |
|•Only class that has the | | |
| option of playing |-| |
| independently from the team. | | |
| |-| |
|•Can gain health from enemy | | |
| Medics, Dispensers, and mine |-| |
| carts. | | |
| |-| |
|•Looks amazing in a Tux! | | |
|______________________________|-|______________________________|
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-Section 1) In-Depth Outline [A1]
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The Spy is tied with the Scout, Engineer, and the Sniper for
the lowest health available in TF2; placing them at 125 health
points each. However, don't let his low health fool you, he's a
cunning fellow. Overhealed by a Medic, said classes rise to 185
HP (health points). The Spy has a slew of weapons and gizmos at
his disposal, five in all: the revolver, the sapper, the
butterfly knife, the disguise kit, and the cloaking device. A
competent Spy must utilize each of these tools effectively. As
such, due to the importance of the tools new Spies must work to
familiarize themselves with them. You've got to practice
everything at hand, it's essential.
** Below is a write up of said weapons, gizmos, and tools.
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The Revolver:
Clip size: 6 | Reserved: 24 | Total Bullets: 30
Damage Chart:
________ ______
|Distance| |Damage|
|________|____________________________|______|_________________
| | |
| Close Range | 50-60 Damage |
| | |
|_____________________________________|________________________|
| | |
| Medium Range | 35-45 Damage |
| | |
|_____________________________________|________________________|
| | |
| Long Range | 20-25 Damage |
| | |
|_____________________________________|________________________|
| | |
|*Critial Hit (Regardless of Range) | *120 Damage |
| | |
|_____________________________________|________________________|
• The above chart shows that the Revolver does experience damage
drop-off as the range increases. This however does not apply
to critical hits.
The Spy’s primary weapon. It holds six bullets before reload,
and the reload time is fairly quick, which comes in handy during
the frequent battles you will be having with the shotgun-toting
Engineers, who have a very slow reload time in comparison.
Generally speaking, the Revolver is only good at taking out
weaker classes such as Engineers, Scouts, Medics, and other
Spies, and retreating wounded enemies. When engaged in a fire-
fight with the pistol, it’s best to retreat as you fire, since
the Spy’s bullets do the same damage from any range, while the
shotgun toting classes have their damage limited by distance,
and you will be out of range of the Pyro’s flamethrower.
It's also worth noting that the revolver has a very
distinctive sound, to the experienced ear, it's a dead give-
away. For example anytime that I hear the revolver being fired
off, I immediately recognize it, then hunt for and kill the
enemy Spy. Usually he is fire fighting a teammate of mine, but
now that I too am aware of him, I may as well kill him.
Lastly, the Revolver is a surprisingly accurate weapon. At a
distance, it can be used to 'snipe' the enemy, as it really is
nearly that accurate. You can fair well against classes such
as Heavy, Soldier, and even Demoman from afar, due to the fact
that their weapons decrease in effectiveness with distance. For
example, a barrage of bullets from a trigger happy Heavy spread
out with distance. They spread out enough where at a distance,
it is nearly a useless weapon. Though, even with this knowledge
of the Revolver, it should still primarily be a last resort, as
stabbing and sapping are far more crucial to the success of a
Spy. This knowledge gives some basis to the idea that if you're
caught, you should retreat whilst shooting the enemy with your
Revolver. It's accurate, and moving away from the enemy makes
them less accurate.
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The Sapper:
Ammo: Infinite
• Can be knocked off structure with two wrench hits
For destroying buildings. If you have this selected and
approach an enemy building, a white outline of the sapper will
appear on top of the nearest one. Clicking applies the sapper,
but does not blow your disguise. It does, however, tip off
everyone nearby since they will see a supposed friendly unit
and a sapped building. Planting and running is the best
strategy, unless there’s a nosey Engineer around (we'll talk
about how to deal with them in the next section.) Sappers will
disable the operation of whatever they are applied to for the
duration of the sap, eventually causing the building to blow
up. The sappers slowly suck the life from their buildings and
they kill teleports and dispensers fairly quickly. Fully powered
up sentries take a while and the sappers will usually be
destroyed by an Engineer, since most Engineers consider a Tier 3
sentry too valuable a prize to leave undefended. In this case,
just reapply the sapper until the sentry dies. The sapper takes
health faster than the engineer can repair it, and even if he’s
pounding on it with his wrench the whole time you’re sapping it,
you’ll kill it eventually.
Sapping Times:
Below is a list of approximately how long it will take for
the sapper to destroy the structure it's attached to. This
approximation only considers straight sapping, with no
interference.
* Sentry Gun
o Level 1: 6 seconds
o Level 2: 7 seconds
o Level 3: 9 seconds
* Dispenser / teleporter entrance and exit: 6 seconds
To destroy the structure more quickly, once sapped, you can
can shoot it with your revolver. Though, typically, to finish
off a tier three sentry it will take northward of six bullets.
Originally, before more current patches, a Spy could easily
destroy a tier three sentry by shooting it once sapped. Now
they've made it a slight bit more resistant to revolver fire,
particularly while it's sapped.
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The Butterfly Knife:
• Side stabs (nearer the back), stabs from above, below, and the
back register as backstabs. Note that above and below are
special cases. I actually had a Heavy jump over a stair
railing and land ontop of me-- I quickly looked up, stabbed,
and his body crashed to the ground in a thunderous heap!
This is where most of your points will come from. The knife
kills most classes in about four stabs from the front, but from
the back, side, or even above in some cases it’s a one hit
kill. You’re rewarded with two points for a backstab instead of
the one for a front stab. Since most of your kills come from
backstabs, this can lead to some pretty lofty scores, and a good
Spy can dominate the scoreboards by double-digit points if he
can knife properly. Obviously, the slower classes like Heavies
and Soldiers are easier to stab since they don’t dart around
and prevent you from a clear path to their backs, like Medics
and Scouts tend to do.
Much like the Revolver, backstabbing someone makes a noise
that is easily identifiable. It makes the enemy scream in a way
that they wouldn't typically do at any point during the game.
When I'm a class other than Spy, and I recognize the scream as a
teammate behind me gets a knife thrust through his back, I
immediately recognize a Spy without thinking twice. As such I
quickly turn, and kill said Spy. In general, paying attention to
your surroundings helps immensely especially when dealing with
enemy Spies.
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A good Spy must be aware of the different backstab
animations, and how to trigger them, as some animations are
faster than others.
• True Backstab Animation:
This animation is the animation that occurs when one backstabs
the enemy when they are within a very close proximity of said
enemy's back. Think of it as a deadly pat on the shoulder.
Unfortunately, as cool as this animation is, it's a laggy one no
doubt. This means that after executing the animation, you'll be
unable to do anything until the animation ends. Sure the
animation is fairly quick, about a second or so. But it's
noticably more laggy than the "poking" animation. Due to the
lag this animation exudes, you may find yourself missing the
target that you intended to stab.
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• Poking Animation:
This animation is the basic stab. If you were to stab the air,
you'd be executing the "pokeing" or "flicking" animation. This
is the ideal animation to use when killing an enemy, as, it is
easier to land on the enemy, and, it doesn't lag.
*Note: This hasn't been mentioned elsewhere in the guide, and
I think some attention should be brought to this as it
is important for the Spy enthusiast to be aware of and
master. There are two animations when attempting a
backstab, the more definitive one occurs when you are
close to the enemy. In this animation the Spy brings his
knife skyward, then thrusts it into his target. Sure it
looks cool, though, the problem is, it's a laggy
animation. This means that once executing the move, it
takes a bit of time for the animation to end. The other
animation however is known as the "poke" or "flick."
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***Advanced Techniques involving the Knife***
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• Cutting Corners:
This is essential to any Spy that wants to be really
successful. In order to be effective at catching up with an
enemy especially a faster one such as a Medic for a backstab.
You must learn to move efficiently, and as such, cut corners
whenever you can. Remember the shortest distance between to
points is a straight line. In this case, let's say you and
your target are the two points. You can move efficently behind
said target moving in as straight a path as possible. If they
were to round a corner, you'd round it in more tight a fashion
(hugging the wall) to get ever closer to them.
Remember, the only classes faster than you are Scouts and
Medics. Pyros, Engineers, Snipers, and other Spies, however;
move at the same speed as you. This means that at a straight
away you can't catch up to any of those classes as they will
move at the same rate you are. However, once you move more
efficiently you'll find that catching up is no problem at all.
Surprisingly, you'll even be able to catch up to Medics. This
is somehting every Spy should be good at.
Note: Remember to consider your disguise when chasing after
someone as your disguise effects your speed. The fastest
disguises are Medic, Scout, Pyro, Engineer, Sniper, and
Pyro. Though, Idon't recommend Medic or Scout for
various reasons that you can read about in the disguise
section of the guide.
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• Aerial Stabs:
Using the above animations, primarily the swift poking stab
it is possible to execute a backstab in mid-air. This means,
that from any position that situates you above your enemy, you
can potentially perform a falling backstab, otherwise known as
an "aerial stab." This takes a bit of practice to perfect, but
to be honest it's well worth it. It is almost impossible for
the target enemy to anticipate this, as you are more than
likely perched outside of their visual range. In fact, when
people Spy-Check, and spin around to watch their backs, they
hardly ever think of looking up. As most Spies aren't
intelligent enough to pull off an aerial stab. This is quite
possibly the most satisfying way to kill off a target. I've
done this more times than I can count, and it's hilarious each
time. In doing this, before I make my move, I've even seen my
target spin around multiple times trying to anticipate Spies,
thankfully, I'm more than just a few steps ahead of him, as by
this point I've landed on him and stabbed in in the back.
The timing takes the most practice, as it's a fancy
technique. To aid you a bit, I can say this; try to time it so
that when you drop or jump you land just at the enemy's back.
This way, as you're falling you can stab, or just as you've
landed you can stab.
Another way the aerial stab can be put to use is on
stairways or other such slanted plains. Basically, if an enemy
was running towards you up a set of stairs, you being at the
top, you could jump over them, spin, then stab just as you
pass over their body. Sometimes it helps to crouch as you're
moving over them. This is even more fancy, and well worth it.
Though it's a slight bit more situational.
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• Flick Stab: Also considered a "quick-stab"
This is yet another fancy technique that requires a bit of
practice. Whilst you are disguised and passing by an enemy
position yourself in such a way that you'll walk right past
them without colliding with them. If you bump into them, the
gig's up, and you've been cought. Right as you pass by them
flick your wrist towards them quickly, and stab. It's called
"flick" stab do to the quick flicking motion your wrist makes
to pull off the stab. This also one of the more gratifying
ways to eliminate a target. It's also even more humiliating to
to the enemy after the kill because they could have prevented
it. They literally saw you approach them and didn't do
anything about it; completely ignorant to the fact that you're
a Spy.
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• Stalking / Tailing
This is another very useful technique that a good Spy will
have mastered. This technique ensures a kill, even against
enemies as potent as a Pyro. Here's how it works.
While cloaked, as an enemy runs past you, turn and follow
very closely to his back, moving with almost "connected" to
the enemy. Right as you engage the enemy like this, de-cloak.
As soon as you're de-cloaked, backstab the enemy. This is
effective because it keeps you close to your taget's back with
out giving them the oppertunity of making distance between you
and your knife.
For example, if you saw a target, ran let him run by you,
then de-cloaked in a corner... you'd no longer be able to catch
up to said target. At least, not until said target stops, or
messes up his movement.
This is called "stalking" because that's literally what
you're doing. You're basically being the biggest creep ever,
and the enemy has no idea. Yet, at the same time, it's called
"tailing" because you're essentially becoming the enemy's tail
because you're traveling so close to their back.
Why would you do this against Pyro's, along with every
other class? Simple, one of the last things a Pyro expects is
to be backstabbed, as he knows most Spies fear him. A Pyro
may not watch his back as often as most other classes because
he may not feel the need to do so.
Note: This technique can also be done by way of Aerial Stabs.
You can drop to a stalk then knife the enemy. It comes
in quite handy.
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*****************************************************************
The Cloak:
This is key. Knowing when to cloak is the difference between
a skilled Spy and an amateur. Right-clicking the mouse will
begin the cloak. It takes a moment before you’re completely
transparent and enemies can still bump into you. If they do, you
will shimmer for a moment and your location will be revealed.
This also happens if you take damage, so staying out of the path
of the Heavy’s mini-gun or the Pyro’s flames is recommended. The
cloak lasts 10 seconds before the meter is empty and it
recharges to full as long as you’re not using it. When
fully cloaked (after one second) it is safe to disguise without
displaying the smoke like effect. Also, while cloaked, sentries
will not shoot at you. Disguising whilst cloaked is recommended,
as it is far more discrete than disguising in the open. I'd
only disguise openly if I know I'm in a safe area, or with my
team. It all depends on how you want to go about doing things.
Q: How can I tell if I'm fully cloaked?
A: Simple, You can tell if you're fully cloaked by looking to
see if your disguised character icon in the lower left is
fully transparent. That displays the status of both
disguises and cloaking. As such, the same display will
notify you whether or not you're fully disguised.
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Strategies:
A good Spy is a master of deception...
Remember, the cloaking device is the single most imporant
device the Spy has at his disposal. Why you ask? Simple, it's
the only tool that truly allows the Spy to be deceptive. Sure
the disguise kit is all about deception, but it's still not as
useful as the cloaking device.
Once you've mastered the cloaking device, you'll realize that
it can be used for more than just bypassing enemy lines. It
can be used to through off the enemy entirely. You can even
purposely be caught just to trick the enemy.
Essentially, here's the idea. It takes one second to fully
cloak and de-cloak. Take advantage of this one-second in between
period to fake out your enemy. For example, while running in a
direction that you don't actually intend to go; activate the
the cloak. Once fully cloaked (after one second or.. after the
icon of the disguise in the lower left is fully transparent)
quickly change your path. This is made easier when you pretend
to go somewhere that would make sense to go, or that provides
the enemy with an understanding of where you're going.
For exmaple:
Say you're caught, you could head into a hallway or tunnel,
and begin your cloak as you enter, continue to run deeper into
said tunnel/hall until you are full cloaked, then double
back and change your direction. If you execute this techniqu
properyly, your enemy will believe that you've actually
traversed further into the area when in reality, you've tricked
them into believe you have. Now, you can either stab them, or
travel to where you actually intended to go before you sent them
off on a hunt.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This technique is all about mind games. You want to trick
your enemy into traveling where you want them to. Given the
scenario, you can intentially blow your cover to lore an enemy
after you, just to deceptively have them run into an area you
haven't actually traversed. With that said, you might find a
scenario where you can lure an enemy Engineer from his Sentry,
and Dispensor, and have him chase a ghost while you've actually
just lured him away to sap his sentry and dispensor. This is
where quick thinking comes into play, as you truly have to
quickly out smart your enemy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************************
The Disguise Kit:
Does what the name implies. You can disguise as either an
enemy or friendly class and you will appear to the enemy as
such. It takes a moment for a disguise to take effect and a
small cloud will appear around you for the duration of the
change. Once disguised, using the revolver or knife will take
off the disguise, exposing you to sentries or other defenders,
so only go for the kill if you a) are spotted and have to fight
or b) have an easy backstab. Also, you will appear to the enemy
as whichever class you’ve selected carrying its primary weapon
(e.g. if you’re a Pyro you’ll have the flamethrower, a Heavy
you’ll have the mini-gun, etc). There are essentially a few
primary disguises, ones that you will find more useful in more
situations. Among these disguises is Pyro, Demoman, Engineer,
and Sniper. If you play the part well, even Medic can work...
though it's a risky disguise, especially for the inexperienced
Spy.
As a rule of thumb, anytime you are amongst your team, you
should be in a friendly disguise. The point of the Spy is to
sneak around unnoticed, it's hard to do this when you've given
yourself away early. I suggest that you disguise yourself as a
friendly Pyro to deter enemy Spies each time you spawn, then
traverse the map as far as you can with a friendly disguise.
Once you get to the point where you'll be nearing enemies,
cloak, re-disguise as an enemy, then let the mayhem begin.
One might ask, why would you use a friendly disguise if the
enemy will kill you when they find you, as you are still an
enemy to them? Well, it's simple really. If you use a friendly
disguise while amongst your team, like a Pyro, when the enemy
sees you, they will have intent to kill you, but at the same
time, they must consider the risk of your teammates around
you. They won't charge in to go after a Pyro because the Heavies
and Medics are probably better targets. If however, you were
wearing an enemy disguise, and they spotted you running with
your team, they'd notify their team of your whereabouts, where
you're headed, and what you're disguised as. You've already
lessened your chances of success exponentially based on the
fact that the enemy is aware of you.
Conversely if you had just stuck to the friendly disguise,
you could have made a disappearing act, and once you reappeared
you'd already be disguised as a new class, even the enemy.
Another useful purpose in using friendly disguises is that the
enemy won't suspect you as being a Spy, they will believe your
disguise. If you're disguised as a friendly Pyro, enemy Spies
will likely avoid you, given the threat that Pyros pose to
Spies. On that same note, if the enemy was trying to kill you,
and you were disguised as a friendly class, say a Pyro, you
could round a corner, and cloak. If they didn't see you cloak,
they will have no idea that you cloaked, and they will still be
looking for a Pyro. This works because cloaking is not a
property of a Pyro, so the enemy wouldn't expect one to do so.
Once they've realized that you may have cloaked, that you were
actually a Spy, assuming they realized at all, it's too late
for them, because you are either far from them, or have already
backstabbed them.
Seeing as how the golden rule of Spying is staying hidden
from the enemy, setup-time is no exception. Some Spies will go
to the enemy's gates during setup-time, and start taunting. I
find this to be ridiculously foolish, because now the enemy is
aware of said Spy. They will anticipate him, and could counter
him. If the enemy is aware of the Spy, they will anticipate his
antics. He may not prove as successful to a knowing enemy. For
example, the enemy may attempt countering you with Pyro, waiting
for you to make your move, then burning you alive. However, if
you were disguised as a friendly Pyro, then you would be no
different than the countless teammates around you who are
waiting for the gates to open. Once the time nears zero, you
can easily hide behind any number of things, cloak, re-disguise,
then de-cloak in a more opportune position so that you're well
placed for the opening doors. The underlying idea here is that
you don't want the enemy to be aware of your presence at any
point in time as a Spy.
In the end, a Spy must master coordination between both his
cloaking, and his disguises. Mastering these two tools truly
sets the bar for an amateur Spy and a skilled Spy. Knowing when
to cloak is as we've stated before "key." Furthering that,
using disguises effectively out of cloak, is equally as
important.
Q: How can I tell if I'm fully disguised?
A: Simple, You can tell if you're fully disguised by looking to
see if your disguised character icon in the lower left is
fully transformed. That displays the status of both
disguises and cloaking. As such, the same display will
notify you whether or not you're fully cloaked.
**The following are unique properties regarding the Disguise Kit:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
• Every single time a disguise is deployed, so to does the Spy's
health change to the enemy. The health that the enemy can see
is not his actual health. Typically, this random, fake health
status is anywhere from half-health to full-health, it's not
always half-health like many once believed. If you disguise as
a Pyro, you may appear to have half-health to the enemy. In
that same life, one could disguise as a Demoman, as such, your
health shown would once again randomize. This time, you may
have three quarters health to the enemy. Though a Spy never
knows how much health he is displaying, it's important to know
that it changes each time the disguise does. That way, people
may be thrown off when chasing a Spy disguised as a Demoman
with half-health, when they find the same Spy newly disguised
as a Pyro with near full health. It's a subtlety but changing
your disguise frequently, especially once spotted, is hugely
important to the success of a Spy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
• While in an enemy disguise, one can gain health from
dispensers, mine carts, and potentially enemy Medics.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
• While in an enemy disguise, sentries will not target you. As
they will recognize you as a member of their team.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
• It takes a few seconds for a new disguise to take effect,
during this time, a cloud is visible around you. This "cloud"
can easily give you away to the enemy, as it draws attention
to the eye. It is best to disguise while cloaked, as it avoids
the "cloud" like effect. Here's another subtley that will help
one know when the disguise has taken full effect. When one
deploys a disguise, a white outline of the Spy shrinks to the
lower left hand corner of the screen, shrinking to the HUD.
Once this has happened, and the two pictures in the bottom are
the Spy, and which ever class you disguised as; you're good to
go.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
• Once disguised, bumping into the enemy is an immediate
indication to them that you aren’t one of them. So avoid
being "bumped" into at all costs.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
• When taking on a disguise, the Spy's actual speed changes to
reflect the class he's disguising as. This means, that if you
disguised as a Heavy, not only would you look like one to the
enemy, but you'd move as slowly as one too. However, if you
disguise yourself as a class that's faster than the Spy, such
as a Scout, your speed won't increase. If one disguised as a
Scout, to the enemy, they'd look like a really slow moving
Scout, which is a dead give away.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
• Spies do not show pain. If an enemy was to shoot you, your
health would not change to reflect that, at least, not from
their point-of-view. If you continued with what you were
doing, there is no way for them to tell if you've been
injured. Sometimes pretending that you haven't been shot will
make the enemy believe your disguise.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
• While disguised as a friendly class, one can still assist in
capturing a point, without letting onto the enemies that
they're a Spy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
• If disguised as an enemy class while using a teleporter the
glow is not visible at the Spy's feet. However, if you used
a friendly disguise you could negate the "pixie" like effect
when you initate your cloaking. It dissapears fully once
you've become fully invisible.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
**More on disguise specifics in Section 2**
*****************************************************************
Speed Comparisons:
This section shows the speed of each class, with relations to
the Spy. It's important to note that if a Spy was to disguise as
one of the faster classes his speed doesn't increase. Conversely,
if the Spy was to disguise as a slow class, a Heavy for example,
his speed would lessen to match that of a
real Heavy.
This chart is arranged from fastest classes to slowest:
_____ _____________________</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
|Class| |Speed Relative to Spy|
|_____|_______________________________|_____________________|__
| | |
| Scout | 133% |
| | |
|_____________________________________|________________________|
| | |
| Medic | 107% |
| | |
|_____________________________________|________________________|
| | |
| Pyro, Engineer, Sniper, & Spy | 100% (BASELINE) |
| | |
|_____________________________________|________________________|
| | |
| Demoman | 90% |
| | |
|_____________________________________|________________________|
| | |
| | |
| Soldier | 80% |
| | |
|_____________________________________|________________________|
| | |
| Heavy | 76.6% |
| | |
|_____________________________________|________________________|
| | |
| Heavy (revved), Sniper (in zoom) | 26.6% |
| | |
|_____________________________________|________________________|
This chart indicates that a Spy is slower than both the Scout
(obviously) and the Medic. Conversely, he's tied with the Pyro,
Enineer, and Sniper, for the same baseline speed. Yet he's
faster than the Demoman, Soldier, and Heavy. Then as seen at the
bottom the Heavy and Sniper are tied for the slowest when
executing their secondary functions; revving, and zooming.
• All classes move 10% slower whilst moving backwards.
-This does not include crouching, as it's a new fixed speed,
which is the same in any direction.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************************
-Section 2) Disguises [A2]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Disguises play an important role for the Spy. The correct
disguise could very well be the difference between life and
death. Generally speaking, no disguise, not even the best ones
will truly trick the enemy, especially smart, alert ones. They
are powerful at a glance, as at-a-glance, the enemy might not
think anything of you. Thankfully, due to the fast paced nature
of the game, there will be many times that the enemy fails to
notice you at-a-glance. A disguise alone will not make the Spy,
as, managing his cloak is the true key to a Spy's success.
Acting is also important, as it is the next step in making
your disguise believable. You should, while in disguise, appear
to be concerned with your team, as if they were threatening to
you. You could look in their direction, jump and "dodge" their
fire, as if to fear being hit. Also, you may find scenarios
where backing from said ally fire and calling an enemy Medic
will benefit you, as even smart Medics mess up on occasion.
You can also use certain disguises to lure Medics, especially
foolish ones. One way to do this is to take on the role of a
more offensive class, such as a Heavy or Soldier, and head to
your side of the map. I might do this if I see a lone Medic on
the frontlines. Luring him to me via the Cry-for-help voice
command, I'd then proceed towards my base, and he would more
than likely follow within a safe distance behind. If you aren't
able to take him out via your Revolver or stab, as in attempting
may result in death, continue to lure him towards your team so
that your team can kill him. He may very well stick by you
thinking that he's helping you out, and you're going to protect
him. This isn't the most concrete strategy, as it's incredibly
risky, but if it works, it's hilarious.
=========[Your best disguise options are as follows]=============
-Pyro
The Pyro is probably the single best disguise ever. Why?
Simple… The Pyro is a trademark anti-Spy character, and is also
short-ranged. Because Pyros hunt spies, they are known to
randomly wander about, having no concrete order of gameplay. In
addition, because they are short-ranged, they rarely attempt
attacking enemies at a distance; which means there is little
suspicion of you if you aren't shooting at an enemy that would
otherwise normally by out of reach for a Pyro. Oftentimes you
won't be noticed, being that it’s not so suspicious of a Pyro
to be anywhere and everywhere. As stated above, the Pyro is
short-ranged, and as such he won't attract as much attention
for not shooting constantly. Conversely, if you imitate a Heavy
or Soldier, it is likely that the enemy can tell that you’re a
Spy based on the fact that you aren’t shooting. Also, you
aren't slowed down at all in this disguise.
Note: Posing as a friendly Pyro (a Pyro of your team color) is
also an incredibly effective way of scaring off, and dealing
with enemy Spies. This is so for a few reasons. One, as you'll
see later in this guide Pyros are the worst target for a Spy,
and should be avoided at all costs. With that said, the enemy
Spy will more than likely try to avoid you, this is good because
if you are looking for an enemy Spy, and you notice that one of
your own is avoiding you, cough, Spy. Now you can have a
revolver duel, alert others, or attempt stabbing him to death.
If you are really daring you could attempt all three at once!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-Engineer
The engineer is one of the best disguises to take out
sentries, being that it is typical of an engineer to stick near
his sentry and dispenser. Sap first then stab (sapping is
explained in greater depth in the target section). Sadly, the
engineer is a highly suspected disguise; this is thanks to the
fact that too many spies are uncreative and think there's no
other way to deal with sentries than to take on this disguise.
Pyros will constantly check engineer's above all else. This
disguise will not slow down the Spy's movement at all.
Note: You can immediately determine whether or not an Engineer is
an enemy Spy based on whether or not the Engineer is
holding his wrench, or shotty. A Spy as an Engineer would be
holding his primary weapon, the Shotty, where as most every
Engineer wields his wrench as his weapon of choice. At a glance,
if the Engineer has a wrench or pistol in hand, you know for
sure he's not a Spy. This is important because too many noobs
spy-check everyone, pay attention to detail...
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-Demoman
The Demoman is among the best in-between disguises. It's
not highly expected, and it won't slow the movement of the spy.
Still, if the Demoman is seen wandering in a fashion unlike a
Demoman it's obvious to the enemy that you're a Spy so, be
careful. This disguise will slow the Spy's movement by 10%,
which isn't too noticeable.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-Sniper
The Sniper disguise is good when you are in the appropriate
place. If you are in a particular part of a map in which Snipers
dwell, then props to you. Stab them Snipers! Otherwise this
class is suspicious.
•This class also won't slow down the Spy's movement.
Note: When posing as a Sniper, to avoid suspicion be aware of
your surroundings, have a target in mind, and act interested in
your team. Act as though they (your team) are a dynamic worry to
you, strafe back-and-forth looking in the direction of your
team, especially when enemies are present. As soon as a target
is within range, or when the moments right, break from the act
and assassinate.
Note: When posing as a Sniper, you cannot bring the Sniper rifle
to a zoomed state, holding it to your face, because that's a
property that only the Sniping class has. Being that you aren't
a Sniper, don't have a sniper rifle, you can't ever look to be
looking in the scope. As such, you can expect that a Spy
disguised as a Sniper will be holding the sniper rifle lower. It
doesn't make a huge difference, because a good Sniper isn't
always behind his scope, as it narrows his vision.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
=========[Your worst disguise options are as follows]============
-Heavy
You're a huge target. Most people realize whether or not
their team has a Heavy, they are a class that demands attention,
whether they mean to or not. Part of the reason that a Heavy is
a dead give away is the fact that they are so huge. People pay
attention to you more. Not to mention that a Heavy is always
situated on the front line, and is always firing away. Seeing as
how you can’t shoot, you'de like grow suspicious in the watchful
eyes of the enemy. Also, it’s worth noting that disguising as a
Heavy will not help in large when trying to kill Medics, being
that you're slow moving now.
This disguise could potentially be useful for advanced Spy
strategies, like the one listed in the section intro, though
only the most dastardly Spies should attempt it.
Note: Most Medics know exactly how a Heavy (or anyone they are
healing) should act, and deviating from that known way of
acting only causes suspicion. To better act as a Heavy, always
appear to be advancing towards your base which to the Medic
healing you is his enemy's base.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-Scout
As a Scout your speed doesn't increase. It's obvious to the
enemy that you're not a Scout, because you appear slow moving to
them. In addition, Scouts are frantic bastards and double jump
like there’s no tomorrow. Surely a Spy can't perform as such.
• Worst disguise in my opinion, as it's blatanlty obvious that
you're a fake because you can't move as fast as a Spy, or
double Jump. This is probably the worst disguise ever.
• The only way to even attempt this disguise is to move about
while crouched, though, how often do you see a friendly Scout
crouched and moving along the ground? It's still an eye
catcher to say the least.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-Soldier
The Soldier is only a slight bit faster than a Heavy, which
isn't saying much for the Soldier's speed. This class is an
easy target for Snipers, thanks to his cumbersome movement. Also
Soldiers are generally seen on the frontlines, as they are a
highly offensive class. As such, this disguise will prove more
effective when executed on the front lines. This disguise is
ill-advised as it slows the Spy's movement a great deal, like
the Heavy. It will make it difficult to catch up with classes,
and at a straight away, it'll be impossible to catch up to most.
This class should only be used for advanced Spy strategies, such
as luring enemy Medics, even then it's quite risky.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-Medics
Medics are the WORST possible disguise. Why you ask, because
they are constantly being demanded upon by their team, and as
such you will have the enemy following you around, all the
while begging to be healed. Because a real medic is always
healing, and the fact that you can't is a dead give-away. The
point of being a Spy is to bring the least amount of attention
your way, and unfortunately Medics receive an exorbitant
amount.
Note: Another factor that contributes to the downfall of this
disguise is the fact that when the enemy aims at you there is
no ubercharge percentage. Typically, when you look at a medic
that is on your team, you’d see an ubercharge percentage.
Yet another indication and dead give away that you're a spy.
Note: An experienced player will know that a Spy's physical
appearance when taking on this disguise includes that he is
holding his primary weapon (which is the case for every
disguise); the syringe-gun. Typically, Medics are seen wielding
their medi-gun, and as such anytime a Medic is seen wandering
about with his syringe-gun it's worth Spy-checking him.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-Spy
In the beginning, early in TF2's release, the Spy was a good
disguise. At this point in time however, specific details point
out the flaw of this disguise.
Firstly, when disguised as a Spy, you don't have a cardboard
cut-out mask on your face. This means that from the enemy's
point-of-view, they see you, an apparent ally Spy, who has for
whatever reason decided to walk around without a disguise on.
To the trained eye this is an immediate indication that you're
an enemy spy.
Secondly, wandering around the enemy's base, without the cover
of a mask is an immediate suspicion as they'd expect to at least
see you wandering the other teams base (your team), not their
own. After all, how often do you as a Spy wander around your own
base with no mask on? -- Good response, you never do.
Note: When disguised, a cardboard cut-out mask is on your face,
Only visible to your teammates, the mask represents the class
that you are disguised as. However, when you disguise as a spy
the enemy sees you as a spy without the cut-out mask on. It can
be a dead give away to the trained eye.
*****************************************************************
-Section 3) General Do's and Don’ts [A3]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
While each map has specific strategies that work best, there are
some basic techniques that are applicable to all stages, both
offense and defense. This section lists some Do's and Don'ts and
strategies.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1) DON’T attempt to get into firefights unless absolutely
necessary. You have too little health for that kind of exercise
and most every other gun in the game is more powerful than yours.
The only classes that you have a chance of killing consistently
are Spies, Medics, Scouts (if you can hit them), Demomen (if you
can avoid their splash damaging explosives)and Engineers. Though,
Engineers they are usually guarded by their allies or sentries,
since most Engineers camp nearby their teams spawn points;
especially late game.
Note: Surprisingly a good medic will often times out-gun you,
based on the fact that their Syringe gun has a much better
rate of fire than the Spy's revolver. Though, the revolver
is stronger than the syringe-gun per shot. A Medic will
especially have an advantage over you with the Blutsauger
(the new syringe gun) equipped. It vamps 3 health from you
and gives it to them each and every time you get hit.
Trust me, this syringes come out very quickly, and if the
Medic is good, he'll be able to aim them very well-- even
at exceedingly long distances. Good Medics have been known
to take out Sentries, and Dispensers from afar, even at
angles a Soldier could never dream of, thanks to the arc
of that the Syringe gun provides.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
2) DON’T run toward the enemy unless you’re cloaked. Even if
you are disguised as them, the fact that a supposed teammate is
running at them is a dead giveaway that you are a Spy and they
will kill you. Cloak, get BEHIND their lines, then stab away.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
3) As an addendum to Number 2, the disguise can be pretty much
worthless for fooling the other team if you fail to act
appropriately. All but beginners have learned to be suspicious
of everyone, and will shoot every teammate enough times to kill
a disguised Spy. Be especially weary of Pyros, since being set
on fire does not disappear when cloaked. In fact, steering clear
of Pyros altogether is a good idea, unless they are set up for
the perfect stab.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
4) You should always be in disguise! If you're spotted, you
should act quickly to either start killing, or cloak/
re-disguise, then scamper off, then return and continue to
harass the enemy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
5) The best way to get backstabs is to cloak right before you
get to the point in the map where the teams are clashing, then
run back to a safe point behind their lines where you can
de-cloak and ‘join’ their team for the fight. Often times this
takes agility to avoid the firefight on the front lines, but if
you can juke your way around the flying grenades, rockets, and
Heavy bullets, there can often be bountiful rewards awaiting
your knife-wielding hands. Be careful there are no Engineers
around, since they like to hang out near the rear. Usually, if
you see the Medics run by that means the whole line has passed,
since Medics typically run behind everyone with their beam on a
Heavy or Soldier.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
6) DO stab their Medics first. They are crucial to any
offensive push, especially if they can get their Ubercharge.
Killing them makes a brief retreat/heal or Uber-rush for the
other team impossible, effectively ending their rush and
allowing your team to pick off the attackers. I list the order
of priority to stab at 1) Medics 2) Heavies (since it’s really
easy) 3) Soldiers 4) Demomen 5) Everyone else. Obviously,
killing Engineers is important, too, but they are rarely on the
front lines and can be dealt with separately.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
7) Accept the fact that as a Spy, YOU WILL DIE A LOT. Spies are
weak, sapping sentries is often a suicide mission, and sometimes
their front line is so full of people and firepower that
sneaking by is impossible. Just suck it up, re-spawn, and go
back at them. There’s a reason you get twice as many points for
a backstab, since you probably die twice as much as other
classes just getting into the position to get one. But oh, how
sweet they are.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
8) Plan proactively. If you can see your team has a capture
well in hand, try to sneak onto the next point for an easy
capture before the enemy can get its defenses up. This works
great on the final points on Granary and Well since they capture
really fast and you can almost always get the point before they
can stop you. Then you can rush into their spawn before your
team can get there and steal all the juicy free kills.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9) Don’t get greedy with sapping. When you put a sapper on
something, be sure you can get away cleanly unless you’re just
trying to get a sentry and dying is expected. If there are four
enemies with their backs to you and an enemy teleport nearby,
LEAVE IT ALONE. If the Engineer is nearby, he’ll announce that
he’s being sapped and his team will raise hell looking for you.
Besides, killing the enemy troops is worth more points, and is
usually better for your team, especially if there're Medics in
the bunch.
More on Engineers and Sentries later...
-----------------------------------------------------------------
10) Originally, Spies were unable to use teles due to the fact
that it would leave a glow at their feet-- giving them away
to the entire enemy team. This pixie dust like glow effect
lasted long enough where if the Spy had just walked instead
of using the tele, he'd probably get to the target destination
around the same time the pixie dust effects would have worn off.
This means that it made sense for the Spy to ignore the tele,
thus taking the roundabout path instead.
Thankfully however, Valve has changed tele and Spy properties
in a more current update, changing the "glow" like attributes.
Now a Spy can use a tele safely without the glow at his feet.
The catch is, the Spy must be disguised as the enemy for this to
take effect. If the Spy is disguised as anything aside for the
enemy, he will still show the pixie glow at his feet.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
11) The true skill that comes into play while playing Spy is
speed. The only time you should sit still, if ever, is to
recharge your cloaking, and that's only if you are in a very
secure spot. Otherwise, constantly change your disguise after
being spotted, and while cloaked might I add. Spies are hunters;
sometimes they let their prey come to them.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
12) As a Spy, you have to avoid your own team when passing a
choke point, no not because you are afraid to be seen with your
team in an enemy disguise (giving away the fact that you're a
Spy), as you can easily cloak and sneak away. The problem is
that when you move with your team, even whilst invisible, you'll
likely be shot in the crossfire and often times killed. For
example, if your team goes to point A, go to point B. Or, if
they go to point A go to point B and make your way to point A.
Take the most convoluted way possible, and kill everyone
along the way.
As stated before, while with your team, or on your side of
the map, use a friendly disguise until you get close enough to
the enemy where you cloak, re-disguise, and sneak off.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
13) Don't worry about what classes the enemy team has when it
comes to deciding upon a disguise (unless it’s a very small
game). The enemy is usually too busy running about and won’t
notice what their entire team is comprised of.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
14) Also, be on the lookout for enemy Spies, they are up to the
same things that you are, so expect what they're up to before
they even know what they're doing. There is nothing like out-
spying a Spy. Keep track of enemy Spy movement especially after
having breached the enemy’s side of the map. Oftentimes you’ll
see an enemy Spy take on a disguise in plain site. Also, if you
want to hunt enemy Spies who are plaguing your team, one good
strategy is to disguise yourself as a Pyro of your own team.
Spies usually fear Pyros, and don’t attempt stabbing them. This
will usually give you an edge over enemy spies. Make sure to
watch for typical de-cloaking areas that you would use as a Spy
to catch their Spies in the act.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
15) If you're chasing down an enemy, and can't catch up, gun them
down. The revolver isn't the most powerful weapon, but if used
correctly (and by all means this is correctly), there are many
scenarios in which it can prove effective. Though, must I
remind you that as a Spy your primary focus should be that of
your knife.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
16) Sometimes you’ll be caught in a scenario where you’ll have no
choice but to pass straight by an enemy who will soon hopefully
walk right by you without suspicion. A few tips will aid you in
doing so with little suspicion. Firstly, don’t look straight at
them, look straight ahead. Don’t act like you’re afraid of them,
try to act natural, so in this case no backing off then
proceeding forward again. At the very instant that you're about
to pass by each other, turn to them very quickly and stab their
side. If your stab lands on their side near enough their back,
it's a one-hit-wonder (which will usually be the case in this
scenario). This is such a satisfying way of dealing with the
enemy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
17) When cloaking/de-cloaking always do so out of enemy site,
and give the cloaking/de-cloaking process time to complete
before you run out of cover. Many Spies don’t realize that when
they de-cloak, they appear differently to the enemy, it takes
about two seconds to fully de-cloak for them to look like their
disguise. Otherwise they will be half translucent for a few
moments, and then their cover is blown. The same issue is
involved with cloaking. If you cloak and immediately try to run
by enemies they will see you for a second, shoot in the area
that you were headed, causing you to become slightly visible,
and continue to shoot you. Heavies will do this all the time,
if they are shooting and clip a Spy, they will follow the
invisible Spy based on the translucent figure they saw when they
hit you. Usually a Heavy will finish you like this, which is
very annoying.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
18) Sometimes people like to rely on hard facts to consider how
they might go about playing. For example, many people would say
never get in a fire fight with a Spy because his revolver is
among the weakest weapons in the game, and the Spy also has
little health in comparison to other classes. Though, those
people fail to take into consideration the obvious. Often times
when you use the revolver, the enemy will not expect it. If the
enemy isn’t aware of you to begin with you’ll easily land
multiple hits, (usually enough to kill) before they even have
time to react. So, stats aside, it’s still a handy weapon, when
used accordingly.
Note: When dealing with the Heavy, Soldier, and any other class
with a considerable amount of health use the revolver as a last-
ditch effort, seeing as how they won't go down easily. In fact,
you're better off fleeing said classes rather than engaging in a
fire-fight with them.
NOTE: Generally speaking, the Revolver should only be used when
a backstab is not possible. Say for example you are chasing
someone. Sometimes you simply can't catch up. As such, pulling
out the revolver and landing a few slugs in their back could
very well kill them, however, if you fail to land the hits,
you've blown your cover. Oftentimes it's better to avoid making
yourself known to the enemy. Simply put, don't blow your cover
if you don't have to.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
19) Furthering #18, in some cases you’ll be forced to use your
revolver because you’ve run out of cloak and the enemy has
already fired a few shots at you. Just take your time, and
strafe to avoid their fire. One strategy I’ve found to increase
accuracy when the enemy is wildly moving about is actually to
let strafing act as a sort of aiming. Once you’ve got your
crosshair on the same level as the enemy, for example, on the
same level as the body, strafe in whichever direction the enemy
is moving, to line-up your shot on them. For example, an
Engineer is running back and forth firing off shotty rounds at
you, sometimes simply aiming can work great, but it’s also easy
to miss, and you only have six shots. Move your crosshair so
that when you strafe to the left or right it will fall upon the
enemy; once you lineup with the enemy; fire. Sounds odd, but it
works incredibly well. Why would you do this? Well, seeing as
how you’re adding strafing as a way of lining up your shot,
you’re increasing the difficulty for your enemy to hit you. Try
it out, practice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
20) Walking backwards towards your enemy ("retreating to them")
can sometimes be one of the most discrete ways of sneaking
amongst enemy ranks. Though, abusing your option of doing so
could manifest a growing suspicion of you in the eyes of your
enemy. Walking backwards is usually done when you are running
out of cloak in, or amongst enemy ranks, and it's always done
when your team is present so it appears as if you are concerned
with them. For example, one time I was running out of cloak, so
I quickly looked for a spot to de-cloak, which in this case was
on the other side of some rather large crate. After de-cloaking
I quickly left my position joining nearby-by enemy forces (which
were within my relative vicinity). I decided to face where the
choke point was (thus facing my team) and I evasively backed
off. This is effective because moving like the enemy makes you
appear more believable in their eyes.
-----------------------------------------------------
Sometimes backing up can be risky, here are a few tips:
-----------------------------------------------------
A. Try to avoid bumping into an enemy while backing-
up. This is an immediate give away to most every
enemy.
-----------------------------------------------------
B. It's also useful to appear as if you are fearful
of your own team. For example, if they are
launching rockets at near-by enemies, you should
dodge your own teams rockets, and other such gun
fire. Again, if the enemy sees you dodging
rockets, and other firepower, they'll be more
likely to believe that you're one of them.
-----------------------------------------------------
C. Don't walk backwards in areas where it wouldn't
make sense to do so. For example, once you are far
from a choke point you'd tend to assume that there
aren't many enemies near-by, so walking backwards
and darting around as if to be afraid of your own
team that is across the map looks incredibly
suspicious. I've seen some foolish Spies do this
before. The outcome is death.
-----------------------------------------------------
D. Getting caught in crossfire is the leading cause
of death. Which for whatever reason is usually a
rocket to your face. Attempt avoiding crossfire
to the best of your ability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
21) Once you're behind a bunch of enemies who are all facing away
from you, there is a certain way that you should go about
stabbing them. Try to stab each enemy in succession from closest
to furthest enemy from you. That way each enemy that you kill
will be taken out outside the visual scope of the enemies in
front of them, granting you the option of stabbing them next.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
22) This may be a bit obvious, but, generally speaking, it's a
good idea to disguise as a class that you've just killed. For
example, if you kill a Sniper, hide, disguise as a Sniper, then
return the area in which you killed the Sniper.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************************
-Section 4) Targets (Who and who not to stab) [A4]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
=======================[Best Targets]============================
Despite the fact that every enemy is a target, there are
certain classes that should be targeted more so than others,
here is that list, allow me to explain…
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-Heavy:
Due to the Heavies slow movement, large figure, and the
fact that he is a huge threat to your team, Heavies are probably
the most satisfying targets to take out with one swift stab to
the back.
Due to the nature of the Heavy, they are almost always firing
their gun when on the front lines. Make sure to avoid being
struck in the crossfire. If you managed to get shot, you're
cloaking will shimmer to the enemy, giving away your position.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-Medics:
Hunting Medics is often times critical in keeping the enemy from
advancing. Anytime you kill a Medic you are shutting-out the
enemy's opportunity of ubercharging and pushing. With that said,
you can save your team quite a bit of trouble taking them out.
Here’s the problem with hunting Medics… A good Medic knows
enough to keep his ass in constant motion while healing, so,
they move randomly, and often times spin around. If you can’t
backstab the Medic easily or, you miss, forget it and hurry to
whomever they are healing, which is usually either a Heavy or a
Soldier, and backstab them instead.
As I've stated, you'll oftentimes find a good Medic to be very
difficult to take out, they are o'so aware of spies. Half the
time you attempt to kill one, or, even much of the time that you
manage to kill the person they were healing, they will hunt you
down and slice you with their bonesaw. Talk about terrifying
and if that's not bad, you can expect to die too many times to
a bombardment of syringes. So despite the fact that Medics are
crucial targets, a competent Medic is very difficult.
The verdict:
You're goal should always be to kill enemy Medics, as they are
hugely important to team support. Go for the stabbing if the
opportunity arises. If you miss the Medic while stabbing, you
should either A) Stealth, then retreat. or. B) Back-stab the
next closest enemy, which will typically be the person the enemy
Medic had been healing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-Snipers:
What better target than a Sniper? Snipers are usually a
great distance from your team situated in some perch, or, at the
very least, are looking through their scope somewhere far-off
completely unaware of their surroundings. Often times if you
find one Sniper, you find two or three more (which is often
times the case if 2fort), Happy stabbings!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-Engineers (and all that they create):
*** See the below section; "HOW TO HANDLE ENGINEERS" ***
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-Demoman:
The Demoman can oftentimes be a great target because they
typically play defensively, setting up sticky bombs and waiting
for the helpless to pass by them. As such he'll be waiting
nearby, carefully eyeing his stickies. Waiting comes in a few
ways for a Demoman. Either he will be crouched somewhere eyeing
his stickies, or he'll be frantically moving around an area
within visual range of his stickies (The ladder half being the
more difficult to take out). Because of this, they can be great
targets. The only time they can be a pain is in the above case
where they may move about in a frantic, erratic way.
Also, if they do see you, they can on occasion be easy to deal
with even if they are shooting at you from point-blank range,
this is because they don't rely on sheer impact but explosions
to kill their enemies. Up-close, a smart Demoman will resort to
beating you with his bottle, in which case, good luck!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-Soldier:
The soldier is another great target, and can easily be
backstabbed due to his cumbersome nature. You better make sure
he doesn't see you coming, if he does, you may be greeted with
a rocket; which Upon impact you will blow you to pieces. It's a
risky class to deal with, because of the fact that their rockets
are so lethal to the Spy. If you fail to backstab a soldier and
thus reveal yourself to him, don't expect to make it away alive.
That point can prove true to most classes, missing a backstab
will usually result in death. Also, another almost comical
situation that you may face when dealing with a Soldier is
getting blown up when he is innocently rocket-jumping somewhere.
It happens, the splash damage is enough to kill the Spy, watch
out!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-Spy:
Surprisingly, Spy vs. Spy can be quite effective. Though one
must take a different approach in dealing with Spies. Don't go
looking high and low for the enemy Spies, just keep your eyes
open, and check your teammates by attempting to walk through
them. Oftentimes once on the enemy's turf, you'll see their
Spies leave spawn and take on a disguise. You can chase them and
stab them, which can become really easy depending on the
disguise they choose seeing as how some disguises hinder the
Spy's overall speed. If you can't catch up, you may consider
dueling the enemy Spy with your revolver, may the better Spy
win!
For the record, more typically Spies are a class that you kill
when they happen to cross paths with you, you don't go looking
for them. You might see a supposed teammate acting suspicious,
good kill him, stab him in the back he's a spy. You may also
witness that Spy break disguise and start backstabbing your
teammates, again, stab him in the back.
As far as your overall desired targets, enemy Spies should not
be a primary focus, but rather a spur of the moment one. With
that said, if while in the enemy's base you see a Spy take on a
disguise, or if you see a disguised Spy (which is easy to spot
seeing as how they are probably disguised as your team's color,
and aren't getting shot at by your enemy around them) I'd
usually recommend ignoring him, continuing on with bigger,
better things.
Note: It'll become pretty simple to spot enemy Spies once you
learn what to look for. On occasion, your team may cry
out that a particular Spy is giving them a great deal of
trouble, also, said Spy may focus on the same area time
and time again upon re-spawning. In said scenario, it's
always nice to help out your team, this can be done in a
multitude of ways. You could hideout waiting for the Spy
to come to you. You could attempt deterring the enemy
Spy by disguising as a friendly Pyro, as such they will
be more timid upon approach. Also, being that you're goal
is to take out an enemy Spy, think outside the box. Think
about how you would play Spy if you were on the
opposing team. If you know the map, you'll know specific
routes that good Spies will use often, in addition, you'll
be aware of many other map specific tactics that Spies
have at their disposal. There is nothing better than out-
smarting a rival Spy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Stabbing aside, the following are also key targets that a Spy
must consider...
-Tele-Entrance:
It is worth noting that the easiest target is a tele entrance,
based on the fact that nothing is around to protect it but that
of enemies who re-spawn near them.
-Sentry Gun:
The Spy is unique in that he is the only class in the game
capable of disabling Engineer structures. He is oftentimes key
in handling enemy Sentries. A well placed Sentry, in
combination with a pressuring enemy opposition can more than
cripple your team. Taking out these bad boys will definitely aid
your team immensely.
-Dispenser:
Taking out dispensers is also very important because they
provide Engineers with more metal with which to repair their
things. In addition, they heal the enemy, and replenish their
ammo supply. It's very important to take these out.
-Tele-Exit:
Oftentimes these are located near an Engineer's dispenser and
sentry. If this is not the case, then they are placed in a
discrete place that is really not to difficult to spot. These
are fairly simple to take out, as the sapper finishes them off
before most Engineers have time to save them.
*Make sure to check out the Engineer specific section later in
the guide.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
=======================[Worst Targets]===========================
-Pyro:
Enemy Pyros are a Spy’s greatest fear, and will cause the
most aggravation. This is because Pyros tend to spray their fire
randomly, and all too often in that random spraying they will
singe you and catch you ablaze. Once you are on fire, you are
tagged to the entire enemy team. Now they can all see that
you're a Spy. usually, If you walk into a Pyro, even for a
second, they burn you to death, so avoid them above all else.
Also, probably the most aggravating of all is the fact that they
help baby-sit sentry guns and dispensers with the Engineers;
making it very difficult for a Spy to do any real damage,
though, on occasion, a Spy can still be successful in sapping
and destroying things even in the presence of a Pyro. Messing
with an enemy Pyro will almost always result in being burned to
death. If you're on fire, can't escape for health (which stops
you from burning), and can't jump into water, then don't go down
without a fight. Sap stuff, stab people, go out and take the
entire world with you.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-Scout:
Sure Scouts are typically thought of as weak, and puny, this
maybe so through the eyes of a hulking Heavy, or a psychotic
rocket-wielding Soldier. However, from a Spy's point-of-view,
Scouts can be devastating. Most Spies probably have nightmares
of their rapidly swinging bat. The reason Scouts are so deadly
to Spies is as follows. First of all they are so fast. When you
turn corners while cloaked a Scout might come out of nowhere and
run into you, in this case you are almost always dead. You've
been discovered... They will run around shooting their scatter
gun and pummeling the air with their bat, covering far more area
than you at a much more quicker rate. If you run out of cloak,
forget it, back stabbing, or at the very least, stabbing them to
death is very difficult, and unless you are dead-on with the
revolver, expect to see that bat finding its way to your face!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************************
-Section 5) HOW TO HANDLE ENGINEERS [A5]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
As a Spy, you'll spend a great deal of time taking out both
Engineers, and their establishments. The following is a list of
many of, if not all of the possible scenarios you'll experience
in dealing with them.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Before I begin, I decided to add a few general pointers when
dealing with Engineers.
• Generally speaking, in most scenarios, it's safer to stab the
Engineer, then sap his establishment.
• If you backstab the Engineer whilst he is behind a tier three
Sentry, you'll actually be able to follow up with a sapper to
the sentry if you move very quickly. However, speed isn't the
only factor at hand. Typically, it's best to move around the
sentry a slight bit, dodging the revolving turret before
sapping. This works very well, you just have to follow the
motion of the turret. You can actually move around the turret
just as fast, if not faster, as it can turn to face you. Which
means so long as you don't mess-up, you'll be able to sap it.
This is probably one of the flashiest things a Spy can do.
Practice.
• Another useful tip deals with enemy dispensers. Pay attention
to enemy dispenser location, with relation to that particular
Engineer's Sentry. More often than not, an Engineer will build
both his dispenser and Sentry in close proximity to one
another. You can actually use this to your advantage. In some
scenarios you may stab the Engineer and not have time to deal
with his tier three sentry. You can avoid the sentry entirely
by hiding behind the dispenser. A sentry built by Engineer "A"
can not shoot through a dispenser built by said Engineer. It
acts as sort of barrier, the sentry can't even see you once
you duck behind it. Use this to your advantage. Be careful
though, if the dispenser you hide behind is made by a
different Engineer than the one who made the sentry, the
sentry will target and shoot you through the dispenser.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1.) Sometimes you’ll find that an Engineer has left his
establishment unattended, in which case sap everything in sight.
Though, most Engineers are smart enough to baby-sit sit their
sentry gun, dispenser, and usually a tele exit. So, it’s not
always this simple.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
2.) When they are camping their sentry gun and dispenser take
note of a few things. Firstly, where is the dispenser in
relation to them? Usually they crouch with their sentry gun to
their front and their dispenser to their rear. Secondly, where
are you in relation to your target Engineer? If you come at the
Engineer from the front, and he can see you, even in disguise,
he will suspect that you’re a Spy, and will greet you with a
few shotty rounds or a pleasant smack of the wrench to your
face. So it’s imperative to cloak and get by the target
Engineer, then de-cloak in a safe place. Now, coming from a
natural place, approach the Engineer. Usually, approaching
from behind yields the best results being that you have the
element of surprise on your side. If this is the case, you have
a few options.
-----------------------------------------------------
A. Sap everything near the Engineer and attempt to
stab him.(Sometimes risky because he could repair
the sentry just as you stab him and you’ll
probably die. Though, sometimes you can get a
clean stab at his back.)
-----------------------------------------------------
B. Backstab the unsuspecting Engineer then
immediately sap the sentry followed by the
dispenser.(which is the most risky thing to do
with a tier 3 sentry as it could turn and kill you
faster than you can sap it). To avoid being shot
by the sentry, as stated above, you can move
around it as it rotates towards you. If you dodge
toe turret effectively enough, you'll be able to
sap it with no problem.
-----------------------------------------------------
C. Sap everything, then strafe like mad re-sapping as
the Engineer knocks off your sappers. keeping the
Engineer as busy as possible is key. During this
sap-fest, if the moment presents itself, backstab
the Engineer. If not, continue to re-sap, while
attempting to kill the Engineer. Overwhelming the
Engineer is always advised. (You might use C when
an Engineer builds his things in such a way that
his back is to a wall and he can’t be backstabbed.
Which is often times the case for certain areas of
many maps. Usually in said scenario the Engineer
will be sitting on top of his dispenser, which is
against the corner of a room.)
Conversely, if he is atop his dispenser, and his
back is to the wall you can use his Sentry gun as
a step stool to get on top of the Engineer.
Though, to do this, you must be cloaked, otherwise
the Engineer will be aware of you. Once you get
on top of the engineer, crouch, and stab downwards
nearest his back, this should result in a
backstab.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
3.) The Engineer is building a sentry. Approach him from behind
making sure that his sentry is facing AWAY from you, backstab
him, and then IMMEDIATELY sap the sentry. It’s not worth making
it known to the Engineer that you are there. So sometimes
stabbing first is the way to go, and can save you the pain of
being beat to death by an angry wrench-wielding yellow-helmeted
Engineer... Ultimately, I ALWAYS recommend you stab them in the
back first, so long as you are directly behind the sentry--
it is key that the sentry is facing away from you, you'll be
able to stab then sap before it can fully turn to you. This
grows increasingly more risky as the sentry advances in tech
level. Stab-sapping is generally made easier when you strafe
around the turret, attempting to avoid the revolving sentry so
to provide you the opportunity to sap it. You'll find this
useful with tier three sentries, try it out, experiment...
Note: This works on each level sentry, though the risk increases
as the sentry advances. For example, if you backstab the
Engineer then fail to sap his tier 3 sentry before it turns to
shoot you; you're more than likely dead. Speed is everything
here.
Note: This becomes more difficult to pull off when an Engineer
is sandwiched between a dispenser and his sentry, because in
this case, usually you can't situate yourself directly behind
the sentry unless you are sitting atop his dispenser, then
stab, then sap. Try backstabbing the Engineer, then very
quickly back of seeking cover behind his dispenser.
Note: If a sentry turned fast enough to shoot you... you can
take quite a few hits from a tier 1 sentry before you die. So
you have time to approach it and sap, even from the front.
A Tier 2 sentry is more deadly, but still if you get clipped
you'll survive plenty long enough to sap it. Finally, as I've
mentioned, if a tier 3 sentry turns quickly enough to fire at
you the rocket pods will kill you in one strike.
Note: #3 is absolutely the way to go in handling Engineers in
sudden-death mode. It's especially helpful in this scenario</pre><pre id="faqspan-3">
because so long as you backstab the Engineer so to do you
destroy their establishment. So in this case you don't have to
worry about which way the their sentry is facing, but rather
you want to make sure that if you attempt striking them in the
back, don't miss.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
4.) Sometimes you will find a sentry and dispenser off to the
side, with no protection, but you know an Engineer is near
enough that he can get there in time to halt your sapping. The
best thing to do in such a scenario is to shoot whatever it is
that you sapped with your revolver, thus blowing your cover.
This is the smartest thing a Spy can do given the situation and
scenario. While something is sapped it is loosing health
rapidly, and sometimes not quickly enough for it to die before
the aid of a near-by Engineer, so shooting the target, while
sapped will surely get the job done. This strategy is usually
done when no one is around to kill you when you come out of your
disguise. Though, it is also sometimes a last-ditch effort to
ensure that a sentry dies before you die.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
5.) The last word of advice I have for you is how to deal with
one of those smartass Engineers who figures out how to get to an
area that is typically out of reach, thus making sapping
impossible. Seeing as how you can get behind enemy lines fairly
easily as a Spy, position yourself in or near the enemies base,
the best place being a somewhat secluded area. Then, shoot the
dispenser with your revolver, it may not seem so accurate, but
you'll soon see the dispenser smoking, and catch ablaze. It
only takes a few shots from even quite a distance to take out a
dispenser; taking out the sentry is next on the list. Fire
away at the sentry, it will take a clip or two, so between 6
and 12 bullets to kill a tier 3 sentry.
Note: Always use #5 when dealing with an Engineer who is too
difficult to take out, for whatever reason (it could be that he
has Pyros protecting him). Make sure to position yourself
outside the sentry's range.
Note: The last thing an Engineer expects from a Spy is that
he'll attack his establishment by simply shooting at it. Most
Engineers take so much care as to how they build their
establishment as to hinder the Spy's chances of succeeding them,
that they overlook the obvious.
-----------------------------
Specific Map Examples of #5:
-----------------------------
Gravel Pit
When on the offensive, you might notice that at point C, some
rather intelligent Engineer has built his stuff on the roof of
the tower at C. Not that platform near the control point, but
the slanted roof on the backend. That Engineer's sentry can do
quite a bit of damage to your team because he is relatively safe
and can easily repair without worry of spies and whatnot. Or is
he?
Position yourself in the far corner of the enemy base, where the
Snipers hang out, more specifically, in the corner near the
enemy's right spawn point door against the wall. From their,
you'll avoid a fair amount of enemies as they may spawn and run
right past you, also you'll have a perfect line-up to that
little roof and the Engineer. Take out the dispenser first,
shooting it wildly. Then destroy as much as you can, I’d
recommend taking out the sentry next.
Also nearly every time this map is played an Engineer sets up on
the left side of C, on that ramp just beyond the spawn entrance.
If that Engineer has been giving you trouble, I'd advise
following the above steps in taking out his sentry as well.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Well
In Well, I find it to be necessary on occasion to shoot an
Engineer's set-up from the third floor area above the 2nd
control point (this is the highest area in which there is a
large rectangular gap in the floor).
Assuming you're at the enemies base, and there is no threat up
there with you. You may find that the best way to take out the
Engineer's stuff is crouching, and making sure you are
positioned in such a way that enemy sentry gun(s) can't hit
you, then take out the dispenser, and sentry gun(s) with your
trusty revolver. Sometimes this is more useful than sapping,
because often times you die when sapping because another enemy
intervenes you, like a Pyro or Soldier. If you're quick enough
you can kill off one structure at a time without the Engineer
knowing where you are, and how his stuff is dieing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************************
Section 6) Map Specific Strategies [A6]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-Preface:
Most of these strategies utilize the concept of "looping". The
idea of looping, in short, is finding a path in a map that will
easily take you behind the enemy, and in a congested area. Kill
as many of said enemies as possible, then cloak and make your
way to the path that brought you behind the enemy in the first
place. Repeat the slaughter. Hence the "looping." This technique
is usually a sure-fire success. Obviously, it will require some
on-the-fly maneuvering to decrease your predictability to the
enemy. They may catch onto you patterns. However, there are so
many patterns, that your enemy can't possibly track each one.
Just be smart, loop till it no longer works, than change the
pattern, then go back to the original pattern that worked.
Confuse and dismay your enemy.
The following examples are brought to you nearly entirely by
nodforlife. Kudos to him as he has spent quite a bit of time
going over many of the maps in considerable detail. Though don't
worry, Delkin didn't slack here entirely. The only map specific
strategy that he's responsible for is that of CP_Well. In
addition he added to many of the sections, namely the Hydro
additional information and tips, and a brief opening for
Gravel Pit.
We hope this section illustrates the effectiveness of the above
strategies, and ideas.
=================================================================
Hydro
=================================================================
This is probably among the most difficult maps to play Spy on,
since the distance between your base and theirs is usually large
and takes up your entire cloak meter, often causing you to
reveal yourself in the middle of their base and subsequently be
shot. Don't worry, the key here is experience. With practice,
you'll learn where best to cloak, and where best to de-cloak. In
which case you'll find yourself lined up for tons of kills on
this map. There are two ways to play Hydro as a Spy: rush-
stopper or base-sapper. Most variations of Hydro have two paths
to the enemy side, so bottlenecking occurs frequently. If you
decide to be a rush-stopper, find a decent nook in the pathway
between bases to cloak, wait for their rush to go by, then try
to kill their Medics, Heavies, etc. For the Spy on Hydro, the
best defense can really be a good offense, because you will stop
their rushes cold before they can cause any damage to your side.
Your ally Snipers may hate you for stealing their kills before
they are in range, but hey, they should be less cowardly anyway.
The other option is to try to destroy the opponent’s defenses.
This takes more finesse, since killing a sentry on Hydro is less
important than other maps. Because of the distance between
control points, the Engineers often have time to repair their
destroyed buildings before your team can bust through their
lines and take advantage of the lull in defense. I'd only
recommend trying to sap their defenses if you can time your saps
with your team’s rushes, sapping them right before your team
makes a big offensive push. Often, the opponents will become so
preoccupied with trying to kill the Spy they will be caught
off-guard by the rush and your allies can get the point.
----------------------
•Additional Hydro Tips
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I've received e-mails from people still experiencing difficulty
on this map, namely the fact that they don't have enough cloak
to maneuver around safely, and as such de-cloak in sight of
enemy forces and die.
As stated above, Hydro is a difficult map to play as Spy for a
few reasons, primarily due-to-the-fact that the map is large,
and rather wide-open. Your cloak meter is just barely enough to
reach the enemy's side, let alone navigating it. Here are some
furthering pointers that will hopefully aid you. Keep in mind
that Hydro is one of the more difficult maps as Spy because you
need to be at the peek of your game to truly do well, as it
demands the utmost of Spy coordination. Sure a newer Spy can
become lucky and do well, but if there are experienced players
lurking, a new Spy can only get so far.
Here are some keynotes to aid in the success of Spying in this
map:
1. Cloak at the last possible second-- though always before
entering enemy sights. (this ensures that you have the max
amount of cloak available when sneaking around the enemy's
base.)
2. Chose disguises quickly, and effectively. Pyro is one of the
best disguises on any map. In addition, this map is a major
Sniping map, and as such executing a Sniper disguise when
in the appropriate area is immensely effective, namely when
taking out snipers. Also, Engineers go nuts on this map,
which again points to the fact that an Engineer disguise
will often prove effective. Beyond said disguises, Demoman
isn't bad either, as it doesn't decrease your speed much.
3. When de-cloaking, obviously de-cloaking behind cover is
essential to the success of a Spy. Though, sometimes things
don't work out so smoothly, at the very least, de-cloak far
out of enemy range or sight (e.g. if you're on the enemy's
side, and are running out of cloak and can't reach cover in
time, try to back as far from the enemy as you can and don't
stop somewhere to replenish cloaking. Just pray that your
sloppy de-cloaking was unseen by the enemy). Keep moving once
on the enemy side. One great place to de-cloak on many
versions of Hydro is under one of the many bridges. I
recommend that you scurry to the furthest bridge in an enemy
base when de-cloaking-- again don't wait under the bridge for
your cloaking to replenish as enemy's will kill you on-
sight, immediately suspecting that you're a Spy. For the
record, once you know the map well, and where and when to
deploy your cloak, finding cover should be no problem. Though
Hydro has some expansive open areas, there are always plenty
of places to hide, I assure you. Be creative, and spontaneous.
4. Always try using the back-way first (try to avoid moving with
your team). Though, sometimes it's not quite that simple, you
may find that every time you attempt to use a back-way, which
tends to be a narrow path, you run into an enemy who also
decided to play it sneaky, as such you could die in a heart-
beat. Though, if you are able to bypass an entrance as such,
it will be far more easy to slip through the enemy's base,
and usually with more cloak at your disposal. If a back-way
continually fails, the primary path(s) can be just as
effective if not more so, it's just a matter of cloaking at
the right moment which in this case, and all cases, is the
last possible second, just before entering enemy sights. Also,
another reason to avoid primary paths is the fact that there's
far to much crossfire at times to avoid.
5. Hydro is a perfect map for "Looping," that is circling an
area that typically repopulates with new targets, taking out
as many enemies as possible with each pass. Use your cloak
to get just beyond the midpoint of the map, crossing into
enemy territory, then de-cloak somewhere rather close, then
join enemy forces as they string together up ramps, stairs,
into halls, whatever the case, make sure they are facing away
from you which will usually be the case as typically they will
be on the lookout for, or dealing with your team.
For example, In one version of Hydro, on the far left side of
Red's base there is a metal stairway that leads to a boulder
cliff. This cliff brings you to a slope, and another path
that lead to Blue's base. Say I'm a blue Spy, in looping, I
might head to the boulder-ledge area (the area that overlooks
the entire Red base--as such Red Snipers have a field day
killing Blue on this cliff), cloak just before becoming
visible to the enemy, and walk off the side of the cliff,
landing in the shallow water of Red's base below. I'd quickly
find a spot near-by to de-cloak, then I'd turn and head up
Red's stairway (the one that heads to the boulder cliff that
I just dropped from) Approaching this cliff from the enemy's
side grants access to a slew of unsuspecting enemies, as
such, I'd backstab as many as possible, then cloak, and
repeat the process. This is an example of "rush-stopping,"
or what I also consider to be "looping."
6. In this map especially it is ill-advised for a Spy in enemy
territory to lay-low allowing the replenishment of cloaking,
especially if you are standing still. If say you decided to
chill out under a bridge you can expect to be Spy-checked by
any passing enemy, the result being death. This map demands
that you keep in constant motion, especially on enemy turf.
Always formulate a plan quickly, and execute it. Once you
become experienced with this map you'll learn your
limitations. You'll learn that certain spots can actually
serve as good rest points for a Spy to regain his cloak.
Those spots will be discovered through experience. For
example, you'll learn that certain bridges are checked more
frequently than others, while the divit over there is hardly
ever checked. Those things will be discovered through
experimentation.
7. Targets: This map is a Sniper's dream-- with that, so to is
it a Sniper's nightmare, as an experienced Spy will gut him
like a fish. Always take-out Snipers, as they are easy
targets, and on this map there's a wealth of them. Also,
Engineers go absolutely crazy on this map, they have a total
and utter field day. Make sure to take out Engineers and their
establishments to greatly aid your team's chances of breaking
the enemy line, and thus dominating their base. In addition
to Snipers, and Engineers, pay special attention to Medics,
as this map is all about uber-pushing. Attempt taking out
any Medic combos, especially Medic/Heavy combos.
8. As with any map, experience is key. With it, you learn where
to cloak, how to move, where to de-cloak, in addition to
how the enemy works together, namely how they will move. This
experience can only be grasped through playing the map, and
running through trial and error. No matter how many times
you read this guide that will remain the case. Though
thankfully, it's a learned, passive ability that you'll
acquire just from playing. Whether or not you do well, you'll
still gain new knowledge of a map, and as such go about
things differently with your new found experience. Don't give
up.
=================================================================
Gravel Pit
=================================================================
An excellent map for the Spy, as it's ample with Engineer
establishments, and offers plenty of hiding places. In Gravel
Pit, It is advised that you stray from moving in conjunction
with your team, at least avoid moving to close to your team.
This map offers a plethora of options, and paths, and as such
you should execute them. Make on offense, be sure to take the
more convoluted path (e.g. take the long way in meeting up with
your team, corrupt the enemy along the way). When defending,
wait at A, even if your entire team is holding B (which is
usually the case). Don't expect to hold A yourself, just aim to
kill as many enemies as possible, slowing them down hopefully
to some degree. Once you are done pestering the enemy at A, join
in the effort of holding B.
Offense:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
First, your team should all rush the same site. Splitting up the
rush is almost always doom, since sentries make defense easier
to do with less men than offense. Assuming that, the best
strategy is to kill the sentries first, then try to get their
Medics and Heavies. Killing Pyros is difficult as a Spy, but do
it if you can, since a Pyros flames can take out several of your
allies at once, especially if they’re all standing on the
control point. For Site A, I usually cloak as soon as I get
within sight range of the area (e.g. right before you drop down
onto the dirt) then make a mad dash for the point, where the
sentries are usually located. Hopefully the Engineer is alone
and killable, but even if he’s not, you can cause a distraction
and allow your team to make it up the hill and take out their
defenses. Also, since a sapped sentry doesn’t shoot at anyone,
the jumping and re-sapping strategy is very effective, since the
path up to A is fairly short and you can often survive long
enough to allow your team to scramble up the hill without taking
any turret fire. Most teams devote most of their resources to
defending Site B, so A usually has only one sentry, if that.
Capture, then move on to Site B.
For B, I usually take the left
entrance, since it gets you into the site faster. As before,
cloak before you enter so as to avoid Snipers and
entrance-camping Pyros and Demomen. Rush into the site and try to
sap like crazy, or rush around to the other side and take out the
troops guarding the other exit. You’ll die a lot doing this, but
the combination of sapped sentries and an ubered-Soldier or Heavy
should give your team enough of an edge and allow you to take the
point.
As for Point C, you could try sneaking up to the top
before your team has fully captured A and B, but experienced
players will set up preliminary defenses to prevent this. I
usually take the path through A, then go out the right side
which points straight toward the tower. Cloak before you exit,
hop on the little shack, then run up to the top of C. There will
usually be someone up there, so try to stab them. Hopefully they
will be distracted by Soldiers firing from the place you just
exited, and you can get some stabbing done. If there’s a sentry,
sap it. Aside from this, Engineers are fond of placing sentries
on the slanted ramps right outside their spawn, crouching down
and hitting them with their wrenches, and being low enough that
they are out of range for your team’s snipers and rockets. This
is where you come in. Use the stab n’ sap like previously
discussed, and run away quickly before their team spots you, but
you’ll probably get burned by a Pyro.
Defense:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
When defending A, I like to crouch down on top of the little
shack on the lower right, near their exit. Most opponents won’t
see you peaking down at them, giving you time to cloak, run
behind their lines as they run up the hill, then get your stab
on. As always, Medics first. Never forget there’s health
directly under the capture point. You will need this frequently,
mostly from Pyros.
When defending B, I usually camp by the fence by their right
exit. From here you can peak through the little crack in the
fence to see the exit nearest you, but still see across the area
to the other exit by the big boulder. Wait until there’s a rush,
cloak, then stab. Be careful of Pyros, since the nearest health
is too far away to grab, and it’s the small health at that.
For C, you can try to cloak and sneak back toward A or B and
flank them, which works sometimes. Most of the time, I creep
around the right and left exits, leaving the center one for the
solders on the top of C to deal with. Since the right and left
entrances have two ways in and out, I cloak, go in one, then walk
to the other. Hopefully, you’ll flank someone and can get some
stabs. If there’s no one around, just wait a second until your
cloak replenishes, then repeat. There’s only three ways in, so
you’ll see someone eventually. Also, Engineers are fond of
setting up buildings here, but they should be easy to sap since
their team is in full offense mode and won’t spend time
protecting their ally’s investments.
=================================================================
Dustbowl
=================================================================
This is by far the best map for stabbing. You can often dominate
the scoreboards here, basically by running the same route over
and over. People never learn. It’s amazing.
Offense:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
For the first point on the first section, wait a few moments
after the match starts to let all the spamming Soldiers and
Demomen have to reload, then cloak and run out the exit to the
railroad tracks. You have just enough cloak to get to the far
shafts, where there is usually a sniper sitting. Stab him, the
run back into their base and re-disguise yourself. Then, rush
into the point and sap like mad. You’ll die a lot, but if you
can get the sentry down long enough for your team to get in
their and kill it, you’ll be solid. For the next point, take the
shaft to the right, walk up the steps, cloak, then jump down off
the bridge behind their lines. There’s usually a sentry on the
right behind the corner. The sap n’ stab usually works here,
since there’s not much roaming room for the Engineers. Also,
Snipers usually camp the upper bridge, and are usually alone and
out of eyeshot of the rest of their team. You know what to do
there. If you can get the sentry on the right down, that’s
usually enough to get your team to bust through to the point. If
they don’t, just keep re-sapping the same sentry that the
Engineer will probably keep putting in the same place. You’re
team should eventually get through.
On the first point of the next section, cloak as you walk down
the little ditch before being exposed to their defenses. They
will often have a sentry on top of the shack to the right. Rush
up and sap it. If there’s smart they’ve got a Pyro up there to
watch for Spies, so you’ll probably die a lot, but really all
you need to do is get the gun down long enough to give your
Demomen and Soldiers time to kill it. Aside from this, there are
usually Snipers in the back, or in the window of the building.
They are easy prey. I will often cloak, run behind the building,
allow my bar to recharge a bit, then run back toward where they
come out from, stabbing them as they get to the fight. You can
also jump up the tires to the point and attempt to sap the
sentry that’s usually in the doorway to the room by the point,
but that’s usually best killed by coming in from the ground
entrance. Often that room is deserted except for the Engineer,
so you can usually kill the sentry no problem. Capture the
point, then move on. Now, the next point is one of the hardest
for a Spy, since there’s often multiple sentries along the
right wall by their spawn. You’ve got two choices: try to sap
the sentries, which almost never works because there’s tons of
defenders and Engineers to repair the sentries after they’ve
been wounded. I’d recommend sapping the guns only if your team
is coordinating an attack and they will rush out right after
you’ve sapped their guns and distracted their defense. The
other choice is to rush out the main gait to this section
while cloaked, run under the building, go left and up the steps
to the railing. Often there are Demomen and Soldiers up here
spamming all the exits. Stab them, since you are most often out
of sentry range at this point. Sometimes Engineers will place a
sentry on top of the exit you came out of, but there are
basically defenseless up there and can be easily destroyed with
a little persistence. Capturing this point definitely takes a
lot of teamwork, but a Spy can be instrumental in getting the
final push off the ground.
For the first point on the last section, I like to exit from the
right most doorway by the hallway, since you’re out of the line
of most of the fire. Just be careful to avoid spamming Demomen
and Soldiers. There’s often a sentry on the left behind the
wooden steps. Cloak, get behind the Engineer and give him the
stab n’ sap. There’s usually a sentry in the elevated doorway
across from you on the left, but it’s out of the range of your
sappers and should be avoided. Your teammates will have to take
care of that one. For the last point, depending on how far up
your line has pushed their defense, adjust your cloak
accordingly. If their team is still clogging the hallway, it’s
very difficult to sneak by, but if you do, run immediately to
the little door directly to the right of the bridge. Grab the
health if you’re weak, then hop down the upper door and flank
their team, stabbing all who you can. This will hopefully allow
your team to move up and establish an outpost with teleports by
the bridge. Once they do that, keep cloaking as you run across
the gap to the door you went in before, but this time wait a
second in the upper room, out of the line of fire. Allow your
meter to recharge, then cloak again and exit at the upper door
that leads toward their spawn. Run back to the very rear of the
level, behind the control point. Analyze where their sentries
are and try to sap them. Getting this point is very difficult,
and like the final point of part two of this map, it takes
teamwork, but as before a Spy can be instrumental in getting a
successful rush off the ground. Also, there’s usually Snipers
in the back that you can stab if you want, but you’ll usually
get killed by a sentry or a Pyro.
Defense:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
For the first point of the first section, it’s very hard to get
stabs since there’s no real good way to get behind the other
team. The best way is to cloak, then run along the ridge on the
left, watching the canyon below. If enemies rush out, jump
behind them and stab. Once they get the first point, however,
the fun begins. Rush out either the right or left exit back
toward the first point, and retreat quickly if you see someone
coming since there’s not enough room for you to go around him
and you will be revealed. Sneak inside the shack where the first
point is and walk up the steps. Watch where their team is going
and get behind them. If they go in either one of the bottom
entrances, follow and stab. Often they’ll try going to the right
and up the steps to the bridge on your side, but you can usually
stab them before they get there, and it’s such a small room
before the bridge that their Medics are usually stationary and
easy targets. Often their team will attempt to set up an outpost
in the top shaft to the right of the control point, since your
team has no way to get in there except for running all the way
around to the first point and up the steps. Hard for a Soldier
or Heavy, easy for a Spy. Get in there and sap if you can,
teleporter first if they’ve got one. Since you can only win by
defending for a time limit, slowing their advance onto your soil
is the best strategy besides outright killing. Often two or
three enemies will become clogged in the doorway that leads down
to your point. If you see this, smile largely, my friend,
because you just got a couple backstabs. Be careful of sentries
in this room, as well as suspicious Pyros. Often, trying to kill
enemies in here is more trouble than it’s worth. At this point,
I’d recommend sneaking back toward their spawn and sapping the
teleporter entrance that’s usually right outside their exit on
the right. The engineer is probably halfway across the map at
this point, so you should get it easily, but you might get
killed by the exiting troops.
On the first point of the next section, cloak, run down into
their spawn, wait for the rush to walk by, then stab. If you
survive, run back toward the control point and recharge your
cloak in the shack, grab the health, then cloak again. Rush
toward the shack with the ladder beside it, run up the ladder,
jump down and run back into their spawn. Stab again. Repeat this
over and over. My record is 12 backstabs without dying. How can
you do? On the next point, rush toward the middle-right exit of
the four, cloak right before you round the corner and can be
seen, then rush through the little alley in between the building
and the fence. Grab the big health if needed, then camp in the
corner between the first control point and the fence. Wait for
their team to rush by, then walk out and join them. A lot of
times they’ll set up a little outpost here with a sentry. I don’t
usually try to kill this, since it’s usually more trouble than
it’s worth. Just follow their team wherever they’re going and
stab them if you don’t get killed by suspicious enemies. The
other tactic on this section is to run up the ladder to the ramp
above the two exits across the section from your spawn and wait
for guys to come out. Often they will set up an outpost in the
far left shaft, down toward the one-way gate. Don’t bother trying
to kill this. The corridor is so small you’ll probably get killed
by the time you can sap anything. You’ll have more luck stabbing
the guys that flow out. If you want, you can try sneaking all the
way back to their spawn and sapping the teleporter entrance,
slowing their advance.
On the first point of the last section, I usually take the far
left entrance to their spawn, run down along the hallway, then
loop up the steps behind their lines. Stab at will. If the
hallway is clogged, just retreat. You’re invisible, so as long as
they don’t bump into you or shoot you can get away cleanly. Just
repeat this over and over, killing Medics first as always. On the
final point of the map, rush down the path, turn right, head
straight and go up the steps to the little room on top. Grab the
health if you need to and recharge the cloak for a bit. Then, run
along the railing while cloaked. Go out and to the left, then
jump over their advancing lines and de-cloak by the first capture
point. Approach their backs and stab. Often, they’ll set up a
sentry here to prevent this, but you can get a sapper on it and
kill a couple people before it gets repaired or you die, or you
can use the stab n’ sap on the engineer, although it’s not really
that important. You could just follow the lines around the bend
and out of its path, or you could camp in the upper room on the
right with the health and wait until their team walks by
underneath you. Killing medics on this part is essential, since
often the only way to win is with the ubercharge to take out your
sentries. Don’t let them get it.
=================================================================
Granary
=================================================================
The key here is to know where the front lines are. Just cloak as
your run through the room where the embattled control point is
and dip behind their lines. For the center one, I find cloaking
and climbing the ramps give you a good vantage point to see
where the most stab-able enemies are. Be sure you’re disguised as
a Sniper or Engineer here, since a Pyro would have no reason to
be up that high. For the other points, just slip around their
defenses and take out their Engineers before they can get
sentries up, or if your team is on the defensive, their Medics
and Heavies. Use the upper ramps that lead down the long
corridor and cloak before dropping down the circle exit in the
floor. You can usually flank an attacking team that way,
exposing their Medics to the stab. For the last point, sneak
onto it early if you can, since it captures fast enough you can
usually take it before they can get to you. If that’s not the
case, cloak right before you enter the last area, rush all the
way back to the point, then don’t de-cloak until there’s no one
standing on it. If there is, stab him. If there’s a sentry
around, killing it should be your priority, since you’ll die
from its bullets too quickly to get the capture (remember, you
can’t capture while disguised or cloaked). Even if you don’t get
the capture, hopefully you can move the capture meter far enough
along before you die that your team can finish it off.
=================================================================
CP_Well : Among Delkin's favorite maps!!! Strats by Delkin :D
=================================================================
First of all, when reading this, read it slowly, and carefully.
I tried to write it as best I could and as simply as I could.
Hopefully, you'll find that it's written well enough to
visualize. So, please try to picture the map, and exactly what
this strategy pertains. It's recommend that you have a basic
understanding of the map before reading the below strategies.
It's a step-by-step walkthrough of what I do on this map. What I
believe all Spies should do.
Offense:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
At the start of the match, exit your building, and head to the
water nearest your base. At the waters edge, wait for the setup
countdown, perched there carefully, all the while eyeing the
submerged waterway which leads to the mid point area. If you
dive into the water at exactly 3 seconds and go straight to the
water entry at the mid point, the gates will open precisely when
you arrive at them.
Before exiting the submerged path to the floors of the middle
point, make sure to apply cloaking as to avoid being seen.
While cloaked quickly cross the room diagonally (crossing both
railroad tracks), then de-cloak once you’re in the tiny room
that has the water entry that leads to the enemy base.
Carefully swim along towards the enemy's base via their water-
network until you reach one of the two bridges, I usually head
to the left bridge (which from the enemy's point-of-view is the
right bridge). Once you reach the bridge rise against the
underside of it to get air (this way you don’t surface for air
in-sight of the enemy). From beneath the bridge you will be
able to see if there is an Engineer establishment in the area;
in addition, you can track some enemy movement.
Now cloak, jump from the water, and run to the nearest corner
beside one of their big garage doors (the corners that are on
the left and right side of the entrance doors when you leave
their base structure) then de-cloak while standing in the
corner. For the record, I typically de-cloak on the left side of
the door, as there's more space to "hide" than the right side.
Make sure the coast is clear before you continue onward, or wait
for a few enemies to leave the doors (running by you) then
follow them. I'd advise that you avoid joining the advancing
enemies when the door is still open. It closes quickly, so let
it close after they run out, then follow them. If you don't wait
for the door to close and you join the enemy ranks, enemies
further behind will see you come from nowhere to join their
comrades, and will grow suspicious of you.
At this point, follow the enemy over the bridge (the bridge that
you once hid beneath), and head towards the side entrances of
the mid point. You'll more than likely be surrounded by the
enemy, as they will populate this area. As such, you'll be
presented with a slew of options here. With a congestion of
enemies around you, assess your best possible targets, and
quickly execute your attack!
When attacking, You may decide to sap like mad, get a few
backstabs, and conclude with a stealthy retreat. Or, you could
focus entirely on backstabs, remembering to attack those nearest
you first, heading to further enemies next. Just be efficient
in executing your plan.
After the initial attack, I highly suggest you retreat to the
nearest safe area while cloaked (this could be the water, or the
mid-spawn-point area if your team has seized it). Now you have a
few options at hand. First, you could repeat the above
process, thus continually ambushing the enemy via their water
path. *cough* looping *cough* I suggest however, that from time
to time you mix things up; keep the enemy on their toes.
Your next option, which is quite effective, is to head up to the
Sniper battlement that overlooks the enemy's base. From there,
hide in one of the corners of the room, avoiding both random
enemy fire and pesky Snipers. Your goal now is to get a visual
of enemy movement so you can plan a quick stab/sap run
accordingly. Cloak yourself, and either jump out the window or
exit to the roof via one of the two windows situated on the left
and right sides of the room. Make sure to return inside quickly
to de-cloak, thus using only a smidgen of your cloak meter. Now
that you have an understanding of where your enemy is, quickly
make your way down to them via any of the windows (I'd suggest
the left and right ones again). Dart down there quickly,
jumping evasively to avoid potential Sniper fire. Of course, if
you wanted, after the initial sighting of enemies you could have
stayed cloaked, then scurried to them and de-cloaked in a
corner, but I've found jumping down with a disguise is usually
enough to get the jump on them (quite literally). Snipers
usually choke-up when deciding to shoot you, thinking you're
one of them. Kill as many as you can, then once again attempt
to vanish, only to soon after execute a re-appearing act,
repeating the looping.
You'll notice that thus far we have only discussed dealing with
the enemy whilst they charge for the mid point. Once your team
pushes them back to their base, I suggest you do this. In the
safety of a corner, or at the very least in a safe location,
wait for the cloak meter to fully re-charge (standing in a
corner is good because it gives you a chance to keep your eyes
open for enemy Spies, which you may see readying to kill your
allies). In this case, I would once again situate myself in one
of the corners near their base's entrances.
Once fully charged, immediately cloak whilst running into the
enemy's base, through one of the two doors. Nothing fancy here,
kill any stray enemies you can, though I strongly advise you
just avoid everyone and quickly scurry to the stairs in the
second control point room. Quickly run up whichever stair is
closer, then head to the hall that leads to the Sniping
battlements, and third floor. Your cloak will deplete precisely
as you reach and enter this hall. That's assuming you haven't
been slowed down anywhere, which does happen because you MUST
avoid bumping into enemies.
Wait somewhere safe for your cloak to charge. You now have two
options at hand. Which you'll have to decide upon quickly and
on the fly. The first option is to take out the Sentries found
on the ramp near the second control point on the second floor,
not to be confused with Sentries on the third floor. You may
have to loop around the sniper area to gain better access to the
Engineer and his establishment. So, if that's the case, do so. I
recommend you sneak your way into the control-point room, sap
then back off to the safety of the hall, then shoot the sapped
establishment with your revolver to quickly finish it. Of
course, if you can stab the Engineer do so, but don't bother if
doing so will put you in range of yet another sentry.
So yes, the enemy is now fully aware of you, at the very least
we know the Engineer is. Retreat to the third floor via the
hallway, stealth if you must. If there is anything on the third
floor, take the respective measures in dealing with your
findings. Once on the third floor, you can either pester the
Engineers below by shooting and killing whatever they build even
as soon as they place it. In which case they may run off towards
the battlement hall with wrench swinging vigorously. In said
scenario, you can either attempt to kill the quickly approaching
Engineer, or after having saved a bit of cloaking charge, you
could make your way to their final point, and hide in the room
in an obscure spot.
Now if you were lazy, you could wait for your team to capture
the second to last point, thus granting you the option of
capturing the last one. If you plan to do this you better be
quick to the point, as to beat the mad rush of enemies to the
point. Or, you can head off and apply the above strategies.
Defending:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
If your team is base-bound; that is, trapped in their own base.
This can be one of the best positions for a Spy, because the
work is done for you, the enemy is coming to you. Spies are
actually quite effective at defensive play. So, being that
your team is having a war at the entrances to your base, this
maybe a good time in taking the emergency exit. Yes, the
emergency exit, isn't that great? Every base should have one.
Before leaving your base, between the two garage doors is a
room with ammunition in it; head there. Also, you'll see that
there's an escape hatch that drops you into the water below the
base.
Head down into the water. You can either cloak, and then emerge
from the water, find a corner and then de-cloak. At this point
you'd go on a stabbing/sapping rampage. Conversely however, you
could swim all the way to the mid point, or further, then join
their team as they make their way to your base, killing them
along the way. Make sure to sap as you go, taking specific care
of teles. It's also a good idea to pay the enemy's base a visit,
even despite the fact that your own is under siege.
While at the enemy's base, sap their entry-teleporters which
will be situated on the left side of their base. It may be to
your advantage to use the right door as to avoid being seen
by the enemy. You can, from within their base backstab the
enemies as they spawn, but be sure to flee quickly, as they
will be quick to hunt you down. Make them think that you left,
perhaps hide in the third floor area. Wait a few moments then,
when the moments right, and they have placed new tele-
entrances, drop down and continue to sap and slaughter.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Obviously this is not a seamless process, you will be
caught and killed many times. Though, the above strategy is
absolutely the way to go as spy, and learning the above
strategy will pave the road for your handlings on each and
every map.
Note: Yes, I know... If you go by this particular map strategy
word for word-- well you can't. Though, I've stated nearly every
scenario you can experience here. You'll have to apply the
strategy on the fly. Though, it will come to you after having
read this, so, fear not. I will tell you for a fact that when
the round starts you should absolutely follow my initial looping
strategy, joining their forces, then repeating, as it works
every time.
Note: I advise finding typical enemy paths in every map, then,
from a natural area join the flow of enemy movement. The reason
this proves effective is because your enemy won't be suspicious
if they see a pyro running behind a string of other allies as
they near the front lines. It's the best way to blend in, hands
down.
*Essentially the idea to playing Spy well on any map is to out-
smart your enemy. This we know. Did I fail to mention that often
times the enemy is more dumb than you'd think? You can typically
do a great deal of damage looping the enemy into submission. As
I've said, and hopefully by now you realize, "looping" is
finding an area in any map where the enemies congregate, and
while facing away from you. Kill as many as you can by way of
your trusty backstabbing powers, then vanish once more and once
again find your way to the path that started you on your
venture.
=================================================================
2fort: Has 2 strats, one by NodForLife, and the other, Delkin.
=================================================================
NodForLife's Strat:
Ah, 2fort. For me, spy is the only class worth playing on this
stage, unless the intel is in the open and a Scout can grab it.
As a Spy you'll usually get a bad score, but will be
instrumental in the key first movement of the intel out of their
intel room and (hopefully) away from most of their defenses.
As for your plight, the best way to go is out the 'Battlements'
exit, cloak as you round the corner so you don't get sniped.
Then, check to see if anyone's coming across the bridge*. If
not, just walk across un-cloaked (but disguised, I like Pyro
since he's the fastest class that doesn't arouse suspicion).
Once inside their base, turn right into that room adjacent to
the courtyard and cloak. You should have enough cloak to get up
the far steps and down the long staircase into their intel room.
I usually de-cloak at the top of the staircase to the basement
to conserve the meter. Walk toward the intel room, then use the
last slice of your cloak meter right as you enter the intel
room, allowing you to scope their defenses. If they've got a
sentry or two, plan your attack accordingly. If there's an
engineer around, I suggest sapping the sentry first, then
shooting the engineer with the revolver. If he is hell-bent on
repairing the sentry rather than shooting you, just keep sapping
it and eventually it will blow up. Once it's dead, you can try
and kill him but usually he's close enough to you (since he was
repairing the sentry) that his shotgun is a one-hit kill. I just
try to run and get the intel and dash for the exit, jumping and
juking along the way. With any luck, you can make it out to the
right and up the spiral ramp, where the turns will prevent the
slightly slower engineer from following you and shooting you in
the back. Then, just run like crazy back to your base. Hop in
the water if you're getting shot as you exit their fort, usually
the bridge will provide a few key seconds of cover so you can
get around the corner in your sewer pipe and grab the health
down there. From here it should be smooth sailing back to your
intel room for the score, and even if you die, their intel is in
your base so your team can grab it. You won't get any points for
this adventure, since you probably won't get the capture, but if
winning the map is more important, this is my best strategy.
*If there are enemies on the bridge, stay invisible and hop in
the water. De-cloak as soon as you get under the bridge and walk
through their sewer, up the sewer exit steps. In my experience,
there are rarely people guarding the sewer, but if so just cloak
and walk around them. After exiting the sewer, check to see if
there's anyone in the front rooms of their base, then turn left
into the 'L' shaped hallway leading to the courtyard. Cloak right
before you make the right turn in the 'L' since there are often
nosey engineers and pyros protecting the sentry guns that are
always in that courtyard. DO NOT TRY TO SAP THEM. You will just
blow your disguise and get killed. Once in the courtyard, hope
up the steps on the right and head down into their intel room.
See above instructions for what to do from here.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Delkin's Strat:
Disclaimer: I've received E-mails from a few people regarding
difficulty on this map. So, I E-mailed them back,
but did so in a sort of in-depth way. I decided to
copy and paste my E-mail response to them word-for-
word. This was my advise to them... and now to you..
2Fort is an interesting map as Spy. One can be very
successful, but new strategies must be formed to do well here.
What I recommend is this, when leaving the battlements, cloak a
few seconds early so that once you walk off of the battlements,
and onto the ground below, you'll be fully cloaked. Here it gets
interesting. You could attempt crossing the bridge to the
enemy's base, as such you should de-cloak in a corner just
outside their fortress. Once de-cloaked, you could then join
their forces as they cross the bridge to your base, and stab as
many as you can. After stabbing, in attempt of avoiding death,
you must scurry to safety, with cloak active. I usually jump
into the water as it is a safer place to dwell.
The water will usually be your primary path, seeing as how
the bridge is often times too cluttered with enemies to pass.
So, when using the water, here is what you'll face. Either the
enemy Engineer's are building in your sewer system, their own,
or the very middle of the map under water. It's easy enough to
kill sentries that are being built in the water at the center
of the map, just be sneaky, sap, and stab, do whatever necessary
to kill middle establishments.
As for your sewer. If they've claimed it, you will be forced
to approach them from the central water path (the water at the
center of the map where the bridge is). If you attempt heading
to them base-side, then going down that long tunnel, no disguise
will help here. As they will see you and assume you to be a Spy.
In addition, you have to cloak so early to avoid being seen,
that by the time you get to their establishment in your sewers</pre><pre id="faqspan-4">
you've run out of cloak. So, when approaching from the central
water source, cloak just before rounding the first turn in the
tunnel (To make sure no one is waiting for you, if the coast is
clear, de-cloak, then wait a second for you cloak to replenish,
then cloak once more, and enter their establishment. If you
can stab the Engineer then sap, go for it. To be honest, this
is rarely the case as most people here are antsy and are
expecting a Spy. As such, they may be running around swinging
bats, and wrenches, whatever. Here's what I recommend, get into
the room, de-cloak amongst the enemy, then sap everything in
site, then stab like mad. Try to stab the engineer, or even
shoot them. This is a scenario that you may find using your gun
necessary. Most of the enemies here will anticipate you and
will be backed against a wall or something, in midst of trying
to stab them, your gun may better finish the job.
The good thing, about the enemy building in your sewer, is
that you have ample backup. Whilst you are attempting to take
out their establishment, you can call in allies for
reinforcements. On the enemy's side you will have different
options at your disposal. You could take the quickest route,
which is throw the central water supply. Or, you could try
tricking enemy's who may be down their by coming from their end.
As such, you'd sneak into their base, chose a nice disguise of
course, and make your way to their sewer room via their tunnel.
This makes things less suspicious as they may think your one of
them. Though, as you said, Pyros usually aid Engineers in the
protection of their establishments. In this case, you could
either hope to be lucky in stabbing the Pyro, you could shoot
the Pyro, or you could ignore him and just attempt sapping and
killing the Engineer. It is very important to sap here, you MUST
kill their sentry, dispenser, and teles. As, it will slow down
their teams effectiveness down there. You will likely die many
times in attempts
of clearing these areas, but someone has to do it.
Note: One of the more aggravating things you will face when
dealing with the tunnels is a Pyro who has a dispenser
replenishing his ammo continuously, as such, is releasing
a unyielding spray of fire across an access point (e.g.
he's continuously spraying a flame barrier across an area
that you, the spy, need to cross to get to the
establishment. In this case, call in support for dealing
with the Pyro...
Map Strats:
1. Cross bridge, de-cloak in safety and stab as many as you can
as they cross to your base.
2. Kill enemy Snipers, usually crossing the bridge is the best
path to take in reaching them. Also, a Sniper disguise
usually works here. You can usually kill every sniper in the
battlements in one sweep, then cloak and drop into the water
or reenter the base.
3. Hide in the central water area, with your back to the enemy's
side, along the wall. Wait for enemies to drop into the
water, and kill them. In addition, wait outside their tunnel
in the middle of the map, and wait for enemies to come out,
stab them.
4. Once you've crossed the bridge, and de-cloaked in a corner,
you can be quite successful at taking out the enemy offense.
You can stab enemies in the back as they leave their
fortress. You could cloak, then go inside the fortress,
then de-cloak in a corner, and continue the stabbing. You
could sneak further into the base, while cloaked of course,
and attempt to take out Engineers and their establishments.
Note: Ultimately, a good strategy in general is to wait in the
water for unsuspecting enemies to come your way, often-
times you'll stop them from entering your tunnels.
Note: Due to the narrowness of this map it can be quite
difficult for a Spy to pass amongst the enemies without
bumping into them... As such, oftentimes a Spy will be
at his best in the open, taking out the enemy's offensive
pushes.
To be honest, going for the Intelligence is not the Spy's
forte. It's a task better suited for the scouts. Sometimes
you'll make it away successful. Usually, the Spy's best purpose
with the intel is moving it small increments at a time, dieing
each time he picks it up (e.g. say the intel is dropped on the
bridge, and the enemy is all around it now protecting it, while
cloaked, pick it up and move as close to your side as possible.
You'll die, but that will reset the time that it takes for the
intel to reappear in the intel room.. in addition to bringing it
closer to your allies...)
=================================================================
Gold Rush
=================================================================
If it's one thing that Valve's known for, it's treating their
fan base, and customers well. They continuously update their
games, making them the best that they can be. Then of course,
the release new maps on a relatively good basis.
Simply put, this map is amazing. It's great for every class,
though, in my eyes, it's a Spy's dream come true. At first, the
map may seem complicated, though, I assure you, in time you'll
learn it, and understand it quite well.
I don't plan on going nuts here, like I did with the CP_Well
guide. This one will still be informative, but it will be more
general. Assuming you've read anything in this guide, you should
have a general idea of the ins and outs of a Spy. You should be
familiar with general Spy strategies, you should know how to
cloak and disguise effectively. You should also know, in
coordination with all of the above, how to use your surroundings
to your advantage.
Gold Rush is great because it's a very detailed map, with
multiple paths to take. Yet, at the same time, it's fairly
balanced. For the following information, I'm just going to
discuss the first section or stage of the map. Each stage is
just as good as the first, but if you do well on the first
stage, so to shall you on the ones to come. You've just got to
improvise, and implement your knowledge of Spy effectively.
Offense:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Firstly, as always, take on a friendly disguise, as I've said,
I prefer Pyro. While waiting for the gates to open, run back and
forth to each gate scoping enemy placement, they won't move much
and will probably be in the same relative area when the gates
open. Once the gates open, you can either cloak then run out
right away, if you know that it's safe to do so, or you can wait
a moment for you teammates to run out, as such, enemy Demomen
will set off their stickies, then you can run out.
Once you've cloaked and run off, re-disguise, and de-cloak
in a safe area (trust me, there are plenty in this map). If you
use your surroundings effectively, de-cloaking in the best
spots, you should be able to stab so many enemies. You may also
find some Engineers to menace and sap. Another great spot is the
house, usually enemies will be inside, especially upstairs. Make
sure to kill them, as they will see your antics from afar and
kill you. During your stab frenzy, your team will have pushed
the Tiny Cart nearer the first checkpoint. At this point, the
enemy will have a more difficult time getting to your side as
your teammates should be defending the cart, moving it along.
Out side the house, you can hide in the corner just before
the hall that leads to the enemy base (the hall with the tracks
that the mine cart follows). Hide here, keep an out out for
enemy Spies, and also, wait for unsuspecting enemies to emerge
from the tunnel, be sure to stab them in the back. Seriously,
this map is awesome...
Once the checkpoint has been reached, the two gates to the
left of you open up (this is assuming you're still waiting where
I told you to). Head down either path, you will find uses for
both. If you take the longer tunnel, you'll eventually have to
drop off into the low-lying area below the enemy's bridge. As
such, before you drop from this area cloak, make sure to do so
before the enemy sees you. There are so many options here, it's
ridiculous. You can head up the slanted wooden ladder to you're
left, which will take you closer to the cart, then stab the
enemies who are holding off your team. You could instead
run straight, right under the bridge, and head to the mining
tunnel to the far right. You could run to the doorway that acts
as a recess in the wall, which will be straight ahead of you when
you pass under the bridge. Either way, their will be a slew of
enemies to take out. Snipers, Demomen, Soldiers.. Medics,
Heavies you'll run into everything in this area.
Once you stab a few people, cloak, then hide somewhere. The
mining tunnel takes you to their spawn entrance, yet, if you
run to the end of the tunnel, it's a nice little dead end, the
perfect place for a Spy to recharge his cloaking.
Once you reach the enemy spawn (I'm talking just outside the
door), by any means that you use to reach it, you have a few
options at your disposal. You could...
A) Wait for a few enemies to come out of the spawn (most will
run to the right side, nearer the cart) and stab them. Upon
stabbing, cloak, hide, re-disguise, and then return.
B) You could disguise as a Pyro or Engineer, and make your way
to the stairs just beyond the enemy's spawn. From here, you
can take out Engineers and their establishments, and let's
not forget the Snipers. This is something that you should
always strive to do each time you
make it to the enemy's base.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Generally speaking, the Spy shouldn't push the little cart,
as he has more important matters to tend to. If you can stab
three to four enemies each time you make a pass on them, that's
three or more that your team doesn't have to deal with. As such,
they can more easily focus on the cart.
Defense:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Once again, use a friendly disguise and wait for the set-up
time to come to its end. Just before the set-up time finishes,
and the gates open, hide behind something, cloak, re-disguise,
and head to a more opportune position. Usually, some spot right
outside the enemy's spawn area, so that they run by you.
Keep backstabbing, then cloaking and retreating each time you
make a sweep. Get health if need be, and continue the cycle, use
your surroundings to your advantage, as always. Once they claim
the checkpoint, you can cloak and run back past the first
checkpoint and de-cloak in a safe area on their side of the map.
Coming at the enemy from behind is key, so, coming at them from
their side is also key. Also, as you should already know, it
looks less suspicious if you take a path that the enemy
normally takes.
Once you've de-cloaked, stab unsuspecting victims that may be
running towards the frontlines, and make your way to one of the
two paths just beyond the house (not the one that the cart goes
through). Oftentimes, you'll get more kills when using the path
that leads to that slight drop into the next 'house' (the drop
that has the full health box sitting there). If you take this
path, carefully weave around the corner, (cloaked or not, it's
up to you, because you're in an area that you can do well both
ways) and head up the stairs. From here stab as many of the
enemy as possible. Usually, you'll be able to take out many, if
not all of them yourself, because, they are so focused on your
team. Make sure to deal with Engineers in this area
accordingly. Again, as I said, cloaking or not is up to you,
sometimes it's safer to cloak and get into the upstairs area, it
depends on your enemy.
The best scenario for the Spy in general is to get as close
to the enemy's spawn as possible, then to start back across the
map from the enemy's side, taking out anyone along the way. This
is a bit of general advice for any map. Oftentimes in Push the
little cart maps, back-tracking just beyond the "little cart"
then coming at the cart from behind will provide you with a
wealth
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This next tidbit is very helpful, and depending on the
circumstances, it can save your life. While disguised as the
enemy, you can gain health from their cart as they normally do.
Say for example your team has killed off the enemy near the
cart, you can take this time to gain health from the cart. It's
great because, oftentimes there isn't health nearby, be it med
packs, dispensers, or medics. It's just good to know that a Spy
has another option for health.
=================================================================
CTF_Turbine
=================================================================
With the Pyro achievement update, comes two new maps, one of
which I'm already quite familiar with. It's great to know that
Valve is making some custom maps official, as this is truly
great for the community. This will inspire mappers to take their
maps to the next level, with hopes that their maps will one day
be official.
I've been playing on Turbine for months and months, it's such
a great map, not to mention it's well balanced. I couldn't be
more happy to see it become official, now others will have a
chance to play it.
Unlike 2Fort, teams will actually be able to coordinate
together and capture the intelligence. An uber is oftentimes
enough to push through a majority of the enemy's defenses,
which will usually lead to capturing the flag. In 2Fort, the
flag is so deep in the enemy's base, that for one to actually
capture the flag and make it back to their base successfully
is an absolute joke. I can honestly say that this is not the
case in Turbine, thank God.
For the record, this map is symmetrical, so if you know one
side of the map, you know what the other side of the map is
like.
The following is a list of Spy specific strategies on this
map:
1) The middle of this map is up for grabs by either team.
Whichever team holds the middle determines the way a Spy must
play on this map. If your team has the middle, then you can
move around the middle, in a friendly disguise, carefree.
You can then cloak, disguise, and enter their base via one of
three ways: the left entrance (nearest the intel) the right
entrance (nearest their spawn) or the vent entrance (an upper
entrance, which is accessed via a stairway on the left side
of the middle.
2) If your team has the middle, you can hide in the corner near
their right most entrance (this is the entrance that has the
door--from the enemy's point-of-view it's their left door).
When enemy's come out, you can backstab them to no end.
Oftentimes, the enemy will push out of this door with an
uber. This means they will be focused on the more obvious
threat that is your team, such as Sentries for example. Once
their Uber has ended, stab them in the back.
3) Cloak, then head into their base via the right most entrance,
then de-cloak in either the vents or in the indented area on
the right side at the top of the stairs. Stab anyone that you
can, though I must warn you, this is their spawn, and as such
a newly spawned enemy will likely halt your scheming, so be
careful.
4) Head to the left entrance (the wide open one leading to the
intel). Cloak, and make your way through the area. Take out
Engineers and their establishments. They will almost always
set up in this room, as it hinders scouts and other people
from making away with the flag.
5) Most of your points will come from taking out people on the
fronts, which is usually in the middle. Be quick, stab, cloak,
re-disguise, then de-cloak in a safe area. Learn the map,
make note of health locations.
6) If the enemy has the middle head to the middle via your vents
(which could be risky as there's not enough room to maneuver
around an enemy, as such, your bound to bump into one if
there's one present), or you could more safely use the wider
hallway of the intel area to head to the middle.
Once in the middle, get as close to the enemy's side as you
can before running out of cloak, then do what you can. Sap,
stab, keep moving.
7) Oftentimes, when the enemy has claimed the middle, an
Engineer will set-up on the ramp outside of your vent exit.
If this is the case, and you are unable to sap his things,
here's the perfect solution.
Cloak, disguise as an enemy Sniper, then head to the stairway
leading to the enemy's ramp (the one that permits access to
their ventilation system), and hide in that room with the
windows just outside their vent entrance. Typically, you will
be safe from the enemy there, as they don't use the vent as
much when they have claimed the middle. Many of the newly
spawned enemies will take teles built by the Engineers, and
will get to the middle faster that way.
From here, take out your trusty Revolver and eye your teams
vent area where the enemy Engineer(s) have set-up. Shoot at
their dispensers. Then, once you've taken out said
dispensers, take out their sentries. It works very well.
Usually, you'll able to take out the Engineers this way as
well.
8) If you successfully clean out an enemy's intel room, or, if
you get there just as your team is cleaning it out, grab the
flag. In this map, you don't have to get the intel too far
from it's set position before it's much more accessible by
your team. If sentries are disabled, you can approach the
intel while cloaked, once you pick it up, you will lose your
cloak, but you should have time to either make it back
all the way, or at the very least, bring the enemy's intel
closer to your team.
The enemy's vents can provide great access to their intel
room, just make sure to cloak before you drop into the room.
=================================================================
-Section 7) Spy Checking [A7]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This section will depict many hints and things to look for when
trying to decipher whether or not someone is friend or Spy
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1. Any "friendly" Spy you see that isn't wearing a mask is
either a really dumb ally Spy, or an even more stupid enemy
Spy, as enemy Spies don't even display a mask. It's usually
safe to assume that if you see a Spy without a mask, holding
his revolver, he's an enemy Spy.
2. If you see a Medic with no uber-charge percentage, he's a Spy
without question. In addition, if that's not obvious enough,
he'll be holding his Syringe-gun. Then of course to further
these point you could simply bump into him. Keep in mind
that you can't pass through enemies.
3. All Spies, while in disguise, appear to be holding their
primary weapon. As such, it's safe to assume that any class
holding anything aside from their primary weapon is
immediately not a Spy. For example, if an Engineer is holding
his wrench, pistol, or tool box, you immediately know they
aren't a Spy, because his Shotgun is his primary weapon. As
such, a Spy as Engineer can only be seen holding a shotgun.
So, no need for false checking, and wasting ammo.
4. If you bump into an ally and can't pass through them, you've
found yourself a Spy.
5. Many Spies take on the disguise of the Engineer, though, more
often than not a real Engineer will be toting his wrench. If
the suspected Engineer is holding his shotty, check him out.
6. "Tab" anyone? It's there for a reason. Keep track of what
classes you have on your team, in addition to who is what
class.
7. Look for an Ally who has your exact name. What a coincidence
right? Wrong, it's just a Spy, no checking here, it's
obvious.
8. Posing as a friendly Pyro is helpful in that enemy Spies will
more than likely avoid you, thus revealing that they are a
Spy.
9. With the above factors in mind, also consider the
whereabouts of the target, and pay attention to suspicious
movement and activity.
10.On occasion, you will see yourself calling out for a Medic,
even when you haven't issued the command. Don't worry, you're
not going crazy. This simply means that when the enemy Spy
took on his disguise, he was assigned your name. This makes
it easier to find said Spy. As you can warn Medics, or kill
him now that you are aware of his presence.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
=================================================================
-Section 8) Quick Tips [A8]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This section contains brief tips, hints, and info, that are
intended for those of you who don't want to read the entire
guide. Though, even if you have read the entire guide, going
over this section won't hurt. Essentially, this is the
"sparknotes" of the guide-- you may even find something new!
Again, keep in mind that if you've read the entire guide then
the majority of the information below has already been provided.
We're just stressing the important stuff...
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1)
• Never disguise as Medic: You don't display uber-percentage to
enemies.
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2)
• Never disguise as Scout: You can't move like them (e.g. double
jump).
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3)
• When disguised as Spy, you don't have a mask on to the enemy.
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4)
• Avoid Pyros at all costs, as they will burn you alive.
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5)
• Don't bother with Scouts unless the scenario provides that
they are an easy kill. They are fast-- and deadly to the Spy.
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6)
• Cloaking/De-cloaking takes a few seconds to take full effect.
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7)
• Once disguised, play the part. Use appropriate disguises in
appropriate areas.
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8)
• When shot whilst in disguise, the enemy can't tell that you've
taken damage. If you don't react from being shot, you can
trick the enemy.
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9)
• The Butterfly knife is the best melee weapon in the game when
in the form of a swift backstab, and conversely is the weakest
in head on fights. Avoid using it face-to-face.
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10)
• Stabbing from above, and from the side, usually register as
a backstab.
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11)
• Always assume a disguise, and change disguises once you've
been discovered.
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12)
• Always Stab the enemy nearest you first, then proceed to those
further from you.
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13)
• The Pyro is among your best disguises.
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14)
• The Demoman is not far behind when it comes to disguises.
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15)
• To the enemy, When your disguised, you appear to be holding
the primary weapon of your disguised class.
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16)
• When Spy checking, keep an eye on the target's name, class,
whereabouts, and weapon. If the target is holding his
secondary weapon, you know right off the bat he's one of your
own.
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17)
• You can call for enemy Medics while in disguise, though do so
with caution, as it could bring unwanted attention.
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18)
• When disguised, you take the name of a member of the opposing
team who is of the respective class of your disguise. If you
chose Pyro, and the enemy has no Pyro, an enemy name will be
assigned randomly.
It becomes increasingly dangerous to disguise yourself as a
class that only has one representative on the other team. For
example, if there is only one Demoman on the enemy team, and
you disguise as him, you'd best make sure to avoid him. If
said Demoman spots you, he'll likely notice that you're name
is his own, as such, he'll make sure to notify his team that
you're a Spy. He's also likely to personally see to it that
you're dealt with... careful; sticky bombs are quite potent.
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19)
• Calling for the enemy Medic is risky because in doing so you
may reveal yourself to the person who's name has been assigned
as your cover (e.g. Dan sees that "Dan" is calling for a
medic... cover blown).
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20)
• "Retreating" to the enemy (running backwards, facing your own
team) makes you appear far less suspicious to the enemy.
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21)
• Your revolver loads fast, has 6 shots per round, and has 24
bullets in reserve for a total of 30 shots. In addition, it
makes for a good Sniper. As you can accurately pick of enemies
and Engineer establishments from afar.
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22)
• If the Sentry is facing away from you, and the Engineer
tending to it, stab the Engineer, then Sap immediately.
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23)
• If you stab the Engineer first, and are dealing with a tier 3
sentry, strafing around the sentry in a fashion to avoid the
rotating barrels helps to avoid being shot while trying to Sap.
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24)
• Find areas in maps where enemies seem to congregate (e.g.
choke points), come from behind and stab them. Then repeat the
cycle in a "looping" fashion.
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25)
• Try to join enemy ranks from a natural place to avoid
suspicion, this will also lead way to many backstabs.
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26)
• While cloaked, disguise, or change your disguise, as to avoid
the "cloud" effect from giving you away to the enemy.
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27)
• Always cloak at the last possible second, though always before
entering enemy sights.
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28)
• Disguising as a friendly Pyro is a great way for handling
enemy Spies, as they will avoid you in an obvious fashion.
It also deters Spies from targeting you.
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29)
• A Spy can now use a tele negating the glow effect so long as
said Spy is disguised as an enemy when he uses the teleporter.
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30)
• Hunt enemy medics, as they are critical to the enemy's
advancement.
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31)
• A Spy disguised as the enemy can gain health from the enemy's
cart.
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32)
• Use the water to your advantage. While cloaked in the water,
if clipped be enemy fire, thus shimmering to the enemy, the
diffraction of the water can help to hide you.
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33)
• Use the roundabout way to avoid crossfire.
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34)
• Each time a disguise is changed, so to does the Spy's health
that is visible to the enemy.
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35)
• After stabbing an Engineer in the back, make sure to rotate
around his sentry avoiding the barrels, then sap.
*****************************************************************
-Section 9) Closing [A9]
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We've spent a ton of time on this faq, and as such we hope it
has proven helpful to you. The Spy is truly a one-of-a-kind
class, an experience that you won't endure in any other game. We
hope that through our efforts you guys are honing your Spy
skills, becoming better and better each day. For many, a Spy faq
has been greatly desired, and hopefully this faq is the answer
that you've been looking for.
Good luck on your quest of mastering the Spy!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Email Us:
Feel free to e-mail either of us with suggestions (we're always
open to suggestions!), or comments. You could also e-mail us as
a form of thanks and praise, haha. jk. --but you could. :P
If you suggest something that isn't already in this guide, and
we decide to post it, we'd be more than happy to accredit you
having helped us out, and will mention your suggestion below.
(Delkin525 aka sR+Orca) -
[email protected]
(nodforlife) -
[email protected]
=================================================================
Accredited Suggestions
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AlcyOne (aka Bulblax): For helping me to proof-read a majority
of the guide. No matter how many times I read something of my
own, I miss the obvious errors because my mind knows what it's
supposed to say. As such, I skip over many mistakes without even
recognizing them. Thankfully, I'm not the only moron who does
this as it is inherently part of being human. We all make
mistakes.
-Delkin
Lancevol: For pointing out other points that make the Spy
disguise a risky one. After having received your comments I took
to swapping the Spy disguise from the good disguise list, to the
bad disguise list.
-Delkin
Insolence: For pointing out how useful seeking refuge
from a sentry behind a dispenser can be. In some scenarios,
after stabbing an Engineer in the back, you can't revolve around
the sentry to sap it, due to it's positioning. Instead, you can
quickly back off seeking shelter behind the dispenser,
re-disguise, then pop out sapping the sentry and the dispenser.
-Delkin
johnie102: For informing me that in more current updates the
Spy can now use teles safely due to the fact that the glow is
no longer there. I would have realized this sooner myself,
however, I stopped playing the game for quite a few months. As
such, I was not aware of Valve's updates. He also wanted me to
stress some obvious aspect of the Sniper disguise.
-Delkin
-----------------------------------------------------------------
=================================================================
Reader Comments: (Recieved via E-mail)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
If you have any brief insane stories about your experience as
Spy, or if you E-mail us stating that this guide has helped you,
we will ask permission that we post it here.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Nick:
Dear Delkin525,
Thank you for making this guide. The spy has always been my
favorite class, I just love when you can take out two medic-
heavy teams. Before this guide I was ok, but made many mistakes
and couldn't usually take out sentries. Now I do good and can
get mvp most rounds no problem.
Btw I read your well guide also, and you really know what you
are talking about. That strategy is flawless. I love the part
where you take out the snipers and then go out the window, drop
down the side, and take out a large group near the trains. I got
7 back stabs each life like 3 or 4 lives in a row until somebody
caught on.
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Pat:
Hey guys,
Thanks for writing the awesome Spy guide. I was a long-time TFC
player who just recently picked up TF2, and I must say that the
changes to how the spy operated, specifically interacted with
other classes rather confused me. Your guide was awesome. I'm
still not a pro at spy-ing but thanks to all the info you guys
packed in your guide, I understand how to play the class to a
greater degreee and I'm getting better.
Once again, thanks for the guide, and I hope you guys decide to
write guides for some of the other classes too.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************************
-Section 10) Spy Guide: Video Edition [A10]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Delkin525 (aka sR+Orca):
I've decided to make a video representation of this guide, as
such I've been hard at work making the video guide a reality.
As of right now, I've only finished part one. Feel free to
rate and comment the video. Or as always, e-mail if you have
any comments or questions.
TF2: Spy Guide Video Part#1: Links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUkko8I01-E (YouTube Link)
http://www.vimeo.com/1462176 (Vimeo Link) (Higher Resolution)
*****************************************************************
-Section 11) Copyright [A11]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
©2007/2008 Please don’t post this faq without giving credit to
us (delkin525 / nodforlife). If you decide to post this else
where, please e-mail us notifying us of its location. In
addition please don’t edit this faq or take from it our content.
Thanks
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This guide is also hosted on the following websites:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
• www.gamefaqs.com
• www.mycheats.com (a branch of the 1UP network)
• www.supercheats.com
• www.neoseeker.com
• www.pwnguide.com
At this point in time, the guide can be found on numerous
sites not listed here. However, it's too much of a hassle
to keep up with them, as requests are made on a somewhat
frequent bases.
* As a disclaimer, the most updated version will always be
found at gamefaqs. I recently checked one of the other
sources, and it had version 2.2 of the guide, while the guide
is actually at version 3.1
*****************************************************************
Note: This faq will be updated as we see appropriate. Be sure to
check back from time to time.
