Firebug's Pyro Guide

[Firebug]

Introduction

Welcome to Firebug’s Pyro Guidance Thread Thing. If you’re here, that means you probably want to improve your Pyro performance. Whether you’re an experienced veteran or a newbie just starting out, I hope you can leave this thread more capable than when you came.

To start, let's go ahead and Meet the Pyro.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUhOnX8qt3I

The Pyro is a walking enigma. Unlike the other eight classes with defined back stories and personalities, the Pyro’s identity is one of Team Fortress 2’s greatest and longest-enduring mysteries. None know what gender the Pyro is, and it is likely that no one ever will. The (at the time of this posting, most likely no longer) recent Meet the Pyro video revealed that the Pyro lives in his or her own fantasy wonderland, spreading cheer and joy to enemies while in reality inadvertently slaughtering anyone unfortunate to cross paths with the Pyro. The Pyro is madness incarnate; walking insanity; a force that cannot be reasoned with.

Back in 2007 the Pyro was an easy target. The Pyro had average movement speed with no advanced mobility, a primary with relatively low DPS and abysmal range, an average secondary shared by three other classes, and a terrible melee. The launch Pyro was intended to be an ambush class, but was woefully ineffective at its own job. In the years since the Pyro has received unlocks that make the Pyro more versatile on the battlefield. The Pyro was granted the almighty compression blast (which I will hereafter refer to as the airblast, which is much catchier); a core ability for the class that enables the Pyro to be even more unpredictable when used properly. Several of the Pyro’s unlocks give the class utility, allowing the Pyro to help out others on his or her team.

The Pyro is, in my opinion, one of the most complex classes in Team Fortress 2. Does this mean the Pyro is the most difficult class to play? Not necessarily. Yes, it is possible to “W+M1â€, but doing so is rarely successful. To be a truly great Pyro it is necessary to understand what the class is capable of. Mastering all of this class’s tricks is a lengthy endeavor, but makes one a valuable and deadly asset to any team in almost every scenario.

Weapons

My weapon section gets a bit technical. Valve has a history of nerfing and buffing (usually nerfing) the Pyro, so I expect the damages mentioned here to change someday, especially for the primary weapons.

]

Primaries

This video will help you understand this section (credit to the uploader, HvCTerr).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSkf1yIAjzs

Most weapons in Team Fortress 2 are either hitscan or projectiles. Hitscan weapons instantly deal damage to the target, whereas projectiles must travel through the map and hit the target to deal damage. The Pyro’s primary weapons are unlike every other weapon in the game. Unlike weapons like the Scout’s Scattergun and the Heavy’s Minigun (hitscan), or the Soldier’s Rocket Launcher and the Demoman’s Grenade Launcher (projectiles), the Pyro’s primary weapons use a unique particle system to deal damage.

The visible flames are purely decorative, meant to show players the area where the weapon is dealing damage. The particles themselves are invisible. Particles are generated with random angles, making the weapon inaccurate even at close range. Damage is based on particle lifetime rather than distance from the target, which acts similarly to damage ramp-up (where you deal more damage when closer to the target and less when farther away) but can lead to inconsistencies in damage output. The maximum possible damage with a flamethrower is next to impossible to achieve in game. It’s hard enough getting every particle to land on a stationary target, and even worse when both the enemy AND the user are moving about. While the maximum damage is ~154, realistically you can expect to deal closer to 100.

The Pyro’s primaries may be outdone in many one-on-one encounters, but they are deadly when facing groups. Unlike hitscan and many projectile weapons, the flame particles are not stopped when they contact a target. Rather, they penetrate and can then continue to deal damage to targets behind the initial enemy. While you can expect to deal 100 damage on a lone target, you can deal that much damage to each individual when attacking a group, raising your DPS. This makes the Pyro devastating when ambushing a group of enemies, and allows an ubered Pyro to demolish an Engineer’s nest much faster than most other classes.

After an attack with one of the primaries, the enemy will suffer from afterburn. Afterburn is a mechanic that is nearly exclusive to the Pyro, and gives the Pyro a psychological factor. Enemies who are afflicted with afterburn are guaranteed to receive 60 damage over ten seconds, unless preventative measures are taken by themselves or a teammate. Afterburn is critical for the Pyro, as it allows the Pyro to deal damage even when dead or after a retreat. Many of the Pyro’s other weapons also deal critical damage on burning targets. Afterburn is not very useful for killing enemies directly, but serves as a deterrent, forcing enemies to seek help or retreat in many cases. Afterburn is exceptional for Spy-checking, as it burns through both disguises and cloaking. Enemy Pyros are immune to Afterburn, which makes Pyro vs. Pyro encounters frustrating, and at times very amusing to watch.

Most of the Pyro’s primaries are also capable of the airblast, a mechanic that is so useful and varied in its applications that it will be discussed in depth later in this guide.

Flamethrower: A weapon that excels at close range crowd control and not much else. The basic flamethrower deals ~154 maximum DPS. It is capable of airblasting; using 20 ammo for a total of 10 blasts.

Backburner: Released with the Pyro Update, the Backburner is for offense-oriented Pyros. True to its name, it guarantees critical hits when attacking an enemy from behind. The angle where critical hits are dealt is quite narrow; a 90 degree angle centered at the enemy’s backside, or 45 degrees to either side. The downside of using this weapon is the increased airblast consumption cost: +150%, or 50 ammo; allowing for only 4 total blasts. The Backburner also does not randomly deal critical damage.

Degreaser: Released with the Mann-Conomy Update, what the Degreaser lacks in raw damage it makes up for with versatility. The Degreaser allows the user to switch weapons 65% faster, which is blindingly fast. This makes it easier for the Pyro to carry out weapon combos, as well as render heckling tactics useless. The downsides of this weapon are a decreased afterburn damage (-25%, which equates to 45 instead of 60), as well as a -10% direct damage penalty, or ~139 maximum DPS.

Phlogistinator: Released with the Australian Christmas 2011 Update, the Phlogistinator is a thinking Pyro’s weapon. The Phlogistinator allows the user to build up “MMMPH†with fire damage dealt with any weapon. It takes 225 damage to completely fill MMMPH, and can be activated with the weapon’s secondary fire. This causes to Pyro to taunt, completely healing the Pyro and granting the Pyro 10 seconds of guaranteed critical damage. The Pyro receives a 75% damage reduction for the duration of the activation taunt, which effectively quadruples the amount of damage required to kill the Pyro before the animation finishes. The damage reduction allows the Pyro to survive taunt kills, telefragging, and headshots. The only thing that can kill the Pyro during the damage reduction is a backstab, or large amounts of concentrated fire. The Phlogistinator’s downsides are a -10% damage reduction (identical to the Degreaser, ~139 maximum DPS), no random critical damage, and most importantly, a complete lack of the airblast function.

Rainblower: Released with the Pyromania Update. Functionally identical to the stock Flamethrower and thus a reskin. Capable of the Armageddon taunt kill. Equipping the Rainblower causes the user to experience the Pyroland visual effect.

]

Secondaries

The Pyro’s secondary weapons are either hitscan or projectiles. Your choice of secondary will largely impact how you perform on the battlefield. While none of the Pyro’s secondaries excel at killing outright, they are great for finishing off injured and fleeing enemies beyond the range of your primary. In addition, a few secondaries grant the Pyro additional mobility.

Shotgun: A generic, but very capable weapon. The Shotgun fires ten pellets with each shot. Damage ramp-up/fall-off as well as random spread make dealing consistent damage with the Shotgun hard at mid-to-long range. At close range, however, the Shotgun deals excellent damage, potentially outclassing your primary weapon. A “meatshotâ€, where all of the pellets hit the target, can deal 60-90 damage, depending on range. The Shotgun is not exceptionally powerful, but with a fast attack speed and 6 total shells loaded at a time it’s very reliable.

Flare Gun: Released with the Pyro Update. The Flare Gun is a projectile weapon, giving the Pyro a very useful long-range attack. The Flare Gun fires a fast-moving flare that deals 30 damage. Flares that hit will apply afterburn to the enemy. Flares deal critical damage on burning targets, equating to 90 damage at any range. The Flare Gun is a very different weapon compared to the Shotgun, and as such it is hard to compare them. Rather than an upgrade or downgrade over the stock, it is a “sidegradeâ€, enabling the Pyro to adopt a new play style. The Flare Gun is useful for pestering unaware Snipers and Engineers, and is an excellent finisher for ignited foes. However, the Flare Gun must be reloaded after every shot, and its reload is relatively slow, making any misses painful. Unlike the Shotgun, the Flare Gun trades reliability for range and burst damage potential.

Detonator: Released with the Über Update. The Detonator is very similar to the Flare Gun. Deals 30 damage and applies afterburn on hit. Detonator flares can explode midflight with alt-fire, igniting nearby players and igniting less damage than a direct hit. Detonator flares deal mini-crit damage on burning targets, equating to 41 damage. The Detonator is generally less useful than the Flare Gun, but grants the user advanced mobility capability. An alt-fire detonation at the user’s feet deals self damage, but the knockback allows the Pyro to “flare jump†small distances, similar to a Soldier’s rocket jump. While not a very large vertical distance, proper use of this ability allows a skilled Pyro to ambush targets creatively, take previously inaccessible shortcuts, and outmaneuver pursuers. While lacking the reliability of the Shotgun or damage of the Flare Gun, the Detonator allows the Pyro to be more mobile, indirectly affecting performance on the battlefield.

Reserve Shooter: Originally a weapon for the Soldier, released with Über Update and granted to the Pyro later. The Reserve Shooter can be compared to the stock Shotgun. The Reserve Shooter allows the user to switch weapons 15% faster, which can stack slightly with the Degreaser’s increased switch speed. The Reserve Shooter also deals guaranteed mini-crit damage on airborne targets during the first three seconds after switching from another weapon to it. Enemies that are airblasted upward are effectively airborne, and will receive mini-crit damage. The downside of using this weapon is a -50% clip size, halving your total shells loaded at a time to 3. This makes the Reserve Shooter less useful during prolonged encounters, but makes it more useful for quick confrontations.

Manmelter: Released with the Australian Christmas 2011 Update. The Manmelter fires a flare that moves 50% faster and ignites enemies on hit, dealing 30 damage and applying afterburn. The Manmelter’s alt-fire function extinguishes nearby burning teammates, saving them from afterburn damage and granting the user a free critical hit that is stored until fired. The Manmelter does not use ammo. The Manmelter’s downsides are a 20% slower firing rate, as well as a lack of random hits. The Manmelter also does not deal any extra damage on burning targets.

Scorch Shot: Released with the Pyromania Update. The Scorch Shot fires a flare that deals 15 damage on hit and applies afterburn. On hit the Scorch Shot flare knocks the target back as well as ignites enemies within a small radius around the target. After hitting an enemy, the Scorch Shot flare falls to the ground and remains for a moment, and ignites enemies that come into contact with it. The Scorch Shot’s downsides are a -50% damage reduction, as well as a lack of extra damage on burning targets.

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Melees

Melee weapons are inherently short-range weapons. They are used when your primary and secondary are unavailable for whatever reason, as well as for humiliation for your own amusement at your enemy’s expense. Melee weapons generally have a 15% chance to deal critical damage with each swing, and this chance can increase depending on recent performance. Some of the Pyro’s melees are capable weapons in their own right, under the right circumstances. Others grant the Pyro utility, aiding in survivability or making the Pyro more useful for the team.

Fire Axe: A basic weapon. Deals 65 damage on hit. No special abilities, and dealing less DPS than your primary and potentially your secondary, this weapon is used either in desperation or to humiliate your enemy. There are better melee weapons for the Pyro, so consider equipping nearly anything else.

Axtinguisher: Released with the Pyro Update. The Axtinguisher deals critical damage on burning enemies, equating to 195 damage. This is an instant kill for every class except the Heavy, unless the target is overhealed by a Medic. An excellent finisher for an ambush encounter, or after airblasting the enemy into a vulnerable position. The downsides are a -50% damage reduction on nonburning targets, as well as a lack of random critical damage.

Homewrecker: Released with the First Community Contribution Update. The Homewrecker deals +100% damage to enemy buildings, destroying a Minisentry in one swing and any other building in two. The Homewrecker is also able to remove sappers from friendly buildings, making a Homewrecker Pyro an excellent guard dog for Engineers defending their nests from enemy Spies. The Homewrecker’s downside is a -25% damage reduction against enemies.

Powerjack: Released with the Mann-Conomy Update, the Powerjack deals the same damage as the stock Axe. On kill, this weapon heals the user for 75 health, which can overheal the Pyro if at or near full health. The Powerjack's downside is a +20% vulnerability to melee weapons while active. The Powerjack rewards risking a melee kill with a modest health boost, capable of turning the tide of a battle.

Back Scratcher: Released with the Australian Christmas 2010 Update.The Backscratcher deals +25% damage to enemies. It also grants the user an additional 50% healing from healthpacks, causing small packs to heal you for 54 and medium packs for 132. The weapon's downside is -75% healing from healers. This includes any of the Medic's Mediguns, as well as dispensers and the Payload cart's passive healing. The Backscratcher is best for "lone wolf" style Pyros, or those adopting a roaming playstyle. Pyros using this weapon rely less on continuous healers and more on healthpacks within the map. While it is not widely know, the Backscratcher does not slow the rate at which a Medic's Ubercharge is filled, which can make an injured Backscratcher Pyro a potential Ubercharge battery.

Sharpened Volcano Fragment: Released as a promotional item for RIFT. The SVF ignites players on contact. Its downside is -20% damage compared to the stock Axe. Because any of the Pyro's primaries also ignite the enemy as well as having better range and DPS, the SVF is more or less redundant. The SVF is useful in Medieval Mode, but consider using another melee in other game modes.

Maul: Released as a promotional item for Red Faction: Armageddon. Functionally identical to the Homewrecker and thus a reskin.

Postal Pummeler: Released during the Summer Camp Update. Funtionally identical to the Axtinguisher and thus a reskin.

Third Degree: Released with the Australian Christmas 2011 Update, the Third Degree deals identical damage to the stock Axe. It also has the ability to simultaneously deal damage to all players connected by a Medic's healing beams, making it a hilarious end to Octo-Heavies if you can manage to get within range. The Third Degree has absolutely no downside compared to the stock Axe (other than alerting a Medic's patient), so there is little practical reason to use the stock axe over it. Thus, the Third Degree is one of the few straight upgrades in the game.

Lollichop: Released with the Pyromania Update. Functionally identical to the stock Axe and thus a reskin. Equipping the Lollichop causes the user to experience the Pyroland visual effect.

Neon Annihilator: Released as a promotional item for Sleeping Dogs. The Neon Annihilator always deals critical damage to players who are wet; i.e., covered in Jarate, Mad Milk, or either submerged in or just out of a body of water. The Neon Annihilator can also remove enemy sappers from a friendly Engineer's buildings in the same manner as the Homewrecker. The weapon's downsides are a -20% damage penalty to players, as well as a lack of critical hits. The Neon Annihilator works similarly to the Axtinguisher. However, since the Annihilator relies on a status effect that the Pyro cannot apply by itself, as well as has a damage penalty (that also affects critical hits), there is little reason to use this weapon over the Axtinguisher. This weapon can however be effective on maps with large or frequent bodies of water, and is hilariously overpowered on custom maps that are filled entirely with water.

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Item sets

The Gas Jockey’s Gear: Introduced with the Mann-Conomy Update. The Gas Jockey set consists of the Degreaser, the Powerjack, and the Attendant hat. This set grants the Pyro an additional 10% movement speed, causing the Pyro to move faster than the Medic and slower than the Scout. The set’s downside is a +10% vulnerability to bullet damage (i.e., hitscan weapons.) An error with bullet vulnerability calculation causes the 10% vulnerability to also apply to Syringe guns, the Demoman’s shield bashes, and most taunt kills.

The Gas Jockey is a very useful set for roaming-type Pyros. I’ve found that having a pocket Medic isn’t a good idea with this set, because oftentimes they’ll struggle to keep up. This set requires the Powerjack to be equipped, so the Pyro loses a fair amount of burst damage potential. However, the Powerjack’s healing ability allows a roaming Pyro to survive for much longer behind enemy lines, acting as a sort of Scout with more health and utility at the cost of less speed and damage output. This set allows the user to use whichever secondary weapon they wish. “Shotgun Jockeys†are more akin to Scouts, while “Flare Jockeys†enjoy better burst damage and range. I’ve found both to be effective, so it comes down to personal preference.

The Infernal Imp: Introduced with the Very Scary Halloween Special (Halloween 2011). The Infernal imp consists of the Blazing Bull, a hat, and the Fallen Angel and Tail From the Crypt, miscellaneous items. The set is purely cosmetic, and has no effect on gameplay. The items are holiday-restricted, able to be worn only during the Halloween event or Full Moons, or on servers that enable Halloween mode. The set gives the Pyro the appearance of an imp or devil, with glowing horns, wings, and a tail. Several interesting combinations are possible with other cosmetic items (Replacing the Blazing Bull with a painted Pyromancer’s Mask to look like a dragon, or with a Cheater’s Lament to contrast with the demon wings and tail).

Dr. Grordbort’s Moonman Pack: Introduced with the Australian Christmas 2011 Update. This set consists of the Phlogistinator, Manmelter, Third Degree, Bubble Pipe hat, and Moonman Backpack miscellaneous items. This set has no effect on gameplay. The downsides of the set’s weapons means that the Pyro has no airblast, reduced secondary firepower, and a generic, though potentially useful, melee weapon. Because there is no set effect, it is not viable to have all of these weapons equipped at once, and I recommend using other weapons to suit your preferences or your team’s needs.

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Taunt Attacks

I’m including taunt kills here because they are a functional (albeit impractical) way of killing your enemies. All classes are able to taunt with their weapons. These taunts can be used recreationally, whether to celebrate with teammates before and after rounds, or to aggravate the enemy (especially in killcams). Some taunts (like the Medic’s Kritzkrieg) have passive effects. However, probably the most useful application of taunts is the ability to kill with them. The Pyro is unique for being the only class to ALWAYS have a kill taunt at its disposal. Any of the Pyro’s secondaries can perform a taunt attack, with most of them performing a Hadouken. The Scorch Shot performs the Execution taunt. The Rainblower, despite being a reskin, is capable of performing the Armageddon taunt.

Taunt kills render you defenseless and vulnerable to enemy attack for their duration, making them a severe high-risk/high-reward option. Upon a successful taunt, the enemy will be killed instantly. I recommend using the Pyro’s secondary taunts on unaware Snipers or Heavies aiming out of windows, or anyone who happens to be idle or otherwise vulnerable. There is no point reward ingame for a taunt kill, so the only reason to do so would be for your own enjoyment and to humiliate the enemy (and potentially destroy their morale and/or self-esteem). Of course, failing a kill taunt will likely result in your own humiliating death and soul-crushing dishonor. Taunt at your own risk.

It is also worthy of mention that taunt attacks apply during Humiliation when your team has lost the round. It is possible to kill an enemy when your team is supposedly at its weakest, which can induce server-wide lolz.

With weapons out of the way, look for my second post in this thread for whatever Pyro tactics I can come up with. Expect to see the airblast make its appearance.

[svelte]

As you can clearly see in this video one of the qualities a scoot possesses is an over-inflated sense of self importance and a cocky attitude and a good scoot uses this advantage to the fullest possible extent. Very sac a doc longchamp few things are more annoying than a good scoot charging a heavy and killing him in 3 shots without taking a hit or a sneaky scoot getting behind enemy lines and reeking havoc on teleporter entrances or players as soon as they leave spawn Longchamp Sac and then darting away when they are low on health and returning.

[Milkyway64]

That's almost certainly a spambot

[Xortberg]

Spambot or no, Longchamp Sac is the lulziest thing I've seen on the forums in a while.