Team Fortress 2

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[TF2] Scout vs All Guide (2023)
By Digger Nick
Introduction:
I will be sharing all of my knowledge on how to fight against other classes in the game as 'Scout'.

This is also the first part of my guide in the 'How To Beat Every Class As' series in TF2.

In this guide, I'll provide 3 tips & strategies to counter each of the 9 main classes as the 'Scout'.

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Terminologies
"Meatshots" - When all of your 'Scattergun' / 'Shotgun' bullets land directly towards the opponent's chest and deals 100+ damage (tnx to damage ramp-up lol).

"Double Jump" - The Scout has the ability to jump mid-air and change directions in his second jump. (There is also triple jumping if the Atomizer is used; higher jumps if the Winger is equipped and a hype meter in Soda Popper which grants 5 extra jumps).

"Damage ramp-up" - In TF2, the closer you are to your target, the higher the damage you deal (Exception: Crusader's Crossbow & all of Sniper's primary weapons, etc.).

"Null Movement Script" - It's a command script that removes the annoying mechanic that prevents you from pressing two opposing directions (A-D; W-S) and causing the player to stop if you press both. This is extremely annoying for Scout / Spy mains btw which is why we usually have a 'Null Movement Script' in our TF2 config. (Search it up in 'Google' & watch a tutorial on how to use it)

"Air Strafing" - Slowly turning while holding A or D while moving to the right or left without pressing the forward/backward key in the air preserves the speed of your momentum. Players in TF2 generally use air strafing to make tight turns or dodge while in the air.

"Hitbox" - Imagine there is an invisible square/rectangular box around each player model, and you can still deal damage even if you don't directly hit the player model; you instead deal damage to the invisible hitbox when this occurs.

"MGE" - A 1v1 community server map used to practice against other skilled players.

"Tr_walkway" - A workshop map used to practice general aiming/muscle memory against bots.

"Hitscan Class" - Classes like the Sniper, where when you click on a player's head, it instantly registers a hit/damage which affects all bullet-based weapons (pistols, shotguns, miniguns & sniper rifles). FYI, there is no bullet travel in TF2 but there is projectile travel time instead.

"Projectile Class" - Classes like the Soldier, where his primary weapon fires a rocket that travels a distance before reaching its target & dealing damage afterwards (e.g., Demoman's grenade launcher & sticky launcher).

"AOE / Splash Damage" - Acronym for 'Area of Effect' e.g., Mad Milk, Jarate, or the Demoman's Grenade / Sticky Launcher.

"DOT" - Acronym for 'Damage Over Time', e.g. Pyro's flamethrower or Scout's Wrap Assassin bleeding ornaments. (Fun fact: DPS is the acronym for 'Damage Per Second')

"Damage Surf" - An advance TF2 technique which uses the damage / knock-back you received from an opponent as a source of mobility e.g. 'damage surfing' a level 3 sentry with the Bonk! Atomic Punch effect as 'Scout'. (Medic mains usually use this to escape btw)

"Flanking" - It's where you take advantage of an opponent's weak-side in order to kill them efficiently which is similar to 'ambushing' (Ex: killing an enemy player in their sides or back)
Scout vs Scout
Advantages & Disadvantages: Both players are using the same class so it really depends on 'skill' who wins in this scenario tbh

Recommended Loadout: (Scattergun, Pistol & Wrap Assassin)

Tip #1 - Use the 'Null Movement Script' & constantly strafe left-to-right to help you avoid getting meatshot by the enemy 'Scout'.

Note: Constantly strafing left & right with the 'Null Movement Script' can make aiming hard so be sure to practice in MGE or Tr_walkway to mitigate this.

Tip #2 - Rely on your pistol when you miss all of your shots or if you run out of ammo in your primary weapon. The pistol is usually how 1v1 scout MGE fights end anyway so I recommend practicing your pistol aim in Tr_walkway by playing with heavy's minigun or sniper's smg to improve your pistol tracking aim.

Tip #3 - Scout's melee is generally useless in a Scout 1v1 so I suggest using the 'Wrap Assassin' for a free 'DOT' bleed when the enemy scout is far away. The only time where you would really use scout's melee is when you run out of ammo for both the Scattergun & Pistol but even then I would still suggest to just reload your 'Scattergun' again in this scenario or finding an ammo pack while you run away since most of Scout's melee weapons are pretty bad tbh (except for utility type weapons like the Atomizer).

Bonus: Double jump when you are reloading your 'Scattergun' or 'Pistol' during combat. Basically, jump like crazy; go left-to-right or do a infinity sign movement with your WASD keys while spamming your double jump in weird patterns. This is a tip I learned while playing lots of MGE and it personally helped increase my survivability in all of my Scout 1v1 duels in TF2.
Scout vs Soldier
Advantages: 'Scout' is really great at fighting against projectile classes in TF2 (Double jumping can negate Soldier's splash damage). Scout is also good in open area fights which has a lot of slopes / map props to jump on (Ex: The Central control point of Sunshine).

Disadvantages: Soldier has a higher HP pool & damage compared to other classes. And is extremely dangerous in claustrophobic maps like dustbowl for example. And if the Soldier equips the 'Shotgun' as his secondary.

Recommended Loadout: (Scattergun, Winger & Wrap Assassin) - (Soda Popper, Flying Guillotine & Wrap Assassin)

Tip #1 - Always keep your distance whenever you are fighting a Soldier since he benefits greatly from the damage ramp-up mechanic in TF2; making him deal 90-112 damage per rocket. He can basically 2 shot you or 1 shot you with the 'Direct Hit' in close range. So always try to back away & fight him in mid range so that it will take 3-4 rockets to kill you rather than 1-2. (Mid range weapons like the 'Wrap Assassin' & 'Flying Guillotine' would help you in this confrontation)

Tip #2 - Be smart & use the map terrain to your advantage when fighting Soldier mains. Double jump on top of rocks or props so that you can avoid Soldier's splash damage and make him miss a couple of shots. My advice for this is practicing on an offline server and discovering jump spots that Scout can use to get an advantage with his double jump mechanic. (And if you still suck don't worry; just use the winger, soda popper or Atomizer to help you practice).

Tip #3 - This tip is connected with tip #2 but always position yourself right & pick your battles carefully. Usually a 'Soldier' has a pocket medic, so in this situation I always try to flank or move to a good position in order to even out the fight. What I mean by this is either ambushing the enemy 'Soldier' from behind or running away near your spawn to fight him with your teammates. Don't be cocky & fight with your teammates when the enemy 'Soldier' has a pocket medic, otherwise you would be in 1v2 and most likely die in that fight.

Note: It's usually difficult to fight 'Soldier' but once you practice & become a veteran with 'Scout'. Fighting Soldiers gets easier with time & dedication lmao.

Bonus: Don't forget, Soldier has a 'Shotgun' so you are pretty much dead if he has good aim with it lol
Scout vs Pyro
Advantages: You can utilize Scout's speed & double jump to avoid getting damage from all of Pyro's flamethrower / flare guns (except the 'detonator'). Scout is also a hitscan class so 'Pyro' has limited options when fighting a Scout. Scout also has an innate advantage in open area fights against an enemy 'Pyro'.

Disadvantages: When you are ambushed by a 'Pyro'. In a very close distance from the 'Pyro' or if the 'Pyro' equips a shotgun secondary. And if you play against a 'Pyro' on claustrophobic maps like '2fort' or 'dustbowl'.

Recommended Loadout: (Scattergun, Mad Milk / Pistol & Sun-on-a-Stick)

Tip #1 - I'll be honest but it's really easy to defeat 'Pyro' as Scout. Even if the enemy player has 2000+ hours on Pyro with Godlike aim / reaction time to reflect any projectile & mastered the flare punch combo. If you engage carefully & position yourself right outside of Pyro's attack range. You would always win any 1v1 fight against a Pyro with no medic since you only need 2-4 meatshots / 2 pistol clips in mid-range to kill a 'Pyro'. And if you do get burned, don't panic & simply use your high speed to run back; get a health pack. Then return to finish the fight (this is the hit & run tactic btw).

Tip #2 - If the 'Pyro' is smart enough to switch to the 'Shotgun' in order to kill you. The fight does get harder in this scenario since the 'Pyro' can obliterate you in close range with his flamethrower & it's also hard to dodge a hitscan shotgun tbh. I suggest combining my tips with Scout & Pyro by safely fighting outside Pyro's flamethrower range & if he uses the 'Shotgun', constantly strafe left-to-right with the 'Null Movement Script' to avoid getting meatshot by Pyro's 'Shotgun' weapon.

Tip #3 - Never get scared when fighting a Pyro. This is a reckless tip I learned by watching competitive highlander matches on YT. But basically do the opposite of tip #1. Go really close towards an enemy Pyro & make sure you land 2 perfect meatshots in order to kill him instantly. (Only do tip #3 if you have good aim, 'Mad Milk' or overheal from a Medic so that you don't die from after burn damage).

Note: Use my recommended loadout if you are having difficulty fighting against Pyro.
Scout vs Demoman
Advantages: Scout naturally counter's Demoman (I will explain why below)

Disadvantages: If the Demoman has a medic or already has a sticky trap prepared before you engage in a fight with him.

Recommended Loadout: (Scattergun, Winger & Wrap Assassin) - (Soda Popper, Mad Milk & Wrap Assassin)

Tip #1 - Unlike other classes, Demoman is a pure projectile class with no hitscan weapons available for him to use in his loadout. This is why 'Scout' is Demoman's natural counter because classes like Soldier / Pyro can equip a 'shotgun' secondary to counter Scout's movement but Demoman can't so he has to rely purely on his own skill & aim to kill Scout consistently with projectiles / melee weapons. As a Scout you can use this to your advantage by simply utilizing your innate speed to get close & your double jump to fight mid-air most of the time to avoid Demoman's splash damage entirely. (And remember it only takes 2 direct meatshots to kill a Demo.)

Tip #2 - The main reason why you want to get close to the Demoman is because he can damage himself with his grenade / sticky launcher in close range so most Demo main's usually use a melee weapon to kill Scout most of the time to avoid self-damage. If the Demo switches to his melee weapon simply run backwards while shooting & that's pretty much it in killing Demoman.

Tip #3 - If you are still having trouble killing a Demoman just use my recommended loadout. Use the winger to avoid stickies & pipes. Use the Wrap Assassin at long range for a free DOT bleed. And if you are good at using the 'Soda popper' use the hype meter to effectively dodge everything & kill the Demoman safely. (Mad Milk is also there to help keep you alive btw)

Bonus: Against a Demo-Knight / Demo-Rai, simply fight it like you are fighting a Pyro by constantly engaging in mid-range to avoid his melee & if the Demo charges at you just use the 'winger' to jump really high to avoid getting hit. It's honestly really easy to kill a Demo-Knight so idk why other Scouts struggle fighting them lol. (The idea is also the same versus a hybrid-knight Demo just add all of the tips together with the bonus info)
Scout vs Heavy
Advantages: If the 'Heavy' isn't rev yet. You attack first & are near him to land 3 direct meatshots. Scout has the highest speed in the game while 'Heavy' has the slowest speed this means you can easily run away from him. (It's also very easy to do the hit & run tactic because of his low mobility)

Disadvantages: It's always gonna be a 1 v 2 fight since 'Heavy' is the primary healing patient of the 'Medic'. If the enemy Heavy knows the 'jump rev technique' & equips the Tomislav. If the Heavy is fighting you in mid-range with his minigun. (btw 'Heavy' is a pure hitscan class so dodging is 2x harder)

Recommended Loadout: (Scattergun, Mad Milk & Wrap Assassin)

Tip #1 - Every Scout main knows this but you can use your fast speed & double jump to get on top of an enemy Heavy's head to dodge the minigun bullets. This is a good strategy if you are in close range with the Heavy & have no cover / props to jump on to evade his minigun.

Note: If you do tip #1 be sure to turn backwards then immediately shot to land 1-2 direct meatshots then repeat (do not try to attempt this if Heavy is in mid-range & only do this if you are already in close range so that you have time to jump over his head to disorient the enemy Heavy's minigun aim)

Tip #2 - Avoid direct confrontation with a 'Medic + Heavy combo'. The Heavy has 450 HP & Medic has 150 HP, you would need to land 6+ direct meatshots then reload afterwards to kill this pair. So I suggest copying Pyro's & Spy's play-style of flanking then ambushing them if they are distracted in order to kill this pair (btw you can also use teammates to help you kill this combo)

Tip #3 - If you are still struggling to kill a Heavy. Try using my recommended loadout. First hit the enemy Heavy with the Wrap Assassin bleed ornament; then you throw the Mad Milk. If you do it right you would receive a slight regen from the bleed & healing effect of both weapons. After that, finish the job with your Scattergun (Mad Milk is extremely helpful in keeping you alive against an enemy Heavy).
Scout vs Engineer
Advantages: If you fight the 'Engineer' without his sentry or has no nearby teammates to help him.

Disadvantages: Engineer naturally counter's Scout (I will explain why below)

Recommended Loadout: (Scattergun, Pistol & Wrap Assassin) - (Scattergun, Bonk! Atomic Punch & Atomizer)

Tip #1 - Fighting against an enemy 'Engineer' as 'Scout' is pretty hard since they usually hangout near teammates, have a 'Pybro' guarding their nest & a lvl 3 sentry can protect itself. My tip is to completely avoid dealing with the sentry and to inform other players in your team the general location of the sentry nest. That way your teammates would safely destroy the sentry instead.

Note: If your team sucks, lacks coordination or cooperation then try to destroy the sentry nest using my recommended loadout. Bonk! Atomic Punch is there to protect yourself against the sentry and in rare cases try to go near the 'Engineer' with the 'Bonk effect' on so that the lvl 3 sentry would accidentally hurt the 'Engineer' instead (this is hard to do btw so be sure to practice & avoid jumping). Or simply gun down the sentry using your 'Scattergun' & 'Pistol' outside of the sentry's attack range. Then use the Wrap Assassin bleed ornament on the 'Engineer' to distract him. (Fun fact: you can still use Atomizer while the 'Bonk effect' is active)

Tip #2 - On the other hand it's pretty easy to kill a Gunslinger Engineer, just target his mini sentry first then kill the Engineer afterwards. Don't forget but sentries don't have damage falloff & damage ramp up. So if land a direct meatshot towards a sentry rather than doing 100+ damage you would only deal 90 which means it takes 3 meatshots to destroy a lvl 3 sentry & 2 meatshots for the mini sentry so always keep your distance from their attack range.

Tip #3 - My last tip is to avoid obvious sentry spots. I suggest watching "Uncle Dane" or "Delfy" on YT to know more about this but basically every map has an advantageous spot that Engineers love to place their sentry at which is why I suggest avoiding these sentry spots before you go to the front-lines so that you won't get randomly killed by it.

Bonus: If you are really desperate to destroy a sentry nest, just switch to Soldier & use the 'Direct Hit' to obliterate it; then switch back to Scout lmao.
Scout vs Medic
Advantages: Without a patient, a solo 'Medic' is basically a free +1 kill.

Disadvantages: It's always gonna be a 1v2 scenario if you are up against an enemy 'Medic'.

Recommended Loadout: (Scattergun, Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol & Fan O' War)

Tip #1 - Never underestimate Medics. Medic always fights with 1 player or a group of players protecting him. So be sure to either kill the patient or the 'Medic' first, depending on who is easier to kill. But if the Medic is healing a 'Pro Player'; always prioritize killing the Medic in this scenario.

Note: If the enemy 'Medic' is healing a 'Soldier', 'Demoman', 'Pyro' or 'Heavy' be sure not to fight this combo directly & to retreat until you have a good position or a teammate to help you. (You can also 'flank' or do the 'hit & run' strategy to efficiently kill any 'Medic pair combo')

Tip #2 - Watch out for Medic's ÜberCharge. Most TF2 players often forget this fact but if you try to kill an enemy Medic; he will panic & activate his ÜberCharge to keep himself alive. So be sure to kill the Medic quickly or plan out an escape route before you attempt to kill a Medic.

Tip #3 - Do not overextend near enemy territory against any 'Medic pair combo'. You are more likely die fighting multiple players at once near their spawn; if you try to kill the enemy 'Medic' with no strategy or tactic in mind. So choose your fights carefully.

Bonus: You can use different weapons such as the 'Mad Milk', 'Pistol' & 'Winger' if you'd like.
Scout vs Sniper
Advantages: It's relatively easy to avoid getting headshot by a Sniper since Scout is very fast & can double jump. Scout also has the advantage in close range & mid range fights.

Disadvantages: Sniper usually camps near a sentry nest or teammates. Sniper has great advantage in long range fights. (Sniper is also a pure hitscan class so dodging is 1.5x harder)

Recommended Loadout: (Scattergun, Pistol & Atomizer)

Tip #1 - Avoid moving in a straight line or making predictable patterns with your movement. Remember, 1 uncharged headshot is enough to kill you in a single hit; so always try to be unpredictable with your movement by moving in a zig-zag pattern or utilizing your double jump in random patterns to avoid getting headshot. (Simply dodge, get close to the sniper then kill him)

Tip #2 - If you are fighting against a noob or amateur Sniper; focus more on dodging with your double jumps to disorient their aim. But if you are fighting against a veteran or 'Pro Sniper' main; 'air strafe' instead w/ single jumps & avoid double jumps since a common tactic skilled Sniper mains use is waiting for the Scout to waste his double jump; then headshot the Scout while he is in mid-air (I learned this tactic from my countless hours of playing Scout in TF2).

Note: A skilled, veteran or 'Pro Sniper' main can still headshot you no matter the range so always keep dodging until you kill the Sniper & never underestimate them in close range.

Tip #3 - Avoid Sniper sight-lines or double jump immediately around corners near Sniper sight-lines. If you really can't avoid going to a Sniper sight-lines then at least try to use your double jump whenever you peek a corner so that you don't die instantly. Then find some map props to cover & protect your head's hitbox from the Sniper so that you can get close enough to kill him.

Bonus: Use your 'Scattergun' at long range to make the Sniper flinch / stagger his aim to increase your survivability. And be sure to use the 'Atomizer' if there are multiple enemy Snipers at long range (The triple jump from the Atomizer is useful for dodging headshots).
Scout vs Spy
Advantages: Scout's high mobility makes it hard for 'Spies' to do a trickstab or backstab you. Scout is also a low pick priority for 'Spies' to kill; so they generally avoid dealing with a 'Scout', unless they are hungry for kills or don't care about getting spotted / revealing their disguise.

Disadvantages: If an enemy 'Spy' sees that you are low HP, ambushes you unexpectedly or backstabs you while you are distracted during a fight with another enemy player.

Recommended Loadout: (Scattergun, Mad Milk & Wrap Assassin)

Tip #1 - Just like my tip against an enemy 'Demo-knight' & 'Pyro'; avoid fighting in close range & always engage the fight in mid range. This is to avoid the possible risk of the 'Spy' performing a trickstab on you (Don't worry Scout has high speed so it's easy to avoid Spy's melee range).

Tip #2 - Always stay vigilant & immediately call out suspicious behavior from teammates. Try to use TF2's voice command system to inform your teammates that there is an enemy Spy in our team. (Press 'Z' then '2' on your keyboard for Scout to scream "We got a Spy!" lol)

Tip #3 - Immediately shoot teammates who are moving towards you / other players because of the high chance of them being a disguised 'Spy' going for a backstab kill (This is called 'Spy Checking' every amateur & veteran player in TF2 instinctively knows this tactic).

Note: Occasionally check your back when you are reloading or doing nothing. This is also a basic strategy in TF2 that every class should know and do to counter Spy's invisibility then backstab tactic (btw you can use my recommended loadout: 'Mad Milk' & 'Wrap Assassin' to make it harder for the enemy Spy to escape & for you to easily track him).

Bonus: You can also use the 'Holy Mackerel' or the 'Unarmed Combat' to find out whether a 'Dead Ringer Spy' truly died or faked his death. (Be careful though since you might get trickstab if you use your melee too much against a veteran 'Dead Ringer Spy').
Thank You For Reading My Guide <3

17 Comments
Digger Nick  [author] 12 Dec, 2023 @ 7:26am 
For PVP Practice On 'Scout' > Try practicing your 1v1 skills on community MGE servers.

For Aim Practice On 'Scout' > Try practicing your aim on tr_walkway maps that you can find on the TF2 workshop page (or google search it instead).

Scout is easy to play but a hard class to master so don't get discourage even if you have lots of deaths since it's a major part with learning a class & becoming good at it in TF2.
Digger Nick  [author] 9 Aug, 2023 @ 9:11am 
But anyway if you want to safely fight "Saxton Hale" as Scout I recommend using 'Force-A-Nature' to push 'Saxton Hale' away since he only attacks in close / melee range.
'Bonk! Atomic Punch' is a good secondary to use if you want more survivability or 'Mad Milk' if you want to help out your team. You can also use the 'Crit-a-Cola' if you would like since 'Saxton Hale' would probably oneshot you anyway so the Crit-a-Cola is a decent choice against 'Saxton Hale'. 'Fan O' War' if you want to risk it and give a minicrit debuff to 'Saxton Hale'; 'Wrap Assassin' & 'Sandman' if you want to play safe while inflicting a debuff on 'Saxton Hale' from a safe distance.

And that's basically it. Just push "Saxton Hale" away with your 'Force-A-Nature' whenever he gets close and if he does a stomp attack on you, immediately 'double jump' to avoid it then do the "hit n' run" strategy until 'Saxton Hale' dies or until your team caps the control point.
Digger Nick  [author] 9 Aug, 2023 @ 9:11am 
@S0ME1 Sorry but I made this guide around 'June' and posted it on 'July 26'. During that time while I was busy making this guide the 'Versus Saxton Hale' game mode wasn't there yet so that's why I didn't put it in this guide.
S0ME1 9 Aug, 2023 @ 6:54am 
where is scout vs saxton hale
Digger Nick  [author] 7 Aug, 2023 @ 3:57pm 
I forgot so say this but on YouTube there is a God-tier Scout main named 'Sirky' in TF2; just search 'TF2 sirky' in the search icon on YouTube and watch his Scout videos for more in depth analysis if my guide is lacking.
Digger Nick  [author] 3 Aug, 2023 @ 5:15pm 
No probs m8 :steamthumbsup:
LalitoTV 3 Aug, 2023 @ 9:26am 
Thanks for the guide man, appreciate it :cupup:
Digger Nick  [author] 2 Aug, 2023 @ 5:55pm 
@LalitoTV, the 'Mad Milk' & 'Sun-on-a-Stick' is also good against a Pyro. And if you prefer mid-range the 'Pistol' or 'Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol' with the 'Sun-on-a-Stick' is great loadout to use if you want to safely kill a Pyro in mid-range. (Use the default 'Scattergun' btw)
Digger Nick  [author] 2 Aug, 2023 @ 5:36pm 
Here is an example of a 'Pro Scout' player in 2013 on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grv6NX0ITCg

- Killing a Pyro as Scout is really easy. Scout has a lot of advantages because of his high mobility & hit-scan weapons which alternately give Pyro less options when dealing with a Scout since he can't reflect nor air blast Scout because he would immediately leave Pyro's attack range. The only thing Pyro mains can do is perform a 'flare-punch combo' or 'shot-gun combo' with the 'Degreaser' to kill Scout. But Scout can just two shot a Pyro with '2 direct-meatshots' once you have good aim which is why Pyro is weak against a Scout because he can use his high mobility to either escape or get near a Pyro to 2-shot him (although you do need a little bit of skill & practice in 'tr_walkway' to do this though).
LalitoTV 2 Aug, 2023 @ 5:33am 
Very nice, is there any videos of any player out there dealing with pyro?
You make it sound so easy but idk man, even when jumping I still get burned every time