Here a little guide for those getting into Spying!
Engy / Sentry - stab engy in back, immediately change to sapper, sap sentry, followed by teleporter and dispenser. Works 4/5 times. Sometimes the sentry turns on you too quickly. Engy hiding in a corner? Jump on his head and stab him top-down! Believe me it works! By the way - it’s pointless sapping a sentry unless you kill the engy protecting it first. Kill him first you get all his structures… sapp while he’s nearby you normally get nothing… maybe a teleporter… unless you can coax him into a sapping/repairing war, which you will win eventually (if his buddies don’t take care of you before that happens).
Random spy checking - only seems a major problem when you have a VERY annoyed pyro, who was probably another class that got backstabbed too many times… which means that a spy is doing his job! Most the time you only get spy checked if you’re acting suspiciously eg. running the wrong way! Looking directly at and constantly at enemy ‘teammates’. Usually people will leave you alone if you act right… if you play like the class you’re disguised as should be playing.
Medic / Heavy combo - juicy opportunity. Harder if the medic is constantly turning around looking for spies… Usually best timing is when they’re engaged in combat and their attention is forward. I once back-stabbed a heavy while he was be healed by 3 medics at once… they looked so disappointed! Go for the medic then the Heavy. If the medic suspects you as a spy, just hit the heavy and run, leaving the medic undefended
Full 24 player maps are harder for spies than 16 player maps, more players = harder to get behind enemy lines. Then less players, the easier it is to dominate… unless they’re all scout or pyros… in that case don’t use Spy!
I’m only spotted after it’s too late. Sometimes, yes, you get spy checked. Maybe 1/10 respawns, depending on how good you are / aren’t. 2/3 if you suck. My record number of backstabs (backstabs NOT just kills) without dying is 14.
Sniper - easy - the have tunnel vision while looking down the scope. Best timing is to hit them when they’re lining up a shot. If they’re standing in a corner, either jump on their head’s, or use your pistol - 3 shots point blank is all it takes to kill one.
The pistol - underrated weapon. Rather accurate at mid range, and does a significant amount of damage. I’ve killed heavies with the Spy’s pistol before. Especially good when running away while being pursued, you can often get extra kills this way, cos nobody can catch you except for a scout. Great in long corridors, such as the sewers in 2Fort. Pistol is great for shooting a sapped sentry too, to speed up it’s demise significantly. Remember - the damage is distance-dependent.
Bottlenecks - juicy opportunities. Find a narrow spot where the enemy is condensed, where their focus is in one direction. If you can get behind them, you can get a magnificent run - hit the back first, work your way to the front, then run back to your frontline for re-disguising. My personal record is 5 in 5 seconds. Yesterday I got 3 in 2 seconds on Gold Rush.
Scouts - a bane if they see you stab someone. Don’t waste your time trying to backstab them… unless you have a chance too! Very satisfying… any self respecting Scout ill be very embarrassed to be backstabbed by a Spy!
Other Spies! - “Takes one to know one” is a very true statement. If you’re good at playing Spy, you’re good at spotting a Spy… especially noobies! Looks for the guy running to the enemy’s frontlines wearing the wrong coloured clothes.
When respawning / running to frontline - Disguise as a pyro of your own team (on the disguise menu hit ‘-’ then choose your disguise). Why? Spies attract a lot of attention when in plain sight… Especially enemy spies. Disguise as a pyro of your own team, and enemy spies will leave you alone… trust me! Also, it tends to save your cloak until you need it. When disguised as pyro teammate, no-one will suspect a spy coming. Leave it till late as possible to disguise as an enemy, then cloak to get behind enemy lines - you’ll get deeper than being forced to cloak early because you’re already in enemy disguise.
Demomen - Rather easy… they’re normally either waiting for some to walk into their mines to they can detonate, or they’re placing mines… wait for either.
Soldier - Make sure you kill first stab! Usually it’s easiest to just follow them as they’re running to the front, since they’re easy to catch up with.
Fall in behind them - when cloaking to get behind enemy line, put yourself in a spot where the enemy will run past you on their way to the front, but will only see you hiding if they look behind them. Great way to choose your targets as they run past, and to join their ranks without suspicion. When a Heavy or soldier runs past, just fall in and stab the slowies! or follow them to a bottleneck at the frontline an see how many you can get!
Sap sentries just before your buddies start attacking it - gauranteed to take it out!
Teleporter stabbing - want to be cheeky? Find an enemy teleporter and stab them as they come through - they never expect it!
Cloaking - by far the BIGGEST mistake people make here is they his the right mouse button to cloak, and run out strait away, only to be seen by the enemy as a silhouette of your teams colour. It take a good 2 seconds to cloak. Cloak, count to 2, then run out.
Exit strategy - always plan ahead… After you stab, when are you running to? Will you have enough cloak to get away under fire? Are any of the victim’s teammates going to see and pursue you? Will you hide again behind enemy lines for a second run rather than running to the safety of your teammates? Or are you planning an all out assault on the enemies front lines which you do not expect to survive?
Spy… the thinking man’s class. I think that’s why people think they’re useless, they forget the thinking part when they play as one.
Cheers,
Lt_taco
Engy / Sentry - stab engy in back, immediately change to sapper, sap sentry, followed by teleporter and dispenser. Works 4/5 times. Sometimes the sentry turns on you too quickly. Engy hiding in a corner? Jump on his head and stab him top-down! Believe me it works! By the way - it’s pointless sapping a sentry unless you kill the engy protecting it first. Kill him first you get all his structures… sapp while he’s nearby you normally get nothing… maybe a teleporter… unless you can coax him into a sapping/repairing war, which you will win eventually (if his buddies don’t take care of you before that happens).
Random spy checking - only seems a major problem when you have a VERY annoyed pyro, who was probably another class that got backstabbed too many times… which means that a spy is doing his job! Most the time you only get spy checked if you’re acting suspiciously eg. running the wrong way! Looking directly at and constantly at enemy ‘teammates’. Usually people will leave you alone if you act right… if you play like the class you’re disguised as should be playing.
Medic / Heavy combo - juicy opportunity. Harder if the medic is constantly turning around looking for spies… Usually best timing is when they’re engaged in combat and their attention is forward. I once back-stabbed a heavy while he was be healed by 3 medics at once… they looked so disappointed! Go for the medic then the Heavy. If the medic suspects you as a spy, just hit the heavy and run, leaving the medic undefended
Full 24 player maps are harder for spies than 16 player maps, more players = harder to get behind enemy lines. Then less players, the easier it is to dominate… unless they’re all scout or pyros… in that case don’t use Spy!
I’m only spotted after it’s too late. Sometimes, yes, you get spy checked. Maybe 1/10 respawns, depending on how good you are / aren’t. 2/3 if you suck. My record number of backstabs (backstabs NOT just kills) without dying is 14.
Sniper - easy - the have tunnel vision while looking down the scope. Best timing is to hit them when they’re lining up a shot. If they’re standing in a corner, either jump on their head’s, or use your pistol - 3 shots point blank is all it takes to kill one.
The pistol - underrated weapon. Rather accurate at mid range, and does a significant amount of damage. I’ve killed heavies with the Spy’s pistol before. Especially good when running away while being pursued, you can often get extra kills this way, cos nobody can catch you except for a scout. Great in long corridors, such as the sewers in 2Fort. Pistol is great for shooting a sapped sentry too, to speed up it’s demise significantly. Remember - the damage is distance-dependent.
Bottlenecks - juicy opportunities. Find a narrow spot where the enemy is condensed, where their focus is in one direction. If you can get behind them, you can get a magnificent run - hit the back first, work your way to the front, then run back to your frontline for re-disguising. My personal record is 5 in 5 seconds. Yesterday I got 3 in 2 seconds on Gold Rush.
Scouts - a bane if they see you stab someone. Don’t waste your time trying to backstab them… unless you have a chance too! Very satisfying… any self respecting Scout ill be very embarrassed to be backstabbed by a Spy!
Other Spies! - “Takes one to know one” is a very true statement. If you’re good at playing Spy, you’re good at spotting a Spy… especially noobies! Looks for the guy running to the enemy’s frontlines wearing the wrong coloured clothes.
When respawning / running to frontline - Disguise as a pyro of your own team (on the disguise menu hit ‘-’ then choose your disguise). Why? Spies attract a lot of attention when in plain sight… Especially enemy spies. Disguise as a pyro of your own team, and enemy spies will leave you alone… trust me! Also, it tends to save your cloak until you need it. When disguised as pyro teammate, no-one will suspect a spy coming. Leave it till late as possible to disguise as an enemy, then cloak to get behind enemy lines - you’ll get deeper than being forced to cloak early because you’re already in enemy disguise.
Demomen - Rather easy… they’re normally either waiting for some to walk into their mines to they can detonate, or they’re placing mines… wait for either.
Soldier - Make sure you kill first stab! Usually it’s easiest to just follow them as they’re running to the front, since they’re easy to catch up with.
Fall in behind them - when cloaking to get behind enemy line, put yourself in a spot where the enemy will run past you on their way to the front, but will only see you hiding if they look behind them. Great way to choose your targets as they run past, and to join their ranks without suspicion. When a Heavy or soldier runs past, just fall in and stab the slowies! or follow them to a bottleneck at the frontline an see how many you can get!
Sap sentries just before your buddies start attacking it - gauranteed to take it out!
Teleporter stabbing - want to be cheeky? Find an enemy teleporter and stab them as they come through - they never expect it!
Cloaking - by far the BIGGEST mistake people make here is they his the right mouse button to cloak, and run out strait away, only to be seen by the enemy as a silhouette of your teams colour. It take a good 2 seconds to cloak. Cloak, count to 2, then run out.
Exit strategy - always plan ahead… After you stab, when are you running to? Will you have enough cloak to get away under fire? Are any of the victim’s teammates going to see and pursue you? Will you hide again behind enemy lines for a second run rather than running to the safety of your teammates? Or are you planning an all out assault on the enemies front lines which you do not expect to survive?
Spy… the thinking man’s class. I think that’s why people think they’re useless, they forget the thinking part when they play as one.
Cheers,
Lt_taco
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