Take it like a man, shorty! Attempt at an Engineer guide. (Thx, Darknecrid/Balzac)

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Culex

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Now, now, these guides are popping up everywhere to help players be better at classes. I'd like to thank Darknecrid and Balzac for inspiration.

Anyway, here's the guide.

1. The basics.​

The engineer is a fairly straightforward class. Engy has two jobs: Defend and assist. The engineer can build sentries, in three levels, that fire rounds, fire rounds faster and in larger quantities, and finally fire rockets as well. The first sentry costs 130 metal to build, and 200 for each subsequent upgrade. They can also build Dispensers which can give ammo, health, and metal to the engineer and his teammates. This costs 100 metal to build. Lastly, they can create a teleporter entrance and exit. Each costs 125 metal to build. Teleporters can be used to move teammates and the engineer forward for back attacks and ambushes.

Metal is not unlimited. The engineer can carry 200 metal at a time. Fallen weapons and destroyed building pieces can restore metal as well. Larger weapons like the Minigun and Flamethrower restore 100 metal. Smaller weapons recover 50-100. Small ammo boxes recover 50 metal, large ammo boxes give 100.

Engineers carry a Shotgun with a starting 6 ammo clip and 32 reserve ammo, a 12 clip pistol with 200 reserve ammo, and a wrench. Special things are the Building Toolbox to build sentries, dispensers, and teleporters. There's also a detonator to destroy old buildings to place them elsewhere.

2. Pros and Cons​

Pros
?Can build some of the strongest and most helpful equipment in TF2
?Has a powerful wrench that can kill weaker classes in a single crit
?Great for defense
?With several other engineers, can build enough dispensers near eachother to create a quick heal and refill station
?HUGE pistol ammo capacity

Cons
?Low health
?Susceptible to back attacks from most classes
?Has a hard time finding spies without a pyro or heavy to check for spies
?Sentries have fairly low health and need to be refilled with ammo

Fairly even, I'd say.

3. Strategies and techniques.​

Now this is where you came for. The strategies. Depending on how your team is doing, Sentries and dispensers should be moved more forward. In Arena maps, this matters not, just hide it behind something to ambush enemies. On Payload maps, defending teams should place them near untaken points or where the enemy won't see it while pushing the cart. Attacking teams, as far up as you can to defend your teammates near the cart.

On CP maps, depending on your control of points, you want to place them in different places. If you control most of the points like 4/5, place the sentry outside where the enemy pops out to take 4, or near their spawn to prevent them from protecting 5. Build a teleporter and dispenser close by to bring teammates there. If there's a fight over a point continuously, place the sentry to defend the point and a teleporter to quickly send teammates to the point to help defend. If one lone point remains on your team, build a sentry to defend it and a dispenser to give you health and metal to repair your sentry. Have a Pyro nearby to spy check and keep a rather continuous flame near your sentry to keep off invisible spies.

On Capture the Flag maps, if your team is pushing back the enemy team, build a sentry, dispenser, and teleporter near their exits to keep them in. If there's a fight for the middle or your team is being pushed back, always keep a dispenser and sentry by the flag. As always, have a pyro to spy check and push off attackers.

Again: If you leave your sentry, HAVE A PYRO OR HEAVY OR ENGINEER HELP GUARD IT. Unguarded sentries can be taken out quickly and easily by enemy spies.

If you're under fire, crouch behind your sentry and continue to repair it and your dispenser. With luck, your dispenser will heal you continuously as you repair them.

If a Pyro is not nearby for protecting your buildings, a fellow Engineer or Heavy will do just fine for continuous fire. Engineers also have the bonus of hitting off sappers. If an engineer's buildings are sapped and another Engineer is being sapped and backstab, an Engineer that can jump out and fix the sentry is always good.

4. Map-Specific Strategies​

Here are some strategies I've found for maps that eGO servers offer.

Map: CP_Blackmesa

A is an increasingly sought after point. Try to build a sentry and dispenser behind boxes near YOUR entrance to guard the point itself. Hide behind the boxes and build a dispenser as a bit of a healing shield.

If your last point and next-to-last points (BL and CK respectively) BUILD A SENTRY TO GUARD B OR K. Your teammates can guard L or C, but if a pyro or scout comes to take B or K the second L or C drops, he'll have little opposition. The sentry can be put in either of the four corners and can be built so that it can't be jumped behind easily, partially hindering Spies. Heavies and other classes will try to crouch through the ground door to destroy the sentry. If this keeps happening, build the sentry in the ground door corner to face the door. The second they try to get easy pickings on you or your buildings, BAM! They get a face full o' sentry. I advise you to build a dispenser in B or K near the healthpack.

DO NOT BUILD IN THE WATER UNDER A. It is prohibited in eGO servers.

Map: CTF_Turbine

Sentries in corners of the middle are popular and can push back enemies. Alternately, build one on the balcony facing the exit of the enemy's vent. When defending the flag, there are several spots. By the stairs behind the wall, by the point behind the column, and in between the two doors. The last one is difficult as anyone in the above vent can destroy it. Behind the column can fight off enemies from both doors slightly earlier but is easier to destroy. The one by the stairs is best but does not completely guard the room. There are many other points, of course, but these are just a few I've seen.

You can also pull out the Teleporter Exit blueprints, jump, and place them on the high platform by the doors before the flag. Build a teleporter entrance near, and place the Dispenser behind the column and the sentry far back enough to be difficult for spies to sap. Hide by the back and repair your sentry as needed, it is difficult to destroy this sentry.

5. I don't see some stuff I know...What gives?​

If you want to contribute to the guide, PM me or post here what you know or suggest. I'll change this post to reflect that and give you credit.

Now get out there, and build to your heart's content...and your enemy's lack thereof!
 
Spy sappin' my ideas.

Guide is rather short, but the engie is a rather basic class that doesn't require much effort to get out of so I guess that happens. I'm thinking we might have to merge all these into one class guide topic once we get all 9 done. :D
 
DarkNecrid said:
Spy sappin' my ideas.

Guide is rather short, but the engie is a rather basic class that doesn't require much effort to get out of so I guess that happens. I'm thinking we might have to merge all these into one class guide topic once we get all 9 done. :D
Click to expand...


Good idea. They can all have their geeky quotes or notices.

Like HUDDA HUDDA HUH

or DUMMKOPFS

or CRY SOME MORE!

or ...what's the Sniper say?

or BOINK!

or something along the lines of MAGGOTS.

hee.

I just wanted to help, though. I don't do much to help the community really. I can't afford any parts for the eGO mall for a while, either. So I guess this is a good way to start, huh?
 
There is nothing written about an offensive engi. I guess I really have to write my own engi guide. Too bad I'm so lazy! :p


-Calle
 
Captain Calle said:
There is nothing written about an offensive engi. I guess I really have to write my own engi guide. Too bad I'm so lazy! :p


-Calle
Click to expand...

Write it up, we'll slap it together and put them all in a comprehensive class guide.

Although I really don't see offensive engy being very helpful when their main point is defense.
 
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Culex said:
Write it up, we'll slap it together and put them all in a comprehensive class guide.

Although I really don't see offensive engy being very helpful when their main point is defense.
Click to expand...

Offensive engie is very useful, putting teles in the enemies base in spots they won't look can be game winning.
 
Culex said:
I wouldn't call that "offensive" more.

It's more of a tactic.
Click to expand...
What I call an offensive engi, is an engineer who supports the frontline with exits, diespensers and level 1/2 sentries here and there. I love staying with a heavy medic combo, shooting people with my shotgun and pistol... Although nothing beats wrenching a heavy! ;)
You might not agree with me, but this playstyle is very useful on many maps. I rather support my team with ammo, health and a teleporter instead of babysitting my sentry somewhere on the map.
Though, it strongly depends on my mood and the map how I'm going to play.
Generally, I like to split the engi in three different playstyles:
-Babysitter, an engineer who defends one key feature on the map (for example the ramp room of 2Fort). In my honest oppinion, every babysitter should go on a patrol on a relatively large area, to support your team more.
-Outpost Engi, an engineer who builds a camp (lvl 3Sentry, Dispenser and Exit) somewhere close to the front line. Again, this is more effective when you go on a patrol. Gets you more assist kills, too. ;)
-Offensive Engi, a frontline supporter whos main role is it to keep his team healthy (medics will thank ya!). In my oppinion, this is the most fun playstyle. It's more aggresive and action based than defending somewhere is.
Ofcourse you can always play a mix of these three styles. Or heck, you can create your own. Be creative.

As I said, I'm lazy. I'm probably not going to write a guide about it, though when you've got question you can always add me on steam and ask me.


-Calle
 
On some CP maps, if you can get a little outpost behind the enemy, you can give your team a chance to ambush the enemy from behind(great for spies now that teleporter effect no longer appears). you can also drop a level one here and there to mess with the other team.
 
lot of people under estimate the power of a level1 sentry.

its easy to overlook, auto tracks, and does steady damage. Ive often racked up 3 and 4 kills on a level one when a level 3 is nothing but sapper bait and a huge target that no one is willing to go up against.

i like to play offensive engi and support my teammates in attack both in taking pot shots at enemies and putting out well placed dispensers.

ive got over 80 hrs as engi.
 
Dreadmaker wrote an absolutely fabulous engi guide a month or two ago but it seems to have disappeared from the forums. Working on finding it.
 
Well actually,

Small ammo box = 41 metal

Medium ammo box = 100 metal

Large ammo box = 200 metal

I would know that lol :D
 
I've got a handful of Engie hours under my belt, and here's what I'd add to your guide :D Closed or not, here would be my recommended additons:



GENERAL ENGIE HINTS:

When building your equipment, move. Don't stand still, that's asking for a backstab. Walk back and forth, forward and back, while wrenching your equipment.

Also, remember, actively wrenching your equipment makes it build twice as fast. And this effect stacks, so two Engies build 4 times as fast actively wrenching. You're NEVER in too much of a hurry to not help a fellow Engie finish his job as you run past.

Don't stand in front of your sentry gun; it will kill you, and won't even shed a tear.

Don't put your dispenser in front of your sentry, or in the line of fire between your sentry and what you're guarding. I, too, thought it would be neat; it's like Sentry Armor! But the sentry can't see through the dispenser to fire.

However, if you have an Engie friend... build your dispenser in front of his sentry. It can see through the dispensor, and it IS sentry armor. (This may not work. Thanks Gypsy!) Even if you can't put the dispenser in front of the Sentry Gun, placing it to the side not only gives Mr. Other Engineer more metal, but protects him from side attack. One one map, I had an awesome defensive gun. I had a dispenser behind me, and a teammate came up and put one to my right. As my left side was against the wall, I was fully surrounded by armor which I could repair and get health and ammo from. The teammates kept the soldiers and demos away, and we won the day! Thanks to the other Engie.

Right click rotates your sentry blueprint before building. Point your sentry the right way, and you won't have to wait for slew time as the sentry turns around. 90 degrees of slew is the difference between shoving away the uberdemo and getting creamed.

Use right click to rotate transporter exits. The person beaming in will face the direction of the arrow on the blueprint. Point that arrow at the most important thing to see when you come out... not a corner. Also, good placement can get you kills; an enemy who walks over the teleporter while somebody beams through will get killed! So you want people using your teleporters. It's a random kill, but somebody having to see "You were killed by CuteEngie's Teleporter Exit" is gold.

Finally: Dancing with fellow Engineers is socially appropriate.


ADVANCED SENTRIES

Sentries are awesome for one really good reason: It adds a player to the team... if you do it right. Sure, this player can't move, but it can shoot as much damage as a Heavy, can survive as long as a Demoman, and can't be backstabbed!

Depending on how you like to play, there are three ways to use your sentry gun: Defensive, Offensive, and Annoying.

DEFENSIVE SENTRY GUNS

The goal of a defensive sentry gun is to protect a flag or a capture point, or some other area of value. In this case, you will need to set up a "turtling" base. This is where you set up your sentry gun and a dispenser, sit between them, and spam the wrench to keep your sentry alive.

If you are building a sentry for defense purposes, try to pick a spot with line of sight to the goal, while also protecting the gun from oncoming enemies.

If you want to focus on defense, I would recommend walking around the intel room late at night one night, when you can have the server alone or almost alone, and pull out the sentry blueprint. Walk around the room and look for good places that have line of sight on both the intel and doors.

The important thing with a defensive sentry is to pick a place where the blue "range" display never shows a place where somebody can stand out of range and pick your sentry off. It's not much of a defense if it can be blown up from afar.

Once you have your sentry up, patrol the area with your shotgun. If there is nobody there, tanking your sentry doesn't help. If you are patrolling and shooting at the air, you're more likely to find the spy before he saps your sentry! Pistol is good for this. I spray the air with my pistol while patrolling; you carry enough bullets that this isn't a waste, the fast rate of fire means you can almost be as effective as a pyro in detecting a spy (you just get a shimmer... but it's better than being caught unawares).

Generally it's a good idea to start with a dispenser, then build a sentry. However, if you are the defensive Engineer for a CTF flag, unlearn what you have learned. A level 1 sentry can handle a scout booking it to the flag while you go get more metal. Don't give 'em a cap!

Finally, you can stand on your dispenser. This is useful because a spy can't backstab you from the ground if you are on the dispenser.

OFFENSIVE SENTRY GUN

I often hear that an Offensive Engineer's job is to "support his team." I find this... offensive! While an offensive Engie should help out his team, he isn't relegated to "just" helping out, any more than a Medic "just" heals people.

The goal for an offensive Engie is to shore up the front lines so that the guys in the back only have to handle spies slippin' through the line. The same powers that allow an Engie to protect the flag can be used for a solid front line offensive.

It's like in (American) Football: the Offensive Line is made up almost half full of linemen who's job is to keep the other team back so that the more specialized classes can do their job. Offensive Engies are the linemen of TF2.

Your first job as an offensive lineman is to build a sentry somewhere good. You should pick a place that has a wide field of view of the battleground while minimising areas where somebody can shoot from out of the Sentry's range. Again, playing a map with the sentry blueprint out with nobody on the server (or on a local "server") will let you find good places to sit these sentries.

However, DO NOT TANK OFFENSIVE SENTRIES. Because your sentry is forward, it's more vulnerable to attack, and it's much harder to tank anyway. Also, the best offensive Engie spots have you out of the way, putting your dispenser out of reach of teammates.

Put your dispenser nearby your sentry, but in the most advantageous spot for your teammates. And don't forget transporters. You will need all three to be a good offensive Engie. However, one word of caution: don't bunch up your equipment; it just becomes sticky bait.

Once you have all your equipment up, it's time to become mobile! Stay within sight of your sentry, but run forward. Your shotgun is excellent for dealing with people who break through the front lines, and your pistol will allow you to shoot between teammates. Patrol the area, keeping your equipment up. And watch for anyone diving at your sentry; as sapping doesn't drop disguises, most spies can't resit sapping a forward sentry; this lets you be the first to call "That Class Is A Spy!"

One thing to realize is that your equipment is in the line of fire; so don't get too attached. It's hard to build equipment, so keep your equipment alive, but don't go through heroic efforts either. It's better to live than to wait through a respawn clock.

A mean but important thing to remember is that your teammates don't care about your sentry, but they will die to save your dispenser. Add this to your battle plan; the sentry gets you points, but the dispenser keeps them alive. This means two things; one, people won't help you defend your sentry, and two, smart placement of your dispenser draws teammates like magnets to useful places. Don't put the dispenser out of the way; put it on the line of attack. This encourages n00bs and pros alike to work togeather for the same objective.

One More Thing about Offensive Sentries (and Annoying Sentries, below); remember how I said earlier that sentries are extra players? Released from the requirement of having to turtle it, an Engie/Sentry combo can act as two separate players, giving you two cones of fire. Separate yourself from your sentry and fire at a different angle. This gives incoming a decision to make: kill the sentry and get killed by the Engie, or try to take out the Engie before the sentry kills them? Unlike a turtled Engie, you can't get 'em both.

ANNOYING SENTRIES

All the good defensible spots taken, but you don't want to class switch? I've got a fun alternative for you: Annoying Sentries.

Many people here will tell you that a Level 1 Sentry is a good asset; it's small, is controlled by an aimbot ( :D ), and deals decent damage over time.

As G-Man would say, the wrong sentry in the right place can make all the difference in the world... people expect you to hide your sentry, to put it somewhere safe, and turtle it. So let's shock and awe them.

Remember that the sentry has a huge radius, and can swivel 360 degrees. If you have nothing better to do with your sentry, put it right in the middle of a wide area. You not only annoy everyone walking through, but if your teammates aren't asleep, they will appreciate the distraction. A Level 1 sentry does enough damage to distract incoming, but not enough that they can actively seek it out when being chased.

Annoying sentries can also be placed in areas where no sane team player would stand. This can be used to scare enemies off from side passages which are just fine. But again, the assumption is "Where there is one beep, there is an Engie turtling and upgrading." Sucks to be them when they hesitate and you shotgun them from an alternate route!

One final use for Annoying Sentries is to distract intruders EVEN WHILE THEY ARE NOT SHOOTING. Plopping down a Sentry will almost always make persuers stop and attack the Sentry, letting the Engie escape. Or it will delay their entrance a crucial 1-2 seconds while they get their "free point."

The key to being annoying, though, is to realize that your sentry is expendable like a Star Trek Redshirt. It will die, and die often. Realizing this, you don't need to worry about keeping it up. Let it die, and build a new one at another angle. Unlike a Level 3 sentry that you've put your blood, sweat, and tears into... the opposing team doesn't know where the sentry is the next time they come in. Every time they come in, they have to waste precious time and mental effort figuring out where you've placed your sentry.

Annoying Engineers are also free to place their dispenser anywhere. Because they're not going to be used to turtle at any time, they don't even need to be near the sentry gun. Use them as Sentry Armor (see tips above), or (more importantly), put them somewhere where your teammates can use them. Again, you're not going for longevity; you're going for impact. Yours are the suicidal dispensers. The ones that block doors. The ones sitting in the middle of the tunnel as your teammates run past. Because the metal inside isn't precious for healing buildings (which are expendable), you don't have to keep them alive. If one's about to die, let it die. No need to get killed to save something you don't need anyway.

Another nice place to put your dispenser if you don't need it is the sniper deck. Snipers only have 25 shots, and are always getting hurt. Being able to top off without going all the way back to spawn, or hoping for a medical miracle, is always great.

Annoying Engineers also should use their pistols and shot guns to annoy other players. They might not be super effective, but they'll get you plenty of kill assists. Also, if a sniper or a pyro is worrying over you, they're not killing a teammate. You can also lead people into your sentry, turn around, and shoot them. Because your team's intel doesn't depend on you surviving, you get to be more crazy. Again, the other team can't figure out what you're doing. Engies are supposed to hang back. If one is on the front line, there must be a sentry somewhere. You're confusing them by acting strange; they can't assume you're messing with their minds unless they want to be sentry fodder. So they HAVE to check EVERYWHERE.

Being Annoying carries one big responsibility, though; because you're not actively defending, you need to support your fellow Engies. Help them set up; help them repair. Your patrol grounds are now the entire map.

Final tip: Build on the run. Because you're not defending, you don't need to be precise. Spending 10 seconds finding the perfect angle is antithesis to the whole reason of being an Annoying Engie. Just slap your stuff down anywhere. It's not going to last long enough anyway.

(Also, for those who are HLXstats obsessed; you get 2 points for building dispensers and teleporter points, and 5 points for putting up a level 1 sentry. You get no points for upgrading, and you lose no points when your equipment dies. You get what I'm saying? Every dead level 1 sentry is a free 5 points :D)

Engineering doesn't have to be boring. It can be quite exciting, no matter where you work. The key is to find the best place for your eqipment, or the best way for your equipment to be used. A badly placed sentry can be more useless than the n00biest n00b in the world.



Also, I would add this to the Map Specific Hints:

CTF_TURBINE

When placing a sentry on the ledge, be aware... it doesn't reach all the way to the far wall! A demo or a soldier can sneak in and shoot the heck out of your equipment. The best thing to do is put a sentry on the floor in front of the ledge AND one on the ledge, far enough back to avoid spy sappers. The sentry on the floor should be forward enough that a spy can't jump onto it and then onto the ledge. This setup protects the far wall, dumps death into anyone who charges in, and while the Demo or Pyro is busy killing the sentry on the floor, the sentry up top is zeroing in. It's a rare pro who can take out both sentries in one uber.

CTF_2FORT

When putting sentries in the Intel room, keep it moving. A scout will fall for sentry placement the first time, but next time, they'll find a way to kill it without dying. If you move it, they won't expect to die.

Dispensers in the foyer near the entrance is good. Try to stack dispensers, so that people can get in range of two or three to heal.
 
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You guys have some awesome information here - thanks for putting it all together! One thing I would like to add though, in regards to this:


=[Ga]= AutoDMC said:
However, if you have an Engie friend... build your dispenser in front of his sentry. It can see through the dispensor, and it IS sentry armor.
Click to expand...

I don't think your sentry can see through a friendly dispenser, whether built by you or built by another engie on your team. An engie "friend" did this to my husband once, and it blocked his gun completely. We tested it with a couple of clan members just to make sure, and an enemy scout was able to walk right up to the sentry gun, using the friendly dispenser as a shield.
 
Thanks Gypsy; I've never done a scientific test... I now wonder if I've hurt other players with my Sentry Armor! :D

I've expanded that paragraph; the armor doesn't have to be in front; it just needs to protect a line of sight that is dangerous, or protect an Engie turtling his sentry gun.
 
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