Scout tips? Alright then
Presenting: The Scout
The Scout has the lowest HP but the highest speed. He can double jump which allows him to reach high places, cross chasms and change polarity in mid flight. The scattergun is very powerful when used correctly. So if you love fast paced, high adrenaline action like I do, you will love the Scout.
Using the Scout effectively takes skill and practice. It pays to have previous experience playing fast paced deathmatch shooters like Quake and Unreal Tournament if you play Scout. I advise having a high mouse sensitivity and a quick reflex.
Skilled Scout players are among the most dangerous foes you face because they can be hard to hit and can easily deliver damage in return. They can even take down Heavies without being hit just by dancing over their heads and never allowing the Heavy to draw a bead
The Role
1. First and foremost: The Scout is for capturing objectives!. You are not a Brawler, stop wasting your time attacking players and go for the objective. The Scout captures control points and pushes carts faster (not to mention he can get there sooner) and of course he can get away with the enemy intelligence faster. Focus on getting the objectives and leave the rest to other classes.
2. Flank the enemy. Don't you hate it when scouts come out of nowhere behind you and fill your spine with shotgun pellets? Of course you do and that's why you should do it. Scouts are effective at slipping past enemy defenses and coming from the rear, in fact they are most dangerous when they do. Try to be stealthy, use your speed and double jump to cross the map non-conventionally and make hit&run attacks where you are least expected.
3. Pick off the weak. Scouts are also effective at harassment. Its possible for the scout to close in on Snipers or Engies quickly before they are prepared. If you encounter a Heavy and Medic, always target the medic. A sneaky scout that interferes with snipers, medics and Engies can easily win the game for the team. Note that the Spy does all of that better so if you have a good Spy on your team, don't worry about harassment unless you want to help your spies out.
4. Don't assault defended positions unless you really know what you are doing. Sentry? Leave it the fuck alone. Soldiers and spies can take care of sentries but not you. Scouts suck against sentries, even badly placed ones. If you cannot avoid a sentry, then switch to a soldier or spy and take it out.
5. Be a diversion. If all else fails, just be a real pain in the ass. You might buy your team some time just by fucking with them
Equipement
1. The scattergun: Your default weapon and also the most powerful, recommended if you have to go against tough targets like soldiers and heavies.
2. Force of Nature: Everyone loves this. Capable of one hit kills at point blank range against the lesser armored targets. Rewards good aim. You can use its recoil to give you a momentum boost and reach even higher places
3. Soda Popper: My favorite. Its like the force of nature but you get a damage bonus every 30 seconds if you run non-stop. With careful timing you can kick serious ass with it.
4. Bonk Soda: I love this thing. Makes you invincible for 10 seconds but you cannot attack. Use it to slip past sentries, demomen and heavies. The Bonk is a great way to escape a blockaded spawn and wreak havoc behind enemy lines. The Bonk is also commonly used for distracting sentries while a Teammate takes them out. One of the videos in this thread demonstrated that.
5. Mad Milk: Throw it at enemies and they get coated in milk. You leech health off milk soaked enemies. Good for improving your survival chances
6. Sandman: Lowers health but gives you the ability to stun players with a baseball. Excellent for harassment missions and countering Heavies. The longer the strike distance, the longer the stun.
7. Candy Cane: Rewards you with a health pack after each kill. Very useful when dealing with Pyro's because even if you kill a Pyro they always set you on fire. But with the Candy Cane you can extinguish yourself with the health pack dropped afterwards. Saved my ass many times.
Countering a Scout
1. Put a sentry where you expect one. Make sure its in open ground (a skilled scout can kill a sentry by using the corner as cover) and the Scout cannot to a damned thing about it except Bonk past.
2. Be a Soldier and fire rockets where the scout lands, if the scout has a Candy Cane or Sandman, he will explode like TNT
3. Sticky bombs.
4. The Syringe gun is surprisingly effective agaisnt scouts
5. Be a Heavy and make sure you tune up your mouse sensitivity, otherwise scouts will just jump circles around you