Subject: What makes me a good Demo-man? Sat Sep 04, 2010 4:03 pm
If I weren't a good Demo-man, I won't be sitting here discussing with you wouldn't I? So you pansies think you have what it takes to bring the world of hurt to your foes? I can assure you have come to the place boyo. Cause this guide will brief you on how to put the BOOM in KABOOM! Ok, lets take a second to talk about the Demo-man. The Demo-man is one of the most powerful classes amongst the nine. His weapons are capable of dealing enormous damage in a very short period of time. The Demo-man is a powerful asset to any team and can most likely hold out on his own in any situation you can throw him. He is the master in explosives, excelling in midrange indirect combat. Armed with his sticky bombs and grenade launcher, A good demo-man uses his vast knowledge of the surroundings and his intuition to send his enemies skywards, often in bloody gibs.
So here is what we are going to learn today: 1. Weapons Brief 2. How to use your weapons 3. Advanced Techniques 4. Class Specific Combat 5. Tips of the Trade
1. Weapons Brief --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Demo-man has a variety of weapons that he can use. The default loadout is his sticky bomb launcher, grenade launcher and his bottle however there are other weapons in his arsenal such as the Eyelander, Charging Targe and the Scottish Resistance. Here are the specs of each and everyone of his weapons. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sticky Bomb Launcher Damage: 103-171 ( Directly underneath ), Critical, 353 ( Directly underneath ) 8 in the clip, 24 carried Special: Ability to stick to most surfaces and remain ready until the player decides to detonate them or die; Max 8 sticky bombs can be controlled at once Primary uses: Mid-range combat and Area Denial
Scottish Resistance Damage: Damage: 103-171 ( Directly underneath ), Critical, 353 ( Directly underneath ) 8 in the clip 36 carried Special: Can lay six additional sticky bombs (up to 14 stickies at once). Detonates stickies that are near the crosshair. +12 stickies carried . Can destroy enemy stickies. +0.4 sec priming time (1.32 sec). Sticks to most surfaces until player detonates or dies Primary uses: Mid-range combat ( Not very effective ) and Advanced Area Denial.
Grenade Launcher Damage: Direct Hit: 81-111 Crit: 280-300 After Bounce: 22-64 Crit: 190 4 in the clip 16 carried No special Primary use: Mid-range combat, most effective if lobbed towards a group of enemies. Deals massive damage on direct impact
Charging Targe 50 (after full charge) + 10 per head (up to 5 heads) ( Damage Amplification ) Special: 50% resistance to fire damage and 40% resistance to explosive damage. Alt-firing "charges" player forward and adds criticals to melee attacks. Melee weapon deals mini-crits during half charge and crits at full charge. Primary use: Most effective with the Eyelander, replaces sticky bomb launcher
Bottle Damage: 65 Crit: 195 Primary use: Melee weapon, short range
Eyelander Damage: 65 Crit: 195 Special: Every killing blow (decapitation) increases user's speed (+ ~8%) and health points (+15) to a maximum of 4 times each life. Larger melee range. Cannot random crit. -25hp to wielder's health (150hp total). Primary use: Most effective with the Charging Targe, replaces your bottle. Effective against enemies that are alone.
No pain train specs here, look at TF2Wiki if you are man enough to know.
2. How to use your weapons ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A skilled Demoman can be monumentally annoying to enemies. The grenade launcher can kill a full health heavy in 3 seconds, and the uses of the sticky launcher are endless. A well placed trap can completely close off a route into your base, stickythrowing can beat any class midrange, and a group of sticky-bombs can devastate groups in a matter of seconds, sentries can easily be edged and stickyjumping (with the help of a medic and health kits) can get you to the point faster than a scout. The Demoman has a lack of direct weapons, so is more suited for a defensive role than an offensive one unless you are good with both your weapons. A good demoman on offense is critical. The Demoman, Spy, Soldier, and Heavy are usually the only classes that can take down a sentry without the use of an Ubercharge. The demoman has 2 main problems, however: He has little close range ability and his weapons take a long time to reload. Fully reloading all your weapons can actually take longer than respawning in some cases.
How to use your: Sticky Bomb Launcher. 1) Place sticky bombs in 8 only if you suspect that a group of enemies are heading that way. Conserve your ammo 2) 3 Sticky-bombs are enough to deal with most classes, make sure you keep your sticky bomb launcher loaded when not engaged 3) Shoot where you think they will be heading, give some time to let them walk directly on the bombs before detonating 4) Hold the mouse button down to lob your sticky-bombs further, this is usually good for taking out sentries from a distance 5) You can go a great distance using your sticky-bomb launcher; you can even try 2 sticky-bombs for added oomph. Just make sure you are overhealed.
How to use your: Grenade Launcher. 1) Shoot groups to maximize damage 2) Always shoot higher than your intended target, grenades travel in an arc 3) Predict where the enemy is moving and shoot beforehand to land successful hits 4) Always try to get direct hits, grenades that touch the floor will deal less damage 5) Shoot in sprays of 2 grenades to conserve ammo, make sure to keep your grenade launcher fully loaded when not engaged
How to use your: Bottle 1) Only use your bottle as a last resort 2) Its short range compared to other melee weapons translates you losing in a melee. However, its high critical rate makes up for it 3) Retreat when you are out of ammo, don't go rushing in with your bottle. 4) Smashed bottles deal the same damage as the non-broken ones 5) Your other weapons are affected by water resistance, if you are close to an enemy while underwater. Try to flank him and use your bottle
How to use your: Scottish Resistance 1) The Scottish Resistance does not excel in offensive combat, it requires more time to prime therefore you cannot airburst effectively 2) You have to keep visual contact with your stickies in order to detonate them, this means you have to keep your crosshair trained on them. So do it in a safe area 3) The Scottish Resistance allows you to defend more areas that your default Sticky-bomb launcher. 4) The Scottish Resistance is often referred to as the thinking demo-man's weapon. You can use it to lay multiple ambushes beforehand and clear other demo-man's sticky bombs as well 5) A Scottish Resistance bomb without the presence of its laid demo-man is useless. Experienced players will not hesitate to walk over them if you are not in the vicinity.
How to use your: Charging Targe 1) Use only with your Eyelander or Scottish SkullCutter 2) Try to swing your weapon only when it glows near the end of the charge to deal massive damage 3) Use your Targe to make quick getaways 4) Though the Targe reduces fire and explosive damage damage on the player, you are still receptive to bullet damage. Be careful fighting Heavies and Scouts 5) The Targe's Bash damage does not do much
How to use your: Eyelander 1) Only use your Eyelander when you are on defense or playing capture the flag 2) The Eyelander is most effective against single individuals rather than groups 3) At the beginning, you have 25 less health points. As you get more heads, you can eventually increase your total health 4) Never ever use your Eyelander on overhealed anything 5) Your glowing eye makes you a prime target for the opposing team. Try to go places where people don't normally go and flank them
How to use your: Scottish Skullcutter 1) The Scottish Skullcutter, combined with the Charging Targe, will almost always guarantee a instant kill on most classes that are not overhealed 2) The Scottish Skullcutter makes you go slower, its better to ambush them rather than going head on 3) You cannot earn heads with the Scottish Skullcutter 4) Its better to fight in enclosed spaces where your enemy could not run away easily 5) Like the Eyelander, the Scottish Skullcutter is most effective against individuals rather than groups
3. Advanced Techniques ------------------------------------------------------------------------ There is alot of ways to do your worst to your enemy. You could rush in a send a volley of grenades at them, or you could sit back and lure them into your traps. Being a good Demoman means that you a plan to kill everyone you encounter. A good Demo-man must know how to deal with each problem he encounters. Here are some of the advanced techniques you may deploy in the field of battle.
1) Luring your enemies. The title could already give you a brief idea on what is to be said. Any Demo-man knows how to lay traps but a Good Demo-man knows how to lay traps and lure unsuspecting enemies towards it. I start off with a simple example. Let say you are playing 2-fort as a Demo-man. You are in the sewer stairs of your enemies base. You see that there is nobody there. A average Demo-man would probably go out to make a dash for the intel or go out into the bridge but a Good Demo-man always prepares. You plant some sticky bombs along the rim of the sewer entrance and proceed out. Suddenly, a Pyro emerges out of nowhere and ignites you. Now, you already had your backup traps laid. You quickly make your way back into the sewers and as the chasing Pyro steps into the trap; you detonate thus killing the Pyro and saving your life. Knowing the importance of knowing how to lure your opponents into traps. Here are the guidelines on how to successfully lure your opponent to their demise.
1) The sticky bombs must not be visible, a glimpse of a sticky bomb will give away the trap's position. Suitable places to lay your traps are on ceilings and walls. 2) Agitate your opponent, give out a few warning shots to agitate your opponent, he may probably give chase. Lure him into your traps 3) Place your traps near a important object; such as a health kit or a capture point/cart. 4) Obverse where the enemy is heading and do otherwise 5) Gauge on how the traps are laid out, Dense traps then to do massive damage to nearby enemies. Loose traps then to do little less damage in a wider area.
2) Offense vs Defense and Knowing when to pull the trigger A Good Demo-man knows when to when to attack and when to defend. A good indicator is the state of your team, if they are pushing forward; go offense. If they are holding out; go defense. It is important to be in sync with your team and think one step ahead on the game. It is also important to know when to the trigger, its better to wait for more people to come by rather than killing a measly Scout.
3) Cutting off chase If you are being chase by close-ranged classes such as Scouts or Pyros, you must know how to cut off chase. Using your melee weapon is not an option because they excel in close-ranged combat. If they are mid-range to you, you could shoot a sticky bomb directly on the floor and trail off while your opponent steps on it OR if you are good with the grenade launcher, you could plant a grenade right on them. If they are in close range, shoot sticky bombs close to you and lure them into it; make sure you are out of harms way before pulling the trigger.
4) Juggling A Demo-man can actually neutralize ubercharges by using his grenade launcher and planting a grenade directly on the legs of the enemy. It is also possible to juggle enemies with stick-bombs; however, they must be directly underneath it or airborne. Juggling will cause the enemy to become airborne and stopping them on their tracks.
5) Intuition This takes quite a bit to master completely. If you are not in visible range of your sticky bombs ( SR not applicable here ) but you thought you saw your enemy nearby. Try to imagine what they would do and see if they happen to chance upon your traps. If you are lucky, you make score a kill. You may also ask a team-mate to help observe your traps and tell you when to detonate them.
Combat techniques --------------------------------------------------- 1) Double Tapping. Double Tapping ( I made it up ) is a technique for sending in 2 sticky bombs at once. Shoot a sticky bomb and wait till its halfway of its travel path, then shoot another and immediately hold the right mouse button. The last sticky bomb will prime and detonate along with the first one. This allows you to air-burst more effectively.
2) Prediction Setting Prediction Setting ( I also made it up ) is setting sticky-bombs towards your opponent's direction so that he would walk towards it. Here is an example, in Granary; your opponent emerges from a door, you set traps where you think he may escape. If he's low in health, he would probably retreat. You can use your set traps to finish him off
3) Ruse planting Ruse planting is planting random sticky bombs in an area to give it an illusion that you are defending that area. Ruse planting works by the assumption that a Demo-man is always at his traps. Players do not want to be killed so they do not walk into the "traps". Ruse planting works best in corners where the opponent cannot see you. This will not work on experienced players with the Scottish Resistance. Class specific combat link: http://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Demoman_match-ups I could not find any better information than this.
Tips of the Trade --------------------------------------------------
Always keep your weapons loaded. Take time to reload your weapons in safe areas
A good Demo-man is a healthy one. Rule of Thumb; if your health falls below 50%, look for health
2 stickies are enough to kill most classes, 3 for a Heavy
Try to flank your enemies
Be creative where you place your traps; one place in 2fort is the signboard ontop the sewer entrance
Use your grenade launcher if the sentry is placed near a corner or over a wall, do this only when the Engineer isn't around
Always have a plan for everything (kinda vague is it)
If you suck at surviving, the Scottish Skullcutter is an excellent weapon for you
Spys that fake their death using the Dead Ringer will still increase your head-count
If your enemies are near a cliff. Use your stickies to push them off using the explosive damage
Sticky-jumping can get you faster than a Scout could
Practice makes perfect! Try tr_walkway rc2 on for size
Your sticky-bomb launcher is the only weapon that can damage both the Engineer and his buildings infront of it
Use your sticky-bomb launcher charge ability to take out Snipers at a distant
Always leave the enemies exit for last, place sticky-bombs around it and wait for him to exit
Use your Grenade-launcher to give yourself a slight boost, wait for the 3 second fuse before jumping on it
If you see a Heavy medic combo, try to saturate the area where they are at with as much stickies as possible; try not to go directly at them
Explosive damage can pass through some objects, just as the grill in 2fort
Remember to use sticky bombs as deterrents if you’re not using them for anything else. No one wants to run through a doorway full of sticky bombs, so if you haven’t placed any yet, pick a choke point, throw a few in, and run off somewhere else. It can’t hurt.
When using sticky bombs for ambushes, place them in places the enemy won’t see until it’s too late. If you’re guarding a doorway, stick them on the sides or across the top, or if it’s a roller door, you can just put them on the ground on your side. This way less people will consciously avoid your trap and you will end up with more victims.
In the event of an enemy medic using his übercharge, hide behind something (or just stay to the side or behind to avoid becoming a target) and start littering the ground in front of the invulnerable duo with sticky bombs. Place them where you predict they will be in 3 seconds or so, generally towards a control point. If either of the two stand on a sticky bomb, detonate them, and the resulting explosion can launch them a fair distance. If it’s far or high enough, you can break the übercharge link, but if you don’t manage to, simply putting your attackers out of position can reduce their threat and leave them with no chance of retreat when the übercharge wears off.
Speaking of übercharges, the demoman is a fantastic übercharge target when sentry guns need to be cleared out. Call for an übercharge, then run into the room, place 3 sticky bombs at the base of each sentry gun and detonate them. With the sentries out of the way, move your focus to any leftover dispensers and teleporters. After that do what you can to enemy troops.
The demoman’s primary grenade launcher, like the pyro’s flamethrower, can be used to pick disguised enemy spies, although not with quite the same devastating efficiency. Your grenades will pass straight through your teammates, but will explode on contact with an enemy (if they contact on the full). The occasional grenade spam around your teammates can yield surprising results.
If you run out of primary grenades and are in an intense, close-quarters fire fight, it is often better to simply keep reloading and firing, or even pulling out the bottle, than trying to be clever by switching to your sticky bomb launcher. However if you’re good enough, you can fire a couple of stickies behind you in a hallway or other narrow pathway, and after retreating over them your enemy will most likely not follow you. If he does explode him, but in the more likely event that he switches to a ranged weapon, find some cover and reload your primary grenade launcher.
Hitting an enemy on the full with a primary grenade will cause it to explode on impact. If you hit them somewhere around the chest, this will simply do damage, but if the grenade contacts around their knees to their feet, they will be launched into the air as though hit by a soldier’s rocket. Just something to keep in mind for a situation where it might help (it’s good, but tricky, against medics).
Something Extra
Last edited by MC-117 on Sat Sep 11, 2010 2:17 am; edited 3 times in total (Reason for editing : because kig is a hooker)
Yatagarasu The Second
Posts : 66 Points : 10468 Reputation : 8 Join date : 2010-03-20 Location : Hell of Blazing Fires
Subject: Re: What makes me a good Demo-man? Sun Sep 05, 2010 2:56 pm
Home 
i spent 2 afternoons working on it
. MAYBE MAH BEH!
