Anti-Demoman strategy

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Yeah, next time, try two eyes! Click to listen — The Scout

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The Demoman is a versatile class, sporting above-average health and devastating weaponry. When formulating tactics to use against another player, one can usually depend on the roles of most classes in the game not changing dramatically as a result of equipment loadout. The Demoman, however, is capable of two vastly different, loadout-dependent playstyles. A Demoman can opt for an explosive-oriented playstyle with a Stickybomb Launcher or a melee-oriented playstyle with a shield like the Chargin' Targe or the Splendid Screen. When engaging a Demoman, the difference between loadouts is big enough to make it just as critical to observe what he is carrying as it is to observe the class he is playing.

General

Attributes	Anti-Demoman strategy
Role	The Demoman is strong on defense, so he may stay behind in the part the map he is defending, and not chase enemies as vigorously as other classes would. He is also particularly powerful in mid-range combat, so keep close to avoid the majority of his damage. The Demoman is also one of the best classes for demolitions, and can wipe out most buildings with ease.
Health	The Demoman has a base health of 175, so he can withstand a considerable amount of damage. Unless the situation is extreme, the Demoman is likely to stand his ground, rather than retreat. A Demoman has the most varying health in the entire game, as certain weapons can give him a health penalty or bonus. In addition, certain weapons can increase his maximum health or heal him each time he gets a kill. Take note of what weapons he is wielding to make an accurate assumption on his max health. A Demoman carrying the Chargin' Targe or the Splendid Screen will have a large resistance to fire and explosive damage. He will be fully vulnerable to bullets and melee attacks, however.
Speed	The Demoman is slower than a majority of the classes, so he is not likely to chase you down unless he has the Chargin' Targe or the Eyelander with multiple heads, or unless you are at low health and are vulnerable.
Power	The Demoman is quite deadly when using his primary and secondary weapons, but the projectiles are fired in an arc, which can make it difficult to aim for some Demomen. Getting close to him and avoiding his projectiles will make it easier for you to kill him, and if he continues to use his explosives he might take major self-damage, giving you an advantage. Certain Demomen with a shield and melee weapon will usually attempt to charge at players, killing them with the critical hit that is granted near the end of the charge. Avoid their large melee range and the charge, attacking him when he is at a normal pace.

Explosive loadout

With devastating weaponry that is capable of dealing high damage over a large area, it is generally best to engage the explosive-based Demoman at close range due to the nature of his weapons. While powerful, the Demoman's Grenade Launcher can be more difficult to aim than the weapons of other classes, and is hardest to aim when the enemy is not moving toward him in a straight line. The arming time required for his stickybombs gives him difficulty in immediate response, so catching him by surprise works greatly in your favor. Both weapons also require a relatively long time to reload. As a result of this loadout, he is usually very vulnerable at close range and is at risk of hurting himself with splash damage. Pursuing a Demoman who is equipped with a Stickybomb Launcher can be very dangerous, and requires careful consideration of whether he will or will not be able to kill you with a stickybomb trap in the area ahead.

Soldiers, Pyros and Scouts are the most likely to kill all but the most experienced Demomen. For one, Demomen are notoriously poor in the air; they can fire but their accuracy with the Grenade Launcher is hugely reduced, and their Sticky output becomes a lot more predictable. It is therefore in your advantage to do whatever you can in the air. Soldiers need only hit one direct rocket and maybe one more splash rocket, and they can finish the Demoman with their Shotgun- it never misses as long as your crosshair is targetting the Demo. They also are highly susceptible to Weapon heckling- most effective as a Pyro. If you quickly ignite a Demomen, he will instinctively turn to his Grenade Launcher to pelt you with explosives. Retreat and fire Shotgun shells at him. As he switches to his Sticky Launcher, switch to your Flamethrower and close in, reflecting his bombs back at him, and finish him. Scouts have even less trouble, as the Demoman's explosive are incredibly hard to aim; simply double (or triple if you have the Atomizer) jump over his head and fire repeatedly.

Melee loadout

Alternatively, a Demoman can charge around the battlefield with one of many dangerous melee weapons and a damage-reducing shield, which can be seen attached to his left arm if he has it in his loadout. When carrying the shield, the Demoman can use its charge ability to close a surprising distance in a short time and deal critical hit damage (keep in mind that a Crit from a Demoman's melee weapon will, depending on loadout, instantly kill any class apart from the Soldier and the Heavy, even when overhealed. Unfortunately,With the Splendid Screen equipped, the Demoman use charge damage at any range, and then use an additional critical melee hit. This enables him to instantly kill almost any class, and makes him highly dangerous.) The best way to avoid this would be to interrupt his charge, or only attack when you are certain his charge is cooling down.If the Demoman completes a charge, or if he is stopped by use of explosives or movement-impairing attacks (slowdown, stun, compression blast, etc.), he must wait for it to recharge before he can use it again. The turning power of the Demoman during a charge is also very limited, so the easiest choice for avoiding damage from him is to get out of his way. The best way to handle this style of Demoman is to attack him from a distance, try to evade or interrupt his charge attack, and take advantage of the recharge time between these attacks. Avoid engaging in hallways and other narrow areas that give you very little room to maneuver. Many Demoman melee weapons also feature an extended range, skewing the odds of a melee fight in his favor. Be aware that a shield-carrying Demoman may also still carry a Grenade Launcher. Engaging at close range is not recommended.

Try and bait the Demoman into activating his charge, and do whatever you can to avoid it: airblast him back, launch him into the air with your rockets or stun him with the Sandman. When he's helpless, backpedal out of his melee range and start blasting him. Your should be using a bullet weapon, as a Demoman with one of the shields has no bonus resistance to bullets, so these do normal damage.

Weapon-specific

A list of useful tidbits about the Demoman's tools, and how to counter them:

Primary

Weapon	Anti-Demoman strategy
Grenade Launcher	The Grenade Launcher has a long reload time and a small clip. Attack the Demoman while he is reloading. A Demoman's grenades can bounce over cover and around corners, so don't rely as heavily on cover when fighting a Demoman using his Grenade Launcher. When firing the launcher and hitting at close range, the Demoman will likely get hit by his own grenade's explosion, dealing splash damage to himself. If you cannot avoid damage or death, stay close so the Demoman suffers as well. The Grenade Launcher fires slow projectiles which have a large travelling arc to account for, giving you more time to dodge properly; classes with slow movement speed will still have difficulty avoiding shots, however.
Loch-n-Load	The Loch-n-Load has half the clip size of the Grenade Launcher; dodge the two grenades, and then attack the Demoman while he reloads. Make great effort in dodging the Loch n' Load's grenades; few classes can survive being struck by even one. The Loch-n-Load also has a faster projectile speed; if you're a slow-moving class, he will have a greater advantage over you. Grenades fired from the Loch-n-Load do not explode if they strike anything other than enemy players and buildings. Cover and random movement will decrease the chances of getting hit. The Loch-n-Load deals additional self-damage to the Demoman. Even if you die at close range, there is a higher chance of the Demoman severely injuring or killing himself.
Ali Baba's Wee Booties/Bootlegger	Ali Baba's Wee Booties give the wearer +25 max health. This can keep a Demoman alive long enough to counter-attack, so beware. However, he can no longer use his Grenade Launcher. He may still have his Stickybomb Launcher, so check to see if the Demoman is holding a shield or not. When equipped, the Ali Baba's Wee Booties provide a doubled increase in turning control while charging, so you must be even more alert in avoiding or preventing the Demoman's charge.

Secondary

Trap weapons

• Stickybombs can be destroyed by bullets and melee attacks (the latter option is rarely advised). Shoot them before they explode to prevent or minimize damage.
• Firing an explosive or a compression blast around corners can dislodge enemy stickybombs, revealing them before it's too late.
• Demomen must often watch over the stickybomb traps they lay; focusing on the traps leaves them more vulnerable to ambush and long-distance attacks
• Killing a Demoman will automatically remove all his stickybombs, which can greatly aid your team's attack or defense.

Weapon	Anti-Demoman strategy
Stickybomb Launcher / Festive Stickybomb Launcher	The Stickybomb Launcher is more difficult to use at close range due to the lengthy arming time, but stickybombs have a large splash radius, so beware. The Stickybomb Launcher has a very long reload time. Avoid the stickybombs he fires at you, and attack the Demoman when he needs to reload. Demomen typically place stickybombs in hard-to-see spots and detonate them when an enemy approaches. Once the Demoman has detonated his stickybombs, he will have to replace them, giving you and your team a prime opportunity to advance and overwhelm him.
Scottish Resistance	The Scottish Resistance is not well suited for direct combat because of its even longer arming time, but can be used to set up multiple traps. Be careful when you encounter the stickybombs of this weapon; they are likely not the only cluster you will have to deal with. There is a possibility that there will be a stickybomb virtually anywhere you may tread; counter this by staying immobile and only moving when fired upon by the Demoman. Even if you don't see a Demoman near his Scottish Resistance stickybombs, he can still see their outlines through walls. He can detonate any group at any time and from any place. A Demoman using the Scottish Resistance is often heavily focused on his stickybombs; this makes him even more susceptable to ambush.
Sticky Jumper	A resourceful Demoman might use the Sticky Jumper to get reach higher ground and/or long distances and then ambush enemies with his other weapons. Demomen with the Sticky Jumper can retreat as hastily as they arrive, especially if they had laid stickybombs before engaging you. Also expect a decent fight from him, as the weapon allows him to travel across the map without losing too much health.

Charge Weapons

• Instead of using his default explosives, the Demoman can instead employ a shield that gives him the ability to rush at opponents, giving him not only increased damage resistances, but also a guaranteed critical melee hit.

Weapon	Anti-Demoman strategy
Chargin' Targe	The Chargin' Targe gives the Demoman resistance to fire and explosion damage. Use a weapon that deals a different form of damage, if possible. The Charge effect can be canceled or delayed by using weapons with Stun, Slowdown and/or Knockback effects. When a Demoman is charging, he can only rush forward, with little ability to adjust his aim. Try dodging a charge by strafing from it, as backing up may not cover enough distance, especially if the Demoman is attacking with a weapon with increased range. Ali Baba's Wee Booties increase a charging Demoman's manueverability, make it even harder to dodge his charge. If you see these shoes on a Demoman, try to fight him from long distances. If that isn't an option, fight him near cover and other obstacles, or get close so the Demoman cannot earn a Mini-Crit or critical hit from the charge. The charge can also make it easy to line up an accurate shot from the front due to the Demoman's inability to dodge.
Splendid Screen	The Splendid Screen gives a Demoman resistance to fire and explosion damage, though not as much as the Chargin' Targe. Still, damage him with bullets for maximum effectiveness. The Splendid Screen can deal impact damage at any range; keep your distance and try not to engage him in close combat, or else you may suffer a nasty surprise charge. The increased charge damage on the Splendid Screen will give the Demoman an added edge when charging you, giving him enough damage to take out almost every class.

Melee

Weapon	Anti-Demoman strategy
Bottle / Frying Pan / Saxxy / Scottish Handshake / Conscientious Objector / Freedom Staff / Bat Outta Hell	A Demoman may use the Bottle as a last resort at close range. Since the Demoman's speed is below average, back up while attacking him if he is chasing you with this weapon. Keeping close should resort in the Demoman taking out his melee weapon, as he does not want to inflict self-damage from his explosives.
Eyelander / Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker / Nessie's Nine Iron	Demomen wielding this melee weapon gain a health and speed bonus upon every kill done by the weapon (known as "taking heads").When a Demoman pulls out this weapon, back up immediately, so that the extended melee range doesn't catch you off guard. Demomen will often use this weapon and a shield at the same time, to charge unsuspecting foes and kill them with the critical hit the charge can provide. Don't idle when these Demomen come into view. Try to strafe away from a charge, as backing up may not be enough to escape the extended range of the Demoman's weapon. If caught within this weapon's range, it might be better to fight the Demoman than fleeing from him; the weapon's large melee range along with the possiblity the Demoman has collected heads makes escape futile. Being a Heavy, Soldier or Demoman does not help matters, either. As this weapon cannot perform random critical hits, you may have an advantage if you are forced into close combat with a Demoman wielding one (provided your weapon can randomly crit). Because of the added bonus with each head the Demoman takes, he will sometimes be willing to do whatever he can to earn heads. This may give you a advantage, because they may desperately attack before they are ready.
Scotsman's Skullcutter	The Scotsman's Skullcutter reduces the Demoman's speed, making him an easier target. However, this weapon has an increased melee range and deals more damage. Attack the Demoman from long range. Unlike most of the Demoman's other long-range melee weapons, the Scotsman's Skullcutter does not collect heads for a health and speed bonus; it can, however, perform random critical hits, making it even more likely that you will lose in melee combat against a Demoman wielding this weapon.
Claidheamh Mòr	A Demoman wielding the Claidheamh Mòr will more than often equip a shield as well, to make use of the sword's only positive attribute: extending the shield charge by half of a second. This makes it easy to misjudge the range of the Demoman's charge while he wields the Claidheamh Mòr, so try to take cover behind an obstacle in order to prevent this from becoming a problem. Even though Demoman cannot collect heads nor perform random critical hits with the Claidheamh Mòr, he only loses 15 of his maximum HP when equipped with it. Continue to heed caution when fighting this Demoman up close.
Pain Train	The Demoman has a +10% vulnerability to bullets with the Pain Train equipped. Switch to a weapon that fires bullets for extra damage. Be wary of Demomen with the Pain Train near the final capture point, as they're harder to take down than Scouts but can end the game just as fast. Sentry Guns are useful in defense as they take advantage of the Pain Train's bullet vulnerability.
Ullapool Caber	The Ullapool Caber explodes on contact with the world, not just your enemies. Try to stay outside of the melee range of a Demoman who wields this weapon, as he may catch you off guard with the explosion. If you are within melee range of a Demoman using this weapon, try and cause the Demoman to miss and hit a wall, injuring himself. Be sure to stay far away to avoid splash damage. A Demoman using a Chargin' Targe in conjunction with this weapon can close the distance between you quickly and may get a Critical hit if he was far enough. Beware of Demomen using this combination. If you cannot avoid being struck by a Demoman's Ullapool Caber, do as much damage as you can before he hits you, so that he ends up dying from either the blast or the fall caused by being sent skyward from the blast. Because of its massive self-damage, the Demoman may only take the Ullapool Caber out when he is near death. This is a sign that you may only need one more shot to take him out.
Half-Zatoichi	A Demoman who draws out his Half-Zatoichi cannot switch to another weapon until he kills someone with it. Use this to your advantage as he will be helpless if you harass him outside of his melee distance (though he may be able to close the distance if he is wearing a shield). Keep in mind that a Half-Zatoichi that has killed someone will be covered in blood. A Demoman who kills an enemy with his Half-Zatoichi will regain all his health, so be careful taking him on if you just saw him slay one of your teammates. Attacking a Half-Zatoichi user with your own will kill him instantly, but he can kill you instead if he strikes first; therein lies the risk of him continuing his rampage after you restore all his health. Have your teammates kill him instead, or have them distract him while you run in for the kill.
Persian Persuader	When the Persian Persuader is equipped it doubles the recharge rate of the Demoman's shields. When you see the Demoman holding this, kill him quickly as his charges will still be a notable threat after the initial charge. A Demoman with the Persian Persuader and the Splendid Screen is a formidable close-combat foe that can close the distance between you quickly and painfully. Attack him from a distance and anticipate his charges; if you can, lure him into a trap set up by your teammates. The Persian Persuader can convert all ammo into health, so when you attack try to slay him before he gets ammo. Try to get him cornered, so he is defenseless and not able to get ammo. Although a Demoman with this will have an easier time getting Health, he will have difficulty getting ammo and his grenades and stickies will be less of a threat.

Item set effects

Set	Anti-Demoman strategy
The Expert's Ordnance	A Demoman using this class pack will also have a 10% resistance to fire damage, so try to use weapons using explosives or bullets against him instead ( If using the Chargin' Targe, the Demoman will have an even larger resistance to fire.)

See also

• Team strategy