Anti-Scout strategy

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Never send a boy to fight a man's war. Click to listen — The Soldier

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The Scout is a very fast, maneuverable class that packs a high amount of firepower at close range, making him extremely effective in one-on-one combat. He excels in open environments, where his speed and double jump allow him to easily maneuver around a map, close long distances, and ambush the most vulnerable enemies. He can use his mobility to completely avoid damage, more than making up for his lack of health. Depending on his loadout, a Scout can bring along weapons with additional utility that help him pick off individual targets with even more ease. If you can restrict a Scout's manueverability, you can easily dispose of him. Sticking with your team will also limit an enemy Scout's success against you.

General

Attributes	Anti-Scout strategy
Role	A Scout carrying the intelligence will likely try and avoid direct combat on the way back to his base by taking a quieter route or one better suited to his double-jump abilities. Try to block these routes or use weapons with a knockback effect to push him towards your teammates. If a Scout is trying to ambush an unsuspecting ally, always warn the ally in order to fend off or eliminate the Scout.
Health	His tiny amount of health can be nearly (or even completely) depleted with a hit from a rocket or grenade. If a Scout has been severely injured, switching to a hitscan weapon may help you finish him off and/or conserve ammunition.
Speed	Always think one step ahead of the Scout before attacking; he can run more quickly than the other classes. Try to predict where the Scout will land when using projectiles. If he is airborne, wait until his double-jump has been exhausted before trying to land airshots.
Power	The Scout is quite devastating at close range with his primary weapons, so try to fight the Scout at mid-to-long range in order to avoid taking large amounts of damage. Less experienced Scouts tend to overcompensate when turning to aim at you while running in circles. Sometimes you can stand in one place while firing and the Scout will fire bullets around you. Engaging a Scout in close quarters can be risky, as he can deal large amounts of damage, but he now less room to move around. Take advantage of this before he does. A class which deals splash damage can often take less damage from it's own attacks than a Scout, making spamming rockets or stickies a viable strategy. However, this is often compensated for by the Scout's mobility and can end up easily backfiring.

• In open spaces, it is best to avoid combat with the Scout altogether. Wide open areas are their natural environment, and they can take down many enemies here with little trouble. If you are forced into combat here, your best bet is to bait the Scout into going where you want him to - run round corners calling for Medic, and jump out, or if you have an explosive weapon, shoot it to one side to herd him into an enclosed space.

• The Scout is extremely frail, even under the influence of the Milkman's set bonus. Two point blank direct hits from the Shotgun alone can put down a Scout. Remember, the Scout's main ability is that he can pick and choose his fights- unless you are certain of victory, do not attempt to pursue a Scout, as he can run away a lot faster than you expect. Utilise splash damage from explosives, or the Pyro's airblast to control the Scout's movement - unless of course, you yourself are a Scout, in which prioritise on your own movement. Jump around and be difficult to hit, make sure the Scout has a hard time locking onto you. For fighting other Scouts, it is best to completely disregard the Force-A-Nature, as the weapon's small clip means it is very difficult to kill an enemy.

Primary Weapons

Weapon	Anti-Scout strategy
Scattergun	The Scattergun deals immense damage at point-blank range and will allow a Scout to stay in combat for a modest amount of time. Although he is faster than you, do your best to stay at medium range to minimize the damage you may take while trading blows. It takes considerably longer for a Scout to reload his Scattergun than it is for him to fire it; if he uses most or all of his six shots, keep pressuring him into firing his gun so he cannot fully reload, severely reducing his rate of fire.
Force-A-Nature	The Force-A-Nature deals even more damage than the Scattergun up close, but must be reloaded every two shots. If the Scout insists on staying in close combat, pick him off during his frequent reloading periods. Its knock back effects let him easily reposition or disorient you for a follow-up shot, so avoid lingering near walls or field hazards where you can quickly be cornered.
Shortstop	Unlike the Scattergun, the Shortstop has a tight bullet spread suited for medium range. By closing the distance, the Scout may find it more difficult to hit you. Because the Shortstop and the Pistol draw from the same ammuntion, it is highly unlikely that a Scout will use both, giving him one less weapon to attack you with.
Soda Popper	Like the Force-A-Nature, the Soda Popper must frequently be reloaded, which will often leave the Scout vulnerable. You’ll need to quickly eliminate a Scout with a full Hype charge, as his speed ensures that you won’t be able to escape from his Mini-Crits. In exchange for the Hype bonus, the Soda Popper cannot randomly crit, making close combat slightly less dangerous. Keep in mind that the Mini-Crit bonus applies to all the Scout's weapons, not just the Soda Popper. A Scout with the Soda Popper will often almost completely fill his Hype meter, then switch to another weapon to stall it until he reaches the enemy, to time when he gets his Mini-Crits; try to ambush him as he makes his way to your team.

Secondary Weapons

Weapon	Anti-Scout strategy
Pistol / Lugermorph	While the Scout might use his Pistol to harass you from a distance, its damage is minor. Keep a distance from him to take advantage of his weak long range capabilities.
Bonk! Atomic Punch	Bonk! Atomic Punch is designed to help a Scout get past dangerous areas, such as chokepoints or Sentry Gun nests. He can’t fight while under its effects, so impede his movement by body blocking or using knock back.
Crit-a-Cola	While Crit-a-Cola will allow a Scout to deal mini-crits to you, you can deal mini-crits right back at him. He’ll often consume it when preparing for an ambush, so stay alert and pick him off first.
Mad Milk	The healing provided by Mad Milk will let an accurate Scout stay in a fight for a prolonged period of time. If you’re covered by it, you’ll either need to retreat or take him out very quickly.
Winger	The Winger is similar to the Pistol, but its increased damage makes it slightly more effective at both harassment and finishing enemies off. React accordingly.

Melee Weapons

Weapon	Anti-Scout strategy
Bat / Holy Mackerel	A Scout that insists on using the Bat can easily deal more damage at close range with any of his primary weapons, actually giving you a slight advantage.
Sandman	If you are stunned by the Sandman's baseball, retreat towards your teammates so that they can protect you. Keep your aim on the Scout so that you can immediately retaliate once the effect wears off.
Candy Cane	If possible, switch to an explosive weapon to take advantage of the increased explosive vulnerability granted to a Scout wielding the Candy Cane. Try to steal the smallhealth kits dropped by teammates that the Scout aided in killing.
Boston Basher / Three-Rune Blade	Continuously evade a Scout that is attacking you with the Boston Basher so that he damages himself.
Sun-on-a-Stick	The Sun-on-a-Stick does less base damage than the standard Bat. If you are set on fire, you should always be trying to extinguish yourself, retreating from any Scout that may try to pick you off.
Fan O'War	If you are marked by the Fan O’War, the Scout will likely try to chase you down with his primary weapon. Adjust your one-on-one tactics to his chosen weapon accordingly.
Atomizer	While a Scout might never use the Atomizer in actual combat, the triple jump greatly increases his mobility.

Item sets

Set	Anti-Scout strategy
The Special Delivery	This item set increases the Scout's survivability, particularly in large firefights. A Scout using this set is best keeping a moderate distance, where he can readily harass enemies with both the Shortstop and Mad Milk. He is restricted to only using the Shortstop as a strong source of damage, so close the distance, where he may find it more difficult to hit you.
The #1 Fan	This item set builds on the Scout’s amazing one-on-one prowess. React to the individual weapons, particularly the Soda Popper’s Hype and the Atomizer’s triple jump, accordingly.

See also

• Double jumping
• Team strategy