Demoman weapons (competitive)

The arsenal at the disposal of the Demoman is arguably the largest damage dealing of the standard competitive lineup. This with the ability to deny access to choke points; blocking enemy retreats and being able to get on the front line potentially quicker than Scouts also makes him a very versatile class: being extremely useful on offense and defense.

One of the main issues with the Demoman is the inability to defend himself at close quarters, with both his standard weapons resulting in damaging himself as well as his target if set off within close proximity. Although there is a "close range combat kit" for the Demoman to utilize, the kit itself takes away the Demoman's main ability for areal denial and his sticky jumping function, denying him the ability to get to the front line quickly.

Primary Weapon

The Demoman's primary weapon contributes to space control via spam, but is generally used when stickies are down and should not be wasted to give the Demoman an airshot.

Grenade Launcher

The stock Grenade Launcher deals large quantities of damage on a direct shot. However, if the shot misses, the grenade will fall and roll around, exploding after a short time. Grenades will damage the Demoman who fired them if they explode for any reason too close.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Grenade Launcher	Collide: 91-110 Roller: 35-65 Collide Backlash: 42-80 Roller Backlash: 25-50	Collide Crit: 280-333 Roller Crit: 100-194 Collide Mini-Crit: 122-144 Roller Mini-Crit: 47-88	Attack: 0.6s Reload Start: 1.24s Reload More: 0.6s Explosion Wait: 2.28s	Has no damage ramp-up or falloff. Ricochet directions are random even with disablespread on.

Loch-n-Load

The Loch-n-Load is the only other Grenade Launcher for the Demoman. It deals more damage than the stock Grenade Launcher, but has half the ammo. Grenades fired from the Loch-n-Load will shatter harmlessly on surfaces, and will deal increased damage to the Demoman who fired them.

Weapon	Damage	Function Times	Special
Loch-n-Load	Collide: 103-147 Collide Crit: 342-388 Collide Mini-Crit: 138-198	Attack: 0.6s Reload Start: 1.24s Reload More: 0.6s	Has no damage ramp-up or fall-off. Grenades shatter harmlessly on any surface except for enemy players and enemy buildings. Grenades deal 20% more damage. Grenades fly 25% faster. Grenades deal 25% more damage to the Demoman who fired them.

Ali Baba's Wee Booties

Ali Baba's Wee Booties are a primary weapon which provides the Demoman with 25 additional health, as well as increased turning control at the cost of the lack of a Grenade Launcher.

The Bootlegger has the same stats as Ali Baba's Wee Booties.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Ali Baba's Wee Booties	N/A	N/A	N/A	+25 additional health, for a total of 200. Maximum overheal increased from 260 to 300.

Primary Weapon Usage

The Loch-n-Load can deal significant damage, but due to a reduced clip, increased self-damage, and the inability to contribute to spam, the stock Grenade Launcher frequently preferred. Ali Baba's Wee Booties can be of great use if used in conjuction with the Splendid Screen or Chargin' Targe, but are rarely used, since it restricts the Demoman too heavily.

Secondary Weapon

The Demoman's secondary weapons are his main power, as they form his strongest area-denial weapons.

Stickybomb Launcher

The stock Stickybomb Launcher has many uses, but is mainly used for traps. Traps take two forms: Hidden stickies designed to kill an unsuspecting foe, or visible traps, designed to discourage or slow classes from pushing through a choke or capturing a point. Stickies can also be fired at an Engineer nest to quickly take it out before he can repair his buildings. Stickybombs deals the Demoman who fired them more damage than the Grenade Launcher at close range.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Stickybomb Launcher	Point-Blank: 68-142 512 units: 60-118 Over 1024 units: 32-62 Backlash: 45-88	Critical: 180-354 Point-Blank Mini-crit: 92-191 Over 512 units: Mini-crit: 81-159	Attack: 0.6s Reload Start: 0.77s Reload More: 0.67s Sticky Initialize: 0.92s	Stickies stop getting falloff and ramp-up after 5 seconds of life. Stickies can be destroyed with non-explosive weapons and Scottish Resistance stickies. Stickies can be pushed with other explosive weapons and airblast. Effective for sticky jumping. Maximum of 8 stickies placed at a time.

Scottish Resistance

The Scottish Resistance, often abbreviated as "SR", favors defense more than offense. Due to increased bomb arm time, it cannot be used to launch airburst stickies. However, it fires stickybombs faster than its counterpart, can lay 6 additional stickybombs, all of which can be separately detonated, allowing for more and faster traps.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Scottish Resistance	Point-Blank: 68-142 512 units: 60-118 Over 1024 units: 32-62 Backlash: 45-88	Critical: 180-354 Point-Blank Mini-crit: 92-191 Over 512 units: Mini-crit: 81-159	Attack: 0.45s Reload Start: 1.09s Reload More: 0.67s Sticky Initialize: 1.72s	Stickies stop getting falloff and ramp-up after 5 seconds of life. Stickies can be destroyed with non-explosive weapons and Scottish Resistance stickies. Stickies can be pushed with other explosive weapons and airblast. Effective for sticky jumping, but requires more caution when used. Maximum of 14 stickies placed at a time.

Sticky Jumper

Note: This weapon is banned in some leagues for acquisition time.

The Sticky Jumper deals no damage to any player, but provides identical stickyjump distance.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Sticky Jumper	All: 0	All: 0	Attack: 0.6s Reload Start: 0.77s Reload More: 0.67s Sticky Initialize: 0.92s	Stores 72 reserve ammo instead of 24. Stickies stop getting falloff and ramp-up after 5 seconds of life. Stickies can be destroyed with non-explosive weapons and Scottish Resistance stickies. Stickies can be pushed with other explosive weapons and airblast. Effective for sticky jumping. Maximum of 8 stickies placed at a time.

Chargin' Targe

Note: This weapon is either limited or banned in some Team Fortress 2 leagues. Please check your league's rule page for details on their weapon restrictions.

The Chargin' Targe provides the Demoman with a charge, having him run in a nearly straight line at extreme speeds. It provides damage on-hit, increased damage when meleeing while charging, but will stop once a melee attack is fired, or if it hits a wall. It provides 40% explosive resistance and 50% fire damage resistance.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Chargin' Targe	Shield Bash: 50+10x	Mini-Crit Bash: 68+13.5x	Charge: ≤2s Refill: 12s, including charge duration.	x = number of Eyelander heads collected, max 5. Charges at 750 u/s (637.5 with Skullcutter); does bash damage at end. Charging gives melee Mini-Crits at 1/6th charge duration and Crits at 1/2 charge duration. If it hits and deals impact damage, a quick melee attack will be a critical hit.

Splendid Screen

The Splendid Screen functions identically to the Chargin' Targe, but deals increased impact damage at any range, at the cost of reduced damage resistance.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Splendid Screen	Shield Bash: 85+17x	Mini-Crit Bash: 115+23x	Charge: ≤2s Refill: 12s, including charge duration.	x = number of Eyelander heads collected, max 5. Grants 20% fire resist and 15% blast resist. Charging gives melee Mini-Crits at 1/6th charge duration and Crits at 1/2 charge duration. Deals 70% more impact damage and at any range. Otherwise functions identically to the Chargin' Targe.

Secondary Weapon Usage

The stock Stickybomb Launcher is the most versatile Stickbomb Launcher. The Scottish Resistance has merit when defending, but is much harder to land an airshot with. The Chargin' Targe and Splendid Screen require a much more agressive Demoman, but remove the team's option of sticky traps, and make engineer nests scarier. The Sticky Jumper can be used to facilitate a back-cap with the Pain Train, but is otherwise useless. The stock Stickybomb Launcher is the most common choice.

Melee Weapon

The Demoman boasts a wide range of melee weapons, which can transform his class significantly.

Bottle

The Bottle is the Demoman’s stock melee weapon. Like other standard melee weapons, it deals moderate damage. It deals decent damage at close range, and is useful if the demoman is low on health, or has a sticky trap down and is low on ammo.

The Frying Pan and the Scottish Handshake have the same stats as the Bottle.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Bottle	Melee: 65	Critical: 195 Minicrit: 88	Attack: 0.8s	Completely standard melee weapon.

Eyelander

Note: This weapon is either limited or banned in some Team Fortress 2 leagues. Please check your league's rule page for details on their weapon restrictions.

The Eyelander has an increased melee range, and will deal increased damage as well as grant increased speed for every kill made with it. However, it lowers the Demoman's base health by 25.

The Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker and the Nessie's Nine Iron have the same stats as the Eyelander.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Eyelander	Melee: 65	Critical: 195 Minicrit: 88	Attack: 0.8s	Increased attack range. Move speed changes based on heads collected.

Claidheamh Mòr

Like the Eyelander, the Claidheamh Mòr has an increased melee range. However, it extends charge time by 0.5 seconds, and only reduces health by 15, contrary to the 25 health reduction of the Eyelander. The only downside with comparison to the Eyelander is that it does not collect heads and increase stats, in the fashion of the Eyelander.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Claidheamh Mòr	Melee: 65	Critical: 195 Minicrit: 88	Attack: 0.8s	Increased attack radius Does not collect heads Only 15 health reduction Additional 0.5 seconds of charge

Persian Persuader

The Persian Persuader, like the other swords, does not deal crits. However, all collected ammo becomes health. It also doubles the recharge rate of charge. In the end, the wielder cannot resupply the other weapons with ammo boxes unless going to the resupply cabinet, while on the other side, being able to collect health easier.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Persian Persuader	Melee: 65	Critical: 195 Minicrit: 88	Attack: 0.8s	+100% increase in charge recharge rate All ammo collected becomes health No random critical hits

Pain Train

Note: This weapon is either limited or banned in some Team Fortress 2 leagues. Please check your league's rule page for details on their weapon restrictions

The Pain Train is designed for the more offensive Demoman. It doubles his capture rate, allowing for back-caps and increased capture times, but leaves him more vulnerable to Scouts and Shotgun shots.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Pain Train	Melee: 65	Critical: 195 Minicrit: 88	Attack: 0.8s	Gives user double capture rate. Increases taken damage from hitscan by 10%.

Scotsman's Skullcutter

Note: This weapon is either limited or banned in some Team Fortress 2 leagues. Please check your league's rule page for details on their weapon restrictions.

The Scotsman's Skullcutter reduces the Demoman's speed, but provides more melee damage.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Scotsman's Skullcutter	Melee: 78	Critical: 234 Minicrit: 105	Attack: 0.8s	Decreases movement speed by 15%

Half-Zatoichi

Note: Half-Zatoichi is banned in some leagues for acquisition time.

Once the Half-Zatoichi has been selected it is impossible to change to another weapon until you kill an enemy. When you have killed someone you regain all of your lost health. If you encounter an enemy Demoman or Soldier also using this weapon then it is a one hit kill.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Half-Zatoichi	Melee: 65	Critical: 195/Instant Mini-Crit: 88	Attack: 0.8s	Banned in some leagues for acquisition time. On kill: restores you to 100% health This weapon is Honorbound and once drawn cannot be sheathed until it kills.

Ullapool Caber

While the Ullapool Caber deals less damage than other melee weapons, and does not deal random crits, it explodes upon contact, dealing in excess of 170 damage, useful for clearing a small area. The explosion also provides an alternate method of sticky jumping, just in case the user is equipped with a Chargin' Targe or a Splendid Screen.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Ullapool Caber	Melee: 35 Melee w/ explosion: 182	Critical: 105 Critical w/ explosion: 405 Minicrit: 46 Minicrit w/ explosion: 243	Attack: 0.8s	Explodes upon contact with enemy (once only) No random critical hits

Melee Weapon Usage

The use of the different melee weapons is limited by the unlocks that the different leagues use, mostly they choose to ban the following: the Scotsman's Skullcutter, the Eyelander and the Half-Zatoichi. This only leaves the Demoman with a choice of two melee weapons: the vanilla Bottle, or the Pain Train. This is largely a matter of playstyle and how the other team are. If your Scouts have their opposite numbers under control and you aren't being completely focused by the enemy team then the Pain Train is a viable choice. However, if you find over the course of the match that you need the extra health because the enemy Scouts are attacking you a lot then the Bottle is a safer choice.

It also depends on whether you cap a lot of points or not, if you don't then it's silly to be taking more damage against bullets when you don't use it enough. In this case the Bottle is also your best choice.

See also

• Demoman (competitive)