How to play pyro, smartly - Games

The pyro is a unique class, sometimes incredibly easy, other times incredibly hard. Like many of the 'noob' classes (medic, engy, spy to some degree) he has a quadratic difficulty curve. Smarter opponents will wipe the floor with you, but even against bad odds, as a pyro you can still fuck shit up. [B]Primaries[/B] First off, the flamethrower. The backburner seems better to a new player, and it does seem to be, but it really isn't an airblast is a brilliant tool for many many things. Don't use the backburner, even if you're terrible with the airblast, practice, that's how you get better. [highlight]DO NOT AIRBLAST EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING[/highlight] A lot of pyros fall for the tactic of doing 'da pro thing' and airblasting everything that moves. There are times to airblast and there are times not to. When your opponent is unaware of you, and you are on open ground, do not airblast. Get close up, behind preferably, and burn them. As they begin to turn, blast them, NOT BEFOREHAND. If you do it as they turn, you will disrupt their aim, and they will usually miss, you'll get more fire damage in, and you can potentially reflect rockets or grenade straight back down the barrel they came from. Doing it early can result in them compensating for being in teh air and hitting you, as well as an overall drop in fire damage, and believe me, you need as much damage as you can get. Don't ever be afraid to go on a suicide run without ever turning the flamethrower off. W+M1ing is perfectly acceptable, nothing is more effective against a clump of unaware enemies than rushing in and burning everything. Focus on medics when possible, but try and light everyone up. If possible, time your suicide run with your teams push, or bring your own medic along, and you'll do way better. [B]Secondaries[/B] This is the only place you'll ever really have to think about. Flare and shotgun are both useful in different situations. It comes down to your skill mainly, if you're good with projectiles, go the flare, if you're better at landing buckshot, shotgun. On watery maps, the shotgun is recommended, your targets are much slower underwater anyway, so they're easy pickings. The minicrit isn't hugely powerful on the flaregun, but it helps greatly against low HP classes. For heavies, you're simply flaring them to make them go away, heavies will kill you 90% of the time, even when you have the element of surprise. [B]Melee[/B] Axetuinguisher. Some people defend the axe mightily, ignore them, they're crazy. Like the airblast, you shouldn't go for every single target with the axetuinguisher, it's situational, it's best indoors against non-explosive classes. Don't run towards people madly with it out, a shotgun blast or flare is morelikely to hit, and if you're pursuing someone, the flamethrower can do plenty. [highlight]DO NOT GO FOR EVERY KILL WITH THE AXE[/highlight] Finally, there is one big misconception people have. Pyrovspyro is simply most effective by outflaming, move around, backpedal, lead your fire, you will WIN The shotgun is only effective at range, the flamer will suit you fine. Good luck little pyros, go and spycheck. [highlight]You will call all reflected projectiles Reflectiles as of this point.[/highlight]

For light classes i generally flame them, airblast them, and then land 1-2 buck-shots with the shotgun. Usually kills them with minimal damage to me

Don't give out those "secrets," I'm a huge fan of surviving a fight I shouldn't have against a Pyro because they were a moron and compression blasted me away. Before lighting me on fire.

Man I must suck at heavy. I can never keep up with a strafing pyro.

Thanks, I always airblast everything, so I put em in flames, airblast, and finish off with shotty.

Ambushing is all about location location location. Be like a spy, but without the cloak and instant kills. Works for me. :v: Also, the Backburner is an inferior weapon, but if you want to try new things, or pine for those good ol' days as Vanilla pyro, go for it.

As pyro, I tend to use the flare gun as a primary weapon, and take out my flamethrower when I'm facing a soldier, or going into a small enclosed space. I try to have a rule of flaming for no more than 1ish second at a time, because playing against m1+w is just annoying. [QUOTE=Mexican;20223651]Man I must suck at heavy. I can never keep up with a strafing pyro.[/QUOTE] Turn your mouse sensitivity right up. Realisticly, you don't need to be terrible accurate as heavy.

If you're purposefully restricting how effective you will be by not 'W+M1ing' or 'always going for axes' or 'never flaming to death' then you're making a hard class even harder on yourself. Use all of your tools.

The flare gun is just so satisfing to use. You should either shoot it into a crowd of people or use it when an enemy doesn't notice you and you can't get the flamethrower on him. I find the flare is quite good against heavies at medium - long range and if they fight, they will get mini critted to death or if they run that's 1 less person to think about for a few seconds. Also, when you've airblasted people away while they are on fire and you can't reach them with the axtguisher, you can always hit them up with a mid air flare mini crit.

The problem with heavies and flares isn't that the flares are hard to hit, it's just it takes a whopping 6 flares to actually kill him, at any point he can run off and nom a sandvich or find a medic or come back with buddies. Sure, against an idiot heavy who just stands there and keeps firing you can do it, but against a half decent one, no way. Also, midair flares minicrits are great, and I do use them, but often it would just be better to keep burning.

I do midair minicrit flares all the time to scouts. I always burn them, airblast, quickswap, flare, then lol at the ensuing rage.

Defensive Pyro should use airblast all the goddamn time

[QUOTE=Lambeth;20225617]Defensive Pyro should use airblast all the goddamn time[/QUOTE] Or he could try doing some damage, and burn them first, then airblast them away and shotgun. Pushing people around accomplishes nothing.

It's a bad habit for me to chase after my butthurt burnt victims with Axetuinguisher. A really, really bad one. [editline]02:14AM[/editline] [QUOTE=SpudOfWar;20224541]As pyro, I tend to use the flare gun as a primary weapon, and take out my flamethrower when I'm facing a soldier.[/QUOTE]Also this.

It's definitely the best way to do damage outside the teeny tiny melee range, but really you should only be on open ground in emergencies, flag caps or pushing the frontline.

3 words: Puff and Sting. Also, good read.

4 words: Do what it takes.

Very good read, nice to see some of the things I actually do are in there. Though a distinct lack of ambushing and saying that the Backburner can kick ass if you can amush sucessfully. Pyro now has become a frontline class with Soldiers, but that doesn't mean you can't ambush people. Also forgot to mention circle strafing which can also be done by the backburner rather well and also be done well with the normal flamethrower. Also for a large clump of enemies, get behind them and charge though them setting everyone and everything on fire. You will normally survive and accomplish more than suiciding. Overall though good read, need some things on projectile reflects, though they can be difficult to explain.

Projectile reflects: They're more to protect you than to hurt enemies, dont use it as a primary weapon, if you hit them its just a bonus. That isn't to say it's useless, it's just more effective to switch to flares and dodge. Still airblast soldiers up close though, nothing nicer than reflecting a crocket before it leaves the rocket launcher.

My favourite use of airblast is in places like nucleus and steel's last cp, blasting people into the pit.

The Backburner is a good weapon in rare cases, such as second stage Dustbowl while defending as there are a lot of ambush spots. It's not that the Backburner is a bad weapon, it's a very good weapon. It's just that the airblast is better 95% of the time. There are still times when I pull the BB out.

You forgot about using the airblast to break up Ubers.

[QUOTE=lemongrapes;20227611]You forgot about using the airblast to break up Ubers.[/QUOTE] That's common sense.

W+M1 only works for a while, then you're going to be hit by a crit projectile of some sorts. The main weapon of the Pyro is surprise. Surprise and fear. It's two main weapons are- ahem. As the pyro, your best bet is to ambush people, flame them until they start shooting back, then retreat with your shotgun, jumping around between shots to throw off their aim. You don't even need to go undetected. A good strategy if you're spotted is to run in one door, then back out again from another. They'll chase you in then you can go in behind them and nab 'em. Remember as Pyro you're the third fastest class, behind the medic and the scout.

[QUOTE=Empty_Shadow;20227644]That's common sense.[/QUOTE] Yes, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't occur to most new players, who, as stated purely w+m1 with the backburner.

I suck as Pyro :saddowns:

[QUOTE=Darth_GW7;20227730]W+M1 only works for a while, then you're going to be hit by a crit projectile of some sorts. The main weapon of the Pyro is surprise. Surprise and fear. It's two main weapons are- ahem. As the pyro, your best bet is to ambush people, flame them until they start shooting back, then retreat with your shotgun, jumping around between shots to throw off their aim. You don't even need to go undetected. A good strategy if you're spotted is to run in one door, then back out again from another. They'll chase you in then you can go in behind them and nab 'em. Remember as Pyro you're the third fastest class, behind the medic and the scout.[/QUOTE] this is more aimed at the intermediates, who haven't figured out that there is a place for W+M1, and there is a place for airblasts. You have to balance the two to perform your best.

I airblast until the cows come home.

I love pyro, controlled air blasting is the stuff.

[QUOTE=Empty_Shadow;20223314] [b]Melee[/b] Axetuinguisher. Some people defend the axe mightily, ignore them, they're crazy.[/QUOTE] The Axtinguisher offers a different playstyle, but you say it like if it was a direct upgrade. You talk about the Flaregun mini crit like "Only works with low hp classes" rather than "Works better with low hp classes". You talk about attacking them from behind, but you never mention how to get behind them. You let one of the most important things for Pyros - Spychecking - for the last line. You mention airblasting projectiles just once, you should have talked about airblasting stickies, Ubers, nades and rockets away, and how airblasting projectiles changes with high pings. Your guide is terrible, I have to say.