Team Fortress 2 Strategy

Due to some difficulties in editing the Pyro overview page, my additions to it will be on this page.

 The Backburner

Ammo: 200 (16 seconds of use)
Damage: 100-150 damage/sec then 6 damage/sec x 10 afterburn (crits on backburn 300-450/sec)
Best range: Short

Information:

The Backburner is the fearsome replacement for the flamethrower, and is unlocked when fifteen of the Pyro achievements are earned. While quite similar to the flamethrower in performance, every hit to an enemy’s back becomes a critical hit. This makes the Backburner the perfect ambush weapon, as it is finally possible to toast an unaware enemy before they have time to spin around and waste you. This ability also makes the Backburner Pyro much more fearsome when thrown into an enemy mob, since no one can afford to turn their back to him, and the group suddenly becomes very vulnerable.

The drawback for this fearsome crit factory is the lack of the compression blast ability that is a (epic) feature of the regular flamethrower. This makes the Pyro much more vulnerable when tangling with enemy Soldiers and Demomen. The Backburner makes a good choice for those Pyros that enjoy sneaking around and ambushing careless enemy troops.

Advantages: Guaranteed critical hits to the back improve both the Pyro’s ability to kill and the respect that he must be paid.

Disadvantages: The lack of compression blast makes it a much less versatile weapon.

The Degreaser

Ammo: 200(16 seconds of use)
Damage: 100-150 damage per second plus 45 afterburn over 10 seconds(2.25 DPS)(300-450/sec)
Best range: Short
Special: -65% weapon switch time

Information:
Released during the Mann-Conomy update, the Degreaser is a very versatile weapon. The quick weapon switch allows for deadly combos such as the Puff ‘n’ sting (lighting your enemy on fire and quickly hitting him with the Axtinguisher) and gives allows the Pyro to effectively weapon heckle. The loss of fifteen afterburn isn’t too serious, most enemy will dead or extinguished themselves before it can take effect.

Like the Flamethrower, the Degreaser has the compression blast which you can read about in the Compression Blast guide

Advantages: The quick weapon switch makes the Pyro noticeably more deadly in direct confrontations. Compression blast allows it to be used protecting your team (extinguishing them and reflecting away projectiles).

Disadvantages: The lower afterburn makes it more difficult to finish people off.

The Flare Gun 

Ammo: 1/16
Damage: 30 then 6 damage/sec x 10 afterburn (90)
Best range: Medium

Information:

The flare gun is the first unlockable weapon available to the Pyro, gifted when the first ten achievements are earned. As a replacement for the shotgun, it serves largely the same function but in a fairly different way. While it will continue to be your only offensive option beyond flamethrower range, it works just as well up close as far away (assuming your a good shot). As an added bonus, shooting one of your already-burning victims with a flare causes it to be a critical hit (doing 3 times more damage).

The tradeoff for this long-range immolation ability is that the flares take skillful marksmanship to achieve the desired result. The projectiles are relatively slow, a little quicker than a rocket, and are affected a bit by gravity too. This gives the aware enemy plenty of opportunity to get out of the way. The flare gun’s main application is for igniting enemies who are distracted with something else or relatively stationary. However, the flares can be used in a variety of ways; as long range harassment, a finishing move, or covering a retreat. In any case, don’t be one of those Pyro’s trying to be a Sniper with their flare gun as you can always do more damage up close and personal.

The taunt when using the flare gun is another instant-kill taunt with a long setup time known as the Hadouken. Note that this taunt attack can also be used to destroy Engineer buildings.

Advantages: Ability to ignite enemies from a distance.
Disadvantages: Difficult to aim, easy to dodge, long reload, single shot.

The Detonator

Ammo: 1/16
Damage 30 then 6 damage/sec x 10 afterburn (90) (41 on minicrit) (56 damage to self when flare jumping)
Best range: Medium.

Information:
Released during the Uber Update, the Detonator is very similar to the Flare gun, with two added features, the first of these is that anytime while the flare is travelling through the air it can be detonated with mouse 2, which will probably be right click for you. The manual flare detonation gives you a margin of error that you can survive, but it’s damage is very low, the only real use being the afterburn. You can use this to ignite people hiding behind corners and (in theory) small, tight, groups.

The other, more useful feature is the flare jump, which is done exactly like the rocket jump. It does not have much height though, barely making it to the top of a single crate in granary middle point. A price of a flare jump is high though, with the self damage averaging in the forties.

Advantages: Easier to aim than the Flare gun. Detonator jumping allows you to get to some useful ambush positions.

Disadvantages: Less useful as a finisher than the Flare gun and less useful for harassing than the Shotgun. Awful at close range. Flare jumping has an abominable health cost.

The Axtinguisher 

Ammo: N/A
Damage: 23-43 (195)

Information:

The power of the Axtinguisher is blatantly evident just from its appearance. It replaces the standard fire axe, and is available once twenty-two of the Pyro achievements are earned. The Axtinguisher guarantees a critical hit for every blow landed on a burning enemy, making it a fantastic complement to the flamethrowers and flare gun. It also presents some interesting opportunities for groups of two or more Pyros coordinating attacks. The tradeoff is that the Axtinguisher only does half the damage of the regular axe against enemies who are not alight. It’s a great choice for hacking down Heavies and Soldiers who refuse to just let you toast them.

The Homewrecker

Ammo: N/A
Damage Players: 42-55 Buildings: 130 (146)
Special: Destroys sappers in a single hit.

Information:
The Homewrecker’s ability to destroy sappers, coupled with the Pyros innate spychecking abilities makes it an ideal choice for protecting sentry nests. Combine that with reflecting stickies and rockets away and the sentry nest is nearly impervious.

However, the double damage against buildings is not all that useful, Unless you can use a corner to get close to it you will near definitely get killed. On average a level two or three sentry gun’s bullets will do 128 damage per second and it takes you 1.6 seconds to destroy it (not counting the time to get in position), in that time they can do more than 200 damage, killing you.

The Maul is identical to the Homewrecker.

Advantages: Makes you a undefeatable monster versus Spies.

Disadvantages: Useless against sentry guns higher than level one. Lacks the player killing potential of the Axtinguisher and the healing of the Powerjack and Backscratcher.

The Powerjack

Ammo: N/A
Damage: 56-74(195)
Special: Heals 75 health on kill.
Another Special: +20% damage from melee sources while active.

Information:
Part of the polycount set (along with the Degreaser and Attendant) the Powerjack heals 75 health on kill (with this weapon only). Should the wearers health equal reach or exceed 175 the remaining health is applied as overheal, with a maximum of 260, the overheal is slowly lost until the wearers health is back to 175 (like with the Medigun).

When the Powerjack is active (IE: In the user’s hands) all enemies do +20% melee damage. When enemies pull out their melee weapons it is probably best to use the flamethrower.

The Powerjack lacks the sheer killing power of the Axtinguisher, but in large extended battles often means the difference between life and death. Before choosing it you should think about whether your going to be fighting directly in large battles or ambushing stragglers.

Advantages: Can save your life in large battles, and saves you time by making not necessary to go heal up after every battle.

Disadvantages: A bit finicky when coupled with afterburn (You bring your enemy down to 1 health point with it and don’t get your 75 health). It is very difficult to take down high health classes (heavy, soldier) without the Axtinguisher.

The Backscratcher

Ammo: N/A
Damage: 69-93 (+25% damage over the Fire Axe) (244)
Special: +50% health from health packs.
Another Special: -75% health from the Mediguns, Dispensers, and Payload Cart.

Information:
The Back Scratcher is very good for Pyros that roam around the map, killing people. Its advantage should be coupled with knowledge of where the health packs are. Its bad for a Pyro that stays with his team however, as your allies will take most of the health packs, making the medic and dispenser the primary sources of healing.

When using the Back Scratcher the small and medium health packs give you 54, approximately 31%, and 132, approximately 75% health respectively.

The Medigun will heal you 6-18 health per second, the dispenser will heal you 2.5-5 health per second, and the Payload Cart will heal you 2.5 health per second.

Advantages: Increased health from packs make you pretty much self sufficient. Being healed by a Medic gives them the default Ubercharge rate, while you will stay at low health, leaving it at high rates.

Disadvantages: Awful when your traveling in a group. Retreating to Medics and Dispensers results in a lot of downtime.

The Sharpened Volcano Fragment

Ammo: N/A
Damage: 42-52 (-20% damage) plus 60 afterburn over 20 seconds (3 DPS) (156)

Information:
The Sharpened Volcano Fragment is, except for Medieval mode, pretty much useless. The flamethrower can ignite enemies much more easily, it doesn’t have to aim and does more damage. In Medieval mode it is very useful combined with a scout using the Sun on a Stick or a Pyro with the Axtinguisher.

Advantages: Allows a last ditch method of lighting people on fire when your out of ammo.

Disadvantages: Any flamethrower can do what it does. Sacrifices high damage (Axtinguisher), Sentry protection (Homewrecker), or healing (Powerjack or Backscratcher).

The Gas Jockey’s Gear

Bonus: +10% movement speed.

Penalty: 10% bullet damage weakness.

Requires: the Degreaser, the Powerjack, and the Attendant (hat)

This item set increases the Pyro’s ability to get the drop on his opponents while increasing his natural weakness to being gunned down before he reaches an opponent. therefore, it is recommended for stealthy ambush or sneak attack Pyros who make good use of cover. the speed bonus is useful on both attack and defense, allowing the pyro to reach key locations such as capture points or react to threats by attacking enemies more quickly. the increased speed also increases jumping distance, and lets you do things like go directly onto the final capture point on steel. it is not reccomended to cross open areas with this set when an area with cover also exists. However, as a Pyro you should be using cover anyway. You are now the second fastest class in the game, so hunting medics and killing a fleeing spy should be easier. A good set if you have the skills of surviving as a Pyro down.

Pros: increased speed allows better ambushing and sneak attacks.

Cons: You go down even faster in a face to face fight with a bullet using opponent.

Credit to Predatory Ameoba from the forums  for the Gas Jockey’s Gear portion. And credit to whoever made the original Pyro unlocks, which I moved here.