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------------Team Fortress 2 – Spy Strategy Guide-----------------
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Version: 2.8
Last Update: June 18th, 2008
This guide is subject to change, as it will continually be
updated as seen fit.
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Authors: nodforlife & Delkin525 (aka sR + Orca)
Email: (Delkin525)  -  delkin525@gmail.com
(nodforlife) - nodforlife@yahoo.com
We appreciate E-mails!!!
Steam IDs: nodforlife, Delkin525
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-                      Version History                          -
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•Version 2.8 / 06-19-2008                                      -
Largest update since the launch of the guide!                 -
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The following have been updated:                              -
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-Fixed some major issues with the index. All of the sections  -
and codes now correspond to one another accurately.          -
-General Do's and Don'ts (#10, #18, and other various points) -
-The 'How to handle Engineer' section (revised here and there)-
-Quick Tips: #29 has been edited; a few others have been      -
added or changed as well.                                    -
-General Outline: Now more of a one-stop place, contains      -
specific information regarding each of the Spy's weapons and -
tools. I've incorporated some robust changes here.           -
-New Section: Why Spy? (Section 0)                            -
-Updated Accredited Suggestions to thank more people: AlcyOne,-
johnie102, and Insolence.                                    -
-Moved 'Version History' section to the top of the guide      -
-In general, we've modified nearly every section of the guide -
in one way or another...                                     -
-Flipped the Disguise section. Moved the best disguises before-
the bad ones.                                                -
-Also added 'Reader Comments' to Closing section...           -
-Added to the Map Strategy section namely: 2Fort strategies,  -
and strats for the new map: CTF_Turbine                      -
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•Version 2.7 / 02-15-2008                                      -
-Rectified some typos                                         -
-Slight changes throughout                                    -
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•Version 2.6 / 01-15-2008                                      -
-Added two more sections: Spy Checking / Quick Tips           -
-Fixed typos                                                  -
-Added information, and edited randomly throughout            -
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•Version 2.5 / 01-08-2008                                      -
-Fixed typos                                                  -
-Added a slew of content throughout the guide                 -
-Added to map strategies, namely Hydro specific information   -
-Revised information throughout                               -
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•Version 2.4 / 12-27-2007                                      -
-Fixed some typos (I'll always find more)                     -
-Other various changes                                        -
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•Version 2.3 / 12-18-2007                                      -
-Again with the grammatical/spelling errors                   -
-Map Specific Strategies updated: CP_Well update              -
-Revised guide layout                                         -
-Added updates throughout                                     -
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•Version 2.2 / 12-15-2007                                      -
-Reformatted Entire Guide                                     -
-Added New Sections                                           -
-Many grammatical/spelling errors have been fixed             -
-Refined initial work, added to sections                      -
-Spy disguise officially deemed poor disguise                 -
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Intro:
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The spy is considered by many to be the most difficult of the
classes, and for good reason; he is. Of all the classes he
demands the most micro (or coordination that is acquired over
time with experience). The Spy is unique in the fact that he's
not your typical first-person-shooter experience. You're goal is
not to out-gun the enemy, in fact it's the exact opposite;
you're striving to out-smart them, which makes it all the more
satisfying. The Spy is the weakest of the classes physically,
yet he makes up for it with a slew of cunning tricks that can be
essential for the victory of your team. A well timed sapper can
provide just enough of a lull in the opponent’s defenses to
allow your team to bust through and capture a point. Flanking
the entire team’s rush and stabbing their medics can end their
offensive before it’s even had time to reach your front lines.
Pesky heavies and camping Snipers frequently fall victim to a
capable Spy’s blade. And, really, there’s nothing more
satisfying in TF2 than backstabbing a Medic/Heavy combo and
taking down their 600 combined health with two deft mouse
clicks. The Spy is our favorite class for these reasons, and
despite his obvious deficiencies he can easily dominate the
scoreboards and lead his team to victory. This guide will
provide for you a vast understanding of the Spy, and how he
works, through the eyes of two very Spy-obsessed individuals.
We'll explain in detail in-game scenarios you'll face, how to
deal with specific classes, how to think like a spy, how to move
like a spy, and so much more. By the end of this guide, you'll
be that much closer to turning yourself into a very capable Spy.
The next step is taking what you learn here to heart, and thus
executing your newly acquired knowledge in-game.
Some of you are without doubt hardcore players, and pride
yourselves on clan-related matches, and or league matches. Yet,
I'm sure even a larger number of you will spend the majority of
your time playing in public servers, which is fine. The true
difference between the two isn't really a measure of skill. Just
because you play in cal, or other such league events doesn't
mean you can't be owned by someone in a pub. The difference lies
in team coordination. Teamwork is immensely more coordinated in
league and clan matches, and as such, the match is more
difficult, much more difficult than the sparse coordination
displayed in pub matches. In addition, being that league/clan
players are experienced, playing with them means that you will
have to utilize your Spy strategies to the utmost of precision.
There can't be error, however, don't fret. There's a learning
curve to the Spy and we're more than willing to start you on
that curve. Essentially, league matches are void of noobs; the
majority of players there have a fair degree of skill.  If you
take part in league matches, then you're probably treating the
game more as a sport than a simple instrument of fun.
What you'll find in public servers is a vast-array of skill,
from very good players, to the most horrid. I've said that
teamwork is sparse in public matches, this is because each team
usually has a handful of people coordinating (usually via mic)
to accomplish a task. The other players either go along with
their direction, or wander around on their own one-man missions.
With that said, in a pub match if your team isn't winning, or
can't push through a chokepoint, please realize the fact that
this is largely because your team isn't functioning as a single
body; which is a key role to TF2 gameplay.
In conclusion, this guide will provide for you details,
hints, do's and don'ts, strategies, all formed around one of the
most unique classes of any first-person-shooter out there; the
Spy. It's truly a gaming experience like no other! The
information within the premise of this guide will prove
beneficial to any and all players, weather you're hardcore or
just playing for the pure fun of it.
Good luck!
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Index:
=======
This guide is divided into 11 sections. They are as follows:
To skip directly to a section, click ctrl+F (the find command),
then copy and paste the section code into the space provided,
make sure to include the brackets []. Then hit search...
_________________________________________________________________
•Section 0) Why Spy?                                 (code: [A0])
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:A Pros/Cons list for the Spy, designed to help if you are
questioning whether or not to play Spy.
_________________________________________________________________
•Section 1) General Outline                          (code: [A1])
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:A general outline of the Spy’s weapons and statistics.
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•Section 2) Disguises                                (code: [A2])
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:An in-depth take on which disguises to use and which not to
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•Section 3) General Do's and Don’ts                  (code:
[A3])
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:A collection of random tips, strategies, and hints applicable
to every map
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•Section 4) Targets                                  (code: [A4])
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:A detailed list of the best classes to backstab and the worst
classes to stab; a class by class assessment.
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•Section 5) How to Handle Engineers                  (code: [A5])
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:Detailed section telling everything a Spy needs to know, and
master when dealing with Engineers.
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•Section 6) Map Specific Strategies                  (code: [A6])
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:Detailed write-up of how to handle each of the 6 original maps
as a Spy. If the map has attack/defensive sides then each side
is discussed with a fair degree of accuracy.
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•Section 7) Spy Checking                             (code: [A7])
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:Detailed section that states everything you need to know when
Spy checking.
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•Section 8) Quick Tips                               (code: [A8])
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:The "Sparknotes" of the guide. Contains many tips, facts, and
tricks, in a very brief 1-2 sentence description. Ideal for
those of you who don't want to read page after page of this
guide-- though I highly recommend that you do
Note: Much of this section is already revealed throughout the
guide in great depth. As I've said it is for those of you
that are daunted by the thought of reading... Hence the
"sparknotes" reference.
_________________________________________________________________
•Section 9) Closing                                  (code: [A9])
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:Closing comments, and a place where we thank those who
contribute. In additon, this is a place where one can
fine reader comments (comments that we've recieevd via
E-mail regarding our guide).
Please E-mail us if you've found this guide helpful! :D
Thanks
_________________________________________________________________
•Section 10) Copyright                              (code: [A10])
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:Standard copyright for our faq...
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-                      Enjoy the Guide!                         -
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-Section 0)                  Why Spy?                        [A0]
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This section is designed to reveal the pros and cons of the
Spy. If you're pondering whether or not to play Spy, hopefully
this section will be insightful, thus leading to a more
concise decision.
_______________________________________________________________
|                            Why Spy?                           |
|_______________________________________________________________|
|          Pros                ] [            Cons              |
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|                              |-|                              |
|•Backstab is an instant kill  | |•Takes a wealth of experience |
|                              |-| to truly be successful, due  |
|•The revolver is effective at | | to Steeper learning curve.   |
| long ranges.                 |-|                              |
|                              | |•Extremely vulnerable to      |
|•Can cloak to bypass enemy    |-| fire.                        |
| lines.                       | |                              |
|                              |-|•Poor against scouts.         |
|•Far more versatile than most | |                              |
| classes.                     |-|•The knife when used to       |
|                              | | attack the front is weaker   |
|•Can disable Engineer         |-| than every other melee       |
| structures.                  | | weapon.                      |
|                              |-|                              |
|•Can use tele without the glow| |•Oftentimes get caught in     |
| at his feet when disguised as|-| enemy crossfire. Depending   |
| an enemy. No other class can | | on the scenario and map.     |
| avoid this.                  |-|                              |
|                              | |•Oftentimes forced to take    |
|•Fairly quick in movement     |-| the roundabout way.          |
| among the top classes when it| |                              |
| comes to speed, second only  |-|•Low health.                  |
| to the Scout.                | |                              |
|                              |-|                              |
|•Only class that has the      | |                              |
| option of playing            |-|                              |
| independently from the team. | |                              |
|                              |-|                              |
|•Can gain health from enemy   | |                              |
| Medics, Dispensers, and mine |-|                              |
| carts.                       | |                              |
|                              |-|                              |
|•Looks amazing in a Tux!      | |                              |
|______________________________|-|______________________________|
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-Section 1)              General Outline                     [A1]
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The Spy is tied with the Scout and the Engineer for the lowest
health available in TF2; placing them at 125 health points each.
However, don't let his low health fool you, he's a cunning
fellow. He has a slew of weapons and gizmos at his disposal,
five in all: the revolver, the sapper, the butterfly knife, the
disguise kit, and the cloaking device. A competent Spy must
utilize each of these tools effectively. As such, due to the
importance of the tools new Spies must work to familiarize
themselves with them. You've got to practice everything at hand,
it's essential.
** Below is a write up of said weapons, gizmos, and tools.
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The Revolver:
Clip size: 6
Reserved: 24
Total Bullets: 30
The Spy’s primary weapon. It holds six bullets before reload,
and the reload time is fairly quick, which comes in handy during
the frequent battles you will be having with the shotgun-toting
Engineers, who have a very slow reload time in comparison. The
Revolver does around 40 damage per shot, so it’s not completely
useless, but it's really only useful in taking out the weaker
classes: Engineers, Scouts, Medics, and other Spies. When
engaged in a firefight with the pistol, it’s best to retreat as
you fire, since the Spy’s bullets do the same damage from any
range, while the shotgun toting classes have their damage
limited by distance, and you will be out of range of the Pyro’s
flamethrower.
Generally the damage inflicted per shot is about 40-60. A
critical hit however, will do about 180 damage per hit. Which
kills most classes in one hit.
It's also worth noting that the revolver has a very
distinctive sound, to the experienced ear, it's a dead give-
away. For example anytime that I hear the revolver being fired
off, I immediately recognize it, then hunt for and kill the
enemy Spy. Usually he is fire fighting a teammate of mine, but
now that I too am aware of him, I may as well kill him.
Lastly, the Revolver is a surprisingly accurate weapon. At a
distance, it can be used to 'snipe' the enemy, as it really is
nearly that accurate. You can fair well against classes such
as Heavy, Soldier, and even Demoman from afar, due to the fact
that their weapons decrease in effectiveness with distance. For
example, a barrage of bullets from a trigger happy Heavy spread
out with distance. They spread out enough where  at a distance,
it is nearly a useless weapon. Though, even with this knowledge
of the Revolver, it should still primarily be a last resort, as
stabbing and sapping are far more crucial to the success of a
Spy. This knowledge gives some basis to the idea that if you're
caught, you should retreat whilst shooting the enemy with your
Revolver. It's accurate, and moving away from the enemy makes
them less accurate.
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The Sapper:
For destroying buildings. If you have this selected and
approach an enemy building, a white outline of the sapper will
appear on top of the nearest one. Clicking applies the sapper,
but does not blow your disguise. It does, however, tip off
everyone nearby since they will see a supposed friendly unit
and a sapped building. Planting and running is the best
strategy, unless there’s a nosey Engineer around (we'll talk
about how to deal with them in the next section.) Sappers will
disable the operation of whatever they are applied to for the
duration of the sap, eventually causing the building to blow
up. The sappers slowly suck the life from their buildings and
they kill teleports and dispensers fairly quickly. Fully powered
up sentries take a while and the sappers will usually be
destroyed by an Engineer, since most Engineers consider a Tier 3
sentry too valuable a prize to leave undefended. In this case,
just reapply the sapper until the sentry dies. The sapper takes
health faster than the engineer can repair it, and even if he’s
pounding on it with his wrench the whole time you’re sapping it,
you’ll kill it eventually.
Sapping Times:
Below is a list of approximately how long it will take for
the sapper to destroy the structure it's attached to. This
approximation only considers straight sapping, with no
interference.
* Sentry Gun
o Level 1: 6 seconds
o Level 2: 7 seconds
o Level 3: 9 seconds
* Dispenser / teleporter entrance and exit: 6 seconds
To destroy the structure more quickly, once sapped, you can
can shoot it with your revolver. Though, typically, to finish
off a tier three sentry it will take northward of six bullets.
Originally, before more current patches, a Spy could easily
destroy a tier three sentry by shooting it once sapped. Now
they've made it a slight bit more resistant to revolver fire,
particularly while it's sapped.
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The Butterfly Knife:
This is where most of your points will come from. The knife
kills most classes in about four stabs from the front, but from
the back, side, or even above in some cases it’s a one hit
kill. You’re rewarded with two points for a backstab instead of
the one for a front stab. Since most of your kills come from
backstabs, this can lead to some pretty lofty scores, and a good
Spy can dominate the scoreboards by double-digit points if he
can knife properly. Obviously, the slower classes like Heavies
and Soldiers are easier to stab since they don’t dart around
and prevent you from a clear path to their backs, like Medics
and Scouts tend to do.
Much like the Revolver, backstabbing someone makes then
scream in a way that they wouldn't typically do at any point
during the game. When I'm a class other than Spy, and I
recognize the scream as a teammate behind me gets a knife thrust
through his back, I immediately recognize a Spy without thinking
twice. As such I quickly turn, and kill said Spy.
In general, paying attention to your surroundings helps
immensely especially when dealing with enemy Spies.
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The Cloak:
This is key. Knowing when to cloak is the difference between
a skilled Spy and an amateur. Right-clicking the mouse will
begin the cloak. It takes a moment before you’re completely
transparent and enemies can still bump into you. If they do, you
will shimmer for a moment and your location will be revealed.
This also happens if you take damage, so staying out of the path
of the Heavy’s mini-gun or the Pyro’s flames is recommended.
The
cloak lasts about 10 seconds before the meter is empty and it
recharges to full as long as you’re not using it. When
invisible, sentries will not shoot at you and changing disguises
does not reveal you, so disguising while cloaked is advised.
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The Disguise Kit:
Does what the name implies. You can disguise as either an
enemy or friendly class and you will appear to the enemy as
such. It takes a moment for a disguise to take effect and a
small cloud will appear around you for the duration of the
change. Once disguised, using the revolver or knife will take
off the disguise, exposing you to sentries or other defenders,
so only go for the kill if you a) are spotted and have to fight
or b) have an easy backstab. Also, you will appear to the enemy
as whichever class you’ve selected carrying its primary weapon
(e.g. if you’re a Pyro you’ll have  the flamethrower, a Heavy
you’ll have the mini-gun, etc). There are essentially a few
primary disguises, ones that you will find more useful in more
situations. Among these disguises is Pyro, Demoman, Engineer,
and Sniper. If you play the part well, even Medic can work...
though it's a risky disguise, especially for the inexperienced
Spy.
As a rule of thumb, anytime you are amongst your team, you
should be in a friendly disguise. The point of the Spy is to
sneak around unnoticed, it's hard to do this when you've given
yourself away early. I suggest that you disguise yourself as a
friendly Pyro to deter enemy Spies each time you spawn, then
traverse the map as far as you can with a friendly disguise.
Once you get to the point where you'll be nearing enemies,
cloak, re-disguise as an enemy, then let the mayhem begin.
One might ask, why would you use a friendly disguise if the
enemy will kill you when they find you, as you are still an
enemy to them? Well, it's simple really. If you use a friendly
disguise while amongst your team, like a Pyro, when the enemy
sees you, they will have intent to kill you, but at the same
time, they must consider the risk of your teammates around
you. They won't charge in to go after a Pyro because the Heavies
and Medics are probably better targets. If however, you were
wearing an enemy disguise, and they spotted you running with
your team, they'd notify their team of your whereabouts, where
you're headed, and what you're disguised as. You've already
lessened your chances of success exponentially based on the
fact that the enemy is aware of you.
Conversely if you had just stuck to the friendly disguise,
you could have made a disappearing act, and once you reappeared
you'd already be disguised as a new class, even the enemy.
Another useful purpose in using friendly disguises is that the
enemy won't suspect you as being a Spy, they will believe your
disguise. If you're disguised as a friendly Pyro, enemy Spies
will likely avoid you, given the threat that Pyros pose to
Spies. On that same note, if the enemy was trying to kill you,
and you were disguised as a friendly class, say a Pyro, you
could round a corner, and cloak. If they didn't see you cloak,
they will have no idea that you cloaked, and they will still be
looking for a Pyro. This works because cloaking is not a
property of a Pyro, so the enemy wouldn't expect one to do so.
Once they've realized that you may have cloaked, that you were
actually a Spy, assuming they realized at all, it's too late
for them, because you are either far from them, or have already
backstabbed them.
Seeing as how the golden rule of Spying is staying hidden
from the enemy, setup-time is no exception. Some Spies will go
to the enemy's gates during setup-time, and start taunting. I
find this to be ridiculously foolish, because now the enemy is
aware of said Spy. They will anticipate him, and could counter
him. If the enemy is aware of the Spy, they will anticipate his
antics. He may not prove as successful to a knowing enemy. For
example, the enemy may attempt countering you with Pyro, waiting
for you to make your move, then burning you alive. However, if
you were disguised as a friendly Pyro, then you would be no
different than the countless teammates around you who are
waiting for the gates to open. Once the time nears zero, you
can easily hide behind any number of things, cloak, re-disguise,
then de-cloak in a more opportune position so that you're well
placed for the opening doors. The underlying idea here is that
you don't want the enemy to be aware of your presence at any
point in time as a Spy.
In the end, a Spy must master coordination between both his
cloaking, and his disguises. Mastering these two tools truly
sets the bar for an amateur Spy and a skilled Spy. Knowing when
to cloak is as we've stated before "key." Furthering that,
using disguises effectively out of cloak, is equally as
important.
**The following are unique properties regarding the Disguise Kit:
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• Every single time a disguise is deployed, so to does the Spy's
health change to the enemy. The health that the enemy can see
is not. Typically, this random, fake health status is anywhere
from half-health to full-health, it's not always half-health
like many once believed. If you disguise as a Pyro, you may
appear to have half-health to the enemy. In that same life,
one could disguise as a Demoman, as such, your health shown
would once again randomize. This time, you may have three
quarters health the enemy. Though a Spy never knows how much
health he is displaying, it's important to know that it
changes each time the disguise does. That way, people may be
thrown off when chasing a Spy disguised as a Demoman with
half-health, when they find the same Spy newly disguised as a
Pyro with near full health. It's a subtlety but changing your
disguise frequently, especially once spotted, is hugely
important to the success of a Spy.
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• While in an enemy disguise, one can gain health from
dispensers, mine carts, and potentially enemy Medics.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
• While in an enemy disguise, sentries will not target you. As
they will recognize you as a member of their team.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
• It takes a few seconds for a new disguise to take effect,
during this time, a cloud is visible around you. This "cloud"
can easily give you away to the enemy, as it draws attention
to the eye. It is best to disguise while cloaked, as it avoids
the "cloud" like effect. Here's another subtley that will help
one know when the disguise has taken full effect. When one
deploys a disguise, a white outline of the Spy shrinks to the
lower left hand corner of the screen, shrinking to the HUD.
Once this has happened, and the two pictures in the bottom are
the Spy, and which ever class you disguised as; you're good to
go.
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• Once disguised, bumping into the enemy is an immediate
indication to them that you aren’t  one of them. So avoid
being "bumped" into at all costs.
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• When taking on a disguise, the Spy's actual speed changes to
reflect the class he's disguising as. This means, that if you
disguised as a Heavy, not only would you look like one to the
enemy, but you'd move as slowly as one too. However, if you
disguise yourself as a class that's faster than the Spy, that
being the Scout, you're speed won't increase. If one disguised
as a scout, to the enemy, they'd look like a really slow
moving Scout, which is a dead give away.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
• Spies do not show pain. If an enemy was to shoot you, your
health would not change to reflect that, at least, not from
their point-of-view. If you continued with what you were
doing, there is no way for them to tell if you've been
injured. Sometimes pretending that you haven't been shot will
make the enemy believe your disguise.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
• While disguised as a friendly class, one can still assist in
capturing a point, without letting onto the enemies that
they're a Spy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
**More on disguise specifics in the next section of the guide...
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-Section 2)                Disguises                         [A2]
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=========[Your best disguise options are as follows]=============
-Pyro
The Pyro is probably the single best disguise ever. Why?
Simple… The Pyro is a trademark anti-Spy character, and is also
short-ranged. Because Pyros hunt spies, they are known to
randomly wander about, having no concrete order of gameplay. In
addition, because they are short-ranged, they rarely attempt
attacking enemies at a distance; which means there is little
suspicion of you if you aren't shooting at an enemy that would
otherwise normally by out of reach for a Pyro. Oftentimes you
won't be noticed, being that it’s not so suspicious of a Pyro
to be anywhere and everywhere. As stated above, the Pyro is
short-ranged, and as such he won't attract as much attention
for not shooting constantly. Conversely, if you imitate a Heavy
or Soldier, it is likely that the enemy can tell that you’re a
Spy based on the fact that you aren’t shooting. Also, you
aren't slowed down at all in this disguise.
Note: Posing as a friendly Pyro (a Pyro of your team color) is
also an incredibly effective way of scaring off, and dealing
with enemy Spies. This is so for a few reasons. One, as you'll
see later in this guide Pyros are the worst target for a Spy,
and should be avoided at all costs. With that said, the enemy
Spy will more than likely try to avoid you, this is good because
if you are looking for an enemy Spy, and you notice that one of
your own is avoiding you, cough, Spy. Now you can have a
revolver duel, alert others, or attempt stabbing him to death.
If you are really daring you could attempt all three at once!
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-Engineer
The engineer is one of the best disguises to take out
sentries, being that it is typical of an engineer to stick near
his sentry and dispenser. Sap first then stab (sapping is
explained in greater depth in the target section). Sadly, the
engineer is a highly suspected disguise; this is thanks to the
fact that too many spies are uncreative and think there's no
other way to deal with sentries than to take on this disguise.
Pyros will constantly check engineer's above all else.
Note: You can immediately determine whether or not an Engineer is
an enemy Spy based on whether or not the Engineer is
holding his wrench, or shotty. A Spy as an Engineer would be
holding his primary weapon, the Shotty, where as most every
Engineer wields his wrench as his weapon of choice. At a glance,
if the Engineer has a wrench or pistol in hand, you know for
sure he's not a Spy. This is important because too many noobs
spy-check everyone, pay attention to detail...
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-Demoman
The Demoman is among the best in-between disguises. It's
not highly expected, and it won't slow the movement of the spy.
Still, if the Demoman is seen wandering in a fashion unlike a
Demoman it's obvious to the enemy that you're a Spy so, be
careful.
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-Sniper
The Sniper disguise is good when you are in the appropriate
place. If you are in a particular part of a map in which Snipers
dwell, then props to you. Stab them Snipers! Otherwise this
class is suspicious.
Note: When posing as a Sniper, to avoid suspicion be aware of
your surroundings, have a target in mind, and act interested in
your team. Act as though they (your team) are a dynamic worry to
you, strafe back-and-forth looking in the direction of your
team, especially when enemies are present. As soon as a target
is within range, or when the moments right, break from the act
and assassinate.
Note: When posing as a Sniper, you cannot bring the Sniper rifle
to a zoomed state, holding it to your face, because that's a
property that only the Sniping class has. Being that you aren't
a Sniper, don't have a sniper rifle, you can't ever look to be
looking in  the scope. As such, you can expect that a Spy
disguised as a Sniper will be holding the sniper rifle lower. It
doesn't make a huge difference, because a good Sniper isn't
always behind his scope, as it narrows his vision.
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=========[Your worst disguise options are as follows]============
-Heavy
You're a huge target. Most people realize whether or not
their team has a Heavy, they are a class that demands attention,
whether they mean to or not. Part of the reason that a Heavy is
a dead give away is the fact that they are so huge. People pay
attention to you more. Not to mention that a Heavy is always
situated on the front line, and is always firing away. Seeing as
how you can’t shoot, you’d be a dead giveaway. Also,
it’s worth
noting that disguising as a Heavy will not help to kill Medics,
being that you are slow moving now.
Note: Most Medics know exactly how a Heavy (or anyone they are
healing) should act, and deviating from that known way of
acting only causes suspicion.
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-Scout
As a Scout your speed doesn't increase. It's obvious to the
enemy that you're not a Scout, because you appear slow moving to
them. In addition, Scouts are frantic bastards and double jump
like there’s no tomorrow. Surely a Spy can't perform as such.
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-Soldier
This is surprisingly the slowest moving character in the
game, though; his gun makes him more maneuverable than the
Heavy. While the Heavy shoots he hardly moves, and it is hard
for him to turn quickly, making him a target for Snipers, and
spies alike. Your lessened speed and the fact that you aren't
constantly jumping and rocketing is a clear sign to all that you
are a Spy.
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-Medics
Medics are the WORST possible disguise. Why you ask, because
they are constantly being demanded upon by their team, and as
such you will have the enemy following you around, all the
while begging to be healed. Because a real medic is always
healing, and the fact that you can't is a dead give-away. The
point of being a Spy is to bring the least amount of attention
your way, and unfortunately Medics receive an exorbitant
amount.
Note: Another factor that contributes to the downfall of this
disguise is the fact that when the enemy aims at you there is
no ubercharge percentage. Typically, when you look at a medic
that is on your team, you’d see an ubercharge percentage.
Yet another indication and dead give away that you're a spy.
Note: An experienced player will know that a Spy's physical
appearance when taking on this disguise includes that he is
holding his primary weapon (which is the case for every
disguise); the syringe-gun. Typically, Medics are seen wielding
their medi-gun, and as such anytime a Medic is seen wandering
about with his syringe-gun it's worth Spy-checking him.
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-Spy
In the beginning, early in TF2's release, the Spy was a good
disguise. At this point in time however, specific details point
out the flaw of this disguise.
Firstly, when disguised as a Spy, you don't have a cardboard
cut-out mask on your face. This means that from the enemy's
point-of-view, they see you, an apparent ally Spy, who has for
whatever reason decided to walk around without a disguise on.
To the trained eye this is an immediate indication that you're
an enemy spy.
Secondly, wandering around the enemy's base, without the cover
of a mask is an immediate suspicion as they'd expect to at least
see you wandering the other teams base (your team), not their
own. After all, how often do you as a Spy wander around your own
base with no mask on? -- Good response, you never do.
Note: When disguised, a cardboard cut-out mask is on your face,
Only visible to your teammates, the mask represents the class
that you are disguised as. However, when you disguise as a spy
the enemy sees you as a spy without the cut-out mask on. It can
be a dead give away to the trained eye.
*****************************************************************
-Section 3)        General Do's and Don’ts                    [A3]
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While each map has specific strategies that work best, there are
some basic techniques that are applicable to all stages, both
offense and defense. This section lists some Do's and Don'ts and
strategies.
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1) DON’T attempt to get into firefights unless absolutely
necessary. You have too little health for that kind of exercise
and most every other gun in the game is more powerful than yours.
The only classes that you have a chance of killing consistently
are Spies, Medics, Scouts (if you can hit them), Demomen (if you
can avoid their splash damaging explosives)and Engineers. Though,
Engineers they are usually guarded by their allies or sentries,
since most Engineers camp nearby their teams spawn points;
especially late game.
Note: Surprisingly a good medic will often times out-gun you,
based on the fact that their Syringe gun has a much better
rate of fire than the Spy's revolver. Though, the revolver
is stronger than the syringe-gun per shot. A Medic will
especially have an advantage over you with the Blutsauger
(the new syringe gun) equipped. It vamps 3 health from you
and gives it to them each and every time you get hit.
Trust me, this syringes come out very quickly, and if the
Medic is good, he'll be able to aim them very well-- even
at exceedingly long distances. Good Medics have been known
to take out Sentries, and Dispensers from afar, even at
angles a Soldier could never dream of, thanks to the arc
of that the Syringe gun provides.
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2) DON’T run toward the enemy unless you’re cloaked. Even if
you are disguised as them, the fact that a supposed teammate is
running at them is a dead giveaway that you are a Spy and they
will kill you. Cloak, get BEHIND their lines, then stab away.
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3) As an addendum to Number 2, the disguise can be pretty much
worthless for fooling the other team if you fail to act
appropriately. All but beginners have learned to be suspicious
of everyone, and will shoot every teammate enough times to kill
a disguised Spy. Be especially weary of Pyros, since being set
on fire does not disappear when cloaked. In fact, steering clear
of Pyros altogether is a good idea, unless they are set up for
the perfect stab.
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4) You should always be in disguise! If you're spotted, you
should act quickly to either start killing, or cloak/
re-disguise, then scamper off, then return and continue to
harass the enemy.
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5) The best way to get backstabs is to cloak right before you
get to the point in the map where the teams are clashing, then
run back to a safe point behind their lines where you can
de-cloak and ‘join’ their team for the fight. Often times this
takes agility to avoid the firefight on the front lines, but if
you can juke your way around the flying grenades, rockets, and
Heavy bullets, there can often be bountiful rewards awaiting
your knife-wielding hands. Be careful there are no Engineers
around, since they like to hang out near the rear. Usually, if
you see the Medics run by that means the whole line has passed,
since Medics typically run behind everyone with their beam on a
Heavy or Soldier.
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6) DO stab their Medics first. They are crucial to any
offensive push, especially if they can get their Ubercharge.
Killing them makes a brief retreat/heal or Uber-rush for the
other team impossible, effectively ending their rush and
allowing your team to pick off the attackers. I list the order
of priority to stab at 1) Medics 2) Heavies (since it’s really
easy) 3) Soldiers 4) Demomen 5) Everyone else. Obviously,
killing Engineers is important, too, but they are rarely on the
front lines and can be dealt with separately.
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7) Accept the fact that as a Spy, YOU WILL DIE A LOT. Spies are
weak, sapping sentries is often a suicide mission, and sometimes
their front line is so full of people and firepower that
sneaking by is impossible. Just suck it up, re-spawn, and go
back at them. There’s a reason you get twice as many points for
a backstab, since you probably die twice as much as other
classes just getting into the position to get one. But oh, how
sweet they are.
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8) Plan proactively. If you can see your team has a capture
well in hand, try to sneak onto the next point for an easy
capture before the enemy can get its defenses up. This works
great on the final points on Granary and Well since they capture
really fast and you can almost always get the point before they
can stop you. Then you can rush into their spawn before your
team can get there and steal all the juicy free kills.
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9) Don’t get greedy with sapping. When you put a sapper on
something, be sure you can get away cleanly unless you’re just
trying to get a sentry and dying is expected. If there are four
enemies with their backs to you and an enemy teleport nearby,
LEAVE IT ALONE. If the Engineer is nearby, he’ll announce that
he’s being sapped and his team will raise hell looking for you.
Besides, killing the enemy troops is worth more points, and is
usually better for your team, especially if there're Medics in
the bunch.
More on Engineers and Sentries later...
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