You and the Pyro

[Synthos]

Many people have tried the pyro and disliked it. Pyro was one of my least played classes, but I decided to work at it.

I think the class just needs a tiny tweak in either: health, movement speed, or flamethrower damage.

In mid-range and long-range combat you're the equivalent of an engineer. With just your single shotgun you will get demolished by any beefy class.

Where the Pyro really shines is CQC (Close quarters combat). Surprise and ambush are your best tactics for success. As the game tips say: corners are your friend. However, I would add to that and say ledges are as well.

General tactic: As you're in close you'll have your flamethrower and burning them up.. Staying AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE. Circle strafe around them, jump, and duck to confuse their aim. If you can get a second or two of flame in you'll want to back up (while jumping) and pull out your shotgun. This is good because often they'll have a bead on you by this time. It only takes one hit from a rocket, demoman shell, or scattergun to annihilate you. The distance may also continually confuse them as they'll still looking close.
The exceptions to this rule are: Heavies (because you're ****ing dead if he finds you), Spies (they might vanish and run away), and Snipers (because they go down quicker if you just flame them).
Try to engage enemies just after they've engaged with a buddy(ies) on your team. Their attention will not be on you and you'll be able to close the distance. A Pyro alone dies alone (easily).

Enemy Pyros won't light on fire, but your flamethrower will still do damage.

Other tactics:

- The corner hop out. As a player rounds a corner or enters a door start flaming their flanks/sides.

- The ledge drop down. Very effective way to surprise enemies you will often end up in a nice big group of them. The hardest part about this tactic is getting the hell away. Have an escape route planned beforehand. Light, retreat, and shotgun them.

- The flank. Easier than you might think to pull off. Many noobs won't check their 6 regularly, and you can run up behind a heavy/medic team or group and light their asses on fire.

Happy hunting! :flame:

P.S. I still haven't tried the flamethrower underwater... Can someone tell me what happens?

 

[The Brick]

Lots of bubbles.

 

[Gunner]

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic

 

[-Psy-]

Already way ahead of you Gunner.

 

[alehm]

The pyro is my favorite class right now. Don't forget your fireax too. I usually don't use taunts but when I catch someone on fire and then finish them off with the ax I do the taunt where he plays it like a guitar just to piss off the other player because I know the camera freeze frames to me. LOL

 

[Apocalypse89]

Spies (they might vanish and run away)

Actually, a burning spy stays burning even when cloaked, with the flames still visible. If anything, Pyros are the best counter to Spies.

 

[Operational]

I've found Pyro's to be good anti-Scout's.

 

[Iron_cube]

I've been "donminating" a few people with pyro on well, the trick is, only using the flamethrower is simply suicide. Youve got the balance your offence with both the shotty and thrower.

 

[tibetanpunk]

Pyros are great for clearing a control point that is being contested, or just clearing rooms in general... especially if they have a medic giving them a hand...
I have no complaints about the pyro, it just takes you to be quick with changing weapons once you burn people...
To be honest I am not that good at staying alive with him, I usually set a load of people on fire and then they take me out and I get a nice picture of them burning...lol
It can be frustrating because he is quite slow and everyone runs like hell as soon as they see him...He is pretty much useless in an open space due to his lack of range.
It seems that you realy have to employ the element of suprise.

 

[Asus]

I love the pyro. If I can't get the drop on people on a certain map then I'll play something else but any time there are a few close corners, doorways or choke points in the map...im pyro.

If I die and didn't get a kill asap, often you'll see 1-3 guys die afterwards from fire.

 

[Hellrider]

I played the most with the pyro, for me it's the most fun and awesome one.
Shotgun for range, Flamethrower for close contact.
I'm also pretty good with it, if anyone gets close to me I don't think he'll survive
Well unless it's a heavy with 2 medics or a spy from behind that is..

 

[Ennui]

I'm horrible with the pyro.

That PA comic made me lol though

 

[CyberPitz]

I'm horrible with the pyro.

That PA comic made me lol though

oh god yeah. Made me rofl good.

But I'm getting better with Pyro. Not GREAT yet. I've set a goal for me. whatever class that's on the bottom of joining screen stats list...I am them the next map and try to get ahead of the others with score. Works out pretty well

 

[Xendance]

I'd only use the flamethrower in little spaces, like a corridor. I wouldn't use it for something like the bridge on 2fort.

 

[ZEROarmy]

I love running in an area crowded with enemies and lighting them all on fire, but unfortunately none ever seem to die. The flamethrower definitely needs a little more power. Just a little more.

 

[CyberPitz]

I love running in an area crowded with enemies and lighting them all on fire, but unfortunately none ever seem to die. The flamethrower definitely needs a little more power. Just a little more.

I've seen in way too many insances, I die so fast to a flamethrower. I feel any sort of beefing up would cause it to be too powerful. If you use it just like it's needed, get close, burn, run, shotgun, it works wonders. It does take a bunch of practice.

 

[TwwIX]

I agree.
The class doesn't need much tweaking to improve it.
A little increase in range and/or ammo count would do the trick for me.
At the moment,it's somewhat underpowered and it's hard to keep up with the rest of the classes.

 

[Iron_cube]

Just got my flamethrower acheivement on gravelpit

8 enemies capturing B, I just got in and they burned to death after my own.

 

[alehm]

Just got my flamethrower acheivement on gravelpit

8 enemies capturing B, I just got in and they burned to death after my own.

congrats. I killed 5 last night it was halarious seeing my name take upper all those lines in the top right corner. It was a good feeling

 

[CyberPitz]

I agree.
The class doesn't need much tweaking to improve it.
A little increase in range and/or ammo count would do the trick for me.
At the moment,it's somewhat underpowered and it's hard to keep up with the rest of the classes.

A range increase could help a little bit, but not much increase. Any more damage, and the pyro would become THE class to be. Subtle changes is where it would be at.

 

[Lucid]

Wait, doesn't the pyro still have his napalm rocket launcher? D:

 

[CyberPitz]

Wait, doesn't the pyro still have his napalm rocket launcher? D:

Nope. Axe, shotty, and flame thrower.

 

[Lucid]

Nope. Axe, shotty, and flame thrower.

Awww... and no napalm grenades either...

 

[TwwIX]

Awww... and no napalm grenades either...

There are no grenades whatsoever in the game.
Well,expect the demo and his launcher.

 

[Letters]

Back out from flamethrower range on purpose to use your crappy ass shotgun? Yeah, if you're a dumbass.

 

[Iron_cube]

Back out from flamethrower range on purpose to use your crappy ass shotgun? Yeah, if you're a dumbass.

Once theyre ignited, its better finishing them off with shotty rather than continuing the flaming.

 

[L3TUC3]

Naw, if you're close, flaming is better. If they run out of range, odds are you can't catch up and then you should switch to the shotty.

 

[Stormy]

The shotguns are amazing, I have had the scout kill me stright out with his shotgun when i have been pyro on full health. The scout really dose kick your ass when you a pyro. They run faster then the flames can move!

 

[Noobulon]

The shotguns are amazing, I have had the scout kill me stright out with his shotgun when i have been pyro on full health. The scout really dose kick your ass when you a pyro. They run faster then the flames can move!

I think the Scout's shoddy is actually more powerful than all the others at close range.

However, I find the Pyro to be a very good anti-Scout in most situations - if he tries to get close to use his bat or shotgun, burn! The spread and drift of the Pyro's flame can make the Scout's dodging skills redundant. Plus, he has less health, so he burns up quick.

 

[Warbie]

I find it quite easy to stay out of the flames reach and shotgun a pyro - up their with medics and snipers as the easiest class to take down quick. I love the scout!

 

[Malfunction]

I played for the first time last night and tried all of the classes, ultimately deciding my favorites are the Pyro, Engy, Soldier, and Medic if I have a Heavy to assist.

I ended up playing Pyro the most surprisingly. Like most people, at first I sucked and thought the class was awful. Then I really just tried ambushing people. I did awesome.

One tactic I'll usually try to pull on 2fort is get into the very first corridor of the enemy team's building and wait off the side in the corner, and sit and let at least one guy go by, just to make sure I don't get shot in the back. Then I'll unload in a suicidal frenzy. Even if you don't get the kill right off the bat, the damager over time annoys the hell out of people, and if they're being attacked by someone else at the same time, they're pretty much screwed. I've found it's one of the only classes in the game that actually makes people go, "Oh crap!"

Personally, I feel we should get a small speed increase, just so we can close the gap between targets slightly better on the run. I hate when I ambush a person and they're a class with a slightly faster speed, and all they need to do is backpedal and shoot. The flame+shotgun combo only works so well.

 

[kompletist]

bleh

For whatever reason, I have found the Pyro and Medic to be the most appealing classes for me.

For one, I do not see many pyro's out there. So that alone makes me want to try to master the class because it's challenging.

Also, everyone is right about CQC. I will gladly die as a Pyro knowing I went down lighting 5 oncoming enemies on fire. It's hilarious watching half of the other team retreat as one massive fireball.

Lastly, I've been able to absolutely TANK CTF maps with this class. If any Engineer sets up at your base and you support the turrets, you have that piece on lockdown. It seems to me as though the Pyro is one of those classes, that if played right can really really annoy your opponents, and lets not lie that is what we are all striving for!

 

[kompletist]

Personally, I feel we should get a small speed increase, just so we can close the gap between targets slightly better on the run. I hate when I ambush a person and they're a class with a slightly faster speed, and all they need to do is backpedal and shoot. The flame+shotgun combo only works so well.

I find it really rewarding setting a scout on fire and watching him try to run away in flames. Catching him with a shotgun shell to the back while he is retreating or watching him drop dead from the burning cracks me up.

 

[Iron_cube]

Does the flamethrower actually hurts sentryguns?

Doesnt matter anyway, you cant get to them first D:

 

[votka]

I was thinking earlier that the flamethrower should do extra damage against the sentry guns so that the spy and soldier aren't the only two anti-SG classes.

I like the pyro but think he is still the "cute" class in Valve's eyes. The updated pyro model in TFC was cute compared to the other models, a theme that seems to have continued in TF2. Still, I can't wait to see "Meet the Pyro".

 

[Crushenator 500]

I dunno about tactics and that, but the pyro has the coolest taunts imo

 

[Flyingdebris]

damn you cyberpitz and your hwguy/medic combos

I find the pyro to be THE anti spy class. You set fire to every teammate and hunt down the burning ones.
The pyro's biggest weakness is vs sentry guns, demoguys, and hw guys. In that order
You have no was of crossing enough distance to get anywhere close to even the weakest of sentries nor any weapon that can take it out at range unless your enemy is neglectful enough to sit around while you erode the turret with shotgun pellets.
Demo guys at medium range are an enormous pain, They just keep sending their nades skipping across the floor while you try to close distance, and it only takes one to end you. Plus while pyros love choke points, demos love them more.
HW guys, they'll flat out massacre you unless you hit and run, catch them by surprise, and hopefully catch them wounded.

As for the other classes.

vs spies, just apply flame to everyone, if a teamate lights up, chase him down and attempt to corner with flamethrower.

vs scouts, watch out for the shotty, it will mess you up bad. Do not try to chase them if they backpedal, only press the attack if they are preoccupied or are trying to get past you.

vs soldiers, dodge those rockets as best you can, close in while he's reloading.

vs medic, just close in and light up before they switch to needle gun. If they already have that out, try and weather it if you think you can get close. Remember though, they do have a regen, so they are less likely to die from damage over time if you hit and run or light them up and die.

vs pyros, keep at range with shotgun, otherwise its random luck who'll kill the other wit the flamethrower. Pyros take damage from fire, but they don't catch fire.

vs snipers, try and find an alternate way to get to them, usually when they are aiming at someone else. They go down fast.

vs engies, chase them down and light them up, just don't run into the SGs' LOS

 

[Operational]

I was thinking earlier that the flamethrower should do extra damage against the sentry guns so that the spy and soldier aren't the only two anti-SG classes.

Or the Demoman, or Invulnerable Medic+Heavy. I don't see why the Pyro should get a bonus vs. SG's.

I like the pyro but think he is still the "cute" class in Valve's eyes. The updated pyro model in TFC was cute compared to the other models, a theme that seems to have continued in TF2.

Cute?

 

[Iron_cube]

Well screw the pyro, I just found out that I do 200% better with the soldier

 

[Apocalypse89]

For me, the Pyro kind of sucks in every map except 2fort, where he's my class of choice. There, I find the flame + shotgun strategy vital. I can't count how many times I've died because I hesitated to switch to the shotty. Also, despite most people saying that he's a better "defensive" class, I alway find myself causing a lot more damage rushing the enemy base than trying to camp it out in my own.

The flamer desperately needs a boost though...I find the main disadvantage not range but power. Nothing is more disheartening than roasting a soldier for two whole seconds, getting a rocket to the face, then finding that you barely took out half his health. Pyros should be the ultimate close range combat class.