There are a couple of classes I really like in TF2. The Pyro is great fun as is The Heavy and to an extent The Engineer. The class that I love the most though is The Spy. Yes, he is a French, chain smoking, odd gimp mask wearing lunatic – but he is utterly, utterly brilliant.
First things first, The Spy – I think – is the most difficult class to play. It’s not a case of “point and shoot” with him as with other classes (obviously the other classes are more complex than that but you get the idea), it’s all about timing and planning. You have a cloak device which renders you completely invisible but runs out of battery (thankfully you can now replenish this with picking up ammo). You have a disguise kit which disguises you as a player on the opposite team but takes time to put on and if you look out of place (an engineer deep into enemy lines is suspicious for example) you will be found out and brutally murdered to death. You have a sapper which can destroy Engineers buildings but it takes time and Engineers can easily knock it off then twat you with their formidable wrench. Lastly you have your knife which is a one hit kill if you land a backstab, but then removes your disguise rendering you more than exposed.
As already said, timing and planning is the key to playing Spy. When you are cloaking you have to put it on before you are seen yet as late as possible so you have enough time to get to some ammo or a hidden spot behind enemy lines to decloak before it runs out. When you are about to place a sapper on a building, you need to know you have enough time for it to work before its babysitter (read engineer) comes back, or time it right to get the sapper on then backstab the Engineer before he can do anything about it. When you use your knife you need an escape route as you will lose your disguise but more importantly you want no one behind you and lots of enemy in front all looking the other way – this makes for chaining backstabs together.
What makes all this planning and timing worth while then? Well, a good spy can consistantly break an opposing teams plan from behind. For example Engineers will always be near the front lines as players are teleported near them. It doesn’t take much to slip behind the lines and take out the teleporter entrances there. What happens next? The engineers run back to rebuild the teleporter entrances. Now they are off doing that it would be just plain rude to not run back to the front and take out their sentry guns, dispensers and teleporter entrances. If you manage that, you have just, single handidly, slowed down the entire opposing team and taken out a massive part of their defence.
Another, rather common example: You have a German Ghostbuster (Medic) providing a constant stream of fresh health to the biggest, meanest, mini-gun weilding Russian you have ever set your eyes on (heavy) plowing into your base. This is a Spys bread and butter. *Pop* goes the medic from behind, then, quick as a flash, *pop* goes the Heavy. Two backstabs in a row – the crux of the teams offence down.
Lastly, Snipers are causing you trouble. They are popping heads and shouting profanities across the battlefield. The thing is though, these guys have nothing but tunnel vision. Slip up to where they are and just slash away. I’ve taken out 4 in a row before because they were all scoped in the same place – none having a clue what was going on around them. This should give your team a much easier job of pushing forward.
So, once you have broken a teams plan again and again what happens? Well, it’s usually a downward spiral. First they get paranoid. You will see an influx in Pyros – all constantly spy checking their own players. It seems like thay are actually afraid. Secondly, because they now have loads of pyros all spy checking each other, your well balanced team can just wade through them. Then they get frustrated, then you win.
This is why I love the spy. It doesn’t directly beat a team – you leave that to your heavies, pyros, etc – but it breaks it from the inside. You instil fear, paranoia and also frustration. People get pissed that you keep backstabbing them but thats fine. Anger only makes then easier to kill, and your sheer audacity only more humerous…
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Here here! The spy is a class you can’t play until you’ve played every other class, every map, and been around the block a little. He almost represents the “endgame” – for players who’ve done it all, there’s always the constant thrill of the spy.
Long after doing my Scout-With-Dragonforce impression failed to raise my pulse, trying stab-n-saps in the enemy intel room remains an adrenal delight for me. Good post, sir!
Thanks muchley. Spy is completely ftw.
Good article, and I completely agree. I don’t play TF2 much – none of my friends play it that much and it’s not the same on your own, but when I do jump in for a lone game, I love being The Spy.
Even if you spend the whole map trying to get your first kill, which i sometimes do, it is still highly rewarding when you pull of that perfect backstab and your “team mate” is non-the-wiser that you’re actually his enemy. Fantastic.
Feel free to join the steam group and play with us lot – links on the sidebar. You can get details for our vent server there also.
How very kind, i think i shall.