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Class Match-ups:
This, naturally, details how the Pyro handles herself in a straight one on one with the other classes. I am also including a list of any reflectable projectiles the class possess.
Scout:
Despite being made of flammable wax paper, scouts are going to be your most problematic class. They are faster than you so a good scout is going to weapon heckle the shit out of you. If you pull out the flamethrower, they back up and pepper you. Switch to secondary and they move in for the kill. The degreaser's weapon switch time can help with this, but its still not in your favor. Your best bet is to set them on fire any way possible since most scouts will wisely retreat once on fire. The flare gun is a good weapon to use on these guys since a crit flare usually kills them and they move so much they might run into your flare.
Reflectables: A scouts mad milk and baseball are reflectable. Reflecting the mad milk at the scout is very difficult and not particularly useful. Don't bother trying to hit the scout and just reflect it so it doesn't hit you. The baseball is really hard to reflect at close range, but more manageable at medium and long range. If you actually hit the scout, props to you and enjoy the free kill.
Soldier
Soldiers are fun to fight as a pyro. You murder them at close range, but getting there takes some strategy. At long range, pepper them with your secondary or reflect there rockets. At mid range, reflecting is harder. Keep track of how many rockets they have launched and watch for the reload animation. Most soldiers fire with a rhythm that is usually as fast as they can fire rockets, so try and pick up on that. Once in fire range, start circle straffing. Soldiers have a lot of health and those rockets hurt close up. If the soldiers pulls out his secondary weapon, back up and do the same (no reason to get closer to his weapon, he's on fire). Melee soldiers shouldn't be a problem. I feel silly saying this, but if you see a soldier with an active banner, retreat.
Reflectables: All of the soldiers primary weapons are reflectable, even the laser cannon. The laser pistol is not so don't try it. Reflecting rockets is really important intermediate pyro skill, so I won't really say much about usefulness. I'll just rank the rockets by difficulty. Regular and Black Box rockets are easiest(note: you do get health from reflected black box rockets). Lasers are a little harder because the particle effect messes with your depth perception. Liberty launcher is harder still and the direct hit is really hard. Don't feel bad if you miss a reflect on a direct hit, even at long range.
Pyro
Fighting yourself really sucks for the pyro, more-so than the other classes. Neither of you are flammable, so your main weapon has reduced power. In a pyro v. pyro fight, the winner is the one better at aiming while moving and even then the winner is going to be out a lot of health usually. Your best weapon is the shotgun, but even then its gonna be a long fight. I would just let your teammates take the pyro and you worry about other classes. Don't forget to extinguish your flamming teammates though.
Reflectables: Flares and detonator flares are reflectable. Not useful, but you can reflect them. I don't know who controls the detonation of a reflected detonator, but it doesn't really matter. Its not going to help you win the fight.
Demoman
Demoman are annoying but not overly difficult to face. You murder them at close range, but getting there is a hassle. There grenades are hard to get reflect kills with and a good demo is going to lay down a wall of stickies that stop you from getting close. I would advise against a frontal assault on demo man. Just pester them with your secondary and let your team have them. If you manage to flank the demoman, go for the kill. You kill the demoman faster then most of your other teammates at close range.
Reflectables: All grenades are reflectable. Regular grenades are hard to hit with, but they roll and explode for mini-crits, so keep reflecting them. The loch and loads grenades are bitch to reflect and useless unless you hit directly, so save your ammo and just dodge them. Stickies are reflectable, but the demoman retains control of there detonation, so you won't get many kills with them. You should still reflect the stickies though, your team will thank you for clearing the sticky trap.
DemoKnight
(I separate them not because they are different classes, but because they play so differently)
Demoknights have forsaken their sticky launcher for a shield and use its charge ability to kill with melee weapons. Either shield will reduce fire damage, so killing them is going to take longer. The benefit to you is that they are going to try to kill you at close range where you dominate. And the shield does not change the fact that the axtinguisher crits flamming people. So here is the pattern: airblast them mid charge, set on fire, AXTINGUISH! While it's player dependent, these guys are usually easier to handle than regular demomen.
Reflectables: Some demoknights carry and use the grenade launcher.
Heavy
Heavy's are pain. They are the only class that can consistently beat you at close range. So you have to be smart. They are slow so at longer ranges they are flaregun bait. It may take a few shots, but those crits will start to add up. At close range, the axtinguisher can save your life, but its gonna take more than one swing. While it is possible to circle strafe a heavy with the flamethrower, don't bet on it. A good heavy will mow you down if you try it. NEVER APPROACH FROM THE FRONT!!!
no reflectables
Engineer
If you meet an engineer by himself, you should not lose unless he has frontier justice crits or gets random crits. But he usually isn't alone, so here is how to deal with the sentry. Pyros have trouble with sentries because of their range, but if you do manage to get close it is totally possible to circle straffe it to death. Another benefit pyros have is that fire will pass through the sentry gun to anything behind it, so you can damage the sentry and the engineer behind it at the same time. Though it may be tempting, the homewrecker is not particularly useful for killing sentries.
Reflectables: Level 3 sentry rockets are reflectable. Its map dependent, but you can step in and out of a sentries range so you can reflect its rockets back at it. It takes about two reflected rockets and a flare to kill a sentry. Sentry rockets are also good for reflecting at other people. Since you know where the rockets are coming from, its easier to aim them at someone else.
Medic
In a one on one, medics are pretty easy kill. This comes with a caveat: do not underestimate blutsauger medics. That gun is completely capable of killing you and healing the medic, even if you keep him in the flame cone. But medics usually aren't alone. When dealing with a medic who has a buddy, you should always kill the medic first. Your range may make that problematic, but if you can reach the medic go for the kill. If you can't get to the medic, I would suggest retreating. The only exception is soldier medic pairs. Reflected rockets can quickly devastate a medic.
As a pyro, you are the best choice for stopping an ubercharge. Your air blast can completely stop an ubercharge in its tracks. Push them against a wall, push them away, whatever. You may die, but it will have been worth it. Ubers are not immune to environmental damage, so if that's an option go for it.
Reflectables: The medic crossbow bolts are reflectable. They also retain the effect after you reflect them (eg. do more damage at long range and heal teammates).
Sniper
The sniper is long range, you are short range. And never the two shall meet. Honestly, you won't fight these guys a lot, but you will have to deal with them. Pyro's aren't a snipers favorite target, but don't expect them to ignore you. You can harass them with your flare gun and detonator, but you probably won't kill them. The detonator makes it easier to set them on fire, which is good because being on fire really messes up their aim (some really good snipers can still head shot while on fire though, so watch out). At close range, they are a free kill. They have some effective means of self defense, but if you catch them unaware they shouldn't have time to react before they are crispy.
Reflectables: Huntsman arrow are the hardest thing in the game to reflect. But if you manage it, it can be a really deadly weapon. Jarates are also reflectable. Watch the sniper and try to catch his throw animation to help with the timing. Hitting the enemy with it can be really useful and it sure beats getting soaked. And watching your jarate get reflected really takes the wind out of a sniper's sails.
Spy
Spies hate you. Being on fire completely negates their cloak and disguising. And spies don't really have an effective counter for pyros. There pistol are surprisingly lethal, but other than that you dominate them. Puff flame in corners to catch them and check your team. When a spy activates a dead ringer, they will extinguish themselves but you can light them up again. If you do get backstabed, don't feel bad; thats what spies do. The new icicle weapon is the only reliable way spies have of escaping you. You can kind of track them by the sound of sizzling, which means they are in the fire cone, but a good spy is mostly likely going to get away. However, that icicle won't recharge for 15 seconds, so go ahead and check nearby hiding places for a spy without a knife.
No Reflectables
Now I will talk about how you work together with the different classes. This can be more important than how to fight other classes, since Team Fortress is really designed around cooperation. All these tips make certain assumptions about the other players skill and on your ability to communicate with them. Voice chat is pretty important, but not required. For the more experienced players, it is usually enough to send them a chat message asking for a pair up.
The Scout
While one of your greatest threats, the Scout is also one of your greatest allies. The scout and the pyro both rely on close range combat, surprise and confusion. Working together, flames and a jumping scout are some of the hardest things for one player to deal with. Your flames distract and damage, while the scattergun strikes the killing blow.
Some scouts have the sun-on-a-stick, which works like the axtinguisher with less damage and a faster swing time. This makes the scout/pyro pairing especially deadly. Another good combination is the Back Scratcher and the Candy Cane. This is how it should work; pyro charges in doing damage and drawing attention. After a short delay the scout runs in and gets the kills, with each kill dropping a small health pack that the pyro can use. And there are all sorts of other combos. A very good pairing. Just make sure to not get left behind by the speedy scout. Communications is a must.
The Soldier
While the soldiers range is a good compliment for you, you won’t really work as a pair with the soldier. Cooperation between a pyro and a soldier mostly occurs at the front line. The soldier deals with enemies beyond your range and you deal with nearby threats so he is free to focus on his job. Other than that, the soldier doesn’t really move fast enough or shoot fast enough to go on a paired assault with the pyro. Communication probably unnecessary.
The Pyro
Oh Boy, now we’re talking. Most classes pair well with themselves, but this unholy combination is absolutely terrifying.In terms of paired assaults, only an ubered heavy is more dangerous than cooperating pyros. In much the same way a scout and a pyro are hard to keep track of, dealing with two flame cones is difficult and disorienting. Two pyros are more likely to reflect rockets, harder to escape from and have much more combo potential. Every weapon combo of a solo pyro is now so much easier to pull off. One pyro flames and the other axtinguishes. One pyro air blasts the fleeing enemy while the other keeps attacking. This combo is devastating in enclosed spaces, so always make sure you use the side paths. The trick here is to move as a unit, but separately. You want to attack as one, but make sure to circle strafe in opposite directions so your enemy has to pick a target. This gets even more ridiculous when you add a third pyro, but anymore than three is taking people away from the main assault. Communication is important, but its not hard to know what your doing when both players are the same class.
The Demoman
Much like the soldier, you will mostly cooperate with this guy at the frontline. The weapon combo isn’t as friendly, but you can help each other. Some demos will lay down sticky bombs to move or destroy your teammates sticky bombs. You can airblast these out of the way. Other than that, you will mostly be mild support for a demo. Not a good pair assault and you probably don’t need to talk to each other.
The Heavy
Pyros mostly support heavys at the front line. Unlike the soldier and demoman, you will be directly supporting this big guy. A heavy is one of the most damaging classes in the game, so you want to keep the big guy alive. He is also a large, slow moving target so if you keep him alive, he will soak up damage and keep the attention off of you. His speed makes him a favorite target of snipers and spies. Use the flare gun to keep the snipers busy and check more carefully for spies. He will repay the favor by killing everything in front of him. Make sure you take good care of the heavy, because he will always repay the favor.
The Engineer
Being an engineers buddy is really helpful for the team, if not particularly rewarding for you. As an engineer buddy, your job is to help keep his buildings alive. For this job, bringing the Homewrecker is a must. The homewrecker killes sappers in only one swing, saving precious health. You should also be routinely checking for spies in the area. Assuming you are on defense, this means checking the entrances to the base. But if you are helping a forward position engy (which you should do), watch for any teammates oddly moving; they are definitely a spy. You should also use the airblast to protect his stuff from explosives and use it to repel uber charges. Engineers will love you if you do this, but you won’t get a lot of kills. Communication important.
The Medic
Obviously you want to pair with a medic, but you are going to have to make it worth the medic’s time. You are not the medic’s favorite heal target (3rd or 4th). So here is how to be a good medic buddy. Always check for spies, even if it means turning around. Medics hate getting backstabbed. Keep an eye out for snipers and medics will follow you more often. Reflect all rockets, whether they are going for you or not. And finally, don’t take the health packs. Medics need those, and you already have a medic, so what do you need it for. Similarly, don’t carry the Backscratcher. If you get chosen for an uber charge, make sure you are near the target before activating. Your flamethrower is good for destroying sentry nests, but only if you get close.
The Sniper
You aren’t going to work directly with these guys, but you can do some things to help them. Be diligent when spy checking, spies love to target snipers. I would suggest staying out of a sniper duel; snipers get pissy if you interfere and may start targeting you. If the sniper has the Huntsman, a quick puff of fire gives the sniper a flaming arrow. Its a nice damage bonus for him and doesn’t cost you much ammo.
The Spy
Again, you aren’t going to be working directly with these guys much. They work mostly way behind enemy lines, where you aren’t. If you do end up back there and a spy asks for help, give it, but don’t follow them. One thing you should do is always extinguish a burning spy. These guys die so fast when tagged with fire. Even if you have the Backburner, spend the ammo to help them, its worth it.
Well, thats it for part 2. Look out for part 3 where I go into advanced Pyro tactics.
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