Spy Tutorial Video – I, Spy
tehPete has posted a great spy tutorial video.
..just a little something I’ve been working on for the last couple of weeks in my time off (after being inspired by EvilDaedalus’s vid); I’ve spent far too much time playing as a Spy, so I thought I’d throw together another video covering a few of the tactics I use
Most of the tactics are pretty well known by now, but there is still some excellent spy action in this one, and they’re all strung together and combined really well.
tehPete has some crazy spy skills. There are some amazing backstab chains taking out like 6 players at a time.
Stumble it!
Leon responded on 13 Dec 2007 at 3:51 pm #
I think the real value in this vid is seeing all the sneeky ways he gets behind enemy lines! Awesome map knowledge!
Brainiac27 responded on 13 Dec 2007 at 10:50 pm #
Great video. I just wish he had found a use for disguising as your own team.
Anonymous responded on 13 Dec 2007 at 11:12 pm #
Cool vid. I particularly liked the post hopping on the bridge on 2fort – never thought of that before.
Although I have to say it’s a bit rich calling that spy on dustbowl a newbie when he both made you and took you out!
neau responded on 13 Dec 2007 at 11:19 pm #
stage6 rules.
b4dboyz- responded on 14 Dec 2007 at 5:16 am #
Was trying to find some Spy tutorial.
btw maplep, I love this site.
koopa responded on 15 Dec 2007 at 9:57 am #
Nice video
Strandiam responded on 17 Dec 2007 at 2:41 pm #
This video is great. I really wish I could be a better spy, but I just can’t figure out how to do it. I do the important stuff like running behind enemies, hide, uncloak and move up to them, but everyone in this game constantly shoots their teammates so I am always found quickly. I just don’t understand how some people get away with this. For every time I have a successful spy run, I have about 5 runs where I get found while disguised or cloaked from people shooting their teammates or the air.
I’m sure spy is loads of fun with friendly fire.
madlep responded on 17 Dec 2007 at 2:45 pm #
@Strandiam – I think you actually answered it yourself – it just comes down to patience and stats.
I think the best spies are the ones that are patient, and practice the same thing over and over and over till they manage to get their kills, or take down the sentries.
I’m sure even the best spies spend more time as pyro-bake than they do backstabbing.
Strandiam responded on 17 Dec 2007 at 4:46 pm #
@madlep
You are right. I tend to give up on spy after a few bad runs so I haven’t had enough experience. I think my main problem is not knowing the specific areas of each map where it is good or bad to be a spy. I’ve played every other class enough where I can analyze the current map position and know which classes are helpful or not for that battle. I haven’t put in the hours as spy to figure out which scenarios he is best in and which are hopeless.
I like to be a player who plays all classes and spy is the only class really trailing in play hours, so I’m determined to learn.
Elvis! responded on 18 Dec 2007 at 2:44 am #
One strategy with the spy that will really help your team out is sapping the engy’s teleporters that are usually outside the spawn. This stems the tide of the enemy reinforcements which helps alot
reefpirate responded on 19 Dec 2007 at 2:35 pm #
Great vids! I liked all the tutorial videos. I’d like to see a good demoman video if anyone has the time/inspiration. I’ve heard much about their great ability to take out sentries, but I still get wasted most times that I try. What’s so good about demomen against sentries??
Strandiam responded on 20 Dec 2007 at 10:14 am #
@reefpirate
to explain why deomen are great against sentries I’ll compare to a soldier. This explanation also assumes you are alone.
Either of these classes will take out a sentry by making quick side steps into view of the turret, taking one shot, and side stepping behind cover again very quickly. The difference is, if an engineer is wrenching his sentry during this time, he will have it at full health in a whack or two after each rocket, so the soldier will probably die before actually killing it. The demoman, on the other hand, will launches a few sticky bombs and then blow them, which will kill the sentry and the engineer in one shot.
P_R_O_Z_A_C responded on 03 Jan 2008 at 10:12 am #
The only reason I’ve found to disguise as your own teammate is to stop the enemy being alerted to the presence of a spy. I normally change into a pyro of my own team’s colour immediately after I spawn, because any enemy spies that see a red guy running running around with a pack of blue’s is immediately going to recognise you as an enemy spy. And as a spy myself, the only thing more satisfying than taking a heavy’s life is an enemy spy, save for maybe a medic ready to uber. I disguise as a pyro of the same team because enemy spies are more likely to leave you alone from the risk of becoming toast.
: Spawn
: Change to same team colour Pyro (or any other medium speed class)
: follow your teamates
: upon seeing the enemy back off
: Hide and disguise as enemy depending on who you’ve seen
: Cloak & flank/circle them
: Start from the back of the pack and blade-work your way forward, or simply go for the medic / heavy combo then run!
Works a treat! I’ve been No#1 scorer in many games just following this procedure
(after loads of games of finishing last while I was trying to learn how to use the spy 
The trick is to leave ditching your teammate disguise for an enemy disguise until late as possible (or whenever you break away from your teammates), and also to find a suitable place where no one is looking to uncloak.
Does anyone know of another use for disguising as your own teammate?
jack the spy responded on 25 Jan 2008 at 2:48 am #
Wow, we play pretty much exactly the same, only I use the old sap ‘n’ stab more often.A fun trick I like is to cloak behind enemy lines, then come forward as an enemy spy, then change my disguise to someone on my team! It looks like you’ve just disguised. Also, I remember one time, I found a heavy – medic combo. The medic looked away to heal someone else, I killed the heavy, disguised as a heavy, and then the medic started healing me again! I obviously had the good fortune to take his name!
Louis responded on 26 Jan 2008 at 4:36 am #
Great tutorial. Amazing when you didn’t get killed by that Heavy-Medic team when they went invuln
Akasolidus responded on 17 Feb 2008 at 4:30 pm #
Anyone notice that great Bob the Builder mask for the spy at about 3:32?
“Cheer up little Timmy, you’ll be a Spy some day…”: oldmeme’s lenghty Spy tips and tricks guide | ubercharged.net responded on 26 Aug 2008 at 2:02 pm #
[...] could easily be you, Billy! Now there are plenty of fantastic tutorials on how to be a good Spy out there, but I am here to help you, the person who is feeling the Spy [...]
Krits responded on 27 Aug 2008 at 3:12 pm #
One quick question about the revolver
Ive noticed that it is more than AWSOME at taking out engineer machines. Its decent at fighting in combat, mainly a deterant, but if you simply cannot reach a position without being killed, the revolver has gotten a lot of praise. 1-5 shots tend to do in a lvl 3. This also allows spys to get around without being noticed as much behind lines since the engineer doesnt announce hes being sap’d. The revolver is loud, but during fights, most actually dont notice it as much.
Krits responded on 27 Aug 2008 at 3:29 pm #
sorry hit send too early, the question is,
Was the revolver designed to take out people and machines?
Max responded on 05 Sep 2008 at 8:15 am #
Man, every spy video focusses on the skills I have. :/ My personal spy weakness is cloak misjudging and difficulty with breaching enemy lines…
Jono responded on 17 Mar 2009 at 11:02 am #
lol the sniper/spy in the opening seconds!!! – now I can watch the remainder of the vid…
Graven_Image responded on 17 Mar 2009 at 12:36 pm #
Out of date as of the scout update. Sadly.