ubercharged.net

P_R_O_Z_A_C’s spy tips

by madlep on May 14th 2008

22 Responses to “P_R_O_Z_A_C’s spy tips”

1. 

   Scott responded on 14 May 2008 at 4:04 pm #

   Awesome tips, thanks to PROZAC. I already do a lot of these by instinct, but it’s always nice to see it spelled out. I’ve been playing a lot of sniper lately, this makes me want to get back into my spy groove.
   I will say that playing spy as much as I do has made me a MUCH more paranoid player.

2. 

   Punjabi Fury responded on 14 May 2008 at 5:50 pm #

   Another good reason that Spies are good vs Spies is that a lot of the time you’ll be cloaked or disguised, so the enemy spy will do suspicious things in your presence they wouldn’t do in the presence of a known enemy, like disguising.

3. 

   supremesonic responded on 14 May 2008 at 6:29 pm #

   Off topic slightly, but anyone else hate that brief half-second where you start running backwards, only to get stopped because you’ve ran into an enemy spy?

   Yeah, just knowing you’re probably about to die for a brief moment is rather depressing.

   Oh, and thankfully there’s no “Run head first at them with your knife and hope you one-hit kill them with a face-stab” hint. That happens with an annoying frequency on the 360 version…

4. 

   General Balls responded on 14 May 2008 at 8:34 pm #

   Is it mentioned in the video that disguising *while* cloaked will not bring up the smoke trail that oh-so-reveals you when you do it uncloaked?

   Between this and the quite good Daedalus tutorial it covers pretty much everything except the oft-mentioned point.

   Oh, and sometimes (depends on the situation) when you can’t get really deep behind enemy lines, disguising as a Soldier or Heavy is a great excuse to fall behind possible marks without drawing suspicion.
   People never expect Heavy’s as Spy’s either, but don’t ruin that, only use Heavy rarely (when it’s logical to use him, which is hardly ever, but the lack of suspicion will always work in your favour :P).

5. 

   Enigma responded on 14 May 2008 at 9:38 pm #

   Nice post Thx.

6. 

   Stray responded on 14 May 2008 at 10:31 pm #

   Well…only part i didnt like was the sapping. the way i learned it was.
   for a lvl 1 sentry stab then sap
   for lvl2 and lvl 3 sap then stab
   the reason for this being that the lvl 2 and 3 turn faster.
   and also, continuously spamming sappers actually works quite well from my experience. youve just gotta make sure that you run backwards if the engi decides to chase u down , while your sapper is busy killing his sentry.he may…or may not run back to his sentry after chasing you a bit. if he does run back, even if he knocks the sapper off, you should preferably still be disguised and can keep sapping.and if he doesnt run back…well…thats what the revolver is for. Also…in the case of the engi having a soldier or something guarding his sentry from spies, i find sapping then cloaking and running works well.the guard usually runs after you allowing you to come back and continue with either the stab-sap method or the sap spam method.

7. 

   luke responded on 14 May 2008 at 11:52 pm #

   The original video improved my spy-capability tenfold, taking me from “Don’t like it” to “Wow, this is fun”. Great to see even more tips for the espionage-afficionado.

8. 

   Scott responded on 15 May 2008 at 3:27 am #

   Yeah, the backstab detection is seriously annoying sometimes. I’ve facestabbed and been facestabbed more times than I can count. The most annoying instance was yesterday on 2Fort: there was a heavy-medic combo bringing up the rear of an offensive push on the bridge that I was trying to hit. The medic ran into me and was trying to syringe me, so I skipped him and went for the heavy. I backstabbed, but it counted as a regular hit. He turned around and punched me, and I just stabbed him in the face wildy. Which counted as a backstab.
   ><

9. 

   Pinko responded on 15 May 2008 at 3:27 am #

   Also, if you HAVE to go into their base without using cloak, run backwards. It doesn’t matter how stupid you look doing it, I’ve found that if I run backwards, they think I’m running away from an enemy and they won’t attack me.

10. 

    P. H. responded on 15 May 2008 at 3:30 am #

    @supremesonic - I hate that as well. “Hmm, there shouldn’t be any obstacles here… OMG I bumped into a sp- *agonizing scream*”

11. 

    wizarD. responded on 15 May 2008 at 8:39 am #

    Off topic, but Madlep, I just had Wyvern in the name field and http://www.gibsrus.com in the website.

    He doesn’t post here! D:

    wtfux?

12. 

    madlep responded on 15 May 2008 at 9:07 am #

    @wizarD. - yeah, there’s a bug with the template, and the version of Wordpress I’m using.

    Basically if you post with an empty email address, you’ll get the cached version of the page of the first person that posted without an email after the cached page was expired.

    See http://www.ubercharged.net/2008/05/05/wordpress-251-upgrade/#comment-2335

    I’ll get around to fixing it at the weekend (maybe, I’m slack at that sort of thing)

13. 

    Josh responded on 15 May 2008 at 11:36 am #

    The backstab detection for spies is so bad that I don’t bother playing them anymore.

14. 

    Peru.Ramiroquai responded on 18 May 2008 at 1:07 pm #

    Hi!
    Im spy, ever (since first tf), and u haver reason, is the the thinking man’s class.
    Let me show you my last video with my spy. I hope you enjoy.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDZbFchELaY

    Greetings

    Peru.Ramiroquai

15. 

    P_R_O_Z_A_C responded on 19 May 2008 at 2:17 pm #

    Yeah, the backstab detection took a hit in one of the updates, which was designed to get rid of side stabs, which it mostly did - but seemed to cut into backstabs a little too much. You’re right Josh, sometimes it is bad, but I find it works both ways… sometimes you get backstabs when it look like you probably should of got a normal hit in. You can still get side stabs, you just have to be *slightly* towards the back of them. Heavies can be deceiving too - their back’s are so big, sometime you think you’re behind them when you are actually side one… think it’s the way he holds the gun…

    I guess the only way to get around it is to become a more accurate spy, and pick you timing/positioning better.

16. 

    P_R_O_Z_A_C responded on 19 May 2008 at 2:21 pm #

    “Also, if you HAVE to go into their base without using cloak, run backwards. It doesn’t matter how stupid you look doing it, I’ve found that if I run backwards, they think I’m running away from an enemy and they won’t attack me.”

    Nice tip Pinko

17. 

    twotwothree responded on 22 May 2008 at 3:34 am #

    Only because so many people have problems with getting in places. ^.^

    Operation Infiltrate Codename ‘Gentlemen’

    (disclaimer, this is a guideline ONLY to assist with the situation, NOT a bible)

    2Fort -
    Your mission is to assassinate all possible given targets, and acquire intel.

    Mission Critical:
    Know where you are going, and what your target is before going in. Never go in hoping the best for kills. If there is a sentry take down, know where it is. If you are going in for scouting, don’t stab people of opportunity. Scope out the sentries for your next round. Sometimes cruising around 2Fort and dying without a kill can set up for some huge killing sprees. And remember, one of your biggest roles as a spy is to extract the intel and make it available for others.

    Extraction Point:
    In all instances, I highly recommend leaving the battlements via the sniper post. There are several reasons for this, to list a few.

    - Dropping down on enemies and uncloaking locally to take down threats.
    - Avoiding twin door choke points downstairs.
    - You can safely take the bridge or sewers from here with most success.
    - From this point you can safely enter enemy base using cloak timer.

    Remember, before exiting the fort, CLOAK. Uncloak once you get under the cover of the bridge. You may want to re cloak before exiting the other side but often this is not needed. Cloaking before jumping off prevents snipers taking you out.

    From here you have one of two options.

    The Bridge (Sub Operation: Gauntlet)

    – crossing the bridge –

    The bridge is somewhat of a touchy subject. It is notorious for Soldiers, Heavys and the occasional trigger happy Pyro. Often to a spy this is the ugliest of places to be. But I’d like to try and make this easier. Even on a 32 man server you can safely cross this path and sneakily take down everyone. Here is some very specific things you need to know.

    - The Soldier Spammer
    The soldier spammer likes to send rockets hurtling down the bridge. This is often very effective at stopping spys .. if they don’t know what they are doing. Soldiers ALWAYS fall into a pattern. Thats fire a rocket, strafe, fire a rocket. Now this is effective except that he doesn’t know you are there. If you have strafed left to dodge a rocket. Strafe right. I GUARANTEE the soldier will do the oposite. Rince and repeat this process until you have reached the soldiers side. THIS is when you want to uncloak. Not behind them, not in front. You want to do it while you are passing him. Then you want to spin around, stab, re cloak and head back to your base. If you don’t want to take him down, move on to the next section.

    - The Heavy
    The heavy takes up so much room with his medic its almost impossible to get past him without bumping him. However because of the general cone of his spray he ‘tends’ to like standing under the bridge and spamming away. There IS a way around this ( depending how far back the heavy is ) one way is to simply move to the side ( by the water ) and jump onto the edge of the bridge. On the ‘outside’ if you will. Then slip in behind the behemoth and dispatch him and his medic. This avoids the direct line of fire. Other options are to simply hang in your fort until you see opportunity. Medics tend to like to see whats going on and will zigzag behind the heavy on the bridge. This what I call a ‘dodge and pray’ moment.

    - The Sneaky
    When the bridge is full, if your quick you can actually traverse it across the ‘outside’ by jumping on the pillars. This takes a bit of practice and chances are you won’t make it to the other side still in cloak. But it IS doable if you’re fast. I don’t recommend this at all. I’d much rather hide out and wait for a better opportunity or take the sewers.

    - ‘Stealth Bump’
    Often you will run into an enemy spy. Leave him. If you manage to pin what the silhouette is inform your team and switch disguises ( chances are he saw yours and has done the same ) but continue. Do not try and find him as this is best suited to your pyro friends.

    – getting in –

    You have crossed the bridge. Assuming you have pushed forward through the gauntlet and managed to get inside you need to quickly check the situation.

    Are there a lot of people coming through the doors? Is the bridge congested? And is there a sniper in the doorway.

    No sniper.
    If there are a lot of people coming through the doors, do not enter the fort. Instead there are some barrels in the middle of the doorway that you can hide between, uncloak and hang around the back of the group for a few seconds before breaking off and stepping into the fort. At this point you should have a very limited cloak timer. This should be enough to get you where you need to be. You want to be disguised as a pyro, or a sniper as these are the only two that will really be hanging around on the bottom floor. Depending on how many engies / sentrys they have up this may be a good option too.

    Entering the fort, you want to turn LEFT ( toward the sewers ) and then sharp right (its an L junction with a long corridor ) you want to uncloak while standing in the VERY SHORT part of the L Corridor. You may want to peek down the long corridor ( generally unwise ) but for the most part, you will want to exit the way you came and head LEFT (past the exit) and into the room with two staircases. This moment is vital. Chances are you want to back into this room (albeit if you are a pyro / engineer going forward works too). If you see anyone, move forward into the long corridor briefly before backing up again. Perhaps check the room you just exited again as if you are fighting off an enemy. You will notice that often people will run past you (looking for your target) either stab them, or move on to the intel. If you want to take down the snipers, sneak up the stairs and shuffle through to the 2nd level of Fort. ( probably as a sniper or soldier at this point, you should have more than enough cloak to change disguise safely, I’d advise you do this under the stairs ) If there is a sentry, I assume you already know what to do.

    If there IS a sniper, and he’s not standing deep in the corner. Position yourself in the corner and uncloak. If you cloaked before jumping off the fort you should only JUST have enough time to do this. It will prevent anyone seeing you, the sniper makes a great shield. And also allows you to get a free kill before continuing your journey. It may be a good idea to don the sniper disguise after dispatching him. As it will suddenly be more believable for anyone who isn’t paying attention to who dies.

    If the sniper is not in the corner, simply uncloak in a safe position, dispatch or move on without him. Try not to look at him as snipers are VERY paranoid. And if anyone is looking at them they tend to freak. Again, follow through with Pyro / Sniper disguise (demomen are unlikely to be running INTO the fort) as per above.

    The Sewers (Sub Operation: Stinky)

    The sewers are far more easy to maneuver, and due to this I don’t believe I have to add much here. Obvious tactics to move past people here. Just a few things to note. If someone runs around the corner. Shoot them. Don’t even bother trying to trick them — anyone with half a brain seeing a friendly running TOWARD the base is going to need a spy check. Lucky the revolver makes for an excellent mid range weapon. Dispatch any enemys you can’t sneak past quickly and quietly before moving in.

    – Points of Cloaking –

    Jump off the fort and into the water. Uncloak under the bridge to avoid detection. Often you want to uncloak under the water also, as most people don’t notice. I have stabbed many people by doing this its actually rather astonishing.

    When you enter the sewers, you should make it safely to the first junction. Before entering the big open area, cloak and move in. You can look down the pipe this way toward the stairs and decide if continuing or hiding is a good option at this point. ( ie someone coming )

    Once you have safely reached this point ( and if you need to get past people ) (re)cloak and shift your way to the staircase. At the base of the staircase there is like an alcove. This is an EXCELLENT place to chill for a while and just watch people run past. I do it all the time while waiting for recharge; sometimes I even just go and stab people after a few run past.

    From here, you should have enough cloak to take you to 1 of 3 points. The first is to the left of the door just after the stairs. Its a bunch of handily placed barrels. Crouch and uncloak. From here move quickly as mentioned above.

    The second is of course, the wonderful L junction.

    The third, is as you continue PAST the L junction and into the room, step right. There is a small blind spot between the next door and the door you have just passed through. Often a great place to uncloak safely, if this room is empty is a good idea to be cautious as on the way up the stairs you may run into the next round of recruits passing through.

    From here, do as you wish. Happy hunting.

    Gentlemen
    /cloak

18. 

    Sneakythief responded on 28 May 2008 at 12:14 am #

    The only real fall in spies is their goals, actually looking at a potential target is the exact moment they fry. Unless ofcource they are cloaked.

    I’ve personally played TFC and TF2 long enough to know a spy from just at what angle the “pyro” is looking at when running behind a friendly or towards one.

    So generally if you can cloak behind your opponents back without going too close (the colour shade shows if you’re too close / taking damage) is the real chance to stab someone with relative ease, if someone spots the spy doing his little uncloaking thing far away it might fail if you are against a more experienced player.

    Even though i’ve still gotten facestabbed on ridiculously tight alleys i still think that spies fail against players that actually look at their surroundings and listen (footsteps can be heard eventhough you’re cloaked, ofcource against several players in a group this is alot easier.)

    Props for you if you’re actually good enough to be listed at top as spy on most games

    My personal backstab record is 12 so i know how to play a spy, but i still don’t see it as a…. hmm effective character on the field.

19. 

    joecuki responded on 05 Jun 2008 at 10:31 am #

    I’ve found, that due to the ever-increasing numbers of decent/good engies from a couple months ago, I’ve started more and more hiding in the back-lines and just picking off sentries with my pistol. A clip or two at long to medium range will pick it off pretty well, seeing as a disguised sniper can usually wait until the engie leaves even for 2 seconds.

    The stab/sap tactic works well, but I’m seeing alot more engies working against the headstab/backstab trick.

20. 

    RJ-Pilot responded on 09 Jun 2008 at 7:12 am #

    One thing i’ve found is if you happen to find an Engie base (Dispenser, Teleport, Sentry Lv3, and engie doing that dance they do to pass the time…) usually in places like the sewers of 2Fort. Go up to their Sentry while disguised (it doesn’t matter what class) then hit it with the sapper. Automatically they draw the wrench and start knocking it off, so sap it again.

    And again. And again.

    They’ll know for sure you’re a spy by now, but they can’t leave their sentry alone or it’ll die. And eventually they miss a swing and it dies anyway, then you cloak, stab them, and take out their disp/teleport. I swear I’ve had combos of seven or eight times just planting sappers then having them knocked off, then planting again. But it always works in the end. Plus it’s fun to see their frustration at losing all that metal.

21. 

    Toast_recon responded on 16 Jun 2008 at 5:17 pm #

    I played spy 23 of my first 28 hours in the game. Now? I never get backstabbed. Ever. I am just too damn alert. Also, I have found that my spy tactics really help with the other class. Only a trained spy can then switch to demo and hide in the enemy base placing stickies-without being noticed. I am right there, falling in line, a blu in red base, but they look for where the demo is because my body language is so damn at the acting.

    When those moments happen, I laugh. They are rare, but I laugh. I wish I played spy more often.

22. 

    Taco responded on 08 Oct 2008 at 12:16 am #

    Spy is by far the hardest class to play, not only does it require amazing timing and skill but it takes luck as Prozac said. My personal record in backstabs is 17, backstabs my kills usually get around to 26 27 if I’m on my hot streak. Knowing your maps gives you a great spy advantage not only do you know how either team strikes on the map you know what classes would usually be coming by. I have come up with a list of maps and certain corridors where classes usually go. On Toy Fort Beta 2, you usually have just about every class use the basic path go toward the middle but the underground tunnel known as the “rat hole” or “sewers” mostly pyros, scouts, demomen, and the occasional sniper. When moving around the Rat hole try to put your cloak on at the top of the stairway heading downward 2 seconds will be up by the time you hit the corner if no one is there uncloak, Then when hitting the opposite corner cloak by the time you head up on the opposite side you will be fully cloaked. Now you have 2 options, either head up towards the side of the toy box uncloak and head for the middle attacking the opposing team, were almost always the other team is under fire. Your other option would be to see were all the sentry’s are and take them out. Its hard to see were you can uncloak and get behind the engi. So if your inexperienced then take option one. Sentry killing is the hardest thing to do as a spy, as an experienced spy I can say it’s almost impossible to kill the sentry and kill the engi, and get away without dying to the pyro camping the dispenser. It’s a bigger pay off when you destroy the sentry stopping your team from advancing then trying to backstab the freakin pyro who just spams around his team getting 1 kill every 20 mins and then constantly dying in combat, because he sucks at pyro. When your spying and you see the same pyro kill you behind enemy lines don’t give up, just change your entry route to there base. Remember your taking away a player from main combat when you have pyros camping there base. That’s a good thing. I have seen so many games lost to pyros who won’t leave the engineer alone to fend himself. Never as a pyro stay with an engi, not only are you retarded your useless. Please people who change class to try and get that spy who backstabbed you to domination, Your not going to kill them your just stopping yourself from playing with your team, you pinning yourself away from the main goal CAPTURE THE FLAG, PUSH THE CART, OR GET ON THE FREAKIN POINT!

Trackback URI | Comments RSS

Leave a Reply

Name

Mail (hidden)

Website