Secret Agent Clank!’s Guide to Espionage – Part 3 – Facestabbing
From deep within the hidden, entrenched vaults inside the fortified base of the League of Spies, comes a secret so deep, so dark, that those without the necessary intestinal fortitu… okay, I can’t say it with a straight face.
Here’s the gist; some facestabs are NOT accidental. A particularly obscure Spy tactic, experience with the class oftentimes brings one this ability, but it can be done with the proper instruction by itself. Learn this well. It may net you an extra kill and save your life in a particularly bad situation. Maybe. Perhaps. Y’know, if you play a lot of Spy like me. XD (just passed my 100th hour)
There are probably quite a few techniques out there that I haven’t heard of, but here, I bring you two of the ones I use occasionally one because of new knife mechanics I KNOW SUCKS DOESN’T IT NOTHING I CAN DO YET LOLOLOL.
Actually, yeah, Valve would have you believe that they’ve fixed facestabs. Again. Again again. Which I doubt true, because it seems to be occuring a lot more frequently than before. I wouldn’t be surprised if Valve’s been messing with the code behind our backs. But I’ve still got one more that’s somewhat usable, particularly if you’re in a desperate situation. Listen well, agent, and attempt it sometime when you feel you’ve got a perfect situation.
Why am I writing this? Honestly, I have no idea. I just felt that I needed to do something useless before moving onto the next part. Yeah, I wish I knew.
So, here goes. The rest of you…
Technique #1 #2
Requirements:
- Butterfly Knife, model X-1320R
- Decent amount of health (>75)
- Straight line corridor, although not necessary
- Ping of 70 or greater
- Enemy that runs at same speed or faster than you. (Demomen work, in a pinch)
Got the above ingredients? Great. Here’s the (very) situational situation.
Run straight to your enemy’s face, and hope that he starts backpedaling. Or alternatively, head towards a backpedaling enemy’s face and start poking (this is harder). Once he does, you’ll see him start bumping back and forth on your screen. This is the right time to attack. Order now, and I’ll throw in a backstab kill, absolutely free!
I’m really not sure of the entirety of the mechanics, but it seems a combination of lag and hitbox detection do the trick. Basically, the server is detecting you “falling” into the enemy character model, so attacking now would actually strike the back hitbox.
Things you have to make sure of:
- You’re the one running into the enemy first, and holding down W.
- The enemy runs at the same speed or faster than you (based on my testing)
- You don’t do this when you could easily cloak up behind said enemy >.>
Additionally, here’s a video I found on Youtube. They’ve got some different results. From my testing, it works on servers where I have a high ping (>75), not the enemy, and doesn’t work on Heavies on Soldiers because they run too slow. Not sure why that makes it fail. It DOES work on Scouts and Medics, but why you would try it on a Scout beats me. And yes, it may or may not work. Just hope for a dash of luck if you ever find yourself needing to use it. And yeah, it still works after the update.
Here’s something else that’s neat. If you ask me, he just made someone invisible and made him do the stabbing, but if there were a technique like this that didn’t require a still enemy, that would be soooo cooool!
Give it a shot next time you’re free. Should be fun.
Thought this was a waste of your time? I’m sorry, then. Here’s a piece of art to make up for it.
Just had to show that. Honestly, I have no idea how it happened. I just threw a couple of ragdolls away and when I went to look for them, they were like this. oO Really! No part of them is locked in place. It just happened. Don’t believe me? Well, shut up then! >= D
Anyway, happy Spying. And remember kids, whine loud and hard enough and Valve will return the old knife hitboxes.
Editor’s note: Yes, dammit. Old hitboxes, please. -himmelstoss
Greetings from Secret Agent Clank!
Stumble it!
n00bie51 responded on 20 Mar 2009 at 9:17 am #
The actions you have undertaken are made fully aware and visible to me.
Basically, I see what you did there.
SirMax responded on 20 Mar 2009 at 9:24 am #
…himmels, you have failed me.
Paper Shadow responded on 20 Mar 2009 at 9:44 am #
That Heavy is a Spy!
noser responded on 20 Mar 2009 at 10:25 am #
ARGH!
Valve better undo this mess soon.
Theres no skill left in the spy, with cloak recharge from metal, disguising with any weapon, and insta-stabs.
Besides, i much, much, prefer to be able to jump of something and swing while im falling. these new stabs eliminate this, and the surprise is gone. AND I WAS JUST GETTING THE HANG ON STAIR STABS!!!!!!!! DX
Consul responded on 20 Mar 2009 at 11:00 am #
Used to be, the only dangerous spy was a spy you didn’t know was there.
Now, it’s any spy within melee range.
Don’t want to go into how many times I’ve tried to skewer a spy on my ubersaw and gotten stabbed instead. Some very bad memories.
Corodan responded on 20 Mar 2009 at 11:25 am #
Clank.
How could you.
kanodin responded on 20 Mar 2009 at 11:42 am #
Doesn’t spreading this knowledge come with the implicit risk that someone at Valve might find it or be sent to it, and thus try to fix it?
FlyingHat responded on 20 Mar 2009 at 11:53 am #
Pffft.
Now when has Valve fixed something in TF2 without breaking something some other feature that we can all abuse?
HelisPoe responded on 20 Mar 2009 at 12:07 pm #
Clank! No! Our secret weapon of mass hilarious massacre is revealed!
Zrakt responded on 20 Mar 2009 at 12:08 pm #
this was afair the 4th or 5th time valve “fixed” facestabs.
still, nothing has changed: valve needs to fix the lag compensation
gelugon2105 responded on 20 Mar 2009 at 1:07 pm #
Well, stabbing someone’s face would be quite fatal, but Valve intended to have the spy pull off backstab kills from the back or somewhat to the side and rear of the victim. After all, the backstab kill icon clearly shows a person being stabbed in the back. Hence, I don’t think that players who favor playing the Spy ought to complain about Valve’s attempts to eliminate facestabs.
Hey, I play Spy too, yet I prefer killing victims from behind, if only to exploit and mock at their carelessness and make them do endless spy-checking, then shooting Pyros and Scouts in the face with the Revolver.
P.S. Yes, falling into the enemy model does seem to be the reason for a Spy being able to hit the rear hitboxes. Just hope that Valve doesn’t read this or any similar article or they are going to develop much stricter collision detection code.
gelugon2105 responded on 20 Mar 2009 at 1:14 pm #
My favorite class is the Medic, and, yes, I recall having been face-stabbed a few times.
Until I realize it’s just easier to try to run away and goad the spy into following, all the while screaming there’s a spy behind me and healing any team-mate who happens to run past me. I find it better to just waste an enemy Spy’s time chasing a victim Medic (who runs faster than a Spy, after all).
The several seconds that an enemy Spy wastes on using cloak to shadow a fleeing Medic are several seconds not spent on stalking slower classes after all.
Kollega responded on 20 Mar 2009 at 5:10 pm #
Face it: facestab (lololol worst pun ever) is exploit, and getting facestabbed is even worse than getting backstabbed. And you even dare to whine about FIXES to this kind of thing. I don’t even know why sidestabs has been returned.
Also, since when lag compensation abuse became “skill”? True skill of any Spy is ability to blend in,and be undetected untill he strikes – cloak recharge/disguise weapon selection only made sneaking in the enemy base faster,and less boring. Plus,you can sit atop of enemy dispenser while cloaked,and actually… you know… SPY on your enemies. (That was directed at one of the commenters)
Anyway,i don’t respect Spies. Maybe a tiny bit, since Snipers is the ones to be not respected whatsoever – at least spies have to get up close to their enemies. But as an Engineer/Medic most of the time,i officially hate on you. Instead of abusing lag compensation to irritate enemies,go help your team directly.
/rant
Kollega responded on 20 Mar 2009 at 5:12 pm #
And oh,forgot to add. If Valve guys have difficulties with fixing facestabs,just add new kill icon for them.
General Balls responded on 20 Mar 2009 at 7:50 pm #
But, Kollega, if the game honestly thinks that the knife hit the rear hitbox of the model (thus giving the Spy the kill in the first place), how would it know the difference?
Surely if the code was aware enough to know when a hit on the rear hitbox was from the front, it’d be possible to fix the problem, thus negating the need for a facestab kill-icon entirely.
Kollega responded on 20 Mar 2009 at 10:54 pm #
Special facestab icon proposal was more of a sarcasm.
Flail responded on 20 Mar 2009 at 11:48 pm #
It is sad that I’m more afraid to melee fight with spies than any other class. With all the buffs that the spy has got recently (which he did need), he shouldn’t need to rely on an exploit to get kills, but oh so many do.
xx responded on 21 Mar 2009 at 2:02 am #
Spies, the new pyro since October 10, 2007
Big Boss (Sean Connery) responded on 21 Mar 2009 at 2:59 am #
I can’t really comment as I’ve never facestabbed anyone.
I also don’t know if I’ve ever been facestabbed myself. I probably have sometimes, but not that I can clearly remember.
And that server mod that allows people to make fake corpses, that would be a great official addition to the Spy’s repertoire. Just saying.
And speaking of backs and facestabbing, is it possible to faceburn someone with the Backburner?
Sum1 responded on 21 Mar 2009 at 4:23 am #
It is Boss. It’s called “using the Backburner like a regular Flamethrower”
Secret Agent Clank! responded on 21 Mar 2009 at 11:08 am #
Yay mailbox time!
@n00bie: I’m gonna quote that, kay?
@noser: But that has nothing to do with this! =O
@consul: Yeah, the rate’s been rather high as of late, as have been obvious failstabs. Very curious.
@kanodin: Sooo… you… don’t want it to be fixed? (And on that note, didn’t Valve already “fix” it three times? XD)
@HelisPoe: =O
@Kollega: Stats page pls? You’re not a regular Spy or Sniper, I’m willing to bet. XD
@Flail: Well, see, it rarely works. And it’s pretty inconsistent, especially if you don’t know this. I can’t tell you how much I still chuckle at Spies flinging their knife at the enemy like it can kill anything and anyone.
And with those buffs, btw, came a hitbox reduction for the knife, which I can tell you, threw a lot of regular Spies off and made gameplay differ drastically.
@Big Boss: Yeah, that was a cool feature, but I’m worried if that it’s implemented into regular TF2, it’s gonna just make everyone paranoid and shoot in all directions anyway, rather than do what it was intended too. =3
As to your backburn question, never happened for me. I’m not sure how the fire works, though, but it doesn’t happen. However, if you’re near enough to burn someone, you don’t need to.
Sirus responded on 21 Mar 2009 at 11:19 am #
I’ve never pulled off a facestab, but then again I’ve never tried. I have a reasonably fast internet speed which means that I rarely have ping over 50, and I much prefer to sneak up behind the enemy and hear their exclamations as I leave their ragdoll on the ground. The only time I knife someone’s face is if my cover is blown and escape is not really an option (say, I’m on fire in a narrow corridor). Sometimes I get a kill, but more often I die. It’s a part of spying, and I deal with it.
In regards to the new hitboxes, I don’t really have an opinion. I never got the hang of stairstabs or leapstabs, so I always relied on sneaking up behind the enemy like normal. I really love the new animation though. No longer will an enemy move out of range or turn around just after I click M1!
kanodin responded on 21 Mar 2009 at 12:30 pm #
I don’t want them fiddling with knife hitboxes anymore if that’s what your asking, although I don’t use facestabs meself.
kanodin responded on 21 Mar 2009 at 12:32 pm #
Also considering that the backburner often fails to crit even when your behind the enemy, I doubt it has ever accidentally face critted.
Kollega responded on 21 Mar 2009 at 3:07 pm #
@ Secret Agent Clank: YES. When i try to spy or snipe,it can only be described as “EPIC FAIL”. Ping over 100 to most servers+wrong mindset=bad times as Spy/Sniper,so i will rather go Engi/Medic/Demoman and have fun while supporting my team directly. Only place where i can snipe properly is Steel,with that oh-so-useful sniper nest on A overlooking E. I wish there would be Steel/Badwater server with ping to me less than 300.
@ everyone: Why should Spy use exploit for getting kills anyway? I guess that if you are facing your enemy and attacking,your cover is blown,and if it is,then you’re probably going to die. And if you try to facestab someone when you can backstab him normally,then it’s called “griefing”,because facestabs is rather annoying.
Lakota responded on 22 Mar 2009 at 1:46 am #
Clank, I hate to admit this but this actually does work..
Some people call me “A lying hobo pansy who can’t play spy worth noodles” But I guess you have to do what you have to do to kill someone. :/
Secret Agent Clank! responded on 22 Mar 2009 at 11:23 am #
@Sirus: I’m still used to the old stairstab technique, which has been a little costly. XD’
@kanodin: Ohhhh… well, regardless. I just wish people would get used to it. =P
@Kollega: Oh yeah. I hate lag too. =( It’s pretty much impossible to headshot with high ping like that, but it’s no reason to hate on those who have good enough fps to snipe.
Honestly, though, if you’re going to rely on this for your kills, I can assure you your KD will never go above 1. There are just so many ways to stab regularly that this shouldn’t need to be the way to go.
Pad See Ew responded on 22 Mar 2009 at 1:58 pm #
Awesome Spy pic at the end.
Kollega responded on 22 Mar 2009 at 4:23 pm #
Okay,let me clear this up. I hate on Snipers because they can ruin my fun without even getting close or showing themselves,not because they can snipe better due to lower ping. On the other hand,Sniper in TF2 is rather underpowered in comparsion to any other multiplayer FPS,due to rifle charge and killcam mechanics. Snipers in TF2 is no doubt annoying,but at least i can tolerate them.
That said,getting sniped feels cheap anyway.
Secret Agent Clank! responded on 23 Mar 2009 at 5:30 am #
I get what you mean. Maybe I’m not as sympathetic because, having Spy as my MPC, I mainly see them as free kills XD. ‘cept the really good ones, of course.
@Pad See Ew: Danke. Not actually mine, though.
This site needs to get updated! Somebody write a Sandman article. XD
Discrider responded on 23 Mar 2009 at 9:30 am #
I wouldn’t have called this type of face-stabbing a ’skill’, mainly because the only reason you ever get these is that the other person was pressing ’s’ at the time. There’s no real way to force it… except maybe to jump down in front of people, but that’s just crying for a rocket in the face.
Also, I’ve been face-stabbed like this many times, and I don’t think it really matters what class you are. Admittedly I’ve been face-stabbed less as Heavy, but that’s probably because I’m more likely to plant my feet and spin-up, as opposed to being harder to do.
And everytime this happens to me, I feel like pulling that stupid s key out of my keyboard with a screw-driver :p
Sirus responded on 24 Mar 2009 at 6:20 pm #
Slight correction: The other night I pulled off two facestabs in two lives on a single server, and I have no idea how =/
They weren’t even those stabs where you’re behind the enemy but due to lag he thought he was facing you. I apologized, and proceeded to kill more people XD
Just wondering, SAC, what’s your best score as Spy? Mine’s is 25