Comparison of New and Old Weapons for Snipers and Spies
content auto translated from {from}

I do not claim the title of TF2 guru. But during my time playing, I have made several observations that I would like to share with you.

So, let’s begin.

Ambassador

Vs

Revolver

In recent days, almost all spies run around with the Ambassador. It’s understandable— it looks impressive, shoots powerfully, and the absolute accuracy with a guaranteed crit on headshot inspires confidence. Moreover, the massive barrel and overall coolness.

Grandpa Freud is also pleased.

BUT! After some tests and observations, I concluded that in most cases, the revolver is much more useful and reliable than the Ambassador.

You won’t be shooting from a long distance—the spy's task is not to mow down enemies. The bullet from the Ambassador doesn’t hit instantly (unlike the sniper rifle). Thus, hitting a moving target at a medium distance is quite problematic.

You won't be able to kill anyone with a single shot (unless they are already damaged), the second shot at long distance can only be made after 2 seconds, otherwise, there’s a 70% chance it will miss. In close combat (if you’ve been spotted), the chance of hitting the head is very low, while a spy with a revolver can quickly and reliably pump 3-4 bullets into a target, ensuring the death of almost any lightly armored class. In a duel, a spy will likely win with the revolver, unless they get a headshot, which is unlikely. And in general, whoever draws their weapon first is the one who is right.

Thus, the only hope and strength of ambassadors is the headshot.

Sorry, Abraham.

But if you don’t have the reflexes of a seasoned CS player, the chance of hitting a target that knows about you is below average. Especially up close (if you must know, Abraham was looking at the scene at that moment, ok).

My choice is the revolver. Heavy and reliable. Even if it doesn’t fire— you can always knock someone on the head with it. I agree with Boris on this.

You can just run around with an Ambassador in hand; it’s pleasant to look at. But if you’re planning to shoot, if things get heated— you need a revolver.

Moving on:

Huntsman

Vs

Sniper Rifle

So, bow versus gun. These people have tried to pull off a trick like this; where are they now?

In all seriousness, we have two toys that serve different purposes.

This complicated diagram may help you choose the right weapon.

Overall, I worked hard on the diagram to convey all the complexities of the choice as accurately as possible. So, if you can deflect a grenade with an "Elephant" and kill the one who threw it— your choice is the sniper rifle. You must love your rifle, become one with it. You need to think like the enemy, account for lag, and shoot like a god. If a sniper without ammo doesn’t have 25 kills— that’s a bad sniper. Just kidding, but I expect exactly those results from the snipers around me. If you can’t kill with every second shot— don’t take the sniper rifle.

By the way, it’s wise to remember this prayer:

This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must learn to wield my weapon as I wield my life. Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must shoot accurately with my rifle. I must shoot more accurately than the enemy who attempts to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. And I will. I swear before God. I and my rifle are defenders of my country. We do not fear our enemies. We are lifesavers. Let it be so. Until there are no more enemies and peace is achieved. Amen.

Alright, I got a bit carried away.

The sniper rifle kills any living target (except for the spy with a DR, haha) with 1 fully charged headshot. The damage to turrets is lower, but 2-3 charged shots will take it down. A body shot kills any low-health non-overhealed class (like an engineer). 2 body shots kill everything but overheats. But a true sniper doesn’t shoot for the body. In general, I won’t beat around the bush— if you can hit accurately and precisely, then your choice is definitely the sniper rifle. Guaranteed kills are very good. In the situation shown in the picture below, by the way, 2 shots were needed. Don’t repeat such mistakes.

The bow, on the other hand, brings the sniper closer to other TF classes, in that it finally makes it interesting to play.

Unfortunately, it’s not as cool as it appears in the picture.

So, the bow has several fun properties:

  1. It has arrows.

  2. It’s wooden.

  3. And composite.

To be serious, the bow has these properties:

  1. It charges to 100% in 1 second (in battle it seems like 2-3 seconds, I tell you for sure).

  2. The sniper quickly tires and the arrow flies in the wrong direction. Very wrong.

  3. You can set the arrow on fire with a personal pyro, after which any wooden structure will lose HP (unless it’s doused with water by workers), and an ent will catch fire, scream, and go berserk. To put it realistically— it just increases damage and sets the target on fire; according to some sources, it can take down a level 2 sentry with 1 shot (they say even level 3).

  1. The arrow has a habit of hitting spies in invisibility and disguise. It’s inexplicable, but it’s true. Even if you create a blank password-protected server, a shot in the far corner will kill a spy.

  2. The arrow crits on headshots. But we aren’t exactly CS players to aim for the enemy’s head, are we?

  3. It nails a dead target to the wall. The best effect for a weapon; it largely determined my choice.

  4. Heavies start to look like hedgehogs. A blow to their pride. This Russian will not be able to reach us, haha.

  5. The spread of a 100% charged body arrow -- 103-137. There’s no guarantee of a kill. An uncharged headshot does 150 damage. But we, I reiterate, are not CS players.

General tips (since we’ve already established that you’re not a CS player)—draw the bowstring from behind a corner, then step out from behind the corner, shoot in the direction of the enemy (aim slightly above, as the arrow drops). Each hit will be accompanied by a characteristic sound. Eventually, someone will die. And learn to shoot on prediction; this is important. But remember— a good sniper with a rifle is synonymous with your death, as their bullet travels instantly and strikes hard. Don’t forget the sad experience of the Indians. Even Chingachgook ultimately switched to the sniper rifle.

BUT! It is quite possible that they didn’t have this weapon:

Jarate

Vs

Razorback

So, the Razorback has a twin bolter on the roof, the ability to replenish personnel losses, the capability to transport infantry (a tactical squad of Space Marines), and smoke grenades. This specimen is painted in the colors of the Order of the Blood Ravens. Unfortunately, in TF2, such a Razorback was not brought.

Instead, we got this...

This shield has many useful properties (one of which is a car battery with a 10k volt discharge) and ways to apply it, but we’ll focus on what it does best. It slows down snipers. There is only 1 thing that can slow a sniper down better— it’s Natasha. But Natasha isn’t with us; she’s with the heavy, who can take Sasha, which in turn does not slow. So how can a sniper slow down? There’s a way— the Razorback. That -15% speed allows us to move EVEN slower.

Moreover, the Razorback has another excellent property— it reminds spies that they have a revolver that deals 50-60 damage at close range. In general, it’s not our choice. However, in principle, it boosts self-confidence. Take it only with the sniper rifle.

Let’s turn to Jarate. A magnificent weapon. Facts:

  1. It replenishes itself in battle ON ITS OWN (!!!). Another mystery of TF2.

  2. It extinguishes fire. Throw it at your feet, at allies, up, down, left, right— it doesn’t matter; it will extinguish any fire.

  3. Mini-crits. A doused enemy receives a very nice additional damage boost; 1 charged arrow will definitely kill any low HP class that has been doused.

  4. There’s no mockery with the jar. Hmmm...

  5. Nowhere does it state directly what’s in the jar. Characters communicate through hints.

Thus, Jarate's victory is unquestionable, but then...

A challenger appears!

Submachine gun

Hmm. No, I think not. 20 rounds, 150 damage if they all hit at close range. It’s easier to slice an enemy with a kukri. Though, the Indians would have been happy with such a weapon. It’s a pity they chose razorbacks. Though, they had horses, so the issue of slowing down is resolved...

But still, cowboys didn’t shoot in the back; they shot with revolvers and threw dynamite. Don’t repeat the mistakes of the Indians, as you have the same problems.

Thus, our choice is Jarate.

I hope this guide-comparison helps you choose the weapon that suits you best.