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Scout - movement/dodging help?
posted in Mentoring
1
#1
5 Frags +

Hey guys, I'm trying to get better as competitive scout but my movement/dodging always comes up as an issue. I have some experience as scout in competitive and a lot of hours on TF2 but I just really need help on my movement/dodge. Please help ;(!

Hours: 3,322 (~364 on Scout)
Competitive Experience...
-(Scout) Season 10 HL Iron - Big Beautiful Bison
-(Scout & Medic) IGL 6s - Kaos Krew
-(Scout) Season 13 6s Iron - Kaos Krew
-(Scout) Season 11 HL Steel - Big Beautiful Bison

add me
http://steamcommunity.com/id/TF2Sai0/

Hey guys, I'm trying to get better as competitive scout but my movement/dodging always comes up as an issue. I have some experience as scout in competitive and a lot of hours on TF2 but I just really need help on my movement/dodge. Please help ;(!

Hours: 3,322 (~364 on Scout)
Competitive Experience...
-(Scout) Season 10 HL Iron - Big Beautiful Bison
-(Scout & Medic) IGL 6s - Kaos Krew
-(Scout) Season 13 6s Iron - Kaos Krew
-(Scout) Season 11 HL Steel - Big Beautiful Bison

add me
http://steamcommunity.com/id/TF2Sai0/
2
#2
-22 Frags +

spacebar

spacebar
3
#3
6 Frags +

For scout v scout, if the other scout is generally smart and keeps track of how you move, switch it up. Throw in some jumps or stand still to throw them off. Usually circle strafing will also work but because I don't really do that in game, I try to stay away from it.

For soldier v scout, doing unpredictable things like strafing away from height advantage or jumping back and forth instead of left and right could also help a bit. However, I still think the only way to beat a soldier in any situation is to just hit your shots and hope that he doesn't take his shotgun out.

Take this with a grain of salt when you actually put this in practice since I only MGE and I'm bad.

For scout v scout, if the other scout is generally smart and keeps track of how you move, switch it up. Throw in some jumps or stand still to throw them off. Usually circle strafing will also work but because I don't really do that in game, I try to stay away from it.

For soldier v scout, doing unpredictable things like strafing away from height advantage or jumping back and forth instead of left and right could also help a bit. However, I still think the only way to beat a soldier in any situation is to just hit your shots and hope that he doesn't take his shotgun out.

Take this with a grain of salt when you actually put this in practice since I only MGE and I'm bad.
4
#4
3 Frags +

For scout v soldier... I just found that if you play better and better soldiers, it's gonna force you to predict better.

For scout v scout. That's totally up to if you can hit them before they can hit you :p

For scout v soldier... I just found that if you play better and better soldiers, it's gonna force you to predict better.

For scout v scout. That's totally up to if you can hit them before they can hit you :p
5
#5
-8 Frags +

mirror the other scouts movement

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

1:50 ^^

mirror the other scouts movement
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svCmXhYxMGc[/youtube]
1:50 ^^
6
#6
-2 Frags +

some people are born with good movement, maybe its maybelline ( ?

some people are born with good movement, maybe its maybelline ( ?
7
#7
Momentum Mod
-5 Frags +

bind mouse2 "+duck; +jump; +attack1; +forward"

bind mouse2 "+duck; +jump; +attack1; +forward"
8
#8
8 Frags +

Here's some advice I posted on reddit

Mess up soldiers by changing your distance from them. Its really easy for soldiers to aim their rockets from left to right, but hitting the ground at the right distance is whats tricky.
One thing you can do to dodge projectiles is to strafe back and forth in one place and wait for them to shoot at you. That's when you move out of the way. oh but Mr. advice guy! why would I ever stay in one spot? Well if you're standing still,you should know where they're gonna shoot, which makes it easy to get out of the way. This tactic is terrible for close range encounters, but if you're fighting at mid to long range it can be really effective.

This is the most important tip for dodging. try to actually, you know, dodge the projectile. Don't just let it fly on towards you and hope it doesnt hit you. Make a conscious effort to get out of its way. Even if you dont escape the splash you will still take less damage. Lots of players think they're dodging when all they're really doing is spamming WASD and destroying their spacebar.

When Jumping you should almost always airstrafe. This makes it harder for anybody to hit you with a direct from a projectile and its also a bit harder to hit with a hitscan weapon. If you don't know how to airstrafe watch this tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvYRamyNxv0

Pay attention to what weapon the soldier/demo you're fighting is using and change your style of movement to make it hard for them to hit you with that weapon.

If you're really desperate, do 360's in the air. Sounds gimmicky I know but it does work lolololololol. If you spin around really fast your characters model can get a little funky. Sometimes while im reloading ill spin around and look backwards to throw the enemy off. If you're going to do this you need to be very comfortable with your aim.

Against scouts and people shootin' their shotguns, you wanna stay on the ground and spam WASD really fast with the rhythm of your terrible 12 year old drummer neighbor. Don't just spam just A and D. You need to throw in some W and S too. Screw with their depth perception yo.
Do something WEIRDDD. jump just once, stand still for a millisecond, jump on top of the light switch on the wall and do a 360 taunt slide >___> .... I think you get the idea.

When you're trying to jump onto a prop to avoid splash damage try to it in the least predictable way. If the soldier knows you're going to jump on to the crate on badlands mid it isn't too hard for him to hit you with a direct. You can also try faking going on to props because most soldiers will expect you to jump on to it.

Here's some advice I posted on reddit

Mess up soldiers by changing your distance from them. Its really easy for soldiers to aim their rockets from left to right, but hitting the ground at the right distance is whats tricky.
One thing you can do to dodge projectiles is to strafe back and forth in one place and wait for them to shoot at you. That's when you move out of the way. oh but Mr. advice guy! why would I ever stay in one spot? Well if you're standing still,you should know where they're gonna shoot, which makes it easy to get out of the way. This tactic is terrible for close range encounters, but if you're fighting at mid to long range it can be really effective.

This is the most important tip for dodging. try to actually, you know, dodge the projectile. Don't just let it fly on towards you and hope it doesnt hit you. Make a conscious effort to get out of its way. Even if you dont escape the splash you will still take less damage. Lots of players think they're dodging when all they're really doing is spamming WASD and destroying their spacebar.

When Jumping you should almost always airstrafe. This makes it harder for anybody to hit you with a direct from a projectile and its also a bit harder to hit with a hitscan weapon. If you don't know how to airstrafe watch this tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvYRamyNxv0

Pay attention to what weapon the soldier/demo you're fighting is using and change your style of movement to make it hard for them to hit you with that weapon.

If you're really desperate, do 360's in the air. Sounds gimmicky I know but it does work lolololololol. If you spin around really fast your characters model can get a little funky. Sometimes while im reloading ill spin around and look backwards to throw the enemy off. If you're going to do this you need to be very comfortable with your aim.

Against scouts and people shootin' their shotguns, you wanna stay on the ground and spam WASD really fast with the rhythm of your terrible 12 year old drummer neighbor. Don't just spam just A and D. You need to throw in some W and S too. Screw with their depth perception yo.
Do something WEIRDDD. jump just once, stand still for a millisecond, jump on top of the light switch on the wall and do a 360 taunt slide >___> .... I think you get the idea.

When you're trying to jump onto a prop to avoid splash damage try to it in the least predictable way. If the soldier knows you're going to jump on to the crate on badlands mid it isn't too hard for him to hit you with a direct. You can also try faking going on to props because most soldiers will expect you to jump on to it.
9
#9
6 Frags +

I find mge 2v2 very good to practice scout movement. You have to dodge 2 targets at a time while minding your aim and managing ammo.

I find mge 2v2 very good to practice scout movement. You have to dodge 2 targets at a time while minding your aim and managing ammo.
10
#10
11 Frags +

ask useoftoaster

ask useoftoaster
11
#11
0 Frags +

I dunno ictus, you were doin this weird standing still thing that totally threw me for a loop the other day.

I dunno ictus, you were doin this weird standing still thing that totally threw me for a loop the other day.
12
#12
1 Frags +

surfing helped me improve my movement towards soldiers and demos, airstrafing is a powerful tool against soldiers in general. Only doing one jump also helps to throw them off.
Watch out though since mge does barely translate into actual gameplay.

surfing helped me improve my movement towards soldiers and demos, airstrafing is a powerful tool against soldiers in general. Only doing one jump also helps to throw them off.
Watch out though since mge does barely translate into actual gameplay.
13
#13
1 Frags +

[

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14
#14
0 Frags +

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky6EjSR3_k8

do this then you have the movement

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky6EjSR3_k8

do this then you have the movement
15
#15
1 Frags +

Do the utmost. Test your opponent's willingness to believe what you want to do.

Mirroring works but only if you hit them first, you in turn make it just as easy for them to meatshot you

Do the utmost. Test your opponent's willingness to believe what you want to do.

Mirroring works but only if you hit them first, you in turn make it just as easy for them to meatshot you
16
#16
3 Frags +

Height advantage vs soldier is extremely useful. If there are multiple props around you that can provide said advantage, jumping between them while attacking the soldier will probably confuse him and not help him any. Be careful, though. Not all props that give height advantage are tall enough to avoid taking damage from a rocket's splash. I've noticed that pretending like you're going to jump over a soldier's head but not actually doing it can confuse them from time to time. Can't really make it happen, it just does when it does.

Scout vs scout depends on the other scout. Playing off what the other scout does is also useful. An example being if the other scout likes to mash his strafe keys, circle strafing around him might help. If you can tell if the other scout's sensitivity is really low, circle strafing can help there too. If the other scout isn't mashing their strafe keys but go left for a second, then go right and so on, then mirroring the movement and attacking when the player model meets your crosshair might be your best bet. If the scout is doing moving in sporadic ways, then just hope you don't miss lol

You could also ignore your movement and let your DM do the work against scouts if your DM is good enough for that, but I learned to stop doing that a long time ago and can't really provide any tips for that if there are any.

Height advantage vs soldier is extremely useful. If there are multiple props around you that can provide said advantage, jumping between them while attacking the soldier will probably confuse him and not help him any. Be careful, though. Not all props that give height advantage are tall enough to avoid taking damage from a rocket's splash. I've noticed that pretending like you're going to jump over a soldier's head but not actually doing it can confuse them from time to time. Can't really make it happen, it just does when it does.

Scout vs scout depends on the other scout. Playing off what the other scout does is also useful. An example being if the other scout likes to mash his strafe keys, circle strafing around him might help. If you can tell if the other scout's sensitivity is really low, circle strafing can help there too. If the other scout isn't mashing their strafe keys but go left for a second, then go right and so on, then mirroring the movement and attacking when the player model meets your crosshair might be your best bet. If the scout is doing moving in sporadic ways, then just hope you don't miss lol

You could also ignore your movement and let your DM do the work against scouts if your DM is good enough for that, but I learned to stop doing that a long time ago and can't really provide any tips for that if there are any.
17
#17
1 Frags +

Consciously try to dodge and remain unpredictable while you practice and it should come in time.

Consciously try to dodge and remain unpredictable while you practice and it should come in time.
18
#18
0 Frags +

This may sound silly. But I stopped trying to dodge and I started doing a lot better. Heck I would even die less than before.

This may sound silly. But I stopped trying to dodge and I started doing a lot better. Heck I would even die less than before.
19
#19
3 Frags +

.

.
20
#20
1 Frags +

okay serious answer:
against scouts, you shouldnt even think about dodging imo, unless your goal is to delay for your team or something other than killing them, you should just focus on aiming. Dodging doesn't matter if the enemy is dead, is the way I think of it.
Against soldiers and demos however, much bigger deal to dodge; try and "bait" out rockets by making it look like youre going somewhere, and when you think/when they do shoot, you go somewhere else (it sounds so simple and obvious, but it really isnt at first), and count the number of rockets they've fired/have left. Against a soldier you shouldnt get hit by directs, and you should really try to avoid all splash damage (which is pretty hard), but you really CANNOT miss more than like 5% of your shots when going against a soldier/demo. You seriously want something like 90% accuracy with good damage shots against soldiers and demos or else you're gonna lose most fights. If you have to take more time to aim to do this, its usually worth it.

tl;dr - dont worry about movement with scouts, just shoot them.
for soldiers and demos, trick them into wasting shots all the while making sure you dont miss

okay serious answer:
against scouts, you shouldnt even think about dodging imo, unless your goal is to delay for your team or something other than killing them, you should just focus on aiming. Dodging doesn't matter if the enemy is dead, is the way I think of it.
Against soldiers and demos however, much bigger deal to dodge; try and "bait" out rockets by making it look like youre going somewhere, and when you think/when they do shoot, you go somewhere else (it sounds so simple and obvious, but it really isnt at first), and count the number of rockets they've fired/have left. Against a soldier you shouldnt get hit by directs, and you should really try to avoid all splash damage (which is pretty hard), but you really CANNOT miss more than like 5% of your shots when going against a soldier/demo. You seriously want something like 90% accuracy with good damage shots against soldiers and demos or else you're gonna lose most fights. If you have to take more time to aim to do this, its usually worth it.

tl;dr - dont worry about movement with scouts, just shoot them.
for soldiers and demos, trick them into wasting shots all the while making sure you dont miss
21
#21
3 Frags +

t-rex movement theory

t-rex movement theory
22
#22
0 Frags +
WithADanceNumberI dunno ictus, you were doin this weird standing still thing that totally threw me for a loop the other day.

All part of the mind games :p Shame I couldn't aim :C

But yeah to add onto downpours advice... it's so much more important to be able to hit shots when you're playing against projectile classes. Sure you can dodge all you want but eventually he's gonna hit you and it only takes two. If you can pressure him by bringing him lower he's more likely to rush his shots to kill you.

[quote=WithADanceNumber]I dunno ictus, you were doin this weird standing still thing that totally threw me for a loop the other day.[/quote]
All part of the mind games :p Shame I couldn't aim :C

But yeah to add onto downpours advice... it's so much more important to be able to hit shots when you're playing against projectile classes. Sure you can dodge all you want but eventually he's gonna hit you and it only takes two. If you can pressure him by bringing him lower he's more likely to rush his shots to kill you.
23
#23
7 Frags +

copy this exactly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRrzY9K4yG4

copy this exactly

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRrzY9K4yG4[/youtube]
24
#24
1 Frags +
audiecopy this exactly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRrzY9K4yG4

i said to ask useoftoaster didnt i

[quote=audie]copy this exactly

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRrzY9K4yG4[/youtube][/quote]
i said to ask useoftoaster didnt i
25
#25
1 Frags +

If you're trying to shoot someone, move in a way that helps your aim. Strafe to the left if the person is to left of your crosshair, and strafe to the right if the person is to the right of your crosshair.

If you're trying to avoid getting shot be unpredictable. It really helps if you know every prop that you can jump on so that you can avoid a fight on flat ground. Avoid long and straight movements because they make you really easy to hit. Whenever you're in the air (even while jumping) make sure you air strafe so you're not moving in a straight line.

edit: and the winger is pretty useful for dodging if you have a script for it

If you're trying to shoot someone, move in a way that helps your aim. Strafe to the left if the person is to left of your crosshair, and strafe to the right if the person is to the right of your crosshair.

If you're trying to avoid getting shot be unpredictable. It really helps if you know every prop that you can jump on so that you can avoid a fight on flat ground. Avoid long and straight movements because they make you really easy to hit. Whenever you're in the air (even while jumping) make sure you air strafe so you're not moving in a straight line.




edit: and the winger is pretty useful for dodging if you have a script for it
26
#26
1 Frags +

Thanks guys! You are all very helpful.

Thanks guys! You are all very helpful.
27
#27
0 Frags +

-Play to your height advantage.
-Actually think about your movement, don't just mash keys.
-Think about where you want to end up in a fight. Do you want to be farther or closer to a health pack? Do you want to be in open ground or a choke against a soldier?
-It's really important in a scout v scout fight to stay calm. Most people agree that movement isn't a huge factor in a scout v scout fight, but that doesn't mean shoot all your shots as fast as you can. You basically have to hit 1 meat shot to end the fight.
-Also in scout v scout, movement does matter. Some scouts have crazy aim but you can beat them 100% of the time because they are really predicable or run in straight lines.

-Against soldiers, you have to know where they want to put a rocket. I compare it to airblast reflex. You don't want to just spam airblast or the soldier will shoot a rocket in between airblast recharge, you gotta bait out the rocket and then reflect (dodge) it. Think about where you move and how the other person will want to shoot a rocket there.

-Be efficient with movement. Jump onto things in 1 fluid motion. Try not to walk into walls or touch clippings of doorways/objects. People like useoftoaster don't have ridiculous movement because they hold down their spacebar as hard as possible, they actually think where that jump will take them and are efficient with it to make it to the next landing place.

-tying into the last one, have good mouse control. Be comfortable with your mouse/sens and know where you have to put your cursor to strafe certain ways.

I'm not really sure where you're at in terms of movement, I mean some people have literal pub movement and just circle strafe 1 direction. Try to think about your movement, don't get into patterns.

-Play to your height advantage.
-Actually think about your movement, don't just mash keys.
-Think about where you want to end up in a fight. Do you want to be farther or closer to a health pack? Do you want to be in open ground or a choke against a soldier?
-It's really important in a scout v scout fight to stay calm. Most people agree that movement isn't a huge factor in a scout v scout fight, but that doesn't mean shoot all your shots as fast as you can. You basically have to hit 1 meat shot to end the fight.
-Also in scout v scout, movement does matter. Some scouts have crazy aim but you can beat them 100% of the time because they are really predicable or run in straight lines.

-Against soldiers, you have to know where they want to put a rocket. I compare it to airblast reflex. You don't want to just spam airblast or the soldier will shoot a rocket in between airblast recharge, you gotta bait out the rocket and then reflect (dodge) it. Think about where you move and how the other person will want to shoot a rocket there.

-Be efficient with movement. Jump onto things in 1 fluid motion. Try not to walk into walls or touch clippings of doorways/objects. People like useoftoaster don't have ridiculous movement because they hold down their spacebar as hard as possible, they actually think where that jump will take them and are efficient with it to make it to the next landing place.

-tying into the last one, have good mouse control. Be comfortable with your mouse/sens and know where you have to put your cursor to strafe certain ways.

I'm not really sure where you're at in terms of movement, I mean some people have literal pub movement and just circle strafe 1 direction. Try to think about your movement, don't get into patterns.
28
#28
0 Frags +

In scout v scout I find that jumping actually makes it easier to hit you so avoid jumping, just remain on your feet and continue strafing. It's the scout that lands the first shot that usually wins the battle, even if you miss 5 out of 6 shots as long as one hits you can finish him off with the pistol.

In scout v solly, personally I had a serious phobia of sollies when I started playing scout and I still do in inside spaces. The best advice I can give is to avoid moving in a predictable manner, when double jumping try changing direction as often as possible and as some posts above mentioned you should use height advantages and continuously change the distance between yourself and the solly. Also avoid approaching sollies directly, ideally try to approach them from the side or even from behind.

In scout v scout I find that jumping actually makes it easier to hit you so avoid jumping, just remain on your feet and continue strafing. It's the scout that lands the first shot that usually wins the battle, even if you miss 5 out of 6 shots as long as one hits you can finish him off with the pistol.

In scout v solly, personally I had a serious phobia of sollies when I started playing scout and I still do in inside spaces. The best advice I can give is to avoid moving in a predictable manner, when double jumping try changing direction as often as possible and as some posts above mentioned you should use height advantages and continuously change the distance between yourself and the solly. Also avoid approaching sollies directly, ideally try to approach them from the side or even from behind.
29
#29
0 Frags +
foster-Be efficient with movement. Jump onto things in 1 fluid motion. Try not to walk into walls or touch clippings of doorways/objects. People like useoftoaster don't have ridiculous movement because they hold down their spacebar as hard as possible, they actually think where that jump will take them and are efficient with it to make it to the next landing place.

How can i improve at this? I'm a really goofy scout and often i bump into walls, corners, and tend to miss jumps if i'm particularly tense. And does it really matter to airstrafe after every jump? For some reasons i find it harder to do than airstrafing as soldier. Probably due to the lower room of maneuver (less height) and my low sens

[quote=foster]
-Be efficient with movement. Jump onto things in 1 fluid motion. Try not to walk into walls or touch clippings of doorways/objects. People like useoftoaster don't have ridiculous movement because they hold down their spacebar as hard as possible, they actually think where that jump will take them and are efficient with it to make it to the next landing place.[/quote]

How can i improve at this? I'm a really goofy scout and often i bump into walls, corners, and tend to miss jumps if i'm particularly tense. And does it really matter to airstrafe after every jump? For some reasons i find it harder to do than airstrafing as soldier. Probably due to the lower room of maneuver (less height) and my low sens
30
#30
0 Frags +
Neinthfoster-Be efficient with movement. Jump onto things in 1 fluid motion. Try not to walk into walls or touch clippings of doorways/objects. People like useoftoaster don't have ridiculous movement because they hold down their spacebar as hard as possible, they actually think where that jump will take them and are efficient with it to make it to the next landing place.
How can i improve at this? I'm a really goofy scout and often i bump into walls, corners, and tend to miss jumps if i'm particularly tense. And does it really matter to airstrafe after every jump? For some reasons i find it harder to do than airstrafing as soldier. Probably due to the lower room of maneuver (less height) and my low sens

Comes with playing often and being comfortable with maps/the game in general. Also, try to relax, if you think about it, you're playing a videogame. MGE is actually really good at teaching you how to jump on certain objects very efficiently.

You just have to learn a good feel for where you have to jump from in order to make it to the next spot.

Also you don't have to airstrafe after every jump, no one ever said that. Airstrafing pointlessly is... well pointless. Airstrafe away from rockets, airstrafe out of patterns of jumping a certain way or when you're falling straight down. Airstrafe to something. I have the same sens for soldier and scout and I find scout way easier to airstrafe with so I have no idea.

[quote=Neinth][quote=foster]
-Be efficient with movement. Jump onto things in 1 fluid motion. Try not to walk into walls or touch clippings of doorways/objects. People like useoftoaster don't have ridiculous movement because they hold down their spacebar as hard as possible, they actually think where that jump will take them and are efficient with it to make it to the next landing place.[/quote]

How can i improve at this? I'm a really goofy scout and often i bump into walls, corners, and tend to miss jumps if i'm particularly tense. And does it really matter to airstrafe after every jump? For some reasons i find it harder to do than airstrafing as soldier. Probably due to the lower room of maneuver (less height) and my low sens[/quote]
Comes with playing often and being comfortable with maps/the game in general. Also, try to relax, if you think about it, you're playing a videogame. MGE is actually really good at teaching you how to jump on certain objects very efficiently.

You just have to learn a good feel for where you have to jump from in order to make it to the next spot.

Also you don't have to airstrafe after every jump, no one ever said that. Airstrafing pointlessly is... well pointless. Airstrafe away from rockets, airstrafe out of patterns of jumping a certain way or when you're falling straight down. Airstrafe [b]to[/b] something. I have the same sens for soldier and scout and I find scout way easier to airstrafe with so I have no idea.
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