pyro has its uses as an utility class
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About Pyro competitive
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TF2 General Discussion
Short version:
- extremely situational, but also extremely effective and easy to use against unprepared players
- it works in invite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy9-Pym7ND8#t=1355
Long version:
The basic separation between the cookie cutter classes and the utilities is their range of effectiveness in the developed meta. Scout, demo and soldier are the classes that easily combine the greatest mobility and damage output in all situations, and utility classes are only used when greater mobility isn't particularly required (i.e. holding/pushing last points + predictable stalemates). Pyro is somewhat underutilized as a utility, and I think people don't fully recognize the role that a pyro can bring to the table.
As renxzen said, pyro is definitively a utility class due to a lack of mobility and range. As such, you can't run a pyro to mid unless you can expect to hard-pocket and deny jumpers/spam, or go on an enormous flank. In the same way, choosing a cookie cutter class from spawn would provide more support if your team is in the midst of a fight and the outcome is unclear. Despite that, a buffed pyro in close quarters basically wins any 1v1 he chooses, and an ubered one can snag an easy 4k in a tight space. Basically, you can think of a situation where a pyro can be effective on each control point of any map, but often there are distinct ways that a team can hard-counter the class, so the general usefulness of a scout or soldier is stronger in more situations than the specialized power of pyro in a few.
However, pyro can provide some incredible burst damage and denial capabilities that no other class can, and in those aforementioned certain situations would be a direct upgrade to a soldier or scout. Specific instances that this occurs:
- replacing a soldier while holding snakewater last
- replacing a scout holding badlands last
- replacing scout or soldier while pushing/holding gullywash last (most of the map as well if replacing a pocket)
- replacing a scout holding process last (particularly in tandem with a sentry)
- whenever the other team is running kritz
As far as pyro DM goes, I would say a high-level TF2 player could totally master pyro DM in less than 50 hours, maybe considerably less if they were a proficient soldier to begin with, as reflect timing is the only significantly unique skill. I get mentioned when people talk about good 6's pyros and I can play UGC- Platinum pyro, and I think my DM basically maxed out after playing ~20 hours of mge on the class (thank you reddit), compared to my having over 1,000 hours on soldier. I think the same amount of gameplay would suffice to mastering any utility class for 6v6 play, save maybe sniper.
In summation, I think pyro can present the same level of utility as a sniper or heavy can, but one needs to be mindful that the class has certain limitations (like every class), and the pyro's positioning and timing need to reflect (pun intended) those limits.
[u]Short version:[/u]
- extremely situational, but also extremely effective and easy to use against unprepared players
- it works in invite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy9-Pym7ND8#t=1355
[u]Long version:[/u]
The basic separation between the cookie cutter classes and the utilities is their range of effectiveness in the developed meta. Scout, demo and soldier are the classes that easily combine the greatest mobility and damage output in all situations, and utility classes are only used when greater mobility isn't particularly required (i.e. holding/pushing last points + predictable stalemates). Pyro is somewhat underutilized as a utility, and I think people don't fully recognize the role that a pyro can bring to the table.
As renxzen said, pyro is definitively a utility class due to a lack of mobility and range. As such, you can't run a pyro to mid unless you can expect to hard-pocket and deny jumpers/spam, or go on an enormous flank. In the same way, choosing a cookie cutter class from spawn would provide more support if your team is in the midst of a fight and the outcome is unclear. Despite that, a buffed pyro in close quarters basically wins any 1v1 he chooses, and an ubered one can snag an easy 4k in a tight space. Basically, you can think of a situation where a pyro can be effective on each control point of any map, but often there are distinct ways that a team can hard-counter the class, so the general usefulness of a scout or soldier is stronger in more situations than the specialized power of pyro in a few.
[size=14][b]However[/b][/size], pyro can provide some incredible burst damage and denial capabilities that no other class can, and in those aforementioned certain situations would be a direct upgrade to a soldier or scout. Specific instances that this occurs:
- replacing a soldier while holding snakewater last
- replacing a scout holding badlands last
- replacing scout or soldier while pushing/holding gullywash last (most of the map as well if replacing a pocket)
- replacing a scout holding process last (particularly in tandem with a sentry)
- whenever the other team is running kritz
As far as pyro DM goes, I would say a high-level TF2 player could totally master pyro DM in less than 50 hours, maybe considerably less if they were a proficient soldier to begin with, as reflect timing is the only significantly unique skill. I get mentioned when people talk about good 6's pyros and I can play UGC- Platinum pyro, and I think my DM basically maxed out after playing ~20 hours of mge on the class (thank you reddit), compared to my having over 1,000 hours on soldier. I think the same amount of gameplay would suffice to mastering any utility class for 6v6 play, save maybe sniper.
In summation, I think pyro can present the same level of utility as a sniper or heavy can, but one needs to be mindful that the class has certain limitations (like every class), and the pyro's positioning and timing need to reflect (pun intended) those limits.
- extremely situational, but also extremely effective and easy to use against unprepared players
- it works in invite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy9-Pym7ND8#t=1355
[u]Long version:[/u]
The basic separation between the cookie cutter classes and the utilities is their range of effectiveness in the developed meta. Scout, demo and soldier are the classes that easily combine the greatest mobility and damage output in all situations, and utility classes are only used when greater mobility isn't particularly required (i.e. holding/pushing last points + predictable stalemates). Pyro is somewhat underutilized as a utility, and I think people don't fully recognize the role that a pyro can bring to the table.
As renxzen said, pyro is definitively a utility class due to a lack of mobility and range. As such, you can't run a pyro to mid unless you can expect to hard-pocket and deny jumpers/spam, or go on an enormous flank. In the same way, choosing a cookie cutter class from spawn would provide more support if your team is in the midst of a fight and the outcome is unclear. Despite that, a buffed pyro in close quarters basically wins any 1v1 he chooses, and an ubered one can snag an easy 4k in a tight space. Basically, you can think of a situation where a pyro can be effective on each control point of any map, but often there are distinct ways that a team can hard-counter the class, so the general usefulness of a scout or soldier is stronger in more situations than the specialized power of pyro in a few.
[size=14][b]However[/b][/size], pyro can provide some incredible burst damage and denial capabilities that no other class can, and in those aforementioned certain situations would be a direct upgrade to a soldier or scout. Specific instances that this occurs:
- replacing a soldier while holding snakewater last
- replacing a scout holding badlands last
- replacing scout or soldier while pushing/holding gullywash last (most of the map as well if replacing a pocket)
- replacing a scout holding process last (particularly in tandem with a sentry)
- whenever the other team is running kritz
As far as pyro DM goes, I would say a high-level TF2 player could totally master pyro DM in less than 50 hours, maybe considerably less if they were a proficient soldier to begin with, as reflect timing is the only significantly unique skill. I get mentioned when people talk about good 6's pyros and I can play UGC- Platinum pyro, and I think my DM basically maxed out after playing ~20 hours of mge on the class (thank you reddit), compared to my having over 1,000 hours on soldier. I think the same amount of gameplay would suffice to mastering any utility class for 6v6 play, save maybe sniper.
In summation, I think pyro can present the same level of utility as a sniper or heavy can, but one needs to be mindful that the class has certain limitations (like every class), and the pyro's positioning and timing need to reflect (pun intended) those limits.
Pyro has decent damage, but lacks range, mobility, or any real sort of versatility. He is also apparently unfun to play against, which is a necessary component of any competitively viable class.
Pyro has decent damage, but lacks range, mobility, or any real sort of versatility. He is also apparently unfun to play against, which is a necessary component of any competitively viable class.
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