Lesson 2: Defining Class Roles
Lesson date: Dec 15th @ 9pm VST
Purpose: A good way to create effective team play in game, regardless of one's ability to communicate, directly relates to the ability of working off your teammates actions. To help facilitate that, we will establish a set group dynamic, which will result in more opportunities to practice this tactic and train on what to look for in day to day play.
We will be working with two groups of Combat Classes and one group of the remaining classes (Picking Classes and Engy specifically) acting upon quasi-independantly the situation. There are a few good strategic reasons for this structure and it don't hold for all maps - such as some payload maps. The two Combat Class groups are
the Combo group and
the Flank group.
The Combo's main defining trait is the presence of the Medic and the team's Pocket, plus one more player which the Medic or Heavy feels would give them a good tactical advantage for whatever task they are aiming to accomplish.
You guys are the core of the team's offensive. Heavy has a high DPS and is, more importantly, an attention grabber. If a combo moves in the Flank need to move in too with back-line support from the sniper and the spy acting according to the situation. The call of a heavy being on the offensive will attract most of the attention (and damage) of the other team. That means you (if you're not the heavy) will not be taking much damage (logically).
Heavy
- You are the Pocket! (Pocket is NOT a medic)
- Always be with your medic
- If you are not with your medic, return to your medic.
Stay alive (if you go down, your medic will probably go down too)
Take it slower (medic needs to heal more than just you, that takes time. Wait for your medic to be done before advancing further)
Work with your medic to decide when to push in, don't just go. (if close to uber, wait for the uber instead of pushing in and hoping it comes up before you die)
Is your medic healing someone else?
- No - Refer to the above.
Yes - DO NOT TAKE DAMAGE OR DRAW AGGRO (basically wait for the healing to finish and the medic to go back to you).
Remember you'll be drawing a LOT of fire. Try not to stand near anything/anyone terribly fragile if you can help it, but it is more their fault than yours if they take splash from damage intended for you. If you get low and are not committed (can escape easily) back out and heal up.
Medic
- Always be with your heavy.
- If you are not with your heavy return to your heavy.
Stay alive and keep your heavy alive (if s/he dies, you'll probably die too)
Always be healing SOMEONE. If your heavy goes down and you get away, find someone to stick with you IMMEDIATELY and keep healing. Keep building that uber and get back to your heavy asap.
Don't stand so close to your healing target. This minimizes splash damage done to you by explosives and stray bullets.
- Experiment and find out how far away from your healing target you can stand while keeping the healing beam on your target with max distance.
Don't stand still. Ever. You're a favoured target of snipers and spies and an unmoving medic is an easy target.
The Third Player can come down to combo preference as well as the current situation. These are not the be-all and end-all reasons to have a specific class in the group but here are some situations each class can be useful in.
- A Demo is a good complement for indirect fire and additional DPS (essentially a walking artillery)
A Pyro is a good choice when the other team's spy is proving very dangerous for the Heavy or the Medic.
A Soldier is useful if the nearby terrain can be taken advantage of for height.
A Scout can be handy chasing down would-be attackers or in taking down the other team's Medic if the Heavy is distracted, however this isn't restricted to being in the combo.
The Flank group consists of the remaining three combat classes that are not in the combo. They go, essentially, whatever route the Combo does not to prevent the opposing team from getting past the front lines.
You have a lot of freedom and therefore a lot of responsibility
- DO NOT ADVANCE ALONE. I cannot stress this enough. If you do you will likely be killed resulting in a loss of presence and gives the other team an advantage.
- Instead work with the teammates around you. Keep one another alive by keeping an eye on routes where the other team could be pressuring from and follow Targeting Order.
- If you see someone coming take them out if you can and try not to take too much damage as you can't be as easily healed as you would be if you're in the Combo.
If you need heals, let your teammates know and go and get some healing from health packs or the Medic. Just... don't all go at once and leave the flank unguarded!
Keep in mind that not advancing is a legitimate strategy. If you're not sure if you can continue pushing on a position try to hold one the has a heath kit, an easy way to back out, as well as a position that isn't easily flanked.
That said, advancing together doesn't mean you need to be in arm's reach. Always be conscious of potential splash damage that might hit you from standing too close to another player (ESPECIALLY HEAVIES)
Ideally you will be pushing in either at the same time or shortly after the Combo has pushed in to help secure the territory you're taking so listen for the comms!
If a medic latches on to you
- Is the medic's pocket alive?
- Yes - He's healing you up and giving you a top-up. At least wait for your health to be refilled before becoming aggressive again, preferedly with a bit of a buff as well.
No - S/He NEEDS someone to protect him/her.
- Are you the only offensive class player in the area?
- Yes - DO NOT GO ON THE OFFENSIVE, Back out if you can.
No - Continue the push; the medic will designate a new Pocket.
- Did the medic choose you?
- Yes - Refer to the section under Heavy about Pocketing
No - Behave as normal.
As mentioned previously
Picking Classes perform tasks separately of these two groups. The Spy will be doing whatever they believe will be most beneficial for their team or whatever is called for them to do. Some tactical options include (but are not limited to):
- Harass the Engy and his gear
Cloak and Dagger loadout, doing no damage but feeding intel on everything the other team is doing
Going for picks
Back-capping last while 2nd is contested and about to be won
Dead Ringer for persistant intel carrying
The Sniper will be moving to whatever position will give the best line of sight to his/her target without putting him/herself in too much danger. Usually this means s/he'll be going wherever the best sight lines are which can be either behind the Combo or Flank groups.
The Engineer will be running whatever gear they feel will be best for the current situation as the role doesn't change too much from normal: build gear as close to the front lines as possible and maintain it, defeating dastardly Spies whenever nessicary.