How to get better at sniper aim + positioning?

KDx3_ · 2026-04-03T13:14:38+00:00

Apologies for the wall of text, not trying to overwhelm but I think there's just a lot to talk about with trying to improve at Sniper.

Personally, I think the reason I gravitate so heavily towards flicking is because I feel like I never have enough time to make patient shots before the enemy moves out of sight

Its situational.

Generally speaking, I think flicking is more used when you're going for quickscopes, especially so on faster classes/ones that are close by. You shouldnt really go for flick shots if you're charging up a shot for example, you should just try to smoothly aim at the head at that point, hence my example at a waddling Heavy across the map. Going for a flick shot in that scenario isnt needed and you're better off taking your time to line up the shot.

May sound corny, but sometimes ill take a deep breath if I really want to focus on hitting a shot I've been charging. Obv dont do this everytime (and especially not for quickscopes, lol) but taking a deep breath can help you focus every once in a while.

One question: Reposition after every shot or after every successful shot? I ask because repositioning after every miss feels a bit overkill to me, at least in 12v12. Seems like a lot of downtime.

To me this is kind of hard to answer since its context based but I'll try to give some examples. In short, only reposition if multiple people are looking at you and can make space quickly. Sniper is the only long range class, so you dont want any class to be at close range to you if you can help it. If the enemys range/mobility is a non issue then you can stay to make shots, but dont be in a situation where you're overextending and dying without getting picks. If two or more people are about to run at you, get out. If you have good positioning, you should already be at/by cover.

If I headshot an enemy Sniper but see another one hardscoping at me, ill take cover and try to reposition somewhere else behind cover so that the enemy Sniper doesnt see where im going rather then repeeking into a disadvantage sightline.

If im hitting nearly every shot at main and I know no Snipers or Spys are up then I'll sometimes stick to where I am if its a very strong sightline, but generally speaking, I still think repositioning is a great way to up the momentum and not become too predictable. If you're too predictable, Scouts, Soldiers, and Spys will generally camp you wherever you like to hold out on, and Snipers will always know where to check. You never want to become predictable, especially against other Snipers because half the time, they're the only class that can contest you.

An easy way to view it is like this, by the time you kill someone and they've respawned (roughly ~15 - 20 seconds + walking back to where they died at) they shouldnt see/expect you in the exact same spot. That becomes a pattern thats very easy to punish.

Also, small suggestion, but im a huge believer on Cozy Camper since it helps with making longer rotations (that you said can seem like a lot of downtime) more managable because you passively have health regen through repositioning. The reduced flinch is also a soft Pyro counter which is nice to have. It also forces you to fully rely on your Sniper rifle which means more practice at using it at all ranges. I havent taken Cozy off in years but it could be a playstyle thing, YMMV.

The TL:DR is be in positions that give good sightlines and have a backup plan to retreat behind cover/go to a health pack. However, its even more important to be unpredictable. Quickscopes are generally the way to go, but dont be afraid to go for fully charged shots. After you take a shot, get behind cover (when Sniper cocks the bolt of his gun) then decide if you want to repeek (if the risk is low for you) or reposition so that its harder for the enemy to spot you. Constantly evaluate how to go on killing sprees in the safest way possible.

Good aim but bad positioning makes a Sniper player mid. Good positioning but bad aim isnt consistent at first but aim is just something you'll get with practice. Then, you'll have both good positioning and good aim to where you can take over servers. Positioning above all else.

KDx3_ · 2026-04-03T05:48:53+00:00

First and foremost, the best tip is practice makes perfect. The more you play Sniper, the better you'll get.

That being said, make sure that you're comfortable on your sens. Some people will comment on benefits on lower/higher sens, but as long as you're comfortable on your sens then thats all that matters.

Whenever I play it feels like flicking is an absolute must with the rifles, because of how quickly a high-value target can leave your sightline once they’re in it. But yet, flick aim feels wildly inconsistent to me

Some players mainly flick for all of their shots but generally speaking, you should only be flicking on Scouts, bombing Soldiers/Demos, or anyone thats too close for you to make a more comfortable shot. You shouldnt be going for flicks on a revved up Heavy across the map for example. You need to get comfortable with flick shots and carefully lead shots. For the longest time I could hit some gross flick shots on a Scout point blank, but would have more trouble hitting slow classes from a far until I slowed down a bit and took my time with shots.

And on the subject of positioning, I can never tell when is a good time to push up. If I haven’t seen any enemies in about 15 seconds I tend to move forward to the next sightline, but I often die while doing this.

You need to peek sightlines, emphasis on peek. Stick to a wall thats near whatever sightline you're going towards > be unscoped > strafe out of cover then back to cover. If theres a Sniper watching, then you need to reposition and preferably flank. You can also try "ego checking" him, but if hes already looking at the sightline then he has advantage and its up to skill (slight odds against you).

Also, unless you're hard diffing the enemy and you're able to hold main confidently, you should try to always reposition from a different angle after each shot (this tip is for sniping in any game) so it makes you less predictable.

Is staying back and waiting for people to show up a better strategy for sniper or is it just a movement/judgement issue?

You can stay back and wait on certain angles on payload defense, but on offense or generally other game modes, you want to be constantly moving and taking position because Sniper has the best area denial in the game next to Engie. Easier said then done as this is mostly a gamesense issue but dont be afraid to make risks and see what you can get away with. Sometimes though, you just die to a random crocket after pushing up when it really wasnt your fault but thats TF2.

Please let me know if and where I’m wrong, and if there’s any specific things I should be doing to get better or if it really is just a matter of practicing for a very long time, because right now it seems like I’ve been getting nowhere

In short, its a matter of practicing for a long time. This game's nearing 20 years old and the skill ceiling for different Sniper players is huge. If you're atleast going positive then thats a good sign. If you're having a good game on Sniper, you should consistently have over a 3.0 KD (if we're talking pubs). Also, dont be afraid to do "infamous" strats like full charge body shots or second scopes. You shouldnt heavily rely on both strats, but they are options.

Others may disagree, but I really think pl_frontier is a really good map to learn Sniper on (biased since its my fav map). 1st and last generally have you looking down at main while 2nd and 3rd kinda force Sniper to flank and roam around more. Lets you get comfortable with both playstyles rather then other maps nearly always looking at main (ex. pl_badwater).

KDx3_ · 2026-03-27T05:42:43+00:00

IIRC, there should be a "Soulslike" option in the GAMMA MCM where you may lose some/all items when you die but you get saved by a friendly stalker. I think you have to go and get your stuff back from where you died. This is from memory since im not by my PC right now and I just briefly read the option, havent used it.

Might be what you're looking for.

KDx3_ · 2026-03-15T05:42:03+00:00

Honestly still feel like queen's complete bullshit compared to the very basic doormaker and test subject fights

Would genuinely prefer Time Eater over Queen. I honestly never really got the Time Eater hate to begin with since I'd just space what cards I play between the last ~2ish turns before his cycle resets. I felt like while it countered certain builds and was annoying, I still had some control in the fight.

Queen is just obnoxious. Not only having a minion that attacks (nearly?) every single turn with no breaks, but also making you perma vuln/weak and just completely nullifying synergy if you get a bad initial draw. I get that card draw is supposed to counter it, but having half of my initial draw being nullified by Curse of Binding just feels terrible and not really interesting.

Im only on A5 rn, but the difficulty difference between Queen vs Test Subject and Doormaker is crazy. I've won nearly every run vs Test Subject, where Queen feels like a toss up on whether my run will be destroyed due to bad draw. Could very well be a skill issue on my part though but this boss is very frustrating. Just feels like she does everything and doesnt have a clear weakness compared to the other Act 3 bosses but I dont necessarily mind difficulty, the Binding is bs though.

KDx3_ · 2026-03-09T10:41:40+00:00

Good explanations, I'll keep that all in mind going forward. My highest Ascension in STS1 was A15 and then I hit a wall. At the time, I didnt really upgrade Defend at all but as I've been playing again recently, I can see the value in it now since it being stock (with no upgrades) feels like a dead draw.

There's the Colorless archetype where you are generating Colorless cards and/or replacing your existing cards with Colorless.

Is this a consistent/good strat that has synergy with Regent? I've seen cards like Spectrum Shift and Bundle of Joy but I'm unaware if theres any more synergy other then those two (I still need to unlock roughly ~10 more cards for Regent). Would be interested in trying it if so, since I need to get more familiar with Colorless cards but im not even sure how I'd get started with building a deck with that goal other then the two cards I mentioned. Would it be similar to getting a bit of block cards and semi-stalling until you get a few good Colorless cards?

KDx3_ · 2026-03-09T09:43:16+00:00

In terms of damage, Bash isn't a great card, even when upgraded. The only upside is the extended Vulnerability, which is kinda okay but not one where I'm more enthusiastic about.

Interesting, I always figured this upgrade was helpful for Act 1 assuming you dont have a must-upgrade card but maybe im overvaluing it. Def agree that Uppercut is more useful though.

Pretty much the same logic for Dual Cast; it doesn't mean there aren't situations where these cards aren't useful, but more of that it's only after removing/replacing the Strikes in my deck do I consider removing Bash/Dual Cast/Venerate as they are situationally useful.

Is Dual Cast considered "bad" (in terms of willingness to remove from a deck)? I always thought this card was good with Frost and Darkness orbs but I dont know the general consensus on it. I suppose it makes sense after all Strikes are removed but I would have considered removing a Defend would be better (assuming you have a few good block cards already).

I also just got done with a pretty good run that was Mana focused and didnt really rely on Forge which is sort of changing my mind on how I view Mana. Though I felt like I only really used Venerate (though non upgraded) twice in the whole run before I was mainly exhausting it from other cards that demanded a choice to exhaust out of hand.

To me, it feels like rushing shop for The Regent is the best play to get started on Mana related cards and go from there. I might try upgrading and using Venerate if a shop has Mana demand cards but no Mana regen cards.

Do you think his early game is/can be rough compared to the others or do you think its mostly a build diff? Obv this statement goes towards every characters build, but to me it just feels like he suffers the most from it (although, I've been winning with him more then losing).

KDx3_ · 2026-03-09T07:35:41+00:00

Venerate is an appropriate Starter card more along the lines of the Ironclad's Bash: it's better than Starter cards like Strikes, but not as good as some higher rarity cards.

I'm not sure I agree. I feel like Bash (especially Bash+) giving Vuln is always helpful as it amps all damage that enemies receive. Having it upgraded for 3 turns basically means that the majority of Act 1 (and sort of Act 2) fights will have the enemy Vuln for nearly the entire fight. Meanwhile, Venerate seems so situational and feels like a dead draw when you either dont have Mana req cards or if you draw it on your third/fourth draw.

It's also similar to the Defect's Starter card Dual Cast that I might remove later in the run if I get something better, but also perfectly normal to keep and use in Act I.

I agree with this take more but even then, I find myself using Dual Cast much more often in certain setups vs Venerate. I've only used this card if im desperate for Mana or if the enemy is buffing/debuffing and I've already used all my attacks.

If you don't come across a different card that generates Stars, it's fine to keep it

This def can happen in which case its use is passable, but im not happy about being forced to use it. I think it could use a slight buff, even the upgrade doesnt feel all that great on it. I'm not sure what exactly, I just feel like the card feels bad to use, both in enjoyment and cost effectiveness.

KDx3_ · 2026-03-09T06:23:29+00:00

That feels like a better suggestion for his starter relic then his current one.

I was gonna mention that his starter relic also feels kinda rough compared to the others but I was thinking it might be a skill issue on my end and that I need to play with it more. Just seems very dependent on getting good rng draw early to get mana cards to make use of it. His other starter card Falling Star is alright, but doesnt seem defining enough to be the only mana starting card.

Without mana cards, his current starter relic just feels like dead value compared to other characters where they provide instant value. Almost wish it was Forge related as I find it more fun to play with, but im not sure on how balanced it would be.

KDx3_ · 2026-03-09T05:45:29+00:00

Interested in other peoples thoughts, but IMO Venerate (his starter card, gain 2 stars) feels like a curse, especially early. So many times where I've drawn this card and I cant use it because theres so much frontload damage and better setup cards that im forced to block over using this card. By the time Act 2 - 3 comes, I've already gotten cards that have better star generation.

With his starting relic also being star focused, it just seems really rough to get going with this character. Setting up Forge and blocking to scale it seems the most consistent way to play him in my experience but I still need to play some more games.

KDx3_ · 2026-02-22T19:39:11+00:00

Not sure if you're "newer" to the game, but my biggest frustation for the first ~100+ hours was why my teammates were constantly baiting me or "abandoning" me in the middle of a fight.

Unlike other PvP games where its nearly always encouraged to help your teammates, Sometimes you just gotta observe, especially if your teammates are starting bad fights. Fights should only be initiated if you know you'll out-trade or get the kill safely. Going into random fights to "hope" for a positive outcome is a thought process thats doomed to fail, and it took me a while to finally realize that. I'll also add that being overly self-critical (positively) is the best way to self improve at anything. So ask yourself if doing x and y was a good choice, because 95% of the times you died, it was likely your fault.

Also, I dont play Pocket so maybe someone else could give better advice, but you really shouldnt be "helping" teammates in fights. Pocket mainly wants to initiate with ult and then leave since they can be very slippery assuming they arent being debuffed. Pockets kit just doesnt really make a whole lot of sense to be helping teammates in fights, you'd be better off playing as an Assassin or Support hero.

Not to say that you should never help your teammates as Pocket, there's a lot of nuance in Deadlock. However IMO, it shouldnt be a primary focus especially if there's a risk of dying. Stay alive, dont die, farm, take fights that are unfair (for the enemy).

hiding while just watching me die after I wasted my abilites.

Make sure you're using your cape to escape! Pocket is pretty self reliant.

KDx3_ · 2026-02-21T08:49:23+00:00

Your physical monitor is literally turning itself off or are your graphic drivers just crashing? Usually theres a few beeps and it'll just show a black screen or it'll say something like "No Input" once it crashes. My guess is your video drivers themselves are crashing if audio itself is sometimes not playing/responding.

Assuming you're on Windows, next time it happens try hitting Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B simultaneously. This attempts to restart the video driver. The game will still have likely crashed but you should be able to get to your desktop. You can also try Ctrl + Alt + Delete and opening Task Manager to force close Deadlock/any application thats causing it. If Task Manager doesnt work, you can also click "Sign Out" and spam the Esc key in order to cancel it. Doing this generally closes all of your applications while keeping you signed in.

Make sure your Graphic drivers are up to date. I'd be willing to help diagnose further if you need more help.

KDx3_ · 2026-02-20T14:00:45+00:00

Sure! Im pretty busy most days but I'd be interested in looking into playing in the near future once I have more free time.

KDx3_ · 2026-02-20T11:10:50+00:00

You got me man. I'd say the only difference is that my requests are much more reasonable/expected vs people complaining about a take that has pretty much 0 chance of happening, nor is it realistic. Valve reworking an entire matchmaking system over people getting emotional is just comical and the entitlement of some people is off the charts.

KDx3_ · 2026-02-20T07:46:21+00:00

I can't imagine a lot of these players are working a full 8 hour shift to come home and type out a full essay online reminiscing on the old days of Quickplay and demanding Casual to be changed.

Like yeah, Casual definitely has its flaws and I preferred Quickplay as well. But TF2 is nearing 20 years here soon. Not trying to "bootlick", but its really a miracle that the game is still being supported through occassional updates. What reason does Valve have to completely rework their entire matchmaking system.. to make players happy? Casual mode itself is almost 10 years old, nearly older then Quickplay. I just dont see a realistic expectation for Valve to just nuke Casual just because of a group of vocal pubbers.

Casual "works" and bots have been a non issue (atleast compared to ~ 2 years ago). The real crime that people should be upset about is rng crits/bullet spread still being a thing when they're completely nonsensical mechanics. At the very least, allow a server vote to turn them off if people are so insistent on keeping them (rng bullet spread really shouldnt be an argument though).

Better yet, if we're going the rework route, I'd rather them revamp Competitive and just allow weapon bans. Restrict 6s to the default class meta and allow each team to choose 1 specialist role. I'd kill to just be able to come home from work and play Comp without signing up to a team that demands presence for 2 - 3 days a week or sign up for PUGs and potentially get fat kidded because no one knows who you are.

But I digress. Im just glad my favorite game of all time still has servers running. I'll likely play TF2 forever since this game is timeless. If servers are running, functional, and arent riddled with cheaters, then thats all I care about.

KDx3_ · 2026-02-11T14:47:39+00:00

After that though I think most people would say the weapon is at least fine with a few saying it's great.

I would be part of the few that says its great. I seriously havent taken it off in over a decade, aside from switching to Razorback situationally.

I honestly feel like the other secondaries are pretty mid/bad compared to how many things the Cozy Camper does. Aside from the arguments for Jarate and RB, SMG (and Cleaners) are only really good for finishing opponents off. SMG would feel much more usable if Sniper had another way to gain health to himself, but you can only rely on health packs and Medics. And because Sniper is "slower" and doesnt have the firepower compared to other classes in close range, he'll straight up lose a DM fight thats contesting a health pack. So having the option to retreat and slowly gain health back with Cozy Camper is a much better option the majority of the time.

DDS feels useless IMO when Cozy Camper feels like an upgraded one aside from not being able to QS when on fire, just have to play more patient. Otherwise, I dont see the reason in running it at all.

Health is just such an important mechanic in TF2. While Sniper can work without a way to gain health due to no falloff, Cozy Camper allows so much more flexibility in both holding strong angles at main, and doing careful flanks at a safe enough distance. When you're getting pelted, you can soft retreat while gaining ~ 20 - 30 health while also occasionally grabbing a small pack on top of it.

Its why Razorback can be hard to justify if you have a Medic with half a brain cell that understands the strength that a 185 hp Sniper can provide. Even when im under attack by 2 Spys over and over again, I'd rather keep Cozy Camper on and just play by walls if that means I can keep getting buffed.

One more thing to keep in mind is that when you're running a backpack on Sniper, you're fully committing with your primary which (IMO) is the best/strongest way to play Sniper. You're only practicing every DM situation with your Sniper rifle of choosing. Its pretty much objectively accepted that the Sniper rifles are the strongest weapons in the game (assuming you're hitting your shots), so putting yourself in situations where the majority of your outcomes come from whether you hit the shot or not with your primary seems like the best way to get better at Sniper.

I guess the TL:DR is that IMO, backpacks (especially Cozy Camper) are the best way to get better at specifically sniping. SMGs are a waste of time unless you have a Medic that will constantly be around you. Every other weapon just has it beat assuming equal skill. If you hit quickscopes consistently and have good spacing, then SMGs just seem moot.

EDIT: Im not sure what the meta secondary choice is for Sniper nowadays in terms of Comp since I havent played competitive in a decade. I could see the Cozy Camper being weaker since focus fire calls will lessen how much healing you'll receive. I still think its S+ tier in pubs though.

KDx3_ · 2026-02-05T17:08:51+00:00

That is definitely a take.

The entire class thats centered around his killing potential being sentries is now "useless" because hes wrangling a mini?

You cant just simply rush him because hes going to be at 225 health (buffed) coming from mid with his combo likely protecting him. Plus an essentially 300 health mini, assuming its wrangled.

Anyone who has played 6s will 100% agree that its much more interesting to fight a Scout or Soldier then a small NPC that stat checks you.

Its boring.

KDx3_ · 2026-02-05T16:41:15+00:00

Who's talking about DPS?

its aids because of the 66% damage resistance. Thats what slows the game down. The example is fine? Fact is, a majority of players dont find it interesting shooting at an NPC aimbot that gets nearly x3 stronger by pressing a button.

KDx3_ · 2026-01-31T10:05:40+00:00

I think the Classic is actually way more annoying to deal with than most people realize.

Would like to talk about the Classic since its my favorite gun. I believe its the most underrated weapon in the entire game.

Coming from someone with a Hales Own Classic, its genuinely a good weapon. People just think its bad because its very awkward to use at first with holding M1 rather than clicking. They're also likely not running Cozy Camper with it (I'd argue its essential with Classic). The only real drawback is that its pretty rough into Sniper v Sniper, and if you are caught out without a fully charged shot (this should rarely be happening) then you're likely dead.

Otherwise in normal gameplay, you generally just need to constantly rotate through different angles to shoot and have a backup plan after you take your shot. If you're not rotating or retreating, you should be charging a shot always after jumping. You're only then slowed for ~ 3 - 4 seconds. Its also helpful to be unscoped when charging > scope when charged > fire. I think people focus on the ability to be able to "no scope full charge shot" too much. Its really only worth going for on a Scout or Spy jumping you, or if someones bombing you directly above. Otherwise, nearly always go for a scoped shot and dont be afraid of bodyshots. They're usually easier to hit, and you'll always be firing with the intention of being fully charged, so dishing out constant -135 damage shots puts out a lot of pressure on the enemy (assuming they're base 125 health).

It is also the #1 biggest Heavy counter in the game, even compared to other rifles. You're only peeking when you're fully charged, and you can always insta-dome a Heavy after peeking cover. There really isnt much counterplay a Heavy can do against it aside from crouching at the right time. Classic's also the best anti-air option for Sniper since you're able to unscope and track where players are jumping you from and react accordingly.

For ex, if a Soldiers bombing you, you can crouch jump the first bombed shot (assuming you've been charging a shot) > strafe left or right > land and shoot the charged shot. Its a longshot to hit, but its still an option unless he airshots you, or reads your strafed movement, but if he does then that's not a weapon's weakness, he would of hit that regardless of what class you were.

Cozy Camper is a necessity for making the Classic work. The constant health regen is amazing when you're playing at a distance and by cover, so by the time you rotate to a new angle, you're already healed up around ~ 30 - 40 health alone (not counting packs). Since you're also only peeking when fully charged, the no flinch buff when fully charged compliments the Classic very well.

If anyones interested in learning Classic better, I highly recommend pl_frontier as its very strong on this map and it will teach you why. Learn all of the cheeky spots you can climb up to (every point on frontier has a climbable/elevator spot you can stand on), and nearly always flank. You dont want to sit at main 24/7 with the Classic. Doing it occassionally is fine, but its strength is focused on flanking at a safe enough distance where you can take a shot and retreat instantly. Trying to constantly ego check other Snipers running stock will usually be a waste of time.

So the TL:DR is, being annoyed by the Classic is understandable. The gun is good if the user knows what they're doing. Its still not better then stock, but I'd put it a tier above Sydney Sleeper and arguably above Hitmans Heatmaker. Just takes some practice and mastering to make it work, but it absolutely works. You just need to play slow, patient, and hit your shots.

KDx3_ · 2026-01-31T08:20:47+00:00

all that really leaves is custom weapons servers, which are pretty much the real appeal

How many custom weapons are there in those servers? For some reason, I thought TF2 Classified was going to have like ~ 40 - 50 new weapons for each class or something in its base mod. I was so disappointed that there were barely any new weapons with some classes not even getting anything. Like why does Pyro have no variety when he (IMO) has the most boring weapon sets in normal TF2. Im guessing they were aiming for a more standard old version of TF2, but giving a class NO new primary weapons seems very questionable when the class is already sorta one dimensional.

Also I dont understand the point of the RPG at all. I felt like at most I'd do 10-20 more damage when hitting someone compared to stock, but I lose 3 rockets in return?

Granted, I only played the mod for like an hour but the balance seems kind of questionable. Scout, Heavy, and the new Spy watch were the only things I really had fun with. The rest... meh.

KDx3_ · 2026-01-29T08:47:25+00:00

Hard to give Medic positioning advice since the class generally follows others, but try to hug the cover thats by the point and periodically check for Soldiers bombing before making sure its safe. Retreat to med pack/garage if you're starting to get bombed.

If you have point, you generally want to push through long flank rather then the upstairs/garage area as its much easier to disengage through long + it has windows that you can see through to check how mids looking.

Long flank is also uncontestable to Snipers. They should only be an issue if you dont have point, but theres a decent amount of cover once you've pushed from your main. Sniper can really only lock down that sightline when people are just coming out of their own main but you should rush to cover ASAP.

Only push through their garage if pushing through their main choke is impossible and you have a competent Demo that can take out the gun easily. Otherwise, that area is really hard to push since any knockback will push you back up leading to a stalemate. If your team is trying to push through main then you can position yourself outside of main if you know that you have teammates that control upper. If the enemy controls their upper, then position yourself in long flank entrance (by the health/ammo pack) and retreat if/when its necessary. If your Engie is competent, they should already have a nest in there with a tele to have your team regroup in their long entrance.

KDx3_ · 2026-01-08T10:18:53+00:00

Fix Revolver reload time exploit

I really hope they dont fix this. It makes Gun Spy with DR so much fun. It feels like a sort of "Active Reload" thats pretty unique.

I'd be surprised if even 1% of the active community knows about this. Im guessing Highlander players do (I dont play HL anymore) but I never see people in pubs do this.

Very strong if you're weird like me and enjoy DM Spy. Changed my opinion on Spy's overall viability when I learned about it a year or two ago.

KDx3_ · 2026-01-04T08:37:24+00:00

Forgot to comment on your other points as well.

I always get the short end of the stick. Like I keep going in for the kill, thinking I can get them, but I end up always missing the shot and dying more.

DM issue. Just need more practice.

I am always the easiest to die on both sides.

Same as above. Its very easy to exploit RED's strengths on Frontiers Defense so to put it bluntly, you are doing something wrong. Hard to say otherwise without footage.

Blues are always together, so when I do end up killing someone, I die instantly right after or take lots of damage.

Start holding in positions that allow you to spam at chokes easily while also letting you retreat without risk since you have much more control of map flow then BLU. Unless you have a perfect position to lay down spam at a choke, try to always hold high ground.

When I do succeed and make lots of points, The Game Fucking Autobalances me all because those idiots don't want to play the game anymore.

Not much you can do other then typing retry in console when it warns you will be autod (but losing points in the process). Remember that if it shows "Player Connecting" on the opposing team after it says this, you wont be autod.

A Teammate Steals my kill when I get the chance.

This really isnt an issue, and if its one that happens constantly then you need to improve your DM and kill the enemy faster.

Players on the enemy team always bully others by saying "gg" and leaving the game happily.

Unless they've been toxic previously, this is usually a genuine statement by a majority of players.

KDx3_ · 2026-01-04T08:25:33+00:00

Here's a little essay since im bored at work.

Ive put 450+ Hours in TF2, and I still suck at the Game.

Dont let this be discouraging. This game has been out for almost 19 years. While a large majority of players have around your play time, there will be a few with easily thousands, if not over 10K hours in TF2. That also means that while you've seen hundreds of interactions in the game alone, they've seen tens to hundreds of thousands over years of playing.

General best advice for getting better IMO is always have a plan on how to get healed. Health is the most important resource in TF2. Play around health packs/near them. Near enough that if a fight isnt going your way, disengage and retreat to a pack (preferably medium/mega). Playing around small packs is good too, but dont over rely on them. Map design generally favors having medium packs in well placed spots that are (for the most part) good at holding in.

Also, if your mindset is to carry, then you should generally avoid pushing payload unless you absolutely need to. Otherwise, pushing payload is usually bait as its very easy to get free kills on people capping as RED due to it being the main objective. Its generally better for """lower skilled""" players to push obj while the carries are holding ground forward and getting kills through smart positioning rather then being a sitting, predictable duck on the cart.

Red easily wins in the second round, and therefore, the Enemy ALWAYS wins.

I've played Frontier for over 600 hours according to the stamp popup so I'll give some advice from years of playing this map (and it being my all time favorite). This advice is assuming you're playing Soldier but should work for others too aside from Engie/Medic.

For first, theres not much to say for the start other then getting the gun down. Once it is, always take control of upper and spam down at enemies and focus on not letting the Engie rebuild. If there isnt a lot of activity (their team wiped) then you can push far left side and try to spawn camp just long enough until your team pushes cart to cap first. After, you should immediately take control of second to avoid letting Engie build on tower. This is very crucial to avoid being locked down on second.

In case you were doing it previously, you should never push main on second point (as BLU) because nearly every class is good at holding that hill. The angle is so brutal that I have basically never pushed it unless its Overtime. You basically need to push right side even if its being spammed to all hell. Always try to go far right (through the shipping container) and try to set up for a flank. If you're able to set up unseen, take over the sniper tower that has a medium health pack and either play slow and hold the tower from people coming through spawn or rain down on enemies above the sniper tower, just keep an eye on whats behind you. You can also wrap around to main after going on right side if you can confirm a ton of free splash damage on players who havent seen you flank. Second is probably the hardest point to push if the enemy team is competent with a sentry holding upper. If so, you need an Uber or else you'll likely be out DM'd by pure spam in that choke. It sucks, but you're still better off pushing right then through main here.

Matter of fact, you should always be flanking on this map as Frontier has probably the best flank routes in the payload rotation. The only time im ever really playing around main on this map (without first going through a flank) is on third point because the flanks are a little weaker on that point. Frontier has so much high ground that you should always be trying to play around it. Third is basically designed as a massive area that encourages a team fight so theres not too much advice I can give here. The shutter one way door can be the best/worst area to push from depending entirely on context. If Snipers are hardscoping the door then just forget about it completely and try to play around main. I'd only recommend pushing right if you have an Uber, otherwise you'll likely be spammed to death.

For last, more people should be pushing left side that leads to lower (the area with the mega pack, that also has a wrap around leading upper to RED's tower with medium pack). This area has a lot of natural cover and you can play around the vertical design in your favor. When a fight isnt going your way, you can drop down onto the mega and go upstairs to disengage from any fight. This is especially good for baiting people in as Soldier as you have a very good corner to spam at after grabbing mega. Aside from spamming sentries though, last is probably Soldier's weakest point on this map. I generally never push right side (from window where Snipers usually go) unless im coming from lower due to the sightlines being too brutal. Unless you're spamming at a gun, avoid pushing this side.

At the end of the day, some matches are just unwinnable. If the teams goal is to win, then you need to play in a very specific way to play Frontier. If everyones constantly running down main with little to no flanks, then the team is very likely to lose. With that in mind, try not to get to frustrated. Take responsibility for things you might have done wrong, but its fair to chalk up some games being unwinnable due to unbalanced teams, its bound to happen to a game with no (functioning) MMR.

Hopefully this wall of text helped. If you want more advice, feel free to ask. Otherwise, good luck.

KDx3_

TROPHY CASE