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Best TF2 Counters for Every Character

Know who to swap off to when your teammates tell you to switch.

Character matchups are one of the pillars of effective play in Team Fortress 2. Similar to other games like Overwatch, sometimes players will keep getting sniped unless they switch off the character they are currently on. It's always a good idea to know who counters who so that you can make the best decision at the character load screen.

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How to counter every Character in TF2

Scout

The best way to deal with Scout in TF2 is to use Engineer. Scout doesn't have much in his kit to deal with Engineer's turrets. This means he will have to spend the match hiding behind corners or getting blown up. The Engineer's Widowmaker also can go toe to toe with Scout's weapons if they find themselves in a 1v1 situation.

Soldier

There aren't any real "hard counters" to Soldier, as this character is more of a jack of all trades, master of none. If a Soldier is really about to pop off, though, an Airblast from Pyro can keep him from using his primary fire. A Heavy can also beat Soldier in an isolated fight.

Heavy

The key to beating Heavy in general is by using range. Some characters have the tools to stay out of his range and kite him down, but Sniper is the character who is specifically meant to counter Heavy. With good positioning, nothing Heavy can do should be able to threaten Sniper.

Medic

As a more passive character, it's rare that a Medic is going to be a large threat for any team to deal with. If players really want to ruin that Medic's day, though, they can just use Spy. It might be wise to have a Spy hunt down Medic before it can use Uber. Sniper can also one-tap Medic if it gets a good angle.

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Sniper

To beat Sniper, players will need a quick, mobile character who can score a fast kill. That makes Spy the best Sniper counter. Of course, a smart Sniper might use Razorback to keep from being backstabbed, but if Spy gets in range, he can simply use the Revolver to win the 1v1.

Demoman

The best option to use against Demoman would be Scout. However, the Scout will need to be quick on their feet to dodge the grenades. Once Scout gets in his effective range, he can use primary fire or even pipe to chunk away at Demoman's health.

Engineer

This character gets fairly hard-countered by Demoman. First of all, Demoman likes to play just outside the range of Engingeer's Shotgun. Secondly, Demoman has too much firepower for the Engineer to deal with. Demoman's grenades will kill the Engineer well before his turrets can score a kill of their own.

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Pyro

Heavy can pretty much stomp Pyro in most situations. Heavy obviously wants to get Pyro isolated (perhaps in a building). If this happens, Heavy has more than enough health to take on Pyro's flames. To create this situation, Heavy can use the silent effect on the Tomislav to flank Pyro without him hearing.

Spy

Pyro is pretty good at hunting down Spy and killing him. The Flame Thrower has an afterburn effect that can point out a Spy's location. This can stop a sneaky Spy looking for an easy flank. Pyro can also keep up with Spy's speed thanks to the Powerjack. If the Pyro can keep from getting backstabbed, it will have enough power to beat the Spy in an isolated gunfight.

Want more TF2 guides? Pro Game Guides has you covered with Team Fortress 2 Patch Notes Today (7/13/23).


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Image of Shane Foley
Shane Foley
Shane Foley is both a huge gamer and a Contributing Writer at Pro Game Guides. He's been gaming ever since the Nintendo 64 came out, and he knows everything there is to know about Pokémon, Fire Emblem, Zelda, and several other Nintendo franchises.