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Team Fortress 2 is one of the most popular class-based online shooters and is definitely an absolute pioneer when it comes to the genre. One of the features that led to the game’s rise in popularity is its unique and charismatic cast of characters. Team Fortress 2 classes aren’t just nameless player stand-ins but have their own personalities and rich lore. Most importantly, each of the nine classes has a distinct playstyle, requiring different strategies and approaches.
With so many Team Fortress 2 classes to choose from, it can be difficult to select the one that fits your playstyle the best. That’s why here at SkinCashier we present a guide to all the classes in TF2!
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What Classes Are In Team Fortress 2?
In Team Fortress 2, each player must select one of the nine classes to play as. There are no limits to which class you can play, and gamers can switch them at will. When you select a new class, the next time you will spawn as your chosen character.
At the moment there are nine classes playable in the game, separated into three categories, depending on what the classes focus on during the match:
Offensive Classes
- Soldier
- Scout
- Pyro
Defensive Classes
- Demoman
- Engineer
- Heavy
Support Classes
- Medic
- Spy
- Sniper
Before you make your choice, make sure to check out what your team members are playing as. Team structure is important in TF2, and it’s important to see your self as a smaller part of the entire team. A good class combination is one of the vital points of every victory plan in TF2, and knowing how the classes work together can help you carry the match in unexpected directions. To do this, you have to understand how each of the class categories works in the game.
Offensive Classes
These are all the characters that are on the main attack force and often have far more firepower than other classes in the game. Soldier, Scout, and Pyro each possess high attack power and mobility, allowing them to quickly capture control points and take out entire groups of enemies. The Soldier can quickly pop into action with his rocket jump, as well as decimate the enemy ranks at a distance with his rocket launcher. The Scout on the other hand moves faster than any other class, has a double jump, and can capture points twice as fast. Finally, the Pyro, lacking the speed and mobility of the other two, can easily destroy huge groups of enemies, and their flamethrower is one of the most powerful weapons in closed spaces.
One of the downsides of offensive classes in TF2 is their health pool. The Soldier and the Pyro have a 200-health pool, the Scout, however, is paper-thin and gets bodied by virtually any weapon in the game. This is a pretty problematic combination, considering that you’ll be taking significant damage in your assigned role. To play offensive classes effectively in TF2, make sure to stay behind your defensive class allies.
Want to improve your offensive gameplay? Make sure to check out our list of best soldier items!
Defensive Classes
The defensive group focuses on preventing the enemy team from advancing on the map, or if you’re attacking, they can help you lock down important parts of the map, making it easier for other characters to lead the assault. The three defensive classes focus on camping and map control. These are the Engineer with his sentry guns, the Demoman with Sticky Bombs, which can be detonated at a distance, and the TF2 Heavy, with the largest health pool in the game. These classes have the most firepower by far, but often lack mobility and can be outmaneuvered by better players.
Defensive classes can also provide some utility, and the Engineer’s buildings can both kill, as well as heal his teammates. When you play defensive classes, make sure you’re not bunched up with other defensive groups around the map. This will make you harder to take out with an AoE attack, as well as more difficult to outmaneuver. Also, if you want to improve your defensive gameplay, make sure to read our TF2 Engineer guide!
Support Classes
The support classes focus on specific abilities and they can shine, where others might find it difficult to advance. Support classes are particularly good at breaking up groups of enemies when they are lumped up together, ensuring that gamers always have a way to advance in the match and neither of the teams can hold out in one place for too long. Generally, every team will need at least a couple of support classes, but remember that they are more of a bonus, and should not be treated as the core of any team composition.
There are three support classes in the game: the Medic, with his powerful medi-gun and Ubercharge, the Spy with a plethora of utility skills and deadly attacks, and the Sniper, possibly the most straightforward of all support classes in the game. The Sniper is more or less what you’d expect out of a character with such a name, equipped with a sniper rifle capable of instantly killing any class in the game. However, for all their use and power, Support classes are some of the squishiest in the game, often dying easily to a single hit. Because of this, you have to be extremely aware of your surroundings, know the map well, and make sure to avoid attracting too much attention. Also, check out our top list of the best medic weapons in TF2!
In Conclusion
It can be difficult to pick a single TF2 class that you want to play as, but understanding how each TF2 class works will let you make better and more conscious choices about what character to play as in Team Fortress 2. If you enjoyed this article, make sure to check out the rest of the SKinCashier blog, where we regularly post more tips, tricks, and Team Fortress 2 news!