TF2 Pyro Guide – How to Play

Team Fortress 2 features nine classes, and TF2 Pyro is one of the most fun to play. This class can burn enemies quite literally and will get lots of kills if you know what to do with it. In this article, you’ll learn the basics of playing Pyro.

How Pyro Works in TF2

TF2 Pyro
TF2 Pyro

Pyro is a TF2 class that excels in close range combat. He deals an enormous amount of damage per second (150+), and the crits of the Flame Thrower deal 460 damage, which is more than enough to kill even the most vital classes in the game.

The key to succeeding with Pyro is picking him on maps with lots of narrow entrances and spaces. If you’re playing out in the open, you have no hope because your movement speed is just 100%, which is not spectacular for a class that can only fight at close range.

Good Pyros know how to surprise their enemies. They know how to hide and wait for the right moment to strike. This is the perfect class for ambushing the enemy, and it’s the worst class for situations in which the opponent can see you getting close to him.

Think of the Pyro as a kind of unit equipped with a shotgun. If you’re too far away, it’s ineffective. You need to be close to your targets to deal damage, and you need not get killed for several seconds to be able to do what you do.

Ideally, it would be best to have a Medic with you to keep you alive. Because as soon as the enemy team spots you, you will be the first target on their list.

Pyro does a lot of AoE damage, which is why he’s perfect against novice players who don’t know how to keep their distance. If you can catch two or three of them, your team will be at a considerable advantage.

Fundamental Game Modes in Which to Play Pyro

Pyro excels against static targets. If the enemy must stand still for whatever reason, apart from the Sniper and the Demoman, the Pyro is the best option. You’re probably familiar with the Control Point and Payload game modes. Whenever you play such methods, you know that many enemies will stand next to each other.

You also know that players will need to hold their ground and will not be able to run away from you. If you can get close to them using a Heavy as your shield and possibly even a Medic to heal you, you’ll be able to get close before the enemy team kills you, and you will deal lots of damage in just 3-5 seconds.

Control points are very hard to defend against the Pyro, so the defending team will seek to kill him quickly. Snipers, in particular, are very effective at this job.

Counters and Easy Enemies

Of the nine official classes in TF2, the main counters of the Pyro are the Sniper and the Scout.

The Sniper is strong against the Pyro because he naturally keeps the distance and will kill you long before you get near him.

The Scout is an intense class against the Pyro because of his natural speed. It’s tough to kill a target that can outpace and kite you easily.

On the other hand, defense classes tend to be weak against the Pyro because they can’t fight him. His DPS is too high, and any direct conflict results in the victory of the Pyro. Not all the classes are the same, though. You might get killed very quickly if you get hit by a Demoman.

Pyro Loadout

The loadout of the Pyro includes a primary weapon, a secondary weapon, and a melee weapon. And it’s up to you what playstyle you want to adopt. For most people, these are the best choices:

  • Flame Thrower
  • Shotgun
  • Fire Axe

These are the default options, and they’re pretty good. But if you want to experiment with the possibilities, you will find plenty of other options. Some offer great buffs if you know how to disguise yourself and attack from behind because they always land a critical hit. But they come with debuffs as well. So you have to be careful.

A good Pyro can kill an enemy team if adequately supported. But if you don’t have support classes and need to play against a team with many offensive courses, you should stay away from this class.

It would be best if you considered using some Pyro skins to have fun while playing Pyro. They can significantly enhance the visual appearance of this class.

Posted by
William Westerlund

William is an author, editor, and an avid gamer with over 10.000 hours in CS:GO (Counter-Strike 2). He also enjoys playing Rust, Dota 2, and TF2 but never became a top 1% player in any of those games.