Team Fortress 2/Heavy

• Health: 300
• Speed: 77% (27% when spinning minigun)
• Type: Defense

The Heavy Weapons Guy is a tank. He has the highest health out of any class and is the strongest class, at the expense of being the slowest, as well. Because the Heavy is a big target and moves slow he's best used defensively, but with a Medic and some teammates he can be a powerful offensive foe as well, and with a good strategy, the Heavy is capable of easily demolishing opponents and their defenses. However, the Heavy's slow speed makes him the easiest class to flank and an easy target for other classes, especially Snipers and Spies.

Weapons

The heavy practically exists for one reason: The minigun. He has a shotgun for backup, and fists for a laugh, but the minigun is by far the weapon you'll be using the most.

Primary Weapons

Minigun/Iron Curtain

• Ammo: 200
• Point Blank Damage: 50-54
• Mid Range Damage: 5-30
• Long Range Damage: 5-10
• Critical Hit: 27

The Minigun is Heavy's main way of dealing damage. It mows down opponents at mid to close range with it's immense damage. However, it takes about a second to spin up before it can be fired. Holding Mouse2 allowing you to be spun up and ready to fire, but it greatly reduces your movement speed. Only spin up your gun as you approach from a safe location into a strategic position, since your slow speed makes you easy pickings for Snipers. Don't use it to take down far away enemies, as it becomes inaccurate and deals low damage when fired at distant foes.

Being good with the Heavy is knowing when NOT to fire the gun. Only use it to take down enemies at close range. Don't waste your ammo on far away enemies or invulnerable opponents. A good tactic is to jump and spin-up your gun. This negates your speed penalty, as well as letting you catch enemies by surprise. The Minigun is also useful for scaring off enemies, as weaker classes will usually run from the sound of a spinning Minigun. Even though you have a lot of ammo, the Minigun can expend these very quickly, especially when you're taking down lots of enemies, so be sure to go for ammo packs or weapons of dead players.

Natascha

• Ammo: 200
• Point Blank Damage: 32-36
• Mid Range Damage: 3-20
• Long Range Damage: 5-10
• Critical Hit: 20.25

The Nastacha trades damage for the ability to impair movement. It slows down any enemy that is hit by it's bullets, effectively leaving them with no way of escaping the bullet stream. The slowdown effect decreases at range, so it's better for taking out close enemies. It's movement impairing effects are devastating to Scouts, as it takes away their speed advantage. It also impairs vertical movement, so enemy Soldier's rocket jumps won't be as high. This weapon makes you more of a support Heavy, slowing down opponents to get damaged further by other attacks. It is also good for killing spies, as it makes escaping for them very difficult. Don't engage a Heavy with a different Minigun, as he's not largely affected by the slowdown, and his higher damage output will bring you down first.

Brass Beast

• Ammo: 200
• Point Blank Damage: 60-65
• Mid Range Damage: 6-36
• Long Range Damage: 5-12
• Critical Hit: 32.4

The Brass Beast deals 20% more damage, but it spins up slower and slows you down when deployed. It is designed for defensive situation where not much movement is needed, as it's increased damage can kill a lot of enemies quickly when in a strategic position. It is also good for brute force, and for clearing out enemies in narrow chokepoints. In fact, standing at a location and simply firing at foes, especially if you're next to a dispenser, can make you a human Sentry Gun. Equipping the Shotgun with this weapon is not a bad idea, as it let's you move at full speed while being able to defend yourself.

Tomislav

• Ammo: 200
• Point Blank Damage: 50-54
• Mid Range Damage: 9-34
• Long Range Damage: 5-10
• Critical Hit: 27

The Tomislav spins up quicker and is completely silent during this period, but fires 20% slower. The Tomislav is quite suitable for ambushes, as the silent spin up can catch opponents by surprise. It also allows you to play offensively better, as you can take advantage of it's quicker spin up to start shooting bullets. It is rather useful when facing fast classes like the Scout. However, your reduced firing speed means you will likely lose against a Heavy with the default Minigun or the Brass Beast.

Huo-Long Heater

• Ammo: 200
• Point Blank Damage: 50-54
• Mid Range Damage: 9-34
• Long Range Damage: 5-10
• Critical Hit: 27
• Fire Ring Damage: 12-24
• Afterburn Damage: 60 damage over 10 seconds

The Huo-Long Heater deals the same damage as your standard Minigun, but deploying it creates a ring of fire that ignites any nearby enemies, but consumes 6 ammo per second. The fire ring feature nullifies one of your strongest counters, the Spy, as it will ignite any that tries to backstab you when you have the weapon deployed. However, the fire ring doesn't serve much of a purpose offensively, as enemies close enough to be ignited will already be in range to get shredded with your bullets.

Secondary Weapons

Shotgun

• Clip Size: 6 - Reserve Ammo: 32
• Point Blank Damage: 86-90
• Mid Range Damage: 24-67
• Long Range Damage: 3-26
• Critical Hit: 120

The Shotgun is the Heavy's travelling weapon, giving him a form of quick self-defense while walking to his destination. It is useful for moving through locations with not much enemy activity, escaping a hairy situation, taking enemies by surprise, avoiding projectiles and as a backup weapon when you run out of Minigun ammo. This gun is good for ambushing enemies, since they usually only get alerted of a Heavy's presence by the Minigun's obvious spin up noise. Remember that without the Sandvich, you'll depend more on Medics and health kits to survive, so be sure to know where to find health on a map or have a Medic stick with you.

Sandvich/Robo-Sandvich

• Ammunition: Infinite
• Heal Upon Consumption: 300 health
• Eating Duration: 4.3 seconds
• Recharge Time: 30 seconds

The Sandvich let's the Heavy heal himself fully by consuming it, but he is immobile during eating and makes loud eating noises. Only use this when behind cover or protected by teammates, since you can't move during eating and enemies can easily pick you off. The Sandvich can also be thrown by right-clicking, though due to a nerf, picking it up will only replenish your Sandvich meter. Anyone can pick up the Sandvich, including teammates and enemies, and it'll act as a medium health pack when picked up. Eating or throwing the Sandvich results in 30 seconds of recharge time before it is reusable. Picking up a health pack while at full health instantly replenishes the Sandvich. Drop your Sandvich to help heal a wounded teammate, especially if that teammate is a Medic who is keeping you healed.

Dalokohs Bar/Fishcake

• Ammunition: Infinite
• Recharge time: 10 seconds
• Heal Upon Consumption: 100 health
• Consumption With Full Health: increases health to 350 and remaining health will become overheal
• Eating Duration: 4.3 seconds
• Effect Duration: 30 seconds

The Dalokohs Bar restores 100 health upon eating, and raises your health to 350 for 30 seconds when eating at full health, with left over healing being turned into overheal. Similar to the Sandvich, it can be dropped and will act like a small health kit for other players, or replenish your Dalokohs Bar meter when you pick it up. Like the Sandvich, you are immobile and make loud eating noises while consuming it. After thirty seconds from consumption, any health above 300 becomes overheal health and drains away. This item replenishes less health and although can be dropped, and won't heal as much, but it doesn't need to recharge for as long, so you can eat in relative succession to keep healing yourself. Do note that the eating process itself is still slow, so you might be better off hunting for health packs.

The extra 50 health can make the Heavy survive just a little bit longer, and maybe use that longer survival time to take out his enemies. If your team lacks Medics or a Dispenser, it is useful for providing you a constant source of healing. You can also use this with a Quick Fix Medic to grant you pseudo-overheal status that the Quick Fix can't provide. Take note that while the Dalokohs Bar does in fact does increase your health meter, it does not increase max overheal from Medics.

Buffalo Steak Sandvich

• Ammunition: Infinite
• Eating Duration: 4.3 seconds
• Effect: Increases speed by 35% and attacks dealt and taken are mini-crits, restricted to melee weapons.
• Effect Duration: 15 seconds
• Recharge Time: 30 seconds

The Buffalo Steak Sandvich increases your movement speed upon consumption, you are restricted to using melee attacks but all the damage dealt by you or to you will be mini-crits. The Buffalo Steak Sandvich can be dropped like a Sandvich, and has similar healing abilities. The speed boost granted by it can help the Heavy reach his deatination faster. Try to defeat enemies by taking them by surprise not charging at them. They can easily fall to a mini-crit melee attack when distracted, but they can also quickly kill you with ranged weaponry, as you also receive mini-crits from attacks dealt by the enemy.

Family Business

• Clip Size: 8 - Reserve Ammo: 32
• Point Blank Damage: 74-76
• Mid Range Damage: 20-52
• Long Range Damage: 3-22
• Critical Hit: 102

The Family Business has a bigger clip size, but has reduced damage. The Family Business is better at long range compared to the Shotgun and Minigun, as you can deal more damage in a single clip even with the reduced damage. While it is less useful for direct combat and ambushes, it is good for picking off wounded enemies that would otherwise survive or escape due to being at long range or the Minigun's spin up slowdown. The Family Business is also generally better than a shotgun, as the increased damage per clip and larger clip size let's you deal more damage than a Shotgun normally does.

Melee Weapons

Fists/Frying Pan/Saxxy/Conscientious Objector/Apoco-Fists/Freedom Staff/Bat Outta Hell/Memory Maker

• Attack Interval: 0.8 seconds
• Normal Damage: 65
• Critical Hit: 195
• Showdown Duration: 3 seconds
• Showdown Damage: 500

You can choose to use either the left or right fist while punching, but which one you use doesn't matter. The Fists' main use are as fallback weapons, as you can easily deal more damage with your other weapons. However, if you have a Lunchbox Item equipped instead of your Shotgun it will be your only fallback weapon.

The Fists let's you perform the Showdown taunt kill. The Heavy points his finger like a gun, which fires a wide but invisible bullet that instantly kills anything in it's path. You can aim the bullet with this taunt. It's quicker and silent startup coupled with it's ranged and wide hitbox can make it a viable ambush technique, especially distracted enemies who will not see it coming.

Killing Gloves of Boxing

• Attack Interval: 0.97 seconds
• Normal Damage: 65
• Critical Hit: 195
• Crit Boost Duration: 5 seconds

The K.G.B. has a slightly slower swing rate than the Fists - however, after each kill, you have a guaranteed 5 seconds of critical hits. The crit boost carries on to other weapons as well, so you can use your Shotgun to deal more damage for example. However, it is best to use only the K.G.B if you're close to an enemy as it has higher damage and switching weapons wastes your precious crit time. It is NOT recommended that you use your primary weapon during the crit boost period. Switching to it and revving it up wastes too much time you could be used for killing enemies. Every second counts.

Gloves of Running Urgently/Bread Bite

• Attack Interval: 0.8 seconds
• Normal Damage: 33
• Critical Hit: 98
• Self-Damage: 6 health per second
• Speed Boost: 30%

The G.R.U while equipped increses the Heavy's speed by 30%, but makes him lose 6 health every second. The damage dealt by thie weapon is also weaker. Use the G.R.U as a tool, not a weapon. Use it to get to the frontlines faster, and to escape from enemies and avoid taking higher damage. You can negate the self-damage by constantly taking health packs or have a Medic heal you. You may also use a Lunchbox Item like the Sandvich. When Ubercharged, you can take the G.R.U out to get to the objective faster, such as getting closer to sentry guns to destroy them with the full power of your minigun.

Warrior's Spirit

• Attack Interval: 0.8 seconds
• Normal Damage: 85
• Critical Hit: 254

The Warrior's Spirit deals more damage, but reduces your health to 280. Remember that 280 health is still very much, so you can still survive pretty well if only needing to be more careful. It is much more useful in a close combat situation, where it's damage can kill very quickly and your still high health let's you survive longer.

Fists of Steel

• Attack Interval: 0.8 seconds
• Normal Damage: 65
• Critical Hit: 195

The Fists of Steel, when equipped, makes the Heavy much more resistant to ranged weapons, but gets hurt more by melee attacks. As long as you don't get in melee fights too much, the Fists of Steel can be an amazing melee weapon with it's resistance to bullets and projectiles. Equipping it can make you survive fully-charged headshots, rockets, another Heavy using his Minigun and extended durations of being fired by a sentry gun. As such, you're made even more of a tank with it out, letting you plow through enemy fire while suffering minimal damage. A good tactic is to lure enemies into using their melee weapon to take advantage of your vulnerability, then quickly switching to your Minigun and take them down when they get close.

Eviction Notice

• Attack Interval: 0.4 seconds
• Normal Damage: 26
• Critical Hit: 78

The Eviction Notice let's you attack faster but deals less damage. Using this can let your melee attack speed match that of a Scout's, and you can deal roughly the same amount of damage. However, you might want to pick up a different weapon if you are experienced and can land hits with your melee weapon, as the higher damage of the other gloves let's you deal more punch in a single hit.

Holiday Punch

• Attack Interval: 0.8 seconds
• Normal Damage: 65
• Critical Hit: 0
• Showdown Duration: 3 seconds
• Showdown Damage: 500

The Holiday Punch is similar to the Fists, except with the addition of a "backstab" mechanic. Hitting an enemy from behind results in a critical hit, which forces them into the Schadenfraude taunt. The same happens if one hits the enemy also wearing the Holiday Punch anywhere. This leaves them completely vulnerable to anything you can throw at them, including your Showdown taunt kill. Note that crit-boosts will deal the normal 195 damage as long as you didn't hit enemies from behind.

Weapon Sets

The Hibernating Bear

• Consists of Brass Beast, Buffalo Steak Sandvich and Warrior's Spirit
• Effect: +5% critical hit damage resistance

This weapon combination focuses on strategic positioning, high damage and surviving longer. You trade 20 health for critical hit resistance, which could let you survive against frequently crit-boosted enemies. You can also drop the Buffalo Steak Sandvich for healing if you take too much damage. The Buffalo Steak Sandvich and Warrior's Spirit pairs well, as you deal even more damage with the Warrior's Spirit, and the set bonus let's you survive the increased crit-rates of melee weapons in close combat.

Black Market Business

• Consists of Tomislav, Family Business, Eviction Notice and the Capo's Capper hat.

Instead of focusing on stronger damage output, this set focuses on flanking, speed and finesse. All of these weapon's advantages are balanced out by their damage penalties. These three weapons help the Heavy become a deadly ambush class. The opponent never knows what a Heavy might use. he might turn a corner to find you already revved up with your Tomislav or having your Family Business out. If you catch a foe in a corner you can quickly beat him down. This set is all about surprise, so learn the good ambush spots on a map to utilise this set fully.

The FrankenHeavy

• Consists of the Can Opener hat, the Soviet Stitch-Up item and the Steel-Toed Stompers item.

A purely cosmetic set.

The Grand Duchess

• Consists of the Grand Duchess Tiara hat, the Grand Duchess Fairy Wings item and the Grand Duchess Tutu item.

A purely cosmetic set, though it does enable certain voice responses.

Using the Heavy

The Heavy is very useful in defence, but even without the backup of a Medic can still be a formidable offensive force (providing there are no skilled Snipers or Spies around). If you get a Medic healing you and he has an Ubercharge, you're pretty much set to cause carnage, so just rush straight for the enemy. Whilst Ubercharged, destroy any sentries first - otherwise, pick a target and get as close as possible to them whilst firing the minigun. Once they're dead, move on to the next target - and so on.

The Heavy isn't really an ambush class, but beware of Snipers when using one out in the open. Just run to where the action is and pull out your minigun aiming for everything that moves. Be careful about fighting Soldiers or Heavys with Medics, as they usually kill you before you can kill them. Another thing to look out for is Spies, as they can backstab you quicker than you can turn around. Make sure you call out Medic when a Medic is near, so that they will concentrate their healing on you.

Make sure you also go for any ammo boxes or weapons on the floor, as the Heavy uses ammo at an alarming rate. Alternatively, defending teams can use Dispensers to fire the minigun continuously, never running out of ammo (providing you stay near the Dispenser - this also applies to the Pyro, but the range of the flamethrower means that this is only really good for eliminating Spies).

Defeating the Heavy

Snipers and Spies will have the easiest time killing the Heavy. A fully charged headshot will kill a slow moving Heavy without any problem, but unless the Heavy is far away the Sniper has no chance in close quarters. Unless a teammate, typically a Medic, warns the Heavy in advance, a Spy can drop a knife in a Heavy's back easily. Soldiers and Demoman have a chance against a Heavy if they can get the jump on them, but if you get ambushed by a Heavy you're in trouble no matter what class you are. Of course, other Heavies can take out the Heavy. In general, whoever has the Medic wins. If both Heavies have medics, then whoever spins up or gets critical hits first wins the fight. Heavy's are a lot harder to defeat if they have a Medic with them, typically you will want to kill the Medic first.

Pyros will typically die against a Heavy even if they ambush them. Unless the Heavy was at low health to begin with, there's not much chance for the Pyro. If the Heavy is in an open area the Pyro can circle around the Heavy more quickly than the Heavy can turn, and occasionally the Pyro can defeat him.

If you manage to kill a Heavy with the Scout's bat, he will taunt that player by yelling out "Eat it Fatty!". Scouts will die against Heavies a lot, but killing them with the bat and hearing the taunt is well worth it.