Backstab

From Team Fortress Wiki

(Redirected from Backstabs)
Jump to: navigation, search
Spy 
Killicon backstab.png
 Heavy Weapons Guy
Surprise.
Surprise.
The Spy

A backstab is a context-sensitive attack that a Spy can perform with any of his melee weapons. When a Spy uses any one of his knives to hit an enemy from behind, a successful backstab is performed resulting in an instant kill in almost all cases.

Contents

Mechanism

A Spy may backstab an enemy as long as the enemy is close within standard melee attack range, and the Spy is within a 180° range behind the enemy. Backstabs deal damage equal to 600% of the target's current health and always deal critical hits, unless otherwise prevented by a Battalion's Backup. However, a Battalion's Backup will not cause a damage reduction. Due to the mechanics of the Spy's melees, unlike most melee weapons, backstabs connect instantly upon activation; there is no delay between the moment the player fires and the moment the backstab is executed. To indicate that a Spy is within the required range to perform a backstab, he will raise his knife then turn it downward, primed for a kill. The knife will remain in this position until the target is no longer in reach, or the Spy attempts a backstab by attacking. The knife also turns downward if positioned behind a disguised or Cloaked enemy Spy. When the knife is pointed downward, the Spy simply needs to attack for an instant kill to occur.

A backstab can be performed while the Spy has a disguise active, although the disguise will be removed upon attacking, regardless of whether or not the attack connects with the enemy. A backstab cannot kill a Scout made invulnerable with Bonk! Atomic Punch, a player who is under the effects of an ÜberCharge, or a Spy with the Dead Ringer active who has more than 3 health points. The Razorback, an unlockable secondary weapon usable by the Sniper class, blocks a single backstab attempt. The Razorback also causes a temporary (about 2 seconds) inability to attack, Cloak or switch weapons for the offending Spy. Thus the Razorback makes Snipers less prone to backstabs and encourages Spies to use their secondary weapon instead.

Backstabbing with Your Eternal Reward or the Wanga Prick causes silent death. Your victims will not scream, their body will vanish, and no killfeed notification is given to the victim's teammates. The attacking Spy will disguise as the fallen enemy almost instantly.

Backstabbing with the Conniver's Kunai will take the victim's remaining health and give it to the Spy, up to a maximum of 180. This is offset by a lowered base health.

Backstabbing with the Big Earner will fill the Spy's Cloak meter by 30%, regardless of which cloaking device is equipped.

Backstabbing with the Spy-cicle, like Your Eternal Reward, also causes silent death. It also does not alert the enemy team's killfeed. However, instead of cloaking the corpse, they will turn into an ice statue. This is a clear sign that there is a Spy in the area, and other enemies can use this to track you down.

Backstabbing a giant in Mann vs. Machine will deal up to 750 damage to it, rather than instantly killing it. Damage ranks up from 0 to 100% of 750 damage in 4 increments of 25% with purchased upgrades in the upgrade station.

Backstabbing techniques

Issues

See also: Lag compensation

Related achievements

Leaderboard class soldier.png Soldier

War Crime Spybunal
War Crime Spybunal
Kill a Spy who just backstabbed a teammate.


Leaderboard class sniper.png Sniper

Shock Treatment
Shock Treatment
Kill a Spy whose backstab attempt was blocked by your Razorback.
Consolation Prize
Consolation Prize
Get backstabbed 50 times.

Leaderboard class spy.png Spy

Agent Provocateur
Agent Provocateur
Backstab your Steam Community friends 10 times.


Counter Espionage
Counter Espionage
Backstab a disguised Spy.


Dr. Nooooo
Dr. Nooooo
Backstab a Medic that is ready to deploy an ÜberCharge.


High Value Target
High Value Target
Backstab an enemy who is dominating 3 or more of your teammates.


Is It Safe?
Is It Safe?
Backstab 50 enemies who are capturing control points.


Sapsucker
Sapsucker
Sap an enemy building, then backstab the Engineer who built it within 5 seconds.


Spymaster
Spymaster
Backstab 1000 enemies.


Triplecrossed
Triplecrossed
Backstab 3 Snipers in a single life.
Come in From the Cold
Come in From the Cold
Get a Revenge kill with a backstab.


Die Another Way
Die Another Way
Kill a Sniper after your backstab breaks his Razorback.


FYI I am a Spy
FYI I am a Spy
Backstab a Medic who has healed you in the last 5 seconds.


Identity Theft
Identity Theft
Backstab the enemy that you're currently disguised as.


May I Cut In?
May I Cut In?
Backstab an enemy and the Medic healing him within 10 seconds of each other.


Slash and Burn
Slash and Burn
Backstab an enemy, who then switches to Pyro before they respawn.


The Man with the Broken Guns
The Man with the Broken Guns
Backstab an Engineer, then sap 3 of his buildings within 10 seconds.


You Only Shiv Thrice
You Only Shiv Thrice
Backstab 3 enemies within 10 seconds.

Update history

October 25, 2007 Patch
  • Fixed a Spy backstab exploit where you could stab a player who was not facing away from you.

February 19, 2008 Patch

  • Fixed a case where a Spy stabbing from the front of a player would score a backstab.

March 1, 2008 Patch (Xbox)

  • Fixed Spy backstab exploit.

February 24, 2009 Patch (Scout Update)

  • Changed backstab handling to fix facestabs.
  • [Undocumented] Reduced stab radius to 160 degrees. Removed quickbackstabs and thus reduced the Spy's backstab range (Has since been reverted). Made backstabs quicker.

March 5, 2009 Patch

  • Increased backstab check so that Spies can side-stab again.

May 21, 2009 Patch (Sniper vs. Spy Update)

  • The Heavy and Sniper now have new custom death animations.

June 8, 2009 Patch

  • Added a backstab custom death animation to the Heavy.
  • Fixed a couple of cases where viable backstabs would fail.

August 13, 2009 Patch (Classless Update)

  • Cloaked Spies standing in valid backstab positions no longer raise their Knife.

December 17, 2009 Patch (WAR! Update)

  • Added more backstab animations.

January 13, 2010 Patch

  • Added backstab death animations for Scout, Spy, Medic, Demoman, Engineer, and Pyro. All death animations have a 25% chance to play.

October 18, 2011 Patch

  • Fixed a glitch where the Spy would take fall damage after backstabbing someone while standing on top of him.

Trivia

External links


Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Navigation
Toolbox
Languages
Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress Classic
Valve Wiki Network