Spy weapons (competitive)

This article is for competitive play, based on the standard community competitive format.
The community competitive scene changes frequently. Some or all info may be outdated.

The Spy is a class highly dependent on his stealth abilities to infiltrate past enemy defenses and get important Picks on key classes such as the Medic, or the Demoman.

Primary Weapons

If the Spy ever finds himself in a fire fight the Revolver can serve as a very powerful tool in dealing with an enemy. The Ambassador is also a good choice, given the player can reliably land a Headshot.

Revolver

The Revolver should never be used to fight the enemy directly. If the Spy manages to get a pick and has been discovered he should always immediately switch to his Revolver to deal with enemies, given the situations that Spies are used he will most likely not escape by cloaking away.

The Big Kill is simply a re-skin of the Revolver, thus retains the same exact stats.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Revolver	Point-Blank: 60 512u: 40 1024u+: 21	Critical: 120 Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 81 512u+ Mini-Crit: 54	Attack: 0.58s Reload: 1.16s	If unfired in the past 1.25 seconds, shot has perfect accuracy.

The Ambassador

Most of the Ambassador's power lies with its ability to crit on a successful headshot. Its first shot will always be point blank accurate, but its following shots will have a huge spread area. Due to its lower damage ouput and accuracy, the Revolver is preferred over the Ambassador.

Weapon	Damage	Critical hits|Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Ambassador	Point-Blank: 51 512u: 34 1024u+: 18	Critical: 102 Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 69 512u+ Mini-Crit: 46	Attack: 0.696 Reload: 1.16 Cooldown: 0.95s	Accuracy based on time since last shot. Criticals on headshot when accuracy is perfect.

L'Etranger

The L'Etranger's functionality lies within its ability to restore clock on a successful hit, but does 20% less damage. In a competitive format going Spy is a suicide mission, as after a pick is gotten the chance of escape is very low. This renders the L'Etranger's cloak restoring abilities near useless because one it is used the other team will be aware that there is a Spy and attempting picks will be much harder.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
L'Etranger	Point-Blank: 48 512u: 32 1024u+: 17	Critical: 96 Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 65 512u+ Mini-Crit: 43	Attack: 0.58s Reload: 1.16s	Banned in most leagues for acquisition time. If unfired in the past 1.25 seconds, shot has perfect accuracy. Fills Cloak meter 15% on hit.

Diamondback

The Diamondback is unefficient in competitive play, as it only gives crits for sapped buildings, and as Engineers are particularly rare, and the Diamondback has a damage penalty, the Diamondback should not be considered for competitive play.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Diamondback	Point-Blank: 51 512u: 34 1024u+: 18	Critical: 102 Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 69 512u+ Mini-Crit: 46	Attack: 0.58s Reload: 1.16s	If unfired in the past 1.25 seconds, shot has perfect accuracy. Gives one guaranteed critical hit for each building destroyed with your sapper attached -15% damage penalty No random critical hits

Primary Weapon Usage

As for choosing between the Revolver and the Ambassador, it's mainly personal preference; the Revolver is generally preferred due to the extra damage that it does compared to the Ambassador, however, if you can consistently headshot people then the Ambassador is the gun for you.

Secondary Weapons

Electro Sapper

The Spy's only secondary weapon is his Electro Sapper. This will be rarely used in a competitive environment, as Engineers are also rarely used.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Electro Sapper	DPS on Buildings: 25	N/A	Lv1 Buildings: 6.00s Lv2 Building: 7.20s Lv3 Building: 8.64s	Removed by two Wrench hits or one hit by the Homewrecker. Reduces Spy's weapon damage to building.

Melee Weapons

The Spy's Picking power lies primarily in his melee weapons. The Knife and Eternal Reward can kill any class instantly through a Backstab, making the Spy an ideal picking class.

Knife

The Knife is the Spy's standard melee weapon. In direct combat it does minimal damage and should only ever be used for a quick backstab.

The Sharp Dresser and the Black Rose are reskins of the Knife, and therefore have the same stats as the Knife.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Knife	Melee, Frontal: 40 Backstab: 600% target HP	Critical: 120 Mini-Crit: 54	Attack: 0.8s	Facestabs and failstabs cause some unpredictability. Without backstab, has lowest DPS of all stock melee. A Dead Ringer-activated Spy cannot die to backstab.

Your Eternal Reward

Note: Your Eternal Reward is banned or restricted in some leagues.

Your Eternal Reward has the same stats and damage output that the regular Knife does but does not allow Spies to disguise. This puts the Spy at a disadvantage as they can be immediately found and dealt with. Upon a successful stab the Spy will take the victims identity and the kill will be silent. This is useless in a competitive environment as all teams use vocal communication, thus making the Spy very easily found.

The Wanga Prick is a reskin of the Eternal Reward, and therefore has the same stats as the Eternal Reward.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Your Eternal Reward	Melee, Frontal: 40 Backstab: 600% target HP	Critical: 120 Mini-Crit: 54	Attack: 0.8s	Banned in most leagues for acquisition time. Disables Disguise Kit. Backstabs are silent and grant user instant disguise of killed foe. Otherwise identical to Knife.

Conniver's Kunai

The only advantage of the Conniver's Kunai is that upon a backstab, it absorbs all of the health from the victim. While this sounds useful, it has a 65 health penalty, leaving the player with only 60 health, making discovery of the player deadly. Because of this, and the fact that the enemy often becomes aware of the player after a backstab, the Conniver's Kunai is very hard to use.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Conniver's Kunai	Melee, Frontal: 40 Backstab: 600% target HP	Critical: 120 Mini-Crit: 54	Attack: 0.8s	Banned in most leagues for acquisition time. On backstab: absorbs the health from your victim. -65 max health on wearer

The Big Earner

The Big Earner's 30% cloak regeneration upon backstab is useful for quickly gaining some cloak if enemies approach. However, its health reduction penalty makes a firefight somewhat more lethal than normal, making this only efficient equipped with the Cloak and Dagger.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Big Earner	Melee, Frontal: 40 Backstab: 600% target HP	Critical: 120 Mini-Crit: 54	Attack: 0.8s	+30% cloak on kill -25 max health on wearer

Melee Weapon Usage

Even though it's a melee weapon, this is the weapon slot that Spies use most, because Spies are made to backstab enemies, and thus making it a primary weapon, while having the Revolvers and the Electro Sapper as his secondaries.

The Eternal Reward leaves no opportunity of disguising, which means it should only be used by players who have practiced with it thoroughly. The Conniver's Kunai shouldn't even be considered, due to its lethal health penalty. This leaves the standard Knife, without any drawbacks, and the Big Earner, useful for Spies needing a bit more cloak, but with less lethal health penalty.

PDA Items

Disguise Kit

The Disguise Kit is a marginally important tool in fooling the enemy. In a competitive environment players will be more aware of their teammates, but a disguise will still raise questionable suspicion rather than immediate. During fire fights players can sometimes be more easily tricked as Spies are not used often in competitive play, thus letting the Spy easily weave through his enemies without a cloak.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Disguise Kit	N/A	N/A	Disguise Time: 2s Smoke Duration: 3s	Friendly Spy disguise drops any disguise instantly. Grants knockback immunity, even with friendly disguise. Reduces move speed to match disguise, but can't increase it.

Invisibility Watch

The Spy's ability to turn invisible is his core mechanic. The Invisibility Watch is his standard cloak, allowing him to wander around invisible; It is regenerated through metal or slowly over time. If a pick is being attempted with the Invisibility Watch it must be made once the cloak has run out due to its very slow regeneration.

The Enthusiast's Timepiece is a reskin of the Invis Watch, and therefore has the same stats as the Invis Watch.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Invisibility Watch	N/A	N/A	Cloak Duration: 10s Recharge Wait: 33.5s Cloak Initialize: 1.2s Decloak Time: 2.2s	Cloak flickers when damaged or touched by enemy. Can be refilled with ammo and metal. Cloak prevents new disguise smoke; doesn't hide old smoke. Revealed by fire, deep water, Jarate, and Mad Milk.

Cloak and Dagger

The Cloak and Dagger is an ideal cloak for attempting target specific picks. Because it is motion sensitive, a Spy can wait for the opportune time to attack his target. This is best done when the enemy is pressured by spam or retreating to the Medic for health.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Cloak and Dagger	N/A	N/A	Duration, Running: 6.8s Duration, Crawling: 66.5s Recharge Wait: 18.2s Cloak Initialize: 1.2s Decloak Time: 2.2s	Cannot be refilled with ammo or metal. Recharges based on lack of movement. Loses charge when moving while cloaked. Cloak flickers when moving while out of charge. Otherwise identical to Invisibility Watch and its Cloak.

Dead Ringer

The Dead Ringer can be a useful tool into tricking the enemy that they have killed you or have gotten an important pick. A pick can be attempted with the enemy fooled that they have killed you, making the second attempt very easy. The Dead Ringer's loud ring can sometimes be muffled down by voice communication, but can still be easily heard by anyone completely aware that a Spy is still around. A common tactic to use with the Dead Ringer is to disguise as an important pick target of your own team, such as a Demoman, or Medic, while playing Gravel Pit offense and run out the spawn gates with it activated to fool an enemy Demoman camping the gates at the start of the round to blow his stickies.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Dead Ringer	N/A	N/A	Supercloak Duration: 6.5s Decloak Time: 2.2s Recharge from 0%: 16s Recharge from 40%: 9.6s Recharge from 75%: 4s	Cloak triggers from any damage, which is subject to supercloak effects. Trigger fakes death (corpses drop enemy disguises), ending on decloak. Provides supercloak in normal duration and regular Cloak during extensions. Supercloak provides 90% damage reduction. Cloaking extinguishes fire but does not prevent additional fire. Decloaking reduces charge to 40% if higher. Pickups cannot refill more than 35% charge. Otherwise identical to Invisibility Watch and its Cloak.

PDA Items Usage

The PDA items were the Spies' essential tool to do his trickery, especially his Disguise kit, or to conceal himself temporarily (Except Cloak & Dagger, which makes the possibility to cloak indefinitely).

• The Invisibility Watch travels furthest, but the duration is timed, so it's best to pick the route carefully before doing so, and pick up ammo boxes to travel even further / fill up the cloak meter faster.

• The Cloak & Dagger is best used to watch the enemies' movements, while standing by cloaked indefinitely, making this PDA the best choice when paired with Your Eternal Reward.

• The Dead Ringer is best used to fake your deaths, making the enemy confident that you were dead, thus making it easier for a stab. But the loud decloaking sound makes it harder to keep the enemy tricked of your death, so find a safe place to decloak, far from the enemies.

Overall, it is up to each player to pick one that suits them most, and also the situation they were in.

See also

• Spy (competitive)
• Utility