Pyro match-ups

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Class			Strategy
Pyro	vs.	Scout	Relative merits: Between you and the Scout, whoever has the advantage depends on the environment. In enclosed spaces, your Flame Thrower and subsequent afterburn make short work of his low health. In open spaces, the Scout can constantly switch between close and medium range weapons in response to whatever weapon you equip, wearing you down. Tactics: The Scout must respect your Flame Thrower's effective range and afterburn damage. If you can ignite him, switch to another weapon like the Shotgun or Flare Gun as he retreats away from your Flame Thrower. If you have the opportunity, pin him down with your compression blast to stop his mobility entirely. In open areas, take cover behind obstacles to coax the Scout into approaching you. Useful weapons: The Degreaser's faster weapon switch time lets you easily select weapons as the Scout darts in and out of your range. The Shotgun is best for engaging the Scout outside your Flame Thrower's range. The Detonator has an exploding flare that is easier to ignite the Scout with.
Pyro	vs.	Soldier	Relative merits: The enemy Soldier outranges you and can rocket jump to high ground outside your range. He is susceptible to grounded ambushes due to his slow walking speed. Your compression blast can deflect his rockets with proper timing or prediction. Tactics: If you can ambush the Soldier at close range, he is forced to use the Shotgun or risk damaging himself with rockets. For a direct approach, use the compression blast to deflect his rockets back at him. With prediction, you can deflect his rockets the moment they leave his Rocket Launcher. To prevent him from rocket jumping to escape, airblast him off the ground. Keep moving erratically in case he switches to his Shotgun. Useful weapons: Any primary weapon that retains the ability to airblast lets you defend yourself from the Soldier's rockets.
Pyro	vs.	Pyro	Mirror match-up: Your flames have a wide spread, which means there's a good chance you and the enemy Pyro will be damaging each other at the same time. Play to your loadout - the Backburner encourages ambushes, while the Degreaser lets to switch to the Shotgun or a melee weapon for burst damage. Tactics: Fighting an enemy Pyro is a matter of outmaneuvering him with your own Flame Thrower. Flames take time to travel - if he brazenly charges at you, backpedal while firing to make him take more damage. Your compression blast can be used to launch the enemy Pyro so that you can either retreat or land an easy Shotgun blast. The matchup is uneventful at longer range, where your secondary weapons deal little damage without any supplementing afterburn. Useful weapons: At medium range, the Dragon's Fury and Shotgun let you fight outside the range of the enemy Pyro's Flame Thrower. Make sure to extinguish allies ignited by the enemy Pyro with your compression blast.
Pyro	vs.	Demoman	Relative merits: Your compression blast is your best protection against the Demoman's onslaught of explosive projectiles. However, his Grenade Launcher fires faster and properly aimed Stickybombs at medium range and beyond are difficult to reflect. Tactics: You must catch the Demoman off-guard at close range. To approach him from medium range, react to his weapon. If he uses grenades, cautiously try to reflect every other one. If he uses Stickybombs, move in quickly before each Stickybomb arms. From beyond medium range, retreat and take an alternate route to flank him. If the Demoman is using one of his three shields, use the compression blast to break his charge. Useful weapons: A shield-wielding Demoman resists fire damage, but is not protected against the Shotgun's bullets. The Flare Gun gives you the advantage at long range, where the Demoman's projectiles are easily avoided.
Pyro	vs.	Heavy	Relative merits: It is usually suicide to directly face a Heavy, the other class that specializes in close-range combat — he has far more health than you do. If you have no escape route, his Minigun can shred you in less than a second. Tactics: To defeat a Heavy before he can spin up his Minigun and kill you, you’ll have to ambush him and perhaps use the Backburner or a Degreaser/Panic Attack combo to deal your highest possible burst damage. If you are having trouble, airblast him away and retreat. If his Minigun is already revved, your best option would be to harass him with your secondary weapon while searching for an alternate path. Useful weapons: Weapons with high raw damage, like the Backburner, burn through the Heavy's health quickly. Even at long range, your Flare Gun can ignite the Heavy and deliver a succession of critical hits which he can't dodge easily.
Pyro	vs.	Engineer	Relative merits: The Engineer's Sentry Gun is the true threat, being potentially more resilient than the Heavy and immune to afterburn. Tactics: Lower-leveled Sentry Guns can be brute forced if you begin your attack from around a corner and circle-strafe. However, a level 3 Sentry Gun tracks you too quickly, so attack that one from behind cover or come back with teammates. If you're feeling ambitious, try deflecting the Sentry Gun rockets back at the Sentry Gun or its owner. Useful weapons: The Dragon's Fury fires projectiles with longer range than the Flame Thrower's flames, which lets you attack a distanced Sentry Gun from behind cover.
Pyro	vs.	Medic	Relative merits: Although you can outduel an enemy Medic, he will usually be surrounded by his teammates. Tactics: Ignite the Medic and his patient at range with the Flare Gun, as fire damage reduces the Medi Gun's healing rate, but leave directly targeting them to your teammates. Instead, try for an ambush and concentrate fire on the Medic. Without their Medic, nearby enemies will take further damage from afterburn. Useful weapons: Your compression blast works against the invincibility-granting ÜberCharge; when a Medic deploys his ÜberCharge, use your airblast to separate him from his patient and cut the ÜberCharge link. Depending on enemy positioning, the Backburner can kill the Medic quickly, while the Third Degree can hit the Medic when you hit his patient. You can use the Thermal Thruster to fly into the enemy's backline where Medics are usually situated.
Pyro	vs.	Sniper	Relative merits: The Sniper is your opposite, dealing precise damage to single targets at long range. In general, he is a soft counter to you until you get up close. However, you lack the mobility options of other classes to get close in the first place. Tactics: Flank an enemy Sniper from a route that he's not watching over, then make sure he doesn't get away and use Jarate to extinguish your flames. Once you are up close, the compression blast is useful for pinning him down and deflecting Huntsman arrows. Useful weapons: The Powerjack's speed bonus allows you to quickly and quietly flank around a Sniper's sightline. The Flare Gun and its variants are your best tool for dealing with a faraway Sniper, as its shots travel far and can ignite him to lower his accuracy, provided he is not using Darwin's Danger Shield or the Cozy Camper.
Pyro	vs.	Spy	Relative merits: You are the deadliest enemy a Spy can face, as most of your weapons inflict afterburn. You are not immune to backstabs, so keep an eye out for yourself, too. Tactics: Fire nullifies both the Cloak and disguise of any Spy, so Spy-check all of your teammates with a quick puff of flame. His Revolver is much more accurate and superior to your Shotgun at long range, so don't hesitate to retreat if you can't catch him. The Spy has two specific items that aid in surviving your flames; the Dead Ringer will allow him to extinguish your flames once before Cloaking, while the Spy-cicle will protect him from being ignited for a short time. In both cases, liberally flame the area to ensure that he does not escape. Useful weapons: You can further annoy enemy Spies by using the Homewrecker or Neon Annihilator to remove their Sappers from friendly Engineer buildings.

See also

• Team strategy