Merasmus match-ups

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"Enjoy Halloween, mortals...for it will be your LAST! — Merasmus to the mercenaries

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Class			Strategy
Scout	vs	100x100px Merasmus	Playing as Scout allows you to evade Merasmus' attacks more easily than other classes due to your agility and ability to double and triple jump.  Hit-and-run tactics are a necessity when attacking Merasmus.  The Scout's agility, double and triple jumps allow him to evade Merasmus' magic attacks with more ease than other classes.  A Scout has the best chance of stunning Merasmus with a bomb due to his speed and agility. If the Bombinomicon chooses you as the bomb carrier, find Merasmus and charge at him!  The Scout's ability to get round the map quickly is vital when Merasmus hides as a prop.  Bonk! Atomic Punch will allow you to survive Merasmus' magic for a short time and also distract the boss effectively.  Because base damage is retained at all ranges when attacking Merasmus, the Scattergun will deal the most damage to him, provided you can move to around medium range to ensure you don't partially miss your shots.  The Pistol can be effective against Merasmus as base damage remains the same when attacking it. This will allow you to do more damage from a longer range than normal.  The Special Delivery can be very useful when trying to kill Merasmus, as the health bonus increases your survivability, and the Shortstop allows you to deal a good amount of damage at medium-range.  The Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol is quite possibly the most harmful available weapon. Its health bonus is trivial at best against an enemy of such firepower, its firing speed penalty inhibits damage output, and its fire vulnerability is suicidal against Merasmus, whose main attack is fire-based. Fall damage immunity is trivial when the only attack causing such a circumstance is fire-based and fall damage can be escaped by double-jump.  The Soda Popper is an ineffective weapon to use as Merasmus does not take damage from mini-crits.  Do not use Crit-a-Cola against Merasmus. Your attacks will deal no extra damage and will make it easier for Merasmus to kill you.  The Sandman baseball and Fan O'War are ineffective against Merasmus as he cannot be stunned by baseballs or marked for death.  The Scout's health is low enough that a single blast from Merasmus' magic staff will likely result in death, even with the Special Delivery Set equipped.
Soldier	vs	100x100px Merasmus	Rocket jumping is a viable method of evading Merasmus' attacks.   The Battalion's Backup will charge while taking damage from Merasmus, and the Buff Banner and Concheror will charge on dealing damage to Merasmus.   A Kritzkrieg ÜberCharge will allow a skilled Soldier to do decent damage to Merasmus, as a pack of critical rockets and Shotgun shells will take a fair chunk of his health away.   The Direct Hit is probably the Soldiers best primary weapon to use against Merasmus. The projectiles are fast and do high damage and Merasmus is large enough for you not to worry too much about missing him.   The Shotgun can be effective against Merasmus as base damage remains the same when attacking him. This will allow you to do more damage from a longer range than normal.  Charging Merasmus with the Equalizer at very low health will only be effective if the enemy team is not around and Merasmus is stunned. Otherwise, it's a risky strategy.  The Buff Banner will charge when doing damage to Merasmus, but Merasmus is not affected by mini-crits so using it is not recommended.  The Reserve Shooter will not mini-crit against Merasmus and is not recommended.  The Black Box does not award health upon hitting Merasmus and is a considerable drawback when its reduced ammo is taken into account.
Pyro	vs	100x100px Merasmus	Because Merasmus does not suffer afterburn damage, using the Pyro against Merasmus is inadvisable. In addition, the Pyro's short range of effectiveness and Merasmus' resistance to Flamethrowers makes attacking head-on a very deadly prospect.   A Pyro is more suited to a support role in this boss fight; as one of Merasmus' frequent attacks sets any other class on fire, airblasting them will extinguish the flames and allow them to survive longer against Merasmus. Either the standard Flamethrower or Degreaser would be recommended for this.  The Shotgun can be effective against Merasmus as base damage remains the same when attacking him. This will allow you to do more damage from a longer range than normal.  The Reserve Shooter will not mini-crit against Merasmus so this is not recommended.  The Flare Gun, Detonator and Scorch Shot are among the worst weapons to use against Merasmus as he cannot catch on fire. Only the minimal flare impact damage will register.
Demoman	vs	100x100px Merasmus	It is possible to briefly dodge Merasmus' magic attacks by charging with the Chargin' Targe or Splendid Screen in a single direction across open ground.  Direct hits with the Grenade Launcher or Loch-n-Load will cause decent amounts of damage to Merasmus, so it is advisable to lead your shots slightly to ensure they connect. This strategy is more effective with a Kritzkrieg ÜberCharge.  Stickybombs are tricky to effectively use against Merasmus as he pushes them away while gliding around the battlefield, often making setting traps a waste of time. However, a skilled Demoman may be able to arc his shot so it can be detonated to do max damage, or bombard Merasmus with stickies while he is stunned.  Attempting the above strategy with the Scottish Resistance is extremely difficult due to the slower arming time of the bombs.  Demoknights are not recommended as Merasmus can deal far more damage at close range with his staff and magic.
Heavy	vs	100x100px Merasmus	While the Heavy is one of the few classes who can go head-on against Merasmus, without help from your teammates he will destroy you before your Minigun can do any damage.  Be aware that the Heavy has no real means of effectively dodging Merasmus' magic, but can withstand at least a few hits from his attacks. A Heavy can rely on the Gloves of Running Urgently to escape in such situations.  A Heavy/Medic pair can camp the control point while building up a Kritzkrieg ÜberCharge. The damage resulting from such an attack is usually enough to deal decent levels of damage to Merasmus. Be ready to escape though, as Merasmus will make you both his primary target.   The Fists of Steel have some usability as a temporary distraction since it halves the damage done by Merasmus' magic. Don't get too close though, as his staff attack will instantly kill you.  The Buffalo Steak Sandvich is not recommended, since the speed bonus is countermanded by the duration of eating and Mini-Crit suffering.  The Shotgun should rarely be used, as the time between shots and damage spread mean you will always get more damage from your primary weapon. Nonetheless, if you have run out of ammunition for your primary weapon, remember that base damage remains constant while attacking Merasmus, so you can use the Shotgun effectively from further ranges than normal.  The Brass Beast, even with a Kritzkrieg ÜberCharge, is only recommended if Merasmus is already busy or stunned, as your extremely sluggish movement will tempt even the enemy team to focus on you and make you an easy target for Merasmus.
Engineer	vs	100x100px Merasmus	Since Merasmus is not affected by knock back, the player should never rely on his Sentry to keep the magician away.  Merasmus will attack anything within his range - this includes players and buildings. Keep in mind that Merasmus can destroy a Sentry Gun in one hit with his magic, and that you will need the help of the opposing team to defeat him. Keep your sentry wrangled at all times to prevent it auto-targetting the opposition.  The Shotgun and Pistol can both be effective against Merasmus as their base damage remains the same when attacking him. This will allow you to do more damage from a longer range than normal.  The Widowmaker does not return metal for damage done to Merasmus.
Medic	vs	100x100px Merasmus	Your teammates will be taking a lot of damage while fighting Merasmus. Be sure to heal them!  Use your ÜberCharge on a teammate so they can attack Merasmus. While Merasmus will ignore invulnerable individuals for as long as possible, keep in mind that he will attempt to target you if you are in range.  If you do not have an ÜberCharge ready, it is best advised to stay away and build one up.  If using a Kritzkrieg ÜberCharge to attack Merasmus, be sure to keep your distance.  Most of the Medic's weapons are relatively ineffective, so the Medic should be reserved to a support role.   The Crusader's Crossbow can be useful for quick heals, since it is largely ineffective against Merasmus.   Kritzkrieg charges are very important when fighting Merasmus, but combining it with a standard ÜberCharge on a strong class like a Heavy can result in a fair amount of damage. The Kritzkrieg Medic should be careful, however, since they are vulnerable to damage from Merasmus' magic, which can easily break this strategy.  It is not very helpful to use the Quick-Fix against Merasmus. The enhanced healing power will not be enough to survive a barrage from the Bombinomicon.  An ÜberCharged pair can be rendered largely ineffective by a wandering ghost.  The Blutsauger does not heal the Medic upon successfully hitting Merasmus, making it ineffective due to the reduced amount of health regenerated per second.
Sniper	vs	100x100px Merasmus	Merasmus takes massive damage from nearly all of the Sniper's primary weapons, making the Sniper essential to defeating him. A well placed headshot will deliver three times the damage of a standard critical hit, and when Merasmus is stunned all shots register as headshots againt him.  The extra range that the Sniper class exhibits can allow the player to attack while far outside Merasmus' attack range.  The Huntsman is by far the best weapon to use against Merasmus. It's faster charge rate delivers more damage per second than the standard Sniper Rifle, and the extra speed and field of view will come in handy in evading his magic and locating him after he teleports. A team of Huntsman wielding Snipers can take Merasmus down faster than any other team composition, provided they aim well.  For pure damage per shot, the standard Sniper Rifle and Machina reign supreme. If you are uncomfortable getting close to Merasmus, these are also useful.  Jarate does not affect Merasmus, nor will the Sydney Sleeper provide Jarate coating effects.
Spy	vs	100x100px Merasmus	The Dead Ringer's feign death ability will allow you to effectively distract Merasmus, as he will continue to target you despite your heightened resistance to damage.  The Spy's knife has drastically increased damage against Merasmus, although he cannot be backstabbed. Try to attack Merasmus only when he is stunned.  The Spy's primary weapons all do low damage against Merasmus and should not be used.  As with many other weapons, Your Eternal Reward, Conniver's Kunai, and the Big Earner will not grant bonuses upon attacking or killing Merasmus and should be avoided.

See also

• Merasmus
• Ghost Fort
• Spectral Halloween Special