Community Demoman strategy

“

Not one of ya's going to survive this! Click to listen — The Demoman just before detonating his stickybombs

”

The Demoman is a medium-ranged, projectile-heavy class with an outstanding damage output, capable at both offensive and defensive support. While inaccurate at range and often threatened by self-damage at point-blank, the Demoman is one of the few classes able to attack without a line of sight to their target, allowing him to utilize his Grenade or Sticky Launchers for crowd control on the offensive, or area denial via Stickybomb traps on the defensive. His playstyle can change completely with access to a sword and shield, making the Demoman a fearsome melee class courtesy of his long melee range and the ability to perform charged dashes. Like the Soldier, the Demoman is also capable of performing explosive jumps, and can reach objectives well in advance of other classes once the jumps have been mastered. The Demoman is a rewarding class to learn but challenging and difficult to master, and is an ideal class for players oriented towards protecting objectives or eliminating multiple enemies.

Quick tips

• A Demoman is most effective at medium range, where his explosives are easier to aim, harder to avoid, and won't deal self-damage to himself. Since Grenades and Stickybombs have travel time and obey the laws of gravity, you will have to aim where a target is going in order to hit them.
  • Aim higher for distant targets or lead towards the direction of a traveling opponent.

• One distinct advantage the Demoman has compared to other classes is the ability to deliver damage where others cannot easily reach; try bouncing Grenades around corners, through windows, and onto battlements.
  • When aiming at a distant target, skipping Grenades across the ground may be more effective than lobbing them through the sky.

• Search for areas of the map that would make ideal Stickybomb traps for unsuspecting enemy players; if they are in plain sight, enemies may destroy the bombs before you can detonate them. Maintaining a safe distance from the trap, while keeping a clear view of it, would be an ideal scenario.
  • When defending a key target, try placing Stickybombs onto obscure areas of the objective and retreating to cover. One can then simply wait for an alert that the area is being captured, then detonate the Stickybombs.

• Stickybombs are small and a cluster can stick in a single spot, allowing for surprisingly strong ambush traps such as on the ceiling of Junction's control points.

• When fleeing, leave Stickybombs in your wake; you can often kill pursuers by detonating your bombs as soon as you can. Pursuers may also pause to destroy the Stickybombs or choose an alternate route, giving you more time to escape to safety.

• Use the potent knockback of your explosives to disrupt enemy tactics, such as Heavy/Medic pairs, by using explosions to push the Medic away from the Heavy so each can be killed more easily. One can also use a large number of Stickybombs and detonate all of them at once to kill one or both targets.

• Mastering Demoman Jumps, also called sticky jumps, can allow players to easily propel themselves behind enemy lines and take out unsuspecting players from either the rear or above.

• The Demoman is one of the most effective melee classes, with advantages including longer ranged melee weapons and charged dashing capabilities. However, in order to utilize these advantages effectively, one must try to employ ambush tactics in order to launch surprise attacks on enemy players.
  • Like your projectiles, your charge works best at a distance, and requires you to lead targets who are not running away from you. Get used to the distance needed to gain a charging critical hit.

• The Demoman is the only class without hitscan weapons, meaning that most classes (especially Snipers or Scouts) have a high advantage over you at long distances. Additionally, fighting at close range will always result in self-damage and potentially a suicide unless you switch to your melee weapon.

General

• When it comes to base stats, the Demoman is comparable to a less durable, yet slightly faster Soldier. With 175 base health and 93% speed, he matches the Pyro's base health, but moves slower to compensate for his high damage output.
  • As such, the Demoman is one of several classes able to endure uncharged headshots at full base health, but also makes it slightly more difficult to chase opponents down or retreat on foot.

• As a Demoman, you completely lack any source of hitscan weaponry. To make up for this, all your ranged weapons deal heavy explosive damage; two direct hits with your Grenade Launcher is enough to kill or severely damage any enemy, while a bunch of detonated stickybombs from your Stickybomb Launcher are the single strongest burst damage options in the game. Use this to your advantage by eliminating bulky targets like Heavies, or protect key areas with Stickybomb traps.

• Like the Soldier, your explosives deal excellent splash damage, allowing you to deal heavy damage to groups. This shines when defending objectives, as enemies often crowd onto a single spot, leaving them open.
  • However, this splash damage also applies to you. Keep a safe distance from the fight to avoid blowing yourself up by mistake.

• The projectile nature of your weapons allows you to act as covering fire; even if you miss, you can cover the area with ticking grenade hazards that will often deter opponents from retreating, making them open for another grenade or your teammates.
  • This inherently allows you to attack enemies out of sight. Lob grenades and Stickybombs to damage opponents in enemy territory that would otherwise be risky to enter.

• Always keep your weapons loaded. While your Grenade and Stickybomb Launcher variants have reasonably large clip sizes, they have a comparatively long reload time, especially if they are completely empty. This is especially true for the Loch-n-Load and Quickiebomb Launcher.
  • It is beneficial to keep a loaded Grenade Launcher as a backup weapon instead of the other way round, as Stickybombs have an arm time that can be the matter of life and death.

• You have access to Demoman-specific explosive Jumps, allowing you to traverse long distances and offset your below-average movement speed. However, unlike the Soldier, you only resist 25% of the damage from explosive jumps (compared to the Soldier's 40% resistance) and you do not have access to Gunboats, making this a far riskier maneuver.
  • Optimize your jumps via a friendly overheal, or simply take note of the position of the map's health packs.

• As the class' name implies, the Demoman is a go-to demolition expert when it comes to Buildings. Your high overall damage, large clip size and ability to lob projectiles from a safe angle allows you to take down Sentry Guns in two or three Stickybombs before an Engineer can destroy them himself; at best, you can destroy an entire nest and the Engineer in the process.
  • However, this does not mean you do not require team support. A large Engineer nest or one with enemy backup (such as Pyros) may require a teammate's help, either through a friendly Spy's Sapper or a Medic's Übercharge.

• Do not underestimate the utility of the Bottle! It deals reliable damage with no danger of harming yourself, allowing you to punish enemies who get into dangerous point-blank range, where you would usually risk blowing yourself up with your own bombs.
  • Pesky enemies who weave in-and-out of melee range can be baited into a hastily-set Stickybomb cluster; after all, you can still detonate your traps while holding out your melee weapon.
  • On servers with random critical hits enabled, the high damage of your weapons allow you to get the maximum critical swing chance very easily.

• Your dependence on projectiles means that you will be inaccurate without properly leading your target and accounting for distance. Even so, you still have a natural disadvantage against hitscan in general, especially if your enemy strafes constantly or keeps their distance. This can make fighting Scouts or Snipers difficult.
  • If you have no other options, leave a trail of grenades or Stickybombs in the direction your opponent is moving; you might kill them even once you're dead. At worst, you can approach and kamikaze with a point-blank shot for an equal net loss.

Knockback and Aerials

• Your explosives deal massive knockback to enemies if they connect with their lower body, with exceptions being the Heavy (due to his natural resistance to knockback) and Soldiers wearing the Mantreads. This makes you even more imposing near environmental hazards, allowing you to force an untimely death.
  • A Scout under the effects of Bonk! Atomic Punch or an Übercharged target can be easily thrown into the air with a well-timed explosion, thus wasting their invincibility and leaving them wide open for the rest of the team. However, competent players can abuse this knockback and propel themselves on a Control Point, or even straight into your team. Watch out and use this brutal power with care.

• Your ability to knock enemies into the air (and, by extension, your ability to deal heavy damage with direct hits at any range) allow you to perform aerial kills, or "Airshots", one of the Demoman's specialties. When an enemy is launched into the air, a Demoman with good prediction skills can score a direct hit with his Grenade Launcher to kill the helpless enemy. While aerials are possible with the Stickybomb Launcher, it is not recommended due to damage falloff and the arming time.

• Aerials work on any class, but the more common targets include Scouts, Demomen, and Soldiers. This is because these classes' own special abilities (Double jumping, Sticky Jumping, and Rocket Jumping, respectively) make them more likely to be spotted airborne than the other classes.

Roles

Defense

Defense is the traditional role a Demoman will play, and is well suited to the class.

• One of the more basic defensive strategies a Demoman will employ is placing well hidden Stickybombs on or near key strategic points on a map. When enemy players approach the target, a properly timed detonation can severely injure or kill passing enemies, and even if the stickies are spotted, they can delay and slow enemy pushes toward an objective.
  • Setting up Stickybomb traps in unexpected places are critical to their success. Hiding them behind escape routes and spamming grenades can make the enemy retreat and lead them to an inevitable death.

• Maintaining pressure on choke points is another core Demoman defensive strategy due to his pure burst-damage. Once the enemy team begins to push through a chokepoint, a Demoman can single-handedly obstruct any enemy progress by covering the area with Stickybombs and spamming Grenades at incoming opponents. This is especially useful if the enemies are taken by surprise, or in confined or narrow spaces.

• A Demoman can use the knockback of his explosives to split apart or disrupt pushes and isolate enemies to allow for easy pickings.

• The Demoman is effective at assisting Engineers fight off enemy Spies. Your attacks won't harm friendly buildings, so place one or two Stickybombs near a building, then wait nearby or while providing offensive support with your Grenade Launcher. When an Engineer says "Spy sapping my [building]," or if an Engineer just destroyed a Sapper, detonate the bombs to kill the Spy in case he is still there, then return to place more. You can also use the Scottish Resistance to protect friendly buildings from enemy Demoman Stickybombs.

• Because the Stickybombs on the Scottish Resistance take a longer time to arm, it is better suited for defensive play that requires guarding multiple areas simultaneously while still leaving unneeded traps undetonated. Additionally, this allows for a "safety net" in case your first cluster misses or isn't enough to kill a group of enemies; simply have another group of Stickybombs prepared close by so you can have another go.

Offense

For a Defense-based class, the Demoman has one of the highest damage outputs in the game, allowing him fill in the offensive role and punch through enemy defenses, letting his entire team move forward.

• Stickybombs are a very useful weapon, as their short detonation time, combined with their damage and splash range, can destroy enemy pushes and break stalemates. Multiple stickies can be used to take down slower and larger targets such as the Heavy.
  • The Grenade Launcher is also powerful on its own, with the added benefit of exploding on hit and contributing to spam, which limits enemy movements.

• When your team's progress is denied by a strong Engineer nest, a Demoman is an optimal choice for offensive pushing. Along with the Spy and the Soldier, the Demoman is a team's best hope at clearing enemy Sentry Guns and Heavies.

• If given an ÜberCharge, the Demoman becomes a formidable front-line attacker that can fill in several roles. With a standard ÜberCharge, the Demoman can clear out an entire Engineer nest as well as enemies and other obstructions, while a Kritzkrieg ÜberCharge allows him to shut down enemy groups and pushes completely. This proves particularly effective with backup from other Demomen and Soldiers.

• Being a support Demoman is slightly harder than concentrating on offense or defense alone, as it revolves around covering as much friendly ground or chokepoints as possible. A Demoman can lay down spam to hold enemies back, while also utilizing Stickybombs to hold ground for other teammates to advance forward.

Demoknight

A Demoknight set completely changes the playstyle of the class.

Using a Demoknight set (generally seen as one of the shield weapons paired with a sword-based melee weapon) grants the Demoman a unique combat style that requires separate tactics and techniques.

• Unlike a standard Demoman, who is a medium-ranged expert focused on traps and strong crowd control, a Demoknight is instead a sub-class focused on single-target melee picking, with advantages including higher resistance to explosives and fire, better mobility and the removal of debuffs via charging, longer melee range combined with on-hit/kill weapon perks, and the ability to chase down and eliminate a single target with a well-positioned critical swing.
  • Downsides of the class include contributing less to large firefights and battles, since Demoknights do not fare well as their longer range damage output is reduced. Melee combat in itself is risky due to a Demoknight being unable to escape if their charge misses. Finally, with Boots equipped, a Demoknight is completely forced to depend on melee combat, making him extremely vulnerable to long-range damage and Sentry Guns, the latter which is usually ironically simple to deal with if playing as the stock class.

• Playing a Demoknight requires a different mindset from a standard Demoman, as you sacrifice the Stickybomb Launcher's strengths for the utilities gained by your array of shields and swords.
  • Your shields make you harder to kill with flames and explosives, giving you an advantage against Soldiers, Pyros and other Demomen. This is most apparent with the Chargin' Targe, which allows you to tank a Flamethrower's flames when a Pyro would usually have the upper hand.
  • Meanwhile, your sword-based weapons have increased melee reach, and also gives you health or charge on hit/kill. Combined with the resistance and charge ability gained by your shields, you can dash in quickly and slice at opponents, then escape with the health or charge gained by your melee attacks.
  • Boots give you more health and charge maneuverability, and also grants you additional speed when equipped alongside a shield, making it easier for you to swordfight; with the Eyelander and four heads, the extra speed even allows you to chase down any class on foot, including Scouts. However, all these tempting upsides are offset by this setup's pure-melee requirement, making you easy to kill unless you are already in melee range. In essence, a full Demoknight setup tests your prowess as a Demoknight, and rewards players who understand when to run in and which opponents to engage with.

• Even if you are not actively using your melee weapon, a shield is still an effective utility tool. It lets you get to places without self-harm (unlike your explosive jumps), endure more blast and fire damage while still being aggressive with your Grenade Launcher, and can even lead you and a friendly Medic to safety if he is healing you with the Quick-Fix while you charge.
  • Charging also immediately removes the effects of Jarate, Mad Milk, Bleeding and Afterburn, which is very useful due to a Demoknight's tendency to work alone and run into danger.

• Grenade or Loose Cannon explosive jumps can be extended using your charge, even letting you switch direction in midair. This is especially efficient when using the Tide Turner.
  • The mechanics of charging also allows you to charge into the air using slopes, a technique named "trimping", which is explained further below in the "Demoman Jumps" section.

• Remember to prioritize the original role of the Demoman class! If there is a building or Engineer nest that desperately needs taking down, be a team player and drop the shield for your Stickybomb Launcher. A Demoknight simply lacks the firepower needed to take down nests by himself, and you can always re-equip your shield after clearing a nest.

Demoman Jumps

Main article: Demoman Jumps

The Demoman, along with the Soldier, is one of the two classes who can perform explosive jumps. His various weapons, including the Grenade Launcher, Stickybomb Launcher, and Scottish Resistance, can be used to perform such jumps, each with different methods to execute.

Stickybomb Jumping

Stickybomb jumping, or sticky jumping, is often the most common type of Demoman jump, which involves the detonation of one or more stickybombs for a large, though highly damaging, explosive jump.

• Sticky jumping is very similar to rocket jumping. Simply lay a Stickybomb on the ground, run over it, jump, and then detonate the bomb. As when rocket jumping, crouch-jumping in mid-air before setting off the sticky will propel the player with even more force.

• Compared to rocket jumping, sticky jumping sends the user much further, but at the cost of much more health (45-114 excluding fall damage). Multiple stickies can be used for an even greater effect, at the cost of a higher amount of self damage.
  • Due to the high amount of health lost from sticky jumping, it is wise to memorize health pack locations on the map, or have a Medic in tow.

• Demomen only take 25% reduced damage from their explosive jumps, unlike Soldiers (who take 40% reduced damage). It is usually suicidal to stickybomb jump as a retreat option unless you have overheal or are at full health.

• Your angle to the Stickybomb when it is detonated determines your flight path - standing directly on top of your stickybomb sends you straight up, and the more you stray from the explosion's center, the more horizontal distance you cover. You can adjust when to detonate your Stickybombs to adjust your trajectory to be either more vertical or horizontal.
  • For an optimal horizontal sticky jump, fire a Stickybomb where a wall meets with the floor to maximize distance gained.

• With practice, Stickybomb jumps can be extended with "pogo-jumping" - detonating a second Stickybomb in the air to increase your air time. However, this is quite complicated to master, as it requires your first jump to send you directly over your second, airborne Stickybomb, and it often deals too much damage to survive unless you are overhealed.

• The Stickybomb Launcher can be replaced by the Sticky Jumper, which will remove all self damage when sticky jumping, allowing much farther and higher jumps. However, fall damage must still be taken into account.

Scottish Resistance

• When sticky jumping with the Scottish Resistance, any stickies directly under the Demoman will be detonated when secondary fire is used, so long as there are no other stickies in the player's crosshair. However, jumps with a lot of forward momentum are difficult to achieve with the Scottish Resistance unless the Stickybomb being used for the jump is being directly looked at -- essentially, the player will be facing away from the direction they wish to go when the bomb is detonated. This can take some practice to get used to.

Grenade Jumping

Grenade jumping uses the timed explosion of a Grenade Launcher's grenades for a smaller, less damaging explosive jump.

• Like a Stickybomb jump, simply jump atop a grenade as it is about to explode to send yourself flying; the further you are from the explosion's center, the more horizontal distance you gain and more vertical distance you lose. Remember that grenades have a fuse time of around 2.3 seconds.

• As grenades tend to roll around after being shot, it is usually best to fire a grenade towards a wall to make its final sitting position more predictable.

• Grenades deal 38-73 self-damage depending on the distance you are from the center of its explosion. This makes it more efficient for smaller jumps, or when conserving health is a priority.
  • Grenade jumping is also beneficial if you already have a group of stickies deployed elsewhere, as placed stickies will be left undetonated.

• Note that grenade jumps are less practical than Stickybomb jumps in situations where enemies may be nearby, due to the fact that one must wait for the grenade to explode with the stock Grenade Launcher.
  • However, Grenade Jumping is a very viable tactic with the Chargin' Targe or Splendid Screen equipped, and it can easily catch enemies off-guard when they find a shield-equipped Demoman in an unexpected place.

• A tutorial on Grenade Jumps can be found here.

Iron Bomber and Loose Cannon

• The Iron Bomber can make grenade jumping more efficient, simply because the projectiles stay almost completely stationary until detonation, and its shorter fuse time means a shorter wait for each grenade jump. Overall, this gives you more control over your jumps.
• Loose Cannon cannonballs can also be used for grenade jumps due to its short fuse time. However, take note that their shape may make it difficult to position them for an optimal jump, and that cannonballs have a fuse that only lasts one second. Additionally, the Loose Cannon can perform a more efficient Cannon Jump, as shown below.

Cannon Jumping

Similarly to the Beggar's Bazooka, the Loose Cannon can be overloaded. By charging a cannonball for a full second, the detonation allows for a strong, easily-timed explosive jump.

• The Loose Cannon deals 64-73 self-damage when overloaded, as overcharging causes an explosion directly in front of the player. This is more stable when compared to the Grenade Launcher (38-73 damage) and Stickybomb Launcher (45-114).
  • Since both the Loose Cannon's fuse time and the position of the overload's explosion is fixed, it allows for controllable jumps and doesn't necessitate a surface to maximize distance gained. Additionally, since Cannon Jumping offers good distance comparable with a Stickybomb jump, it allows him to clear large distances much faster.

• As Cannon Jumping grants an easily accessible method of explosive jumping without the use of your Stickybomb Launcher, equipping an alternative secondary weapon is a viable option. By equipping the Chargin Targe, Splendid Screen or the Tide Turner, it's possible to choose a Demoknight loadout whilst keeping a useful jumping ability. Your shield's charge can even let you lengthen your jump or even switch directions in midair.

Charge jumping (Trimping)

Charge jumps (or Trimping), while technically not an "explosive jump", is a unique Demoman jump which uses slanted objects to alter the trajectory of a shield charge.

• The most basic Trimping technique is a simple leap off a sloped surface while equipping the Chargin Targe, Splendid Screen or Tide Turner. This is often executed by moving towards a slope, jumping while looking at it, and charging right before hitting the ground. This burst of speed will propel the player to great distances since the slope will typically point upwards. One such easily-accessible jump exists on Degroot Keep.

Tide Turner

The Tide Turner's full turning mobility greatly extends the viability of Trimping, and is especially useful for Boots-wearing Demoknights with no access to explosive jumps.

• Turning during an airborne charge will increase the speed of the charge, allowing jumps to gain more distance. This allows slopes that would previously fail to work to be jump-able, if the player jumps and turns towards the slope in order to gain sufficient speed to slide on it.
  • On slopes that can be walked up and are too long, it is important to jump and gain enough speed to fling off the surface. Simply charging straight up these sorts of slopes will cause the player to brake immediately once the charge is finished, as the game considers the player to be "stuck" against the ground.

• Depending on the map and slope, charge jumps with the Tide Turner may cover more ground than other jumps would, whilst retaining all health besides fall damage. This is even more apparent when multiple slopes are used for the jump.
  • The turning ability also allows the player to strafe around obstructions mid-jump without requiring to end the charge first, allowing for less restrictive and easier jumps.

• Slanted walls too steep to walk up are nevertheless still useful for Trimping, such as the rocks outside BLU spawn on Badwater. By jumping and charging towards such a surface and then immediately doing a quick 180° turn, the player will gain enough speed to be sent flying into the air, where they can continue to extend the distance gained by continuously strafing in midair.

• Much like the Loose Cannon, the Tide Turner allows players to choose a Demoknight loadout while having a very useful mobility option.
• More info about Trimping can be found in this tutorial.

Weapon-specific

Main article: Demoman weapons

Primary

Grenade Launcher + reskins

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Base Damage	Splash Damage	Self Damage	Critical
Stock Grenade Launcher		4	16	84-123	22-64	42-74	270-330
Uncrate Festive Grenade Launcher
Advanced+ Mann Up Reward Australium Grenade Launcher

The Default Grenade Launcher is an easy-to-use weapon for the inexperienced and a deadly tool of destruction in the hands of an experienced player. It launches arcing/bouncing grenades that deal 100 damage at any range if they hit the target directly; if not a direct hit, these grenades will instead fall to the ground and explode, dealing 60 damage or less to any nearby enemies, after 2.28 seconds of exiting the Launcher. These grenades can damage multiple enemies at once and have travel time. The Default Grenade Launcher holds 4 of these grenades in a clip and has to reload each grenade individually once they are used; it holds 16 grenades in reserve. Variants of the Default Grenade Launcher share its basic properties, but also have their own special abilities and downsides added on as attributes.

• Grenades explode on contact with an enemy, provided they have not touched anything first.
• Grenades are used as an area denial tool when the Stickybomb Launcher or Scottish Resistance have no stickies loaded, or either the Sticky Jumper, or any of the Shields are equipped. The 2.28 second timer on grenades can deter enemies from advancing forward, and therefore, grenades contribute greatly to spam.
  • If BLU is trapped at their spawn point by RED and a resupply cabinet exists in BLU's spawn in a direct line of sight to the exit of the spawn point (e.g. Badwater Basin, Dust Bowl stage one) a BLU Demoman may stand next to that resupply cabinet and fire an endless stream of grenades out of spawn to try to break RED's defense.
• Grenades may be shot around corners by bouncing them off walls, props, and carts at an angle.
• Grenades spin when fired, which causes them to bounce unpredictably. This allows grenades to bounce around corners and randomly move after they have made surface contact.
• Grenades launch slightly to the right of the cross-hair, so lead to the left to compensate. This is especially important for dealing with faster classes such as Pyros and Scouts, especially at closer ranges.
• Keep in mind that it is very easy to avoid grenades at long and even medium range. Because of the grenade's low speed, enemies have a lot of time to react.
• High angle fire at long distances can help to hit enemies behind cover and flush Engineer nests out.
• If an enemy is about to run away, try to block his predicted escape route with some grenades. If the enemy's health is low enough to have them hesitate at running into the grenades, attempt to go for the kill.
• The Grenade Launcher's large splash damage radius is useful against large groups of enemies in small, confined spaces.

Loch-n-Load

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Base Damage	Self Damage	Critical
Craft Loch-n-Load		3	16	100	38-61	300

The Loch-n-Load is a Grenade Launcher that does 20% more damage to Buildings and has 25% faster projectiles. This all comes at the cost of 25% less splash range for its grenades, 1 less ammo in a clip (3), and bombs that shatter harmlessly on contact with the world.

• The Loch-n-Load's extra damage to buildings is almost unnoticeable in most situations, however, it does allow you to destroy level 2 and 3 Buildings in 2 hits instead of 3.
• The Loch-n-Load's extra projectile speed is one of its only redeeming attributes. Luckily, it is one of the best possible attributes to give to a Grenade Launcher.
  • This is because it makes it easier to land the ever-elusive direct grenade hits. It also gives you more range and less arc on the grenades.
  • The Loch-n-Load used to be an almost overpowered weapon with its increased damage to players, making it around equal to the Loose Cannon (both had more damage and more projectile speed). Now, it is mostly outshined by the Loose Cannon. Now, its only redeeming qualities over the Loose Cannon are its higher damage to buildings, longer range, 5% faster projectile speed, and easier-to-perform 100 damage direct hits.
  • The Loch-n-Load's increased shot velocity, means that the Loch-n-Load is a great weapon for tunnel fighting. It proves its worth in areas like the tunnels of Turbine and Hoodoo. The Loch-n-Load is especially useful for bigger and slower targets like the Heavy, who otherwise have a natural advantage in long, narrow tunnels.
  • A Demoman with a Loch-n-Load in any area where opponents are forced to enter through narrow areas, such as tunnels or chokepoints can wreak havoc, especially with critical hits or boosts. Combined with Stickybombs, the Demoman can deny access to chokepoints and, with some team support, will be very difficult to dislodge.
• The downside of shattering grenades can be used to your advantage if an enemy Pyro is good with the airblast. Should the Pyro airblast the grenade but miss you and/or your teammates, the reflected grenade will shatter without any explosion whatsoever.
  • Deflecting these grenades is difficult in the first place, due to their fast movement speed and failure to rest on the ground, making this an excellent weapon against airblasting Pyros.
• The Loch-n-Load has several downsides.
  • The Loch-n-Load's grenades shatter harmlessly on impact with the world, making them horrible at spam and area denial.
    • The lack of rollers means that you cannot block off areas as well as with other Grenade Launchers, and you also have a small disadvantage when fighting Buildings (but you also have an advantage at the same time).
    • The Loch-n-Load removes your ability to grenade jump, since the grenades only explode on impact with an enemy or enemy building. This means you will need to use sticky jumps to get to hard-to-reach areas.
  • The Loch-n-Load's grenades have a 25% smaller splash range, again, making it worse for spam and area denial, and also for attacking clusters of enemies/Buildings.
  • The Loch-n-Load's lack of 1 grenade means there is little room for error. You are also worse at crowd control.
    • This downside also increases the number of times you need to reload in the face of enemy aggression. It can be a good idea to switch to your Sticky Launcher of choice for extended battles, and switch to a suitable melee weapon rather than engage them at point blank.

Ali Baba's Wee Booties + reskins

Weapon	Effect
	Passive Effect
Craft Ali Baba's Wee Booties	+25 maximum health on wearer. +10% faster move speed on wearer. (Only if a shield is equipped simultaneously) 200% increase in turning control while charging. Kills with melee weapons restore 25% of the charge meter.
Craft Bootlegger

The Ali Baba's Wee Booties/Bootlegger is a passive primary weapon that gives the Demoman 25 extra health at the cost of losing his Grenade Launcher. Used in conjunction with either the Chargin' Targe, the Splendid Screen or Tide Turner and a Melee weapon, you can become a melee-based offensive powerhouse; you gain 200% more charge turning control (triple), 25% charge meter restored on melee kill, and 10% increased movement speed. This comes at the cost of all of your ranged weapons.

• The main problem with this strategy is the loss of all explosive/ranged weapons. An enemy who the Demoman normally dominates, the Engineer and his Buildings, suddenly becomes his worst nightmare. Because of this, it is necessary to plan your engagements and to avoid conflict when appropriate.
  • In Medieval Mode, the loss of ranged weaponry is no longer an issue.
• The 10% boost the boots provide (assuming you also have a Shield equipped) allow you (at 103% speed) to pursue all classes except the Medic and Scout with any of your melee weapons except the Scotsman's Skullcutter. Your superior speed coupled with the resistances of your shield and the increased range of many of your melee weapons will give you a surprising edge against even many ranged opponents.
• The extra health from the Ali Baba's Wee Booties can be useful for both Demomen and Demoknights.
• The extra shield turning control and charge restoration don't match that of the Tide Turner, but they do allow the other two shields to become pseudo-Tide Turners.
• Synergy
  • The Ali Baba's Wee Booties are great for boosting the abilities of any Demoknight, and some Demomen.
  • Together with the Eyelander and Splendid Screen, and with 4 heads (5 for max shield damage) or more, the Ali Baba's Booties will make you almost unstoppable. You will have 235 maximum health (2nd highest in-game), which is a whole 35 health more than a maximum health Soldier; you also get 350 max Overheal. You will also have 136% base movement speed (3rd highest in-game, behind Crit-a-Cola and Baby Face's Blaster Scouts), 3% more than the Default Scout; your shield charge is actually much faster than this, at 250% speed. Your Splendid Screen will also be dealing up to 128 damage shield bashes, killing Scouts, Snipers, Engineers, Spies or injured enemies in just one hit. You also have a melee weapon that deals 195 damage if used correctly in conjunction with a shield charge. You also turn 200% more effectively while charging, regain 25% charge and 15 health on melee kill (can get Overheal), have 20% resistance to both Fire and Explosives, have a default shield recharge time that is double of other shields, and can remove debuffs (Bleed, Jarate, Mad Milk, and Fire) by charging. Clearly, this is the most powerful possible Demoknight setup. The only problem is gaining the 5 heads in the first place, and staying alive. Once you die, all your health, speed and shield damage is lost.

Loose Cannon

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Base Damage	Splash Damage (mid-air)	Splash Damage (after bounce)	Self Damage	Critical
Craft Loose Cannon		4	16	57-77	22-64	11-32	56-104	202

The Loose Cannon is a Grenade Launcher whose damage is dealt as a 25-50 damage Direct Hit and a 60 damage explosion that occurs soon afterward (instead of as a 100 damage Direct Hit). The cannonballs launched by the Loose Cannon explode in a maximum of 1 second (instead of 2.3) and can be charged to explode even earlier. The cannonballs also feature a 20% faster projectile speed, immense Knockback, and the ability to Double Donk foes; if the Direct Hit and explosion occur within half-a-second of each other, the explosion will be a mini-crit.

• For novice players, the 50% reduced direct damage can make the Loose Cannon feel much weaker than the other Grenade Launchers. However, don't be fooled; the Loose Cannon can actually deal 31 more damage per cannonball (~131) if successful Double Donks are achieved. As these Double Donks usually require good timing and aim to pull off, practice is necessary to get them consistently.

• As well as being able to perform Double Donks, the Loose Cannon's charge meter has a variety of fiddly tricks that it can pull off.
  • One such trick is the ability to cause mid-air explosions (~40 damage each), similarly to the Detonator (a Pyro weapon). This can be useful for hitting fast-moving targets such as Scouts, or Pyros using Compression blast.
  • Another trick is the ability to perform very effective Grenade-jumps. There are two methods for doing this. The first is jumping and looking at the ground/wall as the cannonball explodes while it is still in the chamber (similar to an overload jump). Another method is to release the cannonball with less than half-a-second fuse time and to jump off that, like a regular Grenade-jump.
  • Yet another trick is the ability to hold down the fuse meter and let it explode while it is still in the chamber (Kamikaze), in order to damage nearby enemies. You will take around 60 damage from the explosion, but so will your foe. This can be a useful last resort, especially for fighting Scouts.
  • A fifth trick of this charge meter, is the ability to self-damage yourself by exploding the cannonball while it is in the chamber, in order to assist Medics wielding the Default Medi Gun or Kritzkrieg in building up ÜberCharges at the maximum rate. These weapons build up their ÜberCharges faster if the target has minimal Overheal or has low health. The Quick-Fix and Vaccinator can benefit from this also, however, their Overheal is actually stunted, so most of the time they are building up ÜberCharges at the maximum rate anyway.

• The Loose Cannon's high Knockback is useful in a variety of situations.
  • The Knockback is powerful for a defensive Demoman wielding a Stickybomb Launcher variant. The Knockback can be used to push enemies into Sticky-traps (Stickybombs attached to surfaces).
  • Yet again, the Knockback is useful for a defensive Demoman, regardless of what secondary he is using. If being chased by a horde of enemies, the Knockback can be greatly useful for pushing them back, giving you time to escape.
  • The Knockback can also be used very aggressively, pushing enemies away from areas that you deem off-limits.
  • The Knockback can be used to push enemies into hazards or off cliffs (Environmental death).

• The Loose Cannon's fast projectile speed may not be as impressive as the Loch-n-Load's (+20% instead of +25%), however, it is still higher than the other two Grenade Launcher variants. It can be useful in any situation.
  • On Offense, the faster projectile speed allows you to kill enemies faster and gives them less time to react.
  • On Defense, the faster projectile speed is helpful yet again; it can be used to keep up the pressure on advancing enemies.
  • The faster projectile speed also increases the range of the cannonballs (they are still short-ranged due to having extremely short fuse) and lessens the arc of the cannonballs.

• The shorter fuse time of the Loose Cannon is great for making temporary traps for pursuing enemies to walk over.

• Despite having many upsides and special abilities, the Loose Cannon does have some noticeable downsides.
  • The Loose Cannon requires a lot of practice for it to be effective at combat.
  • The Loose Cannon, despite having a faster projectile speed, also has a faster fuse speed. Although the faster fuse can be a good attribute, it is also bad because it decreases the range of the Loose Cannon's cannonballs (although the faster projectile speed increases the range slightly).
  • The Loose Cannon may be the most powerful at PVP (Player vs Player) but it is possibly the worst Grenade Launcher variant at PVB (Player vs Building). Double Donks don't work against Buildings, but the damage of each cannonball overall still matches that of the Default Grenade Launcher. However, when fighting buildings that are under guard by an Engineer, stronger burst damage is more important than weaker, sustained damage.

• Synergy
  • Paired with the Scottish Resistance, this weapon is one of the pinnacle weapons in defense. Paired with several Sentry Guns, and Heavies positioned near Dispensers, with adequate Spy checking, this position is nearly impossible to break through and you will easily stop anything short of an Übercharge. The Loose Cannon's role here is long range support, knockback, and well-timed air detonations.
    • The knockback is especially useful here since you can fire Scottish Resistance Stickybombs behind enemies and knock them into the traps despite the Stickybombs' long arm time.
    • Even without directly hitting an enemy, you may still do so by scaring your enemies into retreating with a cannonball explosion in mid-air.
  • Paired with the Quickiebomb Launcher or Default Stickybomb Launcher, the Loose Cannon can be used very effectively on offense. The Knockback can be useful for pushing enemies back, which allows room for devastating damage from the Stickybomb Launcher.
  • Paired with any shield, the Loose Cannon can still do a lot of work. Being the highest damage-dealer, most effective at Grenade-jumping, and best for self-defence and creating temporary traps, the Loose Cannon is the obvious choice for any Hybrid Demoknight. The only trouble is running into any Sentry Guns.
  • Paired with the Sticky Jumper, the Loose Cannon offers similar utility to when it is paired with the shields. It can be combined with the Sticky Jumper to perform Air-jumps.

B.A.S.E. Jumper

Weapon	Effect
	Activation	Active effect
Craft B.A.S.E. Jumper	Press "Jump" in mid-air to deploy chute	Decrease descend speed and acceleration

The B.A.S.E Jumper is a craftable Primary weapon for the Demoman. When Demoman is in mid air, he can activate it by pressing the jump key (default key: Spacebar) to activate a parachute, slowing and capping his vertical descent and allowing him to better control his ability to strafe. Pressing the jump key again will deactivate the parachute, allowing the Demoman to fall normally. The player can then reactivate the parachute in midair, as many times as they want. Players can attack with any of their weapons while the parachute is deployed.

• The B.A.S.E Jumper is greatly situational, as many official maps have a lower ceiling when compared to custom maps, and made even less effective when used indoors. Nonetheless, its decreased descend speed allow the Demoman to cross wider chasms.
• B.A.S.E Jumper can help extend a jump's duration.

Iron Bomber

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Base Damage	Splash Damage	Self Damage	Critical
Craft Iron Bomber		4	16	84-123	20-58	38-67	243-297

The Iron Bomber is an odd Grenade Launcher, with upsides that aren't as straightforward as a damage booster or projectile speed booster. Instead, it features the unique ability of grenade rollers that don't move around much (they are still affected by gravity). It also secondarily features a 30% faster fuse for its grenades (1.4 seconds), at the cost of a 15% smaller splash range (except for the Demoman who fired it).

• The faster fuse and slow-moving rollers don't affect gameplay at all if direct hits are going to be used primarily. In this case, the Iron Bomber is almost exactly the same except with a tiny splash range penalty.
• To unlock the benefits of the Iron Bomber, it is recommended that rollers be used frequently.
  • If fleeing enemies, the rollers can be useful for stopping their pursuit. By placing the bombs like breadcrumbs, the enemy will think twice about taking after you, especially if they are a Scout. The faster fuse on rollers becomes useful in this situation because the pseudo Sticky-trap will actually detonate in time for the enemy to be damaged by it.
  • The Iron Bomber is moderately effective at area denial, due to its stickybomb-like rollers. This also assists it with Building destruction.
  • The Iron Bomber is an easy-to-access method of blast jumping. You just throw a grenade onto the floor in front of you and jump while running towards it.
• The Iron Bomber doesn't really have any huge downsides, the problems with it usually boil down to its underwhelming upsides.
  • The Iron Bomber has no advantage with direct hits.
  • The Iron Bomber's jumps are of less value if you have a Stickybomb Launcher variant equipped. However, they are good for any shield-wielding Demomen, as the shield charge, combined with the blast jumps, can allow you to fly across the map.
  • The Iron Bomber's rollers are not as effective as stickybombs.
  • The Loose Cannon is almost 100% better than the Iron Bomber, serving similar defensive/utility purposes, but also serving other offensive purposes.
    • Both are great for doing blast jumps and both are great for self-defense. The differences lie in the Loose Cannon's terrific offensive capabilities and its incredible complicatedness and difficulty to use. For more serious players looking to use Iron Bomber-like strategies, the Loose Cannon is a better alternative. However, the Iron Bomber's simplicity and its 100 damage direct hits can be appealing for any players who aren't concentrating on their offensive capabilities.
    • The Iron Bomber mostly serves as a simpler and more player-friendly version of the Loose Cannon.
  • The Iron Bomber's smaller explosion radius is a minor hindrance, and its shorter fuse and slow-moving rollers restrict its range.
• Synergy
  • This weapon can be used both offensively and defensively, use this in conjunction with the Scottish Resistance, for probably the best results.

Secondary

Stickybomb Launcher + reskins

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Base Damage	Splash Damage	Self Damage	Critical
Stock Stickybomb Launcher		8	32	120	60-124	45-114	261
Uncrate Festive Stickybomb Launcher
Botkiller Stickybomb Launcher
Advanced+ Mann Up Reward Australium Stickybomb Launcher

The Stickybomb is one of the defining features of Demoman play. Stickybombs are detonated by using your alternative fire (default key Mouse2), no matter which weapon is currently out.

Some basic pointers for planting Stickybombs are:

• When guarding capture points or the Intelligence, you can create a larger blast radius by spreading out your Stickybomb carpet.

• After planting Stickybombs around the intelligence or a control point, the Demoman is free to leave the area. Look at the Capture the Flag or Capture Point HUD elements, or listen for the announcements of "The enemy has taken our Intelligence" or "Our Control point is being captured" and detonate the Stickybombs. Make sure to keep an eye on the total number of fired stickies, as the enemy could be destroying them before stepping onto the point.

• When guarding other strategic locations, place Stickybombs that are either out of sight until it's too late, or in well hidden/odd places (such as on ceilings, under stairs, above automatic doors, etc.). You can also place stickies directly on the objectives, where they will be hidden by them.

• Never forget that Stickybombs can be launched across the visible distance of most open maps. Aim for windows, Sniper ledges, and other populated areas. When the trajectory is right, lob in a few bombs and detonate them to clear the room.

• If Stickybombs are clustered too closely, enemy Pyros or Demomen can clear them away with a single shot. Demomen using the Scottish Resistance or Quickiebomb Launcher can destroy Stickybombs outright. To counter this, spread your stickies out across the area.

• Don't stand still when placing a lot of stickies near objectives like the Payload cart or a control point. Doing so will make you susceptible to headshots, backstabs, and any other form of damage.

• Place Stickybombs around Health packs if you feel like killing your enemies ironically.
  • However, this may not work well with small Health packs, due to being almost as small as the stickies themselves.

• If it is too dangerous to pop out of cover to set Stickybombs onto a Sentry Gun, try shooting them as close to Sentry Gun as you can without revealing yourself. The splash damage will take out the Sentry Gun just fine, but it may require a few more stickies as an alert Engineer will be able to destroy them. The Scottish Resistance can counteract this problem with its increased rate-of-fire.

• If an enemy is on a control point, wait a moment before detonating, as they may have seen the Stickybombs and might try to trick you into detonating too early.

• Do not underestimate the power of air-detonated stickies. The ability to detonate stickies in midair allows one to attack with great precision for high damage.

• To use stickies in an offensive battle, constantly launch stickies and detonate them as soon as possible. The constant flow of damage can add up very quickly, along with the fact that the Demoman may have an easier time laying them out in the heat of a battle in which they are not the only target. This method can be very effective, easily killing bigger classes such as Heavy/Medic combos.
  • Or, it is also possible to lay down a small carpet of stickies and then blast the enemies to pieces.

• While holding down the detonate button will detonate stickies as soon as they are primed, it also prevents the sticky launcher from beginning to auto-reload, so it may be advisable simply to tap the detonate button repeatedly.

• Holding down the fire key will charge your shots, enabling you to shoot stickies much farther then normal. This can be used to great effect when engaged by faraway enemies such as Snipers.

Chargin' Targe + reskins

Weapon	Kill Icon	Damage			Effect
		Charge Damage	Charge Speed	Recharge Time	Resistances
Unlock Chargin' Targe		50+10 per head (up to 5)	750 Hammer units/sec (638 Hammer units/sec with Scotsman's Skullcutter)	12 seconds (6 with Persian Persuader)	50% fire resistance and 30% explosive resistance.
Uncrate Festive Chargin' Targe

The Chargin' Targe is an unlockable secondary for the Demoman that allows him to charge forward at breakneck speed for a short amount of time (max is around 2 seconds). This charge is indicated on a meter; as you use it, it quickly depletes, changing color from white to green to red. When the charge meter is red, the melee weapon that is currently equipped will perform a guaranteed critical hit. This charge meter recharges in around 12 seconds. The Chargin' Targe also features the ability to remove debuffs with its charge, and it gives the Demoman 50% resistance to fire and 40% resistance to explosives. The main drawback of the Chargin' Targe is that it replaces the Stickybomb Launcher. It also has minor advantages and disadvantages when compared to the other two shields, the Splendid Screen and Tide Turner.

• The Chargin' Targe gives the Demoman great melee combat ability. Combined with any melee weapon, but preferably a sword-type, and the Ali Baba's Wee Booties, you can become a powerful close quarters fighter, at the cost of losing all ranged weaponry. Alternatively, a Grenade Launcher variant can be equipped. These loadouts are often referred to as "Demoknight" and "Demoknight Hybrid", respectively.
• Keep an eye on your Charge meter, as its color will tell you the effects of the Targe - white is recharging or charged, green is a recently-activated charge (less than 50% used), yellow means your next attack will be a Mini-crit, and red means that your next melee attack will be a full strength Critical hit. The red zone also means that colliding with an enemy will cause the Targe itself to inflict damage. (50 Damage + 10 damage for each head you have, up to 5 heads.)
  • You must be quick to react and time your attacks well, as the "red zone" will only be active during the last 25% of the charge.
  • Be aware that grenades will not Crit near the end of your charge.
• The Chargin' Targe is a shield: just equipping it gives the Demoman resistance to both explosions and fire. A Demoman at full health (even with items that reduce health, such as the Eyelander) can survive a critical rocket if he has the Targe equipped.
• The Force-A-Nature's knockback, the Flamethrower's compression blast, Sentry Guns, arrows, Natascha's speed reduction, and the explosive force of grenades, rockets, and Stickybombs will all interrupt your charge.
• During a Charge, you move at 750 Hammer Units per second; two and a half times faster than the Engineer, Pyro, Spy, or Sniper, and 87.5% faster than the Scout. The charge also overrides the game's built-in cap for movement speeds, enabling you to move faster than any other character in the game, including a Scout with a fully-charged Boost meter for the Baby Face's Blaster. If you are in danger, you can use the charge to quickly escape from the battle and save your life. Just be aware that your lateral movement ability is severely reduced during a charge, so you may make yourself an easy target for an enemy with good aim.

Tips

• Try to attack enemies that are unaware of your presence.
• Charging down long hallways can force enemies back and give you an improved chance at getting a kill.
• The shield bash at the end of a full charge of the Targe deals a good amount of damage; it is useful for finishing off targets you have already damaged.
• In maps with areas of deep water, charging out by aiming in a vertical direction can surprise your enemy.
• When you hit an enemy with a charge, a loud sound will play; right after that, you can hit the enemy with your melee weapon to get a Critical hit. This can kill most classes before they can react.

Scottish Resistance

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Base Damage	Splash Damage	Self Damage	Critical
Unlock Scottish Resistance		8	36	120	60-124	45-114	261

The Scottish Resistance is an unlockable Stickybomb Launcher that is intended primarily for defensive play. It allows you to place 6 more bombs at a time (14), and it gives you 50% more reserve ammunition (36). It also only detonates stickybombs that are directly under the crosshair or directly under you. It allows you to see your own stickybombs through walls, and all of your stickybombs glow. Other abilities it has include a 25% faster fire rate and the ability to destroy enemy sticky bombs. The downside to using this weapon is a 0.8-second increase in bomb arm time.

• The Scottish Resistance is primarily intended for defensive use. It is far more effective for creating and managing stickybomb traps than the normal Stickybomb Launcher.
  • The ability to detonate bombs that are directly under the crosshair allows you to detonate only a few stickybombs at a time, and not destroy the other stickybombs. This allows you to set up multiple traps at once, allowing for more efficient use of ammunition. This also allows you to guard multiple areas at once.
  • The ability to see stickybombs through walls and the glow of stickybombs, regardless of their position, allows you to more easily organize your traps. It also allows you to detonate traps from safety. This is especially useful if standing behind a glass pane, such as from the windows in Gravel Pit or the window in Powerhouse. With the Powerhouse example, you can actually stand in spawn and blow up enemies on the Control point while looking through the window.
  • The ability to place 6 more stickybombs at a time allows you to create more traps at once.
  • The higher reserve ammunition count and faster fire rate allow you to set up many traps in a short amount of time and over a long period of time.
  • The ability to destroy stickybombs can be useful for protecting friendly Engineers' Buildings and Heavies from Stickybomb Launcher spam.
    • This can also be useful for fighting off spawn-camping enemy Demomen.
    • Placing stickybombs near friendly Players and Buildings can also be useful for killing enemy Spies.
  • The ability to blow up bombs directly under your feet is useful for performing Sticky Jumps. You can perform Sticky Jumps without blowing up your traps.
• Advanced Defense Strategy
  • When defending anywhere, especially places like tunnels, having 2-3 distinct groups of main bombs (2-4 per group) on the corner/doorway and 1-2 secondary groups (1-2 bombs) hidden along a retreat route can help you single-handily hold a position. Detonate individual main groups to take out incoming enemies, and if an enemy gets past, lure them into the secondary traps.
  • The longer arming time prevents the Scottish Resistance from being used to deal damage as quickly as the normal Sticky Launcher. It also is much harder to perform airbursts using the Scottish Resistance. While the bombs arm slower, the faster firing can be used to create "offensive" carpets. Instead of creating a trap and waiting for enemies to walk near it, it is possible to place bombs around enemy players quickly and then detonate once several stickies are out. This has the effect of rapidly denying enemies room to maneuver, and enemies in the area being carpeted will usually take at least some damage once the carpet is detonated. This technique works best in chokepoints.
  • While the Scottish Resistance does require the user to be looking in the general direction of the bombs they set, they do not have to have a line of sight to the bombs in question. This allows you to detonate them no matter what their location is on the map, provided the crosshair is fixated on the general area of your trap(s). This can prove invaluable if someone begins capturing a Control Point or takes the Intelligence while the rest of the team is preoccupied elsewhere.

• The Scottish Resistance can be useful for offense too.
  • The Scottish Resistance's faster rate of fire and higher stickybombs out allows you to devastate huge Engineer nests (various buildings placed near each other).
• Advanced Offense Strategy
  • The Scottish Resistance's fast rate of fire can be used in direct combat, but not in the same way as the normal Stickybomb Launcher. One tactic is to launch Stickybombs behind enemies and then attack using the Grenade Launcher. This can cause enemies to retreat, thereby causing them to move backward through the newly-created sticky trap. This technique helps to offset the longer priming time of the Scottish Resistance. When under the effects of an ÜberCharge, the technique can be used just as effectively without using the Grenade Launcher, as enemies will often retreat when confronted by an ÜberCharged player. It's important to consider the speed of enemy players when using this technique, as the Stickybombs should be placed close behind slower classes such as the Soldier and the Heavy, but further behind faster classes such as the Scout. This will ensure that the Stickybombs have time to prime before the enemy reaches them.
  • Another offensive strategy made possible with the quick firing rate is to shoot a few Stickybombs right in front of an incoming Heavy or a Sentry Gun, as you can place 3 or 4 without taking too much damage. When using this strategy, watch your health so that you have enough to retreat and detonate the bombs.
  • Some enemies may panic as the area around them rapidly becomes covered in stickies, and cause them to either rush forward blindly (into a trap) or run away; if they charge, be prepared to hit them with your Grenade Launcher. This method of attack also works wonders against unaware opponents, since many players are oblivious to stickies being placed around them until it's too late.

• The Scottish Resistance has few downsides.
  • The main downside to the Scottish Resistance is the slower bomb arm time. This makes offensive combat weaker.
  • It is easy to suicide accidentally with the Scottish Resistance, since bombs are detonated when they are under you.
  • You often don't get a lot of kills with the Scottish Resistance, and therefore, you don't get a lot of points. The reason is not because you are not helping the team, the reason is because enemies usually avoid traps, rather than walk over them. As a Scottish Resistance Demoman, you are still greatly helping the team by deterring enemies from entering an area, even if you have low points.
  • Spam with the Scottish Resistance is a little bit trickier since you have to aim at your stickybombs, instead of at your enemies.

Sticky Jumper

Weapon	Ammo		Damage
	Loaded	Carried	Base Damage	Splash Damage	Self Damage	Critical
Craft Sticky Jumper	8	72	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

The Sticky Jumper is a craftable sticky launcher that allows you to create Stickbombs that deal no damage, allowing you to jump without losing health. Though it is very useful for practicing Sticky jumping, there are also some situational uses in real matches.

• The Sticky Jumper is incapable of dealing damage to enemies, so it cannot be used to launch enemies. Keep this in mind when using it.

• Using the Sticky Jumper with the Pain Train can make be an effective method for point capturing. However, the Pain Train will make you vulnerable to bullets. It's best to use this combo against unguarded points or right after the previous point was captured.

• Due to the 100% reduction on self-damage, Demomen can perform multibomb Sticky Jumps without the need of a Medic. This can be used as a hasty retreat method or as a means to get behind enemy lines.

• In open Arena maps, the Sticky Jumper allows you to propel yourself and land behind the enemy team at the beginning of a round, when all players are packed together. This allows you to surprise them and perhaps even get the First Blood buff to deal even greater damage.

• While the Sticky Jumper allows you to sticky jump without taking self-damage, don't forget that you still receive damage from falling.

• Since the Sticky Jumper replaces your Stickybomb Launchers and Shields, you should bring with you a Grenade Launcher and a Melee weapon that doesn't rely too much on using a shield to be effective.
  • However, the Sticky Jumper replaces the function of a shield to get within melee range, so the Eyelander and Scotsman's Skullcutter can be surprisingly effective.

• Don't use the Sticky Jumper just for getting to your destination; if you're being overrun by a powerful threat, quickly sticky jump away back to safety.

• The Sticky Jumper can also be used to cut off the enemy's transportation and supply. Simply sticky jump to their spawn and destroy their Teleporters and Dispensers with your Grenade Launcher or Melee weapon.

• You cannot carry the Intelligence in CTF games, or the Australium in Special Delivery when using this weapon. Keep this in mind.
  • However, Medics healing you with a Quick-Fix will also gain any velocity applied to you from sticky jumping. This allows the Medic to sticky jump alongside you, and they are able to carry the Intelligence while doing so.

Splendid Screen

Weapon	Kill Icon	Damage			Effect
		Charge Damage	Charge Speed	Recharge Time	Resistances
Craft Splendid Screen		85+17 per head (up to 5)	750 Hammer units/sec (638 Hammer units/sec with Scotsman's Skullcutter)	6	20% fire resistance and 20% explosive resistance.

• The Splendid Screen, at the cost of less fire and explosive resistance than the Chargin' Targe, is capable of doing more bash damage and recharges 50% faster
• The Eyelander also pairs well with the Splendid Screen as the increased charge damage from having more heads offered by the former stacks with the increased charge impact damage from the latter.
  • With 5+ heads, the Splendid Screen will deal 170 damage on impact; enough to kill 5 out of 9 non-overhealed classes, and bring 3 more into critical health. If combined with a critical melee swing, this will kill all but overhealed Heavies.
• The Splendid Screen has a "hidden advantage" over other shields; its damage is great enough to cause an airblast-like knock back effect, use this to your advantage when faced against similar Demomen wielding a different shield.
  • The shield knockback can cause an enemy charging Demoman to lose his charging Crits.
• Keep in mind that because the Screen offers less fire and explosive resistance than the Targe; it will still be somewhat easy for Pyros, Soldiers, and other Demomen to do away with you if you're not careful.

Tide Turner

Weapon	Kill Icon	Damage			Effect
		Charge Damage	Charge Speed	Recharge Time	Resistances
Craft Tide Turner		50+10 per head (up to 5)	750 Hammer units/sec (638 Hammer units/sec with Scotsman's Skullcutter)	12 seconds (3 if you score a kill a melee kill during the recharging)	15% fire resistance and 15% explosive resistance.

• The Tide Turner trades off the resistance of the Chargin' Targe for full turning control while charging and the ability to refill 75% of the charge meter if a melee kill is made whilst the shield is recharging.

• After charging, be sure to make a melee kill to partially refill your charge.
  • If done properly, it is possible to rampage through enemy lines if each charge "ends with" a melee kill.

• Because of the full turning control, it is not suggested to use Ali Baba's Wee Booties with the Tide Turner if you only use them for the turning ability.
  • However, pairing the Tide Turner with either Ali Baba's Wee Booties or the Claidheamh Mòr will give you full charge back if you make a melee kill during or after the charge.

• Taking damage while charging will cause your charge meter to deplete faster. For this reason, it is preferrable to charge into enemy players from behind to catch them unaware.

Quickiebomb Launcher

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Base Damage	Splash Damage	Self Damage	Critical
Craft Quickiebomb Launcher		4	24	102	51-105	38-97	222

• The Quickiebomb Launcher allows Demomen to fire bombs, that are armed 0.2 seconds faster, also it has a 70% increased charge rate and based on charge, the damage can be increased up to 35% of default damage, and its able to destroy enemy stick bombs like the Scottish Resistance can, however these stats, come with the cost of -50% clip size (4 instead of 8) and 15% less damage when uncharged.
• Thanks to the 0.2 seconds faster bomb arm time, which makes the bombs get armed in about half a second, this weapon is very good at not only "quick in-combat detonations", but also airbursts.
• The 70% faster charging, that makes it so the charge fills in only about a second, compared to "the regular" 4 seconds, and the damage increase based on charge, make the Quickiebomb Launcher better than excellent at "stick sniping"
  • Thus because of the attributes, this weapon can be a massive threat against Snipers, if one manages to lob in a couple full charge bombs, enemies will be blown to smithereens without much of an issue.
    • Note that one needs to have the enemy not knowing that they are there, otherwise the enemies may retreat and/or destroy the bombs, but if they don't, then they'll be blown up.
• Due to the fact that the weapon has only half the clip size of other sticky launchers, it can be difficult to keep pressure against enemies, but if the planned usage of the weapon doesn't include "mass spamming" of the weapon, then it may not be an issue.

Melee

Bottle + reskins

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical
Stock Bottle		0.8 seconds	65	195
Promotional Frying Pan
Promotional Saxxy
Craft Conscientious Objector
Craft Scottish Handshake
Promotional/Craft Freedom Staff
Drop Bat Outta Hell
Drop Ham Shank
Achievement Necro Smasher
Uncrate Crossing Guard

The Demoman's Melee weapon, a Bottle of Scrumpy, is valuable as an emergency fall-back, and is the only type of weapon you can use in close-combat without injuring yourself.

• The Bottle should be used in the same way as most other melee weapons: when enemies are too close or too fast to hit with a Grenade (or if you don't have time to reload the Grenade Launcher).

Eyelander + reskins

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage		Healing
			Point Blank	Critical	From Kill
Unlock Eyelander		0.8 seconds	65	195	15
Advanced+ Mann Up Reward Australium Eyelander
Craft Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker
Craft Nessie's Nine Iron

The Eyelander is an unlockable melee weapon that gives you extended melee range, and also allowing you to become stronger with each melee kill you earn. It has the downside of -25 base health.

• It is a good idea to use the Eyelander with one of the shields. However, a Demoman with 4 decapitations and a Sticky Launcher is a massive threat. Head count is not reset until death, so a Demoman can use the Chargin' Targe until he accumulates 4 heads, then return to a resupply cabinet and switch to the Stickybomb Launcher of his choice. With over 200 HP and the second fastest run speed in the game, an Eyelander Demoman using the Sticky Launcher can be a very powerful enemy and one to avoid at all costs, especially if he has a Medic.
  • Another option would be to switch to the Splendid Screen. With 5 heads, your charge bash will do 170 damage, enough to kill 5 out of the 9 classes, and your follow-up Crit melee swing will do a total of 365 damage, enough to kill anything besides an overhealed Heavy.
  • The Sticky Jumper can also pair well with the Eyelander. Although getting the first two heads are difficult due to your slow speed and lack of a charge, once you have several, your high speed allows you to fly over obstacles and take enemies by surprise. Your initial heads can be taken from either slow classes you weakened with your Grenade Launcher, or unaware Snipers or Spies.

• The Eyelander has a very long range for a melee weapon. Get comfortable with its area of effect and take this into account when going for a critical charge.

• Time your charges correctly with the Splendid Screen if you have the Eyelander. The high charge damage can deprive you of claiming your enemy's head.

• If possible, weaken the enemy with the Grenade Launcher first before killing him with the Eyelander.

• Be aware that the Eyelander 'hits' near the beginning of the swing animation, rather than at the middle. Keep this in mind so you don't accidentally 'under-shoot' an attack, especially when using the sword in conjunction with the Chargin' Targe.

• Decapitating an enemy Demoman who also has the Eyelander equipped allows you to steal any heads he has accumulated.

• The Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker and Nessie's Nine Iron both look different than the Eyelander; however, they share the same stats.

• Without any heads, sticky jumping becomes a much more risky endeavor. If you intend to utilize sticky jumping, it may be wise to equip a different melee weapon or use the Sticky Jumper.

• Inattentive Snipers are an excellent target for Eyelander-wielding Demomen seeking to collect heads, as it will take only two successful hits to decapitate a Sniper, three if they are wielding the Darwin's Danger Shield.
  • The Decapitation taunt kill is useful here if the said Sniper isn't paying attention and no one is nearby, resulting in a realiable one hit kill.

• The -25 health penalty can be countered by Ali Baba's Wee Booties, balancing your base Health to normal.

Pain Train

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical
Craft Pain Train		0.8 seconds	65	195

The Pain Train is a craftable melee weapon that enables you to cap points twice as fast, at the cost of 10% increased bullet vulnerability.

• The Pain Train is situational. It's best used on Capture Point and Payload, especially when the enemy defenses are about to fall or when your team needs to close the distance on a Payload Race. It can also prove extremely handy on King of the Hill maps, but it is useless in Capture the Flag or when defending on an Attack/Defend Control Point map. Equip another melee weapon instead.

• You should not equip the Pain Train if you are having trouble with Heavies and Scouts, as the increased bullet damage makes these already annoying enemies nearly impossible to beat in some situations. If you're using the Chargin' Targe as well, Pyros and Soldiers might forgo their primary weapons for the Shotgun to kill you faster.

• The Pain Train is also effective for back-capping, as it gives the Demoman a Scout's capturing capabilities. This works well with the Chargin' Targe for getting to an enemy point fast, and Stickybomb jumping for wide open/raised points (like Badlands 2nd and 4th capture points, or Gravel Pit C). The weakness to bullets it grants makes Scouts, Heavies and Snipers all the more dangerous for you, so it's best to keep alert when attempting to do this and use stickies and grenades to lock down the point's entrances.

• The Pain Train is useful in Medieval Mode when attacking, due to the fact that bullet-based weapons are not allowed. Note, however, that shield bashes count as bullet damage.

Scotsman's Skullcutter

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage		Effect
			Point Blank	Critical	Move Speed
Craft Scotsman's Skullcutter		0.8 seconds	78	234	280 Hammer units/sec

The Scotsman's Skullcutter is a craftable melee weapon that increases the Demoman's melee damage and range at the cost of movement speed. Unlike most other non-stock melee weapons for the Demoman, the Skullcutter can inflict crits randomly.

• The Skullcutter finds good applications when a Demoman is also using a shield or when holding down an area, such as the Intelligence room of a CTF map.

• When combined with the guaranteed critical hit of the Chargin' Targe or the Splendid Screen, the Skullcutter is capable of killing almost any class in a single blow.

• Due to the charge speed being reduced with this weapon, try to attack unsuspecting enemies so that they cannot dodge your charge.

• Sticky jumps can help a Demoman with the Skullcutter into combat range, though this is very risky unless you are using the Sticky Jumper.

• Thanks to the recent patch that makes this weapon debuff your speed solely while the weapon is active, and the fact that it does more damage than the Bottle and can still inflict random crits, this weapon can almost be seen as a direct upgrade to the Bottle, provided you use it as a sidearm to your explosive weapons. In tight spaces you should still be able to maneuver into a position where your increased range will allow you to damage your opponent, so if you're not dedicated to melee combat you could find this weapon very handy.

Ullapool Caber

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Explosion	Total	Self-Damage	Critical
Craft Ullapool Caber		0.8 seconds	55	75	110	52-55	330
		0.8 seconds	55	N/A	35	0	105

The Ullapool Caber is a melee weapon that explodes on contact with an enemy or the world. The downside of this effect is a large amount of self damage and the inability to explode again, unless you visit a Resupply locker.

• The Caber is generally a last-resort weapon, one best used to take an enemy down with you. One critical Direct Hit will kill any class from base health except an overhealed Heavy.

• The explosion will launch you particularly high in the air. It's quite possible to use this, either on its own or in conjunction with a Stickybomb jump, to reach otherwise inaccessible locations.
  • This functions especially well on DeGroot Keep, allowing you to jump up to the battlements atop the castle. This is useful for killing especially annoying Snipers, as most of them will find attacks at melee range a surprise.

• If you find yourself falling off a cliff or getting pushed into a death pit, this weapon can be used to blast yourself back into the playing field—with a little luck.

• After the Caber explodes, the weapon will still function as a melee weapon, but does far less damage than other melee weapons, such as the Bottle.

• This is a powerful Spy checking weapon, as it will explode instantly if you make contact with a Spy. However, its explosion also affects you greatly, so make sure to use it in a place where you can be healed. Try to do this in the safety of your base or where a Dispenser is nearby. However, bear in mind that the Dead Ringer invalidates its benefits and severely weakens you, leaving you with a drastically less powerful weapon and making it easier for the Spy to kill you or escape.

• This weapon can be very useful for enemies that run away in a melee battle and don't let you hit them with the grenade: because the grenade explodes if you hit any hard surface with it, you can strike the floor or a wall and the resulting explosion will hit them in a very large range. For weaker classes (such as Engineers), the explosion alone will greatly damage if not outright kill them if they're in range.

• This weapon is very useful for suicidal picking, as you could sticky jump or charge into an important target (like an enemy Medic) and kill him with it. Be wary of your health if you survive, as the combined sticky jump, explosion, and fall damage will leave you with very little health, if any.

• The Ullapool Caber is even more effective with the Chargin' Targe or Splendid Screen. With a Critical boost, the Caber can inflict more damage in one hit than any other melee weapon and kill any class in one shot, unless you're facing an overhealed Heavy.

• The Caber is also good when used with the Sticky Jumper. You can sticky jump behind enemy lines without any damage taken other than fall damage, then sneak up behind the enemy to inflict a large amount of damage.

• Using the B.A.S.E. Jumper, the Sticky Jumper and this weapon together allows you to sticky jump and then use the parachute to slow your descent and land a hit on your target without too much difficulty.
  • You could then use the self-knockback from the explosion to activate another parachute and fly to a health kit or even back to spawn if you are close enough.

Claidheamh Mòr

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical
Craft Claidheamh Mòr		0.8 seconds	65	195

The Claidheamh Mòr is a sword melee weapon that provided a kill restores 25 health and refills 25% of your charge meter. This is at the cost of a 15% damage vulnerability while active and no random critical hits.

• Equipping the Chargin' Targe, Splendid Screen or Tide Turner allows you to get the full benefit of using the weapon.

• The Claidheamh Mòr is an attractive melee to equip should you not want to commit to melee in your playstyle. Although the bonuses are fairly minor, you are not required to have any of the shields to fully make use of the sword, such as the Eyelander.

• Having the Ali Baba's Wee Booties or Bootlegger equipped with any shield restricts you to the Claidheamh Mòr, meaning you will always have a 15% damage vulnerability. This combination of weapons may be better suited with a different sword that has a larger reward for kills made.

Half-Zatoichi

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage		Healing
			Point Blank	Critical	From Kill
Promotional/Craft Half-Zatoichi		0.8 seconds	65	195/Instant	175 (200 with Ali Baba's Wee Booties)

The Half-Zatoichi is a sword melee weapon that restores 50% of the Demoman's max health on kill and is capable of overhealing. The Half-Zatoichi can be holstered with no penalty if a kill has been scored, but will inflict 50 damage if it has not done so. If the player is below 50 health points, the weapon can not be holstered until the player gets a kill. Random critical hits are impossible to achieve with this sword.

• Ambush and kill weakened enemies with the Half-Zatoichi for an easy health refill.

• Be prepared to score a kill with the Zatoichi when you pull it out, losing 50 HP may be detrimental depending on the situation.
  • On defense, this is less of an issue, as a friendly Engineer is more likely to have a Dispenser set up to negate the damage taken.

• The Half-Zatoichi has good synergy with the Chargin' Targe and the Splendid Screen. The shields can be used even with the Half-Zatoichi drawn, enabling you to easily approach or flee.

• Be aware of enemies who are also using the Half-Zatoichi. If they hit you once, you die. However, you can do the same to them!
  • Due to the instant kill mechanic, you can also use Half-Zatoichi as a counter to charging Demomen using a Half-Zatoichi, even if you don't have a Chargin' Targe or Splendid Screen of your own.
  • Prioritize other Half-Zatoichi wielders in battle, either for a quick kill and health boost or simply to protect yourself from their one-hit kills.

• This weapon is very useful in Medieval Mode. As you are only allowed to use melee weapons anyway, the Zatoichi's drawback has no effect.

Persian Persuader

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage		Shield Charge
			Point Blank	Critical	From Engineer Toolboxes	From Small Ammo Boxes	From Medium Ammo Boxes	From Large Ammo Boxes
Craft Persian Persuader		0.8 seconds	65	195	100%	20.5%	50%	100%

The Persian Persuader is a melee weapon for the Demoman that allows him to use ammo packs as a source for shield charge and gains 20% charge with every hit landed with the weapon. However, he is incapable of regaining ammo if the charge meter is not full, also, both primary and secondary weapons will have their maximum amount of ammo carried decreased by 80%.

• A highly offensive melee weapon, the Persian Persuader allows you to regain shield charge by picking up ammo and hitting enemies. Keep in mind, however, you cannot benefit from random critical hits and the bonus is invalid without a shield equipped.

• Note that you do not need to be using the Persian Persuader while you pick up ammo to regain charge. Consequently, you will never regain ammo unless if your charge meter is full.
  • With this weapon, be aware that you can rampage around for a longer period of time, but you may eventually need to return to your base in order to get resupplied.

• Always be aware of how much ammo you have, especially on defense. You don't want to run out of explosives as you begin a fight or the enemy team begins a push.

• Consider using either Ali Baba's Wee Booties or the Bootlegger as well as one of the shields to completely eliminate the need for ammo and thus maximize the effects of this weapon.

Taunt Attacks

Decapitation

	Kill Icon	Weapon	Damage	Duration	Details
Barbarian Swing		Eyelander Half-Zatoichi Claidheamh Mòr Persian Persuader Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker Nessie's Nine Iron	500	5 seconds	With a twirl behind his back, leading to a horizontal slash to the neck, the Demoman beheads anyone unfortunate to be in his path. The Demoman concludes his short swipe by bringing his blade back and wiping down its length with his fingers. Adds one head to the counter if using the Eyelander, Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker, or Nessie's Nine Iron.

• This taunt kill can be used to kill enemies with one hit. It can be used for very distracted enemies, such as Snipers looking down scopes or Engineers working on their buildings, but like most taunt kills, leaves you vulnerable during the animation.

• If you catch up to a Heavy about to eat a Sandvich, it's a better idea to use the Decapitation taunt rather than start wailing on them with the Eyelander, as they will out-heal the damage and proceed to kill you.

• While this is a long taunt, it is nearly silent until it finishes, and you can attempt it several times on the same target - provided they don't hear the sword swooshes when you do it.

Weapon combinations

Example Combinations
Combo			Usage
Grenade Launcher or Loch-n-Load	Stickybomb Launcher or Quickiebomb Launcher	Pain Train or Bottle	A good setup for offensive Demomen. The Stickybomb Launcher or Quickiebomb Launcher's decreased bomb arm time, the latter being decreased even further, compared to that of the Scottish Resistance, allows the Demoman to quickly bombard choke points or turtling enemies with stickies. The Stickybomb Launcher can also be used to surround ground-level threats with a sticky carpet, an ability not as prominent when using the Quickiebomb Launcher, as the amount of bombs active with the standard Launcher is generally higher thanks to its larger clip size in comparison. Fast bomb arm times also allow the Demoman to quickly sticky-jump to the objective and quickly capture it with the Pain Train's increased capture rate. If your team already has players focused on the points/cart, or if you are playing CTF, feel free to switch to the Bottle to rid yourself of increased bullet vulnerability. Choosing Loch-n-Load you may be able to quickly dispatch the sentry nest without having your Stickybombs destroyed or airblasted in a long range.
Grenade Launcher or Loch-n-Load	Chargin' Targe	Pain Train or Eyelander or Persian Persuader	A second loadout for an offensive Demoman: by using the Chargin' Targe, you will be able to rush to positions faster and allow for easier getaways, and boosted melee effectiveness, at the cost of your Sticky Launcher. That may be affordable if you don't use the Sticky Launcher offensively. You get the added benefit of being more resistant to explosions and fire as well, so it may be worthwhile if the enemy team has Soldiers, other Demomen and Pyros. Keep in mind that while the Targe charge will make your Pain Train do more damage, it cannot collect heads and doesn't have the same melee range that the Eyelander or Scotsman's Skullcutter do. The Pain Train does the same base damage as Eyelander, so a critical hit will still have the killing power that the Eyelander does. However, with the Eyelander, you can boost your speed and health with each head collected by killing an enemy mitigating the Demoman's natural slowness along the way as well, while also making you and your grenade launchers much more dangerous to handle in combat. The Persian Persuader can be used instead, albeit, in incredibly small maps, to gain charge from ammo boxes, while the +20% Charge on hit can be taken advantage of to quickly retreat to spawn for more Grenade Launcher ammo.
Loch-n-Load or Loose Cannon or Iron Bomber	Scottish Resistance	Scotsman's Skullcutter or Ullapool Caber	For Demomen that desire to do a high amount of damage and defend well. The Scottish Resistance's higher Stickybomb amount and the ability to detonate groups of Stickybombs will come in handy when defending multiple chokepoints or destroying a bunch of Sentry Guns. The lessened speed from the Scotsman's Skullcutter while the weapon is active will only reduce the Demoman to a Soldier's speed, but the extra damage and range can be useful when dealing with further threats, and you can always switch away to another weapon to run at normal speed again in case if enemies are closing in too quickly. The Loch-n-Load provides a good support for your team in long distance while defending. It might shatter on surfaces, but it's lethal against a medium-sized group of enemies. While the Loose Cannon does overall less damage than the Loch-n-Load, its ability to push players back from a direct hit can be used excellently around control points; even if you find the knockback hard to utilize, a well-primed cannonball can deal heavy damage. If the cart or point is next to a hazard, the knockback can push hard-to-defeat players right into it. In the case of the Iron Bomber, since the projectiles don't bounce and roll about like other grenades or cannonballs, you gain the ability to set temporary traps, should you run low on stickybombs to set or add on to the explosive power of stickybombs you already set, though the damage from the manual explosions will be lesser on enemies, and the overall radius of the explosions are 20% smaller compared to the stock Grenade Launcher. The Ullapool Caber provides a backup source of high damage while useful on defense, as you can pick it back up from a resupply locker.
Grenade Launcher or Ali Baba's Wee Booties	Tide Turner	Persian Persuader	This set utilizes the Persian Persuader's charge on hit to its fullest. Coupled along with the Tide Turner's ability to incur 75% of a full charge upon a charge kill, you will be charging very, very frequently. But be warned, this set relies heavily on melee combat, since the only way to obtain ammo for the Grenade Launcher is by visiting a Resupply Locker, should you have it equipped. You will be charging very frequently and unleashing a full critical hit on the opponents while picking up their ammo as charge, becoming very hard to kill. In case of the Booties or Bootlegger not being used, the Grenade Launcher is there in case you need to hit an enemy from mid to long ranges, but think ahead before doing so, especially if you're far away from a Resupply Locker.
Loch-n-Load	Splendid Screen	Ullapool Caber	The Expert's Ordnance - w/ Splendid Screen As its name indicated, this setup is optimal for Demomen with good positioning and good aim, as it's not good for direct confrontation due to the Loch-n-Load's high self damage. In Medieval Mode, this Demoknight variant is the only class that can deliver splash damage, making it useful when clearing a point filled with enemies. Use the Screen to deal impact damage to the enemy with the shield bash before creating a critical explosion that may kill several enemies, making this combination excellent for a Kamikaze play-style. Outside of Medieval Mode, you are more accurate with turning and can one-hit kill most classes, making it very useful for last a last resort defence when your last point is being captured.
Loose Cannon or Loch-n-Load	Tide Turner	Claidheamh Mòr	This setup is based around using the Claidheamh Mòr's charge increase to the absolute fullest. Normally, the usefulness of the sword's main and only upside aside from the extended range is very unnoticeable due to most shields not having the same kind of charge usability as the Tide Turner, however with this, you can become a huge threat to fleeing or damaged enemies. The Loose Cannon is a great asset for getting foes into a good position to be mowed down by your sword, while the Loch-n-Load would be more handy when dealing with Sentry Guns. The other big improvement to using the Claidheamh Mòr is that fleeing yourself will be very easy with the Tide Turner combo. Scouts and Pyros may give you a bit of trouble if they get in on you so watch out for them.
Loch-n-Load	Chargin' Targe	Ullapool Caber	The Expert's Ordnance - w/ Chargin' Targe This is for Demomen who can aim well. The Caber can be used when there is no Loch-n-Load ammo left or there are no other choices left. If charging with the Ullapool Caber and timing the charge, you can deal Critical hits or mini-crits to deal more damage at the end of the charge. The Chargin' Targe will reduce the Caber's damage. The Chargin' Targe will reduce fire damage, which makes you less vulnerable to Pyros.
Ali Baba's Wee Booties	Stickybomb Launcher	Ullapool Caber	This combination can be quite deadly for a Stickybomb expert. The Stickybomb Launcher not only allows the Demoman to block off choke points, but at medium and long range, the launcher can easily destroy sentry farms or large quantities of Heavies; combined with the ability to airshot, the Demoman can destroy almost any foe, provided he is not fighting close range combat. The extra health generated by the booties allow the demo to survive longer. they also allow the Demoman to survive the explosion of the Ullapool Caber. Do note that this combination, due to lack of Grenade Launcher, is extremely poorly suited to short range combat.
Ali Baba's Wee Booties	Chargin' Targe	Eyelander or Scotsman's Skullcutter or Claidheamh Mòr	One of the most balanced setups in Medieval Mode. Charging towards enemies and decapitating them with the Eyelander is especially effective when dealing with slower enemies that are alone, and the longer melee range and high mobility gives it a legs up to most class except Snipers and Medics. The Chargin' Targe provides a much better defense against fire attacks (from Sharpened Volcano Fragments and fire arrows) and explosive damage (from the Ullapool Caber). Replacing the Eyelander with the Scotsman's Skullcutter allows higher damage at the cost of speed, which could be crucial when playing defense. Similarly, the Claidheamh Mòr allows the Demoman to charge longer, which aside from granting longer critical hits duration also allows the Demoman to reach a destination faster.
Ali Baba's Wee Booties	Splendid Screen	Persian Persuader	A Thousand and One Demoknights This is the A Thousand and One Demoknights set if combined with the Sultan's Ceremonial Hat. Ali Baba's Wee Booties will help you survive longer, and be able to unexpectedly turn to catch your enemies off guard. The Splendid Screen works well with the boots: while there is less damage resistance than with the Chargin' Targe, Ali Baba's Wee Booties' health benefit will allow you to slaughter your enemies without being killed quickly. The increased charging damage also works well with the ability to turn while charging. The Persian Persuader is good for destroying enemies in close combat. Since you don't use ammo with this set, all weapons dropped normally would be useless, but the Persuader allows you to gain charge easier. The charge on hit helps you to escape quickly or to run into the fray.
Grenade Launcher	Chargin' Targe or Splendid Screen	Persian Persuader	The Persuader and Grenade Launcher can make an interesting combination, giving you better mid-to-long range capability while still allowing you to operate well in melee range. On top of that, the Persuader's charge on hit allows the user to utilize the charge as a mobility tactic, letting them control range, escape, or charge in for a quick burst of damage on impact. The downside, however, is your inability to get more ammo for the Launcher: this can be remedied by using a supply cabinet. This is a recommended loadout for a Demoman who is an expert in both melee and Grenades. For inexperienced players, this is good loadout if you don't like the Stickybomb Launcher. Take attention using this setup though: Without a Sticky Launcher Sentry Guns are more of a threat unless you have direct line of sight for utilizing the Grenade Launcher.
Grenade Launcher	Sticky Jumper	Pain Train or Eyelander or Ullapool Caber or Scotsman's Skullcutter	This is the 'Sticky Jumper' weapon set. The Grenade Launcher is preferred over the Loch-n-Load as the rolling grenades allow you to 'bomb' foes more easily during a sticky jump. The extreme mobility granted by the Sticky Jumper allows you to land near unsuspecting or busy enemies (such as Snipers) and kill them freely with the Eyelander, easily earning one or two heads in the process. You can also use the Pain Train with the Jumper to quickly reach and capture control points (this is particularly effective on open and/or vertical maps). When combined with the Ullapool Caber's raw power, the Sticky Jumper allows you to reach a tactical target (such as a Medic) and attack it with the Caber before jumping back to heal and resupply the Caber. The Scotsman's Skullcutter is useful if you plan to engage in melee often, as it's speed decrease is negligible when you are sticky jumping, and it's heavy damage easily dispatches enemies.
Loch-n-Load	Splendid Screen	Eyelander	For the Demoman who focuses on pure, relentless offense, dealing extraordinary damage from close-to-medium range. The Loch-n-Load can easily leave foes dead or with low health if both grenades hit. The extra damage from the Splendid Screen's charge bash combined with the Eyelander's ability to collect heads can lead into grabbing a few extra kills. The only real downside of the set is that the Eyelander stops you from surviving as long as usual unless you get at least 2 kills with it.
Loose Cannon	Sticky Jumper	Ullapool Caber	For a mobile Demoman who likes to bomb enemies from above. Although the Loose Cannon is weaker for self-defense than the Grenade Launcher, the precise explosions make it superior to attack enemies from a high location, timing the bombs to explode just before they hit the ground. The reverse damage falloff allows you to deal consistent damage even from far away, but makes you unreliable at close range, so rely on it's knockback and your sticky jumps to stay away from enemies. If cornered, the Ullapool Caber allows you to quickly dispatch an enemy and launch yourself away, hopefully to safety.
B.A.S.E. Jumper	Stickybomb Launcher or Sticky Jumper	Scotsman's Skullcutter or Ullapool Caber	For an air-raider Demoman, relying primarily on the essence of surprise and escapability with a safer outcome. The B.A.S.E. Jumper slows your descent by pressing the Jump key in midair, which can definitely come in handy for any type of knockback, as you can swiftly recover from it through the swifter air strafing the parachute allows. Alternatively, the slower falling speed can be used a follow-up from a sticky jump; allowing you to negate fall damage, and should you have the Stickybomb Launcher equipped, you can plant traps in locations one may not suspect and have less worries while doing it. Lastly, either the Skullcutter or Caber can provide great surprise attacks in a similar vein to the Soldier's Market Gardener after a blast jump. Since the movement speed penalty of the Skullcutter only applies if the weapon is active, jumping distance becomes less of a problem, since one could pull it out just before landing and deal good damage to unaware enemies. The Caber is much the same way, but can excel against small groups due to the radius inflicted upon impact, such as Sniper or Engineer nests. However, using the B.A.S.E. Jumper can raise your vulnerability to a good Sniper, so plan your jumps in discreet, closed-off locations so he can't counter you easily.
Ali Baba's Wee Booties or B.A.S.E. Jumper	Chargin' Targe or Splendid Screen or Tide Turner	Pain Train or Eyelander or Persian Persuader or Scotsman's Skullcutter or Half-Zatoichi or Claidheamh Mòr	For "extra/more detailed info" about the weapons, see their own sections in this article This "is" the "Demoknight" loadout, with plenty of choices for going up close and personal to kill your enemies, quite literally. Ali Baba's Wee Booties are the general recommendation for "primary weapon", B.A.S.E. Jumper can be used in for, about the only example, when in Medieval mode and equipped with Tide Turner. The different shields allow choices on "how much fire and explosive resistance you want, how often you want to charge, and how much damage you want to deal (with both the charge impact itself and with a melee strike during/after the charge)": The Chargin' Targe, has very good resistance effects, thus making Pyros, Demos and Soldiers a less of a threat, however none of the shields any give bullet resistance, so Scouts, Heavies, Engineers and Snipers are still a danger for you. Then, the Splendid Screen, doesn't give as much resistances as the Targe, but instead not only does it recharge 50% faster, in 6 seconds instead of 12, but the charge impact deals 70% more damage than the other shields, making it a more offensive shield. On the other hand, the Tide Turner, trades off a significant portion of the resistances, degrades of the charge critical melee attack, into a mini-crit one, and the fact that taking damage causes the charge meter to deplete faster, into ability of giving full turning control making you very mobile, and whenever you score a melee kill during or after a charge, 75% of the meter will be filled, thus giving utility at the cost of losing brute power. Then the big plenty of melee weapons; the Eyelander, allows the collecting of heads for extra health and speed, which can make you a very dangerous threat against the enemy, the Pain Train, gives you additional capture speed making it somewhat useful for backcapping, however, the additional bullet damage taken can be very dangerous; since every class, aside from Demoman, has bullet using weapons in their default loadout, and the fact that shields don't give bullet resistance, even Soldiers and Pyros may use their shotguns instead of their primaries to deal with you, so care has to be taken. Then the Persian Persuader, gives you the ability to collect ammo as charge, and also gives charge on hit, but takes away a lot of your ammo using weapons' max ammo, however since you're not using any ammo with this set it isn't an issue. The Scotsman's Skullcutter instead, simply gives brute power (extra damage) at the cost of mobility (decreased movement speed). Half-Zatoichi, gives you health every time you make a kill, so you can rampage through the enemies mostly without many issues. And last, but probably not least, the Claidheamh Mòr, gives you health and charge whenever you get a kill with it, however you take additional damage with it deployed so it may not be the best of weapons used without a Grenade Launcher.

See also

• Team strategy