Obtaining Pyro achievements
Arsonist
Destroy 50 Engineer buildings. Difficulty: Easy How to: Getting a Medic to ÜberCharge you will make this achievement much easier, especially when dealing with Sentry Guns. Otherwise, try and be the one who takes out unguarded enemy Teleporters and Dispensers, or attack an Engineer who is just starting to set up, as buildings that are still under construction also count towards this achievement. While it is possible to circle-strafe active Sentry Guns, this only works reliably with level 1 Sentry Guns and is even money with level 2 sentries; don't even bother with level 3 Sentry Guns unless you're already behind them or they're being sapped. Against level 3 Sentry Guns, try to edge them if possible. If you're using the Flamethrower, try to use your compression blast to compromise level 3 Sentry Guns with their own rockets, though carrying the Backburner also assists in powering down buildings faster due to doing more damage. It should also be noted that enemy Sappers destroyed by the Homewrecker count towards this achievement. |
Baptism by Fire
Force 10 burning enemies to jump into water. Difficulty: Easy How to: Stay around the center of either 2Fort or Well and flame enemies. If you want to "help" them along, use your Flamethrower's compression blast to shove them into the water after igniting them, though this should generally be unnecessary as most players will automatically head for the nearest body of water whenever they are ignited. If you want, you can follow them into the water with your Shotgun or Fire Axe for 'Plan B'. |
BarbeQueQ
Cause a dominated player to leave the server. Difficulty: Easy How to: Eventually a player you are dominating will leave the server while you remain so never leave a server where you are dominating other players. Duel maps are ideal. Try to avoid direct confrontation with the dominated player to cut down the chance of him taking his revenge. While you can get this achievement by dominating a player as any class and then switching to Pyro before he leaves the server, this carries its own dangers since that player may be playing a class that is strong against Pyros, like a Soldier or Heavy. Spy-checking and then taunting Spies in their freeze shot may also make this go faster. |
Burn Ward
Ignite 3 Medics that are ready to deploy an ÜberCharge. Difficulty: Easy/Medium How to: Most competent Medics will have an ÜberCharge ready before the setup phase ends. Try and set them on fire before they can activate them. Often, firing your Flare Gun at the gates right before setup ends (so that it passes the gates right as they open) will occasionally hit a Medic, though they often hide behind walls to avoid Snipers. Also, try ambushing charged Medics in chokepoints before they can activate their charge. Killing the Medic is not necessary to get this achievement, only setting them on fire, so you may get lucky by using the Flare Gun at a distance; however, killing the Medic is always preferable. |
Clearcutter
Kill 6 people with your axe in one life. Difficulty: Hard How to: See Lumberjack. On most maps it is very hard to survive long enough and find enough targets to safely get this achievement. One option is to go onto 24/7 servers running CTF maps like 2Fort with the time and capture limits disabled or greatly extended, and play extremely conservatively while targeting Scouts and Spies trying to go for the Intelligence. |
Combined Fire
Use your Shotgun to finish off 20 players you've ignited. Difficulty: Medium How to: Just remember to switch to your Shotgun whenever someone moves outside of the range of your Flamethrower (Scouts particularly), and you should get this eventually. To make the process easier, first take out your Shotgun, then your Flamethrower again and you use the 'Q' button (PC) to switch quickly between the two. If a foe retreats out of Flamethrower range while firing at you (such as Soldiers, Engineers, and Spies), taking out your Shotgun should be the default course of action. You must use the Shotgun, the Flare Gun does not count. |
Controlled Burn
Ignite 50 enemies capturing one of your control points. Difficulty: Easy How to: This should happen eventually after some time playing as a Pyro. Just stay around the control points and burn enemies, then let your team-mates finish them off or simply knock them off your point with compression blast if you have the default Flamethrower equipped. Note - The Payload counts as a control point, so igniting enemies pushing it will count towards this achievement. If you can hide when the BLU team overpowers the defense and then ambush them from behind or above as they push the cart en masse, you can net a whole bunch of points at once. As a safer alternative, you can continuously shoot flares at the cart from a distance. |
Cooking the Books
Ignite 5 enemies carrying your intelligence. Difficulty: Easy/Medium How to: Defend the intelligence on any CTF map. The beginning of the round usually starts with a Scout rush. For the rest of the round, simply guard the area around intelligence personally. In 2Fort, cover the two exits when you receive the taken intelligence alert by standing in the main upper area overlooking the plaza. You do not have to kill the one carrying the intelligence, only ignite them, so you will not get points if another Pyro is carrying it. |
Dance Dance Immolation
Kill 3 enemies while they're taunting. Difficulty: Medium How to: Keep an eye out for other players attempting to get various achievements such as "Out of the Park" or "Show Trial", and light them up. You may also have luck hitting taunting enemies behind the gates in levels such as Gold Rush or Dustbowl if they stand too close during the setup phase. Also, enemies often taunt during humiliation after they have been defeated so try and be near enough to the front lines to take them out then. Note: Heavy eating a Sandvich also counts as a taunting one and he usually have low HP while doing it, so it will be easy to kill him and obtain this achievement. |
Fire and Forget
Kill 15 players while you're dead. Difficulty: Medium How to: This one should come eventually after some time playing as a Pyro. Just try and get in as much fire and Shotgun damage as possible before you are taken down. It may also help to grab any medkits and destroy any Dispensers in an area beforehand (or attack in places devoid of them), as well as going after groups that do not have any Pyros, Medics, and Snipers with them, so that there are no nearby sources of healing, compression blast, or Jarate. |
Fire Chief
Kill 1000 enemies. Difficulty: Easy How to: This should happen eventually after some time playing as a Pyro. Duel maps may speed up the process. |
Firefighter
Kill 500 enemies. Difficulty: Easy How to: This should happen eventually after some time playing as a Pyro. Duel maps may speed up the process. |
Firewall
Ignite 5 Spies who have an Electro Sapper on a friendly building. Difficulty: Very Easy How to: Hang around friendly Sentry Gun nests in high-action choke points on maps such as Dustbowl and Gold Rush, where the Spies will come along more frequently. Watch the kill reports for Sappers, and spray around randomly with your Flamethrower if you see Sappers appear on the buildings. Listening for friendly Engineers reporting that someone is sapping one of their buildings is also a very useful warning. |
Firewatch
Ignite 10 Snipers while they are zoomed in. Difficulty: Easy/Medium How to: Inattentive Snipers are often irresistible targets for many Pyros, though getting to their Sniper spots ranges from easy to very hard, depending on whether or not the route has hiding places and Sentry Guns (the majority of times it will). 2Fort is a great place to do this, because if a Sniper is on top of the battlements, the only way to approach him is from behind or from the side, outside of his field of view when scoped in. Just be sure he doesn't spot you before you attempt to attack, so take an alternate route such as the sewers. Another good map for ambushing Snipers if you are on defense is the central building in Gold Rush stage 2. This achievement is significantly easier with the Flare Gun, which allows you to ignite the Snipers at long range, although standing in the Sniper's field of view carries its own dangers. Strafe and duck a lot to make yourself a harder target, and try to fire from cover, or from an angle outside of his view. This is particularly easy in 2fort; simply stand on the battlements and aim at the height level of the top of the two door frames to have the optimum range. Note that the Huntsman does not have a scope, so be sure to target Snipers that have the default Sniper Rifle. |
Hot on Your Heels
Kill 50 enemies with your Flamethrower, from behind. Difficulty: Easy How to: Ambush enemies and try to stay behind them if they turn to face you. If you can get behind a Medic healing another player, make sure to burn through the Medic first. If you are lucky, the person getting healed will not notice until it is too late. Inattentive Snipers are also good target. Since you should be killing most enemies this way, the kills should rack up quickly. The Backburner makes this achievement easier. Classes that are weak against Pyros (like Scouts and Spies) will also sometimes turn around to run away if they encounter you, presenting their backs for you to attack. |
Hotshot
Kill a Soldier with a reflected critical rocket. Difficulty: Hard How to: There are two challenges to getting this achievement: learning how to deflect rockets back at the Soldier who fired them, and actually deflecting a Critical rocket when it appears. Once you learn how to alter the trajectory of a rocket, start specifically targeting Soldiers and you will eventually deflect a Crit. Watching for Soldiers who have been Übered by the Kritzkrieg makes this easier: if you can coax him to fire at you, you will have a perfect opportunity to return his Crit rocket. Alternatively, you can attack a Soldier at close-range, causing him to aim his rockets nearby and thus hurting himself. If you're lucky, he might fire a Crit and suicide, thus giving you the kill credit and the achievement. Also if you are Kritzkrieged and reflect a rocket, it becomes Critical, and still counts toward the achievement. While this can be done against Soldiers with the Direct Hit, normal rockets make this achievement easier since they move slower and the larger radius means you can still kill the Soldier even if your aim is slightly off. |
I Fry
Ignite 10 disguised Spies. Difficulty: Very Easy How to: Routine Spy checks should get you this eventually. |
Lumberjack
Kill 3 people with your axe in one life. Difficulty: Medium How to: Use the 'Q' key (PC) to quick-switch between your axe and Flamethrower to finish off opponents quickly. Play it cautiously and retreat for health if your enemy has the upper hand. The Axtinguisher makes this achievement easier, especially if combined with the "Puff and Sting" tactic. If Spy-checking, taking out your Axe to add insult to injury after igniting them can get this achievement relatively quickly and safely, so long as they're not carrying an Ambassador. Going for easy kills and lone targets (such as Scouts and Medics, as well as ambushing Snipers and Spy-checking) also helps. Also, going on a melee only server can be a good way to get this. |
Makin' Bacon
Kill 50 Heavies with your Flamethrower. Difficulty: Medium/Hard How to: The Heavy's Minigun will shred Pyros from the front, so try to take an alternate route and ambush them, or attack them at the same time as another teammate to decrease the chances that the Heavy will focus on you. Heavies will almost always have a Medic following them, so be sure to take them out first. However if you have a Backburner equipped, the Crits will overpower the healing power of the Medigun as if it wasn't activated, and the additional damage also helps. Nevertheless, taking out the Medic first is the biggest aid to your team. Remember to circle-strafe around Heavies to avoid their Minigun. Assists count towards this achievement so when you see an enemy Heavy under fire, try and get in the last shot. At a count of 50 points, this achievement will take some time so stick with it. The Backburner can make getting this achievement significantly easier. |
OMGWTFBBQ
Kill an enemy with a taunt. Difficulty: Medium - Hard How to: Use the Shotgun or Flare Gun taunt to create a Hadouken. It's an instant kill if it connects, but it leaves you vulnerable as the animation plays. Stand by the gates at start up, or ambush a Sniper that isn't aware of his surroundings. Occasionally, you may also find a lone Engineer or Heavy who is ignoring his surroundings, or even another player attempting to kill someone else with a taunt. On certain maps with indoor vantage points with small openings (such as the lofts overlooking the final point on Badwater Basin or the buildings overlooking the points on the first two stages of Pipeline), ambushing distracted Soldiers, Demos, and Snipers can be easier since you can perform the taunt right behind or next to the opening (depending on whether they're moving forward/backward or left/right) and let them strafe into your attack. But beware that because that the Pyro does make mumbling sounds while executing the taunt, it might alert your victim and result in your death instead. Performing a taunt kill during the 15 seconds of humiliation time (once the round has ended) does not count towards the achievement. It must be performed during normal play and will not count if done during humiliation. |
Pyromancer
Do 1 million points of total fire damage. Difficulty: Easy How to: This should happen eventually after a very long time playing as a Pyro. The Backburner is a better choice if you're going for raw damage, and the Critical hits help as well if you can attack from behind. Gold Rush is a good map choice for ramping up damage, as players are often forced into choke points with plenty of ambush spots. Note that this is 1 million points of fire damage, so using your Shotgun or melee weapons to damage, kill, or finish off enemies will not add to this score. |
Second-Degree Burn
Kill a burning enemy who was ignited by another Pyro. Difficulty: Easy How to: This one should be fairly straightforward if you work in a pack of two or more Pyros, and should happen fairly frequently in large games. Use your Shotgun or Axtinguisher to finish off players who he has ignited, or simply charge a crowded area with a friendly Pyro, one or both of you will hopefully kill something in the confusion that results. |
Spontaneous Combustion
Ignite 10 cloaked Spies. Difficulty: Very Easy How to: Look for the telltale puffs of smoke and chase down your target in his probable hiding area. Otherwise puff flames into corners and hidden recesses, or patrol narrow chokepoints frequently with your Flamethrower ready. It may also help when playing on a control point map to immediately flame the area around the setup gates as soon as they open, and to block narrow passageways throughout the match. Consistently checking areas where Spies often try to hide to recharge their Cloak and Dagger will often reveal Spies. |
Weenie Roast
Have 2 enemy Scouts on fire at the same time. Difficulty: Medium How to: Play on a map that suits Scout rushing and defend a choke point as they come through. Granary and 2Fort are ideal choices. This may also happen incidentally at the beginning of CP and CTF maps. Should you have trouble encountering two Scouts at the same time, try igniting and chasing away one and then looking for a second one to ignite before the first one puts himself out or succumbs to the flames. As enemies only burn for ten seconds after you ignite them, a lot of this achievement is based on luck and circumstance. |
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