Knockback

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Knockback is the movement of a player caused by an outside source.

When taking damage from any source, a player will experience an amount of knockback that generally scales directly with the power behind the attack. For example, a point-blank Scattergun blast will push its recipient farther back than an uncharged Sniper Rifle shot. While most weapons inflict minor knockback at best, there are quite a few exceptions that inflict significant knockback and can have a dramatic effect on the battlefield. Significant sources of knockback will instantly interrupt any animations the victim is in, including taunts and consumption of a lunchbox item. Items that can reduce or prevent the effects of knockback include the Mantreads, the Quick-Fix's ÜberCharge, and the Cozy Camper. The only items that increase the effects of knockback are the Shortstop and the Thermal Thruster. The Heavy takes 50% less knockback from damage sources except for Sentry Gun bullets and Scorch Shot's flares.

Explosions

The explosive projectiles fired by weapons such as the Rocket Launcher and Stickybomb Launcher are among the most powerful sources of knockback and can send victims flying through the air. Crouching or being airborne reduces air drag, greatly increasing the degree of knockback experienced. Classes that utilize explosives will often take advantage of this mechanic to propel themselves great distances.

Explosion sources
Rockets
	Rocket Launcher1	Direct Hit	Black Box	Rocket Jumper2	Liberty Launcher	Cow Mangler 5000
	Original	Beggar's Bazooka	Air Strike
Grenades
	Grenade Launcher1	Loch-n-Load	Loose Cannon	Iron Bomber
Stickybombs
	Stickybomb Launcher1	Scottish Resistance	Sticky Jumper2	Quickiebomb Launcher
Exploding flares
	Detonator2	Scorch Shot2
Environment
	Pumpkin bombs
Notes	1Includes Festive, Botkiller and Australium variants.			2Knockback only affects the user.

Damage over time / Self damage

Damage received from an adirectional source or a weapon that hurts the user will push the recipient upward. The degree of knockback experienced scales with the damage taken and is usually minor, but can be significant enough to access previously unreachable areas.

Damage over time / Self damage sources
Bleeding
	Flying Guillotine	Boston Basher	Three-Rune Blade	Wrap Assassin	Southern Hospitality	Tribalman's Shiv
Fire
	Cow Mangler 50001	Flame Thrower2	Backburner	Degreaser	Phlogistinator	Rainblower	Nostromo Napalmer	Flare Gun2
	Detonator	Manmelter	Scorch Shot	Sharpened Volcano Fragment	Huo-Long Heater3	Huntsman2,4	Fortified Compound4
Notes	1Charge shot only.		2Includes Festive, Botkiller and Australium variants.		3Flame ring only.		4Flaming arrows only.

Special cases

• Force-A-Nature – Launches victim according to the angle at which the weapon was fired; launches an airborne wielder in the opposite direction.
• Shortstop - Alternate fire causes the Scout to shove a single enemy at melee range, launching the victim in the direction the player is aiming while dealing 1 damage. While weapon is active, user receives 20% more knockback.
• Beggar's Bazooka − Misfires knockback the wearer in a random direction.
• Compression blast – Launches victim backward aerially without inflicting damage.
• Scorch Shot – Launches victim back a distance, the distance increases when the victim is on fire.
• Loose Cannon – Launches victim back a distance proportional to how far the cannonball travels upon a direct hit.
• Natascha – The effects of slowdown are similar to knockback and will cancel any animations the victim is in.
• Sentry Gun – Sentry Gun bullets and rockets push targets away.
• Backstabs - If by any means a player manages to survive a backstab they will receive a great amount of knockback.
• Critical hits – Launches airborne targets significantly backward.
• Bumper Cars - The bumper cars in Merasmus's Carnival of Carnage can knock each other around when two carts from opposite teams collide.
• Thermal Thruster – Upon landing, the Pyro will knock nearby enemies back, with the force of the knockback determined by velocity.

Related achievements

 Scout

Fall Classic Cause an environmental death or suicide using the Force-A-Nature's knockback.

 Demoman

He Who Celt It Use the Sticky Launcher to kill an enemy player via environmental damage.

Foundry achievements

Terminated, Too Kill a player by pushing them into the cauldron fire.

Astro-chievements

Lift-offed Push a player into the rocket's exhaust path at the end of the round.

Bereavements

Helltower: Mine Games Perform 17 environmental kills in Hell

Merasmachievements

Carnival of Carnage: Bumper Crop Kill 30 enemies by bumping their bumper cars off the tracks.

See also

• Juggling
• Compression blast
• Slowdown