Baerbel contributed with this guide for all you upcoming scouts out there. Many thanks.

I decided to write short random articles about the scouts play in 6on6. This article is directed at players new to the competitive scene. A lot of times I get asked the same questions from my “students” and I figured this is the lazy way of mentoring. Feel free to ask questions in the comments or tell me if you don’t agree with me  so I can learn from you. If you haven’t read noam awesome scout blog, please do!

Part 1: Flanking or Holding?

The ability to see if you are needed to cover your teams flank or if you are free to go and cause havoc is important for you as scout.
In general you can say that if you see two enemy scouts down you are free to go until they respawn. Keep in mind that if you pushed ahead you will have to deal with them – usually alone. So in the short time spawn you have you need to make your actions count by killing a key class, capping an important control point or get into a backcap/hiding position. If you go down in the process your scout partner will have a hard time against 2 scouts.
If for whatever reasons your scout partner is already dead and the enemy scout duo is still alive your most important job is to not let them flank your team. That means you need to have a look out for the enemy scouts and call them if they get behind your team. A short “2 scouts alive I’m not watching them” is enough in some situation where your heavies don’t have to deal with anything else. ( e.g. capping spire while opponent fell back). If however your heavies are engaged in a fight and you just go off and leave their scouts to free roam on your team they will all die a horrible death.

Example: Watching your team’s flank on badlands house with 2 enemy scouts pushing you is a tough job. Before you go and try to stop them you need to consider the following:
Can I hold or at least delay the push from house/valley?
This is possible if (either, or combination):

  1. you are fully buffed
  2. you still have the health pack
  3. your aim is way better than theirs
  4. you have help from a teammate

Your main job now is to stay alive and wait for your team mates help. Call for assistance from one of your heavy classes or wait for your scout partner to respawn. Don’t die achieving nothing ( you dying=your scout partner being alone, a vicious circle of doom) . If you are weak and there’s no health fall back and get health – either from your medic if he got the time or fall back to your house and call “scouts behind soon!”.
If there is no way of you getting out alive ask for help and try to damage them as much as possible and stay alive as long as possible by jumping/dodging like crazy. This usually fucks up your aim but gives your teammates more time to come and help you.

This is it for now. Next time I will cover the mysterious Russian sidestep and how to use it to kill babies.