Liberty Launcher: how do you counter it?

Numerous

L4: Comfortable Member
Oct 14, 2009
150
72
So, you know what I mean: With rockets, if you aren't right next to the soldier, it's easy to, say, dodge the rockets as scout, or reflect them as pyro, and the direct-hit is just a matter of strafing unpredictably, quite often easier to deal with than the vanilla rocket-launcher, in my experience.

But the liberty launcher. Just, ugh. I can't find a way to effectively deal with it besides using a certain method called "dying", unless the soldier in question really sucks big time, ie they don't even realise they can shoot the ground instead of aiming directly at me.

So help me out here: How do you deal with it?
 

Wilson

Boomer by Sleep
aa
May 4, 2010
1,385
1,223
How do you deal with it?


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Seriously tough, it is not that special, just dodge them like normal rockets, there is just a lot less room for errors, or airblast them like any other rockets and the soldier is one that ends up dodging rockets.
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
same way you deal with the direct hit

Not really. The direct hit has bugger all splash damage, you can practically walk over the rockets.

It's a little hard to do because you get countered by all the noobs, but many soldier's wont expect you to do stupid shit like walk around in unthought out ways; purposefully moving around like an idiot.

Using rockets is almost like a tiny game of chess. You anticipate your enemies movements and then your enemy tries to counter anticipate you. Do you place your rockets at their feet incase they charge you, infront of them incase they keep strafing or behind if they change direction.

Most soldier's wont expect you to charge them head on (unless you clearly have your melee out) because it's the most dangerous thing to do; it's one of the reasons i also hate playing against bots. Their movement is so unnatural they're harder to predict as they don't have fear or desire so they wont retreat to health, protect themselves with cover or suicide for objectives.

The weakness of the LL is that it has fewer rockets, so firing just one puts him at a disadvantage. Ironicly, players who use weapons like the LL and BB prefer to spam their first rocket and reload hoping to negate the reduced clip size but it actually puts them in an even weaker position (with just 2 loaded rockets if they're ambushed). If you're a soldier, rocket jump onto them to avoid splash damage as his rockets will probably reach you first, knock you about and cause your subsequent rockets to be off target. If you're an engi use a mini-sentry, the reduced rocket clip size means you have an additional rocket reload over him destroying both you and your sentry. If you're a demo go demoknight, he's more vulnerable at close range; splash damage, your shield and his reduced capacity to lay down burst damage on you is a real advantage.

I shouldn't have to say anything about the HW guy as unless he's at point blank range and does 100+ damage with each shot he wont kill you with only his LL. Just makes sure you're walk at him if he's close enough so he takes some of his own slpash damage, the additional 30 odd damage a rocket really works in your favour as you also lay down close range mini-gun fire. The extra chips of damage against his health will often mean the difference between you surviving with 10 health or him surviving with 10 health.
 
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waxpax

L5: Dapper Member
Feb 25, 2011
238
151
Fight at mid range to give yourself a better chance of dodging the rockets/splash, chip him with a 2-3 shots from your scattergun, wait till he's reloading, move in closer to do more damage and finish him off. Or you just hit your 4 rockets for better damage than his 3. Or m1 m2 with sticks. Or predict his rockets and reflect them into his face. Or snipe him from a distance. Or DR enforcer him. Or yell at your pocket to focus him. Or eat the damage while you mow him down with a minigun. Or abuse mini-sentries to eat up his ammo and distract him.