Reserve Shooter for Pyro?

[Another Bad Pun]

I logged on TF2 this morning to assign some weapons to the new character loadout slots, and I noticed the Reserve Shooter could be used by the Pyro:

I thought the Reserve Shooter was a Soldier weapon, unless I'm missing something big, this is pretty weird.

Some more screenshots:

Does anyone else have this?

 

[Fruity Snacks]

It was added to the beta a little while ago, and it got put into the game officially last update.

 

[Da_Man]

I can see where it could be handy for pyros that like to juggle enemies, but its a soldier weapon, and doesn't quite match the pyros thing.

But Valve hasn't given a fuck about art style in forever, so what do I care.

 

[Beetle]

Pyro's default is a shotgun, so I say it fits.

 

[grazr]

Well the weapon switch on the shotgun is almost instantanious. Whereas for the flare fun there's around a full second delay. I imagine this'd be a pretty leathal combo. Personally i'm not bothered by it, it just sounds like a soldier weapon because of the name; anyone can shoot at a rocket jumping soldier.

 

[StickZer0]

Bind mouse4 to quick-axtinguish and mouse5 to quick-shotgun

Degreaser+ReserveShooter+Axting = OH MY GOD SPIKE DAMAGE

Anyone who you airblast into a corner, axting for 195 damage, anyone else, shotgun for ~100 damage. It's crazy

 

[Pocket]

On the surface, there doesn't seem like there's anything about the gun that's not just appropriate for a secondary weapon in general. Being able to whip out the secondary weapon the second your primary runs out of ammo in exchange for more frequent reloads just makes sense to me, and nobody gets more benefit from shooting jumping enemies than anyone else.

BUT. The pyro:

• Already has an unlockable that can reduce weapon switch time
• Can use airblast to force enemies into the air

Seems a bit much, at that point.

Hell, give it to the Heavy and you won't hear me complain. But I'm not sure why they picked the Pyro.

 

[StickZer0]

Hell, give it to the Heavy and you won't hear me complain. But I'm not sure why they picked the Pyro.

BUT. The pyro:

• Already has an unlockable that can reduce weapon switch time
• Can use airblast to force enemies into the air

Seems a bit much, at that point.

I think you answered your own question. They gave it to the pyro because of the airblast, it would be completely useless for a heavy to have

 

[Prestige]

i wonder if they will ever fix the minicrit on jumping people.

 

[LeSwordfish]

i wonder if they will ever fix the minicrit on jumping people.

I presumed this was intentional. The fastswitch was, with soldiers, a way to quick-switch and hit scouts, not just juggle and hit.

The DH doesnt crit on jumping enemies since you have it out as default, and hitting a nearby jumping scout with it isnt hard. The RS DOES, because you generally carry your primary, so have to switch to it to hit a jumping scout.

 

[A Boojum Snark]

Then it should be restricted to double+ jumps

 

[Loc_n_lol]

I can see where it could be handy for pyros that like to juggle enemies, but its a soldier weapon, and doesn't quite match the pyros thing.

But Valve hasn't given a fuck about art style in forever, so what do I care.

WIP, by the original author of the RS.

 

[Prestige]

this weapon is pretty OP/broken. that looks nice loc.

 

[tyler]

I don't really see the big deal. It's like the flaregun, but more situational and less powerful. It's good, but it's no replacement for people who are skilled or the axtinguisher. All it really does is open up new melee weapons, like the powerjack or homewrecker or even that retarded lava ax

But Valve hasn't given a fuck about art style in forever, so what do I care.

what weapon a class has is not relevant to the art style at all
thanks for trying though

 

[Doctor Paprika]

what weapon a class has is not relevant to the art style at all

I disagree. The core art style is the same across all classes, but each has a personality to their own weapons, the idea being that they've personally modified them to suit their needs. The Reserve Shooter is a military green with a star on the side - perfect for the Soldier, but it looks weird in the Pyro's hands, since all his (good) weapons look like something cobbled together from spare parts laying around a junkyard.

As for the functionality, I was skeptical at first, and now I'm dead set against it. It's turned out to be exactly what I thought it would, i.e. another quick-switch instakill combo move that's almost impossible to counter. Airblasts are annoying enough without a split-second blast of minicrit buckshot on top.

I can't recommend any changes because I actually think the whole idea is wrong from the start. The Soldier is an airborne class, and he only has access to the 15% switch speed reduction. With the Degreaser, the Reserve Shooter is ridiculous, especially considering how effortless it is to actually juggle someone up with airblasts.

 

[TMP]

All it really does is open up new melee weapons, like the powerjack or homewrecker or even that retarded lava ax

Hahahahaha, flare has higher synch with the lava ax then this.

And this weapon is probably the best secondary for single target bursts and close range pyro v pyro but it lacks the limited chaining the shotgun has and the infinite chaining of the flare gun. It's a fine weapon, not OP, but has a purpose.

 

[grazr]

...especially considering how effortless it is to actually juggle someone up with airblasts.

At any point if you've managed to juggle someone as pyro you're being an idiot because A) your flames would have killed him by the second or third blast if you'd just shot at them like a normal person or B) you should have crit melee'd them and been done with it. There's absolutely no benefit in juggling someone a couple times to switch to the RS when is all it does is give more opportunity for your enemy to shoot back or for you to be counter ambushed by other enemies.

I see no negative ramifications to gameplay for this to be in the hands of the pyro, it is less powerful and more situational than any of his other loadouts.

 

[Doctor Paprika]

I'm not talking about a Pyro holding you in the air with multiple airblasts for prolonged periods of time. The Pyro only needs to get you into the air once. A Pyro with Degreaser and Reserve Shooter can do the following in less than two seconds:

1. Puff flames, ~10 damage
2. Airblast
3. Quick-switch to Reserve Shooter
4. Minicrit shot, ~70-100 damage
5. Second minicrit shot, ~70-100 damage

The Pyro can then quick-switch back to the Degreaser and proceed to puff-and-sting as necessary until he has time to reload his Reserve Shooter. Even if he foregoes the initial flame burst, if he can get two shots in with even decent pellet grouping, he can do ~120-180 damage easily.

Since I play Medic most of the time, I'll just describe the sort of thing that's been happening to me for the past two days. I'm healing a team mate, and a Pyro charges straight at me. If my heal target doesn't kill him first, I'm doomed. Even at full health, he can airblast me and get two quick Reserve Shooter shots and kill me by the time I've switched away from my Medigun. I don't have time to tell my target "shit no, Pyro, turn around!" The same is true of puff-and-sting, obviously, but this doesn't require the Pyro to be within melee range.