I has Team Fortress 2 Now.

Stormtroper

I'd suggest getting it through achievements, Spy achievements are easy to get, I think. I know I got mine before I realized it.

glennmagusharvey

I don't know how to play spy.

I keep on being stuck cloaked and not being able to due anything, since decloaking takes a few seconds, during which time my target has almost certainly moved.

ninjaclown

I meant for crafting, you can't craft achievement items.

Myrmidon

Unless you're doing Saharan Spy, the point of cloaking is to get you behind enemy lines. You use a disguise to get behind people for a backstab.

glennmagusharvey

Oh, I was using the YER, hence my need to backstab from just decloaking.  Which naturally led me to finding...and waiting forever...for enemy engineers to stop moving around.

Stormtroper

This video lists a bunch of ways to backstab people:

Myrmidon

I hate how only Demomen and Snipers ever seem to make an impact in Medieval Mode.

glennmagusharvey

^^ Ooh, thanks.  I didn't realize that the knife had such large range, and even a slightly-behind-and-to-the-side hit can count as a backstab.

Crimson

^^Buffalo Steak Sandvich+ Warrior's Spirit Heavy or KGB Heavy works pretty well.

RocketDude

Equalizer is pretty good as well.

Crimson

^^^Basically if your knife goes into the backstab position, it counts.

EDIT: Apparently not, according to that video.

glennmagusharvey

Okay, so maybe I should stop using Your Eternal Reward to learn to play spy.  I thought that it would make playing spy easier, since it reduces the number of decisions I have to make--specifically, I don't have to think about what disguise to use to get behind enemy lines.

...now I think I've realized this:
1. The disguise is not used to get behind enemy lines.  If you are on your side initially, you will look out of place and everyone will know you are a spy.
2. The cloak is used to get behind enemy lines.
3. Disguise yourself, then cloak to move behind enemy lines.  Uncloak in a non-obvious place, or uncloak while in motion and hope no one notices.

This is because I can't use sapper or dagger/knife when I'm cloaked, but I can when I'm disguised.  YER would actually require me to pull off a backstab from being cloaked, rather than pull one off from being disguised.  This would require me to either find a very lazy victim (who is likely to be a sniper or engineer) or use the drop-spy technique.

The drop-spy technique, as well as the "reload your revolver to look like you're reloading something else" technique, are advanced techniques that I probably shouldn't try to handle yet.

How should I use the revolver?  Is there ever a good use for it?  It seems that I should mostly be focusing on sapping and backstabbing.

Vorpy

31 Heavy Kills in a row, on Gold Rush while attacking. I will never doubt the power of the Family Business ever again. Sure, healing all of your health when medics are dead is very nice.

But when you run out of ammo for your minigun that shotgun, and it's 8 shells become godlike when backpedaling to ammunition.

That was the greatest spree in my entire life. That single run was the best run ever.

ninjaclown

Blueeyedrat, do you want Professor Speks?

Blueeyedrat

Oh, sure. Do you want some as well? It's been pestering me for weeks to give those damn things to somebody.

ninjaclown

Here's the plan, although it's shaky and I can't guarantee success, but I will do my damnedest. Long story short, two of my friends are thinking of upgrading their accounts, and if they both choose to do so I can tell one of them to recommend you as the person who helped them, thus granting you the Speks. Be warned, the plan is still in the very beginning stages and there is no guarantee this will happen. I'm just asking in advance if you accept the proposal.

ninjaclown

Basically, you give me Speks and I'll get one of my friends to give you some too.

Vorpy

IT'S A SCAM BRO BECAUSE YOU ONLY GET ONE PAIR BRO

You can only get one pair of Professor Speks, right?

ninjaclown

All right, let me clear up any confusion. My original plan was to have one of my friends give me the Speks while I tell my other friend to recommend Blueeyedrat as his MVP so he gets Speks, but hearing Blueeyedrat hasn't actually recommended anyone for Speks yet, I want him to recommend me and in return I tell one of my friends to recommend him. I myself have already recommended Forzare, so I already used my right to give someone Speks.

You have Speks, Vorpy?

Vorpy

Yes I do.

ninjaclown

Who recommended you?

Vorpy

-shrug-

ninjaclown

Also, GMH I need the name of that sniper map again. Sounds like a place I want to visit.

Vorpy

I now have a Strange Flamethrower + Strange Backburner. One for burning shit to death and one for killing Demoknights and Rocketeers.

ninjaclown

I don't trade my strange weapons, including my (eventual) strange sniper rifle and sydney sleeper. Hope you understand.

Vorpy

I trade the strange items I don't care for. So far I have traded a Flare Gun, and am seeking a new master for my Strange Revolver, since a Strange Knife would suit me better.

glennmagusharvey

@ninjaclown: It's on a server hosted by The Mad Clan, they have a sniper-only server that hosts an assortment of different sniper-only maps.

Myrmidon

Okay, seriously. In any mode that isn't Arena and particularly when on the defense, there should always be at least one Heavy and there should always ALWAYS be at least one Medic.

Crimson

>How should I use the revolver?  Is there ever a good use for it?  It
seems that I should mostly be focusing on sapping and backstabbing.

Use the revolver when a backstab is impossible or too risky, you're dealing with a Razorback Sniper, or when defending yourself after you've been caught.

Killing squishier classes with the Enforcer is arguably more effective than backstabbing them, considering how powerful it is.

ninjaclown

I'm selling a strange sydney sleeper for a refined, according to this that's how much it's worth.