uuuuhhh spy...I guess

[BlackHawk_989]

Ok here goes

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Dont be ashamed
If a spy kills you

Was that good? Ok first a priority list
PRIORITY LIST
1.Medix 5.Demo
2.Engis 6.Solly
3.Hoovy 7.Unaware Pyros
4.Snipers 8.Other Disgusting Fake Spies
9.scoots

And now backstabbing, backstabbing usually a fatal kill unless your fatal enemy LAG deflects your backstab! Backstab hitboxes are 180 degrees including the top of the head

Scoots avoid as much as possible unless you have a chance so NO!!!

Sollies are a slow class easy target unless they are rocket jumpers!

Kill only unaware pyros that dont turn around even if they are spychecking stay behind them

Demos are only a main target if they have a target trapped kill when possible

Hoovy usualy they will have a pocket medic so take out the pocket first and hide because the medic can alert the hoovy through voice comm since they are slow stalking is a good way to kill

Engis take out engi sap gun before it shoots you then sap rest of gear simple

Medics ARE YOUR MAIN TARGET ALMOST ALWAYS!!! Stalking a medic the best way to kill those n00bz

Snipers are a easy target no-razorback = stab razorback = shoot

Spies are usualy the stats as you so its an even match unless you get a jump on him

OPTIMAL LOADOUT PLEASE
Ambass
Dead Ringer
Stock Knife

Ambass for de headshots
Dead Ringer for de getaway
Stock knife for dem backstabs
ITS THAT SIMPLE!!!

No other notes
DONE

(Note) I do not use any scripts for sensitivity like other people I dont use any scripts at all!

[The Domer]

All of the watches are useful, it's a matter of knowing when to use them appropriately. Also, the ambassador only provides a benefit over the stock revolver if you are really good at hitting headshots.

Finally, I would argue that demomen are just a big a priority (if not more) as medics, thought that may be my highlander experience talking. The medic is useless if he has no one to heal!

[Maple Man]

Appreciate the humor in this guide :3
But I do have some arguments over some of this. Personally, I would aim to kill the sniper later than the Demomen and Sollys, despite how easy they are to back-stab. Unless the Sniper is ruining your team, he's nothing special unlike the mass explosions.
Using the stock revolver and watch isn't so bad either. If you're bad at aiming and pretending to die (like me) then I would say the stock is more optimal for beginners. The revolvers are capable of killing Scouts and Pyros easily. :3

...ok I'm done criticizing it. Just my personal preference

[Garrett]

Nice guide. I like the class-by-class breakdown.

My thoughts:

I would argue that it doesn't matter which order you pursue the targets in a heavy-medic pair (unless they are isolated from their team). While the medic is the most important person to take out, the heavy is often the immediate threat to the team. Taking out the heavy allows your team to move up and keep the pressure on the enemy so the enemy medic has to make up the ground with an uber/kritz if (s)he even survives after his pocket dying.

This doesn't really apply if the medic is completely open though

Also, I feel the default watch is more flexible for infiltration and escape. Any player who has encountered the DR will know when they "kill" a DR spy and then be on high alert.

Finally, I would argue that spies should never go after pyros because it's, like, annoying to us

[cam]

Appreciate the humor in this guide :3
But I do have some arguments over some of this. Personally, I would aim to kill the sniper later than the Demomen and Sollys, despite how easy they are to back-stab. Unless the Sniper is ruining your team, he's nothing special unlike the mass explosions.
Using the stock revolver and watch isn't so bad either. If you're bad at aiming and pretending to die (like me) then I would say the stock is more optimal for beginners. The revolvers are capable of killing Scouts and Pyros easily. :3

...ok I'm done criticizing it. Just my personal preference

Like everything in tf2, kill order is situational. However, spies need to be killing the snipers because snipers are going to be killing your medics and dps classes. You typically want your spies doing this job because (a) its easier for them to get to the snipers because OP invisibleness and (b) if you over extend a dps class like a demo or soldier to do the job, the enemy team will probably kill them before they can escape and then you've lost push power. If your spy dies then you're only down a spy. No offense to our spy friends but... whoop dee doo...
It's a different story if your team has an uber ready to go. In that case you'll definitely want to drop them a heavy or a demo.

And like my domie said, this has been heavily influenced by highlander. Consume with grains of salt.

[Earthworm James]

le'tranger + stock watch = win. you can get almost anywhere on any map with one right click of the mouse, without finding ammo boxes/fallen weapons. it's not as good of an escape plan, but a good spy always had an exit strategy...or a silent killing knife! spycicle

[Last of The Finest]

The first thing you should accept as a spy is that you will die. A lot. Like, a whole lot. Once you accept that you're the most expendable member of your team, you need to work on a strategy for yourself. Do you want to be a guy that causes mayhem in the backfield? Do you want to be the "eye in the sky" for your team? Backstabs are nice, but support work is the bread and butter of the class.

As for myself, I LOVE causing mayhem and paranoia. If I can keep a pyro or engineer from doing their job by keeping them busy in the back, I'll do it. It's one less person my team has to deal with for a minute.

[The Domer]

The first thing you should accept as a spy is that you will die. A lot. Like, a whole lot. Once you accept that you're the most expendable member of your team, you need to work on a strategy for yourself. Do you want to be a guy that causes mayhem in the backfield? Do you want to be the "eye in the sky" for your team? Backstabs are nice, but support work is the bread and butter of the class.

As for myself, I LOVE causing mayhem and paranoia. If I can keep a pyro or engineer from doing their job by keeping them busy in the back, I'll do it. It's one less person my team has to deal with for a minute.

Good points LotF. Spy is defintely the most expendable class, especially in a highlander format. One particularly famous highlander spy, stabby stabby, has been quoted as saying that if he had to remove any one of the classes and play short, spy would be the first to go.

I also like that you mention the recon aspect. It's really important for a spy to, well, spy.

[F13ND]

At least in my experience, whenever a spy kills a medic who is healing me, it's very easy to notice and kill them before they reach you. Medics can't shoot as well as heavies so I'd assume killing heavy first would be good?

Side note - never kill heavies or medics ever as spy.

[Pine]

or a silent killing knife! spycicle

I feel like anyone with decent hearing will know that someone was stabbed with a spycicle from half way across the map with its CHRCHRKCHRKCHHRCH sound

I guess one note I could throw in is that I think you can be much more stealthy with the stock watch considering you don't need to rely on taking damage. If you are being chased you can run around a corner, cloak, and run right back into action as the person will probably continue to run down that way to try and find you. You can be running straight at someone's right side, cloak, and the second you go invisible move to the left. I think the deception capabilities of the cloak can be just as useful as some of the other lethal aspects of the class.

[Daryldime]

As a spah myself, I find the best spy is stock. Out right no loss or gimmicky playstyles. I do swap out the amby once in a while as I'm sure a few of you know

[Joel]

Guess I'm one of the few people left that still loves the Saharan Spy set. Now I can never forget nor underestimate the utility of the stock loadout, but the Saharan Spy with Cloak and Dagger—and to a lesser extent, the Invisibility Watch—has pretty much become my main loadout.

With this setup, situational awareness is paramount; you have to constantly scan your surroundings to make sure no one's around or near you. Look for someone that's out of the way, especially out of sight of Sentry Guns, Pyros, and other similar threats. If you have no other choice but to backstab a slow class like the Heavy, then do so. Just know that you'll be relying on remaining cloaked and unseen pretty much all the time, which can come in handy when you have a slow disguise. I follow the philosophy that no one that plays TF2 can ever be fooled by disguises anymore.

Patience is also very important with this loadout. You have to absolutely make sure you can get a backstab and remain relatively safe, although as was pointed out, do expect to die.

On a last note, and I know this contradicts what I said about disguises, but sometimes good acting goes a long way. If you're in a situation where your cover isn't blown yet, try not to make the mistake of being afraid of the enemy players and start acting suspicious. Don't just pretend to be their teammate; be their teammate. This kind of acting may come in handy if you have a slow disguise, have too little cloak, and need to close the distance. (Just make sure there's no one faster than you that's behind you.) If this was a competitive match, your cover would've already been blown if you backstabbed one of their own. However, in a regular pub setting, the dead cannot communicate with the living—and communication in general is not always present—so you can get some really good chainstabs with Your Eternal Reward.

Anyway, sorry for the rather long post. There may be other things I need to add in to this, but this all I have to say right now.

[CosmicEgg]

I have found the diamondback to be much more viable now with the change to how you acquire crits. It can be very helpful if a backstab goes wrong however, if you are not a very good shot it can be kind of a waste.