Mann Vs. Machine: Class Roles and Weapons

ROBOTS!

If you've ever played Team Fortress 2 (or even only heard of it), then you most likely know about it's Co-Op mode, Mann vs. Machine, in which the game's unique nine classes have to defend Mann Co. bases from a horde of Robots carrying giant bombs. If this is your first time hearing the name "Team Fortress 2", by all means, go to the game's website and find out more about it. It's a free First Person Shooter that features nine classes with their own unique personality. Each class is a part of a unit (Offense, Defense, and Support). In the offense unit, there's the super fast Scout, the Rocket Launcher wielding Soldier, the Pyro and his Flamethrower. In the Defense Unit; the Demoman with his Sticky Bombs and Grenade Launcher, the Heavy with his Minigun, and the Engineer, who can build Sentry Guns and Dispensers. In the Support unit is the Medic with his healing Medigun, the Sniper with his...well, sniper rifle, and the Spy, who can disguise as other members of the team and stab them in the back to instantly kill them. The game specializes in strategy and team cohesion, emphasizing the need to work together, as each class has a drawback. For example, the Scout is the fastest, but has the lowest health. The Heavy has the highest health and a powerful weapon, but is the slowest and is very big, making him an easy target. Each class has a weakness that can be exploited by another class, thus creating the need for teammates to support each other. 

Mann Vs. Machine brings six players against waves of Robots that mean to deliver a bomb to their base. Obviously, if they succeed in planting in the base's hatch, the wave is lost. Players can collect Credits dropped from slain enemies which they can use to upgrade themselves at Upgrade Stations, with the Credits being evenly distributed amongst team members. Mann Vs. Machine is a bit different than the traditional multiplayer of Team Fortress 2. Aside from the obvious things (it being Co-Op, there being robots, etc), Mann Vs. Machine is the only mode in Team Fortress 2 where you'll get scolded by your fellow players for bringing a certain type of loadout to the game. In the regular multiplayer, every unlockable weapon has the potential to be efficiently lethal, but not so in the Co-Op mode. For example, I doubt that I will find a single gamer familiar with Mann Vs. Machine who would disagree with me that the Soldier and Demoman's new item, the B.A.S.E Jumper, which is essentially a parachute, is entirely useless in the Co-Op mode.

The B.A.S.E Jumper

The ability to slowly glide down to the ground doesn't really help that much when there's a large swarm of Robots all firing in your direction. And that's not even mentioning the Sniper Bots. The Scout's Atomic Bonk cola, which makes him unhittable with the cost of being unable to use his weapons, serves no use either. The Engineer's Gunslinger, with the ability to build only a small sentry, can also be disregarded. Players not only have to be more careful of what weapon they pick, but which class they play as. In contrast to the regular multiplayer, where teams are evenly numbered, Mann vs. Machine has six players against a vast army of Robots. Crowd control, thus, becomes a major concern. Snipers, Medics, and Spies lack the firepower to counter the hordes of metal men barreling at them, so teams that have multiple players using these classes will cause a drop in the damage dealt to the enemy.

Veteran players of Mann vs. Machine may recognize these issues, but players who are new to Mann vs Machine may not realize that they may not be able to play as their favorite class or use the new weapon they just got. In order to do well in Mann Vs. Machine, some guidelines must be followed, and certain weapons should be used. Unlike regular multiplayer, there are fewer strategies that will work in Mann vs Machine unless you have a team that is "just that good". But since such teams are rare to find, it may be best to try to follow some rules of thumb that will be laid out in this guide. If followed, they should substantially assist in your endeavor of slaughtering Robots and defending your base.

Class Breakdown:

Scout:

 Because Mann Vs. Machine is a defensive mode by nature, the Scout is at a disadvantage right off the bat, with his low health and close range weapons. However, he has a higher gather radius for Credits, and gains a health boost whenever he picks them up. The more Credits in one pile, the higher the health he receives. This makes the Scout a natural at making sure that all Credits are picked up, so that the team can buy better upgrades at the stations. Since the Scout is more of a support role in Mann Vs. Machine, any more than one on the team is unnecessary.

Arsenal:
Primary: Back Scatter
Why?: The Back Scatter grants mini-crits to enemies when attacking from behind. As the Scout should always be on the move, chances are there will be times that he will catch up to Robots who are too busy to notice him. This will allow the Scout to do hard damage to enemies.

Secondary: Mad Milk
Why?: Enemies doused in Mad Milk grant health to players who shoot at them. This can be immensely useful to Heavies, who are trying to mow down Giant Robots. In addition, Mad Milk can be upgraded to slow enemies down significantly, delaying the delivery of the bomb.

Melee: Fan of War/Sandman
The Fan of War marks enemies hit with if "for death", meaning that all damage done to them will be mini crits for a short time. This will allow the team to do more damage to Giant Robots. The Sandman can also be a good choice, as its baseball can be upgraded to also mark enemies. The drawback, however, is that the Sandman causes the Scout have less health than he normally would.

Upgrades:
The Scout should not worry about upgrading his primary weapon. As counter intuitive as that sounds, the sad truth is that the Scout's weapons are meant to be lethal in close range to one enemy at a time. The Scout should only need his Primary Weapon when attempting to push past smaller enemies. Larger enemies are obviously more powerful, and, most of the time, they can take out a Scout too easily and quickly for them to do any real damage with their primary weapons. Instead, Scouts should upgrade the Mad Milk and their resistances and Speed. Being able to run incredibly fast, and having high resistances to damage, will allow the Scout to weave around enemies, scooping up Credits, which should heal health lost. Many enemies will be attempting to kill you, and them focusing on you will grant the other team mates an opening.

Soldier:

With the high damage and blast radius of his rockets, the Soldier is a good class to have in any round. Upgrading his weapons properly will make him very effective against waves of regular robots and the Giant Robots. In addition, the Soldier has banner weapons that, when used, give certain boosts to players near him, thus even giving him a supportive edge. His Rocket Jump can also be useful for shortcuts or quick, desperate get aways.

Aresenal:
Primary: Beggar's Bazooka
Why?: The Beggar's Bazooka has the ability to fire off multiple rockets in one go. Need I say more? Upgrading the clip size at the Upgrade Station will allow him to fire even more rockets. Combine that with a Medic with the Kritzkrieg or Crit Canteens and you can literally repel waves of enemies on your own.

Secondary: Buff Banner
Why?: The Buff Banner, once it's "Rage Meter" is full (via killing enemies), can be activated to give opponents a mini-crit boost. This can be especially helpful when dealing with robot Tanks. The Buff Banner can be upgraded to lengthen its duration.

Melee Weapon: Shovel
Why?: The Soldier's default weapon is the best one. Other melee weapons block the Medic's ability to heal with active, or only become useful if you're rocket jumping towards the enemy, which you shouldn't be doing anyway. It's best to just stick to the classic. Besides, the Soldier should only rarely use his melee weapon.

Upgrades:
The Soldier needs to upgrade his Rocket Launcher. As stated, the Beggar's Bazooka can be upgraded to fire more rockets in one go, and can also be upgraded to be loaded faster. Max out the damage, and give a few upgrades to Rocket Specialist (which will expand the blast radius as well as stun enemies) and the Soldier can take out mobs of robots on his own. A few Credits can be tossed towards resistances and speed as well, if possible.

Pyro:

In some ways, the Pyro shares the same difficulties as the Scout, since his primary weapon has a short range. However, his compression blasts becomes incredibly useful as it is one of the few ways to push the bomb carrier back. In addition, he is still very useful in countering Spy Bots and extinguishing players when they catch fire. If the Pyro is able to ambush the robots, he can deal a great amount of damage to them.

Primary: Default Flamethrower
Why?: The other Flamethrowers either take too much ammo to use the compression blast, do less damage, or can't do the compression blast at all, which is essential. As such, it's better to hang with the original (or the Rain Blower) for Mann Vs. Machine. As his weapon tends to run out of ammo fast, upgrading the ammo capacity and having Ammo Canteens is important.

Secondary: Flare Gun
Why?: The Flare Gun will do critical damage every shot to an enemy who is on fire. Upgrade the amount of time enemies stay on fire after shooting them with it, as well as the reload time, and you'll be able to do great damage with this weapon alone.

Melee: Third Degree
Why?: The Third Degree will damage everyone connected via a Medics beam. So, if there is a Giant Robot who is being healed by multiple Medics, bring out the Third Degree. If you're able to get to the Giant without being caught, a Crit Canteen may enable you to kill all of the Medics healing it. Otherwise, an Ubercharge canteen may help get close.

Demoman:

As one of the Defensive classes, the Demoman finds his knack in Mann vs. Machine. His sticky bombs can be used to guard the bomb and prevent the Robots from getting their hands on it, while blowing up several of them at the same time. And, just like in regular multiplayer, he can be helpful in destroying Engineer Bots and their buildings.

Primary: Loch N Load
Why?: The Loch-N-Load does more damage than the default Grenade launcher, and the projectiles it fires travel faster. The only downsides are its lower clip size and the fact that you must actually hit an enemy for the projectiles to explode. However, a simple Clip Size upgrade from the Stations should resolve the latter, and since the robots tend to come in hordes and the Giant robots are...well, giant...missing becomes less likely than in regular multiplayer.

Secondary: Scottish Resistance
Why?: The Scottish Resistance can lay down more sticky bombs than the Stickbomb Launcher. In addition, it can also set them off only if the player's cursor is over them, thus allowing them to set multiple "stick pits" that can be set off at different times. Use Crit Canteens or the Medic's Kritzkrieg to make the "pits" even more lethal.

Melee: Scotsman's Skullcutter
Why?: The Skullcutter has a large attack range and does 20% more damage than the regular Bottle. It's downside, however, is that it reduces the player's speed. However, Speed upgrades are inexpensive, so this can be negated entirely, thus making this weapon a great choice.

Upgrades:
Upgrading the Demoman's damage for his primary and secondary weapons is very expensive, but once they are maxed, the Demoman will be devastating, killing multiple enemies with a single shot. Upgrade the reload on his weapons (especially the Scottish Resistance), so he can fire more and lay traps faster. Use Crit-Boosted stickies to do massive damage to Tanks. Also, if you are going to use the Skullcutter, then be sure to upgrade the Demoman's speed as well.

Heavy:

With his giant Minigun and great pool of health, the Heavy is obviously a great asset to any team in Mann Vs. Machine. If a Medic is with him, he is great at stopping hordes of Robots on his own. He can also be upgraded to deflect enemy projectiles, like Soldier Bot rockets.

Primary: Brass Beast
Why?: The Brass Beast does more damage than the default Minigun. It can additionally be upgraded to fire faster and penetrate multiple enemies with its bullets, which makes it great at crowd control. It does decrease the players speed while the gun's barrel is being spun, but the damage it does more than compensates for this.

Secondary: Sandvich
Why?: Since the Heavy is great at dealing damage to hordes of robots, it's important that he stay alive. What better way to ensure his survival by carrying around a tasty snack? Also, the Sandvich can be thrown to heal other players. This is particularly useful when trying to keep your Medic alive.

Melee: Gloves of Running Urgently
Why?: The Heavy is the slowest class in the game. Thus, any way to get him to the frontlines faster is always good. The Gloves of Running Urgently are the best at doing this, without having to spend Credits on Speed Upgrades. The only drawback is that they cause all damage taken while using them to be mini-crits. However, since the Heavy has the most health, this is easily compensated.

Upgrades:
Like the Pyro, the Heavy uses a lot of bullets. Upgrade his ammo capacity and have some Ammo-refill canteens ready. Due to his already large amount of health, resistances are less important for the Heavy, though Crit Resistances are always good to have. And if you have the Gloves of Running Urgently, you won't have to worry about buying Speed upgrades. Focus on improving his primary weapon. Projection Deflection will protect you from Soldier Bot rockets, especially ones from Giant Soldiers which will sometimes always crit. The Heavy can also upgrade his primary with a "Rage" ability, which allows him to push back enemies. This can be especially useful if the robots are getting closer to dropping the bomb.

Engineer:

Every team needs an Engineer. No exceptions. With his ability to transport players to the frontlines quickly, create Dispensers for quick health and ammunition, plus his Sentry Gun for taking out large amounts of regular robots, the Engineer is vital to a teams success. If you join a team and they have no Engineer, you might want to consider selecting this class. The Robots do have a special variant in their ranks for Engineers, however, and that's the Sentry Buster, which is designed to run towards your Sentry and blow it up. The good news is that, once it reaches your Sentry, it takes a few seconds for it to actually explode. This gives you time to snatch up your Sentry and carry it to safety. Be warned that anyone caught in the blast of a Sentry Buster will die, so keep that in mind while trying to get them to explode.

Sentry Buster

Arsenal:
Primary: Frontier Justice
Why?: The Frontier Justice racks up "revenge crits" with every kill. If it killed an enemy, you get two revenge crits, if it only assisted the kills (but didn't do the killing blow) it'll get one crit. If, at any point, the Sentry is destroyed, the stored crits will be made available to the player. The player can have up to thirty five revenge crits. This grants the Engineer better ability to aid his team against Tanks, and also better ability to defend buildings from Spy Bots. The downside of the Frontier Justice is that it has fewer rounds in its clip than the default shotgun, but this can be negated at the Upgrade Station for a fairly low price.

Why not the Rescue Ranger?: Some players suggest using the Rescue Ranger for the primary weapon of the Engineer. This weapon fires a special bolt that can repair Sentries from long distance. In addition, the Engineer can also use it to transport buildings from great distances, as buildings he wants to move will "teleport" to his possession if he has them in his crosshairs. This can greatly cut down on "travel time" and can be helpful if the Engineer is away from his buildings, but still needs to repair them. However, the Rescue Ranger has much less overall ammo than the Final Frontier, and also causes the Engineer to take mini-crit damage while carrying buildings, something that the Engineer must do frequently in Mann Vs. Machine. Due to his already low health, this makes the Rescue Ranger dangerous in times of "retreat" if the team must move back. On top of that, the Rescue Ranger's bolts don't refill ammunition of Sentries, which means that you'll still need to stay near it to keep it stocked anyway. And if you've upgraded the Sentry's firing speed, you'll need to refill it frequently.

Secondary: Wrangler
Why?: The Wrangler allows the player to take manual control over the Sentry Gun. This increases the Sentry Gun's firing radius and speed. In addition, it also causes the Sentry Gun to emit a shield that will greatly protect it from incoming damage. Players can focus their Sentries on Tanks and Giant Robots, doing great damage to them in mere seconds.The only down side is that, with increased firing speed, the bullets will run out fast, forcing the Engineer to constantly have to stop and restock the gun.

Melee: Default Wrench
Why?: Some players suggest using the Jag, which grants the player the ability to build faster, but at the cost of a damage penalty. This is indeed handy on occasion, but keep in mind that while it causes buildings to be erected faster, upgrading them still takes the same amount of time. And since the Engineer can use "Upgrade Canteens" (which are very cheap) to instantly fully upgrade buildings, it makes the Jag's perk slightly unnecessary. And while the Engineer should stay out of direct combat in most instances, he can save ammo by using his default Wrench to pummel Spy Bots trying to sabotage his devices. This becomes more of a hassle with the Jag's damage penalty, and the Wrench's firing speed can be increased, improving it's erecting AND upgrading speed, while also maintaining a higher damage output than the Jag.

Upgrades: The first thing the Engineer should upgrade is his maximum amount of Metal. This allows him to build more, and also lets him restock his guns longer before running out. Then, he needs to focus on upgrading his Sentry Gun. The Engineer is one of the two classes that actually have reason to upgrade their melee weapon (for reasons already stated). Resistances are also good for the Engineer, as he needs to stay alive to keep his Sentry Gun firing. Speed will also allow him to both get to his buildings if they are in danger and carry them out of harm's way. Consider giving upgrading the clip size of the Final Frontier if you have it.

Medic:

Until recently, the Medic wasn't a great choice in Mann Vs. Machine. But then an update was made, and he can now not only emit a shield that blocks projectiles AND damages approaching enemies, he also can revive teammates who have been recently slain on the battle field, bringing them back with full health and ammunition. Because of this, a team can benefit greatly from having a Medic on their team, especially if they don't want to spend Credits to instantly get back into the game, rather than waiting to respawn for free.

Primary: Kritzkrieg
Why?: The Kritzkrieg not only has a high charge rate than the standard Medi-Gun, but it grants the receiving player guaranteed critical hits for the duration of the deployment of the Ubercharge. This, combined with a Heavy, Soldier, Demoman, or Pyro can mean a lot of dead Robots.

Secondary: Overdose
Why?: The Overdose grants the Medic a speed boost as the Ubercharge increases. This can be very useful in allowing the Medic a better chance of escaping enemy fire, while also helping him quickly get to his patients in need. The drawback is that it does less damage than the standard Syringe Gun, but as the Medic's combat weapons are generally ineffective, only to be used as last resort, this makes little difference.

Melee: Ubersaw
Why?: Upon hitting an enemy with the Ubersaw, the player will fill twenty five percent of their Ubercharge bar. This can allow players to deploy their Ubercharges much faster, though the Ubersaw will not fill the Ubercharge meter if the player attacks a Robot Tank. The best enemy for the Medic to attack with this weapon is the Sentry Buster, as those are generally not hostile to anyone except the Engineer's Sentry Gun. So, the Medic can use the Ubersaw on it, without any fear of retaliation, allowing the player a quick recharge of the Uber meter.

Upgrades:
The Ubercharge is the most important thing to upgrade. Making it charge faster and stay deployed longer will benefit the team greatly. Not only will they be able to perform Critical hits longer (if using the Kritzkrieg), the Medic revives players almost instantly while using the Ubercharge. The Projectile Shield is also incredibly invaluable, as more difficult levels of Mann Vs. Machine have Giant Robots that shoot rapid fire, always critical projectiles. The Projectile Shield can negate them entirely. The Medic can also be upgraded to share his Canteens with players. Meaning if he gets an Invincibility canteen (Ubercharge Canteen), the player that he is healing will also become invincible when the canteen is used. This makes for an always critical hitting, completely invincible Heavy, which will level the playing field.

Sniper:

The Sniper is a difficult class to play as in Mann Vs. Machine. Since his attacks are slow and can usually only take out one enemy. With low health, and poor crowd control, the Sniper is less useful in Mann Vs. Machine than in regular multiplayer, with some gamers regarding him as almost useless. However, what the Sniper lacks in crowd control, he makes up for in raw damage output. In the hands of a competent player, a Sniper can take out a few Giant Robots on his own. While playing as him, only focus on the Giant Robots, and let the rest of the team deal with the crowds.

Primary: Machina/Sydney Sleeper
Why?: When fully charge, the Machina does more damage than the standard Sniper Rifle. In addition, its bullets penetrate multiple targets at once. The only drawback of this weapon is that it cannot be fired unless it is zoomed, but that's hardly an issue as the Sniper should never let his enemies get that close.

If your aim is not very good, consider the Syndey Sleeper as an alternative. When charged enough, enemies shot by this rifle will be coated in Jarate (see Secondary). This makes them more vulnerable to incoming damage from other players.

Secondary: Jarate
Why?: All enemies covered in Jarate will take mini-crit damage, allowing them to be easily picked off by stronger classes. Jarate can also be upgraded to slow down coated enemies. This helps taking out Giant Robots with the bomb.

Melee: Bushwacka
Why?: The great thing about the Bushwacka is that, where a weapon would usually only mini-crit, a critical hit is guaranteed. Jarate coated enemies thus become even more vulnerable to you. Coat Giant Robots when their backs are turned to you, and then go in for the kill with the Bushwacka.

Upgrades:
The Sniper can upgrade his rifle to do more damage and charge faster, allowing him to reach full damage potential quickly, or more quickly coat enemies with Jarate if using the Sydney Sleeper. In addition, he can be granted higher reload time, allowing him to fire off more shots. He can also upgrade his rifle to grant him "Explosive Headshots", which, upon a head shot, will cause an explosion, damaging or killing several enemies near the victim. Jarate should be upgraded to slow enemies down, and also to recharge faster, allowing it to be reused quickly. As the Sniper should stay away from enemy fire, upgrading his resistances are not as important as with other classes, but are also never a terrible idea.

Spy:

The Spy often receives more scorn than the Sniper from players in Mann Vs. Machine. With low health, the inability to attack from a far, lackluster weapons, and not great mobility, the Spy is often declared completely useless in Mann Vs. Machine. But such prejudice against him is unfounded. Much like the Sniper, in the hands of a competent player, the Spy can deal tremendous damage, sometimes even more than offensive classes. But, also like the Sniper, the Spy is almost entirely limited to attacking Giant Robots, so focus on them when playing as this character. With his ability to disguise himself as a the enemy, the Spy is great at snatching money undetected (keep in mind, though, that if you catch on fire, the robots will realize you're an enemy and attack). Thus, in earlier and more mild rounds, the Spy can support his team by being the Credit Collector. Keep in mind, however, that there should not be a Scout AND a Spy on one team. If someone else is already playing as one of these characters, then consider another class. It is worth mentioning that Sappers cannot be used continuously as in multiplayer. They must recharge after one is used.

Primary: Enforcer
Why?: The Enforcer does more damage than the default revolver. While the player will be generally overpowered against the robots while playing as the Spy, the Enforcer's damage boost will aid greatly in a jam where the Spy must fight. It has a slightly lower firing speed as the Revolver, but as this weapon should be used as a last resort, this is not concerning.

"Secondary": Dead Ringer
Why?: The Dead Ringer, when active, will absorb the majority of the damage dealt to the enemy, while simultaneously dropping a fake corpse and rending him invisible. Even for a short time after becoming invisible, the Dead Ringer will continue to protect the Spy from damage. In addition, the Dead Ringer will also extinguish fire and stop bleeding. This is very useful as enemy robots immediately detect nearby backstabs and will often target the Spy right after.  The Dead Ringer will allow the player to get away from spotlight, heal if necessary, redisguise, and attack again quickly. Unfortunately, the Dead Ringer cannot be upgraded.

Melee: Default Knife
Why?: Unlike most knives, the Default knife doesn't come with a lower health penalty for the Spy, which is great, as he has low health to begin with. Your Eternal Reward, since it takes away the ability of the Spy to disguise manually at any time, is tricky to use as it requires the Spy to sneak up on an Enemy and backstab him without being killed by his robot bretheren. Also, since Robots will always detect nearby backstabs, they will always attack the Spy. They will quickly forget that he's an enemy if he redisguises, but the time it takes for this to happen may still be enough for them to do heavy damage to you.

Upgrades:
The two most important upgrades for the Spy are the Armor Penetration and the Attack Speed of his knife. Armor Penetration will cause backstabs to do more damage to Giant Robots, and Attack Speed will allow the player to perform multiple backstabs to certain enemies. It's also a good idea to upgrade the Spy's speed, allowing him to catch up to enemies, and retreat quickly if necessary. His Sappers behave differently than they do in Multiplayer. They have a radius in which they affect groups of small robots, essentially shutting them down for a few seconds. Giant Robots continue to function but are slowed significantly by Sappers (nearby regular robots will still be rendered completely vulnerable). They can be upgraded to have a higher radius and last longer. They are particularly useful at Sapping groups of Medics on Giant Robots, that can then be either picked off by the rest of the team, or quickly backstabbed by the Spy himself, granted his Attack Speed is high. Resistances are also very good for the Spy, allowing him to save the Dead Ringer for emergencies, while also allowing him to navigate the battle field without worrying about getting killed by a stray shot.

Conclusion:

General rules of Mann Vs. Machine

1 - Try to avoid duplicate characters. This is especially true with Spies, Snipers, Medics, and Scouts. You may really love playing as the Scout, but if there is already one on the team, then another is not necessary.

2 - Avoid too many support characters. Don't have a Spy, a Sniper, a Scout, and a Medic one one team. Your team's damage output will suffer greatly

3 - Don't be a jerk. Very often in Mann Vs. Machine, you will get put in a team don't always follow the first two rules. Try to suggest that any players playing as duplicate classes, or going as another support class change who they play as, but do so in a way that isn't hostile or belittling. A lot of players are inexperienced, and they won't really know what is the right thing to do.

Not everything in this guide is objective. Some of the weapons I have suggested may not be the "ideal loadout" for others. Try experimenting with other weapons. But always be sure to check what the weapon's draw back is. If the weapon comes with a damage penalty, or a bleed ability, then it may not be the best weapon for MvM.

But overall, the arsenal suggestions in this guide are generally identical to what most players of Mann vs. Machine will suggest (more or less). Following this guide will help not only defeat the Robot menace, but also might prevent you from getting kicked out of Game Lobbys by players.