Introduction

Welcome!

 
Have you ever entered a Mann Up mission of Gear Grinder and been kicked for not knowing what to do? Have you ever picked a Class without knowledge of how to go about doing what your Class is supposed to do? Have you ever wanted to get better at, or at least achieve competency in, Mann vs Machine’s hardest difficulty level? Welcome to my guide where I will teach you all the necessary ins-and-outs of the nine Classes by first grouping them into tiers based on necessity and usefulness and examine how best to go about doing what each class does. 
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

 
The Nine Classes 
The Class Tier List 
Tiering Explanation and Class Roles 
Becoming a Team Player (AKA, Loadouts and Upgrades) 
 
Some things to note before diving into Gear Grinder: 

• Team composition will usually comprise of a Scout, Engineer, Sniper, and three Heavies. The reason for this will be explained later. Deviations and alternative Classes will also be explained later. 
• Damage over support: don’t blindly choose Medic or Spy when you first join in – look and see what the team needs. 
• MONEY IS A NECESSITY. Gear Grinder is hard partially because you start with less money than other Tours of Duty. Be aware of how costly upgrades are for the Class you are choosing (be aware that Soldier and Demoman in particular fall into this trap). 
   
  With that out of the way, let’s get going!

The Nine Classes

The Mercenaries of Team Fortress 2: Mann vs Machine Edition

 
The nine Classes of TF2 are well-known to just about every fairly active player: 

• Scout 
• Soldier 
• Pyro 
• Demoman 
• Heavy 
• Engineer 
• Medic 
• Sniper 
• Spy

 
The different roles each Class plays will be examined in greater detail later as well as the weapons they can use to go about fulfilling these roles. I direct you to the https://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Main_Page for details on each Class’ individual function. For now, though, I will assume you know what each class does in-game and their generalized roles on the battlefield. This assumption will carry throughout the rest of this guide. 
 
 

The Class Tier List

First, Some Context

 
In the scope of Mann Vs Machine, the nine mercs fall into usefulness tiers depending on the role they fulfill and how effectively they accomplish such. Against players, such a system cannot be utilized because individual skill varies wildly and humans never react the same exact way to every situation. 
 
Bots, on the other hand, are predictable; they are programmed to react in the same way every time to every situation. Because of this, a Class’s ability to either destroy robots or fulfill supportive roles allows us to group the Classes by tiers based on generalized ability to go about fulfilling these roles. Human skill against bots can only improve to a certain point of mastery, and because of this fact we are able to concretely rank each Class’s effectiveness. 
 
In Expert in particular, a Class’s role and ability to fulfill it often determines whether or not the Class sees play. Thus, some Classes are seen more often, not as often, or not at all based on how well they perform their respective jobs and how necessary those jobs are. 
 

THE TIERING SYSTEM

 
As stated above, a Class’s usefulness depends on their ability to fulfill the roles they are assigned on the battlefield be it Money Collection, robot destruction, support, or otherwise. We will group the Classes into four tiers: 

• S 
  Classes which fulfill roles that cannot be replaced or Classes who fulfill their respective roles better than any other Class 
• A 
  Classes whose roles can be interchanged among other Classes or who fulfill their roles with lower efficiency than S-tier Classes 
• B 
  Classes who fulfill more niche roles or whose roles aren’t necessarily mandatory 
• C 
  Essentially, novelty Classes 
   
  Don’t be scared of playing a “low-tier” Class if you can demonstrate the ability to play it effectively. However, do be aware that failure to perform will negatively affect the team in more ways than just generating a less-than-useful player. 
   

  Grouping the Classes

   
  Now we will group the classes by tier in descending order. Class roles and explanations of their placements will be discussed later. Note that this list is based solely on the context of Gear Grinder and not MvM as a whole. 

  • S-Tier

     
    Scout, Sniper, Engineer 

  • A-Tier

     
    Heavy, Demoman 

  • B-Tier

     
    Medic, Soldier 

  • C-Tier

     
    Spy, Pyro

Tiering Explanation and Class Roles

Roles and Explanation of Tier Placements

 
In order to examine why I put the Classes in the tiers I did, we have to see what they do in Mann vs Machine, particularly in the context of Gear Grinder. Here we will also take a glance at the various roles that the Classes perform. 
 

S-Tier:

• SCOUT

   
  Scout is the epitome of an S-Tier Class: he fills a role that no other class can accomplish with the same efficiency and fulfills multiple important supportive roles in addition to his one defining role. 
   
  Scout’s main job is to COLLECT MONEY. Scout is the best choice for this for two reasons: 

  • A: his mobility allows him to reach the front lines quickly and, thus, the areas of most money density faster; 
  • B: Scout actively attracts money to himself and generates overheal by collecting it, enabling the player to survive longer.

   
  Scout also fills two more roles which are highly necessary to a team’s success: 

  • Milking and slowing robots; 
  • Marking Giants for death

  It is because of the necessity of these jobs and his unparalleled ability to fulfill them that Scout ranks as an S-Tier Class. 
   
  Roles: 

  • Collect money 
  • Milk Giant robots and groups of bots 
  • Mark Giants for Death

   

• SNIPER

   
  Sniper is the *strongest* Class in TF2, period. His ability to deal fatal damage at any range from anywhere makes him the singular most influential and powerful Class in the game. This is not to say that Sniper is the *best overall* class, simply the single strongest. Sniper has two roles: 

  • Destroying Uber Medics 
  • Crowd Control

   
  Sniper is the only Class outside of Spy that can instantly kill any not-Giant robot, but the fact that he can destroy entire groups of bots with the Explosive Headshot Upgrade while not being in the immediate line of fire makes him the best option for these two roles. The fact that Sniper alone can clear a field of Medic bots for the team to clean up mandates his presence on the battlefield. 
   
  Roles: 

  • Destroy singular and groups of Ubercharge Medics 
  • Crowd Control 
  • Deal massive damage to Giants

   

• ENGINEER

   
  Engineer’s Sentry is the single strongest static-defense weapon against robots, period. His ability to keep teammates at full ammo capacity with his Dispenser and ability to guard the bomb with his Sentry are what make Engineer indispensable. While Engineer suffers against human players because of coordinated pushes against his guns, bots don’t coordinate; thus, Engineer’s drawbacks are essentially erased. 
   
  Roles: 

  • Defend the Bomb 
  • Keep teammates ammo stocked with the Dispenser

A-Tier:

• HEAVY

   
  Heavy is the primary damage dealer of the team in Gear Grinder. The presence of Pyro bots that can reflect projectiles and bots which pack Explosive and Fire resistances make Heavy the prime choice as a primary damage out-putter. What holds him back from S-Tier? His lack of mobility and the fact that he absorbs large amounts of fire with no method of passive health recovery keep Heavy from being the top of the top. However, what Heavy DOES excel at outside of damage is body blocking. A wall of Heavies around an Engineer’s Sentry does wonders for keeping bots away, especially Super Scouts. 
   
  Roles: 

  • Deal damage 
  • Body Block Giant Scouts

   

• DEMOMAN

   
  Demo is a great damage dealer and is among the highest DPS Classes in the game against human players. This combined with his mobility using Sticky Jumps and ranged combat make Demoman the game’s *best overall* Class. Against Gear Grinder’s bots, though, this proves to not as readily be the case since many bots pack Explosive Resistance or can reflect or destroy Demo’s projectiles. Demoman is also the single most expensive Class to Upgrade, which puts his viability in early waves in question. While Demoman was formerly the primary crowd control source for teams, Sniper has since overtaken him due to his ability to deal fatal damage to multiple robots at any range. However, Demoman’s Stickies (particularly those of the Scottish Resistance) are what make him shine above Soldier. 
   
  Roles: 

  • Defend the Bomb 
  • Crown Control

B-Tier:

• SOLDIER

   
  Soldier does good damage and has good mobility, but his drawbacks are the same as Demoman’s. Soldier, however, does not have a primary damage source that cannot be reflected or destroyed by the robots; unlike Demoman, Soldier does not have access to Stickies. 
   
  Roles: 

  • Deal Damage and Stun Giants 
  • Buff Teammates with Banners

   

• MEDIC

   
  Medic is a B-Tier Class simply because raw damage output in Expert is more important than passive damage increases. Projectile spam is also much less prevalent in Expert, thus Medic isn’t seen nearly as often. 
   
  Roles: 

  • Heal and Revive Teammates 
  • Deflect Projectile Spam 
  • Provide passive Kritz buffs

C-Tier:

• PYRO

   
  In my previous guide, I listed Pyro as a top-tier Class; as I have played more and more Pyro, I realize this was a definite mistake. Pyro’s Gas Passer, while powerful, can only be refilled via direct fire damage. This fact means that Pyro constantly puts himself in the direct line of fire and makes him far more susceptible to early deaths. The fact that Pyro has to put himself in the direct line of fire to do damage outside of the Gas Passer makes him a less than stellar choice ahead of Sniper or Heavy. 
   
  What Pyro DOES excel at, though, is Tank destruction. The Phlogistinator is a powerful tool for its ability to let a Pyro destroy a Tank by only himself whilst simultaneously refilling the Gas Passer. Aside from this niche, though, Pyro is mostly inadvisable. 
   
  Roles: 

  • Crowd Control 
  • Tank Busting

   

• SPY

   
  Spy’s inability to deal mass damage or easily collect money make him a poor choice. Spy has one noteworthy niche which will be discussed later, but overall Spy is the last Class you would want to pick. 
   
  Roles: 

  • Collect Money 
  • Destroy and pick off weakened Giants

Becoming a Team Player (AKA, Loadouts and Upgrades)

Getting Down to Business

 
Now that we know how each of the Classes stacks up in terms of effectiveness, we have to learn how to actually play them. Here we will examine loadout choices and Upgrades. If you need specifics on any listed weapons, the Wiki is, again, your friend. 
 

 
 
Scout’s loadout is fairly simple for Gear Grinder: 
 
Soda Popper, Mad Milk, Fan of War 
 
The Soda Popper allows Scout to fly around the map and deal chip damage to bots in the process. Milk is essential for keeping your other teammates alive, and Fan marks key bots for destruction. 
 
Upgrades: 
1st: 2 points Jump Height, 1 Movement Speed 
2nd: Max out Jump Height, Max out Movement Speed, 2 points Milk Recharge Rate 
3rd: Max out Milk, upgrade Resistances 
 
These upgrades ensure your survivability and mobility to effectively collect money and keep teammates alive. As Scout, you should constantly be moving, either on the ground or in the air, on the lookout for cash. Whenever possible, Milk groups of bots or Giants. The Soda Popper’s Hype is extremely useful for distracting bots and finding loose money. And, lastly, Mark Giants for death with the Fan of War, attacking them from the rear to minimize extraneous damage taken. 
 

 
 
Sniper has a more interesting loadout for Expert: 
 
Hitman’s Heatmaker, Cleaner’s Carbine, Bushwaka 
 
Heatmaker is absurd. Enough said. With maxed reload speed and Explosive Headshot, it absolutely DESTROYS Giants and groups of bots. Carbine is for the Crikey Meter which, with the Bushwaka, can easily shred Tanks. 
 
Upgrades: 
1st: Explosive Headshot 
2nd: Reload Speed 
3rd: Max Explosive Headshot and Reload Speed 
Extra: Max Damage and Ammo Capacity (the Heatmaker eats ammo with max reload speed like no other weapon) 
 
These Upgrades enable Sniper to do the most damage consistently and destroy Uber Medics with ease. Maxing out Explosive Headshot after Reload Speed ensures that any groups of Medics attached to a Giant will all be destroyed at once. 
 

 
 
Engineer has probably the most straightforward loadout: 
 
Jag, Wrangler, Widowmaker/Rescue Ranger/Frontier Justice 
 
The bare basics, enough said. With Ranger, you can more easily save your Gun from Sentry Busters. With Widowmaker, you can more easily take down Tanks and output damage. Frontier Justice functions similarly. 
 
Upgrades: 
1st: Max Dispenser Range, 2 Upgrade Building Canteens 
2nd: 1 Metal Capacity, 1 Building Health, 1 Wrench Attack Speed 
3rd: 1 more Metal Capacity, Max Building Health 
Extra: Max Wrench Attack Speed, Max Sentry Firing Speed, Primary Reload and Firing Speed 
 
Thanks to the fix to Sentry Firing Speed Upgrades, Sentries actually do fire faster with more upgrades. Under the Wrangler, a Level 2 Sentry is capable of allowing an Engineer to take down a Tank on his own. With Widowmaker, this task is made even easier, allowing the Engineer to have essentially infinite metal. 
 

 
 
Heavy’s loadout is really only dependant on one thing: his Primary. 
 
Brass Beast/Minigun, Sandvich/Banana, Gloves of Running Urgently 
 
Heavy really only needs the Brass Beast or Minigun; the Gloves allow him to more quickly get to the front. The secondary is really up to you. 
 
Upgrades: 
1st: Firing Speed 
2nd: More Firing Speed 
3rd: Max Firing Speed, Destroy Projectiles 
Extra: Projectile Penetration 
 
Note: Knockback Rage is actually detrimental, actually making you do LESS damage as you push enemies farther away. Projectile Penetration can be bought concurrently with Destroy Projectiles, since one protects you while the other slays tight groups of robots. 
 

 
 
Demoman really only needs one weapon to shine: the Scottish Resistance. Against humans, it’s fairly mediocre; against mindless bots, it’s absolutely insane. 
 
Iron Bomber/Grenade Launcher, Scottish Resistance, Bottle 
 
Scottish is great – it allows you to output flurries of burst damage, control crowds of bots, and destroy Uber Medics with traps. The other weapons are really up to your choice. Of note, Stickybomb Launcher can be used, it just isn’t as effective having 8 Stickies as opposed to the Scottish’s 14 and having slower firing speed to boot. 
 
Upgrades: 
1st: Secondary Firing Speed 
2nd: Secondary Reload Speed 
3rd: 2 points of Secondary Clip Size Increase 
Extra: Secondary Damage, Ammo Capacity 
 
Essentially, just sink upgrades into your Secondary and use it as your Primary. 
 

 
 
Soldier can really use any Rocket Launcher except Liberty Launcher. Beggar’s Bazooka is notable, though, for its ability to absolutely shred Tanks. 
 
Beggar’s Bazooka, Buff Banner, Disciplinary Action 
 
These weapons enable Soldier to output the most damage while also allowing his team to do additional damage. This loadout is particularly good at destroying Tanks. 
 
Upgrades: 
1st: 1 Rocket Specialist 
2nd: Primary Reload Speed 
3rd: Primary Firing Speed 
Extra: Primary Damage, Buff Duration 
 
These upgrades enable you to simply spam Mouse 1 and watch bots melt. Beggar’s actually shoots more rockets by spamming Left Click than it does by loading clips into the chamber. The 1 Point of Rocket Specialist is there so you can stun Giants with each hit, slowing them enough for teammates to finish off. 
 

 
 
Medic can really use any Primary and Melee of choice, but one thing is mandatory: the Kritzkrieg. 
 
Blutsauger, Kritzkrieg, Ubersaw 
 
This weapon combination allows you to survive encounters, saw Sentry Busters for additional Kritz charge, and allow damage classes to shred bots. 
 
Upgrades: 
1st: Projectile Shield 
2nd: Healing Mastery and Canteen Specialist 
3rd: Overheal Expert 
 
This order of upgrades ensures that teammates won’t be bothered by Projectile Spam and get healed and revived as fast as possible. Healing Mastery and Canteen Specialist can be upgraded concurrently, as both are equally important: Healing Mastery for fast healing and reviving, and Canteen Specialist to make Canteens cheaper for you and enable you to share them with teammates, giving them a max of 8 seconds of a shared Uber or Crit Canteen. 
 

 
 
Pyro is a class that seems strong on paper but in practice can be just as easily detrimental. Gas Passer is mandatory, as is Phlogistinator for maximum Tank damage. If you should need to reset the Bomb or keep bots back, Stock Flamethrower is equally good. 
 
Flamethrower/Phlogistinator, Gas Passer, Powerjack 
 
Phlog kills Tanks, Stock stalls bots and resets the Bomb. Gas Passer is great for crowd control, and Powerjack lets you escape should things go south. 
 
Upgrades: 
1st: Gas Passer Explode on Ignite 
2nd: Primary Ammo Capacity 
3rd: Primary Damage (not Burn Damage, just the straight Damage Upgrade) 
Extra: Gas Passer Recharge Rate, Resistances 
 
Explode on Ignite makes Gas Passer one of the best crowd control weapons in the game and deals massive damage to Giant robots. However, as refilling it requires direct fire damage, doing so in the face of a Giant can be rather hazardous to your health. It is for this reason that Pyro is only really seen on Tank Waves, and not really anywhere else. 
 

 
 
Spy is THE epitome of a novelty Class: everything he does can be done better by Sniper or Scout. But one niche is filled by the undisputed worst Class: the ability to slay Giant Medics. 
 
Any Revolver of choice, Dead Ringer, Conniver’s Kunai, Any Sapper of Choice 
 
The only things a Spy really needs in Gear Grinder are the Dead Ringer and his Melee. You creep up behind a Giant Medic, stab it five times for the kill, and escape scot-free. Spy really should ONLY be played on the Waves where Giant Medics arrive. 
 
Upgrades: 
1st: Melee Attack Speed 
2nd: Armor Penetration 
3rd: Sapper Power and Ubercharge Canteens 
 
All you need is your Knife, enough said. DO NOTE: Giant Medics will never turn around unless Sapped. DO NOT SAP GIANT MEDICS!! 
 
 

Conclusion

 
Thanks for reading, hopefully you will have at least learned a thing or two. This is by no means a guide on the specifics of each Class (i.e. Sentry Spots, Engineer Rollouts, etc) but rather a guide on which loadouts to use and which Upgrades to get and the functions of each Class and how useful they are as a whole. 
 
Here are some last DOs and DO NOTs: 
 
DO: 

• Learn to at least play every Class on a basic level 
• Shift Classes depending on what the team requires 
• Switch to another Class if you notice that someone has already filled the role or if they are confident in their ability to outperform you on that Class

 
DO NOT: 

• Stick to a Class for the sole reason of, “I picked it first” 
• Be resistant to swapping Classes with a teammate if they are confident in their ability to play the Class or fill the role more effectively 
• Be resistant to listening to the requests of your team – it’s not called TEAM Fortress 2 for nothing 
   
  Have fun, good luck on drops, and bust some bots!

Here we come to an end for Team Fortress 2 Mann Up Gear Grinder: Class Importance, Loadouts, and Their Roles hope you enjoy it. If you think we forget something to include or we should make an update to the post let us know via comment, and we will fix it asap! Thanks and have a great day!