Team Fortress 2 might be almost 20 years old, but if you’ve never played before, there’s never a bad time to start. As the seminal class-based multiplayer first-person hat simulator with shooting elements, there are thousands of hours of fun to be had playing any of the game’s nine iconic classes. Better yet, each class has immense amounts of depth, but many of them are also very easy to get into as a newcomer. We’ll cover the best TF2 classes to play if you’re a beginner in this guide.
Engineer: Best Team Fortress 2 Beginner Class If You’re New to PC FPS Games
The Engineer is by far the most passive class in all of TF2, and if you’re not as familiar with using a mouse and keyboard as your input method, allowing his Sentry Gun to do most of the shooting for you can be a huge boon. Additionally, once you have your base setup (a base being a level three Sentry, a nearby Dispenser, and easy access to a Teleporter from spawn), you can take a break from the building to watch the game being played.
Team Fortress 2 is a fast-paced affair, and it can be hard to make sense of everything going on at once. However, the more you observe, analyze, and take part in the game, the more you’ll learn about what roles each class plays during a push, during defense, or at a stalemate (among other moments). Make a note of which classes are at the frontlines, which are playing a supportive role, and most importantly for your class, where the Spy (or Spies, as is often the case) might be.
You will need to rely on your shotgun and wrench melee at least a little bit if a Spy comes looking to sab your buildings, but dying and losing what you’ve created is as much a part of being an Engineer as watching your Sentry rack up a kill streak.
Soldier: Best Team Fortress 2 Beginner Class for PC Veterans
The Soldier is one of the most powerful classes in Team Fortress 2 primarily because their kit is useful in almost any situation imaginable. While good aim mechanics are helpful when playing Soldier, they aren’t immediately essential to getting good value out of his loadout, especially if you’re running the default Rocket Launcher and Shotgun.
Early on in your career with Soldier, you’ll be able to do good service to your team by simply hitting enemies with rockets or helping with chokepoint spam. After a few hours, you can start experimenting with slightly more complex gameplay, like the basics of rocket jumping, corner splashing, and other slightly higher-level tech. Still, your bread and butter are likely to remain “shoot rocket at enemy to kill.”
If Soldier really jives with you, you can start learning advanced mechanics like surfing, air shots, and precise rocket jumping, as well as experimenting with different loadouts and gear. A good Soldier is indispensable in any of Team Fortress 2’s game modes and is often the go-to class for a Medic’s Kritzkreig. So if you want to be the apple of the server’s eye, getting good at Soldier is a great start.
Scout: Best Team Fortress 2 Beginner Class for PC Shooter Veterans
I’m differentiating between PC veterans and PC shooter veterans here because Scout is a more technical class than Soldier, requiring faster reflexes, quicker reaction time, and better aim skills. Scout might boast the lowest health value in the game alongside Spy and Engineer, but he’s also more of a frontline fighter, taking his Scattergun to the flank of the main push and playing a critical role in any push for a point or payload.
A good Scout player can run literal circles around the rest of the server, and a great one is almost unkillable. You will need to be comfortable with more guerilla tactics and falling prey to a poorly-timed double jump. However, suppose you can single-handedly carry entire lobbies in more traditional shooters. In that case, the Scout’s more advanced movement mechanics, up-close damage potential, and high run speed should be right up your alley.
The main hurdle you need to jump as a Scout is how squishy the class is. Most other classes can sneeze on the Scout, and he’ll die, and running headlong into a wall of enemies will see him melted in milliseconds. You need to play aggressively but cautiously at first because not only are you learning what situations you can survive and which you can’t, but you also need to learn which classes give you more trouble than others.
