Engineer play styles, three main types observed.

After playing engineer for quite some time now, I've observed that the engineer is more flexible than some people normally assume.  The engineer need not spend all his time crouched by a sentry (indeed, this is the engineer most vulnrable to spies, but that's a different topic).  In my own experience, I've observed and used three distict styles of play with the engineer class.  Although different players refer to these styles with different names, the names I prefer to use are:  'Traditional'  'Outpost' and 'Assault'.

Traditional Engineering is the typical intel-room style defense, you focus only on defense and your sentry ... preferably positioned on the objective or a choke point restricting access to the objective. Considering that this playstyle has been used and perfected in over a decade of gameplay, I think further discussion here would be redundant.

Assault Engineering (my personal favorite) is an agressive, more offensive approach, where the engineer moves with the offense, laying down buildings as needed, but depending on his mobility, proximity and support of teammates, and his shotgun to do most of his heavy lifting.  The good Assault Engineer recognizes that even a hastily placed lvl 1 sentry can do devestating damage, and since it's a relatively small investment and quick to build and replace, it's expendable.  The assault engineer does not spend much time speeding construction or upgrading his sentry.   The assault engineer needs to recognize when to switch to a different playstyle when the situation demands. He is always looking for better places to lay down teleporters, and he does not hesitate to detonate his current deployables if better locations arise on the fly.  The assault engineer is the least vulnrable to spies, considering that he does not consider a sapped sentry a great loss ... as the deployment of a sentry does not represent nearly the investment in time and metal that it does for more defensive engineers.

The Outpost Engineer is an interesting balance between the all defense Traditional Engineer and the agressive Assault Engineer.    He generally starts playing more like an assault engy, laying down a TP entrance and joining the offense ... if his team does well, makes progress, he will leave the main fight and attempt to create a forward location that functions as a secure staging location.   With a teleporter exit, dispenser and fully upgraded sentry, a good outpost is a good place for freshly spawned players to port from the spawn area and into the fight.  Conversely, if the fight goes south, and the team looses ground, the outpost serves as a line of defense, impeding the enemy's counterattack.  The Outpost Engineer is probably the most vulnrable to spies, as he does not have access to the rescources/fellow defenders that he might at a rear base ... and spies can arrive from the front or the rear, however, constantly arriving troops through the teleporter, or from the front to heal and re-arm can help with the spy problem. 

If I were to judge, the Outpost Engineer is the most difficult, yet rewarding style/tactic to play.   An established outpost in the middle of a map is a huge target to the enemy team, especially to spies eager for a few easy sap/stab points.  Yet the rewards are just as powerful.  An outpost means fresh troops to the line quickly, insurance against counter-attack, and added pressure on the enemy.

The Assault Engineer takes a skilled hand, having to think, build and fight on the move, going up against much heavier classes with little more than his brains, his wrench and his shotgun.  A skilled Assault Engineer is crafty, agressive, dishonorable and willing to die for the sake of taking out a vital medic.  An Assault Engineer CANNOT take on a defended sentry position on his own, an

Very well put C4,

Do you find that the map dictates your tactics for the most part or do you let the flow of the game tell you how to play it?  I find it's almost all about the flow but there are certain maps, Hydro mostly, that I haven't had a chance to fully explore as an engy - either quick games or bad teams.

I believe Engineers can only do as well as their team.

Example.  I had a well placed sentry built......the other team had no real offense going so that's when I went on offense. 

I built a TP Entrance outside the main spawn......and then would follow a couple heavier classes into the enemy base.....where I placed my TP Exit as far as I could get them.....

After they were running I'd let my team know where it was putting them.  (playing 2 Fort I got rather far into the enemy base....but they wouldn't last long....maybe 2 or 3 people got through before they noticed).....  then I would do it all over again.

If I don't have to nurse my sentry I'm all about heading towards the enemy : )

Well done, bravo!

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Both, actually ... as the map generally dictates the flow of the game.   Well is a good example ... if I'm on the 'winning' side ... I generally stick to assault engy, as things generally move too fast for a real outpost, and defense is silly.   If things turn against my team, I generally switch focus to defending point 2, as it's one of the most secure locations to defend.

Hydro is interesting because it's almost impossible to get a regular pattern down, I've used all three styles, depending on the flow of the game, as points are generally difficult to defend in a traditional manner, and a good outpost can break the backbone of a sub-match.

i like to be a mix of traditional and assault.  i usually set up a sentry in an important place, get it to three, then start moving to the front lines, and then let the flow of the battle tell me what to do next.  if we have most of our team up front, and are having no problem holding back the enemy, i assume that people are low on ammo, so i put down a dispenser in an accessible position.  if we are holding back the enemy just fine, but need a little more of a push, i lay down a tele exit in a secluded corner not too far away from the line.  if everything is going well, but one wrong move could send us back into our spawn, i destroy my previous sentry, and set one up along with a tele exit.

I usuallt play "Outpost Engineer". e.g 2fort. put down a dispender outside enemy base, a sentry just inside it and teleport exit next to the dispenser.
This is good because often there are snipers and chargin troops that will protect the dispenser and exit and the turret will do it's share of work inside being able to shot at people coming from the inside and those who are dropping down from the balcony.
But it is hard work stopping the spyes.

I'm still learning, but the most fun I've had as Engineer is when I'm doing the Assault bit.  Guarding a place is extremely dull, and it's all too easy for a Medic/Heavy combo to just uber their way through your stuff.  I mostly do Engineer on 2fort, because it's a more static map (the battle lines change, but throughout the entire match the whole map is used) and I can get things set up in places that will stay important.  I usually get my T-Entrance set up, then head out and try and take a position inside the enemy base.  It can work out well- I remember a game where not only did we get a firebase set up right at the top of the Red (we were Blu) sewer stairs, but later on we got no less than three Engineers setting up in the enemy Intel room!  Too bad the map changed 20 seconds later.

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Really good post Cyph.  I'm pretty new to engineering but it seems that a reluctance to destroy their 'pride and joy' level 3's can be the downfall of many an engy!

In TFC, the assault engineer was a lot more fun. It was great pleasure to watch your enemies blow up from their own grenades and your EMP bomb.

I play the choke point style. I move up as we move up and find new choke points to defend. In 2Fort, I prefer to place in the ramp room or outside the spawn room. I don't use the basement unless the other team is very good. I get bored down there.