Razorback NOT useless

Well, to everyone with more than 20 hours as sniper it is, but thats not the point. I was talking to a friend new to the game who is learning sniper, and he told me he was using the razorback. I told him this is possibly and probably the worst unlock to date, but then he told me that noob spies keep trying to backstab him and he'd rather focus on his aiming skills for the moment. He'll change it once he learns to HS more than once every 5 shots.

So that gave me a new view on it, the razorback is a learning tool for people to get into sniper. For a spy to kill a sniper with a razorback he has to at least reveal himself giving the sniper/his team a fighting chance to kill the inexperienced spy, it'll only work on servers with newer players but hey.

So I view the razorback in the same way I view pyros. A learning tool. So long as new spies keep backstabbing it, it'll be useful to new snipers.


(PS, sorry pyros, I know about 3% of you are actually good at airblasting etc, but in my view your class is a learning tool too, its just my opinion)

The razorback is not useless like a crutch or a wheelchair is not useless for a person who can walk just fine. As in, it has a purpose and an effect, so of course it isn't useless, but you'd do better without it in both the short and long term. I'd rather have no secondary weapon and not lose the 15% speed than use it to allow myself to be oblivious to my surroundings.

Quote:
You don't lose speed anymore

I swear I only didn't know that because I never use the razorback, not because I never play tf2!

Still, I'd rather not put blinders on myself. If you are sitting scoped in, oblivious to your surroundings and confident that the razorback will protect you, you are only hurting yourself (like a glutton in a wheelchair).

Quote:

Definitely, but I consider aim as a sniper more important than knowing how to defend against spies. There will always be the enemy team, but there may not be spies.

But someone who just wants to work on pure aim on a newb server, as newb snipers must, might find the backstab resistance handy. The evidence speaks for itself, alot of newb snipers use it because they are tired of getting backstabbed. Hopefully they'll eventually learn when they start facing better spies sure, but if it gives them a more fun stab free existance then whatever.

I used to laugh at snipers using the razorback but then I sort of felt like I was laughing at kids riding bikes with training wheels. (I still do but thats because I'm a bad person inside).

Quote:
lol

Actually...the Razorback and training wheels can be compared to each other quite nicely

They help you out if you are a beginner, but can create bad habits. It's better to just start without them so you learn the way you're supposed to

I am convinced this will hurt him in the end. Rather than learning to constantly move and check his back, he will be able to get away with standing still and being oblivious to his surroundings. (assuming the Spies on the server are bad too and don't know hitting 1 switches to revolver.)

I play on Orange X servers occasionally during the morning when none of my other liked servers have players in them. That's the only place I see the razorback used. All the snipers there, except for one of my occasional sniper friends, more or less stand still. I say a moving sniper is 5x as threatening than an immobile sniper with 'good' aim. By using the razorback those snipers will not learn that they need to move and if they ever do take off the razorback they will have to learn how to combat Spies anyway, why not learn it now?

Hmm, next time he plays let me show him razorback will not stop a spy

A Razorback is useful for the sniper because as a spy I have to waste two bullets on those damn snipers. Do you KNOW how much those rounds cost???

Seriously, tell him not to use it. It encourages bad sniping, and once learned, it's difficult to unlearn. I'm no good at sniper, but I know a sniper who stands still is a bad sniper (one who will also probably also use the Failzorback).

Also, it's a selfish weapon. Whilst Jarate helps your team, teh Failzorback does not. It's like running the BB over the AB as pyro- you hurt your team by not having the amazingly useful airblast.