Backburner - Overpowered?

[rumsfald]

Well, do you?

[Fail Medic]

I'm not sure how many of my deaths are from backburners because I glaze over the "YOU WERE KILLED BY THIS THING" box.  (shrug) My surprise buttsechs deaths from 6:00 Pyros don't seem any less infuriating than they did before.  I'm just not seeing much of an impact.  But that's me. 

Maybe it should have been called the "Backscratcher".  Instead of guaranteed crits from behind, the little nozzle acoutrement would actually "bite" the target for melee damage on top of the fire contact and burn effect.

[Eschatos]

I don't think so.  I got it a little while ago and it back-crits a lot less often than I thought it would  It's nothing like face stabs,  you have to be directly behind to get the crit.

[CaffeinePowered]

Maybe 50% would be better, not every hit, but every other, its almost like a backstab as is

[KarthXLR]

The pyro is a bit over powered now. :<

[cbre88x]

I just want the pyro madness to be over..I could careless about getting instakilled..wait..

NO IT IS SO OVERPOWERED

[Squishy3]

The pyro is a bit over powered now. :<

It doesn't matter if they're overpowered if people don't know how to use them effectively. :p Doesn't matter when there's 8 pyros on one team, but when it's down to 4 or so, it'll be easy to dispatch them if they don't know how to play them effectively.

[[fr31ns]Karrde]

Health is OP to a certain extent.  The pyro, buffed by a medic, without any damage falloff has shown that in many situations, the pyro can charge a L3 SG un ubered and kill the SG, dispenser and engi,  That's my major beef.  Pyros should not be able to charge SGs head on and win.

[Budr]

This is exactly what I was saying before they came out.

I'm not sure how many of my deaths are from backburners

When I'm soldiering, I know exactly which ones. If I suddenly notice I'm burning and turn around and kill a pyro it's normal flamethrower. If I notice I'm burning and instantaneously notice that I'm dead, it's backburner.

[ainmosni]

I don't think it's overpowered, yes it's kinda like a backstab when you're able to get at the back of someone. Yes that's almost instakill but don't forget that a spy has tools to get at ones back more easily. (Cloak/Disguise) And it always sucked when you did sneak up on a soldier and still he had more than enough time to turn around and kamikaze you.
I think it's good to be rewarded for actually playing like a pyro should... it's not easy going unnoticed while you try and flank a team... Besides, with the backburner given some range a pyro still loses head on confrontations with most of the classes...

Also, the window of what is a 'backburn' with it is a lot smaller than a backstab from a spy.

[Geoff]

Has anyone realized air blast capability?  Sure, I love the backburner as much as the next guy, but upon messing with the reg flamer yesterday I was able to disconnect some heavy + medic ubers.  I think if you had a pyro team, one with reg flamer and flaregun, and the other with backburner and shotgun, you'd be able to pull off some impressive combos.

[Loqutus]

More than the criticals, I'm irked about the HP increase. At least the criticals are situational and preventable if you know where an enemy Pyro is located. An HP boost is 100% of the time, and there's nothing you can do about it.

Now I have to figure out which flamethrower a Pyro has before knowing if I can take them on Melee or up close... I suppose I'll get used to it.

I hope Valve doesn't go the same route with other classes. The last thing I need to deal with is a Spy with 175 health. :-P

[Benito Mussolini]

Has anyone realized air blast capability?  Sure, I love the backburner as much as the next guy, but upon messing with the reg flamer yesterday I was able to disconnect some heavy + medic ubers.  I think if you had a pyro team, one with reg flamer and flaregun, and the other with backburner and shotgun, you'd be able to pull off some impressive combos.

this guy knows how to play

Repelling soldiers' rockets is fucking awesome, once they know you do that shit, they either stop shooting rockets at you or they die trying to kill you.
The air blast is amazing against ubers. It is easy to simply push the medic or the other one away when a uber arrives so the rest of the team can take care of the heavy or whatever is ubered.

The air blast has also given me great moments of ownage on Euro FNF. Sounded like:
"Ok, crit uber, go Budr"
*Budr turns around, sees me
*Budr rocket crit
*I air blast
*Medic and other dude walking by EXPLODE
*Budr crits (again...)
*I air blast
*Budr dies

The air blast also pushes 'nades away, as well as stickies, so demomen are less of a pain in the ass for pyros.

I think the upgrade was necessary, though. What is wrong with a pyro having 50 more hp? The pyro needs it more than the soldier since he HAS to get up close an ennemi to kill him. 50 health is not that much anyways, the pyro would still die in normal situations like rocket crits. The 50 health gives him some suvivability, but it is nothing to whine about: it makes him better in 1v1 situations, that is all. It also completes the back crit: being in the back does not require to get a 50health bonus, but when he encounters a foe face to face, the 50 health would help him in a situation that was generally a loss for the pyro.
Give him 200 more health, the pyro can do nothing if he doesn't surprise a soldier, without the air blast.
Give him 300 more health, the pyro can't go through a demoman's ambush, without the air blast.

And about the air blast being too good, soldiers can still try shoot at the pyro's feet, and most other classes can take out pyros easily too if they don't get the 50 health bonus (scouts, snipers have it easier too, and heavies)

[Budr]

*Budr crits (again...)

I am having to rethink my tactics slightly

[ToiletDuck]

it would be perfect without the health boost.

[copulatingduck]

The extra health is a bit much in combination with increased hit detection and removal of damage falloff. Assuming a sentry is in range around a corner, a buffed pyro can run in and take out a sentry without uber straight away. I don't think that should be the case.

[Benito Mussolini]

it would be perfect without the health boost.

no, because it would make it too had to kill from front

[Wedge]

[quote author=Toilet Duck link=topic=586.msg14817#msg14817 date=1214103309]
it would be perfect without the health boost.

no, because it would make it too had to kill from front
[/quote]

Duh.  You're not supposed to be killing from the front.  Pyros shouldn't be able to face up a heavy head-on.  I was still killing them most of the time, but if I don't have a medic they'll do enough to cripple me if not kill me.

[Eschatos]

I've changed my mind.  Either the backburner is a little overpowered or I've dramatically gone up in skill level.  I had one amazing game on Dustbowl today.  I was defending, and over about 20 minutes I racked up 89 kills for 24 deaths.  Me and Yomanz are now super special buddy pals.

[Scary Womanizing Pig Mask]

Maybe. Most of my deaths are from Pyros with the Backburner, but that may just be because most people are playing as Pyros now, increasing the amount of kills they get.