I'm not very good with the Demoman. In the hands of a skilled player he can be the most powerful force in the game, but he and I just never meshed that well. So this article should be taken with a grain of salt, as I am by no means a Demo expert. That said, I do pick up the bagpipes from time to time. Indeed, until a fairly recent update the Demo was the one class that could be legitimately called overpowered. How is that, you ask? Well, take a swig of the ol' grumpy bottle and have a listen.

Her name says it all. Yes, her. Valve has repeatedly dropped subtle and not-so-subtle hints that the Pyro is in fact a woman, so from hence forth she shall be referred to in the feminine. Our mumbly firesmith is superb in close combat, and can throw an entire team into disarray with a well-timed ambush. The Pyro is also the best anti-Spy class in the game.

He's mean, he's got a jawline cut by the Maker herself, and he does the best Captain America on crack impression ever seen without even trying. He's the Soldier, arguably the most well-rounded offensive and defensive class in the game. He has few real weaknesses, but no overwhelming strengths. I didn't used to play him that much, but I've started using him a lot more lately in a defensive role. However, he can work on almost any map or any game mode.

The Scout is probably the hardest class for me to write about, simply because I've spent relatively little time playing him. His advantages are obvious, but they often aren't of any great use. Scouts make their living by being fast and hard to hit, which is useful in some areas and worthless in others. Still, you'd be surprised how many times a clever Scout can get the jump on a Heavy or a Pyro and take them down.

Team Fortress 2 is a topic I can go on for several hours about, much to the dismay of the people I might be talking to. So for the good of everyone on the planet, I have decided to put together Richard's Guide to Team Fortress 2, an essential manual for any Dustbowl-dwelling denizen.