Weapon analysis, hitboxes and positioning relatively to damage output

Tomislav; the mid-range messiah

Stock vs Tomislav

Hitbox manipulation

Tomislav is a really interesting unlock. It has 20% faster spin-up, -20% less spread (20% more accuracy), with its sole downside being its slower firing speed. The slower firing speed isn't much of a big deal, since the improved accuracy can easily compensate for it when it comes to damage output.I recommend it to every new Heavy to train their accuracy and tracking with. It's an amazing weapon on small, tight maps though stock can do the job too. In heavy vs heavy it's mostly situational, highly relying on positioning unless you both see each other and start revving up at the same second. In which case, multiple factors come in mind:- latency- hitboxes (there are a few tricks at mid to close range that can save your life in a stock v stock encounter, though I'm not too sure about whether hitboxes matter when it comes to tomislav vs stock)- your team vs his: being helped by your team in a heavy encounter is crucial, as a simple damage difference may be the game changer.Then again, you shouldn't be trying to kill their heavy unless you have a clear advantage, were it in terms of positioning or numbers. Up to your judgement whether you want to go head-on with a tomislav heavy as stock or go against a stock heavy as a tomislav heavy.Here's something interesting I had in mind: stock can be situationally better than tomislav since its spread might allow for better damage in case your tracking's not on point in some scenarios. Tomislav can provide with serious middle-rage harassment, I'd be comfortable with using it any time of the day, but it can be your personal preference really.Tomislav beats stock at mid range due to reduced spread.Stock beats tomislav at close and mid-long range due to firing rate.What makes Tomislav such a great weapon is that it rewards tracking, but it doesn't have a notable downside that (aside from spread) makes it a definite sidegrade, which is why some perceive it as an upgrade, others as a sidegrade. Slower firing speed but greater accuracy means that regardless of your firing rate, you will still be dealing consistent damage. I don't think it needs a rework or a nerf, but it probably should've had something that made it a sidegrade to stock which would still be viable.Let's talk about other upsides of the Tomislav: you get silent spin-up, so you can go for interesting though somewhat risky plays where your tracking will be the key. Your position will get called out most of the time but the upside is still worth considering in some scenarios. It takes 0.87s for the stock Minigun to revv up, and 80 ms for the human brain to process all incoming information. That makes it 0.95s for you to be starting to be dishing out damage, this without taking in consideration your latency.But with Tomislav, that has quicker revving speed, you will be taking 0.87*0.8= 0.696s to revv up. It's a small, very small difference, but I doubt you can neglect it. So let's say you play @ a 100 ms latency.Stock minigun: 0.87+0.08+0.1= 1.05sTomislav: 0.696+0.08+0.1 = 0.876sSo with a bad latency, you can perform better with the Tomislav on paper. Theoretically speaking, a Tomislav Heavy with 100 ms latency equals a Stock Minigun Heavy with 0 ms latency, though it's undeniable that there are still many network factors and settings that influence some outcomes, albeit rarely.It actually grants you an edge when you play on, say, NA server if you live in EU, or the opposite, compared to the results you'd get with Stock Minigun. Definitely a considerable weapon if you have overall bad latency, overall a great Heavy wep.If you play better with stock and not using the Tomislav does not penalize your team, use stock.If you want to be on equal terms with the enemy Heavy in terms of primary, use the same primary he's using. If he switches to Tomislav, equally switch to Tomislav. If he switches to Natascha, make use of good positioning w/ Stock or Tomislav.If you're playing on a high-latency server/enemy heavy has way better latency, use the Tomislav. Really, latency can be the dealbreaker in some situations.If you're going to be playing a supportive role, like on king of the hill maps, Natascha is a very viable option. Small koth maps like viaduct can be abused by the Tomislav.You can basically hard counter Tomislav with Natascha, natty destroys tommy at all ranges but midrangeSee what works the best, the best primary isn't set in stone.You can alter your hitboxes by moving and crouching. There are many tiny spots on multiple maps that allow you to alter your hitboxes (per instance, the wooden planks on koth_viaduct's point-- strafing left and right on them changes your head's position at all times, making it harder for Snipers to headshot you)You can always win a Heavy v Heavy fight if you alter your hitboxes to the point that you survive the encounter with the enemy Heavy and he doesn't. If you find yourself in that situation, you're probably going to die unless you have numbers/aren't being focused down/enemy combo is lacking, but ask yourself this: in an inevitable encounter with your enemy counterpart, which is better? Dying because you couldn't be bothered to mash A, D and CTRL, and let him mow your teammates down? Or creating a weakness in the enemy team's combo? Little things can make the difference.A funny thing with Heavy is that regardless of your minigun's position, you will shoot wherever you're looking at. This might be a bit weird to understand, but think of it this way: there are some spots/covers in some maps, these allow you to cover most of your hitboxes, but you can still see the enemy and thus still inflict damage, even if your minigun SEEMS behind the cover. A good example of this is the point on koth_viaduct. Load it up locally, and just press forward unto the intersection between the rock and the wooden plank. It's showcased in Ruskeydoo's viaduct strategy guide @ 07:07. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcueI4cMkUY Keep the following in mind: if you have partial cover and the enemy Heavy doesn't, and you're at equal damage accuracy outputs and health, you can just deny the combo's push really well because you're dishing out more damage than you're receiving. A good example of this is badwater 1st on defense, you can just jump on the rock right next to the hill, crouch and it'll grant you some cover. This hides some of your hitboxes, thus making you take less damage, but you have the same view you would if you used the traditional hold.And here arises the question: "which is more important? Being able to see more enemies at the risk of more damage received, or taking less damage at the risk of less damage output?"It really depends. You're not supposed as a class to be the main damage dealer, it mainly depends on your demoman's positioning on many maps. Keep in mind that as a relatively slow and bulky class, playing defensively can and is most of the time more rewarding than playing aggressively. That being said, the damage output vs damage received question relies on what your team needs the most. Sometimes your demoman can spam his projectiles and cause heaps of damage but you need to be watching out for the enemy flank, sometimes you really need the damage and you need to focus targets with your demo. Don't be afraid to go through old bad demos, as Ruskeydoo would say it's painful but it'll help you see your mistakes.Going back to the topic of hitbox manipulation, it's not something you should rely on all the time. It can save you from a positioning mistake, or from being caught out, yes, but there are more important things than mashing your A, D and CTRL keys, but if you can afford to do it go ahead. A LOT of low-level Heavies don't know of hitbox manipulation, so if you're one you can use this little trick to up your game.