Recommended Posts

I just crafted the Cow Mangler 5000 last night. It seems to be more difficult to get kills using that than the rocket launcher for some weird reason.

That's because it's had some major nerfs.

It has these stats now.

Does not require ammo.

Alt-fire: A charged shot that mini-crits players and disables buildings for 4 sec.

-10% damage penalty

No random critical hits

5% slower reload time

Deals only 20% damage to buildings

Cannot be crit boosted

Unlucky, that's easily the most difficult to level up due to the fact that it's hard to get kills with one normally.

Wont even bother. Luckily got a strange shotgun for soldier and strange direct hit as well last night. Time to learn how shoot rockets precisely, i guess.

Oh, and the Cow Mangler thing - the good thing about is the charged shot. Worth it.

Okay I don't get something. I am trying to play as a spy which seems a bit difficult. I tried disguising as the enemy and I was found out right away, as soon as a member on the enemy team saw me they started immediately firing at me, not even being sure I was on their team. It's like they immediately knew I was a spy on the opposite team disguised as them.

Okay I don't get something. I am trying to play as a spy which seems a bit difficult. I tried disguising as the enemy and I was found out right away, as soon as a member on the enemy team saw me they started immediately firing at me, not even being sure I was on their team. It's like they immediately knew I was a spy on the opposite team disguised as them.

Make sure you are not disguising where someone can see you. Find a good hiding spot and disguise yourself. When you are in your hiding spot, wait for a few enemies to walk by and roll out behind them, and you'll probably get at least one kill.

In most cases though, teams will spy check, which everyone should do as there is no team damage. If that is the case, make sure you don't bump in to some one on the other team.

Good spies are super annoying. The ones that go as a duo, rush into an engineer nest, and spam sappers everywhere while engineers try to whack the spies (or hope they've got pyros flaming and pulling out homewreckers).

I'd personally like to avoid spy until I get better..

I have one question though, do you have to play as certain classes to receive certain items or can I get all items just by playing as one class?

There is no weapon in the game where you can only earn it after playing X amount of hours as that weapon's class.

You can get a class's "original" unlock weapons by completing that class's achievements, but otherwise you can theoretically get all items by waiting on random drops or crafting weapons from said drops.

Good spies are super annoying. The ones that go as a duo, rush into an engineer nest, and spam sappers everywhere while engineers try to whack the spies (or hope they've got pyros flaming and pulling out homewreckers).

Do what I do, equip the DR and Revolver (Enforcer preferred now though really, no downsides with the DR) and go battlespy.

If you know how to use the Revolver properly and how to time the DR, you can be far more destructive than 99.9% percent of classical spies. Most players seem to be too shocked or too overconfident that you can quickly kill them in many cases without them getting off more than a shot or two.

Hax. :shifty:

Kind of looks like the same glitch as that used for "infinite" pyro compression blasts (which really didn't do anything, but caused a visual headache).

Do what I do, equip the DR and Revolver (Enforcer preferred now though really, no downsides with the DR) and go battlespy.

If you know how to use the Revolver properly and how to time the DR, you can be far more destructive than 99.9% percent of classical spies. Most players seem to be too shocked or too overconfident that you can quickly kill them in many cases without them getting off more than a shot or two.

True, but given my time is spent mostly on payload these days, all I see are dead ringer spies causing sapper havoc on both sides. Not a lot of 'sniping' spies to go around.

It infuriates me when the team I'm playing on has say maybe a single pyro and there are three or four spies on the attacking team. Well those spies can eat my degreaser + mailbox combo. :D

I want the mailbox :laugh:

I am more of a engi's best friend pyro with the homewreaker.

I am too, whenever the situation necessitates a homewrecker.

Actually I'm using reskinned versions of both melee weapons. I'm using the Maul (looks like a wrench) which is exactly like the homewrecker (the Maul was an accidental craft), and the mailbox renamed to "You've got mail! :D"

Also, not sure if anyone is aware how many points you can easily rack up by simply putting your teammates out with the compression blast. As a defensive pyro you can sail to the upper half of your team's scoreboard by simply assisting engies, dousing fires, and occasionally pushing back uber combos.

I am too, whenever the situation necessitates a homewrecker.

Actually I'm using reskinned versions of both melee weapons. I'm using the Maul (looks like a wrench) which is exactly like the homewrecker (the Maul was an accidental craft), and the mailbox renamed to "You've got mail! :D"

Also, not sure if anyone is aware how many points you can easily rack up by simply putting your teammates out with the compression blast. As a defensive pyro you can sail to the upper half of your team's scoreboard by simply assisting engies, dousing fires, and occasionally pushing back uber combos.

I generally prefer to play defensively (about 60-70% of the time), so I know what you mean. A lot of times a team is so concerned with pushing forward that they forget all strategy, immediately die en masse, and the enemy team will start capping like no tomorrow.

I can skyrocket up the scoreboard by playing defensively with almost any class (scout and spy generally don't play as well defensively, but sometimes they can help).

There should be an Engi update coming soon... I expected to see more crate series also this week but I guess not.

All the old series crates are rising in value quickly since you can't get them no more and they are getting more and more rare by the day. The series #1 is still 1 Refined though...the rest are a rec and they drop to scraps by time you get to 19.

The new crates are horrible...I'd never waste a key on any strange weapon when they do NOTHING over what you already had in the weapons. It's time Valve starts dropping a special Unusual crate that will allow you to find only Unusual hats but they would be a rare drop like a hat drop is now. At least give ya something to spend the key money on that's legit and good.

There should be an Engi update coming soon... I expected to see more crate series also this week but I guess not.

All the old series crates are rising in value quickly since you can't get them no more and they are getting more and more rare by the day. The series #1 is still 1 Refined though...the rest are a rec and they drop to scraps by time you get to 19.

The new crates are horrible...I'd never waste a key on any strange weapon when they do NOTHING over what you already had in the weapons. It's time Valve starts dropping a special Unusual crate that will allow you to find only Unusual hats but they would be a rare drop like a hat drop is now. At least give ya something to spend the key money on that's legit and good.

:blink: I've never heard of anyone willing to trade scrap, refined or reclaimed for crates. They're so common. What's the point? I just delete my old crates, including series one. Had I known there were schmucks willing to trade scrap for what's essentially Russian Roulette, I would've kept 'em :laugh:

There should be an Engi update coming soon...

I wouldn't bet on it. They've yet to ship a gamemode that is essentially finished; let alone unlocks for a very balance sensitive class.

There will probably be new engineer items at some point, but I doubt it'll be soon.

The new crates are horrible...I'd never waste a key on any strange weapon when they do NOTHING over what you already had in the weapons. It's time Valve starts dropping a special Unusual crate that will allow you to find only Unusual hats but they would be a rare drop like a hat drop is now. At least give ya something to spend the key money on that's legit and good.

Uh, no. Regardless of your like or dislike of Strange items (I'm not really a fan either), at least now you're actually guaranteed to get an item of some value. Strange weapons usually go for a refined or more depending on the item.

I'd much rather unbox a Strange weapon I can trade off than a plain old duplicate that is a complete waste of cash.

:blink: I've never heard of anyone willing to trade scrap, refined or reclaimed for crates. They're so common. What's the point? I just delete my old crates, including series one. Had I known there were schmucks willing to trade scrap for what's essentially Russian Roulette, I would've kept 'em :laugh:

There's a guy on a server I play on that buys em. No idea what use he gets out of them, but last time I traded I got a half decent paint for 10 crates.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • Microsoft unveils new Surface Laptop with improved trackpad, Snapdragon X2, and more by Taras Buria Microsoft's new Surface Laptop Ultra generated a lot of buzz earlier this month, but in addition to its most powerful laptop with an NVIDIA chip, Microsoft also has a more affordable laptop lineup, which has been waiting for an update for quite a while. Today, Microsoft announced the eighth-generation Surface Laptop. The new Surface Laptop is powered by the Snapdragon X2 Plus and X2 Elite processors. These chips offer faster CPU performance, up to 58% faster graphics, and 80 TOPS Neural Processing Units (NPUs) for on-device AI processing. Like the previous models, these chips retain their great energy efficiency, and Microsoft says that buyers can expect up to 20 hours of work on a single charge. The laptop is available in two sizes: 13.8-inch and 15-inch. You will have a hard time finding visual differences between the new and previous models, as Microsoft is not taking any major design leaps, except for the new Jade color, which may look familiar to Surface Laptop 5 owners. Other colors include Platinum, Black, and Dune. The 15-inch variant got a higher-resolution display. It is a 3,270 x 2,180 resolution screen with a pixel density of 262 ppi (the 13-inch model has a 201 ppi density) and a maximum brightness of 600 nits SDR and HDR. Unlike the Surface Pro 12th-gen, which is available with optional OLED displays, the Surface Laptop sticks with IPS, a 1,300:1 contrast ratio, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a 3:2 aspect ratio. Another notable change in the Surface Laptop 8 is its trackpad. It now provides haptic feedback when you perform various actions in apps and the operating system. It is a relatively new feature that Microsoft brought to Windows 11 in recent updates, and it is only available on certain devices, such as the Logitech MX Master 4, Surface Slim Pen 2, the upcoming Surface Laptop Ultra, and now the Surface Laptop 8. The new Surface Laptop with the new Surface Pro Like its tablet-shaped sibling, the new Surface Laptop is notably more expensive. It starts at a $1,599 for a 13.8-inch configuration with a 256GB SSD and 16GB of RAM. However, in the US, the base model has double the storage while keeping the same price. Available configurations include up to 64GB of memory and up to 2TB SSD (user-removable PCIe Gen4). The Surface Laptop 8 is now available for purchase on the official Microsoft website.
    • Microsoft announces 12th-gen Surface Pro with Snapdragon X2 processors by Taras Buria So far, 2026 has been rich in Surface announcements. Microsoft started with a fresh lineup of Surface for Business devices powered by Intel's new Core Ultra 300 processors. Then the company revealed the Surface Laptop Ultra, its most powerful laptop with NVIDIA's RTX Spark processor. Now, it is time for new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models with Qualcomm processors. Microsoft's original Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon X1 chips debuted in late May 2024. Two years later, Microsoft is finally updating the lineup with new models featuring Snapdragon X2 processors. The 12th-gen Surface Pro continues the well-established formula of Microsoft's flagship tablet, and Microsoft is not even changing colors, as the tablet will be available in three colors: Dune, Black, and Platinum. The most important changes are mostly hidden inside. Microsoft switched from the Snapdragon X1 to the new Snapdragon X2, which promises up to 53% faster graphics performance than the previous generation and up to 15.5 hours of battery life. The built-in NPU is also much more powerful, and it can run at up to 80 TOPS for on-device AI processing. Like before, the new Surface Pro is available with a 13-inch IPS display, and Microsoft is still offering OLED as a separate, more expensive configuration. Speaking of configurations, the Surface Pro will be available with a 10-core Snapdragon X2 Plus or a 12-core Snapdragon X2 Elite. Microsoft expanded the available RAM configurations to 64GB (previously 32GB was the maximum), while storage remains unchanged at 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of user-replaceable PCIe Gen4 SSDs. The new Surface Pro and the Surface Laptop Other specs remain mostly unchanged. The computer has the same 1440p Windows Hello webcam, two USB4 ports for charging, data, and display output, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 support, dual speakers, and compatibility with Surface Pro Signature and Flex keyboards. With that said, there is one very important aspect of the Surface Pro that changed significantly, and it is the price. While the previous-gen Surface Pro launched at $999 for the base configuration, in 2026, the entry-level Surface Pro with Snapdragon X2, 16GB of memory, and 256GB will set you back an eye-watering $1,499. To sweeten the pill, Microsoft is running a limited-time promotion where Surface Pro buyers can get a free Surface Pro 13-inch Keyboard. The promo runs from June 16 through June 30. The new Surface Pro is available now on the official Microsoft Store website.
    • MakeMKV 1.18.4 Beta by Razvan Serea MakeMKV is a format converter, otherwise called "transcoder". It converts the video clips from proprietary (and usually encrypted) disc into a set of MKV files, preserving most information but not changing it in any way. The MKV format can store multiple video/audio tracks with all meta-information and preserve chapters. There are many players that can play MKV files nearly on all platforms, and there are tools to convert MKV files to many formats, including DVD and Blu-ray discs. Additionally MakeMKV can instantly stream decrypted video without intermediate conversion to wide range of players, so you may watch Blu-ray and DVD discs with your favorite player on your favorite OS or on your favorite device. Reads DVD and Blu-ray discs Reads Blu-ray discs protected with latest versions of AACS and BD+ Preserves all video and audio tracks, including HD audio Preserves chapters information Preserves all meta-information (track language, audio type) Fast conversion - converts as fast as your drive can read data. No additional software is required for conversion or decryption. Available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux Functionality to open DVD discs is free and will always stay free. All features (including Blu-ray decryption and processing) are free during BETA. MakeMKV 1.18.4 changelog: Small improvements and bugfixes Notable bug fixes: Fixed linux armhf binary crash on certain architectures Download: MakeMKV 1.18.4 Beta | 15.7 MB (Free, paid upgrade available) Download: MakeMKV for Mac OS X | 41.9 MB Links: MakeMKV Website | MakeMKV for Linux | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • They probably should have it where they can open other formats but only save in the open formats.
    • The next time you apply for a shift at Taco Bell or KFC, you may be interviewed, assessed, and onboarded by three AI agents named Maria, Daniel, and Claire — and those agents will continue scoring your behavior long after you clock in for the first time.................... For workers applying to or already employed at those chains, the implication is concrete: an AI system is assessing their conversational behavior over WhatsApp and phone calls, storing that behavioral data, and using it to inform decisions about whether they are hired, how they are onboarded, and whether they are flagged as a flight risk https://www.techtimes.com/articles/318390/20260615/ai-agents-now-score-taco-bell-kfc-workers-via-whatsapp-day-one.htm  
  • Recent Achievements

    • One Year In
      Console General earned a badge
      One Year In
    • One Year In
      Twozo Technologies earned a badge
      One Year In
    • One Month Later
      Twozo Technologies earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Twozo Technologies earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Veteran
      branfont went up a rank
      Veteran
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      523
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      207
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      114
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      90
    5. 5
      Nick H.
      71
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!