The first, and most important tactic any heavy needs to master to move ahead of the pack is 'Damage Movement'. To put it in the simplest terms possible damage movement is what it says it is, the damage you take from being shot (no matter what weapon, this includes the axe) is converted in to slight movements that can mean the difference between getting a frag, and getting fragged. It breaks down like this, damage movement is the translation of a force applied to you into a productive means of moving around (making your self a harder target). Now if your firing your cannon, every one knows you cannot move PERIOD - at least not by conventional methods, but you can however still jump and fire at the same time. Now if you have ever rocket jumped you know what applied movement is, but if you haven't go on a DM server, or use the TF Soldier, and select the rocket launcher, look directly down at your feet, jump up and hit the fire button at the same time. That should throw you up into the air. You have just experienced damage movement! Now you know what experienced damage movement is, it's very clear that if it can be done with a Soldier (or just in reg. DM) it can be done by a heavy. Only it will not be you moving yourself it will be your enemy moving you, it makes it so that the more they shoot you the harder they make it for themselves to hit you. And all the while you can just keep blasting away at them so long as you can keep cannon lined up on their body, auto aim will take care of the rest. (Note: Because you are moving and because they are shooting, strafing on their part becomes a useless activity because the because of adjustment needed to stay in a circle around you as you move along.)
Grenade popping/jumping:
You are actually carrying potential 'rocket' jumping materials. Your grenades can be used for the same purpose as a soldier's rocket, getting to high places and taking short cuts.
#1. The first, and easiest, type of Grenade Popping that can be done, is with the regular grenade. The instructions for this highly risky jump are easy:
A. Bind a key to +gren1
B. Hold that bound key until the grenade goes off.
This may seem crazy, and you know what? It is. Firstly it will cost you big time, a fully armored heavy will end up with 65 health and around 120 armor left (Note: This is with a full load of 250 red armor) This is most usefull for getting up on the enemy balcony in 2fort4, and is otherwise useless in most levels but there are some places that you can get to in other levels, but most are useless. To get up to the loft you will have to go right next to the ramps on the side closest to the 'pill box' that is situated in the center of the fort. (the little room up on the sniper loft) You must squash you self right into that corner next to the ramp, and while you hold the grenade hold your +forward button (ie. the uparrow\mouse 2 or 3) and don't let go until the grenade has gone off or you wont do any thing but pop up hit the sky, hurt you self, fall down and hurt your self even more.
#2. This is the hardest skill to master, it involves throwing your grenade in to where you want it (see the upper description on where to stand, and apply that to where you throw the grenade) then run over and stand on it, wait the three sec's that it takes for the grenade to blow, and jumping right as the grenade explodes, this will spare you some armor but is harder than the first grenade pop/jump.
#3. The same as #2 only using a mirv grenade as your propellant, this one is harder still to accomplish because:
A. The impact is drastically less than that of the regular grenade and therefore you don't go as high.(for example you can just barely make it onto the snipers loft in 2forts using the mirv)
B. If your timing is not perfect you WILL miss the jump and when you comeback down you will be greeted by your own mirv farm. Can we say 'becomes bored with life'?
Holding grenades for faster detonation:
Now that you have tried grenade popping/jumping you know that grenades can be held until they blow up, but you can also hold grenades until they are about to blow and letting them go right at an enemy. If you timing is right you can throw a grenade that will seemingly explode on contact with its intended victim. You should also know that it takes 3 sec's for the grenade to blow up after its been primed. This knowledge will help you when holding the grenade, because you can hold it for 2 sec's, and still be able to to throw far enough that your out of harms way when it explodes. This tactic is very useful when you're running away from some one (or should I say walking away?).
Using grenades for defence and surprise attacks:
Psychological warfare is nearly as deadly as the gun you tote, example:
You are in your flag room guarding, there is a demoman/soldier at the door to the hall, hes been down there before so he knows your there. He decided's 'the hell with going down there, ill just blast him from where I'm at and when he dies I'll get the flag', so what does he do? You guessed it, he strifes in front of the door firing rounds at you as he passes the entrance. Now you could waist your ammo trying to kill him as he runs by, but if he didn't die before you ran out of ammo you are dead, and your flag is as good as captured. But if you give him the illusion that your going to keep on firing until he dies or you run your self dry, he will get cocky. Maybe even try and run down the hall when you back off with your cannon, but usually not. So what do you do? Well if hes smart Maybe not to run down the hall after you back off with the cannon then just wait. DDon'tdo a damn thing, he will start to get nervous wondering if you are out of ammo or if you just stopped firing because you think you can kill him. So the more he sits and stews the more impatient gets, it will come down to a point where he will just start running down the hall just to find out weather or not you still have rounds left in your gun or not. This innate curiosity will kill him just as it did the cat, because the second he starts down the hall you can just fire up your cannon and rip him a new one.
The alternative is to use a mirv. Back off with your cannon, he will start to wonder whether or not you're out of rounds just as before. And while he's wondering you prime it and throw it right out that door into the entrance to the flag hall.(note: aim high so that it will clear the entrance way and go strait into the entrance room) His first reaction will be the usOhone, 'Oh shiT!' and zip right out the door an into the ramp hall he will run. Now heavies are are that if you primed the grenade and fired it at the end of the hall by the time you get to the entrance to the hall it will have exploded and will be gone, the enemy will come charging in full steam for the flag and run right smack dab in to you (this is where "you make a better door then a window" really somsomethingnd heshe'll probably be so so startled by you that he will fire his weapon killing him self and only hurting you (note: this will only happen if the assaulter is a soldier or demoman).