TF2 Weapon Reviews: The Shortstop

The Shortstop is an unlockable primary weapon for the Scout. It holds four shots per clip, and carries 36 shots. This weapon fires shells with 4 pellets per shot, that do 24-48 damage at medium range, which means all four shots fired at medium range will do 96-192 damage, which enough to kill any class except the Heavy and the Soldier at max damage. At close range, the Shortstop does 69-72 damage per shot, and at long range the Shortstop does 6-12 damage per shot. Crits do 144 damage. The time between shots is 0.36 seconds, and the reload speed is 1.52 seconds. The Shortstop reloads by clips, reloading all chambers at the same time. The Shortstop uses the same pool of ammo as the Pistol, Lugermorph, Winger, and Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol.

Pretty short for its stopping power.

Let me just get something out of the way at the beginning. I love this weapon. It's probably one of my all-time favorite Scout primaries to use. What's more, there are some very good reasons why I love it so. It fills a similar role to your Pistol of choice, without losing much of the power of a Scattergun. It does fire 60% fewer pellets per shot, but these pellets do much more damage. The Scattergun does 1-4 damage per pellet at medium range, while the Shortstop does 6-12 damage from the same distance. However, the damage does not ramp up nearly as quickly as the Scattergun. It carries 10 clips worth of rounds, that draw from the same pool as the Pistol. The similarities to the Pistol increase still more.

As do the similarities to the .357 Derringer. Hello concept art.

As a Scout, the Shortstop is basically a better version of a Pistol, and fills about the same role. You will be harassing enemies from a distance, doing fairly significant damage at medium range. Going into extremely close ranges, as you would be doing with any other Scout primary weapon, is less useful with the Shortstop. There are, however, two main things the Shortstop is good at. Helping you survive, or doing mid-range and consistent damage.

I'll talk about the surviving aspect of this weapon first. The Shortstop rewards staying at a further distance from your enemies than with his other primaries by making sure that Pyros, Heavies, and other sources of powerful close range damage cannot kill you nearly as easily. Pyros are a big problem for Scouts in general, due to the afterburn of the stock Flamethrower, which can easily take away half of your health with a single particle. The Shortstop allows you to deal plenty of damage to Pyros, often killing them, and your movement speed makes sure that they can't reach you. The Shortstop is also part of the Special Delivery set, which grants extra health. The Mad Milk, which is part of the set, also focuses a lot on survival, fitting in with the general theme of the set. Less damage, but you'll live a good deal longer.

Delivering milk and murder in equal shares, he is...Milk Man!

Speaking of damage, the Shortstop may seem a lot weaker initially because, well, it is weaker in close range. However, it is a lot stronger in longer ranges. The graph for damage reduction over distance is a little more horizontal, if smaller, making sure you can do reliable damage instead of powerful unreliable damage *coughcoughFaN*. The Shortstop is able to fire faster as well, making sure you can keep that damage coming like a vise made of bullets and milk.

In general, you don't want to be using Pistols that you plan on actually using with your Shortstop, simply because they draw from the same ammunition pool. However, there are still plenty of secondary weapons that don't use ammunition at all.

• The Crit-a-Cola, to name one. Now, normally I hate this secondary, due to your increased sense of weakness and inferiority. Also the minicrits you take, but if you really want to put out some hardcore damage, while still having the speed and range of a Shortstop, the Crit-a-Cola can help you. If you're able to use the added movement speed of the Cola to your own ability to get out of the way(And may Gabe save you if you aren't), minicrits don't suffer from damage falloff. As such, you can do some ridiculous damage with a soda in hand.
• The Flying Guillotine is ridiculous in general, but adds really quite well to a longer-range loadout. Use it with the Sandman or the Wrap Assassin(Aka the Bleedball Launcher) to deal accurate, high damage at long ranges(with the Sandman), or make everyone bleed. BLEEEEEED.
• The Mad Milk makes perfect sense to be used with the Shortstop, due to the item set similarities. Like I may have already mentioned, the Mad Milk focuses on survival by allowing you to heal when you do damage. Even without the set bonus, the two weapons go well together, letting you stay away from your foes and heal any damage they can get on you. Loads of fun, but...
• The Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol is a good weapon, and the one I generally always use with the Shortstop. Now, I know what you may be thinking. "But you said that Pistols were useless with the Shortstop!" For the most part, that is true. However, the Pocket Pistol is weaker than a normal Pistol anyway, making it no big deal that they draw from the same ammo pool. The added health and lack of fall damage apply no matter the ammo you use, making it a very good bonus to a survivor's weapon.
• The Candy Cane is probably my melee weapon of choice for Scout anyway, but it pairs nicely with a survival-based loadout, due to the health packs that drop from everyone you kill. Combine this with the Mad Milk for mad health. It's like having a Medic.
• The Sandman is an interesting choice, due to its health penalty. However, the penalty can be countered with the extra health of the Pocket Pistol, as well as giving you a ball that can make people unable to stop you from destroying them from range. Or if you prefer sheer damage, use it with the Guillotine. Dem crits.
• The Wrap Assassin is probably just as effective with this loadout as the Sandman. The ball will make sure that at least some damage will get done to the enemy, and since the Shortstop is primarily a medium range weapon, you can basically ignore the damage penalty with the tube of paper that somehow is used as a bat.
• Overall, some good loadouts are Shortstop-Pocket Pistol/Mad Milk-Candy Cane for a health-based Scout, or Shortstop-Flying Guillotine-Sandman/Wrap Assassin for some consistent mid-range damage. 

He seems to have some healthy bones. Must be all that milk.

Basically, to summarize, if you want ridiculous amounts of power in your primary weapon, this is not the weapon for you. However, if you want to have some distance between you and a flamethrower, and still be able to deal consistent damage, then have a Shortstop. You may not be a force of nature, but you are still the Milkman.

There should be a Saturday morning cartoon starring Milk Man.
Here he is...MILK MAAAAAAAN! KING OF THE WILD BADLANDS!