Breaking the Norm, the Boomstick Era Cometh

I tend to not play the classes like the main population does.
Engineer I play aggressively and almost never build up in my own base(Beyond a teleport entry).
Sniper I tend to use the SMG more so than the rifle, and when I do use the rifle I tend to be sniping at a place that is unexpected(From one sewer entry to the other in 2Fort, for example).

So I decided that hey, I don't have much time on the Heavy, and the team didn't have a Heavy, so I'd give the big guy a whirl.
I normally played Heavy like I suppose most people do, minigum whirring and blasting and slow by steady wins the race.


Now I use the shotgun primarily.  I only use the minigun when:
A) I'm getting ubered
B) Need to take out Turrets
C) Entering an enclosed close range situation
D) Don't have ammo left for the shotgun

Am I insane? I seem to be doing alright...heck, my Heavy points went from 6 to 12(Or is it 13? Can't remember).  I tend to have a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio of kill to death.

The only problem is that most people don't know how I play...medics, while useful, tend to be at a disadvantage with me since I move so fast and tend to stay ahead of or with the frontline offense, which puts the medic in extreme danger.

You aint insane at all, just taking one aspect of the heavy to an extreme that most don't even graze. The shotgun is useful for any class.

I'd just suggest taking your success with the shotty into account and trying to find more situations you can apply all of your weapons to.

As a Pyro, I agree with your sentiments entirely.

I've found myself to be using the shotgun almost exclusively in favor of the flamer.

Why?

Because I've found that the flamer simply doesn't do enough damage in a short period to be all that useful as a primary.

Mostly, I pull out the flamer to light a foe on fire, then switch to the shotgun and blast them with the double-ought.  If it's a Scout, and there's no water nearby, he's usually toast if I catch him unawares.  Hell, anything but a Soldier or a Heavy is toast if I catch them alone or unawares.

Weather they survive long enough to get away doesn't matter.  By the point they've gotten away, they've already been burning for quite a while, and taken quite a bit of buckshot as well, and they're really low on health, and won't last much longer.

I've found that Pyro is the best "Annoying Bastard" class you can get while defending Gravelpit.  I can plainly recall a game where I and another player kept the enemy Engineers from building anything in any out of the way area.  More interestingly, Cypher was one of enemy Engies.  Eventually they gave up, and I went back to ambushing Blus who were trying to flank us from A.

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I would say I'm the same, but the difference in us may lie in how we approach fights. I think the shotgun has no advantage other than providing mobility, which is only necessary when you are A) on the move or B) in a medium-long range battle. If you're at close range, you'll win with power even if you don't have mobility.

If I'm in a long-range situation, I jump and dodge closer to my enemy while pumping the shotgun and make the switch when I feel I'm close enough (or of course, I'll pass on the fight and wait for a better opportunity).

I'm sure a lot of people have seen me lumbering across the 2Fort bridge toward them as I try to close the distance. If I can make them retreat inside, then not only have I pushed them back, but they are now forced into a close-quarters fight when I turn the corner.

Actually, I only go heavy no for sheer comedic value. I use fists and shotty instead of minigun. I usually die without ever firing the thing.
and speaking of playing classes away from the norm, the other day I went spy and didn't cloak or disguise. I shot at people with my gun. I got 7 kills before dying.

No you're not insane, though where you use the shotgun I use fists, and if someone's too far then I use the shotgun.

This sounds like this will improve my survival rate as a heavy a great deal. The shotgun is my best freind as a Pyro, why not for the heavy?

I thought I was the only one doing this.. The obvious advantage over other classes with a shotgun is your noticeable health advantage and the slow speed, which makes strafe-aiming more precise in my opinion.

It's so cool being called a cheater for killing a zippy jumping scout as a heavy using a shotty

To be honest I have the shotgun out on pyro and heavy the majority of the time. I only pull out the respective main weapons if I know I will be in a close range encounter. With heavy I proceed to jump around the corner mowing down the poor sobs and jumping from a nook as pyro and circling the enemies to death then proceeding to pull back and finish any stragglers with my shotgun.

I dont have any special tastes as far as heavy goes, but from what ive seen most of the damn pyro's tend to use the flamer just a little more, then again they also tend to sneak up on ya and then just take you out from behind... but i have found the shotgun to be an AMAZING weapon, considering how underestimated it is, i have died several times because i was thinking.."oh look, that soldier only has his shotgun...easy target"