TF2 Airshot Guide: Leading Explosives on Jumping Targets

An airshot is exactly what it sounds like: connecting your explosive with a target who is in the air. It sounds flashy, but it is a core skill, because the players who give you free airshots are the ones who are already airborne — jumping Scouts, rocket-jumping Soldiers, sticky-jumping Demomen. Kill them mid-air and they never land the pick they were going for.

The leading problem

Rockets and pipes are projectiles, not hitscan. By the time your rocket reaches where the enemy was, they have moved. So you aim at where they are going to be, not where they are. On an airborne target this is easier than it looks, because a jump has a predictable arc — they go up, pause at the peak, come down. The peak is your window.

Soldier airshots

Your Rocket Launcher fires a slow-moving rocket, so you lead heavily. The Direct Hit is built for this: it fires 80% faster and deals mini-crits on direct hits, which makes airshots both easier to land and more rewarding. For a jumping Scout, pre-aim the space above his head at the arc’s peak and fire slightly early — the rocket arrives as he crests.

Two habits:

• Pre-aim the peak, not the target. Watch the jump, not the player.
• Fire a touch early. The projectile travel time is your friend on airshots if you respect it.

Demoman airshots

The Grenade Launcher lobs arcs, so you lob ahead of the target and let the pipe meet them at the top of their jump. Stickies can also airburst — place one where they will land and detonate as they arrive. Demoman airshots are harder than Soldier’s but devastating on predictable jumpers.

Where to practice

Load tr_walkway_rc2 and set the bots to jump or move at speed — the map lets you spawn moving targets and grind the lead without pressure. Better still, join a jump_ server where players are constantly airborne; every misfire teaches you the travel time. Start by airshotting the bots, then move to real jumping Scouts in Casual.

The targets worth it

• Scouts jump constantly — they are your most common airshot and the highest-value (a dead Scout can’t contest).
• Rocket/sticky jumpers are committed to the air; a well-led rocket removes them before they land their own play.
• Pyros using the Flare Gun or juggling — punish the jump.

Common mistakes

• Aiming at the body, not the lead point — you hit empty air behind them.
• Firing too late — the rocket arrives after they land.
• Spamming from range — airshots need the rocket to actually reach; close-to-mid range is where leading is reliable.

The one thing to remember

An airshot is just leading a projectile onto a predictable jump arc. Pre-aim the peak, fire a touch early, and practice on tr_walkway_rc2 with moving bots. The Direct Hit makes it easier and rewards you with mini-crits — once the travel time is in your hands, airborne targets stop being scary.