Basic Heavy strategy
(I'm still rewriting this page, sorry!)
The Heavy is the true tank of Team Fortress 2 Classified. His high health and knockback resistance make him the most durable class in the game and allow him to hold ground like no other mercenary. The Heavy is the natural anchor of his team, often rallied around and supported as he defends or attacks an area. His Minigun outputs massive damage at close range, demolishing anyone who crosses him. The rest of his kit grants him explosive damage, healing for both himself and his teammates, and guaranteed critical charges. With all this durability and raw power, the Heavy is the most threatening man on the battlefield.
Primary Weapons
The Minigun can mow anyone down at close range, but its wide bullet spread causes it to deal much less damage over long distances. Although the Minigun has a lot of firepower, it must be spun up before firing, which slows you down to a crawl. To deal as much damage as possible, you'll either want to use it as your active weapon at all times, or use the Shotgun when moving between areas.
The Anti-Aircraft Cannon is an alternative primary weapon for the Heavy. In contrast to the Minigun, which fires bullets, the Anti-Aircraft Cannon fires flak rounds that deal damage in a small splash radius, allowing you to hit enemies in spots that you cannot see, such as around corners. It will also deal mini-crit damage to any enemy who is 128 Hammer Units above the ground, which will assist you in dealing with double-jumping Scouts, explosive-jumping Soldiers and Demomen, or enemies using Jump Pads. However, the Anti-Aircraft Cannon has a hard limited range of 900 Hammer Units, and its explosions can also damage you, so it is best to fire at medium range where you can blow up enemies and buildings without also exploding yourself.
Secondary Weapons
The Shotgun is the default secondary weapon for the Heavy. Unlike the Minigun, the Shotgun fires instantly and is completely silent before firing a shot. It is the ideal weapon for mobile assaults and escapes, as you are not slowed down while using it, and its damage is consistent at close to medium range. The Shotgun covers the weaknesses of the Minigun but has its own weaknesses as well, so knowing when and when not to use it is vital.
The Sandvich is an alternative secondary weapon for the Heavy. It is not a traditional weapon but instead a lunchbox item that can be eaten with the primary attack key. Upon eating, the Heavy will enter third-person view, become immobile and defenseless, and emit loud chewing noises for a short period of time as you heal. You can also throw it to a teammate, which will heal them for half of their maximum hit points. The Sandvich is ideal for defending dangerous areas, staying alive without a Medic, or saving teammates from death. Using the Sandvich means lacking the Shotgun, however, so you are at a large disadvantage when caught off-guard or attacked from behind cover.
Melee Weapons
The Fists are the default melee weapon for the Heavy. Due to the Heavy’s slow movement speed, chasing an enemy with your Fists out is ineffective; instead, either corner your enemy so they can’t escape you or catch them off-guard with a surprise attack from around a corner or above a platform. Pressing the taunt key with your Fists out will have the Heavy perform the High Noon taunt, which will kill any enemy in front of you if your timing is on point.
The Chekhov's Punch is an alternative melee weapon for the Heavy. It functions identically to the Fists in terms of base damage and attack speed. Upon punching an enemy, you will gain 1 critical charge with a maximum amount of 3. These critical charges can be used for any weapon in your kit, however you can only deal critical melee damage at 3 charges, and successive critical melee hits do not use any. As a penalty, regardless of which weapon you have deployed, having the Chekhov's Punch equipped causes you to take critical damage from all melee attacks. You are also unable to achieve random critical melee hits. Use the Chekhov's Punch in situations where you can safely land hits on an enemy, such as ambushes or Spy attacks. Be very cautious during melee combat, as you must rely on movement to avoid being beaten or bludgeoned to death.