TF2 scout update

Steam released an update for the scout in Tf2 the other day. It is half-off, or $9.99 until Friday.
The new update includes:

The Sandman, a stun baseball. It stuns in a fast-paced FPS like Tf2 don't work. It can be used to stun uber pairs, which in my opinion detracts from the medic's role which already is tough and under appreciated. Now, sentry farming is even more effective and
It does make the game more team-dependent because the rest of the team has to cover for the stunned player until he recovers.
With this, it is impossible to double jump, which is good because it would allow for baseball sniping from double-jumped-to places.
The ball can either be picked up after it bounces or it will recharge after a few seconds.
Now, I believe it is possible to perma-stun a person if he is hit repeatedly with these. Steam will hopefully patch this soon.


















A knockback gun, the Force-a-Nature that fires two shots quickly, reloads quickly, and does slightly less damage per shot. Because the knockback is so large, it will propel you opposite in the direction you are facing if you fire. This can be used in conjunction with the existing double jump to add a third jump or with the Sandman to attain a double jump.
In many of the original alpine-set arena maps, there are places where you can knock away enemies to get an environmental kill.

A scout powerup, the Bonk Atomic Punch that is effectively a mini-uber and a speed boost. It lasts for 6 seconds followed by a 6 second slow.



Three new maps, all community made. There are Arena_watchtower, a beautiful Alpine themed one, Cp_Junction set indoors and full of cramped spaces, and Cp_Egypt.






















A quicker spy backstab: Now, with the recent cloak pickup change, the spy is a very potent killer. The hit registers instantly, though after the kill there is a quick blade flick animation to stall to prevent fast chain stabs. However, it requires you to get closer to the enemy for the stab to register, making leaping, flick, or sidestabs harder. This would separate the new spies from the "elite" even more than now. Now, the engineer is sorely in need of teammate's help because it is so easy to stab-n-sap.

Disguising: Now, the spy can choose which weapons to wield and can change them while disguised. I feel this is unnecessary after the faster backstab because the spy doesn't need any additional boost and it adds clutter to the disguise menu.

A new game type: If you look carefully in the background, there appear to be a red and a blue cart side by side. It looks like a sort of race game wherein the objective is to push the team cart to the finish while stalling the enemy's cart.

Images via Tf2wiki.