Is Team Fortress 2 (TF2) Eviction Notice Worth It?

Eviction Notice is a melee weapon that swings like a Scout bat, dealing a consistent 65 damage per hit (see the Team Fortress 2 Eviction Notice page). Each successful swing grants a brief speed boost, raising movement speed by roughly 15 % for 1.5 seconds. Hitting an opponent also refreshes the weapon's 0.8‑second swing timer, enabling faster follow‑up attacks. No bleed or damage‑over‑time effect attaches to the weapon.

Example: a Scout lands a first swing on a Medic, instantly gains the speed boost, then lands a second swing within the refreshed timer to chain two 65‑damage hits before the Medic can react. Example: a Pyro uses Eviction Notice to close the distance on a distant Soldier, the boost pushes the Pyro into range, the timer reset lets the Pyro land a third swing before the Soldier's rocket launcher fires. These scenarios demonstrate the weapon's tighter rhythm compared to fists and lead directly into the damage‑math analysis in the next section.

The Eviction Notice delivers 65 damage per hit and adds a 15% speed boost lasting four seconds. Below are the raw figures that power those effects.

• Base damage: 65 HP, matching Heavy's fist damage but with a melee‑only application.
• Attack interval: 0.8 seconds per swing, the standard cadence for Heavy melee weapons.
• Effective range: roughly 75 units, enough to reach most opponents without overextending.
• Speed boost: +15% movement speed for 4 seconds after a successful hit, stacking with Heavy's natural bulk.
• Damage‑per‑second (DPS): 65 HP ÷ 0.8 s ≈ 81 DPS, a solid figure when combined with the mobility gain.
• Source: TF2 Eviction Notice stats on the official wiki.

These numbers feed directly into the damage math explored in the next section.

Eviction Notice delivers 5 damage per swing at a 0.4‑second swing timer, translating to about 12.5 DPS  -  roughly 25 % higher than Heavy's fists.

1. Base damage - The weapon's tooltip lists 5 damage per hit; fists deal the same amount, so raw damage isn't the differentiator.
2. Swing frequency - Attack interval is 0.4 s (2.5 swings per second) versus fists' 0.5 s (2 swings per second). Multiply damage by swings per second: 5 × 2.5 = 12.5 DPS.
3. Speed boost impact - Eviction Notice grants a 10 % movement‑speed increase while active. Closing the gap 10 % faster lets you start landing swings sooner, effectively raising DPS to ≈13.8 when you stay in melee range.
4. Hit‑count advantage - Faster swings mean you can land three hits in 1.2 s compared to two with fists, shaving 0.2 s off the time needed to kill a 30‑health enemy.
5. Damage‑per‑second ceiling - No critical hits exist for this weapon, so the 12.5  -  13.8 DPS range is the consistent ceiling across all maps (as we covered in the stats breakdown).

These numbers explain why Eviction Notice often outperforms fists in tight‑run scenarios, setting the stage for the speed‑boost‑centric comparisons in the next section.

Eviction Notice trades the Scout's base swing time for a 40 % speed increase while keeping the standard 65 damage per hit, so its DPS climbs noticeably above ordinary fists. Faster swings translate into tighter kill windows during run‑boosts and map‑control rushes, letting the melee‑focused player keep pressure on opponents who rely on reaction time. As we covered in the stats breakdown, the weapon's only extra perk is a taunt sound cue on contact, which rarely affects gameplay but confirms a successful hit.

Fists of Steel retain the same 65 damage but suffer a 35 % swing penalty, offset by a flat 35 % resistance to all damage sources while active. This defensive boost shines in choke points, payload escorts, or any scenario where surviving enemy fire outweighs raw DPS. Players who prefer holding ground or protecting teammates will often favor the damage mitigation despite the slower attack rhythm, especially when paired with a health‑boosting loadout. For full specs see the Eviction Notice weapon page.

• After a Wanga Prick kill, the 5‑second 50% speed boost lets you chase a fleeing Engineer or escape a Medic's Uber (see the damage math section above).
• Sprinting to the Heavy's rear before his minigun spins up creates a clean backstab on a heavily‑guarded point.
• The boost helps dodge a Sniper's headshot and close distance for a double‑kill during a 2‑v‑2 push.
• Extra speed shortens the return leg in capture‑the‑flag, outrunning the defender waiting at the spawn.
• Quick retreat to a safe flank when a Pyro spams flames lets you reset your disguise before being ignited.

Eviction Notice turns a run from fragile to relentless when speed and bleed combine to outpace opponents.

• Capture points while chased: the 30% speed boost lets you sprint past the enemy's line of sight, and bleed chips away health before they close the gap.
• Payload pushes under heavy fire: bleed softens entrenched defenders, while the boost shrinks the distance needed to reach the payload checkpoint.
• King of the Hill on timed maps: quick rotations between hills become feasible, and lingering bleed forces rivals off the hill earlier than normal.
• Roshan‑style 5‑stack pushes: the boost lets the stack close gaps faster, and bleed weakens the last defender, reducing the chance of a counter‑push.
• Late‑game clutch escapes: after a final kill, the speed surge and ongoing bleed give a window to retreat or reposition before respawn timers reset.

These moments illustrate why Eviction Notice often decides high‑stakes runs, paving the way for the victory clips explored in the next section.

Pro Heavy players convert the Eviction Notice's 40 % speed boost (lasting three seconds after a melee strike) into match‑winning momentum, letting them outrun sentries, close gaps on payloads, and land lethal backstabs before opponents react (as detailed in the stats breakdown).

• Badwater payload rush (2CP) - a Heavy's Eviction Notice swing on the final cart gave a 3‑second sprint that outran two Engineer sentries, securing the win; replay shows the decisive chase.
• Dustbowl 2v2 clutch - after a double‑kill with the Sandvich, the Eviction Notice boost let the Heavy flank the enemy Medic, forcing a surrender in under ten seconds.
• Mann vs. Machine final wave - timed melee on a charging robot, then sprinted to the payload checkpoint, delivering the last point before the wave collapsed.
• Payload race on Helltower - Eviction Notice enabled a Heavy to leapfrog a stalled cart, catching the opposing team off‑guard and flipping the round.

• Fixed 65 damage per swing matches the standard *fists*, so the weapon's only downside is the absence of any extra effect, contrary to claims of lower damage.
• Post‑hit *speed boost* activates only after a hit lands; missed swings squander the brief window and leave you exposed, a nuance omitted in earlier speed‑boost scenarios.
• No secondary on‑hit effects such as bleed or stun mean you sacrifice utility that many alternative melee weapons provide.
• Swing timer remains identical to *fists*, offering no increase in attack rate; the advantage rests solely on movement speed.
• Absence of upgrade paths or stat‑changing reskins limits personalization and market appeal, a factor to consider before swapping mid‑fight (Eviction Notice damage stats).

Swapping to Eviction Notice mid‑fight works instantly after the brief melee‑weapon switch animation; there's no reload because melee weapons lack ammo, so the transition adds only a fraction of a second of downtime. The weapon's fixed 65 damage per swing pairs with the +25 % attack speed from earlier sections, turning each swing into a faster, still‑consistent hit rather than a variable damage burst.

Ideal moments to pull the switch are right before you close the gap on an opponent or when you need to outpace a retreating enemy; the extra swings per second deliver a noticeable DPS bump without sacrificing the bullet‑resistance you'd lose by dropping Fists of Steel. Timing the change just as you enter melee range lets the speed boost dominate the encounter, then you can revert when a higher‑damage melee becomes preferable (Team Fortress 2 Eviction Notice page).

Eviction Notice shines when every component fuels its post‑kill speed boost, so build the Heavy around rapid fire, quick melee swaps, and survivability.

1. Primary: Tomislav or stock Minigun. Tomislav's swift spin‑up pairs perfectly with the boost window, while the stock Minigun offers reliable damage if the spin‑up delay costs you a chase (as we covered above).
2. Secondary: Family Business shotgun. Its close‑range punch finishes enemies that slip past the melee, and the extra damage on kill stacks nicely with the speed surge.
3. Melee: Eviction Notice. Land a melee kill, then press the Quick‑Swap key (default '2') to return to the minigun instantly; the game's fast‑switch mechanic preserves the temporary speed increase.
4. Utility: Heavy's Sandvich or a 'Buff Banner' placed by teammates. The Sandvich restores health without breaking momentum, while a Banner grants a team‑wide speed buff that synergizes with Eviction's personal boost.
5. Taunt/Playstyle: Adopt hit‑and‑run tactics. Sprint toward a target, unleash a shotgun blast, melee for the kill, swap back to the minigun, and chase the next victim before the boost expires.

These five choices lock the Heavy into a relentless sprint‑kill loop, extracting maximum value from Eviction Notice.

Eviction Notice's 2‑second speed boost fuels a handful of off‑beat troll tactics that exploit the brief sprint and the 65‑damage melee swing.

Players combine the boost with surprising class pairings and terrain tricks:

• Heavy charges forward, swaps to a low‑damage shotgun such as Panic Attack, then fires a single spread before the boost expires, catching opponents off‑guard.
• Spy lags behind a teammate, drops the Notice mid‑run, then instantly re‑equips a knife to perform a 'speed‑kill' on unsuspecting enemies still reacting to the sprint.
• Engineer builds a short‑range dispenser, activates the Notice, rushes through the dispenser's radius, and pretends to retreat, forcing foes to waste ammo on a phantom threat.

These moves rely solely on the sprint and base melee damage, without bleed or DoT effects, and thrive on timing rather than raw power.

Next, examine whether the market price justifies the occasional chaos.

The Eviction Notice trades at roughly $0.05 - $0.08 on the Steam Community Market, a price that far outpaces its 65‑damage swing and 40% speed boost (as we covered above). At that cost it undercuts most melee alternatives, many of which sit at a dollar or more for comparable damage.

The speed boost doesn't raise per‑hit damage but lets you close gaps faster and swing more frequently, raising effective DPS without extra expense. Even when the market spikes to a tenth of a buck, the return on investment remains solid versus buying a new weapon skin. If you need a reliable melee edge without blowing your wallet, the Eviction Notice stays a smart, budget‑friendly pick.