How Prop kill

Part I: A Physics Lecture
The first thing you need in order to become a proper player is an understanding of how prop physics and damage work in the source engine.

When a prop impacts an entity, the entity loses health in proportion to the prop's velocity. A prop's ability to gain and retain velocity is determined by their W/V (Weight / Volume) ratio - The higher the quotient of their Weight (A hidden value that you can interface with using the weight tool addon) divided by their volume (Just the amount of space it occupies) is, the less air resistance it experiences. This is one of the reasons the breen desk is the most common prop-jectile, as it has a much higher W/V ratio than most other props of a comparable size.

A common misconception is that smaller and/or lighter props do less damage - It only seems this way because smaller props typically have lower W/V ratios. A prop with a volume of 1 unit and a Weight value of 5 retains its velocity (and thus deals damage) as effectively as a prop with a volume of 100 units and a Weight value of 500. Conversely, though intuitively one would assume that bigger is better when it comes to smashing people with objects, the truth is that increased size only serves to hinder a prop's offensive ability.

Another common misconception is that the 'sharpness' of a prop influences its damage. It doesn't, so there's no reason to use the buzzsaw blade, nor the ravenholm trap blade.
Part II: Tools of the Trade
Quickdrawing
The few seconds it takes to spawn a prop from the Q menu can mean the difference between success and failure - Especially if you're up against other propslingers. Instead, set up keybinds to spawn your props at the press of a button. To do so, send the following in console:
bind [KEY] "gm_spawn [PROP MODEL LOCATION]"
You can get a prop's model location by right-clicking it in the spawnmenu and selecting 'Copy to clipboard'. For example, to make T your 'Spawn a breen desk' button, you'd type this in console:
bind t "gm_spawn models/props_combine/breendesk.mdl"
Make sure your keybinds are easy and comfortable to reach.

The perfect prop
Of course, keybinding means you need to choose a prop loadout ahead of time - and be careful, because this is the most important decision you'll make in your career of mass prop homicide. You may think that since 'More W/V = More damage', you just use the prop with the best W/V, but there's much more to consider than that. In fact, any average prop already deals more than enough damage to instakill players when launched properly; Any further damage is superfluous. The real benefit of high W/V is that it allows props to coast long distances and plow through crowds without stopping. Additional factors to account for include Availability - the likelihood of this prop's model not being blacklisted on a server you join - and most importantly, Shape - the prop's size and proportions.

There are four major roles a prop can play on the battlefield, and their shape determines which one they're best suited for.
Sweeps are launched as projectiles in open areas. They're ideally high-width/depth and low-height. Sweeps that are too tall or not deep enough can tumble over and miss their targets.
Picks are launched as projectiles in enclosed areas that aren't wide enough to make Sweeps viable. They're ideally low-width/depth/height.
Drops are spawned high in the air, directly above their target. They're ideally high-width/depth, with height being mostly irrelevant.
Shields are used to block incoming props launched by other players. They're ideally high-width/height and see-through.

Here you can find a spreadsheet of common warprops (In no particular order) with ratings for their W/V, Availability, and Shape for each of the four roles.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1...sp=sharing


Your physgun and you
Now that you have your prop, it's time to make the magic happen. Your primary mode of attack is using the scroll wheel to fling a prop forward. Before your physgun is combat-ready, however, you'll need to make a small modification to it. The default scroll wheel acceleration speed is 10, which isn't wild nor western. To change it to 400 (Which is what I use, but I encourage you to experiment and find the value you're most comfortable with), enter this in console:
physgun_wheelspeed 400
Additionally, it's worth noting that holding C with a prop grabbed lets you move it while your camera is fixed, which isn't particularly useful, but it's good for throwing props into hard-to-reach areas.
Part III: The Art of War
When & Where
Now that you have an understanding of your propkilling tools, it's time to learn how and when to use them. As previously discussed, the highlight of your arsenal is the physgun's scroll wheel - However, if your target is at very close range, it's better to just toss the prop in their direction the old-fashioned way. Either way, use Sweep props for open areas and Pick props for tight spaces. If there's a large space above them and they're standing still, consider using the Drop method. And if you're going toe-to-toe with another prop-based troublemaker, shielding yourself is a must.

Scroll Launching
As props deal no impact damage while being held with the physgun, you have to release them while they're being accelerated to use them offensively. Your release of the prop has to be timed perfectly - Too late and it'll have lost all momentum, Too early and you'll just end up scrolling through your weapons menu.
In addition to a master's timing, you need a killer's aim as well. Think of flinging a prop as a bit like skipping a stone across the water - Angle your aim in accordance to the ground, in a way that leads your prop to slide gracefully toward your enemies. A suboptimal launch trajectory can cause your projectile to bounce around sloppily and completely miss its mark.
You can also spawn your prop behind the target and scroll it towards you, which is useful for close-range enemies, but you have to undo or regrab it at the perfect moment or else it'll either miss completely or kill both of you.

Grab n' Toss
The simplest routine. For this, face away from your target while you spawn your prop, then flick it in their direction with the mouse. You'll want to curve slightly downwards while doing this, so you don't accidentally throw it above your target. You could also move it above the target's head and flick it down, which is slower, but may be easier for beginners.

Airdrop
Spawn your prop high in midair above your target, and watch it fall. Typically done by standing next to them and spawning it while looking straight up, then quickly moving out of the splash zone; However, if you're sufficiently skilled (Or your target is next to a tall wall), you may be able to do it from a distance. Dropping is a stealthier method of murder than most, but only works in certain situations.

Positioning
Location, location, location. Keeping yourself in a strategically advantageous position relative to your targets is important. The ideal distance between you and them is roughly one city block - Far enough away for them to have a hard time shooting you, but not so far that you're likely to miss. You'll also want to have cover you can duck behind if you're shot at. Don't forget vertical position - you should never be at the low ground (Learn from Anakin's mistake), but the even ground and high ground each have their own advantages. Being above your opponents instead of level with them means you're less susceptible to attack and makes hitting individual targets easier, but you're much more visible and hitting multiple targets at once will be difficult.


Oh, and one more thing - UNDO YOUR PROPS ONCE THEY LAND!
Part IV: Showdown
Eventually, you're certain to have a challenger. Could be someone sick of you that decided to fight fire with fire, could be another guy that gets his kicks the same way you do that happened to show up the same place & time you did, or maybe you just joined a server centered around propkilling (My condolences). Whatever the case, you're in a duel now, and your strategy will mean the difference between life and death. In addition to everything in Part III, here's what you should know.

The golden rule
Never, ever, ever allow them to see you before you see them. Propkilling only takes a single second, and if they sneak up behind you, your death is assured. Conversely, if you have a clear shot at them and they haven't noticed you, strike quickly and your victory is guaranteed. The majority of propkiller deathmatches end this way, before one party even realizes a deathmatch is occuring.

Opening move
If you both see each other at the same time, get your shield up immediately. Most propkillers will launch an attack the moment they see you. If you scroll your shield forward a bit right when their prop hits it, you can comically send their own projectile back at them (Don't count on this as a reliable attack, though, as they can still pick it up). By momentarily freezing your shield in front of you, you can launch an attack prop without leaving yourself vulnerable.

Standoff
If you're up against someone who also has enough Sun Tzu knowledge to shield themselves, it becomes trickier. You need to get around their defense while keeping your own intact. Contrary to fighting regular players, the high ground is always preferable in a prop duel.

Below is a basic list of anti-shield tactics you can employ, along with how to counter them if your opponent tries to use them on you.

Roomba: Slide a very flat prop under their shield. Most shield props laid flat on their front can be used this way. Counter: Keep your shield at a low clearance from the ground.
Backstab: Spawn a prop behind them, and scroll it towards you. Counter: If you see their physgun beam reaching behind you, quickly turn your shield around to block the attack. Remember to cover your front again fast, or else you'll be wide open. Keep your back near a wall or freeze a shield behind you to prevent them from using this move.
Flyswatter: Spawn a Drop prop above them and quickly flick it down with the physgun. Counter: Crouch and hold your shield up close to you. The prop should bounce off the shield's top. Remain under a roof or freeze a rotated shield above you to prevent them from using this move.
Flank: Spawn a prop right to the side of them, and swing it into their face. Counter: Quickly turn your shield to any props spawned close to you, and knock them away.
Double Flank: Spawn a prop on each side of them, then when they turn to address one, knock them out with the other. Counter: Immediately strafe backwards, so they're both in front of your shield, and knock them away.

When to fold 'em
There are some conflicts you can't win. There's little shame in a tactical retreat when you find yourself in an unlucky position. This doesn't mean 'Never fight anyone more skilled than you', however, it means wait until you can get the element of surprise on your side. Even with it, though, you still stand very little chance against someone using ESP and/or propsurfing scripts (Unless you turn to the dark side and start using them yourself).

You also shouldn't engage multiple enemies at once unless you have no other choice. Instead, fall back and either wait for them to split up or wait for a chance to ambush them.
Part V: It Wasn't Me!
By now you know quite a bit about propkilling, and can surely agree that it's a distinguished sport fit for gentlemen and masters of gaming, but apparently there are a few meathead server admins that disagree, and all the prop combat expertise in the world won't be any help if you just get banned whenever you try to use it. Most servers don't show your name in the killfeed when your prop kills someone, though, so using a few tricks, you can fly under the radar.

Positioning (again)
In addition to positioning yourself with your victims' inarticulate bullet-spraying in mind, you'll also want to minimize the number of witnesses to your antics. Try to time your attacks while bystanders are facing away, and make sure no one's looking on from behind you.
You can also get yourself killed in the attack on purpose, to avoid suspicion. Remember to complain about it in chat to sell the performance.

Invisiprops
Spawn your attack prop, then either use the color tool to set its Alpha to 0 or apply the vol_light001 material to it, and copy the result with whatever duplicator tool is available to you. This allows you to use an invisible and difficult-to-trace version of your prop, at the cost of extra deploy time. Remember, though, you still need to undo them after they've served their purpose.

The Incredible Disappearing Physbeam
This is such a great trick that I almost want to keep it to myself. In your playermodel menu, switch to the Color tab and edit the Weapon Color panel. Enter '-1' for red, and '0' for green & blue. The result will be a completely invisible physgun beam. Combine this with invisible props, and your targets will have no clue what hit them.

In an admin sit
First of all, stay calm. Acting whiny or angry will just make the admin more biased against you than they already are. Instead, explain your side of the story politely and firmly; And you've probably already realized, but 'your side' is going to be a complete and outright lie. Remember that it has to be plausible, and you have to stick to it (Come up with a good one ahead of time if you can). If you must go back on something you said, explain it away in a manner that makes it seem like a misunderstanding. Being caught in a lie once casts suspicion on everything else you say.
Also keep in mind that admins have logs that can tell them who spawned and deleted what, and when. This is another reason you should consider making your props invisible, because even if no one saw you propkilling them, they can remember what prop hit them, and they can get an admin to ctrl+f that prop's name in the logs.

If worst comes to worst, and they've got you cornered for something permban-worthy, go out like a man by propkilling the admin then as many other bystanders as you can before you're evicted.

As for me, it is easier to register "physgun wheel speed 99999" and go into battle

In 2021, Propskill it's just desactived in 2/4 off the server

Bruh, I don't prop kill. lmao

it is not necessary to stop people from killing the props

thank you for helping to expand this community

oh my god. tutorial about how to prop killing people? seriously? bruh.

This is really well written and informative - and accurate, a recommended read from me as a past prop killer minge infamous in many DarkRP servers in my region back then - People would ban me immediately on seeing my name, well done