> [!Danger] Are you a brand new player? > If you are completely new to Team Fortress 2 or the Highlander competitive format, check out these links. This wiki is intended for players who already have some understanding of TF2 and highlander. > [TF2 new player guide (Video)](https://youtu.be/AzjmHaYK9go) > [Beginner TF2 settings (Guide)](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2929904402) > [Editing CFG files (Guide)](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=824167924) > [What is Highlander? (Video)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_sRNbowALw) ### Essentials --- No Flames - Using this as part of your config while you have your flamethrower out will both hide the view model and prevent any flames from being shown when you fire. This greatly increases visibility when fighting projectile classes. ^efa4cb > viewmodel_fov 1 [Remove Explosions](https://gamebanana.com/mods/389416) - This removes all explosion effects and greatly increases visibility during fights, allowing you to better pick out projectiles and players through the chaos. Match HUD - Enabling the match HUD allows you to see which players are alive and dead on each team as well as the current health of your individual teammates. This is essential for both general game state awareness for all classes and [[Spy Tracking |tracking spy time]]. ^75b680 >tf_use_match_hud 1 ### Recommended --- [Mastercomfig](https://mastercomfig.com/app/) (or some other performance config) - Maximize your in game performance and easily customize many settings in one place. [Custom HUD](https://comfig.app/huds/1/) - Many competitive players use custom HUDs instead of the default TF2 HUD. This allows for better organization and clarity based on user preference. [m0rehud](https://github.com/Hypnootize/m0rehud) and [xhud](https://github.com/PapaPeach/xhud/tree/bd3100ae6453b01915c820d8608b0873f47016e2) are two great options to check out with lots of built in customization features. [Venom Crosshairs](https://github.com/hbivnm/Venom-Crosshairs) - This provides a wide range of crosshairs that can be adjusted per class and weapon, it can also adjust explosion effects and will conflict with standalone no explosion scripts. Another custom crosshair option can be found [here](https://github.com/laz07/laz-vtf-xhair-switcher)