I have just finished writing a long guide for pyro, you can find it here. In the guide I explain what I think to be the best set-up for pyro and how to play it effectively both on offense and defense and give tips on how to approach different situations. 
 
I'm creating this thread here, as a way of allowing people to ask more questions about how to play pyro, or want some help thinking about different scenarios. I hope people who want to play pyro or step up their game, find my guide useful! 
 
If you want you can add me on Steam, here.

I disagree with your secondary weapon choice.

It seems to me like this is a the light with flame thrower, slice with axtinquisher spec. There's the one I use which is backburner, flaregun, and homewrecker, making the Pyro focus completely on movement meta-game to break the line of defense and get behind enemy lines to do that crit damage from behind with that flamethrower. The flaregun also allows me to have rather decent long-range damage as I exit spawn. And I use the homewrecker because melee is the not the main focus of this spec but it's nice to help friendly engi's out.

You shouldn't dismiss the Back Scratcher it's a good melee weapon. Also this is not bad when you use it
 
"As an interesting bonus, the rate at which a Medic's ÜberCharge is filled is not slowed, allowing heavily-injured Pyros to greatly build up an ÜberCharge"

W+M1. If you're comfortable doing that and are feeling really advanced, you can W+M2 if someone is shooting rockets at you.

@AURON570 said:

I have just finished writing a long guide for pyro, you can find it here. In the guide I explain what I think to be the best set-up for pyro and how to play it effectively both on offense and defense and give tips on how to approach different situations.

I'm creating this thread here, as a way of allowing people to ask more questions about how to play pyro, or want some help thinking about different scenarios. I hope people who want to play pyro or step up their game, find my guide useful!

If you want you can add me on Steam, here.

Hrmm your guide is for playing a very offensive Pyro. I'm going to post some comments on the guide for playing a more defensive/supportive roll once I finish reading through all of it. Seems like a pretty decent guide so far!

@ajamafalous said:

I disagree with your secondary weapon choice.

This.

Flare Gun is almost never, ever more useful then the shotgun.

@ajamafalous said:

I disagree with your secondary weapon choice.

This.

Flare Gun is almost never, ever more useful then the shotgun.

W+M1. If you're comfortable doing that and are feeling really advanced, you can W+M2 if someone is shooting rockets at you.

I read your guide and found it enlightening. 
 
Seriously now, Im going to try some of the stuff you described cause I really suck at pyro, I dont have the axetinguisher yet though...

@Rattle618:

If you're just starting out then the most important thing is too really learn the maps, and how and where to ambush. How to airblast. That sort of stuff. You don't need the axetinguisher to play a good pyro. I don't use it and I'm consistently near the top of the score board on the servers I play on. (Though score means very little and it's very easy to gain points as a pyro). Play more defensively by protecting Engies when you're on defense and play more of an sneak and ambush game when you're on offense. You'll unlock it eventually.

Pyro is the perfect beginner's class.  I struggled with this game for a couple days, and once I started racking up kills as a pyro, it gave me the confidence to explore and experiment more.  The biggest tip to offer is that the flamethrower's range is much shorter than it seems.  Don't rush up on a guy if he already sees you.
 
I'm gonna be the odd man out as a big fan of the flare gun. 
Though, I'll admit, I play this game only for fun.  I don't care about winning.  Hitting someone with it is very satisfying.

@Roomrunner:

Oh man, Getting kills with the Detonator's explosion is even more stratifying. I love that thing regardless of the ability or lack there of to flare jump.

woah, what?  I have The Detonator, and I was just calling it a flare gun because I didn't know the name off hand.  So there already are flare guns, and this is a better one?  It has a secondary fire?  I'm gonna go mess with it right now!

woah, what?  I have The Detonator, and I was just calling it a flare gun because I didn't know the name off hand.  So there already are flare guns, and this is a better one?  It has a secondary fire?  I'm gonna go mess with it right now!

You shouldn't dismiss the Back Scratcher it's a good melee weapon. Also this is not bad when you use it   "As an interesting bonus, the rate at which a Medic's ÜberCharge is filled is not slowed, allowing heavily-injured Pyros to greatly build up an ÜberCharge"

@ajamafalous said:

@Roomrunner said:

woah, what? I have The Detonator, and I was just calling it a flare gun because I didn't know the name off hand. So there already are flare guns, and this is a better one? It has a secondary fire? I'm gonna go mess with it right now!

The Detonator just came out with the Uber Update. When the flare's in the air, you can right click to detonate it.

What's the downside of the Detonator? (There always is one)

@ajamafalous said:

@Roomrunner said:

woah, what? I have The Detonator, and I was just calling it a flare gun because I didn't know the name off hand. So there already are flare guns, and this is a better one? It has a secondary fire? I'm gonna go mess with it right now!

The Detonator just came out with the Uber Update. When the flare's in the air, you can right click to detonate it.

What's the downside of the Detonator? (There always is one)

The detonator is a lot of fun. I think in terms of combat the regular flare gun is actually better though. Since it deals full crits to inflamed opponents instead of mini-crits that the detonator deals. The explosion is nice, but it just does regular damage and often only seems to achieve in annoying or confusing opponents (which can be useful at times, but is situational.)

Still though. You can make FIREWORKS!