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TF2 projectiles are discrete entities spawned when a weapon fires. They live in the server DLL, replicate a minimal networked state to the client, and resolve collision, damage, and effects on touch. The full hierarchy is documented at the top of game/shared/tf/tf_projectile_base.h.

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Class hierarchy

CBaseProjectile
├── CTFBaseProjectile          (tf_projectile_base.h — shared)
│   ├── CTFProjectile_Nail
│   ├── CTFProjectile_Dart
│   ├── CTFProjectile_Syringe
│   └── CTFProjectile_EnergyRing
├── CTFBaseRocket              (tf_weaponbase_rocket.h)
│   ├── CTFProjectile_Rocket   (tf_projectile_rocket.h)
│   ├── CTFProjectile_Flare
│   └── CTFProjectile_Arrow    (tf_projectile_arrow.h)
└── CBaseGrenade
    └── CTFWeaponBaseGrenadeProj
        └── CTFGrenadePipebombProjectile

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Projectile types

ClassLaunched byDeflectableCrit support
CTFProjectile_RocketRocket LauncherYesYes (m_bCritical)
CTFGrenadePipebombProjectileGrenade / Stickybomb LaunchersNoYes
CTFProjectile_ArrowHuntsman, CrossbowNoYes (m_bCritical)
CTFProjectile_FlareFlare GunNoYes
CTFProjectile_EnergyBallRighteous Bison / PomsonNoYes
CTFProjectile_NailNailgun (legacy)NoYes

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CTFBaseProjectile — shared base

CTFBaseProjectile (shared between client and server) holds the minimum networked state: 
class CTFBaseProjectile : public CBaseProjectile
{
public:
    bool   IsCritical( void ) const         { return m_bCritical; }
    virtual void SetCritical( bool bCritical ) { m_bCritical = bCritical; }

    CBaseEntity *GetLauncher( void ) { return m_hLauncher; }
    virtual float GetGravity( void ) { return 0.001f; }

    // Server only
    virtual void  ProjectileTouch( CBaseEntity *pOther );
    virtual float GetDamage()               { return m_flDamage; }
    virtual void  SetDamage( float flDamage ) { m_flDamage = flDamage; }
    virtual int   GetProjectileType( void ) { return TF_PROJECTILE_NONE; }

private:
    int   m_iWeaponID;
    bool  m_bCritical;
};
m_vInitialVelocity is networked so the client can reproduce the flight path for interpolation without a full physics simulation.

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CTFProjectile_Rocket

Rockets implement IScorer to correctly attribute assisted kills: 
class CTFProjectile_Rocket : public CTFBaseRocket, public IScorer
{
public:
    static CTFProjectile_Rocket *Create( CBaseEntity *pLauncher,
        const Vector &vecOrigin, const QAngle &vecAngles,
        CBaseEntity *pOwner = NULL, CBaseEntity *pScorer = NULL );

    virtual void RocketTouch( CBaseEntity *pOther ) OVERRIDE;
    virtual bool IsDeflectable() { return true; }
    virtual void Deflected( CBaseEntity *pDeflectedBy, Vector &vecDir );
    virtual int  GetDamageType();
};
IsDeflectable() returns true, allowing the Pyro’s airblast to call Deflected() and reverse the rocket’s ownership and direction. The m_bDirectHit flag changes GetWeaponID() to return TF_WEAPON_ROCKETLAUNCHER_DIRECTHIT, enabling separate damage scaling for direct hits.

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CTFProjectile_Arrow

Arrows embed into surfaces and players via bone attachment: 
class CTFProjectile_Arrow : public CTFBaseRocket, public IScorer
{
public:
    virtual bool StrikeTarget( mstudiobbox_t *pBox, CBaseEntity *pOther );
    virtual void OnArrowImpact( mstudiobbox_t *pBox, CBaseEntity *pOther,
                                CBaseEntity *pAttacker );
    bool         PositionArrowOnBone( mstudiobbox_t *pBox,
                                      CBaseAnimating *pOtherAnim );
    virtual bool CanHeadshot();
    void         BuildingHealingArrow( CBaseEntity *pOther );
};
StrikeTarget selects the hit hitbox, PositionArrowOnBone parents the arrow entity to the struck bone so it moves with ragdolls and players. BuildingHealingArrow handles the Crusader’s Crossbow bolt healing buildings.

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Critical hit detection

All projectile types propagate crit state through m_bCritical (a CNetworkVar on rockets). The launcher sets this flag via SetCritical() before spawning the projectile, based on CalcIsAttackCritical() in the weapon class. On touch/impact the projectile passes the flag into the CTakeDamageInfo struct to apply the 3× crit multiplier.
Mini-crits and full crits are differentiated via damage type flags (DMG_CRITICAL) rather than a separate projectile class, so the same entity handles both cases.

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