Map:ff dustbowl
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SettingWay back in 1834, Harman Dillow found a large deposit of gold flake in the stream where he was takin' a bath. This lead him upstream, to where after some weeks of diggin', was a moderate size seam of gold. Well, word spread quickly, and prospectors flocked in from the east, looking for their chance to strike it rich. In a couple of months, the town of Dustbowl Valley came to be. All types of businesses sprung up. Many people found their dreams come true - and the lucky ones grabbed their stash, and moved on. But, I don't imagine your here for historic sight-seeing. You're here for that ritual. Yeah - recent years have been seein' renegade sportsmen, eccentric hunters and lunatics come to Dustbowl Valley for the bloodsport. Them crazy fools gather themselves into two teams - Red and Blue - and try to capture control points. The Blue team tries to run a flag infront of the old shale belt building, and Red's gotta keep that from happening - by any means nessecary. If the Blue team succeeds, a second cap point is set, and the whole dang mess starts again - this time runnin' towards the old whorehouse. If Blue can make it there, the final stand-off is a mad dash to the mining company's smelting factory. Racing against death, dishonor, and the clock, we see the craziest shit here - at Dustbowl Valley. - From the Dustbowl Valley promo video.
Playing the MapDustbowl Valley is the 'standard' Attack and Defend map. It consists of three Command Points, played one after another. The attacking team, Blue, wins if it can capture the final command point. The defending team, Red, wins if it can prevent this for the map time limit. Command Point OneDefendersThe spawn exit is split into two, fairly seperate openings - one low, and one high. As such, having to concentrate on both is a drawback to the defenders. Well placed snipers can help in this reguard, as well as the standard tactic of building Sentry Guns to cover the entrances (there are a few points where a Sentry can cover both exits effectivly). Demomen can also work wonders, with a well-timed detpack, and pipes covering the exits for early spy rushes. Once the exit has been breached, defending Engineer's are often best concentrating their Sentries around the Command Point, while other team members protect them and give them time to set up their sentries (though some Engineer-heavy teams might want to have at least one gun built in the area from the start). There are a few good spots, most notably above the Command Point itself (and also the section of building near the minecart, where they are somewhat protected from long-distance damage by the rock formation). Snipers should be watched for once the extra-route has opened - it provides a good vantage point of the cap area. AttackersFor the attackers, a good spy or two who can take out the Sentry guns usually helps immensly. A Sniper at the lower exit can also be useful against Sentries covering that exit - though they aren't much help at the higher exit. Command Point One is fairly 'open' - lots of room to maneuver. As such, this makes it the chokepoints all the more important to the defending team, who will usually try to control them for as long as is poosible - especially while they have control of the grenade pack. The attacking team should try to force them from the grenades as quickly as possible, and the chokepoints will usually fall their way too. Very often a grenade/conc jump works well for pushing the flag in the cap area, perhaps even capping against a poorly-organised defence. The best point for this is likely the roof of the building to the left - excecuted well, the defence won't see it coming, and if your lucky, you can land on the cap before the enemy sentries kill you.
Command Point TwoDefendersThere are two commonly used points for Sentry Guns at the spawn exit - in the building with the window facing the exits, and on the roof of the building nearest the exits. Both are useful, but vulnerable to a good Spy - protection of Sentries is probably most important at this command point given that. Again, Demomen are useful in that role, as are HWGuys - both classes are able make good use of the nearby grenade pack. Snipers are also useful, this time moreso as the exits are close together and one sniper can cover both. Once the exit has been breached, falling back as slowly as is possible is recommended - perhaps aided by a sentry gun around the corner covering the chokepoint entraces, or in the building nearby. The grenade pack is not something that the defending team should give up on, and given half a chance should try to push the battlefield back towards them if lost. The cap area provides some choice sentry gun locations, though you have three (four with the extraroute) exits to cover. Above the main exits are often a popular choice, as is on the centre building facing the exits - though that can be left vulnerable to people coming from the extra-route. The cap itself is vulnerable to a good grenade/conc jump from the side of the centre building, a good defence for that is to have either a Sniper or a HWGuy cover that route. At least one Demoman laying pipes on the cap is recommended as well. Aside from that, the general tactic of Sentries/Spy defence works well. AttackersIt is easy to get bogged down at the spawn exit here - Sentries will definitly be the main worry. Spies and Snipers can be effective in destroying them, but be mindful that there will very likely be MIRV's and grenades thrown into the exit - timing and patience are key. Try to control the grenades early, they provide a big advantage in the following chokepoints. Be mindful of possible sentries beyond, and when it opens, make good use of the extra-route - it runs past much of the best defensive points in the second area. The normal side exit is also useful for jumping to the Command Point - throw a grenade/conc just outside the exit of the route, and time your run carefully. The area infront of the cap has the potential to bog you down, especially if covered by multiple sentries.
Command Point ThreeDefendersThe building outside the spawn exit is perfect for sentries - perhaps less so than it was in TFC, but it's still damn useful, so make use of it. Accompanied by a Sentry the the left or right of the exit (placed far back to avoid the barrage of grenades), this can become the furthest point the attacking team gets if played right. If it's not, then there are multiple vantage points for sentries along the route to the cap - make use of all of them, especially around the cap itself. Also take advantage of the narrowness of the route - Soldiers, HWGuys and Demomen can probably take the most advantage, though Sniper's can be useful as well in the right place. Be careful once you've been pushed back past the arch leading to the final area - once the attackers have control of the low route, a jump to the cap from underneath is an imminent threat. A sentry, soldier, sniper or HWGuy (or combination of such) covering that particular exit can be a godsend. Jumps from the two buildings on the main route can also be a danger, espeically if the flag is near the command point. Flying spies are very difficult to defend against, and should be watched for. AttackersThe spawn exit is likely to cost the team the most time out of anywhere on the map. As such, it is helpful to be organised - i.e. don't all rush at once, and especially not with the flag. The flag is best kept clear of the exit until the path is clear, as a dropped flag is an extra obstactle to avoid for friendly Spies, seeing as it removes thier disguise - and spies are the best counter to the multiple sentries that you'll inevitably face. A hacked sentry can work wonders here, as most of the defending team will be concentrated near the exit as well, happily spamming away. Though given that you'll very likely be seen leaving, it can be extremely difficult to achieve, and may not be worth it if you can more easily destroy it instead. The main problem for the attackers though is that very often, taking down all sentries at once and creating a clear path is difficult. Snipers can help the Spies by taking down sentries placed on the building (and hopefully it's Engineer with it) - leaving the spies free to concentrate on ones placed to the sides. Once past the exit, fast classes with nailguns can be useful for the narrow route to the command point, as they can sometimes run past slower classes and get into a good position to take down sentries covering the run up to the arch, and beyond. At the final command point, hacking sentries can again be very useful due to the concentration of the defenders, and is more easily acheived here given the wider range of entraces to the area. Grenade jumps and pipe launching are also very useful, if executed well, pushing the flag far enough for a Spy to sneak in and cap before being shot up by the sentries.
Strategic Locations
General HintsDefenders
Attackers
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