Map setups
Map setups
I'd like to gather some common map setups and strategies into one thread so that beginners can learn how to win more games.
I'll start with Lockdown/Lockout since that's a common map. The diagrams used pictures of Lockout since I couldn't find as many screenshots of Lockdown.
There are two common ways to set up on this map: Holding the BR tower + library, and holding the sniper tower + lift tower. Basically you want to use one of these two set ups and let the other team come to you. Both of these setups allow for great cross firing angles.
[b]Setup 1: BR tower + Library[/b]
[url=http://postimg.org/image/jzwzvr525/][img]http://s30.postimg.org/jzwzvr52...
The BR tower is called out by levels: BR 1 is the bottom, BR 2 is the middle level, BR 3 is the top.
By having teammates on the BR tower and at Library, the enemy team will almost certainly spawn either at Sniper tower or bottom lift. I don't think they would spawn at sword if you have someone in library, but correct me if I'm wrong.
The guy BR 3 has eyes on most of the map. He can put shots on people at the sniper tower, top lift, and obviously top center if the other team makes a push. He can also move back and forth on that back ramp behind BR 3 to vary his positioning.
The guy BR 2 can help shoot the sniper tower, top lift, and top center. He'll also clean up any weak opponents that make it to open ramp, before they can get up to kill the guy BR 3. BR 2 is probably the best place for sword or shotgun if your team has one of those.
The guy in Library can suppress people at top lift, as well as shooting and grenading people bottom mid. If anyone makes it past bottom mid, he can also (from the library window) put a few extra shots on them before they get to open ramp, so the BR 2 guy has an easy clean up kill. Library guy can also move over to the sniper tower to get the new sniper when it spawns, while the BR 2&3 guys help suppress the enemies.
Finally, the guy at BR 1's job is to suppress a push from bottom mid. The guy in Library window can help crossfire anyone that makes it past bottom center.
The other team has to push either from the bottom or across the top center. As you can see from the diagram, your team will tear them to shreds with team shooting before they get very far.
[b]Setup 2: Sniper Tower[/b]
[url=http://postimg.org/image/mlk3sw9pl/][img]http://s12.postimg.org/mlk3sw9p...
The sniper tower and lift towers are also designated by numbers. Snipe 1 is the bottom, Snipe 2 is the middle, etc.
This setup is also pretty good, although a little more cramped. You have the advantage of being closer to the sniper spawn, though. Final Boss used this setup in Team Slayer back in 2007 and it was pretty effective. If your team is set up like this, the other team will spawn at BR tower and Library and will have to attack either across the top center or bottom center, where you can cross-fire them easily.
You'll have two guys at Snipe 2 and Snipe 3. (Don't actually go all the way up to snipe 3, though, unless you're getting the new sniper rifle. Hang out on the little ramp area that leads up to Snipe 3 instead.) This is where your sniper should be if you have it. These guys can teamshoot anyone who runs across top center. It's probably a good idea to have a shotgun to kill anyone who jumps to Snipe 3 when the new sniper spawns.
Another guy will be positioned at top lift. He can hide in the corners and suppress the guys at Library and BR 2&3. He also provides a great angle to cross fire anyone who runs across the middle to get to the new sniper spawn. It's probably good to give this guy a close range gun if you have it, in case someone lifts up. I don't think the enemy would spawn bottom lift if you're holding top lift.
The last guy will be positioned at Snipe 1. He can either be where the plasma grenades spawn at the bottom of the back snipe ramp, or another great spot is at high elbow (circled in the picture):
[url=http://postimg.org/image/lxew32k3n/][img]http://s29.postimg.org/lxew32k3...
[url=http://postimg.org/image/ykr7k4ezf/][img]http://s9.postimg.org/ykr7k4ezf...
As you can see, this has several advantages. It's harder for the other team to grenade you. It's less obvious so you have the element of surprise. You have angles on open ramp, the ramp between bottom mid and bottom lift, and bottom mid. Final Boss used this position for their Snipe 1 guy.
It's also possible to stand directly under Snipe 3, look straight up, and bounce a grenade off the bottom edge of the mushroom-looking thing to kill anyone sitting there waiting for the sniper rifle.
[url=http://postimg.org/image/ng6p216v1/][img]http://s22.postimg.org/ng6p216v...
Here's a Lockout Team Slayer video from Meadowlands 07 of Final Boss vs. Carbon. It's a great example of the sniper tower setup.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkRU7JnVquk
**********************
Any ideas for a good Ascension/Zenith setup?
![http://postimg.org/image/jzwzvr525/][img]http://s30.postimg.org/jzwzvr52...](http://postimg.org/image/jzwzvr525/][img]http://s30.postimg.org/jzwzvr525/Lockout_setup1.jpg[/img][/url]){kind=link}
![http://postimg.org/image/mlk3sw9pl/][img]http://s12.postimg.org/mlk3sw9p...](http://postimg.org/image/mlk3sw9pl/][img]http://s12.postimg.org/mlk3sw9pl/Lockout_setup2.jpg[/img][/url]){kind=link}
![http://postimg.org/image/lxew32k3n/][img]http://s29.postimg.org/lxew32k3...](http://postimg.org/image/lxew32k3n/][img]http://s29.postimg.org/lxew32k3n/halo_3_blackout_map_b.jpg[/img][/url]){kind=link}
![http://postimg.org/image/ykr7k4ezf/][img]http://s9.postimg.org/ykr7k4ezf...](http://postimg.org/image/ykr7k4ezf/][img]http://s9.postimg.org/ykr7k4ezf/high_elbow.jpg[/img][/url]){kind=link}
![http://postimg.org/image/ng6p216v1/][img]http://s22.postimg.org/ng6p216v...](http://postimg.org/image/ng6p216v1/][img]http://s22.postimg.org/ng6p216v1/S3_grenade_angle.jpg[/img][/url]){kind=link}
I like the concept of a third setup where you have 2 people in Snipe Tower, one at BR3, and one in Library. This is especially good if you've gotten into a 5v5 game where you have an extra man to help out at BR tower. You force the team to spawn basically at bottom lift which is honestly a terrible position. Player 1 holds BR 3, Player 2 holds Window in library and watches top lift and top/bottom mid. BR3 gets Player 2 to help out if bottom mid makes it across the gap.
BR3 and to a degree Library is covered across the map by Player 3 who is sneaking around at S2/S3 between S2 plat and S3 ramp, watching top lift, elbow and BR tower, and can peek down to sword. Player 4 is positioned at Top Elbow watching for action coming from bottom lift.
The disadvantage of this setup is it's slightly riskier, the opposing team stuck under lift could send two at elbow and 2 at under glass to break the snipe setup, and BR3/Library won't be able to help much with line of sight. Thus if you have them spawn trapped BR 3 needs to cheat a bit at open ramp and watch elbow and under glass and S2 has to keep an eye on lift. If setup 3 gets broken, players on snipe tower go across top mid to BR to hold that setup.
Ideally your best players would probably be at Snipe1/Top elbow and a floater BR3, with Library having a good BR and S2/S3 being probably the weakest player.
I'll add this: On Lockdown in H2A I'd include a couple of things, depending on spawn:
Lower lift start - setup 2 - switch setups if it becomes possible mid-game.
This team is at an immediate disadvantage IMO, but against a less than great team you can try the following to break the game wide open:
- Player 1 goes onto elbow immediately and shoots the avalanche down on BR. I've killed several players at the beginning this way. That won't work against good teams though. Player 1 proceeds to S1, grabs PP for noob combo, and guards S1.
- Player 2 runs to S2/S3 grabs plasmas and nades BR tower and library
- Player 3 goes up top lift. This is arguably your best player because he has to suppress fire at library and BR tower while not getting naded to death. If your team kills Library and S2/S3 get BR3 with nades (2 dead), have S2/S3 nade BR2 while Player 3 goes across top mid while watching library to secure BR2/BR3 and force the team to spawn under lift.
- Player 4 grabs shotgun and goes under glass and waits to secure BR tower. Sneaky guy, he waits for the above to happen then tries to take out BR1/BR2.
Library start: If you are playing a standard H2A map, if you start at Library, before you climb into BR position you need to take down the avalanche above BR. You should then shoot the energy boxes at S3 which should launch the sniper over to BR2. Have a teammate grab the sniper. Wait a few seconds and then shoot the avalanche down on Snipe tower. You should have excellent position at this point with the sniper in hand, at this point you really should be able to sit back and control the map. IMO setup 1 is far superior to 2, and only slightly worse than 3.
Of course, a lot of this is hard to do in a real game.
I haven't played KOTH on lockdown yet but i noticed the best teams used Setup 2. It's easier to get hill time on S2 and then move your setup to under glass right after that. You also control the top lift. The other 2 hills are much easier to nade due to their location (top glass is impossible to hold and BR3 is easy to nade) and the plasmas that load at S1 can be used to suppress grenades from BR1/underglass.
I haven't thought a lot about Lockdown/KOTH if you have a library start - you'd probably hope to have sword to use it to break the Snipe tower setup. I dunno, under glass is like a death sentence.
I have a good idea on Ascension endgame, which is basically two at big tower, 1 at sniper spawn (to watch for that spawn point), and 1 at small tower. With the right setup, the team will have to spawn at Banshee pad. Banshee pad is a terrible map position. Big tower helps small tower across map.
It seems like splitting the team up like that (same for splitting up on Ascension) would have a big problem if the other team sends all 4-5 players against the 2 at snipe tower (or at small tower on Ascension). It's like the opposite of divide and conquer. Maybe 5v5 would be substantially different, but I think the divide and conquer problem is the reason zero pro teams used that set up back in the Halo 2 days. Might be worth a try, though.
As for Ascension, we'd have to test it out, but I suspect that your setup idea wouldn't be enough to block people from spawning between the towers (near the portal). If they spawned there and sent multiple people after the lone guy at small tower, you'd lose that sniper and then they're back in the game. I'd like to test some of these out, though. Unfortunately I don't have extra controllers to sign in guests for testing purposes.
I think third setup would be weak against a good team but there are choke points and against a non-pro team I think it could be a hard setup to break.
You could also look at this video, which shows some pros playing Ascension. The best setup seems to setup around small sniper and sniperspawn/portal with one guy hiding over the arch and a fourth hovering between small snipe tower and the barrels around the main dish. I think big tower is weaker. Again it's asymmetrical and it seems the best option is to hold small sniper/snipe spawn and push 2 for rockets
Here's the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOjKHIJFksk
Wow. I'm only halfway through the game but it looks like small tower is definitely the place to be. Blue team got a 27-8 lead by holding that side, and Red team then made a comeback by taking over the same spot. I'll have to study the game some more to figure out why that is. My intuition would be that big tower is better since you have more places to peek out from with the sniper, but obviously I'm wrong about that for some reason.
I added a video to the original post of Final Boss vs. Carbon that shows the sniper tower setup on Lockout. Great game. I miss those days.