| Dustbowl | |
|---|---|
| File:Tf2 dustbowl.png | |
| Developer | Valve Software |
| Type | Attack/Defend Capture Point (CP) |
Dustbowl is a popular attack/defend CP map with multiple stages.
Stage 1 Strategies
BLU
This is the easiest stage for BLU to attack. The 1st point usually falls very quickly, the second point is the major holdup.
Scout
Like all stages in Dust Bowl, BLU Scouts are relatively useless to start off with due to the large amount of sentries. Going Medic, Heavy, or Soldier would almost always benefit your team much more. However, if all of RED's sentries are down, switching to Scout can get you into the first point quickly and if your team is with you, you can cap before RED has a chance to recover.
The most useful thing a BLU scout can do is head to the 2nd point before the 1st one is capped and wait there. Once the 1st point is capped, the scout can often capture the point before RED can pull back. Keep in mind that this will not always work. RED engineers often set up and the 2nd point at the beginning of the map, and if any RED member trekking back to the front lines spots you, you'll likely die.
Generally, a BLU team can do without scouts on this stage.
Soldier
Pyro
Because of the sentry-centric nature of dustbowl, pyros are mostly relegated to ubercharge specialists. You are good for ubering out the gate, onto the first cap and onto the second cap. In between, however, you are fairly useless. Just protect your medics from spies and scouts while you wait for them to charge.
Loadoutwise, the flaregun is mostly useless due to the abundance of medics. The axtinguisher is, as usual, the best choice. The backburner and flamethrower are both equally viable, backburner can help you kill faster during ubers and flamethrower can be useful if you need to push stickies away before the uber ends and also for stalling when you're trying to cap the 2nd point.
A pyro is mostly an optional extra on this stage. It's still good to have one, though.
Demoman
Heavy
Engineer
Engineers are mostly worthless until the 1st point is capped. Take a look at your team and decide whether or not you're likely to cap the first point quickly. If you don't think you are, go another class until the point is capped. Once you've capped the point, the most useful thing to do is set up a teleporter that leads to the tunnel on the far left (you access it from the CP) and set up a forward base where your medics can hide while they build uber.
A single engineer is always good to have. Any more than that is usually a waste.
Medic
As with all stages in Dustbowl, ubers are extremely important, and it is ideal to have at several medics on the team. The most common strategy is to have 1 medic uber straight out of the gate to kill any Demomen who might have the door stickied and have the other one uber to destroy any sentries that are near the capture point. Any extra ubers can be used to either take the 2nd point quickly before RED has a chance to set up, or to help capture the 1st point if needed.
Sniper
By far the most common strategy for BLU Snipers is to go to the far right side of the map and snipe from there. As always, try to take out RED's Medics before they deploy their ubercharges, and watch for enemy Snipers. RED cannot enter BLU's spawn so if you stay inside the mineshaft area you should be relatively safe. Also, RED's Snipers are usually not in range of you if you start from this side so you can focus on other targets, helping your team greatly. Although this is the most effective approach to the opening round of Dustbowl, the downside to starting on this side is that RED will surely be expecting it. Still, even catching one player off guard can be worth it so try not to let anyone spot you during setup.
When your team moves up, move up with them and start gunning for enemy Snipers. Watch the tunnels carefully, and continue to move up as your team takes the first cap. After you've taken the first capture point, you have several spots to Snipe from. The most common is the first alcove upstairs, in line of sight with the final cap. Enemy Snipers will be watching this spot so be very careful. Sniping from the lower levels provides better cover and you're less likely to be spotted, but you also run the risk of running into Pyros. Taking out Engineers gives your team the chance to take out Sentries easier, so don't hesitate to choose them as targets over other, more threatening classes.
Spy
RED
Scout
Soldier
Pyro
Demoman
A very simple yet effective tactic for the demo involves being just outside the right (primary) BLU entrance, where the majority of players will exit. Be sure to stay behind the small building (with the ammo and health) and don't let BLU see you, or at least don't be obvious. Before the round starts, place 8 stickies outside the door, but also away from BLU's field of vision. Once a player rushes out, detonate and place more stickies out of sight. DON'T do this on top of the shed, as snipers/soldiers will always hit you.
Another strategy is defending capture point from inside the building itself. Place your stickies around the doorframe so that people coming in can't see them When an enemy walks in, detonate the stickies. If the enemy was ubered, this will likely send him flying away to the other side of the building, hopefully wasting some of the uber. If he wasn't, he'll be dead. If an engineer has placed a dispenser near the front door, you can stay there for a long time and never have to worry about ammo. Spam grenades out the door to discourage enemies.
Once the first point has been taken, there is another strategic place for stickies. There is a staircase to the right of the control point, which is hidden from view by a wall. Before BLU comes down this stairway, they will have to come through a gate that opens automatically for them. Place sticky-bombs on the sides of the inside of the stairway, and space them out so that they cover a large area. Everytime the gate opens and a player starts to walk through the gate, detonate the stickies. Because this is the preferred attack route for enemy ubers, you should see a lot of traffic.
Heavy
Engineer
Medic
Sniper
Spy
Stage 2 Strategies
BLU
Scout
Soldier
Pyro
Demoman
Heavy
Engineer
Medic
Sniper
Spy
RED
Scout
Soldier
Pyro
Demoman
One exceptional use of the demoman in this stage is in defending the tunnel area outside the last control point. (it's the tunnel with a gate outside it that is so hard to keep. Enemy engi's will build sentries inside it, and at that point it is broken only with uber's) Once the first control point has been lost, immediately head for the tunnel to the right. Once you are inside, place 1-2 stickies inside the frame of the door, away from view of anybody who might enter. Now, place stickies in a line in the middle of the ceiling with decent spacing until 8 are dispensed. Reload and wait for enemies to enter. Once an enemy enters, detonate the stickies. This almost always kills them. Immediately reset the trap. Placing the stickies in the middle of the ceiling keeps them out of view, tempting people to run inside the tunnel. It also disperses damage very well. Be sure to place the stickies out far enough so that a running scout won't be able to escape them before you can detonate.
If you are flooded with enemies and they rush up the tunnel, get near the opening gate and put stickies around the corner-it is simple, but they must travel that distance to reach you.
This strategy works GREAT with a medic, and moreso with an Engi's dispenser/sentry. Using this tactic, me and 2-3 other have held the tunnel for 5 minutes or more several times against a constant influx of enemies.
This tactic works similarly well with the tunnel on the opposite side, but less so because enemies can approach from behind, away from the control point.
Heavy
Engineer
Defending Point A is conditional, and depends on the number of Engineers on the team. With a single Engineer, it's a good idea to build your sentry where it has range and line of sight of the capture point. The most common place would be inside the capture point house on the second floor. This area is out of view from BLU team spawn and an ubered enemy will usually not be able to reach it before the uber wears off. With multiple engineers, building on top of the shed near BLU spawn is a decent option, but this will likely be BLU's first target. Building a sentry in the lower levels of the cap house is tempting but inadvisable. Rocket spam or a smart demo can take this one out a lot easier than a sentry placed on the shed roof, or especially second floor cap house. Other spots for rebuilding downed sentries or numerous engineers would include the open space a few paces back from the shed, or near the health and ammo reserves next to the one-story house in the back.
When defending the B Point, the primary place for a sentry is the left corner of the cap area, right where the health and ammo are. Getting a dispenser here is vital to the team, so try and do that as soon as possible. Metal here shouldn't be a problem because you're right next to team spawn, plus there is a small ammo box located right next to where you'll be building. Enlist the help of Pyros for spy checking when you can, and never drift from your position. An uber coming out of the top can still kill you and destroy everything with relative ease, so be wary. Having more than one Engineer to defend Point B will help this. A second sentry is best placed next to the fence on the team spawn side. It isn't as well protected and can't cover the cap but has a much greater range and vision of the field than the sentry in the corner. With two sentries going and careful attention to spy checks you should be able to hold this point until time runs out. It's one of the easiest points to hold in Dust Bowl, and RED has a huge advantage if done correctly.
Medic
Sniper
Spy
Stage 3 Strategies
BLU
Scout
Soldier
Pyro
Demoman
Heavy
Engineer
Medic
Sniper
Spy
On the first point, enemy engineers will often build their sentries in a spot that makes it difficult to reach the point, but don't actually cover the point. In this case, you can cloak over to the point and cap it under the sentries' noses. Once the point is capped, respawning REDs must take the long way around to reach the point, so your team should have an easier time pushing up.
If you think your team can cap the first point on their own, you can try waiting at the second point and capping it before the RED team has time to pull back. However, this is a risky strategy, so when you get behind enemy lines you might want to simply try backstabbing.
RED
Scout
Soldier
Pyro
Demoman
Heavy
Engineer
Don't be the first to build on the alcove! This is a good spot but it doesn't cover the first capture point. Building on the stairs or even in the corner behind the building is MUCH better. Building on either side in line of sight with the cap will keep BLU from sneaking by and getting the time boost from a capture, which they will use to build up an uber and take out any sentries on the alcove with ease. Also, having a dispenser out and available to the team will greatly affect the outcome of your hold. Again, the alcove is a great spot for a sentry but DO NOT build there if your team only has one or two Engineer, it's just not worth it.
When the time comes to hold the final capture point in Dustbowl, building sentries is relatively straight forward. Depending on how hard BLU is pushing, Engies can build in the side building with the long hall on the right. Other than that, it's best to stay back by the capture point and build there. Your sentries will probably take a lot of heat but with multiple engineers you should do all right. As always, don't build your sentries close together. An Ubered Demo will take them all out if you do that. Build your dispenser where it has safe cover but is still in close proximity of your sentry so you can repair under fire. Help other Engies get their stuff up, check for spies, and with the help of your team you should be able to hold long enough.
Medic
As usual, always try and have AT LEAST two Medics at the start of this round. This is a really good point in the game to utilize the Kritzkrieg to it's full potential, but keep in mind Uber is still more important and at least one Medic needs to have the Medigun. That said, if you have two or more Medics, it's great to have one go Kritzkrieg. To defend the first point, the Uber Medics should wait and try and counter BLU's inevitable Uber rushes. The goal here for everyone is to try and suppress BLU, because once BLU has used up their Ubers, the other Medic can deploy the Kritzkrieg on a Heavy and take out their entire team with relative ease. The Kritzkrieg Medic should always remain in the shadows and watch for Spies, and only deploy the Kritzkrieg when most of the BLU team is out in the open. When timed just right you can take out the majority of their team assuming the Heavy avoids any Sniper fire.
After Point A is taken, Kritzkrieg is optional. Uber is much better overall for holding the final cap, and it's suggested that unless the team has multiple medics ready to deploy uber, the Kritzkrieg medic should switch to Medigun when BLU starts to make a final push.