Community Gorge strategy

This article is about strategy specific to the Attack/Defend variant of Gorge. For strategy specific to the Control Point variant, see Community 5Gorge strategy. For strategy specific to the Mannpower variant, see Community Gorge (Capture the Flag) strategy. For strategy specific to the Halloween variant, see Community Gorge Event strategy.

Gorge
Basic Information
Map type:	Control Point
File name:	cp_gorge
Released:	December 17, 2009 Patch (WAR! Update)
Variants:	5Gorge, Mannpower and Halloween
Developer(s):	Valve
Map Info
Environment:	Alpine / Industrial
Setting:	Daylight, sunny
Bot support:	Yes
Map Items
Health Kits:	×2  •   ×11
Ammo Boxes:	×10   •    ×4
Map Photos
Map Overview

This article is about Community Gorge strategy.

Note: It is recommended to read the main Gorge article first to become familiar with the names of key map locations used in this article.

General strategy

• Outside of BLU's first spawn room are some blue crates. RED Engineers may wish to set up Teleporters and Sentry Guns here, as it can take some time before the BLU team are able to destroy these buildings in this position.

• The alternate routes around the Gorge are useful for ambush classes such as Spies and Pyros. Pincer attacks using these paths are not uncommon.

Class-specific strategy

 Scout

• Being an attack/defense map, Gorge is not so great for Scouts on offense when it comes to capturing due to the fact that all of the defending team's focus will be on the currently open control point. This means that it is almost impossible to capture the point on your own if the enemy team has more than one or two people defending it, or if a Sentry Gun is set up. However, this map compensates by being great for Scouts trying to harass the enemy team and flank them instead of trying to capture the point.

• The corridors between the first and last points are not ideal Scout zones for either team as they are cramped in places and too linear to ambush or get around threats with. They will also be home to Engineer buildings and projectile spam from both teams, making any passage difficult even with Bonk!.

• The length of the rooms, however, is good for firing your Pistol down and using the Sandman to keep the pressure up. If you can sneak into a corner behind a far door while the enemy team is pushed back, Crit-a-Cola also becomes handy as you can take care of the players backing that charge up, like Snipers or even Pyros.

Offense

• The first yard will initially be difficult for Scouts to move around in when attacking as the spawn doors are easily accessible to the RED team (allowing them to effectively fire into your spawn) and the wide open spaces will be protected by Sentry Guns or Heavies, limiting your movement even further.

• At this point, it is best to either pick another class or play support and distract Sentry Guns with Bonk! Atomic Punch or throw Sandman balls or Wrap Assassin baubles into the fray.

• The area surrounding the first point is where BLU Scouts properly come into play, as it has multiple paths to the other side of the point. The left side is especially useful as you can sneak behind the garage across the gorge and then run up the stairs and behind their lines if they are not guarding it well (if they are, use Bonk! to evade damage and pass through). Watch out for Snipers aiming from the right side of the point though, as they will be aware of the route's convenience and seek to put a stop to it.

• Support your team's charges onto the point by distracting Sentry Guns with Bonk! and batting balls at any unaware enemies, such as spun up Heavies or Snipers. You can also cover the ground behind your allies faster, allowing you to chase any possible Spies and Spy-check them as necessary.

• You can hide under the point should you need the health kit below, or use it as a good spot to ambush from, but this is also a dangerous place as there is likely to be a Sentry Gun on one of the sides behind the point.

• The last point is where Scouts resume being effective as it has wide open spaces and several routes to access different parts of it. This is more apparent with the BLU team as they have the upper corridor and walkways to drop down from, perfect for a Scout willing to sneak to the RED spawn to destroy Teleporters and take out any Snipers standing in the middle above the point.

• Attacking Scouts, aside from the aforementioned harassment strategy, can also use Bonk! to good effect here as there will likely be one Sentry Gun tucked away underneath the point's main overhang. When possible, coordinate with your team so you can distract the Sentry Gun in time with a push and back them up with your increased capture rate.

• The Sandman is especially useful here as the distance from one side of the point to the other is both a safe distance and will give the ball enough air time to significantly lengthen the stun time of anybody it hits (it may even cause a maximum stun and net you an achievement if you've yet to get it).

Defense

• Defending the first yard as a Scout requires you to be a lot more active then on offense, using the Sandman or Pistol to stun/pick off enemies at long range and occasionally chasing key targets like Medics or Snipers to kill them, even if they manage to make it into spawn.

• One can also use ambush gameplay effectively on defense if you have the Crit-a-Cola or Force-A-Nature, as either of the two will surprise the enemy enough for you to make a quick escape and kill at least one person with it (the Force-A-Nature is less likely of this but you can take care of 125 health classes easily like this). If you choose to do this, there are some nooks and crannies next to the containers in the middle of the yard to hide in and wait for your chance, and also behind some crates on the left side.

• Alternatively, stand on top of the containers with friendly Soldiers and fire down, but be warned of Demomen or Soldiers firing/jumping up at you.

• Defensive Scouts can make use of the several pathways and gorge to surprise BLU Snipers on the left and right sides, and even get behind the BLU team's front line if they are stealthy enough. They can also do this by going up the stairs on the right side and dropping down from the balcony in the first yard, but be careful of any Sentry Guns put up to hold their front line.

• You can hide inside the windowed corridors and take people by surprise as they run through the point, possibly even forcing a BLU ÜberCharge early if using the Force-A-Nature. The same effect can also be achieved by hiding below the edges of these windows on the near side or in the garage door between the middle building and the right stairway as a crouched Scout will be small enough to remain hidden.

• Use the Sandman to harass pushes onto the point or to the right side where the BLU Snipers may be, as you may even stun a potential Über candidate for their Medics as they charge towards your Sentry Guns and other defenses.

• During pushes, try to keep pressure on the BLU team from the sides of the point, firing up at them from the Gorge and stopping any more enemies from coming through the left or right doors.

• On defense the last point is not as good for Scouts as there are only 2 ways of accessing area between the last point and first point, the main door and the right corridor. If you can get into the main door room, hide behind some of the crates and use your Scattergun (if possible in conjunction with Crit-a-Cola) to surprise attackers before retreating via either of the exits.

• The right corridor has a series of pipes you can hide behind to ambush from, but they are quite thin and so unless the enemy is distracted you are unlikely to go unnoticed for long.

• If the BLU team pushes directly onto the point and destroys your team's defenses, try firing your Scattergun into the group of people on the point and even run in with your Bat/Sandman, if only to stop the capture for a couple of seconds (which may be all your team needs to retaliate, and as such buy precious time for them).

 Soldier

Offense

• Soldiers are well suited for attacking the Entrance Yard, as the various pieces of high ground such as the right hut or the central containers will let you rain rockets down on the RED team and provide health and ammo for you should you need it (though be careful of enemy Soldiers and Demomen on the containers, especially if they are packing the Direct Hit).

• When choosing which spawn door to come out of, fire your rockets to make it seem like you are going to go through that door anyway. Even if you do not, it will distract the enemy team from where you are truly coming out of the spawn.

• If you are coming out of the right entrance, you can rocket jump over the hut and wall to drop down behind the RED team and surprise them (or alternatively, jump again over the wall to reach the main gorge area).

• If there are any Sentry Guns set up, they will likely be in the top left windows. In the event of this, use the Direct Hit or normal long range rockets to take it down.

• The interior of the building connecting the first yard and the main point/gorge area has multiple exits, allowing you to pick whichever angle you like to advance from. That said, it is not recommended to jump directly for the point as there will usually be at least one Sentry Gun to knock you away or kill you.

• The far left side allows you to access the RED defenses from the left and look directly into their right garage door from a distance. The long range you will be from their Sentry Guns will allow you to bombard them with rockets for a simple but effective surprise, and once you are done with that you could sneak up the stairs and behind their lines (to take them from behind or even preemptively approach the final point). Be cautious of this no matter how tempting it sounds, however, because there will be at least one or two people hiding in the left building to block your way, so only go into the building this way if you have backup.

• When moving along the far left of the gorge point area, make sure to move erratically and even rocket jump across if you can see enemy Snipers in the right doors trained on you.

• If you are low on health and need a quick boost, there is a Medium health kit underneath the bridge. This is only readily accessible when there are no Sentry Guns though, as they will cut you off otherwise.

• When capturing the point, fire rockets continuously at the right garage door when you can see enemies repeatedly opening and closing it. This will act as a deterrent, letting your team capture the point and move on.

• The corridors and rooms between the first and last points can be very good for Soldiers with the Buff Banner as the tight spaces make building a rage with the normal Rocket Launcher incredibly easy via using splash damage off walls and around corners. This will come in handy at the last point, as every little helps in the final big push.

• The raised walkways in the corridors are good for the normal rockets too as they are so narrow that any enemy you fire at will be inevitably splashed to some degree. You can use these walkways to escape from RED charges into your ranks and find health relatively easily to counteract the self damage (though this is practically nullified when using the Gunboats).

• The last point is very open, and though it may seem tempting to use the Direct Hit on the Snipers at the back do not, as it will give away your position for when you are trying to destroy more important targets such as Sentry Guns and charged Medics.

• There are only a few ways to access the last point, namely the main door, the left corridor and the upper walkways. The upper walkways are much more noticeable to the enemy team and they can see you coming through the glass windows, but this way is unique in that it's the only way in which you can successfully damage defenses put under the overhang next to the point. Use this to your advantage by periodically returning there to take out any defenses that are being/have been built, and also to kill any Soldiers or Demomen who came up to deny you the walkway.

• When capturing the point, you can rocket jump up the middle wall to the left RED spawn door, holding them in as necessary. This works even better if you arrange to have another Soldier or heavy class stand on the opposite door, and can win the game for your team by buying those few crucial seconds.

Defense

• When defending the first yard, use rocket jumps as a primary means of getting from one place to another. This is because the high ground gives you an enormous advantage (being able to reach and see into the enemy spawns from it at times) and staying moving will make you a much more difficult target for the BLU team (it may be worth equipping the Gunboats for this, though some of the damage will be canceled out by friendly Medics or health kits).

• If you are Übercharged or Kritzed, try to stand at the edge of the middle BLU spawn door and look to the left into the spawn. You will be able to see some of the area within their spawn, and with a few well placed critical rockets doing major splash damage you can waste even more of the enemy's time, perhaps even forcing them to build new ÜberCharges.

• When the BLU team are pushing in through the left spawn door, try rocketjumping directly over the left wall to surprise them enough so you can take out at least one or two of them. This may be a risky move, but it will benefit your team in the long run.

• The top right room is a good place to fire rockets from as it has plenty of health and ammo for resupplying and is a relatively safe haven from directly attacking classes like Pyros or Scouts. However, be warned of enemy Soldiers jumping up to take the room for themselves and Snipers hiding near their left spawn door aiming through the windows. This room can also be used as a means of hiding behind the BLU team when they push into the main gorge point area, but the BLU team might have the same idea for building charges in and holding their ground.

• At the main gorge area, you can simply rocket jump over the point and onto the future BLU forward spawn to secure some sneaky high ground. It will also be difficult for BLU Soldiers and Demomen to get up there, as it is out in the open and easily aimed at by your teammates.

• If the BLU team congregates on the point and it looks uncertain as to whether your team will keep it, fire some rockets of either variety at the crowd of people as you are very likely to hit someone. This will not only damage/kill enemies efficiently but also can build a rage meter in no time at all, for a perfect counter charge.

• When pushing back into the corridors between the last and first points, do not forget to look above you at the numerous walkways to check for any hiding threats to the charge like a charged Medic or a Spy. Conversely, you can jump up to these walkways (including at the last point's top right one) to take the enemy by surprise.

• If you yourself can successfully advance to the BLU spawn (usually the forward one), be sure to take out their Teleporters. The chances are that the Engineer will not die for quite a while with such a good setup, and he cannot get back up to his spawn to build a new Teleporter entrance.

• The last point can be attacked from a number of different entrances by the BLU team, but all of them more toward the right side of the point area. For this reason, use the left side to Scout out any enemies entering from either of the entrances, and then run through your spawn around the right or under the canopies across the middle so you can attack/rocket jump up without being seen by the BLU team prior to their push.

• If the BLU team are capturing the point, you can go out of the right spawn door to appear above the point and fire rockets directly down onto the capturing enemies. This can be dangerous and unpredictable though, as at this point there may be somebody outside your right spawn anticipating your attack, or a Sniper aiming at the middle to prevent the point being blocked.

• If the enemy are rushing in through your side of the point area and you need to escape, simply jump across to the other side of the point or up to the middle and into the right spawn door. This is easy enough, as the ceiling of this area is high enough to let you make full, non-horizontal jumps.

 Pyro

• The first yard and point areas of Gorge are not very suited to Pyros, due to the wide open spaces and few hiding spots. However, an airblasting Pyro can do wonders, either reflecting any projectiles fired at the BLU spawn towards unsuspecting REDs or preventing the BLU team from picking off targets at a range.

• The halls connecting the two points also accommodate this tactic well, also providing extra cover to strafe in and out of.

Offense

• As above, use the airblast to devastating effect in the spawn doors by nullifying any suppressing fire as well as clearing the way for teammates.

• The Flare Gun, Detonator, or Manmelter can be useful here, as their projectiles can reach across to the other side of the map at stationary or slowly moving targets (such as spun-up Heavies). Do not expect to get consecutive hits, though, as the area has too many exits and places of cover for the RED team.

• The small hut with the health and ammo kit may house some enemies waiting for either of these pickups to respawn. Flush them out and use the tight spaces to perform devastating ambushes.

• Be careful of Soldiers or Demomen firing down from the central containers, upper walkways or the roof of the hut. Once again, use the Flamethrower's airblast to avoid their fire and try to take them down in the process.

• The interior area between the yard and the main point area has some dark corners and alcoves to hide in. Should the RED team try to push back in, use these to get the drop on them as they pass by.

• Try running around the far right side of the gorge, hiding behind the crates if necessary. Sentry Guns will often be placed closer to the bunker on the left side, and incoming explosives can be deflected to a range of locations.

• The far left side has a walkway that can be used to access the left side of the RED base. Use this to surprise enemies with the Backburner, but make sure that there are no Sentry Guns stopping an advance, or Snipers aiming from the right-side garage door.

• The upper walkways between the points make good ambush spots, as do the other pieces of assorted cover. Using the Backburner here to stifle RED pushes will work well.

• The tight spaces of the interior hallways are good places of Spies to hide, so be sure to check them regularly.

• When attacking the last point, try standing away from the point in the shadows if teammates are already at the maximum capturing speed. Try to ambush any RED players coming out to block the point, and also airblast them off the point should they be too strong to kill immediately.

• If the point is being captured by a single Scout or Soldier/Demoman with the Pain Train, move towards the main enemy spawn door and block their way with a series of airblasts. While it won't stop enemies coming out of the upper middle spawn door, at the very least they can be delayed long enough for help to arrive and also force all potential targets into coming at the point from one direction.

Defense

• If the attacking team pushes in with an ÜberCharge, airblast them back into the spawn. While this is largely a suicidal tactic, it can prevent the ÜberCharged pair from wreaking havoc among teammates instead.

• Use the airblast to deflect any projectiles being fired at friendly Sentry Guns or players from long range, and be sure to get ammo regularly when doing so.

• Check for Spies in the interior area behind the main yard regularly, as it is a popular place for them to uncloak and surprise teammates from behind (especially any Sentry Guns or Engineers located in the upper right room).

• The main point area is too open for Pyros to regularly run across the gorge and surprise the BLU team, so try mixing it up a little by going under the bridge and waiting for them to attack the point, or hiding in the windowed corridors next to the end of the bridge. Be careful of Snipers also, as they can aim over the top right hill and hide behind cover easily should they be allowed to stay there.

• Once again, use the compression blast to stop friendly Sentry Guns from being destroyed with long range rockets, and Spy-check regularly. This is especially important here, as there is an open door straight behind friendly lines, which could cause problems even if lone enemies make it through.

• When defending the last point, do not try to ambush the BLU team from behind. The main path to the point is too linear, and Pyros can often be spotted by BLU players running from spawn regularly.

• As the BLU team jumps down onto the point itself, use the compression blast to keep them in the air and disorient them. Remember, the longer that enemy players are distracted by being juggled, the smaller the chance they have to destroy Sentry Guns.

• Try to hide behind the crates in the main hall adjacent to the point, and use the Backburner to do considerable damage to attacking enemies. As always, be sure to keep another weapon out though while waiting due to the Flamethrower's long nozzle.

 Demoman

Gorge is a very Demoman friendly map at times, with many tight doorways that are ideal for setting sticky traps around and some long straights for shield users. Both of these tactics can work for either team, but as the RED team readily has access to the entire map at the start of the round, they can tread in a larger area safely than the BLU team initially can.

Offense

• In terms of Sentry Gun placement, in the first yard there may be a Sentry Gun in the top left windows or on the exact opposite side, behind the wall on the right. To attack the windows, stay fairly close to the building and fire Grenades and Stickies directly up, using your splash damage to compensate for the lack of direct hits. The right Sentry Gun can be dealt with by either firing stickies around the corner or sticky jumping over the walls and into the next point area to attack from behind.

• The wide open space here makes either shield useful, and the width of the map is enough so that you can easily cross with a single charge. Use this to your advantage, and surprise faraway Medics or Soldiers trying to hold the other spawn doors down.

• You can sticky jump up to the walkways where the enemy Snipers will sometimes stand. This will not be possible if there is a Sentry Gun in the way, but if you can you can fire grenades directly down onto the RED team and then quickly proceed through the top left window room to the point.

• The main bridge point will have at least one or two Sentry Guns guarding it, usually next to the crates or in the far left window. Use long range Grenades or an ÜberCharge with stickies to dispose of these quickly.

• You can access the area behind the RED team via the far left walkway. Unlike other classes, who face the risk of being sniped as they run to the far left side; a simple sticky jump will allow you to move quickly and somewhat safely to the health kit on the left.

• When sticky jumping around this open point, be careful not to fly into the range of any enemy Sentry Guns that have yet to be destroyed. Otherwise, it is likely you will be shot out of the air before you can land.

• If your team is capturing the point, be sure to fire grenades and stickies at the right garage door to deny the RED team access to the area. This will increase your team's chances of getting the point captured, and also deter any potential threats (such as an incoming Kritzkrieg) from storming in.

• The corridors linking the two points are great for shield-equipped Demomen, as they are long and straight enough to accommodate your charge well while also preventing enemy players from escaping a melee fight due to the tight space (which many of your swords will grant you an advantage in).

• When attacking the last point, fire grenades from high ground to attack Sentry Guns below the point's overhang and harass any Engineers trying to hold their ground there.

• You may use the upper left walkways to fire grenades and stickies down from (useful as the long distance is irrelevant due to the lack of falloff for both these weapons), but be careful of any RED Soldiers or Demomen trying to jump up and pin you down or retake the top area. If you can tell this is about to be attempted, lay a sticky trap on the walkways so that when they land they'll be easily blown up.

Defense

• The Scottish Resistance is fairly useful on defense if only because there are always a few multiple entrances to the main areas and you will have enough stickies to cover at least two or three of them sufficiently. Try to hide these stickies around corners or on props to minimize the chance of them being spotted.

• Use grenades and stickies in combination with a Kritzkrieg to fire directly into the enemy spawn, abusing the splash damage to hit enemies for high damage around corners. This will halt their efforts to push out for a good 30 seconds, plenty of time for more defenses to be set up and your teammates to maintain them.

• Lay traps in the hut with the health and ammo kits. This will make for a nasty surprise should anybody on the enemy team retreat in there while weakened.

• At the main point area, keep pressure on the enemy team by firing grenades and stickies into either side of the interior area and also at the top of the stairs to maintain a chokepoint.

• When the point is being captured, use Stickies (or, even better, Stickies with a Kritzkrieg) to clear the point from the left or right garages. This will be a quick and easy way to kill most of the enemy team, and hold the point for longer should your teammates need to build defenses at the last point.

• The corridors between the points are perfect for the Scottish Resistance as the various corners each corridor turns into can be used for trap layering. Try to mix your trap spots up a little, so the enemy don't catch on and go an alternate route.

• You can sticky jump up to the far right walkways as well as any of the upper level walkways to surprise the BLU team and deny them access to the upper areas. This will cut out one of the potential angles of attack for them, and so make the rest of your team's job a whole lot easier.

• Should the BLU team push onto the point, stand to the sides above the point and fire stickies down to blow enemies off the point. Alternatively, if you have the Screen or Targe, dive in and block the point for your team, while also getting a head or two in the process should you survive.

 Heavy

• The initial yard and point bridge of Gorge are fairly open and have long sight lines, making Heavies on either team difficult to play and mostly ineffective. That said, with the right ambush tactics and knowledge of the map's numerous hiding spots, you can support your team well and allow them to make the necessary pushes.

• The area between the first and last points is fantastic for Heavies on either team, as the tight corridors make their Miniguns incredibly useful by stopping enemies from trying to escape death by strafing, and the upper walkways allow you to jump down and surprise any enemy pushes or bases that have been set up. Be cautious though, as on BLU you may become separated from your teammates and lose any backup you might need, and on RED straying too far from the point may leave it open for backcapping.

Offense

• The Entrance Yard will be a very difficult place for a Heavy to charge in solo, as all of the spawn doors act as chokepoints your team must go through while being fired into by any projectile using classes such as the Soldier or Demoman. Because of this, do not go out unless you either have a Medic with a normal ÜberCharge ready (in which case, ask the Medic to use it sooner than later to avoid the risk of losing it), or when you are confident that your team have distracted the enemies guarding the spawn doors and feel you can back them up effectively.

• Watch out for Snipers hiding on the top walkways or Spies tucked in the gaps between the crates next to your spawn doors. These two classes are a Heavy's strongest counter, and will make quick work of you if you aren't careful.

• Attacking the first point area is another job for an ÜberCharged Heavy, as it is a good place for defending Spies and Snipers to try to get a backstab or headshot on you as you come over the hill or onto the bridge, and there will likely be a Sentry Gun or two stationed on the other side of the point. Once again, use an ÜberCharge, or risk backing your team up without a charge/with a Kritzkrieg (which is not very effective on this point anyway, as the RED team have a large amount of cover to hide behind).

• If you are feeling adventurous, move along the far left walkway to ambush the RED team from the left garage. This can work surprisingly well with a Kritzkrieg, as you will be able to clean out any enemies behind the typical pieces of cover and maybe even destroy a Sentry Gun if it is initially facing toward the point. However, be careful when doing this, as you are very vulnerable to Snipers and you may be overwhelmed by the sheer number of RED players hiding in the left side.

• Make good use of the walkways overlooking the corridors to the last point; should the enemy team attempt to push you back to the first point, you can pin them down with your Minigun (preferably Natascha) and cut their faster classes off from any reinforcements.

• Do not try to attack the last point from the uppermost walkway. This is because your Minigun's effective range is insufficient for damaging enemies around or on the point, and you become a big target for Soldiers, Demomen or Snipers aiming up there. Instead, try standing in the small corner room with the health kit. Here you can prevent any high flying classes from accessing the upper corridors, holding your team's front line down well.

• You can move along the left corridor and across to the far left room if you are subtle enough, and from here you can access the main RED Sniper deck as well as their secondary spawn door. Don't stay here too long though, as you can be easily killed should the RED team know you are hiding there.

• When attacking the very last point, once again only rush in at the front if you have an ÜberCharge, and be sure to look in every corner on both the top and bottom levels in case a sneaky Sentry Gun has been placed to wear down your team's push. Once the main defenses are Destroyed, stay on the point aiming up between the middle and right doorways in case of RED players trying to stop the cap.

• When charging in, also make sure there are no Spies lying in wait around the corner or behind the crates in the hall adjacent to the point. Now would be the worst time for your Medic to lose his target, so be vigilant.

Defense

• Defending this point as a Heavy will also be somewhat troublesome, as the wideness of the map makes any non-Critical Minigun spray useless when firing across, you are almost always visible from at least one of the BLU spawn doors (unless hiding right behind cover) and it is a popular point for BLU Spies to come from behind on. To stop the BLU team for long enough, stand right near one of their doors with a Kritzkrieg or ÜberCharge ready to stifle any potential pushes, and defend the Medics on your team (as they will be saving their ÜberCharges or Kritzkriegs for countering the BLU team's).

• Despite the long distance from one side of the map to the other, standing in the top right windows with a Kritzkrieg Medic can ambush the BLU team well enough to cripple any charges they themselves attempt to build up. The lack of damage falloff and high damage a Critical Minigun has will mow down anybody too close to the windows, and discourage long range targets (even Snipers, who can only take a two or three Critical bullets at long range before dying).

• Because of the open space and the chokepoint at the BLU side of the bridge, do not try running in to the interior area without a Medic as you will die very fast and can be headshot from the first yard (through the doorways) should an approaching Sniper spot you. Instead, try sneaking around the sides and unleashing a Kritzkrieg on the unsuspecting BLU team for an easy ambush (though watch out for any Sentry Guns put up the stop the RED team pushing in).

• Though difficult, try accessing the upper walkways from the BLU team's side (via the numerous stairwells). This denies them a potential area to set up a base and also keeps their front line pushed back, wasting their time and so hindering their progress toward capturing the point.

• Use the various props and pieces of cover in the hallways to your advantage; hiding behind the crates while spun up and around the edges of corners will let the BLU team pass by unaware of your presence, giving you an easier time of ambushing and ruining their plans.

• If the BLU team makes a successful push onto the last point, do NOT stand above the point in the middle. This area is the main focus of any BLU Snipers standing in the opposite hall. Instead, attack from the sides and if possible, under the overhang where Sentry Guns are put to stop the enemy seeing you until they jump onto the point themselves.

• It is not worth trying to get behind the BLU team, as they have too many alternate routes to the point. This also decreases the number of RED players around the point, making it much harder to defend for those remaining.

 Engineer

• In the first yard, you can put a Sentry Gun up behind the wall next to the hut with health and ammo. This will prevent enemies charging directly through to the main point area, but it is susceptible to Soldiers and Demomen jumping over the wall to take you out.

• The upper floor windows also are a good spot to build a Sentry Gun as there is a metal pickup right next to the ideal spot. This configuration means friendly players can be safely teleported to an area out of the BLU team's and only far away enemies can attack your Sentry Gun if you are defending. On offense, this setup allows you to keep the RED team from coming up behind your team via the upstairs room and walkways.

• At the point itself, putting a Sentry Gun in the windows to the right on defense will let it oversee the entire bridge area and remain semi-hidden. This spot has a large weakness however, in that unless you point it away from the point it can be ambushed from the right side if you allow the BLU team to sneak along the walkway. To counteract this, ask for a player or two to stay near the Sentry Gun and prevent anybody coming along the right.

• Sentry Guns can also be put up behind the crates or concrete blocks on the RED side of the bridge. These are especially useful to the team as they are behind cover and will often need a Dispenser to survive, but can be destroyed fairly easily by BLU ÜberCharges.

• You can build Sentry Guns anywhere on the raised walkways spanning the corridors between the points as a form of area denial, as they will be able to attack both the ground and first floors. This is especially apparent when you build a Sentry Gun on the walkway above the main door to the last point, as it prevents the RED team pushing back in and secures a safe zone for your team's healing/teleports.

• The last point has an overhang which is the perfect place for a Sentry Gun and Dispenser, as it remains out of sight in the shadows and can be built up without the enemy's knowledge so they will be surprised when they push. This tactic works even better when multiple Sentry Guns are built, but be warned of ÜberCharges and projectiles being fired down from the upper right walkways (being the only area that BLU can see under the overhangs).

• The corners adjacent to the main entrance to the last point also serve as good Sentry Gun hiding spots, either killing any weaker classes rushing directly for the point or slowly whittling down otherwise distracted heavy classes if left at level 1 or 2. The shadows of these corners also hide the Sentry Gun further.

• The windowed room in the corner on the balcony in the Choke is a common place for BLU's forward Engineer nest. Because it is so far forward, enlist the support of a Pybro to help you keep it up.

Defense

• Immediately build and upgrade your Sentry Gun as the round starts. Haul it to the first capture point and rocket jump/bullet jump to the location of the future BLU spawn (the balcony overlooking the control point from BLU's side) and set up your nest there. In most cases, this can shut out waves of attacks especially when you are being supported by another Engineer. This method makes your nest practically immune against Spy attacks, but more vulnerable to explosive attacks due to the splash damage from the walls. Due to patches, you will need to stand on the metal overhang on the left side of the building to place any buildings.
• Getting a full load-out in one minute set-up time. Immediately place a Teleporter Entrance out of spawn (let it auto-build), than turn back and get all your metal back from the closet. Go to point A and place your Teleporter Exit along the way (again, let it auto-build; you should now have 200 - 125 = 75 metal left). Take the medium ammo pickup (on the 'defense' side of the bridge), cross the bridge and place your Sentry Gun on the platform, between the stairs (again, let it auto-build; you should now have 175 - 130 = 45 metal left). Next, jump off platform to take the medium ammo pickup. Get back on the platform and build your Dispenser behind your Sentry Gun (again, let it auto-build; you should now have 145 - 100 = 45 metal left). Run back over the bridge, and enter the base using the left door. There, you'll find a large ammo pick-up, which fills your metal back to full. Return to your Sentry Gun. By the time you arrive, it should be about ready. Upgrade your Sentry Gun half-way (100 metal) and take the medium ammo pickup thats rests under your platform (you're once again at 200 metal). Return to your Sentry Gun and continue upgrading with all the metal you have (a.k.a. to half-way the second upgrade). At that point, the medium ammo pickup under the platform should be respawned. When you run out of metal, you can take it to upgrade the last 100 metal for your Sentry Gun. At this point, the one minute set-up time should be about finished, leaving you with a level 1 Teleporter, a level 1 Dispenser, and a level 3 Sentry Gun, all on decent locations.

 Medic

General

• Due to the map's open nature, the Kritzkrieg can be very useful for taking out large groups of enemies at the beginning. A Übercharge is vital to clearing the heavy concentrations of otherwise well protected Sentry Guns that accumulate in the sheltered alcove of the final point.
• This map has many flank routes. Be careful of enemies attacking you from behind, a side, or even above.

 Sniper

General

• Gorge is a good map for Snipers, as it has very open sight lines for both sides and also a large amount of cover (such as over hills or behind props/corners) to hide from incoming fire/other Snipers. Most of these sight lines work both ways, so both teams can use them (though some are more efficient for one team than they are for the other).

• If you are using the Huntsman, try to fire arrows out of different doors at different times to confuse the enemy as to where you're going to be next. That said, be careful of enemy Rifle Snipers as they can kill you and evade your arrows even if you aim directly at them.

• The areas on either side of the first point are good for Snipers on both teams as they allow them to look over the central bridge where the point is located AND look to the other side to take out enemy Snipers. However, these places are also mostly out in the open with limited cover, so try to mix up the places where you snipe from a little.
  • The rooms and corridors between the first and last points are where the Huntsman shines, as they range from a small to medium length and more often than not heavier classes such as Soldiers and Heavies will move in predictable lines due to the limited space, making aiming a lot easier.
  • The walkways on the upper floors are also good for Huntsman Snipers as it becomes impossible for enemies to move out of the way at close quarters without falling off. Alternatively if you've run out of arrows, use the Kukri, Bushwacka, or Tribalman's Shiv in combination with Jarate to deal lasting damage if you or your team doesn't finish the enemy off.

• The last point is difficult to attack as a Sniper as it has a very limited selection of places to snipe safely from, only offering the main door (which has crates but these are very easy to reach as a Spy or Scout), the upper walkways (which Soldiers and Demomen can jump up to) and the left corridor (that will always have people running through, attracting attention to your sniping). As such, keep changing your location as much as possible and try to stay out of the areas where you know enemy Snipers will be aiming (such as to the right side of the main doorway to the point).
  • Likewise, on RED you can easily snipe on either side at the opposite side and maintain a safe spot, jumping down to the actual point as necessary to get health and ammo. In the event of the BLU team pushing in, once again be sure to throw Jarate and use your Huntsman/melee weapon to deal damage, also buying time for your team to jump down by stopping the cap and possibly stopping the BLU team's impending victory.

Offense

• Support any charges out of the spawn with Jarate if you have it, as it will help in deterring and weakening any enemies who are otherwise locking down your spawn doors. If you hang back you may also see enemy Spies run in from their hiding spots, so keep any eye out for them and try to kill them or quickly alert your team of their presence.

• Sniping in the first area is somewhat difficult as all the spawn exits will be watched periodically by enemy players, though not necessarily all at the same time. For example, the far left door may go unnoticed while the far right or middle doors may be the targets of a lot of projectile spam. When scoping out of whichever exit you choose, be sure to look for enemy Snipers first and take them out as necessary (particularly if they are looking the other way).

• Sniping from the left side will allow you to cover the very far left, middle, right garage door and right ledges on the defenders' side. This is good for taking out Snipers trying to hide in the garage, and you can crouch to hide behind the crest of the hill. However, the open area behind the hill and the various alcoves make it an easy place for Spies to decloak and stab or shoot you. The right side compensates for this by being easily seen and cramped (so Spies will have a hard time remaining stealthy), but conversely, this works against you by making you stand out and giving you limited escape routes.

• You can also snipe through the windows next to the bridge. Be careful of Spies and Scouts though, as they can both easily access them and hide in the shadows to flank you should you stand still for too long.

Defense

• When defending the first area, try to spend your time throwing Jarate at the enemy spawn entrances to deter or hinder their pushes, chase up any possible Spies you see and snipe the doors furthest away from you (for instance, standing in the right windows to attack the far left BLU spawn door). This will let you deal with any Snipers trying to take you down and also eliminate any threats that your team mates may be too far away from to deal with (like a spun up advancing Heavy or a charging Medic).

• Defending Snipers can hide in the garage door on the left to keep themselves out of sight, behind the crates next to the point, in the windows on the right and at the back of the far right area behind the concrete blocks. All these areas will hide you briefly and give you more of an opportunity to shoot other Snipers, as well as anybody who enters your sight lines. Unfortunately, some of these areas are popular for Sentry Gun placement, so be careful and choose an unoccupied spot that won't draw any attention to you.

• If you are using the Huntsman or Jarate, fire arrows/throw it on the point when the BLU team has made their charge. With the amount of people on the point, you're highly likely to hit and possibly kill someone with any arrows you fire, and saturate everyone on the point thanks to the large splash radius of Jarate.

 Spy

Offense

• The default Invisibility Watch will be the most handy when attacking the first control point, since the area to the first point is rather long and open. It allows the Spy to gain a lot of ground in a short amount of time and better position himself to take out troublesome Sentry Gun nests overlooking the point.

• The Dead Ringer can be a viable tool when attacking the second point, as a lot of stray projectiles fly back and forth through the main entrances.

Defense

• The Cloak and Dagger can be useful when defending the first point. You can wait by the cargo containers right outside of BLU spawn, and then attack viable targets as they rush out of spawn. A good example would be a Heavy/Medic combo, or an Engineer.