Frontier

Frontier
Basic Information
Developer(s):	Unknown
Map Info
Environment:	Alpine
Setting:	Daylight, sunny
Hazards:	Pitfall, Li'l Chew Chew
Map Photos
Map Overview

“

Meet "Li'l Chew Chew"--a razor-toothed BLU payload designed to messily devour any merc dumb enough to blunder in front of its path through this single-stage payload map. Eat your way past RED's defenses astride a gleaming metal death machine, powered by the blood of your enemies, and also gasoline (mostly gasoline, to be honest). — Community Map Pack Update

”

Frontier is a single-stage Payload map with 4 control points for BLU to capture. It is orientated towards organizing pushes around the cart's movement to benefit from its significant protection in lieu of suppressing RED, since the layout of terrain is much in favor of the RED team. The crowning feature of Frontier is its custom cart, "Li'l Chew-Chew".

Frontier was added as an official map on February 24, 2011 due to its outstanding quality.

Li'l Chew Chew

The cart, Li'l Chew-Chew.

See also: Carts

In place of the standard BLU cart, the one in Frontier is a large mechanized train engine known as "Li'l Chew-Chew." Providing cover from frontal attacks, the train is capable of instantly killing anyone that is in its mouth when it's moving forward (whether willingly or forcibly) in addition to having a rideable platform and built-in Dispenser for BLU team. The instant-kill ability is contingent on at least 3 players pushing the cart. It has a noticeably increased pushing range when compared to normal carts.

Locations

Control Point 1

Control Point 1 sits in an area surrounded by high cliffs and buildings just in front of RED's starting spawn.

• The Shack is a small, two-level building to the right of the BLU base. It has a small balcony that a Sentry Gun can be placed on to give a good area of fire over the top of the Payload.
• The Cave sits directly across from The Shack in front of the BLU base. It, too, has a small balcony that a Sentry Gun can be placed on to give a good area of fire directly at the Payload and at the main exit point of the BLU base. However, this spot is more exposed than the Sentry Gun spot on The Shack.

Control Point 2

Control Point 2 is at the top of a large hill inside of a warehouse-like building.

• The Rock Wall separates the second cap point from a small warehouse through which BLU may travel.
• The Mesa is a small elevated feature at the bottom of the hill offering RED a path to areas further up the hill and to the warehouse Control Point 2 sits on.

Control Point 3

Control Point 3 sits between a building and a plateau.

• The Rock Plateau comes right before the third cap and is ideal for RED to place Sentry Guns. There is even one rock spire with a medium ammo box and small health kit, allowing a skilled Engineer to place a high Sentry Gun out of sapping range.
• The Tunnel is a pathway that is near the Plateau and can be used as a choke point. Walkways along the top ends can be good areas to apply defense against the Payload from above.

Control Point 4

Control Point 4 sits above a large open pit with a satellite dish at the bottom of it. RED's final spawn is located on either side of the point, connected by a catwalk.

Strategy

• BLU should always take advantage of Li'l Chew Chew's size, using it to shield them from incoming attacks while holding a hard defense to the sides. Likewise, the frontal protection provided by Li'l Chew Chew and terrain around the cart during key points encourages flanking and attacking from high ground by RED.
• Slow moving or just plain unlucky enemies can be shoved in front of the train and killed, assisted by a quick push from a Pyro's compression blast or a Scout's Force-A-Nature.
• The stairs inside the Shack can make it easy for a Spy to sneak up behind a Sentry Gun and the Engineer, so a Pyro would be well-suited to spycheck as well as deflect incoming rockets.
• The Tunnel right before the third cap is a good place either team to ambush players with the Backburner, or house a Sentry Gun.
• While taking the final point, BLU Snipers can use the newly opened shortcut to pick off REDs around the end of the tracks. Other classes can also take this path and quickly head to the ramp on the right, allowing closer access to RED's defenses.
• Underneath the final capture point, there are large ammo and health kits, which most players do not normally venture to unless they fall down there. A sneaky BLU Engineer can construct a small base here with a Teleporter to allow BLU faster access to the final point.
  • Sneaky BLU Engineers can also construct a Sentry Gun outside RED's second spawn (between control points 2 and 3) if they can get past enemy forces at Control Point 1. A full Level 3 Sentry Gun can effectively delay RED until they are able to build up an ÜberCharge, giving BLU time to push Li'l Chew Chew up the hill to Control Point 2.
• The team that maintains control of the high ground maintains control of the game. If RED team has the high ground they can easily rain explosives and sentry fire and more. If BLU has the high ground they will be able to provide constant fire support to the people on the cart, as well as being able to see in front of the cart.
• A number of higher areas are accessible throughout this map due to its uphill nature, offering excellent sightlines for Sentry Guns and Snipers. This is especially so just outside of BLU's initial spawn, on the hill leading up to Control Point 2, and on the catwalks of RED's final spawn near Control Point 4.
• Demomen can use the pillars of the tunnel before Control Point 1 to their advantage: they are close enough to Li'l Chew Chew, yet unexposed to enemy fire, that they make excellent spots for sticky traps using the Stickybomb Launcher or Scottish Resistance.

Update history

February 24, 2011 Patch

• The map was added to the game.

Gallery

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Bugs

• It is possible for the RED team to enter the BLU spawn by allowing the Li'l Chew Chew to advance slightly out of the respawn then getting on it when it starts to retreat.
• There is a tree stump after the first point just before the slope up to the second with a small medi-pack on it that players can get permanently stuck behind.
• Li'l Chew Chew has the same kill icon as the Train.
• After the Payload has been delivered and the round has ended, the timer on the cart will still continue to drop.

Trivia

• The developer, Patrick "MangyCarface" Mulholland, is also known for being one of the developers of Yukon.
• The computer screen on Li'l Chew Chew bears the message "Li'l Chew Chew v2.2 I've not been programmed for Regret <3 <3".

See also

• Community Map Pack Update