DeGroot Keep

DeGroot Keep
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Basic Information
Variants:	Sandcastle
Developer(s):	Unknown
Map Photos
Map Overview

Degroot Keep is a new map that was released during the Australian Christmas Update on December 17, 2010. The map features 3 Control points in which 2 on the sides of the castle must be captured first before being able to advance to the final control point which is blocked off by a traditional castle gate.

Once Points A and B have been captured, the castle gate rises and allows access to the central Point C. However, if Point C is not captured within a certain amount of time, both Points A and B will reset along with the gate closing once more. Thus, the BLU team will be forced to recapture A and B again.

You can shoot projectiles through the holes in the castle gate and windows of the towers. Braziers can be found throughout the map and can light Huntsman arrows on fire.

Trivia

• While playing on the map, the player's Text Chat is altered to be more Medieval after posting. For example, all instance of the word "the" are changed to "ye".
• Like all maps, this may be a hidden base for RED/BLU. When entering the keep, there's a computer terminal hidden behind a wooden door to the left. There is a second terminal likewise partially hidden by a door in RED's spawn. However, according to the blog, it is supposed to be 10th century.
  • Similarly, the family portrait of the Degroot family that appears inside the castle is actually a portrait of the Demoman and his mother and father, as seen in a WAR! Update blog post. It is unknown why this portrait appears since the map takes place several hundred years before the Demoman is even born.
• The keep was likely owned by an ancestor of Tavish Degroot. Combined with Prince Tavish's Crown, the Demoman may be actual Scottish royalty.
• There is a family portrait of the Degroot family inside the castle.
• It is believed Degroot Keep is the first map to take place in Scotland, however the same mountain peak can be seen which features in most Alpine styled maps. This is most likely due to Valve re-using the same Skybox texture rather than creating a new one.

Gallery

• Degrootkeep battlements.jpg

  Battlements of the castle.

• Degrootkeep courtyard.jpg

  Courtyard of the castle.

• Degrootkeep battlefield.jpg

  The battlefield that lays between the castle and fort.

• Degrootkeep point A.jpg

  Point A.

• Degrootkeep point B.jpg

  Point B.

• Degrootkeep bluespawn.jpg

  The fort that serves as BLU's base.

• Degrootkeep redspawn.jpg

  The interior of the castle that serves as RED's spawn.