Community Double Cross strategy

Double Cross strategy.

General

• The sewer access shed in the courtyard is an excellent way to avoid the main entrance if you are looking for an escape route with the Intelligence.

• Soldiers and Force-A-Nature wielding Scouts can reach the enemy Battlements in the same way they can on 2Fort. From here, you have direct access to the Intelligence room. Also note that Soldiers, Demomen, and Scouts are the only classes that can escape over the balcony overlooking the refuse area to the Battlements. Scouts can do it with either a regular double jump or a Force-A-Nature triple jump, though it is much more difficult in only two jumps, and takes practice.

• It is not too difficult to organize a strong push with offensive classes into the enemy courtyard, as unlike other CTF maps there are no killer Sentry Gun locations. If Medic-backed Heavies and Soldiers make it to the enemy base entrance, they will be in a good position to break into the Intelligence room directly. Be wary of enemies attacking from the balcony leading from the spawn here.

• The bottomless pit is coded in a way that can prove hazardous to players carrying the intelligence, as falling into it will force the carried Intelligence to return to its home base. For clever players on defense who know how to carefully utilize knockback, this can be used as a very effective defense against fleeing enemy intelligence carriers.

• As a Engineer, Soldier or Demoman, it's possible to jump through the door between the enemy spawn and water pool via a sticky, rocket or sentry rocket jump.

 Scout

• Scouts may find it easier to use the sewer system to get to the enemy intelligence, as most of the enemy forces will be concentrated on the bridge.
• A skillful Scout can double-jump and crouch from the bridge to reach the enemy balcony, allowing them to snatch the intelligence very quickly. A Force-A-Nature makes it much easier to reach the balcony.

 Soldier

• Soldiers that manage to get to the back of the enemy's sewers can rocket jump up into the courtyard near the Intelligence. This bypasses a lot of the enemy's defenses and once you have the Intelligence, provides a means of escape.

 Pyro

• The large chasm over the middle of Double Cross provides Pyros an excellent opportunity to use the compression blast for kills. It is possible to hide behind some of the large piles or mounds in the middle of the map and knock passers-by right into the chasm below.
  • Likewise, Pyros can use the high bridge to ambush enemies trying to take the lower path, namely Intelligence carriers. Pushing an Intelligence carrier into the chasm will reset the Intelligence to its original capture point.

• The Flare Gun is of great use here in the map's middle against enemy Snipers and Heavies, due to the long sightlines. Be careful, though, as Snipers can use those same sightlines.

 Demoman

• The bush on the lower Bridge is useful for hiding a Demoman with the Chargin' Targe. Wait until an enemy passes then charge out and rack up the head counter when using the Eyelander.

 Engineer

• As usual in CTF maps, the Intelligence room is a perfect place for a Sentry Gun. There are multiple places in the room you can use, such as at the top of the stairs, under the stairs, and across the room in the small doorway alcoves. However, each of these areas can be fired at from beyond the Sentry Gun's range from either of the doors to the Intelligence room.
  • Conservative Engineers can construct a reasonably effective Sentry Gun at the top of the gantry in the Intelligence room to guard it. Be warned; building on the gantry in the courtyard will allow enemies who walk directly underneath it to get to the Intelligence room untouched. More adventurous Engineers may like to consider building in the enemy sewers.

• A Sentry Gun can be put up in the enemy Sewers in the same way as in 2Fort, allowing your teammates to teleport under the enemy base and readily access their Intelligence room. Be careful though, as there are 3 different ways that the enemy can access the sewers and take out your Sentry Gun (the pipe toward their lower spawn hatch, down the stairwell in the corner and from the drop in the nearby room).

• Putting a Sentry Gun up around the middle bridge area is generally a bad idea as it is far too open and will be destroyed quickly, though putting Level 1 and 2 Sentry Guns in the enemy team's blind spots (at the top of the stairwell coming from below the bridge, behind the crates in the middle of the bridge) can stop Scouts and other fast classes from passing. When doing this, do not upgrade your Sentry Gun to Level 3 as their rockets will reveal the Sentry Gun's location as soon as an enemy passes.
  • Skilled Engineers can consider building a sentry in a location that guards both bridges, such as the ammo drops halfway across the upper bridge, or on the roof of the shed outside the front entrance. Be warned, however, that Sentry Guns here are difficult to establish and usually destroyed quickly. However, on effective deploy, they can prove difficult to remove.

• Outside the main spawn door, you can also put a Sentry Gun on the edge of the upper level that will overlook the main entrance to the base, stopping any direct charges from the enemy. This spot can be flanked though, from the stairwell that comes from the sewer and also the walkway from the Intelligence room (though this way will almost never be used when the enemy can go directly for the Intelligence).

• Outside the Intelligence room, there is also a large sunken area with a ledge that leads to the Sniper deck. Putting a Sentry here will prevent any Scouts, Soldiers or Demomen from accessing the Intelligence room from the lesser known route (it will also prevent them from running through the Intelligence room and trying to jump to safety).

• Placing a Sentry in the farthest corner of the Courtyard (by some crates across from the Intelligence room) offers you a great vantage point if you Wrangle the Sentry as well. It allows you not only to defend several key entrances, such as the sewer entrance and both Intelligence room entrances, it gives you a clear shot from the courtyard to the front entrance of your base, allowing you to assist your team with extra firepower.

• For defensive Engineers, it is possible to create Sentry Guns on top of your battlements, although not suggested since enemy Snipers can easily pick off at it. It still will supply some defense against rocket jumping Soldiers and also enemies going inside your base through the main door. For offensive Engineers, you can carry this tactic into the enemy battlements, and allow your teammates to reach there with a teleporter for an unexpected attack. You can achieve this by stepping onto the battlements, and placing a Dispenser onto the far left visible spot of the deck, and hop onto the Dispenser, and then into the battlements. Make sure you return for some metal to create the Sentry Gun, unless you're using the Gunslinger. You can also create a Sentry next to the small staircase right beside the main doors of either fort, and Sentry Jump onto the battlements with the Wrangler. Be sure you get some metal before making the jump.

 Sniper

• You can shoot directly into the enemy courtyard by hanging out of a battlement window.

 Spy

• Spies may find the sewer system useful in order to get into the base quickly and without provoking attention. The map also provides many unobtrusive places to hide while cloaked, such as on top of crates and barrels.
• The lowered area past the Intelligence room is a useful place to uncloak before snatching the Intelligence as it is usually empty.