Badwater Basin

Badwater Basin
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Basic Information
Variants:	Bloodwater
Developer(s):	Unknown
Map Info
Environment:	Desert
Setting:	Daylight, sunny
Map Photos
Map Overview

Badwater Basin (or Badwater) is a single-stage Payload map with four checkpoints for BLU team to capture. It is a large basin that enters into an open corridor of buildings. It was the first Payload map added to the game to feature only a single stage and the second Payload map added to the game. It was revealed on the third day of the Heavy Update. The setup timer is 1 minute and 5 seconds.

Locations

Note: If you're having trouble with finding the locations listed here, you can scroll down to the Helpful overview section to see their exact position marked on the map.

Checkpoint A

Time added if captured: 4 minutes and 30 seconds

• BLU Spawn: BLU's first spawn has four exits. A side exit on the left faces the left fork of the middle exit. The middle exit splits left and right, with the left fork facing the Side Path and the right fork leading to the Payload. The right exit is the main exit and the largest exit, leading directly to the Payload. This exit is very vulnerable to enemy fire due to the larger entrance.
• Hill: An uphill path to the right of BLU's spawn, in front of the Payload's starting position. Aside from a small rock formation at the bottom, it is largely open, making it a popular sightline for Snipers on both teams to watch.
• Side Path: A small pathway that leads from BLU Spawn's left exit to the Cliffs.
• Cliffs: (also called Ridge, Above) This high ground spans from BLU's spawn to the first checkpoint. There are some rock formations for cover, but otherwise this location is open to attack. A popular location to launch kritzes from, particularly for Soldiers and Demomen.
• Tunnel: The Payload track runs through a long tunnel that cuts underneath the cliffs. The tunnel bends slightly twice, and the exit can be seen from the entrance and vice versa. Unless hidden behind the cart, players in the tunnel are very vulnerable to being sniped.
• Rocks: A U-shaped rock formation that provides cover for Snipers while allowing them to look directly at BLU's spawn. Engineers sometimes build here. There is a medium Health and Ammo pack. Some of the rocks can be climbed partially through crouch-jumping, but this makes players very vulnerable to attack.
• Bunker: (also Garage or The Alcove) A small concrete building sunk into the ground that opens directly onto the checkpoint. RED Engineers commonly build both on top of this building and inside it.

• Badwater first point.jpg

  First Checkpoint

• Badwater cliffs.jpg

  The Cliffs

• Badwater tunnel.jpg

  The Tunnel

Checkpoint B

Time added if captured: 4 minutes

• Lobby: Underneath the roof is a complex of several rooms. BLU frequently prepares for assaults up the stairs to the roof here.
• Roof: The top of the building the overlooks B. Similarly to the ridge on A, whoever controls this controls the checkpoint, so Engineers on RED will attempt to secure this area.
• Front Steps and The Back Steps: The two stairways to The Roof. The front steps approach from the first checkpoint, while the back steps approach from the second checkpoint and the back yard.
• Back Roof: This large expanse of area features excellent cover and several health kits. It is an ideal place for BLU to launch volleys of spam onto the roof.
• Back Yard: (also The Courtyard) This is the large area behind the roof.
• Alcove: This is the open room opposite the checkpoint from the roof.
• BLU Forward Spawn: When BLU captures C, their spawn moves right outside B. The spawn has a single exit that leads down a small staircase to B.

• Badwater second point.jpg

  Second Checkpoint

• Badwater roof.jpg

  The Roof

• Badwater back roof.jpg

  The Back-Roof

Checkpoint C

Time added if captured: 5 minutes

• Bridge: This enclosed bridge cuts across the low checkpoint of the map, forcing BLU to go underneath and face volleys of fire.
• Bridge Room: The room inside the Bridge is a common site of Engineer nests, owing to its defensibility.
• Side Room: This room provides a path from B onto the bridge. It lets out onto a deck that is popular with BLU Snipers.
• Attic: (also The Loft or The Balcony) A two-story building that BLU cannot easily access without capturing C. The heart of RED's defense while on C. The loft generally refers to the back area of the attic, while the balcony generally refers to the front areas of the attic.

• Badwater third point.jpg

  Third Checkpoint

• Badwater side room.jpg

  The Side Room

• Badwater bridge room.jpg

  The room on the Bridge

Final Checkpoint

• Alley: The last chokepoint before the final checkpoint. Both BLU and RED use this area as a base, and the corners are the focus of the fighting during the assault on the final checkpoint.
• Pit: The entire lower level is often called this. This is where most of the action takes place.
• Sniper Hut: (also Sniper Tower) Up a short flight of stairs, with an open window overlooking part the Pit, this is the final Sniper deck for BLU. Demomen and Soldiers often come here as well. Engineers will also occasionally forward-base here.
• Map Room: (also called the Window Room) These two rooms branch off the alley and lead to open windows that overlook the final checkpoint. The windows are frequently utilized by BLU to avoid the second corner of the alley. The room has a big map on its wall, lending it the name "Map Room." The room between the map room and the third checkpoint is commonly called "The Outer Map Room."
• Overhangs: (also Garages) Underneath the map room and underneath decking across from the map room are two sheltered areas that face the checkpoint. Almost always the site of Engineer nests.
• Spiral: (also Spiral Staircase) A spiral staircase rising from the lower level of the checkpoint to a deck off to the side of the Sniper Hut. RED can flank into and through the Back Yard and Chicken Wire Room this way when BLU holds the Alley. The deck is elevated enough to limit the classes on BLU that can access this flank.
• Back Yard: This is the area between the Sniper Hut and the Spiral. Small skirmishes often occur here.
• Chicken Wire Room: This is the room located between the third checkpoint and the Sniper Hut. RED often tries to flank through this room.
• Platform: The platform is a small pathway which curves around the Pit, stretching from the front of RED's upper spawn to the back yard.
• RED Spawn #1 : RED team has two separate spawns for this map. The first is located on the top floor, with two exits. One exit leads to a one way door shortcut to B and the staircase to C, and the other exit to D. The shortcut door locks when B is captured by BLU.
• RED Spawn #2 : A small, single room spawn located on the floor below the first spawn, with a single exit up a slope behind D. RED players will not spawn here until B has been captured by BLU.

• Badwater final point blu.jpg

  Final Checkpoint (Offensive View)

• Badwater final point red.jpg

  Final Checkpoint (Defensive View)

• Badwater alley.jpg

  The Alley

• Badwater sniper hut.jpg

  Back Yard (The area behind the Sniper Hut)

Strategy

Main article: Community Badwater Basin strategy

Update history

August 19, 2008 Patch (Heavy Update)

• Added Badwater Basin to the game.

July 18, 2011 Patch

• [Undocumented] Added a "Grocket" to this map.

December 15, 2011 Patch (Australian Christmas 2011)

• [Undocumented] Removed the crashed rocket from this map.

August 10, 2012 Patch

• [Undocumented] Added a "Carrier tank" to this map.

July 10, 2013 Patch

• Fixed player clip brush exploits and missing player clip brushes on roofs and rock walls
• Fixed player clip smoothing
• Fixed fence collisions
• Fixed floating rocks in skybox
• Fixed lighting on props
• Fixed lighting on canyon vista
• Handrails no longer collide with bullets and projectiles
• Performance increase through poly reduction, model collision reduction and model fade distances
• Players can no longer build inside Blu spawn room
• Players can no longer be trapped with Teleporters under the sign by the first capture point
• Players can no longer enter the room overlooking the final cap through the windows before point 3 is captured
• Players will now be crushed by closing doors upon the capture of point 2

July 15, 2015 Patch

• Fixed an exploit related to the final control point and dropped weapons on Badwater Basin, Barnblitz, Borneo, and Gold Rush.

September 10, 2015 Patch

• [Undocumented] Added saucers and posters to Badwater Basin.

November 25, 2015 Patch

• [Undocumented] Removed Saucers and Posters from all maps.

October 21, 2016 Patch (Scream Fortress 2016)

• Added pl_badwater to the Competitive maps list.

October 30, 2017 Patch

• Updated pl_badwater to improve hit detection around some of the staircases.

March 28, 2018 Patch #1

• Fixed a few cases where Pyros could shoot through spawn doors.

April 17, 2019 Patch

• Fixed being able to build outside the map on Badwater Basin.

Bugs

• Teleporter exits built very close to the white pipe near the first checkpoint will clip players into the wall.
• Players can get stuck in the signs that pop up on capture of C.
  • It is also possible to get stuck between the two vents that exchange position after the second point is captured.
• Bots may get stuck in a corner in BLU's forward spawn after the third point is captured, this is shown here.

Trivia

• The Badlands area of Badwater Basin is referenced in maps presented in TF2 media:
  • In the "The Map of Mann Land" of the Engineer Update, Badwater Basin is depicted in the shape of Australia.
  • The maps of the TF2 Badlands, depicted in the comic Shadow Boxers, shows that the Badwater Basin shown in the "The Map of Mann Land" is referenced to the Valles Caldera, a large basin with toxic sulphur springs.
• Badwater Basin is a basin in Death Valley, California, notable for having the lowest elevation in North America.

Gallery

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  The board that appeared on the map, as of Smissmas 2013.

Promotional

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Official screenshots

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See also

• Bloodwater

External links

• Official announcement page
• Information about pre-release version at TF2Maps.net