Steel is a complex Attack/Defend Control Point map, with some unique gameplay. Steel is one of the community maps chosen by Valve as honorary official maps due to their high quality.
Unlike most Team Fortress 2 maps, capturing a control point modifies the layout of the map, opening and closing routes for each team. As a result, the offensive team has a wide variety of tactical choices around how they'd like to assault the final point.
Unlike normal linear Control Point maps, Steel allows the attacking team, BLU, to capture the final point, no matter how many other points have been captured. However, the more points BLU captures, the more ways they can get to the final capture point, as well as pushing back the RED team's spawn and closing off their routes. One point and 3 minutes of time is awarded for each point captured. If E is captured then the BLU team will score 5 points overall for the round, no matter how many points they captured leading up to their victory.
Capturing A opens additional paths to B and E. Capturing B moves RED's spawnroom and also opens an additional route to C. Capturing C extends bridges to E. Capturing D blocks RED from easily reaching E, and extends guardrails on the bridges.
Introduction video
Locations
Overview of the map. (Large file)
Spawn areas
BLU Spawn: A train station at the very bottom of the map. The base has three exits, two to Command Point A (one low and one high), and one to Command Point B. From spawn orientation, Point A is to the right and point B is to the left.
RED Initial Spawn: A small room with exits leading to A, B and E. From spawn orientation, A is to the left, B is to the right and E is forward.
RED Second Spawn: After BLU captures point B, RED is forced to spawn between points C and D. From spawn orientation, C is to the left, D is to the right and E is forward. After BLU captures point D, the exit to E is closed off.
Control Point A
- Shipping Dock: Point A is a shipping dock located directly to the left of RED's initial spawn. BLU is required to climb up a short hill to get to the point at the top, while a couple of walls surrounding the point prevent RED from directly firing at the point. The higher exit from BLU's base leads to the top of a wall. Capturing point A immediately opens a door to the right of the point leading to B, as well as a slow-opening door directly on the point that leads to D and E. RED spawn's door to A becomes sealed.
Control Point B
- Truck Yard: Point B is located to the right of RED's initial spawn and is partially protected by a small wall facing the RED spawn. There is only one path leading to B before A is captured, while capturing A opens up another. RED's entrance to point B leads into a small 2 story building with a window at the top that can shoot out onto the whole B area except for the closest half of point B. Blue's spawn exit has a passageway off the side which leads to a small overlook and a shack that Snipers may use in attacking B. To the left of point B and just off of the building in front of RED's spawn is a passageway that leads to point E and then a ledge in the C area. Capturing point B causes a door to slowly open to point C and also moves RED's spawn to the opposite side of point E.
Control Point C
- Canyon: Point C is located on an elevated platform north of point B. The hill leading up from B spikes down into a canyon. Several large rocks provide cover from incoming fire on the B side. There are two sets of stairs to get onto C, one on the outside with no cover, and on to the right which is a small tunnel. RED has a choice of 2 doorways to defend from, one of which includes a small wall on the B side. Capturing C causes three bridges to extend to point E very slowly.
Control Point D
- Storehouse: Point D is located directly next to RED's second spawn, on the opposite side of C. A narrow hallway with a small ledge connects C and D, but one must travel in front of RED's back spawn. RED can also see anyone moving through this hallway by way of a window above their exit to point E, but the window is closed off when the exit is. Capturing D raises guardrails on the bridges and also seals off RED spawn's closest exit to E.
Control Point E
- Launch Pad: Point E is located in the center of the base, on a small platform above a deep pit. At first, only Scouts, Soldiers, Demomen and Pyros using the Detonator can effectively reach it, but once C is captured, bridges appear and allow all classes to get to the point. Point E is available from the start of the round, but capturing all the other points can make E easier to capture. If RED successfully defends E to the end of the round, the rocket above the point blasts off and kills anyone caught in its exhaust path.
Strategy
Control Point timing
| Control Point A
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| Control Point B
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| Control Point C
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×1
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| Control Point D
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×1
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| Control Point E
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×1
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Update history
August 19, 2008 Patch (
A Heavy Update)
December 21, 2010 Patch
- Fixed Steel not loading properly, as it would return the user to the Main Menu instead.
January 26, 2012 Patch
- Localized the team goal strings
July 10, 2013 Patch
- Fixed players blocking Blu's spawn exit door leading to capture point B
- Fixed collision on ledge near capture point B
- Players can no longer build inside Red spawn room.
- Blu spawn point over grate removed.
Bugs
- In the first RED spawn, any class that is able to jump onto the suspended wooden beams above the area with the exits to point B and E can avoid being transferred to the other spawn after BLU captures B. Touching the ground again will immediately teleport them.
- Before the metal doors on The Dock open, a Pyro on the opposite side of the doors can harm players with their flamethrower.
- If an Engineer builds a Dispenser in front of the supply locker in BLU spawn, and any class switches their loadouts with completely different weapons, the player will go into Civilian mode. This also can be done on Frontier.
- Additionally, if a Heavy changes his melee weapon while standing inside the Dispenser while equipping the Buffalo Steak Sandvich, they will be left with no melee weapon. If the Steak Sandvich is eaten, the mini-crits will be granted to the Heavy's Minigun instead. This can also be done on Frontier.
- If a player attempts to go on the Launch Pad while one of the bridges is extending, they may be caught between the bridge and the control point, resulting in them being pushed inside the point. Being inside the control point will count as defending it on RED team, and counts as capturing it on BLU, as seen in this video.
Trivia
- The initials of Jamie "Fishbus" Manson, the map's designer, can be found in one of the upper rooms overlooking point E. It can only be reached with the noclip command.
