Decoy

Decoy
Basic Information
Developer(s):	Unknown
Map Info
Environment:	Desert
Setting:	Daylight, sunny
Map Photos
Map Overview

“

But if there is one thing we can do that these machines cannot, it is this: we can lie! We will lie to them on the beaches! We will lie to them in the beach parking lot! We may even lie to them on non-beach-related property! About the quality of our munitions! About the strength of our will! We will even lie about lying! That is how deep this rabbit hole goes! But the most important lie we will tell is this: Where the Mann Co. facilities are!

— Soldier

”

Decoy is a Mann vs. Machine map, released in the Mann vs. Machine Update. Decoy is an abandoned town built near an anthracite coal mine and gravel quarry. In preparation for Gray Mann's robot invasion, the buildings have been poorly altered by the Soldier to resemble a crude facsimile of a Mann Co. facility. The map contains 7 missions: the Normal mission Doe's Drill; the Intermediate missions Doe's Doom and Day of Wreckening; the Advanced missions Disk Deletion, Data Demolition, and Disintegration; and the Expert mission Desperation.

File:Decoy Overview.jpg

Overview of the map.

Locations

'Mann Co Hatch of Great Importance': The 'bomb hatch' of the map. Contains three different pathways for robots.
Base Bridges: Two bridges connect the hatch to the rest of the map. Under the bridges is a ditch with two side tunnels to the topside. There's a couple crates that players can use to jump onto a broken staircase for a quicker way back to the hatch.
Left Cliff: Accessable from the left side of the central base. Contains max Health and Ammo kits and access to the Left Structure.
Center structures: The structure in the center of the map. Contains roof access in the back. Inside the building is a Medium Ammo Pickup. The inside also serves as a hiding place for a Teleport.
Left Structure: Contains access via ramp in the front.
Right Structure: Underneath is an interior pathway containing a lone Medium Health Kit.
Structure Bridge: The central bridge that connects the two side structures. The first line of defense in front of the robot spawn.

Strategy

Main article: Community Decoy strategy

Update history

August 15, 2012 Patch (Mann vs. Machine Update)

Added Decoy to the game.

September 4, 2012 Patch

Updated Mvm_Decoy

September 10, 2015 Patch

[Undocumented] Added saucers and posters to Decoy.

Bugs

Engineers are currently able to place Teleporters in the top robot spawn. While robots can escape that area, players are trapped until death, unless they have bought the 2-Way Teleporter upgrade. Once on the spawn, it is possible to place other buildings such as Sentry Guns and Dispensers.
On the right side of the house in the middle, bots can get stuck on the bomb if it is dropped there.

Trivia

In Doomsday, a secret room contains a map with a picture resembling Decoy labelled "Cactus Valley", despite Doomsday being released before Mann vs. Machine was announced. In Decoy, a large wooden sign on one of the buildings near the center of the map says "Cactus Valley" on it, and the tutorial video shown before the player enters the map is called "cactus_valley.wav".
Decoy was later mentioned in Shadow Boxers, when Gray Mann's robot army refer to the Soldier as "the genius who masterminded the decoy base."
In the building to the right facing the robot spawn is a room filled with half-done and misspelled wooden signs along with several cans of white paint and paintbrushes, obvious failed attempts at making signs by the Soldier during construction of Decoy.