Community Gravel Pit strategy

Gravel Pit strategy.

General

• Pick a Point

Frequently, defenders will pick one point (A or B) to defend, and offense groups will strike heavily at one or the other at the start of the match. It is up to your team to decide if this is a valid strategy. It is common for defending Pyros or Spies to invade the poorly defended point to clear it.

• General Defense

There are many enclosed areas in the first two areas, so bring Medics and watch out for Demomen and Pyros. Intelligent Sentry Gun placement can make a big difference.

• General Assault

Consider flanking enemy forces, especially once you've taken one of the initial points. Generally the RED team will be too focused on getting back to the other point to notice that you're Backstabbing or sniping them.

Capture Point A

• Defense: Defending capture point A can be challenging since there are more ways to assault it and less defensive areas at the point. Early in the round, some players like to try to repel invading BLU team members on the two ramps along the outside of the area. Engineers tend to set up Sentry Guns inside the building with the point. Another interesting place to set up is beneath the BLU exit. Sentry Guns can even be placed in the BLU exit itself: if an Engineer builds a Dispenser below the exit, he can jump on top of it which will allow him to place a Sentry Gun in the exit tunnel. Pyros can surprise enemy players, who assume this area to be empty.

• Offense: Sentry Guns in the building with the CP are easy to remove, since you have many angles of attack and the building provides only limited protection. Watch out for Sticky bombs on the door while you are exiting the starting area when the round begins, as this is a popular strategy.

Sometimes, the defenders will set up 3 or 4 level 3 Sentry Guns around the point. The best way to take them down is to have a Spy disable them and have Demomen and Soldiers charge in and destroy them. Once the Sentry Guns are down, it is very easy to take the point. Have Snipers watch the entryway from C to A. Also be ready for any Pyros running up the stairs that are closest to the point. This is a popular defense tactic. Have your Demoman place Sticky bombs up the point so if Pyros do break through, they will be killed before they can do much (or any) damage.

Capture Point B

• Defense: Most rounds start with a Heavy defense at Capture Point B. Sentry Guns inside the building and on the ramp out in front of the building can be difficult to remove. Demomen can get on top of the building and lob grenades or set Sticky bombs on the point. Soldiers can also get onto the building using rocket jumps, as well as Scouts using the Force-A-Nature.

In particular, an Engineer that can build a Sentry Gun on the roof of the point can greatly assist in defense. Such a position is hard for enemies to reach reliably, and has an excellent field of view for defending the point.

• Offense: Spies should focus on taking out any Sentry Guns that can hit the BLU entry hall. Demomen are good at clearing the CP room once the outer area is clear. Pyros and Medics should try to hold the point, but expect Heavy resistance.

Do a Rocket/Grenade jump onto the roof of B. Shoot through the windows to destroy their defense and Sentry Guns. Just remember, there's no health and ammo up there. However, if you are close to the edge of the roof, a Medic will be able to heal you.

Capture Point C

• Defense: If one of the initial points is taken, check C for Scouts and Spies. They like to camp there so they can instantly capture C when both initial points are captured.

There are four routes into the defensive area; the left side, the right side (on the ramp or from below via the tunnel) and directly from in front. A highly effective solution to this is to have one Sentry Gun on each side of the map, at the top of the ramps leading to the ledges. This covers the left and right sides, leaving the direct route from in front and the right side tunnel. (Both Sentry Guns need a Sentry Gun guard, preferably a Soldier, to prevent the enemy having enough time to set up Sticky traps around the guns, or kill them with splash damage, etc, and to protect against Spies).

The direct entrance is fairly easily held by two or so players simply fighting at that exit; a Sticky trap here is effective. This leaves the right side tunnel which is fairly well covered by the right side Sentry Gun; any enemy who comes through that route must come into view of the Sentry Gun. The Sentry Gun guard will protect against a Demoman trying to lob grenades onto the Sentry Gun from cover.

If these defenses fail, the only remedy is direct combat. If this happens and the offense uses ÜberCharges to clear the tower, a Pyro can stand in the rear area of the point and use compression blast on anyone that makes it to the top. This can force the ÜberCharge back to the base of the tower.

The Compression Blast strategy is also effective against Soldiers and Demomen who try to Rocket/Sticky-jump from the small shed across from the A corridor up to Capture Point C. The damage from the explosion and the resulting fall from being pushed back can sometimes kill already weakened opponents. Even if it doesn't, it's still a long, dangerous hike back to the top of the tower.

• Offense: Watch for Sentry Guns, and try to take them out from a distance. Soldiers and Demomen can skip many of the ramps by rocket or grenade jumping. Another popular strategy is to have a Spy waiting on Cap C (even easier with the Cloak and Dagger) when you capture the last of the other two points. Generally there are only light defenses while C is locked, so the Spy should be able to survive. If the point is heavily defended, Demomen are very useful.

The CP can be easily reached by a Soldier or Demoman through Rocket jumping or Sticky jumping, respectively. To do this, begin by approaching the C area through the tunnel between areas A and C. Take the right exit from the tunnels to the C area. There is a small building between the tunnel exit and the CP. The roof of this building can be seen while looking out of the exit of the tunnels. As a Soldier, leap on this roof and Rocket jump to the CP. As a Demoman, fire a Sticky bomb onto the roof and leap onto the roof while detonating the bomb. Both of these methods should propel the player onto the CP. You can also reach the CP by Rocket Jumping from the left tunnel from A (Don't take the downward stairs) or from the Capture Point B entrances. These approaches, however, are slightly riskier, as defenders usually gather around these areas.

As a Pyro, try to reach the CP unnoticed. While it's not too spectacular, you can rush onto the top of the structure while both teams are busy fighting each other. Once you're up there feel to wreak havoc with your Flamethrower as due to the size of the platform, a lone Pyro can wipe out the defenses by himself. If the CP is already occupied by an Engineer, the best tactic is to team up with any nearby Spy. The Spy will sap the Sentry Gun by any possible means, giving the Pyro a split-second to go in and burn the place down.

 Scout

• When on offense, try to stick to one Control point depending on how many people are assaulting the point. Let your teammates soak up enemy fire; you can dash into the point as soon as it is safe. B is usually the better bet since the Engineers Sentry Guns are highly unlikely to be finished when the round proper begins.

• Another valid tactic is to head straight to Point C and wait on the roof of the point before the enemy sets up defenses. If your teammates keep the enemy busy, you may be able to capture it before any enemies can get to you.

• Defending Gravel Pit as a Scout may or may not be such a good idea, depending on how well you can avoid enemy fire, but the various flanking routes available (such as the tunnel between B and A) give you an advantage and the possibility to take down enemy Medics.

 Soldier

• Use the roof of Point B to your advantage. It is a great place for Soldiers, you can watch over the point as well as the paths leading from the enemy spawn. If you are on the roof, be wary of enemy Snipers, Demomen and Soldiers.

• You can rocket jump onto the roofs of the small huts surrounding Point A for a height advantage, and a clear view of all incoming attackers.

• When defending or attacking Point C, you can reach the peak of the tower with a rocket jump by jumping onto the roof of the small house that is in front of the point. This allows you to either quickly attack, or quickly defend the point, depending on what team you are on.

 Pyro

• Due to the open nature of the map, it is hard for Pyros to perform ambushes in general. Use the rocks and ramps as cover, and take advantage of corners whenever possible.

• Take the road less traveled. There is almost always more than one way to a given point on the map, so check which way the majority of the team is going, and go the other route. When fighting for Control Points A and B, traversing on the path between the two points can achieve many surprise kills.

• Due to its isolated nature, Control Point A is often undefended, and RED team will rarely offer more than token resistance in defending it. Due to this, it is possible for a RED Pyro to execute devastating ambushes since BLU players will rarely expect any serious resistance. By hiding underneath the capture point (in the shack with the healthpack), Pyros can often set the enemy team ablaze by coming up the stairs. At worst, it'll just be a minor annoyance and slightly delay their capture. At best, it can kill a few players and force an ÜberCharge.

• Control Point B is often very well-defended, and its open nature makes it hard to perform ambushes. Try to use the house as cover when cornering to ambush, be careful of attacks that may come through the windows.

• The areas connecting Control Points A and B to Control Point C are well-suited for ambushes. Use the corridors to restrict enemy movement, but be sure to always have an escape route handy.

• Compression blast is invaluable on Control Point C, both on RED and on BLU. Use it to force enemies off the point or deny a rocket-jumping Soldier from accessing it.

 Demoman

• When defending Point B, remember that the entire room counts as the point, so spread your Stickybombs out as much as possible.

• Grenade jump onto the roof of Point B, and rain Stickybombs and Grenades down upon advancing enemies.

• Place Stickybombs around the attacking team's exits. They should need to be low enough that the enemy can't see them, you can then take out anything that comes toward the point you're defending.

• When defending the last point, remember that you can launch your Stickybombs long distances. You do not need to be up at the top in order to replace them.

 Heavy

• An ideal map for the Heavy as his high health can get your team a foothold in heavily defended areas.

• Be sure to use the small areas on the Capture Points to your advantage, but make sure to have someone cover your flank as there are alternate entrances from both sides to take both points.

• Gravel Pit favors Snipers with its long sight lines and relatively limited amounts of cover at places. Counter this by taking an alternate route to hit the enemy. There is always more than one way to approach the other team.

• Point C is a double-edged sword for Heavies. While the cramped space on the tower leading up to C and the point itself means their firepower can tear up opponents, the multiple angles of attack in C's direction makes it hard to defend on the point.

• Use the Minigun's knockback to push Soldiers, Übered or otherwise, out of their trajectory and away from Point C (this works especially well with Natascha also, as if they do happen to land they will be adequately pinned down).

• While difficult to pull off, a hilarious option for RED Heavies is to scale the rock 'pillar' on the right side of the left-hand exit from BLU spawn to A (the exit nearest the mining tunnel). Two tricky crouch-strafe jumps will allow him access to tunnel to spawn, where BLU can be warmly greeted by a large Russian man and his gun. Most teams don't see it coming, and throwing in a Kritzkrieg assuming the Medic can get up there makes this even more successful when pulled off correctly.

 Engineer

Consider the following locations for placing a Sentry Gun nest when playing on RED:

General

• Build a Dispenser along the wall under one of the tunnel exits at either control point A or B. You should be able to jump-crouch on to the Dispenser, and then jump-crouch into the tunnel normally only accessible by the other team and begin building in there. A few Engineers inside that tunnel should keep the enemies at bay for some time.

Control point A

• Just in front of the little hut adjacent to the point. You should aim it so that it faces the edge of the map, and thus pans from the point to the start of the hill. The advantage of putting a Sentry Gun here is that it's very hard to hit with splash damage because it's uphill. You can also put your Sentry Gun in the hut. The only way to take it out is by using a Demoman (or a skilled Soldier), or ranging it from the C side of the point, and this is where the next Sentry Gun comes into play.

• Behind the Control point, covering the left-side approach to the A/C connector. You should build it just outside of the Control point, but with the Sentry Gun's back to the Control point (just before the corner of the Control point). The sole purpose of this Sentry Gun is to cover the previous Sentry Gun. You should build it so that you can stand inside the relative comfort of the Control point and still be able to repair the Sentry Gun. This also protects the Sentry Gun from splash damage. Note that this one has a slight weakness to the ramp entrance of the Control point due to the tracking time required to shoot from that direction.

Control point B

• Behind the rocks by the left BLU respawn area. By putting a Dispenser against the rocks, and then placing the Sentry Gun against the Dispenser, you create an encampment that covers from the left side of the rocks, to the entrance of Capture point B. The rocks protect it from attacks from the BLU spawn, and the angles make it hard to hit from the right point without being in range (though it is possible).

• Under the left stairs leading from Capture point C to point B. Don't build it right against the wall, but rather build it such that the Sentry Gun is pointing to the back entrance of Capture point B (with line of sight), and so that you can hide under the ramp with a Dispenser and repair it.

Control point C

• On either ramp leading up to the tower (the big metal ones). The trick to making this Sentry Gun deadly is in its position. You want it facing the tower, and back against the rock wall (use alternate fire, and the Sentry Gun should be at roughly a 45 degree angle). You also want to put it about 2/3rds of the way up the ramp, not at the top of the ramp. The idea is to build it such that when it's fully upgraded only the guns and Rocket Launcher are visible. This allows the Sentry Gun to attack, but minimizes what is visible (due to the height difference, and the little wall at the entrance from Capture point B). One of these on each ramp, blocks all access to the tower, and can even hit people at the top.

• On either of the second landings of the tower (in the corners). The ramps up to the 3rd landing protect it from the middle entrance to Capture point C, and it's in range to attack most people from the side entrances (except Soldiers). As long as you sit there and spam repair the Sentry Gun, it should stay up with anything less than two Soldiers hitting it.

 Medic

Attack

• This map works well with either the ÜberCharge or the Kritzkrieg as many of the potential Sentry Gun locations can be fired at from outside their range. If you find a Sentry Gun that you will not be able to take down despite having a Kritzkrieg, simply ask an explosive or ranged class to deal with the Sentry Gun before rushing in (if necessary, you can also use the Syringe Gun's needle arc to hit an unattended Sentry Gun).

• When coming out of the door to A, it may be worth using a normal ÜberCharge straight away to save you or your patient from being killed by stickytraps. However, if you plan to do this, make sure that the stickytraps cannot be cleared any other way, and that the enemy are close enough for your charge to do some damage after pushing out.

• When capturing A, stay with a potential charge target near the door/corridor going to C. This will reduce your chances of being backstabbed as Spies will usually try to kill a person or two when a crowd of people is on the point itself, and will deny the RED team any chances to manually block the point.

• When jumping out of the far right door at B, use your charge regardless of what type it is (unless there is a Sentry Gun and you are using the Kritzkrieg, in which case stay hidden until you know it's safe to rush in). This will at the very least serve as a distraction so friendly players can dispose of any defenses and shift the RED team's attention away from other potential entrances to the point, such as the rear ramp or the roof for high jumping classes.

• When running from one point to another via the C entrances and exits, make sure not to be seen by any spawning RED players. If you are, make it imperative that as soon as you can use it effectively, deploy the ÜberCharge to decrease the chances of you losing your charge to any enemies trying to come up behind you.

• Übercharging in to destroy Sentry Guns at C is probably your best bet, as using it at the bottom of the point will be a waste since you will need to spend the time running up to the capture zone, and on the point itself you will be unable to capture the point while Übered (allowing the RED team to simply knock you off and completely waste your efforts).

• A Kritzkrieg can also be used with a Demoman or Soldier to good effect on the last point, as you can fire Critical explosives up at any enemies congregating on the point. That said, be particularly careful of ambushing Pyros from the left or right sides, and also reflecting Pyros on the point itself (the distance from the area entrances to the point being long enough for Pyros to easily time their reflects and aim them appropriately).

Defense

• If you can manage it, charge a Kritzkrieg before the round starts. This will allow you to reliably charge a Soldier or Demoman, hurling highly damaging explosives into the BLU spawn and possibly killing many players (thus buying your team more time to build up their defenses).

• If nobody except you and a patient are at A when the round starts, hide under the point next to the health pack. This will mean that when the BLU team pushes onto the point en masse, you can charge up there and kill a large amount of them (depending on the class you have Übercharged), also blocking the capture in the process.

• At B, the best thing you can do is charge an ÜberCharge and then simply wait for the BLU team to push in. This will mean you can counter Über them, prompting them to run away and lose focus on the point (also giving you a window of opportunity to kill them as they flee).
• A Kritzkrieg can be very useful around the B point for disposing of any BLU players scattered around the point during a push, minus those that are Übercharged. This means you can wipe out any flanking classes and try to protect the point with Crits, should the enemies be in the process of capturing it.

• At C, the normal ÜberCharge comes in very handy for destroying any forward bases BLU Engineers have put up. The most common of these arrangements are situated in the halls to the right of C, also serving as the corridor between A and C. Any Sentry Guns here, with the exception of those placed in the exit doorway to A, can be destroyed via splash damage or round corners, allowing you to save your charge for the BLU team themselves. When trying to push the BLU team back from this area, make sure that your team has other players on the opposite side of the hallway, otherwise the enemies might simply be displaced to the C point area instead of back into A.

• Charging on the point can also be used to block it should a BLU push be successful, acting as a temporary block on the capture. However, the small area and high altitude of the point make being knocked back a problem, as if you are airblasted or shot off you are unlikely to make it back up in time to stop the capture.

• When attempting to push the BLU team right back into one of the previous points, be alert as to the status of point C and try to keep within a certain distance from it. Otherwise, you may push too far out and leave it open to Backcapping from Spies or Scouts.

 Sniper

General

• Gravel Pit's long sight lines favor Snipers, and almost all approaches to the capture points are marked by areas that one or two Snipers can readily cover. As BLU, anticipate at least one RED Sniper with the team in each CP, and as RED, remember that BLU has several protected sniping areas that you do not.

• When on BLU, you're somewhat limited in what you can do. BLU is bottlenecked very badly when exiting spawn into both A and B. However, once your team has taken ground at either point, the bottleneck becomes less of a problem, allowing you to snipe enemies coming to fight off your teammates with greater ease. Also, after taking both A and B, enemies on the tower at C are vulnerable to Sniper fire. C is where you'll be able to do more damage.

• Look for alternate attack routes, especially on Point C. It is possible to snipe distracted defenders from multiple angles and sneak away quickly to another one before they can react.

Point A

• When defending A, there are four entrances to A to consider:
  • 2 spawn entrances,
  • The connecting tunnel, and
  • 1 entrance from C.

If B hasn't been taken then the C entrances doesn't pose much threat. A is undoubtedly the harder point to snipe at. There is no clear view into the bottlenecked spawn entrances, or any good cover. However, you can see most of the whole side of the map from the building that houses the control point.

Point B

• When defending B, there are 5 entrances to B that you must be aware of when sniping:
  • 2 coming from BLU spawn,
  • 2 coming from C, and
  • 1 connecting tunnel between A and B.

Again, if A hasn't been taken, then you don't have to worry about the C entrances very much if at all. The connecting tunnel entrance is positioned directly to the right of the right spawn exit, so watching both at the same time is relatively easy, yet somewhat inaccessible. The left exit, is a long tunnel that forces the BLU players into a bottleneck, and with a large rock outside of it offering a defensive Sniper cover, it makes a good spot for sniping.

Point C

• When defending Point C, either side of the spawn point gives a good field of fire and relative protection from Spies due to the long run to reach it. You can also shoot into the side hallways from here. Also, the tower that houses the final control point gives relatively good cover, and allows you a good view of all 3 entrances into C.

 Spy

• Since Gravel Pit has 2 initial Control points it can be useful to soften up a lesser defended point (sap Sentry Guns, backstab Snipers etc.) coordinated by an immediate rush by some of your team (a Scout rush works best in this situation) to easily capture the point. Usually this point is A because it's considered harder to defend.

• A Spy can be quite necessary on the most heavily defended Control point as there are usually at least one or two Sentry Guns that are supported by other players, making them almost indestructible. The best way to deal with these Sentry Guns is to co-ordinate with your team to sap the Sentry Gun and follow it with a push. Keep in mind that as you do this it's likely you'll be seen and killed.

• Defending Engineers will often create Teleporters from their respawn to their front line. If you sap these Teleporters it will slow down the defensive players, and also coax the Engineer(s) away from their Sentry Gun(s), allowing your team to destroy it easier. Keep in mind that doing this will often result in the C area to be Spy-checked, so the best idea would be to sap them, Cloak and then run back into your own territory.

• If you manage to sneak to point C, feel free to spawn camp as a RED players will hardly expect a Spy near the left spawn door they use the most; keep in mind that respawned victims may take the right door to pay you back.

• After the first point has been captured but before the second, you can Cloak up to the C point and camp there until the second point has been captured, when you can undisguise and quickly capture the point. It is likely that defenders will come up and kill you when they notice their point is being captured, but you may finish capping the point before they get there. This is position is easy to hold, because defenders rarely ever go up there until the second point is being captured, but you must make sure that they can't see you from the ground. If they do they'll usually start checking the point. Keep in mind though that the same task could be done with a Scout with usually a better outcome once you get on the point.