High ground advantage

High Ground Advantage is a phrase sometimes used in strategy discussions, and (since it is such strategically important consideration) map design, in essence meaning that one player (or team) is at a higher altitude than another. This is important for classes using projectile weapons. High ground advantage comes in three forms, sloped and absolute; sloped high ground advantage is when the lower player can walk relatively directly towards the higher.

There are two advantages to holding the high ground; the first, mobility, since it is easier for all classes to fall down than it is to climb up, and secondly, certain weapons are less effective going uphill.

Weapons effected by High Ground advantage

• All variations of the Rocket Launcher are effected primarily by the fact that one of the more reliable strategies for them is to aim for the ground near the target, and rely on splash damage; as such, high ground advantage is highly relevant to all Soldier primaries.
• Grenade Launchers are also effected by high ground advantage, since the arc is significantly effected by gravity, and the post-bounce scatter effect is significantly effected by sloped surfaces.
• The Stickybomb Launcher and Scottish Resistance are mostly effected by the gravity arc, although the direction they travel when scattered as a result of an airblast or nearby explosion is effected by gravity.
• The Syringe Gun and its variations, along with the Huntsman, with an arc effected by gravity, have a slightly longer range going downhill than up.
  • The same is true of Jarate and Mad Milk, but to a slightly larger extent, being splash weapons with an easier aim when fired downwards.
• Advanced Spies have strategies that take advantage of high ground to gain a backstab; see the Backstabbing article for a few variations on the technique.