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Arena is a gamemode that came long ago to TF2, back in times of Heavy Update that introduced the horribly broken Natasha (back then it was, it so was…), underpowered sandwich and KGB that no one wanted to put aside for simple fists. The times changed as did the weapons, and so changed Arena.
Competitive Team Fortress 2 is an odd beast. On one hand, its goal is to quantify the most skill-based aspects of our beloved game to create an environment where the most skilled teams can prove it to their peers. Unfortunately, in order to do this they have to contend with the incredible amounts of unbalanced stuff that are hallmarks of the game; the unlocks are designed to be swapped out for the right situations, most of the classes are not designed to be played the whole time, and many of the maps give unfair advantages to offense, defense, or whichever team gains an early advantage. 6v6 deals with this by banning a fair amount of weapons and playing mostly 5CP, Highlander deals with this by restricting class switching and playing mainly payload.
Then there’s Ultiduo. One (specialized) map. One Soldier and Medic per team. The absolute core of the entire game. Can your combo beat the other combo when everything else is balanced to laboratory conditions?
Obviously this is not for everyone, but I’ve always had a blast playing Ultiduo. And considering its the third-most popular competitive format, I’m not alone. But since I can’t find anything on the internet giving advice on how to play it, I decided to write up a guide myself.
A while ago, I made a blog post about a popular derp map cp_orange_x3. I laid out a specific loadout that makes it quite easy to win.
Well, here’s another one! Balloon race is a popular game mode where teams race to capture points on a circular donut-shaped map with plenty of map obstacles in the way. Every point captured increases your balloon speed, and the balloon is (supposed to be) the only thing allowing you to continue forward on the map due to large pitfalls between checkpoints. It’s a shame there’s no class designed to fly incredible distances without losing all of his health.
Oh, wait, there is one. And its the exact same one that beat cp_orange_x3.
Boy oh boy do I love me some payload. At times I suspect it’s the most popular game mode in Team Fortress 2, probably because its asymmetrical nature keeps the battlefield fresh and changing, or because it always has the most visually exciting and dynamic map designs, or because it ends with a massive explosion.
Almost every payload comes with a particularly tough stretch. This is the hardest stretch for the attacking team, and usually pops up somewhere around the penultimate check point. It’s usually the longest stretch, and often the final stretch before the offensive spawn moves forward. All of these aspects are screaming “NEED A TELEPORTER HERE,” and everyone (including the defense) knows it. Here are some spots on popular payload maps that work brilliantly for you to stick your teleporter.
Each of these spots must fulfill three aspects: (1) They must be close enough to the final checkpoint so as to be useful to your teammates pushing the cart, (2) they must be moderately easy for you to defend, I’m thinking you should get at least 30 teleports in before anyone can kill you, (3) they must be hidden, to make #2 easier and just in general to keep enemies from knocking on your front door every five minutes.
Remember when I covered Medieval Mode? It’s a great mode. Really fun for eight out of 9 TF2 classes.
I’m reasonably certain you can guess which class gets shafted (and not just by arrows).
Yes, poor Engineer has had everything he’s ever built stolen from him, and left to fend for himself with a plethora of melee weapons designed to augment nonexistent sentry guns. He basically shouldn’t exist as a choice, and for the most part if you play Medieval Mode, you’ll find that his representation on cp_degrootkeep is sorely lacking. (If there are engies, that’s usually a sign your server is busting out the bots).
Well, I’ve put a lot of thought into it, and decided that there is a simple fix that would go a long way towards making him fill an actual role that would improve Medieval Mode. Namely give him his Short Circuit back.
Medieval Mode. You’ve heard of it. Sounds awesome. The Wiki page makes it look awesome. But is it awesome?
…
YES!
Ignore the haters, this mode is great. I can have a barrel of fun on cp_degrootkeep (and a lot of custom Medieval maps, but those are way harder to find people playing.) As almost any class.
Medieval Mode gets a lot of flak from most because it’s considered a “melee spamfest”, “void of all strategy” and “a horrific cluster♥♥♥♥ of arrows and demoknights.” And they may all have a point. But there are ways to play the game mode strategically and aid your team in winning the round on a consistent basis.