| LEGEND | |
|---|---|
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Police Deployment |
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Criminal Deployment |
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Extraction Point |
- The VIP and law enforcement team start the round near the Houses, on the west side of the map. During the early moments of the round consider taking temporary residence inside the Condo. This is an excellent place for the VIP to hide out while the rest of the team secures the area around the Apartments and Strip Mall. But the VIP should never be left alone; leave at least one team member to hang back and serve as a bodyguard. Also, consider booby-trapping the Condo with laser tripmines to further insulate the VIP from attacks. When your teammates have eliminated a majority of the opposing team, they can return to the Condo and resume escorting the VIP to one of the extraction points.
- The criminal team is tasked with preventing the VIP from accessing one of the two extraction points, both located at the Strip Mall. Extraction point A is located in the vacant store and extraction point (B) is in the liquor store. The opposing team is most likely to gain entry to each extraction point from the west, entering through the large doors behind each business. But it’s important to note that the east side of the Strip Mall is accessible, allowing the law enforcement team to flank, entering from each building’s front side. Extraction point (A) can also be accessed through a door on the building’s north side. So when defending here, don’t get tunnel vision, constantly staring off to the west. Consider deploying gadgets like cameras or laser tripmines to detect flank attacks.
- As in all Crosshair matches, the criminal team faces the dilemma of either locking down the extraction points or aggressively attacking the law enforcement team in hopes of neutralizing the VIP. Both strategies have their merits on this map, so consider alternating your tactics to keep the opposing team on their toes. When locking down the extraction points, camp the parking lot behind the Strip Mall in an effort to ambush the VIP, but don’t forget to watch the Street and Alley to prevent SWAT from sneaking up on you. When attacking, make an aggressive push toward the Apartments, hopefully catching the VIP and escorts off-guard as they near the Condo.
- When escorting the VIP there are three distinct lanes on this map, each with their benefits and hazards. The flanking paths, along the Street and Alley, offer quick access to the extraction points, but provide limited cover. Bring along smoke grenades when advancing through these open areas. The center path, through the buildings, provides the most cover. But cover works both ways—what’s cover for the VIP is a potential hiding spot for the criminals. In most rounds it’s important to be reactive to the situation, taking the path of least resistance. So while you may start off going through the center of the map, it may be necessary to detour along the Alley or Street as you encounter resistance.
- Whether attempting to escort or assassinate the VIP, both teams should rely on gadgets to keep tabs on the opposing team’s whereabouts. Cameras, deployed by the professional, are extremely helpful here. Consider placing them near the Apartments to detect enemy movement. The decoy is equally effective, particularly for the law enforcement team, serving as a lure to draw criminals away from the extraction points. If you want a better perspective, bring along a grappling hook and climb to the roof of the Apartments or Condo. If you’re feeling daring, consider ziplining from the apartment rooftops toward the extraction points for a quick escape as the VIP.
The VIP usually goes down one of the two side Alleys, but don’t forget, you can grapple over the Houses too! —Ben Gaciu, System Designer
As the law enforcement team, mix it up. Feint in a direction and quickly move to the opposite side to push forward behind the enemy. —Evan Champlin, Senior Multiplayer Designer