Reconnaissance

Battlefield Specifics

Fog

What you see is what you get on Blood Drive. This map doesn’t feature any interaction with the environment, nor does it have treacherous weather or locked doors. Instead, the map’s main environmental variable is the fog that impedes visibility across the map. It’s all but impossible to see the opposition’s spawn area atop the stairs from the other side of the map. Snipers who set up on the middle landing can see their counterparts on the landing across the map, but only slightly.

Spawn Point Awareness

The mad dash to the Torque Bow (or Longshot) makes it essential to exit the spawn room quickly and to know which way to go once you descend the stairs. Thanks to the two doorways in the spawn room, things can be a bit confusing in the opening moments. The first door just leads to a sniper’s nest, so ignore it. Instead, run through the doorway with the lamp on the doorjamb and continue the turn to start down the stairs. The Torque Bow is on the side of the street nearest the stairs.

East Spawn

If the draping boughs of red leaves are on the left side of the spawn room, then you are on the east side of the map. Head down the hall and out the door to the right. To secure the Torque Bow, sprint straight down the stairs and angle to the right once you’re on the street below the tracks.

West Spawn

If the branches of red tree leaves are on the right side of the starting point, then you are on the west side of the map. Sprint out the door on the left, continue the turn onto the stairs, and sprint straight down the stairs toward the street below. The Torque Bow is on the left.

Essential Tactics

• Rush the Torque Bow: Ready your lone Smoke Grenade and toss it at the bottom of your opponent’s stairs as you race toward the Torque Bow at the start of the map. Have one or two of your teammates move to the landing on the middle of your stairs to provide covering fire while you and two others rush for the Torque Bow. A lot of blood will be spilt in this initial flurry of activity, so be ready for it—have the Gnasher ready!
• It’s Raining Grenades!: With just one non-pistol pickup on this map and two grenade pickups, it’s not unusual for combat to involve quite a few proximity mines and lobbed grenades. Gather up the grenades in the hospital entrance on your team’s side while teammates rush the grenades under the tracks, opposite the Torque Bow. Position proximity mines on the pillars in the center of the map, then retreat up the stairs as you turn to lob them at your pursuers. As an alternative, you can try to coordinate a simultaneous carpet-bombing of the lower area with each of your team’s initial Smoke Grenade. Knock the opposing team members on their backs and rush in for the kill!
• I Want to Hold Your Head: Few maps make picking up a downed opponent to use as a shield as critical as it is here. The constant barrage of gunfire and grenade explosions makes it imperative to possess something that partially absorbs these impacts. Using a meat shield forces you to move slowly and employ only a pistol, but this isn’t necessarily a limitation thanks to the alternating Gorgon and Boltok Pistol pickups on this map. Turn around every now and then so you can see when your meat shield has been reduced to just a torso and head. You need a meat shield with arms and legs for full protection, so start looking for a new one when your current bullet sponge has been reduced to nubs and stubs.