1v1: Blood Gulch

A fast and brutal fight awaits in Blood Gulch. Teleporters allow for surprise attacks, while bonus Reactors offer opportunities for the aggressive strategies. This is essentially a flat central area stretching from east to west, with rocky upper areas to the north and south that house the Hooks and Sniper Towers.

Areas of Interest

Starting Bases: 2

Neutral Bases: 2

Teleporters: 2 (1 at entrance, 1 at exit)

Reactor Hooks: 2

Supply Hooks: 2

Sniper Towers: 6

There are two Teleporters on this map. Enter Teleporter 1 behind the UNSC base and exit it to the west, just below the northern Supply Hook. Enter Teleporter 2 behind the Covenant base and exit it to the east, adjacent but below the southern Reactor Hook. If you’re splitting forces, try sending some through the Teleporter to claim supply crates and the Reactor or Supply Hooks you’re far away from. Teleporters are also a good way to transport forces (especially slow-moving ones) near to a foe’s base. For this reason, keep a lookout for enemy troops at the Teleporter exits.

A key to commanding this map are the four Hooks, two on each side of the gulch. Notice there are two types: one adding to your Reactor total and the other giving you continuous supplies from an in-ground elevator. Depending on your play style, you may wish to secure one or both types (for example, Covenant forces have to spend many more supplies to raise Tech levels, but capturing a Reactor solves this issue quickly). Simply put, if you control the majority of these Hooks, you’re likely to be victorious. Train infantry early on to inhabit these locales and the nearby Sniper Towers.

This map has a bounteous harvest of supply crates, and collecting these (perhaps starting with crates farther away by using a Teleporter) is of great importance while you build your base. Because of the wealth of supplies, this leads you to quickly build light, fast-moving forces (e.g., Warthogs or Ghosts). This, coupled with the proximity of the enemy, makes Rushing or Scouting on a large scale two very viable plans.

Nestled toward the map’s center are two neutral bases; expect minimal resistance from either of them. These secondary bases can be advantageous but are risky to obtain because they are very close to your enemy. Instead, consider concentrating on the Supply and Reactor Hooks.

Although a wide variety of unit types work well in this gulch, of particular interest to Covenant players are the Brute Infantry with the Jump Pack upgrade. Their ability to quickly leap up to the Supply and Reactor Hooks and man them (instead of plodding there on foot) allows you to easily control these strategically important areas and keep your opponent worried.