Impassable terrain creates a nested trio of rings that defines this large battlefield. More base sites are found on the outermost ring, but controlling the center is tactically superior. With an empty base for each player and a quartet of Reactors ready to be hooked to your bases, you have many choices when deciding what to take over. Boom, Tech, or Rush? Make sure your team knows your preferred plan!
Areas of Interest
Starting Bases: 6
Empty Bases: 6
Flood Bases: 4
Reactor Hooks: 4
Each of your teammates and your enemies begins at a base, and the closer it is to the map’s center, the more dangerous the base. The farther out you are to the map’s edge, the more you should consider providing fire support and supplies to the innermost colleague, who is separated from the enemy only by the central plateau with the indestructible “Flood Island” colony.
When you begin, grab the undefended base sites. Increase the chances of obtaining them by quickly sending two players’ worth of forces during the initial stages of the battle to secure the empty bases closest to your foes, before snagging the empty outer bases. From this point on, the preferred tactics involve Booming and Teching; this map is designed primarily for this purpose.
There are four secondary Reactor Hooks with a light neutral troop contingent guarding them. They are on either side of the outer ring path to the east and west and are easy to miss if you aren’t Scouting the map properly. These should be immediately secured with Warthogs, Ghosts, and infantry. Try moving to the Reactor closer to your foes’ side of the map and hold it; group forces here to dissuade them from attempting to take a Reactor. If you can claim all four Reactors for your team, you can seriously Boom and Tech.
Aside from the Boom and Tech methods, this map is also excellent for Rushing tactics. If you can quickly call upon an ally (perhaps while your third teammate claims Reactors or empty bases or interferes with your foes’ movements) to join you in the central plateau, you can Rush around the stagnant Flood Colony and batter the two opposite bases, taking care to learn and understand the areas where your foes’ other allies are likely to head in from. A concentrated Rush early on can really be advantageous and allow you to capture the four central bases.
Air units and other troops that are highly mobile are extremely effective on this map, due to its large size and numerous rocky outcrops that segment the paths into rings. Air units can quickly and efficiently control the Reactor Hooks, backing up the infantry on the ground by laying down supporting fire on those seeking to reclaim the Reactors.