Bannerfall
Contents
Introduction
Bannerfall is a PvP map for The Crucible located in The Last City, Earth.
- Bannerfall was released in The Taken King expansion.
Description:
- Tower-like theme
- Mid-Sized Map, good for Control and Rift
- Home to a lost faction and the beginnings of New Monarchy
Dead Ghost Location
Room near C spawn, the bridge connecting to the point - left of map if looking out to ledge: Screenshot
- Only found during Private Matches
Strategy
Trials of Osiris Guide
Intro
A lot of players still struggle to reach the Lighthouse every week. There's normally a lot of little tips out there but I wanted to focus on specifics for this map. If it's content you want to keep seeing I'll keep posting. Here's Become Legend: Trials of Osiris edition. [Reserved for Video]
Call-outs
The first thing you need to do is get used to where everything on the map is located and put a name to that location. Being able to call out where the enemy is located for your team allows them to maneuver without fear or push with aggression. Map Created by /u/OrionTheTitan. I made a small tweak to show the correct Heavy location in elimination.
Positioning
Bannerfall is one of the most balanced maps, it's symmetrical! It's a decent size map that will be open for a lot of Primary and Sniper fire, though certain positions of the map are a bit tighter and allow for Shotguns.
Sniper Lanes
Keep your head down or lose it.
Perch
Right at the start of a round the fastest way to catch an opponent is at the Perch. Because it's a quick way to get a good sightline it becomes a line that Snipers choose off the start. This is slightly in favor of the Bravo Spawn because of the angle through the window, but it's really a 50/50 and should be avoided. You can counter this by sniping from the doors at "B" where you should barely see the head of the enemy.
Perch to Tunnel
Falling back to or camping near Perch allows for some sneaky angles. Aiming down into the Tunnel is extremely advantageous, the angle allows you to see the enemies feet before they can see you back. This allows you to quickly body snipe + primary your opponent before he can fire back. =====Center Lane===== Players who opt out of the Perch lane will often push towards the Courtyard. This means moving through the Centerlane more often than not so players will look to snipe down this area catching players before they can push out too far. This area leaves you pretty exposed so sitting here more than a few seconds from the start isn't a good idea, you'll get picked off from Tree/Crates before the enemy is even on radar.
Street/Tunnel to Tree
You can use the boxes in the Street and underneath Perch to snipe through Tunnel all the way to the Tree/Capture Point. There is coverage for both sides here and though Street side has more to hide behind the angles are more predictable. Tree has the slight advantage here as you can shift to another good sniping position to counter, Crates.
Street/Tunnel to Crates
The Crates in the courtyard near the Alleys provide great cover and allow a lot of sniping angles, this being the first one addressed. Crates is favored in this position, Tunnel snipers are more exposed and have little to no cover except the boxes underneath the Balcony. Tunnel players should avoid sniping this and instead push up using the boxes as cover to grenade the area and primary/shotgun.
Crates to Balcony
Sniping from upper Balcony to Crates isn't a great idea, you're pretty exposed. Sniping from underneath, however, provides great cover. Both sides can actually snipe through the cracks in the boxes/crates, Balcony has an easier time backing away and can more easily grenade Crates out of position.
"B" to Tree/Crates
The last big sniper lane is in and out of the B Control Zone. With great risk comes great reward, you can see a lot of the map by sitting closer to Mohawk to include Tree and Crates. A great player can easily read the radar and dominate this position as you can move along the center lane for cover. Sitting further back in "B" behind the tree limits visibility but also makes you harder to hit. It's a good spot to hold down, but there are a lot of easy flanks for Shotgun wielders to get you.
Primary/Shotgun Paths
Looking to close the distance, move through cover. Moving through the Houses (A/C Flag rooms) is great for cover in general. There are plenty of exits that put you in position for a firefight, Balcony can be very advantageous because of all the cover. Use this position to move around the map carefully, albeit slowly. Pushing an enemy in the Alley becomes predictable from House, but coming through the Courtyard across Mohawk is doable too. Move from Tunnel through Center Lane, cut back towards Mohawk and use it as cover until you can turn out near Crates. Grenades are great at this time to allow the final push. If you're looking to push on "B" you can get a little crafty in your approach. Leaping from Perch or lower Market provides a unique angle instead of just moving through the Cubby or doors. The Windows itself is a little predictable but approaching from a distance rapidly can through off the enemy. If you choose to move through the Center Lane you can take a slower approach but you're a bit more exposed.
Classes
Here's some suggestions for each class in regards to this map:
Hunter
Nightstalker and Bladedancer will once again be formidable. Skip Grenades with Shinobu's Vow cannot be understated here, the map provides few chokepoints to the Courtyard and forcing the enemy back with a grenade or softening them up before an engagement is priceless. The same can be said of the 'wombo-combo' from a Nightstalker, using Sealed Ahamkara Grasps should allow for near-constant Envenomed Smoke though Fr0st-EE5 are very good too. Both classes will benefit from running Bones of Eao if you choose, Better Control would be better suited for this since you're most likely looking to push and close gaps with interesting angles. Gunslinger doesn't provide quite the same middle-ground and while Golden Gun is a great Super it's simply too easy to funnel to a sniping lane or hide in House or Market.
Titan
Anything really works but Strikers will always be favored. Lightning Grenades, a great Super for shutting down roamers, and Juggernaut combine for a great subclass all-around. Shotgunning with a Titan can be good here, pushing down lanes with Juggernaut lets you tank the first shot to possibly close for the short time you're exposed. Sunbreakers won't be as viable and the Super can't compare on this map as enemy can hide. Defenders have a unique opportunity here, as previously stated there are few reliable entries into the Courtyard so a Suppressor Grenade can really put a kink in some enemy approaches. Ward of Dawn can cut off a chokepoint/sniper lane and can invite players to open positions if used on the Capture Point.
Warlock
Voidwalkers are currently one of the strongest subclasses in the game and they continue to shine here. Axion Bolts force enemies back through chokepoints and Nova Bomb is a great Super in general, couple that with Life Steal and decent Recovery to form a menacing foe. Stormcallers can have success here with the ability to Blink with Stormtrance. Unlike Golden Gun or Hammers of Sol, you can push through chokepoints easily to wipe the enemy team. The neutral game is a bit weaker but with Pulse Wave you can avoid death more often than you might think. Sunsingers have become more difficult to play as the Super isn't too great against a good team (Fireborn) and the neutral game doesn't offer anything the other subclasses can't. Angel of Light may fool the enemy a handful of times if you're clever though.
Weapon Loadout
Most players will be using a Hand Cannon or Pulse Rifle this week, though Scout Rifles will appear for those longer lanes. The current meta also means some players will have a Shotgun even though the map favors Snipers. Scouts and Pulse Rifles will be couple with Shotguns most often, Hand Cannons paired with Sniper Rifles should also be a common point though HC/Shotgun and PR/SR will occur depending on where the enemy wants to fight. Teams should provide at least one Shotgun and one Sniper Rifle to fair well regardless of the enemy loadout.
General Strategy
Whenever you play, regardless of game mode, you need to have a strategy so that you're familiar with where your team members are and what they are doing and how they assist/be assisted.
From Spawn
- This is normally a two-part section but this map is symmetrical. Teams will normally push Alley and Balcony or "B" and Center Lane to try to gain some map control. Checking these common lanes first as a team is the best way to gain control and dominate the Courtyard/Mohawk.
- Moving into "B" together via Street is normally pretty safe. This is a suggested route for those wanting to engage quickly at close range, best suited for Hand Cannons and Shotguns. It's also a good area to push through if the enemy is dominating the middle of the map and you want to rotate around to their House or Alley.
- Pushing through House to Balcony provides a lot of oversight to the map and counters those who rush to Center Lane. This leaves you open to sniping from several positions so be sure to use the top and bottom of the Balcony, lower provides a lot more cover but less field of vision.
- One of the safest routes to the Capture Point is through Alley. This is best suited for a team looking to wait out the timer or just get a pick before moving up. It's easy to get collapsed into the Alley but the single line of approach makes it easy to defend, you just lose a lot of map control this way.
- Good teams will split up a little bit; one person Center Lane, one to Balcony, and one to either Alley or "B" to get a feel for where the enemy is and gain the most control over the map. Most firefights will occur in these lanes and being able to rotate quickly and safely is the best way to win this map.
Lore
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