Highlights
- New players should explore the maps in T eam Fortress 2 's King Of The Hill mode to familiarize themselves with cover and shortcuts for better gameplay.
- When on the capture point, players should keep moving to avoid being an easy target for snipers, spies, and other threats.
- Utilizing sticky bombs as the Demoman and strategically placing buildings as an Engineer can give players an advantage in King Of The Hill mode.
Team Fortress 2, the self-proclaimed war-themed hat simulator, has been around for well over 15 years now. Ever since Team Fortress 2 went free-to-play, new players have given the game a try, eager to join in the wacky and strategic battles that await. It’s no surprise that some of them tend to struggle, considering how there are a lot of things to memorize about its mechanics, weapons, and the like
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A beginner-friendly game mode like King Of The Hill is a good pick for the inexperienced to get the hang of things without needing to waste money on getting the "best" equipment early. Thankfully, there are plenty of tips to remember when playing a match of King Of The Hill, in order to maximize the chance of winning as many rounds as possible.
1 Explore The Maps In Training Mode
This sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s wise to be able to do some research! Training against bots is very helpful, as the difficulty can be set before starting a match for a more compensating learning curve to learn.
More importantly, are the fact that 5 maps are on offer here, and each has its own distinctive design. Newbies should definitely consider exploring them first against said bots in order to familiarize themselves with places for potential cover, shortcuts, and other means of getting to the point. After all, there are a hefty amount of maps in Team Fortress 2, so going in blind can be a tad jarring.
2 Keep Moving When On The Capture Point
The ‘hill’ in question is a large control point located in the center of the map. This is a recurring design choice for each map that is compatible with the KOTH game mode, so finding it isn’t exactly difficult. However, the worst thing a player can do is to stand perfectly still when capturing.
Snipers can get an easy headshot, while Spies are much more prone to targeting stationary figures. Pyros can use an air-blast to push enemies away, while a Demoman may already be attempting to clear the point with sticky bombs. There are countless threats in the game mode, so it’s best to keep shuffling around if there’s absolutely no cover to exploit. And, speaking of the Demoman…
3 Utilize Sticky Bombs
The Demoman is an excellent choice for King Of The Hill, as he can pop out his beloved sticky bombs all around the capture point. These can be destroyed or pushed around by enemy attacks, so placing them around the entrances can make for a nasty surprise.
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For defending, the Scottish Resistance is a stellar choice, as it can stick a total of 14 bombs at any given time, at the cost of a slower detonation speed. When attacking, the other Sticky bomb Launchers can dish out some explosive damage relatively quickly.
4 Flank A Captured Point
When a point is being captured, or has been taken by the enemy, all isn’t lost. Even a solid defense can be broken, so if a head-on attack doesn’t work, the next best tactic may be to flank the enemy. Naturally, this will depend on the map and its design.
‘Sawmill’ has giant saw blades that Pyros can use to their advantage with an air blast from a flamethrower, causing an environmental kill. Meanwhile, ‘Harvest’ has a giant hole in the roof for Soldiers and Demomen to land on with an explosive jump, ready to rain havoc on those inside. Most, if not all, classes can be put to good use with such sneaky tactics.
5 Strategically Place Buildings As An Engineer
Engineers are great for defending the point with their buildings. It’s always important to drop a teleporter entrance near the spawn zone and slip the exit somewhere relatively close to the point, but still away from enemies - especially Spies, who will gingerly sap any gadgets they find.
There are plenty of points on each map that will offer sufficient cover. Keeping a sentry and dispenser guarding a nest and healing injured players is far more ideal than going into the office and carelessly constructing these right near the center of the map.
6 Use Throwable Items
If a point is being held by the enemy, throwable items will come in handy. Even if it doesn’t clear out the point, it can cause complications for the enemy, and, when working in synergy with a team, could help with recapturing it.
Scouts can toss Mad Milk, whereby damaging sodden foes can cause a bit of healing, or a Flying Guillotine to cause bleeding on a single target. The proud Australian, Sniper, can throw Jarate for increased damage against their victims, and Pyro’s Gas Passer distorts their view while making them more susceptible to fire damage (which is great for rushing on the point and burning everything inside!). These effects are, obviously, temporary, so make sure to do so when allies are nearby.
7 Stay Close As A Medic
Whether attacking or defending, a good Medic excels when paired up with a meaty class like a Heavy, Soldier or Demoman. Since he can move at the same speed as those he’s healing, doing so with Scouts is an excellent way to get to the front line faster.
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When standing on the point, it’s best to just keep healing one’s allies. This will make it a bit trickier for the enemy to clear it out, as health lost through combat will beef up the ÜberCharge much faster. Be sure to time ÜberCharge wisely, as charged Medics and their targets won’t count as capturing or defending the point for that brief handful of seconds.
8 Use The Pain Train
A Demoman and Soldier can bring a Pain Train with them for their melee weapon. This gives them a much faster capture rate, on par with that of a Scout, at the expense of 10% additional damage from bullet weapons. And, no, it doesn’t need to be equipped for the effects to take place like some silly players think…
Anyone who loves to play offensively is going to get the most out of the Pain Train. However, since miniguns and sentries can spew bullets at a rapid rate, encounters with them may be a bit more messy, so it’s best to either avoid them or catch them off-guard.
9 Backstab Carefully As A Spy
The Spy is a powerful but vulnerable class. He can prove to be very useful in King Of The Hill if used correctly. For example, shanking unsuspecting targets who are on the point is a viable tactic, but is recommended when there are as few enemies as possible in order to turn invisible, run away, and prepare for another attempt. Otherwise, the disguise will drop, and whoever is nearby may bag an easy kill.
Backstabbing foes running towards the point is a handy strategy. Spies can stalk enemies who recently left their spawn zone, ready to nab them before they’re even able to set foot in the center! Hit-and-run (or should that be ‘stab-and-run’?) tactics work far better with such a class.
