TASTEE: Lethal Tactics

TASTEE: Lethal Tactics

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Maps competitive overview
By Rogdhor
This guide presents the maps main design analysis so to provide you the starting options for a fair competitive match. The match random starting elements are first introduced as dynamic levers providing deviations to the standard maps and teams opposition balance.
   
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Overview
The maps are not fully symmetric for starting positions so that some starting options can appear as unfair from one side. I will base my analysis for the standard format maps for the key steady design elements, considering the randomness of match elements at start has a rather small dynamic counter-balance for a given match fairness. A fair match starting option should be robust against these random elements.
The first detailed maps present the key elements for analysis and are shortly referred for the other maps (also to shorten the guide).
Match random elements
Match random side selection:
Your starting side is randomly picked so, considering non-symetric team side start, either you are lucky or not, but this is not fair for a competitive match, unless you can switch of side (by random start) for a revenge.
Some options for starting positions are quite funny like when you are surrounded or split randomly but should be reserved for fun match.
For surrounded start, you actually cannot know which side you will be, so it is not so fun to prepare a team not knowing if you will be the attacking or defending side.
Also, sometimes the split start can provide strange repartitions of the mercs and should be reserved for team of 6 on the large maps where the split should be 3+3 as if playing two mini-matches. Otherwise you can get single isolated merc (random from your team).
Even some Side option can appear as split like for Laredo Junction Sides B as if playing 3v3 on two small maps.
Starting with a fair symmetric side allows you to prepare your team composition valid for both sides most of the times, though you may still have a different strategy as the maps are not fully symmetric.

Match random mercs starting positions
Also considering a team determined side, your mercs starting positions are also random which will give you more or less time to run to preferred positions in the first round leading to a more or less effective and quick deployment as desired.
Maps selected deployment with split team for starting positions are sensitive to this random factor. As you cannot control how your mercs will be grouped on the two sides of the map, the deployment with split team does not offer good competition fairness and the strategic selection of the team is loosing a big interest.

Maps random items generation
The random items option is a great feature of the maps as it can really change the maps topology and avoid repetitive strategy.
The random items with random side start bring really a rich aspect to TASTEE as you can play the maps really often without being bored and you have to analyze the map at the match start to know which strategy can best fit.


So what is a fair opposition?
So what is a fair match considering the random elements can imbalance the steady maps elements?
Precisely when the match outcome is not too much influenced by the match random elements (no bias in difficulties from the start) but where the map can give equal opportunities to win, if using well provided elements from each side. The fairness of the match comes from the start considering the random elements.
This requires, first, good movement possibilities between yours mercs, to team them for acting together, not forced to split as not desired, following the randomness of blocking elements (including destructible doors/crates). Second, the map should provide enough cover elements and paths for fair positioning and power building from each side. Then, the map should provide equal facilities for visibility (or hiding) and map control, safe own team deployment and enemy’s movements control.

There can be favored defensive or attacking strategy from one side by the map design (explained as the “castle” pattern in the guide, refer to Carcel Verde) but the side is a random pick and you cannot really prepare your team for one side or the other, if you don’t want to base the game on a coin. Anyway, giving all required elements for each side to deploy and settle their power is the fairness providing by the map. The way each side can use the map elements to reach a similar level of efficiency for eliminating the other side is what seems fair to me: you cannot say which of a good defensive or good attacking side will win. And the means to develop its full team potential is the Strategy which should be adapted for each map and each match. A fair match start is when each side can find similar level of difficulties from the map elements to develop a similar level of efficiency with a good adapted strategy.
The game does not favor a particular strategy, as most of the time you need to combine both aspects, defensive and offensive, to win: attacking with good covering. Bunkering in steady positions is as dangerous as rushing without cover.
Maps natural start
Of course, by design, the map is either rectangle or square (almost). The analysis is on the natural starting options it can provide, based mainly on the diagonal or median symmetries. Secondary, the natural starting sides or corners is influenced by the orientation of most covers (as we can see in Colonia).

The square maps are (4): Carcel Verde, Wild Acres ranch, Colonia and Hyades.
There are the rather small maps (except Hyades) presenting better symmetries from the diagonals, so that selection of the corners for start appears as the fair natural choice.

The other maps, rectangle, with more or less large ratio, are (6): Alta Casa, Walker’s Mill, McAllen Plaza, Laredo Junction, Backyard Colosseum, Sierra Vista and Brownsville Railyard.
There are the medium to large maps with a side larger than the other. The natural start is from the sides, either from the small one for playing in long range or from the larger map side to usually spread on left and right sides. The control of the central area is not so important and does not bring a big advantage than in the square maps.
The map Jurassic Narc can be compared to a rectangle map having only one axial symmetry.
Carcel Verde
Description:
This map has a large open middle field with obstacles and multiple covers (destructible or not) and narrow paths all around on the map borders with windows and small entrance to the middle field.
Additionally, this map, more obviously than all the others, introduces in its design the “castle” pattern for determining a priori a better defending side and attacking side. The defending side is the “castle” with a team starting inside, well protected behind walls cover, with windows for surveillance but with no direct access to the middle open field. On the other hand, the attacking side has a better direct access to the middle field, to bunker elements to settle the assault but few or none windows.
Starting option:
The fair option is “Sides B” although contrary to its name you start from the corners.
Starting from the other Sides A (corners as well) will place one team with two big open entrances while the other team has the small corridors and a better facility to move from one side to the other, whereas for the first team, mercs will be likely committed to one direction after crossing the big entrances. The castle pattern is also present in the Sides A configuration with the castle on the north side and attacking side is south. Nevertheless Sides A remains playable but with more differences in deployment facilities between the Sides.
Actually starting from Sides B, provides all attacking elements of the map, including the bunkers, and the castle side benefits from all the windows. But each side has a small and a big entrance opposed to respectively the opponent’s big and small entrance for direct line of sight. Additionally, each entrance is conflicting by its similar path from the other side to reach the same middle field area at the building corner and this is what makes the most fairness of the Sides B start.
Castle pattern – green
Symmetry line – yellow
Main paths – red
Team base start – blue/orange
Alternate team base start – grey

Note : the symmetry line is based on the map design (not perfectly) symmetric elements and gives an idea of the zone of influence for each team. A broken line would appear more adjusted.
Wild Acres Ranch
Description:
This map is a big open field with only walls provided by the solid buildings (without any entrance or windows). So the castle pattern favoring defensive or attacking side does not exist here.
Note that there is a blocked path on each side but formed by a destructible element to blow to start going in that direction.
Starting option:
The fair choice is “Corners”. Actually the other corners would be playable if the water tank area was opened. This map appears as one of the most symmetric with also the opposite diagonal.
Colonia
Description:
Colonia is by far the best competitive map (from the base game), as presenting a complex mix of open fields, opened buildings with windows/doors/crates and multiple paths between them. The possibilities playing with the buildings are rich.
Starting option:
The fair start is Corners A. Corners B is also quite playable but naturally by design all the field’s covers are mainly oriented for an opposition from Corners A. Additionally the start from Corners A presents also a “Castle” pattern with the access to the bunker facing the castle in south building, all the more than the symmetric building is a solid one.
Hyades
Description:
This large square map does not really have an opened area as the central area is a large swamp. On the contrary, it is like a big anthill (inside), with not so straight corridors and curves. The two fighting areas are apart the swamp making almost two matches in one from the initial split, as going from one fighting area to the other is quite long.
Starting option:
The fair start is Corners. This map could be easily playable from the other corners if the option was existing.
Alta Casa
Description:
This map has a small central area and corridors all around.
Starting option:
The fair start is rather Sides B but Sides A is a fair alternate. Sides B just seems to me more interesting for providing more possible strategies when playing on the big sides whereas the opposition is more straight from Sides A (small side).
The castle pattern is also present here from Sides B and very light from Sides A where the big entrance to the central area is facing a small wall with a sniper window. Entrance from this A side has no obvious bunker (the small one is quite far from the entrance), that’s why this little “castle” pattern gives a little advantage from the “castle” side.
Walker's Mill
Description:
This map is quite similar to Alta Casa by conceptual elements with even bigger symmetries, and several windows from every sides. This map is well balanced and pleasant to play with a variety of possibilities.
Starting option:
The fair and more interesting start for me is Sides A, but as for Alta Casa alternative starting from Sides B is possible (reversed letters for Alta Casa).
Laredo Junction
Description:
This map is a large one reminding Colonia environment. From Sides A (refer to the picture), the castle pattern seems stronger on the orange side, with an immediate central entrance for the blue side, but actually, a lot of windows are also provided on the blue side and so the castle pattern is well balanced between the two teams, which makes this map very balanced for defensive and attacking strategies from any side (adaptable within the game).
Starting option:
The natural starting option is Sides A, all the more than Sides B has a lack of symmetry from the starting positions, quite difficult to handle from the south opened area.
The little weakness of Sides A, though, is that the visibility seems much better on the blue side with direct access to the central area. So for me, this Sides A start is not fully fair because of this facilities from the blue side.
Sierra Vista
Description:
This is the largest map as if two small maps were joined. One half of the map would have already been a playable map of its own (facing North vs South). This map was probably aimed to provide a large “gangs gun-fight” in 6v6 with better benefits from middle range mercs (gunmen) covering wide areas.
Starting option:
The natural starting option is Sides A. Other starting options will look like playing two separate matches on half of the map in 3v3 on each half.
McAllen Plaza
Description:
There is actually a big issue in the design for finding a symmetry in this map because of the big hole on one side when starting from Sides A : the blue team becomes split with no safe possibility to regroup or re-arrange your squads.
Starting option:
So because of this issue, the only viable alternative is Sides B but it does not seem very fair as the team in the central place has a better position for controlling the map, including the help of the limited “castle” wall. Even the middle bunker is rather usable by the “castle” defending team. Here, the supposed attacking side will probably have a lot more difficulties to find good killing positions. The situation can lead to a complete bunkering team with superior map control and fighting advantages (covers) than the other side. Even knowing the team side in advance, the attacking side would need to really prepare a specific team to win.
Brownsville Railyard
Description:
This map is typical of the fact that the random elements (or in red on the pictures for the standard format) can greatly imbalance the fairness of the match.
Starting option:
Either Sides A or B presents some blocking path from the start for one team. It is destructible but so being revealed and spending an action with time, if we want to allow the pathing access, which is freely provided from the other side. Nevertheless Sides B appears as the natural side and the back door for rejoining is not a so big issue and may be not here in random element map format.
The thing is more serious from Sides A with the visibility play and direct focus between the opposing starting positions but with more units concentrated in the area from the blue side, whereas the orange team is spread on the side length: the teams do not seem to have an equal approach for controlling this middle area.
Backyard Colosseum
Description:
Backyard Colosseum is the first new competitive map (from DLC), not part of the campaign, and fully designed for competitive match. All the deployments can be considered as competitive as they are very symmetric with rich interractions between starting bases surrounding the map.
The map can be replayed often with random environment because it is remarquably rich in items and so providing very different maps each time, with more or less breakable covers, different solid walls and entrances and more or less explosives.
Starting option:
The natural start is Side A but with a little advantage for a sniper steady vision like for Laredo Junction map. This difference in the team spawning positions is actually welcomed to avoid miror starts and is not significant at good players level.
Alternate competitive options are Side B and C.
Jurassic Narc
Description:
Jurassic Narc is the second new DLC map, not part of the campaign, and is quite original in its design. It has three lobes with a large sandbox splitting two of them on the left side and a central fortress aimed to provide interesting surrounded deployment.
Due to this special design, there is no deployment grouping the full team, which is the main weakness for a true competitive map because the split starting positions makes it sensitive to random mercs initial positionning. This sensitive random factor is all the more accentuated with the position of Hindenburg, who is the only one that can pressure defensive positions, bouncing his grenades over the sandbox, thanks to the yellow barrels. Although Hindenburg was already almost a mandatory competitive merc pick, this map was (partially) designed for him.
It is also to be noticed that castel patterns exist, rather designed for use by the right B side, but the central fortress can actually be used by the left B side as well, because it is central to the map.
Starting option:
Considering the only symmetry, the natural start is Side A but it looks like 2 mini maps close skirmishes and kills on the first round is likely to happen. Even the Split deployment is quite more interesting mixing the two fighting dimensions.
At the end, my preference for a competitive deployment would rather be Side B, which presents more strategic elements with long range sides and the use of the central castel patterns for smaller range fighting opportunities. Though, due to the hard bunkers and better initial sniper vision on the castel side (right), and the blocking sandbox on the left side (useless for side B start), the map elements seems more interesting on the right B side. Take care of the explosive red barrels in the very first rounds which could be hit by snipers.
Summary
Maps fair competitive side option summary:
So here are the maps with what I consider as the best fair competitive starting option with some alternatives (not always so perfectly fair).
Maps
Competitive option
Alternate or second choice
Backyard Colosseum
Side A (natural with little advantage)
Side B or C
Colonia
Corners A (natural)
Corners B
Carcel Verde
Side B (corners)
Side A (corners) not so fair as a second choice
Wild Acres Ranch
Corners
Side B
Hyades
Corners
Alta Casa
Side B
Side A
Walker's Mill
Side A
Side B
Sierra Vista
Side A (natural)
Laredo Junction
Side A (natural with little advantage)
Jurassic Narc
Side B (more strategic but not so fair)
Split or Side A (natural but sensitive to mercs positions)
Brownsville Railyard
Side B (natural but little not fair depending on doors)
Side A (not fair depending on doors)
McAllen Plaza
Side A (natural but always not fair)
Side B, not really fair

Top maps for competition:
  • Backyard Colosseum
  • Colonia
  • Wild Acres Ranch
  • Carcel Verde
  • Walker’s Mill
  • Alta Casa
  • Laredo Junction
  • Hyades (large map more tactical than really strategic)
  • Sierra Vista (large map more tactical than really strategic)
These already competitive maps could be improved to allow more competitive options, like playing from the other corners for Wild Acres Ranch and Hyades.

The following maps would need a small redesign to be really great at least with one option:
  • Brownsville Railyard (for standard map format, the door should be opened)
  • McAllen Plaza (the hole is a serious map design issue for A side and too much bunkering facilities for the B side start, bad simulation of bomb bumping on that orange barrels)
Also the "Sides" in Carcel Verde should be renamed "Corners".
The map Jurassic Narc actually suffers from either competitive weakness of Mc Allen Plaza (big sandbox blocking path at one side back) and Sierra Vista (far split team on the other map side like playing two mini maps skirmishes).

Adapting team size and rounds:
The large maps (Hyades, Laredo Junction and Sierra Vista) should be played with 5 or 6 mercs and are not really recomended for cage match. The other maps should be played with 4 (cage) or 5 (async) mercs for appropriate map size and type of match. Also you may set higher number of rounds on large maps playing with team of 6 because the runs are longer for an encounter or rebalancing your forces. To limit the split team random factor, it is also recomended to play with team of 6 mercs so that 3v3 are usually provided. For the smaller maps playing with 4 mercs, 10 rounds sounds enough. So I recomend the usual 12 rounds for team of 5 and maybe up to the maximum of 15 rounds for large maps with team of 6.

Maps strategy
Finally, I will not reveal all my analysis of the maps as it gives an important parameter of the strategy but some maps are easier to analyse and can be well prepared by training/playing even considering several random items occurrences.
When playing on some maps, you will see that the design is really good considering the weapon range (for bombing for instance or pistol range), the covers and the lines of sight.
On the other side, some maps are more complex in the possibilities mainly due to its opened fields’ design for which you can only prepare for a quite general strategy without tactical details.