Spy Flank and Escape Routes (Popular Payload Maps)

This guide aims to show you a number of jumps, falls and climbs you can use to get an advantage over your opponents as spy by getting away from a sticky situation, or by getting behind your opponent to get them sticky. The routes here are by no means exclusive to spy, however as a spy player myself I have found and used these routes with a spy mentality.

The guide is broken into the following sections:

1. Badwater (video)
   
2. Upward (video)
   
3. Barnblitz (video)
   
4. Goldrush/Hoodoo (video)
   
5. Frontier (video)
   
6. Finding your own routes

Badwater

Badwater is probably one of the best balanced maps in the game and, as a result, you will find a good balance of high and low ground leading to quite a lot of places you can drop down on the enemy or wait for them below.

Another notable thing about this map is the rock structures around the first point which are very similar to one another so if you can find a way to climb one of these structures you can probably find a way to climb the others.

Upward

Upward, as its name suggests, is a map with a lot of high ground meaning there is a lot of places to climb up to and a lot of places to fall down from which your opponents may not think to check you sneaking up from, or chase you through when trying to track you cloaked.

If you only decide to watch 3 jumps from this video (for some reason) check the first two and 2:33 for some of the most useful jumps I have ever used.

Barnblitz

Not as many creative jumps from this map as the first two, but climb to blu's last spawn and climb from red's last up to the locker room are infinitely useful.

There are a handful of versions of this map used for competitive which add a couple of extra doors and routes. All the routes in the video should also be navigable on these maps also.

Goldrush and Hoodoo

I edited Goldrush and Hoodoo into the same video for a number of reasons 1. I didn't have as many jumps in them 2. They feel a bit smaller than the other maps and 3. I don't like them as much as the others!

Frontier

Frontier is probably one of the biggest official maps in the game. It is also on a constant incline which means a lot of places to drop down.

What you see here is just a sample of what can probably be found in this map if you play it enough - plenty of places to sneakily climb up and plenty to slide or fall down without taking damage.

Finding your own routes

If you watch some or all of the videos above in this guide you will probably notice a few themes - climbing up props, landing on railings and lots and lots of crouch jumping.

This all kind of points to one question you should ask yourself when looking for new jumps:
Why is there a prop here?.
I'd say at least 50% of the time I asked myself this question I ended up finding a new climb or fall I could do to avoid fall damage.

Props to look out for:

• Rocks
  
• Crates/barrels
  
• Railings
  
• Wooden struts sticking out of walls

Some of these routes seem so well designed I wouldn't be surprised to find out if they were implemented intentionally.

Another thing I'd say is to look for jumps you have tried and realized were too far or too high for you to make. If you find yourself in a position like this just stop and take a look around. There may be a prop you hadn't noticed before or a raised ledge/building you hadn't thought about jumping from. If you are narrowly missing making it across a gap, be sure to use your mouse and strafe keys (A and D). Using W and S while in the air while slow down your movement which could easily be the reason you can't make a gap.

Finally, I'd say I've noticed that most balconies, roofs, cliffs, etc which drop down into a control point or payload track will almost always have ways you can drop into that area without taking fall damage. Lookout for railing, crates or ramps which you can land on - and remember sometimes you can prevent fall damage by simply falling off a ledge and not jumping.

[printu meschin]

Thanks a ton Casperr,by the way,love ur guides!!! :D

[Casperr]

Thanks Davy!

[Decibel]

Very helpful guide gj :D

[aivezz]

:D

[Casperr]

@CombustableLemons you are very welcome!

[aivezz]

thanks a ton, mate