The Pit – Team Slayer 4v4 Strategy

Added 11/02/2007 by Empty

A clean symmetrical layout and broad weapon combination make The Pit an ideal map for Team Slayer. Almost any weapon on the map can be effective, and nothing is dominant. The varied elevations, the mix of tight corners and long lines of sight make it difficult to lock enemies into a tactical sleeper hold; but a smart approach to powerups and bottlenecks can put your team on top.

Spawn Rush:
At present, the first move of most teams on The Pit is to rush the rocket launcher. The rockets, while potent, are not always the ideal weapon to wield in some of the Pit's narrower spaces; yet, anticipating and exploiting the opponent's opening rush can give your team an early lead and a positional advantage that - with patience and good communication - might be sustained through the entire match. As long as the rocket launcher remains a popular draw in matchmaking, this will be an effective strategy.

Both teams will spawn initially next to their respective flag room: the large, empty room between each side's shotgun corner and sniper platform. Split into pairs: one squad heads for the rockets, one for the sniper.

Rocket squad: One player should rush immediately to the small rocket corridor at the rear of the map. His primary objective is not to secure the rockets, but to stall and distract the opponents. You'll spawn with two frags, and can grab a pair of plasmas by the rocket corridor: four grenades, well timed and placed, should slow the enemy down.

Should the enemy be clustered (and pinned) neatly in the opposite corridor, a flood of needler shards can net a couple of quick, efficient kills.

The second player in the Rocket squad should run for the Active Camo in the center of the map. The shotgun will be a tremendous benefit here, but it'll take a few seconds to grab it - long enough for the enemies to reach camo first, if they're running clean lines. If you meet no resistance, you can often score a double or triple kill here. Your team mate has them stalled and distracted, and their shields weakened.

Alternatively, the second player can hang back along the wall with a battle rifle, and pop off headshots as the enemy runs into grenades. Remind the grenade thrower to keep out of the line of fire, bouncing frags into the killzone from the side.

Because so many teams rush the rockets (as a group), this simple bait & switch flanking maneuver can often give you a quick and permanent lead. Once the enemy is cleaned up, secure the rockets, and assume control of the green walled structure in the center of the map. This is an excellent position for both offensive and defensive maneuvers.

Sniper squad: Head immediately to the sniper rifle. The sniper's guard should grab a battle rifle, for intercepting an enemy rush, and for cleaning up any shieldless attackers - especially when the sniper hits a body shot instead of the head. (Remember, this is a team game, and every kill is a team kill. There shouldn't be any concern about "kill stealing." If the sniper can't hit the headshot, clean it up for him.)

Listen carefully to the Rocket squad's chatter. If they've got most of the enemy bottled up - or dead - it's probably safe to collect the overshield powerup beneath the sword building. If they report little to no resistance, it's a good bet your enemies are in the sword building - in which case, the overshield is probably gone. Let them have it. While the sword is useful in objective games on the Pit, it's limited in slayer games. Sword carriers tend to camp in the sword building: keep your distance and you eliminate that threat.

With or without the OS, proceed up the lift to the turret/sniper platform. Snipers tend to seek the highest point of elevation. Follow this inclination: while it is predictable, and exposes the sniper to fire, it is also a position of dominance.  Use the partition for cover, and the regenerator that spawns up top when necessary. A decent sniper with smart support should be able to survive most encounters.

If the sniper's not comfortable with the high-elevation exposure, he can move back towards the garage: the objective here is to cover any enemy approach from the sword side of the map.

Controlling the Map:
With rockets and sniper secured, you should now have control of the map. They can't approach the green building without being shotgunned or rocketed; they can't approach from the sword building without being sniped, BR'd, or turreted. They'll have a hard time sniping you down if you've already taken the higher elevation. And at this point, you probably have the lead, so they have to come to you.

The key to maintaining this control is (naturally) good communication and fluid movement between the sniper area and the green structure. If either the Rocket or Sniper team is overrun, the enemy will likely be weakened and will be easy prey for your alert team mates.  If you wait them out, you're giving them control of that area; and likely, control of the entire map. You can't afford to give them the Green building or your own sniper platform.

How to Counter:
Should your initial maneuvers fail - or you're simply battling enemies of superior skill - you may find yourself cowering on the wrong side of this very setup. Like anything, it is not invincible. The most effective approach to unseating an adversary from his position of advantage is to break his weak link.

You'll usually know immediately if you can outsnipe their sniper. Don't waste the points and ammo if you're outclassed. The Pit has ample close quarter weapons (shotguns, maulers, the sword, and the AR/melee combo) and narrow spaces. Group up and try to approach each enemy player with superior numbers. (Try not to give the Rocket wielder a free Overkill.) A 4-on-1 or 4-on-2 encounter will almost always mean victory. Dismantle them, piece by piece, until you assume control of the map.

Alternate Spawn Rush:
No ace sniper on your team? Forgo it. Send that one same player to the rear Rocket corridor, and have everyone else rush the camo area. (If someone is feeling adventurous, he might branch off on his own to grab the overshield.) Active camo rests in the center of the map. Depending on the enemy positions, you can either pinch them against the rockets or overrun them at the sniper or the sword area. A simple numerical advantage can win many Halo encounters.

Alternate Counter:
In any slayer situation, you can sometimes goad an enemy into surrendering his advantage. There is no dishonor in hiding. If they have the lead and they're smart, you can't possibly win; but if it's turning into a rout, you can sometimes reverse momentum by drawing them onto your turf. If they're cocky and/or stupid enough to fall for it, exploit that, and win a game you would have otherwise lost.