DM6 Duel Strategy Guide, Tayste, 20th May 2005.

This is a strategy guide for playing 'The Dark Zone' in a DMC duel.

Spawning

There are 7 spawn locations contained throughout dm6 (behind RA, double health pack RA area, middle upper ring, upper healthpack, top of the GA stairs, GA teleport, MH room) and your mentality on dm6 should be that the map is made up of 2 sides, the RA side and the GA side. From spawning you know which side you should start collecting items from by either where you start or where your opponent starts. Ideally it is more of an advantage to start at the RA side, but not by much, it balances out somewhat through extra rockets and the MH (in certain instances you can nab both MH and RA). So if you spawn on the Upper Healthpack (health pack at the end of the corridor leading from the GA stairs) and your opponent spawns at the top of the GA stairs, you should go to the RA area since you are closer to that side of the map than your opponent. Similarily if you spawn at the double health pack at the lower area of the RA side and your opponent spawns behind the RA, you should use the teleport for quick access to the GA area. If you spawn further from the RA but want to bet your chances on being closer anyway, then approach the RA area but on first sight of opponent or the first sign that they are there (for example, the armor being picked up) then retreat to the GA area using the middle teleport. The best possible start would include spawning at the MH and your opponent spawning bottom floor of the GA area. You grab MH and head to RA area, your opponent can be killed if they teleport before grabbing GA, if they grab GA you have already left tube for the RA area.

General tips

- If you hear your opponent using a teleport then you instantly know that they are using the GA side of the map. (unless they came out of the shaft area)

- Learn your bearings, when you use the shaft teleport have a picture of your exit location in your mind beforehand, and a mental idea of your opponents position. If they are at the GA side, then after you teleport look to the right and then quickly behind you. This covers the tunnels leading from the GA area. If they are at the RA area, look straight ahead and to the left corridor, but its usually safer to instantly teleport again to the GA before facing off with the opponent, to give yourself better positional play.

- Be very careful when using the lower corridor to gain access to the GA from the lower main arena. It is a dangerous idea to use it unless your opponent is in the depths of the RA area or you think your opponent is using it to enter the main arena from the GA (in which case you can often take the opponent by surprise). In a fight in the main arena you can be easilly ambushed from your opponent if you stray too far towards this corridor, as they can use the teleport, even if they don't plan it (but anyway, its a common strategy), also, an opponent at the GA area has better positioning to attack you when you come from this tunnel. It should only be used for leaving the GA area. In circumstances where you want to get to the GA, simply use the middle teleport.

- Firing rockets at the ceiling above the upper ring hurts an opponent standing up there, also the 4 bars can be useful for hitting upper opponents. Surprisingly a skilled player is at a positional advantage being at the bottom area against an opponent at the upper area, since rockets can be easilly dodged from the lower area, and splash damage can be dealt to the opponent. However, be wary of an opponent who jumps down (possibly on top of the teleport), depending on the circumstances you can retreat using the teleport.

- Punish players retreating from the upper area down the double cell corridor by using the middle teleport to ambush them. If you hear a teleport noise when using the upper cell corridor to access the GA area yourself, decide whether to proceed depending on your health/armor/ammo situation, if low retreat to the RA area. The double cell corridor is very useful for accessing the GA just after scoring a frag and when you know your opponent spawned GA side (and you still have good armor/health). Jump down on opponents who are preoccupied with getting the GA and rockets.

- For dealing with opponents in the depths of the RA area, stick around at the upper ring and keep an eye on the three exit corridors. You have massive position advantage over opponents comming up the ramp, and you can jump on opponents comming from the lower 2 corridors.

- When controlling the RA area and you have heard teleports being used, you have several options (since you know your opponent is GA side). My favourite option is to stand on the nailgun and listen for an opponent picking up double ammo packs. These are the cell packs at the upper corridor or the shotgun ammo to the left corridor, shoot prediction rockets when you hear them. If you see an opponent in the MH room, it is effective to approach the tube and shaft them from below if they decide to use the tunnel to enter the main area, rockets are also useful for attacking in this situation, and your opponent will have difficulty getting out and also have difficulty dealing you damage. If your opponent suddenly appears from the double cell corridor (didn't pick up the cells or somehow played stealthy), check which way he runs around the ring and then fire rockets at the 2 bars that side (from the nailgun of course), chances are he will take the hit. Then to stop them from trying to get the RA, retreat to the RA stairs while firing grenades against the corridor wall, they will bounce against the wall and then loop up and land on the upper platform which links the grenade launcher to the RA. As you climb the stairs fire rockets and then use the shaft once at the RA. The shaft is awesome against opponents comming from the nailgun/grenade launcher. Alternatively to positioning yourself by the nailgun when your opponent is GA side, is to use the upper ring, this gives similar advantages to being at nailgun except you have less visability for players using the MH room, however it is still a great place since if they emerge from the tube you can jump down on them (onto the teleport), this position is also good for attacking players emerging from the double cell pack corridor or from the shotgun ammo corridor.

- When you see an opponent in the MH room from the lower main area, you could try to ambush them by using the middle teleport, and then preparing yourself at the GA area for them to emerge through from the MH teleport (this tactic would only really work on very aggressive or stupid players however).. doing this potentially gives them access to the RA though since most players would hear you teleport and then slowly use the tube for exit while keeping their aim on the teleport incase you decide to face them head on, so instead of sticking around at the GA area, run down the shotgun ammo corridor straight away and take them out unaware as you both emerge into the main arena.. unfortunately this leads you open to attack if they do decide to teleport back to the GA area, but also be careful using this tactic since an alert opponent will fire prediction rockets at the shotgun ammo tunnel as they enter the main area from the tube. If you are feeling brave and you have seen your opponent in the MH room you can double teleport to meet them face to face.. or if they have entered the tube, to ambush them. Again this is not very safe unless you feel you have far more health/armor than your opponent. The safest approach for MH opponents is the first I mentioned, to attack from below the tube in the main area, and the teleport strategies only really work if you are facing a very weak opponent and you have decent health/armor.

- In a situation where your opponent is defending and controlling the RA area effectively don't give away frags, like with any map, its easy to just start desperately rushing in and wasting frags. This is futile, you should do the opposite and prevent the opponent getting very many frags. If you get hurt keep retreating back to the GA area and never face an opponent without the full green armor, sometimes this can even provoke the opponent to follow you in which you get a better chance at damaging them (and the possibility of respawning at the RA). Remember dm6 is a map of control, and the scores can turn around at any time, so if you start a few frags behind in the first 2 minutes, remember there are 8 more minutes in which you can reverse this, since when played carefully dm6 is very balanced. If you start rushing the few frags could turn into 15 frags in 2 minutes, leaving you with less chance of a turn around. Ideally you want your opponent to get into this 'rush into battle' state of mindless play where they have lost hope and their concentration. Never give up.

- How do you begin controlling the RA? Well, the best way is to score a frag with positional advantage, such as from the top of the GL ramp. They may try to be agressive and chase you back to the GA through the teleports, this is great for you since if they use the teleport to get to the GA area, then they are entering your territory and you can take them out from the stairs (or at least damage them nicely and perhaps spawn RA) or play sneaky and simply take the RA area from them. If they emerge from the cell pack corridor when you are in the GA area, quickly use the teleport and get out of the MH room through the tube, fire rockets at the ceiling in case they decide to head back to the upper ring (but chances are they are giving up the RA room for rocket ammo or something), or if you saw them head down the stairs when you teleported, shoot prediction shots down the shotgun ammo corridor; head to the double health pack corridor to take the RA area. You now have control of the RA area. If the opponent uses the middle teleport at any point (perhaps through sloppy play) wherever you are you can attempt to steal control of the RA side too.

Advanced Stuff

There is not much I can say here, since this will come about after duelling The Dark Zone a lot, so just play a lot. Eventually you will always have a very good idea of your opponents position, and when they use teleports you will be looking through the opponents POV in your mind, and see exactly where they are from wherever you are, be it the MH room, GA room or main area. Knowing where your opponent is enables you to win dm6 without requiring the best aim in the world. Play that looks intelligent from an inexperienced players view is simply a natural ability to track the opponent to the experienced players mind. This map is extremely well balanced and one of the most important duel maps to know, whether you like it or not!

- [pFc]Tayste