Rollout
The Rollout is the actions or paths taken by players before fighting begins each round. In 5CP maps, the rollout is the series of jumps and routes that reach the middle point fastest. In Stopwatch maps, the rollout is the positions and precautions taken by the defense during setup time.
Contents
5CP Rollouts
6v6
In 6v6, one reason that Scouts, Demomen, and Soldiers are the main classes is their ability to perform a rollout extremely efficiently. Scouts run quickly enough to just run to mid through the shortest path. The Demoman(s) and Soldiers have to sticky jump/rocket jump to reach mid quickly while also building uber for the Medic. The Medic must make sure that his whole team, especially the Soldiers and Demoman, is at full health/buffed by the time they reach to the middle point. Usually the Medic begins the round by buffing the Demoman because he will jump away the fastest and won't receive any more heals. Once the Demoman is out of his range, he will give overheals to the Scouts. The rest of the rollout is spent healing the roaming soldier as he jumps to mid. Meanwhile, the pocket soldier is able to run with the Escape Plan and receive "crit-heals" near mid (sometimes roles are reversed with the Pocket running with the Medic and the Roamer jumping quickly to mid). This ensures everyone has full/almost-full overheal when the team reaches the middle point and minimizes time spent running to mid.
Video Tutorials
Highlander
Depending on the map, there are a variety of tactics that can be used on rollouts. However, one of the most useful tips is to make sure that your soldier is running the disciplinary action, as it allows your heavy and medic to get to mid a few seconds earlier than the enemy combo if used effectively. Additionally, it's not always worthwhile for your engineer to place a teleporter when the round starts on a 6v6 map - the four or five seconds extra it takes for him to get to mid will often shut him out, and as a result seriously hamper your team's midfight. Given that spawns shift when mid is captured, his teleporter will be useless if you win mid in any case; so getting him into the fight early, particularly if he's running minisentries, is often a good plan, and can put you at an initial player advantage.
Stopwatch Rollouts
6v6
mainly gravelpit, varies from team to team: traps, engy spots, etc.
Highlander
The primary objective to accomplish during setup time is to create a hold strategy that shuts down the first push of the attackers and set up an exit strategy for a stronger hold on the next point (The first point of most Stopwatch maps is generally very easy to capture. cp_gravelpit is an oddball: the first point is such a giveaway point that defenders often don't even hold it at all). To hold off a push, the defending team needs to have a strong hold position for the combo that protects the point, a level 3 sentry in a position that covers blindspots and exit routes for the combo, and a strong lockdown on the flank routes through which enemy players might seek an unexpected angle of attack.
Many teams have a few designated players (2-4 non-Engineer, non-Medic classes) kill themselves in the setup time when defending on Payload maps and Attack/Defend maps. The metal that the Engineer gains by picking up their dropped weapons allows him to build level 3 buildings more quickly so that he is prepared by the time setup ends. The Soldier and Scout often watch the flank, with occasional support from pick classes (Spy and Sniper), so those classes tend to look for good positions to hold the flank during setup time. Also during setup, the combo walks to wherever the first major hold position is. The Demoman can lay sticky traps at choke points between BLU Spawn and their position to try to kill a major class before the first push. If he can't find opportunities to get backstabs, the Spy can use the Cloak and Dagger in a position that allows him to call out information about the attackers, or he can cloak near a sticky trap that is out of his demo's field of view to call out when to detonate it.
