Millstone
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Millstone is an community-created Payload map created by ICS. The final version of the map by ICS was released on 1 January 2015. Similar to Swiftwater, the map was adopted by the UGC league for UGC Highlander Season 20 and is also currently in rotation for UGC Highlander Season 22, the map is currently in its seventh UGC version.[1] Millstone's Halloween version, Hellstone, was made official during Scream Fortress 2015.[2]
Contents
History
It is still being improved by the creator. It has had more than 100 versions, including the Halloween ones. At first, It was supposed to be a Attack/Defend map with 3 control points, but the programming didn't work and the creator decided to make it a payload map instead. Basically every area of the map was redone. The map is put together of different areas, to improve the framerate without degreasing the graphics.
Usage in competitive
| Highlander | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 UGC
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 pl_millstone_ugc_4
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Season 20 | ||||||
| pl_millstone_ugc_7
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Season 22 | ||||||
| Total inclusions | 2 out of 39 | ||||||
Bold italics denotes the current or latest season
Map locations
| Millstone - Starting area |
|---|
spawn house rock bunker fence |
Attacking
The attacking team has to get an Ubercharge advantage, and they can do that by suiciding, like in many other Payload maps. In this particular case, a good Ubercharge push will result BLU demoman and soldier ending up in the corner behind the rock. From there, they can peak up and try to kill the enemy demoman, so he can't attack them from a high ground. If the soldier equips the Gunboats, he can bomb at the sniper and probably get some extra damage on the enemies near the bunker. If the defendig demoman is killed, then the attacking demoman can come out of the corner and deal serious damage. When BLU gets another Ubercharge while holding their position, they can get a much further foward position by going through the house and trapping the upper flank route.
Defending
The RED team has to make sure the attacking demoman and soldier don't get to the rock and potentially the corner. They have to retain even Ubers, or in a better case an Uber andvantige, to delay the opponents' push. Also, on top of the containers is an adventageous highground spot for the RED soldier, because their sniper in the bunker (the fence is an aggressive spot) can support them, while keeping an eye out for other enemies near the cart. The engineers' usual Sentry spot is on the payload tracks next to the fence, so it is protected from long range sniping from the payload cart, the biggest weakness of this spot is the soldier and demoman peeking from the side or over the containers, but the defending sniper deals with that.
| Millstone - First point |
|---|
house upper flank window sniper flank choke |
Attacking
The attackers have to quickly set them up for a fight after an Uber push, because otherwise the enemies just surround them and overwhelm them. That's the reason why BLU has to secure the upper flank route immidiately, by using sticky traps and Mini-Sentries. From there, if the enemy medic didn't die during the last uber push, they have to immidiately get a pick on the medic. It has to happen, otherwise the enemies shatter all their defenses. If the pick fails, it is hard for BLU to come back, but if it works, the attackers get control of the upper flank, whitch is extremely important to take down the Sentry. The sniper stands usually in the house door. Gaining control over the upper flank also makes it easier to destroy the dispenser, where ever it might be. The sniper has to kill the enemy sniper to get control of the big sightline from sniper flank to house, because it is very powerful. RED engineer's Sentry gun should be near choke, because there it is in a powerful position and as long as the upper flank is guarded, it is complitely safe. The dispenser spot is dependent on the enemies' progress in the position. The most important is to defend the upper flank to prevent any enemies from coming there and to punish the enemy team for not securing the route to the bunker. It is important to watch out for flanking scouts, spies and bombing soldiers to not get a pick on the medic. The sniper sightline from sniper flank to house is very big, so sniper is powerful in this part of the map.
| Millstone - Second point |
|---|
windows plank roof spawn choke |
| Millstone - Third point |
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drop point corner hallway |
| Millstone - Fourth point |
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crates up point slope |
| Millstone - Final point |
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final spawn void point bay ramp |
References
| List of active competitive Team Fortress 2 maps | |
| 3CP | Warmfrost |
| 5CP | Badlands · Granary Pro · Gullywash · Metalworks · Process · Reckoner · Snakewater · Sunshine · Villa |
| Attack/Defend | Steel |
| King of the Hill | Airfield · Ashville · Bagel · Brazil · Cascade · Clearcut · Coalplant · Lakeside · Product · Warmtic |
| Payload | Badwater · Borneo · Swiftwater · Upward · Vigil |
