Map Description

1. 

   COVALENT
   
   Covalent is a 4v4 symmetrical Room Based Arena map with strong, controlled verticality that focuses on making room to room combat fun and engaging, and not feeling to segmented and becoming two identical rooms fighting across a middle. I did this by creating an inverse symmetric feeling on a mirror symmetric map. The evolution and ironing out of the H2A version "Alvarium"s weaknesses, I feel this map encapsulates the Movement mechanics of Halo 5 and the way we can treat verticality in Halo 5.
   
   
   Utilizing a 7 hex basis (that is a hexagon surrounded by 6 further hexagons) I built the map around this. By creating a 7 hex overlay, it allows me to plan out the map in areas, and how they interact with the opposite and surrounding hexes, how they connect or view the other areas.
   
   Team "Bases":
   
   
   Both bases share the same layout, obviously being a symmetric map. The bases have a "two room" structure, but both rooms feel very connected to one another. They are named Red/Blue One/Two, One being the Room with pillar and Two being the room with the Dip. The top levels of each team room can shoot across at the high area in the other room of the same team. (Seen in image 2) but have less power over the lower areas of the opposite room. the higher areas in these bases wrap around their respective rooms.
   
   There is also a connection to higher up Ledges (Seen on Image 3) that are in the middle Hex that allow for the fastest map traversion but are, very, very open. they can be used to attack Tower One, but not so much Tower Two.
   
   The interaction across the middle hex is interesting. despite the mirror symmetry, the way the Team rooms openings into middle face each other is Red One Views Blue Two and Vise versa. it leads to an effect of Inverse Symmetry, despite not being inverse Sym that really makes fighting between rooms not feel like combat between identical rooms.
   
   During CTF, this design causes player to have to go up the wrapping high areas to jump into the flag area (On the Platform that connects the two team rooms).
   
   Both Red and Blue One House a Stronghold Point That surrounds the rooms pillar, and extends slightly under the High Area so someone on the High Area has to drop down to challenge them.
   
   Tower One:
   
   
   Tower One is connected to the High Areas of Red/Blue One, but also to Red/Blue Two via the Red/Blue Ledge and and is a major power position, housing good control of the Middle "lane" on which Binary, Rockets and Damage Boost lay, It provides control over these 3 without granting immediate pick up utility, an forces the player to move off this area to pick any of the 3 up. This strongly encourages movement, or calling out for teammate to pick it up while you control it. its a compact area that can be challenged and pinched with good teamwork.
   
   Dropping of this Area for Binary causes the player to have go back through either Red/Blue One to go back to this Area.
   
   Dropping of this Area for rockets puts you on the very exposed middle platform that you can choose to drop to the lowest level and cause you take long routes under each team base to return back to your team, were you can be headed off and challenged from Tower Two, or go through fridge and lift up to the binary area and attempt a push on a team base or fall back to your own.
   
   With Damage boost being the opposite tower, your better of calling to teammates, but should you want to pick it up, be it cause your teammates are as organised as Flies on a shite, or your a greedy bastard, you can preform a jump thrust Stabilizer jump, or use the Red/Blue ledges to reach Tower Two, but it means youll have a fairly long trip back.
   
   Tower Two And Red/Blue Outside:
   
   
   Tower Two has a lot more breathing space than Tower One, but as a result it ultimately had to have less power over the map as a whole. But It is very useful for ambushing a flag cap attempting the slower, but safer Tunnel Route, as it overlooks the exit of said tunnels into Red/Blue outside via the Damage Boost Platform.
   
   It provides a slightly faster, but less height advantageous access to rockets, but with little to no control other Binary, and has certainly the fastest access to damage boost.
   
   this area is also the more neutral Stronghold Zone, That is best defended from Tower One, But is also best attacked from there.
   
   Fridge And Open Deck:
   
   
   Open Deck is connected to Bottom Mid via a Lift through Fridge, It is connected to Red/Blue One, and Connects to Tower One with a one Way drop down (Tower One Can choose to drop directly down to fridge also). This area can get quite contested when binary is up, but even when it isn't, lifting into this area after picking up rockets can be a good choice when attempting a push with rockets, but it leaves you very exposed to people heading you off from Red/Blue One or Tower One.
   
   My personal recommendations are Slayer and CTF, but Strongholds can be very enjoyable also, I just prefer those as gametypes.
   
   Power Ups and Power Weapons:
   
   Binary Rifle: 120 Seconds, Weapon Pad
   Rocket Launcher: 180 Seconds, Weapon Pad
   Damage Boost: 120 Seconds, Placed
   
   Big Thanks To Sgt x Slaphead for his support and suggestions on this map from as far back as the early H2A version and onward, and to all the other testers and those who gave feedback.
   
   If you want to download it, Add me "Kell Of Scots" and Get Covalent from my bookmarks

   II SEGA USA II, S0UL FLAME, moo43 and 6 others like this.