This guide will be showing newer players what to do in the more popular match-ups in today’s competition on every map.
While I may not reveal my exact build orders, these are some generic good ones to get you ahead.
- Beasley’s Plateau -
It’s a general rule to go hogs on this map to gain hook control. If you’re playing an Arbiter, have your partner keep his scout in a choke to see where the Arbiter’s going. Use one of your hogs if needed. If you spawn across from a Covy, you’ll almost never get your hook. Be creative with your hogs and find opportune points for attack. I can’t really explain how to micro your hogs on this map, it’s all circumstantial.
By the time it comes to make tanks, an expo is not needed. You have hooks and should be able to work off those for a mid game situation. Canny downteching is a good idea on this map as long as you push soon after. If you don’t want to downtech, you may be in some trouble against a Forge or even an Anders. Keep in mind Forge has a distinct advantage on this map since he doesn’t need to buy an expo and he just gets extra heavy supply pads. His economy will be better than yours the entire game unless you sneak an expo and he doesn’t.
This map relies heavy on who gets the hooks. Also, watch out for cheese on your Covenants base. It’s called Cheasley’s for a reason.
- Crevice -
Expo and barracks 3rd on main base. Build an extra hog. If you’re across from the UNSC, camp his barracks 3rd Marine as he will almost always go for the side reactor and do the same thing to you. You can throw him off by building an extra hog, totaling 3 hogs, but don’t go crazy. If you secure the reactor on your side, this is good. Keep in mind to go for one of the middle reactors ASAP. If you get your side and a middle as your 5th building on your main base completes, all being supply pads and a barracks, build a depot 6th and reactor 7th. If not, vise versa, reacotr 6th depot 7th. Expo should be 4 pads and a depot either way. Again, most of this is circumstantial. You can easily get screwed out of the reactors by mis-microing your marine in the middle. Adaptation is key with Cutter especially on this map.
You can triple base. Although tricky, it’s possible. Same build as before but instead of depot 5th on expo, all 5 buildings will be supply pads. Around the time of the 5th supply pad, buy your 3rd base and go depot 1st on it. This works cause for some reason, people like getting a fortress expo on this map. Would you rather pay $400 for 2 building spots, or $500 for 5 building spots? Obvious choice. Hook control is 100% on this map. It’s another thing I can’t explain in a guide, it’s something you learn.
- Labyrinth -
Hogs, Hogs, Hogs. Against a Brute with an Arbiter on your team, losing is very hard. Simply go on offence on either base and kill their -Yoink-. It’s not hard and should be an auto win 90% of the time. If you get the pleasure of being on the Brutes team, have no fear. Simply get 5 Grenadier hogs and have your covy get fast banshees with about 4 offensives. If you haven’t lost by now, you have a chance. D-Bomb the Arbiters shieldless base and kill… everything. It’ll work if you do it right and if they’re limited and haven’t already attacked and killed your units. Also, if they have a shield it won’t work… Basically, Arbiter’s way over-powered on this map. A smart Arbiter should never lose to a Brute on Labyrinth. Period.
Go Gauss. Reactor fourth, Reactor 7th, get grenadier, upgrade 3 pads, save up 750 and get Gauss.
- Repository -
One of the most even maps as far as Cutter/Brute vs. Cutter/Arby goes. Forge has an advantage though. Anders is weak on this map since gauss… sucks on it. Cutter build is easy though. Decide first if you’re going hogs. I’ll make it easy, if they have an Arbiter, never go hogs. If they have a Brute, go hogs only if you have an Arbiter. Let’s say you’re not going hogs, now you have a build to think about. You don’t want a ridiculous fast tank since this map is pretty large. You want more of an economy. My build when facing an Arbiter goes 5 pads on main, 4 on expo. Reactor 6th on main, 5th on expo. Upgrade three supply pads and build your depot 7th on main. Make your first tank and upgrade your expo, build another depot, another tank and then 3rd tech. It should all follow that order.
Against a brute, you want a faster tank. 5 pads on main, 3 on expo. reactor 6th main, reactor 4th expo. depot 5th on expo. pad or depot 7th on main. These are some build orders that can obviously be twisted into your liking, but this is how I do them.
Once again, it’s about adaptation with Cutter. You may find a situation where neither of these builds work, adapt to it.
- Docks -
Same builds as Repository. These maps are similar in builds, but very different since Docks never ends in a base trade and Repository almost always does. I’m more prone to go hogs on this map against a Brute with a brute team mate but not always.
The hogs build for this map and Repo is: 3 Pads main, 2 Pads expo. 3rd hog at this time. reactor 3rd on expo, reactor 7th on main. Rest supply pads for both bases. Only make 5-7 hogs. Upgrade two pads then fortress and go depot 6th and 7th on expo while deleting a pad on your main for 3rd tech. If you did enough damage, you should be good on tanks.
- Terminal Moraine -
For the past 5-6 months, I’ve dominated Terminal. I’m not going to reveal how I get my hook 49/50 times. It’s not hard to figure out. The obvious thing to do on this map is Pelican. The north side has a reactor you can get in without harm so that’s where you Pelican. Bring the chopper or ghost to the rebel watch tower in the north part of the map, bring your hog to the West and fly the pelican to the chopper/ghost. Build a barracks and a supply pad. The next part is the part I won’t reveal on how to get the other side virtually every time. Go 3 pads and a reactor on your base. Get in the hook and build a depot. Pump 2 tanks and use them for whatever you need. Get canny and win. It should be easy when you have the North hook.
If you don’t get it, go hogs. Take it back and make sure their marine never touches the reactor. Pelican a marine to the hook and get canny of the bad hook. Not as easy but still very effective.
If you don’t get either hook, well you’re a little screwed. You can cheese, but they see that coming most the time. Use your hogs to control a hook. Be creative.
The west and south side spawns on the map will win the pelican war in the beginning. If the UNSC spawns in the South and Covy in the West, you should never lose the pelican fight. That’s the best spawn for that map.
- Conclusion -
I hope this helped players that are looking to be better with Cutter. If I get bored enough, I’ll elaborate more on this guide. I just wanted something quick since I’ve been getting quite a few messages lately asking for help.
