Prebrief

Take to the streets and skirmish around a tight urban center in Skidrow. Battle for control of the central Hallway and flank your opponents through the Back Alley and Tunnel. Operators who can navigate the map’s confined interior spaces and midranged exterior and who use the map’s verticality to get over their opponents will find the most success.

To thrive in this landscape, you need to know its risks and advantages. Here’s what we know about Skidrow:

Intel Card — Skidrow

Tactical Overview

In team-based modes, squads will either spawn at the Containers (north) or by the Playground in Police (southeast).

The central buildings separate the teams, though it won’t be long before they meet inside. Flank routes along the wings of the map give passage to those who would rather fight outside. 

For the purpose of this guide, we’ve divided Skidrow into five sections based on key areas around the map:

• MAIN SPAWN POINT: Containers (+ Loading Dock, Parking Lot, Warehouse)
• MAIN SPAWN POINT: Police (+ Playground, Burnt Car, Apartments)
• ADDITIONAL AREA: Hallway (+ Movie Store, Garage, IED Room, Destroyed Apartment, Roof)
• ADDITIONAL AREA: Mural Alley (+ Back Alley)
• ADDITIONAL AREA: Tunnel

MAIN SPAWN POINT: Containers (NORTH)

Containers and the rest of the northern spawn area tend to attract snipers and other long-ranged sharpshooters. Though the fenced-in portion obstructs the view, there are long sights from the Warehouse and from atop the Containers. Midranged weapons perform well around and within the fence.

Use the tarp and boarded-up sections to stay out of sight from long-ranged attackers; once you’re spotted, though, look for more substantial cover. Watch your head in this area, too: There’s little overhead cover, making air-to-ground-based streaks a real threat.

The fenced-in area is also a good spot for placing Care Packages. Call one in when the fight is more focused on the center and southern portions of the map. 

MAIN SPAWN POINT: Police (SOUTH)

Positioned in the southeast corner, Police funnels Operators toward the Playground, a risky exterior location covered by vantage points on all sides, above and below. Expect cross fire between the southern Apartments and the south-facing Destroyed Apartment, where flames threaten to consume the structure.

The Laundromat and the closed off-street opposite make up the ground-based threats here, so standing around Playground or Burnt Car is nearly asking to be eliminated.

Veterans of 2009’s Skidrow map will notice that the stationary minigun is missing from the southern apartments. This time around, it’s just you and your Loadout weapon.

ADDITIONAL AREA: Hallway

The Hallway and the other central interior locations remain a hot spot throughout much of each match, whether players are vying for an objective within or using its many outward sights to control the surrounding streets. The bottom floor consists of a Garage and a Movie Store, providing a quick, though risky, route down the center of the map.

Upstairs, the fight gets tighter as Operators battle across a long and narrow Hallway punctuated by small rooms and access to the north-facing Roof power position. Use your Tactical Sprint when crossing the hallway to minimize your exposure to cross fire.

There are no longer busted floorboards in the middle of the Hallway, so you don’t need to worry about attacks from the Movie Store below. Save your focus for enemies appearing down the hall or from within any of the connecting rooms.

ADDITIONAL AREA: Mural Alley

The western flanking path provides a more concealed route down the map, as well as access to several power positions. Use the steps halfway through that lead into the Hallway to target enemies on the other end or to reach the Roof for a north-facing vantage point.

Its south end extends into the Back Alley and Laundromat, where you’ll have a strong ground-based position looking out over the Playground. You can also climb the stairs at the end of the Back Alley to reach the Apartments’ upper-level vantage point, a great power position for covering the southern part of the map.

ADDITIONAL AREA: Tunnel

Operators in the east who want to cross the map without exposure to the center can take the Tunnel route instead. The path here is a bit more complex compared to the opposite Mural Alley. On the path’s south end, the Barbershop offers a strong ambush point against movement near the Tunnel, and the Stairwell leading over it heads directly to the main Hallway.

To the north, watch out when approaching the Warehouse; enemies can attack from the ground-floor doorway or through the window up top. Use the cover objects in the middle of the Tunnel for added defense when engaging enemies here.

Objective Overview

Overall Tactics

Skidrow rewards Operators who maximize the effectiveness of their Loadout on the map, whether they’re running into close-range conflicts or eliminating enemies from afar.

No matter where the objective takes you, there are routes available for all playstyles. Match your weapon to the right route and win.  

Close-ranged Loadouts should take advantage of the map’s interior spaces. Use the side rooms in the Hallway to flank; clear out enemies in the Barbershop and Apartments where sightlines are tight. When you’re forced to cross out in the open, move fast and know your cover options.

Longer-ranged Loadouts should utilize the map’s choke points to home in on distant targets. The Hallway, Roof, and Mural Alley are obvious candidates for keeping enemies at a distance, but don’t neglect such power positions as the Warehouse and Police, which both offer wide coverage of their respective areas.

Domination

It’s a battle for the Hallway as teams vie for control of the B flag placed right in the center.

You’ll need some fast sharpshooters covering the length of the Hallway; add in a Trophy System or two to protect Operators capturing the objective. Once the flag is yours, it’s easier to break up into the various side rooms to flank incoming enemies.

It’s possible to surround the Hallway in a play for A and C, a good tactic when the enemy team is throwing everything on B. Watch out for the A flag’s exposure to aerial streaks. Once the objective is in your hands, move into the Warehouse to defend it for overhead coverage and a good view of the surrounding area.

If you can afford it, it’s worth keeping an Operator on the ground floor around the Garage and Movie Store. Not only is it a prime path toward the B flag but it also provides quick passage down the map. The team who controls this area gains a huge advantage in mobility.

Hardpoint

Become proficient in every corner of the map. After the first objective in the central Destroyed Apartment, the remaining Hardpoints move around the perimeter, focusing much of the fight in the map’s outer streets.

You’ll need your full arsenal of equipment here, especially in the more open environments around the Warehouse, Containers, and along Mural Alley. These Hardpoints allow for a strong defense, so it’s extra important to break through early and start building up score. If you can’t break through the enemy’s hold on a point, consider leaving it and building up your defense early on for the next one. If you can get there before the onscreen indicator appears, even better.

Don’t get stuck into one style of play unless it’s working and you’re in the lead. The tactics needed to take each point can vary greatly, and a change of weapons and equipment might be all it takes to break out of a jam. Look for any weaknesses in your squad’s approach — or in the enemy’s — and exploit it.

Cutthroat

Cutthroat’s a wild ride on Skidrow; you’ll do well to deploy with a coordinated squad, as communication becomes doubly important when taking on two teams at a time.

Stick together as much as possible at the start of the round to improve your chances of winning skirmishes and picking up fallen teammates early on. Maintaining a full squad in the opening thirty seconds can be a huge advantage as the other teams continue to whittle each other down. With Skidrow’s tight layout, it also paves the way toward winning through having the most team health at the end of the round, provided no enemies nab the overtime flag beforehand.

Consider designating a finisher on your team, as well, being the Operator who eliminates fallen enemies. Designate your best player in this role to help them accumulate points toward their first streak, ideally the UAV for the intel it provides on enemy movement. Hold onto it until you really need it, an ace up your sleeve whether you need to catch up in win rounds or secure your final point to win the match.

Search & Destroy

When you’re ready to take your map knowledge to the next level, Search & Destroy is the mode for you.

With the A bomb site right in the Hallway, you need to know all the ins and outs of the central building. It’s not just about racing directly to the objective; it’s also about outplaying the enemies you may encounter along the way.

The attacking team can also swing wide toward Mural Alley to emerge through the back of the B bomb site. This play pushes far into the enemy spawn, so move in fast if you’re taking it early or plant later in the round, once the enemy team has moved up to the middle of the map.

With a quick break off the start, the defending team can get a lot of use out of the Roof’s power position, gaining views against enemies moving toward Mural Alley and the central Hallway. Though it may be tempting to send the full squad to A, consider leaving an Operator or two behind to watch for movement near B; you don’t want to get forced into a fight with an entrenched enemy here who has planted the bomb.

Top 10 Tips

1. Make yourself at home. While the central Hallway may get the most attention, there are other interior locations around the map’s perimeter that can be used to lock down the area. Use the Warehouse to watch the north, the Barbershop to catch enemies near the Tunnel, and the Laundromat and Apartments to cover the Playground.

2. Hallway defense. With many Hallway fights taking place from end to end, it can’t hurt to bring a teammate with a Riot Shield or the Deployable Cover Field Upgrade when you need to close the gap. That extra protection may be just what you need to win the fight.

3. Through the bedroom window. Climb the stacked crates pushed up against the wall under Roof. The accessible window leads into the IED Room, which is right at the halfway point of the Hallway. Using this entrance is a great way to catch enemies off guard.

4. Set up a feed. Use a Tactical Camera to watch the Tunnel as you look over the north from the Warehouse. The combined view gives you eyes over every entrance into the area.

5. Hole in the wall. Enemy sharpshooter causing trouble on the Roof? For a less conspicuous attack, try firing through the hole in the IED Room just east of the position.

6. Hall monitor. The Hallway is perfect for funneling enemies into your line of sight. Attach a midrange zoom to your weapon, step back, and rack up those eliminations. Just keep an eye on the minimap and match score, and move on if you’re needed elsewhere.

7. Above and below. Lock down the map’s center by posting up in the Hallway and below in the Movie Store and Garage. By concentrating your efforts on holding the middle, you’ll gain huge control over the map. Communicate with your team and use the minimap to track down incoming enemies.

8. Floor Streaks. While the north and south ends of the map are exposed to the air, there’s always overhead cover within reach, so you might prefer using ground-based Streaks to target enemies instead. Activate a Remote Turret or Wheelson-HS in the central Hallway or Movie Store to cut off passage through a major thoroughfare.

9. Crate shot. While the Warehouse may have a better overall view of the Loading Dock and Parking Lot, don’t neglect the Containers area stocked up in the northwest. The position is a great counter to enemies on the Roof and against those flowing in from the Tunnel.

10. C4 ya later. Got a moment of peace in the Hallway? Toss a C4 explosive on the other side and then backpedal to your original location. Greet the next enemy with a blast.

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