Guide to All Maps for Multiplayer Mode
Battle Creek
A good map for TS and KOTH and a great map for Capture the Flag. Works well in 2v2 and 4v4 although the most of the 2v2 community prefers to skip this map as you can’t spawn manipulate well in it.
Damnation
One of the most challenging maps in 2v2 games to play. Plays well with both TS and team objective game types. Its unbalanced for CTF games as the team at the top (blue base) has an advantage over the bottom (red base) and the few times I saw this used in competitive tournaments both teams would swap sides and the winner would be the one who had the most accumulated caps after both games.
Rat Race
Great map for both TS and KOTH. Oddball can be a bit annoying in 4v4 as good teams can lock down the tunnel on top the map quite easily. Again, due to the inability to spawn manipulate in this map the 2v2 community usually skips this map but in my opinion it’s a great all-around map. Please be aware that if you are in the tunnels you run the risk of respawning your teammates repeatedly at the shields and getting your teammates spawn trapped.
Prisoner
Not ideal for 4v4 games – this map truly excels only in 2v2 team slayer. In 4v4 TS games tend to end quickly and involve a lot of spawn killing. It’s alright for 4v4 KOTH & Oddball if you set the respawn on 10 seconds.
Hang Em High
One of the best designed maps in the game although like damnation the blue side of the map has the advantage on CTF so I generally recommend you avoid playing CTF on this map in a competitive environment (although it is a lot of fun to play CTF on this map). In 4v4 and 2v2 this is a fantastic map for Team Slayer.
Chill Out
One of the more popular maps among the Halo community, works well for 2v2 & 4v4 TS and is fantastic for 4v4 Oddball. I recommend you skip KOTH and CTF on this one.
Derelict
An arena style map like Wizard. Games have the potential to be very lopsided on Derelict as no matter what game type you pick whomever manages to control the top of a map has a massive advantage. Its not uncommon in both 2v2 and 4v4 TS games for teams to go on 15-20 kill sprees without dying due to managing top control of the map effectively. Works well with all gametypes (CTF, slayer, oddball, and KOTH).
Boarding ActionIn the original Xbox version I would rank this as the second worst map losing only to Chiron TL34. It excels in one game type only – it’s a great map for 4v4 all snipers team slayer. Its an OK map for KOTH (some of the hills extend to both sides of the map making for interesting battles) but otherwise is awful on every other game type. Unless you want to play 4v4 Team Snipers I recommend skipping this map.
Wizard
An arena style map, just like Derelict, minus the massive advantage you get in Derelict by controlling the top. Just like Derelict it works well with all game types. It’s worth noting that call outs are difficult to do on this map due to symmetrical nature of the map (I’m usually restricted to saying either dark camo or light camo if an enemy happens to be there as that is literally the only way a teammate can know what I’m talking about).
Chiron TL34
Arguably the worst designed map in the game its terrible for practically any game type you run on it. This map was almost never used for competitive tournaments and even on LANs we rarely played it. The only setting we could run that made this map even remotely enjoyable was all shotguns team slayer. If you haven’t played this map yet, do yourself a favor and skip it.
Longest
This map was the inspiration for Elongation in Halo 2 and it’s a very small straightforward map. Excels at team slayer, oddball, and CTF. Its OK for KOTH although games quickly turn into nade fests on KOTH on Longest.
Sidewinder
One of only two maps in the original Xbox version that allowed you to use vehicles. While not a truly bad map I always find myself a bit bored on Sidewinder. Its intended for 8v8 Big Team Battles but I always find myself spending too much time trying to find where the action is on this map. It was used only once competitively in the MLG tournaments that I can remember, and it was used for 4v4 Team Snipers (and the game took a long time to finish). It’s an OK CTF and TS map. I recall it being used for the 5v5 Invasion CTF game type during the CPL as well but also remember this was my least favorite map to run that game type on.
Blood Gulch
The other of the two maps that allowed you to use vehicles on the original Xbox Version. During the original Halo days this was without a doubt the most popular map when you would join games via XBC or Game Spy. It was easy to learn and very open which lead to quick and easy fights and lots of action. This map is best played with the CTF gametype although it is also an OK team slayer map as well. I recommend skipping KOTH and Oddball as the map is too big for those gametypes.
Ice Fields
A BTB map that is OK for CTF and Team Slayer. It worked brilliantly for the CPL tournaments with the 5v5 Invasion Game Type they had used back in the day.
Death Island
Very similar to the island you explore on The Silent Cartographer (4th mission) in the campaign. It’s an average BTB map.
Danger Canyon
One of the better designed maps that’s almost like it is two maps in one. Whenever I play this, I usually ignore all the vehicles and the complete outside of the map and focus only on the inside. Like Ice Fields this was also a fantastic 5v5 Invasion map.
Infinity
In contention with Chiron TL34 as the worst map in the game if you include PC maps. Its biggest problem? It’s too big. You can only play 8v8 on this map but its so large its better suited for 16v16 and you’ll spend most of the time just roaming around aimlessly trying to find someone to engage. Even 16v16 might not be enough to make this make worth your while and you may need something like 32v32 instead.
Timberland
A good map for BTB – this map even had remake for it in Halo Reach. Works best with CTF.
Gephyrophobia
Like Danger Canyon I almost consider this map to be two different maps in one. In the center you have a long-extended bridge that you can navigate with vehicles. In the back of each base there are teleports that will teleport you onto corridors on both sides of the map. Whenever I play this map, I usually tend to ignore the center and vehicles and focus instead on sniping people from the corridors you can teleport to and/or running flag via the same teleports. It’s not the best map ever but its playable if you ignore the bridge.
