Gold Rush is one of the more unique maps in Team Fortress 2, and the first to adopt the new gameplay mode, payload. The players are split into offensive and defensive teams, and the offensive team’s objective is to escort a distinctive Fat Man-esque bomb on a small mine cart through 3 stages of the map (similar to Dustbowl) to the final red base where it detonates and blows a giant hole in the ground. An added incentive for them is the implementation of Valve’s cinematic physics in the destruction, resulting in a fairly sexy explosion, not to mention a big hole to jump into. On the other hand it follows that the defensive team’s job is to prevent the bomb from reaching their base.
To move the cart the attacking team must be standing a certain (very small) distance from it, and like a control point, the more people near the cart, the faster it will progress up the tracks. The defensive team can stop the cart dead by standing nearby, and if they can prevent the attackers from touching it for 30 seconds, it will start to roll backwards very slowly until an attacker is able to touch it again (without a defender also touching it). There are 2 checkpoints in each stage that, again like Dustbowl, once reached add time to the clock and in the case of the final stage push the defenders’ spawn backwards. In addition to the 2 checkpoints on the third stage there is also the ‘final terminus’ that the attackers must reach to win the map, after which they’re rewarded with some sweet cinematic physics in the form of a giant explosion.
Quick note on this guide: Gold Rush is one of the more involved maps, in that there are often more than 1 or 2 paths to take, and any number of approaches to each situation. As such I can’t possibly hope to cover everything, and will instead try to stick to more general approaches that work well (though may not be infallible). The initial über rush for example doesn’t magically wipe out the defending troops, and some mopping up will be required, but I’m more concerned with the goal of the rush, so I’ll tend to glaze over the aftermath and leave that in your capable hands.
