Iron Banner requires your best gear to do well, but map knowledge and player awareness is also just as important (if not more so).
If you haven’t played in the Iron Banner yet, click here.
If you haven’t already seen our complete Control guide, with strategies for each map, click here.[divider]
First and foremost, map control is key. Just about every map has an advantageous control point, a disadvantageous control point, and a neutral point which dictate the general area where your team will spawn.
In Firebase Delphi for example, control point C is a disadvantageous control point because it forces anyone who wants to attack B through one of 3 choke points. The window which forces attackers to jump in and thus leave them vulnerable, the ramp which is roughly just as accessible to the other team, and the narrow door that essentially negates any long range weapons and is at the mercy of grenades being thrown from across the neutral point. By comparison, point A only has to worry about flanking attacks from the side door and the hallway and has easy access and line of sight to B.
On Blind Watch, point A will force your team to attack B through another 3 choke points, 2 of which are doors and the last being a stretch of land directly to C that offers a lot of cover to any defenders.
On Rusted Lands, control point A’s approach to B and C offers no cover and long sight lines, allowing anyone on the other team to easily defend either position.
Shores of Time gives a particularly good, long range vantage point to anyone who has C, allowing teams to guard both C and B with little movement needed.
On Twilight Gap, while neither A and C have any particular advantage in terms of terrain, point C’s heavy ammo spawn is in open view, allowing snipers to kill anyone attempting to pick up heavy ammo.
Speaking of heavy ammo, try to always wait until teammates are nearby until you pick up heavy ammo. As long as they are within roughly 10 meters of the drop, they will receive heavy ammo as well, which can tip the balance of the game significantly.
Finally, if you do spawn at the disadvantageous side of the map, remember that teamwork is going to be most beneficial. Work together and try to attack points with the rest of the team, rather than trying to go off on your own and take points. Obviously using the team chat will help with coordination.
Remember, even the fabled Vex Mythoclast can only fire at one person at a time, so try and stay in groups. That being said, there is a fine line between staying in groups and turning into a grenade magnet.
Also be sure to spend some time tweaking the talent loadout you’ll be going into the Iron Banner with. Not only should you choose the subclass that matches your PvP style, but you’re going to want to take the time to really examine what skills you’ve chosen, and how they work together.
Some options are geared more towards PvE, so make sure you’re only bringing in skills that will benefit you in the Crucible. Understanding how your movement, melee, and super abilities work will let you better evaluate situations, and know when you have the advantage.
There’s no cost to toggling skills on and off, so experiment as much as you can to really refine your build!