Caustic Valley

Overview
Caustic Valley is a open desert type map. As the ambient temperature is hotter than most other maps, heat sinks are less effective, so making each shot count is key.

Landmarks

 * The mountain in the center of the map is also called the Crater or Caldera.
 * Has many off and on thermal vents in the ground. If a mech overheats (and shuts down) on one of these, it can take up to 4x longer to cool to acceptable levels. (They can override, but there is an increased risk of self destruction.)

Bases

 * One is located in a refinery at B3.
 * The other is located on the far side of the map and behind the center hill at F4/F5.
 * in conquest mode additional capture zones are present in C5, D4 and E2

Common Strategies

 * Attack on left side, all mechs go to the left side of the crater. (You might want to send a scout to the other side to check for enemy activity.)
 * Attack on right side which is the opposite of the above.
 * Attack through the Middle of the crater all mechs go through the middle of the map and attack from the Crater. Ballistic and missile equipped mechs have less trouble with this strategy than those with energy weapons.
 * Defend at base. Unless you send your scouts out to recon, you have no idea which way the enemy Lance is coming from. But when your scouts find them, this strategy can turn into a useful counter attack.
 * Defending the crater most of your lance stays in the crater and defends. The crater allows response to all sides, making it a useful strategy as long as your lance doesn't overheat.
 * Flanking on the 2 line gives a concealed approach although it is quite distant from the crater.

Tips

 * Chain fire will help with heat management on this map.
 * The crater is a very hot region of the map and care should be taken when fighting in it.