Is the addition of Team Deathmatch an excuse for new content? Or is it a useful game mode to better a player’s mechanics while keeping it entertaining. Just how different is this mode to regular Deathmatch?
Team Deathmatch is a 5v5 team-based game mode where the first team that reaches 100 kills (or the most kills by the time limit) is the winner. Players are allowed to choose which agent they want to use, unlike Deathmatch. The agent’s abilities are also online to be used throughout the match. Abilities recharge over time (varies depending on the ability) and ultimates charge up throughout the match with each kill providing 3 points, while also being able to be boosted by 10 points with each Ultimate Orb picked up.
Each agent’s ultimate has a difference in cost that is not related to their cost in Casual and Competitive game modes. Healing orbs can be found throughout the map alongside the Ultimate Orbs. The match is divided up into four phases, in which players upgrade the class of guns they use throughout the match. Upgrades to guns within the phases can be found in locations scattered throughout the map similar to the Halo series where the guns have to load into their spawn points.
This game mode was released with 3 maps which are special variations of the existing maps. District resembles Split, Kasbah resembles Bind, and Piazza resembles Ascent. With the basics of the game mode drawn out, we can now question its existence:
Team Deathmatch fills a weird nook in my gameplay experience that I had not realized was there before. It fits somewhere in between Deathmatch and Swiftplay. It is like the middle part of an Animorphs illustration of a kid turning into a cat (less abomination-y though). It filled a hole that I’m still not convinced needs filling other than the fact that it gives us a more entertaining way to practice our mechanics.
Team Deathmatch adds abilities where Deathmatch prohibits them. It also gives us this higher energy competitiveness that lacks in Deathmatch. Put a bunch of people who just want to practice the “go kill” strat into a game and make them face each other in “teams” (teams in quotations because nobody really works together), and you have fast paced actions that helps you take fights you’d see a lot in the regular game modes.
In Competitive, you might see a possibility of a double swing, so you would have to try to isolate that using abilities. This is not something you’d see in Deathmatch since everyone is trying to kill each other. You can practice taking fights with somebody by your side, while finding yourself in fights with multiple opponents who aren’t trying to kill each other. Add in the use of abilities and you have a faster paced game mode than Swiftplay that focuses only on dueling.
Swiftplay is great to warm up with, it is a mini-Casual match. However, the pacing of the match is a lot slower than Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch, so repetition in mechanical practice is lost in it. Team Deathmatch is that half-step into playing a Swiftplay match while being a more involved version of Deathmatch. It actually can be a perfect game mode to implement in your warmups. But there is a catch (there’s always a catch).
Yes. Team Deathmatch really fosters a run and gun type atmosphere and if your primary technique in taking duels is running and gunning, you’re going to be losing a lot of duels while frustrating your teammates. It can be bad if you play Team Deathmatch with your brain off and carry over those bad habits of spawn, “Hold W”, “Hold left click”, die and repeat. If you want to use Team Deathmatch to practice mechanics, it is best to consciously break the cycle of holding W when playing the game mode. It is fun, chaotic and fast, but it can easily break some of the dueling rules, which is also part of the fun of Team Deathmatch.
So, Team Deathmatch will not replace Deathmatch, Swiftplay, or the Range, but it is a smart game mode to implement in a warmup routine for sure. Since the fast-paced repetitive nature of the mode will help with dueling and ability use. Team Deathmatch is also really fun, because taking unnecessary fights is fun.
Yes. Duelists are the strongest agent types in this mode by far. This is a mode where it is impossible to get annoyed with a 5 Duelist team composition. But they’re not the only agents that are great in this mode. I think this calls for an agent tier list; let's start with the Duelists:
Reyna is the best agent in this game mode by far. Instalock Reyna as quickly as possible because she is absolutely cracked in this mode and it’s not even close. Her abilities have always been self-sufficient when taking duels since she is a pure duelist and in a game mode all about duels, she reigns supreme.
Neon is the closest to reach this level in Team Deathmatch because it is such a fast-paced game mode and boy is Neon’s pace fast. Her stuns regenerate quickly, and her ability to slide into the fray quickly gives her an advantage over everybody in the lobby.
Jett and Neon are solid duelists in Competitive since they are the most all around and balanced agents to choose from. They don’t excel specifically at something (Reyna’s fragging ability and Neon’s speed), they’re just pretty good at everything. So, they are solid choices in Team Deathmatch. If Reyna was already locked in by an ally, and you don’t fancy Neon’s playstyle, Jett or Raze should be your choice.
They’re not Bottom Tier or Bad Tier because they’re still pretty good compared to the other agents available for selection. They’re just not that good compared to the four women mentioned prior. They’re fine, but there are better options out there.
The closest agent class to Duelists would be Initiators. A majority of them are good picks in this mode as well, but there are some stinkers in Sova and Fade, since information gathering isn’t all that useful in this mode. Here are the tiers for the better Initiators:
This spray demonstrates the most useful feature of these Initiators. Their ability to demolish an enemy’s retinas make them a great pick to set up your teammates or yourself. KAY/O’s ZERO/POINT knife is also nice to have against the opposition since it can stop some pretty powerful abilities. Skye’s healing is a nice addition if you’re selfless (and remember to heal).
This tier solely belongs to Gekko because although he possesses a flash, stun, and molly, they’re just way too slow to use in such a fast-paced game mode. I found that his abilities get shot down fairly easily and the reusability factor is non-existent since you will most likely die before you’re able to pick them up off of the ground.
Sentinels and Controllers are not good in this game mode since they primarily focus on controlling areas of the map. Controlling and defending space is not something that happens in Team Deathmatch so most of their kits are useless, but there are some agents in these categories that are very good in Team Deathmatch. Here are some of the surprise picks:
Viper is amazing, especially for a Controller agent. Her Ultimate is absolutely broken, especially in the last phase of the game where you can pick up the Judge. Her Toxic Screen reaches across the map really well and allows for Decay and cover. Snake Bite and Poison Cloud are both very usable. She is a great pick if you like using Controllers in general.
Chamber is the only solid pick for Sentinel since he has access to his own personal armory in both Headhunter and Tour de Force. Since he is a Sentinel/Duelist hybrid, it is no wonder why he is a great choice for taking duels. Rendezvous and Trademark aren’t getting much use here, but selecting him is worth it for Headhunter alone.
Harbor is another agent hybrid that is worth a look at. Since he is a Controller/Initiator hybrid, his walls of water allow him to take space for his team while still being aggressive. With Team Deathmatch being so fast paced, his ability to slow the opposition down is a huge benefit for you and your team.
Will you be using Team Deathmatch in your warm up routine? Is it a novelty you won’t touch after a week? Can it actually help you? It really depends on the player and how seriously (or halfheartedly) you take the game mode. It is still entertaining and is great to play to turn your brain off once in a while, but I can see it becoming detrimental to the basics of dueling if you fall into the run and gun rinse and repeat aspect of the mode. Just remember, instalock Reyna, she is absolutely broken and the most fun agent to use in the mode.
