It’s no exaggeration to say that EVE: Valkyrie’s latest map, Solitude, has proven to be a hit with the players. Despite a propensity to repeatedly crash into the icy mountain terrain, this new planet-based environment has seen pilots revisiting Solitude again and again.

This map is unique in that it is the first ground-based map in EVE: Valkyrie. The map itself is a Minmatar research base that is now controlled by the charismatic pirate Fatal. It has some interesting features, including two underground areas in which to fight.

But enough of playing around with the new map like over-excited schoolchildren… it’s time to get serious. We recruited ace pilot Nydwen to give us a crash course (pun intended) on handling the heavies on Solitude.

Take it away, Nydwen.

Solitude: An Overview

Let’s take a closer look at Solitude’s features and start to come up with ideas of how to use them in our favor. For the purposes of this overview I will be focusing on the flak variants and mortar ships.

First point of note is the launch positions. One team will launch out of a carrier positioned near the the ground, while the other team will launch out of the base itself. This is currently the only map with this launch setup.

So, after launching what next? That depends on which side of the map you spawn at. As a rule, I always recommend heavies to stay inside, or very near to, enclosed spaces or structures. This is for both offensive and defensive reasons. I have previously discussed how enclosed spaces will focus damage from flak/mortar weapons onto the target and increase damage. This is key to fast kills and also ensuring you stay alive.

As an added bonus, if you happen to be flying a Maelstrom and have a fast-moving ship stuck on your tail, you can maneuver near a structure or wall and shoot that as you fly by. Depending on how close they are, you can catch them in the explosion.

On the defensive side, you can dart between beams to break missile locks, or cause them to crash into the beams. As mentioned, cover is invaluable.

Points of Note

To best describe the locations, I will use the normal A, B and C points that are present in the Control version of this map.

From our point of view, points A and C are ideal for us as they are both based underground and provide plenty of opportunities to use the environment to our advantage. The underground bases each have three entrances and exits which makes defending the entry point tough, unless you know for sure which direction they are coming from. Just underneath the point itself in each of these underground bunkers is a trench that runs around the base of the point. This is a very enclosed spot, and from here you can strike out at anybody approaching while presenting a smaller target.

Just above the points are a series of intricate structures that a heavy can use to maneuver, all the while applying pressure to the target by using the environment to its advantage. The fights you can have at these points are great fun and can be very tense… highly recommended.

Point B is situated on the surface and again has structures in abundance to fly between. The best location I can recommend if you visit B is the main structure itself, as this consists of everything we need to survive. However, if you are feeling adventurous, there is a ravine on the surface directly below, but this will leave you vulnerable to gunfire from above. As a heavy, this is still a good spot to fight at, although in general it is lacking the enclosed spaces which I favor.

Running from the carrier all the way to point B is the large ravine I mentioned. This consists of some very narrow and deep chasms, so good flying is a must in here. If you can handle it, there can be some great fights found in this area.

In Team Deathmatch, ideally, you want to drag the fight over to the underground structures, but failing that, any area with multiple beams to use as cover will suffice.

One last tip: while waiting in the clone vat to launch, make use of the 3D map CCP have given you. You can scroll left and right to look at the entire map layout, including the underground areas. Even better, this map displays all friendlies and enemies so you can get an idea of how the fight is going prior to launch.

Thanks, Nydwen. Some great tips there to get us started on Solitude. Don’t forget to check back over the next few days, dear readers, when we’ll be bringing you similar Solitude guides for the fighters and support craft.

Fly safe!