Canyon

**Canyon** is one of the two new maps added in EA11.

## Map & Characteristics

Canyon is a medium-sized map in Ravenfield. The map takes place in and around a massive drained dam reservoir, and features a stranded aircraft carrier stranded in the middle. At first glance, the flag distribution appears to offer two distinct lanes of combat, but most troops will favor routes that populate the map's open areas.

The map's bowl shape is quite hostile to Helicopters, who will struggle to nestle behind the map's several cover options as they are targeted from multiple angles. Indeed, line of sight is a considerable issue across the entire map for all unit types: the central area offers almost no protection against airborne or elevated attacks, whilst the rest of the map consists almost exclusively of tunnels or canyons. Armored vehicles will be doing most of the heavy lifting, though the flanking flags will often be done in by their own negligent defence, and get captured by stray infantry groups.

## Points of Interest

List of Capture Points
 Power Station
* 1x Tank
* 1x APC
 Canyon
* 1x MG
 Cave
* 1x TOW
 Net
* 1x TOW
 Ship Top
* 1x TOW
 Carrier Base
* 1x Tank
* 1x APC

### Dam

The Dam is by default one of the two Eagle spawnpoints. It is located on the top of the large dam on the South Side of the map. There is only one vehicle that spawns there, the Helicopter. The AI has the ability to either snipe from the dam, travel towards the power plant, or jump off the dam and deploy their parachute while heading straight for Net.

### Power Station

The Power Station is to the east of the Dam. It is the corresponding Power Plant to the Dam. The Power plant serves as a highly strategic location for the team that controls it, since it provides the starting vehicle power recommended to push enemy controlled points. The Power station is down a slope that leads from the Dam, which is on the Western side of the Power Station. If the defending team wants to take the dam, they must control the power plant. The exit of the Power Station is surrounded on both sides by large, defensive walls that line the northern portion of the Power Station. On the Eastern side of the Power Station is circuitry and generators formerly powered by the Dam. Northeast is a platform with a ramp that holds the APC and the Tank. Southeast is where the Jeep spawns. In the South there is only a sheer drop into what is assumed to be a lake or ocean. Jumping from here will instantly kill the player after a certain point, parachute or not.

### Canyon

A tight pass tucked deeply between two looming mesa walls, this shrouded point offers a necessary staging point from which to attack Cave, but offers very little stategic value otherwise. Being so cut off from the rest of the battle, it may often become a deadweight to the team that holds it, and will often be taken by surprise by enemies for whom stealth wasn't even an intention.

### Cave

Confusingly, this flag feels slightly further off from the cave than canyon does, due to it's wide open nature. It is one of the two flags presiding over the maps second combat lane, the other being Canyon. Unlike its lane-buddy, however, this point does not sacrifice field-of-view for it's position. Indeed, its broad defensive flank and TOW position are actually far better suited for harassing enemies in the map's plateau than they are to defending against any direct threats.

### Net

Nestled squarely in the still-damp plateau of the dam's old reservoir, this flag is simultaneously of critical importance to the battle's outcome, and a massive pain to defend. Lacking any vehicles, this flag's main purposes are to assure infantry presence in the map's central area, and to fend off against waves of paratroopers coming from either Dam or Ship top. Every flag on the map is permitted to assault this area, and it is ill-suited to proper defense. The rock formations and barriers block lines of sight, giving defenders tunnel vision no matter where they sit, and some of the turrets are placed in rather awkward regions. Meanwhile, vehicles and infantry are free to attack from multiple angles, and will find it very easy to wander into the base's massive capture zone.

### Ship Top

The red-team equivalent of Dam, this paratrooper-providing flag is only assailable from the Carrier base. It mirror Dam in function, providing additional troops to assault Net.

### Carrier Base

The red's mirror flag to Power plant, this base shares it importance as a vehicle bay. It is also the only way to attack ship top, and leads into the carrier's massive interior and top deck section. Despite the complexity of this region, it will nevertheless seldom see any amount of combat.

## Other Points of Interest

### Destroyed Aircraft Carrier

Presumably once seaworthy, this massive superstructure sits crumpled and useless against the reservoir's former lakebed. It possesses a wealth of cover along its top deck and interior, inviting staggered midrange combat as would-be aggressors siege the top flag. Its construction matches that of the Archipelago carrier perfectly, barring the gaping tears and rips in its hull.

### The Cave

The actual cave after which the Cave flag is named is a rather stark affair. Bereft of any major structures, it serves mainly as an isolated route between Cave and Canyon.

## Trivia

* The aircraft carrier's inclusion may have been an attempt to get more combat use out of the asset, after the Archipelago version proved to be pointlessly large and empty.
* The carrier and Dam appear to have an implied connection in the map's lore and sequence of events.