Whether you love it or hate it, you have to know Icebox if you want to climb ranks. This guide will help you do just that!
In this article, we'll take a close look at Icebox, and see what strategies you can utilize on it to climb ranks effectively. We will also discuss all the callouts and look at every angle of the map, so if you want to level up your Icebox game, this guide is a must-read, especially for beginners.
Icebox: Map Overview & All Callouts
Below you will find all the main Icebox map callouts:
Icebox is a map with numerous boxes, open areas, and angles, which you can especially see on the A Site. Because of its design, one crucial aspect to focus on while playing on Icebox is the mid control, as you can basically enter any Spike Site from there.
Icebox: A Site Overview & Callouts
As we have mentioned before, A Site on Icebox is a pretty complex Spike Site to play on by design. This is where the war on positioning and tactics primarily happens; a simple rush or basic defending setup won't work. The most powerful weapon on this Spike Site is actually your brain, so every time you play on it, be sure to discuss your plans with an IGL player from your team (if you have one, of course).
The positioning aspect on this Spike Site will be crucial for any Operator player, as there are many good angles you can cover for both sides as a sniper player. This is where your Controller teammates will help you; ask them for a smoke or two if you feel you have the angle you can take advantage of.
Attacking A Site on Icebox
Usually, your go-to strategy for attacking A Site on Icebox is rushing along with your entire team; aka "Rush A, don't stop". However, we would actually advise you to "stop" for a moment in this strategy to use your abilities, such as grenades from your Duelists or reveal tools from your Initiators. This will help with clearing some spots and make it easier for your team to enter the default plant spot. You should also remember to also watch out for any traps from the enemy Sentinel players, as they can really destroy all of your plans, so you better prepare a strategy around these utilities.
One thing you should also keep in mind is planting the Spike in the open area to make it nearly impossible for the Defending team to defuse it. If you can, be sure to also think about a good crossfire strategy to protect your Spike.
Defending A Site on Icebox
Most of the time, to defend A Site on Icebox, you will need to play a bit more defensively; developing a nice crossfire strategy can also significantly increase your chances of winning the round when defending A Site. Plus, if you have Credits for a sniper rifle, it can really work magic, especially if you are playing Agents like Jett or Chamber.
As we have mentioned before, Attackers will often focus on rushing the Spike Site. That said, be sure also to wake up your Killjoy and Cypher teammates so that they can prepare some traps against that – especially at areas such as Main, Generator, and Maze. You really don't want to lose this Spike Site, as it is tough to retake, primarily because of how the default plant spot is designed. And if you want to perform a successful retake, be ready to invest a lot of your team's utility into it, such as flashbangs or smokes.
Icebox: B Site Overview & Callouts
B Site on Icebox is a Spike Site made up of several interconnected rooms and corridors, located on the opposite side of the map from A Site. Just like on the A Site, your strategy will matter a lot, but especially for all the abilities that you are planning to use. This specific area of Icebox especially rewards players with a well-developed game sense, as they will usually get more value out of their utility by countering some of the potential plays from the enemy team.
Attacking B Site on Icebox
When attacking B Site on Icebox, you often want to start with focusing on controlling B Main and B Yellow. Once that's done, taking control over Top B and Lower B would also be good, which will give you a safe opportunity to plant the Spike. Covering all these areas might seem super hard, and it is! However, once again, you can really help yourself with your abilities.
You might also want to send some players from your team to attack from Mid or Kitchen to gather intel and secure some angles for you. Just like on the A Site, you have a nice default plant spot, so the most challenging part is getting into the site, and once you plant the Spike, it should all be easy.
Defending B Site on Icebox
If you suspect an attack on B Main, try to hold it at all costs and wait for your teammates to rotate. You just can't let the attacking team get into B Yellow because, well, that will most likely end in a round loss, especially if it happens super early in the round. Speaking of which, you should also place some traps before B Main to stop a potential rush, and if you hear the enemy team, you should consider throwing some mollies.
Having a sniper player can also be super helpful when defending, especially if you combine their Operator skills with good one-way smokes or walls from Agents like Viper. Lastly, you want to have at least one player in B Halls because it is super likely that one or two attackers will push from there.
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