Environmental death
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— The Demoman on exploding pumpkins
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A death caused by a map element, commonly known as an Environmental Death, can take many forms depending on the various hazards in each individual map. Hazards can be used as a weapon or deterrent against the enemy team, and almost all map hazards grant a tactical advantage to those mindful of them.
Environmental Deaths
Saw Blades
Saw blades are neutral entities that were officially introduced on Sawmill, and would later appear on a number of custom maps. They move back and forth along a designated path and kill anyone that comes in contact with them. Unlike some environmental hazards, a player can survive contact if invincible; for example, if the player is under the effect of an Übercharge or Bonk! Atomic Punch.
Maps with Saw blades:
Trains
Trains are neutral entities that will kill anyone who stands in their path. The arrival of a Train is usually signified by flashing lights at each end of the track and a bell sound playing, which can be heard if players are close enough. the sound resembles a GE GEVO-12 at Notch 8, which can be heard on all normal freight trains across America. In addition, Trains often sound horns immediately upon arrival, most likely as a final warning for players to get off the track.
A notable variation of sorts is "Lil' Chew-Chew", the unique, rideable cart on the map Frontier. If escorted by three or more BLU players, it will run over any unfortunate player standing in front of it, regardless of team.
Maps with Trains:
Pitfalls
A Pitfall should be considered different from fall damage, as there is no chance of survival, not even if you are under the effect of an ÜberCharge. This is usually the result of falling into an area that does not have ground underneath. It should also be noted that after a cart explodes, falling into the resulting crater will result in a Pitfall death.
Maps with Pitfalls:
- Degroot Keep
- Double Cross
- Frontier
- Hightower
- Hydro (Power Plant vs. Radar Dish configuration)
- Lumberyard
- Mann Manor
- Mountain Lab
- Nightfall (third stage only)
- Nucleus
- Offblast
- Steel
- Thunder Mountain (first and third stages)
- Upward
Drowning
Players under deep water (water which the player is completely submerged in) have a period of approximately 12 seconds before they begin to suffocate. Failure to rise above water will cause them to continually lose 5 health every second until they drown. Any health lost by suffocation lost will slowly regenerate at a rate of 10 health every 2 seconds as soon as a player reaches the surface. Going back underwater, however, will cease health regeneration until the player surfaces again.
Maps with Deep water:
- 2Fort
- Badlands (Arena version only)
- Freight
- Lakeside
- Nightfall (third stage only)
- Pipeline (third stage only)
- Ravine
- Sawmill
- Thunder Mountain (second stage only)
- Well
Pumpkin Bombs
Pumpkin Bombs are special objects found only on Harvest Event, Eyeaduct and Mann Manor during Halloween events (or on servers running those three particular maps). Once a pumpkin receives any amount of damage from any source, or, in some cases, is hit by a projectile which would not normally damage anything (for example, the Rocket Jumper's projectiles and Mad Milk), it will trigger a an explosion, hurting, or killing, everyone around it.
Pumpkin bombs should not be confused with Halloween Pumpkins. A simple way to tell them apart is that Pumpkin bombs do not move, whereas Halloween Pumpkins will rotate similar to Health packs or Ammo crates. Pumpkin Bombs will always spawn in the same spots, while Halloween Pumpkins will spawn when the player kills someone during a Halloween event.
Maps with Pumpkin bombs:
Payload Cart Explosion
During the final (or sole) round of any Payload or Payload Race map, the Payload Cart will explode either when it reaches the final point, or shortly after, triggering a Payload Cart Explosion, which will cause all players in the surrounding area to be killed. Also, in some maps the resulting explosion creates a crater; falling into it will result in a Pitfall death.
Maps with Payload Carts Explosions:
Gate Crush
The gate of DeGroot Keep, (which opens when points A and B are captured), closes after a certain amount of time, provided the last point isn't captured. By default, this is approximately 60 seconds after the gate opens or when capture progress has run out, whichever is longer. This also resets the first two points, making them available for capture again. If a player is standing underneath the gate when it lowers (or is too close to the gate when it opens), they will be crushed to death.
In Egypt, all gates open and close slowly, and may crush players. Additionally, on Stage 1 there is an interior room on the path from the RED spawn to point A in which the player may get stuck between two doors if the BLU team captures the first control point. A short while after the capture, the ceiling of that room falls slowly and crushes all players unlucky enough to be underneath.
Maps with a Gate:
Horseless Headless Horsemann
The Horseless Headless Horsemann is an enemy "Boss Monster" that appears in Mann Manor. As the undead form of Silas Mann, this character will rise out of the currently contested control point after a pre-determined amount of time, and proceed to hunt down and kill players on both teams. Due to his immense size and strength, the Horseless Headless Horsemann is capable of instantly killing any player or building that he strikes. He will continue his massacre until killed by a player (or players). All kills by the HHH count as enviromental deaths and trigger the relevant achievements.
Maps with that feature the Horseless Headless Horsemann:
MONOCULUS
The MONOCULUS is a "Boss Monster" that appears in Eyeaduct, and takes the form of the RED Demoman's missing eye, haunted by the Bombinomicon. MONOCULUS will spawn out of the currently contested control point after a pre-determined amount of time, and proceed to kill players on both teams using rocket-like eyeball projectiles, which always make critical hits. Such rockets can be reflected by a Pyro's compression blast. Despite naming the killer as MONOCULUS, any death caused by MONOCULUS is classed as environmental.
Maps with that feature the MONOCULUS:
Underworld
The Underworld is part of the Halloween-themed map, Eyeaduct, and is usually only reachable through portals that are created when MONOCULUS teleports or is killed. If the player gets close enough to the portal before it closes, they are restored to full health and transported to one end of a chain of small islands in the Underworld. Players on the islands suffer a health drain similar to bleeding, afterburn, or drowning, which continues as long as they remain there. The damage inflicted per second on each player increases over time, making it all but impossible for a player to stay in the Underworld indefinitely. Waters of the Underworld are also hazardous, and will kill instantly on contact with a player. Both the health drain, hazardous waters, and, the explosion have the same kill icon.
Maps with that feature the Underworld:
Loot Island
Loot Island, whilst technically part of the Underworld, is slightly different in its hazards. While on Loot Island, players do not suffer the Underworld's constant damage effect, though they can still fall into the water. If players remain on Loot Island for too long, an explosion will engulf the island and instantly kill anyone caught in it.
Maps with that feature Loot Island:
Related achievements
Scout
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Demoman
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Medic
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Scarechievements
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