Map Overview
Eichenwalde is a German castle hybrid map set in a ruined medieval town overtaken by the Bastion omnics.
The payload must be escorted through the village streets before breaching the castle itself, culminating in the iconic throne room where the Crusader's armour rests.
The castle breach in the mid-section is one of the most famous combat sequences in all of Overwatch — Reinhardt's shield pushing through the castle gate is instantly recognisable.
The map's three zones — the town streets, the castle bridge, and the throne room — each require distinct tactical approaches.
Attack Strategy
In the town section, secure the elevated left-side building rooftop to fire down on defenders at the castle approach.
Push the payload through the streets with Sigma's barrier covering while damage heroes hold the building tops.
At the castle gate, coordinate an Earthshatter through the gate opening before pushing through — this is the single most important moment on the map.
In the castle interior, push through to the throne room aggressively once the gate is clear.
Do not stall in the castle corridor.
Defense Strategy
In the town section, hold at the castle wall rather than the road — your angles into the approaching streets are superior.
Set up a Bastion turret at the castle gate with Sigma's barrier — this is the map's most famous defensive setup.
Once the castle gate falls, rotate to the elevated interior walkways above the throne room approach.
For the throne room itself, hold the far alcoves with crossfire angles rather than bunching in the centre.
Key Positions & High Ground
Town Building Rooftop: The elevated building on the left side of the town section has sightlines over the entire street approach to the castle.
Castle Battlements: The wall tops surrounding the castle can be accessed and provide dominant angles over both the gate and the throne room interior.
Bridge High Ground: The castle bridge creates a natural choke with elevated battlements on both sides.
Throne Room Alcoves: Recessed areas on both sides of the throne room that allow defenders to create crossfire angles on attackers entering.
Chokepoints to Control
The castle gate is the most famous and important chokepoint in Overwatch — defenders with a Bastion turret and Sigma barrier behind the gate archway effectively stop most pushes.
Use Earthshatter through the gate opening or a Wrecking Ball grapple to displace the Bastion setup.
The throne room doorway is the second critical chokepoint — defenders inside can fire on attackers framed in the entrance.
Clear this with area-of-effect ultimates before entering.
Ultimate Usage Tips
Earthshatter through the castle gate by Reinhardt is the defining moment on Eichenwalde — coordinate Nano Boost for maximum impact.
Graviton Surge into Dragonstrike at the castle gate is an alternative approach to the Bastion-Sigma setup.
Blizzard at the town approach completely stops progress when time pressure builds.
On defence, Dead Eye through the throne room doorway eliminates all players attempting to enter.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Teams push the castle gate without coordinating an ultimate to clear the Bastion setup, losing multiple players to the same position repeatedly.
Always break the castle gate defence with a significant ultimate before committing.
Attackers enter the throne room before clearing the alcoves, immediately taking crossfire damage from multiple defenders.
Defenders over-invest resources in the town section and have nothing left for the decisive castle defence.
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