Dagger is a massive map, and the location where you will have helped Jacob set up the communications arrays to save the ex-Cerberus scientists in the single player game. As much of this map takes place outside, players will have a clear line of sight to almost any part of the level from any other part of the level. This makes Dagger a playground for snipers, as they will be able to eliminate enemy forces with ease while they make their way across the large expanse of the map. Keep in mind that this goes both ways, though. During your time on Dagger, watch out for Nemesis snipers if you are playing against Cerberus. Also note that Dagger is one of the best maps to play on if you’re having trouble holding out until the end of the eleventh wave, as you can sprint about the various halls and rooms, dodging enemies for much longer than you would be able to do on most maps. Just keep in mind that these large areas will make it a pain to hack terminals and upload data during the third and sixth waves.
You will be deployed on the far northern side of the map, in what will be referred to as the square. This area has an ammo crate on the right-hand wall, but not a ton of cover. However, the series of ramps that lead to and from this area make it more defensible than you might initially assume. Use the cramped areas leading up to the ramps to create choke points for your enemies, luring them in before hitting them with area of effect powers like Singularity and Grenade. Set Proximity Mines on the ramps if you are serious about hunkering down in this area. Just watch out for snipers trying to hit you from the windows above. If they do appear, take cover and counter snipe them. The major disadvantage of fighting in the drop zone is that it falls in the shadow of the rest of the facility, making cloaked units like the Geth Hunter all but impossible to see until they are upon you. When fighting the Reapers, this won’t be a concern and the drop zone will make for a surprisingly good place to hold out. When fighting the Geth, you may want to find somewhere else because the sheer volume of Hunters in later waves can become overwhelming.
Heading straight ahead from the drop zone will lead you to the control room area. This is the area under the giant satellite protruding from the center of the map. This area makes for a pretty decent sniping spot, as the windows look out upon the courtyards below. Watch out if enemies have set up camp in here already, though. Not only can they snipe you, but they can tear you apart in the close quarters of this room if you let them. Geth Pyros and Hunters, Brutes, Banshees, Husks, and Centurions are extremely dangerous in these close quarters. Fighting Cerberus out of this room is easiest, while fighting the Reapers in here is not recommended if they have already set up a position in the control room. If the room is free, however, you can feel free to set up some Proximity Mines or Turrets by the doors and hunker down in here. Get a sniper at the windows and guard the doors. When properly defended, the control room is the best spot on the map.
If you find yourself on the mean side of a sniper rifle being pointed from the control room, the western side of the level is your best bet for taking cover. You will be able to put the most cover between the snipers and your body here thanks to the various barrels and boxes on either side of the path down here. You can also make a speedy retreat to the piping area via a ladder at the back of the area.
The piping area is a low elevation, dirt arena. From down here, you can get to any area of the map except for the control room via one ramp or another. This makes the piping area great for escaping from one area to the other, as you can run down the ramps into this area, sprint under the majority of your opposition, and come up in a completely different location. Use this dirt path to keep your enemies on their toes. You can even opt to hold up in the piping area if you have to, as the pipes protruding from the ground and the various pieces of equipment scattered about make for great cover. You will have to watch out for enemies coming down from multiple sides, though. This is the only downside of holding out in the piping area, and the main thing that makes it worse than the control room. If you don’t have the snipers, close range fighters, and Engineers to make holding the control room viable, though, this is still one of your best bets on Dagger. Defending this area requires no special arrangement of classes or player types, as Vanguards can chain together Biotic Charges for massive damage, while Adepts and Engineers can fire off their powers and SMGs from a medium range and snipers can pick enemies off from the other side of the arena. In a pinch, you can even run to the base of the control room for particularly good cover.
The southern side of the map, easily accessible from the piping area, the west hall, or the east hall, is another wide open area. Despite its openness, there is a decent amount of cover around the area in the form of metal crates and pillars making up the communications equipment. There is an ammo crate in the bottom west corner of this area, too. The biggest problem with fighting out here is that you will be open to attack from all sides, so staying behind cover won’t necessarily be enough to protect you. You will probably have to venture out here at some point, though, because several of your hacking and uploading objectives will be out here thanks to the massive array of computer equipment in the area.
The eastern side of the arena, accessible from the piping area or the communications area at the south, is a long corridor running up the side of the map. There is an ammo crate at the far northern side of this corridor, tucked into a corner. This area will give you a great line of sight on the piping area below, as well as a decent enough view to the western side of the map. This isn’t the best area on the map to attack from, nor is it the worst. Just be aware of the fact that, if you need to flee, the ladder leading to the piping area below is not the way to go. There is virtually no cover at the base of the ladder, making going this way a death sentence for weakened players.
