Bounty draft guide
How to pick and ban for Bounty in Brawl Stars Ranked: how the mode is won, the current map pool, what each map type rewards and which brawlers stand out.
How Bounty works
Every knockout earns stars, and a brawler on a streak carries a bigger bounty. The team with more stars when time runs out wins. Since every death feeds the enemy score, patient play from range usually beats reckless diving.
Current Ranked map pool
Of the four Bounty maps in the current Ranked pool, one is closed and three are open.
| Map | Type |
|---|---|
| Dry Season | Open |
| Hideout | Open |
| Layer Cake | Closed |
| Shooting Star | Open |
Drafting for Bounty
The map type decides a lot here. Closed maps have lots of walls and short sightlines. Point-blank burst damage is at its strongest here, while brawlers whose damage is fixed at range underperform. Open maps have few walls and long sightlines. Range pays off, tanks struggle to close the distance, and on some open maps the assistant rules tanks out entirely.
Because the pool mixes types, the same Bounty draft can look very different on Layer Cake and on Dry Season. Always pick the map in the assistant before you trust a suggestion.
With a pool this open, range is king: tanks rarely reach their targets, and brawlers who deal damage safely from a distance carry more weight.
With stars on the line, a fragile brawler that feeds knockouts costs more than in other modes. Long-range brawlers that can deal damage safely are a common backbone.
The pick order still applies on top of all this: a strong, safe brawler first, the missing role on the double pick, and counters for picks 4 to 6. The Ranked draft guide walks through each slot.
The author's notes on Bounty
- Belle B: a sniper for Knockout/Bounty; countered by assassins, but not picked on open maps.
What the brawler guides say about Bounty
- Gus: Performs best in Bounty, Gem Grab (61.2% win rate), and Knockout.
- Max: Excels in Brawl Ball, Gem Grab, and Bounty, particularly on open maps with horizontal sightlines.
- Rico: Excels in Bounty, Showdown, and Knockout; his full bounce combo can total 4,480 damage at max power.
- Byron: Excels in Payload (84.6% win rate), Hot Zone, and Duo Showdown; struggles in Bounty.
- Emz: Adjust gear choice by mode: Shield for objective-based Bounty, Damage for elimination-focused Knockout.
- Grey: Considered A-tier; excels in Knockout, Bounty, Brawl Ball, and Hot Zone, and counters tanks like Draco and Darryl effectively.
- Belle: Excels in Knockout and Bounty on open maps with long sightlines.
- Colt: Thrives in Bounty, Heist, and open maps; achieves a 72.4% win rate in Solo Showdown.
- Finx: Best on maps like Spiraling Out and Ring of Fire; avoid grass-heavy maps, Heist, and Bounty due to wall limitations.
- Nadia: Excels in Hot Zone, Knockout, Bounty, and Brawl Ball; struggles in Heist and Showdown due to low DPS.
- Starr Nova: Squishier and more skill-dependent than recent Mythic releases, but has genuine carry potential in Gem Grab, Bounty, and Brawl Ball once mastered.
- Mortis: Excels against throwers in Bounty, Gem Grab, and Brawl Ball; struggles against Colette, Emz, and other high-DPS brawlers.
Other Ranked modes
- Brawl Ball6 maps in the pool
- Gem Grab4 maps in the pool
- Heist4 maps in the pool
- Knockout4 maps in the pool
- Hot Zone4 maps in the pool
Last updated 16 October 2026