Capture the Flag

I've posted the bulk of this elsewhere but I thought I'd expand upon it a bit and make it it's own thread because we do get a lot of CTF events.

First my perspective is from the speeder point of view because thatth my main in ctf. Though i do occasionally run interceptor there too.

First lets start with with when you have one speeder on your team. If you're not the speeder just go camp at the opposing teams flag whether it's there or not. Don't get drawn into duels or distracted to the point where you're drawn away from the red circle. Your job is to stop the opposing team from returning the flag and to give your speeder a fighting chance to grab the flag and run without having to worry about sitting at your team's base for long periods of time. Under this play style the speeder can grab the flag and run and if you are attracting all of the opposing team's attention they can get away. And if the speeder is successful or at least gets halfway across the map before the flag is returned you have a pretty good chance at being able to grab the flag when it's returned and to make a run while the opposing team is napping. The absolute worst thing you can do is try to defend a speeder who has the opposing team's flag back at your base. It just attracts attention and you can't save them anyway (unless you're a fixer).

If you're a single speeder your mission is pretty easy go get the flag take it back to your base, then repeat. Don't give up it may take a bunch of tries but if you're persistent enough then it will generally work out.

Note: if you're a speeder paired with another speeder on your team ignore all that and go convoy style. In this the speeder with the flag should go first (assuming the enmy is behind) and the second speeder should follow acting as a shield/distraction but staying close enough, about a nitro boost away, to grab the flag if the first speeder is killed. I won 19 of 20 running a convoy with another speeder in an event, it works.

I'll post later on what to do if you have no speeder on your team.

 

One note about being a speeder in CTF. It sometimes pays to deliver the flag to a defender or selfish fixer. This generally applies if your teammates are hanging back at your flag area but it can also work if tuebotthe team is strictly playing defend their base.

 

Now what if you don't have a speeder or you're speeder is a moron. All hope isn't lost. As with when you have a speeder you want to head to the opposing teams flag. Hopefully you're teammates will do this as a group but when someone grabs the flag don't follow them if you have at least one teammate does. What you're looking to do is prevent the opposing team from getting the flag and to pick up the flag when it's returned so 5hat you can make a run with a more clear path.

A few additional notes:
Pay attention to the waves the goal is to set yourself up to surf them back to your base whenever possible. It gives you speed and a shield that follows you. Subzero is obviously the best level for this but it works on most of the others.

If you're a speeder use nitro to give yourself a head start, OB cuts out but the momentum from nitro can often give you the bit of space you need to start your run.

In destruct 9 try to go down the wide edge and come back on the narrow one. Going down the middle should generally be avoided if your goal is to grab the flag.

In wayward pains I generally try to return the flag via the path against the outside wall. Like destruct 9 going down the middle is generally a bad idea.

Midnight moves is one where you should be prepared to hand the flag off a bit more. It's just too easy to get hit.

 

Nice post, mate! I'll add a few tips for some other maps:
Chill Zone: Capturers should stick to the tunnel, or the ice cliffs on the other side (though tunnel seems a bit better in most situations). Other players, whether defending their flag or helping a capturer, should watch these lanes and be ready to attack, due to capturers favoring them. Mining your end of the tunnel and/or cliff passage can also screw enemy capturers and their mates over, or give some aid to a friendly capturer being pursued near the base.
Damage Depot: In the early game, capturers can get away with coming down the main lane and then pulling into a bus lane for their escape. Late game, they should stick to the bus lanes or cutting through the Depot proper and returning through a bus lane. For defense players, watching the bus lanes is a must. and if you can choke a bus lane with mines/napalm, please do, as this can seriously mess up capturers. If you're assisting a capturer, fire torpedoes down their lane to try to hit pursuers, or choke their lane with mines/napalm to hinder enemies chasing them down the lane.
Crude Awakenings: Capturers should use the edges, trying to keep rocks between them and enemies. Be ready to cut quickly to the zone. Other players: Choking the central silo's entry points (particularly the two side ones) is HUGE. If your team is defending the silo, mining the silo entrance can harass capturers by forcing them to either take damage and risk dying or take the tunnel and have a longer journey. If your team is attacking the silo, mining can make life hard for enemies chasing your capturer through their chosen entrance/exit. Torps in the silo area can be huge, regardless of team.

 

The prerequisite for that is starting at your own base or somewhere close to it which is something I prefer to discourage because it just creates issues for the flag carrier on your team. It's fine if your doing the killing away from your home base but hanging around your base to follow and kill an opposing carrier is where it all starts to go wrong in mu experience.

 

Why do you put flare in between blasts?

 

I think the answer to this should be it's own thread. There is, or at least there should be, a lot of thought that goes into the order of items in your arsenal.

Oh and to bolster my CTF credentials, I got the 2000 coins on the interceptor ctf event. I pretty much saw it all and tried everything in that one.

 

Im not so sure about this ideas

Speeders: ALWAYS take the shorter path to your base (when you have enemy flag). Never hide in tunnels, never take the flag for a ride, never take the flag outside the capture area (once you reached it).
Shooters: always go straight to your own flag and protect it (or recover it)

Dont escort speeders while they capture. Pay attention to them once they are approaching, they might need help. But only when they are approaching.
Its useless to help if you are too far from your base. You wont make it

Enfos, defenders, fixers: use speeder or shooter. This kind of battles are not for you

 

I agree that don't escort a speeder is a good general rule, but if it's two speeders convoys do work. The second speeder isn't going to do much damage anyways.

As for the don't hide that's fine if you have massive double bubbles but otherwise I've never seen it work consistently in about 1k CTF battles.

 

Yeah I never think about enforcers in CTF but I've had some that make great escorts. Generally, if an escort can stop 2-3 shots that's all I need to make it and an enforcer can stop shots like no other (pre-guardian).

Now if you give me a strong guardian I might consider the shortest route idea if they are running a shield up front and that team defense boost thing. I don't think cleanse will do much for CTF because fire damage is slow to the point where I'd rather be hit by a flare or firebomb than a big mortar, ex cannon, or something other instant high damage weapon.

 

Actually fixers running triple tape and reapers running double tape make great flag carriers.

 

Yes if only there were a way to identify them from the get go. I'd grab the flag and run to the fixer/reaper every time.