Advanced Strategies

Advanced strategies take into consideration that you are playing on an organized five person team with player positions and responsibilities. Many of the same offensive strategies used when attacking solo, like hides, fakes, drops, distractions and the direct approach, are used when attacking with your teammates.

Communication

If you haven’t noticed, this is the third Communication section! It’s an very important topic! I can’t stress enough, how much of a difference good communication can make. Even on organized teams many people don’t communicate enough and I’ll admit that I am no exception. Use the in-game voice chat or start a Ventrilo or Teamspeak server with your teammates and Talk. Talk! TALK!

There are a number of things that the team needs to know…

• Incoming enemy attackers. This helps your defense know that they don’t have time to run for something around the corner.
• Red and blue flag locations!!! The most important knowledge for both offense and defense. ALWAYS announce yours and the EFC’s escape route!
• Powerups available or taken and at what time. The winning team often dominates the powerups. Announce when any powerup is available or taken by any player. Announcing the time allows your teammates to time the grab for the next spawn.
• Player positions for coordinating attacks. Partners on offense should meet up before heading in together or at least coordinate approaches if coming in from different directions.

If your team isn’t talking, then ask questions and get them talking. This really isn’t that hard. It is just a habit that everybody needs to get into.

Offense

Basic Distraction Strategy

The most popular flag grabbing strategy is… “I’ll make a distraction while you grab the flag.” This is a great one, which is why it is used so much. Then again, it’s so popular that a good defense will be expecting it, but it works anyway. Improvisation is an important skill here, but understanding some basic principles will help immensely with your execution.

Distraction Roles

The basic Distraction strategy involves at least two players attacking together. Each player has a specific role, either a Distracter or the Runner. There is always one Runner and the remaining attackers are Distracters. The breakdown described below assumes that two players are on offense, which is common with 5on5 CTF matches. Timing and coordination is an important issue between the attackers. So, communication is vital!

On paper, the Distraction strategy sounds almost foolproof, but with the translocator, the defense can be on the Runner in no time. Using the Distraction strategy can give the flag carrier the precious seconds needed to escape around a corner or to a choke point, which can make fragging defenders easier.

• Runner – While the defense has taken its eyes off of the flag stand and his entrance point, he must xloc in, grab the flag, and make a quick escape. His entrance and escape routes should be determined and declared beforehand; however good players can improvise when needed.

• Distracter – This may be a more important role than the Runner. Just jumping around and tossing some flack balls towards the defense doesn’t cut it. First he has to grab the defenders attention. The next step is to draw the defense (or at least their eyes) away from the flag stand while the runner goes in to grab the flag. Now the defense starts chasing the flag carrier and the Distracter is behind the D, which should allow for a couple easy kills.

Distraction Styles

Hit and Run Distractions:

The Distracter can draw the defense’s attention with firepower and disorienting translocations. A couple well placed lightning bolts or shock combos will get the attention of any defense and lower their health in the process. He should cleverly use the xloc to confuse the defense and to keep himself from getting killed or at least killed too early. When it’s time for the Runner to go for the flag, the Distracter must be away from the Runner’s entrance point and in a position that the defense is looking away from the flag stand, allowing the Runner to hopefully make an unnoticed grab and quick escape. The Distracter’s responsibility is now to xloc to the Runner and protect him.

Flag Camping

Although flag camping is generally frowned upon, if it is used as part of a team strategy, it can be a legitimate and effective technique. Flag camping is okay as long as your flag carrier knows what you’re doing and is not expecting back-up. He realizes that he’s likely on his own for most of the run. He realizes that he might not get the cap because the team is essentially one man short. It’s a sacrifice; however, he also realizes that as soon as he drops the flag, it will soon be taken by a teammate that has a shot at going unnoticed through a good portion of the map. On maps that don’t have wide open middle grounds, like GrendelKeep, you can make the entire run without seeing another player after a successful flag camp.

Flag camping during stalemates is a questionable practice. Teams need every player to protect the flag carrier and chase the EFC. However, if you’re searching for the EFC in his base and your lucky enough to be alone near the stand when the flag is returned, there’s no doubt that the best thing to do is take the flag. This isn’t really flag camping though now is it?

If you’re playing against a team that is habitually grabbing the flag as soon as it is returned, you need to do something about it. They may be flag campers, or they may just happen to be nearby every time your flag is returned, or they maybe the type of team that likes to take over an enemy base. Either way, it must be stopped. The solution is to assign one of the defenders the responsibility of keeping the base clear at all times. He doesn’t go chasing the EFC. He doesn’t wander off too far to protect the flag carrier. He stays in the flag room and frags any enemy that steps in it. This not only helps prevent flag camping, but also keeps the flag room clear for when his flag carrier comes home.

Protect and Chase Responsibilities

Some CTF teams start off strong, but fall apart after the first few minutes in a match. This is partly because things start to get a little crazy when the flags are taken, teammates get split up after dying, and perhaps most importantly, the traditional roles of offense and defense disappear. New responsibilities arise, but it is sometimes unclear who has them and the team becomes unbalanced and confused. The new responsibilities are to protect the flag carrier and to chase down the EFC.

Stalemates

Here’s the problem… During the common stalemate, where both team's flags are taken, it’s standard for the defenders to continue chasing the EFC into enemy territory since protecting the team’s flag is what they do. Same for the offense… They started with the enemy flag and will typically stay with it until the cap. Then at some point, often at the same time, flags are returned and both the offense and, more importantly, the defense find themselves completely out of position on the wrong sides of the map. Should the defense try to take to flag while they’re in the enemy base? It’s very tempting. Does the offense have to defend their flag until the defense returns? This role reversal has the potential to create a very confusing situation. Aside from that scenario, the worst thing that can happen by not assigning flag protect/chase roles is that everybody chases the EFC and nobody protects the flag carrier or vise versa.

The best way to deal with this problem is simple... Have a plan! Make sure your teammates know who has what responsibility at the beginning of the match. There are a couple different directions to go: Reversal, Quick Return or Change-up assignments…

• Reversal: For the initial stalemate, offense will stay with the flag and defense will chase the EFC until the return is made. The Roamer will either chase the EFC or protect his flag carrier depending on which team is winning or if a flag is in his vicinity. When the flags are returned it's only natural for any of your team's defenders in the enemy's empty flag room to grab the flag and attempt a cap. Meanwhile the offense must remain in your flag room to protect your flag until the defense returns. Players' positions return to normal when the defense returns to home base either with the flag or by respawning after being fragged. This works for teams with versatile players that are talented at all positions. If your defenders don't run the flag well, then use either the Quick Return or Change-up assignments.

• Quick Return: For the initial stalemate, offense will stay with the flag and defense will chase the EFC until the return is made. The Roamer will either chase the EFC or protect his flag carrier depending on which team is winning or if a flag is in his vicinity. This time the defense DOES NOT take the enemy flag after the return. Instead they use a preset suicide bind to get back to their base as soon as the flag is returned. The offense protects the flag until the defense returns, but this usually only lasts a couple seconds. If the defender has shields, 100+ health or a full arsenal, then translocating home is acceptable and the offense just has to wait a couple more seconds. Here, each player is in their traditional responsibilities of attack/protect and defend/chase for a maximum amount of time. The only drawback is the small amount of wasted time that the offense must spend protecting the flag while the defense gets back into position.

• Change-up: In the early stages of a stalemate, everything goes as normal. The offense will be running with the enemy flag and the defense will chase the EFC. At some point when things calm down, the defense and offense switch protect and chase assignments. The defense now takes over protecting the flag carrier (unless a defender is right on the EFC’s tail for a likely return) and the remaining offensive player should chase down the EFC along with the Roamer. This way, when flags are returned or capped, people (except the flag carrier) are already in their proper positions on the map. Keeping the offense in enemy territory and the defense in home base optimizes each player's game time. The Change-up style is not traditional and takes a little more coordination, but it can really pay off after the enemy flag is returned and the Roamer and one attacker are right there to take it again.

Your Flag Taken

The situation where only your flag is taken is a little different. There are two strategies that are somewhat analogous to basketball’s slow versus fast break…

• Fast Break: Sometimes the best way to prevent an opponent’s flag cap is to grab their flag instead of chasing down the EFC. After your flag is taken, the defense chases the EFC throughout the map and the offense rushes for the enemy flag. Go for the stalemate and then deal with that situation as described above. Your offense might not get away with the flag, but it can give your teammates the precious seconds needed to prevent the cap.

• Slow Advance: I have played on some great teams where after our flag was taken, almost the entire team rushed back towards the base to get the EFC. Here everybody takes the chasing responsibility. This is a strong defensive minded strategy, so the score doesn’t advance quickly, but it works very well. It keeps defensive players in position and the game in control.

Both of these strategies will work, but less organized teams might benefit more from the slow and defensive style as the fast break style can get chaotic. A combination of both is probably best, but only if a team can properly deal with a stalemate.

Enemy Flag Taken

This is very simple and should be common knowledge for any CTF player. When the enemy flag is taken, the offense protects the flag carrier and the defense protects the flag. The Roamer can choose depending on his location relative to the flag and the flag carrier and where the enemy is focusing their efforts, their flag or your flag.

Unpredictability

One very important skill of a flag carrier is to be completely unpredictable with your movement, faking out the other team and attempting to loose your pursuers when you can’t count on your cover to protect you. This has been mentioned in the Fakes and Hides section, but it really goes much further than that. Using walls and corners to fake and hide is only the beginning. Taking advantage of the third dimension, the z-axis, can really distinguish a great runner. Removing yourself from sight for even a split second with an unpredictable move can be just enough time to loose yourself behind a corner to take another path home or to set up a deadly blow to take out your pursuer.

• Backtracking: Use your dodge-jump to fly back towards your pursuers and over their heads! Do this on stairs or any surface that is properly sloped where you can get some extra distance on your way down. Start to go up a set of stairs or any slope and your pursuers will either follow behind you or xloc to the top to cut you off. Now dodge-jump back down behind everybody and take a new escape route. If you’re indoors and jump to the right place, you can set up your landing so that you can skirt quickly around a corner and loose your pursuers. If you are on open ground, jump over their heads and surprise them with weapon fire from behind on your way down. This may seem counterintuitive because you are often going the wrong way, but it is worth it if you can ditch or take out the enemy in the process.

• Lifts: There are many tricks that you can do with a lift. If you suspect that someone is waiting for you at the top of a lift, just touch it slightly and let it go up without you, which will occupy the player for just enough time for you to escape via another path. Or… Go up an open lift (people can follow you with the xloc) and your pursuers will follow you up using their translocators. As soon as you get to the upper level, immediately jump back down to where you will be out of sight for a second. If your go up a closed lift (people can’t follow you with the xloc) instead of running away on the upper level, stay on the lift as it goes back down. Either your pursuer will have left to cut you off, or you will surprise him with a frag while he is waiting for the lift so that he can follow you. Or… Go down a closed lift so your pursuers cannot easily follow you as the lift rises as you escape. Or… Jump down onto an open lift and then lift-jump up and away.

• Pausing: Hiding someplace as described earlier is just as valuable as always, but there is a subtle method of hiding which is more like a pause. Pausing for a moment behind a wall or under a bridge can confuse your pursuers for just long enough to make a mad dash to the nearest exit. It can be considered hiding, but the effect is more like a double fake. When you first get out of sight, your pursuer will initially expect you to come out the obvious side and probably fire a weapon in that area. When you don’t show up, his next thought is that you are attempting a fake and he looks back to where you came from. It’s at this point that you dodge jump in your original direction to get an edge on your pursuer. This all takes place in only about a second or two. This method is effective in Maul… After you leave the flag room go behind one of the water tanks. If no defenders are rushing you from behind, they are probably going ahead to cut you off. When you are out of sight, pause, but not for too long. That split second pause is enough to get the defense to think you may have backtracked to run up the middle. A good method of timing when to continue is shortly after the first one or two flak bombs explode ahead of you. Now rush past the water tank and worry about your next move.

These techniques work best in tighter maps like Orbital2 or GrendleKeep, not in maps with large open areas like Grassy Knoll or Face where fragging skills are more important. Moving unpredictably may not loose every pursuer every time, but you’ll probably end up with one less after a really good one. Be unpredictable continuously, until you ditch or frag every defender. Then haul ass back to your base for the cap.