Multi Flag CTF

Description

Multi Flag CTF is a Halo 2 and Halo 3 variant of the popular CTF multiplayer game variant. It can be found in team playlists or on the Big Team Battle playlist.

Rules

There are two teams based on opposite ends of the map. There are also two flags, each one in the corresponding bases (or there can be only one if the game is "attack and defend, or Neutral Flag, like in Halo 2). The object of the games is to capture the opponents' flag three times to win the game while protecting your own flag from enemies at the same time. Unlike slayer games, total number of kills does not count toward the score. For example, a team who captures the flag three times, but gets no kills, still wins the game. To score, the player with the flag must run directly over where their own flag spawns.

The Flag

In Halo 2, pressing X grabs the flag. In Halo 3, pressing RB grabs the flag. When a player is holding the flag, they walk slowly, and cannot get into the driver or gunner seats in vehicles. However, they can get into the passenger seats in vehicles such as the Mongoose and the Warthog. The player with the flag cannot pick up weapons but, if the player melees an enemy player in normal Matchmaking, the flag will kill the opponent in one hit, resulting in the Flag Kill Medal (unless the player has an Overshield). An interesting thing to note is on bungie.net (in the player stats section) the description for a flag kill is " It's right next to the headlight fluid." This is a reference to Red vs Blue.

Variants

Attrition CTF

Attrition CTF is a variant of Multi-Flag unique to Halo 3. Respawn times are very long but all team members respawn when a flag is captured.

Tank Flag

Tank Flag is another Halo 3 Multi Flag CTF variant. The flag carriers can take more damage, but have a slower recharge rate on their shields and slower movement speed, meaning protecting the flag carrier becomes much more of a job than before.

MLG Multi Flag

A Multi Flag CTF game under MLG's more hardcore rules, where these vary themselves on certain maps, such as on MLG Narrows and MLG Pit, there are 3 flag captures, and on the Narrows, your own flag must be returned, but on MLG Onslaught (a Foundry variant), there needs to be 5 flag scores to win, but they all similarly have a fairly quick flag return time.

Iconic Status

Capture The Flag is generally recognized as the quintessential Objective-Based Halo multiplayer gametype, seeing as it has been the most consistently enjoyable gametype in all three Halo games. It demands and promotes teamwork along with diverse play-styles; the most effective strategies involve the use of all types of vehicles and weapons. Considering that secondary word-of-mouth objectives involve fighting for power weapons and stealing the other team's vehicles, this game mode leads to very intense and tactical Halo play - so much so that it has lead CTF to become second in popularity only to Team Slayer game types.

CTF Tips

When you are attempting to get the flag

• Know where your opponents are positioned
• If there is an active camo, use it, you are only visible when you hold the flag while it is functioning.
• There are a lot of hidden ways to get to the flag, use the one your opponent will think you are least likely to take.
• Shoot an enemy only if he knows what you are trying to do. Sometimes if you shoot an opposing player not paying attention to you, he may shift priorities to you and alert his team that the flag is about to be taken.
• Aside from the above obvious tactics which require next to no conscious thought, you could attempt to "spawntrap" the other team. Wait for all 4 members of the opposing team to be dead before grabbing the flag, this allows you to enter the base without any resistance, you could also hang around near the flag to kill all 4 members again with help from your team who should be able to guess the opponents next spawns, this will allow for a safe exit. This is easier achieved on the smaller playlists such as Team Throwback.
• On maps such as sandbox and valhalla if your team nearly has a flag capture you can effectively hold the flag spawn point and throw it off the tower (sandbox) or out of the grav lift (valhalla) this allows you to cover the flag carrier from the enemies base which is incredibly distracting for your opponent as they will be concentrating on the where the flag lands.

When you have the flag:

• Flag running is when the player drops and picks up the flag over and over again. The flag must hit the ground before it can be picked up again. (In Halo 2, the default buttons are "RT X RT X RT X", while Halo 3 its "Y RB Y RB Y RB".) Normally you run slower when you retrieve the flag, but when you flag sprint, you run slightly faster, at the cost of letting your enemy know where the flag is currently is, if they have not known already..
• Find the shortest way to your flag's destination is something you will see a lot of players do but usually means you have to throw bodies at the flag and slowly move it across the map. Use your head instead, if the enemy doesn't know where you are then don't show them by running the flag and stay concealed but keep moving. If your team mates give you away by hovering around you or you get spotted then you can run the flag. Do not be afraid to drop the flag and kill the person chasing you, not many people do this but its is easy and effective, rather than just dying and taking the flag an extra metre you could kill your chaser and take the flag the rest of the way.
• Communicate with your teammates. This will allow you to have protection and rides from your team-mates.

When protecting a flag:

• Staying in the flag base can help, but try not to be clustered together, as that could make you good targets to explosives. Having good weapons is also helpful.
• A Sniper hiding somewhere away from the base, with his eye constantly near the Flag is a common but poor tactic. Snipers should be adaptive, Helping the team push forwards from the centre of the map, but also helping in breaking the middle control of the map from your base if the opponent is pushing. Sniping the most effective way of Killing key members of the opposing team such as warthog gunners, people who are causing your team trouble such as other snipers and people with the laser, you should be aware that if the team has control of the map where you kill somebody that is using such a weapon that it will be picked up again. Pacing the use of your ammunition will mean that you take care of these opponents over a longer period of time, if your ammo runs out close to when the sniper respawns then you effectively have efficient sniper support for the entire duration of the match.
• Using the Spartan laser on vehicles and threatening players is probably the best idea. If your team have control over the centre of the map you can stay near there and assist a push. Never attack a base when using the laser or you will just be handing a key weapon to them on a plate. Camping towards the back of the map is a common mistake made by the more selfish players it makes it more difficult to aim and you cant change weapons and assist your team from such a distance and you will probably find yourself getting far less kills overall.
• If your opponent has your flag, intercept them by moving close to their flag, but not in plain sight. when they come around, stop the flag carrier.

Trivia

• CTF is widely played in all the Halo games. It's also one of the most popular gametypes in the Halo games.
• CTF is usually played on big maps, like Avalanche or Sandtrap.