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.

When you have the flag:

• Flag sprinting is when the player drops and picks up the flag over and over again(In Halo 2, the 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. This will trick the enemy as they are camping in spots where you will sneak around.
• Communicate with your teammates. This will allow you to have protection and rides from your teammates.

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 also a good tactic.
• If a player has a Spartan Laser, he/she should camp near the base so as to eliminate vehicular targets or infantry targets. (Note that the Laser has 5 shots, so its best to use them wisely to take out vehicles or maybe players with weapons like Rocket Launchers.)
• 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.
• When escorting the flag back to your base 1 to 3 other players can protect you from snipers.

Trivia

• CTF is widely played in all the Halo games. It's also one of the most popular gametypes in the Halo games.