In the past, we've posted two Capture The Flag guides before:

• Beginner's overview of CTF going over all the basic ctf principles: a summary on positions, items exclusive to CTF (Arena CTF to be precise) and basic team communication.
• Positions and CTF explaining a more in-dept overview of offense, defense and midfield support.

We'd like to add one more:

Basic QL CTF guidelines for rookies aims to help new players to be able to compete in the pickup games arranged via IRC on #qlpickup.eu (Quakenet). It has come to our attention that while the previous guides can be helpful for general public ctf play, but that the pickup games offer a more stable, organized yet not so newbie-friendly match system, since the players participating in our pickup games are skilled above average.

This does not make rookies feel welcome, which is a shame as we need them to increase the player base of good, solid CTF games. So to help these new players find their home on the pickup channel, here's some advice:

Basic advice

• Use teamsay bindings to help your team. In the first place you should have incoming/outgoing binds to let your team know where enemy's are incoming or where the enemy flagcarrier is leaving. For example: bind ? "say_team INC/OUT HIGH" or bind ? "say_team INC/OUT LOW". Your team will also appreciate when you let them know if there is an item like mega, red armor, etc available. For example bind ? "say_team ITEM AVAILABLE"
• Get a flag/weapon drop bind. If you have the flag and your low on health drop it for a teamm8. For example bind ? "dropflag". If your teamm8 needs a weapon, drop it. For example bind ? "dropweapon"
• If a teammate carries the flag or a PowerUp *ALL* items are his. Do not steal armor/health/PU in front of your flag or PU carrier.
• Use Quad/Haste for attacking, not defending. The enemy team will expect you to attack with Quad/Haste, so they increase defence at THEIR base leaving you wasting the PowerUp in YOUR base without any enemies.
• If you have the flag during cross-steals (when both flags are taken to opposite bases) your #1 priority is to stay alive. Do not take ANY chances and run away if need be. Don't try to be a hero. Depending on your health/armor/aim/movement you might want to /drop the flag to a teammate.
• Prioritize FLAGS above anything else. If your flag is taken and your teammates are trying to intercept, do not spam "MEGA HERE" 3000 times, just take it.
• Some of the guidelines are overruled depending on the status of the friendly flag, enemy flag, teammates, enemies, PUs, armors, etc. Unfortunately the combinations are too numerous to list, use a bit of common sense to determine if a rule does not apply in a certain situation

Basic advice for attackers

• Leave armors/health in your base for your defenders. Attackers steal mid/enemy armors.
• Use PowerUps properly. Good defenders know you are coming, so storming in using haste and 100/0 is stupid - you will die 90% of the time. Wait for your attack partner and/or get armor.
• Keep an eye on your teammates' health/armor/PU status. Stealing the flag in front of a teammate who has 200/200 + haste is extremely stupid. Use your drop flag bind if you take flag by accident.
• Leave weapons dropped in your base that are usually out of reach for your basedef. A basedef can't go get a weapon far away obviously so leave it for him or HER .
• Your primary role is to bring the flag home so don't chase enemies your own base or middle. If you frag an enemy attacker he will just respawn in front of you and you'll have to deal with him again. By all means shoot at people, but keep moving towards the enemy base, don't stop or turn around.
• Ignore irrelevant enemies when you are carrying the flag and don't worry too much about enemies BEHIND you, especially not when they only have an MG. If you frag them they are likely to respawn in front of you, which is much worse.
• Rocketjump more. A rocketjump deals 50 damage at most. That's NOTHING compared to the enemy rails, rockets or shaft that you could have avoided with a rocketjump.
• Intercept the enemy flag carrier. When your flag is stolen consider stopping your attack and instead intercept the EFC, dependant on your current position

Basic advice for defenders

• Your role is NOT to frag people, it is to prevent captures, frags are just a bi-product. Inexperienced defenders will often chase retreating attackers, abandoning their defensive position.
• Flag defender: Accept that you simply CANNOT stop all flag carriers and do not chase if they get out of reach. Concentrate on securing your base and leave it to your teammates to intercept. If your base is lost, your flag will just get stolen again after it is returned.
• 2nd/forward defender: Secure middle to escort your flag carrier. Good opponents will try to intercept your flag carrier at the middle of the map. This means there will often be no attacks while your team has the flag and you should push forward instead of idling back in base.
• If a flag gets dropped in a position that makes it difficult for attackers to get it, for instance on jumppads, do not return it. Leaving it gives you 30 seconds of easy defending (until the flag returns by itself) If the flag is dropped in a place where enemy attackers can easely get it make sure you return it, but check teamoverlay to see if the flagroom is safe. In most cases it's better to return the flag then leave it. When you return the flag your whole teams knows the position of the flag: In the flagroom.
• During cross steals (when both flags are taken to opposite bases) your role switches from defending flag spot, to defending your flag carrier. It is pointless to guard the empty flag spot as enemies won't go there, they are trying to frag your flag carrier.
• As a maindef you always stay with your flagcarrier. The second def will try to retreive the flag.

Extra tips from regular pickup players

• e-vio|lithz: pay attention to overlay!
• [qS]jaysson: do what the more experienced players tell you to do
• @termi``: dont kill enemys on the way, else u will haveto kill them in enemybase again
• yNAM: support ur fc instead of rebounding
• +[EF]Timeca: nmy quad needs to be chased!!

We hope these tips may help you not to give up on pickups after your first few hard games, after all, this isn't public!

More:

• Pickup channel rules
• #qlpickup.eu on Quakenet IRC

Post from: Holysh1t.net

Basic QL pickup CTF

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Recently Deka, a player of the successful TDM team 4Kings, has launched an initiative called Do the DK

DK
I decided to start this site because I can't really read that much about the tdm scene, like news, basics, tactics, where to play, how to play especially for those who are new to the game.

So in general, a true focus on how to play competitive TDM, with contributions already of JoCKo, Dash and Chance.

So far, two mapguides are up and surely more tactical views on Quake Live will follow!

• Grim Dungeons (qzdm14) by DK
• Deep Inside (ospdm5) by JoCKo

Since yesterday, you can harass them with your questions as well on IRC. Visit them on Quakenet in their channel #dothedk.

More:

• Do the DK homepage
• #dothedk on Quakenet IRC

Post from: Holysh1t.net

Do the DK!

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• Unless you can see the mines detonated by an enemy player, you can never be sure that that path is secure or not.
• You could hide the mines on the flag platform but how long will it be until you have to go looking for more ammo?
• So you might get one or two defense accolades but seasoned players will put a rocket or plasma gun fire on to the platform if given the chance.

Instead you can Mine enemy Runes\Health\Weapons or even enemy Doors\Bounce Pads\Spawn Points. People consider their own base 'safe haven'. If you're running in with scout and you have mined an entire enemy corridor, you can leave via that corridor with some sense of safety as the mines let you through but are unforgiving for the chasers. It's the disruption that mines cause that make them such an interesting weapon. When an enemy spawns in his own base and can barely get out with 60 health, it makes for infuriating play. So when you keep placing them in different places each time you can really wear down and stifle your enemy. Mines are difficult enough to land on an enemy player and otherwise the damage is a bit random due to explosion distance but Prox Mines do no damage to your teammates or to yourself, zero, zip, nada. Yet they deliver the same splash effect as rocket. Anybody who has played TFC will know when I say that Prox Mines can be used like concs. Considering the effect of Runes: Speed, Armour and Guard to dampen Rockect Jumps. It now gets very interesting, I find myself having to avoid using Doubler as I rush into enemy base and prime a mine for easy flag access or for an easy escape route. The key to Prox Jumping is figuring out where you could use more height or range on a normal Rocket Jump. A single Prox Mine will double a Rocket Jump but this has to be a prepared procedure. Prox Mines take about 2 seconds to arm themselves. So when you plant a Prox Mine you have to wait till it is ready to blow it. I have put together a Video of some of the tricks I use with the mines just to show you that mines are not just idle defense spam. Its best watched in HQ.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=svMxHOugjVI

Remember Kids, it doesn't matter if you got 5 or 50 health, if you get out with the flag you've done half the the work, a simple dropflag to a defender with stacked armor and health can change a game around. Hey, if anyone comes up with more examples, demo it, upload it and post it... I'll add them here

Post from: Holysh1t.net

Proximity Mines -- Without the Spam

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It’s recommended that you read each section in order, but for those of you who know the basics and are ready for more advanced topics, feel free to skip ahead to the Advanced Tutorial. (Not online yet. Subscribe to stay updated and receive a notice when part two and three are ready!).

What is CTF?

CTF, or Capture the Flag as it’s known, is one of the most popular game types available in Quake Live, and in the entire First-Person Shooter genre itself.

Based on the old school-yard game, two teams compete to steal or ‘capture’ the opponent’s flag, while protecting their own. If a flag has been stolen, the Enemy Flag Carrier, or EFC, needs to be fragged before he/she reaches his/her own flag. Once the flag is on the floor, a player only has to touch it in order to return it to their base.

The game is usually played on maps that consist of two large, symmetrical bases facing each other, with a bridge or courtyard (called the mid-field) connecting them.

After connecting to a game

So, you just joined a CTF server. The first thing you should do is examine the scoreboard. At this point, you need to ask yourself a couple of questions.

Are the teams even?

If your answer is yes, don’t join yet. It is very difficult to get an even-teamed game going on a public server, and if you jump in prematurely, you may have just interfered with a very good match. Instead, wait for another spectator to connect, and then join the match together.

Who’s winning? Is it by a large amount?

If one team has a drastic lead over the other, you may want to consider joining the loosing team in order to make up for the skill difference (even if they have more players). Before you do this, be sure to ask the players if they’d be okay with that.

If neither of the above situations applies, simply hit the “auto-join” button, and get in there!

What should I be doing?

Now that you’re in the game, it’s time to choose a position. Before doing so, run around a bit to see what your team-mates are doing. If you happen to notice that your team is lacking defense, go on defense. If there’s only one person trying to get the flag, go on offense, etc. Always keep in mind that this is a team game, and you should always put the priorities of the team ahead of yours. Let’s take a quick look at two of the positions you can take: (There is a third, mid-fielder, which will be covered in the Advanced Tutorial.)

Offense

The most common position players take upon joining a server. The job of an offense-man, or attacker, is to capture the enemy flag. They usually come in pairs of two, and each must watch the other’s back, especially after one is able to steal the enemy flag. It’s important to note that the attacker should get armor and power-ups from either the mid-field or the opponent’s base. All items found within the base itself should be left for the defenders.

Defense

This position is not quite as common on public servers. The job of a defender is to guard his/her team’s flag. They also come in pairs of two. Opposed to an attacker however, they are not out to watch each other’s back. They must split up, one taking up position in the flag room, while the other stays toward the entrance of the base. These players must build up their resources from the items found within their own base. Anything outside of it should be reserved for attackers.

CTF Exclusive Items

Throughout the map you’re going to find unique items (called Runes) that cannot be found in any other game- type. These pick-ups completely alter the style of game-play, so it’s very important that you fully understand how they work.

Doubler

Upon pickup, the doubler will increase the power of all your weapons. This is a permanent power-up – you’ll have it until you die/get fragged. This item is useful for defense.

Guard

Upon pickup, the guard will cut all damage you receive by half. This is a permanent power-up – you’ll have it until you die/get fragged. This item is useful for offense.

Armor – Regen

Upon pickup, the armor-regen will continually regenerate you armor to maximum value of 100. (You can still pick up other armor though, which will add on top of that.) This is a permanent power-up – you’ll have it until you die/get fragged. This item is useful for both offense and defense.

Scout

Upon pickup, the scout will increase your maximum run speed and fire rate dramatically. In addition, it also removes any footstep sounds you make, and protects you from being hurt by your own weapons. This is a permanent power-up – you’ll have it until you die/get fragged. This item is extremely useful for offense.

Basic Team Communication

You’ve picked the appropriate team to join, and you’re in position, ready to win. There’s just one more thing you need to know: how to communicate with your team-mates in a quick and orderly fashion. The following are quick phrases you can type to your team-mates.

(Note: In order to speak with your team-mates, you must use team chat, which is by default bound to the ‘Y’ key on your keyboard. Do not make the mistake of pressing ‘T’, which is global chat. You may accidently warn your opponents about your strategy!)

"Getting the flag"

By saying this you can let team-mates know that you’re going on offense.

"On D"

If you’re going to take defense, all you need to say is “on D” to let your team-mates know.

"Returning"

If an enemy managed to steal your flag, you can say this phrase to let your team-mates know you’re going to attempt to get it back.

That covers all the basics you would need to know in order to play the game properly. This isn’t everything though. Capture the Flag, like the rest of Quake Live, is a game that is easy to learn, but difficult to master. Read our Advanced Tutorial when you’re ready to take the game to the next level! (Not online yet. Subscribe to stay updated and receive a notice when part two and three are ready!).

Post from: Holysh1t.net

Quake Live CTF Beginner Tutorial

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Of course, if you want to increase the odds of winning you are going to need some kind of a plan. Each map requires a different approach or tactic, yet there are definitely some general strategy concepts that apply to all maps as well.

In this post I will give a basic introduction and discuss some important strategies for the 1v1 Quake Live duel. Let's start by going over the very basic rules.

The objective of the game

The goal in a duel match is to have more points than the enemy before the time limit is up.

• One kill = 1 point.
• Crater, blowing yourself up, melting yourself in lava, ... = -1 point.

Picking up Health and Armor

Your entire duel strategy should revolve around picking up the Armors and Mega Healths before your opponent does. If you have more hit points than the enemy does, he will most likely die faster. Can't be more logic than that, can it?

There are several health and armor items around the map. By far the most important items are the Red Armor and Mega Health. You should focus on collecting these before any other items.

1. The Red Armor gives you 100 extra armor.
2. The Mega Health gives you 100 extra health in addition to the 100 you might already have.
3. The Yellow Armor gives you 50 extra armor.
4. Health bubs give you 50 health (orange), 25 health (yellow) or 5 health (green).
5. Green Shards give you 5 extra armor each.

Item re-spawn timings

Of course, if you are going to be fighting over the Mega Health and Red Armor, you should know when they re-spawn.

• Yellow Armor, Red Armor: Re-spawns every 25 seconds.
• Mega Health: Re-spawns every 35 seconds. On some maps however it only spawns every 2 minutes (like qztourney4 and qztourney6).

At first you might find it hard to keep track of even just one item. Yet with time and practice this becomes a natural thing. Estimating the spawn times is often more than enough if you can't both play and remember times.

For example: very often the first Red Armor is picked up 5 seconds in game. This means the next red armor will spawn at 0:30, 0:55, 1:20, 1:45, etc... These times are approximately the same in nearly every duel match. This is only different if both players forget to pick an item up for a long time, or when a player delays the pick up on purpose for tactical reasons.

Use the sounds to gain information about the enemy

You can get a lot of information by just listening to the enemy sounds. There are many different sounds you should be paying attention to:

• Movement: Walking, jumping,
• Item pickups: (shards, health, mega health, armor, weapons... they all make different sounds)
• Rail gun or Lightning gun: When the enemy has one of these weapons in his hands you can hear a humming or buzzing sound.
• Health status: When the enemy's health is decreasing you can estimate the health left by listening to the moaning sounds. Use the right weapon to finish the enemy of (shotgun, lightning,...).

These many different sounds give you information about the enemy's location, where the enemy might be going to and what items he might have. Sounds also allow you to fire prediction shots with the rocket launcher, grenade launcher or plasma gun and kill the enemy before he even sees you.

For a beginner it's not easy to detect all these sounds. The amount of information input can be quite overwhelming at first. With practice this becomes a lot easier though.

Adapt to the game flow

If an enemy has control over the map and is stacked with 150 health and 200 armor, don't keep mindlessly rushing the enemy, giving away countless frag points.

When losing it might be a good thing to slow down, stay on the defensive part of the map and collect the weaker yellow armors and green shards.

Keep hiding until you have enough armor. When you think you're ready try to take back the map control. There are several things you could do:

• Use a hit and run strategy with the railgun
• Ambush the enemy.

Surprise the enemy!

If you're losing and you want to try and take over map control, try surprising your opponent with an ambush.

Most of the time the enemy will be very busy running from one item to the other, often following the same route.

Try hiding behind a wall or door with a rocket launcher when you think the enemy might pass this way. Make a prediction shot and follow up with 2 or 3 more well placed rockets.

Positioning yourself to get an edge

Choosing the right route and positioning yourself optimally in the map is probably the most important part of playing a good duel

By choosing your route and position wisely you can gain several tactical advantages:

1. A tactical position could help you control entrances to important areas such as MH or RA room. (Vice versa, choosing the right path could mean getting cornered by the enemy or gaining access to an important area).
2. In a combat situation good positioning could mean the difference between life and death.
   • Example #1: Hide behind a wall when your rail or rocket launcher is reloading (very effective when the enemy has a lightning gun).
   • Example #2: Battling from on an elevated platform makes killing the enemy a lot easier (the enemy has a harder time hitting you).
3. Having control over a certain area could give you quick access to many other different areas (for example when you have the control over top rocket launcher area on DM6, you can quickly go to RA, MH and YA).

Practice!

Last but not least. Quoting the both loved and hated Quake legend Fatal1ty: if you want to get better you have to practice, practice and practice!

If you want some inspiration or just like to see an example of the best Quake duellers in action, go watch the streams of the Quakecon 2008 Quake Live duel tournament at Quakeunity.com.

Post from: Holysh1t.net

Quake Live duel strategy: the basics

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Earlier xephyr wrote a guide on how to defend Ironworks. Today I'll write up some tips for when you're on the attacking side of Ironworks. Keep in mind these tips are just suggestions. If you strongly disagree on something feel free to join the discussion in the comments! Here it goes.

1. Always keep applying the pressure

Ironworks is a very fast paced map made for attackers. There are plenty of ways you can enter an enemy base and there's several power ups in an easy accessible position for the attackers. Don't waste any time in the center battling other attackers. It's really not worth the the trouble since it just gives the enemy defenders the time to gather power ups.

The only exception should be when there's an enemy blocking your path and the only way to avoid confrontation is by taking a very long detour. In this case battling the enemy, dying and respawning is often the best solution. If you find yourself a winner of a battle with 10 hp left, find a way to kill yourself quickly. Use rockets to blow yourself up or hit the wall with a plasma gun to melt yourself.

Spawn, grab a gun, pick up a powerup if possible and rush in! You suffered a quick death? Rinse and repeat, but don't slow down! Do not endlessly wait for Red Armor when you don't know the timing. 20 seconds on Ironworks can be a very long time!

2. The lightning gun is essential

Some old school quakers tend to complain about the weak lightning gun in Quake Live, while there really isn't that much of a reason to do so. The lightning gun is still very strong and useful. Especially on Ironworks where most of the combat occurs during fast paced game play.

On Ironworks there's no weapon that will kill your enemies faster than the lightning gun. Rockets can still quite easily be dodged and the railgun reloads way too slow for an attacker's needs. Additionally, it's the weapon you'll most easily have access to as an attacker, without either slowing yourself down or having to attack from a bad position.

3. Learn the Red Armor jump

Probably the most important tip I know. If you have not yet mastered this jump, do it as soon as possible! The RA jump on Ironworks basically allows you to go through the teleporter, pick up the Red Armor and leave the room through the water in less than 3 seconds. Without this Red Armor jump it takes you at least up to 6 seconds, while also alarming the enemy when you jump into the water.

So what exactly is this RA jump and how is it done? The RA jump is a jump where you land on the sewer ledge connected to the Red Armor room exit door. Landing on this ledge allows you to exit the water in under half a second.

To execute this RA jump you need to:

• Start from the right corner in the RA room
• Do a small circle jump to the ledge of the platform
• Aim for the sewer ledge
• Make sure you do not touch the wall on the left
• Land on the sewer ledge

As you'll see it's not extremely difficult to execute once you've mastered it. It succeeds about 80 percent of the time and makes a surprise attack quite effective when the enemy did not hear you come through the teleporter. I've recorded a demo of this RA jump.

4. Change your attacking route

There are several ways to enter the enemy base. Each route offers you a different opportunity to steal an enemy power up. There's 3 important routes that I often vary between: the Mega Health, Red Armor and the Medkit route. When attacking you should try to pick up at least one of these items, yet do not wait and camp for one of them to spawn either if you don't know the approximate timing.

Pass by the enemy Red Armor or Medkit and immediately attack the enemy flag defender. Occasionally you can try to steal the enemy Mega Health as well. But don't waste too much time on MH because the enemy will most likely have it timed and guarded pretty well.

Ideal is to alternate between the Medkit route and Red Armor route, while occasionally using the MH route or just attacking without a PU.

Remember that on Ironworks it's more important to keep applying the pressure and rushing the enemy base instead of camping by powerups, waiting for them to spawn. You might just die fast enough to catch it on the next spawn anyway.

5. Know when to support the flag carrier and when to wait

Don't be selfish by waiting in the enemy base for the enemy flag to return. Support your team-mates back to the base when they have it.

Yet, personally I do make exceptions sometimes. I think it's acceptable to wait in the enemy base when your own flag has been taken at the same time. This way you can take the PU's such as Mega Health or Yellow Armor in the enemy base and return your own flag when the Enemy Flag Carrier (EFC) arrives.

Stealing the flag isn't so difficult on Ironworks anyway, so the priority should be in preventing a capture by the enemy and returning your own flag.

6. Don't take the Yellow Armor & Mega Health in your own base!

Leave these power ups for the defenders because they will definitely need these! Remember, Ironworks is a map made for the attackers and the defenders face quite the challenge guarding the flag. The only situations in which you can really justify taking these power ups are when:

1. You got the enemy flag yourself
2. You're battling an enemy in your own base and the enemy could take it instead
3. You're just about to chase an enemy who stole the flag

This will save the defenders plenty of frustration as they have a hard enough task at hand dealing with enemies stealing their PU's.

Concluding, these were the most important Ironworks strategy tips I know. Yet don't hesitate to share your own thoughts concerning this map in the comments section. Have fun!

Post from: Holysh1t.net

6 attacker tips for Ironworks (QZCTF7)

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For the quake veterans, QZCTF2 is nothing new as it is actually an exact copy of Q3CTF2. Nevertheless it might be interesting to write about this map.

Troubled Waters: a map for defenders?
I think I can easily say this map is very heavily defense oriented. The flagdef has Yellow Armor and Mega Health. He has a good overview on incoming enemies and can position himself to have an advantage over the attackers.
Moreover, attackers entering enemy base will probably not be stacked. First of all they have to cross mid which is not easy when you have a good raildefender. Additionally, there are not many items for an attacker to pick up; basically enemy’s Yellow Armor at rail is the only one that is easily accessible. Of course there is Red Armor and Medkit in water but those can not be considered easily accessible.

One or two defenders?
In my opinion it is clear this map needs two defenders; one flagdefender and one middefender. The flagdefender should not have too many problems if the middefender has a solid railaccuracy.
Moreover the middefender does not only help the flagdefender but also the attackers. As soon as your team has the enemy flag, the middefender can start clearing mid. His job is vital for a successful flagrun as crossing mid is not an easy job.

Positioning yourself as flag defender
Several positions are possible.
The upper sidewalk close to the 50 Health might be the best spot. It allows you to pickup health easily if you take a rocket in the face and it also makes it more difficult for the attackers to hit you. Another possibility is close to the Yellow Armor but you are more vulnerable at that position. I guess you at least need a railgun if you want to stand there.

What should the middefender do?
As mentioned earlier the middefender has both a very important defense and offense role. His job consists of three important elements:

• Killing or at least lowering the health of the attackers to make the flagdefender’s job easier,
• Recovering the flag when it leaves the base. The flagdefender’s call is very important and should be accurate as the middefender should use different tactics based on the escape route of the EFC,
• Clear mid when your team has the flag.

Conclusion
This can be a very frustrating map for attackers as there will be a lot of railing going on in mid. It’s also a difficult map to come back when you’re losing.
Nevertheless it can be considered a well balanced map which can be very fun to play, if played correctly.

Post from: Holysh1t.net

Defending Troubled Waters (QZCTF2)

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Ironworks is the first in a new series of QuakeLive ctf maps which is considered to be actually quite playable, so I figured it might be interesting to discuss some of the different possible tactics, starting with the defense.

In this post I will share what should be considered as my own personal opinion, and I invite everyone who wishes to share their own insights, to do so in the comment box below!

Ironworks: a map for attackers?
Ironworks is the first map in the quake series to break with the tradition of CTF maps that are very heavily defense oriented. First of all, Ironworks has health items (Red Armor in particular, but also the Mega Health) which are very easily stolen by enemy attackers. Secondly, as soon as the enemy flag carrier leaves the base using the high exit, a cap is not far away. The fact that there are no jumppads in mid, makes it even more difficult to kill the Enemy Flag Carrier when he's strafing his way to a fast cap.

Even when an enemy flag carrier decides to leave low, the enemy team has to react very quickly, since a good attacker will cross the map in no time.

One or two defenders?
The advantage of having only one defender is obvious: more attack power and thus more chance of stealing the flag. Considering the fact the map already leans more towards offense, you're bound to cap sometime when 3 attackers rush into enemy base.

That being said, personally I feel more comfortable with 2 defenders on this map. 1 flag defender and one mid player who plays more defensively.

There are several reasons for using two defenders:

• Attackers are often stacked as they can easily pickup the Red Armor when going through the teleporter. (Additionaly, with a single jump it's possible for the attacker to quickly climb out of the water, making a surprise attack even easier).
• If the EFC (Enemy Flag Carrier) leaves high and nobody's up there to stop him, he can easily cap since there are no jumppads in the center of the map.
• A second defender can easily drop down from the high grounds to pickup the Red Armor. This not only gives the defense an extra boost, but it also prevents the enemy team from taking the Red Armor. The fact that he has to go through base to reach mid again doesn't really make him waste a lot time either, as he's immediately ready to defend again once he climbs out of the water.
• You just lose your own flag less!

Positioning yourself as flag defender
Positioning yourself as a flag defender isn't easy. The enemy has many ways to enter the base, making it hard to predict where the next attack will come from.

If you stand on the armorshard-sidewalk, enemies coming from above can easily steal the flag and take the jumppad without you having enough time to kill them.
Standing on top, around the grenadelauncher entrance, makes it “easy” for attackers via water to grab the flag and leave low.

Therefore I switch spots during the game. When I am on the shards I make sure I have a lightning gun and railgun (which is not that likely as they are both kind of far from base). When I am on top I spam granades into water when I know there’s an enemy incoming. A great tip is to listen for the teleporter being used, so you can anticipate attacks from the Red Armor room even before they jump into the water.

What should the mid defender do?
The mid defender’s job is to annoy the midplayers as usual. Railing from grenade launcher and help the attackers to grab the quad every two minutes.

Also, the mid defender should try to time the Red Armor and get it when the time is right, i.e. when his team is not leaving with the enemy flag and the base is safe.

Conclusion
Considering this map is still very new, the tactics are still in the process of being tested and trialed in the many pickups and clan wars happening every day. What's definitely sure concerning Ironworks is that it's a very fast paced map in which efficient strafe movement and flexbility are key, for both defenders and attackers.

Post from: Holysh1t.net

Defending Ironworks (QZCTF7)

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