- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
What people don't understand about most team games is dispersal of forces. In an ideal CTF situation (Where you're playing to win) you'd go in, get out and score without seeing ANYONE. It is incredibly hard to cap a flag if you're getting enemies spawned on your ass.
There's already a good section already on teamwork, so this is mostly a solo guide to capping flags, and requires a lot of stealth, misdirection and speed. It does NOT require teamwork, and I use this style on public servers for fun.
The best time to see this is on Sidewinder, in ANY public game, 9/10 times EVERYONE will immediately grab ghosts/hogs/go to the top teleporter and leave. I myself grab a ghost and go through the centre tunnels. I go in, occasionally grab an overshield, go over the top (might see a ghost going past the other direction), hover right into the base, do a bounce-grab (Exit the ghost at full speed while heading at the wall, then get back in the ghost immediately - just keep hitting 'E' and you'll grab the flag and bounce, and head backwards quicker) and return back through the tunnels.
The point is, the base is deserted. It's almost always a clean maneuver. Later in the game, if your team is spamming the spawn points with rods and such, it becomes much harder to get in and get out again, simply because of the number of enemies inside/around the base.
As a strategy, I'd say try to let the opponents stray out from the base to round the middle area instead of killing them all off fast, sneak in, and when you have the flag your team should already be engaging the enemy, allowing you to punch through their lines.
Another thing is misdirection. I have many times in BG driven round the back of the enemy base 3/4 of the way (so I end up next to the ramp on the opposite side), go up top and lob a nade in first. Then it's an easy jump down, kill anyone left (sometimes with the flag) and circle round the FRONT of the base (or behind sometimes, depending) to my hog, or if it's gone, back up to the teleport. If I have a gunner still on the hog I sometimes leave em and teleport anyway - it's a very good distraction and if you feel bad you can toss em the flag later...
Dropping the flag is usually a valid tactic; if you want to reload your weapon eg. the RL with the flag, jump and throw it forward, then reload-melee and by the time you pick the flag up again you'll have reloaded. However, remember a running flag melee is powerful to kill people on medium health, eg an already naded enemy. When running away while still near the enemy spawn, a fun trick is to run round a corner and melee as the chasers follow. This should buy you enough time to get away.
Steal vehicles! If you come from the tunnel on Danger Canyon, and see a ghost, hijack it and tail it out of there! If you manage to cross over the bridge in Infinity, if you're lucky you can steal a banshee from up top.
Leave vehicles! If you passed a fuel rod guy on the way to the base, go teleport, or through the tunnels. If you come in via a hog, leave it as a distraction for the enemy thinking you're going to go for it. If (even better) you banshee-drop into the base in DI, and see another empty banshee up top, grab the flag and tele out. The enemy will wait for you at the bottom and miss you.
Don't always rush in. If the base is full, wait for some people to leave, or backup to arrive.
If there is a Rhog in the base, it can be dealt with by surprise with a rocket launcher (or a couple of nades) but this is a risky tactic.
Watch out for base campers, and if one does get you, you'll know where they'll be the next time round.
If necessary, hide inside the enemy base until the enemy go away. It's risky, but less so than running out naked into 5 reds. They'll never expect you to be there!
The best choice of escape vehicle for the solo flag-capper is usually banshee, then the ghost, then hog/foot (tied for equalness) and then tank. It depends on the map, teleports, and number of enemies.
If the enemy ARE in force at the base, a decent diversion will usually allow you to get through - occasionally if a friendly hog flies overhead you can snag the flag.
One last point: if both sides have flags, if at all possible do NOT hide inside your base. Get a vehicle and hide somewhere else. The enemy will always attack your base first, giving you extra space. In contrast, when looking for the enemy, if an experienced player has the flag look in nonconspicuous places (near the tunnels in BG, behind the rocks in a ghost in Danger Canyon, under the base in DI etc).
Happy capping!