Capture the Flag

The Capture the Flag icon.

Capture the Flag (CTF) is a multiplayer gametype where teams compete to capture a flag from an enemy base and return it to their own. Many variants of this game-type exist, with the most common variation being the number of teams and flags. More variants can be created by altering individual settings. Capture the flag has appeared in every Halo multiplayer game.

Overview

A blue team player protecting the flag.

In Capture the Flag, teams compete to capture and return the opposing team's flag to their own base.

Flag offense and defense

Flags are located at their spawn points, usually held in the teams' respective bases. Players need to defend their flags from the enemy team while trying to take the enemy's flag from their base. While carrying a flag, a player (becoming the "flag carrier") cannot fire their weapons, but they can melee using the flag. When a flag is dropped, either at the carrier's own volition or because they are killed, the flag enters a countdown. At the end of the countdown, the flag returns to the base, and the process could be accelerated by friendly players standing around it. The countdown can be reset by enemy players holding the flag again, even if briefly. Respawn timers are typically longer in CTF than in Slayer, giving more time for players in the offense to capture the flag.

In games other than Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo Infinite, the flag melee can kill a fully-shielded enemy player with one hit, though the setting can be tweaked in custom game settings.

In Halo 4, rather than being wielded with both hands, players now carry the flag with their left hand and wield an M6H magnum in their right, regardless of whichever weapons they are carrying. Players pick up the flag automatically by walking into it, but can no longer drop it; once a player has taken the flag, they are stuck with it until they score it or are killed.

Scoring

Upon returning the enemy team's flag to their own base (or the "flag return point"), a player scores a point for the team. The enemy team's flag automatically returns to the enemy base, and can be taken again. In certain variants of CTF, players cannot score if their own flag has been removed its spawn point.

Victory condition

By default, the team that first reaches the score limit (3 points by default) wins the game. If neither has reach the score limit at the end of the time limit, the team with the most points at the end wins. If there is a tie, the game may enter overtime, and the team that first scores the next point wins the game. Alternatively, if a team is holding the enemy team's flag at the end, the game may enter sudden death. During sudden death, the flag must be taken to its return point or its spawn point, the result of which decides the victor of the match.

Variants

Multi Flag CTF

Multi Flag CTF is the standard variant, where two teams compete for each other's flags.

Assault

In Assault, which is a variant exclusive to Halo: Combat Evolved, teams alternate offense and defense every two minutes. One team needs to carry the enemy flag into the enemy base. The game variant has been replaced by Assault since Halo 2. In Invasion CTF, players only have five lives each.

Arena CTF

Arena CTF (or CTF Pro) is the game variant in which the friendly flag must be at home for players to score.

1 Flag CTF

1 Flag CTF is a variant where two teams alternate offense and defense of the flag.

Neutral Flag

A variant in which teams fight over a neutral flag to bring back to their respective base.

Tips

The flag-wielder can choose to melee the opposition with the flag.

• Designate one player as be the flag carrier. This is the player who will capture the flag and return it to your team's base, and another would be the color guard (the person who guards the flag).
• Have every other teammate except for a few people defending your flag provide cover fire for the Flag Carrier. One person should (if it is available) grab a Sniper rifle and provide cover from a distance. Everyone else should have decent medium-range weapons, such as the battle rifle or plasma rifle.
• Use vehicles like the Warthog, so that the flag carrier can make a speedy getaway. Deny the enemy team from pursuing in their own vehicles and destroy all of their vehicles.
• In Multi-Flag CTF, the strategy is a little different. Designate one defender in the base with the shotgun or a rocket launcher. The sniper should play from either backfield or midfield, and should have a defensive focus most of the time. A good team will be sufficiently defended using the single inside defender and the covering sniper. Remember respawning teammates can at times remain on defense to support. As long as every enemy on the board is accounted for and the inside defender is aware of enemies entering the base, any standard attack will be easily defeated. Any attacking players that enter the base should be easily killed by the shotgun/rocket defender. This defender must always crouch so as to avoid detection. Cover the entrances, not the flag. Other players must also listen to warnings from the sniper or defender, stating that they may soon be overwhelmed by the enemy attackers.

Cooperation between players is the key for winning.

• Offense will require careful coordination to succeed in higher levels of gameplay. Assuming that a good enemy will kill on average 50% of your attackers, you will need to strike with enough manpower to fight a battle inside the enemy base with half of your team. One strong way to sneak attack your opponents is to skirmish attack your enemy base knowing you will lose the fight. Keep one or two of your teammates inside the enemy base hiding and waiting to attack in unison with the next wave of attack. The enemy will underestimate your attack strength. You should use the hiding players to attack the defense seconds before your teammates arrive in the second wave. This will allow them to enter the enemy base more easily. Without more than half of the team on offense, it is unlikely that you will ever score against a strong enemy. Offensive players must also be able to survive the trip downfield to the enemy base. To do this try to (I) sneak, (II) fight (III) speed your way past the enemy. Sneaking is straight forward; travel undetected. Fighting will require strong coordination of firepower. Battle rifles are great for offensive walks downfield. Make sure that each teammate shoots together at the same enemy, killing him before moving on to the next. Think about it: three shooting enemies half dead are more dangerous than two shooting enemies and one dead enemy. The idea is to minimize the firepower your enemy is using, if you all shoot at one enemy and kill them right away, you will eliminate 1/3 of their firepower (1 out of 3 battle rifles). Speeding will require the Warthog or Mongoose, and will require you to be prepared to fight an enemy that knows you are coming.
• In 1-Flag CTF, the attack forces are going to rush in full force to take the flag, you have to grab the best weapons you can manage and cover the entrances. It might be wise to have some units avoid the main fray and sneak around the enemy base to ambush them.
• It is advised not to attempt flag running (dropping the flag while jumping) as it gives away your position for a barely noticeable speed boost.
• If you decide to leave one player behind to guard the flag, find out if there is any available vehicles and park them over the flag. Using this strategy, you can blow away anyone attempting to grab the flag, because they will try to grab it and instead hop into a vehicle.

Unlocks and rewards

Halo 2

Medals

The following medals can be unlocked in the Capture the Flag gamemode.

Icon	Name	Requirement
	Flag Taken	Taken the opponent's flag.
	Flag Returned	Return your flag to your base.

Achievements

Main article: Achievements (Halo 2)

The following achievement can be unlocked in the Capture the Flag gamemode when playing Halo 2 on Windows Vista.

Halo 2 (Windows Vista)	Title	Unlock requirement	Games
	Rainman	Play every available game variant, with at least 3 other players, to the end of each game.	Halo 2 on Windows Vista

Halo 3

Medals

Main article: List of Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST medals

The following medals can be unlocked in the Capture the Flag gamemode.

Icon	Name	Requirement
	Flag Kill	Get a melee kill with the flag.
	Flag Score	Capture the opposing team's flag.
	Killed Flag Carrier	Kill the opposing flag carrier.

Achievements

Main article: Achievements (Halo 3)

The following achievements can be unlocked in the Capture the Flag gamemode.

Halo 3 (Xbox)	Title	Unlock requirement	Games
	Flag Dropped	On a Legendary map, get 2 Flag Carrier kills during any ranked or social match.	Halo 3 (Legendary Map Pack)
	Defend This	On a Legendary map, get a Flag Melee kill during any ranked or social match.	Halo 3 (Legendary Map Pack)

Halo: Reach

Commendations

Main article: List of Halo: Reach commendations

There are no commendations related to the Capture the Flag gamemode.

Medals

Main article: List of Halo: Reach medals

The following medals can be unlocked in the Capture the Flag gamemode.

Icon	Name	Requirement
	Flag Kill	Kill an opponent with a melee attack using a flag.
	Flag Score	Complete a scoring flag capture in a Capture the Flag game.
	Killed Flag Carrier	Killed the opponent flag carrier in a Capture the Flag game.

Achievements

Main article: Achievements (Halo: Reach)

The following achievements can be unlocked in the Capture the Flag gamemode.

Halo: Reach (Xbox)	Title	Unlock requirement	Games
	Return to Sender	Successfully return two flags in a matchmade CTF game.	Halo: Reach (Defiant Map Pack)
	Don't Touch That!	Prevent the attacking team from touching the flag in a matchmaking 1-Flag CTF game.	Halo: Reach (Defiant Map Pack)
	Stick it to the Man!	Stick and kill the flag carrier with a plasma grenade in a matchmade game.	Halo: Reach (Anniversary Map Pack)

Halo 4

Commendations

Main article: List of Halo 4 commendations

Flag Victory

Win a match in any Capture the Flag gametype in matchmaking. Completing this commendation will unlock the Vanguard "Converge" (CNVG) armor set

Tier	Required #	Rewarded XP
Novice	5	250
Proficient	10	500
Adept	25	750
Expert	50	1000
Master	150	2000

Deadly Flag

Kill enemy Spartans while carrying the flag in any Capture the Flag gametype in matchmaking

Tier	Required #	Rewarded XP
Novice	3	250
Proficient	5	500
Adept	7	750
Expert	15	1000
Master	30	2000

Carrier Takedown

Kill an enemy flag carrier in any Capture the Flag gametype in matchmaking

Tier	Required #	Rewarded XP
Novice	10	250
Proficient	25	500
Adept	50	750
Expert	75	1000
Master	100	2000

Defender of the Flag

Earn any of these 2 medals: Flag Defense, Flag Assist

Tier	Required #	Rewarded XP
Novice	10	250
Proficient	25	500
Adept	50	750
Expert	100	1000
Master	250	2000

Capture the Flag Mastery

Complete all of the following commendations: Flag Victory, Deadly Flag, Carrier Takedown, Defender of the Flag. Completing this commendation will unlock the "Flag" emblem

Medals

Main article: List of Halo 4 medals

The following medals can be unlocked in the Capture the Flag gamemode.

Icon	Name	Requirement
	Flag Capture	Deliver the opponent's flag to your base.
	Flag Runner	Capture 2 flags in one game.
	Flag Champion	Capture 3 flags in one game.
	Flag Assist	Help a teammate capture a flag.
	Flag Carrier Kill	Kill an opponent who is carrying a flag.
	Flag Defense	Kill an opponent who is close to your flag.
	Flag Kill	Kill an opponent while holding a flag.
	Flagsassination	Perform an assassination while holding a flag.
	Flag Joust	Kill a flag carrier while holding a flag.
	Flag Driver	Drive a flag carrier close to your capture point.

Achievements

Main article: Achievements (Halo 4)

There are no achievements related to the Capture the Flag gamemode.

Halo 5: Guardians

Commendations

Main article: List of Halo 5: Guardians commendations

Flag Mastery

Master all Capture the Flag commendations.
Reward: 2500 XP + 1 Requisition Pack

Carrier Takedown

Kill an enemy flag carrier in any Capture the Flag gametype in matchmaking

Tier	Required #	Reward
1	10	100 XP
2	30	200 XP
3	60	300 XP + Commendation Reward Pack
4	110	500 XP
5	210	1000 XP + Carrier Takedown Pack

Mine!

Return your team's flag in any Capture the Flag gametype in matchmaking

Tier	Required #	Reward
1	10	100 XP
2	30	200 XP
3	60	300 XP + Commendation Reward Pack
4	110	500 XP
5	210	1000 XP + Mine! Pack

Defender of the Flag

Protect your team's flag in any Capture the Flag gametype in matchmaking

Tier	Required #	Reward
1	10	100 XP
2	30	200 XP
3	60	300 XP + Commendation Reward Pack
4	110	500 XP
5	210	1000 XP + Defender of the Flag Pack

Capture the Flag Mastery

Win a match in any Capture the Flag gametype in matchmaking

Tier	Required #	Reward
1	5	100 XP
2	15	200 XP
3	30	300 XP + Commendation Reward Pack
4	55	500 XP
5	105	1000 XP + Flag Victory Pack

Patriot

Capture a flag, assist in capturing a flag or kill with a flag.

Tier	Required #	Reward
1	500	100 XP
2	1000	200 XP
3	1500	300 XP and 1 Requisition Pack
4	2400	500 XP
5	4900	1000 XP and 1 Requisition Pack

Flag 'Em Down

Earn one of the following medals: Stopped Short, Flag Joust, Carrier Kill, Flag return, Flag defense

Tier	Required #	Reward
1	1000	100 XP
2	2000	200 XP
3	3000	300 XP and 1 Requisition Pack
4	4800	500 XP
5	9700	1000 XP and 1 Requisition Pack

Medals

Main article: List of Halo 5: Guardians medals

The following medals can be unlocked in the Capture the Flag gamemode.

This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Achievements

Main article: Achievements (Halo 5: Guardians)

The following achievement can be unlocked in the Capture the Flag gamemode.

Halo 5: Guardians (Xbox)	Title	Unlock requirement	Games
	Flag Monger	Complete 5 matchmade games in Capture the Flag.	Halo 5: Guardians

Halo Infinite

Medals

Main article: List of Halo Infinite medals

The following medals can be unlocked in the Capture the Flag gamemode.

Icon	Name	Requirement
	Flag Joust	Kill an enemy flag carrier while holding a flag.
	Stopped Short	Kill an enemy flag carrier who is about to score.
	Goal Line Stand	Return a flag near the enemy flag stand.

Achievements

Main article: Achievements (Halo Infinite)

The following achievements can be unlocked in the Capture the Flag gamemode.

Xbox	Steam	Title	Unlock requirement
		Running Laps	Capture the flag twice in a matchmade Capture the Flag game.

Trivia

• John-117 and his squad of SPARTAN-IIs played Capture the flag with Tango company on Reach.
• The CTF weapons glitch can be done in CTF games. When the player exchanges a flag for a weapon, then exchanges the weapon for the flag, then drops the flag, leaving the player with three weapons.

Gallery

• 

  Concept art for the game mode for Halo 3.

• 

  The Flag carrier on a Warthog while being pursued by Ghosts in Halo: Combat Evolved.

• 

  A Spartan driving a flag carrier in Halo: Reach.

• 

  Three Spartans on a Warthog in Halo 4.

• 

  A Spartan defends a flag carrier in Halo 2: Anniversary.

• 

  A Aviator-clad Spartan carrying the Flag in Halo Infinite.