To win Capture the Flag (CTF) in Soldier of Fortune II, split your team into roles: a few attackers to take the enemy flag, one or two defenders to protect yours, and someone in the middle to support both. You score by carrying the enemy’s flag back to your own base, and in standard SoF2 your own flag doesn’t need to be at home. A dropped flag can’t be returned by touching it: it goes back to its base by itself after 30 seconds, so the defending team has to guard it until then.
How CTF works in SoF2
- Each team has a flag at its base.
- To score, take the enemy flag and bring it to the capture point at your own base. Your own flag doesn’t have to be at home for the capture to count.
- If the carrier dies, the flag drops where they fell, and the carrier’s team can pick it up and carry on. Only the other team can carry a flag, so its own team can’t pick it up to take it home.
- A dropped flag returns to its base by itself after the server’s gt_flagReturnTime, 30 seconds by default.
- The match ends when a team reaches the capture limit or time runs out, depending on the server’s scorelimit and timelimit.
The other game types are explained in SoF2 game types.
Roles
| Role | Players | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 2–3 | Get into the enemy base, take the flag and escort the carrier home |
| Midfield | 1–2 | Hold the middle of the map, cut off enemy carriers, help attackers home |
| Defence | 1–2 | Guard your flag, call out attackers, chase down a carrier |
On public servers, roles change as players come and go. A useful habit: glance at the scoreboard and radar, see what your team is missing, and fill that gap.
Attacking
- Attack together. One attacker on their own is a free kill for a defender. Two or three arriving at once split the defence.
- Clear the room before grabbing. A flashbang (M84) into the flag room, then a push, beats running straight in.
- Use smoke for the escape. The M15 is a white phosphorus grenade that leaves a cloud of white smoke for around 12 seconds. Thrown across the route out, it hides the carrier from defenders’ sights.
- Escort, don’t follow. Teammates should move a little ahead of the carrier, clearing corners, not trail behind.
- Take a different way home. Defenders chase along the route the carrier came in by. If the map has another route, use it.
Carrying the flag
- Don’t stop to fight unless you have to. Your job is to stay alive and keep moving.
- Tell your team where you are with team chat (Y) or the radio (G), so they can cover you.
- Head straight for your capture point. You can score even while the enemy has your flag, so a quick capture wins a race between two carriers.
Defending
- Don’t stand on the flag. Hide nearby, with a view of the entrances, and catch attackers as they come in.
- Call out numbers and routes as soon as you see attackers. “Two coming left” lets your midfield turn round in time.
- Guard a dropped flag. You can’t send it home by touching it. It returns by itself after 30 seconds, and until then any attacker can pick it up again, so cover it from somewhere safe.
- Chase the carrier only if you can catch them. If they’re already far away, tell your team the route and stay ready for the next attack.
Loadouts for CTF
Choose your weapons on the outfitting screen (B). Attackers usually want something fast with a high rate of fire, such as a submachine gun or a shotgun for flag rooms, plus flashbangs and the M15 for smoke. Defenders do well with an assault rifle or the M60 to hold a doorway. What’s available depends on the server: many remove the RPG-7 and MM-1. See SoF2 weapons.
Respawning
In CTF you respawn in waves rather than straight away: the game type uses interval respawns, every 15 seconds by default (g_respawnInterval). A well-timed attack just after the enemy’s wave has died gives you time before they’re back. New spawns are protected for a few seconds (g_respawnInvulnerability, 5 by default), so don’t waste bullets on a player who has just appeared. Mods can change some of these rules, so check what the server runs.
Where to play CTF
CTF’s popularity rises and falls over time. The chart below shows how much each game type was played across all public servers in the last 30 days:
Find a server running it right now on the live server list.
Frequently asked questions
How do you score in SoF2 CTF?
Take the enemy’s flag and carry it to the capture point at your own base. Your own flag doesn’t need to be at home.
How long until a dropped flag returns in SoF2?
30 seconds by default, set by the server’s gt_flagReturnTime. You can’t return it sooner by touching it, so guard it until it goes home.
Can I score if the enemy has my flag?
Yes. In standard SoF2 your own flag doesn’t need to be at home for a capture to count.
What’s the best weapon for CTF?
Fast submachine guns and shotguns for attacking flag rooms, and assault rifles or the M60 for defending, with flashbangs and the M15 for smoke.