Allrighty now, time for me to start doing something constructive every once in a while and write.
You want the big points, you want the flag, you want to be in the spotlights. Well, grabbing a piece of silk tied to a pole and running back to your base aint as easy as it sounds. I hope this small guide will help you out.

Basically, there are three to four phases in offense - get in, get the flag, RUN, and eventually, survive until your teammates return (Yes, this is a lame introduction. But I'm making this up as I write it). Okay, the third part doesn't sound very glorious or heroic, but what do you want? It's the downsides of the job.


Getting in:

This is the simplest part. Just make sure you choose the correct path depending on the situation. The fastest yet more force-consuming ones should be only used in emergency cases (aka, they got your flag and theirs is sitting in their base, you have to snag it, FAST), otherwise, make sure you get a gun or two in your way.
You might want to wait a bit near the entrance to fully regenerate your force fully, for something tells me you might need to hit the road after you got in. There's nothing as aggravating as having your speed wear out in the middle of the enemy base, with no more force for a second boost.

*EDIT* I forgot to add, if you happen to cross an enemy offense player on your way, fire a few rounds at him (but don't slow yourself down!). That'll hopefully make the defense's task easier

Get the Flag!

Yes, lame title, and I don't care the slightest bit
If the defenders are unaware of your approach, make sure to greet them with a rocket or two. If they do see you coming, well,do it, too.
If you believe you'll have enough force for it (I'd say, have more than 30 after using speed), you could try one of the following:

-Push as you grab the flag. As most defenders know, a flagger HAS to grab the flag (duh). Thus, they just have to shoot at the flag stand itself at the correct moment and they're assured to get a free hit in. But, fortunately for you guys, there is what is called "push jamming" You might have noticed that after you are pushed, your weapons cannot fire for a split second. Use this to your advantage, and push when you are about to touch the flag. Hopefully, you'll be able to grab it without getting hit (too hard)
OR
-Use a combination of force protect and force absorb (before you say A SINGLE WORD, any flagger who is a darkside user deserves to be shot in the face, repeatedly). I'm a bit skeptical about this theory, because it is very force-intensive, and I never used protect a whole lot. But it does look good on paper. Protect before touching the flag so you won't get hit too hard, and absorb afterwards to prevent massive pulling. Your call, though I'm inclined to use the first one.

Oh, and, yeah. make sure you don't leave without the flag, It happens a few times, even when it looks like you did actually took it (and I have to say it's VERY embarrassing)


RUN!

At this state, I see most people wondering whether they should fight or run. Most usually they'll do the mistake of sitting in an extreme. They'll either run and get pummeled or try to fight back and get overwhelmed by the numbers. So, what should you do? Take an intermediate position.
Run, and fast, but turn around at key points and fire a few rounds at whoever's following you. Once you're good enough, try strafejumping backwards while firing. The hardest part there will be not falling into any holes. Yeah, it sucks.
Make sure you use all the fancy maneuvers and wallruns you know. it's extremely hard to follow someone who knows how to use these correctly.
Also, do not make the mistake of believing det packs and trip mines are defense-only weaponry. Those beauties saved my life way more than once. Just drop them as you run. If you're lucky, you'll damage or kill your opponent. If you're even luckier, you'll force him or them to slow down.
A few last words. Be on your guard. It's isn't because you can't see an enemy nobody's following you. And, it's most likely the one you didn't saw coming that'll get you. Get ready to speed and/or absorb at any moment. They really want that thing back, and you are unfortunate enough to hold it. Dang, does it suck to be you.


Survival Test

Heck, this title sounds better doesn't it?
Depending on your team's returner(s) skills, this might take from mere seconds to whole minutes. You might as well get ready, just in case. Stock up in ammo (and if available, shields) whenever you get the chance.
If you are being outrun, and there's no way you're staying alive under those conditions, dont just stay there! Run! get out of the base by one way, (while yelling at your allies to move their arses and clean the base) and come back by the other way. They WILL follow you -it's not like they have lots of choices anyway-
If for some reason you desperately could use a respawn after holding off some returners, then just do it. Don't use /kill - this will automatically return the flag - blow yourself up with whatever explosive you happen to have in your possession. After respawning, grab the flag again. Simple yet effective. Just make sure you respawn close enough to the spot where you dropped it, which should conveniently placed in a remote spot near your base. I'm sure you can find that somewhere.

And, I think that's everything for today folks. Stay tuned for more CTF articles by uncle Macey