Control point (objective)
| “ | Stand... On... The... Point, Numbnuts!
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— The Soldier
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Control points (also known as capture points or simply points) are used as the main objective in Control Point, Territorial Control and King of the Hill maps, and a secondary objective in Arena maps. In appearance, they are circular metallic platforms with a team-colored light in the center with their team logo hologrammed above it (neutral points will have a white light and a question mark above them).
Gameplay
There are three statuses for a control point:
Neutral: The Point can be taken by either team (usually the central point in a standard CP map)
Captured: The Point is currently owned by the RED team but can be retaken by the BLU team.
Locked: The Point is currently owned by the RED team and cannot be retaken by the BLU team.
Offense
Control Points are captured by standing on top of them. The speed at which a control point is captured depends on how many players from the capturing team are present on the point: two BLU players capturing a RED point will capture that point faster than only one BLU player would. Scouts count as two players, as do Soldiers and Demomen wielding the Pain Train. There is a limit on how fast a Control Point can be captured (see Control point timing).
Defense
If players from both teams are on the same, unlocked control point, that point is said to be contested, which means no progress is made toward the point changing team control. When players from the offensive team are removed from the point all of their progress is lost gradually over time, not immediately.
Reverting capture
When a point is neutral and both teams are trying to capture it captures can be reverted. If a team begins, but does not finish, to capture a neutral point and then is driven off, when the other team begins to capture that point they will first have to "revert" the progress that the first team made before they can begin to make progress of their own.
Limitations
- Disguised Spies cannot block a capture if they are disguised as the team capturing the point, and cannot capture a point if they are disguised as the enemy team.
- Cloaked Spies can not defend or capture a control point.
- ÜberCharged players cannot capture points, but can block enemy captures.
- Scouts under the effects of Bonk! Atomic Punch can neither block enemy captures nor capture points himself.
See also
- Intelligence, the objective in Capture the Flag games.
- Carts, the objective in Payload games.
- Control point timing
