Control points
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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).
For a team to capture or 'cap' a point, whether it is neutral or owned by the enemy team, they simply stand on the point until the capture meter fills with your team color. The more people of the same team on a point, the faster it will capture, though only to a limited extent. No capture progress will be made when players of both teams are on the point. If all the capturing players are killed or driven off before the capture is completed, the capture progress will begin to slowly drain away, providing an opportunity for the capturing team to get back on the point and continue the capture. A team capturing a neutral point while under enemy progress will start to revert the capture, that is, the enemy's progress will quickly drain away in order for the capturing team start to capturing it.
To defend or block a point from being captured, the defending team must stand on the point while it is being captured. While it is blocked, capturing progress will be halted although the progress will not drain away as long as there are capturing players still on the point. Blocked points are shown with a red "no" symbol on the player's HUD.
There are three statuses for a control point:
Neutral: The Point can be taken by either team
Captured: The Point is currently owned by one team but can be retaken by the other
Locked: The Point is currently owned by one team and cannot be retaken
Scouts and Pain Train-wielding Soldiers or Demomen count as 2 players when capturing points, this means that they capture points twice as fast as other classes. In some situations, players cannot capture or block control points. They are as follows:
- 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.
- Any player who is under the effect of a stun.
