6 attacker tips for Ironworks (QZCTF7)

This is yet another in a series of Quake Live strategy discussion posts.

Earlier xephyr wrote a guide on how to defend Ironworks. Today I’ll write up some tips for when you’re on the attacking side of Ironworks. Keep in mind these tips are just suggestions. If you strongly disagree on something feel free to join the discussion in the comments! Here it goes.

1. Always keep applying the pressure

Ironworks is a very fast paced map made for attackers. There are plenty of ways you can enter an enemy base and there’s several power ups in an easy accessible position for the attackers. Don’t waste any time in the center battling other attackers. It’s really not worth the the trouble since it just gives the enemy defenders the time to gather power ups.

The only exception should be when there’s an enemy blocking your path and the only way to avoid confrontation is by taking a very long detour. In this case battling the enemy, dying and respawning is often the best solution. If you find yourself a winner of a battle with 10 hp left, find a way to kill yourself quickly. Use rockets to blow yourself up or hit the wall with a plasma gun to melt yourself.

Spawn, grab a gun, pick up a powerup if possible and rush in! You suffered a quick death? Rinse and repeat, but don’t slow down! Do not endlessly wait for Red Armor when you don’t know the timing. 20 seconds on Ironworks can be a very long time!

2. The lightning gun is essential

Some old school quakers tend to complain about the weak lightning gun in Quake Live, while there really isn’t that much of a reason to do so. The lightning gun is still very strong and useful. Especially on Ironworks where most of the combat occurs during fast paced game play.

On Ironworks there’s no weapon that will kill your enemies faster than the lightning gun. Rockets can still quite easily be dodged and the railgun reloads way too slow for an attacker’s needs. Additionally, it’s the weapon you’ll most easily have access to as an attacker, without either slowing yourself down or having to attack from a bad position.

3. Learn the Red Armor jump

Probably the most important tip I know. If you have not yet mastered this jump, do it as soon as possible! The RA jump on Ironworks basically allows you to go through the teleporter, pick up the Red Armor and leave the room through the water in less than 3 seconds. Without this Red Armor jump it takes you at least up to 6 seconds, while also alarming the enemy when you jump into the water.

So what exactly is this RA jump and how is it done? The RA jump is a jump where you land on the sewer ledge connected to the Red Armor room exit door. Landing on this ledge allows you to exit the water in under half a second.

To execute this RA jump you need to:

• Start from the right corner in the RA room
• Do a small circle jump to the ledge of the platform
• Aim for the sewer ledge
• Make sure you do not touch the wall on the left
• Land on the sewer ledge

As you’ll see it’s not extremely difficult to execute once you’ve mastered it. It succeeds about 80 percent of the time and makes a surprise attack quite effective when the enemy did not hear you come through the teleporter. I’ve recorded a demo of this RA jump.

4. Change your attacking route

There are several ways to enter the enemy base. Each route offers you a different opportunity to steal an enemy power up. There’s 3 important routes that I often vary between: the Mega Health, Red Armor and the Medkit route. When attacking you should try to pick up at least one of these items, yet do not wait and camp for one of them to spawn either if you don’t know the approximate timing.

Pass by the enemy Red Armor or Medkit and immediately attack the enemy flag defender. Occasionally you can try to steal the enemy Mega Health as well. But don’t waste too much time on MH because the enemy will most likely have it timed and guarded pretty well.

Ideal is to alternate between the Medkit route and Red Armor route, while occasionally using the MH route or just attacking without a PU.

Remember that on Ironworks it’s more important to keep applying the pressure and rushing the enemy base instead of camping by powerups, waiting for them to spawn. You might just die fast enough to catch it on the next spawn anyway.

5. Know when to support the flag carrier and when to wait

Don’t be selfish by waiting in the enemy base for the enemy flag to return. Support your team-mates back to the base when they have it.

Yet, personally I do make exceptions sometimes. I think it’s acceptable to wait in the enemy base when your own flag has been taken at the same time. This way you can take the PU’s such as Mega Health or Yellow Armor in the enemy base and return your own flag when the Enemy Flag Carrier (EFC) arrives.

Stealing the flag isn’t so difficult on Ironworks anyway, so the priority should be in preventing a capture by the enemy and returning your own flag.

6. Don’t take the Yellow Armor & Mega Health in your own base!

Leave these power ups for the defenders because they will definitely need these! Remember, Ironworks is a map made for the attackers and the defenders face quite the challenge guarding the flag. The only situations in which you can really justify taking these power ups are when:

1. You got the enemy flag yourself
2. You’re battling an enemy in your own base and the enemy could take it instead
3. You’re just about to chase an enemy who stole the flag

This will save the defenders plenty of frustration as they have a hard enough task at hand dealing with enemies stealing their PU’s.

Concluding, these were the most important Ironworks strategy tips I know. Yet don’t hesitate to share your own thoughts concerning this map in the comments section. Have fun!

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