1. What it is
2. How to get there
3. Pre-Game:
_ 1. The Lobby
_ 2. Team Selection
4. The Spawn room
5. The Supplies room
6. The Castle
7. The Open Battlefield
8. The Underground
9. Strategies
_ 1. Barricading
_ 2. Rushing
_ 2. DD'ing
10. Armor Setups
11. Tickets – how they are dispersed
12. The Rewards
1. What is Castle Wars?
Castle wars is a multiplayer, combat based, safe, minigame. It is based off the game Capture the Flag. There are two teams, each attempting to capture (cap) the enemies flag by bringing it back to their own base. In addition to scoring, each team also defends their own base, preventing the other team from capping.
2. How to Get to Castle Wars:
Players can get to Castle Wars by clicking the Minigames Teleport > More Minigames.. > Castle wars. This will teleport the player directly into the lobby for the minigame. Additionally, on Fridays, when Castle Wars is an active event with 2x points/charges, players can access the game by typing the command ::event.
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Prior to starting the game, there are some things to go over.
1. The Lobby:
When you first teleport to Castle Wars, you will be teleported into the lobby. It contains 3 portals, 1 NPC, and 1 Bank chest.
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The Castle Wars shop salesman contains the rewards shop, as well as some basic info on certain rewards.
This just leaves the portals.
2. Team Selection:
When selecting teams, there are 3 options: Red, Green, and Blue. Each portal correlates to a specific god; Guthix, Saradomin, and Zamorak. Selecting either Saradomin or Zamorak will place you on that team, whereas selecting Guthix will randomly place you on either one, depending on the need for players on each.
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As the teams must be close to even in numbers of players, you may receive a message dictating that the team is full when selecting. Simply try joining the other team!
Now, we are ready to select a team, and let the game begin!
NOTE: The game requires at least ONE player on each team to begin. If at any point a team's player count drops below 1, that team will forfeit and the game will be over.
4. The Spawn Room
When the game begins, players from each team will be placed in the 'Spawn Room'. This is the room where, if you die during the game, you will spawn again. It contains several important features for gameplay as well.
In it you will find:
- A Portal matching your teams color: This will allow you to exit the Castle Wars game, if you need to leave early
- Several Altars: these will allow you to restore your prayer, and select the magic book/prayer book you wish to use for the game.
- A Table with bandages: these packages are your food for the game; you can either left-click them to heal yourself, or right-click and use them on other players from your team to heal them.
- Magical Barriers: clicking on these allows you to leave the Spawn Room. NOTE: Once you leave, you are able to be attacked by players from the other team.
- A Ladder: Climbing this ladder will take you up to the next floor on your castle. This is another possible exit from the Spawn Room.
- Tinderboxes: these can be used to burn several objects specific to the minigame. While some players carry one, many do not.
5. The Supplies Room
Located directly below the Spawn Room, the Supplies Room is home to several key items you will use throughout your Castle Wars game. Each can be obtained by clicking on the table associated with them. Please use the image below to see which table holds which items:
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- Toolkits: these are used in the repair of various items around the game, such as the Big Doors and Catapult.
- Barricades: these are temporary walls players can place as they wish. Can be destroyed by an explosive potion, by using a tinderbox on them, or by attacking them.
- Explosive Potions: these potions can be used to destroy various items throughout the game, including barricades, the catapult, and the rocks in underground. Be careful though! Dropping one will hurt you!
- Ropes: ropes are used in this game to enter the enemy's castle. Use them on the Battlements, then climb the rope!
- Catapult Rocks: the catapult rocks are ammo for the catapult located on the outer wall of your castle.
- Bronze Pickaxes: a bronze pickaxe comes in handy for clearing the underground below the game. However, you can bring your own pickaxe from outside of the game! No adze though.
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Each game contains two castles of identical structure, one for each team. Each castle has four levels, as shown in the gif below, each with different features. The top-most level contains the flag the other team is seeking the capture. The level below that has a covered room, which is safe from catapult, and stairs connecting it to the top and to the level below. The third floor and fourth floors from the top are the spawn and supplies floors, respectively, though the bottom one also features another couple of features, such as the entrance to the underground, the catapult, and the two doors; large and small. The larger door can be broken by attacking it, the smaller can have its lock picked. These are the basic features of the castle. Teams will effectively place players and barricades throughout it in an effort to defend their castle from the enemy team.
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7. The Open Battlefield
Between the two castles lies a landscape upon which the teams can fight (not that they can't in the castle as well). This battlefield features a couple of important items to heed when playing Castle Wars.
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8. The Underground
Located beneath the battlefield and castles, there is a system of tunnels that connect both castles to one another and to the central island of the minigame. Teams will often use these tunnels to travel, as while underground they are not detectable or vulnerable to the catapult's fire.
Please see below for a map of these tunnels, courtesy of RS.
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Players trapped beneath the rubble as it collapses are instantly killed. Be wary of teams trying to trap you!
9. Strategies
As you will be working with other players on your team, there are strategies that will allow your team to most effectively function, and, hopefully, win. This section will only give a brief outline of what a few are, more will be learned simply from playing the minigame!
1. Barricading:
The first of these I wish to discuss is barricading. Known as cading in game, this is the placement of barricades on the map to hinder attackers from stealing the flag. They are generally placed near stairs that prevent the attackers from leaving a level, so that they can be frozen and killed before escaping with the flag. This is a pivotal piece to any strong defense, and will be implemented in 99% of games.
2. Rushing:
Rushing is the act of charging a large portion of your team at the enemy's base in an effort to overwhelm them to grab the flag and capture it. With the sheer number of players, the hope is that one will get past and make it out safely. However, this leaves your home base unguarded, or at least weakened, so the enemy can counterattack.
3. Counterattacking:
When the opponent's team rushes, their base is fairly unguarded. A successful strategy can be to attempt to capture their flag during this time. While most of your team defends the rush, a couple can easily infiltrate the opposing castle.
4. Spearing:
Using Zamorakian and Dragon spears is effective, as they stun players, preventing them from healing with bandages. This is effective, and it's good to have at least 1-2 spearers on your team, defending.
Some things to always remember when playing Castle Wars! (Thank you Nick!)
- Never leave your base unattended.
- When attacking, always bring some explosive pots with you.
- When defending, always have some cades with you.
- Never leave the front castle door open.
- Do not waste barricades on useless spots.
These are just a few tactics. More can be learned from playing Castle Wars itself, or asking experienced players (Candy Bars would be a great help).
10. Armor Setups
When playing castle wars, there are two key setups to look at. That of the defender, and that of the attacker.
When defending, you want to have the best possible mage gear. That means Battlemage/Trickster > Virtus > Ahrims
When attacking, you want the highest possible mage defense. That means Vanguard/Trickster > Pernix > Armadyl > Karils. A divine ss will also help when rushing toward, but please note you cannot wield a shield or sword when holding the flag.
11. Tickets
For playing this minigame, players are given tickets. They are spent for rewards from the Castle Wars shop salesman. Players can earn tickets during the game by capturing the flag and by killing other players. As Rawr states below, "Tickets during games are earned in increments of 0.5 at a time. Every action that is deemed 'useful' adds to your counter and every time the counter becomes an integer, you get a ticket. For example, killing two different people (or the same person five minutes apart) grants one ticket, as does killing one person and capturing one flag. AFAIK returning a flag does not add to this counter."
Players also earn tickets by completing a game of Castle Wars; more tickets are given to the winner than the losers, and equal numbers are given if the game is tied. The more players are in a game, the greater the rewards at completion.
12. Rewards
The rewards shop can be viewed by right-clicking the Castle Wars shop salesman and selecting 'Trade'. He is found in the Castle Wars lobby. The rewards cost anywhere from 20 tickets (any decorative piece) to 1600 tickets (hybrid helmets). See below for an image, and list of items available.
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- Decorative Armors: wearable at any level, though is only cosmetic. Can also be used in a skill hall of a player-owned house. Costs only 20 tickets per piece, and is tradeable (c. 10-20m a piece)
- Hybrid Armors: These three sets (Vanguard, Battlemage, Trickster) are hybrid gears; each one has strong attack bonuses for two combat styles (Vanguard is melee/range, Battlemage is melee/mage, Trickster is mage/range). They are extremely effective, and as a set have an additional 20% accuracy boost. Due to their immense power, they cost an immense amount of tickets. 4500 for Vanguard or Battlemage, 4700 for Trickster, as well as other items.
- Halos: these are a helmet that provide a +30 prayer bonus. This bonus cuts prayer drain time in half. In addition, if used with a god bow of the same deity, the player will receive an additional +5 ranged strength bonus. Each halo costs 300 tickets.
- God bows: the god bows are a boosted version of the Zaryte bow, featuring a 120 ranged strength instead of the 115 of Zaryte, and not requiring ammo. If you use arrows of the matching god with the bow, you will also gain a +10 ranged strength bonus as well, and you will be given 10% of all damage back as prayer points. Each bow costs 500 tickets and a zaryte bow to create.
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**Credits to Jonas, Nick and Rawr for helpful insight!
