Turtling

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Turtle Power!

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A group of Blu Engineers turtling in 2Fort spawn (Not possible during normal gameplay)

“

Don't hide behind your toys, lad! Click to listen — The Demoman

”

Turtling is term refereed to by players for when the majority of a team stay behind their own lines during a match rather than attacking. Just like a real turtle, it hides inside of its shell to deter any oncoming attackers, and prevents them from easily breaking their defense. This is usually takes place inside of their Intelligence room or on top of a main control point. This strategy is mostly employed by groups of Engineers who fortify a location with multiple Sentry Guns and Dispensers. Turtling is usually considered a method of Camping. It is not to be confused with having a strong defense, where the team has a good balance of Offensive and Defensive classes.

Turtling is frowned upon by most players as it is considered a cheap strategy which makes it too difficult for the attacking team to capture, as this usually has the match result in a Sudden death situation. It is also discouraged during sudden death itself, as opposing Engineers can end up prolonging the round into a Stalemate. This occurs most often when a stronger team has pushed back the weaker opposition onto the last remaining control point one too many times. But this option should be a last resort if the going get rough with stacked players.

How to be an Effective Turtle

• Ironically, despite how team-oriented a Turtle is, an Engineer will often find himself alone, manning his equipment. A wise Engineer should never leave his equipment for more than a few moments, lest an enemy (most likely a Spy) arrive and destroy the camp, with no Engineer nearby to repair the damage.
• Teleporters, while an integral part of a "Turtle nest," should not be near the Sentry Gun or Dispensers. A stray rocket or grenade, which would have ordinarily destroyed the Sentry Gun and Dispenser, could also destroy the Teleporter, meaning a longer journey time back to your nest.
• There is strength in numbers. With each additional Engineer, the odds of the nest surviving the round increases greatly.
• Turtling with your back to the wall is a double-edged sword. On one hand Spies will have a harder if not impossible time getting to you, on the other hand you may be building your own tomb in event of an ÜberCharge aided assault.

Tips on How to Break Through a Turtle

• As with most strategies a coordinated assault is the ideal way to break down a Turtle. Multiple ÜberCharges of high damage output classes, such as Demomen and Pyros, combined with Spies sapping the Engineers buildings will soon clear the area and allow the rest of the team through. Heavies are generally less recommended, due to the heavier knockback of Sentry Guns.
• Kritzkrieg Ubers are typically not recommended, as buildings are immune to Crits. A couple of well placed Critical Rockets, however, could kill off the turtling Engineers, letting a Spy clean up the Sentry Guns unhindered.
• Send in an ÜberCharge right after a Spy to kill as much as possible. This becomes exponentially more effective if the rest of the offensive team is hiding behind the Ubered pair, as Sentry Guns target the closest enemy, which you want to be your invulnerable teammate. This also helps with the knock back when attempting to push forward and break their defense.
• Single uncoordinated Übers or lone Spies will generally fail as they will not take down enough of the opposing team, or Sentry Guns and Dispensers, to succeed.
• Do not underestimate the power of Dispensers. If a Sentry Gun is destroyed but its accompanying Dispenser is not, then a new level three sentry can be rebuilt very quickly.
• Keep in mind that the strength of a Sentry Gun-based Turtle is the team building multiple Engineers can employ. Properly organized, a team of three to six Engineers can get a pair of level 3 Sentry Guns up in seconds with the rest of the Turtle following soon after. A forward base with a level 3 Teleporter manned by an Engineer can bring re-spawned teammates to the front quicker where they can disrupt the rebuild of the Turtle.
• When in sudden death, it's best to go for the Engineers directly, as any buildings they have constructed will be instantly destroyed upon their demise.

How to Prevent Turtling

• Most of the time the best action to take is to push forward with a strong offense. This will break any chances they have of building up their defense.
• Watch for any warning signs; if the opposing team is not pushing forward, it's most likely a sign that they've fallen back and turtled up in their base.