The role of Flagship (sometimes referred to as "commander") is an incredibly important one. Though it's a responsibility you won't likely undertake if you're a newer player, it's still important to learn about a flagship's obligations so you can better assist your team's flag, and so you'll be ready once you start taking on the responsibility yourself.
The Basics[]
In every round, each team gets one flagship. Your flagship is selected from among you and your teammates based on captain level and commander ability. A higher captain level and a higher commander ability will increase your chances of being selected as the flagship, but it's recommended that you do not spend your captain's ability points in command -- at least not early on. Whether it's you, a teammate, or an enemy, you can identify a flagship by the gold medal next to their name, both in-battle and on the team lists:
The medal signifying that this player is a flagship. You can also see this medal on the team rosters by pressing the tilde ~ key.
Flagships are made important by their access to the two commander abilities: Recon Support and Heavy Bomber Support. These abilities do pretty much exactly what they sound like: recon support will provide vision in a selected grid of the map for a few seconds, and bomber support will call in a carpet-bombing strike on a selected grid of the map, damaging any enemies hit. You can access these abilities by clicking their corresponding icons, found at the bottom left and right of your minimap when you're the flagship:
Flagship abilities charging up, seen at the bottom right and left of the minimap.
These abilities are set to a timer -- they can only be used so frequently -- and the timer will only count down if your team controls an airfield. Once fully charged, they'll turn bright red and start flashing, indicating that they're ready to be used:
Ready to go!
Click on an icon and you'll be taken to the main map. Simply click on the map where you'd like to deploy the ability, and enjoy the results!
-NavyField 2- The Flagship
A perfect example of why the position of flagship is not to be taken lightly.
Some Tips[]
When you're the flagship:
- As soon as the round starts, check what map you're on. Not all maps have airfields, and if you're on an airfield-less map, then you won't have access to any abilities. You'll essentially be just like any other teammate (albeit with a prominent bulls-eye next to your name), and won't have to worry about any extra responsibility.
- If there are airfields on the map, you'll need to play to stay alive. A dead flagship can't use their abilities, but as long as you have even 1 DP, you can rain down hell on the enemy team from the other end of the map and completely turn the tide of battle. The worst thing you can do as a flagship is to needlessly throw your life away, either by not paying attention to what's around you, or by running off without support.
- Make sure your team captures airfields and radar bases.
- Keep an eye on the whole battle. Figure out where the enemy is most heavily-concentrated, where somebody has slipped through the line, or where your team is about to collapse or has collapsed already. These are the areas where you should be using your abilities.
- Don't be too hasty about using your abilities. You might be tempted to deploy them as soon as you can near the start of the round, only to find that you need them even worse later on while they're recharging. If you can, wait for a radar ping before using your abilities and try to deploy them in a manner which will help your team and harm the enemy team the most. This can sometimes mean illuminating/bombing a large clump of enemies, and other times it can mean illuminating/bombing a single, high-value target, such as an enemy CV or flagship.
- When using the bombing ability, make sure to lead your target a tiny bit. Sure, the ability covers a wide area, but ships can move quickly, and there's a significant delay between when you activate the ability and when the bombs actually drop.
- Use that bulls-eye to your advantage! Because of the power granted to you by commander abilities, enemies will often prioritize you as a target, which you can frequently use against them. If you come under pressure, fall back and try to drag the enemy into your team. Often, they'll tunnel-vision you, leaving your team free to wail on them.
When you're not the flagship:
- As soon as the round starts, identify your team's and the enemy team's flagships by pressing the ~ key. Determine which direction your flagship is going and whether they have enough support. Adjust your course accordingly. Keep your flag alive!
- Capture airfields and radar stations. Seriously. Radar bases and airfields are what allow your flagship to do their job to the fullest extent. If you don't help your flagship, you shouldn't expect your flagship to help your team. More importantly, if you can deny the enemy team control of any airfields, the enemy flagship will be rendered essentially useless.
- If you see the enemy flagship, prioritize them as a target, but don't succumb to tunnel vision. They can easily lure you into a trap.
- Try to avoid bunching up with your teammates, especially your team's flagship. This will reduce your chances of falling prey to enemy flagship abilities.
- Don't be afraid to inform your flagship of high-profile targets in need of a bombing. Ideally, they should be paying attention to all areas of battle as much as possible, but this is often easier said than done.