The Strogg Constructor is a lot more useful on defense than the Engineer in Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, which was a vital part of the team to begin with. Not only can they now call in Deployables Turrets to help in defending an objective, but because of the addition of vehicles and improved effectiveness of mines, they are virtually the backbone to a solid defensive team.

General Tactics

The important thing to remember when playing as a Constructor is to always be vigilant and alert to the changing battlefield. You will be constantly on the move from one place to another and because of the many different things you will be required to do, you must prioritize your tasks. The most important thing on your list is to defend the current objective, all other tasks should be considered secondary. For example, on Sewer, you should always make sure there are mines laid down to protect the various paths to the objective, and an Anti-Personel Turret (APT) to cover it (when applicable). Only when you feel the area around the objective is safe for the moment, should you venture out and complete other tasks.

Deployables

A new addition to the Enemy Territory series, Deployables can be a deadly combination when placed properly and used in conjunction with your other skills. The most important thing in placing Deployables is to put them in a place with the most amount of cover while providing the greatest amount of firing space and range. Try to place your deployables behind a wall or trees so they can provide at least some cover from projectiles. I've seen too many deployables that were carelessly placed in the open and moments later was destroyed by a long-range weapon. Also, because deployables have a fairly medium-to-long range of fire (about 100-150m), their line of fire should be as wide open as possible. By placing them in a direction that has the least amount of cover for the GDF to use, you will maximize the chance for your deployable to kill them before they can hide.

Of course, always try to keep your deployables repaired, as a disabled deployable is pretty much just taking up space. In addition, help out in repairing other deployables on your team, as two Constructors repairing is significantly faster than just one. Because deployables only have an awareness of 170 degrees, you should always be vigilant when protecting the blind sides of your deployables. Lay mines and check periodically in areas where you think enemies can sneak up on your deployable.

When deciding what type of deployable to lay down, first look at what deployables are already placed by your team. While 3 APTs may seem like a impregnable defense, it is really overkill because 1 or 2 APTS is more than enough to cover that advance route. Anti-Artillery Turrets (AAT) are especially important to protect your defensive structures, because it is the only thing in the game that can counter the Field Op's deployable weapons.

Mines

Mines have changed from Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory in that now they are able to be placed anywhere, not just in the ground. This gives the unique advantage for mines to be placed in completely unexpectated locations. One place I like to place them is on low ceilings and walls, where it is hard for the enemy to spot and anticipate them. It is impossible to list all the possible mine placement locations, but there are some general rules of thumb that you should follow:

1. Spread mines out to cover most and/or all routes of advance instead of clustering them together. If there is already another player's mines covering one route, use your mines to cover another. In most cases one mine will be enough to kill the player walking by them. Besides, when all your mines explode at once you will expose yourself to enemy fire much longer when trying to replace all those mines.

2. Place mines behind corners or on walls in order to hide them better, instead of just dropping them on the ground. It will be much easier for the enemy to avoid and/or disable mines when they are easily identifiable.

3. Mines are much more useful indoors or in tight quarters, as it will be much more difficult for the enemy to avoid the blast radius if they have limited space to maneuver out of the way. Don't place mines in great open spaces where the enemy will rarely trigger them.

Also, keep in mind that mines can also be useful in disabling/damaging a enemy vehicle. Just lay a cluster of mines near the vehicle, drop a grenade on top of the mines, and a huge explosion will be produced that can cripple if not destroy that vehicle.

Repairing

A Constructor should always be on the lookout for something to repair. However, with so many different things that can be repaired, it can be overwhelming to keep everything up and running. In most situations, deployables should be repaired before vehicles, especially APTs and AATs, since they are most important to maintaining your defense and protecting your team.

The more repairing you do, the sooner that you will gain access to the Flying Repair Drone upgrade, which can be incredible useful. Not only can you use it to repair something while you cover another location, but it allows you to always remain mobile. This is especially important when there are snipers or rocket launchers on the GDF, as you can do repairs while avoiding exposing yourself to their fire.

Weapons

A big difference in Quake Wars is that the plasma launcher is nowhere near as effective as the grenade launcher was in Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. It has neither the accuracy nor the range of the old weapon, and no longer switches to your default weapon after a grenade is launched (you must manually switch between the two). Thus, the plasma launcher is best used as a defensive weapon when, used in conjunction with radar, you can anticipate where the enemy movements will be in order to place a plasma grenade in their path. You should throw out the twitch tactics of the GL that you were familiar with in Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, as this will only get you killed faster.

Choosing between the Nailgun and Lacerator is largely a matter of personal choice, however I would suggest the Nailgun in most situations. It is incredibly deadly at close range, which is where you will be doing most of your fighting, and it overheats slower than the Lacerator. Also, remember your first priority is not to rack up kills, it is to set up and maintain a good defensive perimeter.

Conclusion

The Strogg Constructor is incredibly effective on defense, and a team with 3 or more good Constructors can easily hold the first objective for the entire duration of the map, if properly supported by your team. As a Constructor, if you are not always moving around and looking for something to do, whether it is repairing, shooting, or laying down mines, then you are not doing your job.