Yeah Cataract is a little different with that XP flag, since it is the only unattended flag.  Capping it, and keeping it locked, can be pretty nice. And yet later in the game, when people can choke point at it, it suddenly becomes the easiest to keep.  Very weird layout to be sure.

edit: this is wrong. sorry

old post below

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actr, you actually gain exp everytime a creep spawns at a Neutral Portal you control. they don't do this from your home portals, just the neutral ones. so generally its pure benefit to hold neutral portals. you get the exp no matter what happens but your opponents only get it if they kill the creeps. 

where did you hear this? if true, this will pretty much change how I manage neutral portals entirely.

I'll test it.

Anyway, why is 10% extra damage worth more to you people than 15% extra health? The second one allows you to win a lot easier (the only negatives are that the fights take longer and you might need to spend more on health potions).

Anyway, my order:

As Ooze UB:

Enemy portals with catas or giants

Health (any kind)

Gold.

Cooldown (so I can grasp more).

Valor Flag

EXP (It gives you a max of like one level advantage. If it's got creeps going to it, it's a good idea, but on maps like cataract, you get more EXP just by creeping it).

Mana (I don't use)

Portals before catas/giants.

As anybody else, bump mana up above EXP.

yea, i tested it too. i was mistaken. sorry. must have read it from an article somewhere that had bad info. 

1. +15% HP flags/Late game portals

2. EXP flags and Gold flags

While cooldown flags are pretty nice too, they're usually harder to get to or are easily retakeable.

1. Gold Flags - If you got more gold income than your opponent allows for a large gap to develop. Best to get very early and hold.

2. Exp Flags - You dont want to be outleveled but it isnt as important as the gold flags, since you can deny exp by forcing out the other teams demigod from your lane (hopefully since you have a gold advantage)

3. HP - Harder to kill, all round nice flag. Also have to factor in if you dont control it, your opponent does and his got a good bit more hp than you (if all else equal).

4. Cooldown - Amazing for some characters, for others very lackluster. Rook tower, TB, and characters with a lot of use skills  this benefits more, auto-attack with passives such as UB, Rag, oak; less useful

5. Mana - less useful than  the healing one, since it doesnt increase your life.

6. Neutral Portals - lackluster, unless as someone mentioned they give exp also. Then it should be in 2nd spot.

7. Artifact shop - only need it to get an item. Better to just take it when you need to shop

I know flag locks are great, but I always find it kind of dumb when my enemies are locking every flag in sight. In one game my enemies were chain-locking the mana and EXP flags on cataract, and got way behind on items in the early-game, which just made them get more behind on items from creep gold. it was pretty funny, really. They could run in and lock the flags, but they couldn't actually hold the lanes so the extra EXP really didn't matter to them.

I can see locking gold flags, HP flags, and cooldown flags (plus the always nice valor flag), but locking anything else (except maybe the EXP flag, if it isn't like cataract and doesn't have no creeps near it) generally seems to be pointless since they only really matter for warscore.

I usually don't pay much attention. As long as I have more than the opponent I switch my focus to farming gold, taking down towers and killing DGs. No point getting to high war rank if you don't have the gear/$ to buy cats and giants and be able to push into their spawns.

Interestingly, the user manual actually states that you gain XP every time a creep comes through the portal on your side. However, it doesn't appear to work in-game. I'm not sure if it's a bug, or was just taken out. Strange.

Yep, if you cap an enemy portal, you get XP per *your* unit that comes out of an *enemy* portal. Neutral portals and your portals don't count.