Yes, you are hurting your team. (Destiny)

by CruelLEGACEY , Toronto, Monday, August 24, 2015, 19:45 (3476 days ago) @ Cody Miller

tldr: Try to use your super for big things, but don't fret when you only get one kill - it's rarely a waste.

It's a waste in the sense of opportunity cost. You may get one kill, but then a blade dancer on the other team gets 3 kills because you used your super, and didn't have it to stop him. Net loss for your team. Supers are tide turners, and if you don't use them that way, another good team will.

Of course you can't predict the future exactly, but that's what makes it interesting. Supers are a risk, and can either pay off big, or not pay off at all. If you truly think that 1 kill is the most you'll get… well then go for it.

Of course, sometimes a single kill CAN be a tide turner.

That's the big part right there. I don't think its about the number of kills you land with a super, so much as the results of the kill(s). If it allows you to maintain a dominant position, or get an important kill at just the right time, then it is certainly worth it.

It also depends on the game mode you are playing. In control or clash, I find it is usually best to fire supers quickly and often to keep a constant flow of orbs across your team. But in Trials, you need to be far more careful about picking your moments. The team with the most kills is not always the team that wins. It doesn't matter how many kills you get if you let the enemy revive each other. So I'm not going to fire my Nova bomb to take down a single enemy as he thorns me to death with his teammates in revive range behind him. I'm going to save that super for a time when it makes an impactful difference.