NEW PLAYER TIPS (reprinted from Action Pursuit Games, August 1991):
It seems like every time we turn around we’re reading another letter from a new player about the bad treatment they received. Recently I had the pleasure onto my home field and only seeing 4 to 5 faces I knew. On this day there was about 50 people playing. Most of my games consists of the other team knowing who I am, where I am (by the way I dress) and then ganging up on me. Actually this is good because I now use this as strategy for our team. But, on this day, I figured I could play a normal game. I told the people I knew what I wanted to do and ask them no to give me away.
Now, the hardest part of acting like a new player was leaving my high price, high tech, shoot-em up and hose-em down toy in the car and rent the (oh no) “FIELD GUN†(so much for fun, right?). All was going well with my plan when the briefing started. I acted a little confused on what was being said and then ask a few questions. No problem so far, piece of cake. I’ve been playing since’83, so by no means am I new player. Before we started on the field, I ask more questions of the more experienced players (of that day) and they were more than happy to help. So far, “no bad†treatment. How come? As we usually read newbies being treated very badly if, this is the case it’s “NOT HAPPENING AT PAINTBALL FIELD.â€
Well game one is now starting and, the way I was dressed my team knew who the new player was (Ha!).
About 10 minutes into the game my team needed two opponents flushed out and guess who they called on. I thought here goes the treatment the newbies talked about. I hesitated a little to make my impersonation look more convincing (little did they know this was my style of game they were wanting me to do) and then I did what they were asking me to do. I not only flushed those two out but I eliminated them. This opened the right flank, so we moved on them. I took the flag and we won. My team was now highly impressed by the new player but also suspicious of my validity. How many times have you needed help just to find out was a new player and he/she was hiding behind a tree or a rock and would not come out. You now get eliminated and obviously upset because you didn’t get the help you needed. Action’s such as this is what bring on the attitudes and problems directed at newbies. But if you look at the other side of the coin, how many times have you seen an experienced player doing his intimidation game on other players. This could be interpreted as something more than just friendly intimidation, (that is part of the game) and actually scare someone new. I myself is guilty of this using this intimidation is fine on someone that is not a new player. A new player should be taught the game before being intimidated by it.
Here’s a few suggestions for both the new player as well as experienced players.
Newbies: Ask questions before the start of the game. The only real stupid question will be the one not asked that hurts the team later.
Experienced: If you are asked something try to answer it don’t just ignore them because it sounds stupid to you. Remember they don’t call you experienced for nothing
new player: don’t be afraid to move. There’s no fun in hiding behind something for the whole game. If you get hurt so, what. It only hurts a little if any at all (adrenaline is a good pain killer).
Experienced: don’t be so inconsiderate as to demand a new player to do something you yourself would not be willing to do, and then get mad because they wouldn’t. If you’re in a better position to do it. Then do it yourself. The new player can only be taught by experience.
new player: when give a game assignment try to achive it to the best of your ability. Remember statement #2. You don’t have the skills to start out as a loner. But you could find yourself in this position so make the best of it. Always try to push to your objective no matter what.
Experienced: Even the best plans can go bad, don’t blame the new player. When making the plans put newbies with experienced to they can learn and have a chance. Is you put all newbies together (to guard the flag, make a charge) don’t blame them for a plan gone wrong because its your fault for creating that situation in the first. Be fair on assignments when it comes to newbies.
I hope these 3 things can ease some of the problems that exists for the new player.
Personally I didn’t find any bad attitudes at the field I also found 2 other unexpected lessons that really opened my eyes, how hard it actually is to impersonate a new player. By the middle of game 2 my experience really took over. At first it was innocent. I suggested someone to move while I gave cover fire. Then 2 opponents backdoored us and was about to back shoot one of my teammates and take the flag. I yelled and made a counter attack, our team took out those players and went on to win the game with me leading the charge. Somehow my name started to circulate and my masquerade was over. As if it wasn’t before that. In 2 games I had 16 eliminations and a flag hang. What I’m saying is trying to suppress your experience and skills is really hard to do. I tried to be calm and cool about my playing but when you are confronted by 2 or 3 players your skills just kicks in and things just happen. I guess the adrenalin acts as a switch and your subconscious and skills take over playing with a basic gun instead of high tech is a good way to check yourself out as to what makes the player, the gun or yourself.
There is something to say about hosing down the opposition as most of us has. But what about the basics? I really didn’t know what to expect after playing with a semi for over 3 years and now trying a rental. Now I’ve tried it. I not only proved to myself but everyone else that the gun didn’t make me the player but â€I†made the player. I resorted back to my basic skills and experience and played one of my best games for quite a while. When stealth and shot elimination count instead of dumping 500,000 rounds at someone in hopes it will hit you, you have to rely upon on skills. If you don’t have the skills, the gun will help a little, but, when you do have the skills the gun will only compliment your ability. Take the gun away who’s only skill is their gun and watch them fall on their face. Do it to a skillful player and watch out.
I hate to admit it but playing with basics and skill is a real kick in the @#$%!! Well you know what I mean.
BACK TO BASICS (reprinted from Action Pursuit Games, February 1992):
A little over 10 years in the Canadian Armed Forces has taught me one thing: you’re never too good to get back to basics. Let’s face it, even the grandest of strategies is simply a combination of basic tactics.
Even though these tips will help new players, the vets should read this article to help “freshen up†their tactics.
Although it has been said that military tactics do not work well in paintball, it has been my experience that SOME do work and work well. Seeing how I have spent a third of my life in the military, I will be drawing this article from that experience. As you read the article you will that basic military skills are almost the same as basic paintball skills.
1: GUN CONSIOUSNESS
Make sure your gun is loaded, cocked and full of CO2. it might sound stupid to say this but a lot can be forgotten when the paint flies. Also, especially if you’re not using constant air, try to keep track of how many shots you’ve taken so you can have a handle of your CO2 consumption. It’s not as hard as it sounds. I have a very simple way of doing that. Of course it requires you to have a harness or a pouch that will hold your paint tubes in line but it works. I know my gun will fire 30 good shots before I have to recharge the CO2, so every third tube has a round, yellow sticker on the cap. When I see the sticker, I know I have to recharge my gun. It works for me.
2: GUN READINESS
When in a game, but not in the action, you must have your weapon ready at all times, but still carry it in a comfortable position.
For a rifle, or any gun with a shoulder stock, the butt is clamped against your side (in the space in between the bottom of your rib cage and your waist) by your firing arm. The barrel is pointed up and held so the muzzle is slightly below eye level, with your other hand on the fore grip. The muzzle should follow your eyes as you scan the terrain. In this way your gun is always pointed in front of you should you acquire a target.
When holding your gun in this fashion you can do 1 of 2 things, a very quick hip shot or a quick aimed shot from the shoulder.
For a hip shot, bring the muzzle down. The index finger on the fore grip should be pointing down the barrel. Your eye and hand line up almost perfectly when you are pointing at something with your index finger and this will help you “aim†when you’re firing.
For shooting from the shoulder, when the range is greater and there’s time to aim the gun, should be brought to the shoulder. This is done very simply, and although the explanation may seem complicated, the actual doing is better than telling. The gun is pushed out, always keeping the muzzle on the intended target. The stock is swung to meet the shoulder and once level with the shoulder it is brought in and held snugly. The head is brought down to use the sights. Seeing how you kept the muzzle on the target the sights should be more or less lined up.
If you are toting a pistol, the principal is the same, but the technique varies only slightly. For pistoleros, the pistol is head in a 2-hand grip. The muzzle is still held at eye level and follows the eyes as you look around. An important thing to remember is to keep your elbows down to your side. If you keep them up your arms will get tired fasted as they will have to support the pistol and their own weight as well. When you have a target the muzzle again is pushed towards the target.
With practice, these methods are easy to master and are quite effective. Top skeet and trap shooters use these techniques in their sport.
The important thing to remember is once you get off that first snap shot, hit the dirt or head for cover. The reason why John Wayne never got shot while he stood there and blazed away is that the scrip said, “The Duke doesn’t get shotâ€.
3: TUNNEL VISION
Always look around you. Do not get target fixation. Many people forget everything else around them when someone steps into their sights. I don’t know how many times I have been zapped from behind during a one-on-on firefight. All I had to do is look over my shoulder now and again, and I would have stayed in the game longer.
Just because there’s one player out in the open, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t others in the bushes behind him, or you!
4: COVER AND CONCEALMENT
Not the same things!! You can be covers, but the opposition can see you. You may be concealed but you can still be hit. Make sure you ARE totally BEHIND your cover and concealment. A lucky (or good) shot can tag your boot when its sticking out from behind a rock or tree. The best way to utilize cover and concealment is in the prone (lying down) position.
5: MOVEMENT (YOURS)
You should move as quietly as possible for the speed you have to go. The situation will dictate what you must do. You cannot have both. In other words, if you’ve got 20 minutes left in a 30 minute game, the opposition is near and you have to get around them - TAKE YOUR TIME, you have it. However, if you’re surrounded, the opposition is firing at you and they’re beginning to get closer with every shot -DON’T WORRY ABOUT MAKING NOISE. Get your sorry behind out there before it gets painted.
6: MOVEMENT (THE OPPOSITION’S)
Your mind notices movement above all else. The most successful camouflage is defeated by the wearer himself by his/her movement.
7: MOVEMENT (UNDER FIRE)
When I was in the infantry, the Royal Canadian Regiment, we had a little ditty we had to recite. In training we had to repeat these 6 words as fast as humanely possible when demanded by our instructors.
You would be minding your own business when an instructor would walk by and bellow, “UNDERFIRE!†to which you would respond “DASHDOWNCRAWLOBSERVESIGHTSFIRE!†all in one word and at the top of your lungs. Pity help you if it wasn’t fast enough (3 times the speed of light), loud enough (150 decibels).
Basically those 6 words told you what to do coming under fire. The term was Reaction to Enemy Fire.
DASH. Means move as quickly as possible from cover to cover. Don’t give the opposition time to take aim. 3 steps or 3 seconds, no longer. In an assault, lying in the prone position and your teammates’ covering fire will be as good as actual physical cover.
DOWN. As soon as you reach cover or taken 3 steps, go down into the prone position. This makes you a more stable firing platform for YOUR gun and makes you less of a target for THEIR guns.
CRAWL. This means to move away (a few meters) from the place you went down. If you enter cover by the left side, move to the right side to fire and then exit the left side. You will be doing exactly opposite to what they have expected you to do.
OBSERVE. Look for where the opposition is. They don’t encourage wild shooting in the Canadian Armed Forces (I think it has less to do with professionalism and more to do with budget constraints).
SIGHTS. They are those funny sticking up things on your gun or that little tube with the glass in it. They turn invisible during an adrenalin rush. At least it seams so. As they told us in the infantry, “Use those sights, lads. Her Majesty was kind enough to pay for them and put them on your weapons, the least you can do is use them. Let’s not waste Her Majesty’s money.â€
FIRE. Once you have acquired your target, fire.
Then, it’s on your feet lads and do it again!
8: FIRE AND MOVEMENT
In the Canadian infantry it is also called advance to contact. While advancing under enemy fire, you will find it best to work in pairs. The technique is called “pepper-pottingâ€. Don’t ask me what it means, I just know how to do it.
As the team advances, it does so as a single cohesive unit, but the individual members of the pairs work with each other. As one man runs, the other provides covering fire. Once in place, the first man provides covering fire for the second to move. In this way every man of your team knows that he has someone who will be covering him. Should one of the pair be eliminated, contingency plans by the team leader should be made in advance of the game to determine where “odd†players will go in the event their partner is eliminated.
9: ADVANCE
The advance is the main part of any game., whether it be under fire or just getting from A to B. on an individual basis, you should only move from cover to cover. Chose you next position BEFORE you move from the cover you are behind. It will be too late to decide that the bush that you are running for isn’t good enough to hide behind.
Always remember if you have the time, make the distances longer between available cover. If you’re not under fire -don’t go dashing around the countryside like a crazy person, save that for when the paint flies.
10: RETREAT
A dirty word. A retreat is a rout. A mass of panicked troops trying to get as far away from the enemy as fast as possible without regard for anything but their own personal safety is not a sound tactical maneuver.
The proper term for this is withdrawal. They are 2 totally different entities.
A withdrawal is simply and advance done in reverse. That means you are using cover, returning fire, and moving out in an orderly fashion (also called the US SEALS "Peel" technique). Of all the tactics you will use, withdrawal will be the most difficult to train for and lead. As teams go, I have yet to see or hear any team that has successfully pulled a proper tactical withdrawal.
A tactical withdrawal accomplishes 2 things. One, you may zap a few of the bad guys in the process, two, it keeps you from getting shot in the butt (try to sit on one of those in the office on Monday)
11: TEAM WORK
Unless assigned an individual tasking, it’s good to work with the team. Even the solitary sniper must have a spotter to watch his back while he concentrates on the target ahead.
In conclusion I would like to list a few pointers to further help you with your personal tactics.
Whenever possible, always lay in the prone position.
Look AROUND cover, not over it.
When crossing a road, it’s better rush across as a team. If you go one at a time and someone is watching the road, he will simply wait for the next one to cross and start picking people off. The first 2 or 3 may make it, but the others will be either pinned down or eliminated.
Make sure your camouflage matches the surroundings.
When camouflaged and waiting in ambush, move as little as possible. The eye will pick up movement without conscious effort by the observer.
Always have a contingency plan if Plan A doesn’t work.
Keep your wits about you.
Good tactics are common sense.
11 MOST COMMON TACTICAL MISTAKES (reprinted from Action Pursuit Games, March 1994)
New players are always looking for ways to improve their game. They think there is some magic tactic that will make them be the hero in every game, but if it was that simple, paintball wouldn’t be much fun, would it. Every game is different. Different places, different opponents, different problems.
In the past issues, I’ve explained tactics that work for me most of the time. This month, I’ve decided to list some of the things that don’t work. The mistakes aren’t listed in any particular order. Some are more grievous that others, but then again, when you’re out, you’re out, regardless of the type of mistake you made.
Mistake Number 1:
Don’t stay in one place for too long. Keeping on the move accomplishes many things. First, constant movement reduces the chance of a successful flanking by the opposition. Second, a moving target is harder to hit. Third, if you stop moving, the team will bog down and you will lose the momentum of the advance.
Mistake Number 2:
Don’t lose your temper when you get eliminated. Call yourself out and calmly walk off the field. Use this time, not to gripe and moan, but as a period of analysis. Figure out what happened and why you got eliminated. Then figure out what you will do next time you are in that kind of situation or figure out how to avoid the situation all together.
Mistake Number 3:
Don’t take the game too seriously. It is, after all, only a game. You professional players can ignore this advice.
Mistake Number 4:
Don’t ever take things for granted. Just because you think the opposition couldn’t possibly be behind you, don’t take it for granted that they aren’t. Just because you think that player beside you is on your team, doesn’t mean that he is. A little healthy paranoia just might keep you in the game longer.
Mistake Number 5:
Don’t turn your back on the opposition. If you feel you have to withdraw (run away), take a look over your shoulder, to make sure you’re not going to trip over something, and move backwards. This way you can watch the bad guys, take a few pot shots at them and still be able to duck and dodge their shots. Besides, there’s nothing honorable about getting shot in the back.
Mistake Number 6:
Don’t get target fixation. A lot of players have had the habit of ignoring everything else when they have someone in their sights. Just because you’ve got a line on someone doesn’t mean you should ignore everyone else. Everyone else is interested in YOU.
Mistake Number 7:
Don’t forget to look over your shoulders every now and then. We have a very sneaky player in your paintball club and I learned this the hard way. I’m always looking over my shoulder, even without thinking about it. He’s made me a better player for all the sneaking around and back shooting he’s done.
Mistake Number 8:
Don’t be intimidated, especially based upon they type of equipment a player uses. Lot’s of guys find themselves intimidated by players with a semi-auto paintgun. I play with a single action pump gun. Semi’s a bit intimidating at first, but I know my paintgun is more accurate and has greater range than any semi.
The only thing you should be really cautious of is accidentally stepping on a semi. That’s when he’s hiding and you practically walk on him. This rarely happens as most semi users don’t usually sit and wait. They’d rather be where the paints’ flying so they can spray some poor slob with a pump. Also, you may be able to sneak up on him easier, the noise of his “Paint-O-Matic†firing will cover any noise you might make while you’re trying to flank him.
Mistake Number 9:
Don’t bother shooting at another player if someone is already pounding rounds in his general direction. Try to “work the angle†on him while your buddy has his undivided attention. Working the angle is simply moving to a position where more of the opposing player is exposed.
Most cover has only one side, and the bad guy is behind it. You basically want to move off to the side and further forward so that more of him is exposed. It’s sort of like flanking, but there’s not as much running involved, you don’t have to go out and around.
Mistake Number 10:
Don’t get cocky. There’s always someone younger, better, faster and stronger than you. You just haven’t met him (or her) yet.
Mistake Number 11:
Don’t dismiss luck. Think of it this way, every shot you MEANT to make, and DID was pure luck. It was PURE LUCK a ball fed. It was PURE LUCK that the ball you show was out not out of round. It was PURE LUCK that the ball didn’t hit a twig. It was PURE LUCK it flew straight to the intended target.
So you see, you’re not as good as you thought you were, you’re just REAL lucky. Hey, I’ll be the first to admit that I am a FIRM BELIEVER in luck. My favorite saying is, “I’ll take BS luck over skill, anytime.†There are just too many variables in the physics of paintball for any shot to be a sure shot.
SILENCE IS GOLDEN: STEALTH PAINTBALL (reprinted from Action Pursuit Games, April 1993)
Some may see sneaking around in the woods and back shooting people boring and in fact cowardly. These are the people who couldn’t walk in a room full on marshmallows without making noise. They love to crash around in the bush making ore noise than a cape buffalo in heat. However, there are players who prefer to out on their own and sneak up on a few targets of opportunity. And those cape buffaloes may want to slow down every now and then too.
While not as complicated as aircraft stealth technology, paintball stealth requires a great deal of patience. When done properly, the stealth tactics listed below just may keep you in the game longer.
Firstly, you must learn to walk, my disciples (stealth players RARELY run). There are 3 types of walking I will describe in this article:
The Apache Spirit Walk
The Ninja Stealth Step
Ghost Walking
APACHE SPIRIT WALK
The Apache warrior could travel across even the most difficult terrain quietly and quickly. Some claim the Apache could disappear at will as if by magic. The Apache warrior was a skilled soldier well versed in the arts of camouflage, concealment and stalking. The Apaches knew that anything they stepped on would make noise, so they never stepped ON anything. They stepped UNDER everything.
To perform the Spirit Walk, you must push the toe of your foot down into the ground cover and then slowly push it forwards. Doing this you will be using your toe as a bulldozer, clearing a spot for your foot to rest down.
NINJA STEALTH STEP
The ninja walked silently so to evade detection by their target and their target’s bodyguards. It was thought that ninja could float above the ground and therefore never make a sound when he walked. The ninja correctly believed that the less your foot is on the ground, the less noise you will make. Many ninja clans employed a unique way of walking quietly. To walk like a ninja you bend your legs at the knee (going into a slight crouch) and turn your toes in and walk on the inside balls of your feet. It may look goofy, but if you’re doing it right, no one will see you doing it anyway!
GHOST WALKING
If any of you have seen the movie The Odd Angry Shot, which was about the Australian SAS in Vietnam, you may remember the close up shot of the Aussies ghost walking. If you don’t remember or haven’t seen the movie I’ll describe it to you.
When walking you put the outside edge of your foot onto the ground and then roll the rest of your foot down flat. The idea is to slowly compact the ground cover thus making less noise.
You must remember these stealthy walking techniques alone will not make you the paintball predator. You will need a few more lessons, my students. Here they are. They will apply to any stepping you would do.
THE OLD SOFT SHOE
Soft sole shoes are imperative. Running or tennis shoes or even moccasins are good examples. Combat-type boots are the pits. They’re too heavy and you’ll have to move even slower. The thick heavy soles make you loose touch with the ground you’re walking on. The Apache and Ninja wore soft soles footwear so they can feel the ground and thus avoid anything under their feet that could make noise.
BETTER THEN THE AVERAGE BARE
Use bare patches whenever possible. A well worn path is a lot better than a twig strewn forest floor.
HIGH STEPIN’
Pick your feet up. Not only contact with the ground makes noise but brushing your feet through high grass and low bushes will make noise too.
SOUND F/X
Use background noise to cover any noise your movements will make. Move when the wind blows, or use the sounds of paint battles to cover your sounds. Rain is a stealth player’s best friend.
DON’T BRUSH THE BRUSH
Its better to duck under or around branches than it is to push through them out of the way. If you are going to move them, make sure you don’t let them go and “thwack†back. That may be good for catapults, but it’s no good if you’re trying to be quiet.
HAVE A GOOD FIT
Baggy clothing catches on branches, and the like, making noise. Have good fitting clothing so it’s not brushing against leaves and brush.
EMPTY THOSE POCKETS
If you’re wearing fatigue pants, don’t put anything in the leg cargo pockets that will rattle. As you’re high stepping, the stuff in your pockets is going to move. Likewise the bottom pockets of BDU-type shirts and jackets also move with your legs.
RIDIN’ HIGH
Keep your loaders, tubes, etc away from you your legs, like the bottom pockets of your BDU shirt, they’ll move with your legs if your equipment harness is too low.
WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE …
Use a collapsible canteen to hold your water. When you take a drink, force the air out of the container and seal it. The US Army two-quart canteens are good for this, but they are bulky and heavy. I preferably like wineskin. No air, no sloshing and gurgling.
FREEZE!
If the opposition is close and you’re not stalking them, stay still. They notice movement first, even if they are not looking for it. If you have to move, move when they do, again use their noise to cover yours.
NOT SO CLOSE
If you don’t have to go near concentrations of oppositions, don’t. Unless you have to go in, stay away from villages, forts, flag stations, etc. They’ll be standing still and listening for you.
WHAT TIME IS IT?
Take your time. Stealth requires patience. Move quickly when there’s no one around. But if you have time, take it.
QUICK LIKE A BUNNY
Animals, when spooked, will only travel a short distance and then stop. If you’re discovered, run until you’re out of sight and stop. If they are chasing you, they’ll run into your sights. Then run off again and stop. After a couple of times, they’ll either decide you’re not worth the trouble or they’ll be really cautious. Either way, you’ll have time to skulk off and hide from them.
STEP SHORT
Use short steps. It will be easier to balance when you’re placing your foot and you can pull it back if you feel something under it. And you should be WALKING. Crawling makes too much noise!
HALT
Stop often and look and listen. You should also be scouting for the path of least resistance.
IS THAT A TREE OR SUMPTHIN’?
Have good camouflage, match with your surroundings as much as possible. That’s a whole article itself.
USING STEALTH PLAYERS
Stealth players make good pointmen. They also are good at staying out on your flanks and coming around the back door to butt-shoot a few of the bad guys. They are also used to scout the objective and report back to the team captain. One must remember that the stealth player is a loner, let him go off on his own and do what he does best.
We have a very good stealth player in out club. He is forever back-shooting you or making you surrender. Of course, he’s been a hunter since he was knee high to a grasshopper so what do you expect. We let him go off on his own, because he can do more damage than if he was with us.
Stealth players, when you’re out there , be “vewwy, vewwy qwietâ€. You cape buffaloes out there better keep looking back over your shoulders.
ALLIES YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU HAD (reprinted from Action Pursuit Games, May 1992)
Allow me to present a few caveats before we start. First, recreational play is usually rather chaotic viewed from a team perspective. In other words, you can improve your own performance out on the field, but without a chalkboard and a couple of hours of instruction there is little you can do to build a cooperative team out of that group of total strangers you may be playing with on any particular day. Second, it is the very nature of general rules that they are generally right, but not always right.
YOUR OPPONENTS
The opposing team is likely to do many friendly things on your behalf, most of them categorically errors. The two most common friendly behaviors are noise and movement.
Cooperation between team members who have never played together before takes a lot of communication. The larger the group, the more talking you will hear. In fact, if you hear nonstop chatter you might want to seek deep cover or even retreat to avoid confrontation with such a brave, verbose group. Generally speaking, the level of verbalization is at least as important as to what is being said.
The larger the group, the more likely it will be that at least one person in the group will want to keep on the move. (I call this phenomenon the BOREDOM FACTOR) most players, in fact, are too aggressive to hold a position on the chance that an ambush situation might develop. Suppose that by some miracle everybody on the opposing team is blessed with this kind of patience. Have no fear, for the larger the group, the more likely it is that someone in the group will cough, accidentally fire his/her gun, repeatedly ask an unnecessary question, etc.
I know one way to make Boredom Factor work for you. Suppose you encounter an enemy force too well dug in behind some natural barrier (boulders, trenches, fox holes on a hill) to overrun without losses. Engage this force from a distance for a while. You want them to know you’re out there and you want them to get excited. Then withdraw just far enough so that they can’t see you anymore. It may take 5 minutes or so for boredom to set in, but eventually some or all of them will leave their cozy entrenchment and pursue you to a more equitable battlefield.
DISTANCE
I am sure you know that the likelihood that a paintball fired at you will bounce off increases with distance. You also know that accuracy is reduced as distance increases. Very basic stuff, but we may infer from these two general rules that the greater the distance involved, the longer the firefight will last.
If your group is trying to move into flanking position, extend your distance from the other team to reduce risk to yourself and to go give your flanking group plenty of time to reach its new position. Conversely, if it’s the opposing team that is pushing for the flank, move closer to eliminate them quickly (traditionally the flanking force is the weaker force).
Where’s a tip for newer players: If you are caught out in the open, you can dodge out of the way if a paintball must travel, say, 20 meters to hit you, provided you saw your opponent fire it and you kept your eye on the ball the whole distance. You may find is a tiny bit harder to dodge a swarm of paintballs fired from a semi-auto gun, of course.
Here’s another tip: Because accuracy decreases with distance, the importance of lucky or random hit in resolving a dues increases. Therefore, the advantage in a long distance contest generally goes to the player who can throw a lot of paint in a short time. This principle is well understood by tournament players and those people who own semi-autos.
THE SUN
To enlist the sun as an ally, all you have to do is derive from the two common sense principles you’ve followed all your life: stay out of the sun and don’t look at it.
The first principle is easy to understand and use. You’re harder to see if you aren’t illuminated. Also, your eyes will be more dilated than standing in bright sunlight, making it a little easier to notice small details and catch little movements.
The second principle is much more complex. Being dazzled by the sun is not much of problem when the sun is directly overhead. In the morning and afternoon, the sun becomes a formidable natural obstacle. If you don’t make it your ally, be default, it will become your opponent’s.
Most fields are rectangular, with flag or starting positions at opposite long ends of the field. The sun is an ally when the field is east-west rectangle, since players spend most of their time staring in the direction of the opposing team’s position.
In the morning, the sun is in the eyes of the team moving from west-east. In the afternoon, it’s the opposite. Generally, its better to hold a defensive position, preferably on a hill, when the sun is at your back. Look at it this way: half of your opponent’s total allotment of hands will be used to shade their eyes as they try to spot movement against a dazzlingly bright hillside. This is a sever handicap for players with pump guns.
If it’s your turn to attack into the sun, advance to the farthest shady region and wait for the other team to engage you there, where the odds will at least be even. You can also take cover and let the opposing team pass by, then attack them from the rear when they enter the sunny area. They will have to turn and defend themselves into the sun.
THE TREES
Trees are without a doubt the best friends you have out there. They aren’t fast on their feet, true, but they’re quiet, there are usually plenty of them and won’t run away in a hot firefight.
A tree is your best protection against someone who shoots paint by the gallon. But if you are going to use a tree as a shield, really USE it. Don’t hide your body from a barrage of paintballs while leaving your gun and ammo hanging out to one side. This is especially important when engaging players armed with semi-autos, who enjoy a high incidence of lucky hits (strangely, most semi-auto players will continue to fire on your tree whether you show yourself or not, so don’t bother until you hear them run out of money - I mean paintballs.)
Have you ever found yourself 30 meters from an opposing player with a tree halfway between the two of you? Rather than run right up behind the tree, especially if its too slender to afford complete protection, stay where you are and use the tree as shield by dancing away from which ever side your opponent tries to shoot around. A small tree will provide more protection this way that if you were next to it. The best part about this tactic is that your adversary will probably try to run up behind the tree when he sees that you do not want to. Stand your ground and peg this foolish person where he sticks out the farthest.
We all have had unwelcome experience, while shooting from behind a thick tree, of having someone from the opposing team run up to the other side of out tree. This sort of contest, which I call Duel Around The Tree, which is why we all generally make out first move around the tree in the direction of our dominant hand. If you’re right-handed, you naturally hold your gun in your right hand and your gun is the first thing you want to stick around the tree. If your opponent is right-handed, he will generally make his first move around the tree towards your left side.
If both of you are right-handed aggressive players, and start your moves at the same time, the person who is the quickest around the tree usually wins. If you aren’t sure that your opponent is right-handed or don’t feel particularly aggressive at such times, try either crouching down and aiming up or standing very tall and aiming down. Avoid sticking your barrel around the tree at chest level - that’s just what your opponent is watching for.
Important!! When you must withdraw, either because your squad or group has suffered heavy losses or is about to because of a successful flanking by your opponents, let the trees cover your retreat. Run away from your personal tree in a straight line, keeping it in between you and your most immediate opponent. Wait to change direction until you pass a tree on your left or right, then jump over behind it and keep running. Pursuing opponents will find this leapfrog maneuver visually confusing as well, particularly when you are being covered in your retreat by a thick tree.
Here’s a final tip for newer players: if you are facing 2 or even 3 opponents, retreat uphill whenever possible. The person sent to flank you will be significantly slowed, and if there is a decent interval between trees, you should be able to pop one on the flanker without exposing yourself to others. You wont have to worry about one of them charging up and forcing you into a Duel Around The Tree, either.
1 Replies
3321 Views