Paintball strategy
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These general strategies for the game of paintball are designed to be used in friendly play where the players are not professional paintballers. Keep in mind that these strategies work best when the other player is not an expert paintballer. Many of the techniques listed are often rooted in basic military tactics.
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[edit] Paintball basics
Every casual paintball player quickly begins to realize the several basic components of personal paintball strategy. Each player must develop basic paintball skills before they may develop a sucessful individual style. It is difficult to analyze team strategy, as it is a diverse topic and is as varied as the teams themselves. But teams, like individuals, must build a set of basic team paintball skills before a team strategy may develop.
[edit] Shooting
A paintball marker fires a projectile around roughly 100 m/s (300 ft/s). Because the barrel is usually smooth-bore and the paint is not a solid slug, getting any amount of consistent accuracy from a gun is fairly difficult. This takes not only tuned equipment, but honed skill. As such, a common technique is to use a marker to 'pin' your enemy, an act which entails shooting quickly and steadily at his/her position. This encourages him/her to hide behind their cover completely, giving you the opportunity to advance without fear of being shot. Ultimately, this brings you close enough to get an accurate shot and eliminate your opponent. To fire for best effect fire 2-4 rounds 'aiming' (really just pointing, as with a shotgun) at the desired target. If you don't hit them, you should be able to establish the direction your shots are drifting (the rounds should be relatively consistent in their inaccuracy). You can then simply compensate for the natural inaccuracy and "walk" your fire toward your opponent. If your opponent is hiding behind a large, hard object (tree, rock, etc), it is sensible to err on the side of shooting wide of the object (and the opponent), and walk the fire *toward* the opponent, as opposed to splattering the cover object with paint, alerting the opponent to your attempts at shooting them (use the silence of the missing rounds passing wide to your advantage).
Basic shooting is rarely an effective one-on-one tactic, as only flanking, snap shooting, and lane denial yield eliminations in a timely fashion. Simply shooting at someone becomes a war of attrition, and does nothing to up your chances against the other person. It may be all that is necessary if one has an advantageous bunker, or a particularly good angle, but that is most often not the case. A tactic must be selected and attempted if one wishes to move onward and not lob paint until the whistle.
[edit] Moving
The best strategy for moving is to do it in the first place. The most common mistake made by both new and intermediate players is staying in the same place for too long. Moving between bunkers changes the angle a player has on an opponent, and hopefully increases the odds of elimination in the process. For a woods player, when stealth and surprise are given up or taken away, the only thing that can recover it is getting to a different bunker unnoticed.
A running start is most important, using all of the current bunker's length to get moving. Every millisecond counts, as paintballs move at a fast clip. Longer runs require deception, timing, cover fire, or any combination of the three. Sliding is a very popular bunker entrance tactic, and it abruptly changes a player's target profile. In short runs, cover fire is optional, as the paintballs will arrive after the player does. The time it takes for a player to get in the bunker and resume firing should be minimized. If stealth is not the goal, then the player should be firing at the opposing bunker as soon as possible. Tournament players will often begin firing as they slide into the bunker, if the opportunity will not sacrifice speed. Additionally, good communication skills with the players in surrounding bunkers is key, as they are most able to provide cover fire at a good angle.
Firing a marker during a run is a mistake often made by new players. During a move, the only thing a player does is run, especially during a long run. The marker is held in the hand furthest away from possible oncoming fire, as an arm will bounce a paintball, but the gun will not. On the contrary, if the move is a short bump to the next bunker, it may allow you to run and gun during the move, giving you the ability to cover yourself.
[edit] Cover
Utilizing cover is one of the most important aspects of paintballing. "Cover" can be anything from a tree, to a bunker, to a steep embankment. Different fields have different kinds of uses for cover. Every form of cover provides basic protection, but in woodsball, cover is often used for concealment and camouflage. In speedball, stealth is equally important, though it may seem an unimportant aspect of play. Since speedball games last very short periods of time, stealth is used to great effect for only the few seconds it is needed. Woodsball concealment is usually an overarching game strategy for a player, whereas concealment in speedball is a quick advantage that can be exploited to move between bunkers and further down the field unnoticed. Concealment in speedball is created by overall information denial rather than camouflage; picking a path that is difficult to see from the other team's occupied bunkers, and supplying cover fire to keep rear players (who watch for movement and relay it) down. In the brief second a player has ducked back into a bunker, a player may move unnoticed. If no opposing players saw the move, the player can fire unexpectedly or move to a bunker farther away than they wound normally be able to reach. Bunker shadows (areas far behind a particular bunker that the player can safely walk in without fear of being eliminated) must be considered as well. Often, a hidden player can shadow a bunker and simply take a few steps into a completely different bunker. Many of the basic cover (and all other) strategies of both speedball and woodsball directly translate between the two games, but are simply called by different names, and are on a compressed vs. elongated timescale.
Cover is a major part in paintballing, but there is a difference in the use of cover used in speedball and woodsball. In woodsball, cover is mixed between camouflage and shooting. Whilst some cover may be good in defense from the opposing team, it may not be very camouflaged, thus it is not good cover. But in speedball, the games are very quick, so it is not a good idea to bother about camouflage, rather the player should just worry about whether the cover is good enough to protect them from attacks.
Position also depends on how the player wishes to move. Standing is the most mobile, and also the most silent for sneaking (It is a fact that whilst standing, you will make less noise whilst moving compared to any other stance), but standing also provides the least cover or visual concealment, thus increasing the risk of being hit. Crouching is split into two categories, both Kneel crouching and Run Crouching. Kneel crouching is basically kneeling or squatting low of some form, this is very immobile but is very good for cover because it gives the player very good stability and a good amount of cover, and it makes it easy to transit to the prone or standing position, but this is probably one of the least mobile stages. Run Crouching is where the player runs with their knees bent a little more than normal, and their back bent heavily forward and their head held low, this position is fairly mobile and gives a little more cover, but not much, and is generally only used when dodging the paintballs. The next position is Prone, or Lying, basically, the player will lie on their stomach on the ground, this position is generally the least visible, but also one of the least mobile and definitely the most noisy, anyone who has attempted to commando/leopard/belly crawl will know that it is fairly noisy even on carpet, but combine that with sticks and leaves on the ground and the noise is multiplied. The player can perform a 'stealth' crawl, in which they will simply lie on the ground, and with their hands, quietly move any obstacles out of the way, then, using their feet and hands, lift themselves up, and forward, effectively lowering themselves onto the cleared area, then continue the process. This tactic is fairly quiet, but very time consuming, tiring and leaves an extremely visible trail. Also to be noted, it is difficult to move up from the prone position to any other position.
[edit] Eliminating players
The core of paintball is the elimination of the opposing team to secure your objective. Hanging out of a bunker and firing at another bunker is not only a poor way to attempt an elimination, but is a very good way to remove oneself from the game.
[edit] Flanking
Flanking is a very important tactical maneuver in paintballing, as it negates the effects of cover. Essentially, it entails one 'flank', or side of a position, being overrun by another team. This allows them to attack their opponents from the side, preventing them from taking effective cover and most likely eliminating them. It is usually difficult to repel a dedicated flank charge, provided it is done quickly and skillfully. Flanking is one of the most important strategies in paintball because it can be applied to almost any situation involving a firefight. Any time a team, or even a single player, is under fire flanking, or moving around one side, is very important to ensure success. It is best to alert your team to a flanking maneuver while withholding the information from the opposing team. This can be done by telling your teammates of the intention to flank before the game begins. Be alert. This tactic can easily result in failure as well. Cooperation by teammates is essential. They can assist by providing heavy covering fire or providing a distraction that forces the opposing team to turn their attention away from the flanker.
Flanking is one of the three major methods of eliminating players one-on-one in paintball. Paintballs are not the most accurate projectile, and do not move exceedingly quickly. Thus, any observant player will note the paintball moving rapidly toward them, and move out of the way. Setting up and executing a closer-range flanking maneuver is far more effective than attrition.
Bunkering a player (joining an opposing player in his or her bunker to eliminate them) is a very close range version of this philosophy.
[edit] Snapshooting
One of the core skills for all players is 'Snap Shooting'. This is basic in theory, complex in practice; much like the perfect golf swing, it is something that is practiced but never quite perfected. The idea is to be able to lean out of a bunker, shoot paint where you think someone will be leaning out of a bunker, and duck back in before the paint lands. The whole process lasts only a split second. A high rate-of-fire allows a player to shoot more balls in the brief moments during his snap. Tournament players can shoot up to 17-20 balls per second, making this tactic highly effective. The marker should remain stationary relative to the player and the player should pivot his body to allow himself to shoot.
Snapshooting is the second method for eliminating a player. It preserves stealth, keeps the player covered, and the pulsed nature of snap shooting adds pure chance the person will be leaning out of the bunker as the paint arrives. The snap shooter must be aware of how his opponent is playing, such as where the best places to lean out of the target bunker are, the right/left handedness of the target player, and if the player is popping out of various spots. High end electropneumatic guns have very quiet valves, and when paired with a good barrel render the gun almost inaudible outside the user's bunker, or at the very least non locatable. This makes the target unaware when the marker is operating, further increasing the odds that the target will lean out into oncoming paint.
Basic blowback markers are incredibly loud by marker standards, even with barrels designed to silence the gun. A skilled player will easily identify the sound of his opponent's gun operating, and wisely not lean out at that particular moment.
Snapshooting is necessary for all players and is often the determining factor for games played on a speedball field. For more information on snap shooting, read this article at paintball.com.
[edit] Lane denial
Firing where someone is about to be during a move is the third method for eliminating a player, and is the counter to flanking. Effective lane denial shuts down (hopefully, the target is unaware that it is shut down) movement between two bunkers. Anyone attempting to move through the stream of fire will be eliminated. This strategy requires a large volume of paint if the bunker in question is close to the target, as the target will arrive at the bunker before your first shots do. Thus, a steady stream of paint must be fired in the hopes that someone will walk through it. This tactic is largely ineffective against newer players, as new players do not move and fall victim to snap shooting and flanking far more easily. Speedball players most often fall victim to this, and if the next bunker they are moving to is identified, will result in a quick elimination.
[edit] Communication
Communication is key in paintball. In speedball, the total field must be considered. In woods ball, a player must be in communication with all the players in the immediate area to coordinate fire and strategy. When a stealth strategy fails, there is no reason for a player to not yell and make a commotion to ensure everyone is playing with the same goals.
Informative communication is critical. A player yelling "I'm getting shot" or, "There he is" provides no information to teammates, who are quite concerned with getting shot at themselves and have little time to figure out exactly where the frantic player is pointing. Information, such as distance, type/size/color of bunker, which side the player is coming out from, if the player is continually hanging out of the bunker or if the player is snap shooting, etc., are all important.
[edit] Other tactics
In general, just about any small squad infantry tactic can be adapted and put to use in recreational paintball situations. This is a list of certain good tactics:
[edit] Ambush
Ambushes can be a useful tactic, and if you are playing with inexperienced paintball players, it can often work well. The basic idea is to have a small number of people in your group head for a place the enemy will be drawn to. Often the group relies greatly on stealth, but if the enemy players are drawn to the small group, the rest of your team can attack from whatever direction is to the backs of the enemy players. If taken by surprise, they will often be eliminated quickly.
[edit] Artillery support
While its not exactly artillery it is an indirect support for infantry. Some paintballers have paintball mortars, either homemade (sometimes from modified potato cannons) or bought. It's used for mainly defensive purposes, however it has been used in some offensive plays.
[edit] Woodsball
[edit] Speedball
Playing paintball on a speedball field brings in a number of additional considerations to strategic and tactical decisions. The most major difference in woodsball versus speedball is the concept of roles: Front, mid, and back. Each position has a set of unique play challenges and roles that must be closely coordinated for a team to be successful.
In recreational speedball, these positions are rarely developed by those playing. Newer players to paintball tend to take up whatever aspects and traits they desire, sometimes misguidedly. The game without the rigid drive to win sponsors tends to draw even seasoned tournament players out to dedicated nights for advanced walk-on play, usually billed as such.
[edit] Speedball players in the woods, and Overwhelming Firepower
These tactics are used by brightly colored speedball players at walk-on woods games. Skilled players adapt their fast paced style of play by using the same fast, aggressive forward movements. The objective is not lasting as long as possible, but rather, sacrificing a couple players at the immediate onset of the game to take out a greater number of the opposing team, and to create a path for other players to use for various other ambush or camouflage flag capture strategies. As is the case with most woods games, teams do not have an overall strategy, and speedball players will often do this regardless of if the other team is aware of the maneuver or ready to take advantage of it.
Speedball players opt for paths that simulate a speedball field. This means choosing a path that has two relatively enclosed sides, such as a channel of bunkers with the edge of the field on one side and some other other linear obstruction on the other. This minimizes the risk of experienced woods players using camouflage against them, and allows a deeper penetration before elimination. Woods players are not accustomed to the heavy fire speedball brings, and speedballers utilize this to bunker the opposition. These tactics can give speedball players a fairly poor reputation amongst woods players, who enjoy a longer game.
The concept of front/back player evaporates, with all players participating continually firing and leapfrogging bunkers down the field. This tactic tends to eliminate the speedball players quickly as they become more deeply entrenched in the portions of the field still heavily held by the opposing team. It does have a tendency to leave a deep path for stealthier woods players who saw the whole thing to grab the flag and return home.
The best counter to this is to step onto the speedball field and become accustomed to how a speedball player sizes up moving paths and fire lanes. If a team knows they are against players who attempt this strategy, having a couple extra players who have been on the speedball field and won't tuck in under fire helps. Watch where the players are going and directly in the path to halt the forward movement. If the move is allowed to run a little and halted deep, the team can surround and eliminate them before it advances further, closing the gap before it begins.
[edit] Markers
Like any other sport in which additional equipment is required, it is important that the player be comfortable with his or her marker. Size, weight, paintball velocity, and rate of fire must be to the player's liking. There are many resources on the internet dedicated to helping new players choose the right marker for the player. It should be noted that a good marker does not guarantee success, as many newcomers very quickly find out. It is one's skill and experience in paintball that will win or lose a game, not the marker or equipment used.
Though a beginner with sufficient excess income may opt for a high end gun, a good electronic marker requires proper care and feeding. A new player is often very hard on equipment without realizing it, and entry level guns are built with this in mind. High end guns are built with the fine handling skills of an advanced player in mind. They are rugged in areas where a new player cannot yet appreciate, yet weak where a new player needs.
The beginner needs to gradually develop a feel for paintball markers, and why certain upgrades make guns behave in particular ways. This enables a player to make a smart and informed decision when it comes time to spend money on a high end eletropneumatic. Feeling the slow changes in marker performance on an inexpensive model translates directly over to the more expensive changes on better markers. Making a mistake purchase, or a mistake installing a part is far more easily fixed, as well.
