If you are going to really get into the sport of playing paintball you are going to want to learn some tactics that will help you to survive longer on the field as well as have a better chance of winning more games. Here are some tactics used by professional paintball players that you can adapt to be better on your local paintball field.
When shooting the best method to use is to pepper the opposing player while moving aggressively towards their position. By doing this you will keep them from being able to fire and will keep them hiding behind a protective barrier while you move in closer for a guaranteed kill.
Learning how to use the defensive tactic of cover effectively is probably the most important aspect of paintball. Everything that exists on a paintball field can be used as cover in some way. You want to stand or crouch during moments of covering so that you remain mobile in case someone is trying to sneak up on you. Just remember that on most fields standing straight up also increases your chances of being shot, especially if you are tall! Crouching has a little less mobility but it gives you better cover and still gives you some level of stability.
Coming up from behind or flanking is a very important tactic to learn as it can be used in just about every situation you get into. You can even use this tactic to counter another team’s flanking maneuver as they break away from their attack to protect themselves.
The skill of suppression isn’t meant for taking out an opponent or team but more for the purpose of a distraction. This technique is often used in conjunction with a flanking maneuver or outright advance. You have to have really good marksmanship as well as good cover skills for suppression to work effectively. The whole function of suppressing is to keep the opponent preoccupied so they don’t notice your assault.
When invading an opponent’s position your goal is to eliminate as many targets as possible without getting hit to capture their flag and escape back to your side unscathed. Working together is the best way to accomplish this just as it is in a real combat situation.
When you are under cover and about to fire just remember that once you begin firing you have revealed your location to the enemy. Now, you have to take the fight to them and avoid being pinned down. If you learn these tactics it will also help you to defend against them.
If you are into paintball or thinking of getting into it, there are many variations that can be played. In addition to the simple choice of playing indoors or outdoors there are also variants within each of those genres. Despite the differences al of the games have a single purpose which is to shoot your opponent before they shoot you!
Here’s a look at some of the more popular types of paintball games being played today:
The first one we will have a look at is the old standby, “Capture the Flag”. This is a takeoff on the game of the same name that many of us are familiar with. The way the game is played is by each of the teams trying to find and capture the opposing team’s flag while guarding their own flag from being taken. Victory is achieved by getting the opponent’s flag safely back to your base camp without being killed.
Another popular game is called “Elimination”. In this game the first team to succeed in taking out all of the participants in the opposing team is deemed the winner. This is a fun game, even if only one remains standing his team wins.
Center Flag is a variation of the Capture the Flag game, in this version the game starts with a flag being placed in a neutral area usually in the center of the field, the team that is able to get the flag all the way through to the opposing team’s end of the paintball field wins the game.
Resurrection is a variation of Elimination except that in this version players may resurrect or come back into the game at the designated starting point once they are shot. This game is sometimes played in conjunction with Capture The Flag.
The last paintball game variation we will look at is one sometimes called “Just Plain Crazy”, also known as superman, total elimination, and counterstrike. This extremely brutal version is played solo or on teams and begins with each player or team at opposite sides of the field. Next they rush to the middle of the field and begin firing with the last person standing or the last person on a team winning the game.
This is usually done at the end of a round of paintball to get rid of paintballs and expend the CO2 cartridges or empty tanks. You are not eliminated with a single shot like in other variations, people quit due to pain or from running out of paintballs or air.
Playing paintball is lot of fun but it can be painful without the right gear. Most people when they first get into paintball just think about the paintball gun, paintballs, air tanks, and a mask to protect their face, until they get hit one good time! Investing in a little extra safety gear will make your playing experience much more enjoyable and keep you from getting injured unnecessarily.
Another tip that you may not have thought of, always bring along the manual for your gun as well as the schematics. Sometimes you have to take apart your paintball markers so be sure that you have your Allen wrenches handy too.
One of the most aggravating things that can happen to you is to run out of batteries. It’s as bad as running out of paintballs or CO2. Always make sure you have plenty of extra batteries with you so that you don’t get shot or have to end your game early due to running out of power.
Now, let’s get into what type of pads you should be looking for. You definitely want a neck guard to guard against those painful hits in the throat and neck area. Unless you are some kind of mutant, those shots hurt like crazy. Get a neck guard that wraps around and is lightweight. Thigh pads are good to get also, thigh shots hurt a lot and if you get a real good one it can give you a cramp that interferes with your play. Shin guards are a definite recommendation for the same reason. As far as I am concerned gloves aren’t even an option. Your hands are almost always exposed, if get popped in the knuckles real good you will be looking for a pair of gloves fast.
Don’t ever participate in paintball without a proper face mask. If your mask is cracked or badly scratched replace it. If you get hit in the eye you could easily be blinded. Keep an extra mask as well in case one is damaged while playing.
Problems with your markers can be easily repaired in most cases by simply replacing the o-rings and cup seals. Because they are made of rubber they will wear down over time and can cause your marker to stop working properly. You should also lubricate your marker regularly and keep the marker oil with you at all times when you are playing. You should also have a squeegee with you in case you need to remove something that gets in your gun barrel.
After you have been participating in the sport awhile and you are familiar with your gear you will have a better idea of what you need to keep with you when you are playing. You will definitely want pliers, screwdrivers, and tweezers to start as well as extra screws, bolts and springs. Be sure to bring along some Teflon tape and duct tape for quick on field repairs. Being prepared ahead of time will keep you in the field longer.
Paintball is a growing sport that can be played both indoors and outdoors with everyone having their own preference as to which is better. The scenario games are much more fun and really need to be played outside. With the popularity of paintball there are outdoor paintball fields popping up all over and there is sure to be one somewhere near you. The thing that is cool about the larger fields is that there are all kinds of hiding places to use and explore.
Most of the outdoor paintball fields are located in wooded areas or in large open fields that have been modified with buildings, castles, bunkers, junk cars, etc. These are really cool because they help to recreate an urban warfare experience, kind of good training and practice for military guys too.
The type of paintball games played in wooded areas is sometimes called “Woodsball” and is the most realistic form of paintball for most paintball players. When you are playing the sport in the woods it is simulating jungle warfare and you really have to be up on jungle skills. Stealth and camouflage is important is these games and can make or break your success on this type of field. Someone with excellent skills could be lying right next to you and you wouldn’t know it until they popped you. On the other side of the coin there are also team variations that are very well played out in wooded scenarios where working together and knowing when to fire and when to duck and cover is crucial.
There are fields being developed now called scenario fields which are mostly played at commercial paintball locations with the most popular being the urban assault fields. These fields are made up of false structures many times resembling multiple story buildings with window cutouts to make for easy sniper shooting. They also will feature junked cars to hide behind and many other urban related objects. These types of games play out extremely fast and are always full of action and adventure.
Still another type of field is the speedball field with numerous bunkers all over. Most of these fields are lager although the smaller ones can be fun to play with the bunkers closer together which causes continual firefights from start to finish. If you intend to play on this type of field you need to have excellent awareness and good peripheral vision to keep from being hit quickly and put out of the game. The way the bunkers are placed usually will not give you full cover so you constantly have to move and adjust your position.
Whether you choose to play indoors or outdoors, wooded field or on a scenario field one thing is for sure, you will have fun.