Know your skills and abilities. Assess what skills and abilities you have and use them in the game. If you can run fast then volunteer to move to the front. If you are slower than the rest of your team start as a back player. If you are better at shooting right handed then opt to go down the left side of the field.
Know your opponents, what makes them strong and weak. Knowing which players on the other team are the strongest allows you to work up a game plan against them. Will they work together or work apart? Generally, you can try to attack the strongest players on the other team and overwhelm them or play the opposite side of the field. Try both methods and see which one works best.
Learn the Dos and Don’t of snap shooting (see section on snap shooting).
How to even up the odds - managing team work. Working together to eliminate an opponent will get the whole team more eliminations. If a player is behind a tree or small bunker "pinch him." Pinching refers to shooting at the opponent's bunker on both sides at once. The player being shot at then tries to move from side to side to avoid the incoming fire. As he moves he overcompensates and moves into a paintball. Remember, teamwork, teamwork, teamwork!
Maintain your equipment. There is nothing more frustrating than going onto the field of play and your gun goes down. You can't play if you don't shoot! Keep your gun clean and oil it. Most paintball markers require 2-3 drops of oil run through them prior to use. This is the cheapest insurance you can buy for your marker. Do not use any type of petroleum based oil. Use high quality paintball gun lubrication.
Move into position. The game is won and lost by obtaining some kind of advantage. In paintball the advantage is in movement. Movement provides the angles for eliminating opponents. If you don't have an angle move. If you are trading paint with a player and you don't get him after 3-4 tries move to another bunker. Staying in one place does not increase your odds of getting more eliminations. In fact, it increases the odds you will get eliminated.
Don’t give away your position. When you make a "great" move which is undetected by your opponents use it to your advantage. After you get to your prized bunker don't just come out shooting; be patient. Sneak a peek and see what is going on. You may be surprised that there are several choice targets. If you come out firing you may tip off the opponents and you will not have the opportunity to "hit" those once "choice" targets. Remember patience is a virtue, practice it!
Make the first shot count...then fire like mad. Now that you have moved into a great position, spotted a "choice" target, been patient, make the first shot count. Take your time and aim before you pull the trigger. Once you fire the first shot everything will change rapidly, so pull the trigger a few more times. After the first shot everyone on your side of the field will know where you are at. Be prepared for them to suppress you and get back into your bunker. Hopefully, you made that first shot count.
As everyone knows paintballs are like mini water balloons and are not very accurate. To compensate for this inaccuracy "Fire in bursts." This is especially important when Opponents are moving - fire in front of them and let them run into your paintballs. "Fire in bursts" when you have a good target since you never know if your first shot will fly straight. "Fire in bursts" when you have a long distance shot - rain in on your opponents and send clusters of shots at them and their bunkers (this is the spray method).
Aim and fire at anything which is exposed. Fire at hoppers, guns, feet, barrels, and any other object you can see which is on or part of your opponent.
Look for advantages. Advantages can be found with holes in the bunker, knowing how to use the terrain, and which bunkers are the best to occupy.
Use the Terrain as a bunker. When you encounter terrain which is has hills and valleys you can use the terrain as a bunker. For example, you can use the hill as a bunker. Start up the hill while crouching down the whole way up toward the top. As you approach the top of the him stay crouched down. Just before you can see the top of the hill, fully extend your legs (popping up) and then immediately crouch back down. This is very similar to popping out and shooting/looking. Use this technique for quick looks or for snap shooting.
Learn to shot while moving. Learning to shoot while moving takes practice, practice, and more practice. Start learning by moving slowly and firing at your opponent without "bobbing" up and down. The major advantage to learning how to shot on the move is that it masks your location from your opponents. If your opponent can't look or see out of his bunker he doesn't know where you are. Thus, if you want to move, especially in a one on one match, shoot and move. This provides your own coverage!
Learn when to retreat. Knowing when to retreat may mean the difference between winning and losing a match. Generally, you should retreat when you are the last one left on your team, there are two or more opponents, and you are not already at the "back" bunker. Also, you usually only have a very short time frame in which to decide you need to retreat. Once your opponents figure out you are the only player left they will prevent you from retreating to the safety of a "back" bunker. Thus, once you realize you are the last player make due haste to a back bunker. A good back bunker is one which prevents your opponents from getting behind you and is positioned on a "tape or boundary" line of the field.
Bait the opponents into traps. There are bunkers and positions which are traps. In other words, the bunker or position will get the opponent eliminated. Let your opponents occupy such position and then eliminate them. What you don't want to do is move to those bunkers or positions!
Pinch your opponents. Whenever possible use two players to pinch an opponent. When an opponent is in a small bunker or behind a tree have two players shoot on either side of the bunker/tree. The opponent will move to from side to side in the bunker and generally will wind up exposing something to hit. |
