Why not have anything here about speedball?

Because speedballers are punks! I’m just kidding. Some of the best woodsballers I’ve seen are also speedballers. This site is about woodsball because I play woodsball, So you might say, “Paul, is that because you’re old and fat and speedball is geared more for the fast and young?” And to that I might say “Bite me.” Okay, you COULD be right. Actually that is part of it. The main reason I play woodsball is the difference between the two types of paintball. Speedball has some strategy and a lot of teamwork, but is focus on running (ergo the name “Speedball”, Captain Obvious!) and throwing tons of paint in a very short time at the other guys. Woodsball (or scenario paintball) is has running and can occasionally involve high rates of fire, but I believe it should be less about high speed and shooting fast than speedball. There is a lot of crossover. Then again it could just be that I’m fat and don’t like to run.

Key Features of SUCCESSFUL Scenario Paintball

• Strategy - planning, enemy information, execution of plan, psychological warfare
• Teamwork - communication, communication, communication, mutual respect and chain of command
• Tactics - how you assault a bunker, team formations, how you move, etc.
• Stealth - part of tactics, but important enough to rate its own category, camouflage, stalking, patience, etc.
• Aggression - fearlessness, outrageousness, keeping the enemy on the defensive, doing the unexpected, moving, moving, moving
• Firepower - not nearly as important as gun manufacturers would like you to believe but there are times when hammering the hell out of the enemy with a sustained high rate of fire doesn’t suck.

Here’s how to win at scenario paintball:    do the unexpected.

You laugh. Sounds like common sense doesn’t it. You’d be amazed at how doing something completely off the wall can impact the outcome of a game. I’ll give you an example.

Unexpected Ambush #1

This week, one of the first games we played was an ambush style game. The Green team (mine) was supposed to go out into the woods, anywhere we wanted, and lay in wait. The Blue team would then search and destroy. Or so they thought. I hate playing ambush. I would much rather be on the move and hunting than sitting still and waiting for the enemy to come to me. But it’s part of the game. I had been thinking about this particular field during the week and how much I hated to ambush and came up with a plan that was so crazy and suicidal that I volunteered myself to try it and if it didn’t work, I would be the one to take the pummeling from the other team.

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Imagine how much your paintball game would improve if you could read your team mates minds. Picture being to able know where they see the enemy positions or if they need help.  You can. This Italian guy, Guglielmo Marconi (curiously enough, not a paintball player) made it possible in 1895 when he invented…      wait for it…    you guessed it… the radio.

Before you drop the big money on that fully auto, super-modified, monster gun with the holographic night vision scope, drop $20-$50 or more on a two-way radio (walkie talkie).  With this simple “upgrade” you can improve your game ten fold. Every top pro will tell you communication is the key to developing a winning team. Why use hand signals when you can simply and clearly tell your teammates exactly what you want them to know. Remember the human eye is attracted by motion, so the same hand signal that you could be trying to semaphore your team with, could be drawing the eye of your enemy.

Here are some key points to effective radio communication…

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Bounding is a simple but critical maneuver for two or more players on the same team. Surprisingly, many beginner players have no clue about this move, one of the most basic in paintball.

• The idea is for the front man (Player A) to get into some cover or a firing position
• and hold and either lay down cover fire or simply cover the advance of his team mate (Player B)
• while Player B ”bounds” or performs a leapfrog movement to a position in the lead of the first player.
• Player B now protects Player A while he bounds up from behind to a forward position.

Done properly, this maneuver can be quick, fluid and smooth as two players can move up through enemy territory while under the protective eye of his team mate The basic military sniper motto is “Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.” Yeah, I know it doesn’t make any sense. Until you see it in action. Remember, that the human eye tracks on movement, so when stalking through the woods, you don’t necessarily want to move fast. When hunting the enemy, sometimes slow and steady is the way to go.

• Don’t move in a straight line.
• No jerky movements.
• Keep spread out so you can “land” with angles of fire should you come up on the enemy.  This also gives you a greater field of fire to both left and right.
• Don’t bunch up. Keep at least 10 yards between you while moving to have a greater field of fire and to keep from being a grouped target.

By using “bounding” you can move forward aggressively and with protective cover fire.