This write-up is based off a clinic held at Action Paintball Games by World Cup Asia champions Hostile Intentions. I thought i'd share the information passed on to my by HI so the greater OG and paintball community as a whole could benefit. The information contained within this write-up was intended for use in speedball / sup-air style games, however it can be adapted for use in woodsball / scenario style games. Take from it what you will and adapt to your / your team's style of play. My thoughts on each subject will be written in red.


Key Points:

• People play paintball for different reasons. The method HI takes to planning their games is designed to help them win. It's not the most enjoyable way of approaching a paintball game, and will not suit everyone.

This guide was prepared by HI, and they play to win. They are a Pro division team and are driven by success. This is NOT the reason I play paintball. I play paintball to enjoy the sport, and the company of those I play with. Please don't think that I am a "win at all costs" type of player. Those that have played along side me will testify that winning is a null issue. What matters is that you enjoy yourself and play fairly.

• Nature of the game means you must be flexible.

If you have practised often with your whole team present and have your game down pat, then an event arrives and one or two of your "star" players cannot make it, what will you do to combat this? Each team member should train for different roles / positions so that if there is absenteeism within the team, someone else can fill a vital role.

• Input is required from your whole team.

That's why it's called a "team". Each member's opinion is just as valid as the CO or XO. Without proper team communication, you cannot function as a cohesive unit. If you have an idea or an observation, speak up. You may have vital information that could help the team improve.

• Always plan your game with one thing in mind, "How will you win this game?"

This is the way HI play. To win games. Everyone like to win, but it's not the end of the world if you don't. Being graceful in defeat is one of the most admirable character traits IMO. No-one likes a sore loser, and unfortunately there will always be someone stronger, faster, and better than you. Accept that, and your paintball will be far more enjoyable.

Naming Bunkers:

• Use physical descriptions where possible.

The easiest way for people to recognise things is visually. If you walk out on the field and see a bunker that's made from old tyres, then it would be silly to call it "California" or "Atlanta". If you just called it "tyres", everyone knows what you're talking about, and no-one gets confused. Obviously if there's multiple bunkers that are made from tyres then you have to find a way to discern between them. Say if there is a tyre bunker on either side of the field, you might call the one on your left "west tyres" and the one on your right "east tyres". As long as everyone understands what the bunker is, that's all that matters.

• Don't be afraid to use an "emergency" word for a critical bunker.

If you have a bunker that's in a position that's going to be a fallback bunker or a rally point, use a word that is easily recognisable that can be easily understood. Also, if you need to get someone to advance to a critical bunker and you can't remember the name of it, you can always give them the bunker position and description. For instance "The pallet at your 11 o'clock, 20 feet" would be a good way to direct someone to that critical bunker.

• Use names that can be easily understood and remembered.

As stated above. There's no point in giving bunkers code names if no-one can remember them. KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) is the best way.

• Players must instantly know every bunker's name.

If your players have to think about the bunker they're meant to go to, the opportunity 9 times out of 10 will be lost. Timing is critical, and lost opportunities are gone forever.

Walk the field and look:

• Look from every bunker and get an idea of what you can and can't see and do.

This will give you an idea as to which bunkers will be useful, and which will not. There's no point putting 4 of your 10 man squad at bunkers, if they can't see what's happening. Try to have every player at a position where they are useful to a degree.

• Remember, people are shorter and taller than you.

Putting a 7'2" player into a bunker that's 2' tall will only end in disaster. Work with your players physical attributes and try to get them into bunkers they can work with.

• Where are the bunkers you can't see directly?

Whether you can directly see a bunker or not, you can still know it's there. If someone relays that an opposing player is occupying a bunker you can't see, it's still good to know they are there. This may affect the path you take to your next bunker as the opposing player may have a lane locked down that you can't see. Knowing where your opposition is is half the battle won already.

• How will you find the "blind spots"?

If you know where a bunker is, pick out something that's in the background as a marker spot (maybe a tree or a post) and use that as your reference point as the direction of your line of fire. Just because you can't see a bunker, doesn't mean you can't shoot at it. Lobbing paint over certain obstacles may not hit your opponent, but there's a good chance it'll keep their head down.

• Remember fields are not always a perfect mirror, so walk both sides.

All field are set up differently. Even on sup-air fields, the ground is not always level or even. This will cause certain bunkers to sit higher or lower than others. You may have a shot on one side of the field that you may not have on the other side of the field. You knowing this may be invaluable knowledge if the other team doesn't.

• Paper layout is never right!

Whether sup-air or scenario, a map should really be used as a rough guide as to where things are positioned. Drawing a line from bunker position A to target position B on a map is all well and good, but if there is overhanging trees, wind, rain etc. those drawn lines of fire will become almost useless. The best way to find where you can and can't shoot is to physically walk the field, and see for yourself.

Find the strong locations:

• Positions you feel you must take and stop your opponent securing.

We all know (or should) that getting the upper hand in a game of paintball is all about getting the dominant positions on the field. Positions where you have a good field of view, and good cover. To stop your opposition from taking the dominant positions you must get there first, or get to a position where you can shoot them out of that dominant position.

Identify your strengths and weaknesses:

• Who is: fast, slow, patient, impatient, a good communicator or mute?

Each player will have a different skillset, and personal attributes. Keeping your fastest players at the back while your slow players take point is probably not the best way to do things. Use the skills your players have, and put them in roles they're comfortable in.

• How do you best use each players attributes on the field?

Figure out what each players skillset is, and work out roles for them. Talk to them and see where they are comfortable playing.

• Patient to the rear.

Back players are generally your bigger / slower players. That's not to say that's always the case. I've seen large guys charging to the front line over and over again. The patient players should hang back and play defensively. They may be the heavy gunners that stop the opposition from advancing past them.

• Good communicators to the centre.

This is because if they're in the centre of the field, there's more chance for them to be able to hear and relay messages across the field. Having all the good communicators or your right flank will not help your left flank when they are at a standstill and can't hear the orders that are being given from the right flank.

• Good shooters on lanes.

For those who are seen as better shooters, they are probably going to be more useful in a position where they can lock down a lane and stop the opposition from advancing or moving. This will give your other players a better chance of moving up the field.

Lanes:

• What lanes cover routes to critical positions?

Where will you put your shooters so that theyare effectively stopping the opposition from moving to critical positions? Find the bunkers with the best chance of locking down the opposition from, and put your shooters there.

• Where can you shoot these lanes from?

There may be multiple bunkers where this can be achieved. You'll probably want the one that has the best cover, and the best opportunity for advancement once the time comes.

• Will the lanes be effective?

If you lock down those lanes, will it stop the opposition from reaching critical field placement? Is there other avenues that they can take to achieve dominant field position?

Pick your primaries:

• This is the first bunker you will get to.

Really, the first thing you want to do is make it to your first bunker. Once there, you can shoot or you can decide to move up if the situation dictates. You are of little use to the team if you get shot out without having accomplished something.

• What is the route to your primary?

Is the shortest route necessarily the best possible route? It may be the case that taking a longer route that provides more cover gives you a greater chance of not being shot out. You don't want to be running through a lane to get to your bunker. Sometimes pausing off the break will yield more of a chance to get to your primary. Some teams rattle off paint from the break, and it 's safer to pause behind one of the back bunkers for them to stop railing down the field, or for them to reload before trying to make it to your primary.

• Who is your first target, and who is your first threat?

I can't really give too much information on this point as there are too many variables. It really depends on the field and the flow of the game. Sometimes it will be the front player who's advancing up the middle of the field who is your first threat. Other times it will be the sneaky guy who's creeping down the tape unnoticed by most of the other players. Always keep your eyes open, and scan the field frequently to stop from getting "tunnel vision".

• Work out what you need to do from this position.

As requirement dictates, you'll either be shooting to stop players advancing, advancing yourself, or relaying messages to others as to what they possibly should be doing, or what information they can provide.

• What is your trigger to move if you are to move to your secondary?

At a certain time you'll be required to advance. This should be when a certain dominating position on the opposition has been shot out, or when a team member has taken a dominating position on the field and requires backup to push the opposition back.

• Who will go to these positions?

Some players may be more comfortable advancing to the front line than others. More aggressive players are usually pushed to the front of the field when these situations occur, while the more defensive players will advance more cautiously once the position has been secured.

• Understand your responsibilities.

Each role has a job to do. You are part of a network that relies on it's connections within that network. If everyone knows their jobs and responsibilities, your team will work more effectively as a unit and be more successful as a result.

Pick your secondaries:

• Is moving up a positive?

Advancing is not always the goal. Sometimes your job will entail just stopping the opposition from advancing until reinforcements arrive. You don't want to be charging into a throng of opposition only to find out you were outnumbered 10 to 1.

• Where will you go?

Find a bunker on the field that offers a choice of options. You don't want to get stuck at a bunker where you can't shoot anyone, but you can't advance from either.

• How will you get there?

Find the safest route to the bunker. Again, it may not be the shortest route. It may be back around one or two bunkers and then up. Whichever provides you with the best cover, or the best chance of making it to the next bunker.

• What will you do once you get there?

Immediately scan the area and listen to your team as they may be relaying information about an opposition player who has a shot on you.

Pick your tertiary:

• As above in secondaries, and so on.

Contingencies:

• What to do if everything goes wrong.

Communicate with your team and figure out where your team went wrong, or where the other team went right. There won't always be a clean cut reason. Sometimes it will be a combination of a few small things. Run back through what happened and see if you can figure out what happened.

• Who fills what when you drop players?

Figure out where on the field it is more important to have players, and focus on that area. Controlling certain parts of the field is sometimes all it takes to not so much win, but to stop the opposition from winning.

• Is it important to do so?

Will it make any difference if you move, or would it just be putting those players at risk of being eliminated? Sometimes it's better just to stay put and dig in.

• Who is most likely to be remaining, and what should they do?

Figuring out what the last few players on the field are going to do, as stated, can force a stalemate. If the game is timed, winding down the clock may be just what you need to do.

• Watch other teams!

See what you're opposition is doing. Do they have repetitive team actions that can be exploited? Are they attacking riskily when holding their ground would be the safer and smarter option? Are they repeatedly going to the same bunkers?

• Be prepared to change your game plan!

After all is said and done, paintball is a dynamic sport that can change at a moments notice. You may be playing awesomely, and then a team will come along that will beat you every time because of something you are repeatedly doing that you didn't realise you were. Adapt and overcome.


I hope this write-up has helped a few of you. The clinic sure opened up my eyes to a few things that have helped my game. As I said, take away from this what you will. Not all the information in here will have been useful to everyone. But if it can help one person, then it's done it's job.

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nice write up man, good reading!

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Theres alot of stuff in there that seems like common sense, but reading it made me look into some it a bit more and I must say I think if I can put that little extra thought in during the game it could make a big difference.

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IF YOUR UNDER 18 AND PAY FOR YOUR OWN GEAR PUT THIS IN YOUR SIGNATURE
Beware of the fish people, they are the true enemy

It is pretty much common sense, but to the uninitiated it may be less than obvious. Thinking on your feet is harder in practice than in theory.

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Never thought of mapping out the key bunkers and fire points. Good stuff