The Different Styles Of Paintball Play

Paintball can be an immensely fun experience. It is also an intense, skilled and highly tactical game. There are various styles of play that people employ in their efforts to achieve victory. None of these styles is necessarily better than any other. For the most part, it's just a matter of personal preference. Different play styles also lend themselves well to different formats and settings. In other words, there is no right or wrong choice, but the different play styles you may like to consider include: Fast and frantic This style is all about trying to make sure you hit your opponents as hard as possible, as quickly as possible. It sometimes gets bad press as a result of all the first-time players who think they are in an action movie and start spraying paintballs everywhere with little regard for safety, tactics or teamwork. However, used properly this can be a highly effective and much more nuanced style of play. A large part of using this play style to its full potential involves assessing risks. Sometimes firing fast and furious shots can involve seriously drawing attention or getting to a reasonably exposed position for a better shot, and it's important to know when the potential reward justifies this risk and when it's better to stay in cover until a better opportunity presents itself. It is also important to ensure that you still work with your team, and don't do anything to jeopardise other players or their tactics. This style of play suits equally fast and frantic formats like speedball. Precise and deadly Almost the polar opposite of the fast and frantic playstyle, this involves making the minimum number of shots and using the time and effort you save to ensure each one has the greatest possible effect. This often requires an element of stealth, but with good cover can also be employed against enemies who know you are around when in a tight spot. The principles behind this play style are deceptively simple. It just involves keeping yourself safe and only shooting when you have a clear shot and time to aim carefully so you have the maximum chance of getting a hit. Actually putting this into practice, however, requires immense skill. The tactical team To really succeed at paintball, you'll always need to work as a team and have a clear goal complete with a tactical idea of how to achieve it. However, some teams, either as a whole or under the guidance of a player who takes well to this style, take these ideas to a whole different level. Utilising this play style is a group effort. Each person on the team has a defined role and a clear idea of what they should be doing. Most or all of the game is planned out, with different team members completing specific tasks designed to work together towards victory. Of course, the best-laid plans rarely survive contact with the playing field without some on-the-fly changes being necessary, so all team members should maintain contact as far as possible to help facilitate this.