Advancing and Retreating

Paintball is all about getting the upper hand over the opposition and the best way to do this is to move with stealth towards the enemy. However, there will also be times when a tactical retreat is necessary in order to regroup and put plan ‘B’ into action.

Moving forwards with stealth means progressing through the game zone in a controlled and calm manner. You should always ‘play tight’ and avoid ‘tunnel vision’. ‘Playing tight’ means keeping your body outline as small as possible (to reduce the target open to the enemy) while ‘tunnel vision’ is when you’re unaware of everything going on in the game zone.

Tips for ‘playing tight’ include keeping elbows tucked in, crouching as you move forward and trying not to present too much of a target. It may help to crawl at times because this gives you the smallest target. It’s hard to master because you have to carry your marker but as a tactic it can really pay dividends.

Sometimes a player must move quickly from a sprint into a crawl and this is basically done by planting both feet, falling on to your knees and then your elbow in order to get as horizontal as possible. Care should be taken in this manoeuvre because you can easily dislodge your hopper and lose your paintballs.
Other tips for advancing are to use the cover available (natural and man-made), keeping shots to a minimum to stay as quiet as possible, running in a zigzag pattern and sliding into bunkers and barriers from an angle.

However, even the best laid plans can come undone by a difficult enemy which is where a tactical retreat comes into play. It’s important not to think of a retreat as a negative tactic. It may be necessary to respond to eliminations or when your first plan has stalled and fresh impetus is needed.
When you start a retreat it’s important to do so under the cover of fire. By firing off a couple of paintballs you’ll keep the enemy distracted while you make your first move. Snap shooting as you go will keep some heat off you and so increase your chances. Shorts bursts of fire can work well and give the impression that you are still in the process of attacking.

Obviously retreating as a group will concentrate your firepower so make sure your teamwork and communication skills are up to scratch. Some opponents may take your retreat as a sign to come out into the open. If this is the case then they’ve played into your hands so just get stuck in!
Finally, don’t retreat so far that you are completely on the back foot. Once you’re out of range you should stop and think about how you’re going to get forward again in order to do as much damage as possible. Happy paintballing!