Advanced Strategies to Outsmart Your Opponents in Paintball
Paintball is not only about how well you can shoot and move, but also about how well you can understand and predict your enemies. If you can figure out what they are going to do next, you can plan your own moves accordingly and gain an edge over them. One thing that can help you do this is knowing what hand they use to hold their gun, because this will affect how they play on the field!
 |
| Advanced Strategies to Outsmart Your Opponents in Paintball |
In this article, I will share with you some advanced paintball tips that are based on observation and psychology, not just skill and practice. These tips are the result of my long experience in playing paintball with thousands of different players, watching hundreds of games, and paying attention to individual players' behaviours.
Most Players Prefer Their Right Hand
Did you know that about 90% of the people in the world are right-handed? This means that they usually do things with their right hand, such as holding objects, writing, or throwing. In paintball, this also means that they will naturally hold their gun with their right hand and tend to look and move to the right. In paintball, you can use this information to your advantage.
Let me give you an example of how this works. When you play paintball for the first time and run to your first bunker, what do you do? If you are like most right-handed players, you will probably peek out of the right side of the bunker, because that feels more comfortable and natural to you.
But if you do that, what are you missing? The left side! Now imagine that most of the other team is doing the same thing, that creates a huge blind spot on the field.
If you are playing a casual game, you can exploit this weakness by moving up on the right side of the field (the other team's left side). This way, you have a better chance to sneak up on them without being noticed. Watch the video below for a perfect example of this in action.
Another interesting fact to keep in mind is that most right-handed players are less accurate, slower, and sometimes don't switch hands when shooting from the left side of a bunker. This can give you an extra advantage when you face them in a gunfight.
Shoot When the Game Starts
The beginning of the game is the best time to advance as far as possible, but how can you stop the other team from doing the same if you can't get a clear shot at them?
Most players will stop running if they think they are under fire, even if the paintballs are not landing anywhere near them. By shooting when the game starts, you are putting pressure on the other team and making them think twice before moving.
If you are shooting when the game starts, aim at a bunker that players might run past or close to. The sound of the paintballs hitting the bunker will make them think that they have been spotted and need to take cover. If you can find a bunker that makes a lot of noise when you shoot it, it will have a stronger effect.
This strategy will make them (and sometimes their teammates) stop at the first bunker they reach, allowing you to move up further on the field.
Shoot with a purpose and not randomly, or have your teammates cover you while you sprint for a good bunker. The key here is to intimidate the opposing players and not let them feel confident.
Dodge and Move
When you see a paintball flying towards you, your instinct is to dodge behind a bunker. This gives a great opportunity for the shooter to move to another spot and catch you off guard later.
If they don't see you move up, they will still assume that you are still in the same place where they last saw you. This gives you the chance to sneak up on them from another direction.
Sometimes you can even lure them into leaving their cover or trying to rush you. You can do this by shooting at them and acting like you are retreating. This might make them think that they have an advantage and follow you. You can then either come out from the other side of the bunker or have a teammate ready for them, and eliminate them.
One Shot, One Kill, Lots of Confusion
Our ears can detect sound, but sometimes it takes some time to figure out where the sound is coming from. By shooting only one shot and waiting, you don't give the other team the chance to pinpoint your location and fire back. You can use this to your benefit.
For instance, say you see a group of 3 players who are vulnerable. If you just start firing at them as quickly as possible, they will soon figure out where you are and try to shoot back.
Instead, take one shot. Not just a random shot, but a well-aimed and planned shot at one of the players. If it misses, wait several seconds and try again once they stop looking around for where the shot came from. If you hit one, again wait for a bit until they think it was some random shot and get back into the same positions they were in before.
Basically, if they don't know where the shot came from and they didn't get hit like their friends they may think they are safe.
Communicate With Your Team, Even if They Aren't There
Unless you are doing a stealth mission, constant verbal communication with your team goes a long way. Not only will it help your team to succeed but the opposing players will know that you aren't alone.
But what do you do when you are alone? You can do the one shot method as stated above, or you can continue to communicate like you are more than one player. This is especially helpful if the other team already knows where you are.
It may feel weird yelling at yourself, but simply making up names, pointing and gesturing at imaginary teammates, while calling out opposing players locations and movements can trick them into thinking that you are a larger force that they need to be cautious of.
This also has the added effect that if you are playing a large scale game, you can attract your teammates as most players during a scenario game will naturally be attracted to commotion.
Act Like You Are Out of Paint or Air
Players will act differently when they think they have an advantage, and when someone runs out of paint or air that is a big opportunity. Most people will try to take advantage of that right away!
If you are using a mechanical marker or can turn off the eyes on your electro, you can trick your hopper by quickly turning it off or flipping it upside down and fire some empty shots. When you hide behind a bunker, turn your hopper back on and pop back out to see if the other player decided to rush you and is exposed.
If you are playing a game where everyone is using 12 gram CO2 cartridges, everyone on the field will recognize the sound of someone switching out their 12 gram. You can pretend to change your cartridge by making a similar hissing noise with your mouth and popping out to see if they took the bait.
Don't Dress to Impress
This tip not only keeps the other team's guard down, but for regular recball and open play can help you just relax and have fun at whatever pace you want.
One thing we do subconsciously when arriving at the field for the first time is check out the current player base to see potential experience level based on first impressions. We can tell if a player is experienced or not simply by how they dress.
You can dress like a beginner would (old clothes) and use basic gear that isn't bright and flashy. Doing this can prevent you from standing out in a crowd and just blend in. This can just calm down the younger and inexperienced players so you can play casually, goof off, and have fun. Plus, the experienced players will have less to assume about you and will be more relaxed on the field when they see you.