| I have been playing paintball for some time now. I have | | | | opposing players down in order to allow other member |
| seen a lot of different play styles, a lot of different | | | | of your team to get into better position. In this case it |
| markers, and a lot of different games. The biggest | | | | makes a lot of sense to lay down suppressing fire. |
| distinction I have seen between players that I consider | | | | Also if you need to fight yourself out of a bad position |
| good and those I believe are bad (or mediocre at best) | | | | it might make sense to rapidly spray paint at the |
| has a lot to do with how much paint is left in their | | | | enemy so you can make good on a retreat... but these |
| hoppers at the end of a match. You see in my opinion | | | | are strategic decisions that fit into a larger overall plan. |
| if a hopper contains 200 balls to start with (average | | | | This is not the same as a player going out and wasting |
| size hopper) and it only has 20 balls left at the end, | | | | 100 balls of paint without any real plan or thought |
| then there is something seriously wrong with that | | | | behind it. |
| players paintball skills. | | | | In arena ball you see people using spray techniques |
| Why do I say this? Because I have noticed a direct | | | | quite a bit, but for the good teams they are using this |
| correlation between the skill of the players and the | | | | technique for two reasons. First they are using it |
| amount of paint they use. It is especially noticeable | | | | because they are trying to hold the other team back |
| when teams have a mix of new players and | | | | while they try to get into better position. Second they |
| experienced players. Personally I pride myself I on one | | | | are using it because small arena games take place in |
| shot hits. Any fool can go out on the field and rapidly | | | | close quarters and everything is moving very fast... in |
| spray paint everywhere in the hopes that they will hit | | | | other words they are playing Speed Ball. If you are |
| something, but it takes a much calmer player to | | | | playing woods ball then there is very little reason to |
| assess a scene and time their shots in a manner that | | | | use a spray and pray technique. In fact it makes no |
| will give them the most likely chance of taking an | | | | sense at all because in woods ball one of the keys to |
| opposing player out of the game. | | | | success is stealth. |
| Now do not get me wrong. I am not saying that there | | | | So next time you are out in the bush playing a game |
| is never a time where rapidly firing paint in a continuous | | | | of paintball plan out a strategy then calmly and |
| stream makes sense because there are some | | | | carefully execute. Be deliberate, be smart and be |
| instances where this "spraying" technique can and | | | | stealthy and you will find your team coming out on top |
| should be used. For example if you need to pin some | | | | more often than not. |