Paintball Tactics Guide

While not directly military in nature, paintball tactics have many similarities to military tactics. Despite ongoing controversy in the paintball industry, I still believe that paintball is more about playing "Soldier" or "Cowboys and Indians" than it is about playing "Tag." The objective of shooting an opponent is distinctly martial in nature, even if it is with a gelatin capsule rather than a bullet.

This section focuses on the tactics of the paintball field for both players and teams. Many concepts are taken directly from military sources because they apply so well. Concepts like initiative and cover are directly pulled from US Army Field Manuals. (FMs) This is not to emulate military training during paintball, but to leverage the institutional knowledge of the military and adapt it to the game.

This is by no means and exhaustive reference. It leans toward the outdoor, natural field game. Some discussion of modern tournament-style games is in the Small Field section, but hopefully these tactics and techniques apply to all paintball games.

This is also not a "playbook." These concepts apply to the game in general, rather than specifically to a situation. This is because most paintball situations are so fluid that they merit individual consideration, rather than generic "plays." Also, the "playbook" level of coordination requires a trained, organized team. If you become experienced with these concepts, you can move on to specific plays with your teammates as the next level of play.

Strategy vs. Tactics: What's the Difference?