Paintball Game Field Positions – Which Position is Best For You?
To the untrained eye, a paintball match looks like a random bunch of players running around, hiding behind various items as cover, shooting at one another, with no real pla .38 special ammo n mind. While it may look chaotic, the players are actually fulfilling specific roles and positions within their teams and have very specific goals in mind. Thus, each position has unique responsibilities that are coordinated with his teammates, ultimately that fall within an overall strategy. This article will help you gain a better understanding of the various positions on a paintball team, the associated responsibilities and the best-suited equipment and paintball gun for each position.
The Backman
Since paintball requires an offensive and defensive strategy, the backman’s (sometimes also called the “back player”) job is to provide a protective front for the team’s flag and players who are advancing further into the battle field. As you might imagine, this is a critical role and requires a LOT of shooting. Whether it is cover fire for his team members or fire toward possible enemy team members to make their approach more difficult, the backman will use a lot of paint in a short amount of time. Thus, one of the most critical things for this player to do is have the right marker and know how to use it. The backman needs to be able to fire lots of shots quickly and accurately, and be able to reload rapidly and with little advance notice. Requiring lots of firepower means two important things: lots of ammo and lots of air supply. If the backman runs out of either one, the game is almost certainly lost. The backman will need a way to carry this extra equipment without impeding his ability to shoot quickly and accurately and move as needed. The backman also needs to be someone competent in the overall team strategy and be able to make good solid decisions. For this reason, the team captain often plays this role on the team.
The Frontman
The Frontman, also known as the ‘Pointman’ is a very high profile position; he’s in the front with the most action and has the most aggressive spot on the field. He makes all the dangerous moves at the front of the field, like bunkering and attacking the enemy flag. As soon as the game starts, the frontman usually moves as far as he can off the break; he spends the most time at the enemy’s end of the field. The frontman’s primary job is to move up the field, dart from bunker to bunker and position himself to accomplish the team objective. He must be fast to run and respond to any fire, as he is closer to the enemy than any of the other players. In most situations, the frontman is supported by a position called ‘the lockman’ who covers him with fird and takes over his position in case he gets hit.
Unfortunately, because of his position on the field and the dangerous proximity to the enemy, the frontman is usually one of the first players to get hit. He should be backed up by several of his teammates… the lockman, sniper and even the backman. The frontman should also be an experienced player, a natural team leader; someone who can predict the moves of the opposition before they happen and make last second decisions about changes of his position or the enemy. The best frontmen are thrill seekers who take the most chances and aren’t afraid of getting hit – because they will be where the most paintballs are flying around. The frontman will cover a lot of ground on the field and do the most running, so he should be well conditioned for this. His paintball marker should be ultra light, smaller and easy to wield considering how much diving, rolling and sprinting this player will do. The frontman fires the least amount of paint and uses the smallest air tank.
Another name for the Frontman position is the ‘Tape Runner’. In Capture The Flag type games, the tape runner/Frontman is the player that will actually ‘capture’ the flag. This player is also often called on to bunker someone, or even to sacrifice himself for the good of the team. As the tape runner, it is wise to get as far up the field as possible right out of the gates, secure a bunker and find a key vantage point to shoot down the opposition. This will give the mid players an established spot to take over so the frontman can move on – closer to the opposing team’s backman and flag!