You’ve seen articles describing the various paintball personality types. They catagorize players by the way they play. The articles usually end at that. This article, however, is going to show you how to best use these personality types.
First, a few short definitions for the personality types.
LONE WOLF: The player who goes off by themselves. They prefer to be on their own.
SHARPSHOOTER: These are the players who cause many opposition players leave the field, in spite of the Sharpshooter’s conservative expenditure of paint.
RAMBO: The player who is always charging up the middle. Rambos have a tendency to rush in, where angels fear to tread.
HOSER: Pretty much self explanatory, no? These are the guys that measure paint they’ve shot by WEIGHT rather than by counting them individually, because it’s easier to figure out.
WINGMAN: This is the player who will steadfastly stay at your side, backing you up. You know that, no matter what, that player is going to be there and support any move you make.
POINTMEN (or WOMEN): These are the players who are always out front. Sometimes, way out front.
MOVER: These are the players who never seem to be able to sit still. They are always running around, and if they can’t advance along the field, they’ll be found running ACROSS the field.
SITTER: The player that can sit in a bush and wait ALL GAME for some poor slob to walk into his sights.
OLD GUYS: Not so much in age (although that is a given) but in experience. These are the players who have been playing for at least eight to ten years. They’re usually over the age of thirty.
KIDS: You know the type. All full of ginger and rarin’ to go. The exuberance of youth fuels these seemingly untiring players.
ADAPTERS: They can play any of the above types. They are the chameleons of paintball. They are all things to all players. They are the most helpful to you, and the most dangerous to your opposition.
NEWBIES: Those who do not have experience playing the Game.
Now that you know what I’m talking about, here’s how to use them.
LONE WOLF: On larger fields, these are the players you send out to work around behind the opposition. Experienced lone wolves can creep THROUGH the opposition. Once through, the Lone Wolf can either be assigned to capture the flag, or start becoming a pain in the butt. (This can be figurative, or literal. You see, that’s what the Lone Wolf is going to see, the backsides of the opponents.)
SHARPSHOOTER: These players are best placed in areas of the field where they have clear lanes of fire. The Sharpshooter needs open spaces to tag loaders, markers, boots, elbows and butt packs at long ranges.
RAMBO: These maniacs are best sent to the area of the field that has the least amount of cover. Mainly because they don’t use cover, anyway. Have them rip through opposition lines to punch a hole. Sometimes, it’s best just to let these lunatics to their own devices and exploit any havoc they create.
HOSER: The hoser is good for pinning opposition players down behind bunkers. They’re also good for giving covering fire so that Movers can race around unmolested.
WINGMAN: These are the team players. The ones you send with a Mover to go get the flag. They are also good when you finally grab the flag and need protection for the flag carrier.
POINTMEN (or WOMEN): These players are best used as "bad guy detectors”. They are going to want to be up front, anyway, no matter what YOU want them to do. They will inevitably draw fire, allowing you to pin point the opposition.
MOVER: These are the flag grabbers and the 'firemen’. Fireman is a term used for players who dash into a gap in your own lines. Let’s say a player was eliminated in the centre of your line. If that hole is not plugged, the opposition could get through. The Mover will be more than willing to dash about the field, plugging gaps and giving support. Movers also keep the opposition confused as they can rarely be pin pointed or kept track of.
SITTER: Is there a vulnerable area on the field? Perhaps your flag station is exposed. Perhaps there is a tape-line that players always seem to blitz down. Put a sitter there and let him wait for players to come to him. A sitter will usually stay in place and hold the tape line, or wait patiently for someone to dash into the flag station. Don’t underestimate a Sitter, they can save the game for you.
OLD GUYS: These are the cunning old dogs of paintball. They know the ropes, and their experience allows them to adapt to the situation at hand. The Old Guys are also good leaders. An Old Guy plays with his head, outsmarting opposition players.
KIDS: With their unlimited exuberance they can be a liability as well as an asset. They may not follow the game plan, and would rather mix it up with the opposition, despite the fact that you gave them a completely different job to do. The best way to use them is where you expect the most resistance from the opposition. Their exuberance usually overcomes any intimidating factors that might be thrown at them. They’re out to prove a point, that they’re just as good as the older fellahs, so let them.
ADAPTERS: These are the players who can be used for any of the above. They are also the players who are good at two or more of the above. An Adapter can be a Lone Wolf/Sharpshooter, or a Mover/Hoser. Whatever the combination, it will be like having an extra player on the field. Use them where they could best be used.
NEWBIES: Split them up amongst the experienced players. Do not allow them to clump into groups. You’ll need experienced players with them, as guides and impromptu teachers. Sometimes they’re not quite sure what to do, but they still have a marker and the will to play. It’s better than NOT having a player at all.
Most every player has a 'speciality’ they have settled into. Try to discover what this is and utilize it to your advantage. Most players will volunteer to do a specific task, because they know they’re reasonably comfortable with what they want to do.
How to Exploit Their Weaknesses
For the first part of this artcile, I explained how to use these paintball personality types. What happens if the group you’re playing against has read Part One? Well, I took that into consideration. (Which is why there are TWO parts.)
If you know how to find and exploit their weaknesses, they will become almost ineffectual. (That is unless they are adaptive players, and then you’re pretty much going to be toast. Luckily, adaptive players are the rarest of the rare.)
LONE WOLF: They prey on the unwary and the solitary. Keep your eyes and ears open. Teamwork defeats the Lone Wolf. Have a few players hang back and provide cover, in case Mr. Wolf comes knocking at your back door.
SHARPSHOOTER: Stay well behind cover. Also, thick brush defeats the best marksman. Stay out of wide, open spaces, where the Sharpshooter can do their best. Also, don’t give the Sharpshooter enough time to draw a bead on you, or find a target to shoot at. If a Sharpshooter is being shot at, they’re not going to have the opportunity, or the time, to aim.
RAMBO: Wait until they break cover. When they rush out into the open, that’s when you let them have it. Rambos can be coaxed to charge very easily, with some friendly taunting. Most times, they don’t need coaxing.
HOSER: The Hoser gives away his position. Also, Hoser can be flanked as they are more concerned about shooting, than they are about playing. Like the Sharpshooter, you have to keep things behind cover, or one of those five dozen paintballs he’s streaming your way is going to find their mark.
WINGMAN: Usually Wingmen do not work well alone. Once their partner is eliminated, they usually have no one to mirror. (I was guilty of this, at one time.)
POINTMEN (or WOMEN): If you can get them quickly, they won’t be able to call out your position to their team. Also, Pointment let you know where the opposition will be coming from. They must be eliminated quickly because they are the advance eyes and ears of the opposition.
MOVER: The best way to defeat a mover is to pin them down. If they don’t dare get out from behind cover, they’re not Movers anymore, are they?
SITTER: The best defence is to be more wary. The Sitter will shoot out of ambush. A little healthy paranoia goes a long way.
OLD GUYS: These guys are DEVIOUS. You have to watch these players like a hawk. The Old Guys are hard to handle, and the best thing to do is pin them down, so they can’t do anything devious.
KIDS: Just let them come. Their exuberance causes them to make rash decisions and mistakes.
ADAPTERS: Stay out of their way. They can change from a Lone Wolf, to a Sharpshooter, to a Mover. When all else fails, pin them down.
NEWBIES: They’re not as exuberant as Kids, but they will make mistakes. They also cause a distraction to the more considerate experienced players on their team. If an experienced player is kind enough to help a newbie, his attentions are divided. Also, some Newbies can be easily intimidated by aggressive play.
Of course, all these players are defeated by one tried-and-true method. If they are eliminated from play, you don’t have to worry about them, do you?
While simplistic, these techniques will give you something to build off of when you play. I got the idea from a tourney I recently reffed at. Two tourney players discussing the game they were watching, pointing out what individual players were doing, and coming up with viable options to deal with them. Sitting out an observing a game will teach you more than you would realize.
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