Tactics and Strategies

This page contains tactics and general playing advice gleaned from laser tag and paintball sites. Some of it may be subject to change as we determine that it actually isn't all that great of advice.

Single Person Advice

  • Don't lie down. It may seem attractive, but it is actually counterproductive. Lying down only covers your front head sensor, leaving your back head sensor open to receive infrared light that bounces. Plus, when you are lying down, you can't move, which is never good!
  • Keep moving. When you stand still for longer than a minute or two, it doesn't accomplish anything for your team, and allows the other team more time to surround you, or, at the least, time when they know where you are.
  • Standing behind a tree provides very little cover, and standing behind a bush provides no cover. IR beams can come right through a bush (just like real bullets), and a single standing tree is very easy to flank.
  • If you can see your enemy, he can see you. And, more importantly, if you can shoot your enemy, he can shoot you! This sounds quite obvious, but many players seem to not grasp this concept, probably due to their not playing with head sensors.
  • When you are moving, try to stay low. This minimizes the chance that you will be seen. Then, move quickly from one source of cover to another.
  • When you are shooting, try to minimize the amount of your body that is exposed. While it is true that the guns don't do anything if they hit any place other than your sensor, the more of you that is showing, the easier it is for your enemies to see you.
  • Remember, cover hides you -- it does not protect you. The idea of a good hiding place is one where you can hit the enemy several times and then leave without being hit. This keeps the enemy guessing because they don't know where you are, and keeps them from hitting you.
  • When you find a hiding place, make sure that it has a clear line of fire (so that you won't hit yourself), and that it has multiple escape routes. You won't be staying in any one place for a very long time, so you need to be able to get out, and get quickly without being hit.
  • Don't be predictable. If you are behind cover and pop up in the same place every time to shoot, your opponents will learn that, and will nail you when you come up. Additionally, don't always play with the same style. If your opponents can't predict what you are going to do, they will be more intimidated by you.
  • When you are shooting at someone, stay aware of your surroundings. Don't get so caught up in hitting a single opponenet that you don't see his partner until you are surrounded.
  • Practice with your weapon. You need to get good at quickly acquiring the target and shooting at it accurately. This can gain you a few hits because if you hit your opponent before he hits you, he most likely will look for cover, and not bother to return fire.

Team Advice

  • Work in pairs. A pair can surround a single person, but is dificult to surround. The movements of more than two people is hard to coordinate, however.
  • That said, you still need to keep in contact with your entire team. This is especially important at night when you want to avoid friendly fire incidents.
  • Don't stand close to your team mates. IR beams spread out, and if several people are standing together, it is fairly easy to hit all of them with one shot.
  • On the same note, don't walk single file. It is to easy for someone to shoot down the line and hit all of you.
  • Try to pin a lone enemy behind a tree and then surround him. If you run into another pair, try to pin one of them down and flank him.
  • It can be a good idea to send out a single scout to determine the positions of the enemy, particularly if you are attacking. People tend not to move, so for the cost of a hit or two, you can gain valuable intellegence about your opponents' position.
  • And above all, work as a team, not as a group of people who are in a contest to see who can kill the most people!