Scope Tippmann
Paintball Game Field Position Basics
The Frontman
The most aggressive spot on the field is the Frontman, also known as the ‘Pointman.’ He is in the front and sees the most action, makes all the dangerous moves, like bunkering and attacking the enemy flag; his is a very high profile position. From the start of the game, the Frontman moves as far as possible off the break—he spends most of the game in the enemy’s end of the field!
The Frontman’s primary job is to move up the field and position himself to accomplish the team objective, darting from bunker to bunker. He must be a fast runner and able to respond to any fire, as he is closer to the enemy than any of the other players. In ideal situations, the Frontman is supported by a position called ‘the Lockman,’ (or Floater) who covers him with fire and takes over his position in case he gets hit.
Because of his position on the field and the dangerous proximity to the enemy, the Frontman is unfortunately, usually one of the first players to get hit; however, he should be backed up by several of his teammates… the Lockman, Sniper and even the Backman. A natural team leader, the Frontman should also be an experienced player, someone who can make last second decisions about changes of his position or the enemies’, and predict the moves of the opposition before they happen. The best Frontmen are thrill seekers and they take the most chances. They aren’t afraid of getting hit—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.
The Frontman’s paintball marker should be ultra light, small and easy to wield, taking into consideration how much diving, rolling and sprinting this player will do. Despite his frequent close encounters with the opposition, the Frontman generally fires the least amount of paint and therefore uses the least amount of air; so he can also use a small size 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 who will actually ‘capture’ the flag. This player is often called on to bunker someone, or even to sacrifice himself for the good of the team. As the tape runner, he should get as far up the field as possible as quickly as possible, 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 in—closer to the opposing team’s Backman and flag!
The Backman
The Backman defends the team flag from capture by the opposition, as well as protects other players by playing, as the name implies, in the backfield, where he remains the entire game. Players such as the Frontman and the Insert/Floater are further up the field. The Backman also spreads plenty of paint, which keeps the opposition from moving and shooting. The Backman also communicates with the front players to update them on the movements and position of the enemy and with the other players (mid-players or Floaters) to tell them when to take over for the Frontman if he is eliminated.
The Backman’s primary responsibility is protecting his attacking teammates, who are further up the field. He is responsible for most of the cover fire for his teammates. In his position, he fires rapidly and often so this must be considered when choosing a paintball marker. The marker and gun barrel he uses should be designed to shoot fast and accurately, and as the most frequent shooter, the Backman must be able to carry a lot of paintball ammo. Some Backmen even do well with sniper paintball guns; the lengthier barrels on these guns help with shooting distance and the scopes on these guns help with accuracy and targeting.
Because the Backman is constantly shooting, a harness or backpack that can carry many rounds of paintballs should be used. He should also carry a large air supply so he doesn’t run out of firepower. When a team is being put together, a Backman should be chosen that is experienced with shooting and game strategy. A Backman may need to shoot with his left or right hand, depending on which side of the bunker he’s on. He also has to be accurate with his shots in order to be most effective when eliminating the opposition and protecting his teammates.
The Floater
Floaters often begin playing the middle of the field, and move up or down the field as needed to assist other positions. Also called a ‘roamer’, he begins with no set position on the field. Because he is a type of mid player, he becomes an immediate backup in case a key player gets hit, giving the team flexibility. Floaters can play offensive or defensive positions, depending on the need. They can move up the left or right flank to protect the Frontman during a charge into enemy territory, protect the flag if the enemy breaks through the team’s defenses or even defend the Frontman if he’s captured the enemy flag.
The floater must be able to assume any position on the field so he must be a highly skilled player or at least have some experience playing other positions. It’s highly recommended that this player have a clear view of the entire field so he can quickly recognize when one of his teammates are in trouble. The floater must be fast and in great shape; he may be needed at different ends of the field in a moment’s notice. Basically, the floater roams the paintball field plugging up holes; he may even need to move into a sniper position if one of his teammates goes down. If the Frontman finds himself all alone when he decides to take the opposing flag, the Floater must move swiftly up the field to assist his comrade.
As the Floater must be ready to take on other field positions, his paintball marker should be versatile enough to handle short and long range shooting, but be small and light enough to move quickly with. Any Tippmann marker equipped with a Flatline barrel is a great choice. This barrel is extremely accurate and can shoot very long distances, however is still fairly short (14 inches!), keeping your marker small and easy to wield.
The Sniper
The Backman often takes the sniper’s job, but sometimes there is a designated sniper position. His job is to pick off key players from the opposing team and provide cover fire for teammates in front of him. The sniper will stay in the back field as long as he has the best vantage point to make the most accurate shots. Having the best view of the field is a key element in the sniper’s game plan, so the sniper position should move accordingly to keep finding more advantageous spots to shoot from—remember—your targets are always on the move, too!
The best gear for a sniper is obviously some type of sniper paintball gun - something with a longer than average barrel (16-18″+) and maybe even some type of optics/scope to better hone in on specific targets. How powerful your scope is should be based on the size of field you’re playing on. Scenario games may have much larger fields and more powerful optics may help to make longer shots or to seek out the opposition from farther away. Speedball fields are much shorter and a less powerful sight (like a Red Dot) would work fine if you even need anything at all. Precision shots are what the sniper is all about, but remember their other job is to provide cover fire for the mid and front players – so they should carry enough paintballs to be able to do this. The sniper doesn’t move quite as much as the other players, so carrying more ammo is not as much of a problem.
Decide on which position you like to play based on how much you like to move and shoot during a game. If you’re an ‘up front, in your face, get the job done’ type of person, perhaps the Frontman is the position for you. Remember, though these players shoot the least, get shot at the most and do the most running/moving during the game….. they’re also the player who sees the most action and excitement. If you’re a more calculating person, don’t like to move as much or if you prefer the thrill of picking your target for precision shooting, the Sniper is the job for you. If you love all the positions, stay in the middle of the field and be ready to take over whoever gets shot as the Floater.
About the Author
Dan Levesque is the owner and operator of a successful online paintball retail store, ChoicePaintballGuns.com. He also owns and operates several other successful businesses and is the treating doctor at a full time chiropractic clinic. He is also a professional powerlifter and trains several top level strength athletes.
Tippmann A5 Flatline w/ Scope – Test
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