Communication is lacking almost every game. Teams lose because of lack of communication. A team is not a team unless there is teamwork, and the essence of teamwork is communication. There are many forms of communication on the paintball field. (e.g. Hand Signals, Yelling, Radio Walkie-Talkies).

The military uses hand signs more than just a few times and it has proven helpful in operations both simple and complex. The secret to this working is practice.  Everyone on the team HAS to know what the signals you are using mean. A simple set of signals should be worked out before hand and practiced each time you play.

Make sure your team mate saw the signal. This means you need to see them nod their head or give the "OK" signal so you know they are on the same sheet of paper you are.

a. Cover is natural or artificial protection from the fire of enemy weapons. Natural cover (ravines, hollows, reverse slopes) and artificial cover (fighting positions, trenches, walls) protect the team from flat trajectory fires and partly protect it from high-angle fires that the opposing team tries to drop in on you. Even the smallest depression or fold in the ground may provide some cover when the team needs it most. A 6-inch depression, properly used, may provide enough cover to save the team under fire. Snipers must always look for and take advantage of all the cover that the terrain provides. By combining this habit with proper movement techniques, the team can protect itself from enemy fire. To get protection from enemy fire when moving, the team uses routes that put cover between itself and the enemy.

b. Concealment is natural or artificial protection from enemy observation. The surroundings may provide natural concealment that needs no change before use (bushes, grass, and shadows). The team creates artificial concealment from materials such as burlap and camouflage nets, or it can move natural materials (bushes, leaves, and grass) from their original location. The team must consider the effects of the change of seasons on the concealment provided by both natural and artificial materials. The principles of concealment include the following

(1) Avoid unnecessary movement. Remain still—movement attracts attention. The position of the sniper team is concealed when the team remains still, but the sniper’s position is easily detected when the team moves. Movement against a stationary background makes the team stand out clearly. When the team must change positions, it moves carefully over a concealed route to a new position, preferably during limited visibility. Snipers move inches at a time, slowly and cautiously, always scanning ahead for the next position.

(2) Use all available concealment. Available concealment includes the following

(a) Background -Background is important. The team must blend with it to prevent detection. The trees, bushes, grass, earth, and man-made structures that form the background vary in color and appearance. This makes it possible for the team to blend with them. The team selects trees or bushes to blend with the uniform and to absorb the figure outline. Snipers must always assume they are under observation.

(b) Shadows -The sniper team in the open stands out clearly, but the sniper team in the shadows is difficult to see. Shadows exist under most conditions, day and night. A sniper team should never fire from the edge of a wood line; it should fire from a position inside the wood line (in the shade or shadows provided by the tree tops).

(3) Stay low to observe. A low silhouette makes it difficult for the enemy to see a team member. Therefore, the team observes from a crouch, a squat, or a prone position.

 (4) Avoid shiny reflections. Reflection of light on a shiny surface instantly attracts attention and can be seen from great distances. The sniper uncovers his riflescope only when indexing and aiming at a target. He uses optics cautiously in bright sunshine because of the reflections they cause.

(5) Avoid sky lining. Figures on the skyline can be seen from a great distance, even at night, because a dark outline stands out against the lighter sky. The silhouette formed by the body makes a good target.

(6) Alter familiar outlines. Military (and paintball) equipment and the human body are familiar outlines to the other team.  It’s pretty easy to pick out a hopper in the sunlight. The team alters or disguises these revealing shapes by using the Ghillie suit or outer smock that is covered with irregular patterns of garnish.

(7) Observe noise discipline. Noise, such as talking, can be picked up by enemy patrols or observation posts. The sniper team silences gear before a mission so that it makes no sound when the team walks or runs. Paintball teams need to understand the value of noise discipline. As mentioned in the section on Communication, this doesn’t apply when the rounds, or paintballs start to fly.

Defeating a player hidden in a bunker (or bunkering them) is not all that difficult. It is it is imperative that your team works together though.

To successfully take a bunker down, and the players in and around it, your team will have to come up with a planned strategy. Sure you can rush the thing, spray paint and maybe actually achieve the upper hand but that’s not really suggested.

The Bunker:  The bunker is not only the actual bunker itself but also the surrounding area.

The Assault Teams: Teams as we use them here are not ten of fifteen people. The assault team is part of your overall paintball team. It can be as few as one person (dangerous) or two or three players.

Moving In (and defeating) a Bunker: If the defending team is smart, there is a first line of defense outside of the structure. This first line has to be dealt with first, of course. This can be done in a couple ways. One method is to triangulate on the outside players and take them out. Or, to make it even more fun, scare them into retreating into the bunker with the others. This is where it gets interesting.

The bunker needs to be attacked from several different points. This should usually be done with two assault teams. A team can consist of one player, but two or three works much better. If using three assault teams, one team should lay down covering fire to allow the other two teams to move into position. It really makes no difference what position this covering fire comes from as long as your other teams know the plan and the "bunkered" team is distracted and concerned with not eating a lot of paint from this covering team.

All three teams should try to move as close as possible to the bunker area and still maintain cover. You want to be close enough to your target to allow for good accurate shots but not so close as to expose yourself. It is an important point to remember that you know where the other team is. They are in that bunker. On the other hand they may not know where your team is. This means they WILL present themselves as targets to one of your assault teams or another. 

For the team that is covering fire, all that is needed is to lob a round or two in at the bunkered team when they stick their heads up. A consistent paintball every time they try to make a move will keep them in the bunker where you want them. This makes them forget all about the impending doom from your other teams as they are too busy worrying about the covering fire your team is laying down. 

As the other assault teams move into position, a signal should be given that they are ready. Each team will most likely not be able to see each other so we go back to communication. At a predetermined signal the other teams open up on the targets that are presented. The bunker now has paint coming from three directions. It’s just a matter of time before it’s all over for them. 

Fire from three directions consistently will allow a player to crawl right up on them.  If you are really into scenario games the paintball grenade works wonders at this point.