Lone Wolf: Are You Harming Your Team?

Before I dive into this post, I want to define who is a “lone wolf” in airsoft?  For the purpose of this post, a lone wolf is a player that prefers to play alone on the field and is isolated from the normal team structure. Lone wolf players can range from those that picture themselves as the uber, lone sniper type seeking a stealth mission thrill, to those that simply find the time alone on the field to be the best way they play airsoft and have fun.  But if you play as a lone wolf, are you hurting your team and being selfish?  Should you be back with your team fighting on the front lines, rather than poking around in the back woods hoping to find an unsuspecting enemy to sneak up on?  Hopefully this post will answer those questions and provide some solutions to make you a better team player during those lone wolf adventures.

I will start by saying that I am a firm believer in players being committed to the team.  Most of the tactics post around the blog focus on how a player can be better involved with a team and complete team missions. I often try to play closely with my team. I include other players by asking them to join me on a push up the field or help me provide cover fire as the rest of the team captures the objective.  But there are times that I prefer to head out and see what I can accomplish all on my lonesome. Below are a few ways that a lone wolf player can still be involved in a team while playing with the airsoft style they enjoy most.

Tell The Team What You Are Doing

I know half the fun of being a lone warrior on the field is being invisible and no one having a clue where you are or what you are doing; but if you want to be a team player you need to communicate what you are doing to the team.  Communication is what teams thrive on.  By giving your battle buddies a heads up that you will be scouting the enemy lines and outflanking them, you end up with a win-win situation. Knowing that you are going to be sneaking behind enemy lines gives your team a moral boost and also keeps them from viewing you as “that guy” just hanging out by himself.

Communicating your plan to the team also prevents friendly fire.  I can’t count how many times I have taken aim on a player, or become very suspicion of what they were up to, before realizing it was a friendly teammate that had pushed too far up the field without me knowing.  Not only does it hurt them if I am forced to engage them as a target, but it also takes my focus off the real threat.  So please, give your team the respect they deserve and let them know you are going lone wolf if possible.

Have A Mission and Return Plan

Going lone wolf for no reason makes zero tactical sense.  Every move should have a mission, otherwise you don’t contribute anything to the team and can’t judge if you are even good at being a lone wolf airsofter.  The best success I have had as a lone wolf player have been when I took the time to decide what my mission was.  A simple goal such as outflanking the enemy team, finding their leader and taking him down, or even defending a key position that is off the path the rest of the team is taking will give you an edge.  If at all possible, align your plan with the overall mission of the scenario and do your part to make the mission a success.

In addition to having a primary mission, you should also consider how you plan to get back to friendly lines and rejoin the team.  Sometimes this issue sorts itself out when you get overwhelmed by attacking operators and are sent back to respawn, but never go into a battle without having at least some idea of how to make it back in one piece.

These are just a couple of ways that a lone wolf player can still be an important part of the team.  By being in communication with the team, everyone will benefit.  On a closing note, it is important to remember that even the best military snipers don’t hunt alone.  Their trusty spotter is right there to back them up and prove the point that two are better than one.