Category: Guest Posts

(affiliate links included)

This is Part 2 of the Basic Field Combat Tactics Guest Post by “Venator”.  Click HERE to read Part 1.

“Venator” (Latin for “hunter”) is an avid airsofter who enjoys airsofting with his family on their 10 acres.  He prefers the support role when he goes into battle, but isn’t afraid to take command if the situation warrants it.
His primary weapon is a KWA SR7 and his current dream gun is a KWA SR10. I hope you enjoy the second part of his post and the insight he gives into troop placement and airsoft tactics in open field operations.

Placement

Placing both attackers and defenders is critical in any airsoft battle.  However, field battles are especially tricky because there is little cover to hide defenders and to temporarily shield attackers charging a position.

Defenders:

As with any airsoft combat situation, placement of forces is critical to surviving an assault or attacking a position.

Snipers, as mentioned in Part 1, are useful in maintaining a defensive posture.  A smattering of assault riflemen with snipers should be sufficient to hold a position.  A good rule of thumb in defensive placement is to have at least one assault rifleman per sniper.  Team up these infantry types into pairs (or groups) to maintain that balance.

Place the snipers at both ends of the position and space them unevenly throughout the rest of the area. Why unevenly? Because it prevents attackers from guessing where a well-hid sniper is located.  If the snipers are evenly spaced, a calculating commander who finds a few snipers can guess the other snipers’ positions.  Snipers also should not be placed in areas of cover if the regions of cover are pronounced.  Again, a good battle leader will assume that snipers are placed in those areas of cover.  However, use discernment.  If the snipers will be sitting ducks (obvious targets) if they do not use the obvious cover, then place them behind cover.  Use common sense and modify these tips as necessary.

Assault men are present to provide sweeping fire when the attackers grow closer.  This fire provides two advantages.  First, it typically causes the attackers to hit the dirt, thereby providing easy targets to the snipers.  Secondly, it protects the snipers from a charge.

Charges are very dangerous to snipers.  Since snipers typically have fewer shots than an assault rifle and reload slower, charging assault riflemen can quickly overrun a position if the snipers do not have men with assault rifles to back them up.

Diagram 1 shows the basic positions for snipers (represented by an S) and assault riflemen (represented by an A) in a situation with only sparse bushes for cover. The blue swaths represent the sniper’s areas of engagement.

(Diagram 1)

Attackers:

Attackers will have a much harder time, and offensive tactics are not so easy.  As with the “over the top” trench charges of World War I, expect numerous casualties.

One strategy is to use a catch-up style of engagement.  This will again utilize both snipers and assault riflemen, but they will not be split into groups.  When charging a position, the assault rifles should go first (oh goody!), securing the path as they go.  This is the normal method of assault, but there is one big difference. After the assault riflemen have advanced a few yards (more or less yards may be necessary depending on the size of the field), the snipers should rush up to the assault riflemen’s spots and lie down, prepared to shoot from a prone position.  Again, the assault riflemen will dash forward a few more yards, and the snipers will repeat the process.

If they are suddenly swept by fire at any point, the assault riflemen should immediately crouch and return sweeping fire, taking care to present as little of a profile as possible. Meanwhile, the snipers behind the assault riflemen can provide cover fire for the assault men, picking off defenders that are too hidden for the assault rifles to reach.  Then, when the returning fire dies off, the march should continue.

Every time the assault group is challenged by fire, they should report the approximate location of the shots to command (see next section).  This method of assault allows the snipers to provide cover fire for the main assault group without ever being too far behind to help effectively.  Note in the following diagram how the movements of the parties are apparently random.  In any operation, it is best to maintain an apparently random, yet highly coordinated system of movement to confuse the defenders.

(Diagram 2)

Command:

In the style of warfare discussed in this article, an established command base with communication lines to its soldiers is of paramount importance.  This command post should consist of the overall leader and an assault rifleman.  Move command forward with the troops if communications become strained, but always keep command behind the lines of fire.  Radios are recommended for this setup if available.

I hope you all enjoyed the insight that “Venator” presented in Part 1 and Part 2 of Basic Field Combat Tactics.  Be sure to comment your thoughts and questions below!

(This post includes affiliate links)

The author of this post, “Venator” (Latin for “hunter”), is an avid airsofter that enjoys airsofting with his family on their 10 acres.  He prefers the support role when he goes into battle, but isn’t afraid to take command if the situation warrants it.  His primary weapon is a KWA SR7 and his current dream gun is a KWA SR10. I hope you enjoy his post and the insight he gives into open field operations.

Basic Field Combat Tactics (Part 1) by zfJames

When an airsoft warrior, veteran of many close-quarter-combat (CQC) battles, engages in a field battle, he or she is often at a loss.  Minimal cover and little stealth opportunities can hamper even the most experienced player’s abilities.  However, several basic skills can greatly improve your chances of survival in field combat.  This article provides combat techniques for individuals and large groups.  Modify them as necessary for your style of combat, the size of the group, and the situation.

Movement

Movement is, in its most elemental sense, a method to arrive at point B from point A.  The trick in field combat, however, is that someone is shooting at you as you move from point A to point B and you have little cover.  Simple zigzagging is fine, but it can become predictable.

Crawling is useful, but a defender on a taller plane of ground (such as a hill or fort) can easily pick off the large blob below him.  It is also nearly impossible to shoot accurately in the prone crawling position.  Therefore, standing forms of movement are the most useful.

In CQC situations, the best form of movement is crouching and walking carefully forward.  In field warfare, this leaves one open for shots.  If you must walk forward on a field of fire, turn your body almost completely sideways and walk as straight up and down as you can.  This decreases the target by forcing the defender’s aim to be perfectly aligned side-to-side as opposed to up-and-down.  This tip should obviously be used only for approaches by walking.

It is near impossible to run sideways, and you are likely to trip and fall. When running, try using a variant of the zigzag.  If they catch on, switch it up.  Vary your timing as you run, by darting one way, jogging another, and perhaps walking for the third movement.  This will further bewilder your opponents.  The combinations are endless, just don’t become predictable.

Weaponry

Moving up and down a field is great, but you need to be able to act when you reach your target.  While, for most applications, a sniper rifle is virtually useless, a field scenario can be greatly augmented by snipers.

Snipers, if placed correctly, can halt a charge in its tracks.  They can also pick off any heads that show above the bushes, grasses, or other cover.

CQC assault rifles and other CQC weapons have little use, especially on a large field.  Their accuracy and power diminishes quickly, preventing them from reaching more ranged opponents.

Assault rifles with a Feet-Per-Second (FPS) rating too high for a CQC airsoft arena are invaluable assets in this form of warfare.  The higher the FPS, the better, simply because you have more range.  Pistols do not apply to this general rule, however.  They are used when a person is reloading their gun for self defense and they do not need a high level of firepower to do the job.

Shotguns are utterly useless in this environment.  Their low range nullifies their wide spread of shot.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Basic Field Combat Tactics by zfJames!