The Importance
of Stealth
Paintball is a war game. Firepower and
manpower do matter. Firepower is the ability of a paintball gun to
inflict a lot of paint on your opponents and the ammunition it can
carry. However firepower is useless in the wrong hands. It is still
manpower that will win teams their games.
Manpower is the ability of a player not to only play harder but to
also play smarter in the field. This article tackles about stealth
and how it can win games for you.
Stealth is the ability to blend with your surroundings. Using
different techniques to achieve this, stealth will usually indicate
who the “newbie” is in a paintball environment.
Stealth is about moving the right way. When you have to make a quick
dash, it is best to just stick to paths where there are no twigs.
Twigs are the worst things to step on as they will snap, break, and
make noise. It is recommended that you take your time (when you
still have it) and move slowly when going through a cluttered area.
Stealth is best accomplished when using the proper equipment. Shoes
and clothing will help tremendously in minimizing the sound you
create when moving. Shoes with soft soles are recommended as they
make less noise than army combat boots because they have a natural
sound absorption property that helps limit the sounds made while
stepping.
Soft clothing will also be an advantage as coarse fabrics will
create a lot of noise when brushing against branches and the
foliage. It is great for crawling quietly to go to a desired place
with a minimal amount of noise created.
Other things must also fit snug or tightly on your body. This
includes harnesses and holsters. You should also avoid putting
anything in the leg area since walking and running will cause it to
make noise - this includes your reloads and ammunition.
There are also several techniques such as using colors that match
the foliage of the battlefield: this will hide you and makes you
virtually unseen (when not moving) by your enemies.
When you have to move, it is recommended that you learn how to crawl
the proper way (and with the ability to still fire when needed).
Stealth takes a lot of time to learn properly. Even experienced
players will make mistakes and with these mistakes they learn how
not to do it!