* Teams

By: iSoaker.com

To assemble an truly good water fight Team, one needs to find dedicated Players who have a true passion for the soak and the desire to remain dry. The Team must be made up of various individuals who are willing to take on different responsibilities in the Team based on the blasters they choose. A good Team will have a mixture of heavily armed personel mixed with more mobile scouts and attackers. The Team must learn each others' strengths and weaknesses. The Team must also learn to work as a group, co-ordinating attacks and striving together to achieve the perfect drench. The best Teams turn drenching the opponents into an artform, beautiful to watch (unless one's on the opposing side).

Leading the Team

All good water Teams have a Captain that leads them. The responsibility of the Team Captain is many-fold. The Captain must be aware of the strengths of the different members of the Team, knowing who would be best to scout as opposed to who would be best to patrol a given area. Setting up a good line of communication is critical for gathering as much information as possible about enemy location before attempting a strike. The Captain must also know how to excite the Team into a well-groomed drenching machine and know how to coordinate its members to do unified attacks. Though many may wish to be a Captain, most may find it hard to do a good job at it. Being a Captain does not mean one will get to do the most soaking. In fact, good Team Captains often are busier coordinating the Team's to attack specific targets as opposed to engaging the opponents himself/herself.

Being in the Team

Though the Team can only have one Captain, every member of the Team is critical for its functioning. The duty assigned to an individual by the Captain should be followed as well as possible. Any complaints about one's assignment should be voiced before entering the field since conflicts between allied Players make the Team much less efficient and more likely to fail in their quest to drench the opposition.

Throughout the duration of the missions, each member should be able to relay what information they have about the opposition to the Captain. The Captain's objectives should reflect that of the Team. Only the Captain will have the total information of the group making the Captain's choices to attack or retreat orders which should be followed. Of course, being a member of a Team also means one can give input about a suggested course of action. In the end, however, the Captain has the final word.

Assigning Duties

Any good water combat Team needs specialists for different duties. There is, of course, a Captain whose job it is to synthesize various information and come up with a plan of attack or defense. A good Team also needs a scout, standard "Forward" and perhaps a special/heavy blaster Players. Other duties can include a supply officer (for ensuring water supply is decent) and a field repairer for mid-game repairs, etc.

Duties should be assigned based both on the person, their skills, and their blasters. Someone who cannot move too quickly would not make a good scout nor would someone using a CPS3000. At the same time, it's almost silly to use someone armed only with an XP40 as a "Forward" unless there is really no one else available.

Blaster Classifications (examples for each class given)

• Light: SS30, SS50, SS MDS, XP20, XP40, XP70, XP75, SC400, SC500
• Medium: SS100, XP110,XP150, XXP175, SC600, SC Power Pak, CPS2100
• Heavy: CPS1500, CPS2000, CPS2500
• Extra-Heavy: CPS3000, Monster XL

Assigned Duty

>> Captain : Can use any blaster type, but the Captain's role is to coordinate attacks/defense more than attacking. As a leader, the Captain should be able to quickly get the information he/she needs and come up with good plans on how to strike at or defend against the opposition. Brains are more important than braun.

>> Supply Officer : Medium or Heavy blasters recommended. The supply officer's job is to watch over the stock-pile of water bottles, etc. for refilling. As this resource may be a desired target by the opposition, decent blasters are recommended for protection.

>> "Forward": Can use any blaster type though one Heavy/Medium and one Light blaster combination recommended. "Forwards" make up the bulk of the Team. As such, they need to be well equipped, but not too heavily that movement is restricted. "Forwards" should also be very familiar with their blasters of choice as well as be able to move at a good pace.

>> Heavy Blaster Forward: Heavy/Extra Heavy blasters recommended or a good mix of Heavy/Medium blasters. The Heavy Blaster Forward is the one who is not expected to move quickly, but with that level of water power, moving quickly is not that important. The H.B.F.'s duties really come into play during attacking or base defense. Their blasters allow near water-saturation with just a couple of shots, but their lack of mobility means that they should be supported by "Forwards" to draw away fire.

>> Scout: Light blasters recommended though some can still move adequately using medium or heavy blasters. Scouts need to travel quickly and lightly. Scouts are not meant to directly engage the opposition, rather report their position to the rest of the Team so that a strike or counter-strike can be made. Scouts should also be quick sprinters and good at hiding.

>> Field Mechanic : Light blasters recommended though some can still move adequately using a medium or heavy blasters. Mechanics should carry with them some various tools (i.e. small screwdrivers, scissors, pocket knife, etc.) and materials (i.e. duct tape, rope, etc.) to be able to make repairs on blasters in the field or set-up traps/alarms/watermines. They may also be involved in directly engaging the opposition but are more often used to cover the rear or supply suppression fire to the "Forwards" and Heavy Weapons Forwards. Their main purpose, however, is repair, maintainance and refilling the blasters of the rest of the Team and, of course, trap/alarm/watermine set-up or disarming.

Of course, depending on how many people one has, one cannot always fill each position. In those cases, different people can be assigned multiple duties still depending on what blasters they have and what skills they possess.

For group tactics, go to the Teams Tactics page.

"Forwards" are the backbone of the water combat team. "Forwards" are the ones who typically go in and directly engage the enemy. As such, "Forwards" need to be well armed and well trained in using their blasters.
"Forwards" follow orders from the Captain but should also be able to make situation-specific decisions if something comes up. "Forwards" should also be relatively agile and quick, able to evade enemy fire. The majority of any water combat team is made up of "Forwards".

Tips

• should be well-armed and able to use their choice of blaster effectively
• must be familiar with various blasters, recognizing blaster's weaknesses and strengths
• should be relatively quick and agile, able to evade enemy fire or get behind cover during a fire-fight
• must always work for the good of the team

Heavy Forward (HFs) are the heavily armed "Forwards" who specialize in using the hard hitting blasters. As such, they have an incredible drenching capability, but they also need defending since their blasters tends to be bulky and slow their movement. Few Players truly understand how to use heavy blasters properly, but it is those individuals who really can show you the true power behind blasters like the CPS2000 or CPS3000.
HFs follow orders from the Captain but should also be able to make situation-specific decisions if something comes up. HFs should also be relatively strong, able to use their large blasters with the same dexterity as "Forwards" use mid-sized blasters. For a group to do well, there should really only be one or two HFs supported by "Forwards".

Tips

• should be well-armed and able to use their choice of blaster effectively
• must be familiar with various blasters, recognizing blaster's weaknesses and strengths
• should carry a ridiculously large amount of water. The more, the merrier
• must always work for the good of the team

The Captain of a water fight Team must possess the right stuff to fill their role. Good Captains must be able to get and synthesize information, being able to come up with effective plans of offense or defense quickly. Captains need to have confidence in their decisions and be able to convey this confidence to the rest of the Team. The Captain must be a person which the entire group respects and be able to listen to, otherwise all the Captain's orders could go to waste.
In a water fight Team, the Captain must be the "brains " of the group, thinking about how the Team can function best together to achieve their goal of giving their enemy a good soaking. To do that, a Captain must know the strengths and weaknesses of the Team's members to be able to take advantage of each person's strengths while minimizing their weaknesses.
As the Captain's job is to co-ordinate, Captains often do not get to participate in the serious exchanges of water between the group and opponents. Engaging the opposition is more the job of a "Forward" than a Captain. However, there are times which the Captain will accompany the team into engagements but this is usually to ensure the attack goes as planned.

Tips

• must be able to make quick decisions
• should be able to assess members of the team and assign them to various duties based on the member's strengths, armaments and abilities
• should be able to speak clearly and be trusted by the group. If the current Captain of a group cannot be trusted, pick a new Captain
• must be open to suggestions from the Team. A Captain that does not listen to suggestions makes a poor Captain. However, should also be able to come to a decision and not end up stuck in a debate
• must always work for the good of the team and be able rally the team into a well-oiled soaking machine

On Leaders and Leading by Pyro | Posted: 20020102

How to choose a leader:
This one is a no-brainer, but I'll mention it, anyway. The simplest way to choose a leader is a good, old-fashioned vote. This is because the leader must be trusted by the majority of the team so his orders can be carried out without question. His men should trust him enough that they do not think anything is a suicide mission, no matter how crazy it may sound. (That's a tip to all you squad leaders out there!)

How to train a leader:
The best way to train a leader is to work on the phrase: "practice makes perfect". When a new leader is chosen, hold skirmishes, training sessions, and get the team familiar with the way the new leader likes to wage war. Get familiar with the terms he'll use and know him inside and out. The leader should also know his men the same way. And remember, "Forwards" are not pawns.

Pre-Battle decisions:
Stuff like "who does what and where?", the handing out of battle assignments, the forming of a preliminary battle-plan, and the dividing of fire teams. (If applicable to your squad.)

During-Battle decisions:
Just go with the flow. Make new plans if necessary, hand out new assignments, and SPARE NOBODY THEIR DRYNESS!

After-Battle decisions:
Re-evaluate the team and promote/demote members (if a rank system applies to your team). Repair, rest, and re-arm for the next round!

P.S. Follow those words of wisdom (RX3) and you will win.

Field Mechanics are not commonly seen on the water fight field but do play a role in some of the larger water fight games. Their job is two-fold: to repair any damaged blaster and to set/deactivate traps such as water mines, trip-wires, alarms, etc.
Mechanics should carry a variety of tools and equipment on them for field use (i.e. screwdrivers for opening blasters, duct tape, electrical tape, scissors, rubber bands, glue, etc.) Mechanics/demolitions also often carry a variety of water balloons, alarms and water mines for setting up traps and alarms on the field.
In the field, however, it is usually unwise for anyone to travel unarmed. As such, mechanics/demolitions should also carry a blaster with them. The blaster of choice should be one which they find comfortable to use but not limiting in the amount of other equipment they are carrying.

Tips

• should be armed, but not too heavily since their role is team support, not attack
• must be familiar with various blasters, knowing common blaster problems and how to quickly fix them on the go
• should carry a variety of tools for repairs on the field
• should be able to set-up and locate/disarm alarms, traps and water mines quickly
• must always work for the good of the team

The Supply Officer is vital for any Team. Good Sup. Officers are able to carry good amounts of water and able to refill basically any water blaster quickly and efficiently. Their role is vital since, without water, the Team would find their blasters being left high and dry while the opposition easily drenches them until they are cold and wet. Since the Sup. Officer's job is to watch over the stockpile of reserve water, guard the water supply, and ensure water bottles, water balloons, back-up blasters, etc. are filled and ready for use. Typically, Sup. Officers end up guarding the base (if there is one) or water bottle supplies when the Team is on the move. As the opposition may find filled water bottles a good target to go for, the Sup. Officer should be aware and be well-armed to deal with any incursions into friendly space.

Tips

• should maintain Team's supply of water bottles, water balloons, back-up blasters, etc.
• must be familiar with various methods of loading water blasters quickly and efficiently
• must always work for the good of the team

Scouts play a pivotal role in any true water fight game. All things being equal, the side which will win is the side with the most information on where the opposition is and where their weaknessness are. The Scout's job is to locate the opposing Team(s), assess their strengths and weaknesses and report this back to the rest of the Team such that a good plan of attack can be designed.
Due to the nature of a Scout's job, they must be quick, travelling light and fast through any terrain but remaining as quiet and invisible to the enemy as possible. Clothing to match the terrain definitely helps as well as binoculars for seeing far ahead. Since Scouts must travel lightly, a small or medium blaster is recommended. The thought of a Scout carrying a CPS3000 is ridiculous. The largest recommendable blaster would be a CPS2100.
Scouts should always scan the area ahead the group when the team is on the move. Scouting missions should also be done before any major attack to attempt to discover any surprises the enemy may have in store.

Tips

• should be lightly equipped and not engage the opponents if possible
• must be familiar with various blasters, recognizing blasters' weaknesses and strengths
• should be able to move quickly and silently
• should carry a walkie-talkie if available for reporting opposition's location quickly to the rest of the Team
• must be good at making note of vital information (i.e. number of opponents, blasters being used, filling station locations, etc.)
• must always work for the good of the Team

Posted: 20040501