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Heading out on to an airsoft field for the very first time is going to be an immense amount of fun. However, do you know what would make it even more fun? Using proper airsoft tactics. You have to remember that airsoft is based upon real military exercises. It isn’t a game designed to ‘run and gun’. If you want to succeed, then you need to have a plan.
Here, we want to introduce you to our list of 12 airsoft tactics for beginners. We are going to try and keep things nice and simple here. We are not going to share complicated ‘plays’ or anything. We are just going to talk about the sorts of things that we have noticed beginners forgetting about!
#1 Picking Up Your Feet When You Move
Do you want to know the quickest way to have a hail of airsoft pellets raining down upon you? It is to make a sound when you move.
It seems that one of the airsoft tactics for beginners that people absolutely must learn when they are starting out in the game is to move a little bit differently.
When you are walking, you should be picking your feet up off of the ground. Most people, when walking normally, will have a little bit of a shuffle in their step. This is not good for airsoft because even the slightest of shuffles could cause rustling of feathers which will draw eyes in your direction.
Nailing how to walk can be a bit tricky at the start. It feels a little bit ‘odd’. However, once you have learned to pick your feet up, the game becomes so much easier. You will be staying hidden.
#2 Change Magazines During Your Downtime
A lot of newbies fire their magazine until it is completely empty. This isn’t a good thing to do. Imagine being in the midst of a gun battle, only to spend your last round. You won’t be hanging around in the game for much longer after that.
If you have a spot where you have a magazine that is under 50% full and you aren’t under fire, then replace the magazine. This will help to ensure that you have a full magazine the next time you come under contact. As with all of the airsoft tactics for beginners that we have discussed here, this will drastically increase your chances of winning.
You should probably be thinking about your gas or batteries too. These will also need to be changed out regularly so they do not die on you in the midst of gunfire.
#3 Slow and Steady Wins the Race
As mentioned at the start, airsoft is based upon military games. When you are playing airsoft, you will need to act exactly how somebody would act if they were in a military combat situation. Guess what? The military doesn’t run out, guns blazing. They would die.
If you are serious about airsoft, then you need to be slow and steady. The cover is your friend. Move between pieces of cover, slowly. Do not run out in the middle of a field. You will be ‘gunned down’ before you know it.
#4 Keep Moving
The longer you stay in one position, the more chance there is of somebody spotting you. Stay in place even longer, and you will probably be surrounded by the entire opposing team. This means that you constantly need to be on the move, heading from cover to cover.
#5 Stay Low
It is important that you stay low while you are playing. You can even move into a prone position if you plan on staying in one location for an extended period of time.
Your head should never be any higher than the cover you are in. The opposing team will be constantly scanning the environment. If they see your head, then they will know exactly where you are.
#6 Work as a Team
Once again, this is a game based upon military tactics. Nobody in the military is Rambo. If you do not work as a team, you will not survive.
It is vital that you and your team work together. This means communicating effectively and sticking together. You may even use military formations. We won’t talk about the latter here. That is more ‘advanced’ stuff. Once you really start getting into airsoft, it isn’t uncommon to practice your teamwork away from the actual game. This is how you become a good player. For now, if you are new, just pay attention to your teammates. This means following their lead.
#7 Cover Your Teammates
While we are on the subject of teamwork, it is important that you learn how to provide covering firing (sometimes known as suppressive fire) to your teammates.
At times, your team is going to come under attack from your opponents. This means that you will likely need to move into a better position. Every person should have a partner. When their partner moves, they will fire in the direction of the opponent. This will help to keep their opponent’s head down. If their opponent’s head is down, then they can’t let off any rounds.
Things can get a little bit more advanced as you get into the game. However, for most beginners, pairing up should be more than fine. Once you understand the game, you can move in threes and even fours. More people means more angles being covered.
#8 Learn to Scan the Environment
This is one of the most important airsoft tactics for beginners.
We have seen a lot of new players dive into the sport, and a lot of them do the exact same thing; they just run forward, facing the direction that they are heading in. Guess what? That is how you get hit by a pellet.
It is vital that you learn how to move your head around. Whether you are in a stationary position or moving, you should be looking around you. Look to the left. Look to the right. Look up. Look down. This way you will be able to get a solid understanding of what is happening in your environment, and this means you may be able to spot hidden opponents.
Learning to scan the environment is especially important before you start moving. A slow scan may help to uncover camouflaged opponents. You may be able to spot them before they spot you.
#9 Burst Fire is Important
While your weapon may come equipped with a fully auto-firing setting, you probably won’t be using it all that much. At the most, it is going to be good for a bit of heavy cover fire here and there.
If you have your weapon switched to full auto, then the weapon will be bouncing up and down as it hurls a torrent of rounds in the direction of your opponent. This means that you are going to lose a lot of accuracy.
If you are looking to take out an opponent, then fire in short bursts. Better yet, let out one round at a time. You have a much better chance of succeeding if you do that!
#10 Use the Prone Position to Sneak Up on an Opponent
If you have spotted an opponent and they haven’t spotted you, then get down into a prone position and move slowly towards them. You may be able to take them out completely silently.
It is important that you understand the rules for the game that you are playing, though. For safety reasons, you have to be a minimum distance away before you let off a shot. So, you can’t get within a foot of them and pull the trigger. You would be thrown out of the game pretty quickly, and the opponent may end up with a rather serious injury.
#11 Use Pyros
This is where the real fun of airsoft is. Using pyros. This means smoke grenades, standard grenades, and flashes. Use them tactically, and you will be able to clear out an entire area pretty quickly. It is great if you are facing a ton of enemies, perhaps because they have all managed to crowd themselves into the same building.
#12 Understand the Objective
It isn’t a tactic as such, but a lot of beginners never really seem to understand what their objectives are in their first few airsoft games. If you don’t know the objective, then you stand absolutely no chance of winning the game. Before you start playing airsoft, then make sure that you talk to your team members to plan out your attack or defense (depending on the role that your team is playing). If you dive into the game with a plan, then your chances of winning go all the way up.
12 Airsoft Tactics for Beginners Final Thoughts
When you are a beginner to airsoft, you are going to lose… a lot. However, we hope that you still end up having a lot of fun. The more you play the game and the more mistakes that you end up making, the more you will improve in the future. A lot of people will never make the same mistake twice.
I hope you enjoyed out list of the 12 airsoft tactics for beginners. Have you utilized any of these tactics on the battlefield? Let us know in the comment section and as always feel free to checkout our beginners guide.