Woodsball rifleman

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Woodsball riflemen, also sometimes called basic infantry, are players who fill out the bulk of a woodsball or scenarioball team in the sport of paintball.

A woodsball rifleman checking his CO₂ tank for frost on a cold day. Carbon dioxide is not an optimal propellant for use on cold days, since the cold temperature hampers its ability to expand, causing wide velocity fluctuations and inconsistent accuracy. One indicator of this is that frost will often accumulate on the outside of a tank near the bottle adapter.

1 General
2 Combat Applications
3 Equipment
4 Riflemen and team commanders
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] General

The bulk of a team's forces are riflemen. They are generally grouped with squads, and rarely play individually unless as a last resort. Most 'newbies' will start out as riflemen, due to the relative simplicity of the position and since most riflemen stick together. Newbies are known to keep together in their first games, forming what are colloquially known as 'newbie clumps'. Being automatically assigned as riflemen gives strategic meaning to this trait.

[edit] Combat Applications

Experienced riflemen are the jacks of all trades, and are expected to fill in when a specialized player has been eliminated. Perhaps ironically, veteran riflemen are virtually the direct opposite of the 'newbie riflemen' described above, in that they characteristically are competent in virtually every style of paintball play. These riflemen would usually travel by themselves, instead of sticking with other riflemen in a squad.

Experienced riflemen may also choose to follow a specific style of play. For example, a rifleman may choose to be a more versatile gunner. Gunners most often carry loads of ammunition and move much slower than, say, a scout. The rifleman may carry more ammunition than other, more versatile riflemen. This rifleman would be the best choice to fill in if a gunner is eliminated.

In a U.S. armed forces fireteam (which consists of a few positions moving together in one squad), riflemen would carry the communications equipment, as well as provide adequate fire support from the rear. This position is also a very suitable job for the woodsball rifleman.

[edit] Equipment

Riflemen would generally use a balanced gearkit so that, when called upon to fill in an eliminated position, would not be too bulky for a faster position, but with substantial ammo for a position who lays down heavy paint. Woodsball riflemen may want to carry their air on their person instead of using an on gun system. This benefits the player by creating a lower, longer profile, thus making ducking behind cover easier.

As mentioned before, a rifleman may choose to follow a specialized form of rifleman. Thus, a quicker rifleman may want to adapt his gearkit to a lighter weight. He may also want to shorten his barrel and perhaps carrying his air on gun, making a higher, thinner profile, bringing his center of gravity closer to him, greatly benefiting his close-quarter game.

[edit] Riflemen and team commanders

It is common for commanders of woodsball teams to adopt the position of rifleman for their combat position; riflemen almost always operate in group. This provides the means for commanders to stay alive throughout the duration of the game, whereas if a commander is a scout or a specialist, he or she would be too isolated from the rest of the team for adequate protection.