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by Mike Aberle

Overview:Saturday had highs in the low 80s, partly sunny and low humidity, better than you could hope for on an Illinois mid summer day. This kind of weather really goes together well with in-the-woods paintball. 18 people showed up to enjoy both.


Game 1: When we have players new to the Backyard, we often start with an attack-defend game. The more static nature of play gives them a chance to learn the ground.
It was defend the bunker. The red team had 15 minutes to get a red player in the bunker and hold it until time.
Red spread generally from North tape line to the creek. The idea was to control the East approach, provide support from the pasture and reeds area, then push the North tape line. I used the concealment of brush to work my way into the pig pen. From that position, I tagged an unsuspecting player through a gun port in the top of the Bunker. I was busy popping shots into the bunker in an attempt to draw fire from any remaining defenders. Nothing from the Bunker, but fire erupted from a defender near the tape line behind it. I returned fire & drove him to cover. Suspecting the Bunker empty, I was seriously considering rushing the Bunker from the pasture side. This would put the rise & the Bunker between me and its known defender. While I was considering my best approach, I got taken out. My team mates arrived and were charging the empty Bunker when time ran out. Yellow won by a few feet and a couple of seconds.

Game 2: Red defending the Bunker. Twenty minute game. At the horn, three of us ran hard across the open pasture into the reeds and took up ambush positions. I drew fire while moving to a better position and fell back to cover. Yellow had arrived. My partner opened up on a target, also evidently missing. No decent shot and light cover. I used my team mates fire to cover my moving into the creek. No cover. No concealment. But, if I keep my head down I'm below their line of site. If I don't splash too much and draw attention, I should be able to get a good flank, or maybe behind him.
Move upstream as fast as I dare. Risk a look. I see him. But I have a poor shot and, he is not firing but his partner is. So there is another one very near & I don't see him. Move farther upstream and exit the creek. Careful now. Don't need to be snapping any big sticks. Someone yells out. Darn, Its my partner. I was too slow. I freeze as the dead red guy walks by. Don't want any eyes pick me out that are watching him. I see the previous foe and move a few feet for a good, clear shot. Scan the area for the unseen yellow player I know is there, somewhere. Draw up a bead from some 30 to 40 feet well behind his peripheral vision. Normally, I would fire once & wait for results. But because of a near enemy of unknown position, I have to be sure and fire two quick shots. He screams out. His bud pops out of the brush a few feet to the left and ahead of my tagged target, moves and disappears again. I swing further from the creek and spot his prone shape. He doesn't know where I am. Again I fire twice, because I have no cover. He's out. Well, that was my best play for the day. Meanwhile, the Bunker is receiving fire from attackers near the North tape line. The remaining red player that entered the reeds, Chris, and I circled into the staging area to come up behind the attackers in hopes of painting their backs. We managed to get close but, each time, defending fire found it's mark before we could find a target.
With a minute left and the Bunker firmly in red's control, I took off on safari after the origin of some shots I heard West of the Bunker. I walked into my prey's line of site and got taken out with only seconds left in the game.

Game 3: Capture the flag. Red in the Log fort, Yellow in the Corner fort.
At the start Yellow took possession of the Bunker and formed a rough line from it to the fence, controlling the North ridge. Red moved most of it's force North to form a line some 60 feet from fence into the pasture. I pushed forward along the base of the ridge, took a yellow player out from in front of me, then advanced to the top of the ridge and crossed the mowed path. I could see the Corner Fort and was in good position, so I waited for an opportunity. It soon came. Red began a push up the fence. I raised up to tag a retreating Yellow when I got hit from a sniper from my 11 o'clock. The push did not succeed and the game ended with both flags undisturbed.

Game 4: Capture the flag. Red in the Corner fort, Yellow in the Old fort. Capture the flag. At the start, Red took the Bunker and the main squad ran hard to take the Log fort. We met no resistance so we advance toward the creek. Kicked up one Yellow player and tagged him and started taking fire from the Old fort. I got hit by a shot from the fort that somehow manage to find me in the brush. Red went on to pull the Yellow flag, but the flag carrier was taken out soon after crossing back across the creek. Another tied game.

Game 5: Nepolionic style: Players are often skeptical when we suggest trying this. Both teams line up facing each other with nothing but about 150 feet of grass between them.
One player calls out: "Ready. Aim. Fire! (pause) Step forward." The he repeats, "Ready. Aim. Fire! (pause) Step forward." Only one shot is sent across the field by each player for each "Fire!" command. Dodging incoming paint is expected. Any tagged players simply sit down (or fall if they feel theactrical) where they are hit. Misses and bounces are common and casualties seldom until the "Step forward" shortens the distance to under 100 feet. This is repeated until there is only one left standing. (The caller may continue calling commands from a sitting/laying position if hit and dead players may perform paint checks.)
One red player was left standing. Everyone enjoyed the game.

Game 6: Predator.
In this scenario, one player (usually the guy that suggests this game,) goes out into the field and hides. The remaining players join to one large hunting party. Here is the catch: the predator must be hit in the mask to be taken out. The predator may take out players under the usual "break anywhere" rules. When his victims are tagged, they call out, put in their plugs, walk to a position of cover behind the creditor and remove their plug. Now they too are a creditor The idea here is to eliminate the creditor while he is still out numbered some dozen to one. As you can imagine, this game is not for someone not willing to risk LOTS of hits from a lot of guys trying to hit a mask. It should only be played by experienced players with discretion and fire control. We, actually, I soon found the creditor by springing his ambush. Another victim soon followed me to a position behind the original creditor The new predators soon were taking the heat from our recruiter and initiated another to the fold. I caught a ball in the visor and went out. The game lasted for some forty plus minutes before all surviving players became predators.