Mailbag: World Cup Asia Layout

A request came in last week for some hints, tips or ideas on how to play the upcoming World Cup Asia layout which happens to be a Millennium style field. While perhaps a shade ironic--seeing as I'm presently advocating not releasing layouts--I rather enjoy doing them and regular readers of VFTD always seem to respond positively. (That doesn't mean I will do field analysis for Joe's Backyard 5-man--because I won't. If you want a personal field analysis I have a Paypal account. Hint. Hint.)

This is an interesting but also (likely to be) a frustrating layout. It is also a more sophisticated design than is the norm in that it offers a lot of diverse options for ways to play it effectively beyond the standard get wide and control the wires--although the layout also at first glance looks to encourage the routine. The frustrating part remains the effectiveness of the Home bunker in offering control lanes which in turn tend to make the typical team somewhat schizophrenic. You want to attack the snake but at the same time you want leave a player (or two!) at Home so the issue breaks down to when a team makes that final transition to either all-out offense or defense. But with a strong Home the tendency isn't to fully commit which is defacto a choice to play defense first--or find yourself (as a team) completely unbalanced early. The remedy for this is to have a more comprehensive game plan in place prior to a point beginning. It is often not enough (particularly for less experienced teams) to simply have primaries and then play with the flow of the point because if your team isn't controlling the point the other team is. A game plan should identify your attack and the sequence or selection of bunkers the team intends to use and there should be keys or triggers the players can recognize to assist in their timing. The goal is to function as a team and that means everybody on the same page with an understanding of how the goal is to be achieved. Sometimes that's as simple as executing your play in accordance with the general principles of paintball and sometimes it also requires a thorough understanding of the unique features of the layout being played.

Let's take a quick look at the lanes before we start talking about some of those bunkers. The inside lane shooting snakeside cannot shoot the inside pin but it can bounce paint off the second pin into the first one. Otherwise the snakeside Home shooter is most effective denying and/or containing the snake's effectiveness once a player is there. On the D-side that innermost lane may not be there. The margins are tight enough that set-up could take that one away. Otherwise take note of the lane over the Temple. The deep zone can be shot by a player on a knee but to get the best possible lane up a standing shooter is required. The risk to a standing shooter is thru the M and a blind lane from the inside opponent's pin. Beyond that it's easy to see how a player with a large pack can slow movement up the D-wire and contest many of the available shots.

The pins on both sides of the field are playable with the blue field surround on the snakeside showing a portion of the area that is difficult to contest except from a mirror. The pins do remain vulnerable to the crossfield angle. Green bunkers are launch points as well as having the ability to contest key zones or lanes. On the D-wire the green MT can compete with both the snake and the D-wire and when played low is also not subject to risk from the snake. And the combo of bunkers snakeside are the principle props providing snake access (although inside out delayed snake runs can also be accomplished from Home or the pins.) All of the snake positions offer effective shots which the doritos don't making it the likely dominant contest on the field--though control of the D-wire also can deliver the point. The orange dorito highlights the shots the doritos do have and the ones they don't. And the proximity with the other doritos are likely to compel competing dorito players to be constantly aware of the run through possibility. The dark blue Can is an MC, a stubby. So, while it offers some wire control it is awkward for taller players and subject to being pinched by snake 1 and harassed by the upfield snakeside Temple along with a number of the D-side bunkers not on the wire. A much better position is the red Can on the D-side and when played low isn't subject to the blind (high) lane snake 2 can shoot. And as a full sized Can gives a taller player almost as much D-side wire control while also offering numerous inside shots and a short bump to D1. The snakeside red Can represents one of the unusual options this field offers as it's a position that can be taken OTB. The player gains rapid proximity to the opponent with little risk and a number of open lanes. Use it to launch into the center of the field or make an inside/out rotation into the nearby Temple.

This field will reward heavy guns up, run & gun play as long as the lanes shot are effective ones.

Lastly, I think you will discover this field lends itself to big bunker (and/or repositioning) runs. Not only wireside and highway on the snake side but inside/out and crossfield as well. See what you can find. For example, the green brick feeding the snake is an invitation to run unless another gun can control movement down the snake. Fortune favors the bold.