PSP Chicago: Thoughts & Observations

Wednesday: Gots to get you one of them Pro Paintball T-shirts. Enter a contest. Beg if you have to. They are hot and very cool. I’m just saying and it isn’t because I’ve got mine. Thanks, Guys. It was hotter than Hades’ greenhouse today. The cooler temperatures promised for later in the week will bring us closer to Death Valley-like days. (Okay, maybe not quite that bad but ballpark.) When the crew arrived last Tuesday the venue had a small lake where the Pro field used to be. So that was at least partly responsible for the venue this year. It’s 2 rows of three fields with access to the fields from the middle of the Pro row. The Pro field is the center field and everyone who parks across the street passes the vendors to get to the fields access point or to the Pro field bleachers. Beyond that are few more vendors and registration and refreshments. No final word on the Doritos logo dealio yet. So far most of the games I saw today were marked by the lack of discipline on display. Which was matched, fortunately, by a decent level of aggression. The result was often entertaining if not first rate paintball.

Thursday: the promised relief from the sweltering heat failed to appear today. Maybe tomorrow. As a consequence--at least on the Pro field--Commissioner Mineo is giving the refs extra breaks which has extended the schedule a bit. If the weather remains this brutal I would expect him to continue spelling the refs with extra rest even on webcast Saturday. The Pro teams began play today and the scores were more consistently lop-sided than I’ve ever seen before. At a guess I suspect it’s a result largely of limited practice for some of the teams mixed with the peculiarities of this design--and a continuation (for some) of yesterday’s lack of discipline. [I’ll talk about that more next week when VFTD recaps the event.]
There’s more on the webcast front, too. You may remember VFTD suggested one way of getting more of the D-wire action might be to put cameras in protected brackets on the penalty boxes to give mid-field and D-wire shots. (I was mostly just throwing it out there while trying to abide by the 180 degree rule. [It’s a film maker’s thing.]) Turns out the webcast will have those shots and more. (And bigger and better besides.) Patrick "Monkey With a Gun" Spohrer--and webcast mastermind--was kind enough to credit VFTD with the idea but the truth is the crane mounted remote control cameras at each end of the field are way beyond our idea and should provide tremendous shots of the game play. (And be the kind of shots that will let viewers see the points unfold and allow you to follow the hows and whys along with the action.) The only question I have now is can I Tivo the webcast so I get to watch, too?

Chicago '09 layout: Command & Control

In my last post on the Chicago layout I commented briefly on the s-side (snake side) MD. This post will expand on those thoughts and demonstrate the ways this critical bunker can (and will) be played. (I call it a critical bunker because my expectation is most teams at all levels will play this position most points.) I am limiting the post to the competing ways of making the bunker as a primary and the ways to try denying movement to the bunker.

FYI, I'm doing this for two reasons after more or less saying I wouldn't; 1) the Eurokids seemed to appreciate a similar effort and fair's fair and 2) I am not concerned that this post will assist any team we may play. (Click on the diagram for a larger version.)

Making the Bunker
There are 4 numbered routes on the diagram.
1 protects the runner from a home shooter as the runner uses the X as a blocker and dives in tight on the MD. It also allows the runner to play gun up and see anyone edging out into a wider zone. The limitation to this route is it also blocks (restricts) (inhibits) (delays) a teammate's lane as the home shooter.
2 is the speed rush variant where the runner comes off the board low and runs and dives into the bunker relying a burst of speed and limited profile to make the bunker as quickly as possible.
3 is a run & gun variation that uses the bunker to block any inside out lane while allowing the player to shoot the zone behind the opponent's MD and pillars. The player also has the option to delay or alter his/her run on this route for whatever reason.
4 is an intentional delay and misdirection route. The object is to bring another lane of fire to bear and read the opponent's breakout in order to pick and choose from some optional primaries. Otherwise it is the same as 3.

Denying the Bunker
Position A represents a d-side runner going corner or MT. Position A is running & gunning with the expectation there will be an opponent attempting to make the s-side MD. Position A initially shoots at a home shooter and as the player gets wider swings the lane into the MD.
Position B turns off the board and immediately lanes the V-shaped gap created by the visual overlap of the X and the target MD. A fast well-placed low lane has the potential to clip a runner on route 1 or 2.
Position C is intending to use his/her MD to block the opponent's home shooter while covering routes 3, 4 and possibly even 2 depending on the relative quickness of the players.
Position D is a point of opportunity where the laner initially looks for a wider runner but has the option to swing his/her gun inside to bear on a delay or an opponent's MD route runner.
Position E is a corner runner shooting outside in into the zone behind the MD as the runner swings the arc of his lane back inside.
Note that options B, C & D can also be elements in a player running route 3 or 4 as well as independent shooters hesitating at those spots trying to catch the opposition runner.

Regardless of your strategy make sure to pay attention to what your opponent is doing with respect to playing the s-side MD. Winning this little contest more often than not could very well be your key to winning the match.