Small team, What is the best size?

 

Small airsoft teams can work very well, but it is important to remember priorities and what is essential. 

Steps:

Don't over-complicate. It is often the first instinct of a new team to start assigning roles like sniper, recon, special ops, point man, support gunner, designated marksman, communications expert, etc. However, this is not always the most effective way to set up a team as a persons desires might not effectively match up with their equipment or skills or the needs of the team at that moment.

Don't simplify too much. You need to have some sort of a plan in place of how you will work together. Having a team with no organization means that the team will likely fall apart once the fighting breaks out.

Set up a small team with two main elements. That way, tactics such as leapfrogging, flanking, etc. can be used effectively. With only one group, the leader will have to designate certain players to do a certain thing each time he wants to employ a tactic. This would take up too much time during a firefight. With more than two teams, each unit will be too small to be effective. Only two elements or squads are needed for most basic tactics.

The two elements or squads should be approximately equal in terms of the players' skill and weapons. Each should have one leader. All team members should ideally be equipped with radios. Out of the squad leaders, one is also the team leader. Having said that, I am a firm believer in cross training so that if the squad or team leader is taken out at any point during the game that the two units can continue to work in their absence.

Everyone on a four to six man elements or squads should be at least a rifleman. While desirable it is not always a need for more advanced roles. As your team developers, you can and should start to bring on the more advanced positions.

Instead of having one man do scout or recon work, the entire squard should move. Recon elements are only necessary for large teams that would be potentially much louder moving.

Support gunners are not always necessary. While this position is good at larger events, two or three rifleman can be equally if not more effective in "forcing the enemy to keep thier heads down" by effectively staggering their fire. When one squad is giving suppressing fire, ideally the other squad should be moving to a more favorable position.

With so few players, any "sniper" should stay with the squad until needed to set up in key positions or to take out objectives. Designated marksman are also not necessary but are useful with such a small team. Once a rifleman cannot make a shot, he can simply tell another who is capable to do so.

Pros:

With a smaller team (8 - 12 players) made up of two elements or squads it is much more likely that you learn each others skills and abilities. You will also be more likely to move unseen in the field

Cons:

There is a greater likelihood that with a smaller team that if one or two of your players are unable to make a game that your overall team would suffer from losing key positions.

Tips:

When a skirmish does not go well, the team should ask themselves what went wrong. This could be from lack of training in tactics, teamwork, marksmanship, or not having the proper weapons or equipment.

Make sure that everyone in the squad is familiar with the tactics that the team leader plans to use. If there are any instructional material that the team leader learned the tactics from, the entire team should watch or read them.

Have practices to work on the skills listed in the point above. Work on marksmanship by having competitions between team members. Practice employing tactics while firing on some targets.

Make sure that you never loose sight of the fact that this is a game and we are out there to have fun..

Padre' out...