Two Defense Ideas

Topics about water war tactics, water war planning, and past water war stories.
User avatar
martianshark
Posts: 689
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:24 pm

Two Defense Ideas

Post by martianshark » Wed Mar 17, 2010 4:02 am

I have a couple ideas to defend yourself in a water war.

1. Umbrellas make good shields.
2. You can use nets to catch water balloons thrown at you and then throw them back.

Are these ideas any good?

User avatar
JuchTurtles
Posts: 478
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2009 5:52 pm

Re: Two Defense Ideas

Post by JuchTurtles » Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:46 am

They're okay. We already knew about umbrellas being good shields, but the net sounds interesting.

Actually, this reminds me of one of my friends, he has this thing called a Diablo (it's like two dowels attached by a string). They throw this thing up and catch it on their strings.

Similar idea right?
The name's Juch, just Juch.
Also known as Commander JuchJawsTurtles, commander of the C0BALT TiDE team in The Ocean Volcano Union.
SPLASH! You're dead!

User avatar
C-A_99
Posts: 1502
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 11:09 pm

Re: Two Defense Ideas

Post by C-A_99 » Wed Mar 17, 2010 4:53 pm

Umbrellas are nice because they are light and can be "deployed" when they can't be carried. However, they seem to be quite susceptible to water balloon damage and I don't think I could recommend them.

Someone around here used Lacrosse sticks once for throwing water balloons. (only works if you play Lacrosse or have practiced using it) You could also catch water balloons with them.

That said, I've used neither umbrellas nor Lax. sticks. I personally prefer dodging into cover and dodging water balloons (which is not difficult) but I may look into (as in try out) the use of shields sometime.

User avatar
soakernerd
Posts: 302
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2010 7:09 pm

Re: Two Defense Ideas

Post by soakernerd » Wed Mar 17, 2010 5:03 pm

Lax sticks are a good idea. the thing i would be worried about is if you don't catch the balloon gently, it will pop.
as for shields, last war (an informal blockparty soakfest) I used an old tennis racket with the case on. it was water-proof and clipped onto my belt.

User avatar
C-A_99
Posts: 1502
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 11:09 pm

Re: Two Defense Ideas

Post by C-A_99 » Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:40 pm

Even if the balloon pops while trying to catch with a lax stick, most of the payload will miss and you'll probably end up with just a few droplets.

User avatar
zeda.beta
Posts: 683
Joined: Sun May 03, 2009 10:49 pm

Re: Two Defense Ideas

Post by zeda.beta » Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:36 pm

All of these nets will definately pop the balloon, because they force it to suddenly deaccelerate. The force will cause the balloon to rupture. Unless the net is designed to move with the projectile, so it gradually decreases the speed.
-Zeda
I reject your reality and substitute my own.
Quack damn you.

User avatar
C-A_99
Posts: 1502
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 11:09 pm

Re: Two Defense Ideas

Post by C-A_99 » Thu Mar 18, 2010 12:14 am

The net will not pop the balloon if you catch it carefully and skillfully, but it's tricky to do. Best thing that happens is that you get an extra water balloon. Worst thing is getting a few droplets on yourself. No big deal unless you're playing 1HK, but then you might as well just dodge the balloons.

User avatar
cantab
Posts: 1492
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:35 pm

Re: Two Defense Ideas

Post by cantab » Thu Mar 18, 2010 12:57 am

Umbrellas are indeed good. When allowed of course - they can become dominating and thus get banned. (I heard once when they were allowed in Assassins one person's immediate response to being attacked was invariably to draw two umbrellas). If possible look for ones that open with a button push. And if you want to be really fancy, find a way to fire through it.
I work on Windows. My toolbox is Linux.
Arsenal:
Super Soaker: XP215, 2xXP220, Liquidator, Aquashock Secret Strike M(odded), Arctic Blast M, CPS1200, CPS2100, SC Power Pak, 3l aquapack, 1.5l aquapack
Water Warriors: Jet, Sting Ray M, Shark, Argon M, Tiger Shark, PulseMaster
Others: Waterbolt, The Blaster, Storm 500, Shield Blaster 2000, generic PR gun, generic backpack piston pumper (broken), 3l garden sprayer M, 10l water carrier:

User avatar
martianshark
Posts: 689
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:24 pm

Re: Two Defense Ideas

Post by martianshark » Thu Mar 18, 2010 1:03 am

Hehe you might be able to put a gun down the tube in the middle. Maybe I'll work on an umbrella homemade.

User avatar
C-A_99
Posts: 1502
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 11:09 pm

Re: Two Defense Ideas

Post by C-A_99 » Thu Mar 18, 2010 1:11 am

There was a photoshopped pic somewhere showing a water gun umbrella though I can't remember how it even looked. I think it was done as a joke.

A simple water gun may be able to be built into an umbrella. It's also possible to connect the PC to a tube that goes around or inside the umbrella to get to the outside, then have a nozzle at the end of the tube, though that will completely ruin laminar flow.

User avatar
cantab
Posts: 1492
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:35 pm

Re: Two Defense Ideas

Post by cantab » Thu Mar 18, 2010 1:16 am

You could just duct tape the umbrella handle to the blaster, and make a small hole in the fabric for the nozzle. Wouldn't fold very neatly, but would work.
I work on Windows. My toolbox is Linux.
Arsenal:
Super Soaker: XP215, 2xXP220, Liquidator, Aquashock Secret Strike M(odded), Arctic Blast M, CPS1200, CPS2100, SC Power Pak, 3l aquapack, 1.5l aquapack
Water Warriors: Jet, Sting Ray M, Shark, Argon M, Tiger Shark, PulseMaster
Others: Waterbolt, The Blaster, Storm 500, Shield Blaster 2000, generic PR gun, generic backpack piston pumper (broken), 3l garden sprayer M, 10l water carrier:

User avatar
martianshark
Posts: 689
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:24 pm

Re: Two Defense Ideas

Post by martianshark » Thu Mar 18, 2010 3:59 am

I'd rather go with the gun down the tube idea. It's cooler.

User avatar
soakernerd
Posts: 302
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2010 7:09 pm

Re: Two Defense Ideas

Post by soakernerd » Thu Mar 18, 2010 1:49 pm

how about a piston gun? maybe some sort of super small SC? using 3/4"PVC? it might not work, but you could probably replace the center tube with some sort of piston, either manual or air powered

User avatar
martianshark
Posts: 689
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:24 pm

Re: Two Defense Ideas

Post by martianshark » Thu Mar 18, 2010 7:46 pm

Yeah, that's a good idea, but I would probably make it a Stream Machine type piston gun.

This may also require small diameter tubing because most umbrellas don't use rods bigger than 1/2".

User avatar
C-A_99
Posts: 1502
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 11:09 pm

Re: Two Defense Ideas

Post by C-A_99 » Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:17 pm

This is almost starting to sound like a gimmick-like gun that could be done by Hasbro. The umbrella design has many advantages over standard shield blaster designs. That said, most umbrellas are fairly long, may have the durability issue I mentioned with water balloons, and seem difficult to block with. However, they seem to deploy so fast you could pull one out to block a stream before it hits you.

Attaching an entire water gun as part of an umbrella instead of just making an umbrella with a built-in piston gun would probably work as well. There seems to be numerous ways to do this; one is to go for a design based on the SC Power Pak by having a backpack pre-filled with pressurized water (held via CPS or air pressure if there's enough extra room for the compressed air; a higher air to water ratio means considerably less dropoff), and all you'd need is a tube from the backpack to a nozzle on the umbrella. Other designs include having the umbrella handle as a pump to pressurize an onboard PC hanging on, but that would be difficult and would have to be built.

Perhaps a simple DIY solution to consider is to simply duct tape the umbrella to your soaker's pump handle, while cutting a hole to let the nozzle shoot through. This would probably only work if the umbrella's transparent or it'd be impossible to see a thing. Plus the pump handle can break unless it's a tracked pump.

Locked