Optimal weaponry and team make-up

Topics about water war tactics, water war planning, and past water war stories.
Locked
VAJMH
Posts: 217
Joined: Sun Sep 06, 2009 7:48 am

Optimal weaponry and team make-up

Post by VAJMH » Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:10 am

So, I've got way more SSs than I can use, and I actually bought a large lot of them just to get ahold of my treasured XXP 175 sincei t was included, so I'm probably going to put together some of the other guns I have and make a lot on ebay. What I want to do is represent each weapons class and ability, so I'm trying to pick which to include. I think it's kind of cool to consider things in terms as far as skill and weapons classes, so here's my idea of some battle field positions and the weapons that would be good for them. Feel free to add your own ideas, and hopefully I can get some hints on what would constitute a good set of equipment for a team.

Scouts: Light weapons and close in blasters for skirmishing. SS50, 100, and especially the MDS are great for this, I might be crucified for it, but I think the XP85 would do well also due to its ability to shoot around corners and fire a spread at multiple targers (say, at a refill que?) Also I would have someone lightly armed with a pistol or two as a scout tote a backpack with 2-3 two litre bottles of water around as a supplies guy. Snipers with max d weapons and so forth would also fit into this category.

Infantry: Definately want moderately powerful blasters that still allow mobility and good charging time. The 2100 would be my ultimate infantry weapon, but any of the larger XPs or the smaller XXP would do just as well. Same with the SS 200.

Heavy gunners: Would be slower but make up for it with range and power. 2000, monsters, 2500, and the backpack enhanced weapons would fall under this category. These guys would travel with the supplies guys to form a single unit.

Depending on rules you might want to have grenadiers as well also armed with a pistol or two.

The breakdown for the weapons, as I see it, is this:

Anything with a cylindrical CPS is definately going to be a heavy gunner weapon, and they'd fall into the category of cannons, like the 2000, 2500, 4100, Monster series, and 3000 and splashzooka, while those that use backpacks such as the SS 300, and even without the backpack I'd include the XXP 275 and some of the double chambered spherical CPs weapons 1500, 2700, etc as well, though the non cylindrical weapons are what I'd consider 2 handed heavy blasters rather than blaster cannons.

For infantry I'd reccomend of course the XP 90, 105, 110, and 150, SS 200, XXP 175,, and XP 270 as stock rifles. Heavy assault weapons would be the CPS 1000, 1200, and 2100, the difference being that most of those would do better with a strap or being used two handed for most people wheras the stock rifles could be dual wielded if one so wished.

And for scouts, the SS 50, 100, 60, MDS, XP 70, 85, XP 70, 220 and 240

sniping weapons would be some of the stock rifles, as well as the mds, as well as the max d weapons. the designation as a sniper rifle depends more on how its used than on what it is.

As far as side arms go, that to me is usually going to be something with only a single chamber thats quite small, examples being the lower XPs and SSs.

An ideal team for me would be a heavy gunner packing a 2500, a refill guy using an SS 40 and carrying 2 two litre bottles, 4 infantry carrying CPS weapons and a sidearm and a balloon or two, and then two scouts with one guy using an XP while the other would have a ligher SS 100.
Personal Collection: Monster X, Monster XL, Helix, Triple Shot, Aquapack Devastator, Liquidator, Arctic Shock, Shot Blast, Splazhzooka
Super Soaker 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 100, 200, MDS, Bow & Arrow
XP 20, 35, 55, 70, 75, 85, 105, 110, 150, 175, 250, 270, 275, 310
CPS 1000, 1200, 1350(1-3-5), 1500, 2000, 2100, 2500, 2700, 3000, 4100

User avatar
DX
Posts: 1780
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2004 1:00 pm

Re: Optimal weaponry and team make-up

Post by DX » Thu Sep 10, 2009 9:13 pm

This topic has been discussed before, but I think it's cool that you included most of the common soakers. Few lists consider more than a handful of guns. One of the great things about water warfare is that it's so flexible. You want to organize and arm your team in the most effective manner for your local situation. Thing is, there are so many ways to do it that the subject doesn't get boring. There's also no right or wrong method, just personal preference [access to certain soakers helps].

Role Systems:

Classic/Common Role System - This is the one you describe above. Players are assigned a role to perform and a gun appropriate for executing it. The system is very specialized, fields a diverse array of weapons, and is easy to use. However, if this system were perfect, there would be no need to create others. There are enough weaknesses and others exist.

Dynamic Role System - This setup does not always assign a correlation between gun and role. It also does not assign fixed roles. One player may be responsible for performing several types of roles at various times. The choice of arsenal distribution really affects how this system works.

Unspoken Role System - This one makes no correlation between gun and role at all. Roles [such as Scout] may still exist, but are understood rather than expressed. Players may perform any role when necessary. This system takes in virtually any arsenal distribution equally well.

Tactical Role System - This system has no "roles" at all. Roles are expressed as tactical manuevers. A player currently scouting is only said to be scouting; they are never a scout. Likewise, a player currently acting as an escort is escorting, but is never an escort. The difference seems trivial, but is quite significant. Players using a tactical role system organize using rank, field position, or both. Ranks tend to be static, while positions tend to be understood and might change each time the team performs a battlefield move.

Arsenal Distributions:

There are endless ways to describe arsenal choices with varying degrees of specialization and similarity. Examples include: Balanced, Varied, Heavy, Light, Power, Long Range, CQ, Mobile, Stock-only, Versatile, etc. Combinations include: Heavy and Long Range, Light and CQ, Mobile and Versatile, etc. Or you could go Heavy, Versatile, and Long Range. The large spectrum of water weapons allows for so much choice and freedom.
Mess With the Best, Get Soaked Like the Rest!

2004 Red Sox - World Series Champions
2007 Red Sox - World Series Champions!

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

Re: Optimal weaponry and team make-up

Post by cantab » Thu Sep 10, 2009 11:00 pm

When I've played, numbers have usually been small, and there have been only two basic roles - defence and attack. This is in CTF play. With three to five per team typical, and the enemy base in clear sight, tactics were usually decided in thirty seconds before the start of the round, and were pretty simple. I'll go that way, you go that way. I'll engage Duke, you engage Twillo. Let's do a stupidly wide flank, ambush the defence, and nick the flag. I'll climb a tree.That sort of stuff.

A defender would have a heavy gun if available, but limited weaponry, more limited water supplies, and a preference for using ones own guns meant that wasn't always the case. For attack there were basically two options - go heavy, looking for the slow push, and possibly the win by elimination. Alternatively, go ultra-light and use speed to get the flag.
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:

Locked