Outnumbered!...what do you do?

[blooddrunk7]

This is without a doubt the most common situation that players run into in airsoft. whether its 2 v.s. 1 or 10 v.s 4, players will always be outnumbered at one point or another. Tell me a little bit about situations you have been in, your tactics to handle the situation, and other details you may have on this topic.

[blooddrunk7]

There isn't really all that much you can do so I'll just start off with a few options that come to mind.

1) Try to hold your ground

This is the option that most people seem to stick with. Your the only one, your usually being fired on from multiple directions and there may not be a place to fall back to. If your forced to stick with this option the only thing I can really say is to be fully aware of your ammo situation, try to locate all targets in the area and make your shots count!

2) Retreat

Retreating is without a doubt one of the smartest things you can do in an outnumbered situation. From my personal experience this has been the most successful of the three options that I have listed. In retreating you give yourself the opportunity to relocate your self in a much more tactical location that will give you way better odds of surviving. Players should look to take the high ground with this option...resort to the basics of combat!

3) Hide (if you can)

Now this option is a win lose scenario. Say you get outnumbered and the enemy has not pin pointed your position. It may be in your best interest to hide in the best place you can find. If the enemy comes looking for you you may be able to use the element of surprise and ambush them! Let them pass you if you can and attack them from behind.

But anyways....give me your input on the topic!

[gentry]

well out numbered as a sniper i say hide and try to pick them off one by one after 2-3 shots move and hide again and repeat the process. in medic games if 1 big team is hunting you shoot 1 the others will spread out around him then when the medic comes shoot him medic is most likely dead then pick off the remaining 1 by 1 by the process of moving after a couple shots so your not stuck in one spot when they spot you.

but yours is a very good example on what to do blooddrunk

[MajTom]

Masking Your numbers - concealing the troop strength and capabilities of your fighting unit.

Masking numbers is a very important and helpful tactic for a few different reasons.
If the enemy can't see you:
- You have more options for tactical maneuver.
- The enemy will not know whether or not it is safe for them to rush you and attack through so they will more likely hold their ground or redirect their efforts elsewhere.
- If they attack and you have more people than they thought, you will be able to overwhelm them via a modified ambush. For this reason, it is advantageous to make your large squad look like a small fireteam.
- If you only have two or three people in you unit, maintain concealment and change shooting positions often. It causes the enemy to be more cautious and could keep them from attacking. Changing shooting positions also causes the enemy to overestimate your troop strength.

More later.

[blooddrunk7]

Very true.

[nicechi]

Fall back!
In a situation when you're outnumbered you'll slowly start to feel the tide of the fight changing. You'll notice that you're team has lost momentum, getting caught behind cover, and enemies constantly closing in.
I've learned that setting the tempo is the key. At any point you become outnumbered you've basically lost the tempo. In the situation where you're outnumbered, you've got to move to a location where you have the following:
time, concealment, view of the A.O.

Buying time in a firefight is expensive. It can kill your forward momentum but it can give you the opportunity to throw the enemy off and begin setting the tempo of the fight.

Concealment is the credit card of time. You can only buy so much until your position is compromised and then it quickly becomes "time to pay the bill". But with concealment, there's security and it allows you to take the time to plan your next move.

View of the A.O. is important. You need to be aware of what's around you in order for you to achieve your goal - not getting shot!

When you have gained all or some of the above, you and/or your team will need to be aggressive, fast, and patient.

Last but not least. Communication. No communication, no synchronicity. You'll always find your team spread out fighting one on one or one on two or whatever...it'll just suck. Movement must be intentional and aggressive.

These are the things that I've been taught and learned on my own with the guys I used to play with. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But to me being able to make the enemy work against themselves is the greatest advantage when you've finally gained momentum after egressing to a place to plan the counter.
My 2c.