Most Airsoft players seem programmed to go forward at all costs. It doesn’t matter where they are, what they’re doing, or what they’re supposed to be doing.

Even when defending a position.

But why? Does it bring great dishonour to their family to take a step backwards every now and then? In previous blogs I’ve covered my disdain for hearing some idiot yelling “PUSH!” during a game, either giving positions away or enticing players in good positions to abandon them and run out of cover to provide target practice for the enemy. It’s not always the wisest idea to burst forward, especially when the enemy is dug in defending a position. That’s not necessarily against a team defending for the whole game, but at that moment when they’re in cover and you decide that the best thing to do is suddenly get up, expose yourself as a target, and run forward.

It might be because I’m primarily a sniper that I’m a little more cautious during games but the idea of winning a firefight for me is hitting the enemy, without letting them hit you, and as good a shot as you may be if you can’t do both sides of that then you won’t last long. Of course, being in cover helps with self preservation, but you can’t hide behind something if you’re trying to go forwards.

So what if I told you that you can attack by going backwards?

Imagine your enemy is dug in, and you’ve decided to munch on some Leeroy Jenkins biscuits and some absolute flannel in a Dye mask, tanked up on Monster, suddenly screams at you to PUSH and you decide to just do as you’re told.

You’ve managed to find some partial cover but to get to that position you’re going to have to cross more open ground against an enemy who is well covered and watching your advance. Your brain is going to think “forwards, forwards, forwards” because it’s the quickest and easiest route to your objective, but often you’re just going to get shot up and end up cycling back and forth until something changes on the defenders side – they get hit or switch positions. Or, you change something.

You could decide to fall back, even a short distance, and get yourself into a better position to engage from where you have more cover and then entice the enemy to come out and attack you. If it’s a skirmish game, you’d be surprised how many players get bored and will willingly leave a good position in search of some action. Ok, these images are a bit exaggerated and it’ll depend entirely on the game objectives but even in a closer firefight, dropping back a little to a better position and drawing the enemy out still works (as long as your team follow suit). It might just be a few metres, it might be a twenty minute walk if it’s a really big site. Throwing yourself out into the open with the only goal being to close the gap between you and your opponent can be suicidal.

You have to not hit a defended position head on, unless you have a whopping numerical and weight of fire advantage.

And it isn’t just a game of forwards and backwards.

Flank. Drop back out of sight and push the side or get in behind. Pull into cover left or right so the enemy doesn’t have that frontal cover they’re expecting. Try to find ways to engage at different angles (and multiple angles if you can). Pull them out of the positions they’re in to give yourself a chance.

Just stop rushing forward and giving yourself away too easily. The Napoleonic era of warfare is over. We don’t just throw ourselves at each other wearing brightly coloured outfits.

Mostly.