Most water gun fights tend to happen spur of the moment and there isn’t a whole lot of organization (which is fine of course!) As we start summer though, with a lot of potential water gun battles on the horizon, it can be a good idea to be aware of some tactics that can make you dominant in battle. These tactics can be especially helpful for those well organized water gun fights with a lot of your friends.
We’ll begin with something the military calls Total Operational and Situational Awareness (TOSA). That means that you should be aware of where you are and what your situation is. What water guns, balloons, hoses do you have available to you? Who is on your side? Who are you enemies? How many of them are there? What weapons do they have? Ok, this may seem pretty obvious, but you would be surprised how many water gun fighters lose their awareness once a battle begins. You also need to know where your water supply is, this will become even more important as we study some basic maneuvers.
The Ambush
Ambushing means attacking your enemies from a concealed location when they are passing by. Bushes and trees were made for concealing. Houses, sheds, or other structures also work great. To stage a good ambush takes some planning. You have to anticipate where your enemies will be traveling. Where do you think they will come looking for you? Will they be going to their water supply to reload (the water hose, or back inside to the kitchen, etc.)? Keeping these things in mind will help you stage an effective ambush!
The Charge
When you charge, you throw everything at your enemy all at once. The idea is that you overwhelm them all at once so they don’t have to respond and defend themselves. For a good charge, you want to make sure everyone on your team is ready and their water guns are completely full. Load up a few water balloons too, water balloons are a great way to shock the enemy. Charges work best when you also have the element of surprise.
Envelopment
The envelopment is a classic technique that can be very effective. Split your team up and attack your enemy at the same time from different directions. This divides their attention and they have shots coming at them from a lot of different directions. As with most of these techniques, the envelopment works best when you launch a surprise attack.
Using a Decoy
When you use a decoy, you trick your enemies into attacking someone on your team to draw them from their current locations. You might want to do this to cut them off from their water supply or to draw them into an ambush. These are a few good tactics to start with, but there are many more. In general, keep in mind that having the right water guns for the right tactical situations is also helpful. Know ahead of time if you’re going to need heavy volume water guns like the Water Warriors Hydra Pak, or more explosive water guns like the Super Soaker Hydro Cannon. I recommend you familiarize yourself with the capabilities of different water guns ahead of time.