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Game Notes: Base Assault

     We spend more time playing Base Assault than any other game at our field, especially during private events. It's a more balanced play style than a Team Deathmatch and encourages multiple playthroughs. We've recently started running the Encounter Assault variant (with one base that starts neutral) as an alternative to deathmatching.

Observations

• It's tough to assault a base! It's a lot easier if the defenders spread out too much, though. You may want to encourage defenders to stay within a certain distance to the base.

• Having the base be neutral focuses everyone's attention in one place and encourages team-based assaults on the location. Try not to let the base be in a ravine where assaulting parties can rip each other apart before they get to the base. Ridges, hills and other raised areas are preferable locations for the base.

• The length of firing lanes make a huge difference on the types of guns that defenders should take. Feel free to point out the disadvantages of taking a long gun if the base is hemmed in by heavy brush or by thicker stands of trees.

• Attackers that are having a tough time typically aren't utilizing the terrain. Encourage players with shorter guns to crawl, walk on their knees or otherwise stay out of sight until they can be closer. Alternately, encourage them to seek out teammates with longer guns that can give them covering or suppressive fire when they advance. Encourage players with longer guns to stay back and snipe at defenders and provide cover fire for players with short guns to advance under.

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Administration Suggestions

• Always let the defenders choose their guns first. Try not to let the teams have the same weapons on both sides. Equivalent weaponry tends to turn the game into a fancy deathmatch.

• It helps us pick a better base if we consider the type of assault that we want to run first. Should the base be easier to assault? Highly defensible from one or two sides? High ground? Low ground? How many people are on each team?

• Get player input on this game whenever you can. What would have helped you assault the base? Where would you put the base? Who was the most dominant player that last game and why? What could we do to make the game more interesting? It helps them think about the aspects of the game that would help them improve and it helps you figure out what they are going to be most interested in playing.

• Use Base Assaults to figure out what the strengths of your players are and run games that will emphasize or require those strengths. People have more fun when they feel like they were able to accomplish more.

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How do you run your Base Assault games? E-mail mike@mikescombatgames.com and let us know.