Believe it or not, there's situations where you get to have six markers. Sometimes, if you're really lucky, sixteen. And they all work off one trigger. One pull, sixteen rounds, let's count that in the neighborhood of 240 bps (balls per second) if they're all 15 bps markers. Think if you’ve got something higher.
This magic marker is the same one you hold in your hand that shoots that measly 15 bps in a fifty-fifty firefight. It just needs to be put into the right place to get itself to multiply. This is the theory of Force Multipliers.
In the simplest way, the Theory of Fore Multiplication is that a single unit will count as multiple units in a given situation, meaning that one person can suddenly be worth twelve, and sometimes more.
Think of it this way: This is why gatling guns were invented, then machine guns, then tanks. They make one or more people worth two or more times in battle then they would be worth as a single person. (It's also why they cost an arm and a leg to make.) It's the same reason that the bps of markers has jumped up in recent years, and why there's things like the Double Trouble A-5 running around. Everyone's trying to make themselves count for more than just themselves.
Let's start with putting numbers with this, especially since we're talking about multipliers (There will be a chart with all this later on in this article). A unit always starts at 1. 1, being the loneliest number, will always be where we start. keep this in mind, as there are times when a unit can return to 1 and sometimes hit 0.
Before we dive into the numbers, allow instruction on how to add these multipliers. Multipliers are added. We just call them multipliers because they translate into multiplying power. So when a person gains a force multiplier of 1, they become a 2-force unit. Force implying the number of markers their marker is worth.
We'll start back with Angles. Three lateral angles exist in paintball, front door, side door and back door. front door, is when the opponent is facing towards you. Side door is when the opponent is not looking directly at you, but you can see their side, and back door is when you can see the opponent's complete backside. Judge that on seeing all of their pods at once, or their butt.
Alright, so below is a table of the different force multiplier values. I won’t explain the different things, as they are all covered in the SpecOps Field Operations Manual and previous Theory branch articles.. (You should be familiar with the terms there)
The one new term is the Charge Order. We haven’t discussed this one yet (It’s in a future Article, a whole one devoted to it!), but I’ll fill you in so you know what’s happening. A charge order is the order commonly referred to as “Kamikaze” or “Up and Over”. It’s a risky maneuver that can give a fairly intimidating payoff. Your current squad abandons their cover and runs at full speed, firing if they can, towards an enemy position. This is a run unless a showmanship condition is met: the battle cry. The command unit leading the charge MUST shout something somewhat intimidating when charging. If not to raise other units to their feet, then to fufil their own ego and to scare the other side, and this also can distract the opponents long enough for another squad to make a significant gain elsewhere while their attention is diverted at driving away the screaming player(s)

Force Multiplier Chart:

Lateral Multipliers

Front Door Angle 0
Side Door Angle 1
Back Door Angle 2
Flank, Open 1
Flank, Bunkered (Any) 1

Vertical Multipliers (Target Position

Raised Ground 1
Raised Ground to Front Open Bunker 1
Raised Ground to Side Open Bunker 2
Raised Ground to Back Open Bunker 3
Raised Ground to Front Closed Bunker 1
Raised Ground to Back Open Bunker 2

Low Ground 1
Low Ground to Front Open Bunker 0 (Kneeling) 1 (Standing)
Low Ground to Front Closed Bunker 0 (Kneeling) 1 (Standing)
Low Ground to Back Open Bunker 2 (Kneeling) 3 (Standing)
Low Ground to Back Closed Bunker 1 (Kneeling) 2 (Standing)

Order Multipliers (+ 1 for every 2nd person in the charge, after the first four)

Charge Order : All Units are 2-Force Units
Uphill -1
Downhill 1
Uphill to Closed Bunker -2
Downhill to Closed Bunker 1
Uphill to Open Bunker 0
Downhill to Open Bunker 2

Wow, a bunch of technical mumbo jumbo. Let’s investigate the three different multiplier groups. Remember, you should be familiar with the terms in the table before continuing in this article.
First, Lateral Multipliers is the fancy term for angles. Any of these are ways that you can approach a target. For lateral multipliers, the target’s position doesn’t matter. Coming from the front of a bunker isn’t very effective. But coming at it from the flank, side or back improves your chances dramatically of taking out the bunker.
Second, vertical multipliers are the height above or below. For simplicity, we won’t consider how large this distance is, but realize that comes into play. The target opponent is always considered level ground. Your perception, be it looking up or down at them, is what the table takes into consideration. So if you look down on your opponent, you’re considered on Raised Ground, and if you look up at them, then you’re on Low Ground.
Finally, we come to order multipliers. We’ve just focused on the Charge order because it has the greatest effect on the force multipliers. Other orders that give a bonus are strongside, aggressive orders, orders given with a sense of urgency (Yelled or shouted orders!) and orders that are linked together in a sort of plan. Note that the Charge order automatically makes all attacking units 2-force units. This accounts for the fact that it is an unexpected order in most situations. Also, notice that the charge gains a +1-force to all units for every second unit involved after the first four. This is accounting for the fear of more than four people suddenly running at the opponent.
Okay, so, now that we’ve gotten through the technicalities, lets’ apply. Consider the following situation: A Ambush unit on your squad is firing at a group of two units that have just walked past him without noticing him on a path that’s higher up. Your unit is in an open bunker of trees. Already, your unit is at +2 for back door, and he gains an additional +3 for shooting low ground to back of an open bunker with a standing target (The road doesn’t provide any protection). This makes your Ambush a 6-force unit.
Let’s look at the other side of this, just for understanding. When your Ambush takes out the other unit on the path, that guys’ buddy looks back and spots him. He’s at +1 for firing down into an open bunker from raised ground. (Remember, he’s above the middle ground now.) Also, he gains an additional +1 because he is at the flank of the Ambush unit now, as he walked past him and isn’t exactly standing square with him either. Now, let’s just say they were bait for an ambush charge of six units, including our little friend on the road, that is now going to slam down on your poor little Ambush. The unit on the road is now at 2-force to start from the charge, +2 more for charging downhill at an open bunker. Also, because there are six people in the charge, they pick up an additional +1. A 7-force unit just crushed your Ambush. The other five units are probably higher in multipliers themselves from being higher up and charging.
See? Even though the unit on the road wasn’t clued in, he was eventually victorious because of his position he was in. that is how force multipliers can work very well for a unit. Also, if you’ve time (And care, don’t rely on this chart for heaven’s sake! Remember Dumb Luck?) you can use it to estimate your squad’s chances against opposing units This is the integral benefit of Force Multipliers, the ability to predict. Always Predict. Period. It can save you some people in the long run and make your paint last just that much longer.

Consider the suggestion to never fight an uphill battle. Why is this true? Why does it suck to do so? How bad is it to be on the uphill side? Better yet, what’s so great about going down the hill and attacking that way?
Now, think of why there are barrels like the Flatline and Apex. Think of the benefits of long-range combat and artillery. Wherein lies the advantage in such expensive equipment? Why does it matter that these exist?
These two concepts of height and distance add to the concept of angles in presenting the world in a three dimensional way, the one in which we actually play. The Theory of Height and Distance states that the higher up you are, the better off your forces are, and the farther away you can make an effective strike, the better. In addition, the higher and further away you are, the harder it is to hit you. (NOTE: This theory does NOT apply to Ambush units, who are better off in lower positions tricking people with their preconceived notions.)
Obviously, Javelin and Sabre units benefit the most from this theory. For them, applying this theory can lead to great advantages against the opposition and can gain them ground, which saves paint, and also assists in the defeat of the most noble and dangerous enemy of all: The Tank.
Let’s start with height, the amount above the ground that you are at the moment. Now, being high up has its advantages, as well as being down low, and so does being at ground level. Most bunkers are considered ground level, but some, like buildings and towers, are higher up and provide some height. Height can be employed in a multitude of ways.
With heights that are above the ground, you gain vantage, or the ability to see, as well as an advantage in the form of the Pythagorean theorem. When you are up in a bunker that’s above the ground, there is a little triangle that forms over your head that starts at the level of the opening that you can see out of, say, a window or other such thing. This line reaches to the back wall of the building, and then goes up. Also, in the third dimension it stretches from the bottom corners of the window. This is the visible area. When you’re in this area, you can be seen and hit by an opponent, but when outside of it, they can’t see you, or hit you. Keep in mind that visible areas form off all sides of a window, and though you may not be able to be seen from three directions, you may be visible from a fourth, most likely up above your current position.
This ability to see is what vantage is. From up high you can see down into bunkers and buildings to weed out unsuspecting opponents. Especially when you have roofless or open bunkers. Also, the range you can see and what you can see is greatly improved by being higher up. This is natural physics and is helpful for most situations. Vantage is what you can use to drop in on unsuspecting opponents.
Distance, which is directly affected by height, is the amount of airspace you are away from a given position. Yes, airspace, not ground. From higher up, you are further away to a certain point than if you were the same physical distance away and at ground level. The effective range of a paintball marker isn’t that great, and can be improved with the Flatline and Apex barrels. The advantage that these barrels give is in the fact that they have a greater effective range. (Though personally I call DOODYHEAD on the Apex’s claim to glide along walls, the distance increase is useful) Though they do not guarentee that they’ll break in the extended range (Which is approximately 30-40ft) they can give good covering fire that can be useful for Sabre units to clear up an area for other units to get through.
Now, how to use these two in tandem to gain an advantage. Start by finding taller bunkers. Taller bunkers that have platforms at the top give you a tactical advantage in controlling who can use open bunkers. By controlling the open bunkers, you can allow your team to advance faster by clearing these bunkers’ opposing side and allowing your team to claim the bunkers.
This advantage is greater when the tall bunker is central to important areas. Being equidistant allows you to be able to target all open bunkers within range with equal vantage into each. This allows for greater control of the bunkers and for the team to make a quicker approach because they are guarded from above and their own open bunkers are less venerable from above because they have the highest point on the field that is closest to the center.
Earlier, it was noted that this theory does not really apply to Ambush units because they are better off on low ground. There are two reasons for this: One, people’s natural assumptions about snipers, the real world equivalent of the Ambush, and Two, the purpose of ghille suits and their inherent design.
Snipers in the real world are usually portrayed as having “Nests” that are high up in buildings and structures. This is true, and is mainly because of many of the theories discussed here. However, these assumptions, and the general paranoia that an Ambush unit brings with them, can be used against people.
When Ambush units are placed low, they become invisible because people will ignore looking down near the ground for them. Get low with your Ambush self. People don’t look down because they figure that people won’t shoot upward. Use this fact to gain an edge on the opposition.
For this same reason, Ghille suits, sheets and digital camouflage were invented to look like the ground. They are made this way for this specific purpose. Ghille is more effective when placed at ground level among similar looking objects, not up in the trees themselves, though it’s makeup does resemble leafier trees at times. Digital camouflage is the same way, except it is made to hide movement a little better.
Then came the tanks. Javelin units were mentioned as benefiting from these theories, but have yet to receive support for this claim. Really, Javelin units gain a benefit from this theory in Visible Range. Though most paintball tanks are built with plexiglass or metal mesh outsides to provide visibility, Tunnel Vision is common in gunners unless they have a good driver or support unit with them because of the rate of fire that their weapons put out.
Javelin units can use this to launch anti-tank missiles (yes, those crazy looking nerf footballs!) without being seen until the tank is hit. By running another unit closer to the tank, they can provide the distraction the Javelin needs to fire before the tank realizes that an anti-tank unit is in the area. Also, this same thing can be used by Sabre units to sneak up on another player. By repeating the same movements, a unit can “train” their opponent to fire to the same location and expect them there, allowing the saber to surprise the other unit and fire back.
This, is how Height and Distance benefit paintballers, in the way that it can change how a player can fire on another player because of their distance away or height off of the ground.