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.
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