Robotech's PUG guide

Walking Tanks? A Guide to the How’s and Why’s of PUG Piloting

When you mention paintball tanks most people think of something built off a large truck frame, plywood on a golf cart, or some other behemoth contraption fashioned in some mad paintballer’s workshop after an all night binge of coffee and Mountain Dew. However, not all paintball tanks suck down fossil fuels or wrings out the watts. Some are powered by the ultimate in green technology…your feet.

That’s right, foot-powered tanks. The Stone Gryphons call them PanzerUltraleichtGepack or PUGs for short. They go by many other names though such as foot tanks, Flintstone tanks, the dude in the box, and many others which are far too colorful to reproduce here. Some people love them, other’s hate them, and some just plain don’t care. Whatever your stance, we’re going to go over what PUGs are, why they are here and how to use them in scenario games. If you want to know how to build them, check out the Stone Gryphon’s website for that at http://www.stonegryphon.com/paintball.html.

Why a PUG?

Why not a PUG? The questions are interchangeable but really there are a number of reasons to have a PUG.

One of the most compelling is the fact that fielding vehicle based Paintball Tanks is getting harder and harder to do. Face it, getting a golf cart or ATV vehicle (Paintball Tanks based off of trucks or cars that were not expressly intended for off road use is now prohibited and only those already built are allowed on fields these days) that you don’t mind cutting up and welding onto is not exactly a cheap base to start building a paintball tank. Never mind you still have to have a place to store it and a way of transporting it to and from the field after you are done building it. Add to that the cost of fuel for the tank AND the tow vehicle or the electrical costs to charge an electric vehicle plus paint and air and…well, you get the idea. In addition, Paintball Tank owners are increasingly being asked to carry liability insurance for their tank whenever it is on the field and have the field and promoter listed as additionally insured opens up the Paintball Tank owner not only to extra expenses but also liability claims if someone were to get hurt in, on, or around their tank. In total, it can run a Paintball Tank owner well over $500 per day just to field his tank. That’s $1000 for a two day scenario event!

Another issue of Paintball Tanks is maneuverability. These larger motorized tanks generally need to stick to roads and trails for safety concerns. Let’s face it, none of us want to get ran over by a guy in a golf cart who didn’t see us laying in the brush. Also, players have to keep a certain distance away from these tanks in order to keep from getting hurt as well. This can limit the tactics used against these large vehicles.

Because of these issues most scenario games don’t see many tankers show up. One tank per side at most games is considered good. Even large games like Oklahoma D-Day may see only enough tanks to have a platoon or two at most per side.

This is where PUGs come in handy. Because PUGs are foot powered they do not require insurance, expensive transportation requirements, or take up a lot of space. They do not pose a serious physical threat to the safety of players either making them much more “player friendly” when they are used. Ammunition and air costs are reduced somewhat too as the PUG can only take as much ammunition into the game as the player “piloting” it can carry.

Rules o’ da PUG

As with many things in scenario paintball, the rules covering the use of PUGs can vary greatly. In the most basic sense, PUGs adhere to the same rules as full-sized, motorized tanks. They must stick to roads, cannot come within 20 feet of a player, and can be taken out by LAWs or satchel charges.

With more PUGs finding their way onto paintball fields, owners and promoters are seeing that these rules, mainly designed to keep players from getting hurt but a truck with a turret, are too restrictive for the relatively harmless PUG. In addition, because some players feel PUGs are not “real” paintball tanks, promoters have adopted rules that make motorized tanks more lethal compared to the lighter PUGs.

One of the first rules to be modified for PUGs usually has to do with how close players can be to the PUG. Because they are very light weight (Okay, so 30-50lbs isn’t light for one guy but compared to 2000+ lbs of motorized tank they’re really light.) and do not have wheels or treads to tear up people they are not dangerous to be around like their big brothers. Thus some fields ignore the 20 foot rule for PUGs. This makes them more effective as infantry can now move up close behind the PUG as it advances but more on that later.

Another rule that sometimes gets changed is where the PUGs can go. Again, because they do not pose a threat to hurting players by running over or bumping into them PUGs are sometimes allowed to travel off paths. That being said though they are required to maneuver through places where a real tank would be expected to fit. In other words, you can’t storm the second story of a building with a PUG moving up the stairs. They can though maneuver through “streets” of “cities”, maneuver across open fields, and fight through some light to medium woods.

Sometimes this added mobility comes as a price though. If PUGs were allowed to get closer to players and range where ever they wanted to they would begin to dominate the game. Their small size makes them harder targets and their added mobility would make it easier for them to surprise opposing players. As such, some promoters make it so that PUGs are easier to take out. Many times PUGs can be immobilized by a single standard grenade. Sometimes, if it would take two LAW hits to take out a main tank, then one LAW hit would take out a PUG. I like this as it makes the PUG resemble more of a “Light Tank” versus the motorized tanks becoming more like “Heavy Tanks”. Same goes for having “Kill Boxes” on “Heavy” tanks where an Anti-Tank player must strike a certain sized “box” in order to kill the tank with a LAW but can hit a PUG anywhere with a LAW and eliminate it.

Another restriction placed on PUGs that give them more of the “Light Tank” feel is limiting their firepower. Sometimes PUGs are only allowed to go into the field with just a single regular marker and no “main cannon” (Nerf Round launcher like a LAW launcher). Other times PUG main cannons are only capable of taking out small bunkers, small buildings, and other PUGs but not of taking out a heavy tank.

So no matter where you decide to take your PUG, be sure to find out what all the rules will be. I can almost promise you that you WILL be required to have a ref with you at all times and will need some way of signaling you are out of play such as a flag of some sort.

Combined Arms Tactics and paintball

The United States military has lived by the doctrine of “Combined Arms” ever since the 1930s. Combined Arms Tactics are those tactics that use infantry, armor, artillery, and aircraft working together to reach an objective. While some paintball games will use “aircraft” and “artillery” (usually simulated in some way but I have seen Ultra-lights and large water-balloon slingshots at paintball games before) most will not and thus you are reduced to standard infantry and armor.

So the first thing you need to understand about tanks is that they are not invincible. Yes, to the regular player with a marker in his hand there is little you can do when a tank comes other than get shot out or run the other way. What most do not realize is though that in confined areas…and with paintball parks being what they are almost EVERY area is a “confined” area…Tanks are very vulnerable to infantry fired Anti-Tank weapons. In addition, it is easy for the opposing force to hide itself from the tank as it passes thus rendering the tank as ineffective as the infantry still will not be able to advance. Thus it is important for the tank to have infantry move up in support of it as it advances. This is the basic premise of Combined Arms, one discipline supporting the other.

So how does infantry support a tank? It’s actually a lot easier than you might think. First is movement. A tank is NOT a bunker. It is, by its very nature, a mobile unit that breaks the opponent’s line opening a hole that supporting infantry can then exploit. Since it must be mobile, the infantry must be mobile too. Usually the infantry will move up immediately behind and just to one side or the other of the advancing tank using it partially for cover. Their primary job is to pick out targets for the tanker and watch out for Anti-tank infantry. If the infantry see a player with a LAW rocket or Satchel charge, they need to lay down suppressing fire against that player’s position and notify the tanker that there is a Anti-Tank threat in that position. If equipped and depending on the rules for PUGs, the PUG tanker may or may not have the ability to take out the position using a “main gun”. If this is the case, the infantry need to be sure to bring their own heavy weapons to support the tank and remove any such threats or opposing tanks.

It is important though for there to be a second group of infantry staying a bit further behind and to the flanks of the tank as well though. These players will be responsible for weeding out any opposing players that try to “hide” from the tank or attack it from the flanks. Many times, players will try and put an obstacle between them and the advancing tank. While this may shield them from the tank’s fire as it passes, it exposes them to the fire of the infantry unit moving up a bit behind the tank. If they try to hide from the supporting infantry, they are now exposing themselves to the tank. Either they will be eliminated or they will have to retreat.

Retreat is just as good as elimination and is the third reason why you need to have supporting infantry. As positions are cleared of opposing forces, you need infantry to occupy those positions. This keeps pressure on the opposition, keeps the advance going, and prevents the opposition from re-occupying positions after the tank passes or is eliminated.

So if you are a PUGer remember to grab a bunch of players to support your push before you move out. Give them a brief rundown of what you need them to do. If there are a bunch of new players there or players that haven’t played with tanks before tell them that the two most important things for them to do are to keep moving with you and to watch out for those Anti-Tank guys. If you are a player and see a tank, PUG or otherwise, moving into the line to attack, grab a bunch of players around you and start moving up with it taking out any infantry you see and keeping a sharp eye out for anything that can take out your tank.

Tactics and Tricks of the PUG

Honestly speaking some of these rules can apply to any tank but we will address some of the added benefits of mobility offered by the optional rules for PUGs.

First and foremost, as we explained above, the infantry are your fiends. Without them you are not going to last very long. So keep those guys close and talk to them. The design of the PUG allows you to easily communicate with anyone around you so don’t be afraid to tell them what you need. Also, keep yourself open to their input as well as it could be the difference between getting out early and success.

If your field allows you a greater degree of mobility by not limiting you to the roads, use it! Opposing players are going to expect tanks to stick to the roads thus most of their LAW guys are going to be…you guessed it…ON the roads. So, using one of Sun-Tzu’s basic maxims, “If you know where your enemy is attack where he is not”, and go off the roads. Remember, you not only have the advantage of mobility but stealth too. Walking PUGs are quiet and if the opposing team is involved in a firefight on the road they will probably not see you until it is way too late. I’ve seen a PUG sneak up and surprise 20-30 players at a time and getting so close he could barrel tag them without them knowing it was there. Just remember that you need to offer those players to surrender since, unless there is a LAW guy there, they can’t do anything to take you out of the game.

When you advance, have a plan. Don’t just push forward at arbitrary locations. Get with your general and see where he needs help the most. Survey the situation and plan your advance to give your infantry support the most cover while still being able to advance and support your push.

If you have the ammunition and ability, don’t be afraid to use your main gun to take out possible strongpoints that could hide Anti-Tank players from the opposition. If you are not equipped with a main gun to do so, give your infantry support cover fire to allow them to get to the strongpoint and eliminate any opposition they find there. In cases like this, have your infantry tell you what sectors they want you to cover so that the two of you are not firing at the same location while ignoring opposition in a critical sector that is about to wipe out your infantry support.

Your biggest dangers will be Anti-Tank infantry and opposing tanks…and that is in order. Opposing infantry can hide much easier than an opposing tank. If you do not have a main gun and are confronted by a tank that does, you are in trouble. Hopefully your infantry support will (should) have a couple LAW guys to watch your back and take out the enemy tank before he gets you. While you are primarily there to support the infantry and make a hole for them you won’t be able to do that if you’ve been eliminated yourself so priority one is for you to take out things that are a threat to you.

Remember to stretch before you go out in your PUG. Piloting one of these things is demanding and you can injure yourself if you’re not careful. Take a lot of water with you. You will sweat a ton and need to stay hydrated.

I HATE PUGS!

Some folks out there cannot stand our PUGs. They usually refer to them as a guy in a cardboard suit who is afraid to get hit by a paintball. Well, I can understand how they feel. After all, even I will admit that by cool factor alone the PUG cannot hold a candle to a well crafted motorized paintball tank. Even worse, I’ve played scenario games where the “tanks” were…well…ACTUAL TANKS! Well, not really tanks but tracked armored personal carriers and armored cars. I’ve been charged at by an M113 as it came roaring across a river, paintball “machine guns” blazing! No PUG will ever command that kind of awe.

What these people are missing though is that PUGs are designed to add to the game. I always believe the more the better when it comes to tanks and I’d rather play a game with two motorized tanks and ten PUGs than just two motorized tanks by themselves…or no tanks at all! So remind them that you are not there to get rid of motorized tanks but rather to add to the number of tanks at the event.

A little update here too. Since originally writing this article I found out that the paintball park I played at that had the real armored cars and APCs to use during the games has stopped doing so. The reason? Insurance became too expensive to keep them on the field. Now, sadly, they sit as props on an airsoft only field. With the current ecconomic issues, expect to see fewer vehicle based tanks attending scenario games.

This also brings me to the other possibility that arises when you start using PUGs…Armored units. That’s right, imagine a platoon or company of PUGs moving across the field. Most of the tactics I’ve talked about here revolve around tanks in support of infantry but in reality, this isn’t the best way to use tanks. Tanks are best used in large numbers and in one location to PUNCH through an enemy strongpoint, turn into the enemy’s rear to cause panic and open the hole they created, and then for the infantry behind it to exploit the breach. As has been said, trying to find two or three motorized paintball tanks just to attend an event can be hard so usually no one talks about forming armored units. But with the inexpensiveness of PUGs, a whole new world opens up where larger formations of tanks…and thus more opportunities for opposing Anti-Tank players…can be used at paintball events.

Conclusion

Sure, maybe a PUG isn’t as cool as a motorized tank but considering the costs of not just creating a motorized tank but also storing it, insuring it, transporting it, and using it the thought of having these clanking monsters show up in anything more than token amounts just is not realistic. PUGs allow players to field more vehicles that will add to the fun that is scenario paintball.

Good luck, and remember, it is all about having fun.

- Robotech

Back to the home page...