BH - BROADSWORD / HEAVY RIFLEMAN Base Position Description The use of suppressive fire is one of the greatest advantages that an organized team has over walk-on players. The militaries of the world rely on suppressive fire to advance their squads and to put enemy heads down. Paintball can work exactly the same way. The Heavy Rifleman unleashes a sustained rate of fire that freezes the opposition's battle line while lighter elements of his team maneuver for advantage. He's the perfect man for defending the flag or hammering on the opposition's base. With an enormous load of paint and a fully automatic paintgun, the Broadsword isn't the fastest-moving member of his squad. But, when he gets into position, he provides a hefty base of fire that carves a path for his buddies who will be assaulting. Heavy Riflemen don't always score the most kills, but they are crucial to attacks on entrenched defenses – the same defenses that can cause a squad to bog down in a frustrating stalemate. Most paintball games end in a ball-for-ball standoff, so it's amazing that more paintball teams don't employ bunker-busting Heavy Riflemen. If you want to be part of your team's solution to the standoff, grab a big bag of paint and join the corps of the Broadsword. Basic Requires at least one paintball day playing Broadsword position. Don't think he's a wussy just because he's hanging back a little. Hey, if you had to carry his load of paint, you'd be hanging back a little, too. It's the Broadsword's job to stay off the front line until he's called up for suppression. Then, he lets loose a barrage of paint that puts the opposition on the ground. Heavy Rifleman is a defensive position, even when attacking. The idea is to tie up an area and to inflict enough fear and confusion that your flanking or rushing elements can kick the hell out of the opposition. At first, it'll be tempting to jump into the middle of any battle that breaks out. While the Broadsword can certainly hold his own in a gunfight, he's much better at breaking up gunfights by giving his teammates cover while they put on the sneaky moves. A beginner Heavy Rifleman can start by just adding to his paint load. Later on, he's going to want to get as close to full auto as his local field will allow. So, welcome to the ranks of the Heavy Riflemen. Don't blame us if you get addicted to heavy doses of paint. Senior Requires at least six paintball days playing Broadsword position. After playing Broadsword a spell, it's become clear to the team that this guy is the key to breaking gridlock. He can play static defense or roam the field with an assault team. In either case, he lays paint liberally wherever it's needed. He may be racking up crazy numbers of kills on defense or he may be backing up an assault squad. Wherever he is on the field, he's learned that monstrous amounts of paint can yield killer results. His gearkit's ballooning the better he becomes. His air tank is getting fatter and he's traded in his pod belt for a jumbo belt or a vest. He's getting sick of yelling for "ammo" so he's packing more and more of his own. Muppets keep coming up to him asking, "Are you the guy who's shooting the MACHINE GUN?" Master Requires at least fifteen paintball days playing Broadsword position. If he's a defense player, the Master Broadsword racks up double-digit kills almost every game. He burns through an insane amount of paint and air and he's even tried to sneak a scuba fill station back into the defensive bunkers. If he's on an assault team, the Master Broadsword may get fewer kills, but the opposition still swallows their gum when they see him amble forward and rev up his big gun. The Heavy Rifleman has gone Biggie Size on everything – his air, his vest, his paint pack, and his hopper. He's loaded for bear and he can sustain major suppressive fire for three or four full assaults. The Master Broadsword looks so intimidating and so BIG on the field that muppets have quit coming up to him asking if he's the guy shooting the "MACHINE GUN." Elite Requires at least fifteen paintball days playing Broadsword position and a special commendation from Team Special Ops Paintball. Great defensive players never get enough props. But, when the SpecOps guys saw this Heavy Rifleman getting down to business, it was obvious that he deserved to be recognized as an Elite MoFo. The Elite Broadsword is a committed team player. He's not interested in personal glory over team victory. Rather, he's stoked to play support to an assault or even to play defense. (He also secretly knows that the dudes on defense get to spank more muppets than anyone else.) Whether in the field or back on "D," the Elite Broadswordsman is one tough hombre – even if he has to beg for gas money after spending every dime on his voracious paint habit.