Hard Cover
Overview
Hard cover refers to any bunker or surface that physically stops paintballs, providing reliable protection from incoming fire and allowing players to contest angles with minimal risk.
Key Points
- Physically stops paintballs rather than merely concealing visibility.
- Includes air bunkers, wood, metal structures, and natural barriers.
- Dictates survivability and engagement options.
- Used to anchor positions, hold lines, and access safe edges.
- Contrasts with soft cover, which conceals but does not stop paint.
Details
Hard cover is a critical concept in paintball positioning. It describes any structure that can reliably stop paintballs on impact, allowing players to hide, reload, plan movements, or gunfight with minimized exposure.
Hard cover includes: - Inflatable bunkers (airball formats) - Wooden barricades (recreational fields) - Shipping containers or walls (scenario play) - Thick natural objects such as trees or rock formations
The value of hard cover lies in its ability to: - Provide complete protection from direct lines of fire. - Serve as an anchor point for strong defensive or offensive structures. - Support tape control, wrapping, and snapshot battles.
Soft cover such as bushes, netting, or visual obstruction may hide a player but does not stop paintballs. Hard cover, by contrast, enables active gunfighting.
Strategically, teams identify which hard-cover bunkers serve as power positions. These are often used for: - Crossfield influence - Lane control - Locking in wires - Supporting coordinated pushes
Understanding the difference between hard cover and mere concealment directly affects survivability and engagement choices across all formats.
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