Team play is a different than individual play. The best teams are made up of individuals who all play their part in promoting the success of the team as a whole, even if it means coming at the cost of some individual dryness.
For those new to team water warfare, the following article is a good place to start:
Once you have a team formed, it then becomes a matter of getting each member to excel individually as well as performing their role as a part of the team with skill. The sections below go intro greater detail on thoughts to consider when working as a team.
Attacking as a Team is more complex than attacking alone. One wants to make full use of the Team's water power while at the same time protecting the Team from surprise attacks and avoiding accidently targetting one's own allies.
prior to game situations, practice aiming and soaking as a group. A Team that can act efficiently and effectively together can overcome a larger, disorganized Team with ease.
know your Team member's abilities. Different individuals in a Team have different strengths and weaknesses. The key for successful Team strikes is to make use of all the different individual strengths while minimizing the reliance on their weaknesses.
look for cover. Surprise attacks can allow one to readily drench one or a few opponents before they have a chance to return fire.
know the surroundings. It helps to know the playing field a bit before engaging the opposition. If this is not possible, do scouting runs before any serious engagement with opposing Teams.
The following subsections will look into various strategies and ideas which will make attacking as a Team more efficient and successful.
Defence
Defending as a Team is more complex than defending oneself. While each member wants to remain dry while dishing out the water to the Team's adversaries, one must take care not to have any Team members caught up in the crossfire. At other times, sometimes the best types of defence is a good offense.
when in the open field, keep the Team moving. A moving target is much more difficult to hit than one standing still.
each member should keep an eye on their water level. One cannot attack if one is out of water. When one or more Team members are running low, it is a good idea for the Team to look for a filling station before being caught at less-than-prime condition.
look for cover. Teams that are not seen are much harder to soak.
carry extra water (if possible). Just in case one runs out of ammo and there are still opponents between one's location and a safe filling station.
know the surroundings. It helps to know the playing field a bit before engaging the opposition. If this is not possible, do scouting runs before any serious engagement with opponents.
know allies' positions. When travelling or defending an area, if an opposing Team attacks, knowledge of where other members are will allow those who are isolated to quickly locate support while preventing mis-targetting allies during a heated fray.
open communication methods between allies. To prevent confusion and co-ordinate proper defence strategies, all members should be aware of the general status of their other Teammates. Thus, if one Team member is in trouble, others can quickly come to their assistance.
Choosing the Attack Team
Before one brings one's Team onto the playing field, one must make decisions about who should go and/or who should remain behind to watch over one's base, filling station, other blasters, etc. An offensive force should be composed of those who are quick on their feet, well-prepared but able to work well as a group. The smallest recommendable water blaster for use during an offensive mission would be an XP70. Anything smaller makes that Player nearly useless since he/she would be out-distanced and overpowered by virtually any opposing force the group may encounter. (Of course, if everyone only has SS50s or something along those lines, it may work. However, in those type of water fights, this type of training is definitely overkill.)
When choosing the attack group, it is also wise to choose a mixture of blasters. HBFs carrying CPS2500s can overpower most encountered opponents but, since they can be tricky to aim, may actually prove ineffective against fast moving XP110 Players. A mixture of available blasters will be a great asset when dealing with any possible opposing Team.
General Offensive Tips
Choose a Captain for the mission. It will be then the Captain who makes decisions about which route to take, whether to proceed or retreat, etc. The Captain should be someone trusted by all members of the Team and experienced in assigning duties, etc.
Stay close (i.e. within 3 meters of each other). Being relatively close allows the Team to come to each other's aid in case of a surprise attack. However, do not bunch up as this will make it easier for opponents to strike someone if they employ area attacks (i.e. the fan setting on some SuperSoakers)
Guard the flanks. Those following should keep an eye to their sides and back for possible traps/ambushes/surprise attacks.
Stay aware of one's surroundings. Always make mental notes of possible places to head for cover and the location of one's group-mates in case of a counter-attack. This will allow one to get out of water's way quickly, return fire and not worry too much about accidently soaking one's own Team members.
Communicate important information. Anything peculiar or potential opponent seen should been reported to the rest of the Team. The Team should be ready to listen and take action depending on the possible attack.
