Greetings, avid water warrior. Though this website contains different sections making tips and suggestions on what to do in different situations, those pages are intended for general knowledge. The Training Guide is an online handbook designed for the training of a true water warrior. Various aspects of the other tips/tactics pages will be touched on, but the focus of these pages will be more on elements and theory not covered elsewhere in this site.

GEARING UP
Some may say the weapon makes the warrior. However, the true warrior must be prepared not just for the offensive attacks, but also for defense, trap-setting, scouting, moving, communication, etc. The gear required by the individual depends on the sort of enemy engagement expected. In small, run-around-the-house-and-shoot water fights with 3-4 people, minimal gear is required. However, larger-scale water wars involving 6 or more people and/or over larger terrain will require more extensive preparation.

Suggestions

• Bathing Suit - to be worn beneath outer clothing. The material bathing suits are made of are more comfortable than normal cloth when wet, but wearing a bathing suit alone is not recommended if bushes, trees, dirt, etc may be involved. The outer wear should be tough enough to help one get through foliage without too many scratches
• Sunglasses/Flashlight - depending on whether it is daytime or nighttime. Both are intended to help one see more clearly depending on the lighting
• Water Bottles - if filling stations are few or hard to reach, water bottles will allow one to refill when on the field. The amount of water which should be carrier really depends on how much one can carry without giving up agility or speed
• Windbreaker - great form of outerwear which repells water, slides by branches and leaves and is relatively light
• Rope, String, Swiss-Army Knife, Duct-tape, etc. - stuff needed for preparing traps, repairing weaponry on the fly or any just-in-case situation. These pieces of equipments are not very important in small water fights, but when in the middle of a forest, one never knows when these things could come in handy
• Bandages, Cotton Swabs, etc. - any minor first-aid stuff just in case of injury on the field

The key to choosing the right gear for the battle really depends on the type of water war occuring and size of battlefield. The amount of gear one should carry is enough to provide a means to refuel/repair when away from main base while travelling light enough such that the gear does not weigh one down.

LOCK'N'LOAD
With the proper gear on oneself, the next step is to choose the appropriate weaponry for the job. (See Weapon Combos for suggested combinations) The weapon chosen should meet the needs of the user for the battle. For example, in small enemy engagements, a light to medium class weapon would serve its purpose. Using a larger weapon would be either overkill or just wasteful.

The weapon(s) chosen should be familiar to the user. Too many people think that by having the largest weapon, they can outgun anyone. If they do not know how to best make use of their weapon, they may as well be using the old pump-action water blasters. An experienced water warrior will know the strengths and weaknesses of the weapon chosen. Pumping time, weight, rate of water use, and other factors must be thought of when choosing or dealing with different weaponry. It may be true that the CPS 2000 or Monster XL has the most bite, but it also takes a lot of pumping to charge up that firing chamber. Time charging leaves the user defenseless. A good balance of weaponry will allow the water warrior to engage the enemy without fear of running out of water quickly or having to spend too much time pumping and not enough time drenching. The best way to determine which weapons work best for oneself is to be truly familiar with the different personalities of the different weapons. This, in turn, will also enable one to take advantage of the enemy's weapon's weaknesses (i.e. the CPS 3000 carries a lot of water, but takes a long time to pump and shoot. Attack the enemy user when pumping and simply evade when they are firing. CPS 3000 users usually cannot move very quickly and even a XP 110 user can drench an inexperienced CPS 3000 user with minimal dampness.)