Tactical laser tag is not the “pew pew” laser tag that comes to mind when people think of the timeless activity of laser tag. It is a far more strategic, advanced, and complex game than “Shoot the enemy team”. Tactical laser tag is fun if you don’t strategize and just want to play endless games of Team Deathmatch but there are ways you can really level up your experience when playing tactical laser tag.  Here are some things you can do the next time you step into an arena to get the most out of your time.

1. Familiarize Yourself With the Arena 

You can’t play blindly.  All arenas are different, some have better vantage points than others, some have long-shot corridors, and some lend themselves to close-quarter combat. These are all things that you can use to your advantage in an arena. Some arenas will have maps on site.  

At all Tac Ops locations, we keep a map outside in the lobby for planning, as well as in all of the respawn rooms.  We even have virtual tours online so that you can plan before you come in.  Like most things in life, winning at tactical laser tag is mostly preparation. The more prepared you are for a game, the more of an advantage you will have.  

2. Wear the Right Clothes  

While many places still use blacklights and other “party” type lights, we at Tac Ops have decided to use ambient lighting in our facilities, so there is no need to wear light-colored clothes because it will only make you easier to be seen by the enemy.  

Additionally, you’ll want to make sure that you dress comfortably, you’re going to move around a lot so you want to make sure that you are comfortable and can move quickly. The last thing that you want to happen is to compromise your gameplay because you were trying to look good!  

3. Work as a Team

We can’t stress this enough, WORK TOGETHER!!! One of the biggest advantages you can create comes with multiple attack points and you can’t do that by yourself. It’s ideal to have everyone working as one unit to achieve your objectives, going into battle by yourself is just going to leave you outnumbered if your opponents are working together.   

A huge benefit of tactical laser tag is team building but that only comes with good communication. You need to come up with a plan and execute it

4. Strategize After Every Round 

Working as a team is great but you have to continue to evolve and fix what isn’t working. As you’ve heard so many times, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If it isn’t working you need to talk about what you did and what might work in the next round with the new objectives.

Most arenas will give you sufficient time in between rounds to plan your next round strategy, some have maps in the respawn rooms. You have to use them if you want to succeed.

5. Use Cover 

One of the things that makes this new era of laser tag different is the amount of cover that you’ll find. Traditional laser tag has places to take cover but it tends to be more open than modern laser tag. The cover points in modern tag allow you to move from spot to spot and take cover behind obstacles. Some high and some low, obstacles provide great cover to get closer to your objective. The key to using cover effectively is knowing when to move from point to point but once you can figure that out, you stand to benefit greatly.

6. Stay Calm, Cool, and Collected

You need to remember the plan!  You can’t panic and expect to improvise and have the odds be in your favor. Keep your cool and move from point to point slowly to reach your objective.  “Spray and pray” never works, you need to keep your head in situations to maintain an upper hand. Be aware of your surroundings and use them to your advantage but you need to be thinking clearly to do so. You want to keep the element of surprise and hit your opponents effectively but you can’t do that if you abandon your plans.   

7. Let Loose and Have Fun 

While it’s easy to lose yourself in some of the more immersive arenas out there, let’s not forget why you’re there….to have FUN! We know some people can get really competitive and that makes for some great games but at the end of the day, this is a fun activity.  Remember to help your teammates and make memories with family and friends.    

Book Your Tactical Laser Tag Experience 

Time to put all of this knowledge to use!  It’s time for you to book your game of laser tag at Tac Ops! Grab some friends and some family, and make it a night to remember with a game of tactical laser tag. Follow this link to book your memory now at: https://tacopslasertag.com/booking/.  See you on the battlefield!