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How to Win a Snowball Fight Every Time: Tactics Guide

A snowball fight is arguably the most fun battle you could be involved in. And if you happen to win the fight, the fun element only increases. But how do you win a snowball fight, particularly if you’ve never been part of one before?

To win a snowball fight every time, devise strategies. Do not start attacking right away with bare snow. Make dense, round snowballs first. Next, put together a team that wants to win. Also, follow the rules (if any) and play safe. The last thing you’d want is to hurt people.

Keep reading to learn in detail all the tricks and tips in the book to win a snowball fight every time. 

Make Snowballs

As mentioned, do not get on with the battle as soon as you step foot on the ice. Look at things around you and make sure you are not at the receiving end of an impending attack.

Once you’ve made sure you’re not an easy target, start making snowballs. Make them round and dense, so that you could throw them with enough force without breaking them in mid-air. The density will help the balls fly a fair distance.

Make as many snowballs as you possibly can and stockpile them in a garbage can, tote, or plastic bag so that you have reserves. Also, do not stop making snowballs at any time.

Every time you get an opportunity or some breathing space, make more snowballs. The last thing you would want is to run out of snowballs when you need them the most.

Build Your Team

Snowball fights could be carried out as a team or individually. Quite often, teams are formed, making the game a lot more fun and adding some structure to the otherwise unstructured sport.

If you are in charge of forming your team, make sure you ally with like-minded people.

In other words, you don’t want people throwing snowballs indiscriminately while you are busy devising strategies. If you are meticulously planning things and putting in the time and effort to make those snowballs, you want team members who do the same or help you in some way.

Attack and Defend Wisely

Once you have a team in place and the snowballs ready, launch into the fight. Do not take cover right away or become too defensive at any point in the game. If, however, the opponent team is hurling snowballs at you at a steady pace and/or you’ve been outnumbered, you may hold your guards up.

When you do not feel overpowered, look to dodge the snowballs thrown at you instead of going into defense mode at the drop of a hat.

Ideally, you must be able to attack your opponent team immediately after you dodged a snowball from the opponent team. This will also signal to the opposite side that you are not intimidated and are ready for the battle.

Use the Right Tools

Even if you are fairly adept at making snowballs, there are times you may not be able to create a snowball stockpile at the pace you would like to.

In such scenarios, a snowball maker such as the Paricon Snowball Maker (link to Amazon) could come in extremely handy.

A less scientific alternative is a ladle. You the ladle to form snowballs quickly.

If you need a tool to fling the snowballs, use a snowball thrower. The Hoopla Toys Snowball Thrower (link to Amazon) should work fine for most people. Plus, you can use it to make snowballs with as well.

However, if you are looking for a more advanced thrower, the Snowball Launcher (link to Amazon) is what you should consider. It’s a gun to pack in and shoot snowballs. You may also use it indoors with foam balls or fake snowballs.

Set Up an Ice Fortress

If you want to take your defense game several notches higher, erect a fort. Building a snow fort and organizing your forces may sound far-fetched, but it’s pretty simple. You just need to pile up the snow into a makeshift barrier or wall. However, if you want to build something more comprehensive or complex, you will have to put in some time and forethought.

If you truly put in some planning and effort, massive snow forts are certainly possible.

Here is a video showcasing the biggest snow fort ever made:

If you’re considering erecting a modest wall as a safeguard, do it a day earlier as that would allow the snow to sinter and serve its purpose well. 

The Science Behind Making Snowballs

Snowball fighting is great fun. If you want to win every snowball fight and be competitive, you might as well learn the science behind it.

Snowflakes Are Unique

There is more to a snowflake’s structure and composition than you may think. The formation of the crystals is dependent on humidity, atmospheric pressure, temperature, and particulates. The ground temperature has a lot to do with ensuring a solid snowball battle.

Wet snow compacts a lot better compared to dry snow, as the melting snow helps create the “ice bridges” that merge two crystals. When the temperature is extremely low, snow is hard to forge and, therefore, remains separate.

Ground Temperature Is Not Uniform

The ideal temperature for snowball fights is just below freezing temperatures. When the temperature rises, you cannot make snowballs. Similar is the case when it’s extremely cold outside. This, however, doesn’t imply you cannot put up a good snowball fight if the weather is not ideal.

The ground temperature may not be the same across the plain, and there could be spots where it could be warmer or colder than the temperature elsewhere in the same area.

Therefore, you should locate places that have a warmer temperature so that you could pack snow better than your competition.

Use Your Hands to Good Effect

If it’s not adequately warm or you are having trouble making ideal snowballs, use your body heat to make those snowballs. However, that doesn’t mean you should use your uncovered fingers in the freezing temperature. Opt for a pair of gloves.

The gloves would also come in handy with hurling snowballs at your opponents as they are a lot more flexible (than mittens) and help with gripping snowballs.

Most importantly, your hands will feel adequately warm within. Mittens have little to no room for your body heat to escape, which could make it a bit too toasty within.

Things Not to Do When Snowball Fighting

To win a snowball fight is important, but it is even more important to do it fair and square. Here are things you should never resort to in a snowball fight:

  • Do not pack rocks, ice, gravel, or any object hard enough to hurt people on impact in your snowballs. To reduce the likelihood of grabbing snow inadvertently and hurting people, pick up the snow from an open area and not from roads or sidewalks.
  • Never aim at another person’s head. Hurling a snowball at any part of the body other than the cranium is fine.
  • Say no to yellow snow. Those are contaminated snow you will not want other people throwing at you and you should, therefore, not be throwing them at others too.

Conclusion

Snowball fighting is a winter sport that’s meant to be fun and harmless, irrespective of how competitive the game gets. Though minor injuries occur (usually from the chunks of ice in the snowball), the fights are invariably mock physical conflicts with no attempts made to hurt anyone.

If you are new to a snowball fight and want to win, it’s imperative you follow this unwritten rule.

Before you set out to win a snowball fight, make sure you are healthy enough to play the sport. Throwing snowballs, building a fort, shoveling the driveway, etc. require a certain level of physical strength.

Most importantly, have an emergency medical kit handy to cover for unforeseen circumstances.

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