ChoicePaintballGuns

After watching and being involved in paintball for over 7 years, I’ve watched the sport grow and advance.  I guess you could say I’m a purist and I dream of advancing paintball technology so the game becomes as close to real war as possible.  Imagine how real the game will be when everyone on the field is using military replica tactical paintball guns fueled by a hidden air tank and loaded through magazines.  Actually, with paintball guns from RAP4 and MilSig, I’ve found out that this is not that far from reality.  In fact the T68 gen6 by rap4 is so close to the real thing it’s scary.  These guns are not only magazine fed, but the flexi-air systems are ultra cool - this is what allows you to hide your air tank inside the buttstock -  it’s by far one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.   It’s also amazing how many different options there are to choose regarding what type of weapon you want…. There are multiple snipers, CQB, AK47 and carbine combination packages available; seriously there’s like 60+ different customized T68 guns to choose from.  If you want to take your tactical game to the next level of realism, get a T68 and I’ll meet you on the battlefield!  This gun is transforming the sport of paintball!  
Matt Kresch,  Team Trinity

The rover, also known as the insert player, stays more towards the middle of the field; he is the fill in man.  This player takes the front or the Backman’s place if they get eliminated.  It’s also the rover’s job to provide cover for the players ahead of him on the field; this means the rover will shoot a lot more paint than the frontman.  He also is the player responsible for important communications amongst the team - passing messages between the front and back players.  The challenge of this position is being able to fill in any position’s role when it becomes necessary.  It’s best if the rover is well rounded and knowledgeable about everyone elses positions.  He should be quick on his feet so he can take over the new position as quickly as possible.  Considering this, the rover wants his supplies (paintball gun, paintballs and air tank) as light as possible because he has to move around so much and so fast…. but he also wants to have enough to last through the whole game.  Compared to the backman, he won’t shoot quite that much (unless he becomes the backman) but he will still shoot way more than the frontman.  A player manning the rover position will often carry extra pods or air supply to last in case they have to cover someone else’s spot.

What should I look for in a paintball starter package for my two grandsons?  What should it include?  They are 12 and 8 respectively.  Since they are new to the game, what would be best suited for that age bracket and their skill level?

After playing paintball consistently for years, my friends and I are always looking for new ways to spice up the game. We travel all around the Pacific Northwest looking for new fields and competition to provide a unique challenge. This year we decided to make our local matches more interesting my battling at night.

The first couple of attempts to have night matches were a failure; we just didn’t have the right equipment to make it viable. About a month ago I invested in a laser paintball sight, and it instantly transformed the way I play at night. With a range of up to 500 feet, I am easily able to target the enemy, regardless of the conditions. My comrades followed suit and purchased their own, so now our night battles are more feasible.

The Frontman, also known as the pointman, is the player in the middle of all of the action; you’d better have a strong stomach and plenty of balls to take on this spot on your team.  The Frontman is probably one of the most exciting positions on the paintball field but they’re also usually the first to be eliminated.  The Frontman makes all the daring moves and stays close to the enemies the whole game; this makes him a very key player in the game.   Sometimes, the Frontman is also the captain of the paintball team.  He plays at the front of the field and is the player responsible for getting the other team’s flag or accomplishing the team’s mission.  The frontman is closer than any of his teammates to the enemies.  For this reason he is backed up by several of the other positions on the field: the lockman, the sniper, and the insert.  The frontman carries the lightest load because he shoots the least; his job is to maneuvre.  He needs to be the fastest player with the quickest reflexes; sprinting, jumping, rolling and crouching at the blink of an eye are a must for this player.  Most of his time on the field will be spent going from one bunker to the next until he competes the mission.  The frontman must also know how to make himself small, minimizing the target for the enemy as he runs from bunker to bunker.  The Frontman’s paintball gun should be light, easy to carry, aim and shoot quickly and accurately.  It does not have to hold many paintballs because this position spends more time running and hiding than shooting.  However, every good Frontman will still carry enough ammo in case he gets pinned down with enemy fire!

The back player, also referred to as the ‘backman’, is usually a more experienced player.  It is not uncommon for him to have to shoot with both hands, or even switch up trigger fingers when one finger gets too tired.  He starts shooting early in the game and doesn’t move around outside of his starting area much during the game.  The backman has a lot of responsibilities.  He pretty much controls the movements of the players on his team because he has the view with the most advantage.  He not only has to protect the flag or keep the opposing team from accomplishing their missions, but he must also defend his own teammates further up on the field, keep them informed on the opposition’s movements and progression, and tell the rover when he needs to take over for the pointman.  The backman needs a paintball marker and gun barrel that will shoot fast and hard.  It’s also smart for him to carry plenty of ammo; he will be shooting a lot throughout the whole game.  For this reason, he will need to carry the most paintballs, a larger air supply, and shoot a gun with a long barrel to improve his reach.  He must also be able to shoot and be accurate at high rates of speed and while he’s moving around the field.

There is a lot more to a paintball game than just shooting your paintball gun.  Winning the game takes skill, knowledge of the game and strategy.  You must know your moves and how to execute them, but be ready to change your plan in a minute’s notice.  Speed also plays a large role in the game of paintball.  Knowing what to do isn’t enough; you need to have the speed to make it happen before you enemy has time to catch on or shoot you.  In addition, try to cut your reaction times down.  Learn and practice what to do in certain situations so that in an actual game the move will be instinct.  You want to keep moving in the game from beginning to end; everyone knows a moving target is harder to hit.  Never stand in the same line of fire as a teammate.  You don’t want to give your opponent any advantage.  Plan ahead and mark the bunkers and landmarks that your opponents frequently use.  This may give you an advantage of knowing where your enemy’s probably going to go in the game.  When you are attacked, stay low to the ground as you retreat.  Staying low gives the opponent a smaller target to shoot at.  This will help keep you from getting eliminated.

If you want to keep your opponents guessing in your next game, try creating diversions.  You don’t ever want your opponent to know what’s coming and you certainly don’t want them to be able to guess what moves you’re getting ready to make.  If you’re planning on making an attack on the right side, you may want to build up more players on the left side to make your opponent focus more on the left.  Then, as your opposition prepares for more defense on the left, you can launch an attack from the right.  Another effective diversion is recruiting floaters for your team.  This position must be designated ahead of time/before the game.  A floater is a player who has view of the whole field.  This is helpful because they can see all eliminations made during the game, make sure backup is where ever it’s needed, and can call for defense at the appropriate times.  If you have a sniper on your team, sometimes they make good floaters and can use this position to pick off key players.  They may also be able to see the field better with their paintball sniper scope.

There are two main ways to learn and refine your techniques.  First, by trial an error.  Second, by other player’s trial and error.  There are several different medias for learning from other players.  It can be from watching your own teammates, to reading articles from the experts.  The following tips will help you get the most out of your marker and your plays on the field.

 1.  It is most important to keep your marker clean.  Enough so that you should stop what you’re doing right away and clean it out.  Make sure you do a thorough job though; the bolt, bolt face, and the barrel must all be kept clean or the marker will malfunction.
2.  When a paintball breaks in your marker, make sure you not only clean out all of the paint, but anything else that doesn’t belong there as well.
3.  If you are still having problems with paintballs chopping inside the marker, you will need to take the gun apart and check for damage such as chips and burs.
4.  If the bolt face or o-rings are damaged, you should replace them as soon as possible.
5.  After playing all day with the problem of paint chopping in the machine, you should take it apart for a more thorough examination of the parts.  Look for scratches, fraying, or any other damage.  Check each part individually.  It’s a good idea to check the sear and hammer first, because these two parts must be in good condition to operate correctly.  The hammer and sear should be sharp.  The edges should be clean and no major wear should be visible.
6.  Make sure all of your paintball clothing is clean and in good shape. 
7.  Keep your camouflage jerseys and paints in good condition.
8.  Wear camouflage jerseys and pants that match each other. Mixing camouflage makes you easier to spot.
9.  If you are in an open woodsball field and a player has not spotted you yet, STOP.
10.  Keep the oil away from your compressed air tank when you are lubing up your marker.  The mix of oil and high pressure can cause a spark and pretty much blow you up - making for a crappy day.

The Big Game is the larger scale scenario paintball game.  The larger paintball games have become more and more popular.  They usually have at least ten players on each team and the game may last as long as twenty-four hours or even several days.  Most of the time, these games simulate real popular events such as historical conflicts or wars; therefore, use similar paintball gear as what was used in those actual events.  It is common for the game to be preceded by a big party the night before. 

Obstacles on the course may include both natural obstacles such as rocks as well as some man made ones such as tanks, land mines, fortresses, bunkers, and even occasionally underground bunkers.  At the very end of the game everyone comes out of hiding and shoots each other.  The objectives of these games may vary from total elimination, capture the flag or different missions.  The storylines and themes are usually kept fairly simple to prevent the game from getting too confusing.  One thing’s for sure, there is always a lot of action!  Usually there will be a general over each team from the start to manage his team and see to it that the objective of the game gets accomplished.