ChoicePaintballGuns

If you like to play woodsball, then you want your ’scenario’ to be as real as possible.  For this to happen you’re going to want certain paintball gear so your experience isn’t lacking.  Really the better your equipment, the more fun you’re going to have.  Considering this, here’s a short list of awesome ‘must have’ equipment for your next tactical paintball game:
Tactical Paintball Marker - Tippmann 98, Tippmann A5, Tippmann X7 are all sweet, sturdy and readily upgradeable tactical markers.  The T68 Gen6 is also a great looking gun but their a bit more temperamental.  Warsensor also makes a great pistol and awesome realistic bad-guy AK47 spin-off.
Fast Loader/Hopper - use the Pinokio hopper for the extra storage the additional section gives you (allows you to carry 400 paintballs) and it’s also very fast.  Spyder Fasta and Halo B are also great electronic loaders and reasonably priced.
Tactical Helmet - definitely use a military/police training helmet but if you’re serious about your tactical get-up, get an eye-tactical helmet with mask & drape. 
Tactical Rifled Barrel - these are the latest craze with tactical markers; these paintball barrels will add a bit more distance and accuracy to your shot.
Flexi-Air System - you get this with a flexi-air buttstock to add to your paintball marker.  This will re-route your gun’s air so you can hide your CO2/HPA inside your buttstock or put the remote line on the bottom of your stock; this makes your gun much more realistic.
Tactical Vest - There are many variations of tactical paintball vests to choose from.  Get one with lots of pouches to hold your CO2 on your back, grenade pouches, pistol holster, water resevoir, map/id pouches and of course pod and magazine pouches to carry more ammo.
Paintball Goggles - nothing special here; any paintball mask will do, preferably if they will fit with your helmet should you choose to wear one.  Check out the new Hawkeye goggles; they’re the newest and best.

If you’re into speedball, there are certain necessities you’re going to want to get the most out of your game.  Here’s a short list of some of the better paintball equipment to help….
1. Super-fast Paintball marker - look at one of these brands for the best performance on the field…. Dye, Proto Matrix, Planet Eclipse, Angel, Bob Long, Smart Parts and especially Spyder.  This list includes all different price ranges and styles.
2. Electronic Loader - This is your hopper that feeds paintballs quickly into the gun.  Check out the Pinokio Hopper, Halo B and the Spyder Fasta Loader.
3. High Pressure Air or N2 Tank - Use HPA or Nitrogen tanks for the best, most consistent shots and to compliment your paintball marker.  The Crossfire N2 tanks, Empire and Java HPA tanks are all excellent choices.
4. High Tech Goggles - You’ll want something lightweight with thermal lenses and anti-fog.  Check out Tippmann goggles, Air-Vents goggles and Dye Rotor.
5. Pod harness & Pods - Speedball is crazy fast, so you’re going to need to carry lots of paintballs with you to re-load your hopper on the go/under fire.  Check out NXe’s Elevation Series pod harnesses for your best bet.
6. Paintball Jersey - Dress the part; look like you belong to a professional team and cut down on the sting of getting hit with a paintball jersey.  Any are good, but look at Spyder and Smart Parts for good quality and great price.

Here’s a couple more tips if you’re a beginner speedball player that may keep you alive longer and help you enjoy the game more….
• Tip: Keep moving. A good speedball player should always be moving from bunker to bunker, especially when the opposing team does not have a clear view of you doing so.
The primary objective of this technique is to attempt to trick the opposing players. If someone thinks that you are still in “bunker A”, they will keep an eye out at “bunker A”, and try to keep the player that he thinks is there.  However, if you are at “bunker B”, you know your opponent’s location, but the opponent has no idea where you are.  While the opponent is attempting to keep an eye or fire upon “bunker A”, you can easily attempt to eliminate him without him shooting back at you (until he finds out where you are, that is).

• Tip: Communicate with your teammates.  Communication is one of the key and probably the most important factors in speedball.  Always talk to your teammates.  Your teammates should be extra eyes for you, so you can get a better understanding of what is happening on the field.  Teammates must always communicate to be successful in a game of speedball.  Eliminations of opposing team members or your team members will affect you.  Ask which players are being eliminated, and make sure to alert your team when a fellow player or an opposing player has been eliminated.  If an opposing player in front of you has been eliminated and you do not know of it, you may not advance to a better bunker, that you normally would move to if it were safe.  If your teammate who is guarding your right flank is eliminated, and you do not know it, the opposing team may move down that flank without your knowledge and easily eliminate you.  By knowing where all the opposing players are located on the field, you can avoid being shot unexpectedly, and know where you can advance to gain a better position on the field.

Here’s another important tip when playing speedball….
Try not to develop tunnel vision.  Tunnel vision is a state where you only comprehend what’s happening in a certain place that you’re focused on.  If you develop tunnel vision, you will only a small portion of the field and not be aware of what is happening around you.  Make sure you don’t only focus on a certain opponent’s bunker or objective, or you may find yourself being eliminated out of nowhere.  Many new players develop tunnel vision and it is something that is not easily avoidable.  You must always make an attempt to recognize activities going around you on the field, and not just on activities happening in a certain area.  After playing more speedball, it will be easier to keep yourself from getting tunnel vision and having a larger recognition of what exactly is happening around you. However, do not mistake having an objective as having tunnel vision. There is nothing wrong with having a small battle with an opponent two bunkers ahead of you as long as you recognize your surroundings and other opposing players.

Other Small Tips
• Do not wipe paint if you get hit, you won’t become any better at the game.
• Play hard and never loose motivation.  If the odds are against you, try your best and you may prevail.
• Practice snap shooting (popping out of your bunker for a small amount of time, shooting some paintballs at your target, and quickly going back into your bunker).
• Watch your flank and look for any openings in the opposing team’s flanks. If you can get into the opponent’s flank, you will probably be successful in eliminating a few of them by surprise.
• Try to play better teams and players than you, it’s a great way to hone your own skills. 
• Have fun, don’t cheat, and play safely!

Here’s an easy way to stay alive…..
Stay in one bunker; do not go out into the open for long periods of time.  One of the key concepts of speedball is the presence of bunkers, which hide the player’s body from being shot.  Use bunkers at your advantage, and stay at one or another.  Going out into the open for a long period of time is one of the worst things a speedball player can do.  Speedball is a fast paced game, and unlike in a dense forest, it will be easy for the opposing team to spot and tag you.  The only times you want to stay out in the open is when you are moving between different bunkers.  Although I advise to usually stay in bunkers, do not be afraid to run to other bunkers.  Many new players are afraid to move from bunker to bunker. The chances are, when you are running to a bunker, you most likely will not be hit, contrary to how it may look.  When you do move from bunker to bunker, however, I would highly recommend running or if moving up, possibly crouching and slowly walking forward.  Have your team practice covering each other and learn to make your way down the field in coordinated steps.  Also make sure you use a fast paintball marker; one that’s made specifically for speedball; like a Proto Matrix, Spyder, Dye or Angel.  Also consider using an electronic loader like a Pinokio or Halo B.

The Middle Front is the most exciting position on the field.  Many times the job of the middleman is to sprint to the flag station off the break and pull that flag.  Often times if he succeeds, then his job has been done.  Remember, there is only one flag pull in each game! One trick we have learned to help keep our middleman alive as he breaks for the flag is this: When the back players are breaking they have the opportunity to see where the other team is breaking to, and one code we use to warn the middleman (lets call him the Flag Runner since he is breaking for the flag) is “FLAG, FLAG, FLAG!”  When a player from our team yells “FLAG, FLAG, FLAG!” that lets the Flag Runner know that he is going to have company; a player from the other team is breaking for the flag too.  With this information our runner can decide what measures he needs to take to protect him-self from this threat.  Often the other team’s Flag Runner doesn’t even know that our Flag Runner is there, which gives him the advantage.  When the other player is worrying about getting the pull he is not expecting a barrel to pop over and paint him!

So, you made it and possess the “flag”.  You have done what was expected of you.  Now what?  Likely, if you don’t find yourself in the dead box shortly after you pull the flag, you find yourself bombarded with paintballs.  Don’t panic! Remember you did your job. Now it’s time to get tight and communicate.  Ask or listen for the locations of the opponents. It wouldn’t hurt to just sit there for a few seconds to let the opponent find some one else to shoot at.  Don’t think of moving at this point; a lateral move would be unwise.  Actually, you are as far up the field as you can go until a push is possible.  Here is what you can do. First set yourself on the bunker in the center of the bunker.  Position yourself so that you could shoot off either side but you still are out of the fire lines.  Basically set yourself just inside of the two angles that the balls are coming from.  What you do now is snap shoot with the Right Tape for 5 seconds.  Then switch to the Left Tape for 5 seconds. Then repeat until you out shoot one of them.  For these exercises, you will want a fast paintball gun, (perhaps a DM8 or Planet Eclipse Ego).  A fast loader is also highly recommended - like the Pinokio Hopper or a Halo B.

As the front player, you obviously hold the most important position in bunkering someone.  You should be close up in the action, near the center of the field.  Always keep your eyes open and do not develop the horror in paintball known as tunnel vision, where you concentrate only on a single point, and ignore your surrounding, which can and probably will lead to you being eliminated from the side or getting bunkered yourself.  Always expect to be rushed up on, and be aware of what is happening.  You should always be talking with your supporting back player, and popping out the bunker and shooting at the opposing teams back player to keep him down, to prevent communication between the other teams back and front players, which can help prevent yourself from getting bunkered and your team trampled upon.  When getting prepared to bunker your opposing front player, expect the other teams back players to lay paint on you. Stay low when running and NEVER keep your paintball gun down. With experienced players, it is not be a good idea to shoot a steady stream of paint at their bunker while running up to bunker them, as they will usually recognize this sign and get ready to counter you. Stay low and quiet, and run as fast as you can. When reaching the bunker, try to hit the opponents blind side. Many players tend to fire off a certain point of their bunker for a minute or two during the game.  Look at their patterns and try to intercept them while they are looking in a different direction. Going over the top of their bunker to bunker them can be very useful too when you are being shot at constantly by the opposing back players.  In all cases, one of the most important things to remember is that you are just as vulnerable as your target when attempting to perform a bunker.

First of all, bunkering can be defined as eliminating an opposing player at close range, usually within 7 feet of each other.  Here’s a strategy for how to do this as a back player.

Always keep an eye on the target of whom your front player is aiming to bunker.  As the bunkering is about to commence, make sure to keep a steady stream of paintballs to the side of your rushing front player to keep the receiver of the bunkering down. Another, more effective strategy, is attempting to keep the target busy.  Keep popping out of your bunker and distracting the target, let him attempt to shoot you out.  While he is busy working on marking you, your front player can hurry to the opposite side of the player’s bunker and shoot the target on his blind side.  Always keep in mind that if the target has supporting players, have your other teammates try keeping them down so your front player will not get shot out while on the run to bunker one of your opponents. The most important tactic in supporting your front player is to keep in oral contact with him.  Shout as much information as you can get to him, and cue him when he should run up.  Of course though, do not make obvious comments such as Go for it! Bunker the dude in the dorito NOW!, or you may be more of a disadvantage than an advantage.

How can a player use intimidation, and what advantage can this give you or your team? Let me give you an example: Your playing in your first 5-man tournament and getting ready to walk onto the paintball field, you look across the field and see your opponents all decked out in matching paintball jerseys and covered in sponsor stickers from head to toe, they all have the same Invert Mini paintball markers and are chanting their team name over and over. How does this make you feel? Scared, doubtful, worried, or all the above? You may not break as far down the field if you’re intimidated. You may not make a move to get a better angle on your opponent if your intimidated; you may even hesitate when firing your paintball marker.  What do all these things have in common?  You will probably lose the game.

Now that you have the other team doubting their very manhood, let’s get inside their head a little.  When you arrive at the field keep a positive attitude and walk around like a rooster in a hen house.  Don’t slump and mope around like you just lost your best friend, be confident and KNOW your team is going to win.  Your mental confidence will be picked up by other teams and puts a seed of doubt in their heads.  Remember that games are won and lost on mental mistakes and breakdowns, if you can get in the head of your opponents; you are half way to victory.  Our team has gone so far as to bring all of our trophies and plaques to the tournament and display them on a table under our canopy. Teams will come by and say, “Wow, I hope we don’t have to play you”.  With a smile I’m always thinking, we have already won the mental game, and normally the actual game follows suit.

Paintball is fast becoming one of the most popular outdoor activities for the young generation. It is thrilling, exciting, and even surreal. At a paintball area, you actually feel as if you are in a war zone. The objective is to capture the other team’s flag with as little casualties as possible. Paintball is very safe, provided you follow these rules and regulations:

~Wear the proper gear.  This includes non-skid boots, protective gear and always paintball goggles.
~Don’t get carried away.  Remember that this is just a game.
~All paintball guns and CO2 tanks should be inspected before they are used. Some clubs do not allow automatic paintball guns for playing.  If you want a fast and efficient weapon, try the various types of Spyder paintball gun.  Tippmann paintball guns are also an excellent and well-known brand.