Sid’s Paintball

Well, a couple of weeks ago, one of the guys I play paintball with came up with a nifty idea for a game. He called it “Bunny”. What we did first was put peices of paper in a hat that said “Hunter” on them and only one that said “Bunny”. The player to pick the peice of paper with bunny on it was to go out into the woods alone. Everyone else was to wait five minutes until entering the woods. Basically it ends up being one person against everyone else. Being the bunny, you have to eliminate all of the hunters before they get you.

The way we played was all of the hunters only get 15- 20 paintballs in their hoppers and the bunny gets a full hopper and tubes if you are able to carry them. Another thing I thought was very comical was I was the first one to be the “Bunny”. Once I picked it out of the hat, one of the guys pulled out some big white bunny ears and told me I have to wear them. Well, long story short, they never went on my head…lol.

Try this game out. It is very fun. Might help you to mix things up a bit wherever you play. I also included some photo’s that show a couple of the guys wearing the bunny ears. Funny stuff…lol. Enjoy!

A lot of people are under the impression that paintball is a small recreational activity played by 4-6 players at a time in someones back yard. Some might know that there are tournaments, but think that it is not that popular. Well, let me see if I can shed some light on this subject.

Paintball is huge…simply put. Yes, some games are small and played in a field or someones back yard, but other games, called scenario games are phenomenal. These scenario games attract thousands of players all across the country and sometimes players from other countries. These scenario games will sometimes even have tanks (yes, I said tanks) and other forms of heavy artillary.  some games even rent Helicopters to add to the realism.

Here is a list of some of these games. Click on the name to see just what these scenario games are like.

Oklahoma D-Day 2007

F.E.A.R.

Battle for Ironforge

Kong Island

Spartan Project

These are just a few of the 100’s of games played to this magnitude. So, how big is paintball? I would say it is more popular than than having your in-laws over for the weekend:)

Probably the most important issue in paintball is the type of battle ground the game is to take place. The atmosphere of the game is determined by the choice of the field. Fields can be broadly divided into two categories: Natural and artificial fields.

a. Natural Fields: Mainly untouched ground with characteristic flora and fauna. This type of ground is difficult to manage, but, still, it is the most preferred field.

b. Artificial Fields: Completely, or partially, man-made fields.

ARENA: The most common name used for artificial fields. Plenty of tires, barrels, and trunks are used as barricades. Positioning of the barricades does not conform to a norm, it is up to the imagination of the designer. The main characteristic of the Arena is that it enables the public to watch the game as an audience. Moreover, it allows players to move faster. These advantages made the arena popular in the 90s, and the popularity continues since.

SPEEDBALL: As a fast game full of adrenaline, speedball is played on a man-made plain decorated with barricades. The game is also known as Combat. Teams usually consist of 3, 5 or 7 players. Since both teams can see each other, the game is played at an extremely fast pace. This type of battle has gained popularity in the 90s and is still preferred by more advanced players. 

SUP’AIRBALL: Also known as Skyball. The field area covers merely a space as wide as a football field. Plastic barrels filled with air are the only barricades within the field. The barricades come in all shapes possible. They can be round, conic, or cyclonic. They are balanced by the water they contain.

INDOOR: These type of fields are, as their name implies, indoor. Derelict factory buildings are the most commonly used indoor battle fields. The fields are decorated with barricades. Indoor fields are not common in most countries.

OK, I told you I would write more on Speedball and here it is. Speedball (also called Tournyball) type games have what is called a mirrored field. This means that both teams have the exact same amount of bunkers in the exact same place so as not to give an advantage to either team. This type of paintball is mainly capture the flag and points are based on this rather than pure elimination. Rarely do you have a game that you can capture the other teams flag without eliminating the entire team first.

Because of the fast pace in Speedball, it is typical for a game to last only a few minutes while players fire an almost constant barrage of paint. They use the same amount of paint within a few minutes that woodsball players would use within a few hours.

Playing paintball on a speedball field allows for strategic and tactical decisions. There are three general player roles: back players, center players, and front players. These positions truly develop in advanced speedball players who have practiced or drilled on a team.

Markers intended for speedball focus on consistency, accuracy and a high rate of fire. Many speedball markers have anti-chop eyes, which warn the system when a paintball is inhibited from settling completely in the chamber, to avoid breaking a ball, as players in a speedball match have little time to spare to clean out a barrel. Force-feed hoppers are also a common sight on the speedball field, as they allow for a much faster and more consistent supply of paint than a standard gravity-feed hopper.

In order to achieve peak performance, speedball markers should be tested to ensure proper operation and settings before use and must be cleaned after use. Although high-end paintball markers are fairly picky about the amount of dirt and grime they can ingest before malfunctioning, if properly cared for, the markers will often maintain the full rate of fire, accuracy, and paint velocity with few glitches, chopped/broken paint, or other problems. This is critical in speedball and tournaments, where entry-level markers can fail to operate as parts expand and wear during the course of a game. The thousand dollar-plus price tag and hassles before/after the game often equal out with the smooth operation and consistency high-end markers afford. For speedball players, pulling out a squeegee is not an option, nor is any missed recock.

You are silent, patient, unheard and unseen. You wait in cover until you can take the perfect shot. Then, with one paintball, you can end an entire game. This is the beautiful thing about being a paintball sniper.

Some people like myself enjoy a faster pace position on the field. But, there are some who enjoy stalking you and taking people out of a game with one paintball, without you even knowing they were there.

I have heard a lot of people say that it is impossible to have a sniping position in paintball due to the variance in each ball and the tendancy for each ball to want to head in a slightly different direction. Well, through experience, I can tell you that whenever I play, I want someone who can snipe. I have been held down for long periods of time because someone was good at sniping. They provide great cover for you and your team to move throughout the field and if the sniper is able to set up high enough, they can see what you can’t see.

So give it a try, you may just find that you are one of the elite.