A day of paintball is hard to rival with its intense, tactical and adrenaline-fuelled style of play. Of course, it’s perfect for a fun day out, but why be the hunted when you can be the hunter?
For first time paintballers, it can be a daunting experience. So if this is going to be your transition into the paintball arena, your first time will be something like Rambo: First Blood — or in this case, first splat. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t let your mission to become a paintball veteran stop you from running around like an excited child for a while; you’re only human, after all.
When you’re ready to get serious, though, here are your five tips to help you on your way to becoming a dominant force on the paint-covered battlefield.
1. Ease Yourself into the Experience
This is probably the most difficult advice for a paintball rookie to take on board. I mean, with the chance to shoot your colleagues or friends with a high-quality paintball gun, how are you supposed to stay calm? The problem is that an overexcited charge will often get you shot before you get the chance to do some damage.
You’ll have a much better experience if you spend as much time as possible still active in paintball game, because once you’ve been shot, you’re eliminated from the current game. Easing yourself into the paintball experience will provide greater longevity, but more importantly give you more time to pummel the enemy.
2. Conserve Your Ammo
Conserving paintballs during the excitement of your first experience can be a near-impossible task. Your itchy trigger finger or ‘spray and pray’ mentality may well take over, which no doubt is the ideal cover for your team to get into better positions. However, it leaves you with little to no paintballs in the latter stages. Welcome to your new role as the unarmed distraction and moving target for the opposing team.
There’s no doubt you’ll start off by firing a few wayward shots into the air or at some trees as you get used to your paintball gun, but overall, you want to be thinking about quality over quantity. There’s nothing worse than hiding in cover from a barrage of paintballs with an empty gun that now is basically a prop.
3. Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Although the purpose of this article is to transform you into a Rambo-style paintball machine, there will be a team alongside you, and it’s a smart move to make the most of them. You probably won’t have time to work out a series of hand signals, tactical manoeuvres and any other SWAT team maneuvers, but working together will prove to be a massive advantage.
Most newbie paintballers tend to opt for the ‘lone wolf’ approach, as the excitement of being the hero of the hour is a very motivational feeling. Your team should take advantage of this and approach the game in a more tactical manner, rather than a ‘headless chicken’ kind of attack. Doing so will allow you to flank the other team, which is especially important during paintball games like Capture the Flag.
4. Use Your Surroundings to Your Advantage
Paintball locations are designed in a very specific way, rather than just a bunch of obstacles thrown together to make the place look cooler (it does make it look awesome, though). They’re designed to make each game of paintball flow better and give players the best experience possible.
Take a look around and see how you can take advantage of what your surroundings have to offer. There will be various objects, buildings or trees to provide you with cover or hiding places. Using cover is a vital part of being successful in a tactical game of paintball, increasing your playing time and opportunity for success.
5. Try Out Some Special Paintball Equipment
Many of the best paintball complexes offer specialised paintball equipment to help you get an extra advantage over the enemy, as well as to make the combat experience more authentic. Whether it’s different types of guns or tactical equipment such as grenades (using paint, not shrapnel), it’s well worth seeing what’s available.
With a variety of paintball equipment at your disposal, you can choose a loadout to match your playing style. For example, a submachine gun is perfect for those who want to get up close and personal, or a sniper rifle is ideal for those long shots from cover. Smoke grenades will provide cover while crossing through open areas — and they provide the bonus of looking awesome as they explode.
So, soldier: that’s the end of your briefing and initial training. If you follow the tips mentioned above, you’ll have a much better chance of being victorious in the paintball warzone, leaving your friends or coworkers covered in paint. The most crucial aspect of paintball is to have fun and blow off some steam, but that doesn’t mean you can’t become the Rambo of paintball in the process.
Author Bio: Matt Binny is a freelance writer and representative of Go Paintball, one of the UK’s leading paintball companies. With a focus on providing the best grass root’s Paintballing experiences possible for people of all ages. They believe Paintball is an activity that everyone should try at least once. It builds confidence and communication skills, encourages teamwork and is a super fun day of exercise and adrenaline that needs to be experienced to be believed.
