Paintball is a game where strategy is the key to victory. If you are a paintball newbie, but would love to dive into the military style tactics leading to a sweet victory, then you should DEFINITELY read up on the tips given below.
Why? Because chances are, you’ll be up against pros or paintball veterans who know all there is to know about the game and how to make sure you’re not a threat in the playing field. Transform yourself into a paintball chief, leading your minions to victory with these paintball tips.
Safety
This is first and foremost the most important tip in paintball. NEVER remove your mask, because even though paintball is a fun sport, a paintball can take out an eye if your paintball mask is not protecting your face. Just to tell you a little fact, a paintball is only a ball filled with paint, but when propelled from the paintball marker, it shoots out at a speed reaching 280 miles per hour. You don’t want to be injured because you were careless with your mask. It is there for your protection – never remove it.
Keep the markers unloaded and away from young children. You’ve just read about the speed of a paintball and the danger it can pose to people unprepared for a paintball assault. Accidents can happen at any point when you’re not careful.
Game Tips
Now on to the fun stuff! These tips may help you level the playing field a little more.
Don’t be scared of the game
Yes, we told you about the speed, but there’s no fun if you’re so scared of the ball hitting you that you end up cowering under a bush somewhere where nobody can find you and you don’t find anyone. True, the name of the game is to eliminate your opponents, and you can do this very well if you play in a stealthy mode, but not in an invisible –not-really-there-on-the-field kinda mode.
The ball will sting for just a small second, but the sting gets lost in the adrenalin that will be making you move, scoping out the terrain for your next target, blood pumping with the sweet taste of victory.
Remember, this is only paint – if you are really wary of feeling the momentary sting, wear a few more layers. Sure, you’ll be sweating like you’re in a sauna, but at least you won’t feel a thing! So, find a good strategic location where you can see your opponents but they can’t see you, and pick them off one by one. So take a leap of faith and jump into the fray! Both ways won’t hurt you and will show you just how much fun Paintball really is.
Don’t reveal your location if possible
This is not so easy to do, especially if you are playing from that one spot constantly. If you are dishing it out, be prepared for a hail of paintball bullets to come flying your way!
A point to remember: Paintball markers such as mag fed paintball guns are pretty loud – so it is quite noticeable to hear where a player is located.
You have a limited number of paintballs, so don’t go bat shit crazy and waste them all on targets that you cannot reach. If your opponent is too far away to reach, remember, they can’t reach you either. Lay low, and find a better position to bring them down.
You can use your paintballs to give cover to a team member who is trying to move into a better position, so that your opponents stay down instead of trying to bring down your team member.
Use your markers when you feel you have a very good chance of eliminating an opponent or when you are testing out your marker.
Avoid revealing more of your body than necessary
You may want to take a peek at what’s happening around you, but avoid showing more of your body than required, because that is just added target area for your opponents to shoot at. Quick peeks should be okay, but as this game is about everyone trying to figure out where their opponents are located, if you peek out from your right side of your hiding spot, shoot from the left side as others will not be anticipating that move.
Quick peeks are needed to identify your target’s position, so you do need to surface from time to time instead of sticking your head in the ground where you will not be aware of where your enemies are until it’s too late.
This simple tactic could be enough to save you from the enemy’s fire as well give you an added advantage of being able to shoot at them without getting shot immediately. Every added advantage should be used in your favour to win.
Communicate with your team
Talking to your team mates can help increase the chances of success. Discussing strategies before the game can help you plan an offensive that will ensure victory as you can assign certain positions to your team members, depending upon their strengths in the game.
You can advise of your hiding positions prior to the game, so everyone knows where their team members are positioned in the playing field. However, don’t give away your position by announcing it to the world once the game begin s- that’s just serving yourself up on a platter.
Communicating during the game also helps in knowing where your opponents are located and knowing exactly how many members of the opposing team are left on the playing field. Talking to your members discretely also helps in formulating plans like giving cover to another team member who is planning to make a run for it.
Don’t be an eager beaver
You may get excited at the game and fancy yourself to be a natural even if you haven’t played the game before. But pride comes before a fall, and rushing out to be the super adventurous and ambitious scout and attacker can lead to your quick elimination.
Stay with the plan discussed prior to the commencement of the game, and don’t go solo where you might find yourself in a pinned position where you are surrounded by enemy fire with no back up. If you do find yourself in that position, shout out to let your team mates know your position so they can send across a cover of paintball hail to help you escape from your pinned position.
Courage is always good in this game, and being proactive is always good. It’s very easy for newbies to stay behind, but going too far ahead is also not a good move.
Don’t think you’re eliminated when you’re not
The beauty of paintball is that you can get lucky from time to time. If you are hit by an opposing team, check to see if the paintball burst on you. Mostly, if you are hit by an opponent’s paintball, chances that you are out are pretty high, as the paintball should and would break on impact.
However, that doesn’t always happen. The paintball can hit you and bounce off, which means that you are not eliminated, even though you have been technically hit. The name of the game is to stay active and un-eliminated for as long as possible, so always check if you do have paint on yourself before you call yourself to be out. When in doubt ask a team player or a referee.
Many new players have a tendency to feel the hit and think that they are already out, without checking if the evidence of the hit is visible. Don’t be that person.
Remember, many times paintballs can hit objects near you or around you as your opponents try to hit you. When that happens, paint residue may splatter on your suit, but if you haven’t been hit, those paint splatters don’t count. It’s very easy to know the difference between a paint splatter and you actually being hit by a paintball.
Strategize
This is such an important part of the game. Paintball is a game of strategy, and you should always have some sort of game plan before you enter the playing field. Your opponents will definitely have one. Study the terrain map before to pin point good locations for where you can position yourself, discuss hiding spots and tactics with your team members, and try to stick to the plan.
Remember this is just a game and that you’re there to have FUN
Everyone is there to have a good time, so don’t get stressed out on details and don’t put pressure on new players so that they forget to have fun.
Hopefully, these 8 tips will have you playing better than the average new comer, and give you an added edge in your next paintballing experience!