For my first time. I’ll be going with some friends of mine that are great guys but they’re also the sadistic type.
Anything I should know? Tips on paintballin, combat strategies, revenge tactics after it ends, that sort of thing?
Ah! Welcome to the most addictive sport you’ll ever play. I got pulled in 3 years ago and everytime I play I just enjoy it more. There are several usefull strategies for paintball and most depend on the type of game your playing and how the field is set up. Without this information I can only give you general strategies and tips. Firstly and probably most importantly is be patient. Once the game starts, sprint to a location that provides cover so that you can hide and wait for the other team to come. In most situations the person who is not moving and waiting will get the person who is moving. This is simply because when you move, you make noise. Your ears are very important in paintball. Secondly, don’t shoot to soon. What I mean by this is many people who have not played paintball before try to go for the long shots. Wait until they get closer, the only thing you’ll accomplish is letting them know where you are. Those are a couple of things for the begineer. Try different spots on the field and try not to be too predictable.
As for team strategies, it depends whether you want to attack or defend. If defending, try to set up a perimeter so you can guard all flanks, and try to pick off the opposing team one by one, communication is key, I tend to use hand signals to alert my other teamates of the enemies position. If attacking, try to focus your attack on one side, if you have greater numbers you can usually eliminate the other team fairly quickly if they are spread out. These are just general strategies like I said but are very very effective if your team is well organised and not everyone goes guns ablazing! Have fun! and I predict this may be your first game, but it probably won’t be you last.
Blackeyes:
Paintballing is awesome. Such a Rush. I can not wait to get home from Iraq so I can go play paintball with the boys again. As for tips and strategies, it pretty much depends on your playing field. Are you playing indoor or outdoor?
Always make sure your hopper is closed before going out on the field. I have seen a great many of players loose 100-200 paintballs this way, such a shame.
Enjoy your murder . . er I mean have a lot of fun.
Breathe through your nose, very hard to shoot with a fogged up mask.
Okay, I got a question to throw in here… does it hurt when the paintballs hit?
It depends on how far away you were shot from, and where you were hit. Most of the time, no. If its from close range and hits you in a fleshy area, it will leave a nice welt.
Generally you get a field “safety range” for not shooting someone. 10 feet or less in my experience. One time a guy shot me from 3 feet away (his first time) and that left a nasty scar on my stomach. Don’t wear body armor though, its silly.
Tactics: Stay low and move quickly. Utilize cover fire and move move move. Ironically like Dryfreeze says, that military knowledge comes quite in handy.
Consider:
“You move Ill Cover.”
“Cover me while I move.”
“I’m Up, He See’s Me, I’m Down” (in a 4-5 second interval)
Just say that and the rest is history.
It doesn’t really hurt at all, and this is coming from an easily scarred person.
The worst feeling hit I’ve had is the finger-- of course, I shot myself there, so it doesn’t count much.
The worst I’ve hurt when shot by someone else, however, was my inner thigh, about 2" away from the “junk”. Getting shot in the dome isn’t much fun either.
I’ve been playing for 7 years now, and I’ve yet to find a sport that can be played equally well by ten-year-olds through seventy-year-olds.
If you’re not too frightened by real time chat, go to www.automags.org and find the java webchat page. While some of the chatters are juvenile and useless, the majority can give you some awesome advice, and answer any other questions you have about what it will be like. Several industry leaders have been known to frequent the boards/chatroom, and many members of the community are quite well known as reputable players and all around nice guys. Dock Nickel, who also posts here, is one of the big-wigs that most everyone looks up to and aspires to be (butkissing? me? No…) I’ll be there under the nickname “tsc’”.
Have fun! You’ll get addicted, I promise.
Cover anything on your body you don’t want a .68 caliber welt on (throats hurt).
For team games (ie capture the flag) consider who wins when the team achieves the objective - in my very limited experience, many dudes playing team paintball games on offense worried too much about preserving their individual hides and not enough about the team’s objective. The team may still win despite many offense teammates being “killed” in audacious mass assaults through the opposing (but roughly equal) defense - you gotta remember that you getting nailed is not so bad a thing if the team still achieves its objectives . . . and it’s often really tough to convince others on your team to think like that. One of those officership things I guess.
Bring soap/ toothpaste/ antifog compound. The only time I’ve played it was cold, and between glasses and safety goggles, there was always at least one fogged up surface between me and the world, which made seeing the opponent before he saw me, well, difficult…
Watch out for snakes!
I think it’s outside. If so, then it will be southeast Texas woodlands type stuff.
What should I wear? I have a habit of estimating what I should wear for an event and end up inconvenienced by my wardrobe and looking like a schmuck. I have a pair of cammo pants, they seem practical enough, but would I just look like a schmuck?
I never got a welt, the only hit I didn’t shrug off was in the scrotum at close range. Treat it like getting tackled in football -it’s not desirable, but you have to accept it will happen.
Also OP mentioned some sadistic friends. He might want to stand behind them when they clock. If it’s just a backyard thing he’s defintiely screwed.
Also: Don’t use a rental gun if you have an option, they all suck.
Also: Give up any hopes of being a “sniper” now. ESPECIALLY if not using a rental gun is not an option. A lot of newbies harbor this lame “lone wolf” fantasy. You’ll have to get in the thick of it to be of maximum use to the team and this means taking the occasional hit.
If you layer up it will lessen the chance that the ball will break. On the one hand they say it hurts more, but on the other a non-break is not technically a “kill”. Also it should go without saying, wear a cup.
Put a thin layer of dish soap inside your goggles the night before you go. Get up in the morning and wipe them down, don’t run water over them. This should keep them from fogging up.
Make sure you have a neck guard. Getting hit in the throat can kill you. However MrSnoopy says “real men go cupless.” 
Stay close to the ground whenever possible. Don’t be afraid to charge. Charging is FUN!!! Make them run, make them sweat!
Forget about revenge. And NEVER shoot someone at very close range. It really, really hurts. The first time I went, the first time I was hit it was in my upper arm. I actually cried. MrSnoopy didn’t realize how close he was, and I probably didn’t have on enough shirts. You pretty much can’t wear too many clothes. You need at LEAST one pair of sweatpants on underneath your camo, preferably 2. Fashion in paintball is nonexistent. It’s all about protection. Go ahead, look like a schmuck. Everyone else will.
A fun thing to do is shoot in their general direction if you are well hidden and they can’t see you. Gets 'em rattled, but it can reveal your position, too. It’s fun to watch them look all around them like a bunch of dorks, though.
Bushes are your friend and don’t be afraid to crawl. You’re gonna be dirty but big deal. Don’t “spray and pray” – take the time to aim and stuff before you shoot (this is difficult if you have a semi-auto, I actually prefer pump guns if I’m in the woods).
Welcome to a fun and safe addiction!!! bang
So true…
A paintball gun is NOT accurate. Especailly if it is windy.
And rental guns can often be so bad that 30 degree direction changes happen
Also, for improved accuarcy…don’t shoot with the barrel plug still in…this leaves paint in the barrel and sucks
Out of all the rental guns there, which one should I avoid?
No clue about guns. Regarding warddrobe:
A sweatshirt is pretty much all the armor you’ll need.
Cammo pants are fine.
Cup is optional; everyone says it, nobody ends up bothering.
Doesn’t the mask come down far enough to cover the throat?
Once you’ve tried paintball, try airsoft.
My husband doesn’t consider the cup optional. He’s been hit directly on the cup several times. WEAR A CUP! Body armor is silly, even for women (the exception is children). I was hit directly on the nipple, and it hurt like hell for two days (even bras hurt to wear), but I’d never consider wearing body armor.
Don’t layer your clothes too much. Too much layering can get you kicked out of the park (for trying to pad to keep balls from breaking). I’ve gone out in sleeveless shirts before. Husband has worn shorts. About 50% of the players will be wearing camo. Wear dark clothes at least. If kneeling hurts you, wear knee pads (even the kind for construction work is better than stone bruises all over your knees).
Don’t be afraid to use military-style crawls (the high crawl is quite useful). I’ve seen the kids actually dive to bunkers before, but I don’t think my 30-year-old body can handle that.
Yes, it does hurt, depending on where you’re hit. Fleshy skin hurts worse, but I’ve had some rather big bruises on my outer thighs before, too. I got hit about 5 times in a row on my hip, just above my pants line, and it was bad enough to make me want to throw up. But that’s rare.
When you’re out, YELL (“I’m out!” “Hit!”) and raise your gun above your head. And don’t be mad if you’re hit a couple more times after you’re out. It takes a few seconds for your brain and fingers to coordinate, so the guy who got you out was still pulling the trigger when you were hit. But if you don’t say it loud enough, he’ll keep firing. It’s no fun to keep getting hit.
And all that said, I’m tired of paintball. I just got fed up with the cheaters, testosterone-laden atmosphere (no offense to guys; it’s just that the aggressiveness level is high on the field), my gun screwing up (Tippman Model 98 with flatline barrel), and the cost.