Paintball is an adrenaline-filled, fast-paced combat stimulation sport that comes with exhilarating and daunting feelings as you gear-up to enter your chosen game zones to prepare for war. It can be quite intimidating for first-timers because it is a very intense adventure sport. Paintball can turn your friends into your enemies, reveal how courageous you can be when faced with danger and also make your shirt very dirty. To help you enter the Paintball game zones as a newbie, effectively participate in the day and come out as a paintball commando, we have prepared this ultimate guide for you, thanks to April Schwartz, co-owner of Paintball USA.

Before The Game

• Movement is very important in paintball, so learn how and when to move.
• Paintball game is more fun, and it’s easier to focus on if you are not always gasping for air as you move and run around, so get in shape.
• Experiment with your tactics when you practice, not during the actual game. For example, if you can’t run and shoot well at the same time or win a shootout at high speed, don’t try it during the game. Save your paint if the accuracy of your gun isn’t beyond 60 feet. Being aware of your limitations can save you from getting into trouble often.
• A good strategy guarantees victory more against superior numbers or firepower Work together and move in conjunction with your team, and crushing the opponent won’t be as difficult.
• Take a trip around the field and learn the angles to know the location with the best cover. Indicate the boundaries to all players. Be sure your field is neither too small nor too big. Establish the starting bases on opposite sides of the field. It is even better when they aren’t in view of each other. Remember that this is impossible if the game is taking place on a speedball course with no brush or trees.
• Make the staging area or dead zone and make sure all players know the location so as not to shoot near or in it.
• Make the game’s objective or goal clear to everyone. They should know if you are playing an elimination game, how long the game will be, any special rule, the center flag, and so on. Keep the game short and sweet.
• The game starts with both teams set at their own bases. One team calls out to the other team letting them know they are ready and the second team replies that they are ready as well. With this, the first team calls “Game On”, and the game begins.

Gearing-Up

Paintball Gun: You will need a paintball marker or gun. There are varieties of paintball makers to choose from, but we suggest you rent one for now and try different models to discover the type you love most.

Facemask – This is necessary for your safety requirement because a paintball travels at a high velocity; high enough to injure an eye. You can as well rent a mask for now too. You can invest in your personal supplies later.

What to Wear? – Know that whatever you put on should contribute to camouflaging yourself. Dressing in olive green, earth tones and other colors that can help you blend with your surroundings will help. For shoes, wear something that gives you some grip on your footwear. It hurts when one gets hit at a close range, so a sweatshirt or a long sleeve t-shirt can protect you from that. You can go for “a pair of baggy jeans on a pair of sweat pants should be adequate for pants” or “you can go for a pair of baggy jeans on a pair of sweat pants for pants.”

Wear your paintball goggles, uniform full head helmets with pride and dignity when outside the base camp. You will as well need a hopper and compressed-air tank to help you power your marker.

Get Rid of Fear

Paintball is a game that only stimulates combat, not real combat. Getting hit by a paintball does not hurt as much as you might have expected; sting only lasts for a couple of seconds. You can expect a few battle bruise, something to brag about with to your friends. However, you can’t allow your fear of getting hurt ruin the day for you. Those butterflies in your stomach should be used to your advantage. Experiencing a paintball sport comes with embracing your fear and living in the moment. You also learn to throw caution to the wind while risking everything; pride, pain, and defeat as you hope for victory.

Know The Rules

There are a lot of variations to a Paintball game, but they almost all have some rules in common.

1. You shouldn’t remove your mask for any reason while you are on the battlefield.
2. You should only fire at an opponent beyond the minimum distance given. Don’t shoot at players that have already been marked. It is not allowed for you to move closer than 10 feet, to stand there and unload your paintball gun on someone.
3. Once you are hit by a paintball that leaves a solid mark on you, you are no longer qualified to continue the game. If a paintball hits you and bounces off without breaking, it won’t be counted. Indicate that you are out of the game by putting your hands in the air. Then the referee will acknowledge you, and you can walk out of the field.
4. You are expected to call yourself out as it is part of your responsibility. Doing this in a fair manner is a huge factor in a Paintball game. It keeps the game friendly and fun. Don’t try to get rid of the paint you get from being hit by a paintball gun; it attracts a severe penalty, including dirty looks from other players. If you aren’t sure if you have been hit for sure, you can shout “paint check”, and another player closest to you will check to confirm. Some field allows “reincarnation rule” for rookies. This means that you can come back after rubbing off the paint if you get hit early on.
5. Many businesses add “field paint only” to their rules. You can only make use of the paintballs that are sold on the site and not the ones you bring with you. It is to ensure that all the paintballs conform to the safety requirements of the field.

Communication is Essential

Communication is a vital tactic for victory on the battlefield, so communicate with your teammates all the time. This provides your mates and yourself with maximum protection.  A game plan will help you and your team work together to secure a victory and ensure all teammates are on the same page. Communicate well and do it quietly to ensure you don’t jeopardize your position or game plan.

Be At Alert

Being vigilant ensures you are prepared for anything. You don’t want to run out of paintballs or get caught out in some other ways while an epic battle is going on. This can disrupt your fun and sabotage your team’s victory. Carry extra ammo in your battle packs and stock up during games’ break times. Be consistent with surveying your environment as you move around the game zone. Have a mental map of the battle area and be aware of where the enemies might be during the game.

Have Fun and Remain Positive

It may not be easy to maintain a positive outlook when under pressure and fire of your enemy, but you still need a positive mindset when playing paintball, even if you are not likely to win. This can help you boost the morale of your teammates and yours in the process. Keep the golden rules of paintballs in mind.

Be Patient

Patience is an important skill needed for a successful paintball day. Learn to take cover in unlikely places; hiding places that are odd and even inconvenient to keep you out of the firing line. A player needs to see his opponent, to beat him, so you also don’t want to stay too hidden. A lot of paintball rookies so much hide that they end up missing all the actions. This also makes them vulnerable to ambush. So, be vigilant, stealthy and wise as you stay covered.

Fire Wisely

There is nothing worse than running out of ammo on a battlefield, so you need to be wise with how you use them. Be sure your maker is efficiently working before the game begins. Have your opponent in view and be certain that you can tag them from your range. Firing at a far distant is a waste of time. You need to be quiet, be patient, be quick and wait until you are certain you are in a position that guarantees results. 

Final Word

Paintball is all about planning, being stealth, strategic and the execution of plans. Find time to practice to improve your own game so that you can perform better on the field.  Being a rookie at Paintball sport does not obstruct your ability to become victorious or be a badass at the game. Being afraid makes you susceptible to many mistakes. Don’t forget that it’s just a game and just paints. The best thing is to embrace experience the thrill of paintball by embracing the game. You have your pain, you have your gas, and you have your marker. So, be bold, be daring and feel dangerous. There is an adventure waiting for you.