1. Which Gun Should I Buy?
2. What's the difference between C02, Nitrogen and HPA?
3. Nawalan's How to Treat a Newbie
4. Tactical Movement - For buddies and teams
5. Tactical Movement - Crossing Danger Areas
1. Which Gun Should I Buy?
Buying that first paintball gun is a subjective decision that a player must make for himself. No single gun is going to please everyone. One needs to become aware of features that are liked or disliked before a purchase is made. Posting a message asking which gun to buy will give you a plethora of answers - none of which you can use. You need to find the gun that is best for you. The answers you will receive are the guns that are best for them.
The recommendations most commonly given are to shoot as many different guns as possible and ask other players why they chose their gun. Most experienced players will let you take a couple of shots on the target range or even play a game with their marker. Make a list of features you want, then do some research to find the gun that has those features and is still in your price range. For example, I want a semi automatic gun with an upgradeable barrel, built in vertical adapter, and a reputation for durability for $350.
You can even use R.S.P. as a resource. But instead of asking "Which gun should I buy?" ask the question "How is the X-1 Paintblaster as a starter gun?" Such a question will give you both the pros and the cons of a gun and be much more informative.
What! Do you want to start WWIII? The 'Mag vs. 'Cocker debate (along with the Spyder vs. Tippmann, Boxers vs. Briefs, and "Tastes Great" vs. "Less Filling") has been raging throughout the newsgroup since its inception. DON'T ASK! Again, this is a purely subjective decision that players can only make for themselves. Every gun has it's own reputation and appeals to a player for different reasons. Asking if Gun "X" is better than Gun "Y" will only only add fuel to the fire and most of the flames will be directed to the person who makes the post.
2. What's the difference between C02, Nitrogen and HPA?
There are two main power sources used to propel a paintball out of a paintball gun - Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Nitrogen/High Pressure Air (N2/HPA). Both are very common and each has its pros and cons.
Carbon Dioxide, more commonly know as CO2, is the most commonly used propellant due mainly to the fact that it has been around since the beginning of the sport and is fairly inexpensive. Its main disadvantage is its sensitivity to temperature. As a CO2 tank warms up or cools down the available pressure either rises or falls. For a paint gun, differences in pressure mean inconsistent velocities.
This sensitivity to temperature is due to the fact that CO2 is stored as a liquid. The gaseous form of CO2 used by the paint gun is formed when some it "boils off". The tank containing the gas is a fixed volume. Since there is a direct relationship between temperature and pressure, an increase in temperature causes a corresponding increase in pressure: The pressure increases because no more liquid can turn into a gas and a higher velocity results.
CO2 can also enter the gun in its liquid state under certain conditions like sustained rapid firing. On some guns, the subzero temperature of the liquid CO2 causes O-rings and air seals to freeze which disrupts normal operation. Equipment such as expansion chambers, anti-siphon tanks, and remotes help negate this effect.
Nitrogen and High Pressure Air systems, commonly called Nitro and HPA, are the most prevalent alternatives to CO2. While any inert gas (like Argon) will work, Nitrogen and HPA are the cheapest and most readily available. Since Nitrogen and HPA are stored in their natural gaseous state and not liquid, they are not susceptible to the thermal problems described above. A Nitrogen/HPA equipped paintball gun will perform consistently regardless of temperature and weather conditions. Nitrogen/HPA has almost completely eliminated velocity fluctuations. The only drawback is that Nitrogen systems costs more and some fields do not have the capability to refill the tanks.
3. Nawalan's How to Treat a Newbie
I bolt out of the starting ring to the nearest bunker, a mid-size purple/yellow inflatable house, immediately the house starts bouncing around BOOM BOOM BOOM! HOLY CRAP!
My first minute of paintball, and I'm already wishing I hadn't drank that pre-game Pepsi! I peek my fog filled goggles out the left side of the house and notice a guy in the back left toting a Shocker S/F. I raise my totally stock Stingray, and pull the trigger. GREEN SPLAT! Wait a minute, I'm shooting white… Oh well, I'll just take credit for it anyway. The guy to my left starts yelling to me, "BLACK-RED SNAKE, BLACK RED SNAKE!" Chyeah' what a retard, we're indoors! Oh
well, I'll just forget him, must be drunk or too full of CO2 to think straight. I continue with my peeking when all of a sudden, some sure-shot takes my out from back right!
My first game of paintball was over fast and with much confusion… Naturally, I wanted to act experienced, so I didn't ask any questions. You can expect the majority of 'newbies' to act similarly because they don't want to be singled out as the newbie who asks lots of questions. This fear of being singled out made my first day of paintball a living hell. Nobody talked to me, nobody helped me, and even the ref's didn't call the few people I marked out. If you come upon a newbie with these or similar actions, help him out. Who knows, you might just be keeping the next Bob Long in the sport. In the past, I have seen countless lists about what newbies should do to get better at the sport, but I have never seen a list to the experienced player about how to treat a newbie, so here goes:
1) Treat the new player with the respect that you would any other player, nothing would make them feel more comfortable about paintball than if that one person was nice to them.
2) Make sure that they understand the safety requirements, because nothing is worse than a blind newbie (or a newbie blinding anyone else for that matter).
3) Help them out with their gun. If their barrel comes off, don't tell them that they should make a suicide run because their gun is broken, help them out a bit.
4) Squeegie their barrel if they need it. Don't forget that a new player can eliminate any player, and a straight ball or a curved ball could mean the difference between winning a match or losing one.
5) Answer their questions… TRUTHFULLY. If they ask you if a paintball hurts, don't tell the story about how Uncle Bob got hit in the ribcage with a paintball and nearly died, just say it only stings for a few seconds.
6) Explain things to them in a way they would understand. "Yeah, I got an RVA on my P68SC and I think that I might rig her up with some HPA after I buy my KP2…" WHAT!?!?!? Don't expect a new player to
understand that kind of talk. Remember, they might not even know what a Stingray is, or what a burst mode is.
7) Don't lie. I can't put in writing how angry I was when I grabbed the center-flag and my team was laughing at me for being gullible enough to believe that. It seriously sucks.
8) Help them on the field. If they are in the same bunker as you and they say they want to go some bunker, provide them with some cover fire. Don't just shove them out of the bunker and take their spot.
9) Give the, advice. If they ask you to give them cover-fire to what you know is a death trap, then don't just play along, tell them that another place is better, just try and prevent them from getting themselves eliminated.
4. Tactical Movement - For buddies and teams
This is the hardest part of playing paintball and doing it correctly. The paintball team that moves from one point to another, from one objective to another, from one bunker of opposing player or anything together and in a tactically sound way will not be defeated on the paintball field.
Here is the normal way, sound familiar? Teams are picked, and the newly formed team moves to the staging area or base to start from. At that point they are a team and as soon as the - game starts the team becomes a group of individuals. Everybody wants to do something different. Everybody goes a different way. No one really cooperates with each other. If for some reason a couple players actually do team up they end up lasting the longest or actually win for the rest of the players.
It happens every day a game is played on each and every field.
So what is wrong? Well nothing really. Its all fun and you do at least
get to be shot by the other side.
What I am going to attempt to do here is give a couple different techniques to survive and win on the field. These methods can be used for any game. Bunkering, defending, capturing the flag, elimination( my personal favorite), you name it, it works for all.
So lets start with the basics. I say basic but they need practice. I remember my team (we used real weapons and the opposing side shot real bullets back) practicing crossing a road for days. Over and over we did the same deal – practice, practice, practice until we did it automatically. Now I'm not even suggesting that paintball is the same as combat but the principles are - teamwork and tactics rule the day.
First Things
Teams are organized to work together. A team that does not support and cover each other, or that does not operate as a team but as individuals (the norm) becomes no more than a group of targets.
Strength is in teammates and real teamwork.
Tactical Movement
We start simple. Moving together to an objective. There is a set structure which should be used. The military has proven it over the years and it works.
The squad (team for our proposes) has a leader and scout and team members.
It can be as small as three or as large as ten. Even 2 working together is a 100% improvement over the normal game.
The Buddy Team
Buddy team movement training builds on individual movement skills by having two-man teams negotiate the lane together. One player provides covering fire while his buddy moves to the next covered position. The team must maintain visual or audible communication with each other at all times during the movement. This exercise forms the foundation for trust and confidence between small sub team and the rest of the team. The picture below shows an example individual/buddy team movement, followed by a individual/buddy team movement exercise.
This illustration is based on one from an army training manual. Ok, Ok, I know paintball is not the army, but what it shows is that one team member moves and the other shoots to cover. The team members alternate to allow the covering player to become the moving player.
This works with teams of players too you know.
There are a couple of special situations that I seem to always get into when
I play. I tend to like to be moving out front.
Lets say your group of four players is moving down a trail. Your guys are staggered on either side on the trail moving slowly and quietly. Your are moving to get close to the other side. Maybe you are going after a bunker or just moving to contact. ( meaning your team is trying to find the other team).
Well as you move forward, all of a sudden you either take fire, or better yet you see the other players (or player) up ahead. If he hasn't seen you, then the hand signal is given to drop and freeze as you take a bead on the target presented (Seems to always be the facemask.) Anyway, the front player either takes this guy out or decides to let him walk away as long as he has not seen anyone. When the cost is clear the team continues to move.
What Normally happens is the guy above sees your team and this is where the practiced tactics come into play. The front guy yells "CONTACT” and starts shooting. All team members also start shooting in the direction of the opposing player. If the unfortunate opposing player is not hit immediately AND is not advancing then your rear team members start rushing forward, all the while the front players are laying down paint. As soon as the rear members have leapfrogged their teammates they start shooting and the Now rear players move up. This continues until the opposing player either wets their pants and takes off running or is hit.
What if your team runs into opposing strength?
Then the scenario above is done in reverse. The front players yells “contact.”
Your front players start shooting and retreats to a position a few feet behind their team members who were in the rear. Those team members are shooting at the advancing team. A soon as the retreating team members have passed behind the NOW front players they take up positions and start shooting back at the advancing opposing team allowing the now front players to retreat and basically leapfrog backwards all the time putting maximum firepower forward.. Chances are (unless the opposing team is super good) your retreating team will take out a few of the opposing players and the situation reverses. When your team has a numeric advantage, you switch tactics back to advancing. This is quick. Lots of paint – Lots of communication. But it works and works real well.
Retreating players should tap the front players on the back as soon as they are behind them so they know it time to fall back. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR TEAM MEMBERS OUT THERE. Everyone works together. Everyone pulls back or advances - but as a team.
The other side will just fade away in a hail of paint balls wondering and asking them selves "What the hell happened?"
HOORAAH!!
by 29RSavoy (pronounced 2-9 ER- Savoy)
As always, you can contact us at Fieldcraft@tacticalmarkers.com
About the author
Jon T. Harris has served in civilian SWAT and hostage negotiation teams in Texas from 1977 through 1988. In 88, Jon joined the US Army and served in rapid deployment and small independent units in Europe until he retired due to combat related injuries. Jon was rated as The NCO of the year while serving in Europe and is a permanent member of the prestigious US Army Europe Morales Club.
Jon is a published author. He has written several articles on small unit training in the US Army magazine as well as several short stories. He is the author of the action adventure novel "Breakpoint" which is at the publisher now and is the tactical adviser and owner of
Tacticalmarkers.com , a site dedicated to scenario and military simulation paintball use. His interests are in Scenario Play and Mil/Rec games.
5. Tactical Movement - Crossing Danger Areas
Jon Harris takes military movement tactics and translates them for application in the paintball scenario and big game. In this installment, Jon lays out a plan for crossing a dangerous open space such as a creek, road, or power line easement.
The object of this drill is to have the team cross the danger area in the formation and location specified by the team leader. On the far side of the danger area, team personnel and equipment are accounted for. The team continues the mission.
This is done in a series of steps. Below is directly out of the US Army FM 7-8 What I want to do here is first leave the Army doctrine in place and then after you finish reading this Ill explain how it really works.
Army speak starts here:
(1) When the lead team signals "danger area" (relayed throughout the platoon), the platoon halts.
(2) The platoon leader moves forward, confirms the danger area, and determines what technique the platoon will use to cross. The platoon sergeant also moves forward to the platoon leader.
(3) The platoon leader informs all squad leaders of the situation and the near-side and far-side rally points.
(4) The platoon sergeant directs positioning of the near-side security (usually conducted by the trail squad). These two security teams may follow him forward when the platoon halts and a danger area signal is passed back.
(5) The platoon leader reconnoiters the danger area and selects the crossing point that provides the best cover and concealment.
(6) Near-side security observes to the flanks and overmatches the crossing.
(7) When the near-side security is in place, the platoon leader directs the far-side security team to cross the danger area.
(8) The far-side security team clears the far side.
(9) The far-side security team leader establishes an OP forward of the cleared area.
(10) The far-side security team signals to the squad leader that the area is clear. The squad leader relays the message to the platoon leader.
(11) The platoon leader selects the method the platoon will use to cross the danger area.
(12) The platoon quickly and quietly crosses the danger area.
(13) Once across the danger area, the main body begins moving slowly on the required azimuth.
(14) The near-side security element, controlled by the platoon sergeant, crosses the danger area where the platoon crossed. They may attempt to cover any tracks left by the platoon.
(15) The platoon sergeant ensures everyone crosses and sends up the report.
(16) The platoon leader ensures accountability and resumes movement at normal speed.
NOTE: The same principles stated above are used when crossing a smaller unit across a danger area.
End of Army Speak!!
Ok, everybody got that? Sure, and you all understand it completely.
Well my team of real soldiers didn't. This simple little drill was practiced maybe 50 times before it really worked the way it should and we were supposed to know what we were doing. So, in the paintball field it works the same way. Throughout this site I'm sure you have noticed that I preach practice and practice as a team. Do the little things and get them down, cold. Then start putting those small tasks and drills together and build into a real formidable team.
So, enough jaw jacking, let's break this down.
For our purposes we are going to use a medium sized team. Not quite as big as a normal infantry squad but close enough. We have eight members. And, let's set some other parameters. We are in a scenario game that has a decent size field. This is not the 15 min, run in the middle and spray paint game. This is the type we all love to play - games with an objective, a mission or task to complete - game that lasts a while. That means you really get to use tactics and skill.
Our field is a wooded area, there are trails and paths or maybe even a road ( like a power line easement) to cross. These areas are fairly open and clear. They make natural boundaries and natural places to really get smoked.
The crossing
So your team is moving through the woods and comes upon a path. You have to get your team across this path. It is about 20 feet wide, which is about the same as a two-lane road. There are woods on either side. From your side of the road you can't really see into the other side woods more than a few feet. So, what do you want to do? Normally in paintball the team will either run across, or maybe even try to cross all at once in a mad dash. I want you would-be team leaders to ask yourself a question.
Where is the danger on this danger area?
Is it:
a. the road
b. the far side
c. the near side
Actually it's all three, but you knew that. Also we need to back up a bit here and talk about how you get to this danger area. How is your team organized? There are three basic formations (organizations) for moving your team through the bush.
An Army acronym called METT-T will determine how this happens.
For your learning pleasure as per the US Army:
METT-T
Mission. Commanders pass to their subordinates a clear concise statement of what is to be done and for what purpose. Whenever possible commanders assign subordinates an objective and a zone with few restrictive measures. A time is specified to coordinate actions of various subordinate units.
Enemy. Commanders consider the enemy's dispositions, equipment, doctrine, capabilities and probable courses of action. They aggressively seek enemy weaknesses. Requires a constant active and predictive intelligence effort oriented on critical units and areas.
Terrain and Weather. Commanders exploit terrain to provide maneuver opportunities and cover and concealment. Key terrain directly impacts the success or failure of an operation, providing a significant advantage to the force controlling it. Weather and visibility conditions can provide concealment from enemy forces and opportunities for friendly forces.
Troops Available. The number and type of friendly troops available affect the tactical plan. Choosing which units for which types of actions is vital to success and is influenced by the status of the units' training and the experience of their leaders. Units are employed according to their capabilities and perform the functions of the battlefield operating systems.
Time. Timing is critical to the synchronization of the battlefield operating systems. Rapid execution is key to conducting operations that keep the enemy off balance, acting inside his decision cycle.
The Line
All members move in a line abreast of each other. This is hard to control but gives the most firepower forward. The line can be used to assault through the other teams position.
The Wedge
This is a good moving formation with pretty good security all around. An eight person team will use two wedges
The File
This formation is easy to move through heavy brush or on trails, because it is basically walking in line. It provides good firepower to flanks, but is weak to the front and rear.
Click this thumbnail to see the larger view of this formation
These formations are controlled by hand signals most of the time. If your team has voice activated radios and they are quiet these work very well too.
The formation I try to use the most is a combination of wedge and file. This is shown on the left side of the illustration above "column with teams in wedges". This allows a lot of flexibility.
Below are my terrible artist's renditions of what is happening.
