We’ve just had words that series 10 of the collectable LEGO minifigures will include none other than a paintball player. And it looks like straight out of a Bedlam game too! See for yourself:

Series 10 is due out in May and each sealed packet will cost the regular price of £1.99

[via Brickset]

There are many ways to play paintball and some are a little more extreme then others. The video below by Audi cars came to our attention today and it certainly looks like a tremendously fun way to play paintball. Check it out:

Where would you take your extreme paintball game?

Anyone who’s been Playing paintball for a while, can say the sport is fun but challenging at the same time. To be really good at this amazing sport, and becoming a tough opponent so to say, it’s wise to mention, that having a work out plan can do wonders to build up your body and take your game to the next level.

Having said that, you want to make sure you are doing the right type of exercises to help you achieve this. The number one “no brainer” but overlooked physical workout I would recommend is cardio. You need a strong engine to help you run as fast as you can, and be explosive when you need to be. This can be done 3 times a week, minimum of 15-20 minutes each day by jogging or running on the treadmill. You can also choose something lighter like the stair-master to lower the impact on your knees if you choose to. If you are a smoker like many paintballers I know, simply lowering your nicotine intake by smoking less or quitting smoking all together could be a great start as well.

The next thing is to Build a strong core by working on your mid section. Simply do 300 crunches and 100 side crunches every other day to strengthen your core and reduce your chances of injury when playing paintball. You’d be surprised how this alone can boost up your confidence and help you in all your physical activities whether playing paintball or watering your garden.

Building muscle strength can also be very advantageous on the field. If you think about the different muscles that you use when you are playing paintball, you can see that there are quite a few muscles we can work on to give us some extra edge over our competitors. The first one is our base; the legs. since you’ll be jumping around, running and using your lower body extensively, it’s a good idea to hit your legs at the gym at least once a week. You can either do squads or simply do the leg machine. Do at least 8 sets of 12 reps (to failure) of the highest weight you can lift . also try adding some extra weight after few weeks/month if you feel that you are strong enough to do heavier sets.

Do some shrugs by holding two dumbbells and try lifting your trapezoids up and down. Make sure you are holding your head up and focusing only on your traps. this exercise can help you immensely to keep your gun up in the air longer since you are constantly shrugging your shoulders looking to shoot at your target. This trap workout is also performed widely by boxers and MMA fighter alike, who use their trapezoid muscles a lot, to keep their hands up and avoid being hit in the head. Now aside from exercising, having a good balanced diet is also essential to keep lean and staying away from unwanted fat which can ultimately slow you down when you least expect it. Try to Stick to the 45% Carbs, 35% protein and 20% fat rule to have a healthy balance.

That simple routine should give you a good head start in helping you to gain speed and strength when you need it the most. Remember there is always someone working and training harder than you. In life just like in paintball, there is no limit to your success. It is the ongoing and daily improvement of the tasks you perform, that makes you the best in your field, hence progress is the way to victory. Good luck with your paintball adventures. You can check out the links below to our store and our blog for more tips on paintball.

PaintballGunsForSaleNow.com
blog.paintballgunsforsalenow.com
(888) 884-2721

“Bringing you the best of Paintball”

Whilst we’re all shopping for gifts for boyfriends or gifts for girlfriends this valentines day, have you ever stopped to ponder who actually was St Valentine.

Legend goes that Saint Valentine was a romantic rogue, a love doctor, who stuck his neck out by ministering weddings for soldiers, who were forbidden to marry at the time.

Its with that romantic rogue ethos of going against the grain, that this February the Bedlam team pondered what to do for valentines day and we have put together something very special.

In order to celebrate our new transparent pricing structure, we’ve also launched a new paintball gift kit that will allow you to enjoy paint ball in style this February. Your Valentines gift kit is perfect for paintballing for 2 or more of your nearest and dearest.

This gift is for a limited period only, CLICK HERE NOW to get your gift in time for valentines day!

Have a fantastic time this valentines day everyone!

Team Bedlam

How to Choose the Best Paintball Marker?

Do you enjoy paintball? If yes, then you would know how the right paintball gun can change your entire game. The right paintball gun increases your accuracy and speed. It is easier to hold and you feel more confident playing with it. Buying the right gun helps you save up on the renting charges and also gives you the freedom to customise your gun to suit your personality. The thought of holding a customised paintball gun while playing a tournament seems very appealing, doesn’t it? Well then what are you waiting for? Use these steps and start your hunt for the ideal paintball gun right away.

Analyse your gaming style

Before you invest your money on a paintball gun you should analyse your gaming style. What kind of a player are you? Do you shoot aggressively or do you save your paintballs and use them only when you have a clear shot? Once you know your gaming style, you will be able to pick a gun that suits you best.

If you are an aggressive shooter then you probably need to choose a gun that has a large paintball loader. But if you are a careful shooter then you can chose a lighter gun with a moderately sized paintball loader. If you are particular about the accuracy of your shots then you should opt for a gun with a long barrel. But a longer barrel increases the weight of the gun. So before you make a decision, prioritise the features that you would like to have in your gun.

How to pick a paintball gun for a beginner?

If you are a beginner and have been playing the game for barely any time, then its better that you buy a complete package. A complete package will include all the equipment that you require. Check if the package includes the paintball gun or the paintball marker, a hopper or paintball loader, paintballs, face mask and a CO2 tank.

If this is your first paintball gun, then don’t go overboard and purchase a very fancy one. Choose a paintball in the moderate level. Since you can’t be sure about your playing style at the beginner level don’t make the mistake of choosing a gun that is too heavy or too small. Choose a gun that is easy to use and clean. But make sure you buy the gun from a reputed company so that you can use it for however long you want to.

Do some research on the variety of paintball guns available

Don’t make your purchase in haste, be patient and do some research on the variety of guns that are available. Read up on all the features that the gun offers. Usually, a good gun is durable and has the option to be upgraded in the future. If the gun can be upgraded, then you can keep customising it according to your evolving gaming style. So try and choose a gun with this feature.

If you want you can also rent out a paintball gun to see if you are comfortable using it or not. In the end whatever model you choose, make sure that you are comfortable using it. If the gun is uncomfortable to load or hold then you won’t have as much fun while playing. So keep comfort as your first priority.

Grace is an expert associated with www.cheapbbguns.co.uk, an online portal that sells the latests models of BB guns UK. They also have a wide variety of Electric Airsoft Guns.

Hello fellow Paintballers!

Scotland’s Outdoor Ski & Snowboard Show is back at the SECC, Glasgow for the third year running on October 20th and 21st and this year promises to be bigger and better than ever.

Head along to see some of the country’s top skiers to the Big Air along with Danny MacAskill’s world famous stunt cycling team, The Clan, pulling some unbelievable tricks in the Ski and Outdoor Arenas. Returning due to popular demand will be the Outdoor Heroes Talk Theatre featuring talks form Team GB skier Dougie Crawford and Steve Bowens of H2O Training who rowed the Atlantic.

Don’t forget, Our Bedlam Team will be going along to the event, so please pop along and say hello!

If you’re a ski enthusiast, this show is a must attend. We’re giving away 50 pairs of tickets, so enter our competition by clicking this url NOW:

goo.gl/F5Ht0

We wish you luck in grabbing your free tickets!

See you at the SECC!

Kind regards,

Roman Rock.

P.S. These LIMITED tickets are worth £25, grab your tickets NOW by clicking here!

P.P.S. Don’t forget to come along and visit the Bedlam Paintball Shooting Range!

Our Paintballers approached us to help arrange a charity Open Day event for PKAVS, A charity that has helped to support thousands of disadvantaged and vulnerable local people throughout the Perthshire and Kinross area. So we jumped at the chance to help out! Help our Paintballs support PKAVS! Register here: http://a.pgtb.me/dk5f

Its a great charity, they work really hard to help out the Perthshire community!

Here’s their website: http://www.pkavs.co.uk/

Anna @BedlamPaintball discuss how the pattern of your hits to your target reveal something about you as a shooter.

The road to being a pro paintball player is not easy. Players went through the trial and error stage. You first aim, shoot, and miss, and through that, you will have a baseline on how you are going to fire your next shot. So, I guess we could say that playing paintball is indeed a game where physics and geometry applies. But aside from science, shooting a target with accuracy also comes from within. You may have the perfect angle but you still miss, this could be caused by the pattern of your hits. Find out our how The pattern of your hits to the target will reveal something about you as a shooter.

1. If you’re hitting in a horizontal pattern across the bull’s eye and across the target, you’re moving when you pull the trigger. Stand as still as possible without jerking the trigger and without jerking your gun. This will give you the best result. Keep practicing and you’ll see the difference. The longer you remain still while pulling the trigger the more often you’re going to hit the center of the target.

2. If you’re hitting around and below the bull’s eye, but never quite in the center of the target, you’re not breathing steadily. You could be excited and breathing too fast when you’re pulling the trigger. Calm down, breathe slowly and your shots will start hitting the middle of the target more often.

3. If you find that your hits are all over the place, you need to learn to aim properly with your particular marker. Practice, practice and more practice is the answer to this problem.

Backyard targets that reset themselves as you use them make target practice almost effortless.

Here are  another indispensable post from Anna @BedlamPaintball, as she discuss these very important tournament paintball rules that can cause player disqualification.

As the 2012 PSP Chicago Open comes to an end, many people are getting more and more teams are interested to join the next PSP leg. But before doing so, here are some tournament paintball rules that teams should know and spectators would want to know to better understands the rules of the game. These are basic, yet crucial rules that must be followed because it can cause a player to be disqualified from the game.

1. Marker Safety

Your marker will be chronographed before every game. Tournament players may be required to have their gun chronographed during and after the game as well. Penalties are applied for tournament players found with “hot guns” unless the player asks for a chronograph.

Fully automatic guns and guns with autoresponse triggers are not allowed on commercial paintball fields or in tournaments.

2. Clothing

Some fields and most tournaments do not allow short pants or short-sleeved shirts. There’s a very good reason for this rule: paint balls sting and leave welts that can last for several days!

Tournaments will usually specify the kind of material a player’s clothes can be made of (not a slippery material that can easily be wiped clean of paint) and the style of clothing (not oversized or baggy). They will usually forbid the wearing of camouflage patterns and ghillie suits as paint doesn’t show up easily on these.

3. Goggles

If you are having problems with your goggles fogging up, or you need to adjust your goggles for any reason, signal to a referee. They will supervise you while you remove or lift your goggles. This rule even applies to wiping the sweat from under your goggles. Tournaments will apply a penalty to any player lifting their mask and eliminate them from the game.

4. Paint Balls

Only field paint is allowed in tournaments and on most commercial paintball fields. This eliminates the problem of old, brittle paint balls (or frozen paint balls!) being brought to the field. Check the rules at your field. BYOP = Bring Your Own Paint; FPO = Field Paint Only. Tournaments are very particular about paint and most won’t even allow “blood red” colored paint on the field.

5. Foul Language

Using foul language is an infraction of the rules in tournaments and will be cause for elimination. Recball fields and scenario games may have more lenient rules, but to be safe, DON’T SWEAR!

Knowing some basic paintball rules will make your first game much more enjoyable. So, Anna @BedlamPaintball brings you basic paintball rules that will help you on your way.

Eliminations and Markings

According to the American Paintball League’s rules for tournament paintball, “A player is eliminated from the game when he is marked anywhere on his body, clothing or equipment with a quarter-sized or larger splat caused by a direct hit from a single paintball.” The size of the splat that indicates elimination may vary from tournament to tournament and field to field. Tournaments may also have rules for other kinds of marks, including the size of combined splats.

Other considerations will be: who to eliminate if two players are hit at the same time (usually both), what a player should do if they think they’re hit but can’t see the mark, how persistent a player is in seeking verification from a referee, etc.

Surrender

Many fields will expect you to follow their recommendations for surrender. In other words, if you are 5, 10, 15 or even 20 feet from an opposing player, you should ask them to surrender. If they fire at you instead of surrendering, you are usually free to return fire.

Referees and Judges

The decisions of referees or judges (tournaments) are final. Arguing with a referee will get you eliminated from the game. If you need to dispute a point with a referee, wait until after the game.

Age Limit

All commercial paintball fields will have an age limit as paintball is not a game for young children. Paint balls travel at high speed and can cause bruises and welts even through clothing. A paint ball accidentally hitting someone in the eye can cause permanent damage. Players must accept the risk of serious injury and sign a waiver to that effect.

Structures

Climbing on bunkers, structures, buildings, logs and trees is not usually allowed in tournaments or on commercial paintball fields. Altering structures, trenches or bunkers is also not allowed. However, both these things may actually be encouraged in scenario games.

Since paintball is a physical game which is most often played in an open field, the most common conditions that a player may experience are sunburn and welts. Anna @BedlamPaintball, will give you tips on how to prevent and treat them.

They say, there is always a “PAIN” in “PAINtball”. Well, I’ll be lying if I say I never got sunburn or a bruise from playing the game. I did, but with the fun I had, it is all worth it.

Sunburn and Welts are among the most common conditions that a player can get from paintball, but like any other sport, these conditions can be prevented if the player is careful and well protected.

Sunburn

Remember to wear the strongest sunscreen you can find to the game. A bad sunburn can totally ruin a wonderful day! Even if the day starts out looking cloudy, put on sunscreen. If the weather changes, you’re already protected and it’s one less thing to think about while you’re on the field. You never know when the sun will come out. And in case you didn’t know, you can get burned even on an overcast day.

At the least, take a container of the spray-on kind of sunscreen to the game. It’s easy to apply so you’ll be less likely to “not bother.”

If you forgot your sunscreen and you do get burned, apply aloe vera gel to your sunburn as soon as you get home. You’ll be glad you did in the morning.

Welts

The game of paint ball is quite physical. It’s definitely not a game for very young children, as paint balls sting when they hit an exposed spot and sometimes leave welts that don’t heal for days.

You should wear clothing that covers your legs and arms completely, such as jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt or jersey, Bedlam Paintball provide jumpsuits that are specifically made for the game.

Wrap any exposed areas of skin in strips of cloth and wear gloves that at the least protect your hands, if not your fingers. A backwards baseball cap gives the back of your neck some protection if your mask lacks adequate neck coverage.

A few welts are an inevitable part of playing any paintball game. Most don’t hurt much, but some can feel quite tender after the game. During the game you’ll be too busy and distracted to notice!

If you do get a few welts, take a hot bath or shower when you get home and apply a soothing gel like aloe vera. Afterwards you’ll feel a lot better.

As promised, Anna @BedlamPainball will bring you the latest news and updates on paintball events in and out of UK. So, here’s the update for the 2012 PSP Chicago Open that will start tomorrow.

The 2012 PSP Chicago Open officially starts tomorrow (June 21, 2012) and ends on Saturday (June 24, 2012). The event will be held in CPX Sports, 2903 Schweitzer Road, Joliet, IL 60436. Entrance to the Trade Show is Free but if you want to watch the actual games on the Pro Field, you will need to purchase a ticket for a reasonable amount. You have the option to buy your tickets online or on the event. Tickets for adults are sold at $10 per day or $25 for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (Thursday is free), and $5 per day for Children 4 to 10 years old or $10 for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Children aged 3 and under are free.

Schedule of Games for PSP Pro Field

Fri 8:00            Moscow Red Legion   vs         San Diego Dynasty

Fri 8:45            Houston Heat              vs         Seattle Thunder

Fri 9:30            Omaha Vicious            vs         Chicago Aftershock

Fri 10:15          San Diego Dynasty      vs         Seattle Thunder

Fri 11:00          Moscow Red Legion   vs         Omaha Vicious

Fri 11:45          Houston Heat              vs         Chicago Aftershock

Fri 1:15            Tampa Bay Damage    vs         LA Infamous

Fri 2:00            Los Angeles Ironmen   vs         upTon 187 cRew

Fri 2:45            X-Factor                     vs         Chattanooga C.E.P

Fri 3:30            LA Infamous               vs         upTon 187 cRew

Fri 4:15            Tampa Bay Damage    vs         X-Factor

Fri 5:00            Los Angeles Ironmen  vs         Chattanooga C.E.P

Sat 8:00           Moscow Red Legion  vs         Chicago Aftershock

Sat 8:45           Omaha Vicious           vs         Seattle Thunder

Sat 9:30           Houston Heat             vs         San Diego Dynasty

Schedule for all divisions will be published June 18th at www.pspevents.com.  Final games will begin at 8 am Sunday and should finish around 4 pm!

For those who can’t make it to the event or for those who wish to watch the game from the comfort of their home, you may watch the event thru the Official PSP webcast at http://www.paintballaccess.com .

The PSP game field layout are as follows:

We receive many emails everyday from our clients, one of the most recent we have is from an event coordinator named Denise. We had her and her friends last week at Bedlam Edinburgh as they celebrated a joint stag and hen party with our Extreme Bedlam Package. Below is her post about their experience.

Let me start off by saying that I am an event coordinator. I have organized events from school activities, to weddings, stag and hen parties, birthdays, debuts, and big corporate events. It’s something that I enjoy doing because I get to explore a lot of things and the happy faces and “Thank You’s” of my clients are very rewarding (aside from the pay, of course J). In my job, I see to it that each event is tailored-fit to my clients and I heed to their requests as much as I can. I encounter many crazy requests; from a zombie-themed wedding to organizing a sky diving proposal.

The most challenging event I had so far was just over, my sister’s wedding. The groom is very easy to deal with but my sister is a total bridezilla (I love you sissy!). She can’t make up her mind on just about everything, except on choosing her groom, of course.

As her maid-of-honor and wedding coordinator, she and a lot of people are expecting an awesome bridal shower. That’s not all; my husband is the groom’s best man. And naturally, my hubby asked me to organize the stag party as well. So, I decided to have a joint stag and hen party.

Although I organized a lot of stag and hen parties in the past, I want this to be extra special. I know that the groom and his friends go on paintball weekends as often as they can. My sister never tried paintball, but I guess this is the perfect opportunity for her to try his husband-to-be’s hobby, right?

I scouted the internet for awesome paintball deals and stumbled upon Bedlam Paintball. I checked several packages online and gave them a call to verify and book the event.  I booked their Extreme Bedlam package http://www.bedlampaintball.co.uk/packages/extreme-bedlam# because it got everything we need: 8 game scenarios, the paintballs, paintball guns (or marker, as they call it), the uniforms, and the helmets. As an added Bonus, you’ll also get team photos which you can download in their Facebook Page.  A £5 million public liability insurance is also included in the package, though you don’t probably need it with all the safety equipment and guidelines that they have throughout the game.

When we arrived, we were greeted by their very friendly staff. They were very accommodating from beginning to end. We were assigned a team leader who briefs us about the game, rules and regulations, safety, and how to use the equipment. This part is especially beneficial to us girls, being first timers.

I’ll be honest that we are all scared to try it at first because paintball has a reputation of being painful. But, as the one who organized the event, I have to step on that field and fire my first shot. Obviously, I hit those stuff that are used for hiding (they call it bunkers).  The other girls eventually followed my lead and before we know it, we are actually having fun and getting more and more aggressive. It’s the first time I saw my sister get down and crawled on the ground.  It’s really amazing what paintball can do.

At the end of the day, I got a couple of bruises which I do not know where I exactly got. Everybody is actually in pain but it’s ALL WORTH IT. In fact, we decided to do it again next month. We were talking about the experience even after the wedding. It’s a stag and hen party like no other, better than Vegas if I do say so myself. Thanks Bedlam for this wonderful experience, we’ll surely be back soon.

Many people are scared to try paintball because of safety concerns. Well, let me tell you that sedentary lifestyle is more fatal than playing paintball as Anna @BedlamPaintball discusses paintball safety.

The chance of getting seriously injured while playing paintball is on a par with getting seriously injured while bowling! Bicycle riding and golf both have higher incidents of serious injury. And if you play lacrosse, your chance of being seriously injured is more than 700 times what it is if you play paintball.

Play With People You Know

Get a big group together of people you know from school or work. Playing with people you know reduces the risk of some nut emptying his hopper into your head even after you say you’re hit. We’ve all heard the stories.

That’s not to say you should expect trouble if you play with strangers. Trouble is very rare, but as paintball gets more popular and more people join, there will inevitably be a few odd characters mixed in who will cause trouble. They’re the same jerks who cause trouble whether they’re on a hockey team or on the golf course. Has that stopped anyone you know from playing hockey or golf? Probably not. Just use your common sense and stay out of the way of someone who is obviously looking for trouble.

Insurance and Waiver Forms

Regardless of the above, paintball fields will still require you to sign a waiver for insurance purposes.

If you’re a player or the parent of a player and you’re concerned about personal injury insurance, contact your insurance agent before going into that field.

While there is a slim chance of getting seriously injured playing paintball, it has proven to be one of the safest sports and recreational activities that youths and adults alike can enjoy. Be sensible, play with people you know, follow the rules, buy paintball-specific equipment and play at fields that follow international paintball standards. Your chances of having an enjoyable day in the outdoors are better than with virtually any other sport or activity, including walking around the block!

Anna @BedlamPaintball gives you tips on how to prevent ankle and knee injury when playing paintball.

I have played paintball several times now and have witnessed many paintball games – both actual and on TV. One of the most common injury is the ankle and knee injury. Well, you do have to work all those joints to dodge and hit your target, right? But like any other injury, there are several pointers to prevent an ankle and knee injury.

Many paintball sources recommend sneakers, tennis shoes, running shoes or other soft footwear to ensure you can move around as quietly as possible. However, if your ankles are weak, you’re playing in really rough terrain, or there are a lot of hills on the field, wear hiking boots!

I’ve seen a player wreck his knee from running uphill in sneakers. After seeing how much pain he was in, I now recommend choosing safety over stealth every time. After all, it’s just a game! And, hey, don’t the military wear combat boots?

Fogged-up goggles or glasses can be a safety hazard in paintball. Tripping and falling hard on your knees can cause serious injury. Get goggles that have thermal lenses or a built-in fan to keep them from fogging up.

If you wear glasses, use anti-fog spray on them. Your goggles may have an anti-fog coating, but your glasses don’t! You can also buy special inserts made using your glasses prescription that fit inside your goggles. Then you don’t have to wear your glasses at all.

Though paintball may seem like a dangerous game, it is statistically the safest extreme sport there is. But of course, like in any kind of sport, players do get hurt especially when they are not careful. So, Anna @BedlamPaintball will give you a series of articles that discuss what you’ll need to do in case you get  hurt. As for this article, you’ll learn what to do when paint gets into you eyes

Your required equipment includes a mask with built-in goggles. You need a mask for playing on any field or arena where you pay to play. This mask will include coverage of your full head and your eyes (goggles). You can’t wear shop glasses, or other types of safety glasses, as the force of the paintball may crack the lens and send glass or plastic fragments into your eye.

When do you have to wear your mask? You need a mask as soon you enter the playing field, when you’re waiting for another game to be finished and when you’re in the staging area. Masks must be worn throughout the entire game, no matter what. You can’t lift or take off your mask, or the referee will take you out of the game.

If you’re having problems with your goggles fogging or something obstructing your vision, call for a referee. Do not remove your mask even if there’s a bug flying around in it! The one way you can get seriously injured in paintball is if you get shot in the eye. A bug bite will be nothing in comparison!

IMPORTANT: If you or another player gets shot in the eye, immediately call for emergency medical attention. Do not try to treat the injury yourself!

“To minimize damage immediately following the injury, follow these sight-saving tips:

• Do not rub the eye. If any tissue is torn, rubbing may cause more damage.
• Cover the eye. To do this, secure a shield against the bones surrounding the eye.
• Do not apply ointment or medication to the eye. These medications may not be sterile.
• Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen or other non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs. These drugs can thin the blood and may increase bleeding.”

Washable field paint is essentially non-irritating to eyes. However, if you do get a little paint splashed into your eye, flush your eye thoroughly with water for fifteen minutes. To be safe, you should also call for medical attention or travel to the nearest medical center, clinic or hospital emergency room.

Paintball doesn’t just makes you get down on your knees, it also makes you drop, roll, and crawl too. Though this may be the case, might as well do it in style. Anna @BedlamPaintball gives you some tips on how you could keep your style beyond the camouflage.

 Wear Vests

Vests are generally only worn for scenario paintball games where they’re used to carry a pistol, grenades, tubes (to carry extra paintballs), etc. Paintball vests come in many colors and patterns, and are often theme-based in style, including police, CIA, military, offbeat, etc. You can even get one custom made! However, though vests may look really good on you, it also have a downside; Vests are added weight, which could make you less agile.

Patches

Police and S.W.A.T. patches are popular with paintball players. These are patches you iron on to your combat or police-style jacket or vest. A good friend had a joint stag and hen party and we had custom made patches that say “The Stags” and “The Hens” stitched on their vests. Obviously, the girls lost but it made a really good keepsake for the memorable event.

Tattoos

While not technically considered clothing, tattoos are quite popular among paintball players. The rule is: If you see a tattoo you like, wait 12 months before you get it. If you still like it and still like the idea of getting a tattoo after the year is up, then go for it…always assuming your family is supportive, of course!

Most paintball players don’t have tattoos specific to paintball, but some do, of course. You can do a search in Google or Yahoo for “paintball tatoos” to see if you can find some examples of paintball tattoos you might like. Or, get an artist friend of yours to design one for you.

By the way, as I mentioned always in my blog posts and as per our happy clients’ testimonials; paintball sometimes hurts. And so does getting tattooed. Neither are for the faint of heart!

Develop Your Own Style… Within the Rules of Paintball

What you wear or add to make you look more cool doesn’t matter once you’ve followed the basic rules and recommendations. Just develop your own style over time as you observe others and shop around to add to your paintball get-up. Don’t forget to shop online, too. There are enough paintball supply stores online to keep you busy for quite awhile.

Paintball is considered the safest extreme sport there is due to the safety gears used during the game. Anna @BedlamPaintball discusses some of the paintball safety equipment beyond the mask.

Every paintballer know that no one is allowed to step on the field without their paintball mask on. The mask is like the seat belt of a car, ALL cars have it and EVERYONE is required to wear it. And if cars have other safety features like airbags and ABS (antilock brake system), paintballers also have the following add-ons to make the game even safer.

1. Footwear

There are a lot of recommendations about various kinds of footwear for paintball. Most players wear running shoes, sturdy work shoes, hiking boots or combat-style boots. Cleated paintball shoes are available in some paintball stores.

2. Gloves

Gloves come in various styles: full finger, half finger, and fingerless. Full fingered gloves give the best protection against impact. Fingerless gloves obviously provide the most control for rapid fire techniques like walking the trigger, etc. Try on several pair before buying as a good fit is very important. Ill-fitting gloves will certainly interfere with your ability to fire rapidly and accurately.

3. Goggle Systems

Goggle systems are getting more and more sophisticated every day. Some goggle systems have built in fans to prevent fogging. Some even have built in communication systems! These are especially useful for recball and scenario paintball games.

The most important thing to remember when buying goggles is that they must meet or exceed ASTM standards. This is for your safety and should never be compromised. If you have to spend a few more dollars to get ASTM certified goggles, it will be money well spent!

Another important thing to remember when buying goggles is to be sure they fit well and feel comfortable. Your goggles have to become part of you because you CANNOT take them off or lift them even for a second during a game. You have to WANT to wear your goggles.

Never make any modifications to the factory specifications of your goggles system. The mask and goggles must be made to work together. Do not try to combine parts from different systems

It’s human nature that people want to be better at everything they do, this includes when you start playing paintball. Anna @BedlamPaintball gives you tips on how paintball Pros do it so you too can become an expert paintballer yourself.

Buy, Borrow or Rent Paintball Movies

You can learn a lot by watching videos of pro teams playing. Always be asking why the player chose a certain move. Try to anticipate what they will do next. If you can do that, you’re starting to think like a pro.  You may check the Bedlam’s Favorite Paintball Movies.

Watch How the Good Teams Play

No superstar can outperform a team that acts like a well-oiled machine. Go to local tournaments and watch how team members interact. A good team player will follow the game plan, play fair, and support their team members. Watch the part each person plays in the execution of the game plan. See if you can figure out what the game plan is as the play progresses.

Volunteer       

Later, when you have a few games under your belt, volunteer to referee at your local field. This is the fast way to becoming an expert paintball player, as you are able to observe not only the great players’ methods, but all the newbie mistakes, too.

Pay Attention to the Experts, Not to the Know-it-alls Online

All in all, paintball information can be found easily and quickly, especially online. Just remember to go to the experts for help (books, e-books, magazines, forum leaders, pro players, etc.) and to stay away from the newbie-talk and ramblings of know-it-alls that fill many of the forums.

Anna @BedlamPaintball tells you what to do when get marked out of the game

When You’re Out of the Game, Watch the Experienced Players

So, you just got marked, eh? Disappointed? Well, don’t be, this is your opportunity to quietly observe those more experienced players from the sidelines. Pay attention to the way they hold their gun, the way they move from bunker to bunker and the way they signal to their teammates.

See if you can figure out their plan. All good players go into every game knowing the plan their team decided on before the game started. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you observe experienced players:

• What are they wearing?
• How do they shoot from a bunker?
• How do they steady their gun?
• What bunkers do they choose? See if you can figure out why.
• How do they keep from getting marked?

Keep mental notes of everything you see. Later, compare what you noted with the information you’ve been researching. Where does it match? Where are there differences? Can you figure out why? Does it have to do with:

• The terrain
• The type of game being played
• The player’s age or experience
• The rules of the field
• The player’s style of play or position (point man, safety, sniper, back man, front man, rover, etc.)?

Here’s another useful tips for paintball newbies from Anna @BedlamPaintball

I personally think that Paintball is the perfect game where one can get a lot of exercise, challenge oneself and have fun at the same time. However as a newbie, people may find themselves embarrassed because they don’t know the rules of the game, or they’re intimidated by how good those pro players are. They may be hesitant to step on that field and play their first game because they’re not sure what to expect. However a quick research by reading paintball articles and online forums could make you less of a newbie on your first game.

But first a note of warning for all newbies: Paintball is Not a War Game!

Many people mistakenly believe that paintball is a “war game.” However, it’s really more like hide-and-seek, with the marking of the opposing team being the way to tag the person out. This is especially true of recball, woodsball, jungle paintball and scenario games. It is advised that you do not refer to the opposing team as “the enemy” or a mark as a “kill”! Some communities have shut down paintball because players engaged in “war” talk during and after a game.

1. Research the Internet

The World Wide Web contains a vast storehouse of information on paintball. To make the best use of the Internet, search Google or Yahoo for specific paintball terms like “woodsball tactics,” instead of the general term “paintball.” Look for sites that list paintball rules and offer hints, tips, tactics and strategy.

You can also check out sites that review paintball equipment, but beware: a newbie doesn’t need an expensive paintball gun to get started. Many of the expensive guns don’t work any better than a good newbie gun. Also, you may want to try those rental markers first before buying your very own paintball gun.

2. Read Books

Go online and visit Amazon.comor BarnesAndNoble.com. Search for books on paintball. Check out the reviewers’ comments carefully before you buy. Or better yet, trot down to your local bookstore and see if you can find copies of the paintball books you found online. Take time to browse through them and see which ones appeal to you most. Check the local prices against the prices online before you buy.

3. Read E-Books

You may find a few paintball e-books online, too, but these are harder to find than print books.

To find paintball e-books, try searching for “paintball ebook” on Google or Yahoo. Ask around in the forums and pay attention to advertisements on paintball sites.

4. Study the Forums

Also search for “paintball forums” and you will find experts and newbies alike sharing information about paintball equipment and strategy. However, be aware that much of the information shared on forums is misleading, if not just plain wrong. Pay attention to what is said by forum leaders and well-known players, but take everything said by anyone else with a grain of salt…or a shaker of salt, for that matter!

5. Subscribe to Paintball Magazines

There are several good paintball magazines, both in print and online.

For print magazines, go to your local bookstore and spend some time at the magazine racks. Pick the magazine that appeals to you most and look in the front for their Web address (URL) or subscription address. Subscribe online or by mail. It’s a lot cheaper to subscribe to a magazine than to buy it each month from the newsstand.

For online magazines, search on Yahoo or Google for “paintball magazine online” or “online paintball magazine.”

Anna @BedlamPaintball tells you what to wear when playing paintball

Paintball clothes are as varied as the paintballers themselves, but some suggestions and rules apply at most game fields. After that, no two paintballers will sport the same outfit. You’ll see some occasional paintball players in casual long sleeved shirts, jeans and baseball caps, sporting rented markers. Then you’ll see the pros and die-hards in full camouflage gear, ghillie suits and sniper suits, sporting the fanciest sniper rifles on the market.

1. Ghillie Suits and Sniper Suits
Ghillie suits and sniper suits are similar. They are both camouflage suits that consist of headgear, jacket (or poncho) and pants covered with simulated vegetation made from jute or other similar material. Basically, you look like a walking heap of forest growth. Ghillie-type headgear is especially useful in that it breaks up the outline of the human head. The shape of the human head is not found anywhere else in nature so it is easily recognized by an opposing paintball player… or by a wary deer, for that matter. Since ghillie suit are used by hunters, as well as paintball players, you might try your local sporting goods store. Sniper suits can often be found in military supply stores.

There are several online stores that sell ghillie suits. The only problem with buying online is that you can’t try on the suit to see how it fits or to see how you like one particular style versus another. So, make sure any online store has a good return policy

2. Headgear
Headgear other than goggles and masks consists of ghillie hoods, veils, headwraps, baseball caps and knit caps. Ghillie hoods and veils are used for camouflage to disguise the shape of the human head. Baseball caps, knit caps and head wraps are used to keep the paint out of the player’s hair. Baseball caps worn backwards are also useful to cover the back of the neck.

3. Regular Clothing
Paintball requires a lot of physical energy so players tend to get quite warm when playing. Although sufficient layers of clothing are needed to prevent paintballs from leaving welts, too much clothing can cause overheating of the body. Therefore, a heavy winter jacket should not be worn.

As well, most fields won’t allow a heavy jacket because it prevents the player from feeling the impact of the paintball when they are hit.
The rule for clothing is to wear loose-fitting long pants (not fitted jeans) and a long-sleeved shirt or jersey over a t-shirt, with an added light jacket in cool weather. Although some fields allow t-shirts and short pants to be worn during play, this leaves the skin exposed… and since you WILL get hit… ouch! Not recommended!

Wear clothing that is earth-toned or olive green in color. Do not wear white unless playing in the snow. Avoid the colors referees and judges wear (usually red or orange) and avoid bright colors that you wouldn’t find in nature, like bright yellow, lime green, shocking pink, etc.

Here’s a follow up on the last post of Anna @BedlamPaintball about the stuff to bring on a paintball weekend.

Last time I talked about What to Bring on a Paintball Weekend, so the girls and I went on our trip and it was a whole lot of fun.. It went on smooth and perfect because we have all the stuff we need. However, I learned a lot of stuff on this trip. So, I put another list of stuff to bring and not bring on our next paintball trip to make it even more amazing. Check out my list below.

May Want to Take

• Smoke bombs
• Paintball grenade
• Small binoculars
• Tactical vest
• Fishing line (for tripwires)
• Fire crackers (for diversionary tactics) – check with field personnel first
• Laser perimeter warning device
• Paintball pistol
• Megaphone/loudspeaker – very useful
• Cell phone for emergencies, but leave it in your car
• If you are under 18 years of age, assign Power of Attorney to someone in your group (get it notarized before you leave home)

Don’t Take

• Extra paintballs unless for practice only (most events require field paint to be purchased at the event; check with field personnel)
• Alcoholic beverages
• Illegal and mood-altering drugs
• Firearms (including BB guns)
• Unauthorized equipment and pyrotechnics
• Negative attitude (if you have a bad temper or you’re intolerant, a poor sport, a sore loser, a whiner or a complainer, please stay home!)

A Few Final Recommendations

• Clearly label everything you bring!
• Organize your gear or you’ll spend half your time looking for stuff. Divide items into separate bags: one with clothes, one with special gear/equipment, one with extras of everything!
• Don’t bring your best, most expensive marker to a scenario game…it will get beaten up for sure.
• When you first arrive get oriented and look for landmarks. You don’t want to get lost during the game!
• Do as much before the game starts as possible: get your gear organized, chronograph your marker, fill your tanks, buy paint balls, etc.

Anna @BedlamPaintball gives you a what to bring list if ever you decided to go on a paintball weekend.

My friends and I are planning to go out of town for a paintball weekend. We are feeling a bit adventurous this time that we decided to camp out instead of staying in a comfy hotel. So, we did a bit of research on what to bring so we won’t miss out anything and have the best paintball weekend ever.

Here are what to Bring on a paintball weekend, grouped by importance.

Must Take

• Approved paintball mask – Very Important. You will not be allowed to play without it. Most paintball game fields provide these for free or for a fee.
• Approved barrel plug/sock – You need to have this on at all times when you are out od the field
• Approved paintball marker – Obviously, you can’t play paintball without it.

• Approved power source (CO2 or N2)
• Approved and safe clothing – not too baggy, not too tight. Just enough to protect you but you allows you to still move freely.
• Insect repellent – You never know what bugs you encounter in the field, especially if you play in the woods.
• Sun screen – you can get burned even on hazy days
• Lots of water…bring more than you think you’ll need! Bring several bottles frozen to keep air tanks and paintballs cool and to drink as the water thaws. Running water is not available at some fields and it may taste unpleasant…or not what you’re used to.)
• Prescription medication (if required)
• Easy-to-prepare food – stores may not be convenient
• Cash – credit cards may not be accepted
• Parental release forms for minors – usually available prior to the event from field personnel
• Good attitude: sportmanship, a sense of humour, a sense of pride, a desire to win, good judgment, tolerance
• Medical insurance card

Should Take

• Lots and lots of spare socks (NOT cotton; take synthetic sports
  socks only) – highly recommended!
• Spare shoes – if your shoes get wet, you’ll regret not having a second pair!
• Spare underwear – recommended
• First aid kit, including moleskin/Elastoplast strips for blisters, Bandaids, isopropyl rubbing alcohol or other antiseptic, analgesic cream, painkillers (like Tylenol, Motrin,
  Aspirin, etc.)
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, mouth wash – please!
• Deodorant – highly recommended!
• For the ladies: personal hygeine items
• Toilet paper – recommended!
• Tarp, tent and camping equipment (or make hotel reservations in advance)
• Warm sleeping bag and pillow, if camping
• Lanterns/torches for campsite, if camping
• Grill or stove to cook on, if camping (fuel, too)
• Dry firewood, if camping
• Ghillie/camo suit and/or costume/uniform appropriate to the
  scenario game you’re playing
• Rain gear
• Spare gun parts(O-rings, springs, etc.)
• Flashlight (so you can find your way to the toilet at night)
• Towels, paper towels, clean rags
• Allen wrenches for velocity adjustment
• Tools necessary to repair your gun
• A good digital watch with stop watch feature
• Squeegee or barrel swab

Nice to Have

• Spare clothes – you’ll get sweaty, dirty, and possibly wet
• Spare marker and/or spare barrel
• At least one additional air tank (keep cold in chest of ice)
• Paint balls for chrono/target practice (check to see if game is “Field Paint Only” or not)
• Foldable Table for laying out tools and small pieces of equipment like springs, O-rings, etc. (sturdy TV table or bed tray with solid top and high lip to stop parts from rolling off)
• Plain white terry towel to lay on your tent floor, picnic table or tailgate – you can see gun parts easily and the terry toweling stops small items from rolling off
• Field journal to record your experiences
• Camera – point-and-shoot or digital camera
• Tarp to cover camp area in the event of rain
• Duct tape, black electrical tape, Teflon tape
• Extra car key
• Handi-wipes, baby wipes – to clean filthy equipment and grubby hands (for smelly underarms and feet,too!)
• Poweraid, Gatoraid; NOT soda pop – water is all your body really needs; the sugar in soda pop will give you a quick boost, then a serious drop in energy that can cost you the game
• Batteries
• Condiments for hot dogs and hamburgers, like ketchup, relish, mustard, cheese, etc. – Skip the sauerkraut and onions…please!
• Granola bars or high protein meal replacement bars
• Beef jerky – easier on the stomach than high carb, sugary snacks – also, sugar gives a quick boost, then drops your energy way down!
• Ready to Eat Meals – easy to prepare, minimal pots and pans to wash
• Ear plugs
• Spare glasses – especially if you wear contacts
• Extra money for medical emergencies, as well as for gas, tolls and food on the way home
• Spray bottle for water to clean lenses, etc. (or bring your eyeglass cleaning kit)

To make the most of your weekend, come well-rested and properly equipped!

This interview was conducted with Crimson Sabres team captain Mike Nelson. Mike was born in Norwich and headed over to Canada when he was 5. He’s ex-Canadian Forces, now married with two kids. He played his first game of Paintball waaaayyyyyyy back in 1987 and as we found out, the Crimson Sabre’s are all decent folk too…

Hi Mike could you tell the Bedlam Paintballer’s about the Crimson Sabres?

A bit about the Team…

The Team was founded in October 2007. The forming of the Team was with two friends of mine at the time, and we used the model of our last team “Balrog’s” as an outline. The Crimson Sabres are primarily focusing on military simulation (mil-sim) and scenario style woodsball.  But the team is far more than that.

Far more? What other things do you guys do?

Things like; Participating in charity and sponsor-oriented events as either participants or volunteers, Refereeing and working at various paintball events, attending team BBQs, camping and various other team rel-action (relaxation) events and outings.

Are there other ‘factions’ of the Crimson Sabres?

The Sabres also sport a Team Support Group (TSG) of non-active fighters and volunteers who are a part of the team but aren’t part of the fighting corp.  The TSG aids the team both on and off the field and performs work such as photography and multimedia services, camp control and operations, medical services, and so forth.

The Sabres also have a Junior member squad called the Sabre Cadets.  This youth program is for the children of active members 10 years of age and older.  The Sabre cadets support the TSG and are also involved with limited paintball training and play to expose them safely to the sport and to have fun.
Do the Crimson Sabres ever take part in Canadian paintball tournaments?

Sure! Our home field had a season of ‘tactical’ tournaments, sadly these turned out to be more than speedball tournaments outside with wooden obstacles…though we held a steady third place throughout the 5 months.

In the UK, paintball seems to be regarded as a “Day out” rather than the sport it appears to be in US and Canada, any thoughts on why this is?

I don’t honestly know.

Here in western Canada paintball doesn’t seem to be anywhere like it is even in eastern Canada let alone like the states. One could argue its all about shooting things and as we know the yanks have ‘bond’ with their firearms etc, so maybe its that?

Here for example, I mention when I am out talking to local business about sponsorship (the ones advertising sports team sponsorships) I get a blank confused stare when I mention I captain a paintball team and sometimes get well sorry thats not a sport is it?

Maybe we need to join forces and market the uk and Canada more and get it out that paintball is not just a day out, it is a sport..

Totally!

I mean come on, we train, workout and have a team fitness consultant… I don’t see many beer baseball leagues around my area with one (lol).

You mentioned you use military styled tactics in your paintballing, what kinds of roles do the team play in a match?

Keep in mind.. im an old cold war soldier and a canuck (lol) which means everyone’s main role is support the teams present objectives.

The military uses the term ‘rifleman’ we say ‘markerman’ and everyone is trained in the other roles. We do have a heavy gunner and will be training some ‘special operators’ soon who will be tasked (when in big games and maybe small ones too) with various tasks such as: infiltration, objective assessments, skirmish and whatever crazy jobs I (or my squad leaders) can come up with during a game to get the job done.

Now, apart from paintpalling, you mentioned that you guys do alot of charity work, what kind of things do you?

An example would be last summer (2011) we assisted in the running and process of a charity scavenger hunt for Meals on wheels. The team being used to working together in a ranked system allows us to utilize our resources to the maximum potential. we are willing to do whatever am organization wishes us to do, we believe it is our privilege to be there not theirs to have us. This past November (2011) one of my recruits took it upon himself to organize a food drive for the veterans.

We of course play paintball for charity as well, Crimson Sabres have played for Veterans, Tsunami victims, Red Cross, fallen soldier funds to name a few.

Anna @BedlamPaintball helps you plan your trip for the PSP Chicago Open.

Every paintball fanatic knows that this month marks the 3rd stop of the 2012 PSP (Paintball Sports Promotions) Events. This 4-day event will take place on June 21st to 24th in CPX Sports Park 2903 Schweitzer Rd. Joliet, IL 60421.
You may witness the event through their weblog http://www.paintballaccess.com. However, if you’d like to see the event in your own perspective, you must have your travel plans ready as early as now since many people will be flying in from different states and countries for this exciting event.
If you have not set your travel plans yet, you are in luck as we can help you out.

Airlines

The nearest major airport is Chicago Midway International Airport. This airport has international and domestic flights from Chicago, Illinois and is about 25 miles from the center of Joliet, IL.

Another major airport is Chicago O’Hare International Airport, which has international and domestic flights from Chicago, Illinois and is 33 miles from Joliet, IL.

There are many airlines that could take you to Illinois, wherever you may be in the world. Here are the list of airlines which you could choose from: Delta Airlinesm Etihad Airways, Cathay Pacific, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Japan Airlines, ANA, United, and Air China.

Hotels

There are many hotels and motels around the area, but you must make your reservations early because these establishments could be fully booked for the season due to the many occasions celebrated in June. For one, June is wedding month thus hotels could be booked by wedding guests from out of town. And of course, the PSP event attracts many out of town visitors as well.

We found three hotels that could make your visit comfortable:
1.    Holiday Inn Express Joliet-Plainfield I-55 North Hotel
A 2-star hotel located at 3231 Norman Ave, Joliet (IL) 60431 and priced at $140/night.

2.    Holiday Inn Joliet – Conference Center Hotel
A 3-star hotel located at 411 South Larkin Avenue, Joliet (IL) and priced at $119/night.

3.    Wingate By Wyndham Joliet Hotel
A 2.5-star hotel located at 101 Mcdonald Drive, Mcdonald & Route 52, Joliet (IL) and priced at $110/night

Rent-A-Car

If you are staying in a hotel or in a friend’s house, you definitely need something to take you to the event area. If you need a ride, you may call the following rent-a-car services:
-Enterprise Rent-A-Car: 2625 West Jefferson Street, Joliet, IL. Contact Number: (815) 744-4900
-Value Rent-A-Car: 314 South Larkin Avenue, Joliet, IL. Contact Number: (815) 730-7612
-Gerald Auto Sales: 314 South Larkin Avenue, Joliet, IL. Contact Number: (815) 730-6002

Anna @BedlamPaintball brings you the latest news on the PSP Chicago Open in June.

It’s June. For most girls, this month is associated to weddings thus there’s this thing we call “June Bride”. However, for men, specifically paintballer men, this month is associated to the 3^rd leg of the PSP (Paintball Sports Promotions) Events,

The 3^rd stop of this 5 leg event will be at CPX Sports Park, Joliet IL.  You may visit the venue website here:  http://www.cpxsports.com. This will be a 4 day event that will start on June 21^st and ends on June 24^th.  Like the past PSP Stops, there will also be a trade show that will be sponsored by top paintball merchants. Here, different paintball brands will showcase their latest products and you can take advantage of great discounted paintball gears.

This year, there are 175 teams that already signed up for the PSP Chicago Open. The number is higher compared to last year’s 155 teams.

This extended event will begin with a Trade Show along with Team Check-in on Wednesday, June 20th.  Non-Pro Games will be played Thursday, June 21st through Sunday, June 24th (Professional Teams will compete Friday, June 22nd through Sunday, June 24^th)

As with all PSP events, teams will be able to bring their own paint to the 2012 PSP Chicago Open so long as RPS or GI Sportz/Procaps manufactures it.  These companies will also be selling paint on-site for teams traveling in.

Divisions include:

Professional RaceTo-7 (Fri – Sun only)

D1 RaceTo-5 (Thurs – Sun)

D2 RaceTo-5 (Thurs – Sun)

D3 RaceTo-4 (Thurs – Sun)

D4 RaceTo-4 (Thurs – Sun)

D3 RaceTo-2 (Sat and Sun only)

D4 RaceTo-2 (Sat and Sun only)

Pump Open (Sunday Only)

For those who can’t make it to Chicago, you can still witness the action-packed event through their weblog http://www.paintballaccess.com. Tell your family and friends about it, it’s live and free.

As promised on her previous article that discusses Basic Tools for Paintball, Anna @BedlamPaintball now discusses the advanced tools for your Paintball toolbox.

Advanced tools are best described as tools that are marker-specific or are tools that are used for working on items like air systems, which I don’t recommend unless you’re a certified tech for them.

Strap Wrench: 

These handy little items are THE way to remove a regulator from a bottle.  Basically just a metal handle with a rubber strap, they allow you to get a good hold on a round item like an air tank, and they’re flexible enough to easily remove a regulator.  However, please note that this is an operation best left to a certified tech.  Strap Wrenches are great for removing LPR’s from the front of a marker.

Marker-Specific tools: 

WDP is known for selling a tool kit specifically for working on Angels.  If you have any pretensions of working on your Angel, you’ll need the tool kit, which includes an LPR gauge, an LPR piston extractor, and a ram tool, which allows you to adjust the ram in your pre-G7 series Angel.  Other markers have their own specific tools, like the Autococker’s jam nut tool, which allows you to remove the jam nut that holds the valve in place. Find out what, if any, specific tools you need for your marker and keep them in your toolbox.

Muffler: 

If you plan on firing your marker while you’re working on it, or tweaking a setting, a muffler is a great way to keep the noise down and keep the police from knocking on your door.  Centerflag Products makes a system called the “Ninja” which can adapt to fit any marker out on the market today.

Miscellaneous Items: 

Of course you’ll want to keep lube for your marker in your toolbox, be it Love Juice for WDP markers, or DOW 33 and 55 for Smart Parts and Bob Long Markers, as well as synthetic airgun oil for everyday lubing of orings.

You’ll also want to keep spare parts in your toolbox, like orings, ball detents, and other items that are known to go bad at the worst time in your specific marker.

Cleaning items like cotton swabs, paper towels, and rubbing alcohol are also handy to have in your toolbox to clean up stubborn messes that can accumulate on and in your marker over the course of time.

Whether you are a pro or a newbie paintballer, you have and most likely will experience some “pain” in PAINtball. But not to worry as Anna @BedlamPaintball give you tips on how to treat paintball welts

I would be lying if I say that playing paintball is painless. I guess it is part of the package when you play the game. Though you could get some paintball welts  and bruises here and there or wake up the next morning with sore muscles, the fun you had is absolutely worth it.

Some testimonial from our guests:

“Hi! Excellent day today… Bit sore now but the fun was worth it! Thanks to all at Bedlam!” Ms. LauraLouise Heeps – May 27, 2012 played at Bedlam Edzell

“Hi guy, just to say again that we had a MAGIC time yestersay at Edzall, a bit sore but worth it, even the stag run, thanks….” Kevin G Smith – April 21, 2012 played at Bedlam Edzell

Why do paintball guns cause welts?
Anytime you are hit very hard you will develop welts underneath your skin. If you are playing to close paintballs can also break the skin.

How to treat paintball welts?
Depending on how deep a welt is, it could last for hours or days. Most people just leave it as is since, though painful, it is definitely non-life-threatening.

The treatment for a welt is most effective right after the injury while the welt is still reddish. To help speed up the healing process, welts can be treated by applying ice to the affected area. To reduce pain and swelling, you may also use natural topical treatments such as Witch Hazel, or keeping the affected area elevated.

Moreover, applying ice or an astringent to a paintball welt can also soothe the itching and burning associated with it.
Welts and bruises that last more than a couple of weeks or are associated with worsening pain and swelling may require medical attention as they may signal an underlying medical condition.

How to avoid or minimize paintball welts?
Keep in mind that the best defense against bruises and welts is to wear the most protective paintball clothing while playing paintball: that means dressing in tough clothing, padding or layers covering your whole body and keeping your mask and helmet on at all times to avoid neck and facial injuries.

In this article Anna @BedlamPaintball explain what kind of tools, spares, and marker-specific items paintball players should have in their toolbox.

Just about every paintball marker sold today comes with a tool kit of some sort, the better to adjust your velocity, your trigger pull, and the like.  These are all basic functions for your marker, and the tools provided are just basic.

Basic Tools: 

Your basic tools are tools that work on every marker, and anyone should have in their tool kit.  First and foremost, a good sturdy toolbox is a MUST.  A good toolbox doesn’t have to be expensive but it does have to be of good quality to properly organize, hold and protect your gadgets.  Most discount stores have a more than adequate selection of toolboxes at great prices.

Hex Wrenches: 

Hex wrenches are an absolute requirement for paintball.  Just about every fastener on a paintball marker uses a hex head, rather than the traditional flat and Phillips heads.  You’ll want to buy sets in both Metric and English sizes, since today’s paintball equipment use both, depending on where the marker came from originally. Hex wrenches come in several different configurations, with sets in small folding configurations, to the classic plastic holder holding individual wrenches, to the T-Handle wrench.
Pliers:
A good pair of pliers, preferably slip jaw types with “soft jaws’ are a good thing to have as well.  They come in very handy for breaking a regulator loose from a vertical ASA, or if you have two, for splitting that regulator apart to repair it.  Try and avoid using pliers without soft jaws on anodized parts, as you’ll find out very quickly that soft anodized aluminum will not take kindly to this sort of rough treatment.

Wrenches: 

A good wrench is absolutely required for removing and replacing air line fittings.  Since macroline fittings fail as they age and start leaking, it’s a fairly regular occurrence that you’ll have to remove and replace them. Using an adjustable wrench on an air line fitting takes a little finesse, because if you don’t close the jaws of the wrench completely around the fitting, you stand a very good chance of rounding off the edges of the fitting and not only raising your frustration levels to new heights, but you’ll make your marker look bad in the process.

Screwdrivers:

It’s a good idea to keep a screwdriver or two around because some people do use fasteners with this style of head to attach parts to their markers, and in a lot of cases small flat head style screws are used to hold boards and microswitches in gripframes and the like.

Advanced Tools for your Paintball toolbox will be discussed on the next chapter of this series.

Anna @BedlamPaintball gives you some reasons to why date a paintball player.

It’s gonna be my best friend’s wedding next month. As the maid of honor, I am responsible for organizing her bridal shower. The bride wants it to be clean, that means no male strippers and all those dirty stuff. So me and the bridesmaids came up with an idea to have a paintball hen’s party. But as you know, we can NEVER have such type of celebration without a little “fun”. So, aside from the “not-so-clean” gifts for the honeymoon, we decided to make her cake extra special. We had a cupcake tower cake, and each cupcake have a note that show a reason to why date a paintball player. As for the bride’s case of course, her husband is a professional paintballer.

Here are the notes:

1) They aren’t afraid to get down and dirty
2) They know how to listen to directions
3) They at least have a ten inch barrel
4) They can fire off hundreds of rounds without getting tired.
5) They always wear protection
6) They love to be aggressive, head first into anything
7) They like to push hard, but not TOO hard they get hit.
8) They never forget to lube.
9) They always have to have the best **** on the field.
10) If they run out of gas, it takes less than 5 seconds to get them going again!
11) They know how to work any position front, back, and all in between
12) They’re good at moving our fingers extremely fast in small places
13) They can move & contort their bodies into weird positions
14) They know how to use a condom
15) They’re used to 2 on 1 and 3 on 1 situations
16) Standing, kneeling, laying down… really it doesn’t matter
17) They have great aim
18) They don’t mind a little pain
19) They will play any chance they get
20) When they play they look good doing it!’
21) They clean their barrels often
22 ) Their equipment is made for high pressure.
23) Welts and hickies look about the same.
24 ) It’s quite normal for them to wear masks, straps, and harnesses.
25) Forget bases, they just go for the 50.
26 ) Walking a trigger and handling small fragile parts means nimble hands.
27) They can hit a moving target at 100 feet, they can protect your honor too.
28) They’ll “communicate” with you all you want, just do it over a radio.
29) Dropping $100 in a single day is nothing new.
30) Jumping, diving, ducking, and sliding develops great body coordination.
31) They do always try and help out someone in need…
33) They appreciate tighter holes
34) They can hold odd positions for long lengths of time
35) They use a condom to protect everybody’s eyes
36) They don’t mind getting goo shot into their mouths
37) They pump with smooth strokes
38) They don’t mind being on their knees
39) They start playing harder when the balls start to fly around
40) They never stay in one place for too long
41) They always explore before they get down and dirty
42) They’ll shoot their load(er) on a guy, then shake his hand afterwards
43) They love sliding in between big ol’ air bags
44) They’re quick to reload
45) They make sure their balls are in perfect condition

Disclaimer: Some are ideas contributed by the girls, while some are taken from the internet.

Paintball is about teamwork, strategy, and most importantly.. FUN! Anna @Bedlam Paintball gathered these funny paintball jokes for you.

Some people see paintball as a game that promotes violence because of the gun-replicas that are used in the game. Let me tell you that paintball is far from that. In fact, paintball is a sport which aims to develop camaraderie and teamwork among players. In fact, it’s no surprise when acquaintances become best buds even after a single round of paintball. Personally, I find the after-game as the best part because it is when people discuss what happened, laugh at each others mistakes, shares tips and techniques, and tell jokes. Here are some funny paintball jokes that was told and sent to me by my paintball buds.

Note: Bedlam Paintball or the author do not own and claim the rights of these images.. No copyright infringement intended. These were sent to the author thru email.

Anna @BedlamPaintball brings you a useful tip in how to remove paintball residue from a car.

My sister lives near a paintball game field, so I was so excited when she invited me over the weekends. So I drove around 40 miles to reach her place. The next morning, just when we are about ready to go paintballing, I noticed that there are some paintballs in my car. I’m guessing that happened last night. Many people own paintball markers around the place because of the paintball game field nearby, thus we really can’t tell who did it.

I was able to get the paintball gel off, but there are some paint residues that remain on my car. So, I did some research how to get it off. Just thought you might want me to share what I found on removing paintball residue from a car, just in case the same thing happen to you.

Hopefully when paintball gets into your car, it’s not because you shot it on purpose but more likely it’s been vandalized like what happened to me. For those people that do own paintball markers don’t run around on the streets shooting other people’s cars cause that will land you in jail and give a bad name to this sport.

What we’ve got in paintball are two kinds of paint – The more generic paint, which is usually vegetable-based oil and the little bit of a higher end paint that’s a lot thicker, a water based paintball.

The ease of getting it off is going to really depend on how long it’s been on there. As for my case, it happened just the night before, so that means the paint is easier to remove since it’s not yet dry.

What you need are: a mister clean magic eraser, a terry cloth towel, Palmolive, and warm water.

First thing obviously is to pick the heavy stuff off (the gel capsule that encloses the paint in paintball). Put some Palmolive in your bucket of warm water, and dip your sponge in it, then wipe the paint off your car. Get it as clean as you can. Most important thing is to keep your sponge or magic eraser clean the whole time you are doing it, so as not to spread it into bigger areas.

Wipe it all down; put a little bit of force into it as friction helps remove the paint off.  Make sure there’s no residual oil around. Then, Take your terry cloth towel, and wipe it clean.

That works just fine in my case since I was able to see the problem early. For those who are dealing with a more stubborn paintball residue, you may use a WD-40, it’s petroleum base, it will usually clean up. I’ve also been told it will clean up if your car gets hit with spray paint. It will clean the paint off the car if you catch it fairly soon.

Disclaimer: The tips came from the author’s research and personal experience. Bedlam Paintball and the Author will not be held liable for any damage this may cause.

Many great soldiers risk their lives in Afghanistan. Ever wished to get the feel of it minus the “risk” part? You could do that if you could go paintballing in the same training ground where the British soldiers train for Afghanistan. Anna @BedlamPaintball gives you the details of this much anticipated event that could be the Biggest Paintball Event of the Decade.

The biggest paintball event of the year could take place in July this year. Swapping of paintball bullets could take place mid this year in a mock town Brecon Beacons that was used to train British soldiers for conflict in Afghanistan.

Around 700 paintball players are lined up on the Ministry of Defense land in Brecon Beacons for this massive paintball battle.

This training range in Sennybridge is a Bavarian-style town that was built during the Cold War – around 1980’s. This training range is a haven for paintball enthusiasts because of the structures built on it – a large town hall, a church, and several houses which are perfect buildings to include in your plan. Aside from the buildings, Tim Barnett an events firm hired the place. However, the Ministry of Defense has yet to confirm is the event will pursue.

The application to use the venue in July has been made by an Aberystwyth-based events company. Company spokesman Tim Barnett said the Ministry of Defense started hiring out the facility following the tactical defense review. The review announced last October 2010 states that defense spending was set to fall by 8% by the course of over four years.

Mr. Barnett, a former Territorial Army soldier who trained at Sennybridge, said: “I’ve been requesting to use these sorts of Ministry of Defense for year, but I’ve received no interest.”

“Then 18 months ago, I put in another request and all of a sudden everything had changed.” July’s battle would feature seven hundred participants from countries such as United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Malta, Cyprus, Russia, Ireland and the UK.

He said tickets had already sold out, but he was unwilling to reveal how much it cost to hire.

Furthermore, Mr. Barnett said: “I have rented this facility from the Ministry of Defense for a long weekend in July for a 700-player paintball event,”

“Players from all over the world will be flying in for the event because the location is so unique.”

But the Ministry of Defense said booking had not yet been confirmed. A spokesperson said: “Training for military operations, naturally, takes priority over any private individual’s request to use Defense facilities.

“We have yet to establish military training requirements at Sennybridge for July – this is conducted six months in advance – and it is possible that the facilities in question may be needed by our Armed Forces.

“Furthermore, before any third party activity is agreed, financial costs, indemnity and insurances are required. These discussions have not yet commenced.”

If this paintball event will be confirmed and will take place on the upcoming months, this will definitely one, if not the most, exciting and much anticipated paintball event of the decade because of its unique venue which will attract paintball fans all over the world.

Since choosing a paintball game field is just as important as choosing your marker to enjoy the game, Anna @BedlamPaintball shows you the best Paintball Scenario Game Fields.

One of the main reason why I (and perhaps many others) am attracted to play paintball is because of the scenario games. Let’s face it, there will always be the child in us where we fantasize to be cowboys, aliens, cops, robbers, hunters, or even damsels in distress (for the girls). These games can be well lived if you play on game fields that are well set up for the specific scenarios.

In paintball, we all know that hiding spots and bunkers are crucial elements of the game because it allows us to better plan our strategy and actually get a good feel of the game. Here are some of the best paintball scenario game fields where you can let your imagination run loose.

#1 Woodland Paintball Theme

Imagine yourself kidnapped; you managed to escape only to find out that you are brought in an unknown woodland. Your only way to survive is to fight back. You take cover from the tall trees and utilize other stuff in your surroundings to dodge bullets. This magnificent woodland is part of Bedlam Edzell paintball site.

#2 Mini Amazon Paintball Theme

Imagine your plane crashed in Amazon forest, guerrillas are closing in, not knowing which way to turn. Complete with fallen trees, walking through shallow ponds, and camouflaging in the pile of leaves, you’ll surely love this Amazon themed paintball field.

#3 Fortress Invasion Theme

Want a real paintball challenge? How about invading a fortress? Invading a fortress is definitely not a walk in the park; consider the high and tough walls and opponents having the leverage of elevation.

#4 Warehouse Attack

Ever dreamed of being a cop or FBI agent who raids dangerous warehouses filled with bad guys? Of course you need intense training for that. The next best thing you can have is paintballing in this warehouse-themed paintball field.

#5 Crypt Paintball Theme

My personal favorite paintball scenario game is the Crypt game. It makes me think of Zombie Apocalypse and those many Zombie attack movies that I love to watch. Bedlam in Edinburg have this really neat Crypt game zone that has a very cool chapel and tomb stones that you can use as cover.

Anna @BedlamPaintball comes to your aid as she gives you Mothers’ Day Gift Ideas for Mommy Paintballers.

Mothers’ Day is fast approaching. For those who forgot, it’s on Sunday, May 13^th 2012. Have you bought the most important girl in your life her present? If not, flowers can definitely do the trick. However, what if you got an adventurous girl in your life that also goes paintballing with you? Here are some Mother’s Day gift ideas for Mommy paintballers:

#1 Paintball Card

One common denominator among moms is the fact that they better appreciate things that are custom made. So why not make a special Happy Mother’s Day Paintball Card for her? Simply get a specialty paper, fold it in half, glue a picture of her in paintball action and write your personal message inside the card. You may also use some of the quotes below:

• You are my best paintball buddy

• BPS, in my life, doesn’t stand for how many balls per second I shoot. It stands for how many ballers per second we eliminate together

• You can gas up the marker, do longshots, and dodge paintballs as good as how you cook, do the laundry, and clean the house.. You are one amazing woman!

• You get far in life with just your smile……but you get much farther with a smile and a gun

• If your opponent is fast, be faster. If your opponent is strong, be stronger. If your opponent is mean, be meaner. And above all, if your opponent shoots you, call his mom too.

#2 Make a Collage

Gather photos of her playing paintball or photos of you paintballing together. Add short captions to reminisce those moments.

Another idea is to glue photo of her and paste stuff that incorporates paintballing and motherhood. For example, one hand holds a marker, the other hand holds a vacuum cleaner.

#3 Treat her to a game of Paintball

On a budget? Bedlam Paintball will definitely help. You can call us or check our website for promotions. We also often partner with discount sites. There, you can get very good paintball deals without blowing your budget.

You may also check our Facebook page for very limited offers and Facebook mini contests: https://www.facebook.com/BedlamPaintball

Some of the on-going deals are:

• £15 for a paintball experience for up to 10 people – including lunch – with Bedlam Paintball (limited time offer.. Hurry!) 

Paintball is about adrenalin rush, teamwork, and FUN.. let’s see how fun is “fun” in paintball as Anna @BedlamPaintball brings you the Top 10 Funniest Paintball Photos.

#1. Hit Me With Your Best Shot!

#2 Freddy vs. Jason … Need I say More?

#3 Who Needs a Camouflage?

#4 Now This is Paintball Teamwork

#5 Looks Like Somebody Wants to Play Too

#6 Hello Mom? I’ll Call You Back in 5 Minutes, I’m About To Shoot Somebody..

#7 Mr. and Mrs. Smith – Paintball Style

#8 You Can Run.. But You Can’t Hide!

#9 Nothing Can Stop Me Now!

#10 My Own Planet Eclipse SL91 Geo

Dislaimer: Some images was taken from both online and offline pages.  We do not claim the rights of any of these images.

Ever wanted to see the game up and close; but was still gathering the courage to try it out? Anna @BedlamPaintball shows you paintball’s different angles and perspective

Paintball is a fast-paced action game. A mere second of losing your mind out of the game could cause you to be tagged out. If you are a first time spectator, you’ll get confuse where to look first since the action is everywhere.

I was watching Discovery Channel’s series called Time Warp last night and I find it really amazing how simple objects look amazing when shot on a high definition camera with xxx-fps. Because of this, I suddenly thought about how an actual paintball game looks when being slow-mo’ed.

Imagine several small colored paintballs fly around the area and splat into someone’s face or body. Isn’t that a lovely sight? Furthermore, I definitely want to see how players  do some matrix moves to dodge bullets and survive till the end.

One of the Bedlam boys share my feelings and found a way to view the actual game in high def. You may check the said video below: Enjoy!

Paintball is a fun game where people develop and strengthen friendship and teamwork. However, some people use this to hurt others. Anna @BedlamPaintball tells about paintball hate crimes that show the world how bad discrimination on gender, sexual orientation, and race is.

Paintball is described by many as the safest extreme sports there is because of the many safety gadgets worn during a game – The mask, players are never allowed to play without it. Safety suits are also worn during the game to provide extra protection from paintball hits. In fact, there is no recorded death caused by playing paintball.

Though many people enjoyed this game safely, many others used it to harass other people outside of the game field. There are several Paintball hate crimes recorded overtime. Here are some of them:

Anchorage Paintball attacks – 2001

Three teenagers travelled to Anchorage, Ak to locate drunk Eskimo pedestrians and shoot them with their paintball guns. With them they carried a paintball gun with alleged frozen solid ammunition and a video camera to document their escapade. According to reports, one of the minor drove a Subaru Impreza and fired only one paintball. Charles Deane Wiseman, 19 years old, was seated in the back seat to film their “fun” trip. The other minor, whose name was not disclosed, rode in the front seat and fired most of the paintball shots.

One of the scenes in the video shows the assailant’s interview with a 52-year old Nome man who admit that he has been struggling with alcoholism. As per their goal, they shot the old man in the face.

Witnesses reported the incident and arrested the teenagers and were sentenced to a $6000 fine, 6 months imprisonment, and 300 hours community service. Because of such incident many legislators were prompted to exert more effort in fighting racial discrimination.

San Diego Paintball attacks – 2011

The San Diego local police are investigating on a possible hate crime in Hillcrest and North Park. According to the report, in a parking lot of the San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Gender Community Center six men were harassed by four people who were in a car. They yelled anti-gay slurs and fired paintballs at them. Two of them were injured as they were hit in the head and leg area.

According to reports, the paintball shooting spree continued on Idaho street where two civilians were hit in the right leg and backside.

The Centre Street attack is being investigated as a hate crime because of the slurs, according to police.

Police said there could have been up to four Hispanic or white males in the car.

Paintball is a game that aims to develop critical thinking, teamwork, and camaraderie. However, this can also be an instrument to people who would just like to express hate. People who possess paintball guns should be responsible enough to use these markers only for its purpose and not for anything else.

Paintball is a game that requires the right balance between skills, technique, strategy, and teamwork. Anna @BedlamPaintball discusses about a very useful paintball technique that can give you quite an advantage on field – Off Hand Shooting.

What is off hand shooting? First of all off hand shooting is a skill, while not required to play paintball, which lets you use your non-dominant hand to shoot. One may ask, is this really an important factor to consider when playing competitive paintball? The answer of course is yes and if you’re having doubts it will be discussed here on this article.

Off hand shooting can help you in many instances. One case is to help you become more flexible in games. Let’s say you only know how to shoot with your right hand and you’re in a bunker being bombarded with enemy fire. You can of course shoot on the right side of the bunker as it your “comfort” shot but it should probably work for about one or two quick snap shots. But do you think the enemy would be as dumb as to not notice that pattern? If your enemy finds that you can only shoot at the right side of the bunker, it’s a no brainer that the enemy will eliminate you.

The situation above is very simple yet by having an “off hand” option in your shooting arsenal will give you a force to be reckoned with. Even though it won’t be as accurate as your dominant hand but still having enemies think that they can still be shot wherever they place themselves is a huge disadvantage to them.

You’ve got the theory now but don’t expect to be shooting enemies from left to right with your knowledge. As any skill you must first train to master it or to be at least be familiarized with it.

You can start off by:

1. Practicing with a mirror, it may sound silly but it really helps, the mirror would let you see your form and you can make certain adjustments to it whenever you feel that it is wrong.

2. If you’ve got time to spare practice with a friend, moving targets are really hard to hit especially when using your off hand. It may get frustrating at first but never give up!

3. After you feel confident about your off hand mastery you can try participating in skirmishes, but trust you will most probably be shooting off target.

4. And lastly remember to strategize as being able to “wield a weapon” is not enough to win a war.

Throwing a party and want it to be extra special and memorable? Why not go paintballing? Anna @BedlamPaintball gives you different parties/events where you can play paintball.

Corporate Paintball

You need both brain and brawn to win a paintball game.  If you can do a matrix dodge or run like the flash, you definitely have a good leverage in winning but that doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to win. The best thing about paintball is that you need to think and work as a team to be able to win. Because of this, the corporate world turned to paintball as a fun team building activity for their employees. Paintball gives an opportunity to employees to move, think, and work as a team; similar attitude that CEO’s want their employees to do when they are in the workplace.

Birthday Party

Blowing your birthday candle is fun but blowing a paintball in your friends’ face (or mask, for this matter) is twice as fun.  Make your birthday extra special this year by playing an action-packed game of paintball. You can play different scenario games and have a specially prepared lunch after that. Of course, you can bring your birthday cake if you really don’t want to skip blowing your candle this year. Your friends will surely never forget your birthday ever again.

School Party  

Like Corporate Team Building Paintball, paintballing also gives an opportunity to students to think and work with other people. There are definitely some things that are better learned outside of school and one of that is to become a leader and a team player. There are special packages prepared by paintball game zones for this type of party; simply call and book in advance so that game scenarios will be prepared. With this activity, students will get their body and mind working while having a blast.

Stag Party / Bridal Shower

A sexy dancer popping out of a cake or a hunk cop arresting the bride-to-be is so cliché. Why not make your stag party or bridal shower different. Instead, why don’t you and your friends go paintballing and play different scenario games like Stagecoach standoff or Drop Zone. You can even arrange a special scenario game or probably request a prank played on the bride or groom-to-be. The possibilities are endless, you just need to be creative and ask the staff to assist you. You’ll surely get your friends talking about your one-of-a-kind stag/hen party.

Fun Days Out

If you have a visitor from outside town, you definitely want them to have a memorable time. So instead of bringing them to the malls or bars (which they surely have at home), why not arrange a game of paintball for them. They will surely appreciate it and will definitely remember this even after years they left your place.

We can name 101 reasons why we love to play paintball; Anna @BedlamPaintball round them up as she gives you the Top 5 reasons why you want to play paintball.

1. You have a reason for possessing/holding an M-16 (a replica.. but at least..)

Most paintball markers are patterned in real life guns; For example, RAP4 T68 M60 Paintball Machine Gun is an exact replica (minus the bullets) of a U.S M60 machine gun. Some are replicas of high-powered Military-issued guns that it’s impossible for any normal citizen to ever possess. So, if you are someone who love the idea of playing with guns but can’t even pass the height requirement of the military, the next best thing you can have are paintball guns that you can either buy in your local paintball shop or order online. A paintball marker is definitely the next best thing you can have from a real life gun. However, do contact your local officials and secure the necessary papers (if there is any) if you plan to travel with it by plane because most countries are quite strict with guns – toys or real.

2. You can play cops and robbers again.. without anyone calling you immature

Let’s face it, boys have this strange fascination with guns that playing cops and robbers have been a part of their childhood. Boys eventually grow up to become men but one thing remains; they will always be children at heart. Of course, if you are a CEO of your company or a respected professional, people will think you are going nuts if you’re playing cops and robbers again with your trusty wood gun. So, people now turn to paintball as this gives them an excuse to relieve ones childhood but in a greater height.

3. You can shoot at people without getting arrested and can even brag about it

Was there ever a time when shooting somebody is just the only way to relieve stress? Well, of course we are not living in the world of Grand Theft Auto where you can just grab a gun and start shooting at random strangers. In times like this, simply call out your best buds and head to paintball game zone like Bedlam Paintball and shoot your heart out. After that, brag about it without worrying about ending up in jail.

4. You get to exercise while having fun

Statistics say that many people die due to obesity; it’s either because they eat too much, they lack exercise, or both. Spending countless hours in the gym is boring, so instead of doing that why not have fun and head out to your nearest paintball game zone. With the intense adrenalin rush, and heart pumping thrill of paintball, you get to lose about the same calories that you can lose in a gym; plus the fun, of course.

5. An expensive hobby, you won’t have money left for drugs or alcohol

Funny as it may seem but this is quite true. Though you can go paintballing in a budget, but once you get hooked to it, you start spending some serious money in different paintball equipment. Well, it’s either that or you get hooked in drugs, right? I remember a good friend of mine who uses this as an excuse to his wife for his paintball online purchases. Of course, his wife chooses the lesser evil.

As the much anticipated 2012 PSP Phoenix Open has finally come to an end, Anna @BedlamPaintball gives you an update on how the event came out and who went home victorious.

There were over a thousand of the world’s best paintball players who gathered last April 20 – 22 2012 in Glendale Youth Sports Complex. The beautiful flat grass field outside of the University of Phoenix was the 2^nd stop of the PSP 2012 series of events. The paintball teams, along with their family and friends came all over the world and were greeted by paintball’s top vendors and manufacturers.

Although the highlight of this event is the game itself, many paintball enthusiasts are also looking forward to the exhibits found in the different paintball vendors’ booths. This event has also been an opportunity to many who would like to buy paintball gadgets and gizmos at a bargain price or to those who would like to take their hands on the latest paintball equipment in the market.

Thousands of people tuned in to witness the action-packed event as paintball teams battled it out. This 3-day weekend event was concluded with Team Houston Heat as the Over-all Professional Champion.

The following is the roster of winners in each division:

Division 1 RaceTo-5 Champions: Texas Storm

Division 2 RaceTo-5 Champions: Revo

Division 3 RaceTo-4 Champions: Central Florida Paintball

Division 4 RaceTo-4 Champions: Imperial

Division 3 RaceTo-2 Champions: IE Unseen

Division 4 RaceTo-2 Champions: AZ Chooch powered by Battery Acid

Pump Champions: TPG All Starz

All Finalists:

Professional Race To 7

1st Houston Heat

2nd Moscow Red Legion

3^rd Los Angeles Ironmen

4^th San Antonio X-Factor

Division 1 Race To 5

1^st Texas Storm

2^nd Static

3^rd Golden State Pirates

4^th Fuzion

Division 2 Race To 5

1^st Revo

2^nd Denver Fury

3^rd Scottsdale Elevation

4^th Boom

Division 3 Race To 4

1^st Central Florida Paintball

2^nd DC Devastation

3^rd Golden State Knights

4^th OutKast powered by LVPP.net

Division 4 Race To 4

1^st Imperial

2^nd North Texas Shockwave

3^rd Central Florida P8ntball

4^th TKO

Division 3 Race To 2

1^st IE Unseen

2^nd Kansas Vengeance

3^rd LSD

Division 4 Race To 2

1^st AZ Chooch powered by Battery Acid

2^nd Cowtown CaBalleros

3^rd DM Army Texas

4^th Houston Legends

Pump

1^st TPG All Starz

2^nd Blitz

3^rd TN TrueBallers

4^th Kamandag Fatal Hit

If you thought you have spent a lot money on your last paintball gun purchase, think again as Anna @BedlamPaintball brings you the World’s Most Expensive Paintball Guns.

Paintball is a game for people from all walks of life who are looking for that adrenalin rush. Although this is the case, paintball is still a game where you need to shell out some cash. If you are in a tight budget, you can rent out equipment that most paintball game zones offer or buy a second hand marker. However, if you have that extra cash to splurge, you can always invest in a good paintball gun that can either give you a good edge or a stylish look.

If you are looking for “The Paintball Marker” or just someone who is curious of how those expensive paintball guns look like, here’s your chance to take a little sneak peak on the World’s Most Expensive Paintball Guns.

#1 Planet Eclipse SL91 Geo

To date there has only ever been one SL91 that has ever been anodised and assembled which has seen the light of day, and that has been in the hands of  Steve “Flash” Monks.

Well, until now that is. In total ten SL91 prototypes were manufactured but have been under lock and key in the R&D Lab.

The choice was then made to offer six people close to Planet the opportunity to buy one of the remaining eight SL91s, and the last two were auctioned on eBay – it was the first of the two eBay SL91s that sold for $7000. The second went for $6200, or it might have been $6400.

#2 Bling Ego 09

The Bling Ego 09 from Eclipse is the most expensive paintball gun in the world with a price tag of $5001. It is actually a standard Eclipse Ego 09 with Swarovski crystals that were glued individually by hand. No added features in this gun, just its external shine from the crystals. This is more of a “show” marker, not the type of gun which you’ll be bringing in the game.

#3 Breda M37 8mm Machine Gun

This paintball marker comes with custom electronic trigger that can fire in semi-auto, 3 shot burst and full auto modes. This replica is constructed using a brand-new Airgun Designs Autimag RT Pro paintgun. It also comes with Smart parts All-American barrel and a Q-loader automatic paintball feed system with two Q pods and pod loader hopper. With these features and more, the price tag is a whopping $4,999.

#4 RAP4 T68 M240 Machine Gun

This $4500 paintball gun is a realistic trainer type marker which is patterned in an M60 machine gun that was used by the U.S troops in Vietnam. This is a gas powered , 400 paintball, fully automatic gun.

#5 RAP4 T68 Avenger

With a $4000 price tag, this was claimed as the most powerful paintball gun made. A realistic type paintball gun with silenced sniper barrel and twin grenade launchers. A sniper scope gives long range accuracy and the red dot scope allows for rapid targets at closer ranges. A full squad of power in one arm.

The reason you are reading this post right now is because, like me, Anna @BedlamPaintball, we love paintball. It has been a natural behaviour of human beings that when we are interested into something, we tend to explore every aspect of it. For example, when we like this certain celebrity, we follow them in their social sites; we patronize their movies, or Google their bibliography. I consider myself as one of the many people who do that.

Last time, I wrote about Celebrities Who Play Paintball. This time, let’s do a little review on the movies that’s about paintball or have paintball on it.

Paintball (2009)

Director: Daniel Benmayor

Starring: Brendan Mackey, Jennifer, Matter, Patrick Regis, Peter Vives Newey

Synopsis: Eight strangers engaged in an intense game of experts-only paintball find their friendly game taking a terrifying turn when one member of the team begins playing by a different set of rules. It started as a remote raw battle of wits and wiles set against the backdrop of majestic wilderness. With each shot fired, the stakes grew higher. But something horrible has happened, and what was once a team sport has become a relentless struggle for individual survival. The danger growing by the minute, the combatants gradually come to realize that their greatest adversary may be the very game they set out to play.

Blackballed – The Bobby Duke Story (2004)

Directed by: Brant Sersen

Starring: Rob Corddry, Paul Scheer, Dannah Feinglass, Rob Huebel, Ed Helms, Curtis, Gwinn, Seth Morris, an DJ Hazard

Synopsis: Paintball’s first superstar, Bobby Dukes, led his team, the River Rats, to an unprecedented three consecutive victories at The Hudson Valley National Paintball Classic. On May 28, 1993, the River Rats were competing for their fourth “Classic” victory when disaster struck. Bobby, attempting one of his signature moves, was shot. Desperate to stay in the game, Dukes intentionally wiped the paint from his jersey, thus committing paintball’s most heinous crime. A zealous referee spotted the wipe and ejected Bobby from the game. The three-time champ was embarrassed, went to Venezuela, and left the game for 10 years while being the laughingstock of the paintball community. Deemed a cheater, disgraced and humiliated, Bobby disappeared.

Ten years later an older and wiser Dukes returns to reclaim his title and erase the memory of his tainted past. He enters the 2003 Classic but finds no self-respecting paintball player will be caught dead on his team. On the verge of giving up hope, Bobby joins forces with the most unlikely of allies… the referee that caught him cheating.

Now, the two improbable partners must recruit a team of paintball misfits and take back the Hudson Valley Paintball Classic taking place at Liberty Paintball in Pattersin, New York.

Splat! A.k.a In Your Face (2002)

Directed By:  Tim Tommasino

Starring: Keir O’Donnell, Kyle Walls, D’Destin Kauffmann, Michelle Borth, Stacy Matulis, Joey Acuna Jr.

Synopsis: A troubled teen with a penchant for paintball sees an upcoming tournament as his one chance for redemption in this tale of triumph from editor-turned-director Tim Tommasino. Todd Jarvis (Keir O’ Donnell) has incurred the wrath of a local bully, and his only solace is the game of paintball. When Todd catches wind of a high-profile paintball tournament that’s coming to town and learns that his rival has entered with the hopes of humiliating Todd on the battlefield, the fearless underdog straps on his gear in hopes of showing the bothersome bully that he’s not going to be a target anymore

There are many paintball movies out there, these three are just the ones I have seen. Among these three, I’d recommend “Blackballed-The Bobby Duke Story” the most. I’ll be posting more movie recommendations when I get to see other paintball films. Tell us about the paintball movies you have seen through the comment section of our blog site, our Facebook page, or twit about it in our Twitter.

The second leg of Paintball Sports Promotions or PSP is currently in progress, Anna @BedlamPaintball gives you the status of the 2012 PSP event.

Paintball is a fun and challenging game played by people who are searching for an action-packed activity. Whilst many people are playing this game as a recreation, many others are taking it to the next level by joining tournaments. Among these tournaments, Paintball Sports Promotions or PSP is one of the most prestigious.

PSP is one of the paintball tournaments that travel throughout America every year. Being the most popular paintball tournament in the world, it holds four major events in the United States every year – the season usually starts in March and ends in October with a World Cup event where the best of the best in the world of paintball will battle it out.

As for this year, 2012, the first event was held in Galveston Island Paintball in Texas last March 9-11, 2012. The event has no clear winner because of heavy rain and strong winds. Although all the professional teams played, they were only able to play the points that the weather permitted. This had caused some teams to play only two to four prelim matches. The PSP Galveston Island event is set to be concluded on the current PSP Phoenix Open.

Event #2 is currently in progress dated April 20-22, 2012 and played in University of Phoenix Glendale Soccer Grounds in Arizona. Many people are tuning in on this event because aside from the announcement of the PSP Phoenix Open, the winners for PSP Galveston Island are also set to be proclaimed on the culmination of this event.

The PSP 2012 remaining events are scheduled as follows:

Event #3: PSP Chicago Open

CPX Sports Park, Joliet, IL

June 21 – 24, 2012

Event #4: PSP New Jersey

TopGun Paintball, Cream Ridge, NJ

August 10 – 12, 2012

Event #5: PSP World Cup

Fantasy of Flight, Orlando, FL

October 25 – 28, 2012

If you plan to witness the next series of PSP events, plan ahead and book your tickets now. However, if for some reason you can’t go, do not worry because Bedlam Paintball will be following the PSP 2012 events closely and we’ll bring you the latest news and inside scoops of this big tournament.

Paintball is not the most glamorous game because you WILL get dirty, Andy @BedlamPaintball checked out some of the celebrities who are not afraid to soil their hands..

I always see celebrities as the glitz-and-glamour only people. Their job description probably requires them to look perfect from head to toe, anytime and anywhere. But then again, celebrities are actually just like us. They too also wants to loosen up and enjoy what we common people enjoy, and one of which is paintballing. Did you ever wonder if there are celebrities who play paintball? Do they have someone who keeps on following them to make sure they still look picture perfect even when they are on the field? Well, YES there are celebrity paintballers; and NO they do not bring their personal assistants on the field.

I did a bit of research and apparently, there is quite a list of celebrity paintballers. Here are some of them:

1. The Pitt-Jolie Clan – These A-list couple relieved their Mr. and Mrs. Smith moments when they were sighted in a paintball gamefield in Surrey, UK late last year. They brought the whole gang with them but only Maddox is big enough to play. Brad and Angelina sure know how to keep their babies happy.
2. Keanu Reeves – Mr. Matrix might have got his iconic bullet-dodging moves from dodging paintballs first.
3. Britney Spears – “Hit me baby one more time” may not be the best song when Britney goes paintballing.. But I’m sure our Bedlam Paintball boys wouldn’t mind sharing a bunker with her.

There are many more paintballing celebs – Adam Sandler, Maurice Gibbs of the Bee Gees which is a tournament level player, the Spice girls, Tom Hanks, and many more. So, who would you want to play paintball with?

Paintball Sports Promotions is to America what Bedlam is to the United Kingdom and as part of Bedlam Worldwide, Mike @BedlamPaintball explores who PSP Events are and whats next.

By their own admission PSP Events “is the most experienced provider of tournaments in the Paintball Industry”. It’s almost a “corporate” styled entity of manufacturers, distributors, paintball players and field owners: all of whom have one thing in common- the love of paintball and a determination to see the game evolve.

And lets not kid ourselves, their tournaments are massive and held all over the US. Infact nothing near this scale of sportsmanship exists in the UK paintballing world, yet.
The paintballing teams get televised on ESPN, get sponsorship from all sorts of companies and are provided a fortunate platform to play with.

Having followed American paintballing for quite a few years now, I believe it’s their “RaceTo” format that PSP play with that made them the success they are today. Way back in 2010 they made a strategic move to make their tournament and possible practices fairer for professional teams that had less funds to practice with which more than boosted the PSP profile with wide acclaim. PSP have invented a system which not only encourages new players but still ultimately rewards those who possess the best paintballing skills.

That’s our brief introduction to PSP Events and we’ll be closely following their current tournament where they’ll be in Arizona for the PSP Phoenix Open which kicks off on the 20th – 22nd this April where we’ll also discuss the PSP rules, the teams background successes and their scoring system.

Stay tuned!

Another round of indispensable paintballing tips from Andy @BedlamPaintball, this time we’re discussing off-hand shooting and why you need it in the field…

First of all off hand shooting is a skill, while not required to play paintball, which lets you use your non-dominant hand to shoot. One may ask, is this really an important factor to consider when player competitive paintball? The answer of course is yes and if you’re having doubts it will be discussed here on this article.

Off hand shooting can help you in many instances. One case is to help be more flexible in games. Let’s say for example you only know how to shoot with your right hand and you’re in a bunker being bombarded with enemy fire. You can of course shoot on the right side of the bunker as it your “comfort” shot but it should probably work for about one or two quick snap shots. But do you think the enemy would be as dumb as to not notice that behavior? If your enemy finds that you can only shoot at the right side of the bunker, it’s a no brainer that the enemy will eliminate you.

The situation above is very simple yet by having an “off hand” option in your shooting arsenal will make you a force to be reckoned with. Even though it won’t be as accurate as your dominant hand but still having enemies think that they can still be shot wherever they place themselves is a huge upset to them.

You’ve got the theory now but don’t expect to be shooting enemies from left to right with your knowledge. As any skill you must first train to master it or to be at least be familiarized with it.

You can start off by:

1. Practicing with a mirror, it may sound silly but it really helps, the mirror would let you see your form and you can make certain adjustments to it whenever you feel that it is wrong.

2. If you’ve got time to spare practice with a friend, moving targets are really hard to hit especially when using your off hand. It may get frustrating at first but never give up!

3. After you feel confident about your off hand mastery you can try participating in skirmishes, but trust you will most probably be shooting off target.

4. And lastly remember to strategize as being able to wield a marker is not enough to win a match.

Remember that experience is always the best teacher when playing paintball, so don’t just be dazed here and start practicing your off hand shooting.

Chelsea have parted company with midfielder Jacob Mellis after he admitted setting off a smoke grenade, Mike @Bedlampaintball asks, why would you admit it anyway?

Okay Jacob, we all love a wee prank but why would you admit throwing the smoke grenade? You could have easily of dismissed it as another misfire by Torres…

An insider told Bedlam Paintball that Jacobs smoke grenade tactics were all wrong, leaving his defensive position open to a right good slap from manager Roberto Di Matteo. Jacob obviously didn’t read Andy’s A to Z guide to grenades.

What’s going on with football today, these overpaid sportsmen not expelling enough energy on the pitch?

Lets not even mention Ashley Cole firing off that Air Rifle- accidentally, of course. We’re on Ashley’s side actually, as per paintballing rules the lad on work experience would have had to leave the field, even due to friendly fire!

But we do have something to say on your tactics Ashley, what if that lad also had an Air Rifle? You left yourself wide open (nothing unusual, eh Ashley?). Our advice to you Ashley, read our blog on Snap Shooting.

Football needs a write good shake up in our opinion; I suggest we start by giving all football fans their own Paintball markers to take with them. I mean, who wouldn’t want to paintball Billy Clifford?

Speedball positions

Speedball paintball positions in tournament play position and are very specific to what their role is in game play. Speedball is played in an arena type of environment and usually consists of several bunkers. Such environment will require positions to use the playing field.

1. Front or Frontman

This is the position assigned to the players furthest to the field. The player’s responsibility is to push forward and eliminate enemies along the way. Front players are usually speedy players as they shoot a lot. They shoot a lot and use less paintballs as they have the best angles for shooting. Fronts usually consist of no more than two players.

2. Mid-Players

Mid-players are assigned among the front and back players to provide support to both the positions. These players should be able to adapt to situational changes as they must be able switch to attacking and defending. They support all areas of the field and pull forward or they can be used to replace a fallen player in the front or back areas. As such this is considered the most difficult position to play in speedball.

3. Back-Players or Backs

These players are placed at the rear or the last row of the bunkers. Their roles are simple and can be played even by beginners as they would provide suppressive fire for the front and mid-players. They keep shooting to provide cover and support allies who are pinned down or give support when in a pinch. Out of all the positions in speedball these position consumes the most paintballs.

Woodsball

Woodsball players position is very similar to speedball paintball positions but with a few additions due to change in playing environment. Unlike speedball, woodsball is a more tactical oriented game than its counterpart.

1. Floater

This position is also called the roamer. This position tells us that the player has no particular position. They act independently and can play as support or as a main attacker but are really used to fill in gaps for eliminated teammates.

2. Sniper

The sniper is a paintball position assigned in taking down targets by using long distance shots. They are also used as a semi support for their teammates as they can also provide suppression fire against their enemy. The sniper can effectively use his position’s strength if he has a clear view point of the field.

These are some positions that are commonly used when playing paintball. Other positions are also available depending on the agreed game type. Remember that in paintball you must be very versatile but as such must master a position that you’re good at to help your team proclaim victory.

Snap shooting is a skill that makes a player more reliable in team fights and can also contribute offensively in terms of making the enemy at bay. The whole point in snap shooting is to be able to hold the gun correctly and pop out of the bunker and fire two to three shots and retreat to the safety of your bunker.

Another skill you should keep in mind is playing tight, since snap shooting is the offensive form when playing “tight”. Playing tight in a nutshell is to make you a small target for the enemy. It improves defensive capabilities as you are hard to shoot down. It is done by placing your gun, hands and feet as close to your body as possible.

Snap shooting requires the player to shoot accurately as you only have about two to three shots before you can retreat to the safety of your bunker. Most likely if you’re “snap shooting” the enemy may also employ the same tactic and it can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. First you must be zoning them, zoning basically means to make your opponent be the first to snap. This gives you opportunities to shoot more rounds than he does. Depending on the difficulty of your enemies, you can stay and keep shooting long enough before going in back to your bunker.

The player must also be athletic enough to perform these moves. Some moves require the player from crouching to shooting position in a matter of seconds and to line up a shot with your paintball gun. Other stances require ducking, standing, crawling and kneeling positions.

Snap shooting is also a battle of attrition as you must have the patience if you want other “snap shooters” to be eliminated. Snap shooting battles may consist of long battles, the longer the exchange of snap shots among enemies it is more likely that you will make a mistake and be eliminated in the process. Also a snap shooter must watch for a sniper as a little opening can make you an easy target and it is a guaranteed elimination if it is done.

To perform snap shooting proficiently experience and practice are required to play effectively. Stick to the basics and make as little mistakes as possible to help contribute to the team. Constant practice of these basics and some advanced techniques will make you a better paintballer and always remember that experience is the best teacher. Have fun and enjoy snap shooting.

Playing tight in paintball may sound simple enough but is actually a hard move to pull and will most likely require constant practice and field awareness. Playing tight means that you have to take a lookout position and you must keep your body as “little” as possible by keeping your marker, arms and legs close to your body.

The essence of playing tight in paintball is to make yourself a small target as possible by moving your body around. These are some tips on how to play tight effectively in a paintball match.

1. Keep your elbows as close to your body in every situation, even when running.

2. Make sure that your marker is not in broad daylight when shooting. If your marker is hit it also counts as being eliminated and must be avoided at all cost. Making sure that the gun does not go out from your cover to avoid sniper shots.

3. Head checking. Head checking is done by peeking only a little much like when you peek when you play hide and seek, meaning to expose only your eyes not your entire face.

4. Have field awareness always. Expect the enemy to appear everywhere as they can either get you from behind or flank you. Constant lookout can make you survive much longer in the game.

5. Even when attacking keep yourself as small a target as possible. Practice keeping yourself low on the ground even when you leave your bunker or barrier. And remember to keep always your gun and body parts as close to your body as possible.

6. Be unpredictable. Make your unpredictable by breaking out of your habits, for example popping out on the same place. By doing so you give your enemy many options to think on how you’re going to appear and give yourself more chances to survive.

7. Learn how to snap out of your barrier. Snapping out of your barrier means to expose quickly yourself and shoot a few paintballs then snap back to the safety of your bunker. This technique may be hard to master as you must always keep tight in order to perform it perfectly.

8. Attacking closer enemies. Quick and accurate shots must be given whenever there are close enemies within your proximity. The closer the distance among you and the enemy the larger you become, even when playing tight.

These are some of the tips that you could use when playing tight. Constant practice, experience and instinct will still be the deciding factor on how you will play the game.

Charlie Longsdon, Paintball’s trainer, is hoping for Paintball to run for £75,000 bonus at this week’s Cheltenham Festival. The £75,000 bonus, from the sponsor, will be earned if Paintball wins at next week’ Festival.

Paintball, a five year old race horse, won at last Saturday’s Paddy Power Imperial Cup at Sundown. This victory puts him in line to bid for sponsors’ bonus if he can follow up in any race at this week’s festival. Despite having undergone a breathing surgery last December, Paintball sprinted clear to win by four and half lengths. Paintball gets a 5lbs penalty from Saturday’s win.

Longsdon said of his Irish-bred 20-1 shot: “He wasn’t finishing off his races this season so we gave him the breathing operation.”We’ve had plenty of winners but we haven’t had the big Saturday winners yet. This tops it off.”

Longsdon also said: “Now we have to go for the £75,000 bonus on offer. The question is now; will he get into the County Hurdle next Friday? He is 49th on the list, so he will be right on the border of getting in.

Longsdon also aims to enter Paintball in the Country Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The Paddy Power bonus composes £50,000 to the owner £15,000 to the trainer and £10,000 to the stable.

Slayer

Slayer or simply called elimination is a woodsball game type that usually involves two teams competing against each other, but can sometimes involve three or more teams for a free for all competition. Though not really a special game type as slayer type games are also available to speedball.

Slayer games are played like “last man standing” games, as the objectives of the game is to eliminate opposing enemies until a team completely eliminates them. There are other ways to play slayer games with slight modifications such as there are some perks wherein a player that has been marked or eliminated can rejoin the game on special conditions.

Siege

Another woodsball game type, this game a team that must keep the enemy out of a given area for defending, and another team must break through the line of defense. In siege games teams are split evenly, one being the attackers and the other as defenders. The defenders take the field first and form a defense formation around the area that they are going to protect. The game’s objective is for the attackers to advance to the enemy’s defenses and get a designated item or rescue a hostage, depending on the agreed rules before the start of the game. The game may also end if the attackers can eliminate all the defending enemies.

Consequently the defending team will win if they have successfully defended their area within a set amount of time, meaning this type of game has a time limit. Also the defending teams may win if they also eliminate all the attackers. Siege games are also called attack and defend games where the attackers have a limited amount of time usually around 30 – 40 minutes to accomplish the game’s objective.

The same as slayer games, siege games may have other variation such as fugitive, vampire, hostage rescue, trophy hunt, etc.

Assault

Assault woodsball games are very similar to attack and defend paintball games. In these games the attackers must try to advance and break through the defenses in order to accomplish a type of objective. Objectives of the game may differ depending on what has been agreed upon by both teams, some objectives involve by simply touching a flag or to mark an object inside a case.

There are a lot of varieties of woodsball games that can be played with others. These games will make your paintball experience more fun as you explore and try new methods to play woodsball paintball with your colleagues.

Paintball guns are designed to shoot paintballs at high speeds using compressed air or CO2. The differences of these are how the gun advances the ball into the barrel, seal it off and release gas into the barrel. Mechanical guns start mechanically while electronic ones need a battery or circuit board to fire.

1. Mechanical guns are types of gun that fires when the pulled trigger releases a bolt which is propelled forward by a spring and pushes the paintball into the barrel. There are also different varieties of mechanical guns ranging from plastic pumps to precision custom guns. Mechanical guns are reliable and require little maintenance. These should be cleaned and oiled after few uses and o-rings should be replaced as needed. Mechanical guns are easy to disassemble and the parts are inexpensive.

Mechanical guns are significantly cheaper than electronic guns and can be readily available at any paintball shop. Setup for this gun is easy and replacement parts are easy to find because different companies use standard size pieces.

Mechanical guns are typically not fast and as accurate as the electric guns. The air that is required to propel the paintball varies and may result in inaccurate shots. Also they are loud and need much pressure to fire than electronic guns, thus getting a few shots per tank of air.

2. Electronic paintball guns fire paintballs using battery powered circuit boards. The circuit boards are programmable so it’s easy to tell the board to fire automatically, use burst firing and use other firing methods. Electronic guns also use regulators to have consistent firing.

Electronic guns are hard to disassemble and may require the instruction manual to do so. Also each kind of electronic gun usually consists of basic cleaning and lubricating. Electronic gun maintenance is hard and must be done by a professional.

Electronic guns are more consistent and more accurate and can fire faster than the mechanical gun. They are also smaller thus being lighter and can be very advantageous compared to its predecessor. Electronic guns can fire at lower pressures and can get more shots per air tank.

Electronic guns cost a lot more than the mechanical gun and are not readily available. They are difficult to repair, usually requiring professional assistance for servicing and upgrades. Electronic guns only used compressed air and must always have a charged battery.

There are some other types of paintball guns that you can use in the game. One may choose to use the mechanical gun for its cost efficiency or the electronic one for professional gaming. And remember a gun is only as good as its user, so having a more expensive gun doesn’t mean you are a good player constant practice is still the key on becoming an expert player.

General Rules

1. A referee may consist of one or more persons in each paintball game. The referee is the one that starts a game, ends a game and checks for issues that may arise in the game. The referee’s decision is final and unarguable.

2. A player is eliminated in the game if he/she is hit by a paintball marker and it breaks on them even when hit by friendly fire. A player must hold their gun to their head and shout OUT or DEADMAN and must leave in the shortest and safest route as soon as possible.

3. When two or more players mark each other simultaneously the referee will decide on who is to be eliminated.

4. If a player has a question of being marked, he can call for a paint check. When paint check is called the players must remain in their positions until the check is over, moreover if a player or players move from their designated spots the referee can call them out of the game.

5. In a flag paintball game, only one player is assigned to guard the flag at the station. If the guardian is marked he must leave the flag on the floor where he was marked.

6. Mark the dead zone. It is important that everyone knows where the dead zone is and must not shoot near it. A dead zone is the area in which the eliminated players are placed.

7. Every game must have a time limit. A game may last 30 to 60 minutes. The referee will keep track of time until it is finished.

8. Set out game objectives. Make sure everyone knows what objectives both parties and the referee have decided.

Safety Rules

1. Goggles are to be worn at all times in the game and must never be removed when in the field. Goggles can only be removed when players are in the dead zone, as it is relatively safe and far away from the game field.

2. If the players hold their gun over their head, no one is to shoot at that player. This gesture is only applicable when a player is eliminated or in case of an emergency.

3. All body parts must be covered when playing paintball. T-shirts and shorts are not allowed to be worn in any paintball games.

4. Intoxication before or during the game is strictly forbidden on any circumstances.

5. There must be no physical interaction between players.

6. Shooting at point blank range is not allowed as a paintball gun fires at 80-100 meters per second and may cause injuries. If the distance of the players is less than 5 meters, either both players distance themselves or the referee stops the game to readjust positions.

7. An eliminated player cannot shoot and cannot be shot at.

These are just some of the basic guidelines when playing paintball. All players must follow these rules to have a fun and safe time when playing paintball.

Whilst the Queen, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge all marked St.David’s Day with a spot of tea in London, Prince Charles was out trying his hand at paintballing.

And he proved an excellent marksman, hitting the target repeatedly with just one hand.

The Prince met soldiers at their barracks during a ceremonial presentation in Hounslow, west London.

Charles, colonel in chief of the Welsh Guards, wore full service dress as he held a private meeting with former Welsh Guards in the officers’ mess, before presenting ceremonial leeks to several soldiers.

Later he told the soldiers that he had once been dragged on a paintballing trip by sons William and Harry. Then, smiling, he picked up a gun and began blasting away at five different targets.

Amongst those being honoured was Afghanistan veteran Dale Leach who lost his leg, fractured his skull and back and suffered a collapsed lung when his Jackal vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in Nad-e-Ali in 2009.

Leach spoke highly of his time with Prince Charles. He said: ‘The Prince asked how I was getting on, how the leg was and what the treatment was like.

‘The medal means everything to me and it was a real privilege getting it from the Prince.’

Drummer Leach, who is going to retrain as a mechanic, was rescued from the bomb attack by his Company Sergeant Major, Jonathan Jenkinson, who said: ‘It’s mixed emotions for me today.

‘Obviously I wish it never happened and you want all your men to come home as a unit.

‘But it is good to see Drummer Leach doing so well. If it wasn’t for the rest of the lads, he wouldn’t be here right now.’

The Prince also had words of praise for the troops with four-hundred Welsh Guards set to deploy to Afghanistan in the next few weeks.

During an address he said: ‘I know you will be brilliant as usual in the way you operate in that part of the world.

‘Many of you have been of course before, many of you have been to Iraq before and the frequency with which you are required to deploy seems to be ever more increasing.’

He added: ‘I know so much depends on all of you and the quality of your leadership under very difficult, very challenging circumstances.

‘I also can’t imagine, as some of you are getting older, how you manage to cart around so much kit as you do in the heat and with everything else.

‘You are, if I may say so, an enormous credit to all of us but in particularly to the people of Wales.

‘You will make an enormous difference in terms of investment in the future and it’s thanks to people like yourselves,

‘I hope, that in time to come the Afghan people will have cause to thank you and be grateful for your extraordinary contribution. Thank you so much, good luck and do take care.’

DAVID GERGES : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2108829/Prince-Charles-trying-hand-paintball-range.html#ixzz1nyQA2pYj

Paintball is an adrenalin rushing game which fulfills every man’s (and woman’s) fantasy with guns. The best thing about it is the fact that it’s non lethal, it’s legal, and it’s fun. Although paintballing won’t kill anyone, it’s still considered an extreme sport in which players should take extra precaution to avoid injuries. Below are basic guidelines to keep paintballing fun and safe.

WEAR PROPER ATTIRE

This includes at least two layers of clothing, some paddings especially for women players, scarf to protect the throat, gloves, boots, and most importantly, the mask. The mask should be worn at all times when in the battle field and should only be removed when all loaded guns are properly plugged. The most severe injuries from paintballing occur when players remove their masks in while still in the battlefield.

NEVER PLAY WHEN INTOXICATED

People usually do crazy things when under the influence of illegal drugs, alcohol, and even prescription medicines. Because of this, people who are intoxicated are never allowed to play paintball as this may cause injury on themselves and on other people.

REGULATE YOUR FIRING SPEED

Most paintball shops have paintball chronographs that can measure the speed of paintball. Ideal velocity for paintballs is under 300 FPS (feet per second) or 280 FPS. In fact, 280 FPS alone can cause small bruises; 300 FPS and more can cause severe and painful welts and even broken skin.

USE BARREL PLUGS

Each loaded marker should be plugged with a barrel plug when not in use. Never trust your gun or even a manufacturer’s guarantee that your markers will never accidentally fire. Safety should always be your priority, as they say “prevention is better than cure”.

NEVER DO BLIND SHOOTING

A lot of players, especially the beginners, are tempted to stick their gun out and hope for lady luck to hit an opponent. Though this may be a good strategy to keep yourself from being booted out of the field, this is very dangerous because you might accidentally hit people who are leaving the game zone, the referees, and other objects that you shouldn’t shoot.

To play this game safely, you need to be properly equipped and follow the safety guidelines above. However, all these guidelines and those high end equipment will be put to waste if you will not use your common sense. So I believe it is best to say that the best tip of all is to use one’s common sense all the time – in and out of the paintball game zone.

What if a co-worker, a friend, a frat buddy, or somebody has talked you into playing paintball? You would probably think, “What in the heck did I get myself in to?” Don’t worry, paintballing is fun, safe, and you are going to have a good time. So, what you are in for? This article will give you an idea what you should expect in your first paintballing experience.

#1: Sign a waiver

First things first, before you are allowed to play you need to sign a waiver form. It states the do’s and don’ts in the game zone; in other words, it’s just to make sure that you are not going to make anything stupid.

#2: Attend the Orientation

Once you registered in, they will probably give you an orientation right away. During the orientation, it’s very important that you pay attention. These are the rules of the day and you have to know them.

#3: Gear Up

You will be given your regular equipment which is composed of a full-faced mask, a paintball marker with a plug (Never remove the plug until they the facilitators tell you so), and paintballs.

A lot of people wonder what they are going to bring with them when they go paintballing for the first time. You may ask yourself, “Do I need to buy a fancy gear?” The answer is, NO you don’t have to. If you don’t already own a camouflage, don’t bother buying one. There are a lot of people who are playing paintball with long sleeve t-shirts and blue jeans, and they are perfectly fine. However, some fields like rent out camouflage, over-all’s, or jackets. Do a little bit of homework and find out a little bit about the field and see if they rent out these stuff, and if they do, borrow from them.

#4: Practice

If the field have a target range, take a few shots on it. Get to know how your paintball gun shoots like. Remember that your paintball marker is not a firearm; plus when you put the goggles on, everything in the world changes. For example, you can hear your own voice really loud and your field of vision is really small. But this doesn’t mean that it’s better to play paintball without them because that is the only thing that will save your eyesight when you take a blast in the face. It is a good idea to learn how to use your paintball marker in the target range rather than learn it in the field.

#5: Game Time

When everything is all set, it’s now time to play. When you get to the field, just relax because you are going to have a good time. People are not expecting you to be a tactical genius, if you are that’s a bonus, but you are newbie and everyone has been a newbie once. If you decided to stick with it, THEN you’ll start learning all the fun tricks.

1. Woodsball, also known as woods paintball, hillball or bushball, is a type of paintball game, in which the players play in a natural outdoors area. It is one of the first types of paintball to be played before and is still one of the most popular ones as of today.

Woodsball paintball uses a unique strategy among other paintball variations, in a sense that players are allowed to equip themselves with differing equipment to suit their assigned roles or task within the team. A player’s role is potentially limitless and can also be based on realistic military roles. Some classes may some perks among others such as being able to communicate with the official during matches and some are allowed to begin the game before the others.

Camouflage is also a key element in playing woodsball. Players need to blend with the surrounding environment, making it harder for the opposing team to spot the player.

There are other game variants revolving around woodsball and these are:

1. Elimination – teams must defeat every opponent without being tagged.
2. Capture the flag – the teams’ objective is to capture the opposing flag without being tagged.
3. Protect the VIP – the team must protect their VIP player from being tagged. Non VIP players that are tagged may re-enter as long as their VIP is not yet tagged.

2. Speedball is a game variant of paintball and is played in clear flat grounds with manmade bunkers. As the name suggest the key factor of this type of game is speed. Camouflage is not as important as teamwork, timing, accurate shooting and fast paced or real time strategies. Speedball rules are similar to other paintball variants, with the goal to eliminate the opposing team or to capture their flag.

Speedball strategies revolve around being able to respond to changes quickly as your teammates might be eliminated one after the other. It is also important to shoot accurately as chances to shoot will decrease as the game progresses.

Because of the small playing area of speedball, suppressing fire is a primary element of speedball tactics. The team who has control over the other team’s mobility holds great advantage as they themselves can move freely around the course.

These are just some of the most commonly played paintball variants today. These paintball variants can be enhanced or modified to create a new paintball game to enhance your paintball gaming experiences.

1. The prone or laying position is ideally used when one is under attack or needs to hide. Accuracy drops and movement is limited. One must keep the aim of the barrel at eye level to shoot proficiently but keep in mind that moving is hard to accomplish in doing so, vice versa.

2. Standing is the main position that you’re going to use throughout the game. It is the most comfortable position that you can utilize for long periods of time. It is used when one is hiding behind tall structures. Shooting using this position is very easy as you can opt to aim in any form whichever you’re comfortable with. Be wary when standing though as this position gives you the most “exposure” to enemies giving them opportunities to gun you down.

3. Crouching can be really uncomfortable when used often. One can utilize the position before running or using the prone position as it is the go-between these 2 positions. Weight must be distributed in the very front of your feet. Crouching to running is good combo as it can give you’re dash a needed boost to achieve maximum speed in little amount of time.

4. Sitting position is used when to give oneself protection behind bunkers. It offers best defensive capabilities as you can duck immediately when spotted by the enemy making you harder to gun down. Sitting also offers versatile firing positions as it is easy to lean from side to side around the bunker. It also comes with little mobility as it is not easy to stand immediately from this position but is negligible as you will be only using this position when in a bunker or in between obstacles.

5. Kneeling is similar to the sitting position but is used when you will not stay in the area for too long as it also gives the player the option to run immediately should the need arise. Keeping the gun at eye level can make shooting easier. You should also adjust the way you kneel depending on the height of the bunker as kneeling wrongly can result in being too exposed to the enemy.

6. Running, a really difficult position when shooting, one can use trick shots to shoot opponents but it will be a matter of luck and positioning to actually pull it off. It also exposes you fully to the opponent and its defensive stat may vary for each player, different build result in different running styles.

When in battle think of the different positions to use to outmaneuver or to overpower your enemy. Practice with positions you are most comfortable with and perfect it, as well as practice the positions that you don’t find pleasing to improve your overall gaming and remember to have fun.

1. Find someone to be your partner. Two players are grouped together for maximum effectiveness. One player can cover for the other. Usual pairings consists of an experienced player and an inexperienced player, with this pairing setup the inexperienced player can learn the ins and outs of paintball.

2. Don’t stay on one spot for too long. Staying in a spot provides the enemies your position and placement. Also it will be easy for them to shoot you down as your position is a dead giveaway. Moving meters away from your position may confuse the enemy on where you’re going to pop out and may give you a chance on scoring a kill.

3. Move while being hidden. It may be hard to achieve but by doing so you will be invisible from enemy sight and will provide you cover. One can also use the terrain to its advantage, you can use tall grass to provide you natural cover while moving from one point to another.

4. Flank the enemy. Flanking is a good strategy to use and may surprise the enemy if unprepared. First have one or two players stay in the bunker to shoot the enemy bunker while other members go around the side of the enemy unnoticed to give a surprise attack.

5. Do not get “tunnel vision”. This strategy must always be used when playing paintball. Concentrating on one spot may make you retire earlier than expected. Look in a much broader area to spot enemies quickly.

6. Go for a run-through. This is a mad dash, where it would usually result in a suicide, where you go to the enemies bunkers and shoot as many paintballs as possible. This would depend on luck and knowledge of enemy positions. Usually you will get hit but a good run-through can give a good advantage to your team.

7. When the game starts, run. Arriving in your position on time will give your team an advantage as your plans/strategies may be used to its fullest. If you haven’t arrived in your position on time may lead to an early death and will give advantage to the enemy. One less man on the team makes the enemies more confident and it will destroy some strategic plans of the enemies.

8. Hide behind bushes. A bush is a good hiding place, though a little bit risky as a bush does not give you good cover than a bunker, providing the enemy can’t see you. It also serves as a natural camouflage while you wait for a chance to either shoot or move to another bunker.

These are just some strategies to give you an edge on other players while playing paintball. Bear in mind that experience is always the best teacher and by playing more games one can construct strategies for the team to use in future matches.

When we talk about shooting a paintball gun, an avid paintballer knows that the usual range of a shootout is 50 to 75 feet, and that for the most part is pretty true. There is however another range that deserves to be talked about and that is called “extreme range” or “longball range.”

When we talk about “longballing” somebody, some have a record of shooting of about 250 feet and the ball breaking on them. It may not happen all the time but it can be done.

Instead of shooting a level shot – a shot that you are normally taking by aiming your marker’s nozzle on the same level where you want to hit your target, what you are going to do is to angle up.

It may sound obvious but a lot of people don’t think of this. A lot of people just do a level shot and when somebody is out of range, they just curse and swear and move on to the next target. But what you are doing when longballing is that you are purposely not making effective straight shots, instead you are shooting at an angle to make that long shot and estimate that it will land on your target.

Longballing may not be the most accurate shot that you could do because paintballs are just liquid-filled, gelatin-shell projectile balls. These are definitely not the most accurate thing on earth. However, you can predict where and how a longball is going to land with some practice and experience.

If you have a sight in your paintball marker, it is going to be somewhat useless except if you put the dot on the target then raise the dot over the target to rain in the paintball over the area.

Depending on how far away you are, raise the gun angled up. Don’t watch down the barrel instead you have to watch the ball in flight. This incident makes a light-colored paintball pretty handy because a light colored ball allows you to track it as it flies allowing you to adjust your angle as it goes.

This is particularly handy if you are paintballing in windy weather conditions or if you are playing in a terrain where there are lots of tree covers. As you know, when there is a lot of tree cover there is always a twig that comes out of a tree branch that will whack your paintball.

If you are only few feet away from what you hit, then it’s only very fine increments, very small movements. Keep in mind that one inch of your barrel travel could equal to 10, 20 or 50 feet of range in a cone. So, when you are adjusting, don’t make huge movements. Just small little adjustments from left and right and up and down are the way to go.

You shouldn’t really use longballing all the time. It’s not the best skill to take out opponents. It’s handy for big games, it’s handy if you need to keep people at bay for a long period of time but eventually someone is going to get the bright idea and rush you and it’s not going to be 100% effective. So, just keep longballing in your back pocket because it’s just another skill that you can pull out of the bag when you need it.

Paintballing is a cross between war games, tag, and hide and seek. The aim is to steal the other team’s flag while shooting the opponents with an Agam loaded with exploding paint capsules. After all, boys will be boys.

Paintballs are made entirely of non-toxic ingredients. To make the hollow shell, water is heated in a giant mixing bowl. Sweeteners and a secret combination of food ingredients are added. The exact recipe is apparently never divulged. Then, gelatine will be added – the key ingredient that give the ball its shape.

The mix is melted in 30 minutes and will then later be lined up for “the drop.” In the drop, the gel is transferred from the giant mixer to a very hot vat which they call “gel tote”. Any solid and un-melted globules will be filtered out.

Once the mixture is ready, a giant blender is lowered to make sure that the mixture is evenly mixed and to keep it from drying. After that, food dye is poured in and blended for about 20 minutes. Workers will manually stir the sides of the mixture to ensure that the dye is spread evenly.

Elsewhere in the factory, they use the same method to dye what’s called “the fill” – the paint that goes inside the shell of the paintball. It’s made of polyethylene glycol, the inert liquid in cough syrups, which is thickened with crayon wax.

In the “feed room”, the vats of gel feed the capsulation machine. First, the machine will spread out the colored gel on a cooled drone. This process manufactures continuous thin sheets of thin gel which is the “gel ribbon”. This cooling process cures the gelatine so that it can be molded into these small hollow shells of the paintball.

The machine then carefully presses the gel ribbon to produce half circle pockets which forms half of the ball shells. The paintball-making machine then makes the next 3 steps in one go – It carefully aligns the two halves of the paintball shells together to create a hollow paintball, and while at that it injects the colored fill, and seals them together producing a finished product.

The newly minted balls are still very soft though. If not dried, they will lose their circular shape, thus they are placed on a conveyor then tumbled dry. From here, they’ll go into a bakery style rack where they will dry out completely.

Manufacturing this ammunition is a messy business but well worth the effort to the millions who love paintballing especially those stag parties. Invented just 15 years ago, many companies have now been booking paintball outings for their employees to help build teamwork.

Every man owned a toy gun at least once during his childhood. Most, if not all, little boys has this unique fascination of guns that role playing games like cops and robbers and cowboys and Indians are very popular. Since its awkward for grown ups to play such role playing games, a game called “paintball” was invented by James Hale in 1974. Although paintballing doesn’t cost anyone’s life (none that was reported, at least), it could still be very painful when hit by one. Below are tips that will keep you safe during a paintball game:

#1 Wear enough padding
Paddings can be a friend and foe when playing paintball; The more pads you have, the less a hit hurts. However, more pads also mean that your movements will be restricted because of the weight. That’s why you have to make sure that your padding is just enough to lessen the impact of the hit but still enables you to move. In most tournaments, like that in Oxford Paintballing tournaments, participants are limited to two layers of clothing because the ball tends to bounce if there is too much clothing.

#2 Watch your weight
To play paintball, a player must carry several equipment with him during the game – marker, paintballs, tank filled with carbon dioxide, and not to mention your apparel which consists of your camouflage, masks, gloves, and extra breast padding for women. All these things together could weigh a lot and could definitely limit your mobility. Too much weight can cause you to tip over. Buy or rent lighter equipment and plan a strategy where you can get a chance to refill your paintballs so you can carry less.

#3 Cover yourself
You should never leave a skin uncovered because a direct hit from a paintball gun could really hurt. Wear a mask to protect your face, a padded clothing to cover your body, a scarf to protect your neck and throat, boots for your feet, and even gloves to protect your hands.

#4 Use barrel plugs
If you are not on that game, it is highly recommended to use barrel plugs to deter paintballs from being accidentally expelled.

#5 Check all your equipment prior to use
Make sure that your gun is cleaned and working properly, your paintballs are non-toxic and water soluble, and your carbon dioxide tank is free of leakages. Leakage from CO2 tanks can cause frostbite on exposed skin.

Paintball is not actually a dangerous sport like boxing and surfing but it never hurts to be on the safe side. So, follow these simple safety guidelines and enjoy the game.

Paintball is statistically the safest extreme game out there and even statistically safer than other casual games, in fact it is even statistically safer than lazily sitting in your couch the whole day and watching television (obesity is accounted for 112,000 deaths in the USA alone each year). The main reason why it is safe is because of the paintball safety gear that we are all advised to use. This article is a quick overview of the different safety gears to play paintball.

There are two important pieces of safety gear that you must have to play the game safely:

The mask

The mask is the most important safety gear to play paintball. It is a special paintball specific goggles that is composed of a hard lens, a full face mask, and ear protection. You cannot use tank goggles, chemical goggles, fashion goggles, or motorcycle goggles because these eyewear are just not designed to withstand the impact of a paintball. Also, they are not made to have this full seal around the face and around the eyes which is very important when you are playing the game of paintball. You can only use paintball approved goggles. Some people prefer to purchase cheap imitations that come with a “no safety guarantee” seal; thus it is highly recommended to use the genuine article.

The barrel sock

The next most important paintball safety gear that you can use is the barrel blocking device, specifically the barrel sock. It covers the nozzle of the barrel and it shows everybody the people around you that there is absolutely nothing coming out at the end of your marker’s barrel and if there is, it is going to be blocked by the barrel sock.

You may also use those hard plastic paintball plugs. Those are pretty safe as well. Just make sure that you don’t adjust them without the manufacturer’s instructions. Most gamers prefer to use the barrel socks because you can just easily remove them as you start the play and then put it inside your pocket so it doesn’t get lost.

Basically, just make sure that your barrel blocking device is on when you are in the parking lot and your mask is on when you are in the game field.

Other paintball safety gears that you may want to add to keep your paintball game safer are:

Breast Paddings

Breast paddings are applicable for women to protect their breast area. However, men may also use it to, especially those who have the so called “man boobs.”

Groin Protector

A lightweight groin protector may also be used to provide front protection on men because a paintball gun shoots a projectile of about 200 miles per hour.

Boots, Scarf, Camouflage

There are extra items that most people skip, but having these all on as you play paintball could make a difference.

Paintball is a safe game as long as you adhere to the safety policies that we have been using for years. Many rules may have been removed, added and changed, but one thing remained constant and that is the mandatory use of safety equipment, particularly the goggles and the barrel plugs.

Paintball is a popular game among men, however more and more women are also starting to enjoy it. This game is highly recommended to people who would like to experience something new. The best way to start is by reading paintball articles that will help both beginners and pro players get on top of their games. Here are top 5 reasons why reading paintball articles is a must to anyone who finds interest in this game.

#1 Know latest Strategies

Since paintball is an objective-driven game, reading paintball articles that talks about previous tournament game strategies may help you devise an excellent plan to meet your goal. You’ll be able to predict your opponents’ movements and plan for a counteract whenever necessary.

#2 Get tips and tricks

Many pro paintballers write blogs and articles about the trade secrets of the game. This may include the angle of your gun when shooting from an uneven terrain, how to trick your opponent to come out from their hiding place, or even how to dodge a sure hit. Reading paintball tips and tricks could help you turn the game in your favor.

#3 Know latest gadgets

Most paintball game zones let you use their equipment for a fee or for free. However, serious paintball gamers do want to have their own high powered gadgets for that “ultimate gaming experience”. And how do you find what’s new on the market? Simple, by reading paintball magazines, catalogs, or online blogs.

#4 Find promotions

Renting a place, Renting or buying paintball equipment, and asking for someone to help you get started could cost some money. To save some cash, try browsing and reading paintball ads in magazines or newspaper which you can cut out and use as a voucher. You may also want to check out the latest groupon offers in your area. These type of promotions will allow you to save a lot of money with the same level of fun.

#5 Find hottest locations

Beginners and Pro paintballers alike play in paintball game zones that are challenging and offer an exciting battlefield theme. You can Google-search for your local paintball battle zone or by reading paintball reviews that will help you assess if you and your friends will enjoy their field.

The Oxford paintball team tackles the issue that newbie paintballers get as well as pro players experience more often than they actually like to admit. This is what some people like to call having a “gun blinders, or most people refers to as “Tunnel Vision”.

Oxford Paintball team explains tunnel vision:

Tunnel Vision in paintball works like this – you are in a shoot-out, you see the guy you are supposed to be shooting at, you are really gunning for him, you really want this guy, you’re just getting so close, you can see the balls just right above his head and while you are so focused on your guy; suddenly, all the cool stuff is happening and you never see it. Because you are so focusing at this particular opponent, your guy has got to go out, thus the reason it is called “tunnel vision” – you are only looking at that one particular guy. We sometimes call it the “gun blinders” because this incident usually happens when people start shooting. The moment they cease fire, they will start looking around saying “what’s going on?”

Oxford Paintball: What to do

The most effective way to really breakout from this tunnel vision is to be aware that such incident is happening and to immediately stop shooting and look around. You also have the option to keep shooting and yell to a comrade, “Hey, what’s going on over here? ”

There is a drill that could help you break yourself out of tunnel vision. This drill is actually really easy and it’s really a lot of fun to do.

To set up the target, you have to first hang some bottles on a tree branch – about 3 to 5 bottles will do. Position the bottles where they are spaced apart and placed in various angles. Then, face away from your targets, and then immediately turn around facing your target and fire three shots on each. It does not matter if you hit or miss the targets, just take three shots at each target.

The idea here is to start training yourself to look and think in multiple and different angles, not just merely looking constantly at one target, you should be looking at least three of the targets and anticipate your move to the first, to the second, and to the succeeding targets.

Oxford paintball team’s drill to avoid tunnel vision

Another way for you can to do the same drill is to turn around, and then take a knee. You may also try when you are turning around; go all the way down to prone. That way you are training yourself to shoot on different positions as well as training yourself to get used to shooting multiple targets using different styles of shooting.

It would be an advantage if you can get someone else to help you out in this drill, it would be more exciting and more fun. As you are looking away from your target, your companion will shout out three turns; left right center; center left; left right center. You have to turn around and hit the targets in that order within each three short bursts.

This may not be easy, but then again you are learning how to shoot your paintball marker at multiple angles and you have to do it like how a real paintball game goes – with a little bit of pressure. The point of the drill is to just learn how to look at the angles.

Avoiding Tunnel vision is one of the big skills in paintball. If you can master this, you will have the capacity to keep your field awareness up. You will have the ability to be more sensitive on what is going around you giving you the advantage to choose your target based on which you think looks more dangerous.

Ever played a real-action game before? Ever experienced a whole new world of fast-paced, exhilarating, heart-pumping game? If you haven’t, then here is your chance! This is the safest and coolest way to experience combat and war scenarios. This is Paintball.

Paintball is a game that would require the whole team’s effort, tactical skills and team work. Over the years, paintball has gone from ordinary to extreme. There have been a lot of weapon modifications, armor enhancements, and game site upgrades that players can truly enjoy. There are also paintball competitions sponsored by the different paintball-oriented companies which identifies the best paintball team.

The following are some stuff that Bedlam’s Paintball Aberdeen would like you to know about playing paintball

Playing The Game

You may play the game as an individual who would join a random team or you could bring the whole gang. Your team’s main objective is to catch or tag the other team’s flag while shoot your opponents who would attempt to capture your team’s flag. As expressed earlier, the game would require the best skills in combat tactics and strategies, especially teamwork for teams. This is primarily the reason why corporate groups and companies prefer this game for team buildings or company outings. The game not only promotes teamwork and camaraderie, it could also build a relationship or bond that could be very beneficial in a workplace.

Game Zone

The play site can be a vacant lot or a custom-made real-life scenario, depending on the locations offered by the paintball game zone. Paintball Aberdeen, for instance, has developed different play sites to suit its customers gaming appetite. The game zones could be a warehouse, a jungle, or a huge lot with artificial terrain that players use for cover or offense strategies.

Game Preparations

Before going on a day of paintballing, preparations should be done and proper planning is advised. Booking in advance should be considered. It is a good way to avoid any problems that the group might encounter such as the team being divided if the facility is full, or not being able to play on the game zone that your team wants because it is already fully booked.

Practical Tips from Paintball Aberdeen team:

It is best that if you have a huge team of players, book in bulk. It is likely that the team will get a lower rate than teams showing up the same day who are buying individual bags of paintball. Your team will not just enjoy the thrill of firing in all directions because of the numbers of paintballs you have, but will surely enjoy the cheaper rates that the paintball company has to offer because of the bulk booking that you made.

Lastly, it is a good practice to communicate with the paintball center or staff before playing the game. There might be some rules and regulations that players would need to follow while playing paintball. These rules might include proper attire and gear, attitude and behavior in the field, and company codes and conduct that players need to abide to.

Most people are hesitant to try paintballing because it hurts; And yes, it does hurt! However, it’s not really that bad. It’s like a snap of a towel sting, and that’s just about it. The pain is very far from breaking a bone or getting a tattoo. Just relax and enjoy paintballing.

If you’d like to experience paintball or would like to know more about our paintball Aberdeen site, please visit the paintball Aberdeen page.

Bedlam’s Oxfordshire paintball team provides this short course about moving up in paintball.

“Come on move up!”  When you happen to hear somebody shouting that on while you are playing paintball, they’re not trying to live up a World War Two moment; they are actually trying to help you out. A crucial factor in winning a paintball game is to Move up on the field. However, we do understand that this game is played on field that also has X and Y boundaries. Now, it does not take a genius to tell you that if the field is only so large, whichever team owns more of the field is going to be victorious and that is what moving up does or more correctly that is what effective moving up does.

What you are doing when you are moving up in paintball is that you are taking angles away from your opponents. Another reason why we do moving up is that it allows you to gain angles for your team, you are taking more real estate for your team and quite frankly, it is players do agree that it is a lot more fun to move up than to just hang back all again.

Oxfordshire paintball: How far do you have to Move up

Obviously you should not just go sprinting up the field, unless it is in extremely extraordinary circumstances. But a couple of rules of thumb; the first is, if nobody is shooting at you, chances are nobody has spot you.

It is also nice to try to keep the three second rule in mind before you move up and that is “how far can you move in three seconds?” They say that it takes around three seconds for the opponent to see you, so what have to do is to bring the paintball gun as you start moving up there and start shooting; that is if they are not looking at you.

However, if your opponents are looking, what you have to do is to give yourself some cover fire. That means, before you go out there, you should shoot paintballs at the opponent to make him duck for approximately two to three seconds. That will probably be enough to at least buy you around two to three seconds. That is enough time for you to go out from your bunker and move up to the next.

Another opportunity for you to move up is when nobody can see you. If you are playing in a paintball field with very high grass or thick tree cover, or any type of field where you can you think you can get the stealth advantage take it.

There are times that when players are moving up into a new bunker, they sometimes find out that it is the worse place that you ever really wanted to be. Instead of hiding there and wait for the game to end, make the best of it.  In any circumstances, NEVER stop in the middle of nowhere and begin figuring out what options you have. Just go all the way, and do not stop.

In some instances that you don’t feel it is right to start moving up. For example; when you know that two or more opponents are shooting at you, which is definitely not a good time to move up. This is the best opportunity for you to talk to your team about those guys hitting at you are and then they can flank.

If you’d like to know more about paintballing in Oxfordshire, you may visit the Oxfordshire paintball page.

Bedlam’s Reading Paintball team provides this short course in how to properly aim your marker to hit your target.

When talking about paintball guns, newbies usually ask “How do you aim it?” and usually coupled with the question, “how do you fire this thing?”. Many people thought that handling a paintball gun is like using a rifle or a hand gun. The thing is, there is no problem with the paintball gun, the concern will be the paintballs themselves.

The soft projectile balls that come out from the paintball markers are actually made of a colored paint that is enclosed by gelatin ball. These soft balls are not actually the most ballistic thing in the planet because aside from the fact that it is made from gelatin, paintballs also have dents and dimple in it with a seam down the middle.

Newbies who attempt to aim a paintball gun reported that it is like waiting for the perfect lunar alignment to aim, fire, and hit the target with your paintball. However, there are actually some cool tricks that you may want to consider to aim a paintball gun properly. Here are some tips from the Reading paintball team.

#1 Zen Aiming
It is a public knowledge that paintballs normally shoot between 50 to 70 feet. That being said, you need to learn and feel how a 50 to 75 feet shoot out looks like.  Most paintball gamers often use a technique called “zen aiming.

Zen aiming is a paintball technique where you place your finger parallel to the barrel of your paintball marker. While at that, the middle finger of your other hand should be positioned in your marker’s trigger. Wait for the right timing and when you gave the postion in its place, quickly shoot your target with your index finger.  When you have the skill mastered, you may have the option to bring your index finger down as well as to learn how 50 to 75 feet does shot looks.

#2 Sighting Down

When you think that “zen aiming” is not for you, you may also aim your marker on what we call “sighting down the line”. This technique is done by looking down at the top end of your paintball gun and look out. In any case you possess a center feed marker, you can actually practice the same technique along the side. The key here is you are actually just lining the point of the back to the point to front and hoping the ball goes where you wanted it to go.

If you wish to practice your shooting, simply go to a paintball field that contains the target range. Simply visit a paintball game zone that has an indoor firing range. To keep it more advanced, try shooting moving targets and keep that target’s whereabouts in your mind.

You may also take it a bit further by firing at moving targets, said our Reading Paintball team.

Leapfrogging in Paintball can be one of the most effective strategies if done properly. Leapfrogging allows your team to advance forward one step at a time whilst minimizing the loss of your team players. It could be the determining factor to success if you are having a hard time defeating your enemy team. If you’re not going to use any strategy apart from one, try using this one as it is a great strategy to improve communication and cooperation within your team.

What is leapfrogging?

Leapfrogging is an advancing technique, used by many military forces in the world to get to the objective. Leapfrogging consists of two teams, let’s call them Team 1 and Team 2. Team one will want to advance forward, and so Team 2 will shoot in the direction of the enemy to keep them at bay and restrict their attack. This allows Team 1 to get to the next base where they are covered. After that, Team 1 will shoot at the enemy to restrict their attack and Team 2 will advance next to Team 1 or to a base close by. And then the process repeats itself until you have reached a base close enough to be able to thoroughly attack and ambush.

This strategy is also extremely effective is you suddenly lose a player. If there is an enemy camper waiting for you to pass them to get you out you will instantly know where he is, as your team is moving as a whole in two teams. You can then work out a strategy on the spot to defeat that camper and move on with your leapfrogging.

Leapfrogging requires good communication skills. Basic signs such as “move forward”, “stop”, “attack”, and the direction to move or shoot are all vital to the success of this strategy, therefore leapfrogging will train you communication and team work. If there is just one failure of communication it could mean defeat.

Another advantage of this strategy is that roles are switched constantly, therefore all team members will feel part of the game, whereas in a conventional game where you have players defending the base don’t get much action unless the base is being ambushed, and so they may feel left out.

But in Leapfrogging all this changes, as you get to be in the advancing team and the covering/shooting team. There is no real hierarchy, only absolute teamwork.

You can also choose to have more than two teams. This will, however, require even more coordination and team work and will mean less players per team.

One thing to make sure is that you constantly advance when you can, and take cover when you can’t. You can also choose to have both teams advance to the exact same location, or slightly apart. Slightly apart would have the advantage of covering more ground and being a little more unpredictable. You would have a wider range of attack and could possibly ambush from different directions.

Try this strategy out, because if done properly it is gold. Good luck in your leapfrogging endeavors!

So you’re in the middle of a paintball match and you suddenly realize, “Uh oh…I have no more ammunition!” And now you think to yourself “What do I do?!” Don’t fret! There are two big things you can do, you need only know what. This article will focus on these tactics you can employ to use your ammo-less game to your advantage and help your team out as much as possible. It can also be one of the most fun games you’ve if you survive until the end. So let’s get right to it.

Be a distraction – Let’s face it, you are useless at offense or defense without ammo, but you can still help out your team here. Remember, it’s not about being a hero or having the most “kills”, but about teamwork and succeeding as one. Therefore, you can be of great use to your friends and teammates by being a constant distraction. Remember, you’re the only one who knows you have no ammo, the other team doesn’t. Therefore communicate with your team that you have no ammo, and that you’ll be a distraction. Your teammates may even give you some of their ammo midgame to help you out a little. So distract the enemy team by making noise, by acting like you are about to shoot at them (but take cover immediately). You want to take the enemy’s eyes off of your team and onto you. If your teammates do give you ammo, use it very wisely. I would  use it more for a distraction than actually trying my hardest to shoot someone out.

Run for the flag – Be a runner. That is, put down your gun and any excess baggage that you don’t need that would only slow you down, and make up for your lack of ammo with the swiftness of your feet. If you are playing a flag game you can make a run for the flag. Your agility will give you an advantage over your enemies, and you can tell your teammates to cover you as they probably still have sufficient ammo. However, know that being a runner is risky. You have quite a high chance of being shot out if you don’t play this well. Don’t just make a run for it blindly. When someone spots you and shoots at you, take cover and wait for your teammates to catch up to be able to cover you. You could also use a variant of the Leapfrog strategy, where you join one team which has ammo, and when you reach the flag they will cover you whilst you run for it.

These two strategies are simple, yet can be very effective when you here that “click, click”, but no paintballs are coming out. But the number one rule is to get a refill if you feel like you are going to run out midgame. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen, but if it does, have some fun with it! Good luck!

Protecting yourself in paintball is crucial if you want to survive the round and even win the game. It’s identical to an actual battle with real guns and real armor, and the strategies used are almost the same. There are several ways you can defend yourself, not just your base or others. Self-defense in paintball comes down to being alert, swift, and accurate. Here are some tips on how to be as best prepared for defending yourself as possible

1)   Be alert – Being alert is probably the most crucial part of defending yourself. You need to listen very carefully to what’s going on around you. If you are playing in a forested area, for example, the rustle of leaves will give any enemy away…as long as you are listening. In other fields, such as a barrel field, being alert will help you to hear when someone is on the move, so you can jump up in time and shoot away for a few seconds before you come back down into hiding.

2)   Be swift – Swift, quick, fast, witty – they are all synonyms for the same principle. You need to be able to make decisions quickly, as you want to reduce the time in which you are shooting at someone. The quicker you can make a confrontation, the better your chances of survival. Why? Because if you get stuck trying to shoot at one person for a long time, you might not notice that other enemy sneaking up on you, or hiding in a corner ready to shoot you once you’re done with your enemy. Being swift also means being quick on your feet; if you’re in a barrel field, or a plain field that has props up to serve as shields, you want t move from shield to shield as fast as you can. Combine this with being alert and you can know exactly when to move.

3)   Be accurate – Accuracy is important in determining your success of defense. It is an offensive point, but sometimes the best defense is offense. If you are highly alert and are swift to get up and down and move around, then you only need to work on your accuracy of shots now. The less ammunition you use the better. The higher your accuracy also means less time you spend trying to hit someone, therefore increasing your overall speed. Be sure to practice your accuracy in your off time or in a just for fun round.

These were a few tips on helping you become a better self defense expert in paintball. Remember to practice these things one at a time and try to perfect them through constant repetition. Being alert means being in the now, or “in the zone”. You have no time to think, just be aware. Being swift means you need to work on your movements and improve your motor skills; how fast can you turn, how quick can you go back into cover? Being accurate requires a lot of dedication; so make sure to practice this one continuously. Good luck!

A lot of my recent articles have been dedicated to the offensive side of paintball, so now is the time I will focus a little more on the defensive side. Defense is just as important as offense. If you’re playing a flag game, you definitely need defense, as you need to guard your flag. There are several ways to guard your flag, ranging from standing right in front of it, to hiding in the bushes. You can also place as many players as you want in defense. Here are a few tips.

Hide – If you go for the hide strategy, then be sure to hide properly. This tactic works best in a forested area, or an area where you can sort of blend in to your surroundings. Always point the gun in the direction of the enemy, as they’ll be coming from there, and be sure to have enough movement to aim your gun at your own flag, as this is what the enemy will be after. Also be prepared to move or run quickly in case of being detected. You could go for the sniper variation, where you place yourself quite far away from your own flag and base, but be sure that your aim is good, and that you aren’t being approached by enemies near you.

Frontal defense – The complete opposite to the hiding variation, here it is clear that you are defending your flag. You don’t make a point in hiding, but do take cover! This has the advantage that you have a closer range, and so you’ll be more likely to hit your target. But it can also mean that it’s more likely that you will be hit!

Have several players defending – Having one player in defense I a surefire way to lose. If the enemy team overpowers your offensive players and you only have one player left, it’s quite unlikely that that one player can turn the entire game around. Therefore it is wise to have multiple players, maybe two or three, as defenders. Not only does this ramp up security, but if you have three defenders, one defender can transform into an attacker if another player is needed up front. Therefore they also serve as backup.

Cover all angles – You never know which direction the opponent will be coming from. Therefore you must count on all directions being a possibility. So when you set up your defense strategy, be sure to include the front, left and right of the flag, and make every defender have a specific range to shoot at quickly. Of course the other players can also shoot at the person on the very left, but it’s the left defender’s priority.

Have good communication – As in my last article, communication is key, even in defense. Make sure all players guarding the base have constant eye contact, and key hand signals to catch their attention and warn them of something. This will highly increase your success rate.

These were a few tips on how to defend your home base better. A good defense is just as important as a good offense, therefore you should value it just as much. Good luck!

In a forested area? Feel like having some fun? Feel like having a round of paintball that depends on your speed, quick reflexes, and nothing more? Well then this strategy is just for you!

In the last Strategy article we looked at the side attack. This time we’re going all out on the frontal attack. This strategy is risky, but it’s also really exhilarating and adrenaline spiking.

You have no defense. You have no one guarding your safe haven if you’re playing a flag game. You’ve decided to just go for it. You’ve gathered your team and your leader has decided that, this time, everyone is on the offense.

But is there a method to this madness? Yes, there is! First let’s look at what going all out actually does.

Going all out in offensive is highly unpredictable because every team expects the other team to have some defense strategy, too. You’re expecting the enemy team to be have some people guarding their base, right? Well so are they expecting it of you. You crush this expectation when you charge in.

Speed means heightened senses. Remember the last article on movement? Well here it still applies. You don’t want to move too fast, but not too slow either. The key is moving a little faster than you normally would when walking. Too fast will mean you’re not paying attention to your surroundings, too slow means you’re paying too much attention and will be slow to react.

Remember, this strategy works best in a forested area, or an area where it’s not so easy to see you. Don’t do this out on the barrel field where everyone can see you!

The more players you are, the higher your chances of success. You want to spread out in a zigzag configuration, so that some people are further back than others, so that you aren’t a straight line that the enemy team can just shoot down. And you want to stretch as far out to the edges of the playing field as possible, so no one can pass your line.

Your communication should still be spot on, however it makes no sense in this strategy for the person on the right end to warn the person on the left about a sound he just heard. Talk to the closest people to you, and they can pass the message down if they feel it’s important.

Now, what happens is, the enemy team either sees all of you, or doesn’t. It’s fun if the don’t, because they will only focus on the two or three people they do see, and be hit from the side by another team member.

You can also do the storming variation, where you just run into the enemy base and shoot at everyone you see, but do this at your own risk!

This is a strategy for a more lighthearted, fun game, with little pre-thinking required, and just relying on impulse and reflex and communication.

Try it out and it may just be your favorite style! Good luck!

What can make your team’s success go from good to great? Communication! No matter how good your strategy, or how great your players, this is a team sport. And the way to embrace the team is to embrace communicating with it. Communication is a secret that many amateur paintballers don’t know of, or if they do, don’t value enough.

Why is communication so important?

Let’s say you’ve got a great strategy. Maybe you’re using the side strategy, and you’ve chosen the three players moving in from the side, you’ve chosen your defending players, and you’ve chosen the ones to go in from the front.

Suddenly something unexpected happens: an enemy player has just appeared out of nowhere and you see hum approaching one of your team members. If you don’t have communication in this vital moment, your teammate might just be out. But if your team keeps constant eye contact with each other, you can alarm him in time.

Communication doesn’t have to be verbal.

You know all those movies where police officers and the S.W.A.T team use hand gestures to communicate? Well this can apply here, too. If you see an opponent approaching one of your teammates, you don’t just want to shout out “HEY! THERE’S A GUY APPROACHING YOU!” Ideally, you want constant eye contact, a hand signal that catches attention, and then a hand gesture or signal that means that someone is approaching. This way your teammate knows exactly what’s going on, and you haven said a single word using your mouth.

What hand signals to use?

This can be completely up to you, as it is your team and your rules. Whenever I play, we always make them up on the spot, s it always varies, but we make sure to keep them simple and comprehensible. Also make sure that two signals aren’t too similar, to avoid miscommunication, something that can be even worse than no communication at all. But get the basics down; catch attention, someone’s approaching, you approach, stay back, go forward, direction, etc. And make eye contact a top priority of your team. Everyone should know where everyone is, if you are playing a well-structured game.

If you do use verbal communication, make sure to stay as quiet and simple as possible. You don’t want to give away your position by letting your voice guide your enemy to you.

Communication is a huge part of paintball, and is, in my opinion, one of the basics to be mastered to become successful. Paintball is a team game, and team games are won by perfect communication. Constant communication can help you identify opportunities to attack, defend, and detect, so be sure to include it in your arsenal the next time you play.

Good luck!

Yes, I am dedicating a whole article to moving. Why? Because it’s a secret. Not many people know that moving is extremely important in paintball (as it is in any other sport). Moving increases chances of hitting someone whilst decreasing your chances of being shot out. Why? Well let’s look at it in more detail.

Moving is escaping – Picture this. Your playing a round of paintball, your don’t really have a plan for whatever reason (maybe you decided to freestyle this round), and now you’re also on your own, because your teammates seem to know what they’re doing and are off. You don’t know where the enemy team is; they could be behind you, next to you or in front of you. You decide the safest place to be is right here, because no one’s gotten you here yet. Right? Wrong. Sooner or later, if the opposing team is on the move, someone will lurk up on you, and you will be the one surprised and start shooting away. If you would have moved, you could have escaped, or maybe even snuck up on someone else. But now you’re the victim. Moving is escaping, therefore move if you don’t wish to be out.

Moving is killing – If you want to get someone out, you need to find them first. How? You move. Forward, left, right, wherever, just move! Sooner or later you will hear something, or see someone, and if you’re lucky, they won’t see you. And if you shoot and get them out, remember to keep moving – don’t be all happy and laugh at their face yelling “Ha! I got you!” There may just be someone behind you. And by now you know that moving is escaping.

Moving too fast or too slow is not good – If you’ve decided to get this game over and done with quickly, moving real fast will mean that it’s going to be over quickly…for you. If you run around the place like a cheetah, you aren’t paying attention.  Sometimes you need to sprint, sure, like if you’re being followed and you don’t have enough time to turn and shoot, or if you’re following someone.

But don’t rely just on your sense of sight. You need to hear as well, and you can’t hear anything with those leaves rustling beneath your stomping feet!

Moving too slow is also not good. It’s better than standing completely still, but you need to be somewhat swift in this game.

The ideal is in between. You want to move fast enough to be able to get out of a situation quickly if need be, but also slow enough so that you can take in your surroundings and see and hear as much as you can. You must be a hunter, and a hunter slows down only right before the kill. Before the kill, he moves just fast enough to get somewhere quickly. But he never sprints, because that will only scare away the prey, or worse, the prey will attack him!

These are the basics of why moving is one of the most important things you have in your arsenal. Of course if you have a good strategy where you are required to stand still, then so be it. If you’re defending the base, then you won’t have to move too much (unless you’re being attacked and need to escape).

I hope this helps, and good luck out there.

So let’s get into the real nitty gritty of paintball tactics and strategies, shall we? Whether you’re playing a flag game where you have to catch the opposing flag (whilst defending yours), or you’re just playing a normal deathmatch game, where your objective is to get everyone out, this strategy will come in nice and handy if you play it well.

The side attack, is as you guessed, an attack from the side. However, it’s not as easy and simple as it sounds. But it is a very sneaky tactic if you don’t get caught in the middle of your attack.

How do you do the side attack? Glad you asked. Before you start the game, gather your group to discuss the strategy. Let’s say you are 7 players in one team. What you want is you want two players defending your base, two players going straight through, and three players going for the side attack. Decide who will be where.

When the game starts, the mission of the two players at the base is solely to stay alive and keep the base guarded. If everyone else is out, you still have two players left.

The front and side attackers move. Whether the side attackers go left or right is their choice, but there will always be one side that is easier to trespass, or better to hide in. The two teams should move at almost the same pace and stay in contact.

The front team’s mission is to attack and distract. If one player from the front team is out, that’s ok. The side team should stay hidden until the very end, until they are very close to the enemy base (perfect would be if you could sneak around behind them).

Once the side team is very close, it’s time to attack. The reason you have the most players on the side team is because this attack relies on power, and the more people you have, the better chance of defeating the enemy team. If you’re playing a flag game, it’s ok if the opposing team is not completely annihilated before you capture their flag. Just make sure that you are always on the lookout, and the one player goes for the flag whilst the others cover.

The side attack should, in an ideal world, be unexpected by the opposing team. You may encounter one or two players along the way of the sneak, but if you are three players as one, these should be relatively easy to get past. Three players leaves room for one player to be out, so the three player tactic is good offensive and defensive.

Try this out the next time you play a game of paintball. Remember, the power of this attack lies within the sneak and the overpowering kill at the end. Good luck.

So it’s your turn to be the team leader in the next round of paintball. But how to be a leader? What do you need to do? Being a team leader is not that difficult. We all have it in us, and we just need to get it out in this time of need. Before you choose to become a team leader, you must first know your responsibilities. Let’s look at what a team leader does.

Makes decisions – As a team leader you have the final word. If your team agreed that you are leader for this round, they have also agreed that even if you make a decision they do not agree with, the will follow it. As a leader there is more pressure as your team is looking up to you for advice and strategy, and assigning roles. You must know what’s best for the group, and what the most efficient way to win is.

Assigns Roles – A team leader may have to assign roles. That is, you must assess your team and decide who is best made for which role, because this will be the most efficient way to win. But as leader your responsibility also lies within keeping the group content. If there is strong opposition to a role you assigned to someone, you have to take that into account and figure out if the discontentment is worth the change of roles or not.

Strategy – As you have the final say on things, you also get to have the final say on what strategy you are going to use. Are you going to play offensively or defensively? Are you going to go in fast, or slow? Split up, or stay together? This will finally be up to you. You have to look at the advantages and disadvantages of a strategy, and consult your team on what to do in certain situations. You don’t have to exactly be the brains of the strategy, you just need to be the final word.

Keeps the spirit up – As team leader it is your job to keep the hopes of the group up. If your team is losing badly and is down, it’s your job to stay optimistic and lead them into the light. If heads are down, you pull them back up with encouraging words, praise, and even if you think you won’t win this time (even though you will!), this is what you have to do. This is your team for now, and therefore it is your responsibility to get your team into its best performance.

These are the basic roles of being a team leader, and they apply both to paint ball and also to real life. But remember, being leader is fun. It feels good! And don’t be embarrassed if you just made a bad decision, so what? It’s a freaking paint ball game after all, and you’ve just learned a valuable lesson.

What is the best time to play paintball? That depends on your preferences. For myself, summer is too hot, and winter is too cold.

The first time I played paintball was in the Summer, in Spain. It reached around 35^oC. I didn’t know at the time that I had to put on a suit, so I thought, yes! What a great day to have a match. Oh, how wrong I was.

Don’t get me wrong, it was still an awesome day; I felt like a warrior with that gun in my hand, the power to shoot at people and get them out and win. However, the suit plus the heat were slowly killing me. I was lucky the place there had a restaurant where we could drink and eat, otherwise it could have been bad.

So I realized that Summer isn’t really the best time to play paintball. And I would say Winter is also not ideal. I’d rather sweat and die in the heat than freeze to death; I have a grudge against the cold. However, I do have to admit, that a game in the snow sounds really appealing, but only with nice warm clothes.

I think the best time to play is during Spring and Autumn. Why? Well the temperature for one. Temperatures are around 15-15^oC at those times of the year, my favorite. Plus the weather in Spring is usually quite sunny, and I wouldn’t mind having a rainy game in Autumn, all the more fun.

I would say either April or September would be my picks, if I were to choose. However, there is always good weather to be found the year round. The most fun games are when it’s not too hot and not too cold.

However, I do have to say that playing in the extremes is also something you have to do; try your luck in the snow and in the extreme heat. Just remember to bring enough water, in both extremes. The heat will make you sweat, and the cold will use up energy to keep you warm (if the suit doesn’t keep you warm already). I have this amazing picture of a snow-covered field scattered with blue, red, yellow, green and pink paint.

Then choose if you’re morning or an evening person. Myself, I’m a late afternoon/early evening type of guy. I have the most energy towards the end of the day, so I’m pumped whenever I go for a match that’s at 3 or 4PM. Plus, if I do play in the summer, it’s not that hot anymore, and we can head straight for dinner after the game.

So the next time you go for a game, think to yourself whether you want to play in a comfortable temperature, or if you want to go to the extremes. I’m going to go for the extreme the next time, so I’ll let you know how that was when that’s done with.

Good luck!

So I’ve got a few things that I think everyone should always bring to a paintball game. And this goes universally as well, so whatever your pass time may be, or whatever your favorite sport, this applies as well.

1) Bring a lot of friends – If you want a good paintball game for the day, bring at least 6-7 friends with you. 7 Friends would mean a match of eight people, so four vs four. You can’t go wrong with an even number, either. But trust me on this one, you don’t want a game where you’re only 2 against two. Round will be really short or really long, depending if both teams are really offensive or really defensive. Also it doesn’t really feel like a warzone with only four people now, does it?

2) Bring good mood – If you want to make your match really exciting, be really excited! The better of a mood you’re in, the more fun it will be for everyone. Make your paintball day an exclusivity – meaning treat yourself to it from time to time. Its value will go up and you will feel more excited if you go maybe one or two times a month, rather than going every week. If you’re one of those bad mood people, lighten up for the sake of your friends! Also, it’s freaking paintball!

3) Bring stress – Paintball is a stress reliever, so if you ever have a lot of stress in your life, now’s the time to get rid of it. It’s just like a workout; if you come home from a hard day of work, a workout is the perfect thing to clear your mind. The same goes for paintball. Just pretend your enemy is your boss or your teacher. Enough said.

4) Bring an open mind – If you’re always out to be the leader of your team, forget it. Paintball is a team game, and you should be willing to rotate roles with other players. Everyone has all the roles within himself. So you already know how to be a leader, but you also already know how to be in the offensive or defensive position. Who knows, you might just save the day by staying behind. Give everyone a chance.

5) Bring competitiveness – To say Paintball isn’t a competitive sport would be a complete lie. It’s all about competition! Everyone has that inner winner wannabe, so get yours out or you’re probably not going to win. Now I don’t mean that you should begin to hate the other team. But just use friendly competition to ensure success for yours.

This was my list of what you should definitely bring to a paintball match. If you have any other ideas, leave them below in the comments. Good luck!

I did some research around the web and I was looking for some awesome paintball games/fields. As you know there are quite a lot of fields you can play in; the jungle, the desert, the slums, whatever your paintball place has to offer. But let’s put that aside for now and focus on some really cool ones, een if you don’t necessarily have access to them. The coolest places I found were the following.

The Jungle – The jungle is probably an all time favorite of everyone. I once played in a jungle arena, and it was awesome. It had a steep hill, so one team was on top, and the other on the bottom. However, the bottom had long grass and trees, making us almost invisible to the enemy team. I can’t remember if we won or lost, but it was definitely a chilling, yet awesome experience.

The Barrels – More of a desert arena, this field features barrels, which you can use to protect yourself. Barrels are scattered across the place, meaning you are able to move forward slowly using them as your shields. This is probably one of the most difficult arenas I played in, as you never know who is about to shoot you, and if you move, you have to move quickly.

Urban Field – This field features small shelters/houses, within which you can hide, and as they are scattered all over the place, you can move from one house to another. If you’re super sneaky, no one will know where you are. This is probably one of the coolest out of the lot, seeing as it actually represent a real-life scenario, where an army infiltrates a small town.

Castle – I actually came across this in my research, but it looked so cool, I had to put it in. This field features an actual castle, where one team is inside the fortress, and the other outside (and then you switch). I would love to play in such an arena, as I’m quite a fan of medieval times myself. The cool thing about this one is that you can sniper or throw grenades from the top ridge of the castle; a little unfair but still crazy awesome.

This was my little list of the coolest arenas, some of which I’ve played in, and some which I would love to play in, especially the castle arena.

If you have any arenas or fields to add, either you played them or would like to, just leave them in the comment section below. Good luck!

In the last post I talked about why paintball was so much fun. In there I mentioned that one of the reasons it’s so much fun is because you can let go and be “in the moment”. But, how exactly do you do that? It’s a bit like meditation, and it could actually help in other parts of our lives, as well.

Competitive sports like paintball or any other sport require us to be in the now. The now is what is happening at this very moment. You are reading these words. You are still reading…you get the drift. A sport like paintball demands that we pay attention to every second, because we never know what might happen. It’s a bit like when you watch a horror film that you’re truly engaged in, and are on the edge of your seat…you don’t exactly know what will happen.

Just think about it the other way; when you’re in a paintball match, if you’re in your head, thinking about something, you may miss an opportune moment to move or shoot. It’s always best to acknowledge the plan, and then trust yourself that you’ll remember it. You’re chances of success are much higher. So the next time you go in with a strategy, before the game begins, acknowledge that you know it, and forget about it. Yep, you heard me right. Your subconscious mind will do the rest.

The number one thing I believe that gets us in the moment: fun. It’s so simple, so obvious, but it’s true. If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, you can’t live in the moment. For example, when I write, I am in the moment, because my mind is free and I can write down any word that comes to mind. If you wish to translate this to your life, figure out what things you enjoy doing. That is, truly enjoy, not think you enjoy. If you can say “I like…” and a smile appears on your face, you’re one step closer to living in the moment.

The now is only achievable if you truly want something, if you’re having fun. If you’re doing something grim that you don’t like, you’d probably be thinking to yourself about how you don’t like what you’re doing, about how you’d rather be somewhere else, doing something else. But the now has no worries, no thoughts. It’s just…the present moment.

So these are a few tips on how to live more presently and in the moment. Forget worries, forget thoughts, relax and focus on what is actually happening. And do the next thing.

Someone came up to me the other day and asked me, why is paintball so much fun? I opened my mouth as if I had the answer…but I didn’t. Then I started thinking. And lo and behold, I did finally come up with an answer, but it wasn’t just one, it was several.

Paintball is a thrill – when you’re in game, in the moment, there is this thrill. It’s called adrenaline. What is adrenaline? You heard it a million times, but what is it? It’s a hormone released in your body whenever you’re in a fight or flight situation. Blood goes from your stomach to your muscles and your body is biologically ready to either hit or run. And paintball is exactly that. It’s fight or flight. Your heart beats a little faster, your attention is on your surroundings, your team and the other team. You have this urge to just win

It’s teamwork baby – working or playing with other people is always a blast. Almost anything can be made fun if you’re with the right people. If you’re playing paintball with a group of friends whom you really like, then it’s so much fun. You work together to strategize, to plan, to move forward, to win.

It’s a childhood dream – to hold a gun, strategize, and start shooting. That’s always been on the top of my to do list. Don’t you ever get that feeling, when you watch a movie like James Bond, you just want to hold a gun and be a secret agent? Or when you see a movie where people are strategizing, moving around, using sign language to talk to each other, don’t you also want to have your secret sign-language that no one else understands? Well paintballing gives you just that. It gives you an opportunity to play out the imagination, to relax and live in the moment, to be a child again.

Being Team leader is awesome – if you work it out so that everyone gets to be team leader at least once, that will ensure for maximum satisfaction. Trust me. Being leader is just awesome. You have a sense of control and authority, which everyone looks for. You get to decide for once. You get to do what you want, and if you think you have the perfect plan, that’s what you’ll do. Even if someone in your group has no leadership skills at all, just for fun let him/her have a go, and if everything goes wrong, it’s a good story to tell.

That’s what I came up with when I thought about why it’s so much fun. If you have anything to chip in, any funny stories or anything that makes paintball so much fun for you, just leave it in the comments.

Now go play some paintball!

Paintball is as much of a team and strategic sport as it is an accurate one. When it comes down to the nitty gritty, you need to be able to shoot. I’ve been talking a bit about how to use teamwork and how to win, but none of this matters if you aren’t comfortable with the gun you’re holding and have no proper aim. So in this post I’ll get into how to actually hold your gun for pristine accuracy. Let’s get to it.

Depending on the gun

First, we need to look at what gun you have. At Bedlam we use a Tippman 98 Custom Marker. What does this mean? Well, it’s a semi automatic, meaning you can shoot balls fast. You can hold it with one or two hands, as there are two grips.

You’ll also come across other guns, such as automatic guns, which fire paintballs at an even faster rate, and therefore require a little more stability (also don’t waste your bullets!).

Stay Calm

Learn to stay calm in situations where you aim. Staying calm is a key ingredient in getting proper accuracy. If you’re nervous, you’re shaking and your heart is beating fast, your aim will be reduced to luck. You don’t want that. Now, sure, there are times where you need to act quick, but take one or two deep breaths before you do to instantly calm down.

Be a tripod

Stability. You need stability. I don’t care whether you’re on a tree or snaking around in the mud, if you don’t have good stability, your opponent is out of reach! A few tips on stability:

When you’re on the ground, be sure to get one arm in front of the other, and hold your gun with both arms. Keep your head close to your dominant shoulder, look through the sight, and shoot.

When you’re standing, hold your gun with two hands, have legs spread a little wider than usual, bend your knees and drive your weight into the ground so you are as still and grounded as possible. Hold your gun up high, aim and shoot.

Moving Targets

The secret to moving targets is prediction. If your target is moving to the right, you’ll probably predict he’s going to keep moving to the right. Therefore, you aim a little (1-5 millimeters) to the target’s direction of movement and shoot. Watch and laugh how he’ll squeal with the emotional pain of being out.

So these were my tips on good aim. Be sure to remember to keep a lookout (always be aware) if, whilst you are aiming, you are also being aimed at. And every once in a while go for the fun lucky shoot, where you don’t aim and just pull the trigger when you feel like it! Happy shooting!

For anyone who is relatively new to paintball and wants to try it out, but doesn’t quite know whether or not it hurts, or is actually even safe, this post is for you.

I remember the first time I went to play paintball; that was in Spain, and it was a friend’s birthday. Spain, as you might guess, gets very hot in the summer, and yes, it was summer time.

The paintball place there gave us all the gear we needed, and this included a gun, a helmet that covered our whole face with a plastic shield so we could see through, and a suit. Why the suit? Well, so that the paintballs wouldn’t hit our skin directly. So by now I was already sweating at the idea that I will come out with bruises.

However, once in game, all my worries went away, and I was having so much fun, that the thought of pain didn’t even occur to me until I got hit.

Now listen, paintball hurts a little, yes, and you might get a bruise or two, but it doesn’t hurt hardly as much as you’d think it does. And it’s only a split second. So if you’re ever deciding whether to play paintball and the decision is based on whether you’ll be hurt…go for it! The fun outweighs the little scratch of pain.

As for Bedlam itself – all the gear is there for you anyway. Helmet, suit, gloves, gun, plus little extras are ready to be used. And Bedlam is probably known for its safety; a staff member will show you how to use everything and answer any questions you have.

Keeping safe whilst in game is of course partly your responsibility too. Never ever take off your helmet, as it can get really dangerous when you are shooting around and you suddenly get hit in the face. This may seem like common sense, but trust me, better safe than sorry.

Your team will also be your safe haven, meaning the closer you work together, the higher the chances that you won’t get hit. But remember, getting hit isn’t bad, you can just pop in the next round, and the emotional pain of being out will probably be greater than the physical pain of getting shot .

So that’s my take on pain and safety when it comes to paintball. It doesn’t really hurt that much, but people are lying if they say that it doesn’t hurt at all. Expect a sting, and maybe a bruise or two, but nothing more. Now go ahead and play your game of paintball.

The Edinburgh and Scottish Rugby team visited us last week to duke it out on the fields. It’s always an honor to have an organization or team like the Edinburgh and Scottish Rugby team to spend a day of paintball at Bedlam.

In the last post I talked about how Paintball is great for team-building and spirit. Well I wanted to dive deeper into that today.

Let’s take the Rugby Team for example. Rugby, like a lot of other sports where there are multiple team players, relies very heavily on teamwork. In fact, teamwork is so important that without it, you would definitely lose the match. This goes for rugby, football, basketball, handball, and anything else. Why? Because no one player is so good to get past an entire enemy team. You need to use your own players, and you need to know when to work with them, and when it’s OK to go solo for a bit. Trying to be a hero will lead to being no hero at all.

So how does Paintball build team spirit?

Let’s take an outside look at it first. There are usually more than 1 player in the team, so it’s never a one on one. If you have a multiple number of players, strategy is very important. It’s always a good idea to talk before the game, fit everyone into their best roles (some are better offensive whilst others are better defensive), and get everyone into state. State is a psychological term and means, in layman’s terms, to be pumped and ready for the game to come. This in and of itself is a skill to master, for getting your players into the proper state is a huge part of teamwork.

Next, once you are in game, you must constantly be communicating with each other. You need to be aware of all your teammates. Where are they? How are they doing? Are they trying to get your attention? Are they in danger? This awareness will result in a much higher likelihood of you winning, as you can strategize in game. You can tell other players to move forward when you see an opportunity, or stay back when you sense danger. It’s like passing the ball in rugby; if you’re aware that one of your teammates has a good chance of reaching the other side, you pass to him.

This translates extremely well into business and organization, and virtually all aspects of life where you deal with multiple people working on one thing, which is why Bedlam also offers Corporate Paintball, specifically designed for businesses and organisations.

Paintball is a very fast paced game, meaning you need to think quick and solve problems on the fly. The fact that it is very competitive means it is a mirror image of real-life business and sports. This is what builds teamwork – being able to work together under pressure, and I believe that that is exactly what Paintballing is about – working together as one to achieve a unanimous outcome.

If you’re living beneath Newbury or next to Reading or somewhere near Oxford, paintballing days have just been opened!

We are proud to announce that Bedlam has just added Newbury to its list of sites where you can enjoy fun, action-packed, thrilling, heart-beating paintball! South of Oxford, paintballing is all yours now whether you live in Reading (20 minutes ride) or Newbury (5 minutes ride).

The site features, as usual, the high quality paintballing as on all other Bedlam Paintballing sites, and also a variety of pretty awesome choices to gun it out on field, including games like Speedball, Bunker Hill, The Village, and The Badlands.

Newbury’s Paintball site also has an awesome kitchen, meaning when you’re not shooting at your friends and enemies, you can eat almost anything you want to pump up for the next game. Newbury’s site features a shop to load up on new gear and maybe some extras to take home.

We like to expand, and give people in and around the Newbury area a chance to have a fun day out, because Paintball is all about letting go and having a day off. At least that’s been my experience. Paintballing has always cooled me down (even though I came out with sweaty palms and forehead), because it relieved me off all the stress that I had during the week. And let’s be honest, having a gun and shooting it off with friends is probably one of the most fun things you can do, especially if you like crazy and adventurous stuff (I know I do).

If you ever wish to pop down from Newbury, Reading or Oxford paintballing is just around the corner, and Bedlam’s opening times are from 9:00am to 3:00pm and there are 8 games for us paintballers to play.

Why choose paintballing?

Paintballing is incredible for building team spirit and being able to strategize with other people. It is as much of an offensive game as it is a defensive one, which is why it appeals to so many people. You are both working as a team, but also have to watch your own back. So if you think it’s just another hobby, you’re actually quite wrong. Sure, it can be a hobby, but it’s more than a sport kids like to play. Companies, organizations and sports-teams bring their employees/players to a round of paintball to help build teamwork. Just take a look at my post about the Edinburgh and Scottish Rugby teams coming over to Bedlam’s for a day of Paintballing!

“You think I am mad. But soon you shall see…that every move, every strike…was meant to bring us to this…” – Modern Warfare Trailer

We probably all saw the Modern Warfare 3 trailer when it debuted in May, and now Activision has released a second cinematic thrill ride for us to drool upon.

For all paintball and 1^st person shooter lovers out there, prepare for a wild ride!

The trailer reveals battles on the ocean, tanks in England, the Eiffel Tower crashing and burning, and New York City’s buildings being knocked down like a kid knocks down LEGO bricks.

The ending presents the newly famous WW3 sign turn into MW3, and that’s it.

The trailer is cinematic to say the least, and I’m sure that the gameplay won’t be short of any action and super fast first person shooting. The story seems quite engaging already, as we speculate why WW3 will come to be in the game. But in the end, it’s the gameplay that will determine whether it will be a well received game or not.

Judging by the other Call of Duty games, I’m counting on this being a massive success, even in the event that it’s not got great gameplay. But I’ve got to give it to the Trailer editors; they’ve done an outstanding job, bringing video games ever so close to an actual movie experience.

In my own experience, one can learn from first person shooters and apply what you’ve learned into paintball. To be honest, if it weren’t for first person shooters (and some movies) I probably wouldn’t have touched a paintball field in the first place. And the first time I played paintball, I kind of felt like I was in a movie or game, holding my paintball gun for the first time and moving with the team in order to defeat our opponents. There was an incredible thrill that rushed through my body; I felt like I was playing a game, only I was in it!

And I think that’s what paintball is – it’s the game without the controls and TV screen. It’s a sport. And a competitive one at that.

I’d say check out the trailer and see what you think of it. It’s mixed with cut scenes and gameplay clips, so we can get a taste of what gameplay graphics will be like. But I do have to say one thing: I love the music!

Modern Warfare 3 is out November 4^th guys, so stay tuned and stay ready!

In the last post I mentioned Strategy. Strategy is a huge part of Paintball if you’re out to win. Remember, winning is not everything, but is sure is fulfilling! So the next time you get out into the battlefield, remember to read through this here guide, get your gear, discuss with your team, load your guns, and begin winning.

1) Mindset

Mindset is probably the most important part of anything – be it sport or life. Be clear about your goal – what is it that you want? You want to win. Tell yourself, we’re going to win. This will drive your inner excitement into the right direction. Be sure to get all your team members into this mindset – if one slacks, everyone might just slack. This is a team sport.

2) Strengths and Weaknesses

Let’s be honest – not everyone is good at shooting, and not everyone is good at defending. Know your team and everyone’s strengths and everyone’s weaknesses. This will ensure maximum efficiency and best strategy. Use the potential of your team to its fullest extent.

3) Position

You can choose to play leaderless or with a specific leader and different positions for each player. A leader will ensure to make decisions, whereas having no leader you will get into debate on who does what. Discuss who does what, and let the leader approve or disapprove. It will make things simple and more efficient. After that let everyone know who is doing what: who is on the defensive and who is on the offensive? Be sure to split well. A good strategy is to have 2 or three people on the offensive, leading the way, and a line of defensive players spread out behind them to cover. This will ensure that, should an offensive player get out, a defensive player can quickly take his spot and recover the game. It will also allow you to cover the offensive players while they move forward. And lastly, as the offensive players will be in the “spotlight”, enemies will have their attention on them, meaning defensive players can take them out without them even noticing.

4) Offensive vs. Defensive

As in the last point, balancing offensive and defensive is the key here. Be sure not to be too aggressive or too defensive. If you want to, have bursts of offensive play and bursts of defensive – this will keep the enemy guessing on what your team is going to do next.

5) You are not the protagonist

This is a team sport. No matter how eager you are to busting the other team and moving forward at a quick pace – stick to the game plan! You are no hero, and the likelihood of you getting hit only increase if you go out there on your own and try to show off your “skills”.

5) Change it up

After a round of game, be sure to change your strategy and what your players all do. This is important, because should you choose to have the same strategy every time, your enemy team will figure it out and be expecting you where you were last time.

And that’s it for now! If you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments. Have a good game and until next time!

Paintball is a team sport. That means you have a group of people playing towards an overall aim. It’s your choice to work unanimously as a leaderless group, or to pick a leader who you can trust, who will guide you through the battlefield and likely lead you to victory.

You can compare Paintballing to almost any team sport, be it basketball, football, handball, etc. All work towards the same goal: winning. Being a sport, it’s a very competitive battlefield, but a fun one. Put together a bunch of people who want to win, and you have an awesome game.

However, if you think it’s ALL about winning, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Winning is nice, sure. But so is the actual game. Just think about it: be it in the jungle arena or on the desert plains with barrels to guard you, it’s just pure fun. Who doesn’t want to feel like a soldier for a few hours, without the actual risk of being a real soldier? That’s what makes paintballing so exciting; you get the adrenaline of risk, of wanting to win, without the actual risk of really getting hurt.

Bundle that up with cooperative teammates and you have yourself a quite awesome game set for action.

So why would you want to choose Paintballing for the day instead of your other favourite sports? Well, as said, that team spirit, adrenaline fueled rush is one of those reasons. But it’s also a kid’s dream, to hold a gun and just shoot away at things – it was mine. Paintballing gives you a sense of fulfilling a child’s dream, it puts you together with people who also feel the same way, and you can, for a few hours of playing, forget that you’re grown up and sink back into playful, silly childhood and gun away.

Then there is also the fear of being out: it adds to the excitement, and to your drive to win. Because let’s face it, being out sucks, and that’s exactly why Paintball is unique. The fact that you’re out after someone gets you gives you all the more reason to want to win, making Paintball an extremely competitive sport. And fun competition is what it’s all about.

But I would be missing out something huge if I didn’t include one thing: strategy. Like almost any competitive game, strategy plays a huge role in Paintball, be it an aggressive one or a more defensive one. Finding that sweet spot of not being to offensive and not too defensive is your road to fun success. Working together with teammates to come up with the best strategy is a sport in and of itself.

Strategy is your friend; however, that’s not to say that you can’t just go in there and freestyle, that’s also fun! But if winning is your goal, strategy is there to help.

In the next post I’ll give you advice on the types of strategies and how to use them to help you beat down any foe you encounter. Stay tuned!

One thing that separates paintball from your average weekend pursuit is that players expect quality. I cant think of any other sport, hobby or pastime that relies so much on good quality gear for even the basics but, unfortunately, has so many low-quality operators happily taking people’s money week after week. I’m not sure why I haven’t posted about this before, but here’s the low-down on the difference between cheap paintball and good value paintball (I know which one I’d rather go play this weekend).

The good thing about paintball is that it doesn’t have to be all glitz and glamour, it can be basic and still be great value, but too many sites are either too cheap and scrimp on the essentials, or too expensive and fleece players for everything they’re got.

The venue

We’ve all accidentally rocked up to what we thought was a great value paintball venue, called something like “Bob’s Paintball” (only a mobile phone number on the sign) and been greeted by Bob from his shed. Or worse still, his car. The very least you should expect from a paintball venue is commitment to its business and customers – this should mean a permanent spot, all facilities covered, parking, food and dedicated phone numbers and website etc.

The staff

Like above, you certainly want to avoid the scenario of some guy just handing you your gear and pointing to the woods just behind his shack and then checking his watch. For a starters, the very least you should get is full safety training. If a company has missed this out, then don’t even consider getting into a game zone, as the chances are they’ve missed out all the safety measures. There should be a site manager, trained safety marshal to brief you on the rules, procedures and game play, and a dedicated first aid marshal too. Obviously simple, good customer service counts for a lot too, especially as everyone that visit’s a paintball site is there to have a good time. No one wants some grumpy part-time jobsworth ruining their day or skipping important parts of the safety brief: you want enthusiasm, passion and a team that are raring to go!

The gear

When it comes down to it, this is probably what most paintball players take note of when it comes to choosing a new place to play. This is both good and bad. Good because bad gear can really ruin a day’s playing (and at worst be dangerous) but bad because the points raised above are often easily overlooked if nice looking markers appear. What I’m saying is that good gear is great, but it’s not the be-all-and-end–all of playing paintball. The safety drill should cover exactly how everything works, even for seasoned players who probably know most of it already. This will include a demonstration of how to load, unlock, fire and secure the marker, as well as how best to put on safety gear.

Do not play anywhere that expects you to bring your own safety gear. Not only is this a massive sign that the venue can’t be trusted, but it could also lead to the horrible situation of someone bringing skiing goggles, thinking they’d make great paintball goggles: very bad idea. Everything needs to be provided, in perfect working condition and ready to be used.

Dodgy deals

We’ve all seen those deals that say things like “£10 for a day’s paintball” only to phone them up and realise that the tenner doesn’t include paintballs!! Total scam. Always phone a paintball venue beforehand to find out exactly what you’re paying for, as low cost unfortunately usually means poor value in this industry. Paintballs and gear aren’t cheap, so anything that seems too good to be true usually is.

So there you have it, some people will no doubt be happy playing a morning’s paintball for £15 and no safety precautions, but I would most players would do the smart thing and pay double the price to ensure that they’re safe, but also satisfied.

Good morning,

Regular readers will know that airsoft isn’t something we’ve really touched on before on this blog, mainly as we’ve never played it and it’s simply never came up in conversation. However, a quick scan of the web will tell anyone paintball fans are generally airsoft fans too – or they’re the opposite: diehard fans of each and never a fan of both. Either way, a common question we get is ‘does paintball hurt?’. We’ve discussed a few times before, so let’s tackle another popular question out there: pain-wise, what is paintball like compared to airsoft?

Good question, let’s go!

First of all, for those not in the know, airsoft isn’t those foam things you used to get for Christmas (Nerf anybody?) but it is in fact like paintball, but usually uses replica guns that fire non-metallic pellets. Obviously players wear similar safety gear and likewise its largely scenario-based. So all-in-all pretty similar to paintball but without the fun bit – the paint.

I’ve never played airsoft, so unfortunately I’m going on crowd-sourcing information I’ve just pulled from various discussions and forums. The consensus seems to be that (a) neither really hurt too much, it’s nothing more than a quick sting and then game on, and (b) being hit by a paintball is more fun, as the projectile itself is bigger and heavier, and the impact is greater. Whereas, apparently, being hit by an airsoft projectile stings but they essentially just ping off you.

As always though, you never know until you try. Find out where your nearest airsoft field is perhaps and give them a call and, if you have any questions whatsoever about paintball, feel free to give us a call or drop us an email too.

I found this odd little YouTube video of two guys testing this very debate, all in the name of science you understand. Of course we don’t condone the lack of safety gear, but we do condone the test-dummy’s bravery in volunteering!

Image courtesy of walyou.com

Like I said a couple of weeks ago, we get all sorts coming through our gatesBedlam Paintball and we’re doing our very best to spread the good paintball word to as many people as we can. Sure paintball is probably the perfect hobby for a festival fiend, but who else do we think would ace it in a few game zones?

Social media geeks, that’s who.

Sure the word ‘geek’ has done a complete one-eighty and become synonymous with cutting edge social technology these days, but the more you like snooping on your friends, updating your whereabouts and hitting that ‘Like’ button, the more we know you’ll love paintball.

Think about it. What’s the best thing about hitting Facebook or Twitter? Getting involved right? Seeing who’s doing what and finding out what everyone’s up to that night – that sort of thing. And the photos, of course. We’re the same, we see whole teams of strangers get together and, by the end of it, they’re good friends who regularly go away and add each other, as well as us, to their Facebook etc. And you can’t beat a good paintball shot for that profile pic.

But if you’re the sort of geek who uses your social media for up-to-the-second updates, then your attention span is almost definitely suited to paintball. You can handle the stream of information coming at you from all sides during a game. You can make split-second decisions and, importantly, you can decide which of your ‘friends’ are expendable when a better offer comes along.

Not to mention video! Paintball was made for YouTube, and we make sure we capture all the best ones.

I read once that a geek is the sort of person you pick on at school but then end up working for when you’re grown up. I don’t think that applies anymore, but we do see a lot of people coming through our gates as individuals and leave as part of their own wee team. Or social network, if you will.