Capture the Flag is where a team is tasked to steal or take the flag from the rival’s flag station and bring this flag to their own station. The tea who first successfully takes or steals its opponent’s flag wins.

Elimination is another basic variation where the task of the team is to tag or shoot to eliminate the opposing team members
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Foxes and Hounds - is one interesting basic variation of paintball game. The participants are grouped into two- the “foxes” and the “hounds.” The group of the hounds has more members compared to that of the foxes. The task of the hounds is to eliminate all the members of the fox group. Before the seeking and tagging begins, the foxes are the ones to first enter the field so that they can hide and conceal themselves. After their time is through, the hounds now are given a specified time limit to for and eliminate the foxes. If the hounds successfully tagged all the foxes they would be considered the winner, otherwise the foxes win if one or more paratrooper – participants are given token (may be a colored arm band or dog tags) and paired off. Each pair that contribute the team enters the field to their position. An open fire or the game begins when all the teams have already positioned themselves. They are tasked to tag as opposing pairs as possible. When a pair successful tags an opposing pair, their pair gets the token of the pair that they tag. By the end of the allotted specified time the pair or team who gets the largest collection of tokens wins.

Street fighter – this is played in an interior field where players are prohibited to get into the bunkers, castles or any other covering/shielding holes in the field. Players are then opted to use the game tactic “choke points”.

Woodsball – Originally, a paintball is a recreational game in the wooded or forest areas, and the usual game types were flag and elimination. Woodsball can involve a wide variety of bunker types such as trees, logs, boulders of rocks that players can use in his game tactics. But because the forest or the woods may be an unfamiliar venue for the participants, the woodsball may last for long period of time to determine whose team wins. Woodsball gives the players free option as to what game tactics to use and woodsball can be played at any time all throughout the year – whether it is winter or summer, the weather adds challenge to the determination and perseverance of the players. Since woodsball is usually held in the forest areas where non-players may probably be touring around, organizers of the woodsball should be responsible in compromising for the use of the site and the safety not only the players but the non-players as well.

Scenario Paintball games stress the themes of cooperation among the players of the team. This scenario paintball is patterned after a storyline or theme, and this require numerous of participants. And since a multitude of players are enjoined, scenario paintball may extend its game period from 12 hours to a day or may even last for few days. It was in Oklahoma D – Day at the Bunker in Wyardotte Oklahoma and Skirmish’s Invasion of Normandy in Jim Thorpe, PA that the largest scenario paintballs were held, having been participated by 3,700 and 4008 players respectively.

Tournament Paintball

In 1980’s, modern paintball tournaments were developed. The speedball is then more popular since flexible bunkers and portable set-ups are used. The usual, 3 – 7 players who compose a team compete with their opponents and at the end hopefully gather points.

>> Tournament

Capture the Flag – this was originally the paintball format used in the woods, but at the present the famous site for this is on the grass fields where bunkers are set up. The usual members of players in a team may usually range from 3 to 20 people. Aside from completing the task of stealing or capturing, teams may also acquire points when they are able to eliminate opponents and are able to keep a number of players at the end of the game.

Centerflag – the number of members in a team are usually 3, 5, or 7.

X – Ball – usually participated by teams consisting 5 players and to the maximum of a players in which substitution is allowed. The X-Ball was first performed at the international Amateur Open in 2002. The participants are divided into two teams and they are tasked to play the Center flag in multiple rounds, in which scoring continues from one after the other until the game time runs out. Score is acquired through the number of centerflags they get. The team who has the most points is declared the winner. Since the X-Ball is time bound, the game usually takes 50 minutes specifically in Professional X-Ball games. Coaching is permitted in the X-Ball tournaments. Teams may ask for advices and game tactic advices from distinguished coach or even form the spectators on the sidelines.

Players who went off-bound the rules and received penalties are not totally eliminated from the game; instead they are placed in a hockey-like penalty box for several minutes.

Stock Class

Paintball markers are loaded or reloaded by pumping or sliding. The players has to maneuver a new ball after each shot. He has to slide inside the marker’s cocking mechanisms the paintball so that a new ball will enter the chamber and it will be forwarded to a newer chamber with the use of the pump handle. When the paintball is loaded, the marker is then ready to battle the loaded arms.

The stock Class, one well-known style of pump play, refers to the markers configuration. The stock class uses 10 to 15 round table parallel to the marker’s barrel. Paintballs are slid into the marker feedtube that can be found at the top pf the marker so that paintballs will not be stacked over the chamber, furthermore the marker should be rocked forward or backward before being re-cocked. The stock Class markers are also needed to be recharged with propellant after 20 – 40 shots because 12 grams of carbon dioxide powerlets are incorporated into the rules.

Since modern technology and faster working performance of paintball become more appreciated at present, the stack class has gradually lost popularity. Despite this, some paintball organizers still hold pump-only games for the sake of the old school feel and slower pace.

Reball

A reball is a replacement for a paintball. It is soft dense/light-foam that is same size as paintballs but weighs lighter and is not filled with paint. The reball is usually used ion games held only indoors so the mess that the usual paintball leaves when it breaks is avoided. Another advantage of using Reball is that it may be re-used and has lower velocity of 250 feet per second. One probable disadvantage of the reball is that it is sold at a higher cost. Reballs are now also being used by participants who wish to practice while preparing a real paintball tournament. Aside from reballs, the lazerballs manufactured by Brass Eagle are also of high use today. Reballs and lazerballs are somewhat of the same advantages and use though the latter is higher caliber than the paintball.

Equipments

Goggle System refers to the use of the mask which is the most important equipment for safety of the players. The goggle system is for the protection of the players face, particularly the eyes.

Paintball velocity is needed to be constantly checked and monitored. Paintball markers are designed to have a standard maximum velocity which is 300 feet per second or 200 miles per hour. To ensure the safety of the players, this velocity is required to be monitored through chronographs because when paintballs travel faster than the maximum velocity limit, players can possibly acquire serious injuries. Chronographs are customary equipment used in measuring the paintball’s speed of rate. Players are required to chronograph their markers after every adjustment or replacement of parts is done because these changes may alter the marker’s speed. Likewise, the paintball itself must be chronographed because a change in temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure may also alter its velocity.

Barrel Blocking Device

When players are not actively on the filed for the game or tournament, they must ensure that paintballs will not be accidentally or intentionally shot by using a barrel blocking device. These devices contain a small bag, which is termed as barrel sock, barrel bag, or barrel condom, that covers the front end of the barrel. This barrel blocking device is used in catching any paintballs that are accidentally or unintentionally fired. Barrel plugs used to be a popular barrel blocking device but they were replaced by the barrel sack because plugs have the tendency to fall out or be shot out.

Player Eliminations

Players are out of the game when they are hit by their opponent with a paintball. A player is termed as ‘hit’, ‘marked’, or ‘tagged’ when the paintball shot on him breaks and leaves a paint mark. Any size of mark counts as a qualifying mark for elimination. A splatter of paint that was only incurred by the player from a ball that breaks near him does not qualify him to be eliminated from the game but when the splatter sizes larger than a dime or nickel, he is then eliminated. In most fields, hits on all body parts including the gear he uses (like foot, gun, backpack hits) are counted for elimination. If the player is unsure whether the paint mark he has is valid or not, he may call as referee for a paintcheck. In some rules, a player who requests for a paintcheck is termed ‘neutral’ and is exempted from being shot while the inspection is being done. Being ‘marked’ or ‘tagged’ is not the only way to be eliminated. Players who wish to be out of the game may yell and call themselves out. This is usually done when a player committed a penalty like stepping out of boundary.
Players may request official for a paintcheck on their opponents if they think that they successfully fired a paintball on them. It is possible that a player continues to play because he is unaware of the hit he incurred or he may intentionally hide or cover his hit mark. If this intentional covering of hit marks is done by a player, it is termed as ‘wiping’, which is a serious offense that may lead to being banned from the playing location.

Surrender Rule

Surrendering is acceptable in a paintball game. A player who wishes to make his opponent surrender and he is within 10 to 15 feet distance from him, may yell “surrender” or “mercy” before an open fire is declared. The target player who surrenders is then considered out of the match as soon as he signals that he is willing to surrender, mostly with the raising of the hand or the marker.

In official paintball tournaments, surrendering is not one of the rules, instead the players are mandated to mark their opponents even when they are caught off guard. Other play tactics are run through or bunkering. In the ‘run through,’ a player moves down the field in order to shoot as many opponents as possible while in bunkering, a player shoots his opponent from over the top or around the side of the bunker or barricade where his opponent hides or covers.

Most paintball markers are semi- automatic. The following are the four major design structures:

1.the gas blowback design that may either be inline or stacked. This marker has a trigger that releases a striker sending the bolt and knocks forward into a valve. The gas released fires the paintball and recock the marker.
2.Autococking markers has more complex gas system since it automatically functions the pump- action even without the pump arm.
3.The blow- forward design which contains no striker, instead the bolt seals the air chamber until the sear is released. This action moves forward making the gas air fully forced against the bolt that pushes the ball.
4.The electropneumatic is the most complicated and advanced semi- automatic paintball marker. This marker has a trigger that trips an electro microswitch. The information is processed in a computer- manipulated solenoid thereby releasing the propellant to move the bolt forward and fire the paintball. The marker operates very quickly because of the microcontroller. Since the electropnuematic marker is so advanced and of high technology, it is expensive. Thus, electropneumatic markers are used in high- speed paintball tournaments where firing rate is 30 balls per second or more.
Aside from semi- automatic paintball markers, some players also use the “pump” type. These are markers that are purposely designed to have slower rate of fire. The “pump type” markers are used by making a player slide a pump back and forth as he loads each shot before firing. Stock class guns are pump- action markers powered by a 12- gram carbon dioxide cartridges. Furthermore, stock class paintball markers have 10 to 20 round ammo tube fixed to the marker. Because of this limited number of ammo tube fixed onto the stock class marker, the player who uses it needs to roc the marker so the paintball will drop into a chamber. After this “rock motion,” the marker is now ready to be “recocked.”

The side arm or the pistol uses carbon dioxide cartridge. The sidearm is either pump or semi- automatic but attached with it is an 8-12 round magazine.

The mil- sim, which is the contraction of military simulation, looks like real guns. Since the mil- sim looks like real guns, they are usually used in woodsball games. Aside from looking like a real gun, the mil- sim is painted camo or black to blend with foliage or shadow.

The hoppers are the more conventional menas of supplying paint to the marker. The simplest and ordinary of the hoppers is a simple black shell on the back for the filling of the hopper. It also has a feedneck, having a size just enough to let one paintball at a time to pass through. Some hoppers have battery powered “agitation” to keep the mouth of the hoppers feedneck from being too overloaded with balls. As a result, the feedneck is always supplied or filled with paintballs. Gravity plays a major role in making the paintball fall into the chamber.

Loaders are almost the same as hoppers. The only difference is that loaders use electronic or mechanical means of forcing paintballs into the feedneck, down the chamber. Because of this movementand more advanced style of loaders, ammunition is supplied more steadilty and more rapidly. This style is usually used in tournamentsettings where players also use electropneumatic markers.

Usual paintballs and markers are regarded as .68 caliber, but some are even larger the .68 caliber. Paintballs are sensitive to heat and moisture. Any change in temperature may greatly affect the velocity of the paintball. Both the heat of the sun and moisture my misshape a paintball. Expensive paintballs are more efficient and have higher quality fills. These expensive paintballs are also contained in more brittle shells so that they will not bounce off whenthey hit the target.

The Tippmann 98 Custom, produced by the pneumatics company Tippmann, is an open- lock blowback paintball marker. It is the most well-liked paintball marker that is why it has the most varied aftermarket parts offered. The 98 Custom is the descendant of the Model 98. The 98 Custom is regarded by most paintball players to be the most consistent because it barely requires maintenance since it is made of artificial steel.

Features and specifications of the Tippman 98 Custom

* Semi Automatic [1]
* Obverse fore-grip
* Detachable elbow
* En suite sight (with sight rail)
* Bottomline
* Stock barrel measurement lengthwise: 8.5 in (216 mm)
* Caliber: 0.68 in (17.3 mm)
* Cycle speed: 11 ball/s

* Heaviness: 2.9 lb (1.3 kg)
* Available Colors: Black, Silver and Woodland
* Warranty: 1 year

The A-5 is a semi- mechanized pneumatic paintball marker designed and produced by Tippmann. Its initial release was in 2002 in the USA. It makes use of an innovative latest loading model called the “Cyclone Feed System” which facilitates the marker to have a high speed of fire disregarding the inclusion of the aftermarket triggers or loaders. It is identified to be strong, economical, and modular.

Features

Tippmann A-5, modelled after the Heckler & Koch MP5K, is lusterless -black. It is particularly well known in MILSIM scenario games because of the varied aftermarket parts. With some adaptations, it can appear like small arms as:

* Heckler & Koch MP5

* M82 Sniper Rifle

* Heckler & Koch G36/G36C

* Heckler & Koch UMP

* Colt M16

* Colt M4 Carbine

* Kalashnikov AK-47

* Thompson Submachine Gun

The typical A-5 can use either CO2 or HPA propellants. Customary marker contains single-finger trigger, 8.5 in (216 mm) ported barrel, front and back sights, tournament-legal speed rate adjuster, solid black 200-round wide-mouth hopper and Cyclone-Feed System.

Cyclone-Feed System

Tippmann A-5 uses a new model termed the Cyclone-Feed System. It intends get rid off high costing troubling hoppers and electric loaders.

Usual paintball markers feature a feed tube enclosed to a hopper/loader that both drips paintballs singly or force-feeds into the chamber. The Cyclone-Feed System is a lodging on the right part of the paintball marker. Enclosed inside the housing are two sprockets that are star-shaped. Paintballs drop from an open mouth hopper into the spaces between the spokes.

As the machinist fires, some gas from the prompter pull is pathed to a tube, which fastens a piston. The gas thrusts the piston ahead, revolving the form of the spokes and supplying paintballs into the chamber concurrently. This means that the speed at which paintballs are being supplied into the marker is dependent on the velocity at which the operator yanks the trigger.

Adaptability

The A-5 is one of the most adaptable paintball markers. Others are presentation improvements, while others are simply visual.

Some of the many upgrades include:

* Barrels

* Expansion Chambers

* Compacted Air Low-Pressure Kits

* Concealment Kits

* Electronic Upgrades

* Triggers

* Strategic Cover

* Foregrips/ Artificial Armory

* Stocks

* Body Kits

* Drop Forwards

* Hoppers

Innovations offered from Tippmann particularly for the A-5 are the CAR Stock, Response Trigger, E-Grip, Low-Pressure Kit, Expansion Chamber, Universal Mount, 98 to A-5 Barrel Adaptor, Remote Line, Sniper Barrel (12″, 14″, 16″ lengths), Camouflage Graphics Kit, Double Trigger Kit and Flatline Barrel System.

More on Part 2 of A-5 Paintball Marker

Thermal lenses are less prone to fogging. An airchamber is designed to separate the inside and the outside lens. The airchamber is designed not to form condensation in between the inside and the outside lens.
In non- thermal masks, the outside of the thermal lenses is composed of polycarbonate that provides resistance. Dirt and debris can easily scratch the lenses.

Some masks have electric fans that help and keep the player’s face cooled. Since some paintball tournaments are done in very long periods of time, masks like this are recommended for players to use.

Smaller masks are cheaper because they are more comfortable to use and they have more interchangeable parts.

More Paintball Mask!

Flatline Barrel System

The Flatline barrel is a coiled paintball barrel. The trivial shape of an “S” curving with an approximately sharpened at the outside of some points in the barrel forms a backspin on the ball which augments its scope by 100 feet greater than an average barrel. Since a single paintball is turned another way, it is not as completely precise as other paintball barrels. The other inconvenience is its propensity to smash paintballs more effortlessly. This however can be resolved with paint of better value. It is also relatively shrill, because there is no porting.

Flatline Barrels are disreputably not easy to get rid of dirt. They do not screw into the adaptor on the muzzle of the marker; three locks must be untied until the barrel is detached. It also cannot be lubricated, as paintball gun oil would smooth the sandblasting of the barrel, depicting its upshot ineffective.

E-Grip

The E-Grip is an innovative pistol grip and trigger for the A-5. Five different fire selections that it has are the following:

* Semi-Automatic Fire

* Full-Automatic Fire

* Turbo Fire

* 3-Round Burst Fire

* Auto-Response Fire

The utmost firing speed of the E-Grip is 17 balls-per-second. Firing methods are chosen by rotating to toggle modes.

Response Trigger System

The Response Trigger System is a firing concept accessible for the A-5. It makes use of a sequence of sections that are included to the gun that enormously boosts the firing performance for the marker. The system utilizes extra carbon dioxide or compacted air from the firing sequence to retune the trigger and sear with a pneumatic tube. The system can reset the trigger, even with average force on the trigger. When this occurs, the force of the finger directly pulls the trigger back again, to refire. This efficiently allows the player the skills to shoot automatically.

The disadvantage of the Response Trigger System is that it is activate by waste gas (through the Cyclone Feed port) so it means that it exhausts the propellant quickly. Also, the gas is routed via external hoses which can be hitched on fragments.

CAR Stock

A length-adjustable supply is the same as the stock in an M4 carbine. It takes place the endcap of the A-5. It contains a loop for aattaching a gun-sling.

Structure

The A-5 is strong and contains a sold cast-aluminum receiver with a high- collision shock absorbing endcap. The A-5 can take much exploitation because all the features are durable and mechanically structured. The exclusion to this are the Cyclone-Feed System and the Response Trigger Kit.

The grip/trigger assy, endplate and below-line pipe are affixed to the receiver by four push-pins that can be effortlessly taken off to permit trouble- free field stripping.

Field-Stripping

Compared to the former Tippmann paintball markers, the A-5 is easy to field-strip and wash which is done through removing four push-pins which intactly grips the tombstone, endcap and grip frame.

How to field strip an A-5 marker:

* Uncock the marker (hold cocking-handle back and jerk the trigger; let the handle to turn to initial form) and expel paintball from chamber.

* Depressurize the marker by unbolting the propellant supply and firing dry to let the marker get rid of remaining suppressed gas.

* take away the barrel from marker.

* Take off the four push-pins (#1, #2, #3, and #4). Use pliers and grease with gun oil if pins are not easy to unscrew.

* Depress tombstone fastener and tug tombstone to take it from marker. Take out endcap and grip frame; the regulator and bolt assembly can now be effortlessly slide out of the marker’s back.

* Clean chamber and bolt assembly.

* Grease o-rings with a few drops of gun oil.

* Reconstruct marker and replace push-pins.

Operation

Propellant

Fasten a propellant supply (CO2, N2 or HPA) tank to the receiver or remote coil. Machinist should keenly observe for a sound as the paintball marker is harried.

Hopper and Loading

Push the manual-feed switch, which can be found at the right of the receiver, on the Cyclone-Feed System) and inspect Cyclone-Feed System for necessary revolving of sprockets. It should be unsoiled and free of dirt.

Affix a well- matched hopper to the paintball marker by putting the mouth-end (male) of the hopper into the Cyclone-Feed housing (female) and screwing the hopper until tab on mouth lock into a parallel opening of the feeder housing. Hopper should be compatible with marker.

Unlock hopper flap and load it with paintballs (up to 200 for standard hopper). Lock flap until it snaps onto hopper mouth.

Preparing to Fire

Form the paintball marker by tugging back cocking grip. This jerks back bolt and gives access to chamber. A snap should be heard. Liberate the cocking handle.

Push the manual-feed key to coerce a paintball into the chamber.

Extricate safety by pushing the ‘Push Fire’ key that can be found above the trigger at the right of the grip frame. A red line on the left side of the button is the hint that the paintball marker is geared up to fire.

Firing

Target shooting is a complicated, demanding, and ingenious skill. But generally as the basics, the paintball marker is fired by placing the butt plate or propellant tank against the shoulder, aligning the eye of the shooter, orifice of the back sight, top of the foresight, and aim to the target, breathe, and at the end, pull the trigger relaxly.