Paintball Drills: One vs One Snap Shooting Drill (Jousting)

This is one of my favorite drills. It uses little paint and doesn't require a large field or even airball bunkers. It can be done with anyone, on any field, in any conditions. It allows players to work on skills such as snap shooting, aiming, controlling an opponent, using bunkers effectively, and predicting how your opponent will use his bunker.

As you can see, this drill is very effective. Here is how it is done:

- Choose two players who will be jousting.
- Each player goes to opposite bunkers on the field. The best bunkers to use for this drill or generally shorter, such as aztecs or mini races. If you don't have access to an airball field, try to find some thinner cover in the woods that can be used on both sides.
- When the whistle goes, both players begin to play.
- Neither player can leave their designated bunker.
- After every shot, each player must snap back into their bunker and back out before taking another shot.
- Players can stay out of their bunker, or stay in, as long as they wish. However, they can not take more than one shot in between snaps.
- It is up to your team if players should be eliminated upon one hit, multiple hits, or if they should snap battle until one person runs out of paint.

This drill is truly an amazing skill builder. It is often helpful to give each player a coach, not to tell them what their opponent is doing, but to critique their form and make sure their elbows don't drift out. Remind them to use their bunkers effectively from all sides.

Try this drill with different bunkers at different lengths away. If you are working with new players, start with large bunkers such as cans, spread a good distance across the field. This way, each player has more time to react to oncoming paintballs and snap back in. As they progress, move to closer and smaller bunkers.

Feel free to edit this drill as you so choose. You can allow players to move to different bunkers, or allow multiple shots between snaps. Choose whatever you think will allow players to improve the most

Hopefully this drill works as well with your team as it did with mine!

New MacDev Clone GT Paintball Marker Pictures and Information

I don't usually write short articles like this, but I am very excited for the new MacDev Clone GT to be released. When I saw this picture posted by MacDev I couldn't help but repost it.


From the MacDev Facebook Page:


"Just like to let peple know we have been hard at work in the secret underground lair on new products, we happy to announce there will be a new Clone coming out in march called the Clone GT.........Check out top pro teams Rusian legion, Explicit Syndicate, and Uprising who will be rocking this gun in your favourite format."

As predicted, the GT is macroless. Many players had come to this conclusion because "GT" could stand for "Gas Through". The milling appears to be very unique, and it looks to have the same matchstik barrel, OLED board, and trigger as the previous Clone and Clone VX. The front grip looks a little different ergonomically, although it is most likely still very comfortable, otherwise they would not change from the regular MacDev regulator style to 
whatever that is on a high end marker such as a Clone.

More Information:


- Improved bolt system
- Slightly more efficient
- Venturi face bolt
- Significantly gentler on brittle paint
- Convenient pin lock
- Complete redesigned outer appearance
- Gas-through grip
- Improved ergonomics on grip frame
- New rubber grips
- New trigger guard
- Same electronics and trigger
- Team editions for russian legion, explicit and syndicate

The MacDev Clone GT will have a retail value of $1,399 USD and a release date somewhere in March 2012.

It has potential to be an awesome marker, but we will all have to wait and see!

The Paintball Apocalypse: Is Paintball Dying?

Is paintball dying? In short: kinda.

Players have always been worried that paintball is slowing down, or that the world is losing interest in the sport. This consistency of opinions and rumors could be contributed to the fact that paintball is not an extremely popular sport in comparison to football, hockey, etc. Therefore, there won't always be a large amount of players at the field, or companies in the business. This doesn't necessarily mean that our sport is going to die.

Using the handy-dandy Google Keyword Tool, I did a bit of research on paintball and its relevance on the internet. Currently, the keyword 'paintball' is searched about 6,120,000 times per month globally. Not bad. However, according to Google Insight, this number is much lower than it was from years past. There has been a steady, significant decline in paintball related searches since 2004. Google predicts that this downward slope will continue through 2012.

Is this because paintball is dying? Kinda. The poor economy affects everyone, and paintball is an expensive sport. It only makes sense that as less people have spare cash, less people will be playing paintball. When more people have money, more people will play paintball.

The interest in paintball has not died. The fun and adrenaline is not dying. The sportsmanship and dedication that our players are known for is not going to disappear. When the time is right, our sport will pick back up. For now, most players are gathering on the recball fields, where paint is cheap and there are no radical tournament fees. It seems that recreational paintball is doing quite well considering the decline. As the economy picks back up, so will competitive paintball.

Now what can we as players do to help this happen?

Sitting around and complaining that paintball is dying isn't going to help. If you want paintball to grow, make it happen. Invite your friends to the field next weekend, and show them what paintball is all about. When you see new players at the field, encourage and help them so they stay in the sport. Make a YouTube channel or blog dedicated to paintball, and support those who are doing the same. Buy local.

It is up to us as players to help the game we love. I am not saying paintball is dying, no. But paintball is declining, and it is about time we did something about it.

Here is an interesting opinion from Mike, owner of TechPB:

How to Use Buildings to their Full Effectiveness in Paintball

When playing on a field that has smaller buildings and/or forts it is important to use these to the best of your ability. The way I see buildings and shacks is that they can be useful in some cases, but also a deathtrap in others.  Buildings can be useful in guarding objectives and keeping a major path covered. These types of buildings are quite useful. I rarely enter a building unless it has a good strategic location. The reason being, when you are inside of a building, you are confined to the building’s interior. Getting into a building is much easier than getting out. Also, the walls offer great cover yet limit visibility and awareness of your surroundings. While in a building one good player can clear a whole building in a single move. Here is an example I use a lot when playing on a town style field. In this type of field angle is very important.

Example 1

1. The building is occupied by 2 blue players.  All possible shooting lanes for blue are the dotted lines.

2. One red player is on the side of the building. From his cover he has almost no shot unless the blue pop out of the large back door. With one swift easy move the red player can gain a major advantage.

3. With one swift move the red player can sneak up on the blues flank. If he is noticed he still has a major advantage over the blue players. He gets a way better angle on his opponents.

4. If the blue player stops posting for even a few seconds, the red player can easily run through eliminating the opponents and gaining massive amounts of field for the team. Even if the red player is eliminated during the run through they still got 2 eliminations for 1 lost player.

This is both a diagram to help you defend against this strategy and to attack using this strategy.

I find this very effective when playing with newbies (given you do not bonus ball) because buildings are noob magnets. Noobs will also not be able to keep you held back effectively and with a little patience you can easily clear this building. Wait for them to unexpectedly expose themselves in other windows or openings.

Example 2

1. As you can see, the red team is greatly outnumbered. The first step in a situation like this is to fortify and dig in.

2. It will be difficult to snap shoot them out through windows and vice versa. So the key here is patience and  to wait for them to come to you. When they do try to move up, that is when you seize the opportunity and shoot them out.

3. Cover all angles. In this situation there are 2 reds, if one gets eliminated then the last one is backed into a corner and unless extremely skilled is pretty much eliminated. Teamwork is key especially in and urban themed field.

So these are the key points I have told you to follow:

1. Stay away from small building and forts and use the immobility and lessened awareness to your advantage. (Note: In a heavily urban e.g. Bedlam at CPX or Defend the fort type of game these do not apply.)

2. Teamwork is key.

3. ANGLES.

The use of building can mean Do or Die for a team. Good utilization of these building can be one very good skill to learn and master. In my many years of playing building based fields, I have eliminated many opponents using this strategy. Good utilization of this strategy can completely up your effectiveness on the field

Thank you.

This article was written by Kikkia. Be sure to check out his YouTube Channel.

A step into the world of paintball masks

Paintball masks; quite possibly the most important piece of equipment on your person, which not only allows you to stay in the game, but stay in the game safely. Without a mask, you could lose your vision, and perhaps, your life.

So how do you go into deciding which paintball mask is best for you?

There are many factors that contribute to the terribly hard decision of choosing a paintball mask. To compare masks, we will look at protection, comfort, value, ventilation, and maintenance.   If you frequent the TechPB forums this might sound as revitalization for you from Hebiki’s epic mask showdown, but I will put in my opinions.

    Considering that you have the cash to purchase a quality mask, I will only compare the top of the line masks of modern paintball.

    The JT proflex, Sly Profit, Empire Event, and the Dye i4.

The JT proflex is a wonderful option, which many experienced players roll with. The customization allows for people to mix and match frames and bottoms as they please. Some popular colors you may have heard of are “Cash Money” and “ Cotton Candy.” The foam, although extremely comfortable, can very easily fall apart The foam can almost be considered cheap, compared to other “high-end” masks. Probably one of the greatest factors of this mask is the ventilation. The abundance of vents in the lower part allows for some of the best ventilation on the market. This bottom is made of a soft rubbery material, which leads me to my next point. Because of the softness, it allows for occasional bounces, the key word being occasional. I’ve heard stories of the lower part getting hit, compressing, thus making the paintball roll down, and hit you in the neck, and possibly break. In addition, the Proflex bottom is soft enough to compress and hit your mouth, so at a close enough range, you could have a busted lip. The soft ears provide protection to a very low degree, because the ears are so small, they expose the bottom of your ear and the area under the ear.  In contrast, the value of the Proflex is amazing, retailing around 60 dollars brand new, you have a perfect budget baller goggle system. Taking apart this mask to clean the lenses could be a bit of a trouble, even with the right know-how. All in all, the mask is a great choice, for any situation.

The Sly Profit, one of the more controversial masks on the market. Many professional players use this mask, and it provides many benefits, although some negatives. The lens in my opinion is the best out of the list, because the dual-pane looks and feels very top-of-the-line, and the comfort is phenomenal. This mask feels like you are sitting in a first class airplane. From the double straps, to the velvety goggle foam and ears, you are pretty much wearing a nice beanie, but a beanie that is covering your mouth and nose. The stories are true. No matter how much you argue it, the ventilation is horrible on the Profit, because of the lack of large ventilation holes and vents directly in front of the mouth. Also, because of the bottom caving in a bit, makes it extremely hard to breath out of. Removal of the lens is just plain simple. You can look at the mask and pretty much figure out how to take out the lens. In addition, the mask has amazing protection all around. The ears are well protected with a thick layer of padding, and the mask comes up a bit high to protect the forehead.  With the recent price increase, the value of the mask went down a bit at 100. This mask definitely feels like a top tier mask and putting it on in the pro shop feels nothing like it does out on the field. In the pro shop it just seems like an amazing mask, but on the field it feels like a sauna. The aforementioned ear foam makes it somewhat hard to hear, and the lack of ventilation makes it feel as if you are breathing through a blanket. Although you can rip out the ears, and allow you to hear a bit better, it is still an extremely warm mask. So, to the people who live up north, and you are cold while out on the field this is the mask for you.

    The Empire E-vents. I have had the most experience with these, and they are amazing. Perhaps that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it is a nice mask. This one is going to be short, because it’s quite generic, because there is nothing particularly amazing with this mask, but nothing bad either. Ventilation is great, protects your face, comfort is phenomenal, Value, sitting right at 100 dollars is decent, comfort is up there, and dismantling this mask is easy. I have had only a few griefs with the Events. For one, it has an annoying gorilla mouth. When i try to line up my tank with my gun, it hits the nose of my mask, and being a snake player, it’s not exactly comfortable to not be compact when shooting the wire. If you like longer tanks then what I just said was irrelevant. Another slight problem i have with this mask is that when I am taking out the lens, the little retaining clips are annoying. I’ve broken one, and lost another, and it is quite annoying. Put these two little personal annoyances behind, and you’ve got a solid mask.

My personal favorite, the Dye i4. Although the most subjective and expensive option, it is an amazing goggle system. The ventilation is great and it is extremely comfortable, because of how light it is. It feels like a pair of snowboarding goggles that has an extra plastic piece on the bottom. Now here is where Dye loses a lot of customers. The i4’s were made specifically for people with tiny faces. To maintain a low profile, Dye made a small mask. For people with big faces, sorry but you are out of luck, unless you are okay with eating paint and getting shot in the chin constantly, i suggest you veer away from the i4. This mask is made for tiny faces. By contrast, removal of the lenses is a breeze. Push in two clips and the lens comes out. Nothing else leaves the body but the lens. I also mentioned the price earlier. It is the most expensive goggle system on the market. The solid colors are 110, and the 2012 colors are 120. IN MY OPINION, they are worth it if they fit you properly. If you try them on and your face fits in the mask comfortably then you are golden, otherwise, look at the other options. The i4 is a wonderfully made mask, but is very subjective and expensive.

Well, that right about concludes my surface scratch on masks. Just remember these are my opinions, and i do currently own all of these masks. Based on this info (and more) you should decide on what mask is right for you. Go to a pro shop and try them on, or ask a friend who owns them to let you try them on. Paintball in general is subjective, and you can do what you want. Have fun and stay safe!

This article was written by guest blogger xSilent / Snakestripe.

Guest Writer Introduction: xSilent/Snakestripe

Since Dangersnake made one, I guess I will too. My name on the TechPB forums is xSilent. My name is Nicholas Louie. My team, All Star Kids, knows me by Snakestripe.  I’ve been playing paintball for a solid 3 years now, and going stronger than ever. I play in New Jersey, and I mainly play at All Star Paintball, Top Gun, Paintball Authority, etc.

                  First paintball experience was in 2008, when me and my friends decided, “Hey, we should go play paintball.” Being a New York City native, we only had one place to go. NYC paintball. I watched the experienced teams go at it, and it amazed me. Everything about it appealed to me.  I looked up to those teams. A few weeks later, I go with the same group of friends. It was the same feeling, and another great time.  That night, I decided, “we should start a team.” So I told my friends and they had doubts such as “how often are you going to play anyways?” I disregarded their caveats of failure, and went ahead and bought myself a Smart Parts Ion. Upgraded the hell out of it, and now it is the gun I use when I play rentals (it’s now a mech).

                  Been playing as much as I could throughout the years, and now I practice every weekend. My friends almost consider me a paintball guru because of some good old fashioned research. I believe that through the help of GP, I will be able to spread some knowledge among paintballers.

I hope to contribute to the community as much as I could, and I can’t wait to write some other articles.

This article was written by guest blogger xSilent / Snakestripe.

Guest Writer Introduction: Dangersnake

Since this is my first post on Gone Paintballing, I would like to introduce myself. I am 16 years old, and I am an active member on techpb.com - I'm always in the newbie section. I play paintball mostly in Wisconsin, at Brewcity Paintball and The Siege Paintball. I've played about 6 times, so I want my posts to help out new players to feel comfortable and know what there getting into.

My first paintball experience started in the backyard of my dad's house. We were bored and I asked, "Can we go to Walmart and get some paintballs?" He replied with a simple ok. A few hours later, I'm standing face to face to a paintball gun for my first time. My heart was racing, my hands were shaking and sweating. I had never been shot before so my mind was overflowing with thoughts like, "How will it feel?" "Does it hurt?" and, "Will I die?" A few seconds later my mask, torso and legs were covered in paint. I realized that it didn't even hurt! I ran inside and checked out my new battle scars - dumb I know, but it was awesome at the time. After that moment I was addicted to paintball.

On the next coming weekend I went to my local paintball field. On the way there I was so nervous, I had never played paintball before. I even thought to myself, "I'm good at Call of Duty, so its gotta count for something." No it didn't. I got there and had no clue what to do. After watching all those videos on YouTube, I forgot them all. I got shot out every game, and got only one person out within my three hours of play. But that one person made it all worth it.


I hope you guys like my first post and there will be more to come.


This post was written by guest blogger Dangersnake.