Advice needed for beginner

[robot0ninja]

true. i bought 2 vforce vantage pros 7 years ago. they both just started to fog this year with original lenses (of course, ive only been playing scenarios for 2 year). i really like the dye i4s though, ive heard from many people theyre just awesome (especially the lenses). i think theyre one of the only products made by dye where i would spend the money and expect to get my moneys worth.

[The Werewolf]

Dye does make a nice mask. I find the Profiler fits my face a little better. Like, I said, I prefer a smaller mask with a big FOV so I can look around with my eyes without having to move my head. Movement, after all, is the number one killer. I don't care about getting hit in the face, just so long as my eyes are covered, and then I wanna see as much as possible.

[Blitz]

WEEW That took me forever to read all these helpful replies after switching back and forth from here to facebook lmao!

Anyway I will agree with about everyone here and tell you the number 1 item you should get is a good mask! personally I have been running my Proto Switch with Double Paned thermal smoke lens for the past 2 years, playing alot and I have not had any issues with fogging in it ! Idk if its just luck, knock on wood but I would vouch for this mask any day with the same lens i have!

Secondly I would say try out manual and electric markers at your local paintball field and see which you like better! Don't let anyone ell you that the more balls you shoot makes you a better player! In speed ball it is a great advantage but in woodsball I have played against some semi auto players vs. my electric and they have straight up shot me out! In the woods you want to have camo and stealth and any paintball marker that will shoot a paintball straight!

Hope this will help you along with the other helpful replies you have already received! Its all about preference! Welcome to the GREAT sport of paintball!

[Exile]

Techpb's newest budget baller show. It's about two years old but helpfull.

[- Ecstasy -]

http://www.pbriot.com/showthread.php...e-to-Paintball

good thread. i take no credit in it.

[Chris41]

I would suggest you first decide what you want to do. Do you want to play woodsball, speedball, speedball tournaments etc. and then you need to start researching. Get on YouTube and watch tons of reviews and go to website's like zephrypaintball.com or ansgear.com and look around. Let's say you decide to do speedball, you will need a mask, a marker, and an electric hopper to begin. A mask is very important but if you don't want to purchase a mask first off, that's quite alright. Also, if you're like me and don' t live near a pro-shop, then you will have to research like I do.

-Mask
I would suggest a thermal lens because they are designed to reduce fogging that a normal single fog resistant lens cannot do. They will generally be more expensive, but its really worth the extra money. I would suggest the Sly Profits, or a Dye I4. They both have thermal lens and have great reviews. Watch reviews on the two and see which sound like a better deal.

-Marker

If you want to compete in tournament level speedball then you will have to get an electric marker. If you are wanting to get an entry tournament level marker then I would suggest the GoG Envy w/Blackheart, the GoG eXCTy w/Blackheart, the Spyer Fenix, the Azodin Blitz, or the 2011 Proto Rail PMR. There are other entry level markers but those are ones that I have put a lot of research into these markers and they seem to live up to my expectations. Things I look for in electronic markers are, clamping feed necks, eyes, on/off asa. Some personal preferences are, modes of fire, regulators, bolts, construction of the triggers, and internal or external gas-lines.

-Hopper
You will have to get an electric hopper because a gravity fed hopper will cause the gun to chop the paint which is a nasty mess. The hoppers I have researched are the Pinokio, the V-Max, the Invert Too, and the Halo brands. I really liked the Pinokio hoppers because the have good reviews and they feed 30+ bps, and they are really good on batteries. The Pinokio is more expensive and if you want something a little less expensive, then I suggest the V-Max.

It all boils down to how much money you are willing to spend and your preferences on what you are going to be playing and what you want out of your mask, marker, and hopper.

[Jonny]

For woodsball I see A LOT of people using the A5 by Tippman. I would suggest the Proto Rail. Its comes in Red, Blue, Olive, & black. Can shoot 15 bps.

For hoppers I would suggest any HALO products. If you can afford it, I say the Rotor. But HALO'S work great.

Gear I say get a good pair of paintball pants and knee pads. Also a pod harness. I got one for 35.00. But I've seen some for 5.00 lol. But in paintball you pay for quality. The price is the quality.

I suggest to go on www.hustlepaintball.com. They have great customer service. They do things on youtube. Great place.

Just look around.

Good Luck.

Welcome to the paintball world

[Koolaid]

If you're unsure about your play style, I think that a planet eclipse Etha, would be a great starter gun.. It is a lower priced speedball marker and has the option to be upgraded into a milsim marker via a body kit.

[Lemi Died]

I personally am biased with my 98 custom. But I also live in an area with not much access to pro shops and the such, so no trying stuff on/out. My latest 98 with RT will keep up with most electros itself, in every way but weight. But I myself just upgraded to a Crossover. I do not think it is vastly superior to an Etha or Axe, but it does work great for me, being a rec ball person (whatever game is being played). I may pick up an Axe or Etek later if the speedball team I am joining gets off the ground.

Mask-wise, AVOID JT for beginner masks. Their upper level masks are nice, but the NVader is pure crap. The stock mask that came with my 98 was better. I personally have had the NVader, a Vforce Morph (similar to the profiler) and now a Vforce Grill (which I love, so light). I am about to get thermal lenses for it to see how they do (and because Amber lenses do offer a nice advantage IMO)

[Ethan]

I think that the JT Spectra ProShield is one of the best values for your money in all of the available masks.

The Elite series aren't so zesty, however.

[Snoblind]

IMO each mask will fit a certain facial shape differently... my JT Carnivore fits perfectly, where my son-in-law's Scott fits my face like an oversized wet diaper... best advice I can give on a mask is to try any and every one you can to see what fits you and your expectations best. It's not only protection, but will need to be a part of you while on the field; and you'll possibly be in it for hours at a time if you get into scenarios...Amber interacts with the way the human eye percieves what's in the line of sight. Things in the woods "jump out" if you're using an amber lens faster than a clear or any other tint. I can't wait for JT to make one for mine.

Marker: Eliminations are achieved either by a few well placed shots or by volume. For the most part, it won't be a problem but make sure it's faster cycling than your fingers are. YOU have to be comfortable with it and what you expect it to do. I've shot out dozens of the highest end markers with a 10 shot 12 gram powered pistol... I've went toe to toe on an airball field against a speedball team using my Trillogy Sport and taking out 4 of 5. Whatever you get, get to know it. That will also let you know what you'll want to upgrade.

Whether you play speedball or woodsball, go with a harness that carries your pods verticlaly. Whether you're popping out of a real or blow-up tree, thehorizontal harnesses will be sticking out 8-10 seconds before you are; making you a bigger target. As far as clothing; I use BDU pants and a t-shirt. Been using that for years.

Hoppers: got me; I've got an absolute favorite that I have to get on E-bay and they are harder and harder to find since they havent been made in nearly 10 years. See the marker section for the "faster than you are" reasoning... why spend the $$ on a hopper that feeds 20+ BPS when you're only good for 6-8 on a real string? Tournament and ramping are different, but you'll have to decide what fits you best.

Best marker: What you're comfortable with and faster than you are
Best Mask: the one that fits YOU and is comfy for a long time
Best hopper: the one that's faster then your marker

[Ogemow]

I would just like to say that I am the type of guy that is very skeptical about things that companys say there products will do. But I have a Dye i4 mask with a double pane thermal lens, and I have got alot of use out of it. I even tryed to make it fog by putting it on inside the house for 15 min and then going outside at -15 degrees Celsius and it still did not fog up(when I play I sweat alot). That being said my wife had a Sly Profit it also had the double pane thermal lens and we could not get it to stop fogging.Also everyone that I have played with has had problems with their mask fogging up but my dye i4 has not fogged up on me yet and believe me if I was having problems with it fogging up I would be the first one to say it is a piece of crap. So my advice to anyone is to buy a dye i4. Have a good day.

[a43]

My JT Carnivore works great has a wide view, full head protection, and fogs rarely
My Tippmann A-5 is amazingly accurate with a new barrel, (for the most part tippmanns are indestructible that's why the use them as rentals)
and BDU's work great personally they are cheap, thick and hold up very well
for harnesses, it depends of the type of paintball, nxe pod packs are nice if you are starting out, but i recently upraded to a RAP4 vest and love it for everything. but really everything is just a matter of personal preference

[RedFlamingo]

some very good advice guys. even though i have my gear im learning a lot since im a new player

[FreeEnterprise]

I've been using and recommending A-5's since I started playing. They are just amazing. And I play in snow, and severe cold (where markers with batteries are a HUGE pain...).

I would rather PLAY then mess with my marker, so for me I want one I can use, and throw in the corner, and one day before my next game air it up, and wipe off the old paint, and it is ready to go...

I've literally worn out the techT ratchet "upgrade" and gone back to stock parts in my cyclone, and it fires as fast as I pull the trigger. Throw an apex on it, and this marker is amazing. Plus you can get them used all day long on craigslist for under $150... Usually with some extra stuff too.

Oh, and Co2 tanks are cheap, you can get them online for around $18 if you watch the sales. I got my last tank for $17... That is just so much cheaper than the compressed air tanks, and cheap enough you can have a bunch of spares. I have about 6 tanks right now... which is less than buying a "real" compressed air tank. Course in the cold, you have to keep them warm and use a remote coil so the liquid has a chance to turn to gas if it is really cold.

Where are you playing? The weather would be a factor in my mind.

I use a JT flex 8 full helmet, and I love it, course after falling on my head too many times as a kid, I like the extra head protection... Getting popped in the back of the head hurts!


Here is a little video I made about my A-5.



The first A-5 in realtree in that video is my new one, that I got on craigslist as I traded the guy a compound bow I had bought at a yard sale for $10...

The other one with the ZoomCam and Apex is my original A-5, that I got when I started playing paintball years ago!

Best thing to do is to go to a pro shop and try EVERYTHING you can, some markers "feel right" when you hold them, for me the A-5 was that marker. I like the weight, and size of it. Masks are the same way, as they "fit" each person differently. You really have to decide for yourself which ones you want, but trying stuff is key.

[a43]

thats funny the "dead walk" is one of the most WTF moments in paintball we had 4 ACT tactical guys wipe out a whole team doing the same thing that FreeEnterprise did....grrrrr

[HeDidIt]

My field does not allow the dead walk.....

[efine]

dead walk is funny.. but not a fan personally... and i dont think they allow it at most fields

[FreeEnterprise]

Dead walking is pretending to be dead and illegal at most fields... I just walked into their camp and walked right into their base. I didn't have my hand up OR my barrel bag on. Or my gun in the air.

I just walked normally into their camp, and no one looked at my bright blue armband, they just assumed I belonged there.

[Ogemow]

Perhaps. In my experience, double-paned lenses are just as fog prone as single pane. I personally feel that the double-paned "thermal" lens is just a gimmick. I've had DP lenses fog on me quicker than SPs, which leads me to believe there isn't much difference.

Have you tryed the Dye i4 mask? It has double paned lens and it has NEVER fogged up on me and I have been using mine for two seasons. They are expensive but in my opinion they are worth the money. But that being said, I do wish they were cheaper....lol