I’m not sure how legit this picture is, but it was released onto the internet a couple hours ago.

The picture is a low resolution (cellphone?) picture of what appears to be the DM8’s box, or some sort of marketing picture. If this is, then the most noticeable difference is the more aggressive milling, the composite cover that is over top of the new Hyper3 regulator, and the complete lack of eye covers.

Only a few more hours until release photos hit of Dye’s newest version of its flagship marker. We all wait with anticipation.

* Update *

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Paintball markers are getting fast. Actually, fast is underrating the raw speed that new markers have. Gone are the days of when 10bps was “high-performance”. Guess what? If you aren’t shooting 20bps minimum nowadays, then your will get no eRespect from your online friends.

The Halo loader is the tried and true force feed loader for the paintball industry. While there are others that have entered the market, the Halo is the standard comparison for force feed performance.

Halo’s are great. They have good battery life, aren’t prone to jams or malfunctions, and aren’t terribly hard to perform maintenance on. I’ve owned mine for two and a half years and I haven’t had any severe problems with it. However, with markers nowadays having the ability to shoot at higher rates of fire, you may find that the Halo has trouble keeping up when firing over 17bps. Don’t fret and don’t go out and buy something new. Enter the Victory Board.

The Victory (also known as the V35), is a drop in replacement circuit board developed by Odyssey. The notable features for the upgrade is first, the ability fo 35bps capable feed. Yes…nearly double that of stock. However, this isn’t the only option. The board allows a selection of six feed rates in order to match with your marker. These are:

• 17bps
• 21bps
• 24bps
• 28bps
• 32bps
• 35bps

Installation of the V35 would be rated somewhere in the medium range. You have to separate the Halo’s shell and unplug the stock board from the wiring harness. Using a bit of force, you remove the circuit board from the shell. From there, simply reinstall in reverse order the new V35.

After installation, the performance increase in the Halo was severely noticeable. The V35 definitely kicks everything up a few notches, as drop tests finishes significantly faster using modified settings. 35bps feed drains 150 paintballs in a little over 4 seconds. The only downside to the V35 is that with higher speeds, the Halo tends to draw the batteries faster than normal. This is expected though, as the higher speeds naturally are going to require more power.

The Odyssey Halo V35 Victory Board is available from Punisher’s Paintball online store today for $29.99.

Pros

• Speed adjustability
• Higher feed rates
• Relatively cheap upgrade

Cons

• Batteries drain faster
• Doesn’t have as many features as other upgrade boards on the market

Final Rating
4 out of 5

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Virtue Paintball sent out their press release today hyping the release of a brand new line of products that will debut at World Cup next week. Some of the more notable items in the release are:

• New lines of stylish clothing
• Empire Mini board
• Smart Parts Epiphany board
• WDP Angel 1 board
• Planet Eclipse Ego7 board
• Dealer store displays
• Viewloader Vlocity upgrade board
• Laser eyes now available on most markers
• Other various marketing supplies

The full line of new products hasn’t been released, as this is only a preview of what is to come at World Cup. The clothing line is attractive, however it seems they are simply following suit of other manufacturers in this field and jumping on the bandwagon this time around. The boards are good, and Virtue has a good marketing strategy with all the pros that advertise for them. Belts and t-shirts I think are just a little over the top.

Keep an eye out for pictures from World Cup next week.

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The fourth prologue episode of Unknown Soldiers has hit the net. This mini-episode picks up where Episode 3 dropped off and shows the events after NPPL Boston, and before NPPL Kansas City.I’ve been a fan of these guys since day one, as they have shown a lot of heart and determination for what they are doing. Hopefully next year they will step up in divisions and begin advancing one step further towards pro.

The full episode is supposed to be released sometime in the near future. I imagine that along lines of previous episodes, number 4 will be centered on their performance in Kansas City.

Keep and eye out.

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Having the ability to strip your marker in the field quickly and efficiently helps immensely during tournaments. When a gun breaks down, you usually don’t have much time to correct the situation. With that in mind, after market companies are continuously releasing products that increase this ability.

Hybrid Paintball is well known in the industry as the controversial company that simply doesn’t “give a fuck about those guys.” Hybrid broke out into the scene with slogans, logos, and quotes that have infiltrated everyday paintball life. However, while some may know them only for the Contract Killer line of products, Hybrid is a great manufacturer of marker parts that allow the player to service his/her marker more quickly and efficiently.

Taking a note from their excellent Shocker bolt guides, Hybrid gives 2006 Ego owners a quick remove ram cap. The cap is designed not only to be removable without tools, but allows for adjustability of the ram itself through use of an allen key adjustment of the cap.

Installation of the cap is extremely simple. Remove your old ram cap, and screw on the new one.

The cap’s profile is a nice rounded design with grip positions milled into it, along with Hybrids name. Although Hybrid claims adjustment can increase CPS, I didn’t really notice much. The product is mainly designed to be removed without tools, and that it self it performs well. Removal is as easy as unscrewing it. While I’m partial to the product, I can’t help but look to other removable caps made by competitors. There wasn’t really much about the Hybrid that impressed me greatly.

The Hybrid 2006 Ego Ram Cap is available at Hybrid’s online store today for $24.95

Pros

• Design allows for quick access to the rammer without tools
• Adjustable

Cons

• The design is a little lacking. When slippery with paint, there isn’t much grip
• Extremely high price tag for such a small item

Final Rating
3 out of 5

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