How To Start Playing Tournament Paintball For Five Hundred Dollars

There have been many studies that show tournament paintball as the fastest growing sport worldwide. Airball fields are showing up from South America all the way to Australia. People around the world are realizing the thrill, excitement, and addiction that comes along with being on the airball field.

Young players today are the champions and professionals of tomorrow, and we as elders must guide them along the straight path; molding, shaping, and forming the future of paintball. This is a requirement of us, as while paintball is still a large ordeal it suffers from instability and can crumple easily.

They types of emails I tend to receive the most are:

• “What should I buy?”
• “Where should I buy from?”
• “What brands are good / bad?”
• “Where can I get more information on playing?”

And all come from new players to the sport. With 2008 ahead of us, and Christmas money in our pockets, it’s time to take a look at the best possible equipment to get a person out onto the airball field and slinging paint.

1. Marker - Smart Parts Ion

The marker is an extension of one self on the field. It represents one’s personal attitude, style, and aggression based upon colors, modifications, and accessories. Without the marker, you are nothing. Obviously this is a very important piece of equipment for the player, and finding one that is affordable, reliable, and performance oriented can be somewhat difficult.

The Smart Parts Ion, despite what people on PbNation will tell you, is simply the best bang for the buck for an entry player. It’s light, electronic, efficient, reliable, comes with ramping, and is good for over fifteen balls per second. The marker’s service period isn’t as often as some of the other marker’s, and can be tedious to tear down due to its casing style construction. However, it is easily upgradeable with after-market parts (boards, regulators, barrels, etc…) in order to grow in performance related to the player.

Price today from PunishersPB.com: $164.95

Total cost of package: $164.95

2. Loader - Viewloader Vlocity Jr.

Moving to item two, the loader is what is required to feed your new marker with paint. There are many types available that suit different types of play. Gravity fed, agitated, force fed, etc. The type of marker and type of game you are playing will determine the appropriate loader for your setup.

While the Vlocity Jr. is somewhat expensive compared to earlier agitated models (Evolution2/3), the investment it a quality loader with features such as the Vlocity sports will help you in the long run in that you won’t be on the field with a broken or jammed loader. The Vlocity Jr. is a force feed designed with an eye force feed system, anti-jam logic, one hundred and eighty ball count capacity, and easy disassembly for cleaning and maintenance. It will suit your Ion perfectly.

Price today from PunishersPB.com: $97.00

Total cost of package: $261.95

3. Air Supply - Crossfire 4500psi Fixed High Pressure N2 Tank

 Now that I have set you up with your paint supply, it’s time to purchase your propulsion system. For years, the industry worked off of using C02 as the preferred method. It was cheap, and inexpensive. However, with Co2 you have problems. The liquid itself can filter into your marker’s internals and cause damage due to the extreme low temperatures, and the pressure output on a C02 tank can vary with weather / temperature. The industry realized this and got smart. They found a new cheap source for paintball propulsion, and that was compressed air.

There are other options available that are cheaper, but once again I’m setting you up with the best you can buy for five hundred dollars. That means a carbon fiber wrapped high pressure compressed air tank. Crossfire has been making tanks and regulators a long time and knows the quality and durability that tournament paintball players require. Their products are second to none, and priced for affordability. The only option for the player to pick is the size of the tank he wants, as all provide a different feel for each person. The forty five cubic inch is best suited for front players, while the sixty eight and seventy cubic inch are designed with the back and mid players in mind.

Price today from PunishersPB.com:  $159.95

Total cost of package: $421.90

4. Face Mask -  VForce Armour

The main safety item that you are required to have in paintball is a facial mask that provides protection for your eyes, mouth, and ears.  While there are a great deal of companies who provide great facial masks, I’ve always had good luck with VForce’s series of masks.

 

VForce’s Armour series of masks comes with the features a new player would generally want without all the fluff of those hundred dollar face masks. It has an anti-fog lens that is designed with a quick release system for easy cleaning. Also the mask sports plenty of room for those of us who wear glasses. It’s great design an price makes it a perfect starter mask for our package.

Price today from PunishersPB.com:  $19.95

Total cost of package: $441.85

5.  Harness - NXe RP Series

A harness is something that should be comfortable to wear, and ergonomically designed to allow for a player to access his paint exactly when he needs it. Depending on your position and your shooting skill, you will want a harness that has the capability to hold from three to six pods. Any more and you should work on your aim.

NXe is known and regarded highly in the paintball industry as a maker of fine soft goods. Their RP line of harness are designed to withstand even the toughest slides while not breaking your wallet. The harness is a bottom feed design that features a thick adjustable waste harness for comfortability, and an elastic ejection system for maximum speed of pod receival. The standard size for pods is three, which for an initial player should be plenty for a few games.

 Price today from PunishersPB.com: $29.95

Total cost of package: $471.80

6. Other Equipment

In reality, the only thing you need left are a few pods to hold your paint. These are usually inexpensive depending on the brand you buy. The best ones hold at least one hundred and forty paintballs and feature a spring loaded lid.

While I’m sure to  receive some emails or comments pestering me about other items I left out (jersey’s, pants, gloves, etc), most of those items aren’t important to a new player who is looking to break into tournament paintball. What is required is the core items that I have listed. As an individual continues to pursue the sport of paintball, he will find that other items are required to complement his style of playing.

Until then, the important thing is that new players get out onto the field, down behind bunkers, and start slinging paint across the fifty.