Newest Addition:
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| Keep it simple stupid ;) |
What can you add to your kit as a scenario player that's cheap and actually stands a chance of helping you out in the field? If you play a lot of woodsball scenarios, a couple pieces of CADPAT gear never hurt. Today my dad was nice enough to spontaneously buy me a simple CADPAT t-shirt that I'd been put on my upgrades shopping list over at Hero Army Surplus. Now, my upgrade list wasn't compiled purely based on the Hero catalogue but with the shop being local we just dropped in and it was an easy buy.
Yup, a dead-simple digital woodlands camo t-shirt is the latest upgrade to my kit albeit a rather mundane one. To be fair, until now I was playing with a long-sleeved black t-shirt that was far too warm and simply unsuitable for the upcoming Invasion of Normandy scenario at Skirmish Paintball which'll involve a lot of woodland combat.
Now I know, there are a lot more players out there with a lot more gear so what's a single t-shirt going to do for me? Essentially, if it comes down to a split-second draw and you're the only one with any level of concealment, you're going to hold a distinct advantage over your opponent.
I'm not saying you should go all-out and ghillie up, but a little camouflage never hurt.
On Deck:
As I've already mentioned, I'm looking to add more to my kit and a couple of items have come to the forefront. Now I'm not choosing these items based on some concept of "every new player should go in this order" because I've seen videos that claim there's a "perfect" order in which to buy upgrades but honestly, this isn't a video game where your needs have the same progression no matter who's playing. Your gear should adapt to the way you play, not the other way around. If your mentality has you wanting to hit the field one way, don't buy gear that works against what your mind's already good at doing.
As an example, if you love getting up-close and personal, breaching rooms and other CQB tactics, don't go gearing yourself up with a sniper's kit because it's only going to get you killed. conversely, if you want to hang back and pick guys off to support your frontline teammates, buying a speedball marker and a 'Pinocchio' hopper. Sure you'll be able to keep heads down, but sniping will be almost completely out of the question and you're going to burn through a LOT of paint which means a LOT of money. This graphic, though unrelated to paintball, should give you an idea of what I'm talking about.
See the adorable little soldier sprites here? See how each one has different gear to go with their roles and the situations they'll be facing? This is how you should work your kit.
I'm not saying that you need full body armour and camouflage equipment, I've already covered the whole "Tacti-cool" issue but put it this way... If stealth is your objective, don't go throwing on neon clothing and running around with bells on your shoes. If you're looking to be a one-man fireteam, odds are a single pistol and no back-up magazines just isn't going to cut it on the field. There's a time and place for everything out there guys (except spiders... I hate spiders) so figure out what works for YOU and then -though I hate to quote a soft-drink commercial- "do you". It's corny and far too cliche for my usual tastes but it works when it comes to organizing your kit.
Back to the matter-at-hand though... On-Deck Upgrades are:
Gloves:
Standard personal protection. I got dinged a time or two on my hands and wrists back in April and so it might be a good idea to add a pair of armoured gloves to my set-up to keep from bruising my digits. I didn't have my game impaired by hand hits though as I only suffered three over the course of the weekend so these come in at a slightly lower priority for me in contrast to what other players have told me.
Tactical Light:
There's going to be some guaranteed night-fighting this summer and if it goes anything like the night game I played in during the PRZ field opener, a flashlight with an added strobe function will come in handy for sure. Going from peering down a dark hallway to having a flickering light in your face makes it nearly impossible to get an accurate shot off.
Walkie-Talkies:
Definitely in the 'left field' portion of my potential upgrades but I almost always find myself closely allied with one or two individuals and communication can be extremely important especially if you're trying any maneuvers more complicated than "run in that direction and shoot anyone coming this way". They can be a good way to keep informed if you're shot and want to keep up-to-date on the situation as it changes during your re-insertion delay.
Smoke Grenades:
Again, PRZ's home opener was an eye-opener for me as to the usefulness of these little treats. One properly-used smoke grenade can help you clear a building where you stand to lose an equivalent value in paint. We managed to surrender 8-9 players in one building by lobbing in a cold smoke grenade. Those things smell and taste nasty, and where the rules permit'em, they can definitely swing the momentum in your favour.
Suggestions?
Well here's what it comes down to readers. Although I don't typically like letting others tell you what to do as it pertains to customizing your gear, I would appreciate some input from all of you. If you've used any of these items I'd like your opinions on them and how they've affected your game. None of them have any situation-specific nature so I have no problems asking for generalized information and as such, any personal experiences with them would be greatly appreciated! You can add your opinions, comments, questions etc in the "comments" area below the post :)
Thanks everyone, and remember...
Keep calm and throw paint!
Joshua J. Taylor - The 'Noob' Baller
