Action Cameras - Blindshooting Buts

The Question:

Does using a live-feed device from a marker-mounted action camera count as "blindfiring" your marker?

The Arguments:

Attaching an action camera to your paintball marker can give you some amazing video footage and still photography media, that much is indisputable. However, the use of the newer live-feed systems as a way to shoot from behind cover without actually exposing your mask has become flamewar fodder in a lot of MagFed groups and it's a point of contention in scenario paintball circles as a general community.

Anti-Cornershot:

Now by this point I would think most MilSim enthusiasts will be familiar with the Cornershot system, which allows the operator to fire from a position of cover with a considerable level of accuracy. It's currently used by military and law enforcement units around the world to keep their people safe, or safer while in the line of duty so it can be established that the proof of concept is there in spades.

The issue here comes primarily from the argument that using an action camera as a jury-rigged Cornershot makes scenario play, specifically your CQB engagements, into a pay-to-win game where those who can afford cameras with a live-feed unit have an unfair advantage over the rest of the players on the field.

Pro-Cornershot:

Of course the arguments in support of the allowance of action camera Cornershots are as plentiful as their are benefits of using such a system. At a field or in a game where marker hits do not count (see: Skirmish Paintball) you have the distinct ability to return fire without any risk of actually getting shot out by opposing players barring the odd hand shot by a lucky marksman. Even in a situation where marker hits DO count, you're still presenting a smaller target since your mask, shoulder and arm are still behind cover. You may suffer from some slight video feed lag but it's something you accept as a trade-off when leaving a much smaller profile, especially while using a MagFed marker as there's no hopper hits to be concerned about.

The picture featured here (above-left) is from the Cornershot website, depicting the NLS or Non-Lethal System which advertises a Cornershot unit that has been modified specifically by the company to fit a Tippmann A-5 paintball marker. If the company's making a specific unit I think it becomes safe to say that the system IS effective and would function properly on a paintball field.

My Feelings:

Technology is a crucial part of our sport. Electronic markers and battery-operated force-feed hoppers combine lightweight units with heavy firepower. We have camera systems that some ballers already use to augment their scopes for easier viewing and more accurate shooting.

Does the Cornershot NLS count as blindfiring in my opinion? Absolutely not. It counts as "shooting from behind cover", but it allows you to view your target, and reliably aim your marker at said target. To me this negates the main blindfiring concerns where payer safety is involved. If you blindfire at a field (without visual assistance in the form of a live video feed and a SIGHTED video feed) then you cannot be sure if you're hitting your target, and you can't be sure WHERE you're hitting your target if you hit them at all.

This GIF (which I made at www.imgflip.com) really puts the final nail in the coffin, or bullet in the target of the "does using a camera still count as blindfiring" debate. To me, if your camera is a live feed, and you have it sighted properly with your marker, then you are eliminating the safety concerns which necessitate the "no blindfiring" rule. Once those safety concerns are addressed, and you can both see your target and aim your marker, you are good to go.

This won't sit well with everyone but that's okay, I like discussion. With that said, please keep any comments under this post (and I LOVE reading the comments I get) polite and on-topic. We can have a civil discussion about this can't we?

With all that said, whether you're pro or anti-Cornershot in paintball, I still advise you to keep calm, and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - The Noob Baller

PRZ's Conquer The Asylum - A Weekend of Firsts

Storm Warning:

So there was a storm warning for much of the Picton / Prince Edward County area when my buddy Carden and I departed from Oshawa on Friday morning. We're not sure what happened, but I'm happy to say that despite the insane weather here in the Shwa and in parts around, Picton (and PRZ) were spared any such conditions with sunlight and ~30 degree temperatures all weekend.

Now to the good stuff!

Setting Precedents:

This was a BIG game for me on a number of levels. First off, my buddy Jay "Monk" Hebert from WCP Canadian Corps was signed up for his first-ever role as a general and he honoured me by picking me as one of his 20 lieutenants.


Off the break of a major PRZ game it's the lieutenants who're sent in as a first-strike group (action, not the ammunition) to compete against the opposing team's Lt's for control of the ever-critical warehouse slapstick and the territory around it. This position lead to two more 'firsts' for me in that I switched the warehouse flag (my first contested capture) and I shot out three players attempting to gain entry into the warehouse and its sniper tower (my first eliminations with my new Etha nicknamed "Lily").

My luck didn't last long however, as the hopper I was using took a shot from a weird angle not too much later into the game and snapped the clip that holds the lid down. I spent the vast majority of the event without a marker but still managed to thoroughly enjoy myself as I took on the role of a field commander, organizing players and calling out enemy positions.


The game itself started getting a bit one-sided with our side taking a decisive lead which was when the Dead Men Walking agreed to switch sides and support the Punishers. This act of amazing sportsmanship won them the "Most Sportsmanlike Team" award from BOTH sides. Yup, DMW set a PRZ Paintball first by being the ONLY team thus far to have been award the Mo-Spo title from both of an event's generals. In my opinion it was well-earned. The Dead Men Walking are a group that focused first and foremost on growing the sport through responsible, fair play and they pride themselves on making sure that every team member conducts themselves with the paintball community's best interests in mind. Keep an eye on them folks, I know you'll be hearing a LOT more about their exploits in the years to come.

Another couple of firsts that came about over the weekend were my first melee 'kill' and my first (successful) flag rush which both came about due to a focus on stealthy play and more importantly, a LOT of luck. I managed to commando-crawl my way to within 6' of the cemetery flag before signalling the 2nd story window gunners to open fire and cover my vault over the long 'n low concrete slab on the border of the cemetery's flag area. If it weren't for the covering fire there's no way I'd have made it to the flag much less switching it without taking any fire from the enemy team. My melee 'kill' came from patience and again, more dumb luck as I advanced alone (after my backup was eliminated) commando-crawling through some long grass before a player ran past me and slid into the bunker I'd just left which is when I jumped up and pod tagged him. The funny part? It wasn't even my pod... I'd scavenged it only seconds earlier.

The Scenario:

What is there to say that hasn't already been said about Kyle Lecuyer's scenarios at the PRZ Asylum Series events? The guy knows how to create a story and how to work that dramatic backdrop around the field which, in my opinion, is second to none.

It sure doesn't hurt to have a field unlike any other to design your scenario around, but Kyle seems to understand the pivotal concept of balance in scenario design. Missions are challenging but not impossible, scoring is dramatic but fair, and there are enough independent missions to make it possible to still be a contender if you don't manage to accomplish the linked objectives. Have there been fumbles? Sure, the season opener was pretty rough but that's going to happen as a simple part of growing and developing as an organizer. I have to give Kyle and PRZ a solid 8/10 for the overall playability of the Conquer the Asylum scenario event. There are little tweaks and changes that could be made (having two days of objectives would definitely bring out more players for the second day, especially since it was a long weekend) but overall it was a very solid scenario and I had an absolute blast.

Awards:

Every Asylum Series event concludes with awards being handed out to the players and teams that earned them that day. Here's a quick summary of the awards from Conquer and the recipients:

Most Valuable Player:

Dylan James Swann
Tanya Langlois of Omega's Curse

Most Valuable Team:

Shadow Wolves
Citrus Connection (Who later dedicated it to Omega's Curse for their efforts)

Most Sportsmanlike Team:

Dead Men Walking (Awarded by BOTH generals)

Most Formidable Opponent (MoFo):

WCP Canadian Corps
Punishers

The Wrap-Up:

Alright folks that about does it for this article. I know I haven't been on here with any new material in a long time and I apologize for the hiatus. I'll be covering as much as I can from now on as long as school allows me the time with the upcoming semester fast approaching.

It's been a pleasure writing another article and I hope you all enjoy it. Please remember to leave your thoughts in the comments section and to head over to the team pages (they're all hyperlinked and just a click away in the article) and give those guys some 'likes' on Facebook. They all play hard, with a TONNE of heart and they deserve the recognition. If you've come across this article from somewhere OTHER than my Facebook page, head over to The Noob Baller and 'like' the page for immediate updates whenever a new article is posted and to keep up with my paintball adventures.

And as always folks, until next time...

Keep calm and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - The Noob Baller

About Advertising - Some Serious Symbolism

Disclaimer:

1. My opinion is not your opinion, and we my never see eye-to-eye on anything. In reading this blog you will have to accept that as a universal human truth so please keep any/all comments respectful. Just because you may disagree with someone does not warrant a personal attack on them.

2. I do not support the ideals of the historical regime in question. I am simply putting forth my view on the use of certain symbols in scenario paintballing media. I understand that this topic is a very sensitive one to a lot of people and I mean no disrespect.

Onto the Article:

     I recently became part of a rather heated discussion revolving around the use of certain images in paintball advertisements such as posters, flyers etc. One symbol in particular took center stage as the debating point for the question of "what is appropriate for scenario advertising?"

     The polarizing symbol was that of Nazi Germany's swastika.

     Now, I know what many of you will  be thinking... "Josh, the use of a swastika is never acceptable under any circumstances" and I can understand your concern in the matter but I would ask you read on and hear me out while I speak from the standpoints of historical accuracy and 'symbolic equality'.

Historical Accuracy:

This should be seen as...

     First comes the historian in me saying that it is just another in the long line of controversial history references made in the modern day, no different than the debates as to whether books should have offensive terminology removed from them or altered to be 'politically correct'. This campaign has long been waged against literary works such as To Kill a Mockingbird and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for their use of "nigger" and other racial epithets or against Salinger's Catcher in the Rye or Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four for inciting rebellion or encouraging poor habits. In these cases the majority decision has been that to censor these works would be to effectively attempt to censor history and that doing so would remove a level of legitimacy or period-accuracy from the book.

...no different than this.

     

     The fact of the matter here is that the swastika WAS the national flag of Nazi Germany whether we like it or not. On a much-diluted tangent, the use of a swastika to denote the German side in a historically-based scenario paintball match is nothing more than the use of an NHL team's crest to indicate their planned appearance in an upcoming hockey game. As you can see, the image posted to the right was a Facebook event cover photo for an event at PRZ Paintball which was later changed after criticisms were received for the use of a Swastika. Some individuals felt that it was in poor taste and others did not want to play on a team that could be labelled as being the 'Nazi side' as opposed to the correct 'German side'.

     Unfortunately, if you're going to attend a scenario game taking its base from any engagement in World War Two, you're technically going to be "Hitler's Nazi Germany" on one side just as much as you'd be "Roosevelt's United States of America" on the other. This is an inescapable fact, and the only way to avoid this would be to never use WW2 as a basis for a scenario game, or to only use the Pacific theatre which was equally bloody and tarnished by the mistreatment of prisoners of war.

The original (top) and edited (bottom) versions of PRZ's Facebook event page's cover photo.

     So, through the eyes of historical accuracy, there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with the original event cover photo as listed above. The image provides you with scenario-accurate information about the nations who were engaged in the game's historical reference point alongside information about the event's date, location and miscellaneous information.

Symbolic Equality:

     Onto talking point number two...

     Speaking ONLY of the two flags in the above images, the leaders of these nations were both (in my opinion) equally brutal. On one side you had Adolf Hitler, an anti-Semitic dictator who held his own people above the laws of the rest of mankind and slaughtered peoples he held as inferior with a death toll estimated at around 10 million over his time as fuhrer. On the other side was Joseph Stalin a tyrant whose military policies remorselessly sent millions of his own people to die in waves and then went on to murder what has been estimated up to another 1.2million people in just two years during a series of "purges" within the USSR. To me? Neither of these nations can be considered a 'good guy' in the fight.

     If neither nation can be considered a 'hero' in the conflict, and both leaders authorized the slaughter of millions to advance their agendas (honestly folks, Hitler and Stalin weren't all that different), how can we say that the Nazi 'tilted' swastika is any more a sign of evil or hatred than the USSR's hammer and sickle? Before you jump on your keyboards and bombard me with comments please note that BOTH nations:

• Imprisoned the own, and other nations' citizens unjustly.
• Murdered MILLIONS of people.
• Conducted campaigns of ethnic cleansing.
• Opposed democratic political systems.
• Opposed free-market economics.
• Tortured civilians and POWs.

     The tilted swastika on the white circle and red flag represents Nazi Germany every bit as much as the hammer and sickle have represented the likes of Stalin's Russia and Mao Zedong's China. By this method of thinking, both symbols should be held as equally offensive and yet they are not. Why is this? Because China is extremely tight-fisted regarding information control and until the end of WW2 Stalin was a 'good guy' to the Allies and well... To the victors go the spoils along with the rights to write the history books.

Food for Thought:

     So why hold the event you may ask, why conduct a game where both sides were extensions of murdering tyrants? Why? Because:

1. It is an easily identifiable winter conflict in an urban environment.
2. The destroyed buildings of WW2 Stalingrad are an easy fit with the field layout of PRZ Paintball.
3. Modern videogames have seen a growth in the references to the past, specifically to Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union while paintball has seen an influx of players coming from the videogaming subculture.

     There are scenario games of all different types held every day, with different historic or futuristic foundations held on fields worldwide. Some of these games have become quite famous like Skirmish Paintball's Invasion of Normandy held each July where there is even a judged competition of period-accurate costumes the day before the games begin and yes, this means military uniforms of ALL nations involved in the Normandy invasion.

     What I am trying to say here is that squabbling over the use of one historically accurate symbol based on the governing party and principles that party represented while ignoring a second symbol used by an equally vicious ruler is pointless. Both flags are historically accurate and if we attempt to censor history then we're going down the same roads taken by both of these tyrants. Using the flags SHOULD amount to nothing more than the listing of opposing teams and (obviously) has NO say on the thoughts, beliefs or opinions of the players on either team. If you would refuse to play for the German side with ANY justification other than "I'm of Russia heritage and wish to play on the Russian side" then you have to acknowledge that the other team's leader (speaking historically, not of the paintball game) was just as much of a murdering bastard as the other.

My Suggestion:

     Here it is folks, the last paragraph of the article. I know it's been a wordy one so I'll try to wrap things up quickly with a list.

1. The use of the official German and Russian flags should be seen as an appropriate choice for adverts pertaining to a scenario game based on and Russo-German conflict in WW2. (Historical accuracy)
2. The use of swastikas or the hammer and sickle on player apparel, markers or gear should be strictly forbidden. (Symbolic equality)
3. Game props like intelligence folders, briefcases, ammo crates etc for BOTH sides may be marked with the aforementioned symbols by event organizers but only in such a way as similar items would have been marked by the military forces involved in the scenario's inspiration battle (Historical Accuracy)
4. No hate speech of any sort is to be tolerated (Simple human decency).

     By following these four rules it is my opinion that a scenario game can be promoted and conducted with professionalism while maintaining historical accuracy. It is also my opinion that holding a historically-based scenario game demands a certain level of period-accurate representation to lend an identity to the event since we're playing with air-propelled, paint-filled, less-than-lethal projectiles which means that gaining some in-event legitimacy could use all the help it can get.

     And on that note I will leave the article to the mercy of the masses and say to everyone...

     Until next time keep calm, and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - The Noob Baller

Changing Perceptions - Tour of Duty

Plain and simple, paintballers don't get the credit they deserve.

The Problem:

There have been too many people doing too many irresponsible and utterly stupid things in the past that have caused society to look down on this sport. Sure, the tournament style of play gets TV airtime and big corporate sponsors and it's all flashy and easily marketable, but what about the woodsball and scenario crowd? Who has their back? I'll tell you who... Cro Wakd of Wakd Ops.

The Solution:

How do you get from point A to point B? As the Cro flies ;)

This is the second year that Cro's run the Tour of Duty and this year's event at PRZ Paintball in Prince Edward, Ontario was nothing short of spectacular. The man's humble to a fault, saying that he's only a mirror and that he simply reflects the energy and image we send out but he's so much more than that. He put together this scenario and convinced Camp Trillium, a support camp for children with cancer, to allow us to hold the event with them as the beneficiary. That might not seem hard to some, getting a charity to let you give them money, but you need to remember that there have been SO many misconceptions about paintball that almost anyone not directly involved with the sport has a bad taste in the mouth before even getting near it. Cro's efforts have resulted in a GIANT leap away from that sort of public image.

This is Cro alongside Carrie of Camp Trillium as he presented to them a commemorative paintball jersey to signify that "we will fight on" against cancer and how it affects the lives of so many. There's not a doubt this will be the start of a very long, and very beneficial friendship for all sides with Erin's Army and Cro organising these events, and Camp Trillium working to improve the lives of child cancer patients for years and years to come.

Although I don't think Cro needs to be QUITE as humble as he is, what with the amount of effort he puts into everything he does and the devotion he shows for the causes he supports, I WILL agree with him on this fact... There's so many people to thank for their parts in making the Tour of Duty event happen, without whom it never would've been the success that it was. Having already thanked Cro for his involvement I'd like to move on to the rest of the supporters from the weekend.

The Ballers:

Plain and simple this wouldn't have been anything more than a pipe dream if no one had shown up to play, and for that I'd like to thank all of my fellow ballers who came out to support Erin's Army and Camp Trillium. There are a couple of people I'd like to mention who really displayed what I believe to be the TRUE spirit of paintball, and these are my Prestigious Paintballers from Tour of Duty: Insertion 2.

Rob Vance:

This guy was an absolute juggernaut of energy and encouragement out on the field. You only had a couple of mags for your pistol? Here's a vest-full so you can load'em up and shoot all day. You're pinned down and need covering fire? Let me throw a few pods through the "Warhammer" at that window so you can break from cover and get to a better position. You're too tired to play? You want to quit? Let me pick you up and bloody-well CARRY you onto that field because you know you love it and if that's what it takes to make sure you keep enjoying yourself by God I'll do it.

This man kept me in the game when the 'night fight' came around. I wanted to retire to my tent, throw in the towel and he just turned to me and said "I'm here to wreck shit tonight, and I need you to help me do that. Now are you withe me or not?"... Well you can probably guess what happened to my motivation after that. I went out on that field and pushed the line up wherever I could. Rob doesn't know the meaning of quit and won't let anyone else quit either. Is it because he's some hard-ass guy who demands too much? HELL NO! He just knows how to motivate you and has the utmost confidence that you can do so much more than what you THINK you're capable of.

If you ever see Rob on the field you need only know two reactions.

1. If he's on your team, get a hand on his shoulder, let him know you're there and willing to follow him to the gates of hell and back, cause he'll get you there safe.
2. If he's NOT on your team, GTFO or prepare to get lit-the-eff up. Heads down or hands up are your only options once he sets his sights on you.

Rob, if you get to read this, thanks for the encouragement man, and for not letting me quit. I'd have regretted not being on the field for that night game.

Connor "Casper" Andrews:

A young baller after my own heart, this little dude's essentially my neighbour... If you count adjacent cities as neighbours haha.

Small, agile, and fearless, Connor's honestly twice the baller that I am, and I've got no problem admitting that. It's not going to be long before this kid's getting invites from scenario teams left right and centre because boy can he EVER move out there. It doesn't matter what the objective is, how many people are guarding it, he wants a piece and wants it bad.

I have yet to meet a baller with quite so much energy as Casper's packing, even my friend and mentor Dylan "Joe Dirt" Swann might have a difficult time keeping up to young Connor. It didn't matter what you put in his hands whether it was a speedball gun, down to a pistol or even a pair of knives, he was going to get shit done.

Casper my little buddy, never lose that competitive fire, or your fearlessness. It was a HUGE help having you on our team.

Zach O'Leary:

I met Zach at the onset of the night game and I'm glad that I did. Although I never found him during the day on Sunday his actions during the night game MORE than earned him kudos on the blog.

I linked up with him as we were about to assault the warehouse. He needed someone with a flashlight, I needed backup and no one else seemed to have a better plan than forcing in the front doors... not exactly the best way to stay alive. So Zach and I cooked up the idea of working the boundary line, passing through an ignored back route and breaching through the kitchen. To say we found success in our plan would be a serious understatement. Zach nailed a few guys from the right corner while I took to picking off targets in the warehouse's sniper tower. Probably about 10 guys painted on our first strike and a couple more the second time around.

The best part of Zach's gameplay was that, when I suggested we work the outside and come in behind them he made sure we asked the head ref if it was acceptable considering the boundary rules. For maintaining a ridiculous amount of energy and for focusing on fair play and abiding by the rules, Zach gets a well-earned place on this list.

The Wrap Up:

Well I can't write all day... Or, I could but then no one would ever finish my articles.

There's not much that I want out of the sport to be honest, my aspirations are fairly simple. First I'd like to just have fun and I've accomplished that every time I've taken to the field. Second? I'd like to make as many new friends as possible and I'm also on track for that one. Third is my most important goal though... I want to help this sport grow. I only set out originally looking for numbers 1&2 but the second I got off that field I just knew that I needed to do more. I want to grow the sport and the only way to do that is to expose the brighter, better side of paintball to offset the negatives that people have been misinformed about over the years.

That's why I write this blog folks, to expose the misconceptions and to try and help prospective ballers get involved in the sport by providing information to answer the questions they may have and to make their entrance into the sport that much smoother. If my posts help even one person get into the sport then I'll be happy.

Until next time folks,

Keep calm and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - The 'Noob' Baller

P.S.

There is a post on its way for the photographers and sponsors who were at the event working their butts off. It's just a lot to put into one post when done properly :p

Miss Catshack 2013 - She's Got MY Vote

CONTEST TIME!!!

Okay, I'm not holding the contest but a great friend of mine is in it and she needs your help. The contestant appointed Miss Catshack becomes a representative of female paintballers everywhere as well as a spokesmodel of sort for The Catshack Reports.

For those of you not in the know, The Catshack Reports is a paintball publication meant to spread the sport of paintball around the world and to provide tips and lessons to players everywhere. The winner of the Miss Catshack 2013 contest will receive:

• 1 Houston Heat team jersey, signed by the entire team
• Dead Man's Gear apparel
• One Valken product (to be specified)
• One BuyPBL product (also to be specified)
• One regulator from Immortal Air
• AND MORE!!! (to be announced as well).

Miss Catshack will (upon accepting her title) represent The Catshack Reports Paintball News by assisting with future Catshack promotions AND representing women in paintball throughout the year.

It's a pretty big deal in the paintball community to be named Miss Catshack and this year my good friend, mentor and she was also an outstanding medic who kept me in the fight back in my very first paintball game in April.

Sabria McLaughlin:

This brunette beauty hails from the wholesome heartland of Pennsylvania but she calls southern Ontario her second home.

Her paintball tag is "Valkyrie" and although this lovely lady may not have a pair of wings, but she's one hell of a warrior. To put you in mind of her paintballing mindset, this photo was taken just before she began darting  out from cover, running through walls of flying paint as a medic (see the medic patch on her left arm) to keep our shooters in the fight whenever they took a hit. Valkyries may be the choosers of the slain in Norse mythology but she sure as hell wasn't going to let our boys get 'chosen' out on the field.

When I met her she had just finished a manic medic moment and I'd been lit up all across my right arm and leg. She had me cleaned up and back in the fight and from that point on I decided that wherever Valkyrie went, I'd be doing my best to head up the advance because honestly? She was the only medic doing their job that day from our team. What's the old saying? Behind every good woman is a bunch of men trying to keep up? ;)

So now we know the story of how the Valkyire-Noob connection came to be, but what about the tale of Valkyrie? If there was a "Winged Warrior Rises" movie made, how would the saga begin? 

Chooser of the Slain:

Sabria got her start in the wild and wonderful world of paintball ---Interview To Be Published---

Miss Catshack Campaign:

Now as-mentioned, Sabria's in the running for Miss Catshack 2013 and yes, she is a bold, beautiful and upbeat baller but she still needs your votes.

Can register your vote in a number of different ways but the easiest would be to head straight to the Miss Catshack 2013 page @ http://www.catshackreports.com/miss-catshack-contest/28303-2/ and leave your comment "Sabria -Valkyrie- McLaughlin" at the bottom OR head over to the Facebook poll @ https://www.facebook.com/questions/10151685360032356/.

PLEASE guys, all of you, each and every last reader... Sabria needs you to get out and VOTE!!!!!!

Also guys remember... As always,

Keep calm and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - The 'Noob' Baller

Scenario Essentials - Hello Hydration My Old Friend

I've come to talk to you again,

Okay enough of the Simon and Garfunkel reference (if you didn't get it I feel bad for you) and onto the serious topic of today's post... Staying hydrated.

It can be easy to lose yourself in the heat of battle and forget that you're a working machine that needs certain fluids to stay operational. While you're out balling on the field, your body's using up a lot of water to keep you cool, supply your organs, and keep your brain from cooking under that mask. To replenish your lost fluids I've come up with a couple of systems you might want to look into in order to keep yourself hydrated.

The Camel:

This is my personal favourite so I'm letting it take the top spot. If you're puttering around your local Canadian Tire, Sport Chek or really ANY store with an outdoor sporting goods section, you'll want to look into what's called a hydration pack or 'camel pack'.

It's a pretty simple design folks, just a rubber or plastic bladder inside a slim backpack with a long drinking tube allowing you easy access to its contents. All you need to do is fill this puppy up before you hit the field and fix the mouthpiece in a location where you can easily bring it to your lips for a drink. Do this and you're ready to rock.

I should also mention some information compiled by a few of my fellow allied soldiers for the upcoming Invasion of Normandy scenario at Skirmish Paintball, Albrightsville Pennsylvania, USA. Between Matthew Moss, Nathan Ale and Anth Connor the tested and recommended ratio for your camel pack beverage should consist of either alternating 2 units of water for every unit of Gatorade, or simply pre-mix your Gatorade with the same 2:1 H20:Gatorade ratio before hitting the field as this will keep your hydration more consistent and as we all know, consistency is key.

Of course there are other ways to stay hydrated that don't require the purchase of extra gear, and I'm about to get to those, but as I said, for ease of access and the fact that it reduces your time spent in the pits getting drinks etc, this is my personal favourite.

The MacGyver:

This one's for the players who simply don't want to bother with purchasing the  whole hydration pack and who just want to be able to nip a sip while they're out on the field. It takes a little bit of ingenuity (and duct tape) but it will provide you wil satisfactory hydration while out on the field.

Materials:

• Duct tape
• Slim Powerade Bottle (Powerade with the 'nipple valve' bottle tops will be needed)
• Pod Pack (You should have one of these anyway)
• Flexible rubber tubing
• Duct Tape (too important to only list once)
• Large Ziplock bag
• Hot Glue Gun (Optional, but it sure helps)
• Funnel

Essentially you're about to construct your own hydration pack but this one's going to be put in place of a pod of ammunition... I know, I know, how dare I suggest you sacrifice ammunition capacity but let's face it, you can't exactly be painting faces when you're passed out from dehydration and heatstroke right? Right.

Construction Procedure:

1. Drink the beverage... Why waste it right?
2. Use the hot glue gun or duct tape to seal the zippered side of the Ziplock bag.
3. Cut a triangle out of one corner of the Ziplock bag. Any corner that is NOT met by the zipper will do.
4. Glue the cut-out corner to the inside of the bottle top, making sure not to get glue into the threads.
5. Feed one end of the rubber tubing through the nipple valve and into the plastic bag, then glue it in place (applying glue around the valve)
6. Insert plastic bag into the Powerade bottle and screw on the top.
7. Place narrow end of the funnel (obviously) into the drinking end of the rubber tube and pour your beverage into the plastic bag bladder.
8. Fix rubber tubing in place up your back and over your shoulder with duct tape.
9. Sip as required.

Again, this one forces you to construct your own bladder system, but it's cheaper than buying a $30-$50 hydration pack. For the most part this thing's only going to be good for a weekend or so, but if you're only playing one long-engagement event over the summer, this might be all that you need.

Of course there's always room for improvement and innovation, and I encourage people to create their own designs but this is just a little something I constructed back when I was in elementary school as a science project... Figured its time had finally arrived :)

The Sippy Cup:

This one's dead simple but it takes more time to use on-field and therefore is less tactically sound than the other suggested systems.

As I said, it's dead simple. Buy the previously mentioned rubber tubing and powerade bottle, but don't go mucking around "MacGyvering" things. Just keep both the tubing and the filled bottle with you on the field and feed the tube up under your mask and down into the top of the bottle whenever you need a drink. This is going to require setting down your marker or using a sling for it, but it's bare bones as far as effort and cost... Just don't try to get a drink during a firefight.

Summary:

No matter what you do, staying hydrated is ESSENTIAL when playing paintball. It's too easy to forget, but too important to ignore your hydration so play it safe when you're out there slinging the paint and make sure to use either a camel pack, the "MacGyver" system, the sippy cup or simply more frequent pit stops to make sure you don't succumb to the heat and overexertion.

As for my buddies, Nate, Matt and Anth, you can check out their team pages on Facebook:

• Team Hellbent for Matt and Nate: https://www.facebook.com/TeamHellBent 
• The One Eyed Demons for Anth and company: https://www.facebook.com/oed.paintball?fref=ts

Paintball's an extremely fun sport, and it's also just as safe when people keep to the rules and wear the proper equipment. Don't let heatstroke and dehydration keep you from making the most of your marker this summer. Get out there and play, but play safe!

And as always my fellow noobs, keep calm and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - The 'Noob' Baller

The Kit Connection - Minor Upgrades

Hey guys, a little bit of news regarding the future of my paintball kit. I figure with each passing event I'm going to try and add one more piece to my gear and tonight's update comes with one new item, and a couple of accessories on-deck.

Newest Addition:

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

Balling Accessories - Tactical or Tacticool?

Don't be a 'Noob':

Unless you're me, cause that's my job.

No but seriously, I noticed a lot of people who'd loaded themselves up with pounds and pounds of ear, most of which was either ignored, or ineffective when it came to the majority of the Fight for Asylum fire fights. Don't get me wrong, there's a time and place for all sorts of attachments and upgrades, but when you're putting "sights on sights on sights", the whole thing becomes a little ridiculous.

I saw a couple of people working sights on stock guns without so much as an extended barrel, and this seems a little off to me. I managed, with just a new barrel, to barely dial-in my shots. Remember folks, that unless you're working with a rifled barrel, and even then sometimes it won't matter, that you're effectively using an old-school musket so be sure to treat it like one. Unless you've spent hours zeroing your gun in on a target using one scope and First Strike rounds, there's not going to be a huge difference between your scope-modified marker and the guy working the stock variant of your gun. 

A Sniper's Best Friend:

Ask Valyrie if these work ;) Our badass medic could tell you from first-hand experience how deadly these little puppies can be.

I wouldn't recommend these to my fellow noobs, that would just be insane. They're much more costly than standard ammunition, they require a decent amount of set-up time and you need a marker that's reliably accurate enough to make the most of them (not to mention that they don't work in every marker). If you have the time and money however, these can drastically improve your on-field performance if sniping is what suits you best.

I managed to get a chat in with one of my team's 2 designated snipers, a Mr. Dan Greene who gave me this much about his experiences firing First Strike rounds:

"For tactical games/scenarios they're awesome. You can reach out and touch people at twice if not more the effective range of a traditional paintball... The quality of first strikes has fallen off greatly in the last few years. Now you pull 100 rounds out of a case and 30 of them are underweight and 50 of them have burrs on the nose which affects trajectory on longer shots."

As with anything that goes from being manufactured for a speciality market to mass-production there will be some inconsistencies and growing pains. How well FS rounds do in the future will depend heavily it seems, on how the manufacturing quality is maintained.

Frequent Faux-Pas:

I posted a question on Facebook about what people thought were either the most common, or just the downright worst "tacticool" mistakes made by players. Sometimes you're just doing something to be cool, but every now and then a noob like myself sees it, thinks it's somehow functional and lays down money on it in the hopes of improving their game. This is how the voting broke down:

Unnecessary scopes...
This is what you look like.

1. Unecessary sights and/or scopes: "Scopes in paintball are essentially useless considering we play at ranges generally under 200ft." - Paul Williams. He makes a good point, and since a standard paintball is practically an old-school musketball fired by air and not gunpowder the accuracy of a stock marker with a scope is still the same as a marker without the scope. Remember, First Strike rounds give you a reason to work with a low-power scope but they're costly!
2. Flashlights: They're a bitch to play against under perfect circumstances, but unless you're playing a lot of night games, or you're using a strobe light in a dark hallway to disorient your attackers, it's essentially a waste of money and dead weight on your gun.
3. Overspending on clothing: Should have been in 2nd place but the voting got divided between the general clothing shopping spree and ghillie suits. I saw a lot of people with so much gear on them when it served NO practical purpose at the Fight for Asylum game. Does it make you look cool? To me it's not cool to sacrifice mobility and functionality just to look neat. To me, cool means being able to move from bunker to bunker, making mad dashes to and from cover and bunkering your enemies. You can't do that as well when you're bogged down with gear.

There were more options on the poll, but these were the top three, and very clear leaders of 'tacticool' status.

Disclaimer:

I'd just like to toss this out here in case of any potential trouble...

This blog is not about insulting anyone, though I anticipate there are some people who will get their feelings hurt. If you have the money to blow on gear and style upgrades by all means knock yourself out but whatever you do, don't go telling new or prospective ballers that they need the gear to play better, look better, etc. I know a few friends who've had people tell them that they need tonnes and tonnes of gear and upgrades to play better ball or have more fun and it turned them off of the sport. I've managed to repair some of that damage (and might even be bringing a coworker to Skirmish Paintball's Invasion of Normandy in Pennsylvania this summer) but I'm sure there's more to be rectified. So, if you like being tacticool and you can afford it, by all means have fun, but this is a cautionary post for noobs like myself so that money isn't wasted on the frills rather than the thrills.

With all of that said I'd like to apologize for taking so long to write this post. I kept promising "tonight, tomorrow" etc etc, but life got in the way and frankly... I have my extremely lazy moments. 

Until next time folks, remember to keep calm and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - The 'N00b' Baller

Fight for Asylum - Prestigious Paintballers

And the Awards Go To:

I told y'all that last weekend was going to spawn a whole series of posts... Hope you're prepared because there's a lot to get through over the next week or so.

I'm writing this post to pay homage to a couple of ballers who I witnessed running the field like they owned it. These guys (and girls) held their own, kept their squads in the fight and -when necessary- were willing to lay it all on the line to push the enemy back even through walls of enemy paint. It takes a certain something to lead others in battle, and don't get me wrong that's precisely what it is out there. It's a battle and to be able to get others to follow you and carry out your orders is a very special skill. It's because of his leadership that my first award goes to:

Smash:

Bringing home the briefcase.

Our general for the weekend, and my official 'ballin brother for life, Smash rallied our team and turned us into a paintballin' meat grinder at times. He worked the XOs to make sure that everyone knew what the objectives were, employed runners to get the messages out to the front lines when his NCOs were unavailable and kept all of our spirits up with pep talks and even came up with little personal missions carried out by splinter cell-like squads.

Smash was by no means a 'lead from the back' kind of commander though, as he frequently pushed up with our troops, forcing the enemy back with some serious cohones and firepower (buddy was packin' pods like they were goin' out of style). We had to keep begging him to back up as it was extra points for killing a general but there's just nothing you can do about it when Smash gets his head into the gunfighting zone. 

If it wasn't for this smashing young gun... Pun DEFINITELY intended, I'd probably still be wandering around aimlessly, getting lit up at every turn. He made sure that I was given a task, and that I had someone to tag along with so I'd never be far from support. For his first time as a general, I could've sworn that Smash had a little Patton in him. 

I like to say that "if the only balls you have are in your hopper, you're gonna have a bad time", and it's supposed to apply to pods and extra ammo but Smash has the stones to back up his 'ballin.

Valkyrie:

This next baller takes home the gold medal for persistence, attitude and commitment to the cause.

Valkyries are mythological figures also known as the choosers of the slain. In this case, our Valkyrie was more of an angel of mercy who fearlessly ran across the front lines to keep our shooters in the fight.

When most people think of a medic they may come up with this image of a person who spends their time behind cover, hiding from enemy fire but not our Valkyrie! No sirree-Bob she could be found wherever the firefights were hottest and even taking a First Strike sniper round to the throat couldn't deter her from her medic's duties. 

In addition to the typical wiping of war wounds, Valkyrie mentored a little guy that we came to affectionately call "Mini-Medic" or "Peanut". When things got really bad she kept him out of the worst of it, even though he was all-too-eager to be where the most paint was. More than once Valkyrie had to clean up my sorry, painted self after digging myself too deep into a shithole bunker and I count myself as damned lucky to have had her backing me up.

For anyone interested (that meaning anyone sporting a Y chromosome), Valkyrie has volunteered to be a victim of the dunk tank this summer out at PRZ for Operation Die Glocke which'll be going down August 10th and 11th. It'll be 2$ per attempt at dunking this lovely lady so if you think you've got the arm for it, ante-up and drop her down!

Juggernaut:

He's the Juggernaut biatch!

A Jack of all trades if there ever was one, Juggernaut spent his time with the 'Murican team as one of the most badass engineers ever to grace the grounds at PRZ. Mission after mission, as each new objective came down from the organizers Jugger'd be right out there, spearheading the effort. It didn't matter if it was a retrieval, assault or defence mission, Juggernaut just went to work ploughing through the Deimos forces.

I spent a couple of minutes pinned down inside a busted-up GMC Suburban when we tried to push out of the village to take the fallout zone during which he spent the entire time returning fire through partially rolled down windows and calling out targets for me as I leaned up into the driver's seat to unload on nearby bunkers. You tend to develop a certain appreciation for someone who you conduct 'drive bys' with from a STATIONARY vehicle haha.

Juggernaut was another one of the 'Murican officers who helped me develop as quickly as I did. As a reference, here's a little visual aide that might explain my mentality before/after the influence of all my commanding officers.

Left: Before (Photo Credit to Unshakeable Media)
Right: After (Photo Credit to Darlene St. Georges)

Yeah, the left side is from Saturday's battle with me looking hopeless and pinned down behind a tire/pallet bunker. I've got some obviously sloppy grip discipline, looking backwards and away from the fight, and I'm just generally in a bad spot. I spent probably 8 minutes pinned down in that same spot while guys made rushes right past me before I drummed up the courage to move. The left side of the photo comes from Sunday's final battle. I'm in the urban camo pants and black long-sleeve T, checking in with my squad as to where the enemy had guys bunkered down and organizing a suppress and advance move. I never would have had the confidence to start making calls on the field if I hadn't received the support from my team's leadership on Saturday and during the first half of Sunday.

Last, Littlest but DEFINITELY not Least:

Some people might know him as Wyatt, but to me and the squad this little dude was known by his Valkyrie-designated callsign; "Peanut".

Wyatt accepting his "Team MVP
award from General Smash

There was no doubt when it came time to ask, "who was your most valuable player?" We spent Sunday with half the medics of our opponents and one of them refused to run into anything except a clear field to help our troops... If that. Wyatt was a completely different story altogether.

When we started asking around the Command Post looking for volunteers for medic duty, Wyatt wasted no time at all throwing his marker into the ring. To be honest, no one really knew that much about him and I'd only just found out that although he's only 13, Wyatt's been balling for 3 years and when our squad ran into its first major firefight I discovered that 'Peanut' could sling paint with the best of them... And yeah, I'll admit, he was WAY beyond my skill set. He'd dash into rooms we'd yet to clear, always looking for a paintstorm. When I got pinned down by a bunch of snipers in front of the 3-story building he ran up to my aid, sharing the minimal cover of three oil drums just to make sure that I had a medic with me and that the enemy would have more than just me to shoot at.

The best way that I can think of to describe 'Peanut' would be a fearless, hyper-agile competitor because no matter how bad a situation seemed, he'd be the first guy to push the advance using his small stature and ridiculous speed to get around obstacles and across fields of fire without so much as incidental splatter much less any actual hits.

Well done Peanut, you earned that award and then some!

After the Applause:

Those were the 'Fantastic Four' of my 'balling experience. I don't mean to downplay the importance of any other team members, it's just that I spent the most time around these guys, got to know their playing styles and saw what they were really capable of. I suppose another award for "Craziest Baller in Attendance" should be given out to Dylan "Joe Dirt" Swann but that's a topic for another post... Maybe another Asylum Assassins-based release??? You never know.

That's all I have for the moment my fellow ballers. As always, keep your finger(s) on the trigger(s) and...

Keep calm and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - The 'N00b' Baller

PRZ Prep - The Anticipation Mounts

On My Way:

One more notice about the event before it's too late...

This weekend is the second "Fight For Asylum" season opening event at PRZ Paintball in Picton, Ontario. As many of you know, I'm going to be there and its going to be one hell of a blast. I hope that a couple of you will be in attendance (I know a few will as there are Asylum Assassins members reading the blog) and if you see the Assassins there that you will come over and ask to chat with me. I'd love to take some photos, get to know anyone who's taken the time to read my blog so you can be sure I'll probably drop everything to say hello.

As a disclaimer, no, I don't feel like some kind of celebrity just because I write this... I just think that a couple of my readers would be nice enough to stop by, say hello and let me take a picture or two for my articles on here... And I wanted to make a funny photo.

Long Black Train:

I had plans to take the train to and from Belleville however that plan's been modified. I'll now be catching a lift straight from Oshawa to PRZ and then I'll be riding the rails back home.

I WISH my ride would look this nice...

The trick to train transportation is to travel light and that means you've got to be smart. Most people don't like the train, feeling that it's archaic or outdated or some damned thing but me? I rather enjoy it when the trip doesn't involve spending the night on-board without a sleeper car.  Back to the whole packing thing, here's a little tip. If you want to cut down on baggage claim costs, go with a package with two checked bags on your departure trip and then only one on your return. Bring a solid cooler and a collapsible duffel bag so that you can eat the supplies from the cooler and then pack your clothing etc. back into the cooler for the return journey. Of course you'll need to test your gear to see if this is a viable option with whatever cooler you have but if it is, knock yourself out and save some money.

Another thing you should know is that on the whole, taking the train's not that costly. The only real inconveniences are the scheduled departure/arrival times if you've got friends for short-range transportation from the station to the field. I've taken VIA Rail a number of times for different reasons and it's always been a pleasant experience.

DRAW!

This is where I get all super 'aggro' and tell you stuff like "I'll see you on the field!" and "your taint is paint!" (Okay, that one didn't sound as good outside of my head... moving on) in an attempt to posture and 'trash talk' a little... NAH, it's where I wrap up this post and make a last attempt at getting y'all out to this amazing event. For details on the Fight For Asylum event and many more check out www.przpaintball.com under the events section.

I hope you've enjoyed this little insight into what's shaping up to be an amazing popping of my paintball cherry. Here's hoping I manage to pull off some insane moves... Or at least not get painted like a picket fence. Either way I intend to remember to have fun and most importantly...

Keep calm and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - The 'n00b' Baller

Respected Retailers - BuyPaintball.ca

Listen Up!

I have something that needs to be said about a particular retailer, and before you go making assumptions, NO I haven't been asked or enticed to write this article. I was inspired to write this review after my interactions with the customer support team who I've come to know as 'Nick' from www.buypaintball.ca.

Buypaintball.ca:

A small, family-owned paintball shop located in London, Ontario (exact details to follow) and I was floored by their service quality and pricing.

Now it typically takes me having some sort of real personal connection for me to mention a retailer on here, my Paintball Weazels post came from my acquaintanceship with Mr. Sarge Morin, but in this case I couldn't NOT write up a review. Having come across BuyPaintball.ca in my search for my very first marker package, they were one of the best prices for the kit that I could find ANYWHERE. I can honestly say that they'll be a staple in my paintball gear search from here on out and that ANYONE looking to get themselves some 'balling gear NEEDS to give them a browse.

If you're a London local, or if you're going through the area, you should definitely check out their IRL (In Real Life) store Flagswipe Paintball. I've listed "buypaintball.ca" but that's just their online operation.

Flagswipe Paintball: "The thrill you will remember!"

529 Philip Street. - London Ontario, Canada.

Phone: (519) 642-0908

Email: sales@buypaintball.ca

Superior Service:

So, a little more about my experience aside from the competitive pricing and generic references about how awesome it was getting to talk to them.

Nick with Tom 'Tomcat' Cunningham
-Not a video, don't be fooled-

I was in the market for a Tippmann A5 marker package (as you guys will no-doubt know from my posts thus-far) and came across Flagswipe/BuyPaintball.ca in my search. I sent an email to them inquiring about the package they offered, what options were available, and I sent this on the SATURDAY of the long-weekend. I then settled in expecting to be made to wait until today to get a response but on Easter Monday I get a bright-and-early email letting me know exactly what they can offer, the details of each item in the package and again folks, all of this coming in on the Saturday... Honestly, I'm barely ABLE to haul my butt out of bed on a Saturday, much less on a long weekend but Nick was ready, willing, and able to help me out.

I'm sure Nick'll wind up reading this and potentially be a little perturbed as to how I managed to snag a pic of him as Google wasn't giving up anything and I couldn't find a "meet the staff" type section of the Flagswipe website. If you want to check out the video I screen-shotted this from and more, you can find them on Youtube HERE or by searching for "Flagswipe Paintball". They're also on Facebook HERE. 

Flagswipe's Calendar of Events - 2013

Honestly fellow 'ballers, You owe it to yourselves to take a look at Flagswipe/BuyPaintball.ca. If you don't, it's your loss and that's not being harsh, it's just the truth. Their facility caters to everyone and anyone, they've got indoor AND outdoor playing areas, paintball, laser combat simulation and airsoft... Short of the kitchen sink there's not much they DON'T have and really, would you want your kitchen sink being on their paintball field? Haha probably not.

Cashing Out:

I can tell you right now that I'll be putting some serious coin into the Flagswipe cash registers (digitally speaking as I don't get to London often) or at the very least I'll be looking to them first for any gear I need. I've never met a retailer so customer-focused in my paintball expreriences. If you're looking to get into the sport, please check out www.buypaintball.ca. It's for your own good. I'd say "Tell'em Joshua sent you" but it wouldn't make a difference... EVERYONE gets the best customer service possible regardless of who you know. Quality service, equality and paintball for all! That's how they play the game.

That's all for tonight readers, just remember...

Keep calm and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - The 'n00b' Baller

Paintball Pros - The Weazels

These Weazels Don't Waltz:

Hey guys, this one's for a great group of folks known as The Paintball Weazels who're a staple in the paintball community.

What a bunch of characters

The Weazels are based out of London, Ontario and cater to both airsoft and paintball enthusiasts. Dealing in laser etching and engraving services though also a retailer of a wide range of marker accessories they're DEFINITELY worth a look if you're interested in customizing your gear. I've seen quite a lot of their work and I have to say that it's sharp stuff everyone. Here's a little chunk of their info, straight off the Paintball Weazels Facebook page!

"The Weazels are a paintball team committed to promoting paintball positively and encouraging its growth by actively seeking new players to come out to the local fields. We provide mentorship and help to get new players up and running with all the information and guidance they need to become pros..." - https://www.facebook.com/PBWEAZELS/info

Kindred Spirits:

You can probably see why I'm so quick to support them if you take a read of my cover page, The Barrel Condom. Both the Weazels and I are looking to provide the best in 'n00b' support to anyone looking to get into the sport although they do a helluva lot more than I do.

Paintball's gotten a rough ride in the popular media and it takes a lot of positive to offset the negatives brought upon the sport by ignorant people using paintball guns to vandalize property and deserve the peace. It's a little-acknowledged fact outside of the paintballing community that it is actually one of the safest sports in the world, and that the VAST majority of injuries come from people playing by their own rules, OFF of regulated fields and who aren't wearing proper protection.

With that little PSA out of the way, I'd like to get back to the Weazels and show you some of their work.

Extreme Etchings:

Laser etching is one of the best ways to personalize your piece, and the Weazels do top-rate work. I can't sit here and quote pricing, but I CAN show you a few examples of their awesomness... Yeah, awesomeness is a word... IT IS!

Tag! You're It!

Custom tags

Here we have an AMAZING set of laser-etched dog tags customized for one Mr. BigJay "Monster" Mclinton. The tags feature a picture of Jay in his favourite jersey, his team's logo (The Asylum Assassins) and a paintball-inspired image I sketched up for Jay (he's my cousin if you didn't know) in the shape of a paintball mask with his nickname "Monster" scrolled across what would be the lens.

I cant say enough about this piece, mainly because I'm biased with my art being featured but honestly they're an amazing trio and who WOULDN'T want something like this to compliment their paintball kit? I know that a set's on MY list of things to buy.

Next up's a little piece of DC-meets-Paintball crossover art... I'm sure it'll make you smile...

Why So Epic?

So the quote's not exact... sue me.

Laugh it up, you KNOW
you're jealous.

This piece was done for another Weazels customer, though I don't know her personally I can say that she has great taste.

When they say they'll laser etch anything, they mean damned near ANYTHING you can think of and when a group can laser-etch the joker and the ever-lovely Ms. Harley Quinn onto your marker you just HAVE to show them some serious respect.

Now this isn't exactly something for the typical 'n00b', seeing as putting money into aesthetically customizing your gear might not be a top-shelf idea off the break but as you progress in the sport, a little personalization might be in the stars. You need to remember folks, with all of the modifications out there, paintball is one of the most diverse sports as far as displaying your personality is concerned. In a world where touchdown dances and massive goal celebrations are frowned upon, it's nice to know there's still a place where you can strut your stuff with pride... Just don't strut out into a wall of paint ;)

A Warm Welcome:

If you're new to the sport, or even a grizzled veteran who bleeds paint, you'll ALWAYS receive a warm welcome from the Weazels. I'd highly recommend them to ANYONE in the paintballing community as they've always been great to me with advice and encouragement.

Contact Info:

Email: Pbweazels@gmail.com

Website: http://www.paintballweazels.com

So, go give them a shot and remember readers...

Keep calm and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - The 'n00b' Baller

Getting 'In Gear'

Pop-Pop-Pop!

Yup, I'm working hard on getting my 'kit' together and I've contacted more than nine or ten different paintball gear supplies and I've managed to get responses from quite a few. Most have only been simple "I've received your message and we're working on your request" however Online Paintball replied to my inquiry and actually answered my questions within just a couple of hours of sending the first email, and on the Easter long-weekend Saturday no-less.

Screenshot of the Online Paintball deal

So far they have the most gear being offered for the lowest price alongside the best service of anyone I've heard from, and I don't really expect for many offers to come in that top theirs. I'm hoping that Hero Army Surplus will challenge them a bit, as competition is good for me and ultimately good for whoever puts forth the best price on products but to be completely honest, I don't think that I'd be too upset to 'settle' with the prices I'm seeing.

I should mention that, regardless of how the wheeling and dealing goes, Hero Army Surplus is run by a bunch of great people who've been of great help to my former high school's Remembrance Day ceremony, lending props and costumes for the theatrical presentations. They were always nice to me when I shopped for 'pizazz' pieces when I played laser tag (camo pants, neoprene masks etc) and when I was trying to set up a laser tag tournament they were great about their pricing on customized dog tags as prizes for the event (it never got off the ground but they were willing to wiggle on the pricing). Point being? Hero's a great place to shop, run by very understanding people. I'd recommend them 

'00 Civic:

The header here might not make a whole lot of sense to you right now but stick with me and it'll make sense soon enough.

Do you know what 2012's 'Most Stolen Vehicle" was? The 2000 Honda Civic. Do you know why that car was targeted? Because it was simple, easy to maintain, and highly customizable. It's by this motto that I structure most purchases in my life.

Marketing visual Aid

You see, I might be the 'n00b baller' but I'm an old pro when it comes to getting the most out of my effort, money, everything. If it can be spent on something, I know how to make the most out of it. The trick is knowing that to get the most of your money, you will need to balance reliability, ease of maintenance and the potential for adjustments and upgrades. In the case of a paintball marker, without blowing a massive wad of cash up-front, your best bet is most-likely the Tippmann A5.

The A5 comes highly-recommended from a number of ballers I've spoken with, as well as from review posted online. It's a chore trying to find anyone to speak ill of this marker and the worst that they can say about it is that it's a little on the heavier side, and that it isn't sniper-accurate... well, who would expect that level of accuracy from an unmodified, affordable marker? Precisely.

In any case, this little baby's gonna be mine soon enough. I've found (as I've mentioned numerous times) a TONNE of packages based off of this marker so all it comes down to now is price. I have to say though, that the package is about more than just the marker. You need to set yourself up for success and that means covering a couple of bases.

Are you joking? No, I'm kitting:

Sorry for the pun.. The HORRIBLE pun.

Ex. 1

Your kit (in my opinion) is just as important to your success as your marker. Why? Because being able to carry extra ammunition, having a squeegee on hand in case you 'chop a ball' (coating the inside of your barrel with paint), and/or having a pair or armoured gloves to prevent 'dead hands' from a paintball hit will allow you to play to a higher level, or at the very least leave you with options.

Options are a HUGE advantage when you're in combat and it doesn't matter if that's legitimate military service or in a combat-sport like paintball. When you have options, that makes you dangerous and unpredictable and your opponent will have to deal with a wider range of tactics. 

Pods and Pod Packs:

The picture says it all folks. If you're going into a match, and you can't carry any ammunition other than what's already in your hopper, you're going to be in for a short trip. The best part about playing paintball is actually throwing the paint, so having less ammunition means less fun... It also means that at any moment you could run out of balls, even in the midst of a firefight.

So, how do you lug more splattering power into a match? Pods and pod packs my friends. These are really simple pieces of equipment, much like a tactical belt or vest you'd see on a soldier, and some packs come with a holder for your propellant tank in order to take the weight off of your gun. If you're looking for one of these tank-holding packs, they're usually labelled as "X+1" or "X+Y+1" pod packs with X and Y just being stand ins for the number of pods held by the pack itself. The +1 designates that it holds your tank as well, and a lighter gun-hand means faster response times and that you'll have a better chance of putting rounds on target before your enemy does. So remember fellow n00bs, "If the only balls you've got are in your hopper... You're gonna have a bad time."

Oh, and yes, I made that meme on MemeGenerator.com... Credit to me for the testicular double entendre.

Armour:

No, you won't need kevlar, ceramic plate or steel but simpel paintball armour can be extremely handy and many players swear by the benefits of having armour and padding. Not only will this protective gear help in preventing injuries suffered while throwing yourself around the battlefield, but soft armour can sometimes result in 'bouncing', where incoming fire simply deflects off of you rather than exploding.

Now it's not about the pain of being tagged (okay, sometimes it's about getting hit) but when it comes to elbow and knee pads/shin guards, these pieces actually help to improve your mobility. Picture if you can, diving or sliding into position behind a bunker and having nothing on to protect your knees, shins or elbows should you wind up diving into place. You're going to wind up with a first-class ticket to the first-aid tent with some dirt-stuffed gashes and your day's probably going to be ruined. So if you're the kind of person who's looking to go balls-to-the-wall with your 'balling, picking up some armour should be on your paintballing to-do list.

Gloves are also a great idea if you're conscientious about your comfort. Sure, your hands are a small part of your body, but if you're poking out to shoot at someone then your hands become a much bigger target as mostly everything else is behind cover (if you're doing it right). If you start getting smoked across the fingers, odds are that 1. you're gonna be in a fair bit of hurt and 2. that your 'combat effectiveness' is going to suffer A LOT. 

Case-in-point, when you've got the money for it, armour's a great addition to any paintball kit.

Running on Empty:

Just wrapping this up as I've said pretty much everything there is to say but I wanted to point out that although I'm literally ABOUT to functionally enter the sport, I've received a lot of feedback from different people all hailing from different functions regarding paintball. I know people involved in the 'aftermarket' and customization fields, the beginner players, pro-sponsored teams and people who work  for the fields.

I'm not an expert (hence the self-designated "n00b baller" title) but don't discount my reviews and suggestions folks, I'm trying to help my fellow n00bs.

That's all I have for today. I'll fill y'all in more when my shopping and wheeling and dealing makes some more headway. I appreciate you stopping by the blog and giving it a read and I hope you've enjoyed it. If you have, PLEASE share the link on Facebook, email it to your friends, follow the page... whatever you'd like but it really helps me out! Oh, and as always, remember...

Keep calm and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - Callsign Loading....