Noob Guide to Speedball
By PortagyPlaya12

PortagyPlaya12’s n00b guide to Speedball

This is a guide I’ve made for new players getting into the sport of paintball, specifically speedball. It’s my first guide ever so it won’t be perfect. I’ve divided it into different sections to easily read. I hope you enjoy this and use it to your advantage. If you have anything to add, please feel free to post it and I will edit it. Please pin this if it seems good. Here it goes...

Introduction
Everyone is unloading. 15 balls per second are shooting by. Players are running, sliding, hiding, and firing. What am I talking about? Speedball. Speedball is a very fast-paced type of paintball play, and is considered the game of the Professionals. Speedball is played in teams of 3, 5, 7, or even 10 people. There are thick, tough air-filled bunkers, a bit like giant balloons, that players use for cover. The markers are designed to shoot fast, save air, and to not break paint.

In speedball, there are 2 teams. They start on opposite sides of the field, usually with a flag on each side. Each team must try to capture the other’s flag, or eliminate every man on the other’s team. Paint splatters everywhere, and players are always moving, which gives the players opportunities to cheat and refs the opportunity to miss things. When the game is played right, it is very fun to play. You build strong teams, skills, and relationships. Ready to play some Speedball?

What You’ll Need
Speedball is a very tough game to play. One wrong move and your game is over, so you’ll need the right gear. Your 2 most important pieces of equipment are your mask, and your Paintball marker. Paintball masks are designed to withstand the hit and force of a paintball, and protect your eyes and face. This can save your life, so don't be cheap with this! JT, Empire, Dye, and V-force masks are some of the best goggle systems in the industry. Some of the more popular models are the Proflex, Profilers, i3’s, and EVents. They look and feel great, and protect your face while giving you the lowest profile possible. They are also designed to stay in place and keep your face cool. You’ll need a marker as well, to shoot. No, you don’t want a Tippmann 98 Custom. They are great markers, but not for speedball. Since this is an incredibly fast-past game, you’ll need a fast-paced marker to keep up. For the beginner, a Spyder is great. They are pretty cheap, and can be upgraded very easily. Electronic Markers are the best choice for speedball, so for a new player looking for something in the $100-$175 range, a Spyder Imagine, Spyder Pilot, Diablo Mongoose II, Diablo Wrath, and other markers like these are great to start with. For something in the $175-$250 range, markers such as the Smart Parts Ion, ICD Promaster, or Spyder Electra would be nice to start out with. Speedball markers range from $100-$1500+, and can shoot from 8-30+bps.

Now that you have your mask and marker ready, you’ll need a tank. Depending on your marker, budget, and how serious you are about the sport, you’ll need to select a certain tank. If you will not play too often, or are short on money, Co2 is the way to go. Most shops fill it for small fees, and they can be purchased from $10-$25. The most popular sizes are 9, 12, 16, and 20oz. A 20oz tank usually sells for around $20 and will give you well over 1000 shots. If you have plenty of money, or are planning on playing often, then Compressed Air (n2, HPA, LPA) is the way to go. They come in many different sizes and pressures, and can be picked up from $60-$2000+. They will keep a more precise, constant flow of air than Co2, and will last you a while. Lower-end markers, such as Diablos and Spyders, will run on both types of air. Higher-end markers, such as the Ion and Promaster, will only run on Compressed Air, so if you have the money, it is best to upgrade to n2 early in the game. All types of tanks listed above can be refilled for low costs, and used over and over,

Unless you can load 15 balls per second by hand, I’d suggest a hopper. Hoppers are funnel-like plastic containers that load the paintballs into your gun. They come in different shapes and sizes, and can hold different amounts of paint. For an electronic or High-End marker, you’ll want something electronic. Some of the more popular loaders are the Revvy, Egg, Reloader, Halo, VLocity, VLocity Jr, and Pulse. For a slower, mechanical marker, a reVLution (Revvy), eVLution2 (Egg) or a plain gravity fed loader will do the trick. The 3 best loaders in the industry are the Odyssey Halo, Viewloader VLocity, and Draxxus Pulse. All three of these will run you $100 or more, but you will never need to upgrade again.

Accessories
You now have the basic equipment, and are ready to play, but if you want the best possible performance on the field, you’ll need some accessories and aftermarket parts. Harnesses, also known as Pod Belts or “Packs” are big velcro belts that go around your waist. They hold small 140 round “pods” filled with paint, allowing you to carry extra paint comfortably around your waist. You might think that you’re all set, but the average speedball player uses a hopper and 1 or 2 pods worth of paint per game. That’s 1 a case! A normal hopper can only hold 140-200 paintballs. Still think you have enough paint to last the entire game? Harnesses come in many different styles, and hold different numbers of pods. For a beginner, a 3-pod harness should be fine. Capacity depends on what position you play and how much paint you shoot in a game. When buying a harness, make sure it fits comfortably, and make sure it comes with pods. If not, then buy some separately. They sell for around a dollar a pod. NxE, Empire, Redz, and Dye make some of the nicest packs in the industry, so those are some major brands I would recommend. Another cloth item I would highly recommend would be paintball pants. They are very rugged and durable, and are built to keep you cool and comfortable while adding bounces. Paintball pants are build with thick padding around the knees to keep you from getting hurt while sliding. There are tons of nice brandnames in this catagory, so just to name a few of the bigger names... Empire, Dye, Planet Eclipse, and JT are great brands in this department.

Barrels are metal tubes that screw into the breech of your marker. It gives the paintball a final chance to even out and shoot straight. There are many shapes and sizes to choose from. For a speedball player, a 12” or 14” barrel is the best size. They are usually more accurate than the stock barrel, and look better too. The longer size also helps to ‘push the bunker’ during gameplay, which we’ll get more into later. Barrels can be purchased as 1 piece, 2 piece, or as a kit. Kits come with different size inserts to perfectly fit any paintball, while a 1 piece barrel can only perfectly fit some paint. For beginners, a 1-piece barrel is fine, as long as you match it to the paint you use most. The J&J Ceramic, Dye Boomstick, and Smart Parts Progressive are good barrels to use. For the more experienced player, a kit is the best choice. The Smart Parts Freak or Freak Jr. Kits are awesome choices, as well as the Empire and Evil kits. The Smart Parts All American is a nice choice as well.

Feednecks are small metal tubes at the top of the marker, that holds your hopper in place. Usually the stock one will be fine for a gravity fed loader, but a lot of times they will not fit other types of hoppers. If this is the case, a clamping feedneck is highly suggested. You can simply unscrew your old feedneck and screw the new clamping one in. Clamping feednecks do exactly what the name suggests. They have small clamps on them to loosen or tighten the grip of your hopper. These are usually only necessary for the Halo, VLocity and Pulse loaders, but they are useful for any type of loader, and are a nice upgrade to have.

There are tons of aftermarket parts out there. They can help to fine-tune your marker for optimum performance. Many different stores sell Visual and Performance parts, to help the look and performance of your marker. There are tons of stores out there, and millions of parts, so there is sure to be something out for your marker. Not sure what to get? Not sure which upgrades are the best? Just ask a store clerk, gun tech, or even a member here, if you need help selecting parts for your marker.

Basic Battle Tactics
Finally, we get to start playing. We’ll talk about certain tactics as they happen. Now, remember this (Like you haven’t heard it enough already). Speedball is an incredibly fast-paced game. You will need to move, think, and communicate as fast as possible if you want to survive on the field. We‘ll start with studying the opponent. Before each game, watch your opponents play. Learn how they play, and how they move. Use their strategies against them. Figure out how they think and think like them. Pretend you’re in their shoes. Think, “what would I do if I were in his position,” and do something to counter it.

Before each game, make sure you walk the field. Study the field layout. Draw it onto a piece of paper if you need to, so you can make plays afterwards. Make nicknames or codenames for each bunker, that only you and your team know. During the game, shout those codenames to your team to let them know what’s going on. Also, while walking the field, take positions that you would normally take during a game, and see if you will get the view you’re looking for. Try to find the ‘smart spot’, or the spot where you will get the best angles or most shots at your opponents.

When starting the game, pump yourself and your team up. Get the adrenaline flowing fast. During the 10 second burn, or period where both teams get ready to start, watch how the other team members are set up. If they are down low with their arms out, they are probably a front or mid player are going to run. If they are standing with their guns close to them, they are probably back players who will spray a lot of paint. During breakout, run as fast as possible while still taking cover. Dive or slide into whichever bunker you’re going into if you need to. Try to get to that smart spot as safely and quickly as possible. Once you’re in it, don’t leave it. That one spot can win you the game. If you need to shoot while taking cover, try pushing the bunker. This is when you push your body into the bunker as if you were part of it. Push your barrel into it as far as you can to keep as much of you hidden as possible, and fire like that. This is why the 12” and 14” barrels are good. They give you accuracy and help to squish the rest of the bunker out of the way to give you room to fire.

When in the snake, make sure nobody else is in with you. Stay down low, and if there is someone on the other side waiting, jump over the bunker if you have to. They won’t expect it, and you’ll be 1 notch closer to the opponent. Try to push the bunker again. Keep as little of the marker and your body exposed as possible. Listen to your teammates and figure out where the other team members are.

When playing back, remember that you have the best view of the field, so you need to let your team know where everyone is. Call out the positions of the other team. Make sure you keep the other team behind cover at all times and provide cover for your own teammates.

Sponsorship
Every young tournament player’s dream is to get sponsored and go pro, but let’s face it; it doesn’t happen overnight. If you want to be noticed, you need to play your best and show people you can work hard. You need to be the team that people notice. When starting out, try to make friends in the industry. Hang out at the local shop or field, and help out as much as possible when you’re there. Clean up around the place, help customers, and get to know the employees. If they like you and see that you’re going to work your hardest, they just might sponsor you. Play smart in games, and win as much as possible. Play local tourneys, and work your way up. You might get noticed by the big guys, or even picked up by another team who may already be sponsored. When you are sponsored, work hard for them. Sponsorship is a business agreement, not money and free stuff. Be nice to the guys. Don’t ask for too much. You’re lucky if you even get anything from them. Advertise their products everywhere you go, and make sure you make their name noticed. Mention their name in interviews, and give them credit for wins. If you’re sending a sponsorship request via e-mail, make sure you seem professional. They won’t sponsor you if you can’t spell sponsorship right, will they?

Conclusion
In conclusion, I say select the right gear, use what works best. Start with the better gear to save money in the long run. Don’t be cheap unless you need to. Play smart. Work with your team, and read your opponents. Communicate. Be a team player. Make sure you’re the player everyone admires and wants to be. Don’t ask for too much, and lastly, work hard to win. This concludes my guide.