Did you know that there is more than one way to play paintball? If every game were played exactly the same, players would get bored after a while. That’s why past players have come up with different variations of the game to keep play interesting. At AC Paintball in southern New Jersey, there are a variety of fields available to suit whichever type of play you choose. This guide will help you choose both which type of game to play and which type of field to play on.         

Speedball

Speedball is probably the most traditional format of paintball and doesn’t require much planning. It is the main format used by professional leagues and is the only game type used in tournaments. In this format teams are typically small and have as close to the same amount of players as possible. Each team has a starting base and eliminates opponents by standard elimination rules. Each team shoots paintballs at their opponent and if someone gets hit, they are out. Some people like to play with more than one life to allow the game to last longer. If this is the case, the player who is out must go back to the starting base. Then they resume playing until all of their lives have expired. In this version the team with the last man standing wins.

Speedball fields are typically small and filled with many bunkers such as giant spools, barrels, pipes and more. Speedball games are usually short and quick compared to other types of games because the interaction in close range and immediate. Most speedball courses lack trees and other plants and only use shorter man-made structures. This allows players to see the entire field and take out their opponents at a much faster rate. If you wish to play the most traditional form of paintball, the Speedball Tournament field at AC Paintball would be your best choice. It meets tournament standards and is the easiest to control. It is also the best field if you wish to use strategy and like lots of obstacles.

Capture-the-Flag

Another popular version of paintball is capture-the-flag. In this version, two flags are set up at each end of the course. Usually, it is required that everyone playing knows where each flag is to be fair, but if you want to mix up the game a bit, you could allow each team to hide their flag to make the game more challenging. The goal of this version is to take your opponent’s flag and make it safely back to your home base without getting hit. If you do get hit, this version also uses standard elimination rules. If you only have one life, you are done. If you have more than one life, you return to home base and continue playing until all of your lives have been used.

Paintball was originally played in the woods and is still a common place to play today.  Capture the flag is best played in wooded areas as there are many places to hide. If you want to play with a lot of people, AC Paintball’s Blue Thunder Woods Field or Black Ops Pentagon Woods Field can accommodate large groups. If you have a smaller group, the Red Dawn Woods field is a smaller course that can accommodate beginners and younger players. It is the simplest field and is fairly close to the entrance of the facility making it easy to monitor.

Military Simulation

Paintball shares many similarities with the drills the military used for training recruits. In fact, the military sometimes uses paintball games to help prepare soldiers for battle. With this in mind many paintball facilities, including AC Paintball in southern New Jersey, have developed military-style courses. AC Paintball has the Hyperball Field, the Speedball Tournament Field and the Black Ops Pentagon Woods Field all offering obstacles and various props that create a military-like atmosphere.

When you play a military simulation there are many variables and ways to play. For the most part, it is up to the teams and their leaders to decide their main and/or side objectives. Some common military simulation paintball games include attack/defend games, recon missions, or reenactments. In attack/defend games, one team has free-roam of the entire course while the other team is confined to a specific area that they must defend. In recon games, players are given specific checkpoints and objectives to meet. Reenactments typically involve the two teams recreating specific storylines from historical wars such as the civil war. All of these games often use standard elimination rules. The variations come in by adding different goals, rules, and/or terrains.

The main difference that sets military simulation games apart from other versions is that they try to incorporate warlike aspects. Players may try to make their guns look more like real guns, use two-way radios, or even dress up in authentic costumes. Unlike some paintball variations, strategic planning is a crucial aspect of any military simulation game.

No matter what variation you decide to play, the rules and objectives are up to you. If you simply want to play a free-for-all game, you can.  AC Paintball in southern New Jersey has five fun fields that can accommodate whichever game variation you decide to choose.