• 5 Reasons to Choose Speedball

    One of the first choices you will have to make once you arrive at AC Paintball is what game you want to play. The two main types of games are speedball and woodsball. Some also consider scenario games as another category. Each one of these game types has even more variations from capture-the-flag to defend-the-castle. You have plenty of choices to suit your preferences. However, first, you need to choose between speedball and woodsball.

    Many experienced players already know their preferences, but if you are new to paintball you may not know which game is right for you. AC Paintball near Atlantic City, New Jersey is here to help you decide with five reasons to choose speedball. If these reasons don’t convince you, you may be more of a woodsball player.

    Classic Game Type

    When you are first starting out with anything, it is a good idea to start out with the basics. This allows you to get used to new ways of thinking or moving. Speedball is the classic version of paintball. Speedball is the format used for professional tournaments and is what most people imagine when they think of paintball.

    AC Paintball offers two different speedball courses for you to choose from: the Hyperball Field and the Speedball Tournament Field. The Hyperball Field is AC Paintball’s smallest and fastest field. The Speedball Tournament Field meets tournament standards and includes a wide variety of bunkers.

    Quick Games

    One of the main differences between speedball and woodsball is the length of the games. Speedball games are typically over fairly quickly while woodsball games last much longer. This is because speedball fields, as well as teams, are typically small. Most speedball teams are comprised of about 4 or 5 players per team.

    When games are quick, you can get more games in. This gives you a better opportunity to try out different teams and game styles. It also provides more chances for breaks to rehydrate, refuel, and to get more ammo. Woodsball games do not provide quite as many of these opportunities.

    More Interaction

    Speedball also involves more interaction. With smaller fields, you are bound to run into your opponents more often. This also means getting involved in more action. If you are a thrill-seeker and want to get your adrenaline pumping, you will likely end up preferring speedball.

    Level of interaction is one of the main reasons experienced paintball players prefer speedball to woodsball. While both games involve plenty of interaction, speedball interactions are more frequent. In woodsball, there is more time to plan and strategize between interactions. It also involves more patience as many times you have to wait for opponents to come to you. In speedball, the field is so small, it is easier to quickly get to your opponent and target them.

    Stay Out of the Woods

    Some people enjoy being in the woods, while others do not. Being surrounded by nature can help you relax, but when playing paintball, it is more difficult terrain. Speedball fields are more artificial and therefore, have even terrain. You don’t have to worry too much about where and how you step. In woodsball, you have to be more careful to watch out for fallen sticks and other debris.

    Wooded fields also mean more bugs. While you can experience bug issues on both fields, you are more likely to run into bugs in a wooded field. Therefore, it is a good idea to bring some bug spray with you on your trip to AC Paintball in southern New Jersey.

    You Are Wearing Bright Colors

    Another factor that can help you determine if you want to play speedball or woodsball is what you wear to AC Paintball. When playing woodsball, players wearing camouflage have the advantage of blending in with the terrain. If you are wearing bright colors in the woods, you will stand out and become a target more often. Therefore, if you wear bright colors to AC Paintball, you may fare better on the speedball field where everyone can easily be seen.

  • Best Strategies for Speedball

    new jersey speedball paintball fieldOne of the most popular games, if not the most popular game at AC Paintball is Speedball. We offer two speedball courses in southern New Jersey. The first is the Speedball Tournament Field which meets tournament standards, and various types of bunkers. The other is the Hyperball Field which is AC Paintball’s smallest field which makes for fast and intense games.

    Once you pick a field, you need to start strategizing. Every game is different depending on what field you choose, what game you choose, the layout of the field, and the players. You need to take all of these aspects into consideration when creating a plan. However, there are some basic strategies that apply to most speedball games. So, check out AC Paintball’s tips below!

    Make a Plan

    When you start making a plan, you will want to walk around AC Paintball’s field and pay attention to the layout of the bunkers. Figure out what each player will be in charge of and choose a path of bunkers each player can move to. Make a strategy for early in the game, mid game, and late game.  You may also want to create a backup plan.  This way you won’t run into each other or increase the chance of running into other issues.

    When everyone knows what they are in charge of and can follow a specific plan, you will increase your chances of winning the game. There is potential that you will need to make adjustments based on what your opponents do. As long as you communicate those changes, you can still be successful.

    Start Eliminating Early

    paintball-1282159_960_720AC Paintball’s speedball games move fast. You need to take action early in the game if you want to gain the upper hand against your opponents. To accomplish this, you will want to start eliminating as soon as possible. As soon as the game starts, try to catch your opponents off guard. Many of them may be focused on getting to their planned location.  However, if your team focuses on elimination instead, you may be able to decrease your opponent’s numbers. This can give you an advantage for the rest of the game.

    You may want to use your back players to focus on this task. That way the frontman and other players can focus on strategizing and moving up the field. This can also work as cover fire so your frontman can move safely up the field.

    Protect Important Players

    Since AC Paintball’s speedball fields are smaller, you have a better chance of getting hit. Therefore, you will want to watch your teammates back more often. If you have a specific player trying to pull off a risky move, make sure they have someone to follow them up the field as cover.

    Teamwork is an important part of paintball. If your team can work together and communicate, you will increase your chance of achieving victory. Your team’s ability to coordinate with each other can be the difference between winning and losing.

    Shooting

    Compared to most woodsball or scenario games, speedball involves more shooting. You will need to shoot often to both defend yourself and take out as many opponents as you can. Be sure you have enough supply of paintballs before starting a speedball game. If you join AC Paintball’s membership program you can save on every case of paintballs (2000 balls) you purchase.

    Another helpful shooting technique it to snap shoot from behind the bunkers. Stay behind your bunker and use it to take cover. When you notice a good chance to shoot, quickly poke your head out, aim, and fire. Then immediately take cover again. This will help you stay protected, but allow you to eliminate players.

    Moving

    Not only will you want to shoot often, but you will want to move around often as well. If you stay in the same place for too long, you risk the chance of getting surrounded and eliminated. This is why it is important to plan a path ahead of time. Hop from bunker to bunker when you can do so safely.

    If you are ready to book a speedball game at AC Paintball, you can do so here: https://acpaintball.com/schedule-paintball-game/. You can also check out our blog for more tips and helpful information: https://acpaintball.com/blog/.

  • Choosing a Marker for Speedball

    paintball-1278901_960_720Woodsball and Speedball are different in many ways. The fields are different, the bunkers are different, and each game requires a different strategy. With this in mind, different games call for different equipment. You should know how to choose the right gun for the game you are playing. Speedball has many defining characteristics and you will want a gun that can perform the tasks you need it to.

    At AC Paintball in southern New Jersey, we have two main guns for rent, the Tippmann Custom 98 Marker, and Valken V-Tac SW-1. In this guide, you will find tips for choosing the right marker for your next speedball game. If you would like to book a game at AC Paintball, you can do so here: acpaintball.com/schedule-paintball-game/.

    Rapid Fire Speed

    The most important aspect that should concern you with a Speedball gun is speed. While Woodsball allows you to spread out in a large field, Speedball fields are typically smaller. This means you will be closer to your enemy the whole time. If they start firing at you, you will need to be able to defend yourself. This is why firing speed is so important. When it is you against multiple enemies you will want your fun to be able to fire rapidly so you can hit more people.

    When choosing a marker, look at how many balls it can fire per second (bps). The higher the number the faster it will be able to shoot. Be aware that higher firing speed may cause call for sacrifice in other features as well the price. When renting your marker from AC Paintball, you should choose the Valken V-Tac SW-1. The Tippman model has more of a recoil. This means you will have to readjust your aim more often.

    Reliability

    When you push your speedball marker to the limit with rapid fire speed, you are more likely to experience other problems. This makes the gun a bit less reliable. While you do want a high fire speed, you don’t want to sacrifice reliability. You don’t want your marker to stop working in the middle of an AC Paintball game. You won’t be able to take out enemies or defend yourself. If your marker does malfunction during a game, communicate with your team so they can try to help defend you.

    tippmann-a5-300x300If you are looking for a reliable marker, Tippman markers are known for their durability. However, AC Paintball cleans and inspects all their markers regularly to make sure each gun will work properly for our customers.

    Accuracy

    Accuracy is important in every paintball game. While accuracy may be a higher priority in Woodsball as you long distances, you will not want to forget this aspect when choosing a Speedball gun. If your gun’s accuracy is not good, you will have trouble hitting your targets. Some aspects that improve your accuracy is barrel length, barrel width, and cleanliness. You will need to be careful, though, as many of aspects will affect your firing speed.

    Size and Weight

    You will also want to take size and weight into consideration. A gun that is small and compact can be helpful as it will be easier to carry and maneuver. However, you can get away with a heavier and larger gun in Speedball more than you can in Woodsball. Think about what position you plan on playing. If you plan on running a lot, you will want to choose a lightweight gun. If you stay stationary more often, you may be able to handle a larger gun that focuses more on other aspects.

    Both AC Paintball rentals are similar and size and weight, but the Valken V-Tac SW-1 is a little bit lighter than the Tippman 98 model.

    Aesthetics

    While aesthetics won’t affect your game as much, it is worth a mention. When buying a gun, you may notice that speedball guns are typically more flashy and colorful. Black or camouflage guns help Woodsball players hide. Yet, Speedball the bunkers are man-made. This allows you to choose flashy guns with cool designs. If you want to stand out when playing at AC Paintball, choose a marker that will get you noticed.

    Both of our rental models are black, but the Tippman 98 has a unique design that is different from the average marker. It is sleek and sporty looking while the Valken V-Tac SW-1 is bulkier and square.

  • Variations of Speedball

    Within the most common versions of paintball games are even more versions that players have come up throughout the years. By changing one or two simple rules, players can change the entire dynamics of a paintball game. This keeps the game fresh and interesting as well as allowing you to choose which set of rules works best for you. At AC Paintball in southern New Jersey, there are many ways to play paintball. Here are some versions of speedball that other players have come up with to help you choose what rules you want to play with. You can also use these ideas as inspiration to come up with your own game.

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    Annihilator

    An annihilator game is played a lot like a typical speedball game, except there is more than one team and you use points to win the game. In annihilator, there should be about four teams of five players. When someone from your team hits and eliminates an opponent, your team gets a point. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.               

    Bunny Hunt or Predator vs. Prey

    In a bunny hunt game, one person is chosen to be the “bunny”. They are given a limited time to run and hide until the rest of the players come in to hunt for the “bunny”. Once the bunny is captured, the game is over. Predator vs. Prey is very close to bunny hunt, except you can have more than one “bunny.” This makes the teams a bit more even and allows the game to last longer.               

    Tag

    The tag version of paintball is played exactly how you played tag as a kid. One person is “it” and they run around trying to tag other players with a paintball. Whoever gets hit is “it” next and the game continues this way for as long as you want or until everyone has been “it” at least once. Tag is a great nostalgic game that can bring you back to your childhood. 

    Hide ‘N’ Seek

    Hide ‘n’ seek is another great childhood game that is played exactly how you used to play, except with paintballs. One person is chosen to be “it” and stays at the starting base while the other players run to hide. Once the “it” player is finished counting, they run into the woods and begin to search for players to hit. Once they find all the players, the game is over. You can decide whether or not the players “it” finds get to aid in the search for more players, hide again, or serve as distractions for players who are still hiding. One of AC Paintball’s wooded courses such as the Blue Thunder Woods Field or the Red Dawn Woods Field would be excellent courses for a game of hide ‘n’ seek.

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    Trophy Hunter

    In trophy hunt, rather than players hiding, trophies are hidden throughout the course. Teams run around collecting the trophies until all of them have been collected. The team with the most trophies at the end of the game wins. Again, AC Paintball’s wooded courses would make a great place to play this type of game. The thickly wooded areas of southern New Jersey make for tricky hiding places to make the game more challenging.

    Paintburner

    If some of your players get too competitive and you want to play a game with no winners and no losers, paintburner may be the game for you. In this paintball game, multiple teams play normal speedball with standard elimination rules. The catch is that when you are out, you still have a chance to come back in. Once a person is out, they simply wait at the starting base until two or three more players get knocked out. Afterward, these players form a new team and continue to play for as long as you want. This is a great game to play at the end of the day to make sure no one gets upset about not getting enough playing time. It is also a good choice for team building skills because players have to learn to adjust to different teammates.

    Mixing up the rules is a great way to keep a paintball game interesting. Changing the rules keeps players on their toes and challenges their brains. If you have a group or team that has been stuck in a rut lately, playing paintball at AC paintball in southern New Jersey could be the inspiration they need to get back on track. Your team can work together to both decide the rules and win the match. If you’re interested in booking a game at AC Paintball, follow this link to check out our group packages: https://acpaintball.com/schedule-paintball-game/.