So you have your reservation details all set and are preparing to come play paintball for the first time. As you think more about it, you may be playing out scenarios and coming up with strategies to crush your opponents.  We want to help you do this, so see below for some playing tips we have come up with through 15+ years of our own play experience as well as from observing thousands of players playing at our Park!  (Note: These playing tips are designed with our own Park layout in mind; they may not translate as well to other field layouts or forms of paintball.)

Move! Hiding stealthily at the back of the field for the whole game might seem like a good strategy, but more often than not it will hurt your team!

• If you are too far away, the paintballs will not break.
  • Consistent breakage will only happen within about 70 feet. Even if you nail your opponent with a perfectly placed shot, they will not be out unless it breaks on them.
• Your accuracy decreases with distance.  
  • Paintballs travel in a “rainbow” over long distances due to the weight of the ball. This trajectory is sometimes hard to account for, but is not as noticeable when shooting at closer targets.
• The team that has the easiest time advancing farther up the field usually wins.  This team has the most territory to fall back to, the best angles, and the most cover.

Work as a team! You might think that you work best as a lone wolf, but one person rarely wins a game by themselves. 

• Make sure you spread out. Divide the field into left, right, and centre portions with certain players dedicated to each area at the start of the game.
• If you focus too heavily on one side of the field, your team will often be preoccupied with the opponents on that side of the field while the rest of the opponent team can easily sneak around and shoot you from behind.
• Communicate! Tell your teammates what bunkers opponents have occupied and let them know when you are going to “bump” (move) to a different bunker so they can cover you. Make sure that when you are eliminated you yell “HIT” as loud as you can so your teammates know that you are out and they can adjust to cover the lines of sight that were your responsibility.

Avoid playing scared! Easier said than done, but it helps your game as well as alleviates the pain!

• If you are tense when you are hit, the paint is more likely to break and it will hurt more.
• The less concerned you are with being shot, the more you can focus on the strategy of the game and communication with your teammates.
• Remember that we have hosted thousands of players of all ages and skill levels and that the vast majority have had little to no issue with the pain. It’s mostly in your head!

Avoid being too conservative with your paintballs!

• Your first couple shots will often not hit your opponent as paintballs are not as accurate as you may think. Make sure you hit your target, because if you miss, they might not!

Advanced: Try pulling the trigger with both hands depending which side of the bunker you are on! This will feel weird at first, but it is how all the pros play in order to keep as low a body profile as possible and avoid being shot out.

• If shooting around the right side of the bunker, use your right hand to pull the trigger. Use your left hand if shooting around the left side.  The less the opponent can see, the less they can shoot!

To see more field-specific strategies and playing tips, you can click here and navigate through each field.  If you have not yet made your reservation, you can do so here.  If you do not have enough people to make a full 8 person reservation, we have walk-on hours for you to just show up and play or you can join our fun-focused Rec League for no extra charge.

Be sure to like us on Facebook and Instagram so you avoid missing out on awesome deals, event info, general staff shenanigans, and more!