By Steve Quaschnick
AKA: Sniper Steve
This article isn’t going to be a traditional paintball sniper “how to” article. This is about what I believe the paintball sniper (not a typical military style sniper) role is on the field.
First, against common belief I think the paintball sniper is fast. Although there are times when you need to move slowly that doesn’t mean wait in one spot or inch along until someone walks by because if your team is doing its job right there is no one getting to where you are hiding. That is why you must be able to move quickly to get around the other team or to a place where the opposing team may be going so you can set up an ambush. The sniper is there to help the team achieve a victory so a key role is to cause the other team to worry about where you are hiding. The sniper needs speed to move around behind the enemy and cause confusion and even to turn the flank of the other team. They also need speed to retreat because many times the sniper works alone and if all of a sudden a sniper is out gunned he needs to be able to fall back and even get opposing team members to follow him to weaken that team.
Second, another misconception I believe people have is about the gear a paintball sniper uses. The first piece of gear I will talk about is the marker. Some people believe that the sniper must use a limited weapon. For example some feel that to be a sniper you must use a pump on some kind of single shot system or a smaller hopper on the marker. If that is the marker you want to use great, but I feel that it is important to have a good semi-auto maker. Because not only will you be out gunned by one person at times you may be out gunned by many people and although you may be good with a pump, a fast shooting marker can help you do even more damage to an opposing team and keep you from being eliminated. Also there is a belief of “one shot, one kill” that is great if you are completely certain of some very important factors like: will the paint go straight, is the person moving, will it break on its target, is there wind, do you have a good quality paint, and so on and so forth. I always recommend at least 2 or 3 shots to be certain unless keeping your position unknown is absolutely important. In regards to the marker, have it properly tuned in to make sure it is accurate and in the best working order, because you may be alone, you don’t have cover fire if you have to clean the barrel. Have a good accurate barrel that works well for you, I usually will recommend riffled barrels, flatline barrels, or high quality ceramic of carbon fiber barrels, for accuracy and distance. Also have a hopper to keep up with the marker, a miss fed ball could be the difference between a kill or being killed. Again the important thing is that he marker functions as well as possible! The next misconception with the gear a sniper uses is that some believe to be a sniper you must have a ghillie suit. Although it helps it is not necessary. It can slow you down at times or get in the way, I do have a ghillie suit, but at times I choose more important items to bring with me like extra paint, ghillie suits can get in the way of you pod system you use. It is important to any Woodsball player to have the proper camouflage and if you use your surroundings properly you can be just as effective without a ghillie suit. Last in the area of equipment I believe a good paint is very important. The more distance and accuracy you have the more of an advantage you have. I know when I use a higher quality paint I use less rounds, so the cost balances out. For example when I use a low quality paint I tend to use about 700 more rounds in a day that when I use a high quality paint so the little more money I spend actually balances out in the end.
Intimidation is also an important factor. Other players fear the paintball sniper. If they know you are on the field it can slow their advance or tie up members of the opposing team looking for you. Intimidation can be achieved in many different ways. For example some people have nicknames, or an intimidating marker, or apparel, or just talk a big game. Having an intimidating marker is how I got my nickname and how my reputation got started. The best way to intimidate in my experience is by your actions on the field. Trust me people remember the person who shot them in the back.
The paintball sniper needs to be very familiar with the field that he or she is playing. If possible walk the field and pick out spots in advance. I know I have said this a lot, but it is very important to have every advantage if you are by your self on the field. Pick places that are concealed and hidden, look for spots that can be defended easily or that you can fall back from after engaging players so you can set up for you next shot. Make it difficult for the other team to get to you by using natural barriers such as hills, bodies of water, brush, or bunkers. Communication is important as well, I don’t think you have to have a radio, but it can help in relaying important info to the team or if they need to come bail you out. If you have a person with you some of the things I have talked about will change, but every point is still important. Two snipers can be even more disruptive than one.
Finally the last misconception about paintball snipers is that they are lone wolfs on the battlefield. This is true at times, but a sniper running with a squad can be just as effective. If your other team members are putting some pressure on an opposing team, it can set a crucial shot for you. Your accuracy and speed can put you in a place that can help your squad advance. Many times I am at the front of my team because the pressure I can put on the opposition can allow my team more movement to flank or I can hold a line if we are weakened. I can do these things because I am not limited by thinking of myself as a traditional sniper; I have the kind of marker that can push on the font line of hold it if needed; I can move with speed from bunker to bunker because I am not limited or weighed down by a extra sniper related equipment; or I can lay suppression fire down from the back because I have the maker and paintballs to be effective in any circumstance.
In closing as a paintball sniper you have to adapt to every situation. You are not just a sniper you are the most valuable utility player on you team. If you limit your self by using the classic sniper model, your team may be limited as well. If you decide to be slow, over camouflaged, having a slower marker, and being unprepared, just to wait for that “one kill” it could cost you and your team the entire game. This is just my opinion, but these keys could help you and your team succeed.
By “Sniper Steve” Quaschnick
For as long as I have played paintball there has always been the question; does a better marker make a better player? In this article I am going to share my opinion on this matter. I stress that this is just my opinion and not fact. I am also not going to answer it directly but give my thoughts on the matter so you can decide what you believe.
First I want to share my history in this sport to show how I have formed my beliefs on this subject. I have been playing paintball since the early 90s and the first marker I used was a PGP. At that time that is what most people used with a few other rifle style pump markers and the occasional semi-auto. The first marker I owned was a Tippmann Sl-68II a pump gun in 1994. This is when semi-auto markers began to dominate in the sport, at that time there were only a few companies making markers. Back then I had no problem keeping up with semi-auto guns with my pump and I believe the challenge made me a better player and even now I can use my pump in games and keep up because I have developed the skill over time, but I wonder could I come into the sport now and keep up using my pump against markers that can shoot 15-25 paintballs for every one or two I can shoot?
I do believe that a good player is a good player no matter what marker they own. I have seen guys with pumps take on guys with tournament level speedball markers and win. I do think that a Man can over come a Marker in the right situations. Now you’re probably thinking that I have just ended the argument, not even close! I also know that I have seen new people, and even children, with high-end markers take out some of the best players I have known. So what is the answer?
I have come to the conclusion: the better a marker the better the player. I’m not saying that a great player has to use a high-end marker to be great, but I do believe that great player can do even better with a better marker. This may make some of you angry, especially if you are a good player. Please don’t think I am saying that another player is better than you if they have a better marker, because I don’t believe that is true. I can say with all confidence that I know that I can play better than some players who have high-end markers that shoot twice as fast as I do. I’m not sure if I would even want to use a high-end marker on a regular basis, but I do think I could play a better game with one.
I want to address what I believe causes some problems in this sport and part of the reason why I wrote this article. To be honest paintball has a lot of pride in it. Some of that pride comes from the marker that is used and some of that pride is how well you play the game. It sometimes becomes a contest about who has the best marker. The argument can start where one player thinks his ability is greater than the other person’s marker and the other person thinks his marker is better than the other person’s ability. If you hear a story where one person with a ten round pump gun took on and beat 5 guys with Ions he it probably isn’t true, very few if anyone is that good. Paintball stories often are bigger than they actually are, I’m sure I have even exaggerated from time to time. Some people don’t like to admit the guy with the pump beat them or the guy with the low-end marker thinks they were beaten just because the other player had a high-end marker. I have also heard a lot about how the high-end marker changes in this sport have made it bad for everyone who doesn’t have high-end markers or how they can’t compete with the people with high-end markers. It is possible that a better marker may help you but it doesn’t mean you can’t compete. Everyone just needs to lay down the pride and enjoy this sport. If you think that the only way you can compete is with the latest greatest marker, you are wrong. Play with the marker that suits you best for your skills, abilities, or simply what you can afford. Use what you have and improve your overall skills.
Real quick lets look at the advantages of using a high-end marker. The most obvious is the speed, whether it is fully-auto, ramping, three round bursts, or simply an easier trigger pull. Second the weight of the marker is typically lighter; this means more speed and less weight to lug around. Third and I think this is very important is that it can be intimidating for other players to see a marker like that on the field, I believe intimidation can give an huge advantage in this sport. Some of these same advantages can apply to pump guns as well. They are really light and need less paint and air to haul around. They are typically really accurate. They can also be intimidating in a different way; you may see a pump and know that player must be good to come out with just a pump. You have to decide what suits you best.
A better marker in the hands of a new or young player can help their game improve faster and help their confidence, but I think their overall game can suffer if their confidence is put in the marker. I have seen average players with high-end markers never make much progress because they believe in the gun and lack other playing abilities that haven’t developed because they think they can win by throwing a lot of paint. A high-end marker can help any player take some skills to next level. If you want to improve as a player I suggest using a lower level marker, or even just use a side arm style marker and work your way up.
Whether you agree or disagree with what I have stated in this article give it some thought and decided for your self. I can’t say it enough, just use the marker that fits you best and that can help you develop as a player overall, but also if you want to improve or take it to the next level, if you feel that you are ready to grow an upgrade to a high-end marker may help. Don’t let this argument about who has the best marker divide this great sport. I love the challenge of this sport and I love the fact that there are players with all ranges of markers on the field because just like when I first was playing with a pump gun against semi-auto markers it helps me a become a better player and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
By “Sniper Steve” Quaschnick
Of “The Devil’s Brigade”
Paintball; one of the greatest sports ever invented, and one of the most expensive ever to play, but what if I told you that you can enjoy this sport on a budget. I am one of the many of player out there who has many responsibilities in life, besides paintball, and has had to figure out how to balance the financial obligations of my life so that I can afford to play on a regular basis. I know what you are saying, “how can I compete with people who have money to burn?” Hopefully this article will give you some ideas to improve your skills and team while lowering your costs.
First thing to do is figure out just how much you can afford each month, a budget helps with that, if you don’t have a budget and just want to lower your playing costs this article will help find ways to do so creatively. If you set a figure of what you want to spend and work with that number it helps, because if you don’t set a number figure you will find ways to justify more purchases. For example set a figure like 40 or 50 dollars a month, if that is not enough or too much you can adjust the amount to find what works best. Look at that budget for the whole year because in order to make your budget work you may either have to save for several months to make large purchases or you may have to adjust if you need to make a larger purchase sooner. So if your budget is 50 dollars a month that is $600 dollars for the year. Personally I find it easier to just subtract from the total than to just fit a small amount each month. If you have been playing paintball very long you might be thinking that isn’t very much but it can be done.
Now that we have talked about the amount you may want to spend each month let’s hit the basics. If you rent equipment consider purchasing, in the long run it does work out better if you have your own equipment. Twenty or thirty dollars rental plus paint will chew up your whole budget and then some if you want to play frequently. It may take a little more work on your part but it is worth it. Another great way to save money in this sport is learning how to fix, work on, and clean your own equipment rather than having to pay someone else to do it, learn from someone who will teach you. If you are real good about cleaning and maintaining your equipment it will last longer and work properly. I can’t stress this enough, clean it as soon as possible don’t let paint sit on things too long, it can stain things like goggles and clothes and it can gum up markers. This will either cause you to have to buy new things more frequently or cause your repair costs to increase.
Next, lets talk about purchasing things used. There is nothing wrong about purchasing used items; most of the paintball stuff I have purchased has been used. Used items can be just as good as new items and they might even have upgrades and still be lower in cost than new items. There are lots of places to look discounted, used or discontinued items. Ebay is a great place to purchase used items. I won’t go into how ebay works but it is a great place to find deals on items. This is where being able to work on your own equipment is nice you might find a great deal on an item that just needs some minor work. Here is the key to buying used DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Research what you are buying and the person selling it. Another great way to increase your spending money is to sell your old, unused equipment, if your not using something, sell it so you can use that money to purchase other items or upgrade your existing equipment. That is another great reason to keep your equipment in good shape because it can increase its resale value. If you buy a bigger tank sell your old tank so the only money you lose is the difference between the two prices. Or say you need or want a new or bigger tank look for auctions with that item plus other equipment so once you get that item with the other equipment you can turn around and sell the extra equipment. I have done that many times and broke even. One time I found a marker that I wanted and sold all of the other items that came with it and broke even, in other words when I was done selling the extra stuff I had a new marker basically for free. You could even look for auctions that you could purchase for a great profit if you divide them up and sell everything separate. If you have paintball equipment to sell I recommend selling everything separate because over all you will get a better price most of the time, I say most of the time because there are exceptions. Research what will be the best way for you. I hope that by giving away all my secrets I am not shooting myself in the foot.
If you are not part of a team try joining one or starting one. There are several advantages to lowering the cost by being part of a team. First if you can get sponsorships you can get things at a discounted price or even for free. For example I purchase paint online for a better price but to get free shipping I usually have to buy several cases of paint, so I get different members of my team that needs paint to buy a case so that we all can get it at a good price and not pay any shipping costs. Buying things in bulk can save money. Previous years uniforms can sometimes be discounted and save you money from the current years uniforms. Some sponsorships may cost you a small members fee but it may save money in the long run. Again research and do the math before committing to things, something may sound good, but on paper if it doesn’t lead to the savings you are looking for then keep looking. Also air costs can be lower if everyone pitches in to buy a way to refill your air. Fees for events can sometimes be decreased if large groups or teams sign up. Work as a team to look for opportunities to advance yourself in the sport and to get your self better deals on products.
Depending on your style of play or your personal preferences you may have several markers. I recommend using a mechanical marker for practices and regular games. This may slow your rate of fire, which will decrease your paint costs, and it can also build skill that can help you with tournaments. Just because you may need to cut your costs doesn’t mean that it can’t be an opportunity to improve. Money doesn’t equal skill. Although one thing I do want to stress is that sometimes a more expensive product can save you money in the long run. If the product is better it may last longer or be less likely to need upgrades. The same thing goes for paint just because the price tag may be lower doesn’t mean it will save you money. A better paint may give better results, for example a better paint may be more accurate and if you can hit your target better you might not need to shoot as much paint, also if the paint is a better quality it won’t break in your gun as much saving you cleaning time and giving you more playing time. I will say it again; do your research, try out the markers if you can and try different paints until you find what works best for your needs and budget.
Another thin to keep in mid is don't have too many different kind of equipment. For example you may have several kinds of masks depending on the different style of play you have. To save money try to keep with the same manufacturer that way you lenses are interchangeable. Also I have found that a barrel kit comes in handy for different guns all you have to do is have the right threaded back for each gun ad use the barrel kit for all of your guns. I also recommend that your whole team tries to have the same equipment that way you may not have to have many parts on hand if something goes wrong, you can share amongst the team.
Finally to make your paintball dollars go a little farther try to do some extra things to make money that relate to the sport. For example I will ref at events and get paid and put that towards my budget. You can have a marker repair business, cleaning business, website, you could be a food vendor at events, or you can even be an event planner. All these things could benefit your paintball budget and it helps build the sport and provide essential services for a successful event. Sometimes field owners give a discount to people who volunteer at an event. They may give free admission, air, or discounted prices on products or entry fees. Sometimes all it takes is asking so don’t be afraid to ask.
A small monthly or yearly budget with some smart choices can take you a lot farther in the sport than you would expect and build new skills that will be helpful on and off the field. Work together with your friends to come up with team building solutions that will make it easier on everybody’s budget. Be creative, I am sure there are lots of other ideas to make your money go farther, but hopefully you will find these hints helpful.
By “Sniper Steve” Quaschnick
The most important thing to remember is that this is a sport or game. Whether you’re out there to compete or just to have fun, you have to remember that the rules and etiquette are important to keep the sport enjoyable. You are not the only person there who wants to compete and have a good time. The best thing you can remember while you are on the field is that you are not the only person who is important. Sometimes we lose sight of that and it becomes more important to win or have the most kills in a game. Selfishness will cause you to break rules and act inappropriately on the field. Stop thinking of just yourself! I’m not saying that you shouldn’t try your hardest to win or compete but don’t let it become an opportunity to cheat, break rules, or just plain lose your cool.
Speaking of cheating, there will always be cheaters. Since sports were invented people have been finding ways to break the rules or have found ways to bend them in their favor. It is my opinion that cheaters need to be dealt with a little more severely. If you see cheating get involved! There are lots of ways to get involved: get refs, say something to the cheater, get field owners involved, and make sure the rules are clear. If you feel like cheating is what you have to do to win, then maybe you should find a new sport because obviously you aren’t cut out for this sport. Great players don’t need to cheat.
That last points about making sure the rules are clear is the most important. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen arguments just because a rule wasn’t made clear. Unclear rules can cause a game to spiral out of control quickly. Some people don’t know they are breaking rules because rules can be miss-heard or just interpreted differently. Misinterpretation of rules happens because the rules aren’t clear. If some one says bunkers can’t be moved, which is a good rule, but the question might arise of what is classified as a bunker. If I see a table lying on the field and I want to prop it up to use for cover I may not be intentionally breaking the rules, I may just think that isn’t a bunker. If a rule is unclear get someone to clarify it for you don’t assume.
Rules are everyone’s responsibility, the field owners, refs and event staff, and players need to listen to briefings and read the rules. Don’t just assume that you know the rules because sometimes they change. I also feel that the field needs to keep their rules consistent whenever possible. Let me give you an example of this. A field I play at has re-spawn flag stations; they have a rule of no re-spawning if you are shot within a certain distance from that flag. Well that distance changed frequently from 25 to 50 to 75 feet, then one time they used yards as a measurement instead of feet and every game there would be arguments about how close a person was to a flag and if they were allowed to re-spawn at that flag. This is the field operator’s fault and the players’ fault. The field shouldn’t be changing rules so frequently and the players should have paid better attention during the safety briefing. Players shouldn’t assume that the rules are always going to be the same and those running the game shouldn’t assume everyone will always pay attention or know the rules from a previous game. Keep rules consistent and pay attention to the rules.
Another area that I feel players need some etiquette lessons is with how they deal and respond to the refs. In my observations, not only do some players ignore the rules, they ignore the people that are making sure the rules get followed. Quick side note if you haven’t figured this out yet, rules are there to keep you safe! So that means refs are there to help keep you safe. When you ignore a ref or don’t listen to instruction you may be putting your self in danger. Also some people are just plain rude to the refs! Most of the time these people are volunteering their time to help you as players. Give them respect and say THANK YOU once in a while. Here is another thought may be you could ref some time so they can play and I guarantee that you will learn some things. Here is a tip: if you want to be a better player be a ref sometimes, you can learn a lot as a ref that can help improve you as a player. If anything it will give you a better appreciation of what they do. Along those lines, refs make sure you know the rules, because when a ref doesn’t know the rule or when two refs see things differently this causes strife on the field and ultimately causes players to lose confidence in your abilities. Lastly refs don’t be rude to the players, you are in a place of leadership and if you show a bad attitude or are rude to someone you can affect that players attitude and cause problems. Don’t become part of the problem, rise above the conflict and show leadership.
Next lets deal with what I think is shows a complete disregard for the field you play at and the other players; littering. Some people think they shouldn’t have to clean up after they make a mess or think that it is too hard to walk to a garbage can. Who do you think cleans up after the mess you leave? Field owners and responsible players; that’s who cleans up after your laziness. May be you play on public land or out in the forest, if you leave trash behind it can cause lots of work for others, possible harm the environment, or ultimately it can get public land shut down. This happened to my team, some one else was leaving tons of garbage behind and the county just put up a gate so we couldn’t use the area where we liked to play. I hope maybe by now you are seeing a theme with this article; think how your actions affect others around you.
Honesty is something I find lacking in this sport at times. Sometimes we try so hard to be the best or to get the edge that we will do things then try to justify them in our minds because deep down we know what we did was wrong. Let me give you some examples because sometimes we don’t believe that what we are doing is wrong, we think that we are very upright and model examples of what sportsmanship is. Sometimes the starting horn sounds before we get to our starting point and get a jump on the other team and we say to our selves that it isn’t our fault they couldn’t wait. Or in a game where any shot counts we take a shot to our toe and we think oh that was just a lucky shot and doesn’t count. Or how about this one we act like we aren’t playing or act like we are out and cross enemy lines then start shooting, no offense to those of you that do that but come on, you may think you are smart and clever or that the other team is dumb for not trying to stop you but really you know you were purposefully trying to gain an upper hand dishonestly. If you want to do that, that’s fine but don’t think you’re a great player because someone chose not to shoot you because they were playing by the rules and didn’t shoot someone they perceived to be dead. What about another rule I think people take advantage of in Woodsball, the paint check! You may be thinking right now wait that is a perfectly fine rule. Unfortunately this is a rule that I think people have taken advantage of for their personal gain. Don’t get me wrong I like to make sure I am out when I really get hit so I check to see if there is paint, but some people will stop the game to get some one to check for paint. If you can’t see paint don’t stand there and yell for 5 minutes to get a ref to check or another player to check and interrupt the game then find out you are still in and by that time the player that shot you is focused else where and you sucker shoot him because he thinks your out. If there is some one there that can immediately check, have them check otherwise if you felt a solid hit call yourself out. This isn’t speedball there is plenty of time to continue playing. Stop using the paint check rule as a way to stall the game, it may not be dishonest according to the rules but you may have felt the hit so don’t interrupt the game to get your paint check. In addition that requires that the person doing the paint check is honest, some times it may not be your fault but the team member checking the paint may want to keep you around so they might say you are clean.
I know all too well that with this sport comes high emotions, anger, confusion, and competitive spirit. No one likes to lose. Still we all need to try and be civil when conflict arises and deal with it in a mature manner. If there is an argument try to settle it at an appropriate time. On the field conflict is not a good mix, if masks come off, if a person still has a marker in their hand, or if there is still a game going on around you this can lead to more problems in a conflict. It is important to get off the field and get to a safe place to resolve issues. Get others involved so that some one can mediate or if they have insight into the situation. Talk about issues with your teammates and teammates help that person clam down or resolve the problem. There is nothing wrong with having emotions and having a competitive spirit but don’t let it cross the line.
In closing I know that I have probably stepped on some toes with this article and again feel free to disagree, this is just my opinion. I hope this will hit home with some people and get people thinking about what they can do to make it a better experience for everyone on the field including themselves.