Wolf Creek Paintball cranked out a successful one day scenario event based on Clear and Present Danger. Set in Colombia (a large South American country - not an island, contrary to popular opinion), this three ring circus had Colombian soldiers facing a Drug Cartel and the U.S. Special Forces in a sometimes confusing but always entertaining paintball throwdown.

Evidently scenario teams in the Mid-Atlantic region are a little slack on the registration tip. At the last minute the numbers for the game shot up from around 70 to well over 200, and for even the most seasoned producer this can cause some problems. The worst would be to run out of paint or air, and while that didn’t happen, they did run a little low on rounds, but no one got turned away empty handed. Barry, the field owner, did an admirable job of keeping the lines moving, and while the game started a little late, the delay wasn’t unexpected. If the field opens at 8:30, how are you going to get 200 people through registration, get them chronoed, give a briefing, and be ready to play by 10:00? The 10:45 start time impressed me enough, and aiming for 11:00 from the beginning probably would have been more realistic.

On the field, I got a chance to role-play, something I hadn’t expected going into the game. As it turns out, role-playing was integral to this event. Out of the gate I negotiated a treaty with the Colombian government to unite our forces against the American invaders, and unite we did, all over the other team. What I didn’t know was that Ferg was running around sowing the seeds of dissension, and as fast as I set up allegiances, he broke them down and turned the sides against each other. I have to admit, I couldn’t have done it better myself.

Seems like lately I end up by myself in the worst situations. My squad for this adventure, Temporary Team Tango Alpha2, had all the best intentions of using radio communications to coordinate movement, but some technical glitches combined with my eagerness to jump in the thick of things, and I’d turn around to find myself backed against a tapeline, last man standing against a marauding squad bent on base conquest. Going out in a blaze of glory can be fun, but the lumps on the side of my head are still tender. Thanks a lot Americans!

Overall, I liked Wolf Creek. The field owner is a genuinely good person, and the teams attracted to the event showed a strong sense of sportsmanship. Sure, the rules could have used some clarification, but I got the feeling that the producer and staff are open to an honest critique because they want to continue to grow and develop a solid reputation. I had refs telling me that I could and could not insert in various locations, and had I know that the final battle was headshots only (a bad idea that leads to painful overshooting), I would have been in there to the last. Wolf Creek has wonderful potential, and I got a kick out of the fact that the geographic center of North Carolina falls on a paintball field.

While I took plenty of pictures, Dorain from the Black Knights snapped some really excellent action shots. There are about four or five on his slide show that are magazine quality pictures.

No awards, but the Drug Cartel squeaked out a victory with a narrow margin of 50 points. Nice to be on the winning team, even though it doesn’t really matter. Despite falling on my face twice, I had a great time.

If you’re looking for a game and you live close enough to make the trip out to Adventure Beach, sign up for their Invasion of Japan game in early April.  I’ve already heard that several prominent South Carolina teams plan to attend, and this is one field that you have to play if you’ve never done it.  (If you have played Adventure Beach, you probably already made plans to attend.)  Click here for more information - Invasion of Japan

I’ve been busy these past few weeks - MPP game at Paintball Charleston (complete with tornado) and the one day scenario at Wolf Creek Paintball.  I have a couple of weeks to catch my breath, write some magazine articles and update the blog, and then I’m off to Chicago for Living Legends of Paintball at Challenge Park.  Look for pictures and brief summaries of all these games to be posted soon.  I also made an appearance, sort of, on Paintball Live, an internet radio show run by Don Saavedra (Sentinel of Argent Force) and RyantheMighty.  They cover the paintball industry, the latest happenings in the tournament world, and scenario - predominantly the west coast scene.  Check out their most recent episode by subscribing to the podcast on iTunes.  Plans are in the work to have me on as a guest in a few weeks, so stay tuned.  It’ll probably happen not long after Living Legends, so I’ll be able to run down all the drama from CPX.

I’ve posted new links, so check ‘em out, especially Tango Alpha, a nice blog dedicated to south eastern scenario action.  I had a chance to play on a pick-up team with Paul at the Wolf Creek game, and while we kept getting separated, the times we actually ran together were a blast.

Much more coming soon.

Well, the word is out, and the press releases should hit the magazines soon. I’m now officially a sponsored player, backed by the world’s largest distributor, Archon Paintball. Archon makes fine paint such as one of my favorites, Chronic, as well as Proball, Origin, and others, and they carry everything from the Ego to the Dangerous Power Fusion and Threshold. One of Archon’s lines, TACAMO, is geared specifically to the mil-sim market. They craft the Type-68 marker with real AK-47 parts in a Chinese military factory. Doesn’t get much more simulated than that!

For 2008 I’ll be representing Archon by wearing Chronic Game Gear at all the events I attend. I’ll also be shooting the Dangerous Power Threshold. I got a chance to put it through its paces this past weekend at MPP’s Battle of the Ardennes, one of the hardest-fought scenarios I’ve ever attended. The teams slugged it out over every scrap of Paintball Charleston all weekend, and the Threshold kept rocking, putting paint where I wanted it to go, as fast as I could pull the trigger. It’s a light, tight, gunfighter’s gun, and although the stock barrel is actually quite good, when I set it up with my Freak matched to the event paint (Proball), I had no trouble sending those pesky Germans to their reinsertion. I’ll post more about the game itself soon. I’ll also be using the Type-68 for walk-on games and possibly at some of the big events as well. The realistic look of it carries its own intimidation factor.

I think it’s great that a company like Archon wants to support scenario paintball. From my conversations with the folks behind the company, they really understand that the majority of paintball players spend most of their time in the woods and want products geared towards their style of play.

The press release with all the official wording will hit the magazines soon, but here’s a sneak peak at the photo shoot. I wore the Chronic Game Gear all weekend and found it comfortable, but I did get called “hey you in the brown” way too many times. I need to get my name printed on these new jerseys.

I’m looking forward to slinging some paint with all the teams who attend MPP’s game this weekend at Paintball Charleston. This will be my first trip to the field, and I’m psyched to test some new terrain. If you see me at the game, say hello.

From time to time I plan to post some how to articles covering the basics in paintball. I want this site to be information rich, but not geared entirely to the veteran scenario players. Newer players need the support and the tips that those of us who have been in the game for years can provide. Some of these articles will be reprints of a column I wrote for the now defunct Outdoor Sportsman. Here’s one on the basics of developing a good shot. Please post your own comments on techniques you’ve learned that have helped you along the way.

Shooting in paintball differs considerably from other types of shooting. You’re forced to deal with a spherical projectile that has a solid shell and a liquid center, creating all sorts of difficulties. Add to that propulsion with inconsistent gasses (in the case of CO2), and speed limits on how fast your ball can travel, and your old shooting skills hardly seem applicable. Thanks to constantly evolving technology, paintball guns are more accurate than ever, and the balls themselves are, on average, more consistently round and of higher quality construction than they’ve ever been. Yes, they only fly a little farther than 150 feet, but when you learn the technique, you can hit what you’re aiming for every time.
The first thing you should master is the basic shooting stance. You’ll want to use your air tank, either CO2 or HPA (high pressure air) as a stock, resting the base firmly against the cup of your shoulder, not on top or beneath your arm. If you’ve installed a big dropforward, you’ve decreased the overall length of the gun, but in order to shoot you’ll need to cramp your wrist in an uncomfortable position. It’s better to set your gun up in a longer, more natural-feeling configuration. Sight down the barrel, keeping both eyes open, and track your first shot so you can adjust your second one for accuracy. After practice you’ll be able to better predict the placement of the first ball. You may also want to rotate your hopper slightly towards the center of your body, which will help hide it behind your cover. Remember, when shooting you should expose as little of yourself as possible. One of the best ways to check your stance is to practice at home with a mirror. Take cover behind a doorframe or the edge of a piece of furniture, and look at how much of your body you expose in the mirror. If you can see more than a side of your mask, your barrel, and a bit of your arm, then you’re showing too much. Correct yourself and practice until you naturally fall into that pose.
The next stage is to work on your snapshot. A snapshot means breaking cover for a split second, firing a few balls, and hiding again. You should expose as little as possible and only for the time it takes to fire two or three times, in other words, less than a second. To accomplish this, line up your barrel with your target while still behind cover. Visualize the flight path of your ball. You should never have to acquire a target during the snap – that will slow you down. Then lean out while triggering a few times, and tuck in again, all in one fluid motion. Coming out to the side will expose far less than shooting over the top of your bunker.
The snapshot is a great way to establish position. When you’re in a gunfight with another player, snapshoot a few times but vary where you emerge from your bunker so you won’t be predictable. If you don’t hit your target, you’ll probably “put him in” which means he’ll be forced to take cover. Then you can “post.” Posting is when you remain out, focused on a single shot. When your opponent breaks cover to snapshoot, you’ll already be posted, ready to eliminate him with a well-aimed shot.
These shooting skills will work in all types of settings, from the woods to urban environments or the inflated concept fields of tournament paintball. When you’re ready to develop your shooting technique, head to your local organized paintball field to put these tips into practice.

I’ve added another date to my calendar - the Dollack/Viper collaboration at CPX near Chicago, Living Legends. Two of my teammates from Black Cat All-Stars are slated to come, so we’ll have to see how much damage a squad of three can cause. If you haven’t set your calendar, try to make this game, as it’s shaping up to be one of the best events of the year.

I’m especially psyched to see my far-flung teammates again and to hang out with some of the great industry people I’ve met on my travels.