Following from a recent thread, please see as below for a rough budget on different types of paintball
£50-£60 per person for a punter game with 1000 paintballs
Again around £50 per person for a walkon game - but thats 2000 paintballs
For a scenario event budget about £80 with 2000 paintballs
You might shoot more or less paint. I found on my transition from punter to walkon I would still play to the same budget, you can also share a case with a mate, or some places will split cases
I tend to be a light shooter, at some events I will go to an additional case
However this year I have mainly played pump so had an excess of paint to take home
I also never want to run out, and can also pass paint to team mates
If you are trigger happy then you may be looking at planning at least 2 cases for events
Punter paintball
This is how the majority of people begin, you turn up and play.
99% is supplied - overalls, goggles, markers etc. Most sites provide free lunch with a full day booking
You need good footwear, comfortable light clothes and fingerless gloves are a good idea
Ignore the ticket sellers in the street telling you it is £9.99 for a full day, you then have to pay the site
Even better - go direct to the site and book in, bring a group and start getting discounts or a free player
Entry starts at around £10, but I recommend going for a package
A good amount is 1000 paintballs for a day, packages are around £55 entry & paint
If you are not intending to shoot a lot or are on a budget then look for packages around £35 for entry & 500 paintballs
For a half day packages tend to be around 400 - 500 paintballs £30 entry & paint, but no lunch inlcluded
Extra paint on the day is always on variable price scales starting with 100 for about £7, 500 around £30, 1000 around £55
Do your research for local sites and their packages, also phone them up
Walkon paintball - usualy once a month at the sites that host them
This is the next stage, you want more of a challenge, want to take advantage of cheaper prices, have your own gear - or are startign to acquire your own gear
You meet a friendly bunch of people and get to see much more about paintball.
Walkon games are similar to punter games, howeve the players usually get the option to adjust rules, play the game zones in different ways
Expect a mix of woods play, and a form of speedball play possibly with inflatables (the competitive style)
Walkons are cheaper because the sites may reduce the ratio of marshalls to player then required for the unknown entity of punters, and walkon players are more likely to be repeat customers
If you have not got your own gear yet, or only some then you can still play at walkons, but expect a charge such as £5 for the rental items, sometimes free
In general we recommend not rushing out and buying your own gear, look around check out other players gear etc
Walkon price structures vary. Usually a larger entry fee but vastly cheaper paint prices. You may also be able to bring your own paint. However unless you have a good discount somewhere then you will not get decent paint for less then walkon prices
Entry alone around £25
Entry with a case of 2000 paintballs around £50
Additional paint at around £25 - £30 per case of 2000
Scenario events
Scenarios range for small games to vast games and could be a day, a weekend, or on occasion a trip around the world
An average scenario has a higher entry fee, and you may be able to bring your own paint, use traders on site, or have paint included in your booking.
BYO paint is fairly common but there are now less events that you can do this. When traders are on site giving tech support etc then it is better to buy from them
At certain events you can only use event paint, this particularly applies to those run at unusual venues where clear paint is a requirement
For larger events I have found that even though game time tends to be longer then walkons (even when a one day game) due to constant play, that there is more to a scenario then just shooting. Weekend games tend to have a chilled day and a main day, so may not make a significant difference in paint fired, but there can be longer and more intense games
Only you can decide whether you should allow for more paint, or if you need to be disciplined to meet your budget
If your budget permits then you can normally buy extra on the day when required, however sometimes paint must be pre-ordered and there will be no spare paint on the day. If that is the case I would rather order an extra case or half case depending on the event then run out part way through
Food is usually provided by caterers, and should be at fair prices
Some example event prices are:
At Battle of Britain tickets were £30, paint was £25 to £30 for a case of 2000
(This was intended to be a cheap event, but turned into a free second event due to extreme weather)
Angels & Demons is £80 all inclusive with clear paint
Our last TFD game was £30 - £40 entry depending on how far in advance you paid, and paint between £24 & £32.50 for a case
The Super6 Staargate gate is £55, with paint from £25 to £32 for a case
For scenario play you also need to take into account travel around the country & accommodation (though camping at events is most often free if the venue allows camping)
In addition to the above is tournament play, but on a competitive basis you need more paint the more you are in play, and you could be ripping out streams of paint
I have been given guide prices of £70 to £100 per player for a tournament
Generally people call so called 'woodland' markers/guns tougher then 'tournament' markers/guns
But a tournament player is more likely to be running and diving thus potentialy bashing their equipment so it needs to be tough to function
They will probably be putting out paint quickly, but in relatively short games
Other equipment can be used quickly, such as pods being broken or disappearing after being dumped in game (you would expect to pick up your pods after the game, not distract yourself putting them away in game)
As with scenario you will find yourself travelling and requiring accommodation
Accommodation
When traveling you will probably want somewhere to sleep
There may be free camping, or a small fee
Motel chains, Travelodge etc offer cheap accommodation. Check out their 'saver rooms' and book at the right time in advance for the best price. You may also be able to fit a full team in one room if you get cosy in the beds, use the optional fold up beds and the floor as well.
But do check they are charging for the room and by person
Edited to add a couple of tweaks
£50-£60 per person for a punter game with 1000 paintballs
Again around £50 per person for a walkon game - but thats 2000 paintballs
For a scenario event budget about £80 with 2000 paintballs
You might shoot more or less paint. I found on my transition from punter to walkon I would still play to the same budget, you can also share a case with a mate, or some places will split cases
I tend to be a light shooter, at some events I will go to an additional case
However this year I have mainly played pump so had an excess of paint to take home
I also never want to run out, and can also pass paint to team mates
If you are trigger happy then you may be looking at planning at least 2 cases for events
Punter paintball
This is how the majority of people begin, you turn up and play.
99% is supplied - overalls, goggles, markers etc. Most sites provide free lunch with a full day booking
You need good footwear, comfortable light clothes and fingerless gloves are a good idea
Ignore the ticket sellers in the street telling you it is £9.99 for a full day, you then have to pay the site
Even better - go direct to the site and book in, bring a group and start getting discounts or a free player
Entry starts at around £10, but I recommend going for a package
A good amount is 1000 paintballs for a day, packages are around £55 entry & paint
If you are not intending to shoot a lot or are on a budget then look for packages around £35 for entry & 500 paintballs
For a half day packages tend to be around 400 - 500 paintballs £30 entry & paint, but no lunch inlcluded
Extra paint on the day is always on variable price scales starting with 100 for about £7, 500 around £30, 1000 around £55
Do your research for local sites and their packages, also phone them up
Walkon paintball - usualy once a month at the sites that host them
This is the next stage, you want more of a challenge, want to take advantage of cheaper prices, have your own gear - or are startign to acquire your own gear
You meet a friendly bunch of people and get to see much more about paintball.
Walkon games are similar to punter games, howeve the players usually get the option to adjust rules, play the game zones in different ways
Expect a mix of woods play, and a form of speedball play possibly with inflatables (the competitive style)
Walkons are cheaper because the sites may reduce the ratio of marshalls to player then required for the unknown entity of punters, and walkon players are more likely to be repeat customers
If you have not got your own gear yet, or only some then you can still play at walkons, but expect a charge such as £5 for the rental items, sometimes free
In general we recommend not rushing out and buying your own gear, look around check out other players gear etc
Walkon price structures vary. Usually a larger entry fee but vastly cheaper paint prices. You may also be able to bring your own paint. However unless you have a good discount somewhere then you will not get decent paint for less then walkon prices
Entry alone around £25
Entry with a case of 2000 paintballs around £50
Additional paint at around £25 - £30 per case of 2000
Scenario events
Scenarios range for small games to vast games and could be a day, a weekend, or on occasion a trip around the world
An average scenario has a higher entry fee, and you may be able to bring your own paint, use traders on site, or have paint included in your booking.
BYO paint is fairly common but there are now less events that you can do this. When traders are on site giving tech support etc then it is better to buy from them
At certain events you can only use event paint, this particularly applies to those run at unusual venues where clear paint is a requirement
For larger events I have found that even though game time tends to be longer then walkons (even when a one day game) due to constant play, that there is more to a scenario then just shooting. Weekend games tend to have a chilled day and a main day, so may not make a significant difference in paint fired, but there can be longer and more intense games
Only you can decide whether you should allow for more paint, or if you need to be disciplined to meet your budget
If your budget permits then you can normally buy extra on the day when required, however sometimes paint must be pre-ordered and there will be no spare paint on the day. If that is the case I would rather order an extra case or half case depending on the event then run out part way through
Food is usually provided by caterers, and should be at fair prices
Some example event prices are:
At Battle of Britain tickets were £30, paint was £25 to £30 for a case of 2000
(This was intended to be a cheap event, but turned into a free second event due to extreme weather)
Angels & Demons is £80 all inclusive with clear paint
Our last TFD game was £30 - £40 entry depending on how far in advance you paid, and paint between £24 & £32.50 for a case
The Super6 Staargate gate is £55, with paint from £25 to £32 for a case
For scenario play you also need to take into account travel around the country & accommodation (though camping at events is most often free if the venue allows camping)
In addition to the above is tournament play, but on a competitive basis you need more paint the more you are in play, and you could be ripping out streams of paint
I have been given guide prices of £70 to £100 per player for a tournament
Generally people call so called 'woodland' markers/guns tougher then 'tournament' markers/guns
But a tournament player is more likely to be running and diving thus potentialy bashing their equipment so it needs to be tough to function
They will probably be putting out paint quickly, but in relatively short games
Other equipment can be used quickly, such as pods being broken or disappearing after being dumped in game (you would expect to pick up your pods after the game, not distract yourself putting them away in game)
As with scenario you will find yourself travelling and requiring accommodation
Accommodation
When traveling you will probably want somewhere to sleep
There may be free camping, or a small fee
Motel chains, Travelodge etc offer cheap accommodation. Check out their 'saver rooms' and book at the right time in advance for the best price. You may also be able to fit a full team in one room if you get cosy in the beds, use the optional fold up beds and the floor as well.
But do check they are charging for the room and by person
Edited to add a couple of tweaks
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