Hey! I'm new. Looking for a few tips on teams/ scenarios.

[ImAz]

Hi all,

I've been trying to get into paintballing as a sport (for fitness, among other things) and I'm at a point now where I'm capable of playing (most) weekends.

I am fortunate in that I live and work in London I've heard good things about a place called Bricket Wood. Are there any other London sites that people speak highly of?

I honestly don't really know what type of paintball I would like to get into. Scenarios look great fun. I'd also entertain the idea of joining a team - how common are amateur paintball teams in London? Is there anywhere on the internet that I can look for and reach out to the teams?

In terms of gear, an old friend generously gifted a marker and the basic kit that goes with it. I have a lot of clothing/ webbing etc from a previous job I had so that's not a drama either.

How often can I expect to play if I take the team route and then play scenarios when they come up? Are we talking once a month, once a week?

Thanks in advance for any replies. If you need any further info, let me know and I'll gladly provide it.

All the best,
Az

 

[ColeSchubert]

Hello, ImAz! Welcome to the forum! Cheers!

 

[dfr350]

Hi and welcome.

Depending upon where in London you live campaign

http://campaign-paintball.com/

And Holmbush

http://www.holmbushpaintball.co.uk/

Are 2 excellent sites.

There are plenty of teams inside and around London. Just post in the appropriate forum on here to find them. Senarios happon all round the year at various venues. Check out mayhem paintball

https://www.mayhem-paintball.co.uk/paintballing-essex

Campaign also run clash of clans in November time

Would be good if you joined groups like the paintball community

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ThePaintballCommunity/

Also Uk paintball on facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/UKPaintball/

Enjoy

 

[Tom]

Bricketwood is a good start, they run both woodsball and tournament Paintball

If you play walkons or scenario then there is no need for a team, if you have a couple of mates interested then bring them otherwise just turn up on your own and play with whoever is there. Your new friends are the guys next to you.
If you go to walkons then you will get to know the regular crowd and will then have Paintball friends

Walkons typically happen once a month at participating sites.
Scenarios typically happen once a year at each site
Tournaments generally happen monthly once the season is going, but sites with a tournament field will be open most weekends for practice.


https://bricketwoodpaintball.co.uk/professional-paintballing-at-bricket-wood.html

http://www.paintballcalendar.co.uk/

 

[ImAz]

@ColeSchubert - Thanks mate!

@dfr350 - Thanks for all of the info. I joined those two groups on facebook. How do I get info on when sites do walkons etc? I can't seem to find sections on their websites about walkons.

@Tom - I noticed your footer. Are there many other similar scenario teams about? If so, how often do you get together and play?

Is it unrealistic to try and attend 2 events per month? How often do you guys go?

 

[Tom]

@ColeSchubert - Thanks mate!

@dfr350 - Thanks for all of the info. I joined those two groups on facebook. How do I get info on when sites do walkons etc? I can't seem to find sections on their websites about walkons.

@Tom - I noticed your footer. Are there many other similar scenario teams about? If so, how often do you get together and play?

Is it unrealistic to try and attend 2 events per month? How often do you guys go?

There are quite a number of teams about the country, but there’s not much of a reliable list, some attempts are below with the 2010 onwards version covering the most, but an attempt at a meaningful categorized version in 2016 is very limited.
https://p8ntballer-forums.com/threads/comprehensive-team-list-2016.177223/
https://p8ntballer-forums.com/threads/comprehensive-uk-team-list-2010.59243/

Facebook had a terrible impact on Paintball information. There were a small number of forums covering specific interests and those of us with multiple interests would be members of two or more (or all of them). This forum is the only one that has remained active
Teams and sites went onto Facebook groups & pages, initially using the forums as general communications and Facebook for specifics to the team, site or event. Gradually things fractured and the information diluted across Facebook in topic specific groups. Only trading rules in Facebook &’ebay brings some people back - but just long enough to buy or sell.

Walkons are one symptom. You don’t know they are happening unless you are in the know that they are happening. A site may have a website and Facebook page for their punter business, then a seperate Facebook page for their walkons.
The calendar link I gave earlier has a walkon section, but only has the information if the site are giving the details to the calendar


Though Paintball on the internet has fractured, it’s still word of mouth that gets the relevant information around. When I began I stumbled across the right forums, discovered other sites, met people and was then told about other events. (I found forums to discover walkons, and it was at a walkon that i was told about a scenario .... etc)

On the question of how often do scenario teams meet up, it’s not so much organised teams meeting up to play each other but going to a scenario event and the teams & individuals forming one side or the other. In the last couple of years we have slowed down, with family life, we have access to a local site and can get some of us together every now and again.
Personnaly I’ve been less excited about some events, because for a number of years we were spoilt with special events and venues. There are certain events that I’ll go hundreds of miles for. Magfed and airsoft have carried on the non standard woodland sites, but some of it is ‘been there done that’ and I’ve had my adrenaline needs met with change of pace photographing tournaments


It’s not unrealistic to aim for 2 a month, but in scenario or tournaments that means a lot of travel. For walkons you wouldn’t get 2 per month on a single site - you can play every weekend but would need to split sites or play punter games. In my early days I did this, but it’s a careful balance for the site to consider mixing punters and own gunners and for the player to act appropriately.
I couldn’t do two a month these days along with other activities, and I’m already running my 2018 calendar to work out what I can fit into the year

It’s not all bad news - you’ll probably need some Facebook groups for walkons and if people can’t identify them then just try a call to a site to ask.
Then just slot in what’s good for you

 

[ImAz]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for all of the advice. I'm gonna take a look at doing the Bricketwood walkon on the first Sun of every month (first one in 2018 is on the 9th) and then the Mayhem one on the 3rd Sunday (their tube pickup service is awesome!).

Is there any way I can get in touch with some of the guys who go Bricket Wood on the reg? This will be my first walk on so it'd be handy to get some first timer tips on what to bring, wear etc. Should I make a post somewhere on this forum?

Side note: the calendar link you sent earlier doesn't work. I can get on the page but when I click any tabs on that site, nothing changes and the page just reloads.

Again, thanks for all your help and wisdom!

 

[Bolter]

Hi @ImAz welcome to paintball, and welcome to the forum! I see you are in good hands with @Tom and dont be afraid to ask further questions, we are all here happy to help.

 

[Tom]

Side note: the calendar link you sent earlier doesn't work. I can get on the page but when I click any tabs on that site, nothing changes and the page just reloads.

Turns out it’s not been having the traffic and not been updated for a while.

Proof of my rant about Facebook fracturing paintball. There are other calendars that get put together every now and then, but this was one that covered pretty much everything - but obviously with the effort by Chris who runs it

Hey ho

 

[Tom]

The two community Facebook groups @dfr350 posted look like they are pretty much it.

I can’t find a walk-on page for brickett, but if you watch for posts by Jon Owen on those groups then that should give you some knowledge
The good news / bad news looks like Facebook groups are dieing off. For the moment that means you have to find the people in the know, hopefully in the longer term that brings back sources to some form of structure.


There’s another calendar here:
https://beta.teamup.com/ks1v6w77bqo7thjs6t

@ImAz - probably post up in the ‘scenario and Recball’ area of the forum asking about anyone in Brickett


In general for a walk-on I would say to bring:

Gun, hopper, goggles, air cylinder
Pod belt or vest plus pods
Comfy loose clothing
Forehead cover - beany, hawdwrap, backwards baseball cap etc
Ankle support boots for woodland
A bag, ideally suitably wheeled for rough ground

Extras would be:
fluffy barrel cleaner:
couple of microfibres (minimum being a wet corner to clear paint off your goggle lens and a dry corner to buff it afterwards)
Wet wipes to clean anything
Spare batteries if applicable for hopper & gun
Tools - at least your chrono adjustment tool
Spares kit - o-rings, lube etc
Electrical tape - for emergency fixes


Cash for entry, Paintball’s & lunch/snacks

Most places have free tea/coffee to hand, but expect to pay for snacks, canned drinks, lunch.
Save some money by bringing your preferred snacks
I would bring water and electrolytes
(Keep an eye out in places such as Halfords, Lidl, TK Maxx for offers on boxes of sports electrolytes such as High5 and Sis.)


The High5 red & green boxes are good, especially when half price
Off the top of my head the green running pack makes the most drinks and the red cycle pack has the most gel shots.
The packs include a ‘free’ bottle to mix a drink but tabs are best for putting straight into bottles of water.
I’m a reformed hydrator since a bad experience and nowadays I don’t suffer muscle pains I used to get in the days after Paintball (not counting my dodgy knee and back)

When you arrive let the staff know at check in that it’s your first time and they will give you pointers
Or just say hi to the nearest guys in the staging area. Paintballers are 99% good guys and love talking Paintball and showing off their gear. Even the opposition - they will gun you down in the game zone then help you out in the staging