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What else will I need? What else can I choose?

Assuming you already have the required paintball apparel for normal play, I will go ahead and talk about pump specific items.

12 grams or tank

Playing pump you have the option of air source. For a very light set up you will probably want 12 grams. If you want to be able to play a little more games you might get a 3.5 ounce tank. If you want to be able to play all day you could go for a 9 ounce, or even a 20 if you want to last a week. You only use larger tanks on back bottle or bottom line setups, it would break any vertical asa. If you want to be able to shoot as much as you want, you could go with a compressed air tank of any size, that is up to you. Small compressed air tanks are made, there are 13 cubic inch tanks and 22 cubic inch tanks.You have many options while playing pump.

The 12 grams, the 3.5 ounce tanks, and the smaller compressed air tanks are for sale at wevopaintball.com. You can also find them at the forums previously mentioned.

Paintball options

Just like tanks, there are many options for you to use for paintballs. Want to use a hopper? Go ahead. Want to use a stock class feed tube? Be my guest. Many different guns have many different changeable bodies. Take phantoms for example. If you want a stock class feed you take off the other body and put the stock class feed body on. If you want direct feed you take off the stock class feed and put on the direct feed. It is literally that easy.

On snipers it is a lot easier to use a hopper. Autocockers were made to be able to use hoppers, that's how most paintball is played today. LA hitmen, the pump team that plays NPPL, use revolution hoppers and compressed air tanks. They are really good pumpers, so they decided they needed tougher competition so they moved into the semi league.

The spirit of pump

Many pump players feel a certain way when playing pump. Some describe it as Zen, others describe it as the joy in one balling other players. The limited rate of fire plays a big part in this. Many believe that it separates the player from the marker and makes the player depend more on skill. One could attribute this feeling to the lack of firepower yet still coming out on top. That being said, there are times when you get out gunned in a pump vs semi game and can't do much.

Some pump users view themselves as if more sophisticated because of their marker choice. While this may seem snobbish, there is a certain degree of advancement when playing pump. Many people have noted that after they start playing pump they see the game differently. Pump users are required to think more on their tactics and game plan than rushing in while firing quickly.

There are many reasons for someone to play pump. One of the best feelings in paintball, honestly, is being under fire from a quick-fingered individual, snapping out and shooting one ball, hearing the player's firing stop, and seeing them walk towards the deadbox. While this may not seem as great an accomplishment as, say, double bunkering while supermanning to the flag, it still leaves the pump player with a great feeling.

Many people love the tactics, the stealth, the lack of firepower and the necessity of planning. This may seem as if pumpers are being compared to military snipers. They aren't. If you're an individual who enjoys this activity, maybe you should pick up a pump. Try playing pump. You may find yourself falling in love with this different style of gameplay. If you don't, however, the worst it could do would be to improve your semi game.

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