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**Darkpaintball** · June 19th, 08:26 PM

Paintball. To some of us when we hear this word, a picture of the dense woods comes to mind. Hiding behind trees, being invisible to others, shooting only the shots that need to be taken. These are tactics of the woodsball player. To us scenario gamers, we think of large games with many people. Roles are usually played with multi-missions in a game, and usually last hours upon hours. Paintball to the speedballer or tournament paintballer brings a picture of playing in an open field. Paint is raining down upon you as you hide your bunker. Speedball is very fast paced where quick thinking dominates how you play. In speedball, paint is constantly being flung at you. In this article, I will go into detail about each of these formats, briefly explaining some of the tactics and other things.

Woodsball was the beginning of paintball. In the start, every game was played in a field or in the woods. There was no speedball. Games usually lasted and still do last longer than speedball games. Also there is less paint used because it is harder to come up on and find your enemy. Also, patience is key in this game. Moving around alot will just get you seen. Your goal is to be as sneaky as possible. Staying invisible to your opponent will keep you alive. If you are into wearing camo, being stealthy, and conserving paint, then this is the format you are looking for.

Scenario games evolved from woodsball when many players took part in a single game. These games usually have a theme that they revolve around. These themes can range from anything such as a video game, to a movie, to a real life battle. There are usually different missions going on within the entirety of the big game. Class divisions are also used. Some players may be used as medics, being used to heal teammates that were hit, while others maybe generals with some special privilege. A big tactic is to travel in a larger group than you would in woodsball. You are likely to come across opposing forces and being the only one puts you in a bad situation. Traveling in a group with two or three friends should be able to handle most of the opposing forces you meet. One more thing about scenario games is that they usually take place on a larger plot of land, which means more walking. If you enjoy large long games of paintball with role-playing involved then you should check out the great scenario game.

Out of these different types of paintball came speedball, the most action packed. My personal favorite of paintball formats, speedball has become all the rage in the paintball players of today. This game weaves together a complex web of raining paint on the opponent, shooting lanes, moving quickly and effectively, and playing aggressive. These things together form speedball. Whether you are playing with air bunkers, hyperball tubing, or wire spools, speedball offers an opportunity for every one to get into the game. Playing this format guarantees you a great time, with many quick games and each game being as filled with fun as possible.

So, paintball has evolved from the slower paced woodsball games, to the lighting fast speedball games. There are different formats to suit any playing style that you wish to play. There’s only one question that you need to answer. Where do I stand?

Matt “Darkpaintball” Conner