Coming back after 15 years, and then some.. I'm so lost.

[TinCan1154]

Went through this last year. Hadn’t played in 20 years, pulled out my 20 year old marker, it worked, then proceeded to buy 8 different guns. Some new cool ones, some old ones that I couldn’t afford back “in the day”.

Every somewhat high end marker produced in the last 10 years is mind blowing compared to what I remember, but the 10’ish bps cap levels the playing field so to speak so you have options. Pick a reliable spool that fits your hands good and go to town.. then buy something else if you want to tinker.

[romeoecho84]

I’ve already got a list besides a trophy Angel to buy… sounds like i’m heading down your same path. I’m not quite up to 8, but I’m definitely on my way. I’ll be heading to the shop tomorrow to do exactly what you said: Just feel them in my hand

[Pumps4ever]

Welcome back... I just came back a few years ago after a 30 year hiatus.

Talk about culture shock lol.

Went out when pumps reigned came back to a pretty cool time and space as far as a matured sport go.

The Planet Eclipse guns are flawless. Absolutely love them. You can find a cool upgraded emek for good price and great deals on 170's and even 180's from time to time... Talk about amazing markers... Easy to clean and maintain.

Although this weekend I am pulling out the 30 year old pumps and hitting the field...

Most importantly... Have fun!

[Daltech]

Dye dsr, or PE 170 will just work and you’ll get the most bang for your buck from space-spool/whatever they call it super marker.

I went down the Angel LED tunnel. It was allot of fun. I’ve still got a LCD. 99-2000 was the pinnacle imho. The first electros the first baggy size 44 pants, and the first to flex-7.

[TinCan1154]

I had a polished LCD Angel with intelli-feed revi. I thought I was hot shit. Thing usually chopped like a blender and weighed as much as a sea anchor. Looked real nice though!

[Daltech]

It’s weird. Some angels could not chop paint no matter what. Others were blenders, also paint quality had an influence on the marker working or not. I think quality paint was somewhat more prevalent in the golden era.

[Myrkul]

I've never owned an angel, but I believe the issue with chopping/clipping most of the time is the breech size. I think I read that on some angels the breech got up to like 0.70....definitely can cause some issues when modern paint can get as small as 0.67.

[romeoecho84]

Dye dsr, or PE 170 will just work and you’ll get the most bang for your buck from space-spool/whatever they call it super marker.

I went down the Angel LED tunnel. It was allot of fun. I’ve still got a LCD. 99-2000 was the pinnacle imho. The first electros the first baggy size 44 pants, and the first to flex-7.

I'm definitely trying to find something with a comparison "pop" in the shot to the Angel, but not necessarily go full ham (though I'd be lying if I said I havn't already eyeballed an LV2). All I've known is to expect that 'kick' when I fire, but from everything I read and watch, most markers, even the low to mid tiers, are so smooth now. Can't say as I can recall much from my short lived Ego experience to be helpful. I hear you on the 99-00 timeframe bigly. The huge slider pants, jerseys that could double as flags, that ONE Radioshack talking timer everyone had.. "BIPBIP, TWO MINUTES, LEFT"

[boomersruckus]

Hard to beat PE 170 platform. Build it as a bulletproof mech, build it as a very capable tourney gun, set it up for scenario-big games with crazy fast bps rates of fire. Cheap, very easy to clean. Buy a replacement pilot and pilot valve for the electro setup (the only real area of possible failure). All of this can be had for less than a grand total. You will never be out gunned and you will never be side lined. Add on top of that the absolute massive amount of tech support at big games and a ton of tourney series. Like, in person techs willing to fix damn near any issue that may happen to occur. Dont get me wrong, I am not saying other gats arent as good, I am just saying that PE has never given me any issues that I couldnt fix on my own.

[cellophane]

Welcome back!
As others have said- the PE platforms are pretty hard to beat, and they are everywhere, so service is easy to find. I have a MacDev Prime that I picked up second hand from a pro player and it has been super solid, even with the pro-level abuse before I got it. Only thing I've really had to do is replace the grips and some basic maintenance.

Some other things to consider-

• Find a mask you like. I still really like the Profiler masks (and they aren't expensive), the Bunkerkings CMD is really comfortable (I don't own one, but that is probably what I would buy if buying), and I have a Push Unite. I wish the Push was a little bigger, but otherwise it is a good mask. Dye masks are stupidly small on my head. Don't like.
• Find pads you like. I really like the Carbon CC Knee Pads. I went through 4 or 5 pairs of other pads before landing on them and they are great. The cutout in the back minimizes pinching, they are easy to adjust, and feel great when on. Exalt also makes good pads- I have a pair of their arm pads that have held up well. IMO Dye pads are good, but they tend to run really small and are on the harder side.
• Find a good loader. The Dye Rotor (v1) & LTR are tough to beat. Not the fanciest thing out there, but damn near bullet proof. I also really like the Bunkerkings CTRL loaders. If you play in the back you will probably want a different top shell- the stock shell is pretty small.

• Talking about props in yardlines and shapes was like speaking Greek to the pick up speed ballers (they had enough modern equipment > "they looked the part")
• Almost no communication, let alone friendly trash talk/after game banter

These could be due to any number of factors. A lot of teams by me use specific call-outs for bunkers- Cobra, Kentucky, Zulu, etc. rather than 40 Dorito or 30 Snake. Players that have been around longer or have half a brain will figure out what you mean if you call 40 Dorito, but some won't. Some calls are mostly universal, even if you aren't using the specific term they are used to: Dorito Corner, Snake 50, Home, etc. Some of it is just figuring out what local calls are, some of it might just be who was there that day. Woodball is a little different- usually it is more of a descriptive call: left palette, concrete wall, inside the house- that type of thing. I don't woodsball much, so I could be wrong.

I have noticed a lot of people tend to stick with their team / friend group post game. Most will be happy to talk if you ask though. I regularly go up and ask people (especially opponents) what they saw (e.g. was I leading w/ my elbow), what I could do better, how was that move, etc. Good way to learn and show some respect & camaraderie to the other players. If you show up regularly and show a desire to learn and not be a dick people will open up a little more. And as others have said- it could have just been those people on that day. And if you were with a group of people who aren't as familiar with what is going on- teach them. IMO- Good communication is the single hardest part of playing paintball, other than maybe physical fitness, especially as you get older.

[romeoecho84]

Welcome back!
As others have said- the PE platforms are pretty hard to beat, and they are everywhere, so service is easy to find. I have a MacDev Prime that I picked up second hand from a pro player and it has been super solid, even with the pro-level abuse before I got it. Only thing I've really had to do is replace the grips and some basic maintenance.

Some other things to consider-

• Find a mask you like. I still really like the Profiler masks (and they aren't expensive), the Bunkerkings CMD is really comfortable (I don't own one, but that is probably what I would buy if buying), and I have a Push Unite. I wish the Push was a little bigger, but otherwise it is a good mask. Dye masks are stupidly small on my head. Don't like.
• Find pads you like. I really like the Carbon CC Knee Pads. I went through 4 or 5 pairs of other pads before landing on them and they are great. The cutout in the back minimizes pinching, they are easy to adjust, and feel great when on. Exalt also makes good pads- I have a pair of their arm pads that have held up well. IMO Dye pads are good, but they tend to run really small and are on the harder side.
• Find a good loader. The Dye Rotor (v1) & LTR are tough to beat. Not the fanciest thing out there, but damn near bullet proof. I also really like the Bunkerkings CTRL loaders. If you play in the back you will probably want a different top shell- the stock shell is pretty small.

[/LIST]These could be due to any number of factors. A lot of teams by me use specific call-outs for bunkers- Cobra, Kentucky, Zulu, etc. rather than 40 Dorito or 30 Snake. Players that have been around longer or have half a brain will figure out what you mean if you call 40 Dorito, but some won't. Some calls are mostly universal, even if you aren't using the specific term they are used to: Dorito Corner, Snake 50, Home, etc. Some of it is just figuring out what local calls are, some of it might just be who was there that day. Woodball is a little different- usually it is more of a descriptive call: left palette, concrete wall, inside the house- that type of thing. I don't woodsball much, so I could be wrong.

I have noticed a lot of people tend to stick with their team / friend group post game. Most will be happy to talk if you ask though. I regularly go up and ask people (especially opponents) what they saw (e.g. was I leading w/ my elbow), what I could do better, how was that move, etc. Good way to learn and show some respect & camaraderie to the other players. If you show up regularly and show a desire to learn and not be a dick people will open up a little more. And as others have said- it could have just been those people on that day. And if you were with a group of people who aren't as familiar with what is going on- teach them. IMO- Good communication is the single hardest part of playing paintball, other than maybe physical fitness, especially as you get older.

Thanks for the guidance! Glad to be back!

Second hand markers very much intimidate me right now: I have no idea what to look for internal wear and tear on newer markers. If I should just take a 'commit to rebuild it' approach when shopping, I can wrap my head around that, but I was gravitating to "You're starting over, start with something new in a box first?" Thoughts?

Starting with Masks, I didn't have time to try on masks this weekend, but there are so many more now than I expected! Of course, I gravitated to the JT ProFlex, but I know that I can't let my historical bias (and style) win over safety and performance updates.

Pads I was NOT expecting, at all. When I left the sport, loose and tough pants was about as far as it went. I'm happy to see pads/safety gear though. I did see others my age or older wearing a healthy amount of styled padding, something in hindsight I wish I did that day too (at 40, I don't heal as fast, and took a bad slide into one prop on the lower shin). I honestly would have never considered pads and haven't in any of my current wish (shopping) lists, so I'll definitely add that in.

As loaders go, I don't PLAN on being in the back, but I know that's where I need to (re)start again for sure. I'd like a small compact look, but their shapes are so weird to me now, but then again, going from Revi's to "Eggs" was no easy sell either. I didn't even know bunkerkings was still around! I've been just browsing Promos and most YouTube reviewers favor the same loader or family (I'm seeing the Virtue hoppers everywhere). it's hard to absorb the differences: I don't know what I don't know, ya know?

The more I think about it, there was such a big group and influx of players, it was likely just too much for all of us to communicate effectively. I'll be going back out soon, but I'll definitely take up the post-game/dead box engagement you suggested. I'll toss in a "I'm just getting back into it" so maybe that can be a bit of a primer.

[boomersruckus]

With modern markers there should be very little wear anywhere except maybe the breach. That occurs mainly with guns that arent cared for as the oring on the end of most bolts is a heavy wear item. Once that oring is worn, you will see wear marks inside the breach. 100% do not be intimidated by 2nd hand markers. Take it apart and look at the board/boards. Look for water stains or paint caked on it. If the boards look clean and the breach isnt worn too badly, you are golden. If you have the funds for new in box then yeah sure, that is pretty much a no brainer for working properly. Save yourself several hundred bucks and buy this 170 setup.

https://www.mcarterbrown.com/forum/buy-sell-trade/electronic/664122-gtek-170r

[JeepDVLZ45]

I came back in 2021 from a 20ish year hiatus (played outlaw for a couple years in the back of parks in western mass). Never played speedball or even on an actual field until I came back. Chrono-ing was shooting a friend and seeing if the ball took skin off your arm. I’m in my 40s now, I’m a slow, oversized target with bad ankles, bad knees and even worse eyes…so take this advice at face value….

BEST THING I ever did for my paintball hobby was join this forum, buy a pump, and meet up with these MCB-ers (my wallet would argue otherwise though)

I really only play private games or outlaw anymore with a pump or my single shot. That type of play seems to draw a higher caliber of player and gives a very different game experience.
I don’t have the time, desire or patience for testosterone fueled douches lighting up renters and screaming “you’re out”, ruining the little bit of spare time I have anymore.

The camaraderie and sportsmanship that this group brings to the sport is unmatched. It’s never a wipe and “F off” when someone gets shot out, it’s a “nice shot” and fist bump with banter walking off the field.

To me, the MOST IMPORTANT part of returning to the sport isn’t the marker, or the mask, (yes, both are important)….it’s the group of guys (and gals) you choose to hit the field with.

Do yourself a favor, play a lot of fields and find yourself some like-minded paintballers to play with. Stick together at walk-on games or slowly build a group for private games. It will change your experience immensely and you’ll fall in love with the sport all over again.

[romeoecho84]

I've actually never tried pump style play except for my first few introductory games (Brass Eagle Tiger-Shark pump if memory serves); It's certainly a gap in the sport for me. I'm absolutely going to take your suggestion and look into finding some local (3hr drive or so) people to try to get that different game experience.

[ChoSanJuan]

Pump is so choice. A Tigershark is no slouch when tuned right (which doesn't take much) since it's essentially a decent Nelson with a plastic body. It's got autotrigger since it's just a nice side effect of Nelsons being Nelsons. The best thing about pumps is that it makes you get good at snapshooting... cuz that's all you've got when your opponents think they've got you pinned behind a bunker. Pump is the gateway drug for becoming a terror on all types of play. It's the epitome of slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

[XNine]

I was in the same boat last year. There's still plenty I don't know, but I played speedball in the late 90s/early 00s then again from 06-09. Not much has changed rules wise, though I do wish 7 and 10 man made a come back. Some of my fondest memories are playing those.

From corrugated tubing to the first inflatable bunkers that had air tubes connecting them to the bunkers that were stand alone, it's all functionally the same game these days. No more dumb ass bps wars, I feel like 10.5 still allows for skill and not just spitting paint relentlessly.

I'm in my early 40s and I still go out and slide and dive. I hurt the rest of the week but it's the only sport other than hockey that I love. So it's worth it.

I've only seen one guy act cunty at my field in all the times I went last year. The rest of the time people are chill.

[romeoecho84]

I just picked up Hockey recently myself! I'm trying to balance learning hockey with re-learning paintball. It's been a wild ride already 1 month back into PB and 3 months into Hockey. I'm still in the honeymooning phase of Hockey, but Paintball, I feel like I have this calmer, deeper appreciation for the sport that's really hard to explain.

[cellophane]

Second hand markers very much intimidate me right now: I have no idea what to look for internal wear and tear on newer markers. If I should just take a 'commit to rebuild it' approach when shopping, I can wrap my head around that, but I was gravitating to "You're starting over, start with something new in a box first?" Thoughts?

Starting with Masks, I didn't have time to try on masks this weekend, but there are so many more now than I expected! Of course, I gravitated to the JT ProFlex, but I know that I can't let my historical bias (and style) win over safety and performance updates.

Pads I was NOT expecting, at all. When I left the sport, loose and tough pants was about as far as it went. I'm happy to see pads/safety gear though. I did see others my age or older wearing a healthy amount of styled padding, something in hindsight I wish I did that day too (at 40, I don't heal as fast, and took a bad slide into one prop on the lower shin). I honestly would have never considered pads and haven't in any of my current wish (shopping) lists, so I'll definitely add that in.

As loaders go, I don't PLAN on being in the back, but I know that's where I need to (re)start again for sure. I'd like a small compact look, but their shapes are so weird to me now, but then again, going from Revi's to "Eggs" was no easy sell either. I didn't even know bunkerkings was still around! I've been just browsing Promos and most YouTube reviewers favor the same loader or family (I'm seeing the Virtue hoppers everywhere). it's hard to absorb the differences: I don't know what I don't know, ya know?

The more I think about it, there was such a big group and influx of players, it was likely just too much for all of us to communicate effectively. I'll be going back out soon, but I'll definitely take up the post-game/dead box engagement you suggested. I'll toss in a "I'm just getting back into it" so maybe that can be a bit of a primer.

I think I have owned 1 or 2 NIB markers ever. I've always bought second hand. In the early days I only bought from people I knew that treated their gear well. Now I'll buy via MCB or PBNation occasionally. There are a number of people who refurbish and resell markers, and the feedback posts are pretty helpful. If you buy from FB or Craigslist I would 100% assume a rebuild unless there is some verification possible.

Masks: comfort and fit > style. If you can find both, then you win. There are a ton of options, don't be afraid to try something out. If you don't like it you can always sell it. Just stick with the reputable brands- don't buy a walmart mask 😉

Pads are amazing. I'm also in the 40+ camp and they save my knees, both as padding and as a bit of a brace. Find the pads that work best for you. I've seen people wear softball knee sliders, volleyball pads, hockey/lacross slider shorts, even soft construction pads (don't recommend.) There are also options like the Carbon Pro Bottoms (Carbon soft goods are awesome.) I just picked up a pair but haven't been out to use them yet- however I've heard nothing but good things.

I don't like the Virtue loaders, but that is a personal preference. The CTRL is based on the Spire loaders but is a bit nicer IMO. From everything I've seen & heard I would avoid the HK loaders however. One of the local teams was using them and they hated them. As mentioned - the Rotor v1 / LTR is just about bullet proof.

"I'm just getting back into it" is a great way to get people talking. You will find people that never stopped, and people who have only been out for a few months.

And as Jeep mentioned- playing pump is a ton of fun. I'll break out my pump if I'm going against a bunch of rentals / kids. I get good practice on moving and shooting and they get to say they shot the guy with all the fancy gear. Win / Win.

[Chuck E Ducky]

LV2 shoots amazing! I will own one eventually when they come down enough for me to justify owning another electro when I don’t use the ones I have. I’m a big fan of the EGO line the LV2 is nothing short of perfection.

Im a big fan of anything Planet Eclipse.

I would just get an EMek a .684 barrel you like an LTR and call it a day. I have a valve modified emek it’s my go to semi marker. Cheap as dirt, bullet proof, reliable, efficient, quiet and the thing rips. 3M would be the next step up if you wanted more Creature comforts like pop up bolt out the back (instead of twist out) and a pops style on/ off ASA. But I don’t see a need for electric play anymore. They do make one with an electric board that will shoot ramp modes. The 170R is really nice too.

[ChoSanJuan]

I started in 1992. I stopped playing in 2006. Life and other factors. I got back in for the summer of 2017. (Thanks SignOfZeta <3 ) and really haven't stopped since. I've got a ton of old stuff that still held up to the test of time with only a little bit of maintenance, mainly just orings. My major differences is that I saw when coming back is the long vs tall setups. Ergos are a little better with the longer setups, but that really isn't because of the lack of drop forwards, it's more of the thoughtful design of the actual ergonomics on the marker. This did change how you play and wrap on bunkers, but it's an easy adjustment. You just get tighter in a different way now.

Having adult money now is a HUGE factor for me. But I'm still not buying any markers over a grand.

In terms of formats, there is a huge resurgence of mech play and it's bringing out all us old farts out of the woodwork. ICPL (basically RIP) and WCPL are the forerunners in the tournament scene for mech in my neck of the woods. One thing that I think is funny is that they aren't gatekeeping with strict mech only markers, even though I wish they would. If you just can't let go of your electro, you can use it. Hell, you can even ramp with it... at 5.5bps. But those that know will get a mech frame for their modern electro or get a true competitor in the BPS wars.

Others have said it already so I won't get too far into what has been said. Get a good comfortable QUALITY mask. Your eyes are important! Speaking of eyes, if you wear glasses, invest in YouZee lens inserts. Pads. Get them. When I came back, I was so confused about them and the old machismo wore off as I kept playing. I've got a bad knee. Invest in some good pants and get some Old Bones Therapy knee sleeves. (you can get them with your HSA, if you've got one!)

Welcome back/home!

[romeoecho84]

All of the markers and setups just seem so long and tall now. Seeing everyone with no drop forwards and 14+ barrels in YT videos and builds, I just think "How are they not poking out a mile to take a shot". Guess I need to just try it myself, eh?

I'm absolutely going for Knee Pads, specifically ones that are also doubling as compression braces. One knee has a snowboarding injury, they other a fresh sprain from hockey.. so.. yeah, pads are being bought this weekend. Fore-arms/Elbows I'm not too sure of yet though. I'm wondering what else should be padded (besides pants/baselayer?). I don't see myself prop diving anytime soon, but falls do happen.

I do wear glasses, so I'll check out those inserts you mentioned too.

[ChoSanJuan]

Most of the long setups are primarily from the never ending argument of how long is too long/tube is tube/control bore is the only thing that matters/etc... I believe optimal is 14 before your barrel creates too much drag and the ball rattles against the inner diameter. Honestly, I'm in the camp of tube is tube, but only when it comes to open bolt markers. Closed bolt, I want a SLIGHT underbore so the barrel acts as the detents and I don't get rollouts.

I've got a variety of kneepads that I went through as I got back in. PE knees and arm sleeves have been my go-to as I've gotten a ton of bounces off them. The problem is that they are ultra bulky. I've also changed out my kneepads to those Old Bones Therapy sleeves. My recovery time is noticeably shorter than years past. I do have slider shorts I bought off Temu. Jokes aside, they've lasted for almost 2 years with hard use from big games and tournaments. I couldn't pass up the price and was worth the experiment.

Mkeeks and SignOfZeta both have them in my direct friend circle. They both think the lenses are the bees knees. ^_^

[Jonnydread]

Pads are amazing.

This. I played religiously from 1998-2006, took a few years off and now I'm back to playing 2-4x/month. I never really bothered with knee/elbow pads back in the day, but they make a massive difference in my comfort and recovery. I'm a big boy and as much as I wanted to love the CRBN soft goods they just didn't fit over my tree trunk legs. I have been using Hydra knee pads that are super comfy and protect well, highly recommend those especially for a larger legged person.