Woodsball Bushball NZ - New Player Information
 Bushball

If you're a new player to paintball, then there's probably about a million questions you want answered. And you will also find that the more you ask, the more questions will be raised. Just like the X files. Some of that info can be found on this website, there's a field list, supplier & vendor links, paintball forum links, and an archive of bushball oriented articles. Now presumably you already know what paintball is, and what bushball is, or else you wouldn't be here.  But in case you don't, here it is in a nutshell...

Paintball is divided into two major sub cetegories. Bushball, and Speedball.
  • PaintballSpeedball, also know as tournamentball, hyperball or sup'air ball, is played on small fields with little or no natural cover, cover being provided by man manmade barricades or inflatable air bunkers.
  • Bushball, also known as recball, woodsball or milsim, is played mostly on larger fields which consist primarily of natural cover. Trees, bushes etc. Sometimes however, concept fields such as 'urban' fields or 'trench' fields come into this same category.

Definitions aside, the two games are on a fundamental level, the same. You're part of a team, you shoot a gun at your opponents, hoping to eliminate them, gain ground, and achive your objective. This is what "Paintball" is. Now despite this, most players form a preference for one type or another, for a variety of reasons. Apart from the field that's played on, the other way to differentiate the two is by the clothes they wear and the equipment they use...
  • Speedballers, wear neon coloured clothing, that looks like BMX or Motorcross uniforms. They shoot electronic guns (also brightly coloured) that typically shoot very fast. They mostly use HPA on thier markers. Speedballers play in tournaments (Usually 3, 5 or 7man format)
  • Bushballers, wear camouflage clothing, that looks like an army uniform or hunting camo. They shoot realistic looking guns that are black or also camouflaged. Usually these guns don't shoot as fast. They mostly use CO2 on thier markers. Bushballers play in big games or scenarios (Which vary on size and format).

So that's the difference in a nutshell. I won't get into why those differences exist, suffice to say the reasons are complex and involved. Bear in mind also there is always a slight crossover of players... there are people that are both speedballers and bushballers.

Now if you've made your way here with the intention of playing speedball and wearing neon coloured clothing, then stop reading now because this website does NOT cater for this style of play. It's not a case of 'this style being better than that style', it's simply the fact that this particular website is not aimed at that audience. So without further delay, read on for answers to some of the questions you may have. If you do not see your question listed here, email me (Click contact info) and I will update the website.

Q: What paintball gun should I get? and what is a paintball "marker"?
A: A paintball marker is another name for a paintball gun. Part of the politically correct movement to make paintball more mainstream, and sellable... is to call a gun a 'marker' because it 'marks' the target the paintball hits.

The type of gun you should get should reflect how much money you have to spend, how much time an patience you have for tinkering/fixing a gun, and whether the gun looks visually appealing to you. These are 'your needs'. Bear in mind too, almost all paintball guns can be modified, a huge aftermarket exists of triggers, barrels etc. So once you get your gun, expect to spend more money upgrading it. The best place on the internet to do your homework on guns and upgrades is Paintball Review.

Q: Is paintball dangerous?
A: In paintball you wear a protective mask/goggle system which protects your eyes, ears, nose and mouth. These are the soft parts of your body that explicitely need protecting from flying paintballs. Paintball, when played by responsible people wearing proper paintball goggles, is one of the safest sports in the world (Also why it's never considered to be an 'extreme sport). The only time it becomes dangerous is when you do not wear goggles. A paintball hitting a human eye is like a hammer hitting a grape. You will lose your eye.

Q: What other protective equipment should I get?
A: No other protective equipment is necessary (only an approved paintball mask/goggle), but based on your own personal preferences, you may want to look into the following...
  • Neck guard. Getting hit in the adam's apple is very rare, but can happen, and if it does, can be quite paintful.
  • Gloves. A good pair of armoured gloves can help stop you developing a numb knuckle after recieving a direct hit to the hand.
  • Chest protector. Only if you are woman, or otherwise... a total wimp. 
  • Groin guard. Like the neck, getting hit in the groin does not happen often (Some people play for years without getting hit here),  but if it does happen, it can hurt.
  • Knee and elbow pads. Knee pads are a good idea since most ballers end of kneeling on the ground behind some sort of cover. Elbow pads are useful if you're the kind of player that likes to crawl along the ground.

Q: How much does it cost to play the game regularly?
A: Most fields run different rates for 'customers' and 'club members'. A customer is part of a group booking, people that do not own thier own equipment. These people pay the standard customer prices since they rent the field's equipment. A 'typical' package for a customer would be $20, this would include rental of gun, gas tank, goggles, 50 paintballs, and overalls.... with extra paintballs being priced at around 20c per ball.

'Club members' or 'Regulars' usually pay a field fee, and/or annual fee, and get cheaper paint than customers since they own all thier own gear. A typical 'Club member' would pay $50 per year membership fee, a $5 per day field fee, and pay 7c per ball.

These are examples of prices, prices and fee structures vary from field to field. For more information, contact the field closest to you. Generally speaking, most recreational players (Both customers and regulars) can expect to pay $20-$30 per day in a typical day of paintball.

Recommended reading for new players...




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