Kickin’ Butt and Takin’ Names
by Paul Knoch on May 20, 2007

 Until recently, the online paintball universe was a pretty dismal place. There are a few decent sites but nothing that really grabs you. Part of the problem is paintball’s identity crisis. The average paintball dude plays in the woods with his buddies but all the attention goes to tourney ball with their day-glow uniforms, $1000 markers, and sterile air bunker environments. Watching a tourney game is fun for about five seconds. That’s about how long it takes for you to realize that nothing is happening.

Nobody was sending any love to Joe Paintball who gets down and dirty in the local woods every Saturday. Nobody was keeping it real and sticking to the roots of paintball and its woodland heritage. Nobody was willing to step up for the kind of paintball that most of us grew up playing. Nobody until now.

 www.specialopspaintball.com has launched the first offensive in what they call the “woodsball™ revolution”. The entire website is one big online homage dedicated to guys who are willing to crawl through fifty feet of thorny brush and mud for the perfect shot. It’s all free too!  Sign up and create your own personal player profile. You can upload your photo and list your gear so everyone knows what you look like and how you roll. The play log allows you to keep track of how much you play, where, who with, and how many eliminations you got. Every time you play, you earn points towards freebies or specially reduced pricing on gear.

The SpecialOps crew are big promoters of playing as a team. Teamwork is a major part of paintball and the SpecialOps website provides some solid resources for anyone looking to polish their game. Every article is written in an interesting, hands-on style with just enough attitude to keep it interesting. My favorite feature was the “Paintball Tactics Guide”, a series of animated discussion on paintball strategy designed to look and feel like a war room briefing. Like the rest of the website, the tactics guide is clever, informative, and often hilarious.

Another cool feature is the “game locator” which notifies you by e-mail of upcoming paintball games in your immediate area. You can also post your own event, whether it’s a formal “big game” or just a bunch of friends meeting in the woods. Organizing a paintball game is about as fun as a root canal. With the game locator, you don’t have to deal with lame excuses and broken promises. You can contact literally dozens if not hundreds of players just as serious as you and turn your 3 on 3 game into a 15 on 15.

If you are looking for lively discussion on anything related to paintball, you will probably find it in their forum. The forum covers everything from newbie info to product reviews. Like other forums, this online community is a great place to ask questions, post your opinions, and meet other people who love paintball.

Finally, if your gear is lame and you need to upgrade, the SpecialOps store has some sweet products that will definitely have you reaching for your checkbook. From their custom modified markers to their own unique line of camo, SpecialOps offers quality merchandise at competitive prices. I ordered a marker through their website and was really pleased with the way I was treated. Maybe it’s a sign of the times but I am always surprised when I experience excellent customer service and support.

 If your idea of a good time is mixing it up in the woods with a bunch of your friends, running and gunning your way through the heavy brush, do yourself a favor and point that mouse at www.specialopspaintball.com. You’ll feel right at home.

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