Monday, August 31, 2009
tactik field review vid
Video review of tactik paintball by Blackthorn ... same video as below, different cuts and no music ... missed something in my version ... check it out here
TACTIK FIELD REVIEW
Blackthorn recently had the privilege to attend Tactik paintball August big game "urban warfare". On August 22 blackthorn rolled out to Tactik in Gatineau, Quebec to play a scenario, on arriving blackthorn had the opportunity to do our first field review at Tactik paintball.
First a little background about blackthorn and playing at the Tactik field. Backthorn has now gone to almost every big game Tactik has held over the last 3 years with hitting at least 3 games per season now. Tactik is a rare field owned and run by a rare owner, by rare i mean someone who loves the sport and is more about making a player experience memorable then about profits.
Now blackthorn has recently decided to get more of an online presence and to focus on our roots of woodsball, Milsim and Tactik has been apart of that since the inception of the team. So its only fitting that our first ever field review for our online presence be on Tactik. Now blackthorn has a full video of the field review and some more on just the urban warfare event,.
This small blog is basically showing the criteria we set forth in our field rating. so before i go into the criteria please watch the vids added and again thank you for your support and watching
now zero stars would be worst and 5 would be best
criteria : field/staff/owner/blackthorn vote
Field Review:
This is basically the overall structure and layout and basic maintenance of the field and creativity and playability 5 key points each with zero fill of star to full star to make the 5 tier star system
TACTIK FIELD
Structure: all field parts are well built and very safe (full star)
Layout: all fields are laid out with easy access to one another and very close to clubhouse (FS)
Basic Maintenance: all fields are clear well maintain and in safe repair (full star)
Creativity:village /plane /train /cartel /tower /city /fortress /woods /urban amazing(FS)
Playability: with there blend of urban and woods the fields alone or part of a scenario play play amazing and game flow is unmatched at Tactik with time flying by while playing the fields(FS)
overall 5 stars out of 5
Staff Review:
This criteria is key to a player experience, we sectioned it off into this system. on field fairness, speed at paint and air/co2 fill, on field vision and safety, personality, game flow and knowledge
TACTIK STAFF
Fairness: the Tactik refs hear out off points and make calls based on all knowledge (full star)
Speed: the staff has separate player Manning a separate both for both paint and air (fast) (FS)
Vision & Safety: Tactik staff are very fast at getting to any situation and all have full ref training and always 10 plus refs around field and all under radio contact (Full Star)
Personality: not only do most speak both English and french but all info is relayed in both also very nice and personable staff who are all polite and well mannered at all times (FS)
Knowledge and Game flow: all staff are pre briefed and the game is pre run before event so that all staff know there roles for the scenario down packed always flows nice at Tactik (FS)
5 stars out of 5
Owner Review:
This criteria is special for us as most review don't take owners into account, Blackthorn has placed these key points as the criteria: creativity, personality, heart, knowledge, funds
Tactik Owner Review:
Creativity: Steve always has fresh ideas for his big games and field construction never a moment where nothing is changing at Tactik and his ideas and concepts are well done thought out (FS)
Personality: Steve is very funny and personable guy rarely see a owner go out of his way for player's as Steve does, even to us non member non regular player (full Star)
Heart: Steve not only is nice but he focuses on the player over his own personal profit which is by itself very rare in today paintball world and refreshing and nice to see, main reason blackthorn keeps coming back and will continue to do so (Full Star)
Knowledge: Steve knowledge of what players want is uncanny and he goes out of his way to make a player (experienced or first timer) memorable each and every visit (full Star)
Funds: Tactik goes above and beyound when it comes to funds in there pursuit to make the best field imaginable(not a lot of field have a real 727 plane to play on) also no matter size of event alway 1k plus of prizes to give out to the players and cant not mention the lunch included in gate fee is a plus (full Star)
Blackthorn vote
Last criteria is blackthorn vote review, this we base on all player on the team giving there own experience vote out of a star and average it to 5 star sytem
Tactik Blackthorn Vote Review
Every one of our member give 5 stars and not once has any of us been disappointed in a days event at Tactik. (full 5 Stars)
over all blackthorn review of Tactik was perfect and for this reason Tactik will always have blackthorn player attending for years to come
20 out of 20 Stars
Again this REVIEW is based on Blackthorn team experiences at Tactik, below is a list of events we have played at Tactik(for a non home team or area team we are very knowledgeable and experienced at Tactik)
Blacthorn game played so far at Tactik
operation medussa (generals protection)
night game
operation bridge to far (i was the winning general which should of lost lol)
operation blackout (special team squad)
customer appreciation
madness (kinda generals)
lost souls(generals protection)
urban warfare (switched sides to side that was being over run)
night game(oct)
reaper co-captain
www.blackthornpaintball.com
http://blackthornpaintball.blogspot.com/
mat macdonald
special thanks to steve mayer and staff of tactik for another great day of ball
www.tactikpaintball.com
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Big Game Prep - Installment #3
Big Game Prep - 3rd Installment
time frame: a week minus 2 days
well, you're now 3 days out from the event ... so far you've established your living conditions and travel arrangements, you've determined the size of the bag you can bring with you ... but what do you put in it?
1. Check the weather again, this will determine your dress of the day. If it's gonna be sunny and warm, you want to wear clothing that's layered and breathable. Think cotton and lightweight sweat dissipating materials. This will help you keep cool while under fire. But what if it rains? A simple answer to that is a raincoat, but you may not want to play in one as most will keep heat trapped and make you warmer than you need to be, especially during summer rain. You may just want to keep one with your gear so that you can cover up when out of the playing area and keep dry. Also bring a change of clothes and socks ... nothing sucks more than being drenched and having nothing to change into at the end of the day ... for you and for the person who's car you're riding in (or for your own depending on travel arrangements)
2. Your gear checklist ... this will be different for each player, but most of the time there are some things you just need:
- Marker
- Hopper (or clips if mag fed)
- air source (HPA or CO2) - HPA is the better option, but both work and this isn't a discussion on the benefits or downfalls of either. Make sure your tank is in Hydro
- remote line (if you run a remote)
- vest (or pod pack ... depending on your setup)
- Approved Mask for paintball use
- barrel blocking device
- good footwear for the terrain you're playing on
- appropriate clothing for the weather and your style (speedball or woodsball/scenario/milsim)
- water bottle or hydrobladder (essential when playing in all weather, dehydration is not a good way to exit the game)
- cash (as most fields are cash only) for paint and entry
- Batteries for ANY electronic devices ... murphy's law states that if something is to go wrong, it will.
- your sense of adventure!
3. Some optional gear you can look at as a team:
- a tent or shelter
- cooler and ice
- bug spray and sun blocking lotion
- team banner, if you have one
4. Not everything listed above is required, but it's a good thing to have with you when you leave for the event.
5. Your Marker ...
This is the one piece of equipment that you need to make sure is working correctly and is ready before the event. If you can, try to dismantle your marker, oil or lubricate it and test fire it at an approved field with a chrono. This will make things easier when you arrive at the event, since you may only have to make small adjustments before being able to play. There is nothing worse then getting to the field and spending 2 hours dismantling and trying to fix your marker before being able to play. If you are playing with an electronic marker, and it's raining, try to figure out a way to make it waterproof ... garbage bags wrapped and taped over the marker work really well. Same thing applies for a hopper that's electronic, nothing worse than rain+electronics ... a bag covering the hopper may slow you down, but shrink wrap (think saran wrap) around the body and the lid individually will allow you to keep podding up without slowing down to remove a bag.
6. Make sure all your other gear is in good shape as well, this includes your mask and barrel blocking device, these are safety devices and most fields will look at them before allowing you to use them. Make sure your lenses are in good shape and there are no cracks or breaks anywhere on the mask. Your barrel blocking device should fit your barrel and keep paint from exiting the barrel if there is an accidental discharge.
Another important point is that unless the event is BYOP (Bring Your Own Paint), leave all the leftovers at home, carry a zip lock bag full so that you can chrono without wasting your event paint, but check with the field first to see if that's allowed.
all in all, this is when you should be ready to go out and have fun. Most of your gear is ready to go and your maker should be in working order ... if not, don't worry you have 3 days to get the marker back in tip top shape before you hit the field.
I'll be back tomorrow to talk about things you should do when you arrive at the field either the night prior or the day of the event.
See you tomorrow
Mitch
time frame: a week minus 2 days
well, you're now 3 days out from the event ... so far you've established your living conditions and travel arrangements, you've determined the size of the bag you can bring with you ... but what do you put in it?
1. Check the weather again, this will determine your dress of the day. If it's gonna be sunny and warm, you want to wear clothing that's layered and breathable. Think cotton and lightweight sweat dissipating materials. This will help you keep cool while under fire. But what if it rains? A simple answer to that is a raincoat, but you may not want to play in one as most will keep heat trapped and make you warmer than you need to be, especially during summer rain. You may just want to keep one with your gear so that you can cover up when out of the playing area and keep dry. Also bring a change of clothes and socks ... nothing sucks more than being drenched and having nothing to change into at the end of the day ... for you and for the person who's car you're riding in (or for your own depending on travel arrangements)
2. Your gear checklist ... this will be different for each player, but most of the time there are some things you just need:
- Marker
- Hopper (or clips if mag fed)
- air source (HPA or CO2) - HPA is the better option, but both work and this isn't a discussion on the benefits or downfalls of either. Make sure your tank is in Hydro
- remote line (if you run a remote)
- vest (or pod pack ... depending on your setup)
- Approved Mask for paintball use
- barrel blocking device
- good footwear for the terrain you're playing on
- appropriate clothing for the weather and your style (speedball or woodsball/scenario/milsim)
- water bottle or hydrobladder (essential when playing in all weather, dehydration is not a good way to exit the game)
- cash (as most fields are cash only) for paint and entry
- Batteries for ANY electronic devices ... murphy's law states that if something is to go wrong, it will.
- your sense of adventure!
3. Some optional gear you can look at as a team:
- a tent or shelter
- cooler and ice
- bug spray and sun blocking lotion
- team banner, if you have one
4. Not everything listed above is required, but it's a good thing to have with you when you leave for the event.
5. Your Marker ...
This is the one piece of equipment that you need to make sure is working correctly and is ready before the event. If you can, try to dismantle your marker, oil or lubricate it and test fire it at an approved field with a chrono. This will make things easier when you arrive at the event, since you may only have to make small adjustments before being able to play. There is nothing worse then getting to the field and spending 2 hours dismantling and trying to fix your marker before being able to play. If you are playing with an electronic marker, and it's raining, try to figure out a way to make it waterproof ... garbage bags wrapped and taped over the marker work really well. Same thing applies for a hopper that's electronic, nothing worse than rain+electronics ... a bag covering the hopper may slow you down, but shrink wrap (think saran wrap) around the body and the lid individually will allow you to keep podding up without slowing down to remove a bag.
6. Make sure all your other gear is in good shape as well, this includes your mask and barrel blocking device, these are safety devices and most fields will look at them before allowing you to use them. Make sure your lenses are in good shape and there are no cracks or breaks anywhere on the mask. Your barrel blocking device should fit your barrel and keep paint from exiting the barrel if there is an accidental discharge.
Another important point is that unless the event is BYOP (Bring Your Own Paint), leave all the leftovers at home, carry a zip lock bag full so that you can chrono without wasting your event paint, but check with the field first to see if that's allowed.
all in all, this is when you should be ready to go out and have fun. Most of your gear is ready to go and your maker should be in working order ... if not, don't worry you have 3 days to get the marker back in tip top shape before you hit the field.
I'll be back tomorrow to talk about things you should do when you arrive at the field either the night prior or the day of the event.
See you tomorrow
Mitch
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Preparing for a big game - installment #2
Big game Prep - 2nd installment
Time Frame: a week minus a day
Well, you've registered for the event, you've figured out how your going to get there, you've figured out that you don't have to sleep under the stars. But now what?
In this installment, we're going to look at a couple things that as a team you should take into consideration ... this doesn't really apply if you're going solo, but these are still things to take into consideration.
1. How much money should I bring? Well, registration and paint are key ... if not you traveled for nothing. Begin to make sure your budget includes a little extra in case you need to buy more paint. But in addition to the price to pay to play, we also have to look at gas money, food, possible camping or hotel fees. These are all things that players that travel have to consider. Make sure that if you're carpooling that you get the driver (or car owner) gas money prior to leaving, this individual was nice enough to offer their vehicle and driving time, make sure they are compensated for it. Also make sure that everyone in the vehicle or that is using it to transport gear has chipped in their fair share, it really sucks to be short changed because someone else didn't chip in.
2. The weather ... remember that I said in installment #1 that you would be doing this every day ... well ... this is day 2. Has anything changed? If so, do you have a contingency plan?
3. Start getting your gear together, figure out what kit bag you're going to use, remember to take into consideration that you may end up having to share room in vehicles with other players, everyone should do the same thing. Pick a bag small enough that it can be packed easily, but large enough that all your gear is in the bag. Nothing worse then loosing something cause it was loose in the back of the car. We'll talk more about essential kit tomorrow ...
4. Start looking at your meals and hydration needs, is there something you can buy today on sale that you can have with you when you go? This may end up saving you a little in the future ... nothing wrong with that, it could mean more paint! Also, you want to take into consideration if you are going to be sharing meals as a team ... who's bringing what? Try to keep the meals easy to make and transport, don't start looking at steak unless you have a cooking facility or the room to carry a BBQ and propane ...
well, that's it for today, we'll talk about kit tomorrow ...
Remember, start getting pumped! Nothing like a big game to get the blood flowing!
Mitch
Time Frame: a week minus a day
Well, you've registered for the event, you've figured out how your going to get there, you've figured out that you don't have to sleep under the stars. But now what?
In this installment, we're going to look at a couple things that as a team you should take into consideration ... this doesn't really apply if you're going solo, but these are still things to take into consideration.
1. How much money should I bring? Well, registration and paint are key ... if not you traveled for nothing. Begin to make sure your budget includes a little extra in case you need to buy more paint. But in addition to the price to pay to play, we also have to look at gas money, food, possible camping or hotel fees. These are all things that players that travel have to consider. Make sure that if you're carpooling that you get the driver (or car owner) gas money prior to leaving, this individual was nice enough to offer their vehicle and driving time, make sure they are compensated for it. Also make sure that everyone in the vehicle or that is using it to transport gear has chipped in their fair share, it really sucks to be short changed because someone else didn't chip in.
2. The weather ... remember that I said in installment #1 that you would be doing this every day ... well ... this is day 2. Has anything changed? If so, do you have a contingency plan?
3. Start getting your gear together, figure out what kit bag you're going to use, remember to take into consideration that you may end up having to share room in vehicles with other players, everyone should do the same thing. Pick a bag small enough that it can be packed easily, but large enough that all your gear is in the bag. Nothing worse then loosing something cause it was loose in the back of the car. We'll talk more about essential kit tomorrow ...
4. Start looking at your meals and hydration needs, is there something you can buy today on sale that you can have with you when you go? This may end up saving you a little in the future ... nothing wrong with that, it could mean more paint! Also, you want to take into consideration if you are going to be sharing meals as a team ... who's bringing what? Try to keep the meals easy to make and transport, don't start looking at steak unless you have a cooking facility or the room to carry a BBQ and propane ...
well, that's it for today, we'll talk about kit tomorrow ...
Remember, start getting pumped! Nothing like a big game to get the blood flowing!
Mitch
Monday, August 17, 2009
Preparing your equipment for a big game
Big Game Prep - Installment #1
Time Frame: A week away from the game
This is going to be a multi-installment feature, helping those that don't go to big games very often be better prepared and ready for whatever comes their way.
In this installment, we're going to look at a couple things you should review about a week out from the event. This allows you enough time to check over everything and make sure you arrive at your big game ready and able to participate and have fun!
1. You want to attend a big game, this is the first step. Review the details on the big game ... does the big game producer (usually the field where the event is being held) expect a pre-registration? If so, contact them to get further details. The pre-registration is key due to the fact it allows the producer to be ready for the amount of people that are going to show up. It may also save you some money in the long run.
2. How are you getting to the big game? If you have your own vehicle, see if anyone else on your team or that you know are wanting to go to the game as well. This may help you save on gas, but it may be a little difficult to plan out. Get a head start and see what's going on right away. If you don't have your own car, is there a team from your area attending? see if they have extra spots in their transportation to the event, but be ready to help out with gas money, it's the least you can do. Still no options, you may have to miss the event, but try everything first ... you'll be surprised how many local teams may be attending. Online resources (like field forums, team forums, etc.) maybe you'll get lucky and someone will be able to get you a lift.
3. What's the weather supposed to be like? check online weather resources, you may be a little bit weary, and things will change, but you'll have a good idea what the weather is supposed to be like. You should be checking everyday up till the day you leave for the event.
4. Are you camping out the night before or after the event? Has this been cleared with the field? do you have camping equipment or does someone you know (on your team, family, etc.). Don't get caught arriving at the event the night prior only to find out you're sleeping in your car ... it ain't all that comfortable.
That's all I'm going to talk about right now, but check back tomorrow ... we're gonna start looking at your gear and what you should bring, remember that your entire gear bag may not have to attend, just what you need.
Thanks
Mitch
Blackthorn Team Captain
Time Frame: A week away from the game
This is going to be a multi-installment feature, helping those that don't go to big games very often be better prepared and ready for whatever comes their way.
In this installment, we're going to look at a couple things you should review about a week out from the event. This allows you enough time to check over everything and make sure you arrive at your big game ready and able to participate and have fun!
1. You want to attend a big game, this is the first step. Review the details on the big game ... does the big game producer (usually the field where the event is being held) expect a pre-registration? If so, contact them to get further details. The pre-registration is key due to the fact it allows the producer to be ready for the amount of people that are going to show up. It may also save you some money in the long run.
2. How are you getting to the big game? If you have your own vehicle, see if anyone else on your team or that you know are wanting to go to the game as well. This may help you save on gas, but it may be a little difficult to plan out. Get a head start and see what's going on right away. If you don't have your own car, is there a team from your area attending? see if they have extra spots in their transportation to the event, but be ready to help out with gas money, it's the least you can do. Still no options, you may have to miss the event, but try everything first ... you'll be surprised how many local teams may be attending. Online resources (like field forums, team forums, etc.) maybe you'll get lucky and someone will be able to get you a lift.
3. What's the weather supposed to be like? check online weather resources, you may be a little bit weary, and things will change, but you'll have a good idea what the weather is supposed to be like. You should be checking everyday up till the day you leave for the event.
4. Are you camping out the night before or after the event? Has this been cleared with the field? do you have camping equipment or does someone you know (on your team, family, etc.). Don't get caught arriving at the event the night prior only to find out you're sleeping in your car ... it ain't all that comfortable.
That's all I'm going to talk about right now, but check back tomorrow ... we're gonna start looking at your gear and what you should bring, remember that your entire gear bag may not have to attend, just what you need.
Thanks
Mitch
Blackthorn Team Captain
Saturday, August 15, 2009
First event on our Blog - Tactik Paintball "Urban Warfare" August 22nd, 09
We're starting to rebuild our team into a more milsim/scenario style team ... this will be a small group of us, but it will be a memorable event. Tactik always takes care of the travelling teams, without asking much more than us enjoying the events.
Blackthorn would like to thank all the staff at tactik in advance for an event we are sure will be a great day!
A review of the game, the field and pictures/video will be up following the event
Welcome to the Blackthorn Blog
Welcome!
Hey, this is Mitch, I'm one of the team captains for Blackthorn Paintball. We've decided to lauch a blog of all the stuff Blackthorn does to display some of the reviews on equipment that we use, to give you news on events that we attend and to just show you some of the crazy stuff that happens when we're at events or practice.
We'd like to thank our team sponsors for all their support, and we invite you to check out some of their products and/or services:
Ground Zero Paintball - the largest paintball facility in Ontario. Breeding ground of some of the best teams in Ontario, and some would say Canada. Check them out for your playing needs when visiting the kingston area
YouScared? clothing - Interesting clothing designs that are cutting edge and that always ask the question ... you scared ?
Fluid Muscle Recovery - along with some of the leading paintball and other intense sport teams in their respective leagues, Fluid muscle recovery helps athletes stay on top of their game by allowing their muscles to get back in the game faster.
SPY optics - Some of the best eyewear on the market. Durable, fashionable and above all ... just really really cool looking.
EPIC stealth cams - a great advance in technology, we'll be using the stealth cams at the end of the 09 season and well into 2010. We'll be using some of the videos captured right here on the blog ... so keep an eye out.
Inner-Cooler Performance Wrap - We may be in Canada, but it isn't always cold up here. During the summer months, it can get really warm running around in the woods. We will be using inner-cooler wraps throughout the rest of 09 and into 2010.
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