[Rhettman55]

Guys I found a dirt cheap viper 2 starter kit with good mask 4 pod harness but not so great of a CO2 cannister for 70.00 is it a good deal?

[Twaltz628]

Not really familiar with the viper 2. I don't know much about it but I think it's a Snyder clone. Might not be where you wanna start if you think you're going to really get into the sport. You'll get overt pretty quickly. The other thing is you might want to avoid CO2 for a few reasons. It's tends to be hard on your markers orings and such. Also, in my area, it becomes more expensive quickly. My local fields charge $5 per fill on CO2. It's $10 for all HPA refills which is nice cuz you can fill up every game and not worry about running out of air in game. Also, in case you didnt know, all tanks have 5 year hydro dates. After the 5 years, you have to get the tank rehydroed which is about $30-50. Check the tank you're
Looking at to make sure it's not almost up.
My very biased opinion. You probably don't want this setup, not if you think you're going to stick with the sport.

I'm just trying to give quick info. Someone else please give this gentleman their opinion to ensure theresmorepoints of view than just mine.

[02firehawk555]

Honestly I started off playing woodsball with a Valken SW-1 and I got sick of it within 2 months. I then bought an x7 which is a great gun but I hated being limited in shooting from cover because of the remote line. I now have an Axe and Ego which work better for switching hands and shooting from cover. I do suggest before buying a used marker go to a paintball store and hold some markers to see what feels good in your hands.

Marker I'd suggest a used mini or axe but if you wanted a tactical look with a speedball gun an Etha might be something you'd like. They have a tactical kit for $80.

Barrel: This is one of the most important because it effects your accuracy Smart parts freak Jr barrel is my suggestion for about $80 and you get some inserts to bore match paint.

Mask: Proto Switch is a good thermal mask that can be purchased for around $60.

Tank: 68/4500 Ninja would be good (around $150) the steel 48/3k's are cheap but won't get you many shots.

Hopper: if your on a small budget there is a new Empire hopper called the scion which they take the internals of their high end hopper and put it in a cheaper body for $100. if you have the spare $$$$ a rotor or spire are the best.

Harness: Valken makes pod harnesses in different camo patterns.

[Shingy]

I would pass on the viper 2 starter kit. As others have said I would look into a used mini, or perhaps even a used Etha. I played around with one of those this season and they were pretty durable. If you want mechanical, I liked the Custom Pro. I started with that when I first got into playing, but wished I'd started with something higher after spending a good amount on upgrades.

I'm a big fan of the V-Force for a starter mask, then eventually jumping up (if you want). The Dye mask is my preference out of all the ones I've tried.

I'd try to get a USED rotor. I bought mine new, but the things are so darn durable, you'd be better off going used. A Halo would be a cheaper one that's not bad either.

See Twaltz628's post above for tank info. He's dead on. If you can start with compressed air for a decent price, go for it. You can get the heavier ones for fairly cheap prices.

[FalconPunchKid]

Search the BST threads... You can find deals. If your worried about buying for the first time. They have helpful advise posted.

[Metal Moose]

As with any purchase, I would recommend buying with confidence in a company that has a track record of reliable and superior markers. I'm sure you could find a reputable marker for the price of the Viper 2 deal, but won't find the positive experience related to said marker with the Viper 2. Planet Eclipse, Bob Long, Dye/Proto, MacDev, Empire/BT, Tippmann, GoG(SmartParts)/DLX, Spyder are some reputable marker makers.

As for 'is the mini good for woodsball', here's the truth: yes. It doesn't matter what a marker looks like to be good for something, that's preference. It's the gun performance that makes it effective, and attributes can apply in all types of play.

- You need to decide if you want to get a gun that looks 'realistic', or one that follows the paintball marker trend with colors and milling. This will moderately limit you either way.
- You need to decide what characteristics you want in your marker. Regulator y/n, CO2/HPA compatible, noise level, size/profile, look(should have a general idea of this by now!), electronic, weight, durability (want dive into ditches? crawl through rivers?), efficiency, maintenance difficulty/frequency, etc. Depending on what factors are important to you, combined with your milsim vs. 'space gun' preference, will decide what style of marker you should go for.
-Choose a marker type! Boils down to blowback, poppet, and spool valved ('spoolie').
Blowbacks are most Tippmans and Spyders, can be durable and reliable, relatively simple maintenance, louder; basic overall markers.
Poppets are louder, reliable, efficient markers, with (mostly) simple maintenance. Some are stacked tubes, others or inline (smaller profile).
The Invert Mini you were looking at is an inline poppet.
Spoolies are the quietest, generally smaller than poppets, not as efficient.

Regulators help maintain consistency in air output, which in turn improves accuracy; but they also restrict you to HPA tanks, as do many solenoids on electronic markers. Markers like the Tippmann A-5 are unregulated, and can use CO2 tanks, which have an output ranging from 700-900 psi. The fluctuation of pressure and liquid state of the CO2 is what renders it incompatible with most regulators and solenoids.

tldr; Make sure you know what you are really purchasing before doing so, especially if this is a long term commitment.

[Rhettman55]

Thanx guys another question is invert mini good for speed ball 2?

[junits15]

just my 2 cents for the OP
A lot of people are suggesting buying a used mask. Just be wary about that. When buying a used mask make sure it's almost brand new, because it's a bit gross to put your face into a mask that somebody else has been sweating, sneezing and coughing inside of.
Personally I've bought all my masks brand new just so I can be 100% certain that they are clean. The rest of my gear is used but my masks and clothing are always brand new.
That being said it's completely up to you

Also the mini is a perfect marker for speedball, I used my friend's one time and loved it

[Rhettman55]

Junits you have a point there but, you can just was or replace the foam inside.

[Rhettman55]

Also should i buy a snow cmo set for when it snows?

[Twaltz628]

For the snow camo question, if you really want I guess. Never seen anyone with snow camo(maybe they were there and it just worked), but I would probably buy other gear first.

[Gyvanth]

Originally Posted by Rhettman55

Also should i buy a snow cmo set for when it snows?

Unless you're planning on not moving much at all, and you're going to paint your (presumably) black mask white, and making your gun white, buying snow camo isn't really ideal.

[Metal Moose]

Just to clarify, 'good for speedball'/'good for woodsball' doesn't really apply, save for the durability of the marker for woodsball (arguably needed for hard playing speedballers). There are markers, some good, some great, some bad, some terrible.
An accurate gun is good for speedball and woodsball.
A quiet gun is good for speedball and woodsball.
A small gun is good for speedball and woodsball.
Get my point?

This is why most will tell you 'normal' markers are better than 'milsim' markers for woodsball, because milsim just adds size and weight, no performance. This is the tradeoff for the 'look'.

So stop asking 'is it good for x', decide if you want a realistic looking gun or a otherwise, then worry more about if it's good with accuracy, efficiency, durability, etc.

Honestly, it seems you're not too worried about the milsim look, seeing as you are fixated on the mini. So forget how they look, start looking at how they work.

[bigdaddy mick]

if you can go to your local field and ask around to some of the players if you can shoot their markers, make sure you buy a bag or two of your own paint so you're not using everyone elses paint up. most players will let you take their markers to the chrono area and shoot them. if all else fails I'm in the ne ohio area I can try to meet up with you and let you try out a few that I have. one of my personal favorite woodsball/speedball markers is my sp1(new version is the g1) not the fastest marker but its fairly cheap and reliable as any tippman i've owned(not that tippmans are bad either) good luck on your search

[AJpaintball4life]

Tipmann are great markers, you can try looking at spyder Kingman as well, they are dirt cheap and not that bad to start with. My very first gun was a spyder and I got the MRX Elite http://paintballgunsforsalenow.com/spyder-mrx-elite/. It wasn't a small gun at all, but that's cause I was too hyped up about the sniper thingy, and that gun did have a nice mounted scope and it made sense. You could get something smaller if you are playing speedball like the Spyder Fenix . Also Tippman's US army brand has some affordable guns that you might want to check out too.

[Kbug]

Originally Posted by Rhettman55

Thanx guys another question is invert mini good for speed ball 2?

Yes, the Mini is a good marker for woodsball and speedball. It's not a high-end tourny marker, but definitely a good mid level marker that you can get for a decent price. The biggest upgrade I'd recommend getting for the Mini would be an on/off asa. I believe the Axe asa will fit on the Mini.

Originally Posted by Rhettman55

Junits you have a point there but, you can just was or replace the foam inside.

I buy a lot of used mask parts since I love og flexs. You can replace the lens and the foam if they are wore out, torn, scratched, etc. But you should ask whoever is selling it and see if they are wore out or not. And all of the plastic parts can be washed. Just don't put your thermal lens under water. Since they are dual paned, wanter will get between them and cause them to fog up (I made this mistake once and had to let the lens sit in the sun for a couple days to dry up the water in them).

[[NA]WARLORD]

Originally Posted by Rhettman55

Also should i buy a snow cmo set for when it snows?

No and the reason why is if your wearing snow camo and shooting somethinhg other then white fill paintballs, after a few games your multi colored butt is going to stand out. I suggest hunting camo instead and finding a spot under a tree and staying still.

As for the Mini as a first gun or woodsball gun, excellent choice. So many people when starting out want to buy the cool looking milsim guns. Tippmann is good for that, but after playing an extended game, big game or 24 hour scenario, that equipment gets heavy, even when running a remote line. Plus a remote line is good if your going to pop out of the same side of whatever your kneeling behind, but it becomes a hassle when you try to switch hands. This is where a gun mounted bottle comes in to play, no coiled remote line to tangle with. Also, they are much lighter overall even with the tank mounted on it. Plus, Empire (company that now makes the Mini) is awesome with customer service. They stand behind their products 100% even if you buy them 2nd hand.

I play woodsball/scenario ball, not a big speedball fan, never have been, but if I ever walk on a speedball field, I know my axe will not let me down. As far as other gear I suggest this:

1.) A thermal paned lense - it's more expensive, but trust us, it's well worth it especially in the summer. I prefer the JT Proflex or the Empire E Flex. The ProFlex is about half the cost of the EFlex and allows you to mount a fan when conditions get worse humidity wise. The EFlex has better ear protection for me as well as easier to clean/remove the lense. I always buy new, but thats just me.

2.) Tool Kit - I have seen so many new players come to the field with new gear and something go wrong and stand around in the pro-shop waiting to get their guns fixed. If they would have had a tool parts kit most of them would have been back on the field playing within minutes.

Tool Box includes:

Allen wrenches
dental pick
spare tank o-rings
gun specfic parts kit
manual or copy of it
gun lube (both paintball only oil and dow 33 or variant)
spare batteries for both your loader and your gun
microfiber cloth
travel size bottle of rubbing alcohol
electrical tape
teflon tape
pen/marker
a small towel or mat to work on
small magnet in case you drop a part

3.) Loader - I suggest a used Halo Too - you can pick these up for 40.00 anyday of the week and they will be plenty fast for the mini.

4.) HPA Tank - You caqn find good deals on tanks but a lot of them are out of hydro, meaning they have to be checked before most places will fill them due to insurance issues. I say buy new and the biggest tasnk you can afford. Although Ninja is a great tank company, so is Crossfire and they are usually cheaper in price.

5.) Upgrades - I wouldn't worry so much about these yet. I would get to know the gun first and then see what you like or don't like then change that. A decent budget barrel is the CP Classic one piece, with a .685 bore and 14" long with cocker threads = 30.00 most places, not the best but better then stock by a long shot.

6.) Clothing - Yes paintball exclusive clothing is nice, but not necessary. BDU's are cheaper, can be found anywhere and should last at least a season of hard play. Paintball clothes are better due to their construction, materials and options (like padding) but for just starting out your bdu's will be just peachy. I would recommend a pair of slide shorts though. That amount of protection against the jewels can be a lif saver sometimes. You dont have to use a hard cup either, I use a few layers of neoprene glued together (pick it up at a fabric store) and it moves with you vs against you.

7.) Pod Pack or Vest - your going to need something to store all that paint, I suggest a 4+3 pod pack to start with and you can usually pick up some good ones used for cheap. NXe, Empire, Dye are all good brands.

[SSD_JAKE]

Originally Posted by gamer565

You should get whatever you want its your money (or your parents) and will be your marker. If you want milsim get one if you want something else get that..

Be sure to read reviews and do research before making a final choice and shoot the markers too.

This is the best advice I've seen on the subject. Do what you want to do. Listen to what people say and keep what you want in mind at the same time

[Weroliera (Banned)]

Ok I went to ans and got the following for 539 free shipping and I'm in Illinois and I didn't get charged tax. Or shipping

Gog enmey
Dye rotor gen3
Ninja carbon fiber adjustable regulator
Empire eflex
This set up is very good and almost perfect because when you grow out of that gun and want a speedball gun
All you need to do is save up and buy the nice gun you will already have one of the best if not the best. Hopper! Tank! And mask!!