Paintball Sportsland -- Frederick MD

[Ciderbarrel]

Here is my quick background. I played a bunch with my older brother back in the early 90s when that field in Jessup was still around and pumps still ruled the day. Semi-autos were just starting to make it out there and there was no speedball. Paintball == woodsball. I didn't really play much again until 2007 when my brother got me back into paintball and got me a complete marker setup for my birthday. Mask, Ion Max'd, Halo Frontman, and an anti-syphon 20oz tank (which I quickly switched to a 68/4500 tank because I am paranoid).

I must tell you. Things had changed in the last 15 years or so. We went to OA-Bowie a few times (they were still BYOP at the time) and their fields were great but the refs were unnecessarily crabby, disorganized, and just so unpleasant to be around, it seemed like they were all working on their last day and were already checked out and just didn't give crap if the field went under due to their behavior.

So, after going 4 or 5 times, I hated waiting for about 10-15 mins for them to make teams, give out arm bands, march us out to the field, getting our 2 or 3 games in, marching back and sitting in the parking lot for 20-30 mins waiting for the refs to send the walkons back out.

I did a search and found Paintball Sportsland in Frederick. It was about 20 miles out of the way or so for me in Silver Spring, but it was worth it. When I got there, some of the refs could tell I was new and half of them shook my hand, introduced themselves, and tried to get to know me. Asked questions about my experience, where else I've played and they told me about their fields. It was a very pleasant, and unexpected experience. No matter how many times I told the refs my names over the years, they have branded me the nickname Crazy Eyes and it just stuck. Even some of the regulars refer to me by that name "Hey, Crazy Eyes, I'm going to move up to the snake, lay some cover on the back left."

I now think of PBSL as my home field. Outside of the spring Castle Conquest in 2007, and Operation Ocean Tiger this month, I have played at only PBSL since about May of 2007. Their field selection isn't the greatest (4 woods, 1 speed), but they are very organized and the refs are very fair and it seems that they actually care about what they do and really try to keep everyone safe. I can't remember her name, but they have a new female ref (new to me) and she kicked out 2 young kids yesterday because they kept taking off their masks after repeated warnings and the safety briefing they got in the morning. As they should be, they are really on top of player safety. 3 strikes and they were out and rightfully so.

They run 10-4 on weekends and they used to run Wednesdays 10-4 during the summer, I don't know if they're going to do that again this year. It is a VERY family friendly place and there are players and rentals of all ages. I've seen pre-teens with Egos and 40-somethings renting a BT and kicking some major butt with it. Rentals play from 11-3, except for late arrivals, they can play to 4 if they were given a special armband.

I love how the games flow. After the briefing and everyone is chronoed, the walkons are sent down the steep hill to play. They'll randomly split up the group and will let friends/family keep on the same side, unless the teams get way out of balance. After the game, there is a 5 min break to catch your breath, wipe off hits, reload and then we switch sides unless it was a massacre. Then we'll switch fields, unless players want to stay, and keep going. They never march you back up the house like OA-Bowie did, they will keep the walkons playing and you can come and go as you please as if you need rest, air, paint, one of the port-a-johns, whatever. When they are slower, they usually break for a 30 min lunch break so the refs can get some rest and food around 1-ish. On really busy days, they'll have refs switch in and out of groups to keep them playing so the working refs can get rest and you could play from 10-4 straight through if you wanted.

Fields

Placement. Picture in your mind that the keyboard is their property. This isn't to scale, but Speedball would be the B key all the was over to the right Shift and everything below. Field 1 would be the V key to the left shift and below. Field 2 is the D, E, 3 and to the left Field 3 would be F, R, 4 keys to the G, T, 5, to 8, I, K, and Field 4 would be 9, O, L, and all they was to the backspace, \, and enter.

They have one speedball field and it's a pretty nice setup, completely visible from the staging area/parking lot. One end is slightly uphill from the other and if you were at the lower end looking up, it is uphill slightly to the right as well. It is an almost symmetrical field (a few of their wooden fences for bunkers have fallen on the top side) and while it hasn't happened often, a luckly shot can get someone out from the uphill breakout point to the downhill point, especially if you have a good tailwind. I have seen it happen once when I was on the downhill side.

Field 1. It isn't used often and unless it is really busy, or there are a couple private groups, you'll probably never play on it. It is newer compared to the others, having been redesigned recently for their March scenario, or so I understand. It is a long, narrow field. Probably 3 times long as it is wide. The deadbox is behind a fort with two small towers and little holes for shooting out of. In the middle of the front wall is a 6' or so gap. There are 2 side walls, no back wall. At the other end of the front wall is where the attackers start with natural and man made cover. From the towers, you can get hit out right away, so you have to move quick. Because there is such good cover in the fort, it is usually 3:1 attackers:defenders ratio.

Field 2. It is the only field with netting where people can demask in the deadbox. It is a WIDE uphill-downhill field. Standing at the middle of the bottom, there are two trenches that go up both sides of the field and there is cover on the inside of the trenches. Going up, the cover continues (as fences) in an upside-down U pattern. "Germans" up top "Americans" at the bottom. To change things up, they do what is called "trench warfare" where two teams start in the trenches and can only use the upper half of the field. This used to be my favorite field, but I think I broke the balance in 2007. They rounded off the bottom left corner. I used to sneak there under the heavy vegetation and I would hide for about the first 4-5 mins of the game. After people would try to make their move down that trench, there is no cover on the outside of the trench, so I'd just open fire and slowly march up the trench. With that side collapsing, they would move people from the other trench and we'd just divide and conquer. Now, the OB tape has cut that off so much that you can't even think about trying and you can't get around to outflank them on that left side. Almost all the action takes place on the right trench now.

Field 3. The alamo. There is a fort in the middle of the field and it is a HUGE field. You can walk far enough away from the fort that they can't even 2 hop a shot to you because of distance and natural cover. Attack-defend. There is a flag 10' from the fort, and the fort is between the attackers and the flag. The refs allow 2-4 "roamers" for the defense, depending on how many people are playing. Defenders can not leave the fort, and the roamers can not enter. Good roamers can really stifle and confuse the attackers because I have been shot out by a spooked rental kid thinking I was a roamer. All attackers have to do is just touch the flag, end of game. If time is up, defenders win. Slowly becoming my favorite field.

Field 4. Speedball in the woods. They had done their best to setup alot of fences and stacked branches/wood to make an even field. It's not perfect, but it's pretty nice. It is slighly uphill-downhill but it is not noticeable that you're moving at a grade while playing. They have a fort on the extreme rightside of the field, opposite from the deadbox. They call it the embassy. You can play a normal game or attacking the fort game. Because of the placement of the fort, for private/scenario games, you could do a Field 3 vs Field 4 fort vs fort game. If they wanted to do a REALLY big game, they could setup HQs at field 1 and 4, make speedball OB, and do a game like that.

Like I said, you can get a bigger selection of fields elsewhere but the refs here keep games movie, are fair, and are actually pretty cool people who joke around and have a good time. One of them, Nolan (his mask/helmet has a massive amount of screws in it poking out so he looks like Pinhead from Hellraiser) will go out of his way during and between games to give advice and pointers to the kids playing so they don't spend all day in the back corner hiding all day.

Until it really starts getting hot, I'm usually there every 3 weeks or so.

[Diggler]

It's nice to meet you Ciderbarrel, let me know if you want to change your site alias to Crazyeyes (it wouldn't be a problem at all).
Our home field is Warplay Paintball in the Fredricksburgh, Virgina area but we're always open to new fields as well. Maybe we'll pick a weekend to come up and try out Paintball Sportsland, they sound like a great place to play. We have a very similar respect for Warplay, as they also know how to split up the teams and make them as even as they can (well, most of the time) and they really look out for everyone's safety.

Hopefully we'll catch up with you at either field in the near future and again, welcome to PaintballGeeX.

[Ciderbarrel]

It's nice to meet you Ciderbarrel, let me know if you want to change your site alias to Crazyeyes (it wouldn't be a problem at all).

Nah, you don't need to do that. I've used Ciderbarrel for alot longer than I picked up that nickname and I use it on almost all the other sites I'm on.

Our home field is Warplay Paintball in the Fredricksburgh, Virgina area but we're always open to new fields as well. Maybe we'll pick a weekend to come up and try out Paintball Sportsland, they sound like a great place to play. We have a very similar respect for Warplay, as they also know how to split up the teams and make them as even as they can (well, most of the time) and they really look out for everyone's safety.

Hopefully we'll catch up with you at either field in the near future and again, welcome to PaintballGeeX.

I would love to come out to Warplay but it just seems so far away. Google maps tells me it's just over 2 hours w/o traffic and not that there would be, but 3 hours with traffic. For me to get there by a 9:30 briefing, I'd have to leave no later than 7, so it would be my first time out there and I'd probably have to get up by 5:30-6 just to pack my gear and get ready.

That seems a bit much for just walk-on play, but if there was a big game, I'd consider it. I hear nothing but good things about their fields and games they play on them, their only weakness is their distance from the Montgomery County area.

If I was a member of either forum at the time, I would have made it out for the yespaintball - paintballgeex match. It sounded like good times were had by all.

[Diggler]

You definitely missed out on a great game between both forum sites, in the end we all had a great day.
We'll try to catch up to you at either field, like I said we're always looking at other places to play at.

[Chronos]

Warplay has its own concept of time, known locally as "Warplay time". Briefing is closer to 10:00-10:15 in rest-of-the-world time.

[Flash]

Welcome Cyberbarrel. I am the head ref at Warplay. A couple of good things about Warplay is that if we need to to get you playing we will even give you your own little private safety briefing and chrono you. Tor , Gunnie, or I will get you one the field as soon after you arrive as you can get your pods loaded. March 30th should be a big day. Before it was advertised we were looking at 40+ a birthday party. Last year this weekend drew just under a hundred. I know thats not the 300 to 3000 of other places big games but I love those numbers on our field. Anything over 40 players is a lot of fun. I know the traffic can be bad, the owners are sometimes late because of it, which is why we are sometimes a little late getting started. We normally get in 5 to seven games per day. The average is six even if we start late. We run 20 or 25 minuet games that you respawn back into after you are taken out, so you will get more field time at Warplay if you show up mid day than you do at most places in a full day. I hope you will check us out, I think you will like it. I look forward to meeting you, if not at Warplay then at one of the other Geex outings.

[Shaun-MR.GRIMM]

Ciderbarrel I know what you are talking about when you say you have to leave early to drive that far. When we travel to OA we get up at 5:30am and are on the road at 6:00am so we can get there early enough to get set up and find a good parking place. I'm lucky to live 25 mins from Warplay and it's a blast you should give it a try some time you won't be disappointed as for Sportsland it looks interesting and a couple of us may find our way up there later in the year. It looks to be about an hour further North of A.G. so that would make it about a 3 hr drive for us, I see that you can bring your own paint(with own equipment) and it's $10 to play but I don't see anything about air fee.

[Ciderbarrel]

It looks to be about an hour further North of A.G. so that would make it about a 3 hr drive for us, I see that you can bring your own paint(with own equipment) and it's $10 to play but I don't see anything about air fee.

They're in the middle of redoing their site. Their field fee is $10 and you have the option of getting all day air or pay as you go.

It's $10 for all day air/co2 or you can pay $1 per 1000psi. I don't know how much co2 fills are, since I've never had to do it. I THINK I saw a sign that said $3.50 for 20 oz, but don't quote me on that.

When I used my Ion, I would have to get two fills on my 68/4500 in a day for $8, so it wasn't worth it to get all day air. Now that I have my Borg, I get one fill a day, at most.

[Shaun-MR.GRIMM]

1 fill you haven't seen how much paint we sling Andy and me both carry 110ci tanks on are backs and will take 12 pods on the field at Warplay and leave 6 of them in the spawn to pick up as needed, most of the time we will shoot 2 cases of paint in a day with my son sometimes going as high as 3. There's a reason they call it Warplay and when you see the amount of paint in the air you'll know why. but $10 for air is the going price so it reasonable Hope to make it there later on this year.

[Rodney]

Hes not lying.
Lots.
Of.
Paint.
He leaves in the spawn twice as much as I carry on the field all together.
And Idk shaun Cyborgs are notoriously great on air.

[Ciderbarrel]

Cyborgs are notoriously great on air.

I used up 3000psi on my 68/4500 before we broke for lunch Saturday and I fired off 7 pods, plus 400 in my pinokio. That is around 980 + 400 for about 1380. If you calculate it out for all 4500psi (yeah, I know I wouldn't be able to fire off the whole tank, there will be drop off when the psi is low) it would be a MAX of about 2090 shots. I am trying to get a 88/4500 on ebay at the moment, just for poops and giggles.

I'm the same way with pods. I have my vest setup with 3 or 4 3+4 pod holders depending on the game. I use 3 for walkon, 4 for scenarios. I don't even own that many, but I could hold 28 pods on me if I wanted, but I keep it between 9-12 on me + the full pinokio. I have started taking a backpack full of loaded pods or reload between games. I'm sure if I came down to WP, I'd go through alot of paint.

As it stands now, for a day of walkon play, I go through about 5 bags (1.25 cases) of paint. It's usually what is left over from the weekend before, plus the new case I pick up during the week. I think I determined that I go through 4 cases every 3 days of play, more or less.

[Shaun-MR.GRIMM]

Rodney so is my EGO and Shocker but I ran out of air once and that was along time ago and it won't happen again. Too many times I heard guns go dry or run out of paint at the wrong time and seen the team lose because of it of course I love to hear the sound of it coming from the opposing team cause that means someone's about to get bunkered.

[Rodney]

lol Thats literally two cases on you if you ever went out with 28 pods on you, Maybe you could get rid of all of it if you carried a 114ci tank on you. Maybe.
And haha Shaun with the stuff you carry Im sure it wont happen.
unless i accidentally dont fill your tank all the way when you get a fill

[jesusfreek]

Ciderbarrel, I have to travel a hour and a half to get to Warplay and it's definetely worth the drive. Without trying to hype Warplay up too much, it's a very unique and fun paintball experience. There are other fields closer to me, but I'm a Warplay junkie. Good competition, excellent refs. I've been to Paintball Sportsland a couple of times taking youth from my Church's basketball team on a retreat. We really enjoyed ourselves.

[Ciderbarrel]

That's one of the sucky things being in the DC burbs. I'm far from alot of field. That Jessup field was AWESOME and I was so bummed to hear it went out of business before I started playing again. OA-Bowie is only a 30 min drive but I just don't really have a good time there.

I'm sure they've changed in 2 years, but 2007 was the last time I played there because the refs were so disorganized and unnecessarily crabby all day. It wasn't an isolated thing. I went 5 or 6 times before I gave up on the,

I did go back on the 3rd for the Operation Ocean Tiger scenario but I couldn't give a fair review about their fields (the going skuttlebutt is that they're muddy, smell like crap, are constantly filled with stagnant water, and are in poor condition) because it literally rained ALL DAY. The rain finally let up 30 mins AFTER the scenario ended.

I have a great time at PBSL, despite the fact they're about an hour away. PAP is good from what I hear, but they're up near PA. OA-CC is supposed to be good, but there's on the MD/DE line, basically.

It's just so built up here, there isn't much farmland that can be converted to a PB field unless you go to Frederick, Carrol, or AA counties, here in MD. If we had better highways, I'd try to make it out to Leesburg, but it's such a long drive if you don't want to get hit by tolls. The ironic thing is that Leesburg is pretty close to Montgomery county, there just aren't enough river crossings. You have to take the beltway and come up the river, or go up north and back down 15.

I do want to hit WP some day, I just don't know when. Waking up REALLY early isn't something that comes easily to me.

[Shaun-MR.GRIMM]

Ciderbarrel there was a group of 8 of us at Ocean Tiger, we were blue and yeah the rain sucked but that day there was only true paintballers there playing in the rain and it was fun just not as fun as it normally is.

[Ciderbarrel]

Ciderbarrel there was a group of 8 of us at Ocean Tiger, we were blue and yeah the rain sucked but that day there was only true paintballers there playing in the rain and it was fun just not as fun as it normally is.

Sweet! I was blue side too. Colt had me defending/taking/re-defending that damn castle all day. It was the bane of my existence. He sent me out to escort a few teams to bring props back (like at the downed heli), but I was in or around the castle mostly.

If you saw a big guy w/ long black hair in Digi camo with 16 spikes on the mouth area of his mask, that was me. I was using my Ion that day as I hadn't picked up my Borg yet. I had planned using my P90 Ion I did a custom build on, but it wasn't waterproof. Paint proof, yes, but not crazy-all-day-rain proof.

[Shaun-MR.GRIMM]

Yeah I seen ya, our group managed to get 6 props back to the CP and once we got going we kept Knightmare Ally free of the Red team for the last half of the day and kept them back in the back of fuel dump and across the road in the final battle

[Ciderbarrel]

Yeah I seen ya, our group managed to get 6 props back to the CP and once we got going we kept Knightmare Ally free of the Red team for the last half of the day and kept them back in the back of fuel dump and across the road in the final battle

Sweet! For the final battle, I was hanging in the back. I did make a move up the road to help others move up, but I got taken out and when I rejuv'ed I never could advance. I did take out, or helped, the guys on the far left behind the house (or was it a bus?) that was long-balling and picking our guys off.