Have you been hearing about the term “NXL ramping” and wonder what it means? You’re in the right place to find the answers you seek.
When you visit some paintball arenas, you’ll hear paintballers talking about ramping. Unfortunately, most fields don’t allow ramping. Why? Not every paintball gun can ramp, so they want every player to have equal opportunity when competing.
If certain players have markers that can ramp, it puts them at an advantageous position. You wouldn’t want to come up against players using markers that can ramp while yours can’t.
I’ll walk you through the meaning of ramping then we’ll discuss what NXL ramping is and more. Keep reading!
What Does Ramping Mean?
Ramping is when a paintballer rapidly fires his or her paintball gun then suddenly the gun enters an “automatic mode” increasing your rate of fire.
Here’s how ramping works.
Assuming you can fire 4 balls per seconds when you manually pull the trigger. The way ramping works is that if you continue firing at this rate, ramping will automatically kick in.
Instead of firing 4 balls per seconds, your paintball marker will shoot a pre-selected number of balls. It could be 10, 12.5 or 15 balls. Note that not all paintball markers can ramp.
So, if ramping is legal where you play paintball, you may consider getting a marker that can ramp.
The impressive thing about ramping is that your marker will continue firing balls at an increased rate as long as you continue pulling the trigger. If you stop pulling the trigger, maybe to reload the gun or something, everything will return to normal.
In this case, you have to repeat the process from scratch for ramping to kick in, and increase your firing rate.
What Is NXL Ramping?
Three types of ramping exist and NXL Ramping is one of them. The other two are PSP, and Millennium Ramping.
So, NXL Ramping is a firing mechanism on most paintball guns. If yours has it, you only have to fire three shots for NXL Ramping to kick in, and increase your firing rate.
Your paintball gun will enter full-auto firing mode as long as you press the trigger down. However, if you release the trigger, your paintball marker’s firing speed will return to normal.
So, don’t take your hands off the trigger if you want to continue firing at full speed.
What Is NXL?
NXL stands for National Xball League. It refers to the premier paintball tournament across Europe and North America.
The first NXL tournament was organized around June 5 – 7, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. It was called the “Great Lake Open.”
The NXL hosts a series of paintball competitions annually, which features teams from across different parts of the globe. You’ll find top players from around the world, including the NXL Professional Division.
Spectators are welcome to watch teams compete intensely in the battle field to prove the better side. And every year, the NXL hosts around 4 to 5 events, although only two events were hosted in 2020.
Here are the big names in NXL paintball:
- Bart Yachimec – Majority owner
- Randy Smith – Majority owner
- Tom Cole – President and the man running the NXL.
- Camille Lemanski – NXL International event director.
- Jason Trosen – NXL commissioner.
Firing Mode The NXL Uses
It might interest you to know that the NXL has agreed to stick with the same firing mode they have been using for quite a while now.
Here are the formats that will utilize the NXL firing mode.
- 3-Man
- 5-Man
- 7-Man
- 10-Man
- Race2/X-Ball
The NXL firing mode is the same as the NXL Ramping. This ramping mode increases the number of shots your paintball gun can fire per second.
The NXL Ramping doesn’t work on manual markers. You can only do it with an electronic marker.
Here is how it works.
When you pull the trigger and fire five balls per seconds (5BPS) consistently, NXL Ramping will kick in. When ramping is activated, your paintball gun will start shooting 10.5 BPS (balls per second).
Is NXL Ramping Necessary During Tournaments?
If the tournament’s organizers permit ramping, go ahead and use it. Just ensure it’s legal for you to ramp. That’s all.
Secondly, adhere to the limit. NXL’s 2022 ramping limit is 5.5 BPS (balls per seconds), and players aren’t expected to exceed that.
You could land in trouble for not adhering to this ramping limit and firing faster. So watch out.
Firing faster can give you an upper hand in a competition. You can overwhelm your enemies by deploying ramping techniques effectively, but ensure you’re aiming at the right targets.
So, if you want to shoot in a way that’s not humanly possible, deploy a ramping technique.
Do Paintball Pros Use NXL Ramping?
Professional and top-rated paintballers use ramping techniques when necessary. So if the event organizers and referee allows it, go ahead and use it. Ramping helps you shoot faster and will give you a slight advantage over opponents.
A Handy Tip: Spend time to watch how pros ramp and how effective they’re able to use this firing mode to win games.
Is NXL Ramping In Paintball Cheating?
My knowledge of the word “cheating” is doing something illegal, or unethical.
Now the question is this. Is ramping illegal? Unless the event organizers reject it, ramping is legal. Initially, ramping wasn’t permitted. But then, it was difficult to differentiate between those using ramping and those pulling the trigger manually.
So, NXL Ramping isn’t cheating, as far as I am concerned. It’s legal and as long as pros are using it, amateur players can do the same.
Are NXL Players Paid Well?
Paintball’s popularity is gathering pace. However, stakeholders need to do more to promote the sport. Until paintball becomes as popular as soccer, basketball and others, paintballers won’t earn as much as players in other sports.
In all honesty, the salaries of paintball professionals are gradually improving. Though salaries vary from one team to another, only around 20 percent of pro paintball players walk home with a substantial paycheck.
Salaries of paintball players start from around $10,000 to over $100,000. Players like Alex Goldman, Alex Rodriguez, and Justin Rabackoff and Kyle Spicka earn these massive salaries.
Here are the top paintball earners including how much they’re making.
- Oliver Lang – $165,000
- Alex Rudriguez – $150,000
- Justin Rabackoff – $150,000
- Alex Goldman – $100,000
- Kyle Spicka – $100,000
Paintball is a sport with great potential. It’s a sport loved by thousands of people and soon, it will take its place among the most-watched sports in the world.
It’s only a matter of them before the entire world starts talking about and showing interest in paintball like other sports. But then, it depends on paintballers, and spectators to publicize the sport.
When paintball becomes as popular as soccer and other sports, players will start earning similar salaries. But for now, most players aren’t really earning that much.
How Do NXL Paintball Players Get Paid?
NXL players get paid via different channels. However, the NXL doesn’t pay players. Instead, their duty is to ensure tournaments are organized and they’re run smoothly.
Paintballs are paid by owners of the team. But then, some teams pay themselves. How? They source sponsorship deals to pay their salaries and keep the club running.
So, not all players get a paycheck. While some are getting paid by someone, others have to work hard to generate money used in paying players’ salaries.
Is It Wise For A Paintballer Ramp In A Public Field?
When playing a competition, ramping can be useful, though when legal. In a public field where people play paintball for recreational purposes, ramping isn’t a wise decision.
When you ramp in a public paintball field, it takes the fun out of the game. If you’re playing against rookies, ramping can make them dislike the sport or lose interest fast.
So, when playing in a public field, or playing paintball for recreational purposes, avoid ramping. Don’t even think about it.
Give your opponents equal opportunity to compete and enjoy their games. Besides, don’t forget you’re not in a competition.
Final Thought
What is NXL Ramping? It’s a firing technique and where your paintball marker starts firing more balls per second after pulling the trigger manually, consequently.
NXL Ramping is one of three ramping techniques. The others include PSP, and Millennium Ramping.
Ramping makes it possible to fire more balls per seconds that’s not humanly possible. However, you should only consider ramping during tournaments, not when playing in a public field.
Ramping while playing with friends, relatives and neighbors can take the fun out of the game. So, only consider using it during a competitive game where there’s a prize to be won.
