Paintball is a fun game played and cherished by both the young and old. It’s also played professionally or for recreational purposes.
However, every game has its techniques, and so is paintball. And understanding these techniques will enable you to appreciate and enjoy the game even more. It will also boost your chances of winning a competitive game.
Now, here’s the first question we’re going to tackle.
What Is Ramping In Paintball?
Ramping is a unique setting on mid to high-end paintball markers. It occurs when a player gets to its kick-in rate, 2 to 3 pulls per second.
After these pulls, ramping becomes activated. Thus, the paintball gun will start to shoot three balls per pull. In other words, you’ll get three balls whenever you pull the trigger once.
So, if you pull the trigger twice, you’ll get or fire 6 balls. That’s what ramping is.
Is Ramping Legal In Paintball League?
Yes, ramping is legal in paintball. But surprisingly, what many professionals are practicing is not ramping. Some are setting their paintball gun to fully automatic mode, although repercussions exist for cheaters in a tournament.
Ever since ramping became legal, every high-end paintball gun, including some mid-range ones, now possesses the setting.
So, ramping is legal in paintball, even at a professional level, in tournaments. However, players are usually monitored to ensure they don’t ramp faster than required.
Below are the approved ramping modes players can deploy in tournaments.
- NXL Ramping
- PSP Ramping
- Millennium Ramping
Players cannot fire more than fifteen balls per second. In other words, fifteen balls are the official rate, and every player during a paintball tournament must adhere to this.
Furthermore, there’s a difference between millennium and PSP ramping. We’ll explain each ramping technique so that you can understand the differences.
What NXL Ramping Entails:
In this ramping technique, a player’s firing increases after three shots. The player needs to perform the simple task of holding the trigger, which helps maintain a full-auto fire.
Now, what does this imply? In NXL ramping mode, note that you can continue firing at full speed, provided you don’t take your foot off the gas. In other words, you need to keep firing.
What PSP Ramping Entails
In this PSP ramping technique, you can activate ramping by performing a simple task: keep firing in rapid succession.
However, the unique and exciting thing about the PSP ramping mode is this. Even if you stop firing in rapid succession for a moment and resume later on, you can still fire at ramp level.
What Millennium Ramping Entails:
Millennium and PSP ramping are similar from different angles. The only significant difference is, unlike PSP, you may need to fire rapidly to get the paintball gun to ramping level once you let go of the trigger.
In other words, in millennium ramping, the ramp mode is deactivated when you take your hands off the trigger, even for a short moment.
In this scenario, the only possible way to get your paintball gun to ramp level again is by firing in rapid succession.
How Ramping In Paintball Works
Ramping may seem like a complex technique, but it isn’t in the real sense. Many high-end, including mid-range paintball guns that have flooded the market in recent years boast the ramping mode.
Ramping allows you to fire or throw more paintballs at your opponents by pulling the trigger in small amounts.
In other words, you can fire more balls in quick succession once the paintball enters ramping mode. And the exciting part is, you don’t have to do too much for this to happen.
Here is an example to demonstrate how ramping works or sets in.
Let’s assume you’re firing five balls per second. And this involves pulling the trigger five times.
If you can continue with this speed whereby you’re firing five balls per second via your effort, the paintball gun’s ramping mode will become active.
Once ramping mode is activated, the paintball can start shooting as many as 10, 12, or 15 balls without you even doing much. You may only need to pull the trigger five times to fire this amount of balls.
Note: Sometimes, this ramping or increased firing mode will continue, provided you continue firing.
If you stop firing, probably to reload your paintball marker, then you may have to restart the whole process. In other words, you’ll have to keep firing rapidly to return your paintball gun to ramping mode.
Is Ramping In Paintball A Good Technique?
There’s a saying, “different strokes for different folks.” While one person may view the ramping technique as a good choice, another may have a contrary view.
Ramping is fun for the player using it. There’s no doubt about that. But the reaction you’ll get in a competition or paintball arena could vary.
Paintball players who ramp are often seen as amateurs. Most professionals don’t do ramping because they trust their skills and believe in winning the normal way. Ramping can give a player an advantage and make the game less boring.
The paintball game might be fun for the player using ramping, but those watching might not be happy with what they see.
In a game where one party is ramping while the other isn’t, the one ramping will feel more powerful. The team or individual will also have a higher chance of winning the game.
A game where ramping is deployed heavily is relatively easy to predict. The player whose paintball gun can ramp and doesn’t shy away from ramping has the upper hand.
Players are allowed to use ramping but cannot go full auto. But even so, ramping takes the human element off the game. It makes players shoot faster than humanly possible.
Ramping doesn’t showcase players’ skills, in a professional setting, in any way. It only shows players desperate to win and not one interested in competing, showcasing their aiming skills.
Why Do People Use Ramping In Paintball?
People use ramping in paintball for several reasons, but the ultimate goal is to win. Let’s check out other motives.
1: Fire the balls faster:
Ramping allows players to fire plenty of balls within a short time. It makes it possible for the gun to release plenty of balls that aren’t humanly possible within a second.
2: Gives players some rest during games:
Pulling the trigger now and then isn’t an easy task. It can take a toll on the fingers. In other words, you might get tired, or your shots might reduce, giving your opponents some advantage.
Ramping does not mean you’ll stop pulling the trigger. You’ll still have to continue pulling the trigger to sustain the mode. The only difference is that this time, your effort will be multiplied.
For instance, you may get ten or more shots once ramping becomes activated when you pull the trigger five times or less. Ordinarily, pulling the trigger five times is supposed to give you five shots.
3: Keep opponents bunkered:
The easiest way to keep your opponents bunkered while you move in is by firing more balls toward them.
But the truth is that only ramping can afford you such speed. It will enable you to fire more balls at your opponents, keeping them bunkered while you make that strategic move to eliminate them from the game.
Conclusion
What is ramping in paintball? Ramping is a technique many high-end and mid-range paintball guns have.
When you fire the paintball gun rapidly, it might enter ramping mode. Ramping allows the weapon to fire many balls that are not humanly possible. The paintball gun could be firing ten balls within a second while you pulling the trigger less than ten times.
Ramping is also legal in paintball, and we explained that the types of ramping are NXL, PSP, and millennium paintball.
So, now that you know about ramping, you can decide if you want to deploy the technique while playing paintball or not.
