This article is aimed at beginners who don’t know much about the paintball sport.

Your best friend, boss, future father-in-law invited you to play, so here’s what you do.

Don’t buy a gun - There’s no sense in going out and buying the expensive paintball gun if you don’t even know how to play. Simply rent one from the field you’re playing at. Or borrow a friend’s.

Many fields make you use their paint and should be able to provide you with safety equipment, such as a face shield. If you want the elbow and knee pads, bring your own.

Don’t go out and buy camouflage - Unless you’re playing on a big trees studded field, you’re going to get spotted. Save your money and pass for the vintage Vietnam tiger stripe BDU’s.

Just wear something which is colored brown, black or tan - Camouflage is only supposed to break up your body outline. Take note and the size screens and grounds. Pass on colored logos on your clothes, too.

Don’t expect to win - Odds are good that you won’t turn out kills like an Army Ranger facing the entire Ethiopian armed forces. You’re not the most experienced guy around.

Don’t go thinking everyone is going to be amazed at your colossal abilities. Odds are good that you’ll be lucky to survive for an entire game. Just play hard.

Be aggressive - Run around, crawl behind logs and bushes, and meet the enemy head to head. If you just sit in one spot and wait, the enemy will find you, and you’ll be lucky to survive.

Instead, move forward, to the side, wherever. Move cautiously, but aggressively, from one point to another. Know where you’re going and how you’ll get there.

Do use your ammo - Don’t be one of those guys who go and only fire a couple of rounds and hope to get lucky. Ammo’s fairly cheap and the odds are good that he’ll fire about as well as a South American policeman. Use the ammo.

Go to have fun - Isn’t that why you’re really going? Winning is a good thing, but don’t hinge on the idea. Let it happen if it’s going to happen. Your buddies are going to be impressed that you jumped and charged like a Japanese bonsai attack. Play fair and the respect of the fellow players is going to happen. That frees you up to go on a one-man killing spree. And be sure to let your girl /guy play “Nurse”/”Doctor” on all of your war wounds after you get home.