The Paintball Mask: the Essential Accessory

kevin asked:


 

 

Aside from the paintball gun, the paintball mask is the most important piece of kit you will invest in. Although the number of serious injuries in paintball is low compared with other sports, they can be severe. A paintball travelling at 300 feet per second can do a lot of damage, particularly to the sensitive head area. It is essential that you protect your eyes and ears from injury with a good quality mask.

Regular glasses, sun glasses, ski masks, safety goggles and shooting glasses are not sufficient to protect you from fast flying paintballs. You need an appropriate, purpose made paintball mask ,manufactured to strict industry regulations to withstand the speed of a paintball.

Your paintball mask needs to provide adequate protection whilst still feeling comfortable. If your mask is uncomfortable it will be a distraction and will impair your ability to play well. There should be cushioning around the outer edges of the mask to keep it in place and ensure a comfortable fit.

Your mask should fit well. Paintball is an extremely active sport. Your mask needs to fit securely to withstand many different manoeuvres. You will need to be able to run, twist, turn, dive and crawl without dislodging your mask. If you wear glasses, check that your mask will fit over them comfortably.

Another thing to consider when choosing a suitable paintball mask is your field of vision. Whilst safety must come first, You still need to have a wide, clear vision in order to play successfully. You need to have a good peripheral vision to protect you from surprise attacks from the side. You should also be able to see clearly through the gun sight without the mask getting in the way.

Ideally your mask should be anti-fog to avoid steaming up in the heat of battle. Some paintball masks have a film on them to prevent them misting over. Better still are thermal masks. These are layered masks with an air cushion between the layers to keep your vision crystal clear at all times.

Just as it is important to protect and enhance your vision, it is also crucial to protect your ears without impairing your hearing. Your paintball mask should cover the whole head to avoid you being struck on any sensitive spot. Some masks can be customized with ear flaps . Whichever mask you choose, check that you can still hear properly to prevent you being crept up on. You need to be alert and have all your senses sharp to play paintball well.

Paintball packages offer an ideal start up kit for players new to the sport and are ideal if you’re on a budget. All good packages will include a paintball mask. However, It is important not to compromise on the quality of the mask for the convenience and value of the package deal. The mask is an essential piece of equipment and must be selected wisely. If the mask is no good, it is a false economy to go for the package.

Paintball masks come in a variety of colours and styles. As cool as some look, safety must be your first concern. You would be well advised to invest in a top quality mask rather than having to continually replace cheaper versions.

 

 



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Paintball Gear: Kit Yourself Out

kevin asked:


 

Paintball Gear is a broad term covering all the paraphernalia you need to set you up in paintball. This might include: a gun, ammo, mask, clothing, safety equipment and carrying belt. For the purpose of this article, I will disregard the paintball gun and all of its attachments. Whilst it is the most important piece of “gear”, it requires a whole article to itself ( if not many). Apart from the gun, what else do you need to kit yourself out for paintball?

After the gun, the most important piece of paintball gear is the mask. The number of serious injuries may well be lower in paintball than numerous other sports, but they can be severe. It is not pleasant to be struck on the head by a paintball travelling at 300 feet per second. It is essential that you protect your eyes and ears from paintball damage.

It is sensible to wear a mask with ear flaps, and a visor to give protection from the sun. The mask should cover the whole head to avoid being struck on a sensitive area. They come in an assortment of colours and styles, but as cool as they look, safety must be your first concern with this type of paintball gear. The mask must fit securely and be comfortable.

Alternatively, You could opt for protective glasses or goggles. These do not give as much protection as the full mask, but they are better than nothing. Protective eye-wear must provide full coverage of the eye area. Regular glasses or sunglasses are not sufficient. The glasses must have side blinders to protect you from fast flying projectiles.

Keeping to the safety aspect of paintball gear, you may also want to consider a padded paintball suit. This gives extra built-in protection to vulnerable areas, such as the chest and neck. Or you may favour hard plastic body armour that can help protect your back, chest, arms and legs. Gloves, vests, boxes and collars also increase your protection on the field. Many players feel happier about playing if they know they are fully protected and can, therefore, enjoy the game more.

One of the reasons for the encouraging paintball safety statistics is that there is a strong emphasis on wearing the correct protective gear and you may not be allowed to play without it.

Although there is no requirement to dress in a certain way, your clothing choices are important. You need to wear thick clothing for added protection; short sleeves or pants do not give sufficient coverage, whatever the weather. Your clothes should be reasonably close fitting; baggy clothes increase your chance of getting hit and eliminated.  You can buy clothing designed specifically for paintball, which can be effective, but whatever you choose, you need to feel comfortable and be able to move freely.

Paintballs fall loosely into the category of paintball gear. They too, like markers, merit an article to themselves (see Paintballs: Your Questions Answered ). They vary a great deal in quality, and as you would expect, they give different levels of performance. You should expect to pay more for ammo of a higher quality.

Another useful item of paintball gear is a special carrying belt for holding your paintballs. The carrying belt holds tubes that can hold 200 paintballs each.

You can find a wide variety of appropriate paintball gear in sporting goods stores, discount retailers and paintball speciality stores. There are also many different online stores offering an impressive selection of guns, ammo and protective kit for reasonable prices. Aside from the gun and ammo, your most important items of paintball gear will be concerned with safety and comfort. You must take your time to purchase wisely.

Hawksbill Paintball

Hawksbill Sports was established by players, for players. Our goal is to give you the products you need to enjoy the sport of paintball. We have low prices and fast shipping and promise the best customer service you can find anywhere. For more information and a great selection of paintball gear,



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Understanding Your Paintball Gun

Dennis Cole asked:


If you are just getting started with paintball guns, it is a bit interesting to learn how they work as well as what they are. You may be planning on spending some of your time on the field playing the game that you love, but this information can help you to make the right decision when you decide to purchase your own gun. A paintball gun is, as you may know, the tool that you will use to mark your fellow player in a game of paintball. A paintball will come flying out of the chamber when you trigger it to. Most paintball guns work similar to a standard gun, but the details are much different.

Here are some bits of important information you should know about the paintball gun. – Paintball guns use rapidly expanding gas. Usually it is CO2 or air. This gas will push the paintball out of the barrel. – Most paintball guns range in velocity but the most common are those that have a muzzle velocity of about 300 feet per second. – This amount of force is enough to break open the paintball when it hits its target. Yet, it is not hard enough to break the skin, rather only sufficient at doing some mild bruising at most. – If you plan to play on a standard, commercial field, you will probably be restricted to a paintball gun that is at most the 300 feet per second type. – One of the most significant and painful injuries that a paintball gun can cause is eye injury. Therefore, when playing you should always have on protective gear. The fact is that there are plenty of players that did not and now have blindness in that eye. Most paintball fields require it.

Many details needed to be looked at and understood when using and purchasing a paintball gun. You do not want to spend several hundred dollars on a gun that will not shoot straight.

There are several different variations of paintball gun hoppers. Most of the time, you will have a gun that is feed based on agitating, force feed or those that work with gravity. These methods are all unique. If you have an agitating or a force feed hopper you may find that your gun does not give you the security you need. These often fail in the worst of times. Most of the time this is caused by your paintball guns battery getting wet, which stops everything in its tracks. Yet, the good thing about these types of hoppers is that they offer the highest rate of fire possible, perhaps making up for their failings here.

Another thing that you need to take into consideration is your guns tank. The tank is the area of the gun that holds the compressed air that will eventually propel your paintball to your target. Therefore it is an essential element in the decision of which paintball gun to purchase.

Most tanks are filled with liquid CO2. They can also have compressed air in them. HPA is a term you may here. It stands for High Pressure Air or you may know it as nitro, as nitrogen is one of the main gases in air. The most standardized paintball guns will come with HPA or nitro tanks. Unless you are an occasional player with limited resources, you are probably going to want to use these choices.

You will also need to consider what kind of barrel to use. You can select from sizes ranging from 12 inches, 14 inches, 16 inches, 18 inches or 20 inches. You can have them custom made, if you are really looking for something specific. When you do this, you can have them as long as 48 inches. Most paintball enthusiasts will tell you that beyond 11 inches, you do not get a better efficiency from the barrel to warrant the larger size. Some feel the additional size adds to the sighting on the barrel. In addition, longer barrels are less noisy but longer than 16 inches offers no additional benefit here either. If you have a longer barrel, you will need more propellant.

You are likely to see manufacturers claiming about porting. Some claim that you will have less turbulence as well as increased accuracy with porting. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be much truth to these claims. In addition, the more porting that you have, the less efficient your paintball guns gas will be as your propellant is easily escaping.

Another aspect to take into consideration is the bore. This is the interior diameter of the barrel of your paintball gun. If you have a barrel that has two to three pieces, you will find that the barrel bore is more matched to the paintball diameter. When this is the case, the paintball will not roll out of the barrel if you have a larger barrel. This is important if you have an auto-cocker as well.

Finally, you need to take into consideration the threading of the paintball gun. You need to insure that the barrel threading matches the paintball gun specifically. Some of the common types of threads include autocockers, angels, shockers, sphyder, Tippmann, and Inpulse or Ion.

Which ever style or type of paintball gun you choose, please remember that safety should always come first. So always make sure you wear the proper protective clothing to deter injury. It is nothing but fun until someone looses an eye.



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Paintball Guns

Jason Smith asked:


Paintball guns are the primary equipment in paintball game. This is also called paintball marker and they generally use compressed air or carbon dioxide to release paintballs through the barrel. Most of the paintball guns have 4 main parts that includes the body, gas system, hopper and barrel. All these come in a package, you may also buy separate. Paintball guns are usually known as paintball marker as people often think it as a deadly sport.

Description of the Paintball guns:

Most of the paintball guns have a body made of aluminum as this metal significantly lowers the weight of the marker. The body comprises of all the main parts essential for firing, like trigger frame, loaders, valve and bolt.

Trigger frames – are an integral feature of these paintball guns. One can achieve high firing rates depending on the force required to fire from the marker and also the space the trigger moves before the action takes place. Electronic trigger frames are expensive and have different advantages like sensing abilities. It affects the rate of firing and records a very high rate. There are also non-electric guns that use mechanical trigger frame and uses a number of levers and springs.

Valve and bolt – this combination assists to fire the gun or marker. The valve and the bolt control firing and direct airflow allowing the paintballs enter the chamber.

Hoppers or loaders:

These are responsible to hold paintballs before they are fired from the gun. These are several types – force feed, agitating, gravity speed and stick feed. The first three are quite popular and stick feeds are generally used for pump paintball guns. Gravity feed is cheaper and also simpler form of hopper. Agitating feeds use propeller that spins inside the container and agitate the paintballs. Stick feeds are positioned parallel to the barrel and in order to load the next paintball, the marker ahs to be tipped.

Propellers:

The tank consists of carbon dioxide or compressed gas that dismisses the paintballs through the barrel. Carbon dioxide is mostly used in cheap paintball guns. Whereas, compressed air is stored in tanks under high pressure, so it is suitable for expensive markers.

Barrels:

Barrels control the airflow and direct the paintballs out of it. These are generally in three types of configuration – one-piece, two-piece, and three- piece. Barrels are mostly 21 inches long but you can also get custom made barrels of 48 inches as well. These longer barrels are quieter than the shorter ones as they let extra gas pass out slowly. The interior diameter of the barrel is called a bore and it should match the paint otherwise it will give incorrect results.

Trigger mode:

There are different types of triggering modes available, some are pump action markers and some fully automatic. Pump paintball guns are like pump action shotguns that need to be manually re-cocked after every shot. This is a slower version among all the paintball guns and often players choose it for effective shots. It can fire in extremely steady rate if adapted properly. Semi-automatic trigger versions are also equally common for different purposes.



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Understand Paintball Fields And Get The Winning Edge

Riley Hendersen asked:


Okay, you have the paint marker, the gear, the protective clothing and the money for a game. But what kind of game of paintball do you want to play? Yes, there are many different kinds of paintball fields, both inside and outside. Most players prefer to play outdoors, with natural landscaping serving as their woods, jungles and forest scenario playing fields.

The type of game that is being played determines some of the more basic variations of the fields. In Capture the Flag, for instance, the field can be open or wooded, but the main object is for one team member to capture the flag of the opposing team. The flag is usually located near the ‘home base’ of the opposing team or in the middle of playing fields. Once the flag is captured, it must be hung from the flag station of the opposing team.

In Elimination, the fields are typically filled with inflatable barriers and obstacles. This version requires either an individual or an entire team to eliminate all opponents.

Paintball fields can also differ in the version called Woodsball. This version of the game requires varied terrain and cover. Players use natural terrain and fallen logs and trees as cover while they practice stealth and strategy in an effort to find and eliminate all opposing players in the game.

The name obviously implies that this exciting version of paintball be experienced in heavy woods with adequate cover for players. This version of the game requires close-quarter play and distances, as visibility is limited and cover provides ample hiding opportunities for opponents.

Woodsball paintball fields are generally open year round, though cold weather will prevent some players from using their CO2 tanks due to freezing and ineffective power.

Some fields have been known to be located on National Forest land, but the forest service requests that players avoid campgrounds, historic ruins and trails accessed by visitors. And of course, please notify the local ranger to verify rules regarding play on National Forest land.

For versions of the game that incorporate scenario playing, a wide variety of fields are used. Some are flat and rolling, some are in the desert, some located in hilly, wooded terrain. These paintball games can last days. A recent paintball scenario game in Pennsylvania was comprised of over four thousand players!

Speedball is another version of paintball that is generally played on fields cleared of trees or any objects that can be used for cover. About half the size of a football field, fields used in Speedball are scattered with artificial obstacles on a level ground.

Paintball fields are as varied as the types of paintball games being created every year. Professionally owned fields are well maintained and players follow posted rules for play.

Still, many individuals create their own fields for play, and these can be found anywhere away from roads, streets and houses. Paintball fields offer kids and adults an exciting day of fresh air and good fun. Check to see if there are any around you and give the game a try!



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The Thrill Of Playing Scenario Paintball

Gregg Hall asked:


Scenario paintball is an incredibly fun variation of paintball where the game is based on missions that recreate real historical missions or fictional missions that are designed to accomplish specific goals. In a typical scenario paintball game each group has its own command base camp which is surrounded by protective bunkers. A team commander is assigned to plan on the best way to accomplish the assigned mission.

The majority of scenario paintball games are played by following a storyline which usually has two or more opposing armies. In most games a point system is used and the team with the highest points at the end of the game wins. The points are usually given for things like eliminating an opposing team or for the completion of certain missions. You better have longer than a couple of hours to play a scenario paintball game; they usually last for more than 24 hours!

If you are going to participate in this variation you should being your own communication devices in addition to your normal equipment. Having communication equipment will give you a distinct advantage over teams that don’t have it. Since the games last quite a long time you should also bring camping gear along with warm clothes even if it is warm during the day. Pack enough food and beverages to last you through at least 24 hours so that you don’t get weak from hunger. Check with the organizers of the game to find out exactly what you should bring and how long the duration is expected to be. You may even have to bring tents and sleeping bags.

Another fun part of scenario paintball is the opportunity to play a specific character such as a medic, pilot, demo expert, or even a general. In some cases you may even get the chance to be a double agent or a spy. Usually everyone is given a card before the game that tells you who you are to be in the game and also identifies what team you are with.

Guns called military simulation paintball guns are generally the type used in this type of game. As a matter of fact the majority of gear used in these games simulate actual military equipment such as bazookas. I have even seen a paintball tank!

You don’t have to be a high level player to be able to participate either, most of the time it is open to all levels of players as long as they have the proper equipment.



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Choosing your Paintball Marker: the Lowdown on Price

Blair Stephens asked:


Of course, as a paintball enthusiast, you are always looking for expert advice on which paintball markers they use themselves and why. Unfortunately, the answer is neither consistent, nor simple because the paintball marker you choose is completely subjective to your tastes, needs and play strengths. What a great paintball player loves in a marker, may end up epitomizing everything you ****!

So let’s break down paintball markers in a different way.

· How much do you actually need to spend to stay competitive in the game?

· How much you can afford?

· How often do you play?

· Are you involved in paintball tournaments?

You may think that your level of play will be the same as the level of money you spend on a cool new paintball marker, but that is actually not the case. Although there is always peer pressure to get the latest and greatest, you can still be an awesome player without the 07 Ego or the DM7.

If you are a smart player, you’ll want to look for a marker that has great performance and features for better prices. As in all technology, bleeding edge may be cool, but it always costs a premium, so a lot of the features that were crazy a year or two ago are now consistently included in well made paintball markers. For instance, the Smart Parts Ion can fire more than 15 paintballs per second and it’s also efficient and accurate and retails for less than $200.00. This is a marker that is competitive in features and in price.

Paintball manufacturers have listened to the marketplace demand for feature rich and affordable markers and the market has undergone a shift in the last two years. There is now a mid level price point for those ready to spend a bit more money – the Smart Parts Epiphany and Invert mini cost around $400 and incorporate the features to go along with that price including a higher level of efficiency, firing rate, improved components and better software.

The next group of paintball markers, including names like the Proto Matrix, ETek Ego and Bob Long Intimidator jump to around $700 in price. Better quality materials and aftermarket quality stock barrels are frequently see in these models and most experts agree that anyone playing at a high level of competition should be using this level of marker at the very least.

If you have the money to invest, there are paintball markers out there at $1000 and up. The Angel One, Marq 6 and the Eclipse Ego are three top names and any of these are designed to come out of the packaging ready for high level paintball play. They are incredibly lightweight and efficient, have multiple firing modes, high quality components and they shoot the brittle paint. These are the markers most often used by professional level players and there is a reason for it!

Remember that the paintball marker right for you doesn’t have to cost $1000 and that you need to make the smartest decision based on affordability, feature set and individual taste to your needs and no one else’s! Take the time and do your research and you’ll end up with a great marker that will help you become the paintball player you want to be!



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What You Need to Know About Paintball Guns

Michael Contaro asked:


Paintball is becoming one of the most loved hobbies today. With exciting game play and awesome equipment options, paintball sure is a hobby that should be explored.

The heart of a paintball game is the paintball gun. Without the gun, the game play of paintball would be rather boring. Paintball guns are filled with paint (what else) and uses a gas which expands rapidly (like carbon dioxide) to propel the paint balls into the target. The air can propel a ball through the air at approximately 300 feet per second. This is the appropriate speed for a paint ball so as to make it break when it comes in contact with a target and to avoid tissue damage upon contact.

There are several components that comprise the paintball gun. These are:

a) Body b) Barrel c) hopper d) tank

There are many different customizations that one can do with his paintball gun. A person can choose from a variety of guns with different specifications and features. There are paintball guns out there that have a firing system which is electro-pneumatic, which means that the firing system is electronically controlled. There are also sear trippers which utilizes a hammer which slams into the valve containing the bullet which propels it into target. There are also paint guns out there which utilize the power of the gas to propel the ball into the air.

When it comes to the barrels of paintball guns, they usually come in 12, 16, 18 or 20 inches. There are also people out there who were able to order customized paintball gun barrels which can reach up to 40 inches! People opt to have longer barrels because these barrels make less noise than the shorter ones because they limit the escape of excess gas.

However, there’s no difference in terms of accuracy or noise reduction qualities when it comes to comparing a 16-inch barrel to a 40-inch barrel. The problem with very long barrels is that it can slow a player down quite significantly.

Paintball guns also come in different firing modes. Some paintball guns have pump action, but this type of gun is not for the player who seeks speed because it requires manual cocking. However, it is a good gun have when learning the basics of paintball because it focuses on skills and not on fire power. There are also semi-automatic paintball guns in the market. It reloads a new paintball whenever the trigger is pulled. The fully automatic paintball guns give a lot of fire power. These guns will reload and fire automatic rounds as long as the trigger is pulled.

Here are some tips on how to choose a paintball gun:

1. Know your budget

As with any other hobby, one must define his budget for buying a paintball gun. The guns in the market can cost from a hundred dollars to less than a thousand. Guns which are semi-automatic and fully automatic ones use more gas than the manually reloaded ones. These factors should all be considered when defining one’s budget.

2. Be practical

If it’s possible for a player to play with a borrowed gun, he might as well do that and rethink about buying a brand new one.

3. Shop for second-hand guns

Another option is to buy a second-hand paintball gun. These guns are usually good enough to play decently without digging a deep hole in one’s pockets.

4. Ask the best buy

If one is too enthusiastic about getting a brand new gun, he should consult his buddies regarding what gun gives quality performance at a reasonable price.

These are some simple tips which can be overlooked sometimes. Remember that paintball is just a hobby, a great one if I may say but it’s not something that should waste one’s money away. Be wise and have fun.



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Paintball For Newbies and Dummies

Benedict Smythe asked:


Paintball is slowly gaining ground and raising interest in a lot of people today. Back in the 1980s a couple of friends wanted to simulate the African safari experience of one of their friends and invented a raw version of paintball, where they hunt their opponents rather than animals in the forest.

About 10 million Americans are playing paintball, most of which are male with ages ranging from 18 to 40. It can totally encompass any age bracket. Players are usually divided in teams and in its most basic form, in order to win, you need to shoot or take down all the players of the imposing team. A lot of variations already came out and since it’s a sport with no rigid structure, you and your friends can add your own twist to the game.

The basic equipment of paintball are masks, paintball gun and paintball. Paintball masks are customized for the game and it usually comes with earflaps and would cover the whole of the face. The actual paintball is a soft gel capsule with paint inside which would break easily upon contact. Paintball equipment usually costs somewhere around $100 but if you’re just starting then I would recommend that you rent the equipment first from the paintball field where you will be playing. This will cost less with $10 to $80 per day.

As you get your feel around the game and advance to advanced levels, then you can invest on high tech equipment which would improve your speed, hitting accuracy and agility in playing the game.

If you want to be serious about your paintball game, then it’s high time to do some exercises that are a combination of cardio workout and strength training. Do a combination of these for at least 3 times a week but don’t overdo it and exercise everyday. Let you body rest in between workouts. Cardio workouts can be as simple as jogging or riding a bike. Strength training improves your speed and endurance to last the whole game without getting too tired. Diet is also important; choose fruits and vegetables instead of fatty and sugary food.

As a newbie, you need to know the safety precautions of the game. It is considered as one of the safest sports around but keep in mind we must exercise caution in whatever we do. Always wear proper protective gear while playing paintball. Blind firing is discouraged because you might hit someone or something in close range that can lead to injuries.

The basics of the game are simple. There are variations available but the simplest is to take out every member of the opposing team by hitting them with a paintball. Another popular variation is getting the flag of the opposing team; whoever gets the flag faster is the winner. Lastly, there is a variation called ‘king of the hill’ in which the teams try to capture the base of the opposing team. Whoever holds the base ‘hostage’ the longest wins the game.

Remember, the most important thing in playing paintball is having FUN!



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Try a Tippmann Paintball Gun for a Custom Made Game

Paintball Guns asked:


Tippmann offer a nice line of paintball gear for the serious player. Tippmann paintball guns come in a variety of styles to suit any players needs. A Tippmann marker is backed by the guarantee of trust in a top manufacturer in the field of paintball gear.

Tippmann offers a range of choice, from the Tippmann flat line to the Tippmann sniper. Tippmann paintball guns feature short barrels, long barrels and a wide array of styles and features. A Tippmann marker is made for speed and accuracy, as well as a great looking design and durability.

The Tippmann a-5 and Tippmann 98 are two great examples of what they have to offer. Both feature a long barrel with extreme feed speed for fast shooting. Accessories like Tippmann 98 custom, Tippmann a-5 barrels and the Tippmann a-5 upgrade make these two guns easily customized.

Additionally, there is the Tippmann x7 which is customizable to the extreme. Other customizing options include Tippmann barrels, Tippmann stick, and other Tippmann accessory choices. These things make Tippmann guns perfect for anyone.

Backed by the Tippmann name, Tippmann paintball guns are one of the best. They are easy to make into whatever a player desires with functions and abilities that rank at the top of the industry. Any player looking for a new paintball gun should consider checking out Tippmann for what they have to offer. They have a nice selection and are eager to customize whatever is necessary to please the player and help him excel at his game play.



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