Do I need to make a reservation before coming out to the field? +
Yes, Commando Paintball operates strictly by reservation to ensure exceptional staffing and field availability. While weekend groups have no player minimums, booking in advance ensures your party is paired with a dedicated Field Marshall. Walk-ins risk long wait times or mismatched pairings.
What is your weather policy? Do we play if it rains? +
We play rain or shine! Our multi-acre facility features dense woodlots and built structures that offer great tactical cover in wet conditions. Playing in the rain just adds to the realism and excitement—just make sure to bring a change of shoes and clothes for the ride home.
Can I bring my own food, snacks, and drinks to the facility? +
Absolutely. While we do not have a restaurant on-site, we highly encourage players to bring outside food and non-alcoholic beverages. We feature beautiful, scenic picnic areas right by the water where groups can barbecue, unpack lunches, and unwind between games.
Are there any hidden booking fees or strict cancellation penalties? +
We keep pricing transparent, but we do require a valid credit card to hold group bookings. Everyone pays separately at the field on game day. However, you must cancel or modify your group size at least 48 hours in advance. Failure to show up without notifying us results in a standard $20 per-player penalty to cover reserved referee tracking.
Are you open year-round or do you close for the Ottawa winter? +
We are an outdoor facility, so we close down operations at the end of November when the hard freeze sets in. Our fields officially re-open for the spring season during the first weekend of March. Early reservations open online in January for corporate events and spring parties.
Does getting hit by a paintball hurt? What safety protocols are in place? +
Traditional paintball brings an intense adrenaline rush, but it shouldn't cause pain if rules are followed. We strictly enforce a 280 FPS field limit and a firm surrender rule for close encounters. If you want zero sting, we offer dedicated **Low-Impact Paintball** using smaller .50 caliber balls and lighter, lower-pressure markers perfect for younger players.
How long do 500 paintballs last during a standard session? +
Game time is dictated by your trigger finger, but our basic package guidelines are clear: 150 paintballs last about an hour, 300 paintballs hit the 2-hour sweet spot, and 500 paintballs generally keep you in the action for roughly 3 hours. Extra paintballs can always be bought at the staging area.
Can I bring my own outside paintballs to save on costs? +
No. Commando Paintball is a Field Paint Only (FPO) facility. This protects our eco-system. Our property houses massive natural bodies of water and local wildlife species. We only allow our custom-ordered, non-toxic, biodegradable paintballs to ensure our environmental footprint remains entirely clean.
Can I bring and use my own personal paintball marker? +
Yes, custom markers are welcome on the traditional fields! Before entering the staging zone, all private equipment must be safety-tested at our chronograph station to verify it shoots under our mandatory 280 FPS limit. We also provide free compressed air refills for all players.
What type of clothing and footwear should I wear to play safely? +
We provide protective coveralls, but you must wear supportive, closed-toe footwear like hiking boots or durable sneakers with deep grip. Expect mud and paint. We strongly recommend wearing loose-fitting layers, thin gloves, and a baseball cap or neck guard to protect exposed skin.
What is Speedball, and how does it differ from traditional woodsball? +
Unlike our sprawling, tactical woodsball maps, Speedball is played on flat, symmetrically designed fields using tournament-grade inflatable bunkers. The focus shifts away from stealth and tracking toward rapid communication, high-volume shooting lanes, and aggressive tournament-style positioning.
Do you feature specialized Hyperball or air-bunker fields on site? +
Yes! Our field facility features a dedicated tournament-spec Hyperball field utilizing rigid corrugated plastic tubes alongside modular inflatable bunkers. This provides local competitive teams and walk-ons with a high-speed, balanced training environment right here in Ottawa.
Are electronic markers or ramping firing modes allowed on the speedball field? +
Electronic markers are allowed on our designated speedball grids. However, during mixed public play sessions, electronic ramping software must be capped at standard tournament firing rates (typically 10.5 bps) to preserve safety and fair play across different experience levels.
Can individual walk-on players join competitive speedball lines? +
Yes, we host dedicated walk-on days where solo players and local speedball lines mix together for rotations. It is an incredible way to refine your communication, meet regional competitive athletes, and experience fast-paced, high-adrenaline tournament setups.
Do speedball packages require more paintballs than recreational woodsball? +
Because speedball centers on suppressing fire and locking down lanes, players naturally burn through ammunition much faster. We recommend starting with a minimum package of 500 paintballs or purchasing bulk case options at our check-in counter to avoid running empty mid-match.
What is GellyBall, and what age group is it designed for? +
GellyBall is an innovative, ultra-low-impact action game designed specifically for our youngest commandos (ages 5 to 9). It uses specialized, lightweight blasters that shoot small, hydrated gel eco-balls that bounce off clothing without leaving pain, bruising, or messy stains.
Do GellyBall rounds leave sticky residue or ruin clothes? +
Not at all. GellyBall rounds are 90% water-based polymers. Upon impact, they cleanly disintegrate and quickly evaporate, leaving absolutely zero messy paint or residue behind. It provides all the tactical fun of a combat game without the clean-up headache for parents.
Is GellyBall completely safe for toddler and children's birthday parties? +
It is exceptionally safe. Alongside the pain-free impact profile of the gel rounds, every child is outfitted with full-face safety masks. Our field marshalls strictly referee the entire session, ensuring children maintain safe distances and follow simple, structured target games.
How many rounds do kids get in a standard GellyBall party package? +
Our GellyBall party structures are built around high-capacity hopper systems. Because the rounds are highly affordable and compact, packages typically include much higher ammo counts than paintball, keeping the kids fully loaded and active throughout their booking time.
Can adults play GellyBall alongside their kids on the field? +
Absolutely! GellyBall is highly popular for family-style birthday bookings where parents, older siblings, and younger kids want to run around and share the same field without anyone worrying about getting stung or bruised by traditional gear.
What are Milsim Nights, and when are they hosted at Commando? +
Milsim (Military Simulation) Nights are premier tactical events hosted on our massive woodland fields. These events features objective-driven scenarios, realistic military command structures, and long-form missions that test stamina, strategy, and squad-level communication.
Is your outdoor lot optimized as a dedicated Ottawa Airsoft field? +
Yes! When our fields transition to Airsoft or Milsim play, the entire 10-field property transforms. Airsoft players utilize our realistic towns, extensive trench systems, fortified bases, and deep brush woodlots to execute highly realistic tactical simulations.
What are the strict velocity and joule limits for Airsoft equipment? +
Safety is paramount across our large facility. All Airsoft markers must undergo mandatory testing with field-provided tournament BBs. Standard rifles are capped at a strict maximum performance limit (typically 1.5 Joules / 400 FPS with a .20g BB), while specialized sniper platforms have higher restrictions paired with minimum engagement distances.
Are biodegradable BBs mandatory for Airsoft events? +
Yes, Commando Paintball enforces a strict **Bio-Only BB policy** for all tactical Airsoft and Milsim events. This compliance standard guarantees that our surrounding forests, wetlands, and native wildlife populations remain entirely safe from plastic pollution.
What eye and face protection is required for Milsim and Airsoft? +
All Airsoft players must wear fully sealed, ANSI Z87.1 rated safety goggles at all times outside the staging areas—mesh goggles are strictly prohibited. For players under 18, a full-face mask or a combination of sealed goggles and a rigid lower-mesh mask is mandatory.
