Planet Eclipse HQ Blog

 #21 Billy Bernacchia Recently voted as 2021 Snake Player of the Year, Billy Bernacchia run, dove and crawled his way into the Emortal Army Legends deck with ease. As one paintball's human missiles Billy's speed, strength and relentless ability to go, go and keep on going is virtually unmatched in the Pro leagues. Off the field he's an incredibly decent human being, but when he steps under the net something odd happens. Either the fresh air affects him or he's afraid of loud noises, we're not sure, but he transforms into a virtually unstoppable, devastating snake-side weapon of mass destruction. And he aint slowing any time soon y'all. Billy, you rock! And as with all of our Emortal Legends, we asked Billy a few simple questions. Photo: Fava Phtoto Favourite paintball moment? One of my favorites was being a part of the 2005 ESPN show at the Miami NPPL event. This was my first year playing pro and we (Hurricanes) were a younger, inexperienced team. I remember spe...

#7 Alex Fraige One of paintball's true greats, Alex's wisdom, vision, and sheer ability on the field has lead to an enviable career as one of paintball's true pioneers. His unique playing style combines intelligence and aggression like no other, and still continues to impress. His back catalogue is impressive. Even more impressive is how he continues to break games open and make championship winning moves to this day. These are just some of the reasons why he'll always be a bonafide Emortal Legend! And as with all of our Emortals, we asked Alex a few simple questions. Photo: Fava Photo Favourite paintball moment? My favorite paintball moment was winning Ford Mustangs at the Spyder Cup in 2000. It was so nice to validate the reality of paintball to my family. I remember it being a rainy day during the last game against Team Strange. Our guns were crap (not PE of course) and so was our paint. We just needed a flag pull to win the tournament and avoid hot gun penalties. I ...

 #00 John Dresser Without question one of paintball's most important figures for so many years, John Dresser was the walking, talking heartbeat for the industry and the long time driving force behind PBNation.  If John Dresser (one word) doesn't know something, it isn't worth knowing and if he does, you probably don't. Like a mystical paintball God, he not only spread the gospel of paintball but has played with some of the greatest players and teams of all time. John Dresser is a true Legend of the sport and in our eyes will forever be regarded as an Emortal. And as with all of our Emortal Army Legends, we asked John Dresser three simple questions. Image: David Mullis Favourite paintball moment? Easy. World Cup 2015. 10-man. This was beyond special to me. We brought back the team name Farside and I played with the same core of guys I’d played with 15 years before there. I’d lost touch with some of them so it was unbelievable to see them and take the field with them agai...

 #29 Clint Moore. As one of the UK's most successful players, Clint's playing career has been something to envy for many. Throughout his evolution as a player his consistency and ability to deliver, against all odds, at all levels, is legendary and has lead him to play with some of Europe's very best teams, including a stint with Russian powerhouses Art Chaos. Clint is living proof that the desire to compete and to perform never leaves you and neither does work ethic. His current role as Player/Coach with the UK's #1 team, the Lucky 15s, is testament to that and the team will be much tougher, more resilient, smarter, sharper and more capable than ever before because of him. We salute you Clint and your place as an EMortal Legend has been well and truly earned. And as with all of our Emortal Army Legends we asked three very simple questions. Image: Blitzed Media Favourite paintball moment? I have a few moments which stand out, but the highlight must be the first pro win,...

  #69 Chris LaSoya Arguably the G.O.A.T. and someone fully deserving of the Emortal title, Chris 'Glory Boy' LaSoya has divided opinion, single-handedly destroyed teams and still to this day knows how to dominate on the field. His inimitable playing style, flair and ruthless ability to win a game all by himself are just some of the reasons he's idolised across the globe. The PUSH generation will reminisce fondly about his antics with paintball's original rockstar squad, Team Avalanche, and his continued infamy and successes with teams throughout the golden age of tournament paintball.  So all hail Glory Boy. AKA Pony Boy. AKA the G.O.A.T. We salute your past, present and future as one of paintball's most influential badasses. A true EMortal. And as with all our EMortals, we asked them 3 very simple questions. Photo: paintballphotography.com Favourite paintball moment? There are so many great memories I have had in the years I have been doing this, it is hard to narr...

#19 Carl Markowski AKA Microwave, AKA H2K... Carl Markowski is yet another player who has been an important asset to the teams he's played for AND for the industry as a whole. His approachability as a human being and his willingness to give up his time to chat is something people should never take for granted. On the field this dude is faaaaast and his ability to transform into a supersonic, weapons-grade human missile is a rare and valuable trait for any player. His speed, aggression and ability to punch a hole through a team in the blink of an eye has helped flip many results over the years. There's also a very exclusive club of players who can match Carl for pace, of which all members can be counted on one hand.  Image: Fava Photo As with all Emortal Legends, we asked him a few simple questions. Favourite paintball moment? I would have to say my favorite paintball moment (which is actually a collection of many moments) has to be when I first started traveling and playing com...

#23 Nick Slowiak Next up, one of paintball's nicest dudes and a real ambassador for the sport on many levels. Whether socially or professionally, Nick has a positive influence and approach to everything, and he's a true asset wherever he goes. As a player he's focused, determined, he digs deep and gives his all to get the job done. He uses his vast experience to compete at the highest level and to educate those who are growing into the sport.  We genuinely believe that paintball is a better place when Nick is around. As with all the Emortals we asked him these 3 simple questions: Favourite paintball moment? One of the best memories in my life was winning the NPPL Las Vegas Championship in 2011. To be able to win that event with my friends, old and new, was incredible. To be able to do it against the most winningest team, arguably the best in the history of tournament paintball, also made it all the sweeter. That whole year was rough and even though it ended with my first pr...

#5 Mike Bruno They don't come more passionate than our next Emortal. Mike Bruno has had a legendary playing career, notably dominating everyone with Aftershock in the early years. He's consistently been an aggressive and scary player during paintball's development years and continues to be influential today. His fight and spirit is something to behold and he can be a truly motivating force. Many of the game's most aggressive players today wouldn't exist if it wasn't for Mike. As with all Emortals, we asked him the same 3 questions. Favourite paintball moment? My favorite paintball moment(s) would surely be when I was a young man and the very first 4 events I played were as pro, with Aftershock (of course) and we won them all (of course). It doesn’t get sweeter than that. Favourite Eclipse marker you've used? My favourite and best marker is the one in the photo. My Mike Bruno 05 GEO GSL. The best. What's the story behind your number? The story behind my p...

As we open the door to 2022 and look back at our 30th year of dominance, we wanted to celebrate, somehow. Our success has been forged by many, so we want to pay homage to those players and individuals who have shaped the paintball industry, inspired us as players and helped to drive our business forwards.  Some of these legends have been Shooting Eclipse since the very beginning, and some for only for a short period in their illustrious careers, but to us here at Planet Eclipse HQ every one of them are considered EMORTALS. We're releasing a set of 52 player cards – one per week – to shine a light on these individuals who we're eternally grateful to. And yes, we'll eventually print these as a full set of playing cards, but more on that later. Part of this release will include a short blog post (right here) where the chosen player will answer 3 simple questions: 1. What's your favourite moment in paintball? 2. What's your favourite Eclipse marker that you've ever ...

Something very cool happened in France recently, which impacted us not only as a business, but more importantly it impacted paintball as a sport. One of the young players on team RNPPC was awarded support from the Municipal Sport Department. Not only is this just a cool thing to happen to Julien (the player) but it's even cooler that they, as a body, recognised and rewarded someone within paintball. AND they gave him a CS2 Pro to help him out. Photo: DJSysko We asked our friends at Camp Paintball (France) for some more details. First of all, The Municipal Sport Department is in charge of all sports matters, so they're a pretty big deal and there is usually 1 Municipal Sport Department in each Hometown. This specific organisational structure consults, coordinates, supports and encourages sport within cities. On a regular basis they choose a sports club, or sometimes athletes, and form a partnership with them in order to support their commitment within sports. To do this, they ca...

The CS2 rocks. We all know this and it continues to do so, but we've made a few changes that make the CS2 even better. First, we've updated the Firmware on BOTH boards. This means that your CS2 (once you've updated it) will be able to connect to our new E-Portal Lite App (available NOW in the App Store), so you can customise your marker settings from your iPhone. Cool right? Secondly, the Firmware update reconfigures your Bluetooth module so that it will connect to the latest Virtue Spire IV iFI Technology™ which is great news for all CS2 and Spire IV owners. Simply follow these steps to make the most of your CS2 + SpireIV partnership. 1: Update BOTH CS2 boards to the latest 1.50 Firmware using E-Portal 4 . 2: Do a Factory Reset of your CS2 via your LCD screen to reconfigure your Bluetooth module. 3: Enable Bluetooth on your CS2. 4: With your CS2 ON, hold down the bottom button on your Spire IV. 5: Power up the Spire IV. 6: When the light turns green, release the bottom bu...

After a kick ass start to their 2020 campaign in D1, Stoke Quest were coming in to Round 2 as the in-form team with one goal. Victory and promotion to the Elite Division for 2021. Let's follow their story. Making Moves #02 - Featuring Stoke Quest. After a successful Round 1 at the CPPS going 5-0, Stoke Quest would now embark on the next stage of their journey to Elite. CPPS Round 2, Sunday 20th September 2020. An initial hurdle was a smaller squad size due to some player's other life commitments. Chris Milne, Tom Davies, Chris Parsons, Callum Howe, Henry Johnson and Guy Wakefield made the team's full roster of 6. Jim Williams and Andy Gill in a joint effort took on the role of 'Coach'. Finally, not leaving out Caitlin Cross, supporting with pit duties. Round 2 would see Quest face up against 2 different teams for this event in the Form of SAD U.K. and Sandbaggers Black, as well as 3 teams who they have played previously at Round 1 being Thunderducks, Sandstorm and U...

Eclipse Factory, Team Stoke Quest, are a young and progressive team run by the experienced Andy Gill, who knows his stuff; he's been running Stoke Quest teams for many years. His latest Quest team have been smashing their way through the Divisions and really found their form in D2 last year. Their performance in D2 and their subsequent title gave them the belief that they really could make a move for that Elite spot in 2021. Their jump up to D1 for the 2020 season has been an odd one, due to the Covid-19 situation, but it's worked out well for them. The shorter season (3 events) means they can train hard, attack each event hard and ready themselves for a potential Elite Debut in 2021. So what's it like being a paintball team working your way through the CPPS divisional ranks with your hearts set on the Elite Division? We asked them to document their 2020 season, starting at the beginning. Event 1. So here's #1 of our Making Moves blog series - featuring Stoke Quest. Rou...

The Tonton snake-side surgeon, the incredible Axel Gaudin had this to say when we asked him about the current situation. Photo: © All In Media Do you have your own personal plan for keeping yourself on point so you’re always ready? I don’t have a planned program, but I do have a workout everyday. I got myself a routine of a 10 minute stretching/warmup, 30/40 min workout prep + workout, 5 min cool down. I have the chance to have a sport-center at work and can do my workout before lunch. I like to have a running  session once a week, but mostly based on speed/cardio and not long distance. I also do some street rollerblading every now and then during the week. What kind of drills do you do at home ? If you can. I have a stretching/mobility routine that includes all the positions I’m using when in a snake bunker (cake+beam let’s say). I basically get some repetitions done to build muscular memory on the body movement. It’s also a position that builds mobility all arou...

Who better to ask about keeping sharp in the current climate than the player with a lifetime season pass to the MVP lounge. San Antonio XFactor's Archie Montemayor. Photo: George Fava Do you have your own personal plan for keeping yourself on point so you’re always ready? For me the off season never really exists. Most of my routine stays the same throughout the year. I play often and my mind is on the game all the time. I'm always thinking about ways I can improve myself, the team, teammates, how I can talk about things. It's just about being mindful, which is more important than ever right now. What kind of drills do you do at home? If you can. For drills at home, I make sure I am in good physical and cardio shape, and I like to have my full setup in my hands when I am home. The more my gun is in my hands the more comfortable and "at one" I am with my gun the better.  Photo: George Fava Do you have a usual core of local players who pla...