Ballistics Unit (New Zealand Paintball Team)
Ballistics Unit is a competitive paintball team based in Auckland, New Zealand. Its documented achievements include consecutive New Zealand Local Series (NZLS) championships in 2018 and 2019, victory in Division One at the 2019 NXL Australia Finals and winning the Cup at the 2026 Arena Paintball Labour Day Cup.[5][10][12][21]
The team has competed in New Zealand and Australia and has fielded multiple tournament squads under the names Ballistics Unit 1 and Ballistics Unit 2.[7][8][21] Its PBLeagues profile identifies Auckland as its home town and Asylum Paintball as its associated field.[1]
History
[edit]Origins and relationship to Disposal Unit
[edit]Contributor accounts identify Disposal Unit as a predecessor of Ballistics Unit. Both teams competed in Auckland paintball, but their separate PBLeagues records do not establish a formal organisational succession.[1][2]
Disposal Unit's documented achievements included second place in the 2014 South Auckland Paintball Club Open X-Ball season and victory in Division Two at the 2016 Auckland Paintball Cup.[2]
These results remain attributed to Disposal Unit rather than being retrospectively assigned to Ballistics Unit.
PBLeagues records a database registration date of 1 February 2014 for Disposal Unit and 2 July 2017 for Ballistics Unit.[1][2] Neither date necessarily represents the respective team's founding date.
2017: Ballistics Unit Aisawan
[edit]The team used the name Ballistics Unit Aisawan during 2017.
Gelkaps Paintballs acknowledged Ballistics Unit Aisawan in an announcement published on 9 October 2017.[3]
A fundraising campaign organised by Sam Comport on behalf of Ballistics Unit Aisawan ran from 24 October to 17 November 2017. It sought NZ$2,000 towards paint expenses for the team's intended participation in the Australian Masters and raised NZ$770 from ten donors.[4]
The fundraising record identified Comport as a team member and manager.
The campaign documents preparations for Australian competition but does not establish the team's final tournament placing.
2018 New Zealand Local Series
[edit]Ballistics Unit won the 2018 New Zealand Local Series championship, as confirmed in a team announcement published on 28 January 2019.[5]
The 2018 NZLS season included tournaments at Asylum Paintball in Auckland and other North Island locations.
Bay of Plenty Paintball Club separately reported that its leading squad finished second overall in the 2018 series.[6]
Complete championship standings for the season have not been recovered.
2019 New Zealand Local Series
[edit]Ballistics Unit won a second consecutive NZLS championship in 2019.[10]
Round 1
[edit]At 2019 NZLS Round 1, held at Asylum Paintball in March, Ballistics Unit entered two squads.
The squads finished second and third behind Kaos Theory.[7]
The contemporary report did not establish which numbered Ballistics Unit squad occupied each position.
The team also acknowledged a guest player from Phoenix Tahiti in its tournament report.
Round 2
[edit]At 2019 NZLS Round 2 in May, Ballistics Unit reported the following results:[8]
| Position | Team |
|---|---|
| 1st | Ballistics Unit 1 |
| 3rd | Ballistics Unit 2 |
The team credited Expendables with supplying inflatable bunkers and helping prepare the field.
Hāwera event
[edit]At the 2019 NZLS Hāwera Event in October, Ballistics Unit reported winning the preliminary round robin and securing the overall series championship with one round remaining.[9]
The same report identified team member Chris Waters as the winner of the accompanying one-on-one competition for a second consecutive year.
The round-robin victory is distinguished from winning the complete tournament, for which final placings have not been independently established.
Season championship
[edit]In a retrospective published on 1 December 2019, Ballistics Unit confirmed winning consecutive NZLS championships in 2018 and 2019.[10]
The report also listed three first-place and two second-place tournament finishes during 2019. As the retrospective covered multiple competitions, these figures are not attributed exclusively to NZLS.
2019 NXL Australia
[edit]Ballistics Unit competed in Division One of NXL Australia during 2019.
NSW Round 2
[edit]At NXL Australia NSW Round 2 on 5 May 2019, Ballistics Unit finished second among five Division One teams, receiving 77.5 ranking points.[11]
NXL Australia Finals
[edit]Ballistics Unit won Division One at the NXL Australia Finals, held on 12–13 October 2019.[12]
PBLeagues recorded the following leading final placings:
| Position | Team |
|---|---|
| 1st | Ballistics Unit |
| 2nd | Sydney Explicit |
| 3rd | HUSTLE |
| 4th | SEC Black |
Seven teams competed in the division. Ballistics Unit received 100 ranking points for the event victory.
This was an individual tournament championship and is not presented as an overall NXL Australia season title.
2020 New Zealand Race Series
[edit]Ballistics Unit participated in the New Zealand Race Series (NZRS) during 2020.
In a report published on 28 March, the team stated that it had finished second behind Expendables at the opening event, held shortly before New Zealand's COVID-19 lockdown.[13]
In June 2020, Ballistics Unit recorded another runner-up finish against Expendables.
The team reported winning the preliminary round robin and establishing a 2–0 lead in the final before Expendables scored three consecutive points to win 3–2.[14]
The two runner-up finishes are documented through the team's contemporary reports.
2023 Arena Paintball Race Series
[edit]Ballistics Unit reached the Cup final of the 2023 Arena Paintball Labour Day Tournament, held at Arena Paintball in Feilding on 21–22 October 2023.
In the semi-final, Ballistics Unit defeated Phoenix Tahiti in sudden death after the match finished regulation time at 3–3.[15]
Expendables subsequently defeated Ballistics Unit 3–0 in the Cup final.
| Cup position | Team |
|---|---|
| 1st | Expendables |
| 2nd | Ballistics Unit |
| 3rd | Phoenix Tahiti |
| 4th | Carcharodons |
The final results were documented in an interview with Ralph Tsing published by Air Tahiti Nui in October 2023.[15]
2024 Arena Paintball Race Events
[edit]Ballistics Unit appeared in the published draws for the Easter, King's Birthday and Labour Day tournaments of the 2024 Arena Paintball Race Events programme.[16]
At the 2024 Arena Paintball Labour Day Tournament, held on 26–27 October 2024, Ballistics Unit finished second in the Cup competition.
Arena Paintball published the following Cup podium:[17]
| Position | Team |
|---|---|
| 1st | Phoenix Tahiti |
| 2nd | Ballistics Unit |
| 3rd | Manawatu Titans |
The result establishes the team's placing at the October event rather than its position in the overall 2024 race series.
2025 Arena Paintball Race Events
[edit]Ballistics Unit appeared in the organiser's draw for the 2025 Arena Paintball March Race.[18]
At the 2025 Arena Paintball Labour Weekend Race, held on 25–26 October, Ballistics Unit reached the final against Manawatu Titans.
In a report published on 30 October 2025, Ballistics Unit described a strong preliminary round-robin performance before losing a closely contested final to Titans.[19]
The team's account establishes the final pairing and its runner-up finish, but does not provide the final score or explicitly identify the match as a Cup or Plate final.
2026 Arena Paintball Race Series
[edit]Ballistics Unit entered two squads in the 2026 Arena Paintball race series.
Easter Race
[edit]At the 2026 Arena Paintball Easter Race, scheduled for 4–5 April, Ballistics Unit 1 and Ballistics Unit 2 appeared in separate preliminary pools.[20]
The organiser's championship table after the opening event recorded:
| Entry | Series points after Event 1 |
|---|---|
| Ballistics Unit 1 | 121 |
| Ballistics Unit 2 | 112 |
These were series ranking points rather than individual match scores.[20]
Matariki Race
[edit]Both Ballistics Unit squads appeared in the published draw for the 2026 Arena Paintball Matariki Race, held on 11–12 July.[22]
The organiser's results credited Ballistics Unit 1 with 140 event championship points and Ballistics Unit 2 with 112.[23]
The event was won by CULT Paintball Team, followed by Manawatu Titans and Sydney SWAT.[23]
Labour Day Cup
[edit]At the 2026 Arena Paintball Labour Day Cup, held on 24–25 October, Ballistics Unit 1 won the Cup competition. Ballistics Unit 2 finished fourth in the separate Plate competition.[21]
The Cup and Plate results were reported by Ralph Tsing in a contemporary discussion accompanying Phoenix Tahiti's tournament photographs.
| Position | Team |
|---|---|
| 1st | Ballistics Unit 1 |
| 2nd | Manawatu Titans |
| 3rd | Cult |
| 4th | Reavers |
| Position | Team |
|---|---|
| 1st | Expendables |
| 2nd | Blast |
| 3rd | Surge |
| 4th | Ballistics Unit 2 |
The two classifications are recorded separately. Ballistics Unit 1's Cup victory does not establish the team's final overall season championship position.
Squad identity
[edit]Ballistics Unit 1 and Ballistics Unit 2 were numbered tournament entries of Ballistics Unit rather than unrelated teams.
The team used both names in its 2019 NZLS reports, and the same squad structure appears in the 2026 Arena Paintball event records.[7][8][20][21]
Where available, results and championship points are attributed to the specific numbered squad.
Documented personnel
[edit]The following individuals are identified in contemporary Ballistics Unit records:
| Person | Documented association |
|---|---|
| Sam Comport | Team member and manager identified in the 2017 Ballistics Unit Aisawan fundraising campaign.[4] |
| Chris Waters | Ballistics Unit player and winner of the 2019 NZLS Hāwera event's one-on-one competition.[9] |
| Liam Kyle | Named Ballistics Unit's 2019 Most Valuable Player in the team's season retrospective.[10] |
These are documented associations rather than a complete roster for any particular tournament.
Sponsors
[edit]Ballistics Unit's contemporary reports identify several sponsors and supporters during its documented history.
In 2017, Gelkaps Paintballs publicly acknowledged Ballistics Unit Aisawan.[3]
The team's 2019 reports identify Asylum Paintball, Paintball Factory and other equipment suppliers as supporters.[7][10]
In June 2020, Ballistics Unit thanked Gladiatair Paintball Tanks, Paintball Factory and Asylum Paintball for their support.[14]
These relationships are documented for the periods identified and are not assumed to have continued indefinitely.
Selected tournament results
[edit]| Year | Competition | Entry | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | New Zealand Local Series | Ballistics Unit | Series champion[5] |
| 2019 | 2019 NZLS Round 1 | Two Ballistics Unit squads | 2nd and 3rd[7] |
| 2019 | 2019 NZLS Round 2 | Ballistics Unit 1 / Ballistics Unit 2 | 1st / 3rd[8] |
| 2019 | New Zealand Local Series | Ballistics Unit | Series champion[10] |
| 2019 | NXL Australia NSW Round 2 | Ballistics Unit | 2nd of 5, Division One[11] |
| 2019 | NXL Australia Finals | Ballistics Unit | 1st of 7, Division One[12] |
| 2020 | New Zealand Race Series opening event | Ballistics Unit | 2nd[13] |
| 2020 | June New Zealand race event | Ballistics Unit | 2nd[14] |
| 2023 | 2023 Arena Paintball Labour Day Tournament | Ballistics Unit | 2nd, Cup[15] |
| 2024 | 2024 Arena Paintball Labour Day Tournament | Ballistics Unit | 2nd, Cup[17] |
| 2025 | 2025 Arena Paintball Labour Weekend Race | Ballistics Unit | Runner-up in the reported final[19] |
| 2026 | 2026 Arena Paintball Easter Race | Ballistics Unit 1 / Ballistics Unit 2 | 121 / 112 series points after Event 1[20] |
| 2026 | 2026 Arena Paintball Matariki Race | Ballistics Unit 1 / Ballistics Unit 2 | 140 / 112 event championship points[23] |
| 2026 | 2026 Arena Paintball Labour Day Cup | Ballistics Unit 1 | 1st, Cup[21] |
| 2026 | 2026 Arena Paintball Labour Day Cup | Ballistics Unit 2 | 4th, Plate[21] |
The table distinguishes event placings, season championship titles and organiser-awarded ranking points.
See also
[edit]- Disposal Unit (New Zealand Paintball Team)
- New Zealand Local Series
- 2019 NZLS Round 1
- 2019 NZLS Round 2
- 2019 NZLS Hāwera Event
- New Zealand Race Series
- 2023 Arena Paintball Labour Day Tournament
- 2024 Arena Paintball Race Events
- 2025 Arena Paintball Race Events
- 2026 Arena Paintball Labour Day Cup
- Asylum Paintball
- Arena Paintball
- History of paintball in New Zealand
References
[edit]- Ballistics Unit – Team profile and tournament history. PBLeagues. Auckland registration, associated field and Australian tournament records.
- Disposal Unit – Team profile and tournament history. PBLeagues.
- Gelkaps Paintballs – Ballistics Unit Aisawan announcement. Facebook, 9 October 2017.
- Australian Masters – Ballistics Unit Aisawan fundraising campaign. Givealittle, 24 October to 17 November 2017.
- Ballistics Unit – 2018 NZLS series championship announcement. Instagram, 28 January 2019.
- Bay of Plenty Paintball Club – NZLS: 2018 season ending on a high. 14 November 2018.
- Ballistics Unit – 2019 NZLS opening-round report. Instagram, March 2019.
- Ballistics Unit – 2019 NZLS Round 2 results. Instagram, 11 May 2019.
- Ballistics Unit – NZLS Hāwera tournament and championship report. Instagram, 27 October 2019.
- Ballistics Unit – 2019 season retrospective. Instagram, 1 December 2019.
- NXL Australia NSW Round 2 – Division One rankings. PBLeagues, 5 May 2019.
- NXL Australia Finals – Division One rankings. PBLeagues, 12–13 October 2019.
- Ballistics Unit – 2020 NZRS opening-event report. Facebook, 28 March 2020.
- Ballistics Unit – June 2020 tournament report. Facebook, 27 June 2020.
- Paintball: Ralph Tsing enchaîne les bons résultats. Air Tahiti Nui, October 2023. Contemporary interview documenting the Arena Paintball Cup finals.
- 2024 Arena Paintball Race Events. WikiPaintball. Tournament programme with links to the original Arena Paintball event draws.
- Arena Paintball – 2024 Labour Weekend Cup and Plate results. Facebook, October 2024.
- Arena Paintball – March 2025 tournament pools. Facebook, 20 March 2025.
- Ballistics Unit – October 2025 Arena Paintball final report. Instagram, 30 October 2025.
- Arena Paintball – 2026 series points after Event 1. Facebook, June 2026.
- Phoenix Tahiti Paintball – 2026 Labour Day Cup podium photographs and results discussion. Facebook, October 2026. Ralph Tsing's comment identifies the Cup and Plate placings.
- Arena Paintball – 2026 Matariki Race pools and draw. Facebook, 23 June 2026.
- Arena Paintball – 2026 series standings after Round 2. Facebook, July 2026.