The Chicago Heretics (www.chicagoheretics.com) was founded in July 2007 on the idea that no team is greater than the sum of its members. From the very beginning, our intent was to be a competitive paintball team no matter what the format, whether it be scenario, speedball or competitive woodsball. Every member is encouraged to focus on what they do and to try and be the best at what they do. All our members bring a variety of unique skills both on and off the field. The main focus of the team was to play hard and to win (in the case of scenario, it was to make an impact on the game for our side). Being a “family” was never a goal or focus of the Heretics, and still is not a goal or focus of this team. We think it is healthier that way. Not that we think family is a bad thing. It has been our experience that teams that set out to be “family” are often very hard to gain acceptance in. As a result conflict ensues and morale eventually suffers. Competition has brought this team together. When you have to rely exclusively on your teammates in a tournament you become very close as a team.
When it comes to the style of paintball we play, the Team has taken the attitude that there should be no division or animosity between different styles of paintball; that all styles have something to teach us about paintball. We are not a Mil-Sim team, but we appreciate the radio communication skills, tactics and realism that Mil-Sim teams bring to the field. 
We are not a speedball team, but we learn so much from those teams about speed and accuracy, as well as the value of suppressive fire and gutsy moves. We respect the pump players for their smart, patient style. We learn from all these groups the skills that will help us make an impact on scenario, Big Games and Woodsball Tournaments. We love to play alongside and against these teams and individuals whenever we can.
Our team motto is “Winning with Integrity”. To us, that means having respect for all players, from seasoned pro’s to first time players. It means not losing control of our temper or using foul language at the field. It means not cheating, overshooting, or being a jerk.” Those three words guide us through whatever opportunities and challenges we face. We would rather lose playing fair than win by playing dirty. Paintball is a sport that is full of “hype”, and it is easy to get caught up in the hype, whether your own or that of others. With hype comes pressure; pressure to impress, pressure to win at any cost and pressure to be “edgy”. When we focus on winning and our integrity, it keeps us centered.
Wanting to “win” is one thing, but defining what that means is not as easy. Unlike in woodsball Tournaments where there is a clear winner on a level playing field, it is hard for any one team to say they “won” a scenario game. In fact, it can be presumptuous to say that your 15 players were so pivotal to winning the scenario game that you “won the scenario”, as if the other 200 players didn’t contribute. And just as a team being on the winning side of a scenario doesn’t make them “the winners”, being on the losing side of the scenario doesn’t make your team “the losers”. So we define winning, as the impact that we make at a game. We try to get as many walk-on players involved in the game as we can. This is especially true with new scenario players. Most scenario players want to be a part of something (though some prefer to work alone) and have more fun when they are working as part of a larger group. If we can help others have more fun at a scenario, we consider that “winning”, regardless of the final score.
Woodsball is another story. When the Chicago Heretics were formed, it was with the intention of competing not just in scenario games, but also in the Scenario Paintball Players League (SPPL). Tournament Woodsball is cornerstone of our playing efforts. Our first year in the SPPL, there were no divisions. Everyone played everyone. There were sixteen teams at the 2007 Michigan SPPL, with each team playing four games each, and the top eight going on to finals Sunday afternoon. We lost every game we played, but we managed to score enough points in each of our games to rank 9th overall (after BC Army had to leave early). This was a pivotal event for us as we finally meshed as a team.
In 2008, the SPPL introduced Rookie, Masters and Elite Divisions, so we entered the 2008 Illinois SPPL qualifier in the Masters Division. We placed second in the Masters Division, behind Failure To Flatline, from Ohio, and earned the Sportsmanship Award by the other teams at the event. Next we went to the Michigan SPPL Qualifier and placed third (again behind FTF). Overall, we placed seventh nationally in Masters Division and were subsequently bumped up to Elite Division.
2009 was going to be our year in the SPPL. The Finals were scheduled to be in Michigan, so we would be able to go to two qualifiers and Nationals without breaking the bank. All that changed with the introduction of Tom Cole’s Ultimate Woodsball League (UWL). Tom Cole, paintball legend and former president of the NPPL, is a terrific manager for a national series, and after attending the Chicago UWL at the Badlandz, where we placed third in Open Division (behind, you guessed it, Failure To Flatline. Chicago Aftershock, playing under the pseudonym BBT Ninjas, took first), we decided to focus on the UWL league for 2009 rather than the SPPL. It was a difficult decision, but we just couldn’t afford to do both series. We hit the PA UWL at Three Rivers Paintball and placed third in Open Division (Again behind FTF and Smart Corps). Nationally, we placed fifth overall in Open Division, and are looking forward to 2010.
We have been very fortunate to have the support of several companies that help us tremendously. Fox Paintball (www.foxpaintball.com) in Millington, IL has been absolutely tremendous in their support of our effort in the SPPL and UWL, even allowing us to build a full-size practice field (now all we need is someone to practice with). Splatterzone Productions (www.splatterzonepaintball.net) supports our scenario efforts and has some of the most fun events we’ve played (including the famous “Training Day” series at Fox Paintball!). Custom Products (www.customproducts.us) has helped us out with top-notch accessories and gear that keeps us rolling no matter who or what we face on the field (check out their new line of Tactical Barrels). A late and very welcome surprise this year was help from the UWL (www.playuwl.com) to play scenario events to promote the league. Their help allowed us to attend big events that we couldn’t have without UWL. We are extremely grateful to all of the people and companies who believe in us and support us.
