Like it says in the title, I played with an Emek for the first time. In my background, I've owned countless automags since 2003'ish (still carry an RT Pro to the field everytime I go), I own a cocker, had a CVO (recently sold) and after firing a couple shots through an Emek, figured I'd buy one and give it a shot. So that's where I'm coming from.
Ergonomics and Gameplay
First thing I noticed when I purchased it was that it it didn't feel cheap at all, despite being plastic (GRN). The rubber around the trigger frame was also more comfortable than I expected. The foregrip distance and size was good as well....overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the comfortable, nice, solid feel and the ergonomics were good for my size and stature (5'8, 160lbs). During play, the build and construction of the marker did not prevent it from feeling like a comfortable extension of my arms, which is about all I really ask for in a paintball marker.
The trigger was simple...pretty short, soft (but still had good feedback and response) and also mostly unremarkable. Just not a lot to say, not exactly standout, but thats OK. The beauty, to me, is in its functional simplicity...its just a hinge. The only real limitation I felt in it was the speed of my own finger, the trigger did not impede competitive rates of fire. I could probably peak near 10bps, and it really never took a lot of thought or effort, it just happened naturally when I was under pressure, which is important to me.
The shot quality was excellent. My friend bought a 170R the same day....the sound signature (using the same barrel, I didn't even bother to use the stock) was indistinguishable....and the actual shot feel was also very similar. They're both forms of the Gamma core, so that was to be expected. But having a $220 plastic mech that has a shot quality in the same ball park as an $800 marker is pretty awesome.
Actual gameplay, it handled well, performed outstanding. Never felt outgunned or disadvantaged really. Broke one ball the entire day, that appeared to break while more than halfway down the barrel. Seemed to be a freak occurrence, didn't happen again (shot 1 case of GI 3 Star for the day). I also had a weird "BRRRRRRRRRR" halfway through the second match. I think it might've been caused by a misfeed? Not sure. Never happened again though.
I did let a buddy of mine who shoots an LV1 try it for 2 games....he was lukewarm at first, but it had grown on him by the 2nd match.
Overall Impressions:
How does it rank compared to my other mechs? Meh, impossible for me to say. A mag, cocker, and emek are so different from one another, it really just depends on my mood in the morning. I'd say that the mag and cocker definitely have more personality, they never let you forget the type of marker that you're shooting. Which I like.
It gets more interesting when I compare it to my old CVO, and to be honest, I think I prefer this. The fact that this is made out of GRN, so I don't need to worry about scratching ano or dinging aluminum, really grew on me. I loved being able to manhandle this thing and not worry.
To me, the greatest strength of this marker is that it let me forget that I was playing with it. I was running around the field, and the marker I was using never really crossed my mind. It just kind of blended in with me. I appreciated that.
If I played in a mech tournament, I would not be at ANY disadvantage taking this out to the field. I can shoot it just as comfortably and just as fast as my old CVO, for a fraction of the price. I put a POPS ASA and use a freak XL barrel (that I already owned) and am very happy with the results.
So there ya go. Here's a video of 2 matches I played that day.
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Originally Posted by captian pinky
