CREDIT goes to THOR for creating the original thread:
http://miairsoft.proboards.com/thread/25344/noob-camouflage-guide?page=1Ok, since I've seen several noobs post about what camo to get, what color is considered what, I figured that I should just go ahead and write a guide so that at least I can say it's out there, even if no one reads it. I'll break it down into 3 categories, green-based, tan-based, and other/unclassified. I'm also going to only post the most popular/most likely to be encountered.
Green-based (Olive Drab, or OD as it is called, is the base color):
Woodland:
Used by US armed forces from 1981 to approx 2005.
MARPAT (MARine PATtern):
Used by US Marine Corps from 2002 to present.
DPM (Disruptive Pattern Material):
Used by the United Kingdom from 1968 with slight changes in 1984, 1990, and 1994 to 2010.
Tiger Stripe:
Limited use non-official camo used by US forces from 1965-1975.
Flecktarn:
Used by German armed forces from 1976 to present.
Pantera:
Used by the Polish armed forces currently.
Tan-based (Tan is the base color):
6 color desert:
Used by United States from 1982-1993.
3 color desert:
Used by United States from 1990 to present. Being phased out currently.
Desert MARPAT:
Used by US Marine Corps from 2002 to present.
ACU (Army Combat Uniform):
Used by US Army from 2005 to present.
Tropentarn:
Used by German armed forces from 2005 to present.
Desert DPM:
Used by United Kingdom armed forces from 1990 to present.
Pantera Pustynna:
Used by Polish armed forces currently. Pustynna means "desert".
Airman Battle Uniform:
United States Air Force uniform, used from 2007–present.
Other patterns:
Multicam (doesn't really fit green or tan):
Limited use by US Army 173rd Airborne Brigade in late 2009 to present. It is likely that this will eventually fully replace ACU as the standard issue camo.
MTP (Multi Terrain Pattern):
In use by the British Army from December 2009 to present.
ATACS:
Urban:
No official military use.
Urban Digital:
No official military use.
Black or Blue: I don't think I really need a sample of solid black or blue, do I? It's a solid color. Usually used for SWAT/SERT/ insert special police team here.
Other, more rare patterns can be found here:
http://camopedia.org/index.php?title=Main_PageAnother source for camo information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_camouflage_patternsYou will likely never see any of the patterns I did not include, because they are not readily available in the US.
This list comprises probably 99.9% of camo colors/patterns you will encounter.
Now, since this is a noob camouflage guide, I will make a recommendation for all new players. First, no matter how cool it looks or how much you like it, do NOT buy multicam as your only camouflage pattern. The reason I say this is because multicam is almost equal parts green and tan. While this makes it a very effective camo, it makes it very hard to classify as a "green" or "tan" camo, thus many events either do not allow it, or will put it on a separate "special forces" team which is often by request only. As a new player, you will likely not be on that team. There's not a whole lot of sense in having your primary set of camo be something you can't wear all the time.
So, what do I recommend? Almost all new players start out with woodland, and this is honestly your best choice. It is readily available, and has a multitude of gear that goes with it. The next best choice for new players is DCU, as it is almost as available as woodland and also has a multitude of gear color choices. A player with these two camo sets will be able to play on either side of 99% of games held anywhere in the US.
So, with that said, good luck on picking out your camouflage, and above all have fun building your kit!
