vortex

Getting the vortex mod is crucial for the A5. If for no other reason besides that it doesnt wear out like stock parts. However is it really worth the extra $30 to get the lightning rod? Does the piston rod break that frequently?

This should probably be in the Upgrades section but anyway...

I agree with RoboCop. The stock parts will work fine (aside from the ratchet) as long as you take care of them. My cyclone is completely stock and I have yet to even wear out a ratchet. I never wore out the original but I replaced it when tippmann released the updated one just as a precaution. That one is still in use since then with no signs of wear. I've put a buttload of paint through the gun with that ratchet in and it's still going strong. It even keeps up at 15 bps running on just 600psi though it will skip a few every once in a while. It can do bursts of about 45 shots though before skipping which isn't bad.