When just starting out it is very hard to figure out what you really need versus what you have to have. When I <a href="http://sbairsoft.wordpress.com/2013/08/14/2/">started airsoft</a> I spent quite a bit of money on things that I no longer use. Some of those things are gear that wore out, gear that didn't really work, and some of it was gear I never actually used.
The market today is filled with a ton of AEG's and gear to fit every play style but not every player needs every item. on the short list is of course a AEG, Some BB's some Eye protection, and a couple of extra magazines. this is your basic entry level gear. everything else is pretty much just extra.
lancer tactical - they have a new M4 model that is around the 100 dollare range and they have done some torture tests on it to make sure it will stand up when asked. A great starter AEG.
Elite Force - Elite Force has pretty much charged onto the field and gunned for the top. They have a pretty impressive sportline in the M4 style it comes with 2 highcap magazines and a battery and comes in under 200.00. They offer a 30 day manufacturers warranty on their sportlines, a 60 day on their competition pistols and a full year on their full metal body competition AEG's. I highly recommend them as a great company and a a great starter gun. They stand behind their product and everything is fully upgradable.
BB's
For BB's again the name Elite Force comes up. They have done a great job getting a precision high polish BB and they have 5.95 with +/- .01mm tolerences. They also have a full line of Biodegradable and non Biodegradable. They have a nice tracer line which has the option of .20 gram and .25 gram and they are working on a biodegradable line of tracers.
There are many other BB's on the market that I can say are pretty good airsoft elites, goldenball and matrix are three. I would advise against crossman since they tend to jam and shatter and always get a weight of at least .20 gram if not .25 gram. the smaller .12 gram is good for grenades and claymores but they really tend to shatter inside of the hop up unit and of course this can lead to failures in the gearbox.
AEG's
In the entry level category I would totally suggest you get at least into the sportline category. Sportline generally means a polycarbonite body and a metal gearbox. so you get a full upgradable gearbox with metal gears that can actually send a little plastic downrange and you save a litte on the body. The polycarbonite does not necessarily mean cheap I have had several sportlines and the little bit of extra flex that the poly may allow has actually been benificial and save a AEG or two. also in the sportlines you can still upgrade rail sets and stocks and they take paint a little easier. in this space I can recommend two brand and for different reasons.
Magazines
As long as they are feeding correctly and they fit any magazine works. We have had very good luck with King Arms Magazines fitting and feeding in most everything I have also had a mixed bag with Mag brand magazines. They fit but tend to have feeding issues with some hop up units so please be careful.
Other Gear
I also want to talk about footwear. I have a pair of desert side zip 8" combat boots. They are very comfprtable but I had to break them in. I also have to have boot socks that wick away moisture. Socks can make the difference in having a heel or not. I learne4d the hard way and literally scraped the heel off both feet playing one day. So take heed and if you are going to buy new boots make sure to get some good socks as well. i wear under armor cold gear hitch socks. I wish I could get a Under Armor account to sell these but to save your feet get them where you can. They are a little pricy but seriously worth it. also try and wear your boots out and about for a few days when you know you can just wear them for a few hours at
a time. this will gradually break them in. DO NOT buy new boots right before a long event, you do not want to have to stop playing because they do not move right or if they pinch or if they are to stiff.
AS for the other gear it can make it much easier to play and some of it can make it harder to play. I personally love wearing a plate carrier. and I always add the simulation plates. This set up gives you a stable platform to mount MOLLE pouches and it makes them work better. A floppy vest allows give and tug when extracting magazines so having a flat rigid surface to pull back makes them work better. Plus you can have a integrated or addon hydration pouch. I like the addon pouch because you can get a backpack with a hydration pouch and add a little storage. It is very important to have a hydratiuon carrier of some sort just so you do not dehydrate during long hot games during the summer. You may also look into the camelbak electrolyte tabs to make a sportsdrink in your hydration pack. I have also been using a battle belt. I have move more to a light fast bare minimum load out. we play several games a day when we play so its much easier to have a few magazines and a pistol hooked to a battlebelt than a full plate carrier loadout. The only problem is that when you have to put on the larger loadout it feel so much heavier and takes a little getting used to. Then it comes down to a uniform. If you are playing milsim a uniform is a must. you can save a little bit of money by getting the BDU cut instead of the ACU cut. the only difference that I can see is that the ACU has a calf pocket and the BDU does not, You can also save by getting a different fabric. The cotton uniforms tend to fade but are a little cheaper than the ripstop nylon so if you want a first uniform it may be worth while to grab a set of cotton woodland camouflage BDUs to get started before you pay the higher price of the current issue ripstop material ACUs.
Now to rap it up you do not need the full kit to start playing. It can make you a more combat effective player and I do recommend having a loadout to play but to start you can ease into olaying and see what works for others and what might work for you before you make that purchase.it is much easier to ask than to return a product.