As promised, following my trip to Section 8 yesterday, I thought I would share my experience with new/old players who are considering heading up to this site:
Access
Directions to the site are easy to follow so no issues there, just be wary that the "road" leading up from Dura Road is extremely rough. If you have a low slung car or stiff suspension, be prepared for a rough ride! Parking is limited to the dirt road just outside the site and it is a short walk up to the safe zone.
Facilities
Everything you could want is onsite. There are a couple of test ranges to fine tune hop up and assess effective range, as well as an onsite food stall with good quality hot food, drinks, crisps etc. There is also an onsite technician if you need help with anything as well as being able to purchase BB's (Draft Club) and rental equipment. I brought my own kit on the day but the rental packages looked pretty good with Sniper rifle options complete with Ghillie suits, should you wish to unleash your inner Novritsch (Wwwwhats up guyyyss).
Site
First things first, this site is bloody massive, which is either a blessing or a curse depending on your equipment, fitness levels etc. Make sure that you wear sturdy, good quality footwear as the ground can be really challenging in places with plenty of opportunity for you to turn an ankle or worse. The majority of the site is thick woodland with thick brush and some open, tall grassland areas. There are a few structures on the site but I think it would benefit from a few more - even if just to vary the game modes a little. Due to the size and nature of the site, I would say it is more geared towards snipers/DMR's but don't let that put you off, just be prepared to alter your tactics a little to get into closer engagement distances for AEG's. I was running a red dot on the day and will definitely consider using a magnified scope for my next visit to help with target acquisition and ageing eyesight.
Games
Game modes were the usual fare of capture the flag, defend the base, domination etc. As mentioned above, you can spend a lot of time walking back and forth from the games which is one of the cons of having such a large playing area, as it does eat into time spent in game. Plenty of marshals in game keeping people honest and turning the games around as quickly as they could and all were approachable and helpful for this first timer. If I could nit pick at anything, I think the game modes could do with a refresh, but they do accept game suggestions so will send them through and see what they say.
Players
I'd say there were between 80-90 players on Sunday and it's safe to say you could have double that on a gameday without a problem giving the size of the site. Good mixture of seasoned players and people just getting into Airsoft. If like us, this is your first time at Section 8, spend some time following the more seasoned players to gain a better understanding of the site, it will save you wondering around aimlessly. There were a couple of incidences of people not calling their hits but when does that not happen? In all fairness, it is difficult to confirm a hit when you are trying to push bb's through the thick foliage. If you are coming along as a group, radios would be recommended.
Overall
Overall it was another great day out and I'll be back to Section 8 for the next gameday. Despite the slight drawbacks of such a large site, it is worth a visit, even if it didn't fully live up to the hype for me.
Hope the review is helpful to anyone considering heading along to Section 8 and if you have been playing somewhere else that you would like to review, feel free. It would be great to get them on this thread to help other players find the right sites for them.
