Strobe Torches - Legit or Git Tactic

[Colonel Kurtz]

I've been thinking about strobe torches and their use in airsoft and come to the following conclusion;

The only purpose of using strobe on a torch is to blind the person your pointing it at, to the degree where they can't see what they're shooting at, so you can shoot them first. To me this seems very dangerous, and I'm surprised that most sites allow them, but will kick you out for any kind of blind-firing.

If someones under attack by someone using a strobe on them, they're still going to try shoot in the vague direction, even though they can't actually see wtf is there. For the same reasons blind firing is considered dangerous, this is dangerous.

It's also possible someone could be surprised by a strobe burst while they're moving, then there's all sorts of potential for walking into things/people, falling down stairs etc.

It's vaguely possible to do the same thing to someone with a torch on constant beam, but nowhere near the same degree. (Or perhaps its just me and i see in a lower frame rate of something)

So whatcha all think? Is strobe torches a legit tactic and I'm a whining bitch, or do you share the sentiment? Is there guidelines you feel might allow them to be used fairly/safely?

 

[Lozart]

Legit.

Whiney bitch.

 

[TheGrover]

Blind firing is dangerous because you may put your muzzle behind someone's safety glasses or in their ear and shoot them from point blank.

Strobe torches do not cause any harm. And if you get shot while using your strobe torch, it won't hurt any more than if it hit you without using one. If you mean someone closer to the shooter could get hurt, remember there will be a big silhouette indicating that someone is very close to you... In case you didn't hear them shooting you

 

[kriegar]

cheesy unsportsman-like play to my mind but i can see i'm in the minority lol.

 

[Jedi_Master]

I think that using a strobe is a legitimate tactic. A stobe is supposed to be disorientaing and help to mask the user's position. However, the strobe is no worse than using my Fenix PD35 on turbo beam at 960 lumens for blinding light. I can understand your concern with blind firing but players still hose down a corridor on full auto in the dark. I like the on off nature of the strobe light, and am not eplilectic (no idea if it would trigger a reaction). I have used a strobe to draw fire so that other team members can identify the opposition position and take them on.

I have more issue with walking into things or not seeing clearly due to my goggles fogging up.

 

[Colonel Kurtz]

Good points about blind firing and that not being a true safety concern for strobe lights, anymore than darkness. I'm just used to playing at a site where they make a big song and dance about kicking you out even if you look away for 1 shot out of a burst.

I'm still sticking by disorientating an opponent in this manner being a tad unsporting as kriegar puts it (i hope your named after Archer, love that show)

I have walked into a few things due being strobe in the face, but plenty more due to it being dark and me clumsy.

Perhaps a different question;

Do you think that there's a kinda 'fair-usage' line in the sand somewhere, and that it can be abused? For example; would it be legit to take a bunch of high power ones to a game and set them up in strategic places, rather than having one attached to your gun or used by hand? Or if someone made some kind of e-warfare backpack that could kick out enough light/white-noise to proper mess with anyone without earplugs or sunglases (within the limits of injury ofc)? Would it be a pain in the ass if everyone had one and used it at the slightest sniff of tactical opportunity.

 

[Lozart]

It's like any effective tool, it's open to abuse. I agree that it can get a bit much if someone is strobing every little dark corner but then the same criticism could be levelled at people like Greg and JC at the Mall who use night vision and/or excessive amounts of pyro. Someone will always have a problem with anything that puts the other player at a tactical advantage. Does a tactical advantage make something wrong? Not in my book, no.

 

[ImTriggerHappy]

Just shine a high powered torch back at it and it nullifies the strobe effect.

As for JC and the night vision hes a barsteward but its all fair. Airsoft is never really a level playing field and we all take whatever advantage we can get.

 

[Esoterick]

I'd rather get strobed than have someone shine a laser in my eyes. The times i've fought against people using them it's just annoying more than anything, like if someone kept flicking a light switch on and off whilst you are watching TV.

 

[Russe11]

Strobes only blind you by not allowing your eyes to adjust to light levels. It's totally safe, but if you want to level the playing field a little, tell a marshall you get flicker sensitive epilepsy

There are some other dirty tricks you can use in dark environments. Take a spare torch and prop it up on something pointed at a doorway and then hide in the shadows, then shoot everyone as they come in the door and shoot at a non-existent player.

 

[n1ckh]

How about the medical reasons for it being a bad idea

I've known people with epilepsy & it not hinder them in sports so for that reason I think there a bad idea

And before people jump on the band wagon & say "well they shouldn't play it" is the same as saying a person in a wheel chair shouldn't play (and I know they do from photographic evidence on here)

 

[Dannn]

In an ideal world I think they are a great tactic, but it could affect some people with photo sensitive epilepsy.

So perhaps not.

And there's my yearly sensible answer.

 

[Lozart]

How about the medical reasons for it being a bad idea

I've known people with epilepsy & it not hinder them in sports so for that reason I think there a bad idea

And before people jump on the band wagon & say "well they shouldn't play it" is the same as saying a person in a wheel chair shouldn't play (and I know they do from photographic evidence on here)

Click to shrink...

I can't speak for other sites but the Mall briefing does specifically ask if anyone has photo sensitive epilepsy and if anyone does they ban strobes for the day.

 

[Dannn]

Speaking of the mall, is there a forest section as I've just looked online and almost everyone is dressed up in DPM, for what looks to be an inside urban site ?

 

[Colonel Kurtz]

Speaking of the mall, is there a forest section as I've just looked online and almost everyone is dressed up in DPM, for what looks to be an inside urban site

Click to shrink...

There's a jungle (gym) on the top floor, it's in between the SWAT outpost and Reading Festival clothing bin

 

[shortman]

I do agree im not a big fan of them but eahto their own with tactics. To me a stobe light is just an excuse to duck in cover and throw pyro at the strobe torch users genrall direction, same as a bright arse flood style torch being shone at me. Im not a lover of brigaht as fuck light full stop. Probs cos im a sparky and its all over kill to me as far as lighting goes.