Colin Allen
Members
- Aug 27, 2022
- 1,861
- 2,248
This weekend I had a choice between Splatoon and Airsoft Plantation; given my recent experiences at both, Airsoft Plantation was the only sensible decision.
As usual, around 125 players were present, a good mixture of experienced and newer airsofters with a high number of young new rentals.
My first act was to go out to the village's main path to set up the JG sort-of-Fleming 51K, as this provides a long line of sight with trees at the far end, making it easy to see the BBs' flight. This also gave me the opportunity to study the development of the mud on the path to the mortars pits, which had transformed from its previous glutinous state into a more slippery entity, with the clay layer becoming more dominant as it wore down. A few people conducted action research to measure its coefficient of friction during the day, with at least two ending up horizontal.
After the usual ritual of the safety brief, we set out for the first game; this involved us, the blue team, defending the village with two lives, while the attackers, starting at the Border and with infinite buddy regens after a 30m fallback, had to get three bombs to the missile that lives in a rear corner of the village. Starting off at the front of the village, we had a target rich environment as the enemy tried to push straight into the village; after sending a lot of attackers back to regen, I was eventually hit and fell back towards the missile as it seemed that some of the enemy were moving in that direction. Another really good set of firefights ensued; my involvement ended when a single shot from a sniper rifle or DMR took me out.
Once the attackers had completed their mission and everyone had reloaded, the game was turned around. A group of us went on a wide flanking manoeuvre through the mortar pits and the DEA Base to attack the village from the rear. This worked well; defenders were drawn off to face us, allowing our bombers to get to the missile far more rapidly than the enemy had managed.
After another trip to the safe zone, we set off with the bombs again; this time, we started at the village and had to get the three bombs onto the lower deck of the bus in the mortar pits. The mortar pits are very difficult to attack, having multiple berms and other defensive positions in a relatively small area. Our little group set out on another wide flank march, passing through the Boathouse to attack the far side of the mortar pits; however, the enemy were ready for this and we took heavy casualties, which sent us back to our marshal to regen with monotonous regularity . Finding this route too difficult, we shifted to the centre, where we had more success, gradually whittling down the enemy, who only had two lives. Eventually, the three bombers delivered their bombs to the bus.
The game was immediately turned around; I started off at the berms on the far side, getting many hits on the attackers and sharing my mags with a friend as he did not have enough. After emptying all my mags, I fell back to reload, after which I rejoined the battle, eventually being hit. Dropping back 30m to regen on a team mate, I joined in the fight around the bus until I was hit again, which ended my involvement.
Lunch followed, during which around 100 players were fed with the usual level of efficiency; after this we played a long fallback game starting in the woods. As the attackers, we had infinite buddy regens after a 30m fallback, while the defenders had a limited number of lives in each phase. Our objectives were to get a bomb on each of three bridges in order, these being the Wobbly Bridge (Guess what? It is wobbly!), the large and rather splendid bridge at the border, and the bridge in the mortars pits. Initially setting out on the left flank, we fought our way forward, gradually pushing back the enemy and reaching the ditch that the Wobbly Bridge crosses. To our right, we could see our colleagues on that flank, who had progressed more rapidly and were already across the ditch. We very quickly got a bomb onto the bridge and set off for the border, fighting our way through the rest of the woods and engaging the easily defensible positions there. After a bit of a delay, we pushed over that ditch, with a bomb being left on the aforesaid large and rather splendid bridge. We crashed through the village, with our group swinging right to attack the mortar pits from the flank. After a hard fight, we secured the bridge and called for the final bomb. The bomb and its attendant bomber did not appear, so we called for it again and again. Sadly, it never arrived and the game timed out. The site owner then informed us that the third bomb had been left by its guardian on the other small and insignificant bridge at the border.
When the game was reversed, the objective was changed so that the enemy had to get a live player onto the mortar pits bridge, which we had done within the time limit. In the first stage, I took up a position by the left hand boundary ditch, from where I could hit anyone attacking along the ditch and could also shoot across to the Wobbly Bridge; a young lad was to my immediate right. A couple of minutes after the game started, I was shot in the back; as I called the hit and turned around to try to work out how the enemy had got behind us, the young lad was also hit from behind. The shooter was one of our team mates about 5m behind us, who had thought that we were the enemy. Apparently, wearing blue armbands and shooting at the attackers wasn't enough of a hint that we might be on his side; I suggested that he take the hit, but he refused, so I fell back towards the border and again took up a favourite position in the boundary ditch, from where I took out several of the enemy before I was hit. Climbing out of the ditch, one of our players apologised for shooting me as he had thought I was the enemy; apparently, wearing a blue armband and shooting the enemy wasn't enough of a hint that I might be on his side either. Falling back towards the village, I took up a position behind the fishing hut, which already had a couple of our players in it. After a great set of fights, I was hit; mirabile dictu, this time it was by the enemy! Having run back to the mortars pits, a group of us lurked behind a berm to attempt to stop any flanking attacks, which soon appeared. While we held them off, the enemy forced their way onto the bridge, ending the game and the day.
It was another typical AP day, with well designed games that were well organised and marshalled and played in a good spirit. It was really good to see so many keen youngsters there.
Weapons used:
JG kind-of-Fleming 51K
Cyma MPiKM
Golden Eagle AMD65
ASG XP18 Commander (CO2)
As usual, around 125 players were present, a good mixture of experienced and newer airsofters with a high number of young new rentals.
My first act was to go out to the village's main path to set up the JG sort-of-Fleming 51K, as this provides a long line of sight with trees at the far end, making it easy to see the BBs' flight. This also gave me the opportunity to study the development of the mud on the path to the mortars pits, which had transformed from its previous glutinous state into a more slippery entity, with the clay layer becoming more dominant as it wore down. A few people conducted action research to measure its coefficient of friction during the day, with at least two ending up horizontal.
After the usual ritual of the safety brief, we set out for the first game; this involved us, the blue team, defending the village with two lives, while the attackers, starting at the Border and with infinite buddy regens after a 30m fallback, had to get three bombs to the missile that lives in a rear corner of the village. Starting off at the front of the village, we had a target rich environment as the enemy tried to push straight into the village; after sending a lot of attackers back to regen, I was eventually hit and fell back towards the missile as it seemed that some of the enemy were moving in that direction. Another really good set of firefights ensued; my involvement ended when a single shot from a sniper rifle or DMR took me out.
Once the attackers had completed their mission and everyone had reloaded, the game was turned around. A group of us went on a wide flanking manoeuvre through the mortar pits and the DEA Base to attack the village from the rear. This worked well; defenders were drawn off to face us, allowing our bombers to get to the missile far more rapidly than the enemy had managed.
After another trip to the safe zone, we set off with the bombs again; this time, we started at the village and had to get the three bombs onto the lower deck of the bus in the mortar pits. The mortar pits are very difficult to attack, having multiple berms and other defensive positions in a relatively small area. Our little group set out on another wide flank march, passing through the Boathouse to attack the far side of the mortar pits; however, the enemy were ready for this and we took heavy casualties, which sent us back to our marshal to regen with monotonous regularity . Finding this route too difficult, we shifted to the centre, where we had more success, gradually whittling down the enemy, who only had two lives. Eventually, the three bombers delivered their bombs to the bus.
The game was immediately turned around; I started off at the berms on the far side, getting many hits on the attackers and sharing my mags with a friend as he did not have enough. After emptying all my mags, I fell back to reload, after which I rejoined the battle, eventually being hit. Dropping back 30m to regen on a team mate, I joined in the fight around the bus until I was hit again, which ended my involvement.
Lunch followed, during which around 100 players were fed with the usual level of efficiency; after this we played a long fallback game starting in the woods. As the attackers, we had infinite buddy regens after a 30m fallback, while the defenders had a limited number of lives in each phase. Our objectives were to get a bomb on each of three bridges in order, these being the Wobbly Bridge (Guess what? It is wobbly!), the large and rather splendid bridge at the border, and the bridge in the mortars pits. Initially setting out on the left flank, we fought our way forward, gradually pushing back the enemy and reaching the ditch that the Wobbly Bridge crosses. To our right, we could see our colleagues on that flank, who had progressed more rapidly and were already across the ditch. We very quickly got a bomb onto the bridge and set off for the border, fighting our way through the rest of the woods and engaging the easily defensible positions there. After a bit of a delay, we pushed over that ditch, with a bomb being left on the aforesaid large and rather splendid bridge. We crashed through the village, with our group swinging right to attack the mortar pits from the flank. After a hard fight, we secured the bridge and called for the final bomb. The bomb and its attendant bomber did not appear, so we called for it again and again. Sadly, it never arrived and the game timed out. The site owner then informed us that the third bomb had been left by its guardian on the other small and insignificant bridge at the border.
When the game was reversed, the objective was changed so that the enemy had to get a live player onto the mortar pits bridge, which we had done within the time limit. In the first stage, I took up a position by the left hand boundary ditch, from where I could hit anyone attacking along the ditch and could also shoot across to the Wobbly Bridge; a young lad was to my immediate right. A couple of minutes after the game started, I was shot in the back; as I called the hit and turned around to try to work out how the enemy had got behind us, the young lad was also hit from behind. The shooter was one of our team mates about 5m behind us, who had thought that we were the enemy. Apparently, wearing blue armbands and shooting at the attackers wasn't enough of a hint that we might be on his side; I suggested that he take the hit, but he refused, so I fell back towards the border and again took up a favourite position in the boundary ditch, from where I took out several of the enemy before I was hit. Climbing out of the ditch, one of our players apologised for shooting me as he had thought I was the enemy; apparently, wearing a blue armband and shooting the enemy wasn't enough of a hint that I might be on his side either. Falling back towards the village, I took up a position behind the fishing hut, which already had a couple of our players in it. After a great set of fights, I was hit; mirabile dictu, this time it was by the enemy! Having run back to the mortars pits, a group of us lurked behind a berm to attempt to stop any flanking attacks, which soon appeared. While we held them off, the enemy forced their way onto the bridge, ending the game and the day.
It was another typical AP day, with well designed games that were well organised and marshalled and played in a good spirit. It was really good to see so many keen youngsters there.
Weapons used:
JG kind-of-Fleming 51K
Cyma MPiKM
Golden Eagle AMD65
ASG XP18 Commander (CO2)