Today's plastic slinging adventures took place at my most favoured haunt, Airsoft Plantation, in deepest and sunniest Essex. The safe zone was busy, but not over crowded, with probably about 160 people present.
I was also using the day to try 0.30g BBs having found some in the cupboard.
The first game involved us, as the attackers, starting at the DEA Base, with our first objective being to obtain an ammo box, containing four smoke grenades and information on where they were to be set off in the village, from the hill fort on the edge of the mortar pits. We had infinite regens on a buddy after a 30m fallback, while the defenders had one life in the mortar pits and two in the village. Our assault on the mortar pits went well and the ammo box was soon obtained from the hill fort; having wiped out everyone in the mortar pits, we set off to blow up the four targets in the village. At least, that was the intention; the reality was that those of our team escorting the bomber somewhat lost track of their mission as they were rather enjoying the firefights. The group that I was with swung around the village to attack it from the rear, which went well, and we soon pushed into it, taking a series of buildings from that side. Eventually, our bomber remembered his mission and disposed of the targets, albeit with something of a lack of urgency.
After a short break to reload and take on fluids, we set out to reverse the game. Initially, I took up a position near the hill fort and picked off a fair few attackers before I got a nice little dink to the head, which left me with a headache for about an hour. Falling back into the village outskirts, where we held up the enemy attack for a while, I was hit again and fell further back to the rear of the village, where I concealed myself in a bush. This paid off as I spotted the bomber and his escort sneaking through the woods at the back of the village and took them all out; 0.30g BBs do cut through foliage rather well. Changing position, I engaged other attackers trying to sneak around the back, but was eventually hit again and went back to the safe zone.
The next game involved ten of the players on our team, including me, being held hostage in the mortar pits. The hostage takers had one life each, while our potential liberators had infinite buddy regens after a 30m fallback. Our comrades had to rescue us without killing us; our captors were not allowed to kill us. Six of us were held captive in the bunker, where we enjoyed the banter with our captors and even more enjoyed seeing them get killed. Eventually, our rescuers arrived and we were escorted back to the plane at the DEA base; all ten hostages were rescued, which was excellent!
Lucheon followed, during which a number of players left as they were struggling with the heat.
Once everyone had dined and taken on more fluids, we set out for the woods for a fallback game. As the defenders, we had one life in the woods, one in the village and the final one in the mortar pits. The attackers had infinite buddy regens and had to set off bombs on the border bridge, in the well in the village and in the bunker in the mortar pits. Before this game started, there was a quick head count of both sides; the site owner failed to count me as he initially did not notice me sitting against a bush, despite only being about 6m away. When he did eventually notice me, he took a photo. Flecktarn, combined with an ability to remain very still, is very good in woods. I wandered over to our far left, where I potted several attackers before deciding that the best thing to do was to remain hidden and then sneak up behind the enemy once they had passed my position. This was very enjoyable as I took out several attackers before eventually being hit; while I was chatting to the guys who got me, they were all hit by another of our players who had done the same as I. Passing through their lines, I took up a position at the edge of the village, where we put up a good fight. I was eventually hit and fell back to the mortar pits, where I was again hit, sending me back to the safe zone again.
A lot of players left after this game as they were really feeling the heat, so the reverse of it was played with far fewer numbers. We cleared the woods and blew up the border bridge rather quickly, but got bogged down taking the village and the mortar pits, with the game timing out before we could blow up the bunker.
It was a very good, although very hot, day of airsoft, which was played in a good spirit, although there was a bit of whinging after lunch, which seems normal at every site I have played at.
As usual, I had planned to use two rifles, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. However, the afternoon one was not happy with the battery I had brought for it and was over spinning, so I had to use just the one rifle. I was delighted to find that a 1600mAh LiFe battery can last all day. I will probably continue to use 0.30g BBs.
Weapons used:
Ares L1A1
ASG XP18 Commander (CO2)
Weapon not used:
Real Sword QBZ-97
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