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SE Tour Awards and writeup 2017/2018. Best site and more!


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Hello all! 

 

It's been a fantastic year or so Airsofting. Since starting in June 2017 I have had the privilege to visit many sites. I have decided to do a little writeup of my findings below. Trying to keep this mostly positive as the negatives in my reviews are the bits that get people talking the most. 

 

Reviewing sites can be challenging especially because visiting a site for just one skirmish can be a bit misleading for the overall picture. I have tended to stick with facts and comparisons with other sites rather then what exactly happened on the day with certain people. Though if it was a particularly bad day I will say why. 

 

I hope my battlebuddy and I can continue doing this for the foreseeable future so we can have as much variety and fun playing and writing the reviews.

 

We have had many suggestions for up and coming site visits including but not limited to the following: 

 

Reforger, Red 1 The School, Dragons Lair, Tech Brigade, AWA Herts, 1066 Hastings, Invicta, Hockley Arena etc. We would like suggestions on more unique sites, maybe with lots of buildings above a single storey. So get your suggestions to us! 

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So without further ado, here is the SE Tour Awards for 2017/2018. 15 sites were visited in this time. 

 

Best Overall Site – This is the award to the best overall site in terms of everything.

 

1)      Airsoft Plantation (Essex)

2)      The Mall (Berkshire)

3)      Battle Paintball and Airsoft (East Sussex)

 

AP in Essex simply blew us away with top notch facilities, playing surface and brilliant marshalling throughout the day. The tall scrubland section and the vehicles in use really set it out. The site is always improving and growing.

The Mall really made us feel like operators, it was a unique site that we may not see the likes of again, the facilities were good, lack of food didn’t put us off as everything else was just immersive. It’s a real shame it has closed for good now and a real loss for the sport.

Battle Paintball and Airsoft was an excellent overall experience, the safe zone came out tops, the playing area wasn’t that bad and considering it was the first Airsoft game ever held there, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

 

Best Medium/Long range Playing area – Variety and/or quality of the playing area.

 

1)      Airsoft Plantation (Essex)

2)      EAG Dorking (Surrey)

3)      Apocalypse Airsoft (Kent)

 

AP had the largest variety in terms out outdoor playing area, whilst it is mostly flat and with few water features, the sheer changeability of the terrain and vegetation, interspersed with manmade obstacles means this site came out top.

EAG Dorking has some fantastic buildings and woodland variety, one section would have a completely different style of woodland to the next. Water features and a really fun fort section.

Apocalypse Airsoft surprised us in its decent size, huge variety of woodland sections and best of all the variety and scale of the buildings used.

 

Best CQB playing area – Variety  and/or quality of the playing area.

 

1)      The Mall (Berkshire)

2)      Red 1: The Fort Borstal (Kent)

3)      EAG Dorking (Surrey)

 

It’s a Mall, ‘nuff said. Tight corners, some long distance shots on the concourse, can be played in the light or dark, back rooms, escalators, kids play area. Won’t see the likes of again, but willing to be proved wrong.

RED1: The Fort is a really interesting era Fort, A moat section, plenty of elevation, tunnels and turrets. A really unique site with really good views over the Medway.

EAG Dorking Surrey, whilst not a CQB site in itself did have some excellent CQB play, the Vietnam style village had good tiered structures and gun emplacements with lots of opportunity to flank.

 

Best purpose built buildings – This means actually built for the site and not already existing.

 

1)      Apocalypse Airsoft (Kent)

2)      EAG Dorking (Surrey)

3)      Cool Under Fire (Kent)

 

Apocalypse Airsoft deservedly takes the crown for this category, the sheer variety of buildings at play, well-spaced out, multiple tiers and well looked after means this is a great site for snipers and CQB assaults. The trench system is also worth a mention.

EAG Dorking as described in another section has some great buildings, a little shabby in places, but really good for atmosphere and there is always something to hide in.

Cool Under Fire had some interesting purpose built buildings, a nice fort section and a giant village section with fireworks. All seemed in good working order.

 

Best Safe Zone – Safe zone is classed as the setting up area. Enclosed? Felt Safe? Lots of space?

 

1)      Battle Paintball and Airsoft (East Sussex)

2)      Airsoft Plantation (Essex)

3)      Battle Lakes (Kent)

 

BPAA takes this one by a country mile, the safe zone was an actual heating building, two stories and can hold plenty of people, everyone has a table, storage space and chairs were available. The bathroom was 5 star.

Airsoft Plantation has a huge safe zone which is fully undercover with proper metal sheet roofing. New tables have been put in place and caters well for the large amount of people that turn up week in and week out.

Battle Lakes has both indoor and outdoor safe zone areas, indoors has quite a lot of space with easy access to food and toilets, outside is traditional with a high roof and open areas for the sunny days, variety here is the key.

 

Best on-site shop – Shop selection.

 

1)      Battle Lakes (Kent)

2)      Airsoft Billericay (Essex)

3)      Cool Under Fire (Kent)

 

Battle Lakes had a very large indoor shop with lots of interesting weapons and gear for sale, also sold second hand stuff.

Airsoft Billericay almost takes the top spot, letting itself down on the variety of weapons available, but a very large selection of gear is available at reasonable prices.

Cool Under Fires shop had decent variety, was a little small in comparison to the other two in this list, but the prices were good and the staff friendly.

 

Best Catering – Catering selection.

 

              1)      Airsoft Plantation (Essex)

2)      Battle Lakes (Kent)

3)      Bush Valley Airsoft (Kent)

 

AP had a proper burger van, all the sauces, reasonable prices and a vegetarian option. Tasted good as well.

Battle Lakes had home cooked chilli, hotdogs, vegetarian option and plenty of confectionary and sticky pop. Tasted very good and was homemade.

Bush Valley Airsoft had a standard fayre burger shack, but the taste was very good with a decent pop selection. The friendliest staff. (This third place could have been won by a few other sites as well)

 

Best Marshalls – Marshalls that made sure you had a good time, were friendly and weeded out troublemakers.

 

1)      Airsoft Plantation (Essex)

2)      The Mall (Berkshire)

3)      Battle Lakes (Kent)

 

Airsoft Plantation had the most open Marshalls, very willing to discuss how the day was going, the history of the site and future plans. They kept encouraging the teams to push forward and they changed things around if it got one sided. They were also hands off when needed to be.

The Malls head marshal Luke was the funniest fucker we met. Both times we went his safety briefings were hilarious. Considering the nature of the site we imagine it would be an absolute ball ache to keep in control and we felt they did it very admirably.

Battle Lakes had very solid marshalling, the person running it was a hoot, things were explained clearly and all the mission briefs were concise. Much like the Mall, Zed Adventures really seem to get Marshalling right.

 

Site with the most potential – With some changes, these sites could be outstanding.

 

1)      Battle Paintball and Airsoft (East Sussex)

2)      Bush Valley Airsoft (Kent)

3)      The Fort Borstal (Kent)

 

Battle Paintball and Airsoft can be a really top site, it could be the biggest site in the SE if opened up properly. We played a small area of it as it was a test day for Airsoft, The marshalling was initially shaky but really pulled together come the end of the second game. The old zoo sections are fascinating and there was way more on the site then we saw. The Safe zone was the best we ever experienced and apparently may be expanded in the near future. This site could become THE premier site in the South East with some investment and the continued support of the landlord.

Bush Valley Airsoft is a fully family run operation, they own the actual land that is being used, meaning they don’t have to get permission to change things around. Although lots needs to be done, we really felt welcomed at the site and feel that if they really make a go of it, could be the making of a must visit site.

The Fort Borstal really needs very few changes for it to be a great day, more Marshals and better explanations of what is out of bounds and that is all that needs to be done. It is a genuinely unique site that deserves the best that Airsoft has to offer. Could be very rewarding if done properly.

 

Site that most surprised us (Good) – The site that simply surprised us most for whatever reason.

 

1)      Battle Paintball and Airsoft (East Sussex)

2)      EAG Dorking (Surrey)

3)      The Mall (Berkshire)

 

BPAA surprised us most considering it was their first ever game day at that site, the safe zone, the chrono, food, site variety and overall experience was amazing. We really though the day could have been a disaster considering, but we were pleasantly surprised.

EAG Dorking has very few reviews online, to the extent that we didn't even know it was still operating. Turned out to be a great site and deserves a bigger player base then it receives. 

The Mall had some very “interesting” reviews online stating that it was quite poor and rants against the marshals. We didn’t experience any of this in either of our visits. So that in itself was a surprise. 

 

Most unique site – Will we ever see the likes of these again if they closed down?

 

1)      The Mall (Reading)

2)      Red 1: The Fort Borstal (Kent)

3)      Battle Paintball and Airsoft (East Sussex)

 

The Mall was a Mall. Probably never seen again.

The Fort is a fort, I believe not the first ever for Airsoft in Kent, but the only one we are aware of in the South East at the moment.

BPAA, it’s a freaking Victorian Zoo, though there isn’t much of it left. It’s a huge site though, which is unique in itself.

 

Site where we had the most fun – Might not have been the best sites, but definitely had the best experience.

 

1)      The Mall (Berkshire)

2)      Airsoft Plantation (Essex)

3)      Bush Valley Airsoft (Kent)

 

At the Mall, we felt operator as fuck and I hate the O word. We wanted to do better than our decaying bodies would let us. It was dark, scary and it fucking hurt. But we bore it with good grace and laughed any problems off.

Airsoft Plantations double decker bus was hilarious, the site design and variety had us guessing what was around the corner, and the players were good to battle with as well. Personally I hate lots of players on a Sunday, but even with 140+, I had fun.

Bush Valley Airsoft, again we can’t explain why we had fun. We just did and had some really great moments flanking the enemy. I wish I could describe it better!

 

Site with Strictest Chrono:

 

Airsoft Billericay, BPAA, The Mall, Apocalypse Airsoft and Battle Lakes share this crown. Both have very strict chrono, no skipping weapons and they kept chronoing throughout the day.

 

Spray and “prey” award:

 

Tactical Warfare Croydon (London) was a bloody nightmare. Everybody used full auto and you had to use full auto to keep up. Went home after lunch!

 

Best moment:

 

Battle Paintball and Airsoft (East Sussex) – Last game of the year, I hid myself in some large ferns 2 or 3 times during the match. The ferns gave me amazing cover and managed to take out a team of 5 without them seeing me as well as another team of 4 later on. The Marshals were dead impressed!

 

Best site inside the M25:

 

Red 1 Chislehurst takes this one unsurprisingly, Bunker 51 cannot compete (Though it holds a special place in my heart) and Tactical Warfare’s Clientele is very poor. Chislehurst has great variety and is a good size.

If Wasteland West Drayton was still open then this might have been a more interesting category as they were very different sites.

 

Here are all of the in-depth individual reviews for your viewing pleasure. 

 

 

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 We are taking a break until mid January so I can learn more about teching and getting more bullpups and fish related guns into a skirmishable state. 

 

I hope to do a little side reviewing of the Bristol sites as I visit my family there often.

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Great write up bud!

 

I always look forward to reading your in depth site reviews, please keep  up the hard work!

 

As for site suggestions I would wholeheartedly recommend:-

 

1. Gunman in Eversley, Hampshire http://www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk/venues/gunman-eversley/

 

2. Combat South in Fareham, Hampshire https://www.combatsouth.co.uk/pages/about-woodland

 

Not sure how close these are to you? However if you do decide to make the journey I would be more than happy to meet up for a day of 'pew pew' 

 

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9 hours ago, Asomodai said:

Spray and “prey” award:

 

Tactical Warfare Croydon (London) was a bloody nightmare. Everybody used full auto and you had to use full auto to keep up. Went home after lunch!

 

Lol :D That's where I started, it's a real shit hole. The site is dangerous even when not in play; offcuts of steel rebar, scattered asbestos, random nails sticking out of trees, glass, the works and all hiding in the undergrowth ready to maim you for a fee. The place shouldn't exist.

 

Luckily for me; by starting at the worst venue, it means everywhere else can only be better...

 

Thank you for the fair and interesting reviews. I now have a decent list to try out next year.

 


 

If you haven't tried it; DogTag is worth a visit.

 


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1 minute ago, Immortal said:

 

Lol :D That's where I started, it's a real shit hole. The site is dangerous even when not in play; offcuts of steel rebar, scattered asbestos, random nails sticking out of trees, glass, the works and all hiding in the undergrowth ready to maim you for a fee. The place shouldn't exist.

 

Luckily for me; by starting at the worst venue, it means everywhere else can only be better...

 

Thank you for the fair and interesting reviews. I now have a decent list to try out next year.

 

 


 

If you haven't tried it; DogTag is worth a visit.

 

 


 

Oddly enough we didn't notice the nails, rebar and glass. But we were wondering about the Asbestos! I looked like I had leg herpes due to the amount of stinging nettles on onside of the village. 

Its a shame because the Pit area looks really awesome and overall it could be a decent site. Just need to replace everything else!

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18 minutes ago, Asomodai said:

 

Oddly enough we didn't notice the nails, rebar and glass. But we were wondering about the Asbestos! I looked like I had leg herpes due to the amount of stinging nettles on onside of the village. 

Its a shame because the Pit area looks really awesome and overall it could be a decent site. Just need to replace everything else!

 

The Pit is one of the better features. I got 28 kills in there with a pistol and a BFG on my own as a last man standing.

It is a dive but I also had fun there and it got me into the activity properly. I made some friends and we moved on.

 

The trouble they have is the local kids like to burn down everything they build which is a shame. Resulting in a lack of reinvestment.

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21 minutes ago, Robert James said:

Well done mate.  

 

Can I post this to Plantation Facebook page?

 

Are you going to try UCAP bunker or prison next year?

By all means you can. No problems with that.

 

The Prison is on our list. Just trying to work out when it might be a bit less busy then usual!

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Great write up & reviews as well as highlighting the recognition that these sites all deserve - very balanced & honest as well.

 

I'll be the first to put my hand up & say Apocalypse is my local haunt & very much wave their flag fanboy style, good rapport & friendship with the sites owners & guys that run this site week in week out, that being said your feedback is 100% accurate on where their opportunities lay.

 

Great to see them equally receive some praise for the development work that they've put in, they definitely deserve that!

 

Keep up the great work with your reviews, look forward to reading about your ups & downs in 2019

 

Mike

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