Se Tour End of Year Review (2020 - Year of the Covid)

[Asomodai]

Hello all! 

 

Welcome to the third end of year review with yours truly. What a year it has been! very frustrating due to closures, but I still managed to get in a number of skirmishes when things were slightly better. I totted up 9 new sites in the South East, 3 in the South West and a few revisits which is probably way more then most! Like last year, more sites have closed down then opened, with a few new ones that never came to fruition (Echelon I am looking at you!). This year the standard of site has been much better then the previous years. No site was truly awful which makes a change! 

 

 Sites that bit the dust in 2020: 

Incursion/EAG Dorking

Combat South

Urban Assault

Grange Bravo One

The Depot Glasgow

 

Sites that changed hands: 

 

Zed Adventures -> Gunman (Battle Lakes)

 

Sites that have opened/reopened:

 

Zed Adventures Z-Mart

Incursion Epsom Bunker (2019 but meh)

Doomsday (Not sure how they re-opened considering the issues they have had, but I am thinking they are still on life support)

AP The Tower

 

Last year I announced that 2020 would be the last year I would do this due to trying to start a family. For various reasons this may no longer happen so I will continue with the reviews into 2021!

 

This year I have been ably assisted by my buddy @Albiscuit who has graciously given me lifts to many of the sites this year. It's been nice to play with someone else rather then going on my tod for so long! 

 

Sites I hope to visit by the end of 2021 are:

 

Finmere Airsoft, AP - The Tower, Special Ops HQ, IronSight, Gunman Camp Alpha, Z-Mart, Epsom Tunnels, Mayhem South East Longfield and Canterbury. @Albiscuit and I are hoping to bring you a special weekender report at a couple of very interesting sites up t'North at some point. 

 

 

I am also hopefully making a return to the South West to clean up some of the sites I missed near Bristol such as Black Ops Cribbs and HMP Gloucester. We are running out of sites in the SE to visit... 

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So without further ado, here is the SE Tour Awards for 2020. 9 new sites were visited to add to a grand total of 37 in the South East alone. 

 

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

 

1)      Airsoft Plantation (Essex)

2)      Dogtag Airsoft (West Sussex)

3)      Imperium Airsoft (Kent)

 

AP: Retains the top spot for the third year running, though it was really pushed hard by Dogtag this year. I popped to AP a few weeks before writing this and had a great time with the lower numbers due to covid. It has some work to do to keep top spot though. 

Dogtag Airsoft: Knocked Driver Wood off the 2nd spot, such a varied and "shapely" area. We didnt get to see all of the areas available so we cant wait to go back! Safe zone was probably the best one I have seen outside. Food was great too. 

Imperium Airsoft: Suprise entry considering I had slated the organisation of the day, but they have gone strength to strength to improve the playing area and have now provided a covered safe zone. Considering how unique this place is, it deserves a tentative spot in third. 

 

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

 

1)      Reforger Airsoft (Herts)

3)     Airsoft Plantation (Essex)

2)      Apocalypse Airsoft (Kent)

 

Reforger Airsoft: Reforger has knocked Airsoft Plantation off of it's perch. Though Reforger has very few man made features, it's natural stuff completely makes up for it, it's a huge site which really lends itself to long range engagement. 

AP: Has fallen to second place, even though it has the largest variety in terms out outdoor playing area. It is mostly flat and with few water features, the sheer changeability of the terrain and vegetation, interspersed with manmade obstacles. 

Apocalypse Airsoft: Has fallen one spot due to Reforger Airsoft. Surprised me 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)     Longmoor Camp (Hampshire)

2)     Reaper Ops The Fort Borstal (Kent)

3)     Gunman Airsoft Tuddenham (Suffolk)

 

Longmoor: Creme de la creme for CQB. Play in a perfectly recreated suburb is fantastic. I would love to go back again during the day. Reaper and Longmoor have switched places this year as I feel I got it wrong! 

Reaper ops: 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. Since the downfall of the Mall this has now essentially replaced it at the top.

Gunman Airsoft Tuddenham: Has replaced Erebor due to it closing in 2019. Tuddenham has so much going for it for it's CQB action, they have just put in a new trench system which improves things. If they got rid of the silly grenade rule in use inside the huts, this could climb the places. 

 

 

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

 

1)      Dogtag Airsoft (West Sussex)

2)      Apocalypse Airsoft (Kent)

3)      Mayhem Paintball and Airsoft (Essex)

 

Dogtag Airsoft: With the demise of Dorking, Dogtag deservedly takes the top spot. The constructon of the buildings especially in the CQB area is incredible. The quality oozes out of the construction. There are more buildings planned as well. 

Apocalypse Airsoft: Drops down to 2nd this year. 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.

Mayhem Paintball and Airsoft: The sheer amount of obstacles and buildings means this is worth an entry at number 3!

 

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

 

1)      Dogtag Airsoft (West Sussex)

2)      Mayhem Paintball and Airsoft (Essex)

3)      Red 1: The School (Herts) 

 

Dogtag Airsoft: Almost like it was built for social distancing in our covid times. Almost everything is under cover and is of really good construction. 

Mayhem Paintball and Airsoft: Has a huge multi roomed indoor/outdoor safe zone. Heated inside and benches everywhere. Shop and Toilets were pretty good as well. 

Red 1 The School: It's completely indoors, which is the only reason it gets in this spot. Its not quite big enough and the toilets are pretty bad. But hey... indoors?

 

 

Best on-site shop – Shop selection.

 

1)      MPA Hockley Airsoft Arena (Essex)

2)      Battle Lakes (Kent)

3)      Airsoft Billericay (Essex)

   

MPA Hockley: is a new entrant and absolutely deserving. It's a full retail shop with a small skirmish area attached to it. Its well appointed even for an airsoft shop. I have my doubts they will ever be topped. 

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

Airsoft Billericay: Has a very large selection of gear is available at reasonable prices. It has gone slightly downhill recently but still claims 3rd spot.

 

 

Best Catering – Catering selection.

 

1)       Dogtag Airsoft (West Sussex)

2)       Invicta Airsoft (Kent)

2)      Airsoft Plantation (Essex)

 

Dogtag Airsoft: Had a hog roast and a freakin' Ice cream truck turn up. 

Invicta Airsoft: Not the best tasting food, but you got LOADS of it. Breakfast was included in the price and they have lots of vegetarian options too. 

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

 

 

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

 

2)      Airsoft Plantation (Essex)

1)       Gunman Camp Bravo (Hampshire)

3)      Invicta Airsoft (Kent)

 

AP: Has climbed back to the top spot after playing the weekend before writing this review. They will do anything to help you and bend over backwards. 

Gunman Camp Bravo: Had such a friendly bunch of people running it, really professionally run. 

Invicta Airsoft: Award goes for the most marshals and staff on one site for so few people! They were everywhere! 

 

Site where (We) had the most fun in 2020 – Might not have been the best sites, but definitely had the best experience.

 

1)      Dogtag Airsoft (West Sussex)

2)      Gunman Camp Bravo (Hampshire)

3)      Invicta Airsoft (Kent)

 

Dogtag Airsoft: Dogtag definitely took the top spot this year, we both had an amazing time and had something for both of us to like. (Considering how we are very different players!)

Gunman Camp Bravo: A very solid day, couldn't quite put our finger on it, but we had a great time and could have played for another couple of hours. Left us wanting more! 

Invicta Airsoft: More of a pick for @AlbiscuitIt was a good day in terms of personal performance for him and he loved the Invicta CQB area! 

 

Best site inside the M25:

 

1) Red 1 Chislehurst (Kent)

2) Doomsday Airsoft (Kent)

3) Mayhem Paintball and Airsoft (Essex)

 

Red 1 Chislehurst: Retains the crown as the best site inside the M25. Steady improvements despite thieves taking away part of the safe zone. 

Doomsday Airsoft: Needs to sort out its sometimes open/sometimes closed status. 

Mayhem Paintball and Airsoft: Fantastic playing area, good variety, but poor organisation lets it down.

 

Most Disappointing site - For sites we had high hopes for but was a bit of a let down on the day.

 

1) Splatoon Airsoft (Essex)

2) AirsoftGB (Essex)

3) Mayhem Paintball and Airsoft (Essex)

 

Splatoon airsoft: Went for a Battlesim, it was one of the most poorly run events that we have ever been to. Had so much promise. Shame, considering the site itself is not that bad. 

AirsoftGB: Was the biggest let down. We heard many many good things about it. But when we got there just saw a bowl of grass with a bunch of structures in it. The Farmyard section was quite good, but the rest of the experience wasn't fantastic either. We didn't quite get the hype. 

Mayhem Paintball and Airsoft: The photos on the website didn't disappoint. But I didn't realise how quite bad organisation could get until I played here. 

 

Spray and “prey” award:

 

For the third year running, I still have nightmares of Tactical Warfare in Croydon. I just cant bring myself to go back due to the liberal usage of plastic death. 

 

Best moment:

 

When we first saw the "Village" at Dogtag Airsoft. Jaw dropped and we looked at each other knowing it was going to be good. 

 

 

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

 

 

 

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There have been more changes this year in the awards then last year. The standard has been overall much higher. Though there were a number of "middling" sites, which just couldn't quite get on the board. 

 

Not much to say this year, I think people are just hoping to see the back of it. Definitely more of a year for purchasing gear that I haven't played enough to get around to using! In 2021 I am hoping to get to more sites outside of the South East, just for a bit of variety. So don't expect too many SE reviews... Not enough sites left to add anyway! 

 

See you in 2021 folks! Z-Mart, be there! 

[Hami]

awesome post. Really got back into airsoft this year! Looking forward to checking these sites out...hopefully soon.

[Cr0-Magnon]

I still go to TWA as I like the grounds and Marshals (and its very local). Yes it's a bit rundown but they struggle to develop the site due to frequent arson. However I did chuckle at the "Spray n' Pray" award. For my first few years in airsoft I only ever when there and as such couldn't fathom how anyone would ever use a GBBR with 30 round mags in a skirmish. Most of the games are "How quickly can you push through the hail of BB's"

 

Really need to get to Dogtag soon.

[Dogsbody100]

Very helpful guide here, clearly a lot of work (and mileage) have gone into this and I must say having played at plantation it’s clearly accurate too.

 

Ill definitely be paying a visit to several sites in the new year off the back of this and possibly avoiding some too! 
 

Many thanks for putting all the effort in! 

 

 

[EvilMonkee]

Wait till you see the FOB and Viking Village at Gunman Alpha.....

[Spartan09]

On 20/12/2020 at 16:17, Asomodai said:

I am also hopefully making a return to the South West to clean up some of the sites I missed near Bristol such as Black Ops Cribbs and HMP Gloucester. We are running out of sites in the SE to visit... 

 

i really want to go back to HMP Gloucester, it was the first airsoft site I ever played back in February of this year, my brother having finally twisted my arm to giving airsoft a try....   and I was immediately hooked, lol  (this time though i will make sure to have a torch on my gun...  plenty of dark areas inside the prison as I recall)

and if you move a bit further north, I can highly recommend giving RIFT a try, especially their redcon 2 site in Abingdon.

[Jaylordofwaargh]

The day you posted this should have been my first day at Red1 but tier 4 blows. It will be my first site visited in 2021