Blackstone CQB

[Loki7491]

Yesterday (16th August 2025) I visited the open day hosted at Blackstone CQB in Huntingdon. It is one of the RIFT sites, which I rate, so I had high hopes.

 

To clarify, it is a relatively new site and the open day was all about the meet and greet, along with checking out the site and the on-site shop, White Spere Tactical. There was no game play, but the range was open for you test your kit  etc.

 

After a 2hr drive to get there, I was blown away by the level of detail (and financial investment) that had gone into the place.

 

There was a photo board showing the progression of an empty warehouse, into a complete indoor "village" set across 2 floors.

 

Themed areas included (but not limited to)

 

A pub, complete with beer garden.

A general store

A bakery

A mechanics workshop, with a car

A church, with lectern and pews

A prison, with cells

Plus many other rooms decorated as houses. When I mentioned attention to detail, they had wall papered rooms and added decorations, wall art and fire places along with furniture.

 

The atmospherics of the game zone were enhanced with a sound and light system that was synchronised. When the storm audio was playing, the lightening flashed and thunder crashed. The noise of the weather added to an already errie game zone.

 

The safe zone was spacious, with plenty of seating, table real-estate and general space for even the most committed airsoft hoarder and gear junkie. It was well lit, air-conditioned and very tastefully set up.

 

During our walk round, by buddies who I linked up with, tested movement, debated weapon choices, and how to deal with "what if" scenarios. 4 of the 5 of us have military backgrounds and 3 of the 5 have also been involved in the airsoft industry for over 30 years each.

 

There was no obvious choke point where a player could camp and dominate except for the stairs, but the site rules (with lots of signs for the forgetful) make it quite clear the stairs are for transit and not part of the game. There is options on how to move away from the stairs too, which again limits the capacity to dominate the access / egress areas.

 

Grenades..... lots and lots of grenades. That's the answer, right? Wrong. Site rules dictate 1 grenade, per person, per life. Depending how option you get shot, your Quake8 could last you all day. This is a deliberate rule to prevent the deepest pockets from buying the victory. 

 

The only way we saw that would give a genuine advantage to players is to be an established, slick team who work together often. But even then, that advantage is relatively small as there are multiple areas you can be engaged from at any turn. There are the corners, the windows, the rat runs and murder holes, and an almost infinite number of hiding places due to the vast array of props within the game area.

 

Another nice touch (personal opinion) is the semi-auto only rule. Working through the site with this in the back of my head, I think I have worked out my RIF of choice:

 

ASG / KWA MP9 GBB SMG with tracer and torch, using 0.2g ammo.

 

I love the ergonomics of the MP9. It has a 50 round mag capacity. The noise of it up close!! It can be dark or light depending on what mood or scenario the organisers play with the lighting systems, so I'd recommend a weapon light. And tracers, well, they look cool, don't they? The 0.2g ammo may seem an odd choice, but:

 

- No wind.

- Relatively short engagement distances.

- Higher muzzle velocity for the same energy out-put. Less reaction time to move out the way - and if they're tracers, they're easier to see coming.

- Cheap! There is no advantage to spending extra on the heavier ammo.

 

SMGs, short barrelled rifles and even pistols / pistol carbines will dominate in this environment.  Although it's not my "thing", those speedy bois with a high-cap rifle mag hanging off the bottom of their HPA'd hi-cappa will be an absolute menace to the opposing team.

 

The place is simply amazing and a real testament to what an airsofting family business can offer airsofters. I suspect it will take years to claw back the investment, so this is a real "by the players, for the players" labour of love and not just a cash grab.

 

If any of the below apply to you:

 

- Live near Leicester / Huntingdon

- Don't live near, but don't mind travelling

- Fancy some CQB action

- Are a speedy boi

- Love using GBB, but hate being outgunned by high-cap heroes

- Only own 1 magazine for your RIF

- Want to appreciate what a site should look like

 

Then I thoroughly and un-reservedly recommend checking out Blackstone CQB.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited Sunday at 21:40 by Loki7491
Spelling

[Cannonfodder]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it. Blackstone is my first choice when I get to play these days.

12 hours ago, Loki7491 said:

Grenades..... lots and lots of grenades. That's the answer, right? Wrong. Site rules dictate 1 grenade, per person, per life. Depending how option you get shot, your Quake8 could last you all day. This is a deliberate rule to prevent the deepest pockets from buying the victory. 

They've never mentioned this when I've visited but they have run some games where grenades can't be used at all. However I get the impression grenade rules can change depending on how many are carrying them, for example on the 10th numbers were low and only a couple of us had them so there were no restrictions.

 

12 hours ago, Loki7491 said:

Although it's not my "thing", those speedy bois with a high-cap rifle mag hanging off the bottom of their HPA'd hi-cappa will be an absolute menace to the opposing team.

They don't allow speed softers. Tactics such as pre firing corners, sliding along the floor and spamming the trigger will get you booted (rightly imo).

 

I agree that it's definitely a site worth checking out if you like CQB

[Galvatron]

3 hours ago, Cannonfodder said:

They've never mentioned this when I've visited but they have run some games where grenades can't be used at all. However I get the impression grenade rules can change depending on how many are carrying them, for example on the 10th numbers were low and only a couple of us had them so there were no restrictions.

 

 

The rules on allowing BFGs/IGs work on a case-by-case basis. Depending on the number of players, the balance of players on red vs blue team with grenades, specific objections or the type of game being played, etc, can see them being prohibited. 

[Emergencychimps]

I did a game here earlier this year (very early this year) and while it was well run, it just isn't the style I like. 

 

The site is impressive and almost designed for speedy bois, yet they say they don't want that. Unfortunately that style works at the site, so players running pistols with high capacity mags do rule. Also it's a maze, I couldn't get from one side to the other without getting lost, even at the end of the (1/2) day. 

 

This also means regulars (or anyone who has been 2/3 times) have a massive advantage as the race to the stairs at the start of every game is then quite unbalanced.

 

The stairs are a massive choke point, regardless of the rules, the rules on their spiral staircase led to many almost comical moments of "oh I'm on the last step so you can't shoot me and I can't shoot you, so I'll just turn around and go back up etc". 

 

The longest shot possible is 8 metres, every shot hurts so anytime you're shot more than once, it's a mother trucker. (Thankfully this didn't happen much). 

 

There was great sportsmanship on site, the shop is great, the staff professional, other players seemed friendly and I honestly feel bad saying things which aren't positive as they have spent loads building what should be an Airsoft experience like no other (which it is), but it's just a bit too squashed in for me to find it fun. Too many painful shots and getting owned again and again by players who know the layout just isn't fun. I fear that this sort of day, recent promotions, extra marketing etc is because they aren't getting the numbers needed for it to be viable. 

 

It's a niche site and if that's your thing, it's a must visit. But honestly I suspect most players will visit, go oh that's novel and then not actually enjoy it enough to return again and again. Maybe if people stick the 2 or 3 day learning curve to learn the layout they will have loads of fun, being the people who know the routes and angles. 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 08:35 by Emergencychimps

[Cannonfodder]

Some parts of walls are removable allowing corridors to be blocked off and new doorways made

[Emergencychimps]

3 hours ago, Cannonfodder said:

Some parts of walls are removable allowing corridors to be blocked off and new doorways made

No doubt added to my confusion levels! Was getting frustrated towards the end. 

 

It just wasn't my style, I feared it might not be before going but it looks so special I wanted to give it a go. Absolutely no fault of the organisation etc of the day, the site is just what it is, for the good and bad that entails.  

[Cannonfodder]

I'll freely admit it took me a couple of visits before I wasn't spending half the games wondering where the hell I was.

 

I suppose if that type of site isn't your thing then its just not for you. Fair play to you for giving it a go though, far too many people will write off, or worse put down, a site without bothering to try it out first

[Galvatron]

On 19/08/2025 at 09:33, Emergencychimps said:

The site is impressive and almost designed for speedy bois, yet they say they don't want that. Unfortunately that style works at the site, so players running pistols with high capacity mags do rule. Also it's a maze, I couldn't get from one side to the other without getting lost, even at the end of the (1/2) day. 

 

The stairs are a massive choke point, regardless of the rules, the rules on their spiral staircase led to many almost comical moments of "oh I'm on the last step so you can't shoot me and I can't shoot you, so I'll just turn around and go back up etc". 

 

The longest shot possible is 8 metres, every shot hurts so anytime you're shot more than once, it's a mother trucker. (Thankfully this didn't happen much). 

...

 

 

For the sake of those who haven't played there, it's worth pointing out that there are 4 sets of differing stairs but yes, I agree that they can become choke points.  With the spiral staircase, I have seen disputes settled quite reasonably with "Rock Paper Scissors". 

 

Whether it was "almost designed for speedy bois" is debatable. I would have thought a large open area with small barricades is more akin to a speedy boi arena. Some objectives are time and speed-sensitive in terms of who can reach a point first but is that fundamentally different from a traditional oudoor skirmish, going to points on the map albeit over a larger area? I don't think a site designed for speedy bois is going to lend well to training for blue light services simulating real-life urban environments either. Just my two cents.

 

 

[Emergencychimps]

I don't think it was designed for speedy bois, to be honest I'd like a site or 2 that was, just so they have somewhere to go that's not a run of the mill skirmish site. Id like more variety in the sport so that people have what appeals to them. 

 

The trouble I think is that it was designed to have "cool features"  and jam loads of stuff in a small space, but it's too much in too small a space and it actually doesn't work as a fun Airsoft site as its a similar experience with every firefight. The garage which is a respawn is almost entirely wasted as fighting around a spawn is dodgy, so all this cool stuff is ignored and never fought around. 

 

Kind of like they went, this 2 acre site has x number of points of interest, x number of routes, turns etc and we need the same number, but squished into 1/4 of an acre. I found that it led to similar experiences for the whole time I was there, peeking corners, snap shooting and getting lost. Any attempt to flank left me lost and away from the fight. Sites like the mall, the gaol, urban assault , Anzio etc all have cool features but you can sort of predict where routes go, how you can flank etc even if you don't know the site. They're natural buildings.

 

I feel like I'm slagging the site off and that isn't deserved, if this level of closeness, tight and fast cqb is your thing then there isn't a site like it, it's just such a juxtaposition, great for speedy bois but rules say you can't, they want tactics but it's a maze where tactics can't be applied. They have spent a fortune, the shop is great, the professionalism of the staff is really up there, the look and feel of the site is amazing but it just doesn't have the magic ingredient it needs to be amazing and I think that can be achieved when purpose built. 

 

I'd suggest a few tweaks, simple things like arrows on the floor back to respawn for that level. Maybe ditch the firing range and have that extra space for game zone (do the chrono at the start of the game zone), maybe dedicate 1 set of stairs to each side for a game.  Maybe some different respawn points, even if rarely used or only on the ground floor, both could start on the ground floor and fight over objectives upstairs etc. 

[Tommikka]

1 hour ago, Emergencychimps said:

 

 

, great for speedy bois but rules say you can't, they want tactics but it's a maze where tactics can't be applied.

The thing is that ‘tactics’ can be applied, just not the ‘tactics’ that ‘tactical players’ want

 

The tactic to deal with attacking a fully hostile close up urban environment is to obliterate it with air power and/or artillery then roll armour over it - preferably before the defenders crawl around under the fresh cover (Stalingrad style)

 

That tactic cannot be used if you have friendlies out there or, want to make the local civil population friendly etc and don’t want to scorch the earth 

So you have to send in bodies at a high attrition rate - which means you go as slow as possible trying to stay alive, stacked up to throwing in grenades - (as long as you don’t have friendlies in there) 

The alternative to being slow and methodical is to be fast and furious 

 

We play games where we don’t die.  The worst that can happen is we have to walk further to respawn

Fast and furious gets you eliminated, but gets things done along the way.

 

If those behind you are advancing to full the progress by the speedy boy then the respawn is worth more than a stacked up queue that’s making no progress 

 

 

To slow the speedy players organisers can set trip wires & booby traps, and I apply spawn rules / life limits 

 

 

 

 

[Galvatron]

2 hours ago, Emergencychimps said:

I feel like I'm slagging the site off and that isn't deserved, if this level of closeness, tight and fast cqb is your thing then there isn't a site like it, it's just such a juxtaposition, great for speedy bois but rules say you can't, they want tactics but it's a maze where tactics can't be applied. They have spent a fortune, the shop is great, the professionalism of the staff is really up there, the look and feel of the site is amazing but it just doesn't have the magic ingredient it needs to be amazing and I think that can be achieved when purpose built. 

 

 

 

Stuff that's great for speedy bois includes being able to hero dive. It's not just against the rules, the floor had been made slightly more abrasive to make it much more difficult. Lots of hard walls make it an unwise choice also unless you want to risk a concussion. The idea that tactics can't be applied is utterly untrue - you just have to change the tactics that didn't work before or regroup and strategise for the next game.

 

 

2 hours ago, Emergencychimps said:

I'd suggest a few tweaks, simple things like arrows on the floor back to respawn for that level. Maybe ditch the firing range and have that extra space for game zone (do the chrono at the start of the game zone), maybe dedicate 1 set of stairs to each side for a game.  Maybe some different respawn points, even if rarely used or only on the ground floor, both could start on the ground floor and fight over objectives upstairs etc. 

 

As kindly as I can say this, you may need to think outside of Blackstone. The range is part of the White Sphere shop as much as it is part of Blackstone CQB and offers people an opportunity to test and tweak their RIFs and accessories on off days between games when their living arrangements may not give them that luxury. RIFT Airsoft currently runs at two outdoor sites so having a ~20m indoor range helps somewhat.

 

Spawn and respawn points have been mixed up on occasion, both of which were on the ground floor and objectives were partly on the first floor. Tweaks in both the build/maintenance of the site and the game modes have been made over the past few months. They've also done pistol & shotgun/pistol only days once a month. On those days, the use of drum and adapted rifle/SMG mags with pistols was prohibited.

 

I can't say I agree with the idea of allocating one set of stairs to each side for a game as you risk adding to choke points whether it's a team being reluctant to push forward or a dead player being delayed in returning to respawn. Sometimes a dead player needs a second option for stairs so they don't hinder their living teammates.

 

My intention wasn't to rubbish your experience, it's just that some comments about the site have become outdated as things have changed since very early this year.

[Emergencychimps]

I don't see speedy bois as a bad thing or that it's just the sliding around on the floor stuff, it's the general hpa pistols with suppressors tracers, high cap m4 mags stuck on, big bright masks etc all the stuff you'd not normally associate with people doing the typical camo and skirmishing from back in the day. 

 

My reference to tactics being hard to apply was along the lines of, "I have made contact with the enemy, so I am going to go this way to flank them" only for the maze to take me somewhere nowhere near the enemy. For the size of the site I can completely understand why they have added loads of bits as they have and have a complex layout. I can't imagine it would be that fun or interesting to play again and again as a regular if it was too standard. 

 

I won't be returning to blackstone, I'd like to say (again) that the site and staff were great, me not returning isn't a reflection of them or their service. 

 

My comments on changes were just me thinking aloud (is that a thing when typing online?!) , great to hear they're already doing stuff and have run trials etc. I am sure they're working hard to provide the best experience they can for their customers. 

 

I don't think you have rubbished my experience at all, everything seems very civil. I only added in my experience because it's a post from someone saying "this is amazing" yet they haven't actually played there and for anyone reading to at least consider why it might not be for them.