Dorian Black from the Black Knights took these great shots of me at the game.  Here’s one that defines the meaning of covering fire.

And here’s another from the same assault on Bastogne

Finally, here’s a shot I wish I had taken.  I’ve known Gary Baum for a few years, and he’s inspired me to want to work the photography end of things more.  Look for some upcoming published pictures from this game, but in the mean time, here’s one that I didn’t take that I admire.

I love the NC scenario scene!

Bebop Productions and Black River Sportz teamed up again to put on one heck of a game, a single day historical scenario based around the defense of Bastogne. The US forces were given the task of defending the field’s central fort, and although it has plenty of cover, some excellent trenches, and an easy insertion walk, the German side got two entry points and Black River’s woods to hide their movements. Getting pinched all day between two attacking groups, even if one of those is small, isn’t easy, but the Americans held out, and through some courageous charges in the final battle, they came up from a two mission deficit to win the game by 25 points.

Allen and Danny, two of the head honchos at Black River, took the command roles again this year, but they enlisted some help from some scenario savvy XOs. Danny’s German XO, the infamous Otto, organized the troops and coordinated mission strategy for the game. His efforts paid off in that two mission lead, and he was able to send players to key points on the field, mostly by going back and forth to the CP to get updates, then walking to the front lines to personally direct the masses to their best locations. Allen’s American XO, Matt McNeil, has plenty of scenario know-how. He brought out chart paper and a white erase board, set those up at the CP, and made sure that every player reinsterting would know the current mission and where on the field the American team need players. I’ve played plenty of games with and against both of those guys, and those are two players that I would always want on my team. Hmm…maybe it’s time to start thinking about a new Scenario Dream Team article for Splat. That last one got enough people riled up.

The single day big games at Black River are cathartic slug-fests. For me, leading charges and pushing the front lines, it’s an exhaustingly physical experience that leaves me drained but feeling good. The prize package they offer is top-notch. This one had half a dozen masks, some barrels, a $400 Spec Ops gift certificate, two pairs of Original SWAT boots (the best in the game), and twenty markers. I’ve only been to a handful of games with that level of prizes, and for this one, they raffled off tickets at a dollar a pop, with all the proceeds going to the Danny Bell fund to help that scenario player and member of Port City Militia who lost so much in a tragic house fire.

I’ve attached some pictures of the action, and these are just a sampling. I took about 400 shots, and some of them are sweet. I’m giving you a taste here, but to see more, you’ll need to buy some reading material.

If you played at Battle of the Bulge II and would like your story to be a part of a magazine article, please post a comment and tell it. Describe, in a paragraph, the most memorable moment from the game - that mission you completed or that ambush you sprung or that triumphant charge you led. Was there a moment of total hilarity? Tell that story. I’ll try to incorporate some of your ideas when I get down to writing some full event coverage.

To learn more about Black River Paintball so you can plan a trip to one of their big games, check out their website.

The Truth

The concert world has changed in the past few years, moving from a touring  model to the idea of a destination festival.  Instead of bringing a traveling road show of acts to major venues, the destination festival operates on a different principle – create the greatest event and let the consumer travel to take part.  Paintball has also made a similar transformation.  While several national scenario and tournament producers create a mobile roadshow that crisscrosses the country, players recently are opting to attend several large-scale events, held on the same fields each year, that build up over time to create a unique paintball travel experience.  If you love the sport, attending one of these events is something you start saving your dollars for well in advance.
Oklahoma D-Day.  Perhaps the most well-known destination event, OK D-Day takes place each year at the D-Day Adventure Park in Wyandotte, Oklahoma.  Over the past ten years this recreation of the historic military battle has grown in scope from a few hundred players over a weekend to thousands of attendees over the course of a week.  The full D-Day experience includes different paintball games each day, a week of family camping, the notorious obstacle course, and the culminating D-Day game itself with landing craft, dozens of tanks, and thousands of players.  In any given second of action, cases of paint will be flying through the air.  The vendor village alone rivals those on the major tournament circuits, and recruiting for the battle begins a year in advance.
Elite Weekend.  On a completely different scale, Elite Weekend offers a much more personal experience with far fewer participants.  Even though Elite Weekend has only run for two years straight, the precedent it set in 2007 put it high on many scenario players’ must-attend lists.  Elite Weekend in Utah starts with a tour of the Special Ops factory followed by a complete equipment outfitting session.  Participants pay a steep fee to attend, but they walk away with a complete marker, tricked out to their specifications, a custom tactical vest, a full camo suit in a unique pattern, a mask, and all the paint they can shoot for the entire weekend.  And what a weekend it is, with training sessions with some of the top players in the game, team challenges, an SPPL-style game, and a full-blown scenario game to cap it all off.
Castle Conquest.  EMR Paintball in Pennsylvania is one of the premier paintball fields in the country.  While many fields have built castles, few rival the infamous Castle AAARRGH with its 30,000 square feet of playing area.  Twice a year EMR hosts Castle Conquest, the biggest game of attack and defend in the world.  They stack the odds against the defenders then start the clock and let the hordes do their best to invade the castle.  While it has happened that the defenders hold out for the entire time limit, the point of this incredibly intense game is to have as much fun as possible, and teams travel thousands of miles for their chance to take part.  Even if you don’t have a regular scenario team to play with, you can still have a blast at Castle Conquest.
Hell Survivors.  This famous field in Michigan, Hell Survivors, is not only one of the longest operating and largest fields in the country, but it’s also the site of three of the biggest events on the calendar.  The Tippmann World Challenge pits Tippmann armed players against all others in a massive big game over the gigantic Hell Survivors field.  The Michigan Monster Game typically draws 1500 or more players to participate in a truly monstrous event where teams push to capture the forts and towns of the Hell Survivors field.  Global Conquest is a seven team game of paintball risk, and it also has a loyal following.  Pick your own or play all three.
There are other events worth mentioning, each of them a major game worthy of long drives or plane rides.  Wayne Dollack caps off each year with a two day Grand Finale game that is the highlight of many players’ scenario season.  The legendary field, Skirmish, runs their world record-breaking Invasion of Normandy game each year, and companies have started producing large-scale events in such desirable locations as Hawaii, Australia, and England.  With so many choices, why not make paintball a reason to travel this year?  I’ll see you at the airport.

I just returned from a great game at an up-and-coming scenario field, Adventure Beach Paintball in Tabor City, NC - right on the coast. They have a packed schedule this year, and they’re bringing in some outside help to make their games great. MPP and BeBop will both be running games there in 2008, so mark your calendars. Right now I have that weekend free, so it’s looking like time to plan another trip to the beach. Open the attached PDF for all the juicy details.

leningrad-flyer.pdf

Adventure Beach used the daylight paratrooper raid of Point Salines Airport, the kick-off to the 1983 invasion of Grenada, as the basis of their game. US Rangers faced off against the People’s Resistance Army (pro communist forces in the country) in a single day charity scenario game roughly based on the historic military conflagration. While the weather was crappy with temperatures just above freezing and rain for most of the morning, dedicated players came out to support a positive cause and to play a great scenario field.

The Rangers had it tough from the beginning. The game’s storyline forced them to establish a beachhead on the island before they could set up a command post. The PRA, on the other hand, fought from Adventure Beach’s town field, but they had to traverse the entire length of the field to get to the action, at least in the opening few hours. The PRA also came out swinging, taking the fight right to the Rangers. When asked for a team preference at registration, I chose the PRA simply because their base would be closer to my campsite, but when I learned that the producers had to balance the teams before game-on because 75% of the players had picked the Rangers, I got worried. Team RATS and a few other players switched over, but even at the opening horn I felt like our team would be playing an uphill battle against a more experienced opponent. I shouldn’t have been worried.

At the start signal I moved with a squad that flanked the swamp side of the field, pushing all the way to the back boundary where the Point Salines airstrip lay. We then established a perimeter around the strip to prevent the Rangers from landing their cargo planes, while another group continued the flank to engage the Rangers in an ambush. I set up on point and got my first taste of the action when I surprised a squad of four Rangers moving down the road to the airstrip. While I shot them all, the second squad I hadn’t seen spotted my position. Three of them were content to gun fight with me - standing in the open against a player in cover. Heck, I’ll take those odds, but the fourth player crept through the woods and sent me packing for home. Nicely played Rangers.

As the missions continued, I noticed something unusual about the players on the Ranger side. I might run across one or two in the woods, but if I ran across a group, it was a really big group. Our side broke into squads of four to six for most of the game, but their side was traveling in packs of 20 or more. That gave them the edge in a straight-up fight, but on a field like Adventure Beach’s, where there are so many concealed ways to move, it kept them from covering their angles. The PRA teams got to their mission objectives fairly easily simply because they could move around the massive clumps of Rangers while they stopped to engage a single small team.

The highlight of the game for me was when we destroyed the Rangers’ base. My buddy Dwayne took a group of newbies to flank the base from the left, while I ran with a couple of the Little Girl Paintball Mafia and moved in from the right. Those Little Girls can play - rocking some sweet pump guns, but the layout of the field and shooters at the Ranger base kept them pinned. I risked a move to dash across some open ground for a tall bunker within an easy shot of the base, and I made it. The defenders hammered my spot with suppressive fire, but Dwayne’s shots from the other side of the base grabbed their attention, and that was all it took. They removed their eyes from me for a moment and I snapped out, saw way too many open shots, and picked off the entire group of defenders in about 15 seconds. Upon getting word that we had blown the Ranger base, the producers set off some big booming fireworks, which was a nice touch.

PRA won the day by 50 points, and the field raised some money for a paintballer in need. The Chronic paint I shot at the event broke like a dream and left big, thick orange splotches on the Rangers who got in my way (except for the few who shot me first), and most importantly, everyone had a great time. I plan to hit Adventure Beach for a few more scenarios this year, so check out my “US Tour 2008″ link for those dates. Fun game.

The game’s over, and boy am I worn out.  Even with temperatures hovering just above freezing and a steady drizzle for the first half of the game, a good crowd came out and played the fun fields at Adventure Beach.  I had the good fortune to play with RATS, Staggering Mayhem, Port City Militia, Little Girl Paintball Mafia, Team Brute, and Shadow Group.  Fun game, great field - look for more of a write up, with pictures, in the near future.

I’ve updated my calendar of scenario dates.  Simply click on “US Tour 2008″ under links to see my Google Calendar.  I still have some dates open, especially in the summer months.  If you’re a field or producer and you’d like me to cover your event or write about a walk-on day at your field, contact me before my 2008 is completely booked.

I’ve added a link to my events calendar, which is quickly filling. It’s looking like I’ll be playing 20-24 scenarios in 2008, so look for me at a field near you.

Adventure Beach Paintball is a fine field on the east coast. Located in the southeastern corner of North Carolina, ABP has an amazing town field, plenty of excellent woods, some forts, a cool pyramid, and a home team, Shadow Group, with great vision and sportsmanship. I’ll be attending a charity scenario game there on January 26th. They’re offering reasonable prices for registration, BYOP or three grades of field paint at nice prices, and a full day of scenario action. Teams within driving distance should definitely plan to attend. If you’ve never played a game at Adventure Beach, you’re missing a field that’s already fun but that also has incredible potential. They’re hosting an MPP game this year, which should draw some teams, but those same squads would be wise to learn the terrain by playing the charity scenario in a couple of weeks. Check out www.abspaintball.com for more details and directions.

My buddy Brian from SC Roadkill and PB Junkie came to Fulda Gap to blast some players with his camera. Check out his work.