Airsoftcymru

I am just home from my very first ever Airsoft session at Airsoft Cymru and I can honestly say that I had a really good time!

I am remarkably unfit and so I think that once I have a few games under my belt, I will enjoy it far more when I am fit enough to be able to run about a bit.

My aiming/shooting was pretty much OK, but then, I have been shooting air rifles since my early years. Luckily, I have always been a pretty good shot.

I think that the real issues were the 7 times I got shot by the enemy, twice in the face. Glad I had a full face mask! Being shot on the point of my elbow, right on the bone isn't very funny either, nor was the shot that hit me on my collar bone. Soon covered that up!

My hands took the rest of the hits right on finger ends or knuckles, so, glad I was wearing decent gloves!

However, I was shot far more by my own team when I had been shot and was heading back to a respawn area!!! I stopped counting after 7-8 times during the first game. I managed to hit a couple of folks on my team too, so, my apologies for that!

I also made the error of having my gun on full auto and it should have been on semi auto. My bad, I didn't know, but soon changed it when someone pointed out my error. So, apologies if I blammed you on full auto during the first 10 minutes or so of the first game, after I was informed of my error, I soon shifted to single shots.

I know that some others were shooting at me with full auto at times, but I'm not going to complain when I did it by accident to start with.

I have never had that rush that most folks get when playing sports or exercising, so I never expect to have it in this, but I know many people do get it and it was easy to see why people get hooked on the game if they are going to get that hit most times they play.

Thoughts on the games and set up as an over view:

Airsoft is fun for the unfit bloke who can shoot straight enough to hit what he is pointing at, and I expect that it would be just as much fun to be fit enough and just shoot a lot of BBs everywhere. A bit US soldier tactic of spray and pray.

At some point, I am sure that the two will merge and I will be fit enough to match my shooting ability. I am certainly happy to hit whomever it was lurking behind a door and shooting through the hinge gap at about 40m or so!

The first game of shoot and scoot, or, 'just go and have a go and get the idea' was great, and I learned that full auto was not allowed. I was also reminded just how utterly unfit I am!

The 'Flag' games were really good fun. A bit of direction for a game rather than just blamming at people and I properly enjoyed those games.

The game of 'bomb' was fun, but I didn't enjoy that as much as I didn't know where the bomb was meant to go. But then, this was my first ever visit. When I have been more often and got the hang of the layout of the place, I reckon that I will enjoy that and other location based games much more. Some how though, I was with the first few guys who managed to get the downstairs bomb placed. God only knows how that happened! Some brave, (daft) buga gave me the bomb and then I found myself with a few others and we made it to the location. Not quite sure what happened after that. I seemed to wander around an empty place for a while and then wandered off to find something more interesting and eventually found some action and joined back in, until I got shot.

'Bomb', game 1 was my last game today. I was getting wobbly legs due to my lack of fitness. I thought it wiser to be sure to be able to drive home than to play on and have no legs to walk and drive safely with.

In terms of tactics. I am sure that many have heard of the term, but I think a lot of folks seem to think that they refer to those little sweets in a little plastic box. At least 4-5 times I was there at a blocked doorway when someone chucked a flash-bang through, having agreed with several team mates that, as soon as the bang had happened, they were all going to rush through the door. On each occasion, either no-one moved or one person of the half a dozen or so who agreed to go didn't move an inch.

The game space, 'arena' or whatever it is called, is basically one big house clearing job. I didn't see many who knew how to do that in any kind of organised way. A handful looked pretty good at it, but most, including me at first, having never played before and being a tad overwhelmed by the experience, had no idea.

The most amusing bit, for me, was when I was lurking by a hole in a wall and someone chucked a flash/bang through. I was intending to kick it back through, but I didn't see it arrive and didn't feel or hear it go off. I thought that someone had shot low and caught the leg of my trousers. The guy who 'blew me up' had to shout through and tell me that I was dead. So, the scary flash/bangs aren't scary in the least. If they go off in smaller areas, they make you jump a bit, and suffice to say, my arse has no blockages! But once you get used to them, they are not a worry.

Criticisms:

The briefings in the 'Safe Zone' where you get ready need to be much louder! Perhaps a small loud speaker thing or a karaoke type machine? Or, the person doing the briefing needs to have a fog horn, whether literally or by way of having just retired as an RSM.

The 'Safe Zone' where you go to get ready is very crowded and there's little in the way of organised spacings. I reckon that benches and open 'locker' type spaces would be better. I spent a lot of the rest time sitting on the floor because it was comfy and I could rest my back against the wall.

Some signage approaching the place would be good and help to not only promote the place, but also, and more importantly, guide newbs to where it is. Signage of where to go once entering the shop would help, where to go to go and get ready would help.

Signage of some kind to point to where places are in the 'arena'(?) would help too.

I have no idea how to describe where the steps are, but there's a set of steps where the bottom of them is very dark and I discovered that someone sneaked in an extra step at the bottom which nearly had me fall/slip/trip at the bottom. Perhaps a little bit of lighting there would help or some bright paint or something?

Maybe a map akin to the zone map of 'The Crystal Maze' would help newbs find their way around? Don't need to have every obstacle marked on a map, but it would have been really helpful to have known where I was meant to be going in the first 'bomb' game.

On the plus side:

Walking into the shop was like walking into an American Prepper's heaven and a fun surprise. Not used to seeing such things in this country. There was a very happy grin as I walked up to the wrong counter whilst looking at all the toys.

Everyone there was really nice and helpful, despite several running around making me feel even more unfit than I already knew that I am. Having sat on the floor, I was asked by every staff member if I was OK, and several of the players too. A very kind gesture to a bloke on his first ever visit and alone too. The floor and wall was nice and cool which was a great help and relief!

The sound track during play was heavy and stuff and that really added to the atmosphere. Not sure that the lasers added much though.

The obstacles made shooting angles plenty hard enough and great fun as a result! Apart from the sneaky buga who was shooting at me through the hinge gap! Bloody Meany!!!

Being hit, for the most part, was nowhere near as bad as I expected. Apart from the collar bone one and the elbow bony point. Lesson learned! Wearing elbow pads next time and making sure that my neck/throat area is better protected. How those who do it with just goggles on manage face hits I don't know. The hits I got in the face as proper shots would have probably split lips. I might look for some better gloves too.

Parting thoughts.

All things considered, I had a really fun day and look forward to playing again! I only used my Bullpup AEG and only used one magazine of that. I'll have to try my pistol next time and see how much chaos I can cause then.

Many thanks for the considerate staff and I will be back in a couple of weeks!

Head down!

Chin up!