SITE REVIEW
dam. They have added to the already
amazing natural features with six fixed
bases that stretch the length of the site.
On the day of my visit there was a
large turnout and with the numbers of
cars parked in the lane it soon became
apparent that a bit more grub was going
to be needed.
Just outside the main Safe Zone was
a small woodland copse where you can
informally zero, as well as complete
the mandatory check with the site’s
chrono if it is your (or your weapons’)
first time at the site. The safety briefing
was comprehensive – if all players know
the ground rules the games flow more
easily. Gathered around the top of the
lane the marshals outlined the rules,
with special emphasis on the site’s
cardinal rule: no cheat calling. Fair play
is FAO’s main objective and the reason
around eight marshals would be both
high-viz and embedded in the game.
The first game was a straightforward
attack and defend scenario designed
to warm up limbs and brains. Two
hostages were held – the defence had
to hold onto them and the attack had to
secure their release.
The winter sunlight was streaming
through the evergreen canopy and
carpeting the pine needle floor with
dappled areas of light and shade.
Stealthy movement was pretty difficult
against such a background so an assault
using skirmishing techniques of fire and
manoeuvre proved the best plan, as
the attacking forces managed to rescue
both hostages.
With hop-ups now nicely warmed up
the next game was outlined as a race
against time. Defending forces knew
the location of a small nuclear device
they had to protect down to zero hour.
Attackers had to locate it, get their
designated engineer in to retrieve it
and then fall back to their fire base to
defuse the device. I was positioned
at Hamburger Hill, a large bunker
emplacement on the highest point of
the woodland, with an arc of vision of
all areas of attack. This scenario was
a classic case of defending forces
needing to be correctly deployed to
make it very difficult for the attackers.
An entrenched Blue sniper team
covered the only crossing of a very
boggy river with a good view of any
approach. With a trio of G36-wielding
high-cap comrades they could easily
secure this flank while the bulk of their
teammates held the bunker with the
bomb.
Things went according to plan
for the first 20 minutes or so; the
attackers’ initial probing of the line for
weaknesses was robustly defended. Yet
I kept seeing these two figures moving
along the dam wall. I recognised them
as the two WW2 German players: one
with an STG44 and the other a K98.
They kept annoying the defenders, who
didn’t notice that a squad of Reds had
crossed the river and moved diagonally
up towards the trench complex. Soon
the sound of BBs ricocheting off timber
filled the air on top of Hamburger as
the entrenched Blues realised their
predicament. With the defenders having
to expose their flank to try and repel the
new attack the German duo was able
to pick off the remaining Blues with
ease. The line was broken and soon the
Red team was streaming towards the
bomb while the Blues had to trek back
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