Through its different names, since 1987, the Castle
Conquest has become a twice yearly event, staged at
Castle Aaarrrgh, right on the entrance road to EMR
Paintball, in New Milford, PA. Players flock to these
events from great distances to be a part of what has been
described as “pure paintball insanity.”
In all the years this event had been held, the defenders,
outnumbered 4:1, held the castle just a few times. The
attackers were confident, saying they’d take the castle in
under an hour, but the defenders would be ready for them.
Mike “Blue” Hanse, EMR’s owner-operator, took the stage
for the game and safety briefings, then fielded questions.
At the end of the briefing, players were dispatched to get
their gear, attend to last minute details, then head for their
starting points to await the signal to begin.
The game was on! From the valley below the castle, a little
better than 900 attackers charged up the hill, attempting
to dislodge about 240 defenders and recover ten props
hidden within. The initial charge was met with withering
fire, and the first charge was repulsed.
The attackers spread out, and surrounded the castle,
but were unable to communicate and coordinate, thus
making the defenders’ job much easier. They could move
the defense from wall to wall, depending on from which
direction the attack would come.
There were several times when a wall or parapet was
breached, but those attackers were quickly repelled.
Of the ten props, only a couple fell into the hands of
the attackers. Then, another push, this one on two
sides. Concentrating their forces, the defenders again
held off the attacking force, but not without losses. The
attackers also suffered heavy losses, and this was where
the defenders had an advantage. Insertions were every
EMR’s Castle
Conquest Finale
By Hollywood
Photos by Stephen “K-Dawg” Kent
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paintball magazine