event STIRLING AIRSOFT ENGLAND V SCOTLAND 2017
THE AULD ENEMY ONCE AGAIN, SCOTT ALLAN REPORTS FROM THE ANNUAL ENGLAND V SCOTLAND GAME, WHERE THE PRESSURE IS ON ENGLAND TO REDRESS THE BALANCE. Photography by Stephen Reynolds of Reynolds Films IN ITS 10TH YEAR, THE AULD ENEMY game has become a UK highlight for 200 players. The stakes are high, the game is tough and it’s all or nothing. Stirling Airsoft are probably one of the most unique Airsoft events company in the UK, they do not have a “home” site like so many others. They don’t just frequent the same single game location either. They move all around the UK and Spain running Combat Mission (story driven games) and themed games which are fairly MilSim (although Stirling don’t like to think any of their games are “MilSim” per se). The Catterick training village that they have used exclusively for years has easily been one of my most favourite sites for a long time. The England V Scotland events score was currently at 3 - 6 in Scotland’s favour and, to date, no side has ever won five games in a row so England were determined to take Scotland down off their winning streak. The battlefield of choice is always Catterick Garrison training village, as used by the British Army for Infantry Training. The training village is an old housing estate converted for police and military training. It offers a great range of terrain in a compact format, from barbed wire filled assault courses, burnt out armoured tanks, houses, tunnel network and a purpose built multi-storey tower block that is famously difficult to take and hold. The perimeter of the site is light woodland with plenty of cover that allows great creativity with the tactics for teams to employ during a game. No single style of play suits the whole site, snipers work great out in the woodland but are hopeless inside buildings. The same with a standard AEG, great indoors and assaulting buildings but given some of the long firing lines available you won’t reach a sniper. From the very first year, playing in a foot of snow, the Scottish team has become more dynamic and worked harder
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and better. In the last few years the English have suffered a number harsh defeats to the relentless Scottish fireteams but that hasn’t quenched their hunger for the win, it’s only made them want it more! Airsoft, much like real life, is never 100% evenly matched but Matt Belgrove and his team do try to make it as level as possible. To prevent any single team being given a perceived advantage, coins are tossed for which camouflage is worn (greens or deserts) and which side of the site each team starts on. To the eastern side lies “Regen 1”, the main safe area and accommodation. To the west lies the “Regen 2” area, which has a slight advantage of being on higher ground and feeds wider across the site. The site is nearly the classic “keyhole” shape with Regen 1 being at the base and Regen 2 being at the top. The Regen points can be used by either team, when it is open for a team at one side the opposite side is open for the