After-action Report: Midway Retreat

Good evening, 'ballers - as some of you already know, a few of us got together at Midway Paintball in Duncan, BC to get a few accounts settled and some welts traded. The event was expected to be a friendly game involving Duncan's local players, Team Hellfire and the Cedar boys. Unfortunately, Mother Nature continues to torment us with schizophrenic weather; sun and rain all day long.

However, despite a mildly disappointing turnout, mosquito air forces operating around the clock from the Tire Yard, and Artemis the attack cat, the Island United spirit pulled through once again and fun was had by all. I got to witness Steve being welcomed into Team Hellfire, and we celebrated with a series of small-field duels. As an unexpected bonus, I was even able to chase down a fellow Operator from the X7OG - the elusive Rockfrog!

As for the field, all I can say is WOW.

I've played at quite a few sites (including Tsawassen), but these guys are hardcore. I don't know if Midway Pete and his gang have a mafia connection or what, but his field consists of FIVE (yes, five) smaller fields, each with its own separate theme. That's like some kind of paintball megaplex!

:: Field #1 - a chronograph and target range, also serves as a small field for 2-on-2 duels. Buckets and sinks on sticks, plywood targets, bunkers, and even a couple of derelict cars. The exit to the Staging Area is found here, with a board full of field-issued barrel socks just in case you forgot or lost yours somewhere.

:: The Tire Yard - Oh, Pope on Rope, tires -everywhere-. Walls, elevated bleachers, bunkers, all made of TIRES. Flat grass, wide spaces makes for high-mobility running battles and plenty of awesome angle plays. Standing water means mad mosquitoes, though - bring a bucket of DEET just in case.

:: The Schoolyard - An gentle uphill slope into a mock complex with plenty of bunker-to-bunker fighting. Grab the flag from the hangman's gallows, or use the entrenched "university" building to push bullies back into the Lockers.

:: Van City - A cluttered Favela-esque shantytown with lots of fallen timber, so named by the derelict van that controls the center of the map.

:: Midway Field - The largest field with plenty of natural terrain, heavily defended bunkers, and the body of a paratrooper who didn't make it. Thick forest cover gives this field its characteristic "gloomy" look on an overcast day, and the density of the trees can frustrate even the straightest-shooting 'baller.

:: Ghost Town - A collection of dilapidated timber structures surrounded by thick forest. Both are radioactive*, so try not to get TOO intimate with your cover. Ideal for 3-on-3 games.
* The forest actually represents the boundary line, and the buildings have a sticky layer of dried paint five years thick. Either way, seriously. Watch your hands.

:: Hamburger Hill - Vicious. Vertical. Virtual nightmare, if you're on the downhill team. Attack-and-defend with a few routes, but none of them are easy. You can risk a frontal assault through stumps and fallen logs (trading cover for aggression), find a flank or try to sneak through the Killing Floor - an impenetrable tangle of twigs, branches, and who knows what else. The goal - that bunker occupied by a small force of well-situated defenders and the most stubborn machine gun nest you'll ever find.

All that being said, I would not have accepted Josh's invitation just for the sake of playing; so we brought along the camera to bone up on my action photography. If you are on Facebook, search for "Travis English" to find more pictures that may not have been shown here, and to help me tag anyone that may have been missed. YOU helped make this day interesting for the rest of us, so you deserve all the credit.

*** UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE ***

A video of the day's events is now found here.
The video and additional pictures will also be available through my Facebook profile, so if you want to get tagged, look for me there.

*** WE NOW RETURN YOU TO YOUR REGULAR SHENANIGANS ***