TWHAP! My team mate Saicho heard it and noticed his finger turning red. HIT! And off he went to the regen area. TWHAP! And I saw the bb hitting the back of the CIRAS vest of another team mate, Spectre. HIT! And off he went right after Saicho towards the regen area. I was left alone in our sector, and I needed some backup quick. I squirmed behind a tree, hoping that I get to find better cover  and the TWHAP! TWHAP! continued as the unseen shooter tried to put a bead on me.

The shots that hit my mates were not rapid fire ones, but methodically placed ones --- one shot, one hit --- a sniper. Ironically, the skirmish site was called Close Action, but the shooting also came from a long distance, courtesy of the snipers.

The Culprits

We were at Close Action Airsoft last Sunday, 13 April 2008. A two-hour drive from London, our team mates have been there once and they highly recommended that we check it out. Bulletproofmike made sure he gets his own sniper gun to use, he wants to try great sniping action happening every skirmish game date. Close Action is in Corby, Northamptonshire, situated at Wakerley Great Wood. It's a little bit Northeast of another well-known skirmish site, Urban Assault. Entering the area there's a narrow road and you have to give way to those incoming vehicles. No clear amenities, bring your own food and water, but you get great company. The players are said to be some of the most honest airsofters in the UK (if not in the world), and as testified by Mamba, Saicho, and Bulletproofmike, a jolly and friendly place to play airsoft in --- even with the snipers.

Wakerley Great Wood

We geared up at the roadside leading towards the jump-off point to the deadzone. We arrived with time to spare and be able to line up and pay for skirmish fee of £15, the cheapest we've found. Briefing immediately started on what to expect in the games and as always, the house/game rules. Well, we all know what the rules are, so let's fast forward to the game.

We started with a warm up game of capturing flags. I think we lost this one since I was guarding the rear and after the marshals ended the game, I went to the regen area and saw that the flag was gone. Red 1, Blue 0 (that's us). The next game was capture the Alamo, which is a makeshift bunker and surrounded by some deep and wide depressions on the ground. This game was where my two team mates got sniped. We survived the onslaught of the game  and I luckily didn't get hit. But this is one of the games where the snipers were utilised effectively.  Our team also had its own snipers and they also went for it and got their hits/frags. But most of my mates always said, "Whew! A sniper got me."

The places were reversed, and by lunch time, the score remained at 1-0, Red still in the lead. I guess after the meal the Blue team got energised as there was only one game for the rest of the afternoon --- capture all the flags of the opposing team. We started at Hamburger Hill, while the Red Team started from the Alamo. This took over 2 hours of non-stop action, as both teams went for the flags. I actually got tired and called it a day after an hour of shooting and dodging sniper bbs. I went to the safe zone and chatted with the guys there.

By 4:30pm, the game day ended. Our team mate, Dryx was said to have entered a bunker and got the surrender of 6 players. Blue team captured all four flags and won the day. Another long drive back to London, but we didn't mind, we had a great field day.

Close Action does really have the most wonderful airsofters around, totally honest, even if there were incidents of not acknowledging shots. The honesty was actually overflowing. They're very friendly and helpful. The playing marshals made sure that players on their teams acknowledge their hits, or else they'll shoot their team mates themselves.

What's more, Close Action is moving to a new venue just a few minutes where we played at. It's going to have better facilities and even some modern conveniences like a loo. Opening on the 27th of April 2008, it's something that we look forward to playing at in the very near future.