Took about 5 months off after playing the SPPL World Championships last October. Didn’t pick up a paint gun… ok that’s not totally true, I did pick them up when I organized my basement but hadn’t shot one since October Needed to clear my head and get back that crazy urge I had to play scenario/big game ball in the past. When it came to picking a 2009 start off place, to get things off on the right foot, it was a “no brainer”… Sherwood Forest www.sherwoodpaintball.com in IN. BTW… Typing the word “in” and then “IN” (Indiana) seems weird, every time I do it. Some of you are probably saying, “Type it (Indiana) out then.” That would be a good solution I guess. Some of you are also probably saying, “Stop talking to your self and get to the story.” I’ll take that advice.

So… we’re talking a 10 1/2 hour ride out from NJ and a 10 1/2 hour ride back. Why would anyone take that long of a trip to play paintball? Actually, why would someone not fly? I’m, talking to myself again :-/ The answer is simple… Sherwood Forest, in LaPorte Indiana, is my favorite field that I’ve ever played. It’s simply awesome. They have enough railroad ties to create a rail line that would probably stretch across the state (exaggeration but not by much), that are formed into Castles and a variety of structures. The terrain is varied, the reffing is awesome, the players that tend to attend events are overall extremely honest and the field constantly is improved/added to. Joe Stayback and his band of merry helpers, are fantastic. Also, a 10 1/2 hour ride leaves room for a lot of self reflection… me time with me and any unfortunate soul that makes the trip

The Risk game was run by the Region Rats, a really good bunch of guys that have a lot of experience at scenarios/big games. Another factor that made me confident that this game was a good choice. The theme would be “Risk”, a mix of paintball and concepts from the strategy game that bares it’s name. A really cool idea when I looked at how it worked… a kind of Risk card gathering in the beginning, certain objectives (countries) that combined into continents for extra points, a troop adjustment phase that happened periodically, ect, ect. Some really cool stuff, and a great job by the Region Rats!!

Sunday would be an attack and defend (”Castle Siege”) on the impressive three story castle made of railroad ties, it’s assorted surrounding buildings, block houses, giant logs, woods, bunkers and fences. The defenders would be ESP, along with Paco and I. That would end up changing because we were moved to help the attackers out.

I dislocated my knee in Jiu-Jitsu practice just shy of two weeks before the event. I/we (Paco) had committed to playing for Jesse (In Contempt) and I was not about to pull out because of a mere flesh wound. Our side was already going to be way low on numbers and was considered to not have a chance to win. A knee brace with hinged metal inserts, a roll of athletic tape, ice packs and Advil would become my best friend for this event. Well, them and my buddy Paco. Paco and I had formerly played together on the same team, ThunderStruck, last year and were looking forward to our semi solo adventures at a good number of events together this year. Paco’s a great player, a scenario/big game baller with a tourney player flavor. Just the type of player I like… aggressive and skilled.

Sides would roll the dice to see which base they started at for the two phases, gathering and then the main part of the game. We surprisingly ended up with the north base for both. The play throughout the game was honest and stand up, I can not remember a single time where I thought someone cheated. A credit to the teams that attended. ESP, WOW, Hellions, Rage in Paint, Canadians, ect. ect. I’m forgetting many so feel free to email me or comment and I’ll throw you up. Nothing but stand up play, bravo guys.

We had to use everything at our disposal to stay in this game, we worked the system and did a lot of “chase the tail” tactics. We hit from angles, chose where we could do the most damage, utilized other to draw attention, allied, at times got in/ got out and sometimes just powered though. The other sides did a great job… WOW and the Hellions worked their two large groups together well and were very organized. Michelle used her teams well and used ESP to keep the constant pressure up. In the end, we fell short of winning by like 18 points and came in second out of the three sides in a 700 average point game. It was a very tight game between all three groups. Paco and I were fortunate enough to take home an MVT and MVP for our efforts.

After Saturday’s game, got to give away the gift certificate that one of my sponsors, Spec Ops, gives me to give out at each game. Put a smile on a kids face (Hunter) and allowed him to purchase some new gear.

The Castle Siege game was a blast also… and this was despite the winter wonder land that was falling around us. I mean it was snowing. The field became muddy as heck and I was covered from head to toe. Switched to my Smart Parts SP-1 on Sunday, it was fully covered with mud but kept firing. Even with brittle paint, I did not break a ball. I wish I had taken a picture of it to show you the condition it was in, still shooting paint and often hitting the target. ESP put up a very tough defense and we were able to get 4 of the 6 flags out before lunch. For once I decided to use my head and did not continue playing for the second half. I had dislocated my knee, during MMA practice, just shy of two weeks before. My knee was really hurting/swollen from sprinting the flags out and some not so smart crazy moves. I have the West Point game to play next weekend and need to be able to move. Paco sat out because his back was bothering him after diving through a window. ESP held the last two flags during the second half and made it a successful defense. Great job guys!

Welp… IMO it was a fantastic weekend, at a fantastic field, with some fantastic people. Did I say fantastic? Thanks Sherwood Forest and the Rats. A great start to a new year

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