Im posting this in the photos section as the bulk of this is photos,
Today me, Dan and some of the lads we have played with at GZ and UCAP took up the offer that was extended to us all (shame on those for not coming) to check out the site Challenge, which isnt too far of GZ Woodland.
I wanted to write a review as such to give you a bit more of a feel for those who weren't there. Well I'll sum up the afternoon, the few hours we were there and then theres some photos for visual ofcourse.
Located in Horton, not too far out is Challenge Leisure , the site does allot of things, Quad Biking, Clay Pigeon Shooting, Archery and currently (maybe previously soon) Paintball.
We met up with Ralph and Chris who run the site and a group of marshal's who asked us to come down for a look around and to plinker with our rifles.
If you've ever been to a paintball site you may know that the area before entering the site is similar on most sites, unlike airsoft sites we attended outdoors, its set up with garden tables under cover, all with cleaning stuff, a shop, hot drinks etc. We slung our gear down and briefly chatted, exchanged names, then pretty much was asked to grab some gear and we'd go have a look around.
The first thing you notice on the site is the large wooden fort!
To be fair it's probably a little smaller then the GZ fort for a comparison but its well constructed, with good flow and is very playable from both attack and defense, unlike GZ with its easy access stairs inside, entrances on all sides and a upper inner gantry for defending the top. 4 towers each with arrow slits for firing out. Solid build and covered in a camo netting for effect. An impressive fort though that gives a good view of the battle field.
From the top of the fort it gave a good scope of the size of the field.
So the site was currently tailored towards a paintball style of play in a open air environment with barriers for a speedball type play. Well thats already begun to change! The fencing panels are coming away to make space for more pill box bunkers and the F.O.B ( forward operating base for those who got confused between a F.O.B and a Fort there ) is still being built, but sports a sandbag outer wall and further bunkers / tented areas inside. The hedge rows and wire fencing are all coming away etc etc.
I fired Dans SVD and it cleard the site easily so sniper rifles would be interesting here...? Though it offers a very fun play style. Theres enough cover to advance space well but close enough to allow people to move too quick. A few old military vehicles dotted about for cover aswell.
Now just off to the left of the 'main' field was a river that divides a small over grown island! Access to this is by bridge or boat.
In the water sits a boat which is used for going up and down stream, water wading is welcome!
The island is a ghille heaven as well over grown and a pill box on there too.
Off from the back of this the river runs around (hence being an island) with a momentary make do bridge too a wooded area. It seemed large enough for a good pistol/shotgun game and if widened up would be long enough for AEG's without peppering people quickly. I didnt get any photos here as I was playing with my pistol.
We walked out and around to the back of the F.O.B which again is currently undertaking a rebuild but is very impressive as it stands.
The base has large sandbag fillers around the outside, a few bunkers within, a medics caravan, an operations tent and is still having work done, a tower is going in, a few exit tunnels, that kind of thing.
Yup thats a quad bike in the F.O.B. They use the vehicles they have on site in games too.
We had a good chat about what we saw, gave some thoughts and opinions about how it would play. I personally thought Flag games would be great fun, unlike in woodland, when you get the flag you just leg it and get back, it would be tough here! Or both teams fighting over a center field objective, or fighting over one objective on the island. They are keen for ideas too, they like the idea of a juggernaut game, as we have said before one man midfield (Chris can source an Osprey Armour set) with the single red scarf on his back to remove, both teams fight to take him down!
We played with the smokes on site they offer, very well priced and pretty good! We chucked about a few single vent smokes but they really kicked it out compared to the dual vents we have used before.
After all this gun talk and popping off rounds Ralph suggested we have a few games! As there was only 7 of us we had a 3vs4 in the F.O.B first, and needless to say we were the 3, but we rocked both the first game and the turnaround no deaths. It played well in with the sandbags, bunkers, drums etc and there loads being changed there too.
We then did a little fort assault. The marshals couldn't take watching anymore so we dished our guns out, they grabbed some paintball masks and got involved for a 6v6. Dan ontop of the fort I have to say devastated! Straight away started with a 3 kill streak, its just deadly having a sniper rifle high on that field! We pinned them in a bunker for some time as they all grouped in one spot, after a push they eventually cleared us out and took it. On the turn around it was just that, I played up center to see what the moving situation was like, and it worked well, enough space between cover to make you think before sprinting, allowing fluid move and shoot up to the fort. With guys going left and right, drawing firing and taking pop shots when the guys on top came up to fire, we got in pretty quick and cleared it out.
I didnt even know till later the marshals are equipped with cameras too! So you get some snaps at the end of the day!
Overall I was really impressed with site and they guys that run it all seem like a really good bunch. They have forces backgrounds too which is part of their keen reason to move away from paintball and focus on airsoft.
They had a good laugh too and are really keen for ideas and suggestions, eager for us to come back too. They have had other games there, the first was in March and since had a couple more, so are just getting a taste of it and its all fresh.
Also, which I thought was very decent, Ralph after the day said if we get as group of lads who want to go have a game just let him know when and he'l open up, even if were under numbered as such he wouldn't charge us anymore! Though im sure the marshals would get involved and he'd invite others, though we have the potential for semi-private games with a more personal feel.
Im eager to go back and have a proper day gaming there and see the site develop after what I saw, discussed and enjoyed, and hope the team would like too to.
Subject: Challenge Airsoft - Review 
Sat May 12, 2012 2:29 pm
