Rure Penthe' Wars 2003
800*600
AER for the Rure Penthe' Wars of 2003.


In spite of the name, and lucky for us, it was not as cold as Rure Penthe'. We started the day in about 38 degree weather. That was cold enough as the equipment and consumables were performing very poorly due to the temperature. We actually started combat about 1100. But with a high of about 52, it was too cool for the balls. However, the morning after, we had glorious and beautiful snow falling. Massive fluffy flakes were coming down.

As to the equipment. The equipment performance was as bad as the fighting was good. Balls were breaking in the barrels and hoppers both. It would appear that we were having about a 50%-75% breakage rate. A firefight could be a vicious throwing of gas and paint with neither side sending very many balls. Some Warriors with multiple weapons were switching back and forth trying to figure out the best one. There were many mechanical casualties. Person1 started the day with 4 personal guns and wound up using an armory pump gun. Gizmo had both of his suffer mechanical failures. Finally, a few simply chose to use pump guns because they were more reliable in the weather. It became readily apparent that paintball is not a 40 degree sport, and that pumps seem to do much better at lower temperatures. Many of the fights were decided by running out of gas or shooting fast enough to freeze the tank. Today had some very interesting variables thrown in.

This truly was our best paintball event yet. We had enough attend that there were two teams of 8. The numbers were large enough to allow for actual group tactics as opposed to just personal fights here and there. We basically divided into two teams. The klingons versus the local gents (and lady) who were ready to play paintball. We had many junior guests on our team. Both boys and girls got to play paintball on both teams. Our opponents were all guests from our perspective. (Then, of course, we were guests to them on their property.) This was a plus one gnarly day of relatively cheap fun and cameraderie.

The combat was brutal, fun, and there were no "incidents". Pure fun. No fussing. Many thanks to Bea et al. for cooking burgers to feed us and the use of their land.

The first battle was a team on team with the klingons taking the field first to overcome the home team having that home team advantage. Our Warriors placed themselves but I was caught flat footed, on my back actually, when the whistle blew to start the war. I had just fallen out of the tree that I was climbing in hopes of becoming a sniper. I heard the home team passing me on both sides on their way towards the bulk of the klingon crew. From my now rather exposed position, I was very lucky that I was not seen until most of their crew was past. Finally, one of their boys saw me and attempted to engage me. I had the advantage of the tree against his being in the open road. After a short exchange, I drove him off. But having revealed my position, I did a strategic withdrawal to before the front of our lines. I hid in some tall (dead) grass and waited for the klingon crew to open fire on Threats in front of me. At that point I could pop up an surprise the heck out of the Threat by suddenly being so close. The same fellow that attacked my forward (tree) position worked his way out into artillery range of the klingon crew and was out in the open. I popped up and could not hit him at all even at the shortened range due to the poor performance of the balls in the cold weather. Did suprise the heck out of him though. We then realized that we have been flanked and so Hegh vaporized into the swamp to flank our flankers. Captain3, Krell and I started a skimish line and worked out way back towards the home team. We had various engagements in and out of the treelines and swamps. By maintaining a skirmish line,our overlapping arcs of fire protected each other from being surrounded outright. We managed to pretty well hold our own neutralizing the enemy in a series of serious firefights in and out of the bushes. After performing so poorly at Deliverance and at Carl's place, it sure felt good to get a kill and to still walk out alive from this first battle.

We then had two mutant hunts. I donned the camera and vest for this. The first mut hunt was over before I got any footage. In fact it was over too quickly. Thus it was decided to do it again. This time, 3 went out as the mutants. As can happen in any war, the IFF problems really became obvious. But it was a glorious battle to watch and film. There were combatants all over the place shooting at other combatants. It looked like a close range free - for - all.

Then we had a free - for - all battle with Captain3 as camera. Everybody against everybody. 10 minutes to place yourselves and a 45 minute time limit. I found a partially rotted tree in which I could crawl into. While waiting, I saw somebody else climb a fence near me. (Turned out to be Person2.) Except that he kept going up and never came down. I eventually realized that I had a Threat in a nearby tree. But due to the branches, I could not see or shoot at him, nor could he me. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know. I chose to ignore him and concentrate on ground Threats. When the whistle blew, it sounded like Dodge City with firefights all over the place. It really sounded incredible. I had somebody walk through the bushes and see me frozen a the tree. Darn. In the ensuing firefight, my postion was superior and I drove him off. Too bad he was still alive, he returns to haunt me later. Some unidentified person walks into Person2's killing field and bites it hard not knowing where the shots came from. Then Dodge City turns into Beruit just out of my sight. It sounded like ha Mossad meets Hamas in a low rent district. Captain3 as camera comes out of that firefight following the action which eventually becomes mine. Person1 comes out of that mess and engages me for what seemed like forever. It looked like he was using a .50 instead of a paintball gun. There were pieces of tree and bark flying everywhere as he took that rotted tree apart to get to me. I was freaky to be behind this rotted tree and to watch it come apart. The battle was reminiscent of a US Civil War battle in that his mask was fogging so terribly that he would request a cease-fire and go to ground to take off and clear his mask. During this time both he and I were yelling loudly not to engage us until the mask was back on. Captain3 as camera also assisted with refereeing the defogging cease fires. We kept up a fairly friendly conversation during the battle. Knowing that I could easily be the casualty, and wanting to take out the tree sniper, I told Person1 about the sniper in the tree while I was still alive since dead men don't talk. As it turned out, with our friendly conversations, with periodic mask clearings, and him manuevering to get at me, we fought for a long time. Finally, I managed to put a round virtually between his eyes. It, however, did not hit him. Though I did not actually hit him, the results were just as effective. It splattered on the limb in front of him and painted his goggles. At that point, with the fog on the inside, and the paint on the outside, he opted to do the infamous "Shoot Me!" and stood up with his back to me. Due to the lousy performance of the paintballs, it took me 4 shots to hit him as a staged target. The balls kept curving (slicing?) and missing him. I surveyed the area and I thought that my neighborhood was effectively sterilized. I then chose to engage Person2 in the tree. I approached the tree and identified Person2 as being up there. We had a casual cat and mouse game going as I tried to find the magic hole that I needed without giving him one. The problem is that those crackles in the leaves behind me were not just the cameraman. Unknown to me, my original antagonist had returned and when he bum rushed me from behind, I knew that I needed vaseline. I was caught out in the open with no cover and he closed to the treeline that was originally my base. It was only a matter of time until I took hits. Shortly after biting the proverbial bullet, my antagonist, having seen me engage the tree, then targeted Person2 in the tree. After a fairly brief firefight, Person2 ultimately had to concede since he ran out of CO2. I assisted him in getting himself and his weapon out of the tree. After which, we walked back towards the commons while watching/listening to some serious combat still in progress. There was some serious lizardman action with one combatant in particular doing the Jesse Owens of lizards all over the place. You would see him ooze from this treeline across the road to another. Next he would be oozing from that treeline across the other road to the swamp. It was like watching Gizmo on steroids. He was FAST. There was some vicious fighting across the roads. Individuals in the opposing treelines would advance and engage. You could see paint splatting all over the trees and in the branches as each would advance, fire a few and retreat for prior to another attempt. In some cases it was amazing how close Warriors would be an yet not see and/or engage each other. It was apparent that there were some with Jem' Hadar personal cloaks. Warriors were phasing in and out all over the grounds. Guns were farting here and there as the combat brought out the worst in Boyles' Law. This was a 45 minute timed battle. Many casualties were due to throwing snow or running out of gas.

The last battle before dark was another team on team. It was again klingons versus the locals. Except that since they were now short a couple of players that had to go home, Dr. Gizmo and two of the kids were sent over to flesh out the "enemy". The home team went to the field first. This was going to produce an interesting situation since they know the terrain better and had a chance to plant. The klingons split into two teams and went down both roads. Hegh' fireteam went down the road that led to the open commons before the swamps and treeline. Captain3's squad went down by the tent and closer treeline. With no immediate challenges in to either group, I ran across the fenceline and acquired that rusted and burned out trash barrel. It was a 55 gallon drum, well burned out, and rusted out on one quarter of one side. I grabbed it and hauled it out into the middle of the open commons and turned it upright, upside down. I punched a barrel hole through the rust and there was already a vent at the bottom (top) to see out of. I now could control all of the commons, the two swamps, most of the treelines, and two roads from a pillbox. This position must have gained the attention of the locals as they came out of the woodwork engaging me from the swamp and two treelines. This was a serious artillery duel with 5 of the enemy (of a team of 7 at this time) trying to neutralize me. Rounds were flying all around the barrel and bouncing off of the barrel. I was spitting rounds, mainly broken balls, outbound at all five in their various locations. The Captain3's squad entered the woods and flushed out some of the enemy members. This caused Gizmo (on the enemy team) to surface from his usual deep hiding position. I failed to IFF properly and when he ran across in the open in front of me, I thought that he was a Friendly Warrior retreating to the safety of the pillbox. After he got behind me in a bunch of bushes, he reminded me that he was loaned to the local team by opening fire on my position. DOH! I missed and easy shot to now be pinned between a single close range Warrior and 4 others at artillery ranges. I took the chances against the artillery and spun the barrel to engage Gizmo. Luckily, as the artillery rounds were splatting around my barrel, none hit. Captain3's squad surfaced from the woodline to take out the Gizmo. I then spun the barrel back around to face the four surviving locals while the Captain3's squad proceded back into the treeline to nail the guys that the pillbox had tied up. This was going on fairly well until I was shot in the face by a sniper as I popped up from the barrel to survey movements. Ok, I did not take anybody with me that round, but it sure was fun tying up 5 of a 7 man team for a considerable amount of time. This was my major rush like Captain3 doing his Steven Seagal number at Carl's. Oddly enough, once I was toasted, nobody tried to take the barrel for their own use. The rest of the battle was conventional troup on troup firefights until there was one left.

There can be only one.

Awesome footage was taped so there are more movies available. I also intend to add this to my general footage collection for future use in a "Best of..." video.

I cannot wait until the Return to Deliverance (Klingons in the Mist) !!!!



Strength and Honor

Lt. Cdr Salek Sutai
Ship's Brewer
An Approved Brewmaster of the Empire
www.janissaries.net


                 


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