800*600
Report on the first Deliverance Paintball War
sponsored by the IKV Melota and
hosted by Chicken Plucker.
After Action Report: Deliverance Paintball War - October, 2002
This event ultimately proved to become the event billed. We had representatives from 4 ships, from 3 states arrive in West Arkansas to shuttle off a 5th ship in a 4th state. This was an example of the Brotherhood of Wolves. (read Tiqbatlh's Recruitment Thesis's ) As Wolves do and sheep follow, it was the Wolves who gathered in West Arkansas on 80 acres of land to fight and bleed, to boast and tell stories around a bonfire, to taste the bloodwine and plan for the future. To those Wolves who suffered medical emergencies, you were with us in spirit.
From the perspective of the IKV Melota, the purposes of this event were to meet other Wolves face to face, have fun playing paintball on a large property, export and teach our brand of Batleth, teach our philosophies and business concepts for strengthening each local ship.
I must admit that we did not do the Batleth work. We had too much fun with the paintball until it was time for ceremonies. We did manage to deliver some weapons blanks and discuss the practical applications of them even though this was not properly demonstrated. At least the information is available on the Academy Page at www.janissaries.net.
Otherwise, we accomplished our goals. We met and fleshed out electronic identities. We did some serious bruising in paintball. And we discussed how to run a fun ship without the politics that plague so many other ships.
All in all, this was a very good regional event given the distances that some were driving to make it.
Now, to the good stuff....
Most of us arrived Friday night and set up tents about 2000 in the mist. Once camp was established we popped open a few and had some home made chili and home made bread for an evening meal while getting to know that faces to the email ID's. We had a dynamite time talking about stuff until time to snooze. At that point, Chicken Plucker and I went "move hunting". He managed to put a 410 load in a predator that had broken into his chicken house. I did not see another target so I did not get in a shot for that hunt. Ok, time to snooze for real.
The morning was misty and it waivered between light fog and light mist all day long. Not trying to steal the thunder of the Great MarQis whom I respect, but this truly was a Klingons in the Mist Campout given the weather conditions all 3 days.
Saturday morning Shawna cooked a massive breakfast of their home-made sausage and coffee. What a way to start the day.
All combatants had the opportunity to use semi-auto paintball guns, however, Krell (wisely) chose to stick with a known good pump gun. We started off the morning by testing our equipment and discovering how terribly the lack of temperature affects our guns and ammo. The balls bursting in the barrel became a problem during testing and the first battle. The accuracy of the balls coming out of the barrels was severely diminished. As late arriving members drove in Saturday morning we geared up and identified boundries. In spite of what Weird Al says in his song, we did have to worry about some "crazy Mennonites" across a boundry line and these guys are "Amish with a 'tude" so we HAD to avoid their property. The fun thing was that their ingress/egress is across Chicken Plucker's lands so they wound up driving through a gauntet of Warriors in BDU's with markers on numerous occasions.
We headed off for Skirmish1. The Defenders were to defend a massive Oak tree in the middle of a cleared hay field. I was neutral and in Yellow as a combat photographer filming this with the ship's camcorder. The attacking team chose to approach in a classic "L" approach which provides firepower along two of the Defender's sides. Some Attackers went behind the tree line to apply pressure along one side, the other Attackers crawled through the hay until they were in artillery range. As the Defenders saw the crawling Attackers, artillery duels opened up at maximum ranges. Accuracy was pretty negligible but the falling shot still has the affect attracting attention. The tree line Attackers then left the tree line in bounding overwatch to split the firepower of the Defenders. This allowed the crawlers to approach to sniping range. Defending firepower alternated between the tree line and the crawlers. Eventually, the bounding overwatch paid off. The firing was brutal on both sides during the entire battle. It was not a sniping war but a (darn near) automatic weapons war. Both sides learned a brutal lesson as tanks went empty during this first skirmish. Krell became a casualty of an empty tank while crawling in to effective range of the Defender's tree. As casualties of hits and empties left the field, the fighting lessened to periodic rapid fire exchanges. A Warrior (4oz) was assaulting the tree quadrant defended by Qel'oghwI (Dr. Gizmo, 9 oz) . When the difference in bottle sizes started showing, Gizmo left the Tree to attack the Attacker. I would have to review the combat footage to be sure, but I believe that the skirmish ended with Dr. Gizmo and another Defender alive and in the Tree.
This skirmish was a learning experience. Don't piss away balls and gas, you might need them later.
Skirmish2 was a sniper hunt. The dreaded Dr. Gizmo and I were to be sniper/spotter with the rest pursuing us. We headed into positions with the expectation that we would surprise the attackers by being shallow rather than deeply into the treeline. In fact, we were out of the treeline. Dr. Gizmo took to a clump of trees in the field and I do a tall grassy area. The object was that I would eventually assault and neutralize (by surprise) 1-2 of the Pursuers and then when the rest of the Pursuers closed on me, that Gizmo would shoot them in the back while I was sacrificed. A simple massacree in 4 part harmony.
What really happened was the the Pursuing team broke up and surrounded me. I only lived as long as I did because Tab (mundane, KC) did not IFF me properly. I popped up to shoot RotokQ to hear Person2 try to warn him. I killed RotokQ but could not avoid the rapid fire of Person2 to save myself. I took 3 rounds across my chest armor before I could dive back into the bush. I announced that I was dead and left the immediate area with RotokQ.
Then things got hairy.
In spite of the Dead Men Don't Talk Rule, 2 Pursuers and the cameraman came over to talk to the Dead. This posed a problem. *I* knew that we were all in range and that Gizmo needed to start the massacree. I managed to get RotokQ to head away from the area and hinted that Captain3 (camera) needed to move elsewhere.
Learning experience 2: Next time, the combat won't be stalled due to Noncombatants and Dead in the way. They will just take rounds in any firefight that they are in the way of.
The Pursuers then really broke up and cost us our game plan. Gizmo had an opportunity to shoot 5 in the back at the same time but lost it. He had to try to pursue them one at a time from this point on.
He stalked Krell for a good 15-25 minutes just sneaking through the grass until Krell managed to darn near step on him. Krell suddenly saw the Gizmo in the grass and did a snap shot while diving for grassy cover. Of all of (our Team's) lousy luck, it was a kill against Dr. Gizmo and Krell got off unpainted.
Skimish3 was another assault on the Tree. It was not filmed. The Defenders had split their forces. They placed 2 pickets into the treeline to defend the Tree. We (Attackers) sent 3 in shallowly to engage their pickets. Dr. Gizmo was going deep to pass the Tree behind the treeline to attack from their "back". I went out into the field in plain site walking all the way. My objective was to tie up the Defenders in the Tree until they were assaulted from behind. I stayed just inside artillery range. For this even, I switched my usual 40 round hopper for a 200. I sat out there just out of reach popping rounds into the Tree to occupy the Defenders. They opposed with the same ineffective fire. However, I was one tying up three. I truly don't know how long this went on. I would close to sniping range and try to actually kill one of them whenever I could see my target. Then grovel back to artillery range for my own survival. This mess worked better than planned. I not only tied up 3. It irritated the heck out of Captain3. Bad move. Pissed off Captain3. He ordered the two to lay down a suppressing fire which was very suppressive. I did an ostrich number and was not able to see that the Captain3 had left the safety of the Tree. I was not aware that I was toast until I heard metered fire ranging in on my position. At that point, I knew that I was screwed. I knew it personally when I took a ball in the head and shoulder. At that point I yelled, "I'm hit" or something that rhymed with it. I'm out. DNH. But having left the safety of the tree, Captain3 was upright and in the open and took a round from Sebastian (IKV Dangerous Blade).
Off on the sidelines spectators and Dead were gathering. Now and then another Dead would arrive. Finally, during as the sun was failing, a call was made as to the count and names still in the game. "Three guys and Gizmo, $#1T!!!!!" That response alone was indicative of the fear that the name Dr. Gizmo strikes into the Warriors. The battle was 3 Defenders against one Gizmo. Even odds. But it was Luck and not a ball that struck Gizmo. He had bunkered to take off his mask safely to wipe it. During the process and the fall of darkness, he lost his mask. As the Warrior approached, he had to throw up his hands and yell "Exchange" to try Fosters rations for a while. Game Over.
During the day, between Skirmish1 and Skirmish2 a duel took place. Person2 and RotokQ went to the bottoms below the House for a Duel. From the House and Camp, all of the battles could be seen. The elevation gives a perfect view for spectators. In this case, we were up at that House and our Camp eating while they were trying to kill each other down below. In violation of fairness, but with fun in mind, three of us put down our burgers and picked up our markers. We hid down our side of the ridgeline masked by the house where we could not be seen and started arcing in indirect fire. We found out shortly that without registration, everything was over and hitting the pond and trees behind the combatants. At that point I switch from gun to camera and joined the other two perpetrators by the satellite dish and tents. I started filming the duel down below since we had such a good vantage point. Person2 had bunkered in a very good area. RotokQ was walking around in plain site making the cammos as good as hunter's orange. During the amusement of watching this lopsided duel down below, Krell put a shot very near the well hidden Person2. Person2, unlike RotokQ notices the "illegal" round from a noncombatant. RotokQ manages to bluster his way into getting royally painted and when they are talking down below, they arc a few our way. At that point it became a free for all with Krell and Captain3 against RotokQ and Person2 below in a long range artillery duel. With rounds falling into our camp, hitting tents and plates, the camp got frantic as unarmored noncombatants ran for cover. Person2's rounds were registered and accurate hitting the tent behind me, the dish beside me, then finally me. The film of the battle ends there as I had taken one on the third knee.
We broke a few Rules. We interfered with a Duel. We got unmasked Warriors involved in a firefight. Worse we got unmasked noncombatants involved in a firefight. I have to admit that it was risky and dangerous and we should never do that again. But at least this time no harm was done. Nobody got hurt except me. It sure looks good on film, though.
Oh, I forgot to mention this in the emailed version of the AER:
Sometime during one of the battles, Dr. Gizmo was bunkered in the woods and Lynn called him on his cell phone. That ringing was a slight security risk to put it mildly. Luckily for him, he managed to answer the phone and clear the call without his position being revealed.
After the IKV BloodSword cooked the evening meal, we all went out to the traditional bonfire for Ceremonies. By then, most of us had a few sheets in the wind. We started by opening the "bloodwine" and dipping with our bloodwine mugs. Then the Campaign ribbons were handed out to those who had come to participate in this event. We toasted our hosts as the bloodwine toasted us. Appreciation was given to those who arrived, those who participated, those who cooked and those who worked to make this event what it became. Absentees were also noted. There were some scheduled to arrive who became medical casualties prior to departure. They were in our thoughts and respect was given them for their intent. There was a boasting and telling of stories of the battles of the day before the bonfire. We closed the ceremonies and proceded to prepare for Taps. There was so much driving ahead of everybody that the partying was very conservative and unlike our normal events, we were all in our tents to sleep by 2300.
This was definitely a far cry from our usual.
(Are you awake????)
Due to Tab having to leave after the last battle, he is not in the Ceremonies footage and I will also need to mail him his Campaign Ribbon. But you will see him in the combat footage.
Wow! Shawna has a huge pile of home-made sausages and tons of eggs (I wonder where they get them?) along with coffee to start up Sunday's tear down of the camp. Now, it ceases being a misty rain and actually becomes a light rain as we tear down tents and pack vehicles to drive home. We discuss the practical application of the Batleth with some actual movement demonstrated. This is a consolation prize relative to what was originally planned for Saturday. We split up and head our various ways home.
This was the Deliverance Paintball (and Batleth, sorta) War.
There are movies of the Ceremonies and the combat currently available at www.janissaries.net on the Downloads Page.
Strength and Honor, Y'all
Salek
Ship's Brewer
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