Red Dawn – Island Recon – Game write-up

Sadly the first version of this article was lost so I am writing from memory several months on, at which points things have started to get a little hazy so this article in no way represents a completeness of events at the weekender, just some personal accounts.

'FFing hot is how I would describe the Island Recon Red Dawn Weekend.
I would also describe it as fun, tiring, and well played by all.

On Saturday players started arriving for around 10am for a game on at mid-day.
Everyone paid up and was given their player pack, as well as taking an "Island Recon ration pack" which consisted of some regular biscuits, boiled sweets, some chocolate, and some savoury biscuits.

Once everyone was ready to go it was game on. NATO (our team) and Russians moved out to their respective bases for game start. As "NATO" we had to defend our land from the incoming Russian invasion. Our orders were to hold the compound and surrounding area until lunch at 2pm or 50 deaths to our team, which ever came first.
A large fight ensued with both teams fighting hard and plenty of ammo being expended. Eventually the NATO team managed to complete their defence and win that round.

The day pushed on and the heat rose, but what a weekend to play Airsoft. No rain drowning us or our gear here.
As the day pushed on more objectives were completed with the NATO team racking up yet more points.

We stopped for a put-noodle lunch which took longer than expected due to a failure of the generator and tea urn for the NATO team but after lunch games resumed.
Generally most missions consisted of the Alpha Dogs going out and mullering the Russian guys bringing us back more points and objective items. Those guys really do know how to push forward and mount an offence, in fact rolling with them on occasion was a big highlight of the weekend. Great guys that know how to play but also how to just mess around and enjoy them selves.
At events like this the social I find, is more important than the game play and good spirits in the team really helps everyone play better an enjoy themselves more.

The day pushed on we kept generating more points working towards what was looking to be a crushing defeat of the Russian invaders.

The whistle was blown and dinner was called. We had by this time received a new Generator back at the NATO base so we could cook some dinner. Chilli was order of the day but took what felt like an age to cook, the generator tripped a couple of times stopping our cooking dead in the water but a quick fuse reset later we were going again.

As the light dimmed the night game was prepared. DarkSaber and I retired back to the Safe Zone at this point as neither of us do particularly well in the dark leaving the game to everyone else.
On our retreat the game began, we were sufficiently far away from the main game area to observe as everything kicked off.

Fireworks were used to simulate artillery and explosions to great effect. The dim illumination provided by them bathed the game field with dancing shadows and eerie light. I can only imagine what it must have been like for the boys actually playing.

Back at the safe zone we listened to the general radio chatter and drank some more of our alcohol then retired to sleep for the night.
We woke up around breakfast and cooked some food. Turns out the Russians had also suffered a failure of cooking equipment so where having food at the safe zone.

Once all was said and done we packed up our gear and committed to the long walk back to the NATO HQ. Game on and we started mounting our final defences and offences of the weekend.

Alpha Dogs were sent to mount an attack on the Caravan and I joined them leaving NightWolf to continue with his NATO command and DarkSaber to continue to act bodyguard.
As we marched toward the Caravan it became obvious that the Russians had already mounted a sizeable attack with the NATO team being pushed slowly backwards. We picked up the pace and spread out to ensure we effectively cleared the field beside.

As we descended upon the caravan everyone took up positions, I covered one of the Alphas while he tried to advance down one of the flanks but got hit pretty quickly. I ducked for cover behind one of the hay bales, adrenaline pumping.
The fire on my location stopped and moved towards my team mates.
The window of opportunity was open, I had been forgotten about by the enemy.
I sprinted towards their line, as much as you can when crouched with an M249 and saw movement in a 2 inch wide gap between the bales of hay. I opened fire the box mag feeding like crazy and a stream of BB's flying away from me, return fire commenced almost instantly.
Luckily for me my target's hopup was not correctly configured resulting in their shots landing about 6" short of my position. The ongoing stream of ammo eventually landed on target and knocked him out. I pushed up to the set of bales watching the woods to my right in case of flanking from the enemy.
I will still unnoticed by the remainder of the enemy team.
Pushing further down the flank another two enemies parallel to my left were suppressing my team mates. I opened fire the 249 roaring into life with another stream of plastic death knocking them out. My team mates followed up the gap I had just created pushing towards the front line of the enemy.
I checked my right flank again and the brief flicker of a red arm band. I opened fire with a short sharp burst to the cry of "HIT". Another Russian out.
Adrenaline firmly fuelling my every action at this point, I stood and sprinted further down range towards the enemy position. The final man stood 40-50 meters from me now, the clatter of his AK present and clear, pinning my remaining team mates and stopping them from collecting the objective, a final burst cleared him out with the enemy now pushed down to the tree-line in front of me, my heart still pumping from the adrenaline I had fallen foul of tunnel vision and concentrating too hard on my targets.
I was out-flanked from the woods to my right, some Russians I had thought I had removed from the game plastered me. "HIT".

My run had come to an end though I went away with the memory of the epicness of the situation, learning that next time I should cover my flanks better.
I returned to base camp to re spawn and fight out the remainder of the day. A few more missions ensued but the score board said it all. We were winning by an un-closable margin.

Time was called and gaming stopped. We returned to the safe zone and everyone packed up, including a very tired NightWolf. We put away our tent and loaded the car ready for the return journey and headed home after a fantastic weekend.

The purpose of the weekend was not just to have fun, but also raise money for Help for Heroes. By the end of the event we raised about £700 which isn't bad for such a small group of people.
We even got into the Isle of Wight County press with our efforts

I can't wait for our next large event game, hopefully the Luna Wolves will be out in full force with the entire team able to play as sadly IR game days mean that most of us have to actually run the site (NW, Kaiser, Valkyrie).
Our next game is the Ground Zero National Airsoft Weekender.