I have been hearing stories about Camp Blanding for over a decade. I first heard stories of the small town with concrete multi-story buildings and tunnels from players on a field in Tuscaloosa, AL. Some guys had just came back from an event at Blanding and I thought their fantastic stories where from smoking the local flora, but over the years I keep hearing the stories from other players at other fields.  Camp Blanding is a true paintball legend. Driving up State Rd 21 into the 73,000 acre training center for the Florida Army National Guard to film MXS’s 26 hour scenario game THE BATTLE OF IRON FORGE filled me with ……. dread.  I am funny that way.  When I have built up a fantasy I almost would like it not to happen so as not to kill the fantasy.  I am happy to report that Blanding lives up to all the stories I have heard.

MXS’s first winter game at Camp Blanding did not have a player cap and 1,206 players took this opportunity to play in the cooler climate. No heat strokes this game….maybe some hyperthermia and frostbite but NO heat strokes. Over 31 scenario paintball teams were represented at the event.

Sadly as much as I love scenario games, I didn’t take note of most of that. I was at Blanding and was somewhat mesmerized at the playing of paintball in such an environment.  It is unlike anything I have experienced as the game went vertical

The doors on most of the buildings are facing the main streets with no doors on the sides of the buildings. Over and over players would make a mad dash in the complete open being rained up by snipers from multiple buildings/floors/windows/murder holes to get inside the buildings.  It usually took a group of thirty making the charge just to get 2 or 3 live players into a building.

Once inside, you discovered how detailed the floor plans of the buildings were. Each building was unique with the player not knowing what was around the next turn or top of the stairs…..or in the basement.  After a team secured a building, the snipers could settle down and find a position for sniping.

My only negative about the venue is that play does start to get repetitive over a two-day game as the field has a few key angles that are “hardwired” into the brick and mortar of the facility.  Some blow-up bunkers would help to add more angles and turn the mad dashes into a more interesting advance and secure action.

MXS managed to pull off the unthinkable with so many players and tanks on what is actually a small playing field by scenario standards. They had a full and rich scenario game based loosely on the World of Warcraft.  They had 20 role playing characters, neutral playing characters, flying mounts, monsters, sword duels, and epic quests.  Even a dragon fight was thrown in for the full effect.

There really isn’t anything I would describe as trees at Blanding. The brush is pretty thick on the south side of the city, but most of the “trees” that surround the rest of the complex you could wrap your hands around their trunks.  If you want cover the buildings are really your only option that is if you can get into them.

The wooden shutters on the windows were an unnerving aspect for the sniper as the wind would catch them and open them up.  One second you’re peering through a crack and then whoosh you’re silhouetted with sunlight for all to see.  It wasn’t any better on the ground as you didn’t know if the wind opened the shutter or an opposing player.

I was most amazed at how well the players communicated with each other.  In what seemed complete chaos they knew which side owned which buildings.  They made sure to have a medic on each floor if they could and they keep track on the position of the tanks as one nerf rocket from a tank could eliminate an entire room.  Sometimes, though communication worked against the players. They got real good at identifying which window/murder hole a sniper was firing from and directing all guns on that spot before making a charge.  Did I mention there were 1,206 players? They would keep that one sniper’s head down really well, but there was usually a lot more then one sniper in the 30 average windows/holes overlooking any position and as soon as there was any kind of charge they would all pop out.

Who won? Oh yes, the when, what, where, and why of reporting. Davi "Coyote" Velasquez of Dead By Dawn and his Horde side came out victorious over Rich Toth of the Black Berets and his Alliance side by 478 to 350 points.

And a little reminder that the DVD is available at www.ragtopvideo.com

VIDEO TRAILER