Black Karma Action Report

Black Karma hit the road and ventured out of their comfort zone and into unknown territory in their third event of the 2011. We made the voyage to Scenario Paintball Games (www.spgpaintball.com) in Rome, GA for the first time to take part in the spring Flag Wars game. The theme for the game was quite simple: take control of an objective/area and raise your side's color flag. If it were only that simple....

SPG is laid out across 40 sprawling acres of varied terrain. One base, called Norad, is situated at the entrance on one side of the field and is best described as a 8 foot walled fort with gun ports to help defend. The Airfield is located close to Norad that has 100 yard long shooting lanes that terminate at a 2 story building that dominates the landscape and control of the building dominates the opposition. On the opposite side of the airball field from Norad is a small western style town. At the end of the western town stands another 2 story building that controls the action on this field as well. The airball field, Norad, the airport and the western town are the only relatively flat, open and non-tree covered part of the field and each have their own flag station. Entering the wood line you instantly notice how hilly the terrain becomes. Trees everywhere provide ample cover but the addition multiple bunkers of various sizes and types compliment the natural cover. The hills and ravines make the woods play interestingly but do not make you feel like you have to fight the terrain as you fight the opposition. Centered in the woods is the other field base called Hamburger Hill. This is another walled bunker complex with a flag pole inside. There are two other flag stations in the woods on the northern and southern fringes of the field. Both are simple flag poles in the woods with a few small bunkers around them. The basics of the game are simple: take control of an area and raise your team's color flag and that is an over simplification. The flag stations are not 2 flags on opposite ends of a rope on a pulley system that as you raise your flag you lower your opponents. SPG takes it to another level. You must actually clip you team's flag onto the rope after removing the other teams flag. Then you have to raise your flag all the way to the top of the 15 foot flag pole AND wrap the remaining rope around the brackets twice. Needless to say this is extremely difficult if not impossible to do while under fire.

From game on, Black Karma worked hard to push the action and influence the game. The White Team tasked us with heading out from our base at Hamburger Hill and attacking the Western Town as soon as the game started. Not only did the White team take the town but we also pushed the Red team all the way back through the field to the front door of their base, Norad. By doing this, we limited how much of the field the opposition had access to and severely crippled their ability to get flags and score points. This enabled the White team to create a substantial lead in points. The game director then asked us to switch to the Red team for the final battle in an effort to balance the teams - we were happy to do so cause it doesn’t matter who were playing against, just as long as we’re playing! The final battle for day 1 was focused in the Western Town with the singular mission of hanging your side's flag in the center of the town. Black Karma's goal for the final battle was to lead a group to fight our way into the 2 story building at the end of the town and help control the field and thankfully our group was successful! By helping to take the 2 story building, we stymied the White team and gave space for the Red team to make multiple attempts at hanging the flag while the White team could not muster a single attempt.

Day 2 of Flag Wars played out much like the first day for Black Karma. The new day brought a renewed energy and vigor to the Red team who came ready to fight. Half of the Red team fought and pushed our way to the White Team’s doorstep most of the day and severely curtailed their ability to get flag points. Black Karma’s teamwork and tactics worked again and allowed the Red Team this time to accumulate an insurmountable lead in points. We then moved back to the White team for the final battle to again rebalance the teams. The final battle for day 2 was again focused in the western town so we decided since controlling the 2 story building worked so well the first day we would try the same thing again. That tactic worked equally well the second time around too. Both teams made attempts at the flag but neither team succeeded in raising it. Day 1 went to the White team and Day 2 went to the Red team. Black Karma had a blast playing on both sides on both days so we called it a win in our book!

Black Karma was awarded an Honor and Valor Award from both the Red and the White Team. Mark ‘Green Hat’ Kimmel was also awarded an individual Honor and Valor Award from the White Team. Our Eclipse markers and gear took all the punishment we dished out on them and they performed flawlessly. Stitched Paintball (www.stitched-paintball.com) covered the event and captured awesome video of all the action.



This was Black Karma’s first visit to Scenario Paintball Games but it will certainly not be the last. We look forward to returning for the Fall Flag Wars Game and highly recommend it anyone else looking for some great paintball action this fall.

Our next scenario will be The Big Red One by MPP Games at Bear Claw Paintball. There is going to be 2 (yes 2!) beach landings at this game; one during the day and one at night by the light of flares and strobes. If you want to get more info about Black Karma or find out where all we are playing, please go to www.blackkarma.org and www.facebook.com/blackkarmapaintball .