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The second major change in the
Mission Masters’ proven formula
of mission-based scenario paintball games is the “Command
Team.” Once chosen, the Command Teams begin their own
recruitment campaigns on various forums and their own team
websites, if applicable. Mission
Masters aids the campaigns by
promoting on Facebook and other social media outlets. It generates a lot of buzz and fuels
further player immersion into
the fantastical experience of
scenario paintball. In this way,
Mission Masters passes control
to the Command Teams to recruit, plan, strategize, and implement field orders themselves
on the field, enabling them to
fulfill their destinies. The Command Teams don’t sit off the
field making changes, they interface directly with their recruits and fight alongside them.
The day at Steeltown Paintball
Park started off in usual Mission
Masters’ style – scattered rain
in the forecast with wind gusts
hitting 25+mph. And considering it was the first game of the
Mission Masters season – and
first game ever at a new field
– confidence was high. Players
were placed into their respective teams and walk-ons were
divvied up for balance. The Blue
Team was made up of U.S. Army
June 2014
forces; the North Vietnamese
Army and Viet Cong comprised
the Red Team. After prepping
the young referee staff and
briefing the attending players
on the rules and field safety, the
game launched.
The first “mission” of seven –
“Battle of A Shau” – tasked both
teams with capturing/defending
the Special Forces Camp bunker
location at the top of the main
hill where the main feature is a
dirt road intersection never before played upon. Additionally,
the U.S. Army had to recover
supply drops from various locations while the NVA/VC were
tasked with setting up mortars
at marked locations. The close
quarter field layout afforded
teams a realistic jungle-style
of play, bringing a tug-of-war
element to the mission. Red
pushed Blue back only to lose
their flank and get pushed out
themselves. In the end, the first
mission score ended with five
points for Blue, four points for
Red, a balanced start to a day
that would end up being a wild
ride for both teams.
Mission two – “Tunnel Rats” –
bolstered the Blue team because
of their adaptability and communication, a testament to the
leadership style of Pittsburgh