PaintballX3 Magazine June 2014 | Page 88

88 “Firebase Blaze” began the turn of the tide for the NVA/VC. Legion of Assassins, Red’s Command Team, directed by Captain Martin Storgard, had some strategic tricks of their own. They coupled the flank maneuver with successful paint slinging to hand the U.S. Army a piece of humble pie baked with a goose egg! They doubled their score to 16 while holding Blue at 25. The wind had picked up by this time, and several players kept a weather eye open for falling branches and trees! The next mission – “The Tet Offensive” – wasn’t nearly as dramatic as mission five, but Red pulled out another point majority with five and managed to allow Blue two points: B27-R21. The prepped the stage perfectly for a Mission Masters-style finale in mission seven: “Hamburger Hill.” Twelve points were up for the taking in the final mission of the day, per usual in the Mission Masters formula. It was anyone’s game, but Blue’s to lose. They carried a six-point lead into the final mission. Would they hold on, or would they let the lead slip to the NVA/VC? Another new section of field, “Hamburger Hill,” started off dramatic as a member of Whiskey Squad of Team Blue was, within the first 90 seconds, hit June 2014 in the “unspeakable region” and slipped on the gravel as he advanced on the NVA/VC flank. No permanent injury and the mission was restarted. The Legion of Assassins led the charge from the top of the Hill to take positions all along the rim overlooking the valley below where the U.S. Army crept. Their flanks were exposed, and Blue took advantage. Several mortar positions lied open to predation on the flanks, and Blue easily took out the right flank mortar with a well-placed stick of dynamite. In the final seconds, a member of the U.S. Army bolted forward with the U.S. flag, but was marked multiple times before dislodging the NVA/VC flag and hanging theirs. No score! Thirty seconds remained, but the few remaining NVA/VC markers held the only U.S. Army players at bay along the unprotected road leading to the flag. No score! Red kept their flag flying at the whistle. But wait, what about the other mortar location along the left flank? Team Blue sent several players to that flank with a dynamite prop, but when they threw it from the rim-side brush, it hit the mortar tube and bounced away to a harmless distance (more than 20 feet away)! No score! But could the U.S. sol