The relaunch

I've put together a press release for some advance publicity to whet punter's appetites. I think we need to start getting some anticipation for next year's diary since we have a clear year at the moment and players might be wondering what's going to happen game-wise.

(The only game in the offing I know of is AGS in March possibly. Craig is undecided whether to run a game next year but I think he will run one.)

Comrades in Arms regroups for battle in 2013

Comrades In Arms returns from the sanatorium refreshed and ready to battle in 2013. Having been removed from the front line due to battle fatigue the team are now rested, back to fighting fitness and have regrouped to form a leaner, fitter and more focussed squad.

The team now comprises of three: Headshot, Sgt. Heide and Chomley-Warner. David and Stephen were two of the original team of five who kicked of the WW2 airsoft scene in 2006 and Pete joined the team in 2009. All are experienced airsofters and have a keen sense of what they want to get out of WW2 airsoft games and encompass that in the ‘Comrades in Arms’ ethic that has been adopted by several game organisers.

So, will the 2013 Comrades in Arms be more of the same or something new? Both really. We will stick with the three original principles of CiA, (the other four of seven have been adopted by other means):
• Non-profit making and site independent
• Organise WW2 games that follow a principle of restricted ammo, authentic uniforms and weapons, and period props giving a high degree of suspension of disbelief
• Keep an ‘friendly and inclusive’ approach rather than ‘elitist and stitch-counting’

But there will be a change of attitude. Sure we are proud of what we created in the past but we take great pleasure in being part of the community, and recognise the various WW2 airsoft game organisers each bring something of their own to the mix, ensuring all tastes are met.

And as there are fewer of us we don’t want to make organising games even more of a ball ache than it is already, so that while prop building might be slimmed back, ambition and imagination won’t be. We like new and different sites, we like a mix of game styles, we like historical accuracy, we like a challenge. There won’t be four games a year, we can’t physically maintain that sort of workload – those days have gone. But we can focus on quality rather than quantity – better that games are remembered for the right reasons than the wrong!

What the hell is Comrades in Arms then?
So, for those new to WW2, what are CiA events all about? As our name implies, it has a lot to do with comradeship. CiA socials were legendry, everyone gets to know everyone - indeed quite a lot of the committed WW2 airsofters are those that got the bug with us right at the beginning. We put a lot of focus on the ‘like-minded’ thing; anyone who turns up with a notion of blatting in dressing up will be rather disappointed. It could be possible that you get through a day without firing a shot. You might have spent two hours crawling towards an objective or spent an hour or two digging yourself a secure gun position. You might find yourself leading a squad to certain death or fulfilling a vital mission against seemingly impossible odds.

You see CiA games aren’t about obsessing with small uniform details (the level of accuracy is up to the player – we regard uniform as just work-wear, as soldiers on the front line did) but they are about working as a team to a common purpose, following commands and staying alive (or dying for a cause). The games aren’t scripted; there are objectives and a game plan for sure, but ultimately what happens is what happens – failure or success is equal in terms of game satisfaction. We left the ‘win at all costs’ idea back in the open day airsoft games we used to play. What CiA is about is the experience – what it might have been like for a soldier on the front line (within the bounds of what is possible with unfit or ageing players and keeping it ‘fun’). So challenging, frustrating, elating, confusing, grafting, might all be adjectives that can be applied to CiA events – each event something to remember.

Comrades in Arms has its own website where you can look back to previous events and if you haven’t been to a CiA game before then it might we worth having a look around.
http://www.comrades-in-arms.co.uk
And for more information on what Comrades in Arms is all about have a read here:
viewtopic.php?f=95&t=12998&p=194648

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