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Three days before taxes are due, my friend and I went to the AZTEC Zombie Apocalypse at Code Red Airsoft Park. My friend had never played airsoft before, but he runned for exercise every night and loved the zombie apocalypse stories, shows, and movies. He has a goal of achieving 18000 steps on his SmartWatch by the end of the night. I had played airsoft for nine months and loved the law enforcement/military tactics. Although airsoft zombie events had intrigued me, it wasn't something that thrilled me three days prior to filing my complicated taxes. And my normal squad mates were AWOL for this event. Nevertheless, we were excited for an entire week of count down to the day where the world ends.
On the day of the event, my friend texted me to let me know he was going to be at my house late. "What will we miss?" He asked anxiously. I didn't know, but texted, "Maybe the rules." Missing the rules announcement wasn't a big deal to us, because we were adults and we read the rules carefully several times during the week. In fact, I'm not going to talk very much about the rules in this experience. Instead, I have attached the Code Red zombie rules PDF to this experience for your reference.
The event started at 5 PM, but we got there around 5:45 PM. We had preferred to get there early, because we'd rather park next to the staging area, rather than the far end of the parking lot. But even the far end is only right next to the city field.
Registration is in a building across the "street" from the staging area. After filling out the forms, we have paid the fee, have gotten our wrist band, and have gotten the CRZORT patch sticker. The lady mentions to us that game starts at 6:30 PM. WE guess we have not missed very much coming in late. Also, she says, after two missions, the food truck arrive and grill will be open for dinner. Food is not included in the entry fee. But having had their cook-out before, it is extremely affordable compared to amusement parks and even local fast food restaurants. My friend and I have had plenty of time to get ready even though we are late.
There were about 40 dedicated zombies and about 150 players, which I thought was a good ratio. That simulated an epidemic and gave the players and zombies quite a thrill. There was actually another hired team dressed in full military load-out. They were the extraction team who will extract the surviving players with a moving military cargo truck. When the game started, the players were divided into two teams: alpha and bravo. Each team were assigned a military general to guide the team. My friend and I were on the alpha team.
Our first mission: recover an artifact, recover two full size skeletons, and rescue a female politician. Only when all objectives are completed will we get extracted. And the military general has to survive to call in the transport. I suspect that they have chosen attractive females to be politicians so that we'd actually attempt rescue them. I mean who wouldn't let a zombie feast on a scummy politician's brain?
Apparently, the rules were very strict. As we walked onto the city field, we were forced into single file to check our wristband, check we had no armament against the rules, and check our chrono tag. Oops! I guessed that was what we missed, coming in late. We didn't chrono our pistols. We were ejected immediately to get our guns chronographed.
After we chronographed our gun, we were allowed onto the field to join the first mission. It seemed our team has already recovering the first objective. We were looking for skeletons. Everyone just walked around the airsoft field in clumps, hoped to avoid the zombies. Everyone was afraid to enter the buildings to search and clear them out. So we walked in circles. We only entered the buildings reluctantly as the military general called upon us to do so. Our team was successful in completing all objectives, so the general called in the transport. The transport moved swiftly around the field, forcing us to chase it a slight distance. It loaded the survivors up to maximum capacity and took off, leaving the rest of us survivors. That was when shit hit the fan as we noticed the entire bravo team moving toward the city... as zombies! We ran. The zombies had chased us to the corner of the map. We held them at bay for a little while as we prayed for the transport. But it was too late as the horde out numbered the ten of us, including my friend. The transport made its way into the field only minutes after we were infected, looking for any remaining survivors.
In hindsight, the strategy to winning the zombie airsoft game is to search and clear all buildings as quickly as possible to achieve the objective. That allows the general to call in the transport for quick extraction. During extraction, create a mobile defensive front to keep the zombies at bay until all survivors can be extracted. (Full detailed tactics for airsoft zombie epidemic will be posted in a different topic.) Our mistake is our inexperience with mobs. I have mentioned this tactics to my friend during the mission 1 and mission 2 break. However, he is a runner, not an airsoft player, so it have been difficult to execute in our mission on the District 9 (D9) field. And the sun setting made the situation even worse. Our general is infected early in the game as the players run hysterically around the field (not searching and clearing buildings). Soon it have just became a huge zombie feast.
Dinner time between mission 2 and mission 3 lasted a long time. My friend was a vegetarian, so we did not have any of the food at Code Red. Instead, we ate protein bars that he brought. As we sat on the sofa to relax and chat, the friendly owner of the field stopped by to chat. He showed us fun videos of weapons training and incredible things that people in the world could do. My friend being very polite, stood while chatting. I sat the whole time to conserve my energy. The raffle started and a lot of good stuff was given away. For example, one bundle was a vest, a holster, and a helmet. I was one number off from winning anything.
After dinner time, my friend and I both have felt that the break was way too long. We would rather have more zombie games and eat protein bars in between the breaks. In fact, since the AZTEC Zombie Apocalypse event starts at 5 PM, we could just eat an early dinner. My friend claims that although the owner is a very enlightened conversationalist, my friend feels quite tired after standing and chatting for an hour. And it was also getting rather cold. Therefore, we have decided that mission 3 will be our last game. Mission 3 starts at 10 PM, so there is likely four mission in the entire zombie event.
We had made a pack during the long dinner break that no matter what other people did, we will actively search and clear each building to achieve our objectives. I had given him a crash course in clearing corners in CQB situation. As we walked onto the city field again, he asked, "which building do we start?" "The closest one." Apparently other players had come up with the same strategy. Two players immediately went toward the building we were going to clear. "Follow them, they seem to know what they are doing," I said to my friend. So a crowd of ten of us over-achievers moved swiftly into position. Apparently none of the other players knew CQB clearing tactics as they all gather around the entrance. No one stacked up and everyone was afraid to enter a dark building.
However, when we did, we were able to clear out the building. It could have been faster if everyone knew CQB tactics. But our squad of ten or so players were probably the best on the team. As soon as we cleared, I called out "Next building!" I had to call that out many times before we'd all move onward. Even so, we made good progress, because we had searched and cleared a quarter to a third of the building on the city map. We were moving onto the next building when we saw a huge mob of team mates running at high speed toward us. "Hybrid! Hybrid!" They called out the zombie type that was invincible to airsoft BB's. Our squad broke formation in fear and hysteria. We all ran backward. At that point, we were all separated.
By the time I recomposed my posture, I was left by myself. I tried to make my way back to the building we deserted. But my inexperience led me down the main "street", instead of taking a "sniper route". I met the a zombie trying to cross the "street". Moving tactically in circles while shooting the zombie, I realized it was a hybrid as it won't go down. Avoid the hybrid frantically, I ran into another normal zombie that tagged me.
Overall, we had a really fun night. It was quite chilly, so we should have brought more clothing. I had learned several shortcoming of my inexperience while dealing with unarmed adversary, melee mobs, and the darkness. There are a number of new solo tactics that I will be training for in future zombie events. A coordinated tactical team will fare much better, because you can use backward movement with suppression, backward leapfrog technique keep a mobile defensive position. The zombie event is also a great training ground for stacking and moving swiftly through buildings, because zombies doesn't shoot and they do respawn in place. I will discuss each tactic in different thread(s). The owner has mentioned to us that the zombie event during Halloween include goblins as well. Now, we are looking forward to the next time Code Red zombie event.
Jake
Sun, 13 Apr 2014 23:50:15 +0400
Nice write up. But how did you get infected if they were supposed to only walk....
AP
Wed, 16 Apr 2014 01:56:31 +0400
Thanks.
There are several types of zombies:
1. normal walking type (dead players)
2. sprinter (hired dedicated zombies)
3. silver face (not sure what their powers are)
4. hybrid (invincible)
There is likely a fifth type. They introduce a new one every mission. We missed the last mission, so we may have missed another type.
They also hide in the buildings, in the dark, and dash you when you least suspect.
They spawn in place fifteen seconds after you shoot them. So we are always on the run.
Jake
Wed, 16 Apr 2014 02:02:59 +0400
I was under the impression that the zombies weren't allowed to run when I read the rules. I think invincible zombies would irritate me as ultimately there wouldn't be a point in fighting as they would ultimately win anyway.
AP
Wed, 16 Apr 2014 02:11:37 +0400
When it comes to fighting, zombies do win. The goal is to complete the objective and get out.
Jake
Wed, 16 Apr 2014 02:25:19 +0400
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Title: Code Red Zombie Night Load Out
Weblog: GearHack
Excerpt: Code Red Airsoft Park is sponsoring the zombie night once again this Saturday, April 12th. It's a resource limited game where you can bring a pistol, MP7, MP9, or a shotgun. And you are limited to 50 rounds per mission. Typically, I use AEG rifles with red dot scope at an airsoft game. So I'm at a s . . .
Tracked: Sun, 13 Apr 2014 23:52:15 +0400
Title: Tactical Playbook #5: Winning a Zombie Apocalypse Airsoft Game
Weblog: GearHack
Excerpt: As I mentioned in my "AZTEC Zombie Apocalypse Experience" article (see TrackBack section below), I learned the winning strategy to a zombie apocalypse airsoft game. The strategy may sound easy, but with unlimited zombie respawns on the spot, fighting the zombie horde is a no-win situation. Before we . . .
Tracked: Sun, 20 Apr 2014 11:46:16 +0400
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