Airsoft, the combat sport that uses realistic guns that fire small plastic pellets, is enjoyed by all kinds of people at sites and event venues around the UK on a regular basis. You might find a group of teenagers celebrating a birthday party, a team of regulars preparing for a competition and a couple of grizzled veterans with fully customised load-outs and warpaint covering their faces at your local airsoft centre. But there are a couple of hard-and-fast rules governing access to the sport, as well as a big variety in the kinds of games being played. You’d be unlikely to find the three groups mentioned above in the same one. We break it all down here - enjoy!
AGE LIMITS ON AIRSOFT
In the first place, we have to point to law and statute: it’s illegal to purchase an airsoft gun or use one without supervision in the UK if you are under 18. That doesn’t exclude teenagers from playing at licensed venues though. Most of these offer guns and other equipment for rent to attendees and marshals supervise the gameplay, so it’s all nice and legal. As with any sport that involves running around and firing guns, it’s not suitable for the youngest children and 12 years old is a common lower age limit.
ABILITY AND EXPERIENCE
Airsoft really is one of those games that take a minute to learn, but a lifetime to master. After all, when someone puts a gun-shaped object in your hand and points towards a group of soldiers running towards, it’s pretty obvious what’s expected of you. Plenty of airsoft experiences around the country are suitable for people who’ve never played before and some venues around the country are also incorporating infrastructure to allow people with disabilities to participate in their sites.
Having said that, those players who take airsoft seriously take it very seriously indeed and have come up with some full-on play styles. Let’s take a look at some different types of airsoft events and indicate which you might want to sign up for based on your level of experience.
Airsoft event types
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Skirmish/Open Day: This is your entry level event. Anyone can take part, using their own equipment if they have it or using rental kit from the operator. Expect several games of 30 minutes or so in a session that lasts half or a full day.
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Private: You’re in charge! If you book out an airsoft venue for a personalised event, the level of play on the field will depend on the ability of the group.
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Speedsoft: This is a form of the game played in smaller, more open arenas to emphasise action and aggressive play over stealth and strategy. This kind of play can be found at open airsoft events and, though you might get shot more than you shoot if it’s your first time, there’s no harm in trying it out.
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Close Quarter Combat: Also known as Close Quarter Battle (CQC or CQB), this is the kind of airsoft played in indoor facilities like an ex-military bunker in Greenwich or similarly crowded/cramped spaces at outdoor venues. Anyone can enter the battlefield, but you have to have your wits about you to come out on top.
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MilSim: Military Simulation, this is for hardcore players who want to emulate the experience of warfare as closely as possible. A MilSim event could last a full day or as long as a whole weekend, including a series of objectives and setpieces. Players might be expected to carry everything they need for the mission with them, including ammo, food, water and even bushcraft equipment. This is where you’ll see highly customised equipment, complex load-outs and lots of green face paint. Battle Sim and Film Sim are related pursuits.
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Battle Reenactments: Also simulating warfare, but this time with an emphasis on accurate representation of famous historical battles. Here, airsoft meets Cosplay and LARP and draws history buffs into the sport.
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Special: Zombie apocalypse, fright night, video game come to life, etc. - there’s a lot that can be done with airsoft to keep it fresh and interesting. Events of this type will often be put on to attract new players to the hobby, so if you see something that you like the look of - go for it!
THE AIRSOFT COMMUNITY
The variety of airsoft games being played around the country is testament to the thriving community that’s coalesced around the sport in recent years. Add to that the online forums, social media groups, discord servers, as well as the equipment suppliers and specialist shops in towns and cities around the UK, it’s obvious that people are dedicating a lot of their time and money to this pastime. And it’s generally a very healthy, supportive community.
Forums are packed with newcomers asking for advice from veterans who gladly oblige. The game works on an honour system where players have to acknowledge when they’re hit - and face the consequences if they’re found to have carried on playing after an impact. There's even an annual festival that’s been running since 2007 and attracts thousands of enthusiasts to Dorset every year to play games, stock up on equipment and socialise with their comrades-in-arms.
At the end of the day, airsoft is a broad church that people of all ages, abilities and walks of life can get involved with in the way that suits them best. From stag and hen parties to teenage video game nerds and die hard fans who treat it more like a lifestyle choice than a hobby, all are welcome and all are in it for a good time. Newbies: any more questions? Vets: any wisdom to share? Put it in the comments section below.
