Filed by: Samuel Zentner
The Island June 12, 2005
AAR: Marauders Largest Battle
It was the largest game in Marauder History! A total of 66 players. (some estimated 80) TEAM LOCKDOWN came in from the Sacramento Area with 25 players. Only five Team Lockdown had been to the Island before, of these only one was present. The rest would have to learn this very complex playing field as they went along. After attacking in the first game against the largest MARAUDER FORCE ever assembled (27 patch-wearing Marauders showed up for the shootout), it was Team Lockdown’s turn to defend Fort Charlie. Marauders started at Fort Apache. They formed three strike teams. First and Fourth Squads would cross the Slot and proceed to the 10 and 11 O’clock positions of the Sand Berm cross the slot again and hit at the ridge of Fort Charlie’s 9’Oclock. (shown as red arrows) Second Squad would make the run from the 3 O’clock to split Lockdown’s guns between two directions and take the Alpha Bunker. (shown in yellow arrows) Third Squad would divert more fire from the 6 O’clock. (Shown in blue arrows) Third Squad was led by Camoman and took the majority of the walk-on associate players (non-marauders).
Fire erupted almost immediately when elements of 2nd squad rushed the wall just past the Alpha Bunker and decimated players in the vicinity. Associate Player Donald led this attack and gave the defenders something to really worry about. At this time First and Fourth Squads were making their way unseen behind the Sand Berm. Their movement was fast and quiet.
When they reached their jump-off point, cover fire was laid down on the 9 O’clock ridge of Fort Charlie. The sentry withdrew under the heavy rate of fire of the 11 man patrol. The withdrawal of those players gave the 1st squad an unexpected opening. Predator crossed the slot and secured the ridge for the following Marauders. Without firing a shot, all of First Squad assembled along the ridge just out of sight of the defenders. Fourth Squad proceeded as planed around River Point and to the 9 and 8 O’clock . When they were in position, Predator looked up and found 2 Lockdown players in a fighting position on the Maverick Creek ridge engaged with Third Squad who were now delivering fire from the 6 O’clock. Four long ball shots from his Tippmann flat-line Custom and they were gone. This woke up 2 players in defense positions 10 feet to his left. They opened up but by then Metal Dragon arrived with more Marauders. They all began firing at the Fort. The two defenders to the left were shooting at Fourth Squad, who they thought took out the two players shot by Predator. They forgot about the seven other players directly to their right and exposed their heads a little too much. It was they who were taken out next. This gave the entire 9 O’clock to the control of Marauders. They exploited this expeditiously. They moved across the narrow flat plateau. The intensity of the fire was amazing. There were approx. 66-70 paintball guns of all description firing as fast as possible. Predator moved along the ridge from the 9 to the 7 O’clock. He noticed nobody was shooting at him. At this point he approached the waterbed bunker. Still no fire. He then casually walked up to the gun port at the 7 O’clock and put his gun through to end the game. Mongoose and Instigator from Fourth Squad had done all the clearing in this area that allowed Predator this rare opportunity to waltz up and end the game.
Team Lockdown had done a great job to give us one of the best games ever played at the Island. Despite not knowing exactly where the fire was coming from, and being heavily outnumbered, they put up a great fight.
The real lesson here is one Marauders learned soon after building Ft Charlie. To hold the Fort, you cannot give up the surrounding area defense positions. To keep them you have to stay low and not expose yourself to the 360 degree fire from the attackers. Loose those positions and the occupiers of the stockade cannot see enough of what’s going around them enough to keep defenders out.
To take the Fort you have to bring enough fire to bear on the defenders to suppress them while your team maneuvers. This takes timing from all the attacking teams to split the defenders guns and keep them from working on one attack team at a time. Marauders pulled this off after a year of practice. They won that Game with their experience on that field. They had more players on the field but it was the Marauder regular players that made the difference through the doctrine of fire and maneuver. The beginners who added to the numbers were doing what they always do; find a comfortable place and lob long balls with no effect.
The Island is one of the most complex game fields in existence. Nobody has a great first day playing there. It took 3 months for the Marauders to finally take Fort Charlie from the defenders. Lessons were hard learned. We hope to see TEAM LOCKDOWN again, but we know every time they return they will be harder to deal with. They were the largest and toughest team we ever hosted and became the first recipients of the Marauders home field Guest Op-Force Ribbon . It was our honor to play this honest and safe Paintball Association. We salute them for a job well done!