Unarmed Samurai receives the second Silver Ball in Marauder History
Filed by: Benjamin Tapia
June 10, 2005
Unarmed Samurai Takes Ft. Charlie – wins the second Silver Ball
It was the second battle of Ft. Charlie. 1st Squad was playing against the 2nd, 3rd, 4th (call-sign Marauders). Walk-ons were split between the forces. There were about 12 players per side. 1st squad would attack. Samurai received his orders to follow Predator, Sandman, Tanker, Metal Dragon, Punisher and Associate Player Scroggman on a long patrol over the berm and down river to the 11 O’clock jump-off point. The balance of the team would attack from the 3 O’clock. Samurai took the rear of the patrol hugging close to the river. When they reached the 11 O’clock position, Predator crept to the top of the Berm to check our position by peering over the top. The Marauders were waiting. A couple of shots rang out as Predator fell back. They continued down river until they could cross the slot undetected. As they had to over-shoot our 11 O’clock rendezvous point they continued to the 9 O’clock. As Predator made his way further down, Samurai took a position behind a large tree at the 10 O’clock. He traded some shots with some of the opposing team and was forced to change his 20oz CO2 for his 9oz backup. When he peered down the main entry path to Ft. Charlie, he noticed he could low-crawl to a wall just outside of the main fort. From there he would have good position on the waterbed tower. As he approached the wall he received a few scattered shots from the trench works next to the waterbed tower. All of a sudden Samurai started receiving fire from Suicide in a bunker no more than ten feet to his left. The only thing preventing Suicide from taking him out was a small corner of that wall and the fact that Tanker was behind a tree to his far left and had Suicide pinned. As he took some shots at Suicide his Spyder chopped a ball and his gun jammed. No matter how hard he tried he could not get his bolt to free from it’s frozen state. The only thing he could do was open his hopper and start throwing paintballs at Suicide from flat on his back. Tanker had instructed him to fall back, but now that his position was known he was pinned. Just then Commander Papa was leaving the field! He was shot out so Samurai asked for his gun. But before he could give it to him, Punisher appears on his way off the field. Punisher gives Samurai his gun. Tanker is still instructing him to fall back but he is pinned down. As he got ready to take aim at the waterbed tower with his newly acquired gun, he takes a hit in the shoulder just below the neck and is eliminated.
He walked back with his loaner gun in the air and is allowed to join Tanker and Sandman on the 11 O’clock ridge and tag up. Tanker then instructs him to fall in next to Sandman on the left. Sandman in turn directs him to the 12. As he ever so discreetly peered over the ridge to get a look as to what was happening on the field, he sees deserted positions. So many of the defense team got “blood lust” and abandoned their posts to counter attack the 1st squad that they are now vulnerable to attack. Samurai moved a little to the left to get around a small wire barrier. He sees a player standing like ” a sitting duck”. He takes aim and squeezed the trigger. Once again “NO AIR?!” He pulled the bolt back just to make sure. His worse fears were confirmed. He was given a dud gun. Fortunately his target approached him to signal that he had already been shot out. Samurai then continued scanning the Fort. All he can see are the enemy’s backs in the supporting trenches, and only one player in Charlie’s towers who could do anything about him; But that player was trading shots with sandman down at the 11. There was only one minute left in the game and 1st squad had been beaten up to now.
“Well pull up your pants and be prepared to get the living crap shot out of you” Samurai said to himself as he stood up to make a play for the Fort. He ran across the open area that should have been protected. He saw the one shot-out player standing next to Predator (who was himself shot out by now but was keeping a watchful eye on the game and the game-time)
The two eliminated players watched to see if Samurai was going to make it. He noticed the player in the tower did not see him. He zoned in on the closest gun port and prayed that a gun was not going to poke through and end his effort. He slides baseball style up to the Fort and shoved in the gun now turned paperweight that was given to him earlier. “GAME!!!” He screamed and braced for some late shots to come. None did. He saw Predator looking around and blowing the whistle to end the game. With one minute to go. Samurai turned the tide armed only with shear courage. For his efforts he received the Silver Ball.