Paintball

[VVulfe]

So, I was browsing over the "I remember" thread, and chuckling, when I saw mention of Wolf's Lair.

I've heard this name here and there - but it was pretty squarely before my time.

What was Wolf's Lair, and why was it to be feared?

[Listessa]

That's the former name of EMR from back in the 90s or so.
I'll leave stories and things to the folks that were there back in the day.

[TouchofGrey]

Ah they joys of remembering the original castle. Non existant chronoing and the tactics of the Waffen Elite that ran the place! Last time I was at Wolfs Lair it was for a tournamant. I played with Team Mayhem from England. I remember the place being pretty nice way back when. Of course that was about 16 or 17 years ago,

[HP_Lovecraft]

Suffered badly from very poor management. Sold itself as the east-coast version of SC-village in California.

Interesting in that they were one of the few "big fields" that openly allowed SMG's, even at tournaments. What I remember most was the vast number of SMG's. Entire teams, that worked together using military tactics. It was a surprise since I was used to going against single SMG's back home, and you would just wait for them to reload, and then charge. Not at Wolfs Lair!

I also remember being intimidated by the Waffen team, but when I look at those old pictures, they look REALLY SILLY with those berets!

Montneel Designs was originally located in the barn at Wolf's Lair. (Back when it was more then just a pile of rotten wood).

nick

[Lrrpie-CT]

Wolf's Lair was running in the mid to late 80's. Before there were paintball magazines there were ads for Wolf's Lair in Soldier of Fortune. I can probably dig up an ad. It was an odd place from what I understand. A little too connected to Nazi stuff for my tastes.

[Talfuchre]

The reason it got a bad rep is because it modeled itself after Nazi Germany's settings. Wolf's lair, Waffen Elite (who wore Swastica's) and the like.

It was pretty bad management.

TF

[HP_Lovecraft]

Originally Posted by Lrrpie-CT

A little too connected to Nazi stuff for my tastes.

At the time, though, scenerio formats were the main type of paintball.

Most fields were designed to recreate battles with forts, trenches, towers, etc. Most "gear" was bought at Army surplus stores.

Today, the mil-sim crowd is bashed as "hurting the image of paintball", but in the late 80s, paintball was largely "mil sim".

Wolf's Lair was just a representation of that. SC-village had a Vietnam theme. At the time it made perfect sense, though it does seem out of place today.

nick

[Painthappy]

Yup.. SC stood for Sat Cong... Vietnam etc....

Everything was milsim back then... And for the "image" of paintball, people started wearing colorful suits... aka todays Jerseys so you look like NASCAR now. Bright colored guns... and the advent of calling our guns Markers.

HP will remember that AG had the Russian Village. I actually miss some of that stuff, and the other 1/2 of the oddities I can do without.

Right now paintball is a good mix, and you can pick and choose what you want.

[Painthappy]

Oh.. Sat Cong translated to "Kill VC"

Forget where it came from exactly though... Some groups saying I suppose....

[HP_Lovecraft]

Originally Posted by Painthappy

Right now paintball is a good mix, and you can pick and choose what you want.

Thats a good point Carter.
I personally don't like speedball.

Speedball is like the last 5 minutes of a 30 minute woodsball game.

Yes, its fast, but lacks the drama of starting a game without knowing where the other team is. Not knowing the terrain, or if you will have cover, routes, etc. Basically, woodsball is far more complex.

But I still respect speedball. It is still a valid form of paintball. I would never say that "Speedball is not paintball". Yet, go to PBN and you will find ignorant kids saying that "Woodsball is not paintball", and "scenerio games are bad for paintball". etc.

Unfortunetly, speedball is a cheaper format, and more profitable. Most woodball fields have died out. Not that I blame them. Paintball is a hard business to make a living from.

nick