We’ve just added a new event at Catterick Urban Ops to our calendar for this year and it’s going to be something special.
For the first time ever at Catterick we’re holding a real-time hostage rescue mission.
If you’re familiar with Stirling’s usual airsoft games at Catterick you’ll know that the site’s got a huge variety of buildings available ranging from standard semi-detached and detached houses, through to the large hotel complex and the 5-storey tower block. These buildings are great for All-Out-War games, pitting a hundred or more players against each other across the sprawling urban airsoft site, but now we’re using the site for a real-time hostage rescue combat mission.
Players who’ve been to our Combat Mission games, like the upcoming Op: Atlas mission, at our Great Blackhill Farm site in Herefordshire will be more used to the way that Op: Overwatch will be run.
Most of Saturday daytime will be spent training with Stirling’s highly experienced Instructors, running through hostage rescue and CQB skills training to help players build up the necessary skillsets to carry out the coming mission.
After breaking for dinner players, in the role of 22 SAS, will receive the call to attend a hostage situation in a North Yorkshire town.
From this point on the mission will unfold in real-time throughout the night as players are briefed on the situation, conduct close target recces, get involved in negotions with the hostage-takers and prepare immediate action and strategic plans to resolve the hostage situation.
Players will rotate through the various roles required during the operation though the night, taking it in turns to man observation posts, get involved in mission planning and negotiations, remain on standby for the call to immediate action if it becomes necessary and to rest.
This is not the standard “run and gun” action of a typical airsoft skirmish game, but rather this requires players to put themselves in the shoes of real Special Forces operators as they plan and prepare to try to successfully resolve a hostage siege situation with the minimum of civilian casualties. It may not be to everyone’s tastes but those players who have taken part in hostage rescue missions like this at Stirling Airsoft’s other sites in the past have thoroughly enjoyed the change of pace and the opportunity to experience more in depth tactical airsoft than normal games usually allow.
Op: Overwatch takes place on the weekend of November 7th and 8th. Details can be found on the Op: Overwatch page of the main Stirling Airsoft site.
The weekend after Op: Overwatch the team will be in action once more for the Op: Atlas combat mission at the Great Blackhill Farm site in Herefordshire.
As always you can email matt@stirlingairsoft.com for details and you can find the booking form here.
If the rigours of combat missions don’t appeal then there’s also this year’s England vs Scotland game, Op: Instant Justice, coming up in December, where England will be trying to retain the Stirling Shield after last year’s victory over the Scots.
