Author: Dave

New Players Are The Future. How Do We Keep Them?

There is a certain life cycle to the game of airsoft from when you are one of the new players, to when you have some experience and become one of the grizzled regulars at your local airsoft field. We’ve all experienced it, and chances are not all of our experiences were overwhelmingly positive. If we’re being honest with each other, new players are the life blood of our hobby, and without them it cannot grow and prosper and give us even more people to share it with, so how do we keep them around?

 

Offer advice, constructively, not critically.

We all see the new players when they screw up. If your experience is anything like mine, it’s been the root cause for several walks to respawn or unnecessary shots to unprotected parts of your body because someone had poor trigger discipline. It’s very easy to get upset when these moments happen, but you have to put yourself in the new player’s shoes. This may have been you or one of your regular squad mates in the past. We can teach the new players without screaming at them, belittling them or generally being the jerk player that makes sure the new guys never come back.

Does the new guy run around constantly flagging you with the barrel of his airsoft gun? Politely instruct him why it’s necessary to pay attention to his gun safety.

Does the new guy bunch behind cover? Help him find somewhere better to post up. Give him some covering fire to get there safely.

Does the new guy have gear that clearly doesn’t suit their play style? Offer some advice, some recommendations or show him why you like the stuff you use.

Be kind, be patient, and teach instead of ridicule.

Be The Mentor You Wish You Had When You Started

We’ve all had a negative experience from our time as a new player. We couldn’t figure out what hop up was, or how to get our guns to shoot straight. Nobody ever explained to peek around cover and not over it. You accidentally flagged someone and got chewed out because you didn’t know better. We’re all human, we’ve all made mistakes.

It’s important to be the mentor to new players that you wish you had when you first started playing airsoft. This is the golden rule, treat others the way you wish to be treated. Take a new player under your wing, show him the cool hiding spots or popular flanking routes on your field. Teach them small unit tactics so they become someone you want to play alongside, and someone who will challenge you when you have to play against them.

Use our first tip, and offer advice constructively, not critically. Don’t be afraid to lend some bb’s from your speed loader to the rental kid. Lend some gear to your new player friends so they can have a better experience. Teach them how to properly set a hop up. Everything you do to make the new guys have more fun, makes them stick around for the long haul and ultimately make airsoft better.

 

Solve Problems. Don’t Create Them.

Every new player has one key thing in common. They’re going to run into some problems. Sometimes, these problems are technical like an issue with their gun or gear. Other times, these problems can be with other players. Often, new players are afraid to seek help for fear of looking “like a noob” and that can put a burden on them that ultimately leads to their not sticking with a new hobby or seeking bad advice from the less savory parts of the internet.

Whenever you have the chance, try to help these players solve their problems, and try not to be the cause of them.

You can do this by:

• Calling your hits
• helping fix the simple issues when you can
• grabbing an admin or referee to help new players deal with problems on field
• offering to show them the ropes and squad up

There are more ways than that to help out new players, but this should get you started. Remember, the key here is to help, not hurt the new guys.

Do Your Part To Make Airsoft Awesome

The easier we make it for new players to get involved, the better our favorite hobby will be for it in the long run. If we want to increase player counts at events, increase innovation in the industry by having more players for companies to make guns for, and overall make things even better for all of us, it starts with how we treat the new players.

Stay excellent to each other.

Want to pick up your own guns and gear to help out the new guys? Click HERE.

So You Want To Get The Squad Involved…

One of the biggest perils of starting airsoft we get asked about is how to get your friends involved. It is quite understandable, as humans we are all very social creatures and don’t like to be alone. If you’d rather hit the field with back up, but none of your friends play, how do you get them involved?

 

We’re going to share with you a couple of helpful tips and strategies so that you and your friends can get playing quick fast and in a hurry! Come take a journey with us and see how to get the squad moving!

 

Start The Arms Race Yourself

This is the one we see happen the most often. Typically, you and several of your friends will discover airsoft through YouTube or other social media means and start getting excited. You may venture to a retailer like Airsoft GI and check out all of the awesome Airsoft Guns, but nobody knows where to go from there.

The first friend to locate the local field information, order his first gun and guilt trip his friends into joining is usually the instigator of the airsoft arms race. Sometimes your friends will just need a little push to get the motivation to get going.

It can help if you do some research on behalf of your friends and find them some affordable options to fit their needs and desires as well. A lot of players tend to begin with our Best Airsoft starter kits and work their way into higher end gear from their. Become the facilitator for your friends future airsoft addiction and you’ll all be hitting the field in no time!

 

Become The Team Armory

 

This tactic works very similarly to starting your local arms race yourself, but works better if you have friends that are perpetually broke. Just start buying up guns and gear until you have enough to outfit the squad on your own. We have so many options for great inexpensive rifles that actually perform when it comes time to hit the field, that it has never been easier to stock up and build your own airsoft armory. The trick here is to focus on guns that give you value and performance over cool looks and excessive features. If you want to get the gang together as fast as possible, the goal is rapid acquisition of guns and gear in record time.

Start with guns like the Apex Fast Attack line, or Lancer Tactical Gen 2 rifles. These guns all give incredible value and performance for your dollar and can be a great place to start.

 

Show Them Some Footage!

What about your friends that haven’t fully committed yet? What about your friends who aren’t even interested? How do you give them the spark to get them to join you on the field?

 

Airsoft is best when experienced, but if your friends need some extra motivation to join you for the weekend, whip out your phone and pull up some of the amazing gameplay videos you can find on the web from all of the Pew-Tubers you find on all the video sharing platforms on the internet! Check out youtubers like USAirsoft, The Airsoft GITV channel or others you find and share them with your friends. Getting to get a taste of the action vicariously can be a powerful hook to get your friends involved!

 

So What Is The Best Way?

The best way is whichever way works for you. Everyone is a little different and gets motivated differently. There are far more strategies than just the ones we’ve listed here, but we have found these to be the most effective options.

The important thing is the end result: Getting your friends to the field to sling plastic with you! Whichever way you accomplish that goal is a good one!

What ways have worked for you in the past? Reach out to us on social media and let us know!

 

Want to grab your own guns and gear to get started? Click here.

So Your Airsoft Gun Ended Up In The Mud…

We’ve all been there: You’re out playing and having a good time with the squad and you trip into a nasty pile of mud. You’re covered, your airsoft guns and gear are covered. What do you do now?

We have the answers. Check out this quick tip video from Dave about how to get your gun clean again in just a few quick steps!

Need more tips? Try here.

Want to buy your own airsoft gun? Click Here.

 

Modern Warfare Is Here. How Can You Use It To Up Your Game?

 

With the release of the next installment in the eternally popular Call of Duty franchise, Modern Warfare 2019, We’ve got a TON of requests to cover some of new features in the franchise and how they apply to your airsoft game. We expected a ton of interest in gear and guns when it was announced this year’s game would go back to the modern setting, but you all have truly blown the doors off!

 

Modern Warfare 2019 features a ton of hot new guns, as well as several returning classic, but more importantly it introduces some new features, and gives us a chance to highlight the success of some older Call of Duty staples to spice up your airsoft skill set.

 

 

1. Choose Your Load Out Wisely

Modern Warfare 2019 features what is likely the most robust and in depth version of “Create-a-Class” yet in a Call of Duty game, rivaled only by the likes of games like Escape From Tarkov for it’s sheer variety of options available to you on some weapons. The M4 included in Modern Warfare 2019 has options to replicate everything from a CQBR to a classic M16vn style rifle and everything in between, with a host of options for stocks, barrels, grips, scopes and other attachments. You can craft your weapon and perks to handle any style of play and situation, just like in Airsoft!

 

So how does this relate? Call of Duty forces you to make choices, and while the Airsoft Field doesn’t often enforce these same kinds of restrictions, you may want to consider self imposing some on yourself. Ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal pain, so consider lightening your load out to make yourself more effective. Much the same way that Modern Warfare restricts you to five “attachments” per weapon for game balance, you may want to consider not bolting everything but the kitchen sink onto your rifle to stay mobile.

 

This can extend to your gear as well. Do you really need 17 magazine pouches on your vest for three different types of guns? Would you be more streamlined if you cut down some of that load, and find more effectiveness in speed versus overall ammo capacity?

 

Embrace the options you have at your disposal, but keep in mind, there can be too much of a good thing. Stay on your feet, stay mobile, and stay effective by choosing your load out wisely to match the game or scenario at hand, instead of carrying everything you own, and bolting every accessory you can find onto your airsoft gun!

 

2. Change Your Elevation

Call of Duty is known for a couple of popular strategies in its multiplayer games: Drop-shotting and Bunny-Hopping. In an effort to stay moving and get the drop on other players, it’s not uncommon to see fully geared up commandos diving to the prone position or jumping all over the map to get new and unique angles or avoid getting shot and having to respawn.

 

While diving to prone and constantly jumping are not necessarily as easy to do in the real world as it is in a video game, there is still a lesson to be learned here. Change your elevation and get off the X.

 

So many airsofters get trapped in this “take cover” mentality; that they sometimes forget the best way to not get shot is to simply not be where your enemy is shooting. This means that if your enemy is looking for you standing up, consider getting low to the ground. If you have the chance to get above your opponent, take it. Many airsofters also forget to look up!

 

It may not be exactly the same, but the motivation to bunny hop or drop-shot your opponent is! If you aren’t in the spot where your opponent expects you to be, it can be the difference between winning and losing an airsoft gun fight. Set yourself up for success, and change your elevation!

 

3. Stack Up

One of the coolest new features from the campaign mode of Modern Warfare 2019 is the breaching and clearing sequences found at multiple points in the campaign. These gritty and methodical runs through intense tight quarters where you have to make snappy split-second decisions are some of the most enjoyable and authentic portions of this year’s campaign.

 

How can you up your airsoft game from playing these sequences?

 

Pay attention to the ways the characters move as you transition from floor to floor, or room to room. Note the differences in your actions from when you stealthily creep into a room leaving the occupants unaware or when you fly in with reckless abandon to get the drop on a target before he takes out your teammates. The game actually has different reactions for the virtual bad guys on the business end of your blaster in these scenarios. It shows how important it is that you have teamwork, coverage on your angles, and a high degree of skill and confidence in your room clearing abilities to succeed.

 

The most key take-away from this sequence is the difference between fast and slow entry to a target room, and the necessity of ingress and egress angles by your teammates as you clear. Movement as a unit helps you maintain your relative safety in game as you work your way through complex buildings or areas. Sometimes, when you have the element of surprise, your best call is to move slow and silent, but once things pop off, violence of action is likely the key. Choosing to start the engagement versus being reactive to your opponent will make you the most successful in these types of situations on the airsoft field. Make sure your teammates are watching your back as you move from zone to zone, making sure you don’t have any unexpected surprises while you work your way from room to room and building to building to take out the bad guys!

 

4. Mount Up

The last tip we’re going to cover today has to do with one of the newest mechanics introduced into the Call of Duty franchise, mounting your weapon on barricades and walls.

 

This technique is used in the game much the same way you would use it with a firearm. It has a similar purpose in airsoft but with different benefits. In game, it helps you with recoil to keep your shots on target. This is very useful with some of the higher recoiling weapons in game like the FAL or the LMG’s you have at your disposal. It also makes your character model harder to hit, and you don’t have to peak out as far to make a shot, helping you avoid the dreaded respawn screen.

 

In airsoft however, it doesn’t help much with recoil, as airsoft guns don’t have much if any kick back by nature, but it does help you in other ways. This technique gives you a frame of reference to your cover or concealment, and helps you more accurately track bbs onto your target when you have to contend with wind and hop up. By bracing your rifle against a hard surface such as the corner of a building, a low wall, or a barricade in can act much like an impromptu bipod and help you steady your aim to take your next shot. It also allows you to keep your body behind cover, and out of the way of incoming rounds, which helps you avoid the dreaded walk back to respawn.

 

Much like drop-shotting and bunny hopping, the key here is the reasoning behind the technique. It helps you stay on target. So many airsofters expose their whole body and wonder why they keep getting shot. With this technique, you can stay on top of your opponents with minimal exposure and keep the other team making the “dead man’s walk” instead of yourself.

Reboot and Remaster Your Techniques

While video games are rarely a perfect analogue to playing airsoft, with the newest Modern Warfare game, you can definitely pick up a few things and add them to your tool box for your next airsoft event. We can always take in new references and new ways to change how we think about the airsoft field and how dynamic it can be. What are some of the things you’ve picked up from Modern Warfare 2019 that you’ve worked into your airsoft game? Let us know in the comments!

 

If you want to pick up some kit to try any of these out for yourself: Click Here.

Want some other tips? Try This Article.

Long Distance On A Short Budget

The Classic Army SR40 airsoft gun has made a name for itself as a staple member of the airsoft sniper rifle market by being a budget friendly BB slinger capable of taking many popular upgrades. It features a style unique to itself that sets it apart from the clones of other VSR compatible rifles that have inundated the market for decades. Let’s take a closer look at some of the factors that make the SR40 such a special addition to the airsoft armory!

 

Appearance

While most bolt action sniper rifles feature some direct parity to the Remington 700 or similar hunting style rifles, the SR40 sets itself apart. It features a thicker “bull” style barrel, the adjustable cheek rest and an easy to use pre-installed picatinny rail.  It may resemble the other rifles in its market, but if you take a closer look you can see the small aesthetic changes that not only serve to look great, but help the rifle function.

 

The adjustable cheek riser means you can mount whatever kind of optic you’d like, and get a comfortable cheek weld while you shoot. This is especially important as you try to find scopes you can use even with the sometimes bulky eye protection options some players use.

 

The picatinny rail coming pre-installed removes most of the scope alignment concerns many players will experience with other rifles. This means you can maximize the effect of the sturdy and rugged bull barrel that keeps your inner barrel nice and tightly held in place.

 

Upgrade Compatibility

 

 

This rifle has awesome options for upgrade parts as well. While its aesthetic differences mean that some parts take some work to fit. Many popular VSR upgrade options can be made to fit in this gun. That means that you can do things like upgrade the trigger, increase or decrease the FPS by changing the main spring, or even increase your accuracy and distance with barrel upgrades.

 

These are the types of factors you want in a sniper rifle, especially when you are saving so much money on the base model. Customization and tuning is key when building a sniper rifle, and the SR40 delivers.

 

Price

One of the hardest things to justify cost on when you build a sniper rifle for the airsoft field is how much money you’ll inevitably spend on a base gun, whose parts you are just going to gut and toss out minute one when you start upgrading. The SR40 keeps the initial buy in down with a low price of $74.99 right now on Airsoft GI’s website. This means you have more room in the budget for the upgrades you’ll want to install. As an added bonus though, the rifle shoots pretty well out of the box already. It’s definitely a capable option for new players or people looking for a good target plinker as well!

 

Everything You Need, Nothing You Don’t

The SR40 is an excellent option for new players, new snipers, or players looking for a reasonably accurate gun on a budget. Do yourself a favor, order one today HERE and check it out for yourself! See what kinds of crazy accuracy you can get out of a gun that costs less than a Benjamin!