Airsoft

From AirsoftWiki

Airsoft refers to a sport or recreational pastime in which players participate in the simulation of military- or law enforcement-style combat using smoothbore airsoft guns designed as replicas of real firearms.

Airsoft has its roots in late-1980s East Asia, specifically Japan where firearms were difficult or impossible to obtain due to local laws and gun hobbyists sought a legal alternative for enjoying their passion. It is therefore unsurprising that airsoft is still today most popular in several Asian regions, such as Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, South Korea, and to a certain extent, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore. The vast majority of airsoft guns, accessories, and after market upgrade parts are also manufactured in these countries.

There is also a growing interest in North America and Europe, especially in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Poland, Lithuania, Portugal, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Italy, Belgium (which is also visited by Dutch players, as the game is illegal in the Netherlands), Denmark, Chile, and Argentina, bolstered by an active and expanding Internet scene.

Methods and structures of play

Fundamentally, airsoft is a game played within a reasonably large predetermined area - generally outdoors as in paintball, where the objective is to "hit" or "tag" other players with the projectile fired from an airsoft gun (termed a "BB"). Unlike paintball or laser tag where hits are almost always obvious, however, airsoft games usually function on an "honor system" - airsoft BBs are made of plastic and generally do not leave any visible marks on clothing, and although they can sometimes cause welts on the skin, this is not a practical or reliable method of judging hits. It is generally accepted that when a player is hit, they will declare it, usually by raising their hand, shouting something like "Hit!", and then leaving the area, or sometimes merely sitting or lying down and remaining "dead in place", depending on the specific rules of the match. Many players remain "dead" until another player tags them.

MilSim

(MILitary SIMulation) generally combines airsoft play with some military live action role-playing elements. Several goals or missions are assigned to each team as a foundation for confrontation in firefights and other quarters, maintaining perimeter security and the like are added to the experience.

Another aspect of MilSim-style airsoft gaming that ties into the live action element is the global desire for players to look and feel the part they are playing. Hence, MilSim-style games may have uniform or clothing requirements specific to the scenario being played.

Re-enactment

Airsoft players in a World War II reenactment are guarding a piece of mock artillery. Note that while the player's uniform is designed to resemble that of the time period, the SIG 552 he is holding is not.

On occasion, airsoft games will be played in which the structure and/or conditions are designed to emulate a specific real-world battle as a form of historical or modern reenactment, depending on the historical period. This type of play can vary from a simple skirmish emulating a small-scale battle (like that of Pegasus Bridge) to a full reenactment of the Battle of Mogadishu[1] or the Battle of the Bulge.

For earlier historical eras such as that of World War II, equipment restrictions may be imposed on players for some historical accuracy. This may include restricting players to the use of replica firearms that were available during the historical battle. To include players without the correct airsoft guns, organizers may set up rules restricting them to semi-automatic fire or restricting the amount of ammunition they may carry (to better simulate firearm performance of that era and ensure equal capability among players).

How closely the historically-based airsoft game replicates the historical battle is up to the game organizer. Sometimes a historic battle will merely be inspiration for the structure of a standard skirmish, while sometimes the players may be actual reenactors seeking another way to enjoy their hobby.