Airsoft Beginner's Guide
The Basics:
At first glance, airsoft seems to be a game based on violence. It is not. After the first game, most would realize that violence isn't what airsoft is about at all. Primarily, it is a strategy game. Strategy is what wins games. There will be more on strategy later on.
The next thing to remember when airsofting for the first time, is that it will most likely hurt, but isn't likely to cause any major injuries. Typically, if the airsoft bb (the ammunition used with airsoft guns) leaves a mark, it will only be a small red dot which will go away in a day or two. More serious injuries will leave small bruises or cuts, nothing that will result in a hospital trip. These usually result from people not following safety rules, so if everybody plays by the rules, everybody will be fine. As for the pain, it all depends on where the hit is. Hits on the arms, legs, and body will either give a little sting or no pain at all. Shots to the the head generally don't hurt much because of hair. A face shot is a little more painful, but like all the others the pain will go away after about five seconds. The one area that hurts the most is the neck, as there are vains and nerves, as well as the windpipe. Shots there might sting or temporarily knock out your breath. However, this is all assuming the shot leaves a mark at all. 70% of the time, the bb won't leave a mark because it was cushioned by clothing.
What to bring to a war:
There are a couple of things needed for an airsoft war. The items listed here are the ones that are recommended even if you don't have a gun of your own.
1. Eye protection. It doesn't matter whether it's goggles, glasses, or a mask, just make sure it is safe. If you bring glasses, make sure they are safety glasses, not reading glasses.
2. Water. Bring at least one bottle of water, preferably two. Keeping hydrated is important. Even if you think you can last without water, bring some anyways. You won't regret it.
3. A backpack. This isn't necessary, but it's nice to have something to carry your items in. You could also wear it during the war to carry extra ammo or water.
Game Rules:
A lot of airsoft has to do with an honor system. If you can't be honest, don't play. Firstly, when you're hit, don't lie. Once you're out of hits, call yourself out. It's important to also remember that there is a 15 foot rule. Don't fire if you're within 15 feet of another person. It could end up hurting them.
Here are the rules for the two games that are usually played:
Elimination: The players split into even teams. After being hit three times, you're out of the game. Last team standing wins. This is the simplest game, but it involves huge amounts of strategy. Play smart to win.
Capture the Flag: The players split into even teams. Both teams have a Base and a Respawn. The flag goes in the base. Both teams try to grab the enemy flag and take it back to the Base. Once a player has been hit twice, the player has to return to the respawn before coming back to the game. If a player is hit twice while holding the flag, the flag is returned to the base.
Once a game starts, it doesn't stop unless someone is hurt, a gun is damaged, or somebody is joining or leaving the game. Unless one of these things happen, the game doesn't stop until one team wins. A team can surrender at any time.
Equipment:
Once you figure out that you want to start airsofting regularly, you should buy your own airsoft essentials. Newcomers can borrow guns for a couple weeks, but after some time they should buy their own. This is so other people can borrow guns for their first time.
Guns
There are three types of guns: Spring, Electric, and Gas. Spring guns are by far the best for beginners, as they are the easiest to maintain, and are the cheapest. The most common Electric gun is an AEG (automatic electric gun). AEG are usualy SMGs (sub machine guns) or asault rifles and have fully automatic capabilities. They require more time to care for thans spring guns. Gas guns are usually pistols, which are the most common sidearm. They're useful for when your main gun is out of ammo, or you need to run fast.
As stated before, spring guns are the best for beginners. Cheap pistols and shotguns can be bought from a store like WalMart or Big 5, or from any online airsoft store.
FPS stands for feet per second. It tells the speed that the gun can shoot bbs. For a spring pistol, you want to find one that has a speed of at least 260. Anything significantly lower, and the bb won't go very far. For a shotgun, speeds of at least 300 are recommended. Single shot shotguns (as opposed to multi shot) are the best beginner guns. They can be bought for $20-$30 and perform excellent.
BB's
There's two factors to look at for BB's. The first, and most important is weight. The most common BB's are .12 g, .20 g, .25 g, and .30 g. The heavier the bb, the farther it will go, and the more accurate. Some guns will increase in range with heavier bb's, because of hop up (makes the bb go up or down, depending on settings. It can be adjusted on most guns except pistols).
.12 bbs are only good for lower powered guns in the 200 fps range. Anything heavier and the bb will drop too fast and reduce the range.
.20 are good bbs for any gun within the 300-400 fps range.
.25 are useful for 400+ fps guns, like high powered AEGs. They are okay for sniper rifles, but not great.
.30 are the best for guns that are high 500+ fps. Ideal for sniper rifles.
The other factor to look at in BBs is brand. Crosman BBs from WalMart are fine for Spring guns, but for higher end Electric guns, better brands are needed. TSD Tactical BB's are good (and cheap). Most professional airsoft stores sell good bbs.
Basic Tactics:
As said before, superior tactics can win a game. One of the most important tactics to know is the flank. As a rule of thumb, if you can suround an enemy you can defeat them easily. The easiest way to execute a flank is to have a person (or multiple people) with an AEG or fast firing gun take the most obvious and direct route to the enemy. Once there, the person lays down supressing fire (fire that will keep the enemy hiding behind cover). The supressing fire should be enough to distract an opponent. While the opponent is distracted, the rest of the team should sneak around to either the sides or back. Once you have teamates positioned all around the enemy, open fire. The only way to hide from an attack from all sides is to be completely surrounded with cover, which is nearly impossible. Keep firing into the enemie's position. They will either all die, or try and make a run for it. If they run, you should be able to cut them down easily.
However, you may be wondering how to counter a flank. The best way to avoid being flanked and surounded is to keep your team slightly spread out. You don't want your team to all be in a centralized bunker, but you also don't want them to be scattered everywhere. Split your team into two or three groups. Have one group in a bunker or fortress, and the other one or two groups in hiding some distance off. If all goes well, the enemy will try to surround the group in the bunker. Once this happens, the other one or two groups on your team can pop out of hiding, get behind the enemy, and win the game.
For beginners, one of the main problems is fear. Many beginners are too quick to retreat, and to slow to advance. When an enemy charges, don't run away. If you're in cover, and an enemy is headed straight for you in a blind charge, you have a perfect posistion to eliminate the opponent. However, if you are being hit, don't sit in your cover and look for who is hitting you. Book it to the nearest cover. If you have been hit, that means the opponent has the ability to hit you again unless you move. So move. Advancing takes some getting used to. When the enemy stops firing, it's usually safe to advance. Remember, you can probably break cover faster than the enemy can pull the trigger. It's also incredibly hard to hit a sprinting person. When running at top speed (unless you're running parallel to the opponent, in which case you're dead meat) you are almost impossible to hit. However, every second that you're out of cover is more chances that the enemy will get a lucky shot on you. Keep your rushes to a couple of seconds before you dive back into cover. Another problem with fear is surrender. In airsoft, you should never surrender, whatever the odds. Even if it's the entire other team against you, you can at least fight it out and take them down with you. The other team is not allowed to do a forced surrender (hold gun at point blank and demand surrender) because that ruins the game, and can cause people to get hurt.
And lastly, know your gun. Do target shooting with your gun and get a feel for it. After a while of using your gun, you'll be able to make adjustments against wind. You will also know the range of your gun, which is also extremely important. If you overestimate the range of your gun, you could fire too early and give away your position. Know the range of your gun and you will know when it is the right moment to strike.
For additional information you can go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airsoft
http://www.airsoftgi.com/information.php?info_id=43#fieldgene-airsoft-gun
http://www.airsoftgi.com/information.php?info_id=34#10 <<<Go to product information
