Click the page to read the full review

SITE REVIEW
FIrSt & OnLY: tHE arMOUrY
SPARTAN
Airsoft
nEStLED In tHE WOODS aLOnGSIDE
BrIStOL aIrpOrt, Spartan aIrSOFt IS
FaSt BECOMInG OnE OF tHE SOUtHWESt’S prEMIEr SItES. KrIS rOBErtS
CHECKS It OUt…
A
KRIS ROBERTS
Formerly a member of
the TA, Kris has over
a decade’s worth of
airsoft experience.
Not one to be swayed
by Gucci kit, his
philosophy is ‘keep it
simple, safe and fun’
s the enormous passenger jet made its descent into
Bristol International Airport, little did the travel-weary
passengers on board know that just a few hundred feet
beneath them the battle for supremacy was reaching
fever pitch. Under the thick canopy of treetops the
deafening whine from the twin turbine engines was enough to drown
out all other noise, and the savviest among the attackers were quick
to use the distraction as a chance to push forward.
We were into the final minutes of a two-hour game, one that had
seen the fighting range to all corners of the site, producing some truly
awesome levels of play. The red team was defending, tasked with
holding and securing a series of bases that were scattered along the
road that weaved its way around the arena. The yellow team had a
simple task: to attack these bases in sequence, clearing each of all
opposition before moving on to the next.
It was clear as the game’s end drew near that the yellows would
not achieve all their goals. For the last 45 minutes the reds had held
the road at the helicopter base against all odds, blocking the way
for the yellows to move on and launch a final offensive on the reds’
last stronghold down at the Mortar Pits base. All focus had now
fallen on this small junction in the road, and its capture or defence
had become the defining battle of the whole day.
I had been snapping away frantically with my camera since the
game had started, and found myself embedded with the defenders
during their last stand. With the sudden surge of incoming fire I
chose discretion and wrapped my camera up in my jumper to
protect it. There was no way for me to break away from the game
without being lit up like a Christmas tree, so in the knowledge that
at least my camera was now safe from harm, I took cover and
prepared to ride out the coming storm of hellfire.
Standing over me, a defender fired his squad support weapon
into the tree line, raking the attackers with long bursts of rapid fire.
For a few seconds he held his ground, until five well-aimed shots
slammed into his chest and put him out of the game. The loss of
www.airsoftactionmagazine.com 021
AA_021-023 Site review – Spartan Airsoft – R + DPS_rev3_MH.indd 21
31/10/2013 09:32
firepower was immediately apparent, and the attackers seized the initiative. At the same
moment the marshals started their 30-second end-of-game countdown, and this served only to
fuel the adrenaline even more.
Pulling myself into the cabin of the helicopter to seek protection from the hail of incoming
BBs, I saw the yellows breaking through the tree line and charge into the base. Grenades
were exploding everywhere, and rounds were ricocheting off the metalwork at such a rate
that the sound they created was one continuous roar.
The marshals’ cry went up: “Game over!” The noise died in a heartbeat. I raised my
head slowly and climbed out of the helicopter. Seeing a red player standing next to me, I
turned and asked him who had won. A broad, beaming smile stretched across his face and
without a word he walked away to join his teammates. Laughing to myself I understood his
expression completely. Winning or losing was irrelevant; the game itself was a victory for all.
Spartan Airsoft can be found in the thick woodland that borders the western edge of
the runway at Bristol Airport. The terrain is on a gently sloping hill carved up by roads and
gPlayers duke it out at the
heli base – one of several
cool features at Spartan
Airsoft
kAbandoned vehicles are
used to great effect at
the site
pathways. In addition to the natural cover,
several bases have been constructed which
serve as objectives or reference points. At
the village base, multiple hooches have
been built. With some at ground level and
others raised on stilts, each can house a host
of players and provides a close quarters
element when clearing them of opposition.
Abandoned vehicles such as Land Rovers,
armoured cars and a downed Wessex
helicopter are also used to great effect
throughout the site, and provide further cover.
The site is owned and run by Malcolm
Jarema, known to all as ‘Beard’. Beard
022 December 2013
AA_021-023 Site review – Spartan Airsoft – R + DPS_rev3_MH.indd 22
31/10/2013 09:33
SITE REVIEW
Spartan AIRSOFT
entered the paintball scene back in the late
1980s, and naturally picked up on airsoft
as it grew in popularity. With a quarter of
a century of experience behind him, Beard
opened the gates to Spartan Airsoft in April
2012. It is clear when visiting the site that
a high level of commitment and hard work
has gone into making it a success in such
little time. Beard is quick to acknowledge his
team of loyal workers on this point.
“In the months leading up to opening day
they were on site with me every weekend.
In rain or snow, we’d be out there building
the hooches. We’d be dragging vehicles,
“Grenades
were
expl
o
di
n
g
everywhere,
and
rounds
were
ri
c
ocheti
n
g
off
the
metal
w
ork
at
such
a
rate
that the sound they created was one continuous roar”
crates, barrels, anything we could get into the woods to build up the
site. And that’s not even mentioning the safe zone. It could not have
been done without them.”
The safe zone is a large wooden-walled square, with sheltered
seating and a kitchen which serves hot food throughout the day.
The booking-in office houses all the rental kit, along with supplies of
ammo and gas and a battery charging station. The square is where
all safety and game briefs are made, and it acts as a social hub
where players roam around comparing weapons and swapping
war stories. Outside the safe zone, beyond the safety net, all
chronoing is done on the site’s target range. The range is fitted out
with man-size targets and provides the perfect spot for players to
check their hop-ups and adjust their sights.
The games themselves are varied and cover the whole site.
Sometimes, players are given free rein, but other times are limited
in their movements and are forced to add a bit of problem solving
if they want to achieve their goals. It is here that I need to give a
special mention to the marshals. Headed up by brothers Adam and
Pete Watts, the team consists of experienced airsoft players. In the
field they remain in constant contact with each other via radio, and
with in-ear headphones they can share information without being
overheard by nearby players. This system, along with their combined
experience allows them to make instant decisions about the game,
changing or evolving it as it progresses. For the players, this means
that, should a game become bogged down, the marshals are on
hand to circumvent the problem – and they are able to instantly
communicate the changes to all players.
The construction, planning and execution of every open game
day provide the player with the best experience possible. Take, for
example, the use of biodegradable ammunition. The site enforces the
use of bio BBs, but instead of leaving it there, Beard has ordered in
different makes, and has recruited a couple of people to test which
is the best, so that they can be offered to
players at the shop.
It is hard to remain 100 per cent
unbiased when writing an airsoft review, for
the simple fact that I love airsoft. I love the
game, the people, the equipment, and as
such find myself drawn to it like a moth to a
flame. It is a world in which I feel I belong.
My review was conducted over three
separate game days, and to prove my
journalistic impartiality I looked hard to find
a fault on which to report. In truth I couldn’t
find one. The site, its staff, and the players
I saw in action all conducted themselves
in a manner on which this sport was built:
honesty, fairness and fun.
In concluding, I find that I also pay my
greatest compliment of all. As an airsofter,
walking on to the playing fields of Spartan
Airsoft, it feels like coming home.
INFORMATION
Spartan Airsoft
Location: Brockley Combe, Bristol, BS48 3DF
Web: www.spartanairsoft.co.uk
Tel: 07791176046
Prices: £20 walk on; £40 with hire kit
Fps limit: 350 for standard RIFs; 450 for boltaction sniper rifles
Info: Booking required; site is UKARA registered.
www.airsoftactionmagazine.com 023
AA_021-023 Site review – Spartan Airsoft – R + DPS_rev3_MH.indd 23
31/10/2013 09:34