SITE | AIRSOFT EDINBURGH!

Hey everyone! Welcome back to the blog!

Today I have another site review for you and this time it’s a site beyond the wall - Airsoft Edinburgh in Gorebridge ran by Land Warrior. I visited Airsoft Edinburgh on the weekend of the 17th-19th May for an open trade weekend LWA were throwing to showcase the new additions to the store! Overall, it took me 8.5 hours to get to Dalkeith from Derbyshire - more on that in my LWA blog post coming next week!


Airsoft Edinburgh is located in Gorebridge which is around a 20-minute drive from the store itself, we visited the store in the morning then jumped in the Land Rover full of goodies for the site and set about the journey. It is a drive that’s mostly quiet roads which are easy to navigate but the track to the site is a dirt track with gravel and a fairly large/sharp ridge - which is not a problem for 4X4s and cars that aren’t lowered, my little Peugeot would make it but a car that’s been lowered would definitely not make it.

Airsoft Edinburgh is a 70-acre dual-purpose site that has been well developed over the last few years. It has a great number of structures in the woodland itself and vehicles such as APCs, Land Rovers and Helicopters for players to battle over, on and around. The woodland is quite challenging but what I really like about it is that even when it rains the dense tree cover provides a cover for players. The site itself is super picturesque.



The facilities onsite are really good - the safe zone is pretty spacious and the tables/benches are covered which is a godsend on those dreary rainy days. It has a large shipping container that has the signing in desk, rental equipment, shop (selling pyro, drinks, snack and gameday essentials such as BBs and gas), it is worth mentioning that anything purchased on LWA’s website can be picked up from the skirmish site if you’re attending. The site has a single portaloo - this is one of the things I think could be improved on, another portaloo onsite as the site does attract a fair few players, but the one they have was well stocked with loo roll, soap and water for hand washing. Unfortunately, they don’t serve lunch onsite so it is advisable to grab lunch before you arrive or bring a packed lunch. The staff are amazing - they are part of the reason why I love LWA as a company - they are attentive, thorough, up for a laugh and most importantly great at what they do!


We played a variety of games throughout the day (unfortunately I missed the first game as I was faffing about with my kit *facepalm*) but my favourite over the course of the day was the attack and defend game that involved the green team (my team) attacking different areas of the woodland and depositing the ‘bomb’ in different locations such as the Snatch Land Rovers. The games played at Airsoft Edinburgh include team deathmatches, objective based games and attack and defend games.

For this game, my team attacked first and we started on the far side of the woodland near a fort (not sure what the site has named this structure but let’s go with it!) with the defending team set up on the Snatch Land Rovers ready to give us some fierce opposition. As game on was called, Bod (one of the player marshalls) led a charge forward towards the lands where a few players were running and gunning, getting the bomb carrier closer and closer to the target vehicle. I chose to hang back a little and test the range on my LEOTEK MKII Krytac CRB-M using the Vortex Optics SPITFIRE X3 and had fun popping targets from a distance which is a far cry away from my usual poison of choice - CQB. Before we knew it, our bomb carrier slammed against the target Land Rover and the game was paused to give the defending team time to set up defensive lines around the next objective - the village. The attacking team fuelled by the victory of taking the landies quickly spread through the woodland and infiltrated the village and eventually took the final objective. This game progressed and flowed really nicely. The opposition from the defending team was fierce and the sportsmanship was second to none. We turned this game around later in the day.


Overall, I had a really good day at Airsoft Edinburgh - the games played were fun, engaging and they were run impeccably by Scott and his team of Marshalls - some of whom dropped into the game during the day. The site is acquiring more bits and bobs all the time such as their new helicopter, so it is constantly changing and has developed a lot since my last visit in 2015. The facilities are really good and the staff are helpful and run their events with enthusiasm and confidence. The cost of the day is £25 (£20 for members) for walk ons and rentals start at £40 inc. rifle hire and game fee. Thank you to Airsoft Edinburgh for hosting me and to the other players on the day who were a pleasure to shoot at and with!

Hopefully, I’ll see you all again soon!
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VX BUCKLE UP UTILITY CHEST RIG | VIPER TACTICAL

Hey everyone!

Welcome back to the blog! Today I’ve got a review you've been waiting for! I'll be testing and reviewing the Viper VX Buckle Up Utility Chest Rig. A lot of you saw this on my Instagram feed during IWA 2019 and I’ve finally got my hands on one to field test.


This new chest utility rig from Viper is apart of their new VX range, and what drew me to this product is that it closely resembles another high end load carrying system - the Spiritus Systems MK4, but for a fraction of the cost. It works in a modular system with the VX range of inserts to suit your weapon magazines (if required) in the main pouch that is located at the rear of the rig to completely customise your rig to your playing needs. Both compartments are Velcro lined to be used with these inserts too and the front lid is removable for easy access to inserts placed in the front compartment. It has front and rear Velcro ID panels that are quite sizeable meaning plenty of spaces for patches or adding extra VX inserts/holsters. It is also VX Buckle Up compatible meaning it can be used with the new VX plate carrier and has quick release buckles throughout. 


The rig is completely adjustable via the sizing adjustment side and shoulder straps and ‘fits most’. I found it was easy to adjust and fit my frame well on one of the smallest strap configurations (if you’re extra tiny, you may need a hand in adjusting it so it’s nice and tight to your form). The buckle tidy systems throughout are really handy to all the excess straps squared away - meaning they don’t get caught and your kit admin looks in check, if like me you’re quite small, there’s always a fair bit of extra strap that needs to be usually taped up if there is no tidy system but these little elasticated fixings help with that!


The interchangeable inserts mean I can use this with my AR platforms, ARP9, Scorpion Evo and AKs by just swapping the insert being used, and in turn hold 40mm grenades, med kits etc in the pouches. Even when the rig is loaded up it is super lightweight making it awesome for woodland games, MilSim ops and other long games where you don’t want to be weighed down by a tonne of kit. It’s low profile to so it can be worn under a jacket for covert ops. For the price it is hella versatile and I can’t find any faults with the construction - the material feels durable and the stitching it straight and tidy.


It also has a reverse Velcro panel so it can also be used as a below pouch attachment for those that don’t want to use it as a chest rig.

What about price? The Viper VX chest rig retails for around £31.95 at most gear retailers in the UK meaning players who don’t have the budget to or who don’t want to drop serious cash on their kit can get that high end look on a budget. I think Viper have done a great job on the VX range - all the pieces work well together and are affordable for airsofters of all budgets.

Photography: Stuart Manks
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YOUTUBE | DFE: BATTLE FOR LOST ANGELES CM4 GAMEPLAY!

Hey everyone! Welcome back to the blog!

It's been a while since I posted any gameplay I know - I do read your comments! Last week I released some new gameplay footage from Desertfox Events: Battle for Lost Angeles 2 in Victorville, CA! In this video, I'm playing alongside Unicorn Leah, Undeadfred, House Gamers and GMR Ronin on Eastern Royal Trading. Our mission is to clear and control buildings around the objectives to control the game zone and take the objectives, the team with the most points on the Blue Fox Tracker App at the end of the event wins! Unfortunately, I wasn't running a zoom cam so it is pretty difficult to see what I'm shooting at but I hope you enjoy the video anyway!



In this video, I'm using the PTS Syndicate X Centurion Arms CM4 ERG - check out my video on the CM4 here: 


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NEWS | PENTAGON TACTICAL LIGHT COLD WEATHER JACKET!

Hey everyone! Welcome back to the blog!

Today I have some more news for you, this time from Pentagon Tactical! Those of you that follow my Instagram will know that I'm a big fan of Pentagon Tactical jackets - with the Artaxes jacket making a regular appearance in my cold weather loadouts and they've just released a new cold weather jacket:


The LCJ has been designed as a coat liner that can also be worn as a light jacket. A compression sack is included with the jacket, so it can be easily carried to every destination or job. In addition, fleece lined pockets and neck give wearing comfort in cool temperatures. 


SPECIFICATIONS
  • 100% Polyester Out-shell
  • 100% Nylon Inner-shell
  • Storm|Tex™ Wind resistant coating
  • YKK® main zipper
  • Padding weight 120gr.
  • Compression sac included
Available sizes: S-M- L-XL-2XL-3XL-4XL
Available colors: Black -01, Coyote -03, RAL7013 -06E, Gr. Camo -56. 




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NEWS | G&G ARMAMENT DARK EARTH BBs!

Hey everyone!

Welcome to the blog! Today I have some more airsoft news for you and this time from G&G Armament! G&G are releasing their new Dark Earth Bio BBs.

"Different environments require different ammunition. We are happy to introduce our newest bio-degradable dark earth BB's in our vacuum sealed bag.

G&G Armament BBs are consistently manufactured to be 5.95±.01mm in diameter and are guaranteed to be jam-free, providing a perfect projectile to maximize the potential of your weapon system" - G&G.


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NEWS | PTS ZEV NEW RELEASE!

Hey everyone!

Welcome back to the blog - today I have some more news from PTS Syndicate! The release of their PTS ZEV Fulcrum Adjustable Trigger & Dragonfly Slide Kit for the G17!

PTS Zev slides are precision machined from 6000 series alluminium and designed for the Tokyo Marui G17 platform. It may also fit WE and KJ G17s with some slight modification (please consult a professional airsoft technician for installation). There is a choice of 2 different red dot sight configurations – one for the Trijicon RMR and one for the Leupold DP-PRO). 



Features:

  • Trijicon RMR/ Leupold DP-PRO optics mount without slide modification. 
  • Dragonfly slide kit includes: 
  • PTS ZEV Dragonfly G17 Slide
  • PTS ZEV G17 steel standard barrel
  • PTS ZEV combat sight (front & rear)
  • PTS ZEV pro magwell
  • PTS ZEV fulcrum adjustable trigger
  • PTS ZEV extended magazine release (Gen-3)
  • PTS ZEV red dot adapter plate
  • PTS ZEV backplate
  • Housing for the TM G17
  • Nozzle return spring guide
  • Reinforced Nozzle Set
  • Piston Head
  • Steel Zero Hammers Set
  • Available on 23 May 2019



The PTS ZEV Fulcrum Adjustable Trigger is a machined billet alluminium trigger system that features a wider trigger pad and safety for better user engagement and offer drop-in functionality with improved ergonomics and a clean, crisp creep free trigger pull. The trigger pull is fully adjustable via set screws to accommodate a wide variety of shooters to maximize their performance and comfort. It may also fit Umarex, WE and KJ G17s with some slight modification (please consult a professional airsoft technician for installation).



Features:
  • Adjustable trigger pull
  • Drop-in installation
  • An ergonomically correct trigger pad
  • Compatible with Tokyo Marui G17



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6MM ACTUAL | MAY 2019

Hey everyone!

Welcome back to the blog! If you follow me on social media you will have seen that last week I released the May issue of 6MM ACTUAL!

6MM ACTUAL is all about giving you - the readers of FFA - more value from Femme Fatale Airsoft. I've designed 6MM ACTUAL so you can read the best of the monthly blogs and also get bonus content exclusive to our monthly downloadable. Online or offline, and for free! Whilst I love writing the blog, creating IG & YouTube content and writing for publications, I felt like something was missing and this is where our monthly downloadable bridges the gap. Truly International airsoft, from guns to gear, to events, it’s in 6MM ACTUAL.

In this issue we have - a review on the LBX Armatus II, a review on the G&G Armament ARP9, a write up of West Midlands Airsoft: Operation Breakpoint, a site review on Red Alert Paintball and Airsoft and for our bonus content, there is a review on the Viper Tactical Buckle Up VX Utility Chest Rig! Check it out here!


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NEWS | PTS LOW PROFILE QD SLING SWIVEL RELEASE!

Hey everyone!

Welcome back to the blog, from today I'll be posting product release and events news on the blog so you can always be up to date with what's going on in the airsoft sphere. Today we have a product release from PTS Syndicate!

The PTS Enhanced QD Sling Swivel provides a large D loop for a hook-type attachment and can withstand strong pulling forces in all directions. Made of a strong steel alloy, the swivel has been tested to withstand up to 300kg of a load. The QD sling swivel also features a recessed button, a design feature first seen on the PTS ESP-M2, which prevents accidental activation.



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OPERATION BREAKPOINT

Hey everyone!

Welcome back to the blog! At the end of March I attended a MilSim Op run by West Midlands Airsoft at Swynnerton MOD base near Leek, Staffs called Operation Breakpoint. In the interest of full disclosure, I do just want to let you know that I work closely with WMA and helped them organise Breakpoint/manage the event on site but I will try to keep this write-up as objective as possible, but here are my thoughts on West Midlands Airsoft's first MilSim style op!


The back story of Op Breakpoint: Towards the end of 2018 Eastern Europe has become increasingly unstable. A little-known Baltic state destabilised and become a focal point of the tensions between both the East and West. Satellite imaginary picked up large amounts of unknown combatants moving into a small town on the south-west border of Russia known as Swynnetza. The Russian Government denies any involvement.

In Feb 2019, credible intelligence emerged that a well-known group of break-away Russian special operations commandos led by rogue Spetsnaz ‘General Chernov’ were responsible for the aggressive ongoing actions in Swynnetza. On the 28th of March 2019, Britain received solid intelligence that a top HVT ‘Abu Ransa’, wanted for manufacturing chemical weapons for terror groups is in Swynnetza and is more than likely assisting General Chernov. The UK requested Russia intervene to minimise tension but refused, leaving Britain to react with support from the American government.

On March 30th 2019 at 10:00 hrs the British and American Special Forces units deployed. At the same time, Russia became aware of this and immediately changed their decision to get involved and called for an emergency UN meeting to request formal authority to deal with the matter themselves. With the town being so close to the Russian border and the local population being predominantly of Russian descent, the UN and local government were expected to accept this offer of help to avoid further friction. The meeting was granted and scheduled for 10:00 hrs on March 31st, with the expectation that a formal document would be signed by the local government authorising Russian troops to cross the border and deal with the matter. 

Knowing if Russia took control of the region it would mean the WMD’s ‘disappear’ forever, and for the first time this century there was a realistic threat of armed conflict arising between East and West if Russian troops come into direct contact with British and American forces operating in the area the Western troops could not still be in the region once the agreement was signed. Whatever the outcome, western Forces would withdraw at 10:00 hrs on the 31st.

As part of the Rebel Militia, I had 24 hrs to cause complete unrest in the region along with my comrades and complete the tasks. Finish manufacturing, arming and distributing the remaining WMD’s, transport the sold munitions from the area, destroy whatever infrastructure we could, and when the time is right to detonate the remaining WMD’s to remove all trace of our presence.



The gates to the camp were opened by WMA at 6pm onwards on the Friday evening (29th) where players were signed in by staff in the safe zone and then given marshal escort to their respective FOB’s. Gates were closed at 10pm, to be opened again the following morning at 6am until 9am allowing players the opportunity to arrive Saturday morning before the event started. With the last players signed in from 9am, the safety brief for both sides was given at 10am. The safety/game brief was comprehensive and reinforced the rule set that was sent out via email to each player before the event - the only rule that had changed was the capture rule (in which as soon as the player was captured they were then back in game, as you can’t interrogate/search a dead body right?) Although there was some confusion over this during the game.

Throughout the game, there were game marshals in each FOB who gave out sealed envelope taskings to each team on the hour throughout the game. Enabling the commanders from both sides to gather forces and direct them accordingly. These taskings ranged from patrols, escorting HVTs and WMDs for the rebels and such.

My character came into play early in the afternoon of the first day of the event, whilst the rebel FOB was under attack, I quickly got stuck in with my rebel comrades and collectively we neutralised the opposition that was in the tree line and road next to our FOB. Whilst we were busy fighting TF a pair of TF saboteurs had infiltrated our FOB by changing their base camo layers. As I was stood within our compound speaking to our commander, ourselves and a few of the command team were shot and killed. Luckily we were surrounded by rebel players and they were neutralised. The TF players were then asked to change into their teams base colours and escorted to their own FOB by a marshal. Attacks went on through the rest of the afternoon, and our rebels were in and out on taskings.


At 4pm on Saturday an envelope was delivered to the Militia FOB with a tasking for Katerina Petrovna. My tasking was to go to building E9 - on the other side of the site to our FOB and control it. I gathered a team of players who are regulars at WMA I knew would absolutely smash it - including Ben, Ivan, Loren and Jimmy & his bunch of mad dogs. We loaded up the main team into the Landrover Discovery and left for the building, we were a team of around 30.


We arrived at the building, with virtually no opposition. When we arrived STAG were already there and in position to defend the building. As we piled into the building, shots were fired from the perimeter and all hell broke loose. We defended the building for almost 30 minutes before TF made it to the doors and shot me. I was then escorted outside.


As I waited on the side of the road (very aware of my bleed out time) I saw a TF soldier driving one of the vans towards me with a huge grin on his face. Just as I uttered ‘you’re not f**cking putting me in that’ I was bundled into the van violently. As soon as I was captured, I was ‘in play’ once more (there has been some fierce discussion online about whether I was in play again or not, but checking with the organisers post-event and watching my GoPro footage through has left no doubts that I was indeed in play) and as I wasn’t searched before being stowed in the van, I took out my pistol and shot the driver twice in the plate carrier telling him ‘you’re dead mate’. This sparked an intense conflict around the van to get me out. I saw TF soldiers walking around the side of the van so I struck an Enola Gaye MK5 and posted it under the broken van doors - killing 3 of them. Hearing the TF commanders voice on the right-hand side of the van I turned around and shot him through the passenger window. I then killed another soldier who opened the doors. I continued this kill streak until I got distracted and a TF soldier put his weapon through the driver window and aimed it at me, at this point I surrendered.

My interrogation was really interesting…I was pulled from the van and then made to stand facing a wall in the TF compound as TF players argued over whether I was Katerina Petrovna. After a few minutes, I told them I was indeed, Katerina. I was then taken to a small interrogation room at the back of the building - where TF then continued to argue over who would be interrogating me, wasting valuable capture time (captives were only allowed to be held for a max of 30 minutes). Whilst they decided who would be interrogating me, I decided that I would test who was in control of the interrogation by sitting down and no one told me not to. The next thing I know, a TF soldier sat next to me and showed me a map of Swynnerton - as I told him I didn’t know anything regarding the locations of the WMDs, another soldier poured cold water down my back. As the first interrogator wasn’t getting anywhere with me, another stepped forward threatening to drop a mag flash next to me - I politely informed him that he wouldn’t be doing that as I had no hearing protection and he would also most likely kill his commander. The first interrogator then returned with a live grenade which he asked me to hold - and of course, I was more than happy to be given a weapon that could kill everyone in the room and keep my intel safe. I heard ‘Kell your time is up’ and with that, I walked out of the TF base with my intel, and alive (because they forgot to kill me). It was a very pleasant interrogation 10/10 would definitely be interviewed again.








Once my interrogation had been completed, I returned to guard house 4, hung up my tactical kit and donned my marshall gear - for the rest of the event I was in the X5 medical vehicle making sure all the players were looking after themselves and dealing with any medical issues that arose with Dave the ranger.


The weekend ended on a high for the rebel side, despite losing the WMD’s to TF in the last hour of gameplay, we won overall with most objectives completed. The final battle involved the vast majority of both sides, in a continuous firefight for near enough an hour, the rebel side had to move two WMD’s to the northeastern side of the map with TF made aware of this movement through received intelligence moved to intercept this movement. 



What went well - overall I was very happy with the morale and cohesion within the Rebel team and FOB, the tasking envelopes gave the game structure and let everyone know what they were doing. The facilities on site were really good, from a fully stocked shop including BBs, pyro, gas, slings and other game day essentials there was also snacks and drinks. JD Airsoft was on site for any players wanting to spend their hard earned cash on more airsoft goodies and there was even a catering tent.

What could be improved – even though the medic rule “chip” system has been successful at previous games held at Swynnerton, I think that there is room for improvement in this area. The current system is a neoprene bag that the medic carries in which a green or a red poker chip is held, obviously, this system very much relies on the honesty of all parties involved and it’s my understanding that some players were not being totally honest when using the medic system. 

From what I understand, TF struggled with reliable command net signal for the duration of the event, which no doubt hampered their ability to quickly and appropriately respond to Intel or enemy movement – despite being provided with radios/comms room by game staff. It was suggested that the TF move their ops room to one of the rooms closer to the outside of the building to minimise any interference (we are now unsure whether the building was lead lined).

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