'Sierra2' Brit-Tac Sheffield Review - by GuzziHero
Airsoft Odyssey is proud to present a special site review by North West Airsoft Veteran 'GuzziHero' from his recent sojourn to 'Sierra2' in Sheffield.
Sierra2 is an office block in Sheffield Town Centre, an unusual location for airsofting, take it away Guzzi....
Introduction:
Brit-Tac is a relatively new airsoft site, having its first open game in late 2009. Based in Sheffield, it has been formed by experienced players from the Yorkshire area, captained by Ian Vanoorschot (Van650). He has picked a team of marshals who are not only friends, but every experienced players, giving a sense of friendly professionalism to the site.
Their current CQB site is known as Sierra-2 because of its S2 postcode. The building is the former council public transport offices, and is based over 5 floors. This must be one of the few airsoft sites in the UK with its own CCTV-secured underground parking lots! Located just 10 mins walk from Sheffield Interchange, it is easily accessible.
Pictures courtesy Brit-Tac
The site itself is set up over 5 stories, but each level has a different layout, so has its own atmosphere. The 4th and 5th floors are blacked out, floor 4 has a sound system that can be set up and the top floor has a strobe unit but this can be turned off if it could cause problems. There is also a second linked building known as The Annex which has recently been added to with hard cover and even a guard tower!
Many of their games are themed, meaning that specific clothing may be required. Players wanting to game at Brit-Tac would be advised to read the scenario carefully and choose a side accordingly.
Recently, Brit-Tac has added a woodland site to its portfolio. Games are held twice a month, one at each site on alternate fortnights, with regular Saturday evenings and even midweek games at the CQB.
Gaming rules at Brit-Tac:
The site as said is run professionally. All weapons must be chronod at the start of play with wire ties being used to denote AEGs/shotguns that have been OK’d for use. The site limit is 350fps with no leniency, with the compactness of the site, this is wise.
Due to the number of stairs involved, footwear with full ankle support is mandatory, and facemasks are heavily recommended.
All players MUST book in; turn-ups on the day are unlikely to be allowed. This is largely for insurance reasons, but also because as said above many game days are themed and sides must be chosen in advance.
The carpark is locked just after 9, so players should be on site before then. There is limited indoor parking so getting there earlier is wise!
There is now a small café on site, serving burgers, chips, breakfasts and the patented Bunker-Buster – truly a burger to end all burgers! Everything is professionally cooked by a trained chef, and the quality is nothing short of excellent.
Game review of the S-2 site:
I arrived for my first game at Brit-Tac in January having had an early morning bike ride over the Pennines. I got booked in and was surprised to see that Ian and one of his other staff both recognised me from a game site I had last played at 3 ½ years earlier! I was dressed in my suit which got the usual mix of reactions (mostly positive) and staff member Dan told me that I would fit right in, as role-playing is one of the goals of Brit-Tac. They want to avoid ‘same-ish themeless days’, and try to immerse the player in a full scenario with missions.
Pictures courtesy Brit-Tac
That first game was only the 2nd or 3rd game they had ran, so was relatively simple. One rule that was established is that most games played at Brit-Tac are best run on semi-auto only as overkill was too easy when the selectors went to ‘A’! This is a site where pistol users can excel, short guns are a major advantage, but there are enough open areas for longer guns. There are also many hiding places, and corners to catch people out. I’ve hidden in cupboards, under stairs and dark broom closets.
Since then I have been to the site several times, each time having a riot of a day. There seem to be a few regulars but each time I have been there, their have been plenty of new guys willing to try their luck including some visiting site teams.
I would say at least have the games here are themed games, often based on an action novel, and the teams are split accordingly. At one such event, I played the part of the President of the USA, and had my own black-suited security team, while my Marine unit went searching for terrorists. In another, I joined up with olive-drab and Hawaiian shirt clad South American guerrillas fighting a combined US and UK task force sent to wipe out our drug labs. Sadly, I had to miss the one where Allied forces were sent to attack an Iraqi chemical weapons factory… I had practiced my Achmed the Dead Terrorist accent in preparation!
Any new player to Brit-Tac must be warned… you will see more stairs in one day than in a lifetime! By the end of the game, I see some of the fully-kitted players almost crawling up the stairs to or from a respawn point. Light rigs are a major advantage.
For a light-hearted fun game, it’s hard to beat Brit-Tac, just be prepared to work hard for it!
Yosser Says:A BIG thanks to Guzzi for writing a great review for what sounds like a great bunch of lads and an interesting site for those not afraid of a few stairs! Don't forget to check out Brit-tacs website:
http://www.brittacairsoft.com/site1/
This article is copyright 2010 by Yosser's Airsoft Odyssey & GuzziHero © and may not be be copied or reproduced without permission. Pictures are copyright of Brit-Tac © and are used here with permission. You may link to this page.
1 Comment
good review Guzzi, sound like a fun day. may have to go down some time
Tracy - top cat
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 10:01 AM
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