KIT & GEAR OPFOR OPERATOR
DURING HIS TIME PLAYING AIRSOFT, BILL HAS FOUND HIMSELF ON ALL MANNER OF TEAMS AND EVERY SINGLE ONE HAS HAD ITS OWN PARTICULAR PLUS AND MINUS POINTS, BUT HE DOES SAY THAT IT HAS BEEN THE TIME THAT HE’S SPENT PLAYING OPPOSING FORCE, OR OPFOR, WHERE HE’S ENJOYED HIMSELF THE MOST. FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS, HE FINALLY STARTS TO LOOK AT OPFOR “MAIN FORCE”!
I
’ve been following the OPFOR path for some considerable time now, as to me it brings back some of the freedom of the old days. Like many, my loadout has become progressively more “operator” over the years and guess what? These days I find myself running about in a simple chest rig and simple belt kit once again… I’ve been trying to play more and more regularly following my major surgery a couple of years back and (due to its nature) I’ve found wearing a plate full carrier quite uncomfortable. This has forced me to step back to simpler kit, as I still want to get out and play, to have fun with airsoft again and regain the fitness I’d lost (and drop come C-Pounds too!). Playing more regularly locally means that I’ve also reconnected with some superb “grass roots” airsofters at local skirmishes and the social aspect is re-emerging too! I’ve been lucky enough to meet more and more players who live locally to me again. First amongst them was James (who has gone on to become a valued member of the AA Legion and regular contributor), who I met through our shared love of “Post-Ap” style board and video games. Whilst at first we met to play with “tiny warriroz” on
the tabletop, he too was missing belonging to an “airsoft team”. At this point the seeds of what was to become “DO-18 OPFOR” were planted; “DO” for Dover where we both live, and “18” for the year we set things up. Our initial discussions were about what type of team we wanted to create and, after much back and forth and some soul-searching, we agreed that what we missed were the games where we took on interesting missions on a very “small unit” scale, and this led to me suggesting that we follow the OPFOR route. OPFOR is often viewed as being “cannon fodder”, a force which is always set up to lose against the better armed, better equipped BLUFOR and I’ll say yet again, that if this is how you view OPFOR then it’s not for you. As I’ve also said before, a decent OPFOR to me is a team that has multiple challenges. Yes, BLUFOR will have their mission and, in turn, their taskings to fulfil this mission but they will also have to contend with a fairly rigid command structure and rules of engagement. Being a part of BLUFOR at more carefully constructed MilSim events will also mean quite a rigid uniform and equipment element and I know that this can seem prohibitive for newer
“OPFOR IS OFTEN VIEWED AS BEING “CANNON FODDER”; A FORCE WHICH IS ALWAYS SET UP TO LOSE AGAINST THE BETTER ARMED, BETTER EQUIPPED BLUFOR AND I’LL SAY YET AGAIN, THAT IF THIS IS HOW YOU VIEW OPFOR THEN IT’S NOT FOR YOU.”
30
SEPTEMBER 2021
