12 minute read
KIT & GEAR: OPFOR
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
players.
For OPFOR though, just like any airsoft loadout, you need to still think ahead before you set up your “to buy” list and (unless you’re unlike any airsofter I’ve ever met) the first considerations will inevitably be driven by what primary and secondary you want to use! When it comes to OPFOR work, of course the AK is king and thankfully there seem to be more choices in terms of airsoft AKs than ever before! There are excellent models available from the likes of GHK, VFC, E&L, LCT, ARCTURUS, TM and soon G&G too if the “12-alike” comes to fruition… I could go on and on now, which, for me, is sheer heaven!
My personal choice OPFOR work is either the WE AKS 74U or ACE SVD GBBRs (for MilSim events) or the superb E&L AKS74UN-A Tactical (for everything else!), although I have added an Arcturus AK-12 for potential “main force” use. I use Real-Caps in the gasser and Mid-Caps in the AEGs, so I need to carry six mags in total for either variant as ammo limits will vary given the “realism” of the game. My choice of “secondary” is usually a WE Makarov, just as a backup, or now an upgraded RAPTOR GRACH (we’ll come to the upgrades on this with Jimmy at a later date!). If my DO-18 team-mates and I are running “ambush heavy” then there’s also usually an ASG B&T GL06 launcher with a few MOSCARTs in the mix too, along with an A&K PKM!
GETTING YOUR GEAR ON!
If you have followed my “OPFOR Adventures” in AA, you will know that I advocate simplicity and for my personal “militia” setup I have my much-loved black Adidas tracky top. This works surprisingly well in the winter months either on its own, or as a layering garment underneath a plain coloured waterproof as, being an athletic garment, it has inherent performance characteristics like wind repellence and breathability. For the summer months I picked up two black Adidas “Climalite” wicking performance t-shirts from my local sports shop, just £20 for the two in the sale. James also found a really nice polo version in blue for much cheapness online! In terms of trousers/pants, it’s easy enough to marry up a pair you already own, a pair that you might already use in another loadout and find comfortable.
All I really add to this is a black “ChiCom” chest rig, a small black pack, black gloves (in my case First Tactical …coz I love ‘em!) and some form of hat. I do like a simple BUFF worn “pirate style” as this is very low profile and also helps to mop up any sweat before it gets down into your eyes. At a summer game where the sun was out full force I wore the “Partizan” Boonie that I got some time back from Giena Tactics; not only did that shield my face and neck, but the Russian pattern also gave a properly OPFOR feel to the whole outfit.
For many moons though, I’ve wanted to take the leap and create a full set of “main force”, or more Russian Military “feel” gear to my OPFOR wardrobe. Amongst my collection I already have in hand various items of Russian tactical kit from various manufacturers, but it just so happened that we’d also been discussing equipment and uniforms from Invader Gear, so this seemed an ideal time to get some of their latest gear in to try as they’ve recently added full sets in both “Partizan” and “Digi Flora” to their clothing range. Invader Gear, based in Austria, is a brand of tactical clothing and accessories made specifically for airsoft. Providing a range of combat shirts, trousers and smocks as well as gloves, pouches and vests/plate carriers, Invader Gear offers superior quality with the use of great fabrics and components that are ideal for airsoft, built to last both on and off the field. We’ve used the original gear before and as it now appears to be coming generally more available we thought it was high time to check out the updates!
First up were the clothing pieces and, as we have slightly different styles of play, I went for the
Combat Shirt and Predator Combat Pant, whilst James chose the Revenger TDU Shirt and Pant combo. The Invader Gear Combat Shirt features high quality standard fabrics and components and as the shirt is usually worn under body armour, it is designed to avoid pressure marks and to provide good moisture wicking properties. The modern cut is well balanced for a not too tight - but also not too loose - fit and the collar is equipped with a quality
zip by YKK and can be worn open or closed to avoid intrusion of debris. Large upper-arm pockets provide quick and convenient storage, and the elbows are reinforced with an additional layer of fabric which is also intended as a compartment for elbow pads. The sleeves, collar and shoulder area of this shirt are made of a sturdy 65% cotton/35% polyester rip-stop woven fabric for great comfort and fast drying properties, whilst the torso is made of an incredibly comfortable 80% cotton/20% polyester knit fabric with good moisture wicking performance. Made of the same rip-stop fabric, along with durable stretch panels and integrated (removable) kneepads, the Predator Combat Pant is Invader’s “take” on the modern combat trouser and matches up to the Combat Shirt perfectly. Where the MKII Combat Pant differs from the original is the careful placement of yet more stretch elements and these are really quite remarkable! Over the top of the knee and in the small of the back behind the comfortable high waistband, the clever designers at Invader Gear have placed panels of a new stretch construction; it looks almost “concertina-like” in construction but work superbly well. These panels are also made in the same camouflage pattern as the rest of the trousers to give a better overall “total camo solution” and the one in the small of the back works SO well I had
to check a couple of times that the trousers weren’t actually falling down, so great is the movement! This is a brilliant step forward, so well done Invader Gear guys for this! I personally find the kneepads that come as a part of the set quite bulky but I’m pleased to say that my “go to” CRYE pads fit the new Predator pants perfectly (sorry Jase, for all my p-taking, I guess I am a proper gear tart too!) and bring down the bulk.
The Revenger gear is more a classic Tactical Duty Uniform (TDU) but with some thoroughly modern twists! Featuring two breast pockets, two angled arm pockets, all of which feature “stress part” reinforcement, there’s also a pencil pocket on left forearm make the design complete. The shirt has a velcro and button front closure, with a mandarin collar that can be worn up or down to ventilate, or protect the neck from BB strikes. The fabric here is again a tough-as-old-boots mix, 35/65 ripstop polycotton. The trousers make use of the same tough fabric and benefit from good storage; the front pockets are strong and roomy, whilst the angled side pockets are large enough for maps and
all those accessories you may need to lug around, but access easily. There are two additional dressing pockets, one on each lower leg, and two rear pockets round out the feature set nicely.
FIELDING IT
Now, as much as I would love to own a living history standard loadout for “main force” and perhaps one day I will, I’m an airsofter and one that knows what works for me in the field and in game! I already own a lovely Partizan Gorka suit from Grey Shop, so I’ve tailored the Invader Gear kit to match up with that and their “take” on the Partizan pattern is excellent if I lay it next to my “real”. For this set of gear I already have a super SSO/SPOSN “Jaeger” chest rig that I bought from “Tovarisch Taz” (who writes for us from time to time) and has been a positive mine of knowledge when it comes to all things “Ratnik”. My GRACH currently rides in a simple black leather holster which I will upgrade to a polymer “ALPHA” when I have the money and the only other thing on my belt is a plain green dump pouch. I have a number of plain green packs that I can use if I need more “load-lugging” space, one of which closely resembles the SSO/SPOSN “ADLER” so that feels right enough.
The Digi Flora pattern from Invader Gear is also an excellent reproduction, so their FAST helmet cover will work with the lids I already have. I believe it will be safe here to go with some of Taz’s other “Ratnik Recommendations” though (you can find his excellent full article on Ratnik Gear in the Back Issues section of the AA website, Issue 117!) like a Digi Flora 6B45 Body Armour Carrier (Plate Carrier), although I’m in two minds about the 6SH117 load bearing system and may well stick with another chest rig to keep the weight and bulk down. Again, I’d stress here that this is meant to be gear to play airsoft in and not a reproduction of current Russian “service dress”, so mixing and matching for effectiveness on the field, as has always been my way, will be the way I will go - no doubt much to the absolute horror of the “stitch bitches” out there! As long as my total loadout is obviously very different from that of BLUFOR, I’ll be good to go!
Thanks to the new clothing and accessories from Invader Gear both James and I are one step closer to building our very own “main force” set of gear for our ongoing “DO-18 OPFOR” project, and although I’ve always said that going OPFOR can be a cheaper option for getting into MilSim territory, I’ve also never for a moment suggested that you can’t be OPFOR and have all the very latest gucci goodies, as of course sometimes BLUFOR will encounter opposition every bit as well kitted out as they are!
Let’s just reiterate that as OPFOR you are not there to lose, you are there to adapt, overcome, roll with the undoubted pounding you will get from BLUFOR and ultimately thrive and survive to take on your next bit of skulduggery, sabotage, or downright naughtiness! With a little imagination and some help from companies like Invader Gear you can now also look as cool as your NATO Task Force counterpart while doing so!
Many thanks as always go to my friends at Invader Gear and you can be sure I’ll update you on their gear as more becomes available and updates are made to existing models. Meanwhile, you can keep an eye on their clothing and gear ranges yourself by simply heading on over to www.invadergear.com AA
STRETCH PANTS
BLACK / DARK COYOTE / GREEN / SRP: £69.95
