Airsoft Action - October 2023

AA LEGION
UK - NAF 2023
I
always love the National Airsoft festival, not for the
truly MASSIVE gameplay as that isn’t “my thing”,
but for the opportunity it creates, bringing together
players from literally everywhere and allowing the
manufacturers and vendors present to tease us all
with their latest wares!
As I said after last year’s post-pandemic event report
(oh boy, that already seems so long ago!) Airsoft
Action has been present at all but one NAF and I
have seen (what was then-called) The National Airsoft
Event become a joyous meeting place for airsofters
Europe-wide, with players and industry representatives
travelling from around the UK and from across the
continent (and indeed this year from the USA!)
to enjoy not only the wide-ranging gameplay, but
also the incredible social atmosphere created when
thousands of airsofters get together!
This year’s event was fully maxed out, and fully
back up to previous years, and for those 3,500-PLUS
PLAYERS who did make it this year, we were treated
to a madly-fabulous weekend of all-things-airsoft both
on and off the field of play!
And as I say every year, yes, the gameplay is great
fun and, given the sheer size and scale of the Ground
Zero Airsoft site, as challenging as you choose to
make it, but there is just something “special” about
the Festival that takes the event as a whole up so
may notches! From the moment players start arriving
on Friday morning to check in and get their player
number and wristband, the atmosphere starts to build
as groups of players form and merge and, following
loads of “high-fives” and “man-hugs”, the inevitable
“airsoft banter” begins!
Right alongside the event, the truly campsite rapidly
fills to capacity becoming a madcap “home away
from home for everyone on-site, with multiple team
“swimming pools” and “bars”, although there is also
a “quiet area” for those who actually prefer to sleep!
Last year, the Airsoft Action crew approached the
event in a slightly different way and camped together
with all our many friends… and we had a blast…
although Jimmy ended up sleeping in the van… as he
forgot his tent! For this year we decided again to play
and roam rather than having a stand in the vendor
area and once again it proved to be a sound decision
as we got to interact directly with mates old and new,
and much banter was had!
This also gives us more of an opportunity to hear
directly from players what they’re loving about airsoft
right now, what they’re looking forward to in terms
of new guns n’ gear, and possibly most importantly
for me, what we as a magazine are doing right, and
I’d like to thank everyone that talked to us for their
positive comments and input!
Ben and I travelled down together (with an enroute
stop and Dave’s Custom Airsoft to pick up a
“THIS YEAR’S EVENT WAS FULLY MAXED OUT, AND FULLY BACK UP TO PREVIOUS YEARS,
AND FOR THOSE 3500-PLUS PLAYERS WHO DID MAKE IT THIS YEAR, WE WERE TREATED
TO A MADLY-FABULOUS WEEKEND OF ALL-THINGS-AIRSOFT BOTH ON AND OFF THE FIELD OF
PLAY!”
78
OCTOBER 2023