The jungle looks quiet, at least for now. A silent, imposing tower sits atop a hill, dominating the landscape. My eyes start seeking out potential firing positions, escape routes, and hiding places.

Suddenly, there is movement and shooting. Shouts of “Contact!” ring through the still air, and I see what looks like professional soldiers run through the greenery. One of the players is hit, and he trudges out of the playing field. He lies on the ground before looking to quench his thirst and treat his wound.

The game is Airsoft, and it’s enjoying a surge in popularity. Yet looking at the red welt on the player’s arm, I begin to wonder why I volunteered for this assignment.

Psyching up for battle

Aiming and shooting aside, Airsoft can be called a ‘gentleman’s game.’

“If you feel a pellet strike you, you call yourself hit and out,” says Vic Caguioa, a high-ranking member of Filipino Airsoft. “Dishonesty about being hit is called being a ‘zombie,’ something frowned upon by most players.”

“Airsoft is a strategic and tactical game with an objective. It may be capturing the flag, wiping out the entire force of your opponent, or rescuing hostages,” says senior Vincent Aureus, current head of the org Strategy and Tactics Group (STiG).

Airsoft was not as popular three to five years ago. Expensive equipment limited the number of its players . “My first gun was about P42,000,” says Vic. As a veteran of three years in Airsoft play, he has observed that cheaper equipment was the catalyst for the increase in players and play sites.

I am at one such play site—Al Padi in Antipolo—geared up in a protective vest, camouflaged fatigues, and a protective mask. We take a kneel as our commanding officer gives us the rules of the game.

I was given a gun, a replica M14 rifle. It’s very accurate and capable of full-automatic fire. As we plan our strategy, I’m assigned to defend the left flank, supporting our heavy-machine gunner. The objective of the game is simple: kill all opponents.

We enter the playing field, and the game begins.

In the jungle

The forces are split unevenly—ten of us on the defensive and six attackers. I idly remark that this seems to be in our favor, but the team leader immediately hushes me. “They’re very, very good,” he says.

Set in the jungles, urban areas, close quarters or other terrains, Airsoft does not seem to be a game for the faint-hearted. “If you’re a first timer, chances are you’ll have this grand idea of bravery and taking leaps of faith,” says Aureus. “When put in the battlefield, you’ll likely hide behind cover for safety and protection until the game ends.”

I crouch behind the sandbag fort and wait. Shots suddenly rip from the left. I bring my rifle to bear and squeeze off some shots, yet I see nothing but shrubs and trees.

The fire stops, and I stand up to return fire. There is no sign of the opponent. I am worried, scared, and apprehensive as to what to do, when another burst of fire sends me scrambling for cover. Our strategy is going nowhere.

“Nothing ever goes as planned [during games],” says Aureus, “But we’ll get our second chance.”

A few moments later, I’m struck by a well-aimed pellet. There is nothing for me to do but to wait for a second chance. It’s not until after I exit the playing field that I catch my first glimpse of our opposition. Their camouflage was so effective I thought I was staring at a bush when it was actually a man with a gun.

I shake my head. I’m way out of my league here.

Tactics and team effort

As I step back into the arena for the second game, I brace myself for a more difficult round. We’re playing as the assault team this time, and negotiating the terrain is taxing on the body as well as on the mind.

Airsoft is a game where the physical and the mental meet—pushing the envelopes of your stamina and stealth while keeping tabs on yourself and your team. To be able to keep up with the demands of playing such a game, some preparations must be made.

“We train before games to keep fit,” says Nile Villa, recruitments officer of STiG. “That’s why we have trainings [such as weekly joggings] for the members every now and then.”

Physical strain for the untrained—like myself—is apparent. After a few minutes crouching down or slogging through the terrain, my knees and legs begin aching. Adding to the difficulty is the prospect of coming under fire at any time, which becomes a reality fifteen minutes into the game. I’m dropped by a shooter I can’t even see.

From outside the protective net, I see the benefits of playing with a fueled mind. The Airsoft veterans are like a well-oiled machine, moving in concert with one another. They use cover and concealment, and signal each other to organize their movements, as though they are real soldiers in battle. We’re outgunned, out-skilled, and outclassed.

The next game

As the day comes to a close, the combatants hang out in the safety area, exchanging quips and stories. The veteran players show me a thing or two on aiming, and give advice on moving more effectively.

The relaxed atmosphere is that of general camaraderie and friendship, a stark contrast from the rush of combat. I’m disappointed with my performance, but no one else seems to be bothered.

“People don’t really delve too much into who won and who lost,” says Aureus. “Participants simply laugh, share stories, catch their breath, share a bottle of water, and enthusiastically wait for the next game.”

As the sun sets on the now-serene battlefield, my index finger clasps around the trigger of the rifle. I take aim at a tree and squeeze a few shots off. They all hit the target. I smile with the satisfaction of someone who has learned a thing or two.

The next game can’t come soon enough.

Relief operations

The Strategy and Tactics Group (STiG) is not all about aiming and shooting—they are also involved in civic-oriented operations geared for preparation at the call of disaster.

Intending to partner with the Dream Team, a disaster response group in the Ateneo, STiG creates a reservoir of relief goods in case of calamities or emergencies.

“The organization will require participants in Airsoft events to bring at least one canned good. These will be collected and funneled for a stock of supplies that will be donated immediately to those in need given a certain calamity,” says Vincent Aureus, president of STiG. “The more people who play Airsoft under STiG, the more relief goods are funneled to Dream Team, the more people are helped.”