Beautiful Chaos: Castle Jam '22
Valken Castle after it's new paint job
Paintball scenario and big game season is in full bloom right now, and there are a lot of options out there for players. Looking at the landscape and who was involved in this game, I decided to fly myself out to New Jersey to try a new event and field that had thrown it's hat into the ring. The field was Pinnacle Paintball Park, and that event was Castle Jam.
The event's premise was very simple. There wasn't a story line. There weren't puzzles. No one was gathering props. You weren't running missions. There's one field with a side of concrete bunkers and another side with larger wooden buildings, divided by one incredibly well built and thought-out four-sided castle. Have at it.
The event's premise was very simple. There wasn't a story line. There weren't puzzles. No one was gathering props. You weren't running missions. There's one field with a side of concrete bunkers and another side with larger wooden buildings, divided by one incredibly well built and thought-out four-sided castle. Have at it.
Gettin' Ready
The castle itself was a large, four-sided, two story castle made of welded shipping containers with large windows cut out every few feet, a built-in deadbox, and built-in airstations with easy access for defenders. The set up with simple. Two sides attacked the castle from opposing sides. Defenders held the castle. The attackers had to pull three external flags, then hit a buzzer in the doorway to score points. The team with the lowest score against them as defenders wins. Teams each held the castle for a hour and fifteen minutes with respawns until the last 15 minutes, at which point it became single elimination. Once a buzzer was hit, the flags reset and there was a five minute break. Beautifully simple.
I also want to stress that the playing field, while not small, wasn't what anyone would consider large. You were in range of the castle once you got the first (outer range) or second row of bunkers (easily get breaks). The final flags were within feet of the castle walls.
It took one look at the field to know what Sunday was going to be. This wasn't going to be an event for you if you didn't want to get shot. Or throw paint. The expectation immediately became that this was going to be a rock fight.
I also want to stress that the playing field, while not small, wasn't what anyone would consider large. You were in range of the castle once you got the first (outer range) or second row of bunkers (easily get breaks). The final flags were within feet of the castle walls.
It took one look at the field to know what Sunday was going to be. This wasn't going to be an event for you if you didn't want to get shot. Or throw paint. The expectation immediately became that this was going to be a rock fight.
Well hello...
I did want to take a moment on the field itself. It is in remarkably good shape, and honestly looked like it was brand new prior to use walking on. That clearly isn't the case, as the field has been open for a while now, but the owner, Paul, and his staff keep the place in amazing condition. It's very evident that he and his staff take pride in the fields, their lay outs, and their condition, and that comes through to the players.
Our field was in the center of the park, and had 40 foot walkways surrounding it and it's netting. Those walkways allowed for people to watch the action, and for there to be team and area specific air stations, staging, and tent space without blocking anything up. They even fit two food trucks (good BBQ, by the way) in the walkways without blocking or encumbering anyone. It was incredibly player-friendly, and made it easy for us to get in and out of play-space to fix things or load up to quickly dive back into the action.
Our field was in the center of the park, and had 40 foot walkways surrounding it and it's netting. Those walkways allowed for people to watch the action, and for there to be team and area specific air stations, staging, and tent space without blocking anything up. They even fit two food trucks (good BBQ, by the way) in the walkways without blocking or encumbering anyone. It was incredibly player-friendly, and made it easy for us to get in and out of play-space to fix things or load up to quickly dive back into the action.
On the wall
There's something beautiful in paintball when the premise is basically to draw a line in the sand, and tell each side to throw their best punch, and see who can come out on top. Our head ref and one of our hosts for the weekend, Fluffy, told us all in the rules briefing to check our feelings and see him to hug it out if you got yours trampled. Everyone was told and knew that they were likely to eat a ton of paint. Because of the nature of this beast, overshooting was almost expected.
And that absolutely did happen at times. And yet there were almost no blow ups. The attitudes were, on the whole, absolutely awesome. Everyone seemed to be on the same page, knew what they signed up for, and got it.
And that's remarkable with the close range and amount of paint that was thrown. People didn't hold back as shooters, and that meant crazy amounts of paint flying and getting him from close range in a lot of cases. But the reactions from players was fantastic. Hands went up. People tagged up, and ran right back out there. It was every bit the rock fight that players saw coming. But they KNEW it was going to happen, accepted the welts, and seemed to basically decide as a group that this was going to be great and just keep a fantastic attitude and to play their asses off. And between games, players from all three teams were free to talk about the ridiculous things that just happened (and lord know there was plenty of that).
Everyone seemed to have come for gun fights---one of the biggest things that I play for, and seemingly what a LOT of the other players there wanted as well. There was only downtime if you WANTED it. You didn't need to hunt down an area of action. It was there, right in front of you and everyone else. You just needed to walk forward a few feet. That can be rare in some scenarios and big games. Action was constant if you wanted it to be.
And that absolutely did happen at times. And yet there were almost no blow ups. The attitudes were, on the whole, absolutely awesome. Everyone seemed to be on the same page, knew what they signed up for, and got it.
And that's remarkable with the close range and amount of paint that was thrown. People didn't hold back as shooters, and that meant crazy amounts of paint flying and getting him from close range in a lot of cases. But the reactions from players was fantastic. Hands went up. People tagged up, and ran right back out there. It was every bit the rock fight that players saw coming. But they KNEW it was going to happen, accepted the welts, and seemed to basically decide as a group that this was going to be great and just keep a fantastic attitude and to play their asses off. And between games, players from all three teams were free to talk about the ridiculous things that just happened (and lord know there was plenty of that).
Everyone seemed to have come for gun fights---one of the biggest things that I play for, and seemingly what a LOT of the other players there wanted as well. There was only downtime if you WANTED it. You didn't need to hunt down an area of action. It was there, right in front of you and everyone else. You just needed to walk forward a few feet. That can be rare in some scenarios and big games. Action was constant if you wanted it to be.
Simon, the Green Team General, being a hands-on type of leader
The Generals for the game were Simon Stevens of Inception Designs, Charles "Big E" Holland, and Hercules from Undertakers, who happen to be three of the biggest, most well-established paintball people in the Northeast. They also happen to be some of the best people who happen to play paintball in the area. and they brought a ton of their friends out to the game. That generally meant that this was a game/reunion for a lot of us, and that added to the generally great atmosphere.
I would think that also probably contributed to the lack of any real hurt feelings, and most of us laughing at what just happened on the field between games. For example, myself and two teammates finding out the two people that were lacing us up as we went for flags (and failed to get them in somewhat hilarious ways) happened to be Wade Hansbury and Joe Perez, two people we all consider to be buddies and that we regularly see and make sure that we play with at events. We were far from alone in that experience.
I would think that also probably contributed to the lack of any real hurt feelings, and most of us laughing at what just happened on the field between games. For example, myself and two teammates finding out the two people that were lacing us up as we went for flags (and failed to get them in somewhat hilarious ways) happened to be Wade Hansbury and Joe Perez, two people we all consider to be buddies and that we regularly see and make sure that we play with at events. We were far from alone in that experience.
Have fun storming the castle!
Simon brought in some diverse big guns including players from Saberwolves, who tore it up all weekend (not shockingly, they were seriously awesome, which I was happy to see and play against as an opponent), friends from Farside, a great group of guys from MCB and NFG, the 13th Legionnaires, and plenty of others from his decades in the industry. So did Big E and Herc, with local teams mixing with people having experience levels ranging from decades to rentals.
And one of the truly great things was so many kids playing that weren't afraid to push up, or in several cases, being the ones leading the charge. It was such a diverse group with varying backgrounds. Players ranged from their 80's to pre-teens, who played hard and mixed it up while keeping great attitudes, even with cases of paint flying at their heads all day long. I absolutely loved that aspect of the event.
And one of the truly great things was so many kids playing that weren't afraid to push up, or in several cases, being the ones leading the charge. It was such a diverse group with varying backgrounds. Players ranged from their 80's to pre-teens, who played hard and mixed it up while keeping great attitudes, even with cases of paint flying at their heads all day long. I absolutely loved that aspect of the event.
Not to be outdone, Big E, the Red Team General, moving up to storm the Castle
In terms of gamplay itself, each side offered it's own challenges. The long side with the wooden builds had several well thought-out pathways to the flags and castle opening both up the middle, and to the castle wall on the flanks. You could really pick which way you wanted to try to get to the front rows of buildings, then hop to the outside ones to reach the safest spots against the walls, then stack and pour in.
The side with the concrete bunkers had a different challenge, offering less protection and with some tighter angles. The bunkers were small, close together, and there was significantly less ground to cover from deadbox to the castle walls. That meant paint was flying at you sooner and from real tight angles. And from either side, what you really saw looking into the castle was mostly blackness with paint flying out of it and glints off mask lenses.
The side with the concrete bunkers had a different challenge, offering less protection and with some tighter angles. The bunkers were small, close together, and there was significantly less ground to cover from deadbox to the castle walls. That meant paint was flying at you sooner and from real tight angles. And from either side, what you really saw looking into the castle was mostly blackness with paint flying out of it and glints off mask lenses.
Odd, but you could accurately describe the castle as, 'drippy.'
Inside of the castle was one of the most unique and absolute loudest environments that I've ever played in. The sound of a hailstorm hitting sheet metal was constant, and all round you. At several points while in my second story corner office, my teammate couldn't hear me screaming at him from literally less than three feet between the constant sound of the cargo containers getting pounded and my own admittedly very loud marker going off continuously. I actually took to pounding the wall to show him where I wanted him to move to, because the yelling was just useless. The only spot that I found to be more quiet was in the built-in deadbox. Otherwise, all the sound, all the time. You knew that you needed to keep your head on a swivel if you weren't in the stairwell, deadbox, or at the air filling station.
It's also hard to accurately some of the conditions inside the castle, especially as the day wore on. The paint was literally oozing down the walls near all of the windows facing the teams that were attacking them directly. And not just a little bit. It was like they kept getting sprayed with a fire hose that shot marballizer because that was basically what had been happening every time it was game-on. There were standing puddles of paint by day's end in multiple areas. It made for slick conditions in the containers, which players did have to watch for. I had one kid in cleats (we were warned that cleats were not a good idea prior to the game) who fell three times in about eight feet, basically looking like a baby deer on ice. Boots were almost a must.
It's also hard to accurately some of the conditions inside the castle, especially as the day wore on. The paint was literally oozing down the walls near all of the windows facing the teams that were attacking them directly. And not just a little bit. It was like they kept getting sprayed with a fire hose that shot marballizer because that was basically what had been happening every time it was game-on. There were standing puddles of paint by day's end in multiple areas. It made for slick conditions in the containers, which players did have to watch for. I had one kid in cleats (we were warned that cleats were not a good idea prior to the game) who fell three times in about eight feet, basically looking like a baby deer on ice. Boots were almost a must.
Well, you can tell where the line of windows ended....
The deadbox also felt like a video game drop ship, which frankly I thought was awesome and added a bit to the reinsertions. You heard the pounding paint echoing all around you. You could literally see shots breaking at times in the barrel bunkers directly in front you, and teammates getting hit 10 feet in multiple directions. And then you had to decide when you were going, and make a break for it. It definitely got your attention as you got ready to get back into the fray.
While inside the castle and at the windows, I don't know that I've ever shot more people in such a short period of time or thrown as much paint in a scenario that quickly (2 full cases in an hour and fifteen minutes, and I wasn't alone in that). Angling out of the windows, you almost always had available targets. Often you had several. And if you didn't have one, you just had to wait a few seconds and one would appear. It was insane, in the best way.
While inside the castle and at the windows, I don't know that I've ever shot more people in such a short period of time or thrown as much paint in a scenario that quickly (2 full cases in an hour and fifteen minutes, and I wasn't alone in that). Angling out of the windows, you almost always had available targets. Often you had several. And if you didn't have one, you just had to wait a few seconds and one would appear. It was insane, in the best way.
Hercules of Undertakers, the Blue Team General, making himself heard
As for how the event scored and played out, Simon and the green team started strong in the initial round attacking Big E's red team, and really never looked back. Herc's team put up a strong fight as well, and the game ended up tied with Herc and the blue team at the end of the day. That lead to a sudden death round of single elimination, where the green team emerged victorious. Simon got a crown and trophy as the King of the Castle, but really it felt like all the players won. He and green just won a little bit more.
King Simon with his army
Castle Jam was an absolute blast. It had an incredible crowd throwing paint, taking the hits, and coming back for more again and again. I've read before that some of the most popular video games like first person shooters are often the ones that give you that same 10 second rush over and over again. Well, Castle Jam was exactly that. It wasn't trying to tell me a story or draw some over-arching tale or recreate a battle in history-(and those games can be great and have their place). This game was aiming to give you those 10 seconds of joy over and over, and it delivered.
There was an absolute purity to it. It was just giving me gun fight after gun fight. Sometimes the best set up can be, "Go try and kick those guys' asses." And that's exactly what this was. It was just fun.
So thank you to the guys that I played with. Thank you to the guys I got to shoot over and over as a defender, but kept coming in waves. Thank you to the guys who shot me. Sometimes repeatedly. Thanks to John for punishing me when I got lazy and stuck my pink mask out too far, and Wade and Joe for making it a royal pain to get to the Castle. Thank you to Dyzana and Inception Designs for coming out and supporting the event. Thank you Paul Cuccinello for putting all of this together and building an absolutely amazing facility. Thank you to the lovely ladies who were in the pro shop, and were also some of the nicest pro shop people you'd ever come across. Thank you to Fluffy, the refs, and the rest of the staff from Pinnacle Paintball Park, who did a great job while being in the middle of copious amounts of paint flying in every direction. Thanks to Solstice Law for coming in and what you do. Thank you to the paintball media that made it out. Thank you to Simon, Big E, and Hurc, not only for gathering great teams, but for being some of the best and bringing together some of the best people Northeastern paintball has to offer. Thanks to Marc and Evan for being awesome teammates and some of my favorite guys on the planet. Thanks to Wade, Greg, Joe, Chris, the MCB guys, Matt, the Canadians, Angellic Rage, Evo (you guys were absolute beasts for Red, by the way), and a host of other people that I can't fit in here.
All of you made for a great day of paintball on and off the field, and an event that was different and delivered on the hopes of mine and several other players with whom I had spoken. Everyone there in some way contributed to how this event went off. We came for carnage and got it, and it made for a fantastic day of paintball.
There was an absolute purity to it. It was just giving me gun fight after gun fight. Sometimes the best set up can be, "Go try and kick those guys' asses." And that's exactly what this was. It was just fun.
So thank you to the guys that I played with. Thank you to the guys I got to shoot over and over as a defender, but kept coming in waves. Thank you to the guys who shot me. Sometimes repeatedly. Thanks to John for punishing me when I got lazy and stuck my pink mask out too far, and Wade and Joe for making it a royal pain to get to the Castle. Thank you to Dyzana and Inception Designs for coming out and supporting the event. Thank you Paul Cuccinello for putting all of this together and building an absolutely amazing facility. Thank you to the lovely ladies who were in the pro shop, and were also some of the nicest pro shop people you'd ever come across. Thank you to Fluffy, the refs, and the rest of the staff from Pinnacle Paintball Park, who did a great job while being in the middle of copious amounts of paint flying in every direction. Thanks to Solstice Law for coming in and what you do. Thank you to the paintball media that made it out. Thank you to Simon, Big E, and Hurc, not only for gathering great teams, but for being some of the best and bringing together some of the best people Northeastern paintball has to offer. Thanks to Marc and Evan for being awesome teammates and some of my favorite guys on the planet. Thanks to Wade, Greg, Joe, Chris, the MCB guys, Matt, the Canadians, Angellic Rage, Evo (you guys were absolute beasts for Red, by the way), and a host of other people that I can't fit in here.
All of you made for a great day of paintball on and off the field, and an event that was different and delivered on the hopes of mine and several other players with whom I had spoken. Everyone there in some way contributed to how this event went off. We came for carnage and got it, and it made for a fantastic day of paintball.
This was just fun
Images courtesy Joshua Silverman and Valken and Simon Stevens