BORDER WAR - A NON-POLISH PHENOMENON
Border War is a 48-hour airsoft staff game held in the Czech Republic every year. Despite the passage of time, the rules and mechanics of this 'partially scripted' event have evolved only slightly, and the organizers, Mike and the rest of the BW Crew, avoid making radical decisions and revolutions from edition to edition. Is it because you don't fix something that does not need fixing?
Events under this name have both their supporters and many opponents in Poland. Our adventure with Border War began over a decade ago, and the current edition - The Warpath - was the tenth in which we had the opportunity to take part in. Throughout this time we have witnessed the rise in popularity of BW, the decline in interest, the change of terrain, the reduction of the size of the game, the reduction its length and possibilities related to night activities, and finally, the return to the wonderful and diverse terrain of Vrchběl in the Czech Republic, lying almost at the foot of the hill on which the majestic Bezděz Castle stands.
In the past, we have often pondered when we saw or heard about some of the solutions used by the organizers in the mechanics, and after each subsequent visit to the Czech Republic we wondered whether we would go to Border War again. However, the longing regularly grew within us, and the thought kept thinking: why, despite its various flaws, is Border War still so popular after a dozen or so years, attracting players from all over the world and repeatedly celebrating successes in international pools? Perhaps we were the ones who were wrongly approaching the unique nature and requirements set for this event by the ones who visit it on a regular basis.
So we went to Border War 16: The Warpath and came back... rested and satisfied.
3 DAYS IN VRCHBELI
Although the gameplay during BW events starts on Friday at 12:00, the offgame area is made available to visitors from Wednesday. This is a comfortable solution, considering that some players have to travel thousands of kilometers to reach Vrchběl. However, we, like probably most participants, arrived on Thursday. This gives us enough time to go through the registration process, familiarize ourselves with the attractions in the offgame zone, and then go to the base, which is only a few hundred meters away, to prepare our camp.
We were pleasantly surprised by the high culture of the event service and the large number of people involved in it. Although the number of cars suggested that there were already several hundred players on site, registration went smoothly and without significant queues. The process itself was divided into several stages, and the boards with hints on how to complete it in the most efficient were very prominent. As usual, the rules of the replica measuring point left us with mixed feelings. Here, time stood still, and replicas were measured using 0.25 g (AEG) and 0.28 g (HP) BBs and marked only with a colored ribbon. This method of measuring the energy of BBs leaves room for abuse related to, among other things, the phenomenon of joule creep. In theory, this is limited by the organizers with BBs weight limits for individual replica classes, but on the other hand... It's 2024, and during Border War you still can't use BBs heavier than 0.30 g or 0.43 g (the latter are only allowed for sniper replicas that require reloading after each shot). This rule may not appeal to players who are used to the rather liberal regulations of large events in Poland.
It is worth noting that this year the canteen was only available in the offgame zone, with no option to buy drinks or meals in the conflict parties' bases. The offer available in the offzone was varied, however, and the quality of the food was worth a few hundred meters of walking. For those who did not want to leave the game area, but at the same time wanted some warm food, cooking zones using their own stoves were designated near their own HQ.
Border War 16 was our first opportunity to return to Vrchběl, after the event was moved to Mimoň (after BW10) and its size was reduced. The relocation of bases was a surprise for us. In the past, we have often encountered irritation caused by the unequal distance from the offzone of the Task Force (about 300 meters) and Rebel (2000-2500 meters) camps. The organizers have thought this through and have significantly moved the second MOB closer to the parking lot and the offzone zone.
This change additionally influenced the nature of the game in a way that some will like, but others may not. All activities on the line between the TF and RF bases were definitely intensified, where the LARP village and the PMC camp were also located. This allowed you to feel the intensity of the fight from the times when even over two thousand participants took part in Border War, while allowing the headquarters to maintain greater control over a smaller number of people and over what was happening in the game area.
The downside of this new layout of key locations (for us) turned out to be the thinning of players as the distance fro the bases increased.
A pleasant surprise, however, was a certain progress in the quality of props used in POIs. They were no longer limited to posters, you could see more structures than usual, metal bunkers, and even simple electronic devices. However, reporting on task completion was still not automated and required direct contact with HQ to confirm it. At times, this could lead to a sense of information chaos, especially since the HQ crews were, as usual, much more limited in numbers and equipment than those we encounter at major games in Poland.
The start of the game was preceded by, now a standard, atmospheric, story-based appeal to the fighters. Hundreds of players shouting and waving replicas still makes the same good impression on us as they did over a decade ago. The 48-hour game started shortly thereafter, with two several-hour breaks after night missions. For several years now, and more precisely since Border War 11, the main bases of the both sides have been excluded from the game at night, which, combined with the end of the last missions at 01:00, causes a temporary ceasefire and forces participants to rest and prepare for daytime fights.
The tasks assigned to us during the game were not very different from what we were used to from previous editions of Border War. The HQ assigned primary missions and roles to individual companies, most often deliberately putting players on a collision course with the opponents. Company commanders passed on the orders to subordinate platoons, and the way the task was carried out and its final result was up to the players. So there were many large-scale battles, which had its charm. Another advantage was the presence of numerous game judges in such places, who made sure that players followed the game and safety rules.
The night missions looked interesting, but once again, they were definitely too short. Player briefings began at 8:45 PM, and entry into the area was allowed about an hour later. This limited the time for playing after dark to just three hours on Friday and three on Saturday. However, this year's mission entrusted to us on the second night was interesting, during which the Task Force and Rebel Forces officially cooperated for the first time in order to sabotage the actions of the PMC. Although in terms of mechanics, the whole thing was limited to an attack on a designated point, the cooperation of the sides that have been competing for so many years introduced a breath of fresh air.
During the game, we witnessed a controversial approach to the principles of operation of "medics", or the dress code of the sides to the conflict. In the first case, as every year, the medics did not limit themselves to selecting a wounded player and staying with him/her throughout the treatment period (which is required by the regulations), and at night, the rebels wore forbidden from using helmets, which made it difficult for them to install night vision and thermal imaging systems. During this edition we were not able to see the spectacular attacks with "human flags" on vehicles, which is a safe mechanic, but so absurd that it often brought a smile to our faces. Well, this is probably a permanent feature of Border War events. Returning to medics and healing mechanics, maybe it would be worth updating the rules and getting rid of the ones that no one follows during the game?
The game ended on Sunday at 12:00 with intense clashes in the areas of the main bases. Some decided to pack up earlier, but the assaults on MOBs were not very frequent and it did not seem to have a huge impact on the safety of the players. Throughout Sunday morning, we heard, in addition to noisy replicas, also singing, laughter and battle cries, encouraging the last minutes of the fight. The players we met were smiling and eager to chat. They seemed completely unconcerned that they probably would not find out which side was better this year. And if any sign of sadness could be observed on their faces, it was rather related to the approaching and inevitable end of this year's edition of Border War: The Warpath.
WE'LL BE BACK HERE AGAIN
Although it may sound stupid, despite our complaints about some elements and lack of understanding of certain customs prevailing there, we had a really good time last weekend and left Vrchběl in a good mood.
Searching for the answer to the reason for our good time, we wondered what changed the most during this year's edition... and bingo! Compared to previous years, our attitude has changed. Airsoft in Poland is very competitive. This is visible not only in the speedsoft version of our game, which is gaining popularity. Also classic, forest games, from local meetings to nationwide "team games" (such as Rat Race, GHOST, Black Perseus) and large-scale staff games (e.g. the sensational MARSH) are like this.
There is no hiding the fact that competition is in our blood in Poland. The common element of all these games is the score, rankings and the players' waiting for one of the most important answers: who won. This often drives us and pushes us to work on ourselves, on our equipment and on the plan for the next year, to get back at our opponents. At Border War conventions it looks completely different. Here, the Task Force will beat the Rebels, only to be surrounded in their base a few hours later and have difficulty leaving it. Sometimes the game judges will order one of the factions to withdraw or refrain from actions that could disrupt their vision of the game. Other times, your side will be pushed by the commanders to participate in a set fight, the stakes of which very low. All this so that at the end of the day the members of the Task Force and the Rebel Forces would shake hands and strike together at the PMC.
Of course, you can't blame the players who, seeing the MILSIM word in the name of the event, will come to the Czech Republic and be disappointed with the partially limited competition and the way the game is moderated. Border War is not a milsim, at least not in the form in which it is most often understood in Poland. When buying a ticket for this event, you have to accept the fact that the props used in the scenario may be at a lower level than those known from Polish games, some rules of the game may be imprecisely formulated, not always properly respected, and may even leave room for abuse. Equally important, you may never find out who won a specific edition.
In return, you can see many players from almost all over the world in action, their habits, equipment, talk about what airsoft means to them. You can spend time with friends and make new ones. All of this is sprinkled with airsoft activities of intensity tailored strictly to one's own preferences. There is no fear here that the lack of going out into the field for a specific mission may ultimately bring defeat to your own team. In short: Border War opens up opportunities to have fun, dragging the slider on the difficulty level bar depending on your own requirements and capabilities. And whatever you may think of this event, 16 editions (often attracting four-digit numbers of players) and 11 prestigious Airsoft Players' Choice Awards show that there is a method to this madness.
Border War 17: Operation Stonebreaker - will take place on 22-24.08.2025
Photos: LogaN, Flynn, Łosiu
