THERE we were, the two of us, from our squad of six, crouching in the undergrowth in the humid jungle, silent but tense, guns cocked, waiting for the enemy.

The mosquitoes and ants were getting too obtrusive to ignore, and the uneven and hostile terrain didn’t help. But we had to maintain and protect our positions at all cost. Suddenly, there was a burst of gunfire and bullets whizzed past, rustling the leaves, some hitting the trees — incoming, then whizzing away.

Sweet! Time for action.

Scrambling around with a rifle in your hand, and dodging bullets sure is no regular day out. There’s the unnerving possibility of being shot, but you can always shoot back and get yourself some kills. This is the adrenaline-charged wargame called Paintball TAG (Tactical Adventure Game).

Once you're hit on the body, head, shoes or gun, you're "dead".

It’s a game where teams set out to accomplish a mission, and eliminate their opponents in the process.

It’s real simple. To “kill” an opponent, you need to shoot that person. What comes out of the gun, or marker’s barrel, are high-speed paint-filled pellets (paintballs) that burst on impact.

If a person is hit, he or she is “dead” (out of the game), and the physical evidence is the paint marks on the body or clothes. However, you’d definitely know it when you’re struck by a fast-moving ball. The spot may throb for a couple of seconds, but it won’t hurt.

These skirmishes take place high in the cool hills of Bukit Tinggi, Pahang, an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur — at the clubhouse, Bukit Tinggi Golf & Country Club, to be precise.

There is some degree of preparation before a battle can start. The equipment that you are provided with (starter pack) includes a gun and canister, full-face mask, 50 rounds of ammo and field fees (all for RM60). If you’re afraid of pain, there is optional protection gear like the ones for your chest and neck. The gas-powered gun uses C0² as its propellant, and this comes in the canister attached to the gun.

When locked and loaded, the gun has a good weight — light enough to run around with, and stable when fired. There is no recoil to worry about. The recommended attire are trainers, long pants and long-sleeved tops, although T-shirts are fine unless you plan to crawl a lot. The first step is getting your equipment, followed by the briefing by a marshal on the game plan and safety rules. After participants are divided into two teams, you hit the battleground.

During the game, whether you’re hit on the body, head, shoes or gun, you’re dead. And whether you’re allowed to get back into the game depends on the rules. The first encounter takes place in an open field that’s scattered with obstacles and hideouts made of barrels, tyres and wood. The objective in this scenario is to grab a couple of flags that lie in an unprotected “killing zone”, and return with them to your base alive. Easier said than done.

An air horn signals the commencement of hostilities, and you scramble out from your base and get yourself into a good spot to take out the enemy. At the same time, a couple of guys are assigned the risky “retrieve-flag” run. Chances are, if this is done without proper coverage from your mates, you’d get cut down by a hail of pellets, as I discovered first-hand. I even took one hard on the visor.

In this set-up, if a person is hit he has to return to base and re-enter the battle from there. The first team to successfully return to base with both flags wins that battle. It can get pretty charged up out there, and guys who get excited and trigger-happy tend to run out of ammo quickly.

The game is about carrying out a mission, retrieving some flags and wiping out the "enemy".

This phase of the game could last 10 minutes or it could go on for half an hour.

Obviously a good strategy would win the day, but most combatants seem to like charging out with guns blazing, and then figuring out what to do next (especially the males). If a good support and communication system exists, the team would be able to retrieve the flags quickly.

After this, if participants have time and are up to it, there’s the jungle situation. This takes place close by, on uneven ground bordered by slopes — not the best of locations since the area is confined. There are a couple of possible scenarios here. The one we were engaged in required you to breach the enemy base and sound their horn without getting hit.

It was pretty intense. The first 10 minutes were very silent and unpredictable, with no signs of the enemy. It was like a game of chess, each waiting for the other to make a move. The two sides eventually engaged fiercely, with several casualties. This scenario gives you only one life — if you’re hit, you’re out for good.

Several long-range exchanges took place between one bushy area and another. After firing several shots at a target, I moved out to a better position to get to their base.

Some time later, from a distance I heard screams and shouts ensuing from a battle near our base. Then one of two of our guys guarding a flank ran out of ammo, and their position was swiftly overrun. From deep inside enemy territory and within metres from the enemy’s base, I heard the horn. They had won.

I ended the day wet from crawling in a stream. I was hot, sweaty, and had mud all over my pants and shoes. There were minor cuts, as well as damage to clothes — thanks to adrenaline-inspired indiscretions, a “drug” which incidentally masks the pain as well, if any, when you go hurtling into bushes or down slopes.

If you’re the active type, you’ll like playing paintball because it is both exciting and physically demanding. It’s entirely up to you if you would rather sit in one spot and not move until the battle ends, or get out there and fall heroically in a blaze of glory. Some choose to lie in wait, others like to search and destroy.

There is definitely scope for more realistic jungle warfare situations in the surrounding land bordering the club. The management plans to add to the existing two game scenarios a third called Nam Village. This will have helicopters and tanks for hide outs. The club at Bukit Tinggi is the first paintball facility in Malaysia, and has been operating since 2000.

Strategy wins the day. But there are players who like to charge out with guns blazing.

The cool weather at Bukit Tinggi (830m above sea level) makes for a conducive environment in which to play the game. It’s a scenic area, the air is extremely refreshing and the atmosphere tranquil — except when you’re in battle, of course. The club has accommodation, which is handy if you want a morning game. There are two time slots for Paintball TAG, 9am or 2pm. A minimum of 10 people are required for a scrap between two teams.

o For enquiries, call (03) 2935 1071/72/73. For more on the sport, visit
paintball.about.com or
www.paintballtimes.com.

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