Scenario Team Focus: The Scottish Warriors

Every wondered what goes on with a proper scenario paintball team? Fraser "Rider" Hepburn is a member of one such team from Scotland. He takes time out to tell us about it.


Richie: How many years have you been playing paintball?

Rider: I first started playing in January 2004 - the same day my first son was born actually.


How did you start?

Rider: A friend had asked me to tag along with a group to a small site north of Aberdeen. I said yes, but promptly got into trouble from my wife, as it was 2 weeks after our first child was due. We came to an agreement (after much chastisement) and I confirmed with my mate i'd go. Typically our son was 2 weeks late. He was born at 00:45, but my wife, God bless her, insisted i still went for the trip, so i was on at the paintball site by 9am on the day Owen was born.
I played on and off over the next few years using rental or borrowed gear.


What was your first marker, gear etc?

Rider: I'd been toying with buying a marker for a while after my first couple of rental days. I'd looked at the A5 as it seemed big and loud and indestructible. However after seeing the Warriors using their SP8s at a game, and seeing the difference in performance I thought "I gotta get me one of those". Then a friend picked one up and I had a play. Ordered one the same day. I added to that list a steel air tank, cheap tactical vest, JT flex 8s, some cheap gloves and other bits and bobs. I have none of it any more, having gone through so much kitI could have stocked a few paintball shops......


Why do you still play paintball?

Rider: Ask anyone that plays and I'm sure you'll get the same answer. It's all about the adrenaline, the buzz of making the bunker, the elation of making a mark, the angst at getting taken out. When I stop getting that feeling, I'll stop playing. Then there's the off-field banter. We like to get down to games the night before and make a social of it - few tales, few beers, few laughs and a good curry!


Who are the Scottish Warriors?

Rider: We are the original Scottish scenario paintball team. Originally a group of like minded individuals that wanted to take paintball a little more seriously back in 2003. The captain has changed, but the drive and determination to show what we can do has remained the same. As a team we have broken a lot of new ground for the scenario world. 2006 saw us become the first scenario team in the world to become fully sponsored (not supported with discount, but given a full sponsorship deal) - something even only a few tournament teams can lay claim to. We are always finding new boundaries to push, becoming the first UK team to play in force at the Euro Big Game in Mahlwinkle, Germany and now setting up as a dealer for our new sponsor, MacDev.

This year we are also branching out, with a new tournament team in the works.



Woodsball paintball team you say, how does that work?

Rider: I guess to some extent like a team in any other form of paintball.In terms of training we try and play as many walkon events as possible - with our home site Urban Jungle Paintball in Glasgow generally running 2 such events a month there is plenty of time. We like to try and brush up on basic skills and keeping communication up.
Tournament wise, there are no real scenario tournaments in the UK, just the regular big games through the season. we try and attend a good clutch of these, plus our trips to Mahlwinkle in May and September. With our reputation, we are frequently asked to lead one of the factions at these games, and have a pretty decent track record of victories.


Who is in charge and what are his main duties?

Rider: Tony Lindsay (tonyl) is the captain on field. His style of leadership is....individual. He has very high expectations of what he wants people to do - one thing he can't stand is longballing - something all of the Warriors share. It's not our style. When we play, we want to take the fight to the opposition and we expect the rest of the side to follow suit.

As well as Tony's on field antics, he also works very hard for us off-field. He is well known in the UK scenario scene and is always pulling strings and cogs of machination somewhere!!


Is it all serious or is it for fun?

Rider: Both. It's serious fun. To be honest when we are on the field we take things entirely seriously - we have a job to do and we'll damn well make sure it gets done. But none of us would actually do it if we didn't get a buzz from doing so.

The fact that we get together and have a wee dram (or several...) the night before makes it all the more worthwhile.




Do you have set positions in your team? If so, can you give a brief outline of them?

Rider: Generally you'll find the Warriors at the front of any big fire-fight. We play an aggressive paintball. But on saying that, we're not reckless. We know when to play the game from the front, and when a slightly sneakier approach my be handy. What you won't ever find is a Scottish Warrior at the back of the field, chucking in the long balls.

Generally before a game we'll have a good discussion as to what the main objectives are and take it from there. We may split into a couple of smaller head-on fire-teams, or pull a few guys out to lead silent raids behind enemy lines. Everyone in the team is comfortable playing where we're needed. However we do sometimes have to keep a leash on Tommy and Gaz.....


What is your positions and why do you play there / why do you like it etc?

Rider: Me personally? I prefer to be stuck at the front with the balls zipping by. It's the best place to get the big adrenaline buzz. More than a few marshals at games have asked who the crazy/brave bloke was running for a bunker through a fire-storm....... I also like the chance to play the sneaky git on occasion. I can remember one game in particular (Stargate v Starwars back in 2008.) where i tagged a bloke from 20ft. He looked round, saw no-one and wiped. So i let him get back to his long balling, crawled forward and barrel tagged him. I also gave him a few choice words on my opinion of wiping while i was at it!


We are trying to organise woodsball over here and set up a league. What is the woodsball league scene over in the UK, if any? Or is it all walk ons etc?

Rider: The UWL (Ultimate Woodsball League) has just got started over here, having being imported from the USA. It looks like an interesting format, kinda back to the origins of tournament paintball. It's something we might consider in the future. It's really the only attempt at an organised league on the calendar. Other than that the scenario year if filled with "big games", which are growing in number. There used to be one every other month a few years back, but now we're almost looking at 2 a month. It's good in that it shows the health of the scenario scene over here, but we have to be careful that the games all represent value for money and don't turn into a case where every site owner feels the need to try and run one every year. The games themselves vary from around 70, which is about the same as your Emerald Wars, up to the 1000 or so expected for the Warped North vs South game (which we will be leading the North faction for this year!). The average is about 150-200 or so attending for most of the games.





What is the strength of the Scottish Warriors, is it individuals skill or the overall leader ship etc?

Rider: Tony has to take credit for being a very strong Captain. He's very vocal about what he wants and doesn't accept slacking on the field. But every one of the Scottish Warriors is an individual, with our own skills and strengths. As a team we know each others abilities and we know what each other is doing and we know that wherever we are on the field there will always be another Warrior around to watch our back. You'd see this off the field too - despite our hugely varied background we are very close, and it's this that helps give us such a strong brotherhood on the field.


You are the first fully sponsored team in the UK? How did this happen? What have you won etc. to warrant being sponsor-able? What does it take for a woodsball team to get sponsored?

Rider: Back in 2005, Tony heard tell of a new scenario marker on scene. It brought tournament level performance with scenario style looks to the players for the first time. The marker was Smart Parts SP8, and it was able to totally out gun any other scenario style marker at the time. Tony, being Tony, bought the entire first UK shipment to outfit the team. This brought the Scottish Warriors to the attention of Phil Webb, the man behind Smart Parts Europe. Following a season where the Warriors literally blew away the opposition a every game on the calendar, the team won the PBUK Scenario Team of the Year award. It was this hard work and commitment to Smart Parts that lead to them offering the team full sponsorship for the following 4 years. Part of what the team had to do was show the capabilities of the markers. It was a task that took the team not just around the UK but to France and Germany as well.

"Sponsorship" is a very misused word in paintball. We were lucky to be a team in the right place at the right time, and able to give a huge commitment in time and money to making every game on the calendar with a full team. That's what got us noticed, and secured the sponsorship. Sponsorship that was actually that. We got everything we needed in terms of kit from SP - they knew what we needed and were always provided for. Given the contraction in paintball worldwide and the impact it's having on the manufacturers, that level of sponsorship is rapidly drying up.

"Support" is what most teams can aspire to, usually from a local paintball retailer. If a team is willing to commit to the store, and show loyalty and help spread the word, then there's a good chance of working out some kind of deal. A good few of the big retailers over here put feelers out for teams in the off-season - offering paint deals or kit deals in return for a degree of commitment. If you get your foot on the ladder here, and get yourself noticed at games, do a bit of networking and name dropping, then you can move up to the manufacturers and see what they can do in the future.

In terms of sponsorship, what advice would you give to a team starting off in either woods or speedball? Should they get out playing as a team together or should they chance their arm and look for deals before they shoot a ball?

Rider: Definitely get out and play first. You need to get yourself known to the community. At the end of the day, paintball is still a minority sport and we have a very small community. If you go out there and work and play your ass off, you'll get a reputation. With that and even a short history of small achievements you'll find yourself in a much better place for dealing with potential sponsors. Remember though, it's initially really down to what you can do for a sponsor, rather than what they can do for you. If you can show their products at big events in the woods laying down covering fire, or on the podium at the end of a tournament, then your working for them. If you don't give them anything back and just expect free or cheap stuff, then they won't remain your sponsor for long.


Tell us a little about MacDev and their products.

Rider: MacDev are a family run Australian manufacturer of markers and paintball accessories. They are at the cutting edge of marker design, producing what are generally acknowledged as some of the most efficient markers out there. MacDev are real perfectionists, and have created a range of markers that not only come with an impressive list of claims, but actually live up to them. The newest addition, the Clone, can shoot over 1700 balls on a 4.5k 1.1l fill!! We'll be primarily using the Tactical Drone marker, based on the Droid/Clone platform. Our newly formed tournament team will be shooting Clones - just like Russian Legion. We're really excited to be part of the MacDev family, joining the likes of Russian Legion and Frankfurt Syndicate. We feel the MacDev markers will give us that edge in performance and reliability that we demand.



What do you like about your home field, why should a punter go there there for a paintball experience?

Rider: Urban Jungle is a great little field. It's only been open for 8 months, but Tony and Gaz have put a lot of work into the place. Part of it is an old Anti-aircraft gun battery, so has big concrete structures, buildings, bunkers and bunds making for some real interesting play. Plus the site is looking at getting a full size Millennium field in the near future - if we're running a tournament team, we're going to make sure they are getting the best we can for them. For a rental player they'll get the best semi-urban site in Scotland. There are more permanent buildings and structures there than on any other site. The markers are SP1, so are wholly unlike you big BANGBANG inferno's or Tippmann 98's that you normally see on rental fields. The guys running the site are seasoned players themselves (Tony is a bit peppery.....) and all Scottish Warriors, so know how to play a good game. And to top it all it's one of the cheapest sites in the country. For the more regular player, there are also walkons twice a month too.



What piece advice do you offer to the player looking to improve their woodsball game?

Rider: Practice. It's not the frenetic practice of tournament paintball, but getting game time in. Use walkons to practice basic skills. Snap shooting and shooting on the move are two very handy skills - if you really want to get to grips with them get some practice time in with a tournament team. Get used to shooting from prone - you can spend a lot of time crawling through undergrowth. Keep that hopper behind the tree!

Thanks Rider


Check out these websites:
http://www.scottishwarriors.co.uk
Urban Jungle Paintball - Under Construction
http://www.macdev.net

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
My Blog - Twitter - Flickr - Facebook

thanks, richie, for the opportunity to give you all a little bit more insight into the team.

it was fun!

ps: that's troutlips in the pic - not me.... i'm far more handsome!

__________________

The Scottish Warriors - Sponsored by Urban Jungle and shooting for MacDev

thanks guys we will be over there at some point this year


tony

cheers for that guys and rider aint good looking trust me see you all this year at some point.

Hey Guys,

Missed you last year at NVS,(I was too busy winning for the south ) will be there again this year though to retain the crown,,,, Have a look for the Irish Flag and the guys wearing Paintballer.ie t shirts..... That will be me and the boys....... Come have a beer with us.....

See you there.

Regards

Outlaw.....

__________________
Regards.
Irish Outlaw aka Semtex.
"Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind." ~John F. Kennedy, 1961


Commander of Northern Conquest Elite.

I'll be honest with you guys and say if you make it to North v South it is always an honour and privilege to play with or against the Scottish Warriors And the good thing is that they know how to PARTY!!

I'm looking forward to seeing this lot in May and have a catch up!!

__________________

You've got to have a lot of balls to play like me!

PHALANX RULES!!

aye, we'll see you there!

__________________

The Scottish Warriors - Sponsored by Urban Jungle and shooting for MacDev

Any sign of you lads over this year

__________________
Woodsballers shop @ http://www.airdrop-paintball.com

Team Leader for The Viking Raiders

Good article, man I want to get a game in with some of you one year when I come over.

__________________

Milk....the other white meat!
http://www.carolinariot.com/