This Sunday, we went to ECX.  I've been going with smaller groups lately, this time only myself, James, Jim, and Jim's friend Paul.  It gives me more playing time and less worrying time to not have to make sure everyone's ok, needs ride, and other small things.

   So, the three fields at ECX were well kept, good to play on, and were staffed by referees that were intelligent and loud, loud being a good adjective here.  One of the younger ref's called me out on some obvious splatter, but that's a minor complaint.  The air bunkers were padded down this time!  No more bunkers rolling over The Nick.

   Anything of interest happen this time?  Well, I played pretty well against some good guys.  I wasn't eliminated too much, and I usually scored an elimination a game, but rarely did I get two.  Consequence of playing further in the back, I guess.  Of course, when the games were smaller, I did get two or three, but that's only because I had less teammates to cover and had to do 'more dirtywork' myself.

   My complaint goes like this.  It's about Team Nick.  Now usually, if we have a couple guys with us, it's harder to form a good plan.  We don't know those other walk-ons.  However, when it was us four guys against four other guys, I was thinking "Excellent, now is a chance to communicate and work together."  We agreed that, instead of The Nick being front, he would stay in the back and sling some paint and tell everyone what to do.  Enthusiastically we went forward, sure of ourselves.

   And what happened?

   "Dan... move left a bunker.  Count three... two... *POP* *POP* *POP*!"

   "Can't move.  I'm pinned down."

   "Grr.  Jim!  Count three.  Try to move to the right!  *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP*!"

   "Nick, I think they're shooting at me!"

   "Paul... uh, just stick there a moment.  DAN!  To the left! Move to the left!  I'll cover!  *POP* *POP*"

   "But they're shooting at me!"

   "AGH!  Jim?  I might as well try with you... would you consider moving right as I cover you?  *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP*!"

   "Nah, I'm pinned down."

   "Of course."

   Here I was, hoping for some aggression up front.  What I wanted to yell was "Of course they're shooting at you!  They haven't run out of paint yet!" or something equally sarcastic.  Instead, I yelled "Dan, watch out to the left!  I couldn't shoot past you and get that guy.  You're going to be flanked."

  Do I hear "Thanx, Nick!"  Or "I see him?"

  Nope.

  "Ouch, ouch, I'm hit I'm out!"

   Anyway, I moved up to cover the left and between Jim and I, took out the other two guys.  Dan did get a guy or two, and Jim or Paul had gotten one, and then I eliminated the last one, so we won.  Of course I'm complaining, but no one did bad.  I left out lots of good plays by these guys, and I had to drop James off at home since he had to work.  Good playing by all... I was just annoyed by more "I can't believe they're actually firing at me!" comments by Team Nick.

   To be fair, Dan did get me out.  It was a two on two game.  He was with Jim, I was with Paul.  Dan and I were trying to outflank the other, but I was faster.  I sat there, behind a bunker, looking out of a hole the size of my cornea, watching Dan shoot fruitlessly at my bunker to keep me down.  I wasn't moving.  I must have been there for two minutes, just watching where he couldn't see me.  I just knew he was going to run to the next bunker to my left to flank me; the moment he did, I was going to snapshoot him.  It was going to be fun!

   Unfortunately, that's not how things happened.  Paul and Jim were exchanging fire, and I was contemplating taking a shot at Jim if he looked open.  Anyway, I peeked to the right for exactly one and a half seconds and Dan comes all the way around to my left and shoots me!  I'm outraged.  We lose.

   How did he get me?  I guessed he was psychic, choosing the only moment in the whole game to move and eliminate The Nick.  Actually, he saw The Nick's shadow move and knew I was looking at Jim and Paul.  Absolute genius!  (I still can't believe it.  Not even two seconds!)
 

   In other news, the time to borrow money from The Nick isn't as he's buying things.  James!!  AH!!!  That's IotW'ble, my friend.  By the way, you owe me 38$ (I took off what you gave me for gas.  Thanx, by the way.  I left my wallet with Dan and I could not get back to him for gas money.)

   Finally, The Nick made a few blunders as well.

   One game, I had a brilliant Max Payne-ish move in mind.  I was going to slide behind a bunker, adjusting myself 90 degrees to the right as I slid, bringing my gun and hand together and getting an angle on some guy and firing as I slid to safety, eliminating a big threat to the right flank while I simultaneously popped up and took some opportunity shots as they appeared.

   Of course, that's not how it happened.

   I usually wear a pack with extra ammo in it.  Well, instead of sliding fast but controlled, I instead slid, dropped my back, and rolled because of the ammo on my back, coming to a full stop right in the open, right next to my bunker's cover.  Desperately, I tried to scramble to cover while shooting one-handed at my target.  Needless to say, I was cleaning my goggles as I walked off the field instead of being the hero.

   Another game, in their wooded field.  Simple stuff.  Three good guys against Dan, myself, and 'the little kid'.  Dan and I split up and let the kid shoot from the back.  I was creeping to the right where I just knew there was a guy waiting for me.  I moved up quite a bit before I was fired upon; I dived for cover since I didn't even see the guy shooting at me.  He peppered me but did little to stop me.  Dan was eliminated but I think either he or I got one of their guys.

   I decided to get this guy shooting at me.  In a daring move, I made a run to another bunker very close to where my snipery friend was.  Now, he had just shot at me and ducked down, expecting me to return fire.  I figured I had exactly one second before he decided to get me, so I had to get to cover quickly.  Running full speed, I was about to jump behind the safety of some wood and twigs when I tripped over some roots... I stumbled right past my bunker into the open.

   I panicked, knowing I couldn't just stop and mosey back to my intended cover.  Instead, I kept going, seeing my chance; I sprinted and dove over a mound of dirt about three and a half feet high and landed in a ditch as paint flew over me.  A loud *clang* from my air tank showed that it had hit a rock; I was annoyed, but fine.  I returned fire, but it didn't matter.  The guy was about to call himself out from lack of paint anyway.

   One guy left, and I had the kid.  Basically, I was going to get this man out, but a young ref called me out due to some splatter that was no hit by anyone's standards.  Oh well.

   Less clumsiness from me in the future.  No more falling!
 

   And, so that my friends don't get angry at me, good job everyone.  Don't hate me because I whine.