Free Finale 2005 the story

[Junkie]

2005 PLAYER’S Free Final
Hosted and Produced by;
Billy and Paula Smith of Low Country Paintball, Ludowici, GA
Written by; Cecil "Thunder” Brackett, photos by Cecil Brackett

Gold Members led by Alex Reid of Pro Caps Paintball, in his first time as general and first time scenario player, led the blue team and amassed an amazing 1300 points.
The British Agents and Austin Powers portrayed by Chad Bowie of Archon paintball led the British red team to 850 points.

With high anticipation we waited for the 2005 year end Free Finale, sponsored by Billy & Paula Smith owners of Low Country Paintball, located in GA, just west of Townsend, off I-95 and exit 58. The weather for the weekend was to be partly cloudy during the day and clear and cold at night. Perfect GA weather for the largest paintball game to come to the state of Georgia.

I arrived just after dark on the 9th of December. I met with Billy Smith at the front area of the registration center. I asked, “How are things shaping up?”

Billy replied, “It’s awesome. We’ve toped the scale at just over 900 players, and guests. We’re selling Draxxus paint this evening starting at a price of $30.00 per case, for 2000 rounds. Air cards at $15 for the entire event for Nitro with up to 4500 psi fills, and CO2. It’s cold outside, but things are heating up, it’ll be a fire storm in the morning!

We talked of last year’s event and the changes for this year. Some of the changes included, the formation of two teams and command bases rather then four like last year. Pyro aerial rockets, and hand held flares will be fired off at randam intervals throughout the evening play on Saturday night to help offset the use of night vision, just to name a few.

Pre game festivities were in full swing. Atomic Ordinance had sponsored a grenade throwing contest. The two player team lined up and faced one another. A grenade was tossed back and forth, and caught by each teammate, as the distance between them increased. When a grenade exploded (and a bunch of them did), that team was eliminated.

Two players finally emerged as victorious winners. They were Tyler Humphrey, and Barrett Roe, of team Baltimore Trauma, and for their efforts they each were given a dozen Atomic Ordinance grenades and caribeaners to attach them to their clothing.

Also on Friday night Archon sponsored a poker game. Thirty six participants, in parties of six met at the table to determine a winner. Each winner then advanced to the final showdown. Troy “Osirus” Allen, Co-Captain of Rogue Force was the ultimate champion, and won an Archon Trilogy Autococker for his poker skills.

PMI sponsored an interesting event, Billy filled a sack with paintballs, and then carried it around with him throughout the game. He placed a sign-up sheet in the pro shop for any player to guess the number of paintballs in the sack. The closest guess would receive an Extreme Rage 5-Man Air Ball Field. Billy was heard to say, “Who wants to fondle my ball sack”?

The total amount of balls in the sack was 1040, Ronnie Jones guessed 1029 and won the prize.

Introduced by Duane “Kahuna” Bell of ScenarioBall.com., the infamous Dr. Evil and Mini Me came out to say hello to the players. Kahuna introduced Dr. Evil as the inventor of paintball in GA. Portrayed by Billy Smith and his son Bubba, they really got into their roles and character. Cheers resounded as they made their way across the platform. Billy gave us some insight on the game for this weekend as well as for future games at Low Country. An interesting point was brought up, for those who felt the need to complain about something, there was a 3-step process. 1} go to the LCP Army tent and request a complaint application form cost ($65.00), 2) after filling out the request form, a complaint form would be issued for another($65.00), 3) to fill out the 2 forms a special ink pen had to be purchased cost of the pen ($15.00). At the end of the game Billy informed us there had not been any complaints.

Billy named Georgia Joe as the Game On Director. He then turned the microphone back over to Kahuna and the commanders were introduced.

Alex Reid. From Pro Caps Direct was making his debut as both a scenario player and first time general. As the leader of the Gold Members his task was set. Chad Bowie of Archon Paintball drew the task of portraying Austin Powers and agreed to leading the British Intelligence agents. Each gave their flavor of smack talk. Throw outs were literally thrown into the players gathered under the platform. Pro Caps gave out some 500 or so pods.

Bill “Duncan” Dunlap of Duncan’s Games was named as the head referee.

At the stroke of noon, 1200 hours and Billy started the game with a 30 second shout that the game was ON!

Rogue Force playing on the Gold Member side, sent out both Cobra and Dragon squads, sixteen of our most aggressive scenario players, out the side door trail of our base in a wide right sweep that would bring them to the back of the swamp area. Once there they converged on the swamp in an inverted V formation. Soon after they emerged on dry land at the other side of the swamp, suddenly Cobra squad met with resistance from the left flank. They eliminated and drove over fifty players back into their base line. As their ranks, diminished Dragon squad chewed up ground, and then headed straight up their gut.

The advancing forces of the British Army were now driving on our immediate right. They were pushing the roadway and the pine tree alley. Thunder Squad of Rogue Force, had made their sweep to the east through the forest and were initiating their rear pinch toward London Bridge. As we crossed the bridge we were informed of a mission to hold the bridge for thirty minutes.

We set up a perimeter watch and put Striker on the bridge in a defiant stance toward the oncoming British Agents. Striker called out to Thunder, and said hold the line, and moved swiftly into the palmettos. Seconds later he emerged with a gold brick prop, and sent it to the general.

We held the bridge with minimal losses. Our next mission was to hold the strong hold with the general inside for twenty minutes. A medic was sent to Hell’s Kitchen to help with the defense and attack of our forces in another mission there.

Striker went to the top platform to scout for movement along the trails that entwined around the base . Thunder floated from the front to the rear of the area to look for imbedded red players hiding under the thick cover. Three attempts by the red team were halted by members of Rogue Warriors, and Blitzkrieg. The closest the red team came to the structure was at London Bridge, about 50 feet away. After thirty minutes this mission was a success.

Thunder squad walked across London Bridge toward the Red base, once across we fanned out along the roadway. As we neared a fork in the roadway paintballs began to whip by our heads. We went for cover and returned fire. In an instant four players from both sides yelled hit! And we walked off together complimenting each others shot.

By three pm the battle stories of others were filling the camp site. “Taz” of X F, was elated on his last mission. It seems he was running a mission with “Rhino” of Rogue Force. They were slamming hard up the roadway toward Tokyo Bay Park, marking the red taped British forces in record numbers. As they approached the park, several reds were hunkered down along the forest perimeter. They proved to be no match for the two gunners as they quickly cleared the opposition, and advanced on toward Hell’s Kitchen.


“Spider” came into th Rogue Force camp talking about an unforgettable experience he had just encountered! It seems in a forceful push he was pushing up the tape line when shots started whipping by his head, instinctively he, ran, dropped down and slid along the ground. The ground was covered in pine needles. As “Spider” slid, he was firing his marker. He eliminated four players.

Then in an instant he stopped abruptly as he hit a small brush bunker. On the other side of the bunker a red sniper was lying in wait. Startled by “Spider’s landing, the sniper pulled his trigger and shot “Spider” in a three round burst at point blank range. All three rounds hit “Spider”, in his battle vest, and elbow pads, which provided protection and no harm had come to him.

“Rhino”, a member of the Thunder squad, of Rogue Force was on a mission deep into the British lines. As he moved through the forest he picked off players lined up as they touched their base to become live again. As he moved across into the pine tree alley, he noticed two players lying prone behind a small metal bunker. “Rhino”, surrendered both of them and found out they were snipers. Another host of players were eliminated along the way, before he ran out of paint.

“War Hawk” of the Mayberry Marauders, was doing an excellent job as XO for the blue taped Gold Member team, as he dispatched teams to distract the red team and others to complete missions. The blue teams were concentrating on completing missions, blowing up the red base, and eliminating the commander. The red team seemed to be content with finding and taking props for points. And fighting the blues anywhere and everywhere they could.

Five PM and the dinner break was announced. We had two hours to eat, re-hydrate, and rest before evening battle. We set our marker’s to 250 psi for evening play. At night there are no paint checks, medics, LAW rockets, motorized vehicles, or grenades in play. The score was very close at the dinner break, only 50 points separated the two teams.

Seven PM and it was game on again. I was the lone Thunder squad player on the field as the game restarted. I moved out across the south bridge from the base as the rear guard for the Florida Gladiators, as they went on a mission. We emerged out of the forest onto the dirt road and an areal flare was sent high into the sky.

About four acres around us was lit up in an eerie red glow. Player’s became visible in the dark and some two hundred or so markers roared into life. I moved into the darker shadows of the trees, and barrel tagged a couple of players as they stumbled by.

Dragon squad, was another night time squad from Rogue Force. Voodoo came up from my six and asked how much real estate did the Gold Members own. I told him how far. Voodoo asked if I could shed a little light on that information?

I said, sure, move your squad into a firing stance and look out there. I then flooded the area with a Mil candle power Q Beam. The fire team advanced along the sides of the light beam, into the field as random marker fire was heard in the distance.

Later, I was barrel tagged by a player from the British Agent side, and thanked him. My goggles were fogged over. I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face and after being in the chilly GA air for more then two hours my bones were cold. I welcomed the “Take the Hit” gesture.

Play resumed promptly at eight AM. Chronograph speeds were again raised to two hundred and eighty fps. Grenades, medics LAWS were once again in play. The morning missions were coming steadily from command central. The missions were coming every fifteen minutes.

In this scenario game the final battle was structured differently. There was no pause or down time to gear up and then goto the final battle arena. The final battle was called in as a regular mission. The mission was for either team to find a Preparation H suppository of mammoth size. Which ever team controlled the suppository would win the final battle. The suppository was located at Tokyo Bay Park, which was readily accessible by both teams.

As the players met in the middle it was an awesome site. Thousands of multi colored paintballs filled the air. The blue team was the first to find the suppository, and they never looked back as the final battle unfolded. Referee’s threw a few kinks into this match-up literally by throwing some orange smoke canisters right in the middle of the fierce combat areana.

The roar of markers firing was thunderous. As this player turned reporter, photographer, and final battle referee, got in the middle of the mix, I was enjoying every moment, even the stray hits from time to time. Osirus, Pyro, Voodoo, Moon Base, Maverick, Iceman, Spider, Virus, Ghost, Kazoo, Shooter, Mud Turtle, Rhino, Goose, Gideon, and Striker, sixteen members of Rogue Force gathered and did a wide right tape line assault on the red team base line. I was sent by “Otter”, Duncan’s second in command, along to keep the players safe.

As members spotted, and others fired the red team were being taken out in record numbers. The Rogues moved in unison up toward the back side of the red team’s base. There was an open area of about 20 ft wide and some 60 ft long, and then thick brush and dense foliage behind that.. Two well hidden red team members waited as members of Rogue Force crossed the open area.

Three Rogue players on the left were eliminated, Osirus, Ghost, and Virus were headed for the re-insertion point for the battle. Voodoo saw the red team position and hurled a grenade into their midst. They were eliminated. The push continued as a shout over the intercom said, FIVE!, minutes to go. Striker, and Shooter, another pair of Rogues, were marked as they crossed the open area. Where are they was the battle cry of the moment. Two minutes to go was called out.

The entire Rogue Force squad remaining on the field opened up with marker bursts as they advanced on the brush line. The paintballs were spraying and bursting in the thick brush. The blast from the official game master sounded “Game Over”, and play came to a screaming, shouting, marker shooting into the air, halt.

Billy and others were on hand to give out awards, kudos, and free stuff.

The Allen Elder Award, which is awarded to players who show exemplary kindness and generosity, was awarded to Tony DuValle. For his interest shown in the kids for the weekend. It was said, Tony loaned his DM 4 to a child whose marker was broken, as he had the marker repaired.

The Scenario Brotherhood donated $1500 to the Timmy “Buddha” Robert’s charity.

Crush Paintball sponsored a raffle throughout the game. For each case of paint purchased, a raffle ticket was issued. Tickets could be purchased for $5 each. The DM-6 marker raffle was won by Kellen Vincent, who bought one ticket only. The young man who pulled Kellens winning ticket out of the box, Corey Skinner was given a Trilogy Autococker by Crush Paintball as a reward for his assistance.

Awards were issued as follows:

Gold Members: Alex Reid
Most Outrageous Player: a tie was stated and awards were given to,
Bobby “Trips” Goedecke, and Patrick Pac-Man” McKinnon of M X S,
Best Demolition: “Spike”,
Best Medic: William Bell of Atomic Ordinance,
Loose Screw award: Nate “Red Dog” Brandon,
M V Team: Blitzkrieg from Texas,
M V P: Kerry “War Hawk”, Mayberry Marauders, Gold Member X O,
Best Sportsmanship: Anthony Rivers, from Team Ghost Core,
Most valuable Referee: Aaron “Otter” Fortino,
Young Gun: Devon Ingernan,
Comic Relief: Dan “Truck” Kopera

British Agents: Chad Bowie
Most Outrageous Player: “Sheets”,
Best Demolition: Eddie, with the law rocket launcher,
Best Medic:
Loose Screw award:”Winn” member of the River Rats,
M V Team: Anger Management,
M V P: “Chip”,
Best Sportsmanship: Tony DuValle from N Y,
Most valuable Referee: “J D”,
Young Gun:
Comic Relief: Georgia Joe Hamilton portraying Fat Bastard at the beginning of the game.

Sponsors and products included, but not limited to:
Low Country Paintball, owned and operated by Billy and Paula Smith
LCP Army Tee Shirts
Pro Caps Lanyards, pods, packs,
Knights Crossing Paintball - you name it, Paul had it.
Archon Paintball autococker’s
Draxxus, paint
Crush Paintball- DM6
Central Paintball, H P Air Station
P M I, Shirts, hats, air ball field
Doro Paintball,
V-Force - goggles
Extreme Rage - battle combos
Atomic Ordinance - grenades, and other items
Sonix Protective Gear, Barrel Covers and personalized team patches, and safety gear
Florida Gladiators/Air Gun Designs Warp Feed
Skanky Products, tee shirts
M X S - Tee Shirts



Special thanks goes out to Billy and Paula Smith for hosting the event, the scenario producers who gave their time and energy to the event. The industry and the sponsors for the prizes and price breaks to augment the event. And to the 963 players who played their hearts out, and played Stand Up Paintball!

Players for the game were made up from these teams:
British Government
Archon - Chad Bowie - General
Daytona Team Posse, Chad's Team, Recon 1, Firecomm 1, Ga Team Posse,
SC Roadkill, Carolina Pain, Splinter Cell, Charleston, MadBallers, Sarver Clan, Savannah Boys, LCP Kids, Showtime, Doom Troopers, Florida Gladiators, North Siders, Murder Inc. Army, Orbital Reign, Black Berets
Anger Management, Children of Korn, Trigger Happy, Suicide Kings
Galaxy Quest, Team Domination, Coach's Crew, Cold Shot, Raid,
Dragon Fire, The Bowens, Andisblue, Mama's Boy

Gold Members
Draxxus - Alex Reid - General
Rogue Force, Rogue Warriors, Blitzkrieg, Mayberry Marauders, Kagemusha, KoH, Moist Donut, Pukin Dogs, Section 8, Lethal Lizards, Black Water Paintball, Jesup Crew, The Kinards, Ghost Core, 4th Ga, Black Knights,
Reason to Grieve, Swamp Donkeys, Monkey Crapslingers, MMK / No Prisoners, Osceola Raiders, Short Bus, The Help, The Flood, Killer Ninja Death Squad, Space Coast Paintball, Team Universe, War Dogs, Xtreme Fanatics, Dead Last, Men Of Steel, Lone Sniper, Top Gunz , and Players not on a Team