World Cup: The AGD Pride After Action Report
World Cup 2003, perhaps the last event that will ever have a 10-man division, was honestly one of the best events that I have ever attended.
Never playing 10-man before, we didn't really know what to expect. Sure...we had practices, we walked the fields at the event, we developed our strategy, but nothing compared to the experience of being in the starting box with 9 of your closest friends, adrenaline starting to dump into your veins, hearing the 10 second call, and then waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the "Go, Go, Go!".
I think that we all discovered our new favorite type of paintball, it's only a shame that we waited so long to find it.
The event itself was a blast. I'll try to give you a game by game breakdown but I'm sure that I'm missing things since I was playing in the snakes on most of the fields. Anyone else who saw our games from the sidelines, please feel free to add any details.
Since we had the afternoon session on the first day of play, we had to play in 85+ degree heat with realitivly high humidity. It made for a warm and sticky (but dry!) day with no real breeze or cloud cover.
Day 1
Game 1: 1:15pm vs R-15 XXX (Field 5-Empire Field)
The Empire field was one of the funnest fields for me to play on. It was my job to break for the snake on the bleacher side of the field, dive over one of the knuckles, and then bump up the snake as fast as I could. Skirts was also to break for the snake and back me up in case I got shot out.
Well, needless to say, I made it into the snake perfectly fine but the dive over the bunker did something screwy to the Warp. After putzing for 10 seconds on it, I told Skirts that he had to take over and bump up the snake and I would have to back him up. Obviously that was music to his ears because he took off up the snake and never looked back. I managed to finally get my gun working and popped over the snake and shot one of their front players and one of their players in the back center. I then worked with Dan, pushing in their back right player and getting Dan up into their half of the snake. At that point, the game was wrapping up and we had our first win of the day.
Final score: AGD Pride - 96 XXX - 8
Game 2: 2:00pm vs R-43 Section8 (Field 8-'Sup Air)
While we were walking this field, Chester came up with a crazy idea (not like THAT's never happened before). Since there was a huge bunker in the center of the field essentially blocking all sight up the middle, he thought that there was a way that he would be able to break to a bunker on their 40 and shoot out at least 4 of their players.
We all thought, "Well...it's not the worst idea I've ever heard." so we decided to do it. I broke for the snake again with Skirts backing me up.
Once the game started, sure enough, Chester makes the run up the middle, dives into a tombstone on their side of the field and starts to pick apart their entire left tape line.
Skirts got shot out on the break so Manny dove into the snake with me to back me up. I managed to dive into the snake on their side of the field but by the time I came up to shoot, the game was over. After only 1 minute and 30 seconds, we had our second win.
Final score: AGD Pride - 97 Section 8 - 6
game 3: 3:30pm vs R-39 PriorityOneEvolve (Field 6-Shocktech)
In this game, I got to play as a mid player due to the lack of front bunkers on the field. My job was to get to the tombstone on the left tape line as quickly as I could and then shoot out the player they were sending for either the lay down pipe or the dorito.
Once the game started, I walked and shot a lane at the bunker that I tought they were going to go to. To my suprise, they only sent one player to my side of the field and that was to the back left can. I got to my bunker and started to pick apart their overloaded right side, managing to shoot out 3 of their players on the right tape.
Chance dove into the now unprotected dorito and Chester and Timmy worked up the now depleted right tape line. Shortly there after, the game was over and we had our third win in a row.
Final score: AGD Pride - 97 Priority One Evolve - 6
Game 4: 4:30pm vs N-6 FatCity (Field 6-Shocktech)
This was our second game on the Shocktech field and the last of the day.
We stuck to the same game plan but this time luck just wasn't on our side. I managed to miss the player I was supposed to shoot out on the break and he dove into the laydown pipe and started giving our right tape a hell of a time.
Chance made a great move diving into the dorito and managed to shoot out 2 of their players but was clipped in either the gun or the mask soon afterwards.
I moved up into one of the tall pillars on our side of the field in an attempt to get a better angle on their right tape but once Chance got shot, I had to bump over into his primary. Once there, I started duking with the player in the back left, trying to push him in so I could dive for the dorito. But I happened to lean out at exactly the wrong time and took a shot square in the goggles.
Once that happened, our left tape was gone. We traded bodies in what turned out to be a really good game but couldn't come away with the win.
Final score: Fat City - 93 AGD Pride - 14
Since we had the afternoon session the first day, we came back on Saturday to play in the morning. The weather was more of the same, beautiful but a little on the warm and muggy side. However, there was a bit of a breeze that helped to make the heat a little more bearable.
Day 2
Game 1: 9:30am vs A-3 ShockwaveCanada (Field 7-National Paintball)
This was our one amatuer game of the tournament and thus one of the most exciting we played.
On the break, Timmy shot a lane and then broke to the back right. Sliding in, he took a shot the grazed his right shoulder but it happened in suce a freak way that he never felt it. The ref called him out and a 1 for 1 penalty, thus pulling me out as well.
That call really hurt us since Timmy and I were the only two guys on the left side of the field.
With our left tape gone within the first minute of the game, we had a hard time fighting back. We traded bodies with Shockwave and it ended up coming down to a 3 on 2 with only 2 minutes left in the game.
We managed to shot another of their players but they bunkered us out and won the game.
While they were walking up to take our flag, one of their players and ours got into a shouting match and the Shockwave player took a shot into our deadbox, hitting Emo. That pissed us all off and the refs needed to step in before anything escelated further.
It definately wasn't a good way to end the game or to start our second day of play but we had 3 more games to look forward to.
Final score: Shockwave (Canada) - 92 AGD Pride - 16
Game 2: 10:15am vs N-3 AtomixFactory (Field 5-Empire)
This game was one of the most exciting games of the tournament for us. Atomix had been rolling all the teams that they've been playing and came into this game undefeated.
I made the break to the snake but managed to put my head right into a stream of paint the first time I attempted to pop over the top. Doh! Skirts filled in but their back right knew what he was doing and was giving the snake a hard time.
We started trading bodies and it soon came down to a 5 on 5. Dan got shot out of the snake, leaving it wide open. Chance made a spectacular move from our back right up to the head of the snake as their guy was trying to bump up a knuckle. Chance got him and the snake became a non-factor for both teams.
Allen also made a good move down the right tape bunkering out two of their players before he got shot himself.
The game then came down to a two on two with Timmy and Manny still alive.
Timmy was having gun problems but still managed to get enough paint in the air to make the other guys keep an eye on him.
One of their players attempted to dive for the dorito on the left tape and Manny managed to get a string on him before he got in. Now it was a two on one with only a minute left in the game.
Manny made a great move getting up the field to a spot that the other player wouldn't expect him from. Manny posted and waited for him to come out.....BAM...One shot to the goggles and it was all over. We gave Atomix it's only loss for the entire prelims. Timmy cam running back with the flag with only seconds to spare.
Talk about a nail biter!
Final score: AGD Pride - 92 Atomix Factory - 16
Game 3: 11:00am vs R-11 RockItKids (Field 4-JT)
There was a mixup in the schedule as we originally believed that we were supposed to play Quiet Storm. It ended up that we played against the Rock It Kids instead (Who ended up winning 1st place in the rookie division).
One the break, I managed to get shot running to the snake on the right tape. I still managed to slide but the rough landing caused my hopper to come lose and start bouncing down the tape line. Oops!
Allen filled in for me in the snake and made some nice shots, getting several players out.
But once again, it was Manny to the rescue. He made a great move up the middle shooting out 3 of their players and breaking the game open for us.
We came out with a much needed win and were in control of our own destiny on whether of not we would be able to make the finals.
Final score: AGD Pride - 93 Rock It Kids - 10
Game 4: 1:45pm vs N-10 Cypress (Field 4-JT)
This was it. If we won this game, we made the finals. If we lost, then we'd be on the bubble at best but most likely out of the semi's.
Cypress was having a rough day but seemed to own the JT field (Having to play 3 games there). With 3 players from Bad Company on their roster, we were suprised to see them struggle as much as they were.
However, after watching them play their first two games on the JT field, we definately knew we were in for a good game.
I broke for the snake again and made it without getting shot this time. I immediately moved up a knuckle to the 50 and looked inside. I couldn't believe my eyes! Everyone was looking the wrong way and I had 5 clear shots on their players. I immediately started ripping their center and right tape, sending all 5 players to the dead box.
I then felt someone slide into the other side of my bunker and start doing the same thing to us. I immediately turned the corner and bunkered the player out, sending my 6th kill to the dead box. I got shot by the guy who was supposed to support the snake but oh well, I felt that it was a fair trade.
Allen then made a great move and filled in after me and bunkered out the player that shot me.
However, Cypress made a good move up the middle with their remaining players and managed to get into a good position. Then it happened...Chance was pulled as a Cypress player made a run through the middle even though it was obvious that Chance shot him first. The entire crowd started booing and hissing.
Cypress played a good game but we definately should have won. We later found out that we took 10th place, missing the cut by 70 points. Only one game.
Final score: Cypress - 92 AGD Pride - 16
Thats the game by game description folks. Again, I'm sure that I left out a lot of details so feel free to add anything you can.
I want to send a thanks out to Troy from National for watching our games and managing to take some photo's as well. To Jon and the entire AGD staff for their support and teching. And to all the Ao'ers and fans who showed their support for us. We definately had a great time and it was wonderful to hear all those people screaming for us from the sidelines.
Remember, were doing this for you!
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