PBI Airsoft Events

Poor Bloody Infantry’s airsoft element endeavours to be as inclusive as possible, while still focusing on the British soldier.  You will find our kit list far less restrictive than that required for re-enacting, and also may be pleased to find that you can take part as a ‘rifleman’ regardless of your gender!  Equally, while all of the ‘re-enactment’ kit list is ideal for skirmish battles we won't bar you from using post war webbing or a Belgian denison smock if you're just starting out and want to get stuck in.

How does a PBI airsoft skirmish battle work?

Traditionally PBI have used a ‘combat missions’ system to recreate WWII actions.
Pre booked units (one allied, one axis is the norm) will assemble at privately hired ground that will be garnished with 1940s props and signage to enhance the atmosphere.  Each side is then taken to a command post from which they undertake a series of realistic military missions against the enemy formation.  This might be as simple as recovering a supply drop or as complicated as reconnoitering the enemies positions and marking their strongpoints on a map for a forthcoming artillery barrage.  Unlike many ‘games’ all members of a combatant side will be from the same platoon from a chosen regiment rather than a ‘free for all’ of allies or Axis units.  US and UK forces rarely fought side by side in battles (and for that matter neither did British line and airborne units) so we try and recreate this in our skirmishes – rather than attempting to refight the whole Battle of the Bulge, we’ll settle for the operations over one day to take a particularly salient wood or crossroads! 
Lastly at a PBI battle you only get one ‘life’ per mission, which we feel encourages you to act like there is some risk involved in your actions.  While many battles let you get blown up, run over or riddled with fire and them come running straight back in for another go…. At a ‘combat mission’ style event, rash action or acting ‘lone wolf’ against orders might see you out of the action until the next engagement.

Airsoft vs Blank firing battles?

Lets be straight from the start, PBI believe that both blank firing re-enactment battles and airsoft skirmish events are equally viable tools for both tactical unit training and battle re-enactment – in our eyes neither is inherently better than the other. Each has its pros and cons.  While a ‘public’ airsoft battle would not capture the imagination of the paying public with its distinct lack of noise and flash, equally a private battle using blank does not train the participant to correctly make use of tactics and cover as there is not risk of being ‘hit’ for real.

Over the last few years PBI have pioneered WWII skirmish events with realistic order of battle, credible command and control and realisitic military objectives – a far cry form the re-spawn based blatfests of the early days of airsoft.  Supporting us in our endeavours have been many folk from the traditional living history and re-enactment scenes, and we owe these people a great deal of gratitude, in particularly the guys from AFRA.