Airsoft: A Comparison With Other Combat Sports

Nearly every time I tell somebody that I play Airsoft, they give me this weird look that says "What are you, some kind of kid or something?" No, no I'm not a kid. I'm a full grown man, in fact (in case you weren't sure).

Sometimes I feel like people have a bad idea of what Airsoft is. Don't let the "soft" in the name fool you; this game is anything but soft. Today I'm going to go a bit more in depth about what Airsoft is on the filed and how it compares to the other combat sports of Nerf, LARPing, and Paintball.

Since we were already talking about "soft," let's begin with Nerf. I could hardly believe it when I heard that people actually have fields dedicated to playing with dart guns. I always saw all the guns in the toy section, but I never realized how big the "sport" was until I was doing research for this post. I gotta give the guys who play it some credit: they really know how to make those guns launch those darts like a mother. Very impressive.

For those of us who might not be that dedicated to anything, I think Nerf has a very different feel. When most people think of Nerf guns, they think of those annoying single shot dart guns you have to take away from the kids for shooting people in the face, or finding darts everywhere around the house, or having some fun plinking in the back yard. Basically, Nerf is reserved for at home or around the neighborhood, not really something that people take out into the woods and have all-out battles and wars with.

At the very lowest level, what I call pre-entry-level, Airsoft has a lot of the same feel to it. When your guns come from the local department store and your heavy-weight BBs are .12 grams and you might just be willing to shoot yourself in the leg for five bucks, you are in that pre-entry-level Airsoft group. For many, the game stops there and they never own any Airsoft guns besides that little springer pistol. This is why many people view Airsoft as a children's game. Those of us who actually play know better.

Now for the comparison. The only upside I can see is that dart guns can be fired in the house and at people without protection (which I do not condone in any way). Airsoft guns can be very dangerous to people and household items if fired inside. Airsoft guns tend to have a lot more range and better accuracy, which makes them better suited for games in the woods and such. When you work your way up to the mid-level and professional players, you see the gap of competition widen considerably. I think you can imagine why.

In case you can't, it's because in one you are shooting foam darts or balls as opposed to hard plastic spheres. The range and velocity differences make the two gameplays very different from each other. I'm not saying it's not fun to get out and shoot darts at each other, because it is. It's just that Airsoft is much more of a precise game, and I'm a sucker for precision.

Now, on to a much more interesting topic: LARPing.

Live Action Role Playing. No joke, real life Dungeons and Dragons.

If you don't know what LARPing is, take a few minutes to do a quick search and read an article or two on the game. Your mind will be blown. Think camping meets sparring meets chess club meets Comic Con meets a world full of nerds. Most would consider it pure awesomeness.

I have to admit that the game is actually quite a lot of fun. As far as gameplay goes, it is really quite similar to Airsoft with respect to administrators monitoring things and the teams fighting over key locations and such. The biggest difference is obviously the fact that the players use swords and axes rather than guns. Other changes such as the ability to take more than one hit, some players being able to cast spells or multi-day non-stop play give LARPing its own special place in my Airsoft-saturated heart.

LARPing is bigger than you might think. For one, the players must be quite wholly devoted, as they must build their own clothing (often times hand-sewn to specific designs), acquire their own usable weaponry, and practice with that weaponry so that they can stand a chance in battle. It takes time and effort to LARP. Not only to just play the game, but also to work your way up the league-established feudalistic nobility system. There is a lot that goes into playing, and a lot of loyalty among the players.

Though this is probably the least similar game, I would say that it is the next most fun compared to Airsoft for me. I would recommend getting out with some friends and trying it some time. You will not be disappointing. unless, perhaps, if you are decapitated in the first thirty seconds. decapitation is never fun

Last up: Paintball.

Oh paintball... This is by far the most popular of the four games in question, but I don't know why. Maybe people feel more manly when they come out with huge nasty welts dotting their skin. Or maybe it's that people like shooting and shooting and shooting at their opponents and not hitting squat... Or maybe it's the beautiful colorful peacock getup they all wear (see above photo). I really don't know.

Plainly, I am not a fan of Paintball. But it's probably not for the reasons you think. All those things I mentioned actually don't really bother me that much. In fact, if it was no for one of my friends inviting me to the local Airsoft field back in middle school, this article would probably be about Paintball instead. It's just that I've had to explain to people so many times why I prefer Airsoft that simply bringing it up makes me irritable.

Now whenever somebody asks, I can just send them a link to this page instead of saying it all again. Isn't the internet great?

So, the question remains: why do I prefer Airsoft?

First and foremost is the gameplay. I've been bringing gameplay up a lot because how the game plays is vital in determining if it is fun or not. Paintball, with some few exceptions, just doesn't play well. You cannot shoot through bushes, even though you can plainly see your opponent through the scrub. Your hopper inevitably pops open at the worst possible time, spilling out all of your precious ammo. The masks are stuffy and bulky and foggy, which is by no means conducive to my home area at any time but the heart of summer. Oh, and also the guys with the money to get good barrels and the precise ammo dominate every time.

In airsoft you can shoot through bushes to hit your opponent, often times even if you can't see the guy. While your mags do fall out sometimes, they rarely spill out your ammo, and backup mags are cheap and easy to carry, anyway. Because you are using a solid projectile, it is possible to use metal mesh screen eye protection instead of full coverage goggles, which means no fog, no stuffiness, and no bulk. Also, even the cheapest mid-level AEG can outperform the top-of-the-line replica if it is in the right hands; tactics and patience go a lot farther in Airsoft.

Add on top of that the cost of equipment being considerably less for Airsoft, the guns being cheaper, easier to upgrade and maintain, and the relative low cost of good quality ammo. There are many advantages that Airsoft holds over Paintball, and these are all just gameplay comparisons. I haven't even touched on the community or market side of things, or even on most of the gameplay, really.

I could honestly go on for hours about this but I think you get the point well enough. So when I get the question "Why do you prefer airsoft" I think I'll start asking "Why the heck would I prefer Paintball?"

Compared to the other three combat sports, Airsoft is just an all-around better game. It's fun, but not demanding, competitive but (usually) not all-consuming, and challenging but not to point that vets always dominate. What can I say? I just really like the game.

Now, that's not to say you should never play the other games. I myself do have gear for each and I do enjoy them. But if I would recommend one to the new player who is willing to invest their money in only one, I would say Airsoft every time. None of the others have the same all-around good feel that slinging plastic does.

The bottom line is that you should get out and play, regardless of the game. If all you have is Paintball, then by golly, get out and mark someone. It's fun. They all are. It is my opinion, however, that Airsoft is the one most worth investing in.

Thanks for reading. I know this was a long one.

I look forward to having you next time when I talk about Getting Started with Airsoft. This one will be a must-read for rookies and mid-level players alike, so stay tuned!