Cerberus Airsoft
Posted on Thursday 8th November 2007 at 15:53
Rivock Edge woodland, NR Keighley, West Yorkshire
Since the Cerberus team managed to negotiate use of the Rivock Edge Woodland, some 4 square miles (640 acres) of mainly conifer woodland with some broadleaf areas, I've been meaning to pay them a visit and when they announced a night game based on the film Dog Soldiers, basically a Werewolf's verses Players event I decided to get myself up there.
The site itself isn't hard to find being perhaps the highest point in West Yorkshire…you can see the plantation miles away. Getting in is a bit more tricky as the entrance has to be kept closed at all times due to the local livestock who might tend to wander onto the road. The woodland itself is securely fenced off from the surrounding fields though so don't worry about cattle becoming targets.
Parking.
As the site is totally woodland there is no parking immediately at the site. A single track road does lead to the entrance of the site but its best to use this to unpack and then move your vehicle back to near the nearby Radio antenna and its open fields to finally park up.
The advantage of this is of course that there's no danger to your car from stray BB's, and I found that the view was pretty astounding when I did visit the car later that evening to retrieve a Mars bar or two.
Delivering the Goods.
Cerberus offer quite a bit for your green fee (£25 with own kit), Tea and coffee all day, a hot meal, free club membership after your first three skirmishes, free Skrimisher registration upon completed membership and not only that but after three games as a member you get your forth absolutely FREE!
Cerberus are actually a club rather than a business, airsofters running a site for airsofters and for their own enjoyment rather than a profit so this way they can offer such a package.
Should you wish to hire kit then you'll be directed to Boomer (of LightFighter Airsoft) who for only another £20 can provide you with not only the normal AEG + Magazine + safety mask/goggles but also full BDU, load bearing vest and 3,000 rounds of ammunition.
So all in all not a bad deal from the start.
On arrival I found Paddy, DT and the crew getting set up and registering players at the two main large army tents which constitute the offices of Cerberus and LightFighter at the site. As forestry land these have to be removed after each event and the undertaking is quite massive for Cerberus.
I was shown to the purpose built safe zone. Following what amounted to a tunnel through the trees we emerged into a really comfy and friendly safezone. Not unlike most other woodland zones but as the trees around are so dense it just feels…safer? As the event being held was a night one, there was space in the safezone for people to pitch small tents and even basha down if needs be.
As part of an inside joke the Cerberus team had even provided me with my own chair, which I am very proud of!
Back out of the safezone and across the main access road that runs through the wood, there is a purpose built zeroing range complete with "man" targets and smaller targets made of CD's hung from the trees. These are set into three lanes at 10, 20, 30 & 40 meter levels. Zeroing and chrono tests are taken before the start of any combat, with chrono'ing being randomly conducted as required.
There is also a dedicated "sniper" zeroing range further up the hill which I'm sure will appeal to snipers constantly disturbed by 9.6v AEG beasts firing off in their ears whilst there trying to fine tune their scopes.
"Bark at the moon"
It was getting dark, hence my lack of event photos, so we got organised…the normal safely brief was undertaken and the players set of in two groups. I was held back as I'd pledged myself to work the day as a "wolf" and was handed a werewolf mask to compliment my kit.
After the first hour of the "day" it was clear that Rivock is a demanding site to play on. It is very densely wooded which makes the going quite physically tough as you fight your way through the pine trees. Also, with light finally failing it was also clear that it was exceptionally easy to become utterly lost in such a vast woodland area!!
The Cerberus team adapted though and after the initial phase of the event had run its course – a phase which saw myself and one other "wolf" beating a fighting retreat uphill from the two player teams – the end-Ex call was made and we adjourned for food.
Two large hotdogs (with onions, fried or boiled and sauce) later…
As it wasn't getting any lighter (obviously) Cerberus decided to limit the play area to the bottom half mile of the site. Not only is this flatter but the size of the area meant that anyone who got lost could find their way out with a few minutes walk steadily in any one direction (as long as they didn't go UP hill).
For the rest of the event we had great fun infiltrating both the player teams, spooking them with wolf howls, instigating Blue-on-Blue fire fights by placing ourselves between both teams in the pitch black of the woods and generally having a whale of a time with NV gear, tracer and 9mm 'nades.
"Basic" facilities.
Being a forestry commission site, there is a limit to the amount of facilities that can be provided. Whilst electricity (for charging of batteries and light in the safezone etc) is provided by a generator the toilet facilities are basic. A chemical toilet is hidden away from the safezone so this is an expected departure from what many people expect from some airsoft sites. This said, Cerberus have made every effort to accommodate their players needs whilst still having to off set the needs of the land owners – the generator is one such trade off, as is the need for the team to remove the offices from the site each time.
Summary.
The site has massive scope. Not only is it being run by enthusiastic and friendly, down to earth staff, it is literally MASSIVE in scale. For the whole time I was there we only scratched the surface of the site, player numbers were upwards of 35+ on the day but we only used perhaps one tenth of the whole site and didn't even get a chance to see all the builds that Cerberus have put out in the woodland for airsoft use. Due to the terrain Cerberus perhaps favours the established 'Softer over a newbie but that said, with a hire package so comprehensive, its sure to attract everyone.
My next visit is on the 18th, a normal day event, where I'm hoping to see more of the site itself (and post some more updates).
The main advantage the site has is that it is run as a club, but also has the advantages that many "business" Airsoft sites has such as: UKARA registration, full HSE accreditation, full hire packages. This means that Cerberus are always open to their players input for what to do on a weekend, other sites are certainly but there is an inherent additional flexibility at Cerberus that I admire.
All in all, Cerberus Airsoft is a rewarding site to play on. Not only do you feel you have taken up a natural challenge with the size of the site and the terrain involved but you've met some of the nicest, funniest and most professional…non-professional people you'd care to meet. I recommend Cerberus to anyone seeking a little step up from the normal woodland site.
Pros:
Massive size (620 acres…wow!)
HSE accreditation (how many sites have that?)
Exceptional packages available for the prices (hire package in particular)
Dense woodland (closer fighting, tactical play)
Cons:
Quite Basic facilities (chem.-toilets are not for everyone)
..massive size (it really shows your level of fitness!)
Difficult terrain to move through (again, how fit are you?)
Since the Cerberus team managed to negotiate use of the Rivock Edge Woodland, some 4 square miles (640 acres) of mainly conifer woodland with some broadleaf areas, I've been meaning to pay them a visit and when they announced a night game based on the film Dog Soldiers, basically a Werewolf's verses Players event I decided to get myself up there.
The site itself isn't hard to find being perhaps the highest point in West Yorkshire…you can see the plantation miles away. Getting in is a bit more tricky as the entrance has to be kept closed at all times due to the local livestock who might tend to wander onto the road. The woodland itself is securely fenced off from the surrounding fields though so don't worry about cattle becoming targets.
Parking.
As the site is totally woodland there is no parking immediately at the site. A single track road does lead to the entrance of the site but its best to use this to unpack and then move your vehicle back to near the nearby Radio antenna and its open fields to finally park up.
The advantage of this is of course that there's no danger to your car from stray BB's, and I found that the view was pretty astounding when I did visit the car later that evening to retrieve a Mars bar or two.
Delivering the Goods.
Cerberus offer quite a bit for your green fee (£25 with own kit), Tea and coffee all day, a hot meal, free club membership after your first three skirmishes, free Skrimisher registration upon completed membership and not only that but after three games as a member you get your forth absolutely FREE!
Cerberus are actually a club rather than a business, airsofters running a site for airsofters and for their own enjoyment rather than a profit so this way they can offer such a package.
Should you wish to hire kit then you'll be directed to Boomer (of LightFighter Airsoft) who for only another £20 can provide you with not only the normal AEG + Magazine + safety mask/goggles but also full BDU, load bearing vest and 3,000 rounds of ammunition.
So all in all not a bad deal from the start.
On arrival I found Paddy, DT and the crew getting set up and registering players at the two main large army tents which constitute the offices of Cerberus and LightFighter at the site. As forestry land these have to be removed after each event and the undertaking is quite massive for Cerberus.
I was shown to the purpose built safe zone. Following what amounted to a tunnel through the trees we emerged into a really comfy and friendly safezone. Not unlike most other woodland zones but as the trees around are so dense it just feels…safer? As the event being held was a night one, there was space in the safezone for people to pitch small tents and even basha down if needs be.
As part of an inside joke the Cerberus team had even provided me with my own chair, which I am very proud of!
Back out of the safezone and across the main access road that runs through the wood, there is a purpose built zeroing range complete with "man" targets and smaller targets made of CD's hung from the trees. These are set into three lanes at 10, 20, 30 & 40 meter levels. Zeroing and chrono tests are taken before the start of any combat, with chrono'ing being randomly conducted as required.
There is also a dedicated "sniper" zeroing range further up the hill which I'm sure will appeal to snipers constantly disturbed by 9.6v AEG beasts firing off in their ears whilst there trying to fine tune their scopes.
"Bark at the moon"
It was getting dark, hence my lack of event photos, so we got organised…the normal safely brief was undertaken and the players set of in two groups. I was held back as I'd pledged myself to work the day as a "wolf" and was handed a werewolf mask to compliment my kit.
After the first hour of the "day" it was clear that Rivock is a demanding site to play on. It is very densely wooded which makes the going quite physically tough as you fight your way through the pine trees. Also, with light finally failing it was also clear that it was exceptionally easy to become utterly lost in such a vast woodland area!!
The Cerberus team adapted though and after the initial phase of the event had run its course – a phase which saw myself and one other "wolf" beating a fighting retreat uphill from the two player teams – the end-Ex call was made and we adjourned for food.
Two large hotdogs (with onions, fried or boiled and sauce) later…
As it wasn't getting any lighter (obviously) Cerberus decided to limit the play area to the bottom half mile of the site. Not only is this flatter but the size of the area meant that anyone who got lost could find their way out with a few minutes walk steadily in any one direction (as long as they didn't go UP hill).
For the rest of the event we had great fun infiltrating both the player teams, spooking them with wolf howls, instigating Blue-on-Blue fire fights by placing ourselves between both teams in the pitch black of the woods and generally having a whale of a time with NV gear, tracer and 9mm 'nades.
"Basic" facilities.
Being a forestry commission site, there is a limit to the amount of facilities that can be provided. Whilst electricity (for charging of batteries and light in the safezone etc) is provided by a generator the toilet facilities are basic. A chemical toilet is hidden away from the safezone so this is an expected departure from what many people expect from some airsoft sites. This said, Cerberus have made every effort to accommodate their players needs whilst still having to off set the needs of the land owners – the generator is one such trade off, as is the need for the team to remove the offices from the site each time.
Summary.
The site has massive scope. Not only is it being run by enthusiastic and friendly, down to earth staff, it is literally MASSIVE in scale. For the whole time I was there we only scratched the surface of the site, player numbers were upwards of 35+ on the day but we only used perhaps one tenth of the whole site and didn't even get a chance to see all the builds that Cerberus have put out in the woodland for airsoft use. Due to the terrain Cerberus perhaps favours the established 'Softer over a newbie but that said, with a hire package so comprehensive, its sure to attract everyone.
My next visit is on the 18th, a normal day event, where I'm hoping to see more of the site itself (and post some more updates).
The main advantage the site has is that it is run as a club, but also has the advantages that many "business" Airsoft sites has such as: UKARA registration, full HSE accreditation, full hire packages. This means that Cerberus are always open to their players input for what to do on a weekend, other sites are certainly but there is an inherent additional flexibility at Cerberus that I admire.
All in all, Cerberus Airsoft is a rewarding site to play on. Not only do you feel you have taken up a natural challenge with the size of the site and the terrain involved but you've met some of the nicest, funniest and most professional…non-professional people you'd care to meet. I recommend Cerberus to anyone seeking a little step up from the normal woodland site.
Pros:
Massive size (620 acres…wow!)
HSE accreditation (how many sites have that?)
Exceptional packages available for the prices (hire package in particular)
Dense woodland (closer fighting, tactical play)
Cons:
Quite Basic facilities (chem.-toilets are not for everyone)
..massive size (it really shows your level of fitness!)
Difficult terrain to move through (again, how fit are you?)