The Tail of a Charmander

My experience in the world of Airsoft, both playing the game and working in the industry

[ash-the-charmander-blog]

Loadout: UN Cyprus - Royal Corps of Signals 

Basically all my old kit from the days in the Signals, rather like this loadout to be honest...even if the beret does make you stand out and screams "SHOOT ME!"

[dasairsoft808]

[ash-the-charmander-blog]

Who needs a bipod when you have a team mate of similar height?

[ash-the-charmander-blog]

Project Rhodesia: The Genesis

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away... Okay to be more precise it was actually Essex and was late last year but the initial introduction had a touch more class than "Last year in Essex" but that's not the point. I had been looking at Rhodesian history for a while on and off for a while last year as to be honest it's fascinating stuff both from a political sense and a military sense. However it never really went further than looking at photos and looking on Varusteleka for SADF and Rhodie kit and thinking "Oh if only" To I left it and went off in all my issued kit for games, still refusing to bow down to the RIS that plagues the modern world, however there was still an emptiness inside, one that kept growing. Having finally grown tired of the wearing the same rubbish every weekend I explored some options: French CCE...no I don;t want to eat cheese and surrender isn't high on my list. Hmm all black maybe? tried it and got bored...it just lacked inspiration and still left room for RIS to creep in slowly. So I set my gaze further back to a time of purity....a time without RIS. And then I found what I was looking for: weapon purity, no fancy kit and lots of leather...plus the added bonus of being somewhat Un-pc at the same time. It was the 1st Panzer Division, Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler! And of course I opted to go for the Panzer crew look. And that was it I thought I had found it, I thought I had found the one rig for me...but I was wrong.  Over the next few weeks I grew hungry for a new loadout, that hunger grew and grew until one day while browsing the depths of the internet (not looking for porn this time) I stumbled upon a picture of a Rhodie G3 rifle...it was love at first sight! So after some digging looking at various webbing set ups I realised I had most the kit for an Africa mercenary loadout and also for a Rhodie loadout.  At last I had found the loadout for me: it was versatile, it had history, it had a real rifle not some poxy M4 and it had canvas webbing....but most of all....it had NO DAMN RIS!! And so, Project Rhodie was born. 

[ash-the-charmander-blog]

A brief introduction

So I'm Ashley, I like to use my middle name as I quite like it...sounds pretty and more feminine than my first name. Well to say a little about me: I'm 22 years old, I used to be a soldier in the British Army, I smoke a pipe, I'm gay as hell and I play + work in airsoft. 

I got into airsoft after being pestered into it by a close friend and instantly loved it. These days I live airsoft as..well it's kinda a job now but I still enjoy it as I have my own little projects to work on. 

The pipe: I got into that out of curiosity and when my dad saw it the whole thing took off as he used to be a pipe smoker. It's something we have in common and I really enjoy that fact. 

Gay: I love it! What's more I love the look on people's face when in airsoft they get shot by a gay guy...the results are sometimes really amusing. I wouldn't go as far to say I'm camp, but I don't 'act straight': I'm just me and let people make their own mind up about me. 

I said I'd be brief so about the army: alas I sustained a knee injury during training which I am in two minds about. On the one hand it ruined a steady and great career. On the other hand it put me where I am today and away from the sheer homophobia of the forces. 

Well that's me...back to airsoft it is! 

[ash-the-charmander-blog]

So here I am, Ash the Charmander. This was the Help for Heroes charity game at Dragon's Lair Airsoft in 2012...such an amazing day it was too.