After a decent social media build up to their launch I was very excited to get to see the site for myself. By the time I was able to take the hour and a half drive North to Morayfield.
The outside of the building is slick and well presented. Showing the attention to detail right from the get-go. This is continued as you set foot inside. A highly organised reception area after which you are sent into the safe zone to prepare your gear. Crossfire provide tables with rifle stands and a workspace for each player to get ready in their own area.
After a safety video that’s to the point and short enough to keep a players attention. The room is split into two teams, then it’s straight into the first game scenario brief, then it’s a quick chrono to ensure everyone is under the session limit (varies from 330 - 350fps or no limit for specific sessions) and out to your teams starting point.
The game arena is by far the best indoor venue I have ever seen or experienced in Australia and is on par with many of the best indoor or CQB airsoft venues I have experienced in other countries.
The best way to describe the arena is to imagine yourself in the imperial war museum or war memorial going through a Vietnam war exhibition, except your armed along with all the other people in there, of which half are trying to shoot you.
Throughout the site there are some vehicles the Australian forces used in the Vietnam war era, along with market stalls, small straw huts, a water tower, pillbox and horse drawn cart filled with hey complete with a few plastic imitation chickens on the top, all mixed in with shipping containers, oil drums and military rocket and ammo cases plus crates painted to suit the theme. One of the respawn points is a bamboo and straw hut and the other a tin bomb shelter surrounded by wooden walls painted to look like actual concrete barricades and replica coiled barbed wire along the tops of the walls.
On opposite sides there are 2 story structures. One is a bamboo framed building with a straw roof of which the ground floor is a kill house set up with stairs and a ramp at opposite sides going to the next floor. This upper level allows you to see across the game zone below and some of the windows have slatted blinds that you can open and close to shield yourself from any return fire. Other windows are big and open. Within any of the buildings there aren’t many open spaces unless you have the time to find the few purposefully designed points for those long shots.
The second floor on the opposite side of the site incorporates the buildings actual design, only they have added a balcony capped with sandbags and murder holes or sniper points everywhere. The rooms that would normally be large and open are divided up using props such as oil drums and even stretchers in one room marked as the hospital.
The whole arena is air-conditioned as is the safe Zone, which will be a fantastic asset in summer. They also have the ability to change the lighting and sound anytime of the day so they could have night games during the day.
Crossfire offer a variety of games ranging from the usual team death match to capturing key points, indicated by raising or lowering a light on a flagpole or securing the gold bullion and other types of game scenarios. Each team plays every game starting from both sides, allowing any geographical advantage one team has to be used by both teams. There are always at least two ref’s every game that use high ground for maximum visibility ensuring safe and fair play is practiced and to assist any player with issues during the game.
So where did the idea of Crossfire come about? The joint owners Nathan and Aaron played in various outdoor paintball and gelball fields regularly. Over time, they gained the understanding of limitations on accuracy with gelball and started aiming towards building a field / Arena which allowed accurate engagements suitable to the gel blaster limitations, this they deemed was up to the 30-40m mark and came to the conclusion that an indoor controlled environment would be the best place to give the best result rain hail or shine.
Looking for the ideal venue took them almost 12 months and then the construction of the field was just over another 3 months before they could host their first games.
The reason it took them a long time is because they wanted to provide something beyond expectation. Something unique offering multiple levels, high attention to detail, a real-world simulation and un rivaled professionalism from the safe zone to throughout the Arena.
In the future Crossfire intends to host a Mil-speed 5 vs 5 Competition - A platform which takes inspiration from Speedball and Milsim to make Mil-speed. This will allow tactical movement on a free form, non-mirrored field with given objectives to complete in order to succeed.
Other ideas are to run a 2-gun (pistol and carbine) time trial, real world simulated target shooting which will have multiple stages throughout the arena.
Overall, the Crossfire goal is to continue to raise the bar in the industry and constantly improve as they go without settling with what they have achieved until now. They strive to continue to work towards bringing new people at an affordable cost into the sport to ensure the industry keeps growing.
As I mentioned earlier my experience at the arena was above any I have had at an indoor gelball field and is also on par with some of the best airsoft indoor arenas I have played at. Aaron and Nathan have truly outdone themselves and should be proud of what they have achieved. I for one will regularly make the long drive to attend skirmishes there and I strongly advise people to try a game at Crossfire.
Each three hour session costs $35 or $70 for their “Operator hire package” which includes either an M4A1 or UMP with an 11.1V Battery, a full face mask, a Battle belt or vest with speed loader and mag pouch, unlimited hardened gels and 2 x Magazines.
The FPS limit for the site is 330 FPS unless otherwise specified for select sessions or some private games. All players must be over 16 years of age. If they are under 18 then they must have a waiver signed by their parent or guardian.
For more information please visit: https://www.crossfiregelball.com/
Or facebook Crossfire gelball @CrossfireMorayfield