Welcome to the Colorado Airsoft Group!

Welcome to the Colorado Airsoft Group – COASG - We hope you enjoy your stay with us!

We assume that you came here by looking for Colorado-based Airsoft-related material, and that you already know what Airsoft is – if not, there are hundreds of pages on the web that can answer that question for you. Go ahead…we’ll wait.. We're patient like that.

1. To provide an open venue for the diverse Colorado Airsoft playerbase to meet and play using a standard set of rules at a level of play and structure somewhere substantially 'above' the level of backyard 'pick-up' games, but also somewhat 'below' the level of a full-on "Live Action Roleplaying Simulation Game" or Historical Re-enactment Society.

What is the role and purpose of COASG?

• To provide an open venue for the diverse Colorado Airsoft playerbase to meet and play using a standard set of rules at a level of play and structure somewhere substantially 'above' the level of backyard 'pick-up' games, but also somewhat 'below' the level of a full-on "Live Action Roleplaying Simulation Game" or Historical Re-enactment Society.
  
• To encourage Military Simulation Gaming - One of the major attractive points of airsoft is the visual sense of realism in the replicas. In that spirit, we strongly encourage realistic Scenario/Milsim gaming through use of props, weapons, attire, scenarios, etc., by using a ‘carrot’ approach – Often times, the rules of the scenario will reward players wearing equipment proper for the scenario with game-play bonuses. While we do host pickup games without a scenario and using no setup, those games are the exception rather than the rule.
  
• To understand that when most players say they enjoy 'Milsim', they in fact enjoy 'Tactical Doctrine Exercises'. We understand that True MIL(itary)-SIM(ulation) involves 7 players playing "dig a foxhole, fill it in, dig another one, fill it in" while 1 other player watches, while 'TDE' involves those same 7 players assaulting a fortified position on a hill held by another 7 players. We understand that the latter is infinitely more fun for all involved, and strive for that as our goal.
  
• To be an Organization, not just a random collection of players that have the same interest. Forming Units within the COASG is strongly encouraged. COASG has a governing council (The Headquarters) who meet 3 times a year to discuss issues brought up by the Membership. The HQ is made up of representatives from each Unit, one representative for everyone not on a Unit, the Commanding Officer, and active veteran players.

Becoming a Member

GETTING UP TO SPEED

FIRST: READ ALL OF THIS POST. Yes, it's really, really....really....long. However, it will explain a lot of things, and answer most of your initial questions about the Group.

SECOND: READ ALL OF THE OTHER POSTS HERE IN THE NEW PLAYER SECTION. Yes, all of them. We work really hard to keep the New Player Area short and to the point. Take advantage of that.

THIRD: DIG INTO THE RULEBOOKS

The COASG Combat Manual is our Game Safety Document, and is required reading: Get It Here!

The COASG Membership Form is here:
If you are over the age of 18, you can skip the "DeadTree" format and fill out an Annual Membership Waiver online, using an Electronic Signature. Details on E-Waivers can be found here:

The COASG Scenario Manual covers all Non-Safety-Related Gameplay items (like deaths and ammo limits), and is recommended reading. It is located in our Downloads section. Get the Scenario Manual Here!

The COASG Bylaws concern the Organizational Non-Game aspects of the COASG - How the organization is governed, how you can make your opinions heard, and how you get those nifty Sergeant Stripes on your forum posts, etc. They, too, are located in our Downloads section. Get The Bylaws Here!

FORUM RULES:

* There is an "Off Topic" forum. It is hidden, and private. Access is restricted to regularly posting members of the community. All other Off-Topic posts will be deleted. Members will gain access to post in the Buy/Sell/Trade forum at the same time they gain access to the Off Topic forum.

* No swearing, spamming, flamebaiting, flamewars, trolling, pointless posts, "me too" posts, etc. outside of the OT forum. Posts with Swearing will be edited for content. flamebaiting, flamewars, trolling posts will result in the post being deleted and the poster being given one warning. Pointless, blatanly off topic or simply incoherent posts will be edited or deleted, and the discretion of the Mod Squad.

* Your message reply content should always exceed the length of your signature.

* Religious and/or Political topics posted outside the Off Topic forum, including signatures, will be removed

* Violations of these rules will result in the poster will be warned.

* 3 warnings = Account Deletion + IP ban. Thanks for playing. Buh Bye.

POLICY REGARDING LINKS TO OTHER AIRSOFT WEBSITES:

* Links to the top level of non-commercial Airsoft Websites (http://www.renegaderecon.com) are permitted in text links in signatures only.

* Complete Posts directing players to the top level of non-commercial Airsoft Websites are not permitted, and will be removed.

* Links to specific articles on non-commercial Airsoft Websites (http://renegaderecon.com/recon_details.php?id=508) are permitted in any fashion.

* Links to commercial Airsoft Websites are permitted in Signatures, and can be made Sticky or Announcement by a Moderator in the For Sale section only.

RANK

The COASG provides a system to award rank and station in the COASG to individuals based on their contributions and participation in the organization as a whole. Individual and/or Unit participation in the Rank System is entirely optional. A Member may choose not to display his earned COASG Rank or Insignia on his person while at events - On the other hand, it's important to note that a Member MAY NOT display rank (at an event, or in the forum) that has not been earned in the COASG.

While we deeply respect Military Rank and those that have earned various forms of it in "The Real World", we also believe that, as an educational and simulation organization, this is not The Real World. Our ranks are simulated ranks based on our own internal criteria, and are separate and cannot compare with those from The Real World. Therefore, the COASG has made it a policy to not transfer an individual’s rank from The Real World into a corresponding COASG rank. We feel that it neither adequately honors the dedication and commitment required to have earned such Real World Rank, nor does the display of Real World Rank adequately correspond to the skills learned through participation in COASG activities. Real World Rank and COASG rank are not similar in any way.

Ranks are defined by levels of Enlisted or Officer Rank, so as to make it easy for those Members who wish to adopt a specific rank from a foreign Military. A E-5 is equivalent to an American Sergeant is equivalent to a German Unterfeldwebel is equivalent to a Russian ?????´??, etc.

Typical lengths of time to earn a given rank (Depending on how gung-ho for Rank you are) would be:
E-1: Automatic upon Membership
E-2: 2-4 Months (3 Official Events)
E-3: 6-12 Months (8 Official Events)
E-4: 12-18 Months
E-5: 18-24 Months
E-6: 24-48 Months

RECOMMENDED STARTER GEAR

Here is the "basic kit list" we recommend for a new player. This list is what we recommend in order for you to hit the field 100% prepared... Certainly, you don't NEED all this stuff, but it'll make your day go oh, so much easier... Here's the list it in order of necessity. Buy the top things first, and then go down the list until you run out of money... :)

1.) EYE PROTECTION: ANSI Z87.1-2003 GOGGLE Rated Eyewear that leaves no gap through which a BB may pass. They will protect your googlies from an impact of up to 3 joules. This is one place NOT to be a spendthrift. GLASSES are not acceptable. While the likelyhood that a bb will skirt around glasses is minimal, the Z87.1-2003 specification for glasses is substantially less than 3 joules, and a direct hit from an upgraded gun at close range may indeed shatter them, *despite* their impact rating. Other sealed eyewear that is not rated to Z87.1-2003 (Marked Z87+), or better (ASTM Paintball rated, etc.) is not acceptable - don't show up wearing your ski goggles and expect to play. If you insist, we will insist on testing them, and We Promise, cross our hearts and hope to die (again, for the third time today, because we're tired, and we need to sit down at respawn for a while anyway...) you will go home with ski goggles with cracked lenses, and still won't play, because your lenses will be cracked.

The One Liner Guide to Quick and Dirty Eyewear: Head to Lowes/Home Depot and look for shop goggles that fit comfortably, have decent ventilation, and have "Z87+" clearly marked on both the lens and the frame.

The One Liner Guide to High-Speed, Low-Drag Eyewear: Wiley-X SG-1 V-cut goggles or Bolle T-800 Goggles Both are considered to be "best in breed" around here...

2.) An AEG of your choice, with at least 1700MAh (Mili-Amp-Hour) Nicd (Nicad) battery (or two 800MAh batteries), and a nicad charger and a discharger.

"Which AEG should I get?" Stock AEGs all have very similar power and range, so the question of "Which AEG is best?" boils down to "Which one do you like the look of best?" You might also take a moment and think ahead a bit at this point, and consider that ColoradoAirsoft is a MilSim (Military Simulation)-oriented organization - and buy a gun that fits the "look and feel" that you eventually want to go with, whether that's US Marines, Tikrit, 2004, or German Army, Normandy, June 1944 or something in between. Classic Army or Tokyo Marui are both durable, respected gun brands locally.

Another option for an inexpensive, yet competitive gun (as of Fall 2005) is the UTG MP5. AirsoftAtlanta and several other Stateside Retailers have this 100% Tokyo-Marui-Clone MP5, with a battery, charger, 2 hicap magazines, and two stocks for around $100. If you're considering an MP5 in your future, you might consider this one. Stay away from Academy, and HFC.

3.) Rifle Case: A hard sided rifle case or soft sided rifle bag - $15 at Walmart/Kmart. Please note that something to *discreetly* carry your Airsoft Replica back and forth to game sites ranks higher in this list than Water, Camouflage, and even BBs!

4.) BBs: A bag of at least 1000 .25 Gram BBs. KSC, Tokyo Marui, AirsoftElite, Excel are all decent brands. Later, if you're looking for something a little more exotic that will give somewhat better performance for a little more money, consider finding the Marushin "Maxi BB" in 6mm size and 0.25 gram weight. You don't want these as your initial BBs, since you won't be able to see the improvement in your accuracy until you learn to be accurate - and you should use cheap BBs for the learning part. :)

5.) Magazines: *At least* one spare standard capacity (50-70 round) magazine for your AEG. Your AEG will generally come with one standard capacity magazine, but reloading that one mag in the field over and over is a pain, and Hicap Magazines are not allowed to be reloaded in the field.

As you find yourself in a position to purchase more magazines, the local preference is to purchase 4-10 more Standard magazines (68 rounds for an M16/M4) or a similar number of "Realcap" (30 rounds) made by Star (google "Star 30 round airsoft magazine", and you'll find them for the Armalite, MP5, and AK47 series), and a battery-powered autoloader instead.

6.) BDUS: US Woodland is a good first choice for Colorado, but be advised that "new clothes" are just one more piece of gear that you're going to want to purchase more of later on, much like a sidearm, or an upgrade for your AEG. If you are a player that can afford it right off the bat, it's recommended that you invest in a set of US Woodland for USFOR summer, a non-US pattern in Green (British DPM, German or Austrian Flectarn, basic black, Tiger Stripe, or any of the various Russian camouflages) for playing on OPFOR, as well as a desert pattern for playing in the Winter.

Don't forget a hat! "Boonies" are a good investment. If you're a more 'gung ho' player (or just a 'gear whore' - like many of the local players are...) you can invest in a real or replica helmet to match the rest of your uniform. For a US impression, M-1 "Steel Pot" helmets are typically available at your Friendly Local Army Surplus Store for WWII - Vietnam "impressions", and you can find non-balistic replica modern helmets by googling "Replica PASGT". You can also find replicas of just about anything else you might need with some Google-Fu, up to and including $3 "coolie hats". :)

7.) Footwear: A good, *COMFORTABLE* set of boots. Any kind with some traction will do. You might have them already...and your feet will thank you for it! If you purchase new, wear them to work or school (if you can) for a couple days at least a week before wearing them to a game. Breaking in boots on game day is NOT fun.

8.) A pistol belt and plenty of mag pouches to carry your magazines (and bbs) in.

9.) Water. Doesn't matter if it's an expensive Blackhawk Hydrastorm backpack that holds 100oz and has 19 zillion pouches all over it, or just a gallon in a plastic jug that you lug down to the field from your car... It should be on your checklist of stuff to bring to every game.

10.) PFC and LCPL (or other E-2 and E-3) insignia from the Army Surplus Store. Once you become a COASG Member (at the "Become A Member" Link on the left side of the page) you'll be wanting to wear them on your BDU after your third COASG game. Since you have to go to the Surplus Store for some other items, you might as well pick them up at the same time to save yourself a trip. :)

That's a good start, and will serve you probably through your first full season - once you've attended a few games, you'll start to see where your field kit can use some improving for how *you* use it in the field...and have some idea of what gear you want to help reach that goal.

UNITS

As a new member, you're going to be making friends on the boards pretty soon. Even as you get started in the COASG, I'd like to encourage you to consider forming a Unit when you get a handful of people together and everyone is getting along fairly well... You don't really even need to live close together, or play together - just so long as you all tend to see things from the same point of view.

HOWEVER - Be advised that you are not eligible to *JOIN* an existing Unit until the conclusion of your second official event.

ADDITIONALLY, COASG stays completely out of Unit Recruitment. Meaning that no Member may use any of the services provided at the ColoradoAirsoft.org website as a recruiting tool for their (or any) Unit. You can't PM (or be PMed) any sort of message saying "Hey, wanna join my Unit?". We encourage all new members to play in a few games and get to know a few people from the different existing Units before deciding to ask for an invite to any one of them.

FINALLY, due to a quirk in the specific phrasing of our Bylaws, and the clarification fo that phrasing set out by our first Legal Officer in the Summer of 2005, Joining a Unit must follow a specific sequence of events. In order to join an existing Unit (after your second official event), YOU must approach THEM and ask for an invite. NO Unit may approach you with an offer to join.

In the end, it's much easier (and strongly encouraged!) that you find a few good guys that you like hanging out with, and form a new Unit. It's not as hard as it sounds, really...and there are a couple good reasons for doing so!

Units in the COASG have an additional purpose beyond just being "guys that like to play together". Units are absolutely the *backbone* of the COASG. As you look around the site, you'll see references to "The Headquarters"... The HQ is the Government of the COASG, and it's primarily made up of....??? Buehler? Buehler? Anyone? Anyone?

Yep... the HQ is primarily made up of Unit Representatives who are chosen by the Members who belong to their Unit. It's easiest to think of Units as "States" within COASG, and Unit Reps as "Senators".

Each Unit of 4 or more Active Members gets 1 Unit Representative who attends the HQ meeting and votes on the items contained in the Agenda for that meeting, which is published well in advance of the meeting, so everyone on the Unit can discuss the items on it, ask questions, and come to an informed decision before the meeting, and then inform their Unit Representative how they would like him to vote on that particular issue..

Being in a Unit is a smart thing to do, so that you become one voice in 5, instead of one in 50...

To form a Unit in the COASG:

• Gather 4 or more Active Members who want to be part of the Unit.
• Pick a name for your Unit. You can also pick a badge or logo, colors, you can specify camouflage uniform requirements, ways to join the Unit, ways to leave the Unit...anything beyond a name is optional, but you're free to include as much detail as you all would like.
• Pick one of your Members to be your Unit Represenative - it should be someone who can and will attend the Headquarters Meetings 3x a year.
• Submit a Petition to the Commanding Officer of the COASG. This can be an email, a printed document at an event, a PM on the forum, etc. It needs to be written, though.

• Your Petition should include:
• The name of the Unit to be formed.
• The Full Names and Forum Handles of all the members that are joining that Unit.
• Any other special things you decided on, such as a Uniform, etc.

The Commanding Officer will process the request, and either let you know that you've been added to the Roster, or will kick back a list of things you'll need to correct before your Unit meets the requirements of being a Unit.

Once that's done, your Unit is a full-fledged voting member of the COASG!