Capture the Flag

The 'stalking' events of 32-060513 and more recently CMIYC2 have got me to thinking again about some kind of capture the flag type event for Harriman. In the past some of us have discussed an event at William Brien with flags stashed on opposing hills and the valley between as the battleground. This last trip, however, has me thinking Bald Rocks would be an even better choice.

Bald Rocks has high areas north and south of the shelter that could serve as locations for 'bases' and flag stashing. The area in the middle is flat, posing a challenge, but still has enough bushes and rockforms to create cover. There is enough space in between for serious maneuvering. The real issue that remains is the rules.

I figure if this takes place as a fall/winter event in the next six months we'll end up with enough participants for something between a 3 vs 3 and a 5 vs 5. The rules should accommodate a small or large group so if we do the event again with more interest the rules won't have to change much. Obviously the basis is to capture the enemy's flag and maybe we can say most captures in a certain amount of time wins. I would suggest we arrive at camp by 6PM, head to the shelter and create teams by 7PM or so and then have 30 minutes for base/cover construction and flag hiding. If we called game on by 8PM we could go until midnight and get in four hours of action.

Next is the issue of eliminating or capturing soldiers. Safety has to be a priority, especially with all of the steep inclines at Bald Rocks. For this reason chasing and tagging or tackling shouldn't be the main mechanism for capture. On the other hand, simply being seen can't be enough either since a player might be able to see a figure from dozens of yards away. I was thinking the stealth mechanism might be employed here-- a soldier is captured when an enemy soldier touches the soldier without giving away his presence until the tag is made. In other words, you are only captured when someone takes you by surprise. Likewise, the flag may not be captured if an enemy player sees the attacker and identifies them by name. An attacker must return the flag unless they make off with it without being seen. With this method, it would be to both the defenders' and attackers' advantage to stay unseen rather than make brash kamikaze attacks that could result in running/falling injuries.

Jails could be created nearby a team's flag, but not so close as to give away it's position to captured enemy soldiers. Jailbreaks would be allowed, but again using the stealth mechanism. Only unseen soldiers could make a jailbreak and detainees could only be released if unseen. If this circumstance is required for a jailbreak I'd argue that no return to base would be required for released prisoners and they would be free to secretly join the offensive. Flashlights might aid defenders in letting attackers know they have been spotted.

This would likely be an overnight, but theoretically non-campers could leave after midnight. I don't have plans for Friday night October 22.....so, anyone interested? Comments or suggestions for rules?

--Dan