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In 2021 we will continue our Spielfeldcheck series of articles. We visit a field for you in every issue and make a detailed report for you in which we inform you about the key data of the fields and the special features of the individual systems. This time we were guests for you at Paintball Adventure in Wesendorf and spoke to operator Eugen Witt about the changes that have taken place there in recent years
For today's field check we are once again on the road in our region around Hanover, because there are not only a large number of great paintball facilities, but also a lot to experience. After about an hour's drive on the country road in a north-easterly direction, it goes shortly after Gifhorn to Wesendorf. There, right in the heart of the old Hammerstein barracks, is the Paintball Adventure facility. Anyone who knows their way around Hanover and the surrounding area as a paintball player has certainly been a guest here at one time or another. Anyone who hasn't been there for a long time may be surprised at the name at this point. "Paintball Adventure" was called "Paintball Central" a few years ago. The pitch was renamed in 2018 after a change of operator. A lot has changed at the facility since then. The new operator Eugen Witt and his team have revised and improved many things. In addition, the entire external appearance of the facility has been changed. Military style! In keeping with the surrounding barracks, there are now ammunition boxes and aircraft parts, real armored personnel carriers and a nuclear missile transporter. The facility's newest mascot, a T72 tank. The “Beast” – a specially converted and camouflage-painted pickup for the Breakpoint and Woodland fields – ensures an unforgettable gaming experience. The military style extends from the players area to the playing fields. Even the logo has been updated: a soldier adorns the coat of arms.
There are a total of six playing fields on the 30,000 m 2 site, which enable a wide variety of scenarios and game modes. Paintball Adventure currently offers the only real woodland paintball field in the Hanover region and the surrounding area. It is remarkable that about 13 years ago there was not a single tree on the site. Only over the years have the trees grown within the site around the covers and pathways, resulting in a perfect woodland site to this day. An outdoor experience that is otherwise only known from stories in action and action films. But the urban fields also leave nothing to be desired. True to the slogan "Adventure your Life", adventure is the order of the day here!
During our on-site visit, we had the opportunity to be part of the new Paintball Adventure Game, or PAG for short. A two-day paintball festival with a big game character. In addition to 30,000 square meters of playing field area, a large, covered player area and a several thousand square meter campsite, the mood among the players ensured a unique experience.
On the evening before the actual opening of the game, the campground was almost completely occupied. The check-in queue led from the cash desk to the players' area! A clear commitment from the rapidly increasing number of fans of the system. Meanwhile, we take a look at the checkout area, where the first thing that catches our eye are 40 brand new rental markers. "We keep upgrading to enable unique and high-quality play," operator Eugen Witt tells us and, next to the markers, points to the freshly arrived paint palettes that were delivered especially for the event.
At the same time, the raffle is being prepared in the cash register area. Like most major Paintball Adventure events, the two-day PAG has lots of great prizes up for grabs. Every player can participate on site, because in addition to those who come with the ticket, there are two lots for every crate of paintballs that you buy at the event.
"We want to give something back to our players and offer something special," Eugen tells us and pulls out a brand new Planet Eclipse ETHA2 as one of the main prizes. – We'd like to have that too, we think to ourselves… Altogether prizes with a total value of over €2000 will be raffled off this weekend alone. You can tell that the team isn't letting the Corona crisis get them down, it's still important to pack big here instead of making a mess.
Whether the PAG can take place was not certain in advance. – After the incidence numbers had fallen below a certain value, the team set up the paintball adventure game in just under two weeks of preparation time, which with over 200 participants is currently one of the largest paintball events on German soil. For this purpose, Eugen and his team built their own event website and organized a community event, at which they, together with numerous supporters from the circle of regular players and friends of the facility, brought the pitches into shape. New nets were hung, covers repaired and much more.
It quickly becomes clear that not only paintball is played here, but above all that a real community has developed. Most of the players know each other and there is a family atmosphere in which new players are always warmly welcomed. Here you feel right at home. No matter whether MagFed, tournament or loan player. What struck us as particularly positive is the fact that many players travel alone. When asked about this, most of us tell us that it is very easy to make friends here. "Someone you know is always here, and if they're not, you just join another group. Everything is very easygoing and relaxed here,” one of the day guests tells us as we wait together in the players area for the next game. Normally, six different playing fields await you on the grounds of Paintball Adventure Wesendorf, which can be played very differently and promise a lot of variety. There is definitely no shortage here. A highlight of the PAG, however, is that the six individual playing fields create a huge playing field – the nets are raised and you can practically experience the entire facility as one large playing field.
At this point, let's take a brief look at the history of the facility. Around 13 years ago, the facility began here, on the former barracks site in Wesendorf. Sporadically set up pallets adorned the fields and the first events with almost 50 people were held. The current boss was a player himself back then and bought the paintball facility about three years ago to prevent the closure. “The facility has been part of Wesendorf for so many years and offers enormous potential. Paintball is not just a shooting sport. It's a team sport and we're happy and proud to be part of this community that has grown here over the last few years," Eugen tells us. And according to the motto "from paintballers for paintballers" he runs the facility. For example, during the Corona period, the trench system was built in a week-long campaign with the MagFed Squad Hohne. Likewise, many paintballers at the community event helped to improve, repair and renew the system in many places. There is always something going on here and the Paintball Adventure Team always wants to offer players something new. This can be clearly seen not least on the social media channels. The Paintball Adventure Team gives regular insights into the changes on site and the further development of the facility in its stories and posts.
If you want to experience a unique adventure, this is the place for you. “At Paintball Adventure, safety and maximum fun are very important to us. For us, these two factors go hand in hand!” says Eugen, pointing proudly to his referees. "On normal match days, our referees not only take care of the instruction of the new players, but also ensure safety on the pitch. In addition to safety, a maximum adrenaline rush and a real adventure are important to us.”. That's why at Paintball Adventure the players don't just play in individual groups, but usually together as a large group. Newcomers can get to know old hands and experience more action. The referees ensure balanced teams and perfectly tailored game modes with self-designed game ideas. After all the players have gathered at the "Operation Point", it goes up to the different playing fields. Each of the six fields has its own style and charm. There is something for every group size and for different scenarios. Right next to the entrance is the small but action-packed "Cube Ball" field. The extra small playing field consists of large water containers and offers opportunities for duels from 1 vs. 1 to 4 vs. 4. If you want to prove your skills in front of an audience, this is the place for you!
For fans of the post-apocalyptic scene, "Armageddon" is heaven on earth. The capacity is 6 to 20 players. Car and bus wrecks, stacks of tires and metal barrels create a spooky feeling here. At second glance, one also notices the attention to detail in this field. From the outside and inside, the wrecks really do look like you've just starred in The Walking Dead. Even the bus wrecks are decorated with unique graffiti. Those looking for a thrill will find it on the "Breakpoint" playing field (20-80 players). In the dense forest, a pyramid, hills, bunkers and barrels provide an ideal environment for fans of attack and defense game modes. The dense stock of trees is perfect as a camouflage option for friends of camouflage and snipers.
Tacticians can come up with elaborate plans on the larger urban playfield "Bridge Castle" (10-50 players). In addition to an infinite number of play options, a "bridge castle" in the middle of the playing field offers a unique height advantage for the team that manages to conquer the castle. Heart racing and fast games make this playing field an absolute classic in Paintball Adventure. An abandoned city in the middle of the forest? In the "Urban Village" (10-40 players) there are many small, empty buildings with creaking wooden floors, and the enemy can be lurking behind every corner. If you're willing to be ambushed, you won't be disappointed here. A real eye-catcher is the huge "Woodland" playing field, where even up to 100 people can play. Paintball players can have the best and most diverse paintball battles to their heart's content on an area of around 7000m 2 . A trench, bunker, a dense forest and many multi-storey buildings offer countless possibilities for strategies, and more than enough space for "the beast", the bookable battle pickup, which meanders through a more than two kilometer long parkour. The elaborately converted vehicle has space for a crew of up to 10 people. All in all, Paintball Adventure in Wesendorf lives the paintball sport and the community to the fullest. The facility is regularly maintained, people are offered unique and very well organized events and games. So if you want a real paintball adventure with a family community or just want to experience some military-style action, you should definitely drop by the "paintball living room"!
