Last time I spoke to Norway’s CAG impressionists ACE, they’d burst onto the scene in a spectacular extrance. You can read the first instalment here.
Just over a year later, I caught up with spokesperson, Bazooka Joe.
Joe, please bring me up to date…
For some time now we have been training/playing with the guys in Grey Group. The chemistry between the two groups is great, so it was the next logical step to leverage that synergy and take ACE to the next level.
So, we are now part of DEVTSIX with Grey Group!
Since the last time we spoke, we have also recruited two new members. The new guys are great and they add a fresh and more open-minded process to our training and tactics. Getting new guys in the team doesn’t just make the team bigger; it also makes the team more dynamic in all of the areas we function in – from training to actual game play.
The new guys are Platboi (AC05) and Johnsen (AC11).
Our full line up now, is:
AC04 (HighTower)
All members view the team as a priority, but due to education and work all over Norway some members can’t participate as much as others.
In some years, hopefully, all of the members will be together at the same time for training and events.
Are you still looking for new members?
Yes we are!
We are a patient team when it comes to building guns and kits, and gaining skills – so we don’t rush everything on the new guys at once. This hobby is – first and foremost – something we do because we enjoy it.
Usually we play with volunteers for some time. After a bit, we find out if they are someone we can work with in the group and be representative of the team.
What about event you’ve attended?
Since last time we spoke, the team has participated in a lot of different events; in addition to the regular training we partake in, individually and together.
To mention some of the things we have attended: GreenMist2018 (RIP Haslemoen, the most OG airsoft location in Norway); Training with First Entry Unit and Hermes from TF-EXO; training with Grey Group; and a lot of gun time here and there around Norway.
I know that DEVTSIX has high kit standards as an organisation. How does that apply to a CAG element like ACE? Are things now more formalised?
In a way I guess they are, but on the whole our standards are the same as they always have been. DEVTSIX and Grey Group are two organisations that have really high standards and we strive to achieve their level; but we also add a little freestyle to our kits to make them more applicable to the tasks – and to each member of the team.
That said, we think that our kit standards our high enough to make a decent contribution. But of course, there are some guys in DEVTSIX who have kits which are almost as cool as the actual unit they reenact, so that is hard to compete with.
Our kits have improved quite a bit since we last spoke, and the new guys’ speed of progression is just phenomenal.
What’s also new is that Aznee and me have bought ourselves some JPC 2.0s and some OpsCores. After seeing the ‘Moustache Man’ photo of the CAG-sters in Syria, we were inspired to build a more modern CAG kit as a side project.
But still, the main guideline for the group is the Airframe and CPC era.
How have your blasters progressed?
The HKs have progressed in different ways.
The new guys are in the process of getting all the right gats. The more established guys are always testing out what configuration works best for them. For me, that’s what makes this super fun – finding out what works best and what gives me a little bit more efficiency and enhanced ergonomics.
We also have a Daytona M249 thats hopfully operative soon.
Some other guns are also in the plans. More on that soon.
Obviously being effective is not just about looking the part. How is team development going?
True. The guns and kits are just a part of re-enactment and MilSim. How you move, shoot, communicate and handle weapon manipulation is just as a big part of that, we think.
It’s super cool to have Gucci kits but if – for example – you don’t have trigger discipline and you manipulate your gun like a complete lunatic, then the MilSim aspect of it is kind of ruined for us.
We focus on our skills to make the whole MilSim experience more complete.
A whole team working together – communicating and functioning in synergy – makes every situation so much cooler.
We test our guns, kits and tactics regularly to make sure everything works. I am not saying we are an elite unit, but we like to be at least operative 🙂
The Reptile House 