Hearts are pumping erratically. Palms and pulses have gone throbbing in sheer worriment. Guns, masks, and helmets were put into purpose while gearing on a snipe vigilance. Triggers are locked, bullets were loaded. Ready to stride on an aggressive timbre. The Blueprint aces are now set to go. It’s showtime!
On a fervent Sunday afternoon, last 6th of May, a rugged combat zone awaited the enthusiastic group of Blueprint aces huddled together to battle among each other. The troop was divided into six solid team comprising members from the various department — the Admin, Operations, and Marketing. Distinct-still in their respective team colors, the combatant battle took place at Paintball Cebu Urban Warzone, in the busy metropolis of Mandaue. The string of warfare gears like dark vests and safety gloves turned-on the strife mood. The lulling firing sound of riffles magnified the thrill and excitement of the participants. Solidifying the art of team spirit, the shooting action event was served to bring the team together and celebrate the fostering utmost collegiality. A team-building session fashioned to dissociate away for awhile from the weekdays grind they are in.
Once gathered in the waiting area, a short concourse of team registration took place for a while. Having minimal knowledge about the game walkthrough, a short briefing regarding the rules and safety measures needed to adhere was conducted prior to the battle. Stated clearly on the given guidelines, the game will start with series of elimination rounds with ‘capture the flag’ method as the winning verdict. When hit by the paint bullet, the player will lose the power to bust off the flag yet still can hit opponents until the round calls off. The team who can successfully capture the flag will be declared as the winner.
So here they go! Exactly 4 PM in the afternoon, the game commenced while the afternoon stoked the players’ excitement.
The paintball course is situated in an open-stretched area, constructed with man-made barrel covers, huge truck tires, and frontier woods all over the perimeter. Agreed in consensus after the briefing, the competing teams were instructed to prepare for the first elimination bracket — the red and blue team. The war began in furious heat! The red team won in the first elimination, resulting to a subsequent battle of the losing team (blue) with the yellow. As the afternoon’s heat escalated in peak, the blue team eventually won against the yellow. Attempted to withstand still on the scorching game, yellow team blazed off their camaraderie while they combated against the winning group, red team, but the latter group ultimately triumphed on a winning streak.
For the second bracket, the green and orange teams were pitted against each other with orange as the winner. Purple allocated the war zone with the winning group orange– yet the purple conquered the feverish round. On the third game of the second bracket, purple became the concluding winner against the green team.
Gearing up for the semi-final round, the winner from the previous bracket, red team, was set against the orange team for the inception of the first round. Stood resilient throughout their battle streak, the red team remained untouchable and becoming the winner for the first semi-final round. Progressing to the next game, purple and the blue team started the rumble on the ground, but blue team ceased to defeat making the purple advance to the finale.
Sweat and turbulence engulfed the combat ground. Crisp spikes and panting were heard uncontrollably. Cries and wild cheers resonated all over the place as the game reached its climax. The final round has begun!
Two remaining groups — red and purple — stood actively, waiting for the signal to start the war. Previous teams, that were considered dead, settled outside the battleground roaring in anticipation for the bloody results. As the final round began, strategic moves of each team were executed, battling hard to protect each group’s people to win. Previously mentioned in the guidelines, the final round will serve as a bloodshed of contention since each finalist has to protect their president to win the game. The number of casualties will not affect the winning aftermath, not until the president itself is killed. After the rigorous clamor of both thriving groups, wild rumbling from spectator resonated throughout the area and the red team withstands the game as the champion!
The paintball game successfully ended with strong delight displayed by the fallen groups and the pronounced winner. Despite the exhausting state and trigger injuries attained, the Blueprint aces victoriously brought together; exhibiting their strong bond and essence of APLUS culture. To conclude the joyful night, the team was treated in a bountiful feast at Cafe Racer, extending the fun in a nightfall episode.