Rules to live by. (or Die By.)

Welcome to Big Iron, the best little settlement between Madtown and the Dells
Crossroads!

Ever wondered what the Midwest would be like after total nuclear annihilation? Well, now’s your chance to find out, without all those pesky side effects, like hair loss, radiation burns, and extra
appendages.

Big Iron is a post-apocalyptic-themed airsoft LARP, not a more traditional MILSIM. Big Iron is a post apocalyptic role playing game with dress up and airsoft guns. Instead of missions, there are
quests. Instead of two big color-coded teams going head to head, there are little families, gangs, cults, mercenaries, mutants, closeted synths, and lone survivors just trying to make it day by
day, in the wastelands of a post nuclear world.

The world will consist of two areas. One of these areas is a strictly controlled trading hub called Big Iron. No airsoft weapons are allowed in the town of Big Iron. Big Iron is a no-goggle “safe
zone”. Of course, safe zone and safe space aren’t exactly the same thing. Big Iron is still dangerous. LARP style foam weapons, toy chainsaws, and NERF guns are allowed in Big Iron. Big Iron is a
bustling cultural center, full of sketchy vendors, corrupt cops, weird NPCs, rumors, gladiatorial combat, and other societal luxuries of a dangerous apocalyptic townscape.

On the other side of the fence, lie the Midwastes. It’s a insanely dangerous forested wasteland filled with feral ghouls, mad cultists, cannibal raiders and worse. Not to mention all the excitement and loot a Midwasterner could hope for…

Before you buy…

Event will be held at Apocalypse Paintball W9496 Cty. Hwy. CS, Poynette, WI 53955
Event is October 19-20^th
Pre-Register ticket prices are: $50 for two days, $35 for one day. Those who pre-register will be given priority for weapons tickets and a swag bag. First come first serve on weapon tickets.
At-The-Door ticket prices are $60 for two days, 40 for one day. First come first serve on weapon tickets, if any are still available.
Age limit is 14. Minors must have a waiver signed by a legal guardian. Responsible adult must be onsite (parent, sibling, creepy uncle, scout leader, etc…)
There is no official camping at Apocalypse Paintball; however, people may set up a tent to ‘rest’ in out of sight of the road.

Projected event schedule:

10/19

Registration and Chrono – 12pm

Pre-event Briefing – 2pm

Event Start in town- 3pm

Staff sets up field for night game- 4pm

Night Game begins on field – 5pm

Night Game Endex- 9pm

Soft Role Play/Party in character until midnight

10/20

Registration and Chrono- 8am

Midgame Briefing- 9:30am

Day 2 Game Start- 10:30am

Lunch- 1:30pm

Game Resumes- 2:30pm

Day 2 Endex- 5pm

Raffle to follow!

Be aware that we will be on site Saturday morning for initial staff walk thru and beginning set up.

General Rules

Eyepro and Face protection:

Full seal ANZI rated goggles/eyepro are required by this field. They mustbe secured by a strap/band.
Face protection is required for anyone under 18 years of age.
Goggles must be worn on the field.
Goggles are not required in Big Iron/safe zone.
Mesh face protection is allowed.
Mesh eye protection is not allowed, no exceptions.
Gasmasks MUST be ANZI rated for impact.

Chrono, Combat, and Weapon Rules

We will be limiting what class of airsoft weapon you carry by ticketing for those particular Weapon slots at pre-regestration. So when you buy a ticket, you will buy a ticket for the weapon slot type you want if the slot type is available. Rifle, Sniper Rifle, and LMG-Style weapons (to include Full-Auto Shotguns, see below) will have limited slots available.

Airsoft weapon rules:

All airsoft weapons must be chronoed with 0.32g Bbs and all weapons will be chronoed in Joules.

All reloads of magazines must be done off the field or near an LMG gunner.

Pistols, “Burst” shotguns < 1.14J (approx equivalent to 350 FPS @ 0.32g) with no minimum engagement distance. 10Ft Minimum engagement for Full-Auto fire Pistols.
Rifles, SMGs, PDWs < 1.14J (approx equivalent to 350 FPS @ 0.32g) with no minimum engagement. Rifles, SMGs, and PDWs are restricted to Semi-Auto fire only.
Sniper Rifle < 2.81J (approx equivalent to 500 FPS @ 0.32g) with minimum 100ft engagement. Bolt action/single shot only.

SAW/LMG < 1.6J (approx equivalent to 415 FPS @ 0.32g) with minimum 50 ft engagement, must be real world machine gun/support weapon.
AA12-style Auto Burst shotguns < 1.14J (approx equivalent to 350 FPS @ 0.32g) with no minimum engagement distance on semi, but 10 ft minimum engagement on full auto. AA12-style Auto Burst shotgun is in all other respects considered an LMG for this game. They are allowed to shoot full auto.

If you are running a sniper rifle or an LMG, you MUST have a secondary weapon for close engagements. Secondary weapons can be pistols, SMGs, assault rifles, and/or LARP/foam weapons.

LARP/boffer weapons:

Foam LARP/boffer weapons are allowed and encouraged at this event and all must be inspected for safety by registration staff, homemade and commercially made alike, no exceptions.

Please refrain from heavy hits with these weapons.
Head, neck, and groin strikes do not count.
Strikes are made with the broad side or edge of the weapon. You may not stab/thrust with them.
Coreless foam knives are currently the only stabbing weapons allowed.
Spears, dagger, or javelins with stabbing points are not allowed at this event.
Please see the bottom of this document for recommended vendors!

Rubber knives:

Rubber Training knives are allowed in this event.

To use a Rubber Training Knife, all you need to do is tap your victim on the shoulder, arm or the like.
Unlike other rules sets, knife kills are not instant death. They are just wounds, like any other.
You cannot throw them or stab anyone with them.
Knives may be used for a “Silent Kill” meaning if you are killed by a knife, do not shout out, do not yell, do not say hit. Take a knee or sit silently and pull out your kill rag. These are not instant kills and you may still be revived as described in the Medic Rules section.
Knives are also useful for fending off grapples (See below for grapples).

NERF style guns/crossbows:

NERF style blasters are allowed for this event, for use in the Big Iron township or field. These are toys that shoot soft darts or foam balls at a relatively low velocity. They are safe to use without
eye-protection.

Nerf style blasters are considered “stunners”. Stunners are initially limited to a maximum of 15 darts/balls, but additional ammunition can be purchased or traded for in game.
Stunners do not do permanent damage.
A player hit by a stunner calls their hit, and pulls their kill rag, just as with any other injury. The player enters a 5 minute bleedout, just as with any other injury.
At the end of the 5 minutes, however, the player recovers, instead of dying. Alternatively, a player can be instantly revived without bleedout countdown if a stimpack is used on that player.
Stunners do not have any effect on ghouls, super mutants, or anyone in power armor.

LARP bows/crossbows:

LARP style bows and crossbows are allowed for this event, but must be inspected by event staff.

LARP bows/crossbows are limited to 35lb. draw.

Arrowheads must be commercially made (Calimacil, LARPCRAFT, etc…).
NO HOMEMADE ARROWS.
These weapons can be used in Big Iron or in the Midwastes. They do the same amount of damage as a burst style shotgun. I.E. it only takes one arrow to take down a feral ghoul.

Hand-to-Hand:

There are two ways that a player or NPC can engage in hand-to-hand combat:
Brawling and Grappling.

Brawling:

Brawling is done via a simple Rock-Paper-Scissors.
You can brawl in town or on the field!
The challenger approaches within striking distance of his or her chosen opponent brandishing a closed fist and shouting “Brawl! Three, Two, One” If the defender cannot or does not immediately close his or her fist in response and begin the “Rock, Paper, Scissors” three-count, the defender is automatically KO’d by the challenger on the count of ONE; if the defender “fights back,” the winner of the “Rock, Paper, Scissors” round is considered to have landed a good punch, and the loser must immediately collapse unconscious as if they have been KO’d.
In case of a tie, the brawlers have the choice to do another round, or to stop brawling.
Two or more challengers may “gang up” on a single defender in a brawl, as long as every challenger in that brawl does “Rock, Paper, Scissors” at the same time; this way, it is possible that the defender might be able to KO one or more of the challengers before being KO’d himself.
In the event of a confusing or honestly unclear outcome, the brawl may be replayed if ALL parties involved agree. If agreement cannot be reached, all players involved are to consider themselves KO’ed from the ferocity of the brawl.

Grappling:

Grappling is done by simply placing your hand on someone’s shoulder.
It takes two people to control someone in a grapple. I.E. One hand on each of the grappled person’s shoulders.
A Grapple can be interrupted by pulling a rubber knife.
If a Player is grappled by a Feral Ghoul in this way they take a wound immediately.

Grenades:

Limited styles of grenades are allowed to include EG-67, Thunder B, Cyclone, and Tornado grenades.

Grenades are NOT allowed in the township of Big Iron.
Grenades may ONLY be used out in the field.
Grenades are Anti-personnel only; they do not effect vehicles in any way.
They kill everyone in a room, or anyone within ten feet of where they blow up, unless that person is behind hard cover (walls or barricades, but not bushes etc.)
No BBs in Thunder B’s, please. They are designed for sound only.
Grenades are not an instant kill; they cause a wound just like everything else.

Autonomous weapons: All Autonomous weapons (to include any IR, Laser, or tripwire triggered explosives or motion activated turrets) are to be considered “Blind-Fire” and are not allowed at this event.

Armor:There are two kinds of armor:
Body Armor, and Power Armor.

Body Armor

Body armor is simple armor, represented by leather or metal armors, Kevlar vests, old sports equipment, etc…

Body armor allows a player to ignore ONE hit from a LARP/melee weapon, by calling out, “Armor!” instead of saying, “Hit!”.
The second effect of body armor is that wounded players in armor may crawl slowly while they are bleeding out. They still cannot fight, or medic anyone, but they may crawl slowly, and may still talk while wounded.

To benefit from the Body Armor rule you must wear more than just a replica plate carrier and airsoft helmet. Organizers will look for additional accessories such as vambraces, shin guards, and pauldrons. Extra consideration will be given to especially post apocalyptic looking accessories, such as shoulder armor constructed from tires or protective armor made from license plates.

Power Armor

Power Armor is the heaviest style of armor that is available to players and must be represented by full blown, cosplay level dress (and have such armor approved, see below) before a player can expect to benefit from the many advantages of Power Armor.

Power Armored players cannot run and may only move at a brisk walk at the fastest.
Power Armored players cannot be killed by LARP weapons or LARP bows/crossbows.
Any Stunner hits will be completely ignored.
A hand-grenade will only stun them for one minute, causing them to take a knee to simulate their systems coming back online.
Only a BB strike to the Power Armored players “Kill Plate” (See Below) can wound them.
Power Armored players treat wounds the same as any other player for the purposes healing and dying.

As mentioned above, in order to be counted as having power armor, players must wear kit in the tradition of the Fallout games, show, comic books and the like. Though no one is asking you to have a screen accurate T-45, an attempt should be made to emulate the iconic style of these Fallout Armors. All power armor must have a kill-plate attached front and back with dimensions
of about 8-12” in diameter. With those points in mind, if you are planning on wearing power armor to this event, please contact tacticalcacti@gmail.com with POWER ARMOR APPROVAL REQUEST in the headline for approval. We will need to see good photographs of your power armor. We will also need to inspect it at registration to make sure that it is safe and durable enough to play in.

Medic Rules:

Bring your own bandages. The Midwasteland is a dangerous place, and in addition to being tough, you have to be smart in order to survive.

If a player takes an injury, be it from a melee weapon or a BB strike, or a grenade, that player takes a wound.
Wounded players cannot do anything except cry and scream for help.
Wounded players will display a kill rag or kill light.
If a wounded player does not receive medical attention within 5 min, they bleed out and die.
Anyone can administer medical attention to a wounded player by tying a bandage on their arm or leg, and holding pressure for one uninterrupted minute.
If the player then takes a second wound, they require the same treatment, but to a different limb.
Players can only sustain two wounds. A third wound will kill them.
Bandages MAY NOT be self-applied by a wounded player. Someone else has to do the first aid.
Dead players go to the Morgue. (See Death, below)

Players who are wounded and bleeding out cannot be killed, except by bleed out.

Stimpaks:

Stimpaks are a retro-futuristic miracle drug that can heal the deadliest wounds. Stimpak props will be available in game, for purchase or trade. They will consist of a specially marked needle-less syringe with the plunger drawn back.

Stimpaks can instantly heal a wounded player without the need to apply a bandage, or hold pressure.
They are one time use. Once they have been used, please hold on to them and return them to staff or an NPC.
Stimpaks MAY NOT be self-applied by a wounded player. Someone else has to do the first aid.

Removing Bandages/Wounds:

Bandages may only be removed in two ways: death after bleeding out or by NPC doctors. These NPCs can remove bandages from wounded players, thus restoring them to their full health. This process will take a few minutes, depending on the doctor, during which point they will roleplay a medical assessment, treatment, or surgery, using props and supplies that they have in their bag. If this process is interrupted, the restoration will not be successful, and the bandage or bandages will not be removed unless they start over.

Death:

After bleeding out, players will report to the Morgue. At the Morgue, The Undertaker will give you a choice between a thirty minute stint as either OPFOR or a Brahmin. Once you finish your 30min shift as whichever you chose, you will report back to the Undertaker, who will send you on your way to rejoin the game.

Resources in the Wastelands

Unlike many other Airsoft games, Big Iron is primarily a battle over resources. Whether you come upon these resources by finding them, farming them, making them, convincing people to give you them, or stealing them is largely up to you. The following rules are various rules concerning some of the resources available in the game and how to get them.

Chems:

The wastleland is a dangerous and depressing place so some people have turned to chemical solutions to solve their problems. In the Big Iron LARP, however, the only chem represented is Psycho.

Psycho is a chem that grants the player or NPC who took it limited invulnerability.
To use Psycho, you must roleplay injecting the drug, take a big breath and start a scream.
As long as a player or NPC can sustain the one single scream (No taking another breath!), they are invincible.
In the duration of the scream, the player will not take any wounds from Airsoft, rubber knives, stunners, foam/boffer weapons, bows/crossbows, grenades, or hand to hand.
As soon as the player is out of breath and the single scream ends, they drop dead and begin bleed out.
You may not chain together doses of Psycho.

Bottlecaps:

The currency of the wasteland is the bottlecap or caps. Most goods and services in Big Iron can be bought with caps.

Event organizers will provide specially marked caps for this event.
Caps may be looted (see Looting, below).

Brahmin:

Brahmin are a mutated breed of cow that are found from the shores of the New Californian Republic to the Capital Wastes and everywhere in between. Brahmin are a living resource and an important part of the Midwastern economy.

If you die, you may respawn by pulling a 30 minute shift as a Brahmin.
Brahmin players will be provided with a cow cutout.
Brahmin players will have their weapons checked in at the Morgue.
Brahmin can be rounded up by living players and delivered to NPCs to earn caps.
Brahmin cannot talk to players, other than to go “moo.”
Brahmin cannot be killed, though if hit, they will panic and run away.
Players can move Brahmin by putting a hand on the Brahmin’s shoulder or arm, and walking with them.
Getting shot, explosions, or anything else that is particularly startling, like a sudden ghoul attack, or ambush, can cause a Brahmin to break free from a player’s touch, and panic.
Brahmin that are successfully delivered to a faction leader, NPC, etc., can earn the player caps or items.
A Brahmin who has completed their 30 minute shift will return their costume to the Undertaker, and get their guns and gear so that they may resume play.

Scavenging:

There will be other items out in the wasteland for salvage, such as medical crates, machinery parts, food, and many other props that can be traded to various NPCs or players who desire them. These items may be looted by players and NPCs in the usual way (see looting, below)

Looting:

Robbing or stealing from other Players or NPCs is called Looting. Every player will be given a loot bag, consisting of a small plastic bag with a few items in it. This stuff is NOT to be used by the player, but rather to be given out in the event that they are looted by someone else.

Wounded/Dying players can be looted by placing your hand on their shoulder and saying, “Looting”.
The looted player MUST give you a small amount of their personal caps, if they have any, or other in game tradeable goods (such as stimpaks, food items, springer pistols, etc) in addition to their loot bag.
Looted players do not have to give up ALL of their stuff. Just their loot bag.
Looted NPCs must/will give up all “In-game” Items (usually chems, caps, or quest items…) if looted.
Respawning characters will be given new loot bags at Respawn or Morgue, if they need one.
Quest items can always be looted. If you are carrying an important quest item, and someone loots you, give it to them either in addition to, or instead of your loot bag.
Personal items that are a player’s private property (such as your personal airsoft guns/mags, or your power armor) can never be looted.

Capture Points:

There are several capture points on the field that represent various structures or resources for which players and NPCs vie for control. These capture points are mostly represented by chess clocks. As capture points will be highly contested through out the event, it may not be possible for lone players or small squads to defend them indefinitely (though you are certainly welcome to try!) We recommend role-playing negotiations and alliances as you can with other players or even NPCs, if you’re feeling bold. You can threaten, persuade, bribe, or hire other players to help you hold these vital areas.

The chess clocks style capture points are operated as follows:

These props are individually colored, have two independently labeled LED screens, and two touch sensitive buttons.
In order to start your capture you must press the button next to the correctly labeled screen on the correctly colored capture point. I.E. if your mission is to set the Blue substation to Spracher Brewery, then you must find the Blue capture point and set it so that the numbers are counting down on the Spracher Brewery clock making sure the LED is lit on the Spracher Brewery side of the timer.
The capture points may be switched by simply touching the big metal button on whichever side of the clock you are trying to capture.
They are touch sensitive buttons, and may not work if you have gloves on.
If you have been sent out to control a point, as long as the substation is counting down on your assigned objective, the faction/NPC that sent you is earning points.
Other players or NPCs may try to capture the control point because their quest is to switch it to the other side for their faction or mission giver, so either defend that point or check back often to see if the control point is still counting down in your favor.
Every hour staff will check the capture points and record the results.

Capture point Rewards:

Successfully controlling a capture point will earn you caps, Stimpaks, and/or chems (Psycho), so you can further your influence and fund whatever turf war you decide to get involved in.

For example, your objectives for 11am-12pm on Sunday might be:

Control Capture Point BLUE

Set to Spracher Brewery:

after Ten Minutes = Five caps

after Twenty Minutes = Two chems

after Forty Minutes = Forty Caps

after Fifty Minutes = Five Stimpaks

Control Capture Point PINK

Set to The University:

Every Ten Minutes = 1 chem

Control Capture Point ORANGE

Set to RobCo Mid West:

Every Minute = 1 cap

Control Capture Point Black

Set to Mad-town Waterworks:

While on, the Waterworks is powered and producing clean-ish water.

Night Game:

Big Iron LARP will include a night game.

The night game will start around 5pm.
No Night-vision/thermals will be allowed for this event.
If you are playing in the night game, you must have a red kill-light to show when you are hit!

NPCs:

There are all manner of folk in the Midwastes. Some good, some bad and it’ll be up to you to find out which are which. In addition to the fine folks of Big Iron township there are all manners of strange folk
wandering the waste. Below are just some that you might encounter.

Feral Ghouls:

Poor unfortunates that were exposed to massive amounts of radiation causing a mutation that grants them immortality at the cost of their good looks and mental faculties. In game they are effectively aggressive zombies that are extremely tough.

Feral Ghouls can only be downed by losing a grapple, taking three hits with from either a Boffer/LARP weapon or an Airsoft gun, or taking a single hit from a burst shotgun or LARP bow/crossbow.
Feral Ghouls, once downed, reanimate within 2 minutes.

Super Mutants:

Horribly Mutated to serve as super soldiers, these massive aberrations function as living power armor and can only be killed by a strike to their kill plates.

Super Mutants are subject to the same rules as a player wearing Power Armor.

Skinners:

Nasty cannibal raiders that are as untrustworthy as they are insane. Led by their charismatic leader, they have haunted the outskirt of Big Iron for years, robbing and eating whomever they can get their blood-stained hands on. Though feared for their practices, the Skinners maintain their power through the wealth of their ill-gotten gains and, disgustingly, through being well fed.

The Children of Atom:

A splinter cult calling themselves Byronites from down south near a old nuclear power plant, they are a more recent arrival to the Big Iron area. The Children revere radiation, nukes, and privacy. Though rumored to be well educated, they are also rumored to be very unfriendly to outsiders.

Non-Combatants:

If you wish to attend as a non-combatant, you may, but you must remain a non-combatant for the entire weekend, and cannot change your status.

Non-combatants will be marked with a brightly colored sash.

Non-combatants cannot carry ANY weapons.
Non-combatants are not allowed outside of the Town/Safe Zone, and cannot go on the field for any reason.
Non-combatants cannot defend themselves in any way, except to run away from trouble and cry.
Non-combatants can be looted at any time, without any combat taking place, but never have to give up more than three caps in ten minutes.
To loot a non-combatant, one must simply walk up to them, extend one’s palm and say, “looting.”
No one can hit them or shoot them. Non-combatants cannot die, but do they truly ever live, either?
In other words, non-combatants should really consider hiring protection.

F.A.Q.

Q: If I bring game accurate (Combat Armor, Chinese Stealth Armor, NCR Ranger Armor), can it count as power armor?

A:No. While that is cool (and may still earn you some bonus caps/stimpaks)the massive benefits that are granted to players who bring full, bulky power armor are there to offset the amount of work and difficulty of maneuvering that goes into such an endeavor.

Q: I’ve found a downed player, May I execute him/her and send them back to the morgue without bleed out?

A: No. There is no Coup-de-gras rule in effect for this event and downed players, NPC’s and monsters may not be executed.

Q: Can I use a NERF brand foam weapon at this event?

A: All such items must be approved by event staff. NERF brand items are not all designed with the force a grown adult can exert and may either break or cause injury as a result. Most of the newer NERF brand weapons are perfectly safe.

Q: Where can I get a Foam or Latex LARP weapon?

A: While there are lots of great YouTube resources on how to make safe LARP weapons, Calimacil, Epic Armory, or Forged Foam sell good, if not cheap commercial LARP weapons. Calimacil in particular carries the “Dark Moon” collection, through Epic Armoury, that is post-apocalyptic and world of darkness inspired stuff.