Wolfgang Airsoft – Alpha 38 [In-Depth Review]

If I mentioned Burton On Trent to you, what would you instantly think of? Would it be the Marmite? Or would it be its brewing history and the fact that it produces Carling? Or perhaps you have never heard of the place. 

Well nestled away on the outskirts of Burton is a little village called Yoxall, this is now home to a brand-new airsoft site called Alpha 38 ran by the awesome guys at Wolfgang Airsoft LTD.

Alpha 38 is a brand-new airsoft site based in Yoxall, Burton on Trent just off the A515.

Extending over 32 acres of unspoilt woodland with a mix of terrain, 4 different playing sections, sniper tower, tyre barricades, fort, and much more soon to be added as well. 

Ran by regular airsoft players at Wolfgang Airsoft Ltd this site is for the players by the players! 

So, without further ado let’s get this review started.

Our team had the pleasure to visit Alpha 38 at a Sponsored Game Day where over 100 players had a chance to play for free and the site has invited a few shops offering patches, accessories, and replicas. The main stalls present were Valken Tactical and Airsoft Operators Box which we reviewed earlier on – click here to our review of AOB’s products. This was a great experience and bodes well for the site – similar events at regular basis would be a great addition! Here are some images from the day:

Key Highlights:

• A large expanding site with stunning features such as: a lake in the middle, four extensive fields with mixed terrain and cover; which include tyre forts, barricades and sniper tower. On top of that, excellent location! 
• New features being added constantly, and improvements being made.
• Games for all abilities.
• First Aid trained marshals on site .
• Membership and UKARA options available. (UKARA Registered site)
• Friendly people and good atmosphere.

Is there a car park?

Overall, you could say there are two car parks – one at the entrance to the land which is concrete and we thoroughly recommend leaving your car there if there’s space. However, that means you will have to carry your gear to the safe zone and there’s not much weather protection at the site yet so make sure to get there early. 

The second one is on the field at the entrance to the safe zone; the issue is that the track leading to the area gets very muddy; especially when it rains – cars are prone to get stuck. The site owners are aware that this is a concern and have already contacted the council to see if they can extend the concrete car park and are putting things in place to solve this as soon as possible.

What is the safe zone like?

The safe zone is currently quite small but it has all the basic commodities such as a shop, food stalls, toilets and a small area under a roof. However, be prepared to use your cars to keep your equipment and get ready.  This is not an issue and is quite common especially for start-up sites – is it as comfortable? No – but it doesn’t hinder the actual airsoft experience.

What is the cost of Game Day?

• Non-member walk on fee is £25 
• Members walk on fee is £20
• Membership for the site including UKARA registration is £40 for the year 

Hire package is available for £45 and includes: 

• Game fee
• Airsoft RᎥfle (M4 Platform)
• Protective mask
• Coveralls 
• 1 Mag
• 1 Bottle of bbs

Please note that a deposit of £10 is required to secure your rental for the day. 

On-site shop

A small tuck shop is present at the site which sells essential usables such as BBs, Gas and Pyro at every game.

Is food available on site?

Hot food is available at lunch – incredibly cheap hotdogs and soups at £0.50 each! The food shop also offers refreshments such as snacks and drinks; also tea and coffee was available for free all day long.

Toilets

Two small cubicles are present at the site – one has a urinal inside and the other toilet.

Briefing and Limits

Although the rules and games were well planned, they weren’t very well explained. The briefing was too quiet and many players missed out on key information. This had introduced a bit of chaos into the day where players weren’t sure what to do at times, certain rules were being ignored and cheating snook in later on as some players got frustrated. All of this could have been avoided, or at least diminished, with an authoritative and professional briefing in order to set clear rules and expectations with the threat of being kicked off the game made very clear to ensure players are following the rules. This is certainly an area where the Wolfgang Team needs to improve on to ensure a smooth sail throughout the day. 

Nevertheless, the Wolfgang team are clearly passionate about airsoft as they play themselves, they were informative and helpful throughout the day. The head marshall, in particular, was doing a great job trying to make sure everything was organised and whenever cheating was reported, she would either send her team to investigate or do it herself. The marshals are clearly invested in expanding this site and I can imagine that organisation and professionalism will grow along with the site as they gain more experience. 

FPS limits: 

All replicas (excluding site rentals) are subject to chrono before first game and at any point throughout the day. 

• AEG- 350FPS 
• DMR-420FPS with a minimum engagement distance of 20m 
• Sniper- 520FPS with a minimum engagement distance of 20m 
• HPA is allowed on site but must be locked to 330FPS. Spot checks are carried out throughout the day.

Now – this is where this site really shines with its  unlimited potential. The land is 32 acres of unspoilt woodland with a mixture of terrain such as: woodland, fields and even a lake. Currently there are only a few stations built around the site and only a section is being used on game days due to its sheer size. This is a good call as otherwise it would take too long for teams to find each other –  otherwise, this site has the potential to be a fantastic MilSim field when the whole land is in use.

Although this site has been running for less than 6 months, the Wolfgang team has already built a few bits around the currently playable section, such as: sniper tower, barricades, bunkers etc. Thus I am very curious to see where the management will take this site and how much will be built to provide a variety of on the map; I have even seen ideas for a zombie/post apocalypse sector at the site. Now that would be unique! 

The games played throughout the day were of a good standard and included classics such as: infected, team deathmatch, capture the flag and demolition. As I currently understand, this is a typical mixture of games you can expect at Alpha 38 along with some others such as VIP etc. 

Generally the games ran quite well and due to the size of the field, whenever there was a stale firefight, the marshals encouraged teams to flank and use the field. Our team had a few great moments where we managed to set up on the flanks and ambush the enemy team when they tried to push forward.  

I know that the head marshal is constantly planning and trying new games to experiment and find the perfect fit for the field. As mentioned before, a proper post apocalypse sector might be built in the future so I am very excited to see where this site goes. Here are some other services that they currently offer:

Other services: 

• Nerf Wars for children’s birthday parties 
• Private Hire of the site for Hen/Stag do’s and Corporate events 
• CQB Training- Skills and Drills 
• Zombie Hunts 
• Private Zombie Hunts

This is a brand-new site, it goes without saying that there is the odd thing that needs to be addressed such as: 

• More cover is needed in the safe zone to avoid people working out of the back of their car, I feel that this could be problematic for those who do not drive
• Signs are needed on the road to direct you to the site; however, this is not an issue if you are using an up to date sat nav as it brings you direct to the gates. 
• The track to get in and out of site can become very slushy which can cause cars to get stuck in the mud, again this is something in which I understand the owners are looking into getting sorted
• Briefings need to be louder and delivered with more authority to ensure all players understand and follow the rules
• Make sure to put fences or nets around the playing field, especially at the track leading into safe zone 

However, do not let that put you off, this is a start-up site and it deserves a chance, I understand these issues are being addressed in readiness for 2020. The sheer beauty of the field is enough to give this site a try.

Would I recommend the site? Currently – yes as long as you manage your expectations and bare in mind how young this site is, in the future – yes, definitely, especially if the team continues to develop the site at this pace. 

Overall, this is a brand-new site with an endless amount of potential. You need to see the site for yourself to fully emerge yourself in the action and to appreciate the sheer beauty of the place. 

I really cannot wait to watch this site grow and see what treats it has instore for us in the future. 

A big thank you to Wolfgang Airsoft for allowing us to do this review and letting us be part of the Open Day.