The term "MilSim" stands for "military simulation."  This best describes the type of operations that are conducted by the Cimmerians. Unlike the commercial Airsoft event producers that follow the paintball example of industry-driven events designed to sell BBs and provide an experience for the backyard plinker, the Cimmerians have always remained true to what attracts many people to combat re-enactment in the first place--the opportunity to take on a role and briefly experience life as a combat soldier, complete with realistic equipment, areas of operation, and orders.

We certainly do not glorify war.  If anything, our operations have taught us to abhor real combat.  The only factors we are re-creating are the tactical and historical components, which also provide that sustained rush of adrenaline, and that intense feeling of suspense, exciting action. Since our operations are based on historical incidents, we strive to create an educational and theatrical experience where each of us is acting out a part. We get a tiny feeling of how it might have felt for "the real guys on the line".

Cimmerian MilSim re-enactment rules create conditions and variables of actual small infantry units operating in the field. We try to inject as much realism as possible, yet at the same time we balance it with safety. In order to achieve these conditions, our combat re-enactment operations use the following rules:

CIMMERIANS RULES & REGULATIONS QUICK REFERENCE CHART

1. All operators are expected to follow the "Code of Conduct"
2. CHEATING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED
3. All Airsoft guns, regardless of type, must chrono at 395 fps using a 0.20g BB 350fps or less with .25g (Hop Up turned off) or, 395fps or less with .20g ammo. ANY READING OF 400 OR HIGHER WILL IMMEDIATELY DISQUALIFY THE GUN
4. All operators must use approved biodegradable type BBs
5. All operators must use hard lens type goggle or glasses that have a tight seal around the face
6. All hits to the operator's body count as a kill, including web gear
7. Gun hits do not count
8. When you are hit you will die in-place and act as if you have been fatally shot and remain motionless for 2 minutes
9. After 2 minutes, you will place a red rag on your head (if available), put your gun over your head or on your shoulder with one hand in the air and them move away from the combat area at least 300 feet
10. Dead men do not talk to live operators
11. Dead men do not talk on the radio, not even to say "I'm dead"
12. Dead men do not spectate.  They hunker down away from the field of action and contemplate their state.
13. If a dead man suddenly finds himself in a combat zone, he will immediately move to a new secluded area.
14. There is absolutely no shooting at anyone within a 25-foot safety zone.
15. If you encounter an enemy head-on and you are less than 25 ft away, you must call a "parlay".
16. You may surrender an enemy if he is 25 ft away, and you are behind him with a clear shot and he is unaware of your presence.
17. If someone surrenders you, you must comply without question if the attacker is within your 25-foot safety zone.
18. If any operators have any disputes, they are expected to resolve them in a gentleman-like manner.

1. Hits to any part of your body count as a kill.
2. Hits to any part of your tactical gear or equipment, such as ammo bags, canteen, and pouches, etc. also count as a kill.
3. Ricochets that hit you count as a kill.
4. Hits to the gun do not count as a kill.

1. Dead operators must vocally and visibly show that he is dead.
2. Dead operators will put a red rag on their head (if available)
3. Dead operators must immediately move out of a combat area.
4. Dead operators may not talk to live operators, but may talk to other dead operators.
5. Dead operators may not talk on the radio but may continue to monitor their team's frequency.
6. Dead operators must remain quiet, hidden and must not be seen by any live operator.

Note about dead men: If a live operator comes upon a dead man or men, the dead man (or men) are now in a live area, therefore they must leave IMMEDIATELY. Live operators may NEVER stalk or lie in wait for an operator to reincarnate, then to shoot them. It's considered poor sportsmanship-like conduct. Should a live operator come upon a dead operator just as he is coming back into the action, allow the newly reincarnated operator ample time to move away and take cover before engaging him in a firefight.

Reincarnation
After an operator has been shot and has waited the appropriate amount of time as a "Dead Man", the operator is considered a fresh reenforcement troop and may resume the mission.

Airsoft Hits
Because airsoft BBs strike with only a fraction of the impact of paintballs and do not leave a mark on the clothing, disputes sometimes arise as to whether an enemy operator has been hit or not. In the heat of battle, an operator may sometimes not feel a BB hitting him for several reasons. The most common reason is adrenaline. Sometimes an operator is so focused on an objective that he may simply just not feel the hit. There are many examples of this in real life combat. A solider may be grazed by a bullet and not notice it until later. Also, when operators are making a run for a flag or for cover, it's difficult for them to feel the hits because they are moving quickly. Equipment such as tactical gear or a tactical vest will also prevent an operator from feeling a hit. However, in most cases, BBs hitting someone's equipment makes a distinct sound, and both operators can usually hear this. This can also happen when someone is wearing heavy clothing, as is often the case during the wintertime. However, hits on clothing are usually more difficult to hear. Also, if you are shooting at an operator at longer ranges, the BB may not be hitting the person hard enough for him to even notice. On the other hand, there may be situations that an operator thinks he has hit his opponent but in reality he hasn't. The most common one is long-distance shot. To the shooting operator it may look like he's hitting his target but in reality his BBs are falling short of their target. Another thing that can create a false sense of a hit are bushes. Bushes can easily deflect a shot. In rare cases an operator can miss someone even at close range. In his excitement to shoot his enemy, some operators spray their guns wildly and hit everything but the target.

Resolving a Hit Dispute
First of all, if you think you hit someone, give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe you didn't hit him. But if you are absolutely sure, then you may call a "Purple Heart" on an enemy. A "Purple Heart" lets an operator know that another operator feels that he has been hit. After a Purple Heart is called the combatants can discuss the hit. In most cases the situation can be quickly resolved. If there is still some dispute then both operators may consider a truce or "Parlay". If the operators still can not agree and start arguing in an unsportsman-like conduct, they will both be ejected from the mission.

Ignoring Hits
Operators may sometimes come across a situation where a BB lightly hit the toe of his boot or while lying down a BB hits his butt pack. He thinks that if it was real life the bullet would have just only taken off a part of his shoe but missed his toe. Or that the bullet would have just passed thru his butt pack and miss him. So he thinks that hit really doesn't count and continues his mission. In Cimmerian re-enactment operations, any hit, no matter how seemingly minor, is a clean kill (except a gun hit).

Cheating
Because of the nature of Airsoft-based re-enactment, the opportunities for cheating are somewhat common. CHEATING WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT BE TOLERATED. Anyone caught cheating will be grounds for immediately dismissal from the operation and that person may not be invited back to future Cimmerian operations. Let us make it clear that cheating is just not worth it. You may be able to get away with it at first but in the long run people will know who the cheaters are. This person will eventually develop a bad reputation as a cheater and this black mark will follow him for a very long time. Eventually this person will not be able to find any operations in which to participate. So just don't do it.

Profanity
No profanity is allowed in anger at any time.

Physical Contact Prohibited
No aggressive physical contact is allowed. Anyone that makes physical contact with any other operator will be ejected immediately from the operation and AO and will not be invited back.

25 Foot Safety Rule
All operators are considered to have a safety zone of 25 feet. No operator is allowed to shoot another operator inside this 25 feet zone. Any operator caught violating this safety rule will be expelled from the operation and AO and will not be allowed to participate again in the future.

Parlay
A parlay is a truce that is design to protect  operators from accidental shooting at close range. When an operator finds himself face to face with an enemy with in the 25-foot safety zone, all operators in question must stop action immediately. This is MANDATORY. Opposing operators then turn away from each other and move at least 50 feet away. Once all operators involved have taken cover, they may resume their missions.

Surrenders
(Modified as of 04/05)
An operator may call a surrender only when he enters an enemy's 25 feet safety zone from behind or the side with a clear shot, and his opponent is unaware of his presence.  An operator may also surrender his opponent from the front.  The only differance is that the operator MUST be stationary and his opponent has entered his 25 feet safety zone.  You cannot sneak up on an opponent from the front and call a surrender.  Once an operator calls surrender, the defeated enemy must comply with the surrender. This is mandatory!  If the surrender is successful, then the defeated enemy becomes a dead man.  After the surrender, the defeated enemy may protest if he thinks his opponent has called surrender from too far away (more than 25 feet). The operators are expected to negotiate on the spot and reach amicable resolution quickly, in a non-confrontational and gentlemanly manner.  Should an operator turn around before surrender is called, the operator behind can still immediately call surrender if it is obvious that he already had his gun at the ready and pointed at the back of the operator being surrendered.  If there are any disputes, then the situation becomes a "parlay".  An operator can surrender more than one enemy.  For example, an operator creeps up behind a group of enemy troops defending a position or after watching a patrol pass buy, an operator jumps out from behind catching the patrol off guard.  An opponent can surrender more than one enemy at a time if all of them are unaware of his presance.

Historically-Based Scenarios

Tactical Withdrawal
This is an old standby Cimmerian scenario. It is used when bones are weary and energy is low, often as a way to finish a hard day of MilSim.
The Scenario: The front line between Red Army and Blue Army has broken down. Blue Army is now in retreat. Blue Army has selected a small group of soldiers to slow Red Army advance long enough to give Blue Army a chance to reestablish a new defensive line.
The Operation: Troops are divided into two groups with the attacking group having a 2 to 1 advantage. The goal for the attacker is to get have half of it's soldiers to the designated area before time is up. The defender's goal is to prevent this. This operation is usually conducted along a certain path or trail with a boundary usually set at 50 to 100 yards on both sides of the trail.
Possible Outcomes: The Red Army completes its mission if it gets half its team to the designated area before mission time has elapsed. The Blue Army completes its mission if mission time expires before the Red Army completes its mission.
Tips: Although the defenders lack the numbers, they have the constant advantage of setting up ambushes which usually give them a high kill ratio. As in real combat, this scenario works best for the defenders if they work in pairs. Be careful not to stay in one place too long and let the enemy bypass you. Remember, your mission is to delay the enemy onslaught.

Multiple Objective
This scenario is also a Cimmerian favorite.
The Scenario: Variable.
The Operation: Two armies are evenly divided. A number of objectives are secretly placed on the field in advance. The mission is for each side to control the specific objective called out by OpCom. This may require finding it using maps, compasses, radio direction finding equipment, or satellite navigation. At the end of each time period (usually one hour), the side in control of the objective has completed their mission and moves on to the next.

Downed Pilot
This scenario sometimes requires a person to assume the role of the downed pilot, but normally our loyal training dummy CPO Savage steps in.
The Scenario: The Blue Army has lost a pilot behind enemy lines. Because of heavy enemy presence, a direct rescue is not feasible. A platoon of soldiers are sent in to rescue the pilot and move him to a designated LZ (Landing Zone) for extraction before the pilot is captured and too many enemy patrol show up. Time is of the essence!
The Operation: There are two armies: the Blue Army (the rescue team) and the Red Army (the enemy patrol). Armies are divided with the Blue Army starting with a 2 to 1 advantage.
The Mission: The Blue Army's mission is to locate and rescue the pilot, and get him safely to the LZ for extraction. The goal for the Red Army is to locate the pilot and take him back to their base for interrogation.
Pilot Rules (Live Pilot): Before the start of the mission, the pilot moves to the center of the field and finds a hiding spot out of view of both teams. He must remain there until he is found by one of the two armies. Once he is found, any soldier within 30 feet may give him a command. The pilot must follow any commands given to him. Should both Red and Blue soldiers be in the area, the pilot will obey the Blue soldier. If the pilot suddenly finds himself alone, he will seek the nearest hiding spot and wait until he is found again. To make things a little more realistic and difficult, a live pilot can pretend to have a wounded leg so the soldiers must assist or even carry him.
Pilot Rules (Dummy Pilot): If a dummy is used, it will be hidden on the field by the OpCom team in advance. Once the dummy is found, any soldier can carry the dummy. Should the soldier or soldiers carrying the pilot get hit, the pilot is dropped at that spot. The pilot is then free for anyone else to recover. The pilot can not be killed. To make things a little more realistic and difficult, the dummy may be required to be carried on a stretcher.
Mission Completion: The mission is completed when one of the armies get the pilot to their designated area.
Tips: Begin by patrolling and spread out to cover more ground. Communication is key to keep track of the pilot's location.

Convoy
This scenario requires the use of one or more military vehicles. The OpCom should arrange in advance for the required vehicles to be brought to the area of operation.
The Scenario: The mission objective for the Red Army is to get its vehicles from point "A" to point "B" in the designated time period. The mission objective of the Blue Army is to prevent this from occurring.
The Operation: Soldiers are divided into two even armies. In some operations, the army with the vehicles may be given a numerical advantage. The Red Army can advance their vehicles only as far as their most forward soldier can. The vehicles are immune to small arms fire and may only be destroyed by a rocket launcher or mortar. Should the vehicle be destroyed, it simply halts for 5 minutes and then resumes its advance. All personnel in the vehicle are also killed. For safety purposes, no vehicle can ever move faster than a quick walking pace. All soldiers must always be aware of the proximity of a vehicle, because the driver may not be able to see the solder. Vehicles have a 25-foot safety zone just like a soldier, so never approach the vehicle closer than 25 feet.
Mission Completion: The Blue Army completes its objective when it gets its vehicles to the designated area before mission time has elepsed. The Red Army completes its objective if mission time expires before the vehicles reach the designated area.
Tips: This is usually a high action scenario. Make sure you have a lot of ammo and spare batteries.