Editing Castle Conquest (section)

== History ==

=== Origins ===

Castle Conquest developed at EMR Paintball Park during the 1990s.

Mike "Blue" Hanse acquired and reopened the former Wolf's Lair paintball facility under the EMR name during the 1990s. The venue became known for its elaborate constructed playing fields, overnight accommodation and large recreational paintball events.[1]

Castle Conquest was being played by 1998, when contemporary photographs documented participants at the event.[3]

The event's format attracted organised scenario teams and individual recreational players, with attackers typically outnumbering defenders by a substantial margin.

=== Early events ===

A contemporary report published by ''WARPIG'' documented Castle Conquest IX, held on 29 April.

The defending force included Joint Fury, Knightmare Tango and PA Brew Crew, supported by other players. The attackers outnumbered the defenders by approximately three to one.

Despite repeated assaults and several temporary breaches, the defenders retained control of the castle until the game's conclusion.[4]

By 2006, Castle Conquest had reached its 21st edition, held during EMR Paintball Park's tenth-anniversary celebrations.

Castle Conquest XXI featured several hundred attacking players opposing approximately 200 defenders. The attacking force was tasked with entering Castle Aaarrgh and recovering ten designated relics.

The 2006 event was documented in a feature-length DVD produced by Media Blackout Productions. The production included footage from multiple camera operators, player interviews and explanations of the event's objectives and tactics.[1]

=== Later development ===

Castle Conquest continued as a major fixture at EMR during the late 2000s and early 2010s, with spring and autumn events incorporating different castle fields and variations of the attack-and-defend format.

The 2012 Fall Castle Conquest was attended by organised scenario teams, including the Canadian P.A. Predators.[5]

In April 2015, EMR advertised a three-day Castle Conquest Finale, held from 24 to 26 April. The programme included a Friday night glowball game, the advertised final Castle Aaarrgh Conquest on Saturday, and Castle War Conquest on Sunday.[6]

Although the 2015 event was promoted as a finale for the original Castle Aaarrgh format, castle-based scenario games subsequently continued at EMR.

=== Finale report ===

A report published in the July 2015 issue of ''Paintball Media'', titled “EMR's Castle Conquest Finale”, described more than 900 attackers opposing approximately 240 defenders at Castle Aaarrgh. The attackers' objective was to retrieve ten props from inside the castle.[11]

The defenders held the castle for the full five-hour game. The report attributed their success partly to the attackers' difficulty coordinating assaults from different directions and to the defenders' ability to shift players between threatened walls. The steep approaches and the defenders' reinsertion point at the castle also affected the battle.[11]

The same account described a Sunday preview at a replacement castle north of the recreation lodge. With ten props again serving as objectives and attackers outnumbering defenders by approximately four to one, the attacking force captured the new position in under two hours. The report contrasted its flatter, more open surroundings with the terrain around the original castle.[11]

=== Recent events ===

EMR revived the Castle War Conquest format for an event held from 12 to 14 September 2025.

The game featured attacking and defending forces competing for ten objectives within Castle War. Timed reinsertion rules allowed eliminated players to return to the battlefield at designated intervals.[7]

By 2026, EMR was organising Castle Frontlines, a modified version of its established castle assault format.

The event incorporated successive battles for control of a constructed town, surrounding objectives and the castle itself. The May 2026 edition took place on 30–31 May, followed by an autumn event on 26–27 September.[8][9]