Castle Conquest: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 09:11, 4 November 2026

Castle Conquest is a long-running American scenario paintball event series held at EMR Paintball Park, now known as EMR Event Park, near New Milford, Pennsylvania. The event centres on large-scale attack-and-defend battles in which an attacking force attempts to capture a fortified castle defended by a smaller group of players.

Castle Conquest was established during the 1990s and became one of EMR's signature events. It is particularly associated with Castle Aaarrgh, a purpose-built, multi-storey paintball fortress, and with EMR founder Mike "Blue" Hanse.[1][2]

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]

Game format

Castle Conquest is based on an asymmetrical attack-and-defend format.

A comparatively small defending force occupies a fortified castle, while a larger attacking army attempts to breach its defences and complete specified objectives.

The objective structure has varied between editions, but has commonly involved recovering designated objects or relics from within the castle.

The defenders attempt to prevent the attackers from completing their objectives within the allotted time.

Eliminated players may return to the battlefield under event-specific reinsertion rules, allowing extended battles involving repeated assaults on the castle.[1][7]

Castle Aaarrgh

Castle Aaarrgh is the original fortress most closely associated with Castle Conquest.

Located at EMR Event Park, the structure contains more than 35,000 square feet of playing area.

Its principal features include:

Two-storey defensive ramparts surrounding an enclosed courtyard.
A three-storey central tower.
Constructed buildings, barricades and defensive positions.
Four ground-level entrances.
Two elevated access ramps.
Lighting for night-time paintball games.

The fortress was designed to support large-scale assaults involving attackers approaching from multiple directions while defenders occupied elevated positions and protected entrances.[10]

Castle War

Castle War, subsequently also known as Castle Eclipse, is another purpose-built fortress at EMR.

The structure measures approximately 128 feet along each side and features two-storey ramparts surrounding a courtyard.

It includes constructed buildings, a central three-storey blockhouse and elevated access ramps.[10]

Castle War has hosted separate editions of Castle Conquest, including the September 2025 event.[7]

Castle Frontlines

Castle Frontlines is a later development of EMR's castle assault games.

Rather than beginning with a direct assault on the fortress, the format incorporates several stages.

In the 2026 format, attackers first attempt to capture a constructed town before securing keys distributed across the surrounding battlefield. These objectives allow access to the castle, where the final assault takes place.

The 2026 events advertised an attacking force approximately four times the size of the defending force.[8][9]

Significance

Castle Conquest is a longstanding example of large-scale, objective-based recreational paintball.

Its historical format, featuring several hundred players attempting to capture a purpose-built fortress, attracted coverage in specialist paintball publications and video productions.

The event is particularly notable for its use of elaborate permanent structures and an asymmetrical playing format in which defenders must withstand repeated assaults by a numerically superior attacking force.

Its continued adaptation into Castle War Conquest and Castle Frontlines demonstrates the persistence of castle assault games at EMR Event Park.[1][7][8]

References

External links

@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 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.
+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]
-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.
-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 ===
@@ Line 132: / Line 138: @@
 # [https://emreventpark.com/event/fall-castle-war-conquest-2026/ EMR Event Park – Fall Castle Frontlines, 26–27 September 2026]
 # [https://emreventpark.com/about/fields/ EMR Event Park – Playing Fields, Castle Aaarrgh and Castle War descriptions]
+# [https://viewer.joomag.com/paintball-magazine-july-2015-issue/0548846001435490793/p82 Hollywood, “EMR’s Castle Conquest Finale”, Paintball Media, July 2015, pp. 82–99. Photographs by Stephen “K-Dawg” Kent.]
 == External links ==