Yet another walking tank that hit the field at Bones & Ashes was brought by Marc (Spooferman) Schruefer and Evan (Yeti) Ebaugh of Mid-Atlantic Mayhem with special thanks to Matthew McKeel for transportation. I personally got to witness this tank in action as it engaged the blue tank brought by Snook in a furious exchange in fire that ultimately saw Snooks tank knocked out of action in the exchange. This monster of a walking tank was built slightly different as the driver operated from the rear with up to six crew manning it. Capable of putting five gunners in the front, the amount of firepower it could unleash is staggering. Though in reality, they did find it better to run with a crew of three gunners upfront with a gunner back with the driver.
Was this your first time building a walking paintball tank and or your first event with a paintball tank?
This was our second year with the tank at Bones & Ashes. We had specifically built the tank just for Bones & Ashes knowing the advantages that come with its ability. Bones & Ashes 2023 was the original debut of the tank and it worked just as good.
What materials was your tank primarily built out of? What did you use for wheels?
The tank is primarily made of PVC pipe and fittings. We had wanted to make it as simple as possible to fix on the field in case of emergency. We had originally used 4 straight rolling tires but Evan had a brilliant idea to use caster wheels in the back to make turning as easy as possible for the driver.
What were your biggest challenges in building your tank?
This biggest challenge in building the tank was figuring out how to support the caster wheels in the back so it wouldn’t snap. There was a lot of trail and error until we came up with a solid idea to keep everything locked together and in place . The biggest worry was will the PVC and homemade axles handle the aggressive turns and shifts on the field terrain. But after its debut last year and second year run this year we have been fortunate to not have any catastrophic failures in that area. I do believe in some part we got a little lucky in the over all design that allows the tank to flex with the terrain easily.
How did you transport it? Did it collapse or come apart for travel?
Ahh now that is the tricky part that does require a little help from the team. Due to its size which allows for 3-5 gunners, 1 AT and 1 Driver, the tank does require a trailer or van to travel. We did design it to come apart in sections by using PVC unions placed in certain spots to break the tank down in sections. The netting is cut to fit each section and has metal grommets punched in so we can zip tie to the PVC.
What challenges did you face with your tank on the field?
The biggest challenge is having the driver in the back because he cannot see where he is going lol. But with some careful communication and some thick skin it works just fine. Remember in a tank it’s very loud with all the shooting, not only inside but outside as well, so some shouting does take place. But in the end we all have a good time.
Did you guys find yourselves more often eliminated or run out deployment time?
The first year we would run out of deployment time more often. But this year a gentleman by the name of Wade had our number with his fancy little rocket setup. We definitely did the damage we intended to make, but we always founds ourselves in Wades crosshairs.
Overall, how happy were you with your tank and its performance on the field?
We could not be happier with how well our tank has held up on the field. I remember at Bones 2023 during tank inspection for the first time a member from the opposing team said our tank wouldn’t last 5 minutes on the field. Welp, we love to prove people wrong. The most impressive part is how well the tank maneuvers for its size ,the caster wheels play a big part in that. Over the years we watched many struggle with turning tanks at pivotal moments that caused them to struggle more.
Did your tank last the event?
Funny thing is our tank lasted both events without fail. We were a little concerned that the mud would build up in the wheels and cause resistance to the driver but all was well and worked fine.
What advice would you give to those looking to follow in your footsteps in creating or operating this type of rolled/pushing tank?
Just start and build off of that, we started with a basic square and just started adding to it. A tank is a team effort it takes a team to build it, a team to transport it, and a team to run it into battle.
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| 2023 B&A |
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| 2024 B&A Engaging Blue Side Tank Commanded by Snook |