Tag!  You’re It

By Stephen Brown

Most people have never played a game of competitive laser tag.  In fact, most people don’t even know that it exists.  In Laser Tag, intensity and fast moving action fill the arena as players give it all they have to help their team win.  

What is Laser Tag? 

Laser tag is a game that most people have played at a birthday party sometime in their life. Players are equipped with a pack and a laser and attempt to shoot other players while not getting shot themselves.  Laser Quest is a brand of laser tag.  In Laser Quest, the object of the game is to tag your opponent in one of their seven sensors: front, back, both sides of the laser, the front of the laser, and both shoulder.  When you tag someone, you score 10 points.  When you are tagged you lose between three and five points depending on where you are hit. 

After every game, players receive a scorecard of their performance

Competitive Laser Quest

In a competitive game, you are usually placed on a team. In some tournaments, players are allowed to make their own teams, but in the North American Challenge (the world’s largest tournament) players must play with players from their home center, the center they live closest to, and there are tryouts for the game.    There are usually three teams in a game at a time, the team that comes out with the highest score wins.

Players get ready to go into the arena at the North American Challenge

North American Challenge 06 

The North American Challenge is first separated into four regions. Teams compete in June and then the top five teams from each region then compete in the national tournament.  Trophies and money are awarded to the top three teams s in both each region, and then again at the national level.  

Teams are awarded trophies at tournaments and many teams display them at their home center

The Richmond Team

Richmond has two Laser Quest centers: one downtown, and one in Chesterfield.  The team that calls the Chesterfield center home has been competing since 2001.  Last year they won the Eastern Regional Championships and were the first to go undefeated in the new format.  This year there are five people from the original 2001 team, along with five newer players. 

Last year Richmond went undefeated and won the Eastern Region Championship

For more Information visit these Sites: 

www.laserquest.com  - The Official Site of Laser Quest

www.lqarena.com    - A Message Board Based Site for LQ players

www.lasersport.com  - Site for players of all Laser Tag formats

Experience a Victory here with this video:

http://home.lqcenter.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=13&pos=6