Building Line Fighting Skills

I'm on the road, and don't have any fancy graphics, sorry.

In the past, I've approached the topic of how a small group/realm/team/unit can fight in a line fighting environment.  My previous post about it was largely centered on the small unit being a discrete entity (like during unit battles, etc).  Instead of answering the question "how do you line fight?", I gave alternative strategies to use against organized groups.  Instead of giving strategies for a small group to work off of others on their team that are maintaining the line, I focused on how the small group could succeed on their own against another group.

After some discussion and a tiny bit of fighting out in the West, I realize that I've missed part of this topic in previous posts.  So, instead of talking about how a group succeeds without line fighting, lets look at how to work with an established line, and how to teach people line fighting skills that will help them integrate with a larger team.

Leveraging Existing Skills

Groups that don't get much line fighting in at practice tend to do a lot of skirmish fighting.  While skirmishing doesn't work well when fighting against a line heads up, the fighting style that comes with it naturally blends into flanking and harassment tactics. When working with a larger team, then, it seems natural that a skirmishing group would avoid being part of the main line, and work on flanks.

The only real change required is in the group's priority.  In a pure skirmish, the goal to is to win small chunks until you can mop up in force.  On the flank, your goal is just to deliver people to the back of the enemy line while preventing the enemy from doing the same.  It isn't a huge change in tactics overall, but it means that the team needs to be looking for the opportunity--if not actively pursuing it.

I mentioned harassment, which is probably one of the lesser used skills in Belegarth.  One fighter distracting a handful of enemies without engaging directly in combat or getting bogged down can create advantages else where. Just when the enemy decides to give up pursing a harassing fighter, the fighter can move up and take a swing or two and back off.  Using just enough aggression and throwing a few shots here and there, that one fighter can keep the enemy's attention.  This strategy doesn't work quite as well during a large line fight, but works quite well in a battle with many teams (unit, realm, etc).

Why Line Fight?

So, if so many places do lots of skirmish fighting, why line fight at all?

The basic building block of line fights is really the pair.  In a one on one fight, even a single hit to the arm can be decisive.  Working in a pair, though, buys time to recover from such a hit. If we were to consider support weapons in the mix, we also see that the pair can cover multiple ranges in a mutually beneficial way.  If a spear was entirely on their own, they would often be rushed, but with a partner, they can overlap their threat ranges and build a more robust defense.

What if we had a pair of pairs, each with a spear and a sword/board fighter?  They gain the benefit of overlapping ranges on the spears.  If one of the pairs is rushed, the other pair can provide support.  If the enemy fields a spear, the two spears can work together to kill it while their shields prevent them from being overran easily.  As we expand that along the line, we start to see that the whole line is really just small groups of 2-3 people working together and supporting other groups of 2-3 people next to them.

The only real weakness here then becomes the flanks/rear of the line, or any space between the smaller groups of fighters that an enemy could move through with impunity.  That's why the flanking and shock trooper tactics are so important on offense and defense.

Besides the sort of "safety in numbers" mentality to forming a good line, the other primary reason is for spatial control.  In the relative chaos of a skirmish, it is very difficult to control a space, such as an objective.  Forming a well spaced line prevents the enemy from getting behind it without a fight, making it easier to control the space and enemy access to it.  Games like capture the flag or monarch battles can be won and lost by how well a team controls the field.

Teaching Line Fighting

If the pair is the building block of line fighting, it seems natural to me that doing drills to practice as a pair is a great way to start teaching line fighting.  I'm particularly a fan of 2v1 drills for this purpose, I've most likely mentioned it previously.  The goal of the pair is to kill their opponent without being hit.  This forces the pair to work off of each other's strengths/weaknesses to kill a target.  Meanwhile, their opponent gets practice fighting multiple targets.

A different approach is to use a "stand and deliver" drill.  Two teams of people (equal numbers preferable) line up and face each other.  Especially with newer fighters, basic sword and shield is the preferred equipment.  Instead of a wide open field, the area is either marked slightly wider than the line or has a herald on each end to act as an edge of the world.  I have also seen this done with a line in the middle which the fighters couldn't cross instead.  The basic idea is that there is no backstabbing or flanking.  As opponents die, the fighters shift on their line to aid their allies.  When teaching using this drill, the emphasis is on teaching fighters that they are fighting the three fighters opposite them (the one in front, and one on each side of them).

Either drill can be used to help develop skills for dealing with or supporting support weapons.  A pair with a spear in a 2v1 drill, for example, both trains the pair to work together and teaches their opponent how to defend against the spear/sword&board combo.  In a stand and deliver drill, both teams learn a valuable lesson on watching their flanks (or the friend's flank) for incoming spear stabs, while support weapons get a taste of fighting each other across a line fight.

Bridge Battles

If you aren't familiar with bridge battles: picture a bridge spanning a river.  Anyone that falls off the bridge or the banks of the river is dead.  It's the most basic of choke point battles to set up.

Okay, first off, bridge battles can be dangerous without going over safety with fighters.  Even then, higher density of fighters mixing with polearms will eventually cause accidents.  However, bridge battles are a way to force line fighting.  The narrow space prevents any flanking and causes even a small practice to be a line fight of one form or another.

If a realm is newer to line fighting or bridge battles, it's probably best to ease into it with limited weapons.  Glaives and other reds can be particularly dangerous even with a good bit of experience because it doesn't take much divergence in a swing to end up unintentionally hitting a different target in the head.  Starting out, I'd recommend sticking to just sword/board and emphasizing swing safety heavily.  Depending on the practice space and fighters, limiting shield bashing and kicking may be useful early on as well.

Safety disclaimers out of the way, consider what is required to win a bridge battle without any support weapons.  Fighters have to work together and maintain a fairly straight line.  If anyone gets too far ahead of their neighbor, the enemy might be able to pick them off without repercussions.  In order to gain any advantage, the fighters have to work together to draw out enemy swings so they can be countered or to block for a teammate while they swing at an opening.  Because the lines are so densely packed on a bridge, fighters get experience being attacked from several opponents and learn to block angles they may not have otherwise.

Changing the width of the bridge or adding additional bridges of various sizes can change the intensity of the fighting.  Foot bridges that are only wide enough for one or two people can add a bit of fun and strategy.  Wide bridges can help lessen the intensity if safety might be a concern.

The whole idea of doing the occasional bridge battle at practice is to get fighters a taste of line fighting that they wouldn't otherwise get.

Misc Thoughts

• It is hard to teach "head on a swivel," but it might be one of the most important skills to have.  Scanning the area for threats lets you and your team get a better chance of surviving.
• Line fighting requires matching the enemy threat.  If a great fighter moves off to the flank, your team needs to have someone (or a group) move to challenge that fighter.  The line spacing has to adjust to match large threats (like a mass of armored up fighters that look antsy to charge).
  
  
• Supporting your Support.  A spear isn't much good if it gets overran.
• As always, communicate.  And listen.  Alert your team to problems and do your best to respond if others need help.

Fundamentals Intro

Someone pointed out that this blog was dead, it isn't quite.  Posts will be super sporadic thanks to a fairly busy work schedule.  I will try to do better at rolling out more posts much more often. This particular post has a good chance of being a bit of a rant, but it seems like it might be a good place to start for future posts.

With "new guy season" well underway, I've been thinking a lot about the fundamentals of different equipment and what to focus on when teaching newer fighters.  I started out thinking about how I fight with glaive, and realized that almost all of my style just boils down to the few fundamentals executed efficiently.  As we think about weapons that are safer and lighter, we start to see more divergence from fundamentals into odds and ends of "advanced" or "situational" techniques. (quotes here because some of those "advanced" techniques are things vets can get away with, despite being bad form)

This all came to an interesting conclusion: our more dangerous, harder to use equipment is easier to build fundamentals with because the variance in technique is much lower than things like sword and board.  For example, glaive can be broke down into three two-handed swings, a one-handed swing, and stabbing.  While it make take some time to practice and perfect those techniques to refine placement, combos, and energy efficiency, it is easy to focus on these core techniques.  If we look at sword and board, our introductory weapons set, there are at least 6 basic types of swings to learn, plus a few stabs, and a lots of shieldwork.  While that isn't a huge amount to learn, it all gets muddled with a much larger variety of possible attacks and combinations with shieldwork and swings.

Designing a class or one-on-one instruction around the fundamentals of sword and board seems fairly straightforward, but the most common interaction between vet and new fighter comes on the field at practice.  Many times, the "wow, what did you just do to kill me?" response from a new fighter draws the vet to explain an advanced technique or unique combo.  I wonder how this impacts a newer fighter's development of the fundamentals.  Are we distracting them from the core techniques, or giving them an incentive to build them?

With all that in mind, I think the next few blog posts will be geared towards the fundamentals.  While I am temped to start with the overall fundamentals of swordfighting like footwork, stance, and situational awareness, I think it may be more beneficial to focus on the building blocks of how to swing a sword.

Now, of course, others have already ventured down this territory.  The Amyr, for example, teach a class at about every Midwestern event about the basic shots.  This is good instruction to learn what types of shots are possible, but I would rather look at the various motions that combine together to make those shots happen.  After all, if we want to work on the fundamentals, mastering the basic motions of a shot allows one to adapt a shot to hit where they might need to.

The next post, then, will start with the super basic "how to swing a sword".  As always, questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome.  Stay tuned!

A Squire's Path

While I have discussed knights and squires in the past, I've had a few people ask for a few more specifics about the squiring process.  Newer realms that aren't next door to an established order of knights often seek to start their own order, but several of them will hesitate because they haven't been around the traditions enough to really understand the process. This post's goal, then, is to share my view of how squiring works in a well-established order of knights.

My home realm has many knights, several of which have held their title longer than Belegarth has been its own sport. That isn't exactly common, but many realms have such experience, with or without the title.  Knights here are allowed one squire, and a second if they call and pass a vote to allow it. With so many knights, that means there can be many people going through the squiring process at any given time.  They only true requirement for them to get knighted is to earn enough votes from the council of knights. 

I say that's the only true requirement, but the rest of the requirements come from their knight, and the standards the other knights will use to decide how to vote.  The realm's general requirement is that each squire must beat all of the active knights in challenges, set by the knights.  These can be duels, field challenges, or non-fighting displays of skill or knowledge.  Many knights gauge their squire against Kyrian's list of squire tasks, as it encompasses nearly every type of task one could give a squire. Once a knight feels their squire has completed their tasks, they will bring them up for a vote to be knighted. 

The knight and squire relationship is important to the process.  In addition to their direct training, knights apply their experience to guiding their squire through the process.  Occasionally, this can be harsh truths, comforting words, or a kick in the right direction.  They help keep the squire on task and motivated to finish challenges and tasks.  They also need to point out weaknesses that need improved and extra tasks (like running a specific event).   The main thing the squire needs is a little bit of help outlining what they need to work on and where they stand. Some of this could be done by a realm taking on a squire in lieu of a knight.  Those realm squires, without a knight, do miss out on a little bit of the fun part of squiring--fighting alongside their knight. 

One misconception that seems to be common is that a squire learns everything from their knight.  While a knight teaches their squire many things, a great deal of learning comes from others.  Squires must be on a quest to learn from as many people as possible, while doing their best to think critically of their own techniques. A lot of skill develops from self-evaluation and adapting to overcome skilled opponents.  By challenging the best fighters and seeking their criticism, one can often find what needs to improve, but it takes concentrated effort to actually fix technique. This also applies to service, as most knights have much experience in planning and running events, and can be great at recruitment and retention. Even in areas that have few knights (or those of equivalent experience), a realm might be able to pass along its shared experience and knowledge to a squire who seeks to learn all their area has to offer.  However, one may need to venture beyond their realm to gain more specific knowledge that elder realms/knights might be able to offer. 

As a squire, I always set for myself the goal to "do what a knight should do".  That means a lot of different things to each person, but gives one a guideline to follow.  If there is a gap in knowledge or skill that prevents achieving that goal, then obviously that is something that needs to be worked on and improved.  It also frames the mindset of service, as in if I would complain that a knight should be doing a task, why wouldn't I just take care of it? Of course, this also requires an idea of what knights do, or to have knights to emulate. 

The answer to the problem is complicated, as each knight brings something different to the table.  There are some that make a distinction between "fighting knights" and "service knight". All knights should be both, to varying degrees.  Fighting skill (or knowledge of fighting technique) is important for building a stronger realm and can be a great way to bolster recruitment through displays of top skill.  Service is a broad category, but even knights that focus on fighting still serve the realm through teaching.  It is also helpful for event planners to have fighting experience so they can plan fighting that keeps attendees involved and entertained.  The point here is that both sides bolster each other, and it is important to develop in both areas. 

One aspect of fighting skill that is often overlooked in discussion of squire tasks is field leadership. Taking command and helping the group find success on a large field is something knights should be doing (see above). Many knights have their squires read classic books on military strategy (Art of War, etc) to help build this sort of strategic mindset. Often, squires will be tasked to lead realm battles or shepherd a flock of new fighters to test their leadership.  Developing a keen eye for the flow of a line fight and gaps in the enemy line not only boosts their ability to personally influence the fight, but also to lead others to the same ends.  Smaller groups/realms might find that having a reliable commander might make the experience at major events more fun as they find more success on the field. 

Knights don't have to be the best one on one fighters in every style. However, they do need to be well versed in a variety of weapons and techniques.  Most knights end up specializing in a few weapons or styles, and are often experts in one or two.  I would say "mastered" one or two styles, but I have always felt that there will always be room to improve. At the end of a squire's path to knighthood, they should be able to display a high level of skill in a couple of styles.  Even being an expert in a support weapon should qualify. Controversial as it may be, even a non-combatant might be able to display fighting knowledge that rivals even veteran fighters--leaving the path of non-com squire open to those realms that would find it fitting.  To fit the mold of "someone that could run a realm", a knight needs to be able to teach fighting technique, not necessarily excel at it.  For example, I'm no expert on flails or bows, but I could teach someone how to use them effectively.  

 

All squires should be experts on the Book of War (and/or Dag's Manual of Arms). And by expert, I do mean expert.  They will need to know the rules for combat to be a herald, and the rules for weapon construction to check weapons and to build them. Even someone that has been in the sport for a while should review the rules and study them a little bit periodically, especially if one plans to work towards knighthood.  The hard part for newer realms, or those farther from the traditions, is that it is difficult to learn unwritten rules and old combat conventions without exposure to long serving veteran fighters. This is where disparity appears between realms and regions, especially in realms that rarely make it to large events.  Knights pass along this tradition to their realms.  Squires in more isolated realms should make it a point to visit older realms and learn from elder knights. 

 

Squires/knights should do their best to be paragon of sportsmanship and a good representative of the sport. They need to be an example to others of how great fighting can be.  By having fun, fighting hard, and coming away from a fight with a positive attitude, they can help make a mediocre day of fighting into a great time for everyone on the field.   From a recruiting standpoint, they need to be able to talk to newcomers, teach them the basics, and get them fighting.  They should be approachable and helpful.  Consider who recruited you to the sport, who really sold you on sticking around, and do your best to emulate them.

The benchmark for when a squire is ready to be knighted should be high.  The process should be hard enough to forge a strong fighter and realm leader. It should last long enough to give a squire opportunity for growth and success, as well as a chance to fail and recover, but each one's path is different and takes its own time to complete.  There should be no rush to be knighted, for the more difficult and time consuming the challenge, the more rewarding the title will be.

 

A bit of a side note.  Several people concern themselves with the prestige or reputation of the title "knight". While it is something that many people honor, the meaning of the title rests in the hands of those who have earned it.  Anyone can call themselves a knight, but those that have earned the respect of the knights they have aspired to be will find their title much more meaningful.  The title is more that you have been accepted to join them as a peer of the order.  For those knighted under realms, it is a mark of that realm's respect and appreciation for your efforts. As long as a knight upholds the goals and aims of his realm, there is little reason to concern themselves with what outsiders think about the title.

Do's and Don'ts of Events

I had a longer post written, but somehow lost a good chunk somewhere.  Hopefully most of what was lost is still covered.

After arriving at the site, your first stop should be "troll".  This is where you'll sign in and pay for the event. Information and a map are also usually found here, as are any rules specific to the site. It is a good idea to know what rules the event is using ahead of time (Belegarth, Dagorhir, or some Realm's specific rules), and read up on any differences between your home practice and the event.  When in doubt, ask when you arrive.

After checking in, drop off your gear at weapons check (if it is open). If you haven't already marked your gear in a way you can identify it, do so before dropping it off.  Also, make sure they are marked according the rules (like green tape on the pommel for a stabbing sword).

The biggest events are a series of day events strung together with entertainment, feasts, nightlife, and camping.  After you are all checked in and waiting for weapons to be checked, it is a good time to set up camp (and change into garb). Most realms/groups camp together.  The map at troll often has these campsites marked to help you find where to set up with your group.

Before weapons check closes, there will usually be a variety of sparring, classes, and pick up battles.  This is a good chance to fight a few veterans from other realms.  If you aren't sure who to talk to, ask a vet from your realm to introduce you to a few people.

After a long day of fighting, there will usually be a Feast provided by the event, followed by any nightlife at the various group camps.  To really get a feel for each of the units and realms camping out, you need to go visit their camps.  It is best to travel around with a vet that knows the various groups well.  Just be sure to say "Hail Camp" as you approach so they know someone is coming to visit.  Introduce yourself and hang out for a while.

Sometimes, units will have ceremonies, promotions, and the like.  Most of the time, outsiders aren't welcome for them.  If they ask you to leave, do so, but don't feel bad about it.  They are probably just about to have a meeting or other unit business that doesn't involve you.

A few do's and don'ts of events:

1) DO: Take your hits!  I'm required to say that first.  Do your best to take them accurately and portray them quickly.  If you get confused, just take death.

2) DON'T: Call your hits on other people. It is on their honor to take them (see number 1).  If you have problems with an individual, ask a herald.

3) DO: Hit hard.  More adrenaline, more armor, and long days of fighting seem to increase people's hit tolerance at events. Shots that might get taken at a local practice may not be hard enough for someone to feel through armor and in the heat of the moment.

4) DON'T: Hit too hard.  There is no reason to go at 100% full force on your swings.  You want to strike a balance between power and control. Safety is key.

5) DO: Seek advice, training, and sparring during breaks.  If you see someone fight well in a style you want to learn, ask them to spar or for some tips.  Most veterans are happy to share their experience.

6) DO: Swing!! A lot of fighters find event fighting intimidating.  Just go for it.  You'll probably die one way or another during a battle, it might as well be while taking someone else out with you.

7) DON'T: Dive headfirst into the enemy. Aggression is good, but carelessly throwing your life away isn't helping your team.  Wait for a good opportunity.

8) DON'T: Walk through the weapons check area!  You will be yelled at, I promise.  Always walk around.  We don't want someone getting hit with a backswing because they walked through.

9) DO: Have fun, on and off the field. Even if you aren't winning fights, have a good time trying something fun.  Take in the opportunity to socialize with long time veterans and various units.

10) DON'T: Overdo it. Many events are at dry parks, but where alcohol is permitted, be responsible. The last thing you want is to be carried back to your tent or make a terrible impression. Besides, too much consumption will likely ruin your next day of fighting.

11) DO: Be respectful of other camps. This is their home for the week, so respect the rough boundaries around camps and their property.  "Hail Camp" before entering their area.

12) DO: Volunteer to help.  Events are a ton of work.  If you are qualified to help in some way, don't hesitate to volunteer.  Even if they don't need help, you can always make sure to clean up your campsite and trash.

13) DON'T: Argue with heralds.  Take the hits they call.  If you disagree, ask them after the fight.

14) DO: Know the rules. Even vets should reread the rules on occasion. Any rules that deviate from the national rules are likely to be posted at the event.  See this post: Unwritten Rules.

15) DO: Sign up for classes ahead of time.  All sorts of classes are made available at big events, both for fighting and crafting. This is a great chance to learn from veterans and skilled craftsmen.

16) DO: Arrive early.  Try to be at the event as/before weapons check opens.

17) DO: Hydrate! It is easy to forget to take a break and grab some water. I pack a mix of water and sports drinks, along with a few easy snacks.

18) DO: Check your gear ahead of time.  Even if you aren't sure how to check weapons, have a vet check your gear a few weeks before the event.  This gives you time to make repairs and break in new blades.

Unwritten Rules

If you've read the Book of War for Belegarth, you've heard of "medieval combat precedent".  The phrase gets tossed out quite a bit during rules discussions, especially those between fighters from various realms/regions.  Part of the reason for this is that the rules for Belegarth (and Dagorhir) leave several items open to interpretation.  The rules are sparse to allow ease of use, which also means some rules aren't fully explained.

This leaves us with a several "grey" areas that some people play a little differently than the rules might suggest.  The following list is by no means comprehensive, but covers a few of the most common.  Check with your local realms and events to see how they play the them.

In no particular order:

1) "Shot in motion".  According to the rules, when your arm gets hit (or your body), you drop what is in your hands.  However, a large portion of the sport plays shot in motion, where you can finish any swing that was already started and have it count, within reason.  The opposite approach is "atomic clock", where the swing is discounted immediately.

2) "Double tapped legs". Subsequent strikes to a disabled leg are ignored, unless both knees are down or you are rolling, etc.  However, many play that you must be portraying the wound before that rule applies, meaning two hits to the leg while you are standing can kill you.  You can avoid any confusion by taking the wound quickly (and wearing good knee pads...).

3) "Grappling".  Armored fighters can't initiate grapples against unarmored fighters. Archers can't grapple.  However, the rules don't mention grabbing equipment.  Grabbing a spear shaft isn't generally considered a grapple.  But what about a sword handle, a strap shield? There isn't much precedent, so I usually use safety as a test.  An archer grabbing a spear to defend themself isn't placing the spearman in danger (6' away), but grabbing a weapon handle might place both of them in danger of the poky bits from the arrows and bow. My opponent can easily let go of their weapon to get out of the situation if I grab their handle, but not if I grab their strap shield.

4) "Head, then body".  The rules say to take the worst of the hits of a strike hits more than one zone. But the head is an illegal target, so what happens when a shot hits the head, then hits body?  Two sides to this one, either the "worst" means "bad for you, take the body" or "illegal target is worst, ignore the rest".  Precedent, from back when, was that this is a body shot.  Recently, more people air on the side of it being counted as a head shot.  I generally try to gauge it based on how much of a head hit it was.  Grazing a bit of an ear and landing solid on body, it's a body shot.  Blazing me in the side of the dome and carrying a somewhat light hit down into the body, it's a headshot.  This varies greatly from fighter to fighter.  Best advice, avoid hitting people in the head.

5) "Late hits". See number 1. Your opponent throws a shot after he's been hit in that arm, so it doesn't count.  But, you got hit and started dropping your gear.  He says "late", implying you are still alive and should keep fighting.  All fine and good.  Though, none of this is in the rules.  Normally, if you take an injury, the herald is the only one that can/should "heal" a wound, and even that is a stretch.  However, "late" calls help keep people happy and fighting, and are generally accepted.  Just give fighters nearby a friendly heads up that you are still alive.  If you've been dead for a while, just stay dead, especially if being alive again would give you a very big advantage (behind enemy lines, etc) that you didn't already have.

6) "Point!". Guy throws a javelin, hits with the haft, then yells "point!" expectantly, thinking he has landed a good, point first javelin hit.  The rules are honor based, you are in no way bound to his call of point,  if it indeed hit with the haft.  This call is something that probably should be replaced with "haft" or "nothing" when the thrower is pretty sure the hit wasn't valid, or "javelin" if someone is looking around to see what hit them.

7) "Pool cueing double greens". There was recently a large discussion about this one.  Pool cueing is letting the spear/glaive slide through one hand while pushing with the other.  Dagorhir specifically labels this as a one-handed stab, Bele doesn't specify. I call them as a single when I glaive, but others want to call them double.  This is because the rules say "when wielded with two hands", leaving the amount of effort applied by the second hand undefined. Many play it like Dagorhir, where both hands have to be firmly gripping the weapon from the start of the stab until contact is made.

8) "Calling colors". While the Belegarth rules only specify that you need to call "two" when attacking from behind with a two-handed weapon, the general practice is to call the type of hit if it is anything other than a one-handed, swung weapon. Preference seems to be calling colors: red for class two and green for class three, while calling blue for one handers from behind.  Also, calling stabs as "single" or "double" is acceptable, especially for polearms that switch between one and two handed often.

9) "acknowledging hits". Calling hand, armor, light, garb, graze, pierced arms, and any other call about how you got hit and didn't take a wound or die isn't required by the rules.  However, playability says otherwise.  Even if it is a few second afterwards, a call can help clear up the situation and prevent your opponent from getting upset that you aren't taking hits.  As long as you are correctly taking your hits, missing a call here or there isn't the end of the world, just do your best to call what you can.

10) "Solid Shield Breaking Hits".  Different places have different standards on how hard a class two weapon needs to hit a shield to qualify as a shield breaking hit, especially when adding in Dagorhir* realms.  Some realms encourage the idea that it only needs to be as hard it would need to be to count against a limb. Most large events play it as needing a significant amount of extra power to break shields.  This probably comes from the historical/practical argument of "would that shot have actually damaged a shield in a significant way".  I prefer the heavier hitting style, on both sides of the hit.  As a two-hander, I'd rather people only take "good" swings, rather than lighter hits that weren't intended to break their shield.  As a shieldman, I expect other red users to be capable of the same hits.

*Dagorhir has a few extra rules towards discounting the hits that could easily be misread to mean "if it hits a weapon first, it doesn't count." As best I can tell, that isn't at all the intention, but I have seen it played as such.
---
Parting thought: bastard swords (min red) aren't really intended to be great for breaking shields. Try hunting armor instead.

Heralds

Dude, I totally killed you."
"There's no way that was your arm, you're dead."
"Point, that javelin killed you."

--Random, but common phrases uttered on the fields of Belegarth and Dagorhir.


First off, a reminder: heralds/marshals are the only people who can call someone "dead" or even bring someone back to life.  Archers are the only fighters that can call their shots (as in that arrow hit you in the torso, not arm). Even calling "point" on a javelin is pushing the boundaries of acceptable practices, especially if you follow it with the expectation that they take the hit.  Granted, I occasionally find myself questioning how someone took (or didn't take) a hit, but I usually try to ask them when the fight is over. Or keep swinging until one of us calls themself dead.

"But what if I know, 100%, that guy is cheating?"

Well, that is why we have heralds.  Ideally, their presence alone will keep most people honest, to the best of their hit registering ability.  Of course, people will miss shots or end up in a confusing situations.  This is where heralds start making calls in order to clean up the situation.

Not every call they make will be 100% accurate, and that is ok.  They are trying to fix a bad situation, and will do their best to call someone dead before things get too complicated or messy.  They also won't hesitate to call people dead for safety reasons, because maintaining a safe field is far more important than one fighter's success.

"That herald made a bad call, I disagree, I'll give him a piece of my mind."

Adrenaline plus being told you are dead, when "clearly" you weren't, trips that moment when you want to argue with someone.  Stop, breath, calm down.  Remember, Bele and Dag specifically give heralds the right to kick you off of the field if you are being a problem. Arguing with one probably is a quick way to get them to send you to the sidelines.  And if they don't, I know quite a few people that would be happy to escort you there.

After the fight, ask them, politely. Sometimes their vantage point gives them a better angle to judge some shots.  Other times it is worse.  Sometimes what you felt and what they saw are two very different things.  They made the call that seemed the most appropriate from their perspective. Oh well, move along, the next fight is starting in about ten seconds.

"I've never seen that herald fight, they don't know enough to call hits."

Fighting and heralding are two very different things.  There are good fighters that are terrible at it, and there are people that rarely or never fight that are incredible at it.  Odds are, if a non-fighter is heralding, they've actually read and studied the rules far more than most fighters.  I also know quite a few great heralds that rarely fight today, but have a long career before you even caught a glimpse of them.

Do we really think NFL, NBA, or NHL refs are amazing, former pro players?  Probably not, but they have spent a good deal of time learning how to do the job.

"I want to herald!"

Great.  First things first, read the rules, a few times. Make sure to ask vets how your realm (or event) are handling any grey areas (that probably should be another post, huh?).  I don't recommend starting at an event, get some training by following a good herald at a local practice. Make sure to ask what they are seeing and hearing. And yes, the sound of a sword hitting a shield is different that it hitting a body.

Different heralds have different approaches.  I air on the side of "looked like it was probably blocked enough to be light" and try to only make calls if truly necessary.  Others take the "I saw it make contact and he didn't call light, so he's dead" approach, and make several calls.  Neither are perfect; I miss a few shots that should be called, but their style makes a few more "bad" calls.  Try to strike a balance and set a standard for when you want to step in and make a call.  Just be sure you are close to the fight, move with the battle.

Oddly enough, I usually end up making far more calls about arrows than poor hit taking. Archers and targets can't always see deflection or where the arrow hit.  Being perpendicular to the shot gives you a great angle to judge. Because arrow rules are less well know to newer fighters and smaller realms, this is when knowing the rulebook well comes in handy.

TL;DR: Listen to heralds, they are doing you a favor by running the field so everyone else can fight.

Take your hits!

Skill on a Stick

Before anyone gets upset, this isn't intended to be a rant about cheesy weapons and the people that use them.

I hear about it all the time. Whether it is a discussion about how to fight against it or how to use it, someone inevitably says "they're just skill on a stick". Heck, I'm sure I've said it a few times.

Of course, it isn't just flails we hear this sort of sentiment about. Cheesemail, low profile spears, 12 oz swords, punch towers, speed bats, and all sorts of other gear gets labeled as cheesy or overpowered. This is especially true when talking to newer fighters.

Obviously, the game can't be so imbalanced (or well balanced) that everything is overpowered. There are advantages and disadvantages to most gear. So why do we keep hearing [random gear] is overpowered? It seems a portion is due to exposure to the fighting style, which depends largely on the area one fights in. If you haven't fought against a weapon or shield design before, you have no preset method to fight against it, so you have to resort to your typical responses and attacks.

But that isn't all that makes something "cheesy", it has to have some advantage that people find difficult to overcome. Lets look at the max length (40" in Belegarth) flail as an example. The advantage it gets is the ability to go around shields and blocks thanks to the hinge. It takes practice, but those advantages aren't difficult to overcome by changing how you block and move against the flail. It succeeds when people react the same as they would against a sword.

Still seems too strong? Well, it is 40" long, your sword? Probably not that long. Even most longswords come in around 36" in length. To be honest, if you were to use a max length sword, you'd probably have an advantage over the flail. With the general trend of making lighter, faster weapons, flails begin to be stronger relative to the field.

This same sort of meta gaming lends itself to promote the other types "cheese", and whatever counters it. Cheap and easy armor to counter lots of spears, punch towers to counter flails, etc. The point here is that everything has a way to counter it, including your setup. If you find yourself constantly losing to one weapon or style, maybe look at your own strategy and style before labeling them cheesy. Maybe you've been throwing rock when you really should be throwing scissor.