By Tristan von Eisig, Tarrach Alfson, Kitakaze Raito
1/24/2003
There are basic skills that each fighter should have. No matter what weapon form you take up, you should have an understanding and familiarity of each of these. These basics are the building blocks of the army. We cannot accomplish working together unless we are versed in these basics.
Below is listed each of the things that each fighter must know and be able to do, within their own capabilities. You might not be able to accomplish every one, but you should be able to do most of them.
One last thing before we look at specifics: Make sure that we display the most chivalrous behavior on the battlefield. Competition can draw out the worst just as it can draw out the best in people. Let's all be examples. There are too many instances of hot tempers, profanity, visible frustration, and accusations of misconduct. If you find yourself feeling frustrated, tell one of your leaders- they will help. Let the other side indulge in these weaknesses. If they exist it means someone is not having fun and therefore not performing to their potential. They are also making every other fighter on their side look bad.
All fighters must UNDERSTAND ENGAGEMENT. This is one of the biggest reasons
for hot tempers on the field. Make sure you know when you can hit someone and
when you can't. Go over this as frequently as possible. If there is a discrepancy,
courteously work it out.
Your reputation is our reputation. Don't be shy about helping someone cool down or work out problems, if need be. We're here to help each other out, in absolutely every way.
A few simple rules will make us the most enjoyable opponents anywhere:
o Never lose your temper, or your courtesy. Someone else's bad behavior does
not excuse your own.
o Adrenaline is no excuse. If you miss taking a blow you should have, make apologies,
not excuses. Everyone misses a blow now and again, but how you deal with it
leaves more of an impression.
o Never, ever use profanity on the field. This holds true even if you are frustrated
with your own performance. It is easy to misunderstand frustration. It will
spread like wildfire if only one person starts it.
o Never gripe or whine about someone not taking your blow. If you hit them once,
you can do it twice. Give them the benefit of the doubt. You would do this for
one of your own, right? If there is a real problem, have a marshal watch while
you hit them again.
o Never scream at someone for hitting you too hard. You should let them know
if they are hitting excessively, but do so kindly. This is combat, not a knitting
class. Accidents happen. Again, give the benefit of the doubt. If you see a
consistent problem, have a marshal watch the person in question.
Swordsmen
Swordsmen (also called shieldmen) should be able to:
o Knock someone down with a three step charge.
o Break through a line or press without tripping.
o Charge down a spearman or polearmsman and kill them.
o Withstand a charge without getting blown over.
o Be able to block blows from multiple opponents by tightening their guard.
o Spot weaknesses and exploit them.
o Keep their eyes on everything going on in front of them.
o In the open field, they should either regroup or rally regrouping rather than
engaging in single combat.
The swordsman is the heart of the army. In the past, swordsmen were treated as obstacles for spearmen to fight around. This is the old way and has now been officially retired. swordsmen must be offensive and aggressive. They must NEVER be stopped by spearmen or polearms- to do so is certain destruction. The capital weapons will still work around the swordsmen, but the swordsmen will be calling the shots. They must take any ground they can. If it is ground that has been softened by the spearmen, they must take it immediately. If a weak spot has been created by a charge, again that ground must be taken immediately. Whenever a swordsmen sees that we have an advantage, the order is 'forward'.
Spearmen
Spearmen should be able to:
o Stay alive in a one-on-one duel with any spearman without giving ground.
o Have good point control and be able to hit at extreme range (long lunge).
o Work with another spearman or polearmsman immediately upon engaging the enemy.
o Be able to strike at angles, not just straight ahead.
o Be comfortable thrusting to the leg and arm as well as face and body.
o Be able to stop a charging shieldman by thrusting to the shield.
o Be able to work with another spearman to exploit openings.
o Fight on the retreat (while quickly moving backwards).
o Be able to defend against a shieldman who has gotten too close.
o Keep eyes on the whole line, all the while looking for targets and hitting
them.
The spearmen are the artillery. They have glaring weaknesses and need protection. When they have the right support and are placed correctly, they are devastating.
If you want to fight with a spear, practice with one every time you get into armor. It should be comfortable, like an old friend. Picking one up twice a year won't make you good with it. Average spearmen are moderately useful, but excellent spearmen are invaluable. Take the time to get skilled with a spear. Even if you don't intend to fight spear, practice with one now and again. It doesn't hurt to understand how it works from the wielder's standpoint.
Polearmsmen
Polearmsmen should be able to:
o Wield a 7 ½ foot polearm.
o Fight in close quarters, like a charge.
o Stop a charging shieldman.
o Follow and support a shieldman when engaging in or receiving a penetration
charge.
o Be greedy about getting into the fight, but know when to get out of the way.
o Support spears in a spear line by blocking and striking against the opponents'
spears.
o Hit low and high, and be sneaky about it.
The polearmsman has the most difficult job on the battlefield because his job is so crucial. He must be eager to get in the fight when it turns the most active and ugly. He must be quick to get out of the way when things stabilize and spears are required. In a charge, the polearmsman has the most fun job of all - raw and unabated slaughter. They are responsible for killing the opposing shieldmen that are being thrown around by our own shieldmen.
Archers
Archers should be able to:
o Move to the front immeadiately when battles go static.
o Spot and shoot other archers.
o Spot and shoot commanders.
o Spot and shoot spearmen.
o Watch for changes in the battle
o Not take advantage of fighters than may be working out problems. When someone
drops their guard, chances are they have stopped fighting to work something
out. Let them do this without shooting them. It is a courtesy every other fighter
will give a fellow fighter.
o Mind their attitude.
o Try to keep the battle from becoming an outright slaughter. If clear superiority
is gained, back off and let fighters die a noble death.
Archery is unlike any other weapon on the battlefield. It has the ability to take all the fun out of fighting, leaving a lot of troops frustrated and angry. This is why the last three points are so important. If these are abused too much, archery will become a pariah and will vanish. As an archer, remember that you can make it so that neither your opponents nor your own teammates get a chance to fight. As fun as it is to win, getting to fight is why we do this.
Archery is the key to winning a battle that allows it. Of that, there is no argument. Spear fighters should think seriously about having CA gear. If we are outnumbered with archery, we can pull a few spears out (which are useless at that point anyway) and add archers.
If you are an archer, consider making a pavise. This is a large scutum-like shield which has folding leg on the back so that it may stand on it's own. It's invaluable as cover to kneel behind and reload. Remember, we're not using swordsmen as obstacles anymore.
Exercises:
Below are listed some full speed and full contact exercises. Real fighting is
the best way to sharpen skills. Sometimes a walkthough is helpful to see concepts,
but don't spend a lot of time walking around the field. Learn by doing, and
ask to be taught if you need lessons. We'll learn more by fighting in earnest.
o One-on-one spear dueling. You should keep at a distance to get the feel for extended range fighting. Barfighting with a spear is fun, but won't prepare you very well for war.
o Simple two-on-one in an open field. Start with all shieldmen, but as you get more comfortable with a polearm, throw that in (to either side). It will sharpen you movement, and your ability to stay alive. As part of the side with two, you should be working on dispatching your opponent as quickly as possible.
o Even-sides open field melees (2-on-2, 3-on-3, etc). These go VERY quickly but are important for working with others. Practice with the same people to get more familiar with them, get used to moving together. Work in polearms to the mix. Spears are not terribly useful in the open field, but 7 ½ polearms are extremely useful.
o Two fighters face off, one will deliver a three step charge, the other will receive. Both will practice their part of executing and dealing with a charge. Do this a half dozen times per practice to get the hang of it. Make sure both fighters throw blows as they normally would. The charging fighter should cover up as he goes in, and get his body low just before impact. Use all three steps allowed in the charge. Start about fifteen feet away and trot a couple of steps, then a full run for the last three. If you can't knock your opponent down, you should have at least moved them from their spot.
o Two spearmen face a single shieldman on a ten or so foot bridge. The shieldman's job is to charge down the spearmen and kill them. The spearman's job is to work together to stop and kill the shieldman, without giving any ground, if possible. If they must give ground, they must do so while fighting. This is also good practice with drawing a backup weapon. Skilled spearmen should be able to deal with the shieldman without having to resort to the backup weapon.
o A number of fighters (two on one, or more) line up across from each other in a spear line, and duel. Work in a few polearmsmen with 7 ½ footers. To keep either side from advancing too far, lay a line of shields on the ground, top to bottom. You cannot advance up to the shield, but not on over it (step on it). It is important for each fighter to watch every person in the opposing line, not just the fighter across the line from them. When someone lunges at someone, you should hit him (if it means you won't get struck). An alternation to this exercise is to leave the line for the count of five when you are struck. When your side has a number advantage, your side should be double-teaming your opponents.
o On one side, set three shields in either an open or closed rank, backed up with one (or two) polearmsmen. Have two or three shields do a full charge. Their job is to penetrate the shield line, hopefully knocking down a few on the way, and killing the polearmsmen. The defender's job is to avoid this and kill the attackers. It is best to either knock the attackers down, or let them through while tying them up so the polearmsman gets an easy kill.
o For groups with limited space, try this. Start with a 2 on 1, with a line of waiting fighters. When a fighter is killed, the next in line takes their place, and the killed fighter gets back into line. The fighters have to pay attention to know which side they're on when they come in.
o Freeze tag. While seemingly a simple game, this really builds field awareness and makes you keep your eyes on regrouping with your teammates. It also gets you accustomed to keeping your mind on a different objective than just killing. It's a blast too. You start on two sides, evenly split. When you are struck (regardless of wound or kill), you take a knee and holler 'Freeze'. You may regain your feet and fight normally when a teammate touches you an hollers 'Unfreeze'. The fight keeps going until all fighters on one side are frozen.
o "Omelet" battle. Divide the fighters into 2 teams. Alternate them in a circle around the marshall. The fighters close their eyes and start to turn round and round, with their eyes closed. At some point, the marshall tells them to stop spinning and walk straight ahead. After getting out of the way, the marshall calls "Lay On'. The fighters open their eyes and fight. This one is good for getting back together in groups.
o Go fight. This is the most important exercise of all - go fight in
every battle you can. As much as work at local practice can get you familiar
with what goes on in the battle, it can't duplicate the real thing. Pace, momentum,
timing are all very different in a battle than they are in small melee. The
above exercises are only preparations. Get yourself to as many wars and large
battles as you can. That's the real deal, and where the real learning is to
be had.