Monday, May 12, 2014

Understanding The Game


I have been fighting for Many years on the rapier side of the SCA and sometimes consider myself a decent fighter. Sure I'm not Awesome but I am better then most new people and am always working to up my game.

I have only been fighting heavy for roughly 5 months and authorized for 2 1/2 of those months. I have learned a lot But just like in Rapier it takes me a while to learn something. Occasionally I learn something really quick but others it takes a while.... like how to properly throw shots. That is taking me forever to learn.  Its a process and a long one But I am willing to accept this challenge head on and I have great teachers helping me along the way. Some I regularly practice with, and others I meet on the field.  All have their merits and I am always happy to learn from them But there is only so much info a person can take in before the brain becomes mush @.@. The rapier people are really good at doing this.

I had a crash course in melees last year on the rapier side and again this year on the heavy field. Melees are so much different and It has taken me over a year to understand why. Then it hit me after Mugmort which was a smaller event and gave me some time to think things through.


The biggest difference between melees ad singles are the amount of people and the mind set. In singles (for me most of the time is) How can I win this fight..... This is a BAD way to think for me..... why? because I get to focused on thinking how to set up the fight and before I know it I'm usually out of the fight. Thats mainly how I think on the rapier side. I am getting a little better at this. In heavy it's "ok im a newer fighter. I dont know these people so I don't yet know what they are going to do" Often times I end up dead.... Instantly. Again Its a work in progress.
In melees (and man has it taken me a while to learn this) I am not the only one on the field! There are team mates there to help you if you need it and you need to be there for when they need you. Rapier melees are a little less chaotic then heavy melees and thats because we stop at swords length. In heavy we go charging into the enemy and then its really hard to tell whos friend or foe. Yes they have tape on their helms but for blind people (like me) it can be hard to tell until you are all up in their face. I usually have a couple feet to tell but still it can be difficult...... And there is a reform word chosen at the beginning of the fight. Biggest downfall I have seen thus far is if your in a cluster of people and yell your reform..... well soon you have enemies figuring you out and it doenst always end well...... especially for me.  In the shield wall you are usually the first to be hit.... actually you WILL be hit first and the shield walls main job is to stay alive to protect the pole arms and spears and anyone else who is behind you.
In rapier....its a bit \more complicated but you have your shields and bucklers in the front the long weapons behind them, then everything else behind them. My favorite part about rapier melees are the bridge battles with res. Because one you die and res you get a free pass to the front line :D
Blackstone 2013 (brendoken Invasion)
Overall Everything I "should have" learned last year is slowly starting to make more sense this year as I get more familiar with the melee side of things and work on improving my mind set. I have a long term goal for heavy and I think I have a goal for rapier and I expect it will take me a while to get there but with hard work and dedication (and people to help me) I can accomplish anything!


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