A question on War

Michael A. Chance mchance at crl.com
Mon Jul 17 17:07:33 PDT 1995


Earl Kein writes:

> Tournaments are to test individual prowess. Wars are to test 
> leadership, cooperation, and strategy.

It is possible to devise a tournament that test those qualities and
abilities, as well.  For instance, my brother, Baron Eirik Dweorgax,
is sponsoring and co-ordinating a series of 5-man melee tourneys in
the Middle Kingdom, partly in order to help develop small unit skills.
By adjusting the size of the teams (from 2-man teams all the way to
the perhaps 100-200 man teams that might be possible at Pennsic or
Estrella), differing combinations of qualities and abilities could be
tested.  While there are skills which are necessary regardless of the
size of the team, different tactics and skill are needed for 2-man,
3-man, 5-man, 10-man, 25-man and larger sized teams.  Directing the
weapons mix as part of the tourney could also be used to "force" the
appearance of certain traits you wish to observe or develop.  For
example, at a recent 5-man melee tourney here sponsored by Calontir's
Iren Hirth (Huscarls - Calontir's GoA level fighting order), all of
the huscarls had to fight with four-foot axes (it being the symbol of
the order).  This radically change the expected outcomes in many
cases.

A purely martial version of the Calontir Carousel (hosted here in Three
Rivers - next one this Sept. - write for more info!), which involves a
series of tests and challenges for teams of competitors (and is based,
loosely, on an actual medieval tourney format) would be another good
tournament to test "team skills".

And, of course, there's the ever popular "warlord" or progressive melee
style tourney.

> There is also nothing like the 
> rush that you get when you can feel the ground rumble under the feet of 
> a thousand fighters who are charging across the field.

On this, we both agree!

Mikjal Annarbjorn
-- 
Michael A. Chance          St. Louis, Missouri, USA    "At play in the fields
Work: mc307a at sw1stc.sbc.com                             of St. Vidicon"
Play: mchance at crl.com



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