ANST - Goof Toobs

stddly at SHSU.edu stddly at SHSU.edu
Tue Aug 26 18:40:52 PDT 1997


Heilsa all Good Ansteorrans and True...

Kief here...writing from HL Lorraine's account.

>Now if we could just figure out a way to elemionate the bounce-back
>problem. A nock in the eye makes it hard to see well.
>
>Larkin

Alrighty then, here I go... (scrape...scrape...as the soapbox gets pulled into
position...) Now...I am going to make several...no, make that many people mad
at me in the next few minutes. But since when has that ever stopped me before?

Larkin makes a very good point. Bounce back is a problem...and a "nock" in the
eye is no one's friend. Along those lines I have a couple of problems with
archery on the combat field. Don't get me wrong, I think that archery on the
combat field is a "good thing"! (Although I _hate_ getting killed in the first
two minutes of a battle...) 

Problem the first: On the heavy combat field we, in this Kingdom, have no
protection from "nocks" in the eye. I feel that the heavy weapons folk need to
have a secondary grill over the eye and face region to protect from "nocks" in
the eye or face. I have actually seen two instances of fired arrows landing
nock end up in a pile of dead and injured during a melee. In one instance a
fighter spun and fell dead, face down, within two inches of a "nock up" arrow.
If this good gentle had been but 2 - 3 inches to the side he would have been
severely injured or even killed. There is a rule in our own _Complete
Participant's Handbook_ about having anything / weapon on the field that can
enter more than 1/2 inch inside a face guard. Arrow shafts DO NOT meet this
criteria!!! Again, at a recently past Gulf War a gentle fell on a quiver of
arrows, nock end up, and just missed a severe injury when the nock ends entered
deeply inside his faceplate... (This problem was "solved" by having all arrows
carried nock end down in the quiver.) The possibility of injury or death is
very real here folks. This issue needs to be researched ASAP and a concensus  
reached on how to protect ourselves from this type of injury. (The West Kingdom
, I believe, have either fixed or removable "screen" type grills that fasten to
the regular helm. What are your comments? I find that Balder Blunts, Thistle
Missiles, and Markland tips to be OK...although the Thistle Missiles hurt like
the blue blazes when fired from 10 to 20 feet away... Again, comments are
requested on this "problem the first".

Problem the second: On the rapier side of the issue Ansteorra has banned the
Thistle Missile from "regular" melee use. (Rightly so I feel; given the impact
on an unarmored throat or temple.) However, I would like to see our archers
have the use of all good and new technology. What does the Rapier Community
think of the idea of using "Schlager helms" and leather or metal gorgets to
protect these "target zones"? Also, are there any other problems that you in
the Legion see in the use of archery on the Rapier Melee field?

Next I'd like to solicit comments on archery on the melee field in general. I
would like to propose, at any War or melee, the doubling of the number of
battles... *grin* The first battle would have archery. At the end of the
encounter the field would be gleaned of all missile weapons. Then the fight
would be repeated, but WITHOUT the archery. This would give the archers and
marshals time to separate and inspect the missile weapons without a delay in
the overall fighting. Also, it would give all of us a chance to see exactly how
much the archery effects the outcome of the battle... Comments?
   
So, there...down off my box I leap....! Incoming...?!

Waes Thu Hael kinfolk...!

Sir Arenvald Kief av Kiersted...Southern Regional Seneschal and Marshal at
Large (Chivalric) ....and, if I may add...a Right Good Fellow! *bigger grin*


"Better the Hammer than the nail..."

============================================================================

To be removed from the Ansteorra mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe ansteorra".



More information about the Ansteorra mailing list