ANST - Some views on Archery, etc. (long)

[Jerry Dreifuerst]

Greetings all,
Othar here.

Most of you know me as a chivalric fighter in style as well as 
reputation, I hope. 

However, I also have gotten the archery bug.  

I am primarily a sword-and-shield kinda guy, but familiar with a large 
variety of weapons, too.  As a beginning fighter, I was put in the 
shield wall with the rest of the big guys with big shields.  There I 
learned how to be speared by opponents from 10 feet away and later how 
to be shot by archers from greater distances.  My job of staying in 
line, or maintaining a position within a unit prohibited my leaping out 
and killing the offending party, that and a wall of burly enemy 
shieldmen in the way.  As my melee skills increased, I died less often 
from those spearmen and archers, but die I did, along with the fighters 
around me.  

Two things happened. First, I learned if I ran REAL fast, I could get in 
the backfield and kill lots of archers and spearmen (so much for staying 
in place).  Second, I vowed to learn how to kill my enemies in the 
fashion they had taught me (so much for carrying a sword and shield).  I 
got a spear.  In some scenarios I became a spearman.  I'm still learning 
how to work a shield wall most effectively and kill while remaining 
alive.  I also got a bow.  Again, in other scenarios, I use my 30 foot 
spear to remove from the field the unlucky and unobservant fighters.  

I'm a warrior.  My job in war/melee is to dispatch my opponent from the 
field while retaining that field for my side.  I plan on using the 
tool/weapon that is best at the time.  Regardless of my weapon choice 
I'm still a chivalric fighter.  I expect to be killed, captured, or 
victorious.  I take and give my lumps with the understanding that the 
fighter I've just shot/stabbed/struck is potentially my ally in the next 
engagement.  And I really know that these are the guys I'm going to be 
drinking/singing with later that night.  

I enjoy melee fighting, swinging my sword into groups of fighters, 
blocking shots from all direction, running from one position to another.  
Yet I also understand the urge to win; choosing the place, time, and 
style of my opponent's death.  

Archery gives me the greatest opportunity to inflict damage on the other 
side.  From 30-50 feet, I have a greater choice of targets and openings.  
With practice, I can hit targets over 100 feet away. At Fall Melees last 
weekend, I dropped a knight at the back of the castle from well outside 
the front gate.  Did this guy know I shot him?  Was I too far away to be 
considered engaged?  If his side/back had been exposed could I have 
dropped him as easily, i.e., with a clear conscience?  Are all members 
of a shield wall engaged with all members of the opposing wall?  Are all 
occupants of a castle legal targets for ranged fire?  On the open field, 
who can I shoot?  Where can I shoot them?  Can I use the protections of 
being unengaged and thus not a target when I'm not arching?

The questions of who to shoot and when may not be solved on this list; 
however, we can express our views so that an understanding can be 
reached between the givers and the receivers.  I'll agree with whoever 
said, "Let's get rid of the ____(fill in with your least favorite 
weapon)."  I'll meet you with whatever weapon you like.  But if you give 
me an objective, and a choice of weapons and tactics, I'll choose the 
one that I think will give my side the greatest advantage, the one that 
will leave my side on the field and my opponent wondering, "Where the 
hell did all those fighters come from?  I thought we were evenly matched 
when we started."

Now don't get me wrong on this point too much, I like the "fun" of 
combat, too.  There have been a number of fights where the challenge, 
entertainment, or fun potential has over-ridden the "winning" tactic. 
Examples include the charges into hopelessly out-numbered foes (for us 
Ansteorrans that means odds of 50 to 1 or more), or the release of 
frontline shieldmen to scramble into a broken enemy's line to get to 
swing their sticks as opposed to letting the wall march forward so the 
spears and archers can polish off the stragglers.  

Winning should be fun and losing should be glorious.  When the tales are 
told after the battle is over, we should be able to look back and admire 
the actions that won the day for either side.  I find it truly 
satisfying to be able to look up the fighter who killed me to see how he 
did it.  By re-living the moment, shot, whatever, I can better plan to 
prevent it from happening the next time.

What's all this mean?  

In any combat situation, we all should strive to be ready.  Ready for 
what?  Whatever!  The random arrow from the sky, a parry/repost from a 
spearman, an end sweep from a large flanking unit, or the new funky shot 
your opponent throws at you on the tourney field.  If we're always 
prepared, then the good shot that gets through our defense is worthy of 
calling, be it sword, spear, or arrow.

And I plan to be the one giving it to you!

Othar Morganson                  MKA: Jerry Dreifuerst
Stargate, Ansteorra                   Houston, Texas
morganson at hotmail.com                 jerryd at neosoft.com

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