[Ansteorra] Archery, ballista safety at Gulf Wars

[Harris Mark.S-rsve60]

Dore said:
> Another caveat: As it was we archers often had to wait until another
> archer fired and moved before we had an unobstructed view out the
> window or whatever. So if there are that many more archers, many will
> need to fire on targets they cannot see. Thus they will also need
> spotters. In fact, spotters would have been very handy even as it was.

And later in another message Robin said:
>I overheard some war observers complaining that our ballista shot too far -
>over the enemy and into the non-armored observers.  Apparently people in
>pavillions were dodging bolts.

I find it rather ironic that the Marshallete is now allowing ballistas
and archers to shoot blindly into locations they can not see.

When I was denied re-authorization on my combat archery several years
ago by Tuh Tahl, as Bryn Gwlad Archery Marshall, I was told it was
because it was said that folks were afraid I would be unable to
distinguish a marshal or spectator from an armored combatant. No matter
that I didn't shoot towards the spectators and tended to shoot into a
crowd of combatants, not trying to pick off individuals standing off by
themselves not carrying shields or weapons. In addition with the combat
legal crossbow, I was shooting at medium range targets rather than at
distant targets, since the bow was more accurate at that range. At
that range the targets were even more recognisable.

I think the people, apparently folks with political pull as Tuh Tahl
didn't want to oppose them, who demanded that I not be allowed to
shoot combat archery ought to sit back and consider that if they
were that concerned about a possible mis-shot then, why are they not
concerned now with archers, and particularly ballista crews, shooting
blindly at targets they cannot see and at best are using second or
third hand reports from observers which can easily get garbled in
the noise and pressure of battle.

In my case I could, and did, take precautions so that I was only
shooting at combatants. No, such precautions can't be guarenteed
to make things 100 percent safe. But allowing folks to blindly
shoot over a wall they can't see through or at best with a
spotter who can at best give general directions, is much less
uncertain than the precautions I was taking.

Because of this episode I quit SCA combat archery and armored
combat, so this now has little effect upon me. However, I think
some folks ought to reconsider why they can oppose what they feel
are unsafe practices when it affects only one person's playing, but
have no problem allowing, even encouraging, similar unsafe practices
when it involves a group of folks.

THLord Stefan li Rous
Barony of Bryn Gwlad
stefan at texas.net