[Ansteorra] Marshalling pole challenge

[Chris Zakes]

At 12:58 PM 1/30/2007, you wrote:

(snip)

><delurk>
>Suppose you are on the field, marshalling with a nice oaken staff.
>Suppose a combatant stumbles and falls against you, and the staff
>breaks. Suppose what happens next when the combatant lands on the
>nice, fresh, sharp, oaken stakes.

An oak marshalling staff doesn't worry me nearly as much as someone 
using a cheap pine dowel (think closet rod.) And how are you going to 
tell the difference at a glance, especially if it's painted or 
covered in tape?

While I've never been in a situation where my marshalling pole has 
broken, I *have* been in plenty of situations where I was maintaining 
the "edge of the world" on a melee field, or stopping a large fighter 
from suddenly backing off the tourney field. I wouldn't want a piece 
of pine breaking right in front of my face in a situation like that. 
I'll stick to rattan, which has a lot more "give."

         -Tivar Moondragon