[Ansteorra-archery] Is there a rift?

Fri Apr 19 08:56:00 PDT 2002

One reason that there weren't many practices with combat archery is because
of the wood combat arrows.  Most archers didn't want to get them broken in
just a practice.  I know I rarely supplied any for just that reason. Now
that many if not most have gone to fiberglass, this may not be a problem in
the future.

And you're right.  Some fighters feel that the combat archers can hurt them.
The fact is, they'd be Spam in a can if we were shooting the real stuff.

I'd like to thank you, Lord Timothy, for your support of the archery
comumunity.

Gilli

-----Original Message-----
From: Timothy Rayburn [mailto:timothy at elfsea.net]
Sent: Friday, April 19, 2002 10:31 AM
To: ansteorra-archery at ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: [Ansteorra-archery] Is there a rift?

>Greetings to the List from Sir Guy,

Greetings to you, Sir Guy, and to all those who you may choose to pass my
words along to.  I am Lord Timothy of Glastinbury.  I have been a combat
archer, I may again.  I am a marshall and a herald, and as such a somewhat
practiced observer of what goes on around and during battles and
tournaments.

>I could be wrong but I get the feeling as a whole that you all feel
>unappreciated as a whole.  Is this a wrong perception on my part?

I believe that, watching from the outside, this community certainly feels
under appreciated.  I suspect that Gulf War conventions that have stood to
long are to blame for this in no small part.  Here are some likely hot
points that if rectified could help 'mend' this problem.

1) Every archer is required to be 'touch-kill' at Gulf Wars.

Reasons Given : I've heard this justified mostly in saying that in the heat
of combat fighters cannot always tell if someone is indeed touch-kill or a
'white diamond'.

Counter Argument : Every fighter does manage to tell the difference between
their enemy and their friends by a small strip of tape of either yellow or
blue.  Large white diamonds should be easier.  If it is a matter of marking
them at the War, I will personally volunteer enough white diamond stickers
with either a blackstar or triskel in the center to mark all four sides of
every archers helm at the next Gulf Wars who wants them.  I have both the
means and the way to construct these without problem.

Counter Arguement 2 : If you don't want a rift between archers and the rest
of the heavy community then break down the walls that make the different.

2) Arrows (and other thrusting weapons) to the face-mask only.  Not to the
side of the helm or to the top.

Reasons Given : Other than tradition, I've got no idea.

Counter argument : Flatly arrows, and spears, would have been able to
penetrate a helm.  I realize this is not an archers-only issue, but it is
another way that combat archery is treated differently.

3) War Practices/Melee Practices without Archery

Problem : While I can understand the need for shieldwall drills, or drills
for any other specific type of unit (including combat archery), there needs
to be a serious attempt to hold War Practices and Melee Practices at
locations where realistic practices can be held, and this means combat
archery is allowed.  I /full/ well realize that this can be a pain, as most
parks don't like people shooting archery, my barony just had this run
around.

4) Bad communication and command decisions.

Problem : I've yet to see a Gulf Wars go by that did not have a stupid
decision made either by the marshalette or by our own commanders in at least
one battle.  A couple of years ago in a field battle the archers were called
together on one side of the field by our commanders to be bait for the
opposing side.  But they were not told they were going to be bait and were
not ready for such.  This last year a change of rules regarding touch-kill
was effectively announced by marshalls DURING the battle.  When things like
this happen, it can make whoever it happens to feel that they are not
important enough for their commanders or king to make a stand against the
ruling.  Justified or not.

I'm sure other people will come up with other items.  But basiclly I'd sum
up the above as follows : If you wish the archers to feel like 'any other
heavy fighter' then get rid of rules that don't treat them like 'any other
heavy fighter' and stand up for them like 'any other heavy fighter' when bad
decisions are made.

These are my two cents,

Lord Timothy of Glastinbury
Occasional Archer

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