[Ansteorra-archery] Combat Archery Baldars

Eadric Anstapa eadric at scabrewer.com
Sun Apr 20 20:36:05 PDT 2003


----- Original Message -----
From: "Pug Bainter" <pug at pug.net>
>
> I am not a pessimist, but I think that the largest problem is not the
> new heads, but the shear number of archers and arrows on the field. As
> the quantity and quality of archers, particularly crossbows now, go up,
> more issues may arrows.

I think that is certainly part of it.

More archers are using crossbows. I think this would have happened even if
APDs had not been required.  Crossbows usually just work better the way we
wage war and they are easier for a novice or part-time combat archer to get
good with.

Crossbows seem to deliver more energy to the target and therefore hurt more.

I also think that we clearly have to rest some of the blame on these new
baldar blunts.  Those blunts clearly hit harder, hurt more, and bruise
worse.  As I said, they don't make friends for combat archery.  For 3 years
now these new Baldars have been at Gulf War and oh how the complaints have
rolled in.

Personally I think a big reason why so many people are against combat
archery is not because they think it is dangerous, but because they don't
like being targets.  They want War to be like Tourney.  A Knight or a Duke
is accustomed to being near the top of the food chain.  In a tourney he
doesn't give someone like me a second thought.  He just walks up and knocks
the snot out of me.  Out on the war field it is a different matter and he is
just one more target, often a preferred target.  Those people wearing white
belts and strawberry leaves find themselves killed time after time by Newbie
NoAoA Pissant Beltless Joe Nobody from Backwater from 30 foot away and they
never get to take a swing back at him.  They don't like that.  They argue
that we don't use archery in a period fashion (which is somewhat true) and
when that fails they yell that it is dangerous.  They don't like it and
unfortunately they are the ones that become Kings and Earl Marshals and make
the rules.

In Ansteorra we are lucky.  We have Earl Marshals, Knights, Counts, Dukes,
and Kings that largely like archery, see the value of archery, recognize
that it was an important part of period warfare, and don't feel that it is
any less safe than much of the other stuff that we do.  Did anybody pay
attention to how many Ansteorran Knights had bows or crossbows at Gulf War
this year?  From this part of the world I know Sir Ulsted, Sir Godwin, Sir
Alexis,  and Sir Galen were all shooting this year.  What other knights do
we know who took up a bow or crossbow this year?

Everyone go hug an Ansteorran  Knight this week.  Particularly Sir Randall
and recognize that he IS working for you on this.

Regards,

Lord Eadric Anstapa
Kingdom Archery Marshal, Ansteorra
eadric at scabrewer.com




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