[Ansteorra-rapier] looking for input for this years GW

[Walter Robin]

I concur with Chandra's sentiments.  I like the situations that allow for
small team tactics, while letting everyone play.  Scenario-oriented town
battles for the war point would get my vote.

  The castle battle was fun the first few times, but it quickly became clear
that the defender's were always going to win.  It has to be changed to be
interesting or fair.  If we had ramps or ladders, THAT would be fun; or if
the attackers had a 2:1 or better advantage, then I'd get a fun
(classical/epic) sense of a 'desperate seige' with too few defenders.

The field battle was good for the sense of 'gung ho'-ness.  Lots of raw
nerve, but less opportunity for tactics.  I know we were constrained by the
soggy field last year, but what about a VERY large field?  Put the armies on
the end, with the castle/wall in the middle.  Then we could experience
scouting, economy of force, manuever, surprise....

Also, I have heard opinions of those who'd rather give up the Champions'
battle before the other points.

Can't comment on the Ravine; wasn't there.

Good speed & good cheer,
Ld Walter Robin
cdt Navarre

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chandranath" <chandra at plumes.org>
To: <ansteorra-rapier at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2001 11:25 AM
Subject: Re: [Ansteorra-rapier] looking for input for this years GW


> > Also: What did you all like about last year -- what did you hate?
>
> Since you ask... :)
>
> I'm not big on the castle battle (hey, it's lot of standing around for
> some people, you know?), but it's okay.  Palace defense in principle has
> a nicely authentic feel to it and it's a good time with some possibilities
> for clever use of bottlenecked corridors and corners and so forth.
>
> The ravine battle was frustrating.  So much potential for playing around
> with terrain and trees and all that good stuff, but it was restricted
> to a small space and effectively became a field battle with vaguely
> tricky footing.  Conceptually there is great potential but I wasn't all
> that enthralled by the way it came off.
>
> The town battles were a blast.  For me, the melee high point of the War.
> Authentic feel, great opportunity for use of restrictive paths, and no
> end to opportunities to fight.  To me, the town battles are the perfect
> form for rapier melee.
>
> Finally, the field battles...
>
> I guess I will never see the appeal of huge whopping lines of rapier
> fighters slamming into each other.  It doesn't fit the weapons we use
> (and the armor we don't) well.  As has been debated hotly of late, it
> doesn't seem authentic at all.  Few people ever seem to come away bouncing
> with joy.  (And of course, I'm biased since I was injured last year during
> the final one.)  For me, these were the low point of rapier melee at the
> War, which was a shame.  As Amerinda already said, the problems were
> exacerbated by the fact that the drawn field was far too small for 150
> fighters to get into it.  Indeed, the melees always seemed to turn into
> something reasonable about the time 80% of the fighters were dead...
>
> So there it is.
>
> Chandra
>
> --
> Shri (Lord) Chandranath <chandra at plumes.org>, Insegnante of Mooneschadowe
> "Per pale sable and gules, a decrescent argent."
> mka Russ Smith (http://www.randomgang.com/)