[Southern] Re: TACTICS

[YsfaelEleanor at aol.com]

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An Essay on Melee Tactics
By Duke Kein MacEwan


  I  have been fighting in the SCA for 12 years now. I have commanded
  units from 2 fighters to the entire Eastern army. At Pennsic XXII,
  I commanded the largest force ever commanded by an Ansteorran King
  in a foreign war. I have commanded the Ansteorran forces at Gulf
  Wars twice. I have on many occasions defeated larger forces or
  forces with a distinct tactical advantage. I occasionally feel like
  I actually know what I am doing.

  I am writing this essay in the hope that it will help anyone who
  wishes to learn the strategy and tactics that I use in SCA combat
  on the battle field. I will try to include things that will be of
  interest to a beginner or a seasoned veteran.

Chapter One: Job Descriptions

SHIELDMEN
  The shieldmen are the backbone of any unit. They are what keeps the
  unit from being overrun by the enemy. They are the main part of the
  defense of the unit. I split shieldmen into three different types.

       1) Shield in the line
  Any shieldman must be aware of and capable of the duties of the
  shieldman in the line. The shieldman in the line has three main
  duties. They are;

    1. Keep your buddies alive: This is achieved by holding your
    place in line, following orders well and intelligently and paying
    close attention to the enemy. Communicate with your teammates.
    Sometimes a friend can be saved by simply saying, "(Insert name
    here), Behind you!!" This sounds simple, but I have seen men die
    on the field because their buddies didn't think to yell at them.

    2. Stay alive: This is achieved by keeping your eyes open and
    your view unobstructed. Do not get distracted from your attention
    on the enemy. Enemy spearmen and archers are waiting to catch you
    daydreaming. Do not focus on one danger to the exclusion of all
    others, either. This is called "tunnel vision" and it will cause
    spear points and crossbow bolts to sprout from your head and
    body.  Some people teach that your eyes should be hidden behind
    the shield so that they are not a target. I think that it i s too
    important for a shieldman to know what is going on, so I teach
    shieldmen to hold their eyes just over the shield and protect the
    top of their head and their eyes with their weapon. Also
    important in staying alive, is not over extending. Do not go for
    the kill if it exposes you too much.

    3. Kill: In a static battle a shieldman can sometimes get a kill
    when he is paying attention and he sees that one of the enemy is
    distracted. Look for kills on the angles to your left and right.
    You should only take this opportunity if you are 70% sure of
    getting the kill and 98% sure of surviving the attempt. If they
    are in a formation that is charging then the shieldmen must lay
    about themselves with semi-wild abandon. Ferocity is important
    and you can knock an entire unit off balance by projecting your
    determination. Hit them hard. Make them crumble. But remember to
    stay alive and keep your buddies alive. An experienced tournament
    fighter will usually get more kills in these situations. Don't
    let anyone tell you that single combat skills are not important
    on the melee field. Inexperienced fighters are often relegated to
    duty as line shieldmen. These fighters should remember that if
    they fall the entire unit might fall. So, inexperienced fighters,
    if you want to be a valuable addition to the melee unit then I
    have one word for you: PRACTICE!! (That goes for experienced
    fighters too. Just because you're the hottest stick on the
    tourney field doesn't mean you won't get tunnel vision and let
    Joe Newbie gut you with his spear.)

       2) Flank shield:

  The flank shields are the shields at each end of the shield wall.
  They are very important because they define the limits of the unit.
  The flank shield must have an excellent understanding of the
  commands that a commander will give. If one of the flank shieldmen
  screws up a command then there is a good chance that at least half
  of the shieldmen in the wall will as well (say that three times
  fast).  Flank shieldmen should be skilled at defense because they
  only have a buddy to protect them on one side. They should be
  aware of enemy flankers and take appropriate action against them as
  long as they can take that action and maintain line integrity.

a) Right Flank :
       This shieldmen is the one that all other shieldmen will be
looking at to set the speed and direction of any maneuver the unit
makes. It is very important that this shieldman has clear
communication with the commander. The right flank also has a greater
opportunity to kill the enemy than most of the line shieldmen. If the
timing is right then he can kill several enemy fighters on the line
by throwing rap shots that strike his opponents. He should not throw
caution to the winds. He must remember the duty of a line shieldman
for he is one.  He should be aware that the enemy directly in front
of him will probably be left handed.

b) Left Flank:
       It is important but not essential that this fighter be left
handed. It is better to have an experienced right hander here than an
inexperienced lefty. He should do all the things that the right flank
does. He should also check the line periodically and make sure it is
dressed.

       3) Reserve shield:
   The reserve shields are both the safety net and the surprise
   attack of the unit. They are almost always experienced fighters. I
   place my reserve shields behind the spearmen. They have 3 main
   duties beyond the duties of any shieldmen (see above). These
   duties are:

A) Protect the flanks: A reserve shieldman must pay close attention to
as large a view as possible. He must have an understanding of the
dynamics of a situation. If the reserve shields have not been given
specific orders to attack, then they must watch carefully for enemies
who arrive in the backfield of the unit. They must engage these
enemies and protect the commanders and spearmen.

B)  Flank the enemy: When the time is right, the reserve shieldmen can
turn the tide of the battle. They do this by having a good idea of the
"big picture" of an engagement. Any time two forces meet, there will
be a time for each of them when they are vulnerable to a fresh attack.

C)  Solve problems: Reserve shieldmen must be patient. If they wait
and let an engagement unfold somewhat, then they can see when and
where to apply their attack or fill in holes in the defense. They
should always shore up a weakness on their own team before exploiting
a weakness of the enemy. It is not useful for a reserve unit to go and
slay three times their number if the rest of their unit dies while
they are seeking glory. This leads  to conversations like the
following:

Squire: "Did you see me, Boss!? I attacked on the right flank right
after Lay On was called. I got in their back field and killed 4 guys!
Then I got 2 guys when the ten of them gave me single combat at the
end."

Knight: "No I didn't see you because our left flank was overrun and I
was busy fighting 14 guys. They swept our back field, slaughtered our
line, broke my spear, dented my helm, and gave me a bruise on my thigh
the size of New Hampshire. By the way, I've decided not to vote for
you in the next circle."

I cannot stress enough that reserve shieldmen must pay attention to
everything. In the opening moments of an engagement they will probably
be the only fighters in the unit who are not actively engaged with the
enemy. Even the commander is probably trying a few shots with his
spear. They must see any threat to the unit and deal with it without
awaiting orders. Reserve shields must understand that sometimes they
will have the most glorious job in the unit and sometimes they will
not even swing a stick.


SPEARMEN:
  Spearmen are the teeth of a unit. They are the ones who will get
  the most kills in almost every situation.  I strongly recommend
  that every spear have a sturdy hook on the end. It should not be so
  big that it will interfere with effective thrusts, but it should be
  large enough to do the job.

  Spearmen should work together and communicate well. They must
  double team their targets whenever possible. One spearmen can hook
  a shield while the other thrusts. Or they can attack a target in
  two places at the same time.

  Spearmen can be defensive. They can defend their friends against
  enemy spear thrusts quite effectively, but no spearmen should be
  thinking that he is there solely for the sake of defense. He must
  keep a sharp eye for targets.

  Sometimes a good target is only available for a second. Watch for
  them out of the corner of your eye. If you look at a shieldman, he
  will know that you are thinking about targeting him and he will be
  ready for you. Look for targets on the angles. Also look low. Often
  shieldmen begin to concentrate on the defense of their heads, and
  their bellies, groins, or thighs come open.

  Try to keep your spear working at the enemy as much as possible as
  this will tire the enemy shieldmen. It will also tire you, so be
  aware of your fatigue and rotate out of the line when you are tired
  so that your unit can keep a constant supply of fresh spearmen
  attacking the enemy. If your unit has no reserve spears to spell
  you then go defensive for a bit while you refresh your strength. It
  is easier to rotate spearmen than shieldmen.

  Avoid over extending. An enemy spearmen would rather kill you than
  the shieldman in front of you. A sudden rush, thrust and retreat
  can sometimes be effective in taking out an enemy spearman who is
  being a special nuisance. If you do this you should arrange for
  another of the spearmen in your unit to defend you as you make the
  rush. If you make this arrangement then you will probably survive
  your attempt. If  you do not arrange for your defense, then every
  enemy spearman in the line will target you as so on as you step
  out. Remember that every Ansteorran fighter is worth three fighters
  from any other kingdom, so if you kill one spearman and then die it
  is a bad trade.

  Do not get tunnel vision and concentrate on one target.  If there
  is an enemy Duke with a spear in the line opposing you, do not
  focus solely on him. His squire will probably gut you.

  If you are in the open field you must see the opening and react
  quickly. Sheildmen on the open field are usually more vulnerable to
  attacks on the angle or attacks when they are engaged with your
  shieldmen. They are also more of a threat to you because your lines
  are not as well defined as they are on a bridge or in a static
  situation.

  If you are overrun and a shieldman gets past the point of your
  spear, do not give up. If you concentrate on defense and escape,
  you can survive his attacks and retreat to a range where you can
  bring your spear back into play. I will sometimes run away from an
  opponent with my right hand only on the butt of the spear. I will
  drag the spear over my shoulder behind me. Often times the
  shieldman who I am running from will try to strike me down, but
  instead he strikes my spear shaft. Sometimes he runs up clos e
  behind me and the spear shaft gets tangled between his legs and he
  stumbles. This does not upset me at all. When I have achieved the
  distance that I want, I will stop and turn around to my left,
  lifting my right hand up and over my head. This puts the spear
  shaft directly into my left hand and I am once again a dangerous
  opponent. This takes practice.

  If you are in a limited front battle (bridge, castle, etc.), and
  your shield wall is charged and you are crowded in and cannot
  fight, then point the butt of your spear up over your head. Choke
  up on the shaft until your hands are only two feet from the head of
  the spear. Use your spear to block blows to your head  from swords
  and polearms. Thrust down into the faces and chests of your
  opponents. Doing this can make you effective when you would
  normally be helpless.

  Left handed spearmen have an advantage because they tend to thrust
  toward the sword side of most opposing shieldmen. All spearmen
  should practice using the spear with their off hand on the butt of
  the spear. Sometimes the only way to hit the target is to switch
  hands.

POLEARMS:
  Polearms are the claws of a unit. When two shield walls come
  together is when the poles get their turn at killing. The enemy
  shieldmen are used to worrying about thrusts from in front of them,
  but when the walls close together then a poleman can rain blows on
  top of their heads. Then the polearms should get in and replace
  spears. Get the spearmen to move back so that you can work. You
  have to spend most of the time standing back while they work, so
  make sure they back up when your time comes. Poles and spears
  working together can be especially useful. The poles can strike
  from above while the spears go low and thrust for bellies and legs.

  Poleman can also be useful on the flanks. They can make short work
  of an enemy flanker after a reserve shieldman has stopped his
  charge. They can also stop an enemy flanker if things are
  desperate. If the flanker is a right handed shieldman then put your
  polearm along the left side of your body and concentrate on
  blocking his blows. If he is left handed, put the pole on the right
  side of your body.  Stop him with your body and start yelling for
  your buddies to kill him. You will probably not be able to kill
  him yourself, but that should not keep you from trying. If the
  scenario is a static battle then the poles may not get to fight
  much. Poleman should be aware that they will not be fighting for
  90% of the time in a bridge or static scenario. They should be
  thinking of ways that they can contribute. They can help defend
  shieldmen and spearmen with the heads of their weapons. They can do
  traffic control to make sure the spearmen have plenty of room to
  work. They can try to steal enemy spears by grabbing the shafts
  with their gauntleted hands. They can watch the enemy carefully and
  tell the commanders if the enemy is making some plan or move.
  Above all, they must not become impatient and expend themselves
  foolishly, because when the shield walls come together on a bridge,
  pole arms are invaluable. I lost a major bridge battle, because the
  poles that I had held in reserve until I needed them had grown
  bored and done a suicide charge. When the enemy charged and I
  needed those poles to chop them up, they weren't there, and the
  enemy marched over us.
  
ARCHERS:
   Archers are becoming more and more important on the Ansteorran
   battlefield. Archers should integrate themselves into a unit,
   moving among and behind the spears or to the flanks, looking for
   targets.  It is important that you stay alive, but your buddies
   will be busy, so if you find yourself in danger, RUN! The best
   place to run is into the back of your own shield wall. Imagine
   your attackers dismay, when instead of running down a helpless
   archer, he finds himself engaged with two reserve shieldmen and a
   nervous polearm man. You should warn your buddies that you are
   bringing enemies into the backfield. Screaming bloody murder is
   usually quite effective.

  You can sometimes stop a charging enemy by pointing your weapon at
  him in a threatening manner, even if it is not loaded. This
  sometimes allows you that extra second you need to run and scream
  like a banshee.

  You should attempt to make every quarrel or arrow count. Get as
  close to the enemy as you can before firing (remember the minimum
  distance rule). You will sometimes be ignored until you reach a
  certain range. A good archer can find that range and stand just
  past it getting good shots, until he or she is noticed. If an enemy
  is looking at you, he is very hard to hit. SCA missiles do not move
  as fast as the sword blows that all fighters are used to blocking
  or dodging. Look for fighters who are not focused on you. Look for
  targets on the angles. The enemies directly in front of you are
  probably aware of you and defending against you. Be inconspicuous.
  If you don't have good targets, M