By Duchess Elina of Beckenham OL, OR, OP, KSCA
Battlefield Reporter, PI
Adventure awaits those that brave the War field this year. With nothing more than bragging rights at stake (as it always is, really), so the Crowns have decreed, the Marshals have made manifest multiple scenarios in all disciplines.
With the sides officially drawn on Saturday night at 5 pm at Opening Ceremonies, the Champions’ battles will be fought on Sunday. First up is the Allied Champions at 10 am followed by the Unbelts at 11 am. Thirty minutes after they finish, the Belted Champions will take the field. Not to be left out of the fray, the Rapier Melee Champions will take the field at noon. At 1:30 pm, the Heroic Battle will feature both Heavy and Rapier legends facing off in one-on-one competition paired by the Royals on the field. All are welcome to witness the spectacle and cheer for their favorites.
Monday features the Armored Bridge battle for the heavy fighters starting at 10 am with a total of five bridges this year. For the Rapier community, there will be a Crossroads battle testing wit and skill starting at 2 pm. Both are resurrection battles, so fighters will have plenty of competition. Take your time, drink water, and don’t over exert yourself, as there is a whole War to still fight!
Tuesday kicks off with the Thrown Weapons Champions at 8:30 am, followed by the “Nature Walk with Swords” known as the Woods Battle. This is not the best one for an audience, as our intrepid adventurers will be stomping around in the forest attempting to find three colored flags and then hold them for their army. This resurrection battle promises to be an athletic workout for even the most in-shape participants, and simply exhausting for the rest of us. At 2 pm, wash, rinse, and repeat with the rapier fighters. Don’t expect much in the way of pickup fights from those that go to the woods—a cold beverage and a nap might be more appealing.
Wednesday highlights the Archery Champions' Shoot all day. Again, this is not normally an audience-based activity as your Champions compete in a variety of challenging tasks. No one knows in advance, but the field will undoubtably have various range and accuracy tasks, shooting through narrow slits or rings, targets on the ground, monsters moving, and all manner of trials to determine the best skilled archery team. Wednesday will also have pickups on the fighting field all day. Come out and fight someone you have never met before. There will always be Royal Peers and others who teach and from which to learn. Take this opportunity to try something new, get a fresh set of eyes on how to make your next improvement, or even try a new style.
Thursday features five Field Battles in both Heavy and Rapier. At 10 am the Heavy battles begin and scenarios 1, 2, and 3 will allow Archery and Siege. This year, there is no gleaning of Siege ammunition and no inspection of Archery ammunition between battles. These battles are to the last-person-standing, and there is no resurrection. At 1 pm, the Rapier will take the field for five more battles. No projectile weapons are allowed, but a special note for Rapier: Spears will be allowed in battles 4 and 5 only. At 3 pm, Combat Archery and Siege take center stage with a Castle and Bridge scenario. Sides will take turns crossing the bridge and taking the Castle. Remember, this is a timed battle—the fastest to the flags wins the day.
Friday is the Battle of the River Sein. It’s all hands on deck for this scenario. There will be siege for the attackers and archery for all. Rapier fighters won’t have archery, but they can have rubber band guns. Make sure to read the rules in the book for details.
All War there will be an Archery shoot for the populace—come and have your points counted. There is a Clout Shoot to test your accuracy at range. If you are worried that you can’t shoot 100 yards, there are moat monsters protecting the castle at around 50 yards that count for points as well. The Advancing Soldier shoot is a timed event where you shoot at ever-closer targets, so take your time and take your shot—even one point is more than your team had before. In the Castle Window Shoot, the object is to shoot through the window and it takes a steady aim. Try your hand if you have not done archery before, because every point helps.
Remember, you are fighting your friends here, so be mindful of how hard you are hitting. Different Kingdoms calibrate at slight differences, so when in doubt, ask. You want to go have a drink with your friends at the end of the day, not visit them in the hospital. For the Rapier, take extra care as experimental spears will be on the field in some scenarios. They are limited to one side of the field—if you are uncomfortable with them, don’t go to that side of the field. Finally, and most importantly, we are all in this together. At the end of the day, take a few minutes to help the battlefield staff set up for the next day’s battles. If each set of fighters moves just one hay bale, it makes light work of a very long and heavy job that normally lands on a few people. Come out, play, have fun, and remember, we are can all make the game better for everyone by doing just a little bit of work together. Be excellent to each other.