marshalling-msg - 6/13/95 Marshalling SCA combat. NOTE: See also the files: f-fighters-msg, tournaments-msg, armor-msg, b-battles-art, rattan-msg, jousting-msg, other-groups-msg. ************************************************************************ NOTICE - This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday. This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter. The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors. Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s). Thank you, Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous Stefan at florilegium.org ************************************************************************ From: Stephen.Whitis at f4229.n124.z1.fidonet.org (Stephen Whitis) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Non fighters marshalling Date: Sat, 21 Aug 1993 17:41:14 >>> >The big question comes down to "WHY do you want to be a >>> >marshall if you don't >>> >fight?" - Dagonell >> >>> It's got the best view? >> >[...] >> >>Funny, how I suddenly started thinking about that commercial while >reading >your post. ;-) ;-) ;-) > >That's why marshalls carry staves, to avoid getting mashed by >overenthusiastic fighters. (It's why my own staff is of oak, as I >discovered that fir dowels can be fairly easily broken by rattan sword >strikes...) >During a stint as a sports photographer, I decided that I'd give up the >shot rather than get munched. Kept my face from getting completely >flattened; the things _not_ in the viewfinder still impacted, but they >were fewer. >Keradwc When I was in high school, and for a few years afterwards, I was heavily into photography. The darkroom was my favorite part. I also liked rodeo's, so when the local rodeo was going on, I would do contract work for the local newspaper, which would get me in for free, and I would have the best "seat" in the house, right down in the arena. But my theory, like yours, was that if a bull was heading my way, hit the wall and climb... I might get one *great* shot, but if I get run over, I'm not going to get another chance. :^) I've also seen rodeo clowns (their versions of marshalls, in a sense) jump into obviously unsafe situations, to get a cowboy out of a bind. I saw a clown get stomped, breaking 3 ribs, once. He went off, got taped up, and was out again. He missed one bull while he got taped. I asked him why he didn't go to the hospital, and he said he would later, but that right now, if he left, there was too much chance that a cowboy, or the other clown, could get hurt or even killed. And he wasn't willing to risk living with the knowledge that he wasn't there to do his job when it happened. He was a very tough, very honorable man. As a marshall, I've jumped into melee's when hold was being called, and ignored, to use my staff to stop fighters who were trying to continue. In one case, though I didn't know it when I jumped in, the reason for the hold was that a fighters helm had popped off his head. He was within sword range of the (very suprised) fighter who I stopped. I'll take risks as a marshall if I feel they are warranted, and in some cases those have likely saved others from injury. I face-masked a fighter once who hadn't stopped fighting, and spun him around my way, and had no regrets about it, though in that case the reason for the hold wasn't a safety problem in his area. I've never taken a hit while marshalling. I have been hit with a ricochet sword shot in what was *supposed* to be a walk through during melee work, when no-one was supposed to be throwing blows. Luckily, it wasn't a direct shot. My point is that I see a lot of difference between being a sports photographer, and being a marshall (or a rodeo clown.) I wouldn't recommend all marshalls be willing to jump into a melee, but a marshall who was simply going to run away to keep himself safe, regardless of the safety of the fighters or any non-fighters watching, I'd rather do without. I've known non-fighters who marshall I have no problem with, and fighters who marshall who I can't really trust, so I don't see any problem with non-fighters marshalling. Stephen of the Grove Steppes, Ansteorra FIDONET 1:124/4229 ocitor!Stephen.Whitis at rwsys.lonestar.org From: uratlord at mcl.ucsb.edu (Mark Stoddard) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: To all marshals: planning war scenarios Date: 30 May 1995 16:49:25 GMT Organization: University of California, Santa Barbara Summary: Make the plans exact, simple and don't change them Keywords: war scenarios I attended and marshalled a war this past weekend which made me think about how one should organize scenarios. One battle so confused the marshalls and fighters that I wished that I had not marshalled then. The battle was a castle battle in which there had been a breach in one wall. One side thought that they could use their pikes through the breach while the other side thought they could not. The marshalls were faced with both the fighter's confusion and anger. It was eventually resolved. However, I would not like to be placed in the same situation again. I would thus like to suggest how one may organize a battle scenario. These rules should help clear up the confusion. First, the fighting autocrat has the first and final say. He is the one in charge, other people may suggest changes to the plan, but not change things themselves. Second, all rules must be thought out completely. If there is to be breaching of castle walls, then let the fighters know what kind of combat can ensue over different stages of breaching. Example: Walls start at 3 bales in height, this allows no combat over the walls. A fighter pulls down the top bale, making it 2 bales high. This would allow archers to shoot over this area of the wall. When the second row of bales is pulled down, they can begin using pole weapons over the wall. When the final bale row is pulled away, then then the breach allows fighters to pass through the wall at the breach. Third, do not change the battle rules after the fighters muster. Rule changes during a battle confuse fighters and marshalls. Please do not subject us to that. Fourth, print the rules on paper for the commanders to study. This helps the commanders to know exactly what the rules are and allows them to relay the rules to their fighters with ease. This also helps to disallow rule changes from happening at any time. This might be an easy outline for a more enjoyable war. I hope these will help those who plan on head marshalling a war to make it easier for all of those attending. Please let the holds be called for emergencies, not rule explainations. In service, Milan Ivanovich of Isles Kingdom of Caid From: mabr at norell.se (M. Broman) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: To all marshals: planning war scenarios Date: 1 Jun 1995 13:41:52 GMT Organization: Norell Invest at mcl.ucsb.edu (Mark Stoddard) says: > [Good advice deleted to save time & space] I have marshalled "a-lot" and run a few wars, the basics are : 1) Make it simple and straightforward. 2) Have _all_ rules on paper. 3) Go through the rules with the leaders before the war/battle. 4) If two or more fighters start to argue, take them off the field to continue their verbal melee, while the rest keep on playing. 5) Start on time! If fighters are not in time for the beginning let them enter later (very realistic "force marches" can be done..;) ) Ciao Morgan// War-o-Crat Magna Carta War I/II/III....;) Pennsic veteran et al..;) ====================================================== SCA : Morgan deGrey mabr at norell.se Mundane : M. Broman ====================================================== Edited by Mark S. Harris marshalling-msg Page 4 of 4