Cameron de Grey – Page 26

Failsafe for Combat Archers

Greetings friends!

If you are like me and enjoy shooting people in armored scenarios, then listen up! I have a proposal for you.

One of the time honored traditions when going against an archer is: wait until they shoot then run them down!

Its a good tactic which forces some considerations on our part. Staggering our shots, making sure we are accompanied by a shield, etc. But what if we are left all alone to our devices? What if two polemen spy you, and decide one of them WILL kill you?!

We have options!

Here, CATCH!
Carry some throwing weapons*! take two throwing axes with you on the field! After you shoot, another combatant may advance with impunity, but when you reach behind and produce a throwing axe, watch in glee as their eyes widen. have a care to not engage in melee, it is a throwing weapon only! Remember you cannot engage in melee unless you discard your bow in a safe manner. Which brings me to the next option…

Come out swinging!

When I initially thought about doing CA, my dream was to have two swords on me as well. I love to shoot, but if necessary I could grab the swords and swing my way to happy town. But then I discovered that you must safely dispose of your bow*. The specifics of this rule may vary slightly from Kingdom to Kingdom, but for me and my crossbow, it means getting it off the field into a safe zone. There is additionally the issue of demi vs full gauntlets. This needn’t be an issue if you can get your hands on (pun intended) fully articulated or otherwise dextrous gauntlets. Just wear full all the time!

Missile combatants should be the Scouts of the field. Be ready at all times and be willing to help an enemy cross the street to Valhalla whenever the opportunity presents itself!

I have yet to find resellers of thrown weapons, or sources for construction. If you find any, please post in the comments below!

edit:
http://www.argentlupus.com/ThrowingMace.html

Back to the Combat Archery Community

References:
* http://www.sca.org/officers/marshal/docs/marshal_handbook.pdf (see section(s): III.D.2,III.D.3)

Why that last event really sucked, and how we make it better.

What’s the problem!?

We have all been to an event that wasn’t quite what we had hoped it would be. Where certain elements or activities that you thought were given, were missing. it takes a village to make an event amazing!

There are many reasons this could be, but Id like to focus on a few:

Service

Sometimes an activity can’t happen because Nobody showed up. How many of you have seen a post or email asking for volunteers or staff? Did you respond? How often? Sometimes it can be easy to rest on your laurels (or pelicans in this case) and say you’ve done it before. But every event needs warm bodies. The more warm bodies, in many cases, makes the lift rediculously light! Take archery marshaling: 10 marshals in one day reduces a days archery to 2 hour shifts in many cases. Better that than 4 with four hour shifts! But you dont have to be a marshal! Perhaps you can help with set up and tear down, keeping score, etc! This situation can be overlaid on any other activity. You dont have to be authorized heavy to water-bear!

Logistics

Maybe there just isnt room. Take equestrian for example, not every site can support it. But are there crossover activities? Has anyone reached out to that community to see what else might fit their needs? An A&S class on making bridles etc? Think out of the box, and lets try to keep everyone engaged as much as possible. There can’t be combat archery? Then what about an IKCAC target at the range?

Voice

Response gauges interest. Letting organizers know someone gives a crap, can help them energize or stay on task. If someone plans the best thing ever, and nobody cares but the crickets, why devote time and energy!?

Talk to you staff, especially the autocrat. Every autocrat always wants their event to be a success. Motive isnt important, they ALL want success! Did you say ‘hi!’ To your’s? Did you tell them what you’d like to have? With enough notice to get it done? Did you talk to your community of interest? Is anyone organizing the event you want? Can you? Talk to your Barony as well, there is always room for more right!?

Dont necessarily take ‘no’ for an answer! Depending on who you talk to you can actually meet active resistance to the community you care about! I’ve personally heard several times statements to the effect of, “Great, combat archers!” Guess what, we are here to have fun as well. But the same goes with ALL our groups! Explore every option and make sure you are doing your best to make it happen, and that it is appropriate . When an activity was publicized did you respond at all? RSVP? Send a ‘tahnk you for doing this’ message?

Conclusion

Personally this doesnt happen much to me. Most events I go to, Ive loved. We all want to attend events and make each one memorable. It takes all of us to make that happen. Don’t complain about what went wrong, do your personal best to make it right!

Measuring Success – Martial Gauges

Hi friends!

as I get closer to becoming a CA martial there were two glaring omissions in my kit. A bow scale and a martial gauge.

Whats a bow scale!?

when you purchase a bow, it will display the poundage usually, or if not you typically choose the poundage you want. What if you dont know the poundage?

That’s where the scale comes in. One end attaches to the string, and then you the other end. The scale will tell you how many lbs were pulled.

Here is a scale on Amazon

What is a martial gauge?!

in combat archery and siege, there are safety minimums. The gauge will help determine whether a persons equipment passes muster or not.

Checking things like the width of helm grills, depth of helm penetration, diameters of ammunition and more! Believe it or not these little guys are the Swiss Army Knives of martials and armored combatants alike.

Whether you’re a martial or not, I highly recommend getting these if it relates!

Someone on the SCA Combat Archery community on FB recently posted he had these pictured (top is geared to siege, bottom for CA) for sale. I just ordered two!

FB Group

There are several places where you can get these. The above is from Evan Jones. I will update with links when I get them. Looks like $25 for CA, and $15 for siege ($8 S+H). Post in the comments if you want to share your sources or wares!

Presidents Love the Valiance Proposal!

omnibus_5.1
Ask not what you can do for your S.C.A.

Presidents love the Valiance Proposal, at least they should! It has recently come up that the President (Leslie Vaughn) of the S.C.A. is stepping down. Now recently at the discussions at Pennsic related to the Proposal, it was suggested that for the long game, we look at stacking the Board with people that are friendly to the Proposal. This is a good idea, though I hope it won’t come to this, and that it gets passed and enacted before then.

In the meantime, let us all thank Leslie for her service in a task that is likely thankless and daunting.

Whats the President got to do with it?

Nothing much really I guess. As with our own system of Government, the President can be a figure head. The real power lies with the B.o.D., as with our own Gov, the real power lies in Congress. Where goes the figure head, so too may follow the populace though. It may not be the place or position for the President to comment or support such things. Though there would be conversations in backrooms etc that may help to curry favor.

Next stop, Melpitas and the B.o.D.!

Though some may disagree and view this as an abstraction, apparently it doesnt require much support to get on the B.o.D., with this in mind, when a seat becomes available, why not ask the candidates about, and/or support those who are sympathetic to our causes? Is this not what we should be doing? I would think other groups are promoting candidates that share their ideals, so should we.

As always, stay vigilant, and always look for ways to keep this movement going forward!

Be well friends!
YIS respectfully,
Lord Cameron de Grey
Or, on a bend purpure between a wheel of cheese and a squirrel sable, three pheons palewise Or

Back to Martial Peerage Page
Leslie Vaughns E-Mail: president@sca.org