Ever since the madness that was Game of Foams, ‘battle gaming’ has become very popular in Canberra. So much so, that the original event organisers Canberra & Southern NSW Dart Tag started up a new group just to cater for the ‘sword and board’ enthusiasts. So say hello to The Hundred Swords.
‘Battle gaming’, ‘live action gaming’, or ‘Live Action Role Play’ – whatever you want to call it – is becoming ridiculously popular around the country. Most notable of the various groups is Swordcraft based in Melbourne. Swordcraft runs regular Friday night battles and attracts 150 – 200 punters to an oval in North Carlton for a few hours of biff.
Since The Hundred Swords was formed there’s been a lot of fighting and regular training. We are now ready to kick off our campaign season on the 9th March with The Necromancer of Black Mountain.
And of course as May rolls around it will be time for Game of Foams 2: Winter is Coming. There are some fairly extensive rules involved in these things, but for first timers and the curious all you have to do is turn up and say hello. There is plenty of spare gear.
The general rules are posted under this photo for people to have a browse.
GENERAL:
1. Foam sword fighting is not about aggression, it’s about skill.
2. A firm tap is all that is required for a legal tag. All strikes should be pulled and not made with full force.
3. Melee combat IS a contact sport, and this means you may take a harder than intended strike*.
4. Slashing, stabbing and thrusting is permitted.
5. Over head strikes are permitted as long as they are not aimed at an opponent’s head.
6. Shield bashing is not permitted. Shields are not to be used offensively.
7. Legal strike zones are the torso (front and back), upper legs and arms only.
*This is why we enforce the safety and construction rules.
COMPULSORY AND MINIMUM SAFETY REQUIREMENTS:
1. Eye Protection such as safety glasses. Sunglasses or prescription glasses are also suitable.
2. Groin protection (e.g. cricket box) for males; chest protection/padding for females.
3. Full or half face protection which covers the nose and teeth (e.g. Airsoft mask)
NOTE: If you are wearing a mask with eye mesh, you obviously won’t need safety glasses. Half face masks will require eye protection.
WEAPONS AND WEAPON USE:
1. All weapons will be foam/latex/prop weapons (see point 8 below)
2. Throwing weapons/short weapons: max length 45cms. This classification applies to daggers and throwing axes.
3. One handed weapons: max length 110cms. This classification covers, swords, axes, maces, flails etc.
4. Two handed weapons: max length 180cms. This classification covers two handed swords, spears, pikes etc.
5. Shields. Round: max diameter of 75 cms; all other types 60 x 90 cms (See ‘Shield Construction and Safety’)
6. Bows/missile weapons are covered separately (under development).
7. Example player fit outs:
– Shield and one handed weapon. Up to 3 back up short/throwing weapons.
– One handed weapon, with secondary one handed weapon NO LONGER than 80cm. This is the ONLY combination that can be ‘dual wielded’. Up to 3 back up short/throwing weapons.
– Two handed weapon. No throwing weapons.
8. Weapons must be foam/latex/prop/LARP weapons. Recommended brands are:
– Calimacil
– Forgotten Dreams
– Epic Armory
– Mytholon
– Palnatoke
– Nerf N-Force (Marauder Sword, Battlemaster Mace, Warlock Axe)
– Eagle Flex
– Battle Legends (some of these need to be checked by a Game Marshall prior to use)
– Home made weapons/’boffers’ MUST BE FIBREGLASS CORED.
9. Short weapons such as daggers, and throwing weapons must be foam/latex and MUST BE CORELESS.
HEALTH POINTS (HP), ARMOUR & SHIELDS:
1. All player start with 3 ‘Health Points’ (HP). This means you can take 3 tags before you are ‘dead’.
2. One tag = one HP.
3. Every time you make a legal tag you must call out ‘Hit’ – if you take a tag you must call out the number of tags you have taken “One”, “Two” etc.
4. It is each players responsibility to keep a track of their HP’s.
5. A player can increase their HP by wearing armour. For example:
– A helmet or full face/half face mask adds 1 HP
– A breastplate/leather jerkin/brigandine/padded tunic/any form of torso armour adds 2 HP
– Greaves and/or bracers adds 1 HP
– This would give a player a total of 7 HP if wearing all of the above.
6. Shields. Round: max diameter of 75 cms. All other types/shapes: 60 x 90 cms (approx/give or take a few cms).
7. Shields do NOT add HP, but they do block all attacks without a HP penalty.
8. Armour (this includes helmets, leg/arm protection etc) can be constructed out of ANY of the following materials:
– Metal plate
– Leather
– Ring mail
– Foam
– Scale
– Laminate
– Latex
– Rubber
– Plastic
– Any other legitimate material
BOWS AND MISSILE WEAPONS:
ARCHERS Bows: Draw must not be higher than 28 lbs (pounds).
· Arrows: *LARP arrows only*.
· Use: 10 metre minimum target engagement distance at full draw, 5 metre minimum target engagement distance at half draw. To avoid head shots, it is preferable you aim at the midriff of your target.
· Archer load out: Bow, 6 x arrows, 1 x ‘short’ weapon (up to 80cms), 3 x throwing weapons (coreless, up to 45cms)
SHIELD CONSTRUCTION AND SAFETY:
Shields can be constructed of foam, latex, rubber, plastic or soft wood. If constructed of wood the edges MUST BE covered in some type of soft padding.
All photos: Andrew Gould
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