The
Art of War #1
Part 1: Wars in the Current Middle Ages
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Sir Michael DeLacy
Arts of War
Warfare in the current middle ages is an art form that has been
developing over the last 20 or so years of the SCA's history, and
are a very important aspect of the martial arts of our society.
Victory in wars means prestige and glory to the victors, and this
makes for some serious competition on the field. As in all SCA
combats, there is no script, staging or choreography; no one
knows who will win until the final hold is called and the dead
are called off of the field. This provides the generals with the
ultimate in "live action board gaming". The units are drawn up,
the plans are made, and when the horn blows, the victor is
decided by force of arms. SCA wars consist of a series of
battles; some of these battles count toward war points - the side
with the most war points winning the war. Some battles are not
for war point, and are just for fun. Usually, the battles are of
four different types: Open field, Broken field, Bridge, and
Ressurection.
The open field, as its name implies, is fought in a [Image]
large, flat field, free from obstructions; this tends to
make it a very fast battle, usually lasting no more than 10
minutes, if even that. It is very much a set piece battle, with
the tactics being very cut-and-dried - their is little time to
adapt and change your plans.
The broken field is fought on a lightly wooded or shrubby
terrain, often containing small gullies, hills and the occasional
tree. This takes a bit more time, because the units must move
slower to negotiate the terrain, and the nature of the terrain
makes it possible to conceal units and their movements.
A bridge, or breach, battle is fought along one or more corridors
formed of hay bails; this represents the bridge, or breach in a
wall, and no one is allowed to cross the line of bales. This
makes for a long, gruelling slugfest, as the entire army must
funnel its way along these corridors. Bridge battle often last up
to 2 hours at the Estrella War.
Resurrection battles, which can be held on either broken or open
field, is a battle in which the dead can be "resurrected" when
they make their way back to the starting point (which is often a
long way). This allows the battle to go on for hours (they are
usually run for a set period of time, often 2-3 hours). These are
very enjoyable, not to mention tiring, for you can go out and
have fun, fighting as much as you like, and not worrying so much
about getting killed (you can always just come back later).
Resurrection battles often have objectives, such as capturing
flags or specific points of land, and the constant flow of new
fighters from each end of the fields allows small armies to
simulate large battles, with constant reinforcements coming in
during the fighting.
The Art of War #2
Part 2: The Units
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Sir Michael DeLacy
Arts of War
Wars in the SCA are fought on a very competitive basis; there is
no script, no set pieces, and no one knows who will emerge the
victor until the dust clears and the dead are called off the
field. Because of this strong competitive factor, SCA commanders
are constantly searching for new techniques, maneuvers and ploys
to defeat their enemies. But the best tactics in the world will
be of no avail unless the troops in the field are trained and
organized enough to carry out the plan.
The importance of battlefield organization cannot be stressed
enough; an army of mediocre fighters who know how to fight as a
unit will defeat an army of good fighters who don't know how to
cooperate. Teamwork wins wars, not individual prowess. All too
often in the SCA, units of shiny primadonnas get squashed by
shield walls of average, but disiplined warriors.
The organizational tactics I will be describing are based upon
those of Duke Sir Trelon of the Kingdom of Atenveldt, a very
experienced battle commander. His organizational plans stress
flexibility and small unit cooperation. Small units are the
building blocks of armies, and if a good chain of command is
established, even complex battle manuvers can be carried out
rapidly and efficiently.
The battle units recommended are all built up from the basic
unit, the team (3 troops). From this building block are
constructed the Lance (7), the Company (26), the Battalion (90)
and the Regiment (300).
The Team
The Team is the basic unit of any formation; it consists [Image]
of a corporal, and two troops. These three fighters
should practice and fight together at every opportunity, and be
very familiar with each other's style. A Team should not be split
up for any reason. Each team should elect their own corporal, who
will be responsible for his team; he should see to their
training, equipment and transportation; the corporal should
contact his troops the day before a battle or practice and ensure
that they make it to the event, and are properly equipped.
The corporal should prefferably be a pole fighter; in most battle
formations, the poles will be in the second rank of fighters,
behind the shields. This is a good place for a unit commander,
for it allows him or her to concentrate on the developing battle,
and deploy his unit to best advantage.
All members of a team should be competent in the three basic
weapon combinations; hand weapon and shield, slashing pole and
thrusting pole, and should have the equipment for each of these
styles (ie gauntlets and left arms for pole, shields for weapon
and shield). Teams will be armed with different combinations of
weapons for different missions: Line, Assault, Strike and
Hunter/Flanker.
The Line team is the basic type of team, consisting of [Image]
two shields and a pole. This is a very flexible unit,
good for all types of missions, particularly for forming main
battle lines or shield walls.
The assault team consists of three shields, and is best
used for quick decisive charges, or for defending against
the charges of an enemy. This is a short range unit, and to be
effective, it must be in close quarters combat; they are of
little use in holding a line against enemy poles, as they will
get gunned down eventually. Assault teams should be very
aggressive and decisive, and should be able to reform quickly
after a charge.
The Strike team consists of three poles, either two 9' [Image]
spears and a slashing pole, or three 9' spears. This is a
devastating unit in mass combat, provided that they don't get
rushed by enemy shields. This is a long range unit, and is best
brought foreward when you have the initiative in a battle, and
kept behind your shields when your opponent is on the offensive.
[Image]Hunter/Flanker teams consist of two poles (two slashing
poles, or a slashing pole and a 9' spear) and a shield,
although greatswords are sometimes subsituted for one of the
poles. These teams are designed to be quick moving flanking units
whose mission is to make their way to the enemy flank and rear
and cause havoc. Their primary mission is to keep as many of the
enemy busy chasing them as possible, allowing the rest of the
army to enjoy a period of numerical advantage, and to isolate and
attack small enemy units. In battles involving archery, two
archers can replace the two poles, making a very effective sniper
unit.
The Lance
A Lance is the next unit up from a team, and it consists [Image]
of two teams and a seargant. The seargant is responsible
for looking after his lance, in much the same was as the
corporals are in charge of their teams. The seargant will, like
the corporal, find it advantageous to be a pole fighter,
preferrably with a 9'spear, to which the lance colours should be
affixed (a 6 inch by 24 inch pennon is recommended) for easy
identification as a rallying point. Lances are often designated
by colour, or by number.
The Company
[Image]A company is the next unit up from the lance, and
consists of 26 troops; 3 lances, a command team, a
standard bearer and a line seargant. The company is commanded by
a leiutenant, who is assisted by a line seargant. The leiutenant
is responsible for seeing to his men as the lesser officers are
of their units. The line seargant acts as second in command, and
is usually in charge of the front line units in combat, while the
leiutenant personally commands the reserve force.
The command team consists of the leiutenant, the standard bearer,
and two troopers who act as the bodyguard for the leiutenant and
the standard; this unit should only be sent into combat at the
final decisive moment, or at great need, acting as a last ditch
reserve. The banner is the rallying point of the unit, and should
be protected at all costs.
The basic formation for drawing up a Company is repeated in the
Battalion and the Regimental formations; ie, keeping about 1/3 of
your force in reserve. This "triangular" formation is very
important; having a good reserve is essential, for it allows you
the flexibility to adapt to changing battlefield conditions. The
primary role of any reserve unit is to maintain the integrity of
the front line, by stopping any enemy penetration. If the
commander decides that the front line is secure, the reserve may
be used for flanking attacks, or to support another unit . The
next installment will deal with the basic field maneuvers that
must be mastered for a unit to be effective in battle.
The Art of War #3
Part 3: Tips for Battlefield Survival
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by Sir Michael DeLacy
Arts of War
Fighting in an SCA war requires a different set of abilities from
fighting in an SCA tournament. In a tournament, you are matched
against a single opponent, and you attention is focused on trying
to anticipate his next move, and find his weak points. In a
battle, you must develop the skill of 'battlefield awareness',
the ability to track a large number of targets at the same time,
as well as being aware of where your own forces are. This is a
very important skill to master, for in a battle you may be
attacked by any number of opponents - not only those in your
immediate area, but also by enemy armed with the 12 foot spear,
who can strike you with blinding speed from yards away.
Tourney fighting stresses the importance of combination shots; a
series of blows designed to get around your opponents defenses.
While one-on-one situations will develop from time to time in a
battle, they are to be avoided; in war fighting, you must fight
as a unit, not as individuals. Combination shots tend to focus
your attention on one opponent for too long, which leaves you
very vulnerable to another attack from an unexpected direction
(particularly from a pole). During a battle, your shots should be
quick, well aimed, and preferably directed at opponents who
aren't concentrating on you. Above all, do not break formation to
attack an enemy, particularly if you are in a shield wall.
The most important thing to remember when fighting in a war is to
keep together with your team and to fight as a unit. Like a good football team,
not all of you should be struggling to get in the goal, sometimes
you will act as a diversion or in support, setting up the enemy
so that you teammate can get in and score. Practice with your
teammates as often as possible, using all of the different weapon
combinations. Get use to fighting with each other as a team, and
you will make a very effective war unit. |