[MR] Danelaw: Fighters Won't Want to Miss It!!

[annewynne at charterinternet.com]

The Barony of Bryn Madoc (Meridies) is blessed with a Baron who loves the Martial Arts.
Below are the plans to wear you all out come Danelaw: Market Day at Jorvik,
held Sept. 30-Oct 2 at AH Stephens State Park in Crawfordville, GA.

So Fighters and other interested parties, READ ON this message from Baron Gwydion!!!!

Fighting Scenarios for Danelaw 05

The much awaited fighting for Danelaw has arrived! In keeping with the Viking theme of the event, we will be running scenarios with a Viking spin on them. My intention is to have a lot of fighting that will last most of the afternoon so I figured that timed ressurection battles
would work the best. That way, if it's hot or there is a lack of interest in going all day, the schedule can be reconfigured and fighters can drop in and out as they want.

9AM - Armour Inspection Begins.

9:30AM - Authorizations, if any are requested.

10:00AM - Fighting Begins. We shall start with a single elimination tournament with restricted weapon forms. The winner shall be captain of the team of his choice, Danes or Saxons, the runner up being captain of the other team. The single elimination format will work well for a small venue and be over quickly.

The weapon forms allowed in the tourney shall be those found in the Viking era, sword and center-grip round
shield, spear, or two-handed axe. Both opponents must use the same form and both must agree upon the form used. (I was thinking that it might be fun to have to have the combatants heralded in with hired 'skalds' boasting of their master's feats in battle rather than the traditional SCA reading of heraldic arms, but I'm not dead set on it.)

11:00AM - First Scenario. Danegeld. This shall be a capture the flag, unlimited resurection battle, timed for twenty minutes. The Danes, having extorted Danegeld from the local town, (in the form of a 40# leather bag of stones, metal scrap or whatever we can get to represent hack silver), are making their way back to their ship. The Saxons have sent out a party of warriors to stop them. The fighting shall go on until the time is up. Everyone within a spear length of the bag will remain to fight it out to the last man. Who ever holds the bag wins. Possesion of the bag means that a gauntleted fighter must be holding it. The bag may not be used to strike or block. The ressurection points will be one of the PVC boats and some other point at the opposite end of the field.

11:30AM - Second Scenario. The Last Stand of King Olaf Tryggvason. This is a weighted ressurection battle.
King Olaf met his end upon his ship, the LONG SERPENT, the mightiest of all Nordic longships. Hopelessly outnumbered,
he and his men held the prow of the ship for an hour before the King threw himself into the water rather than be
captured. Both of the PVC longships will be joined together to form the LONG SERPENT. The Viking team
will hold the ship first and will have no ressurections. The Saxon team, (this time really representing other Vikings), will have two ressurections each, spawning at the far end of the ship. The battle will be timed to see how long "King Olaf" can hold out, the last of his men slain. When the scenario is over, the teams will trade places. The team who holds out the longest wins. And if by accident King Olaf survives, then history will be rewritten. As in all boat battles, step out of the boat, you're toast. Combat archery will be allowed in this scenario. 

12:00PM - 1:00PM - Lunch

1:00PM - Third Scenario. A Clash of Longships. As the name implies this will be a boat battle. Both PVC ships will be put into use, with the Danes in one and the Saxons in the other. The ships may be moved by having at least four fighters with gauntlets carry it in at least one hand. The boats may be manuvered whereever they are steered, and fighting from ship to ship is allowed above the rail, but they may not be boarded. The ships may only be boarded if they are both laying on the ground and considered lashed together, as was the tactic of the time. If there are less than four fighters remaining aboard a ship, it is considered dead in the water and must be set down on
the ground. The fighting is to the last man, you step out, you're toast. Combat archery is allowed in this scenario.
This battle may be repeated if it runs too quickly.

1:30PM - Fourth Scenario. Longships Part Two. Timed ressurection battle, controlled contact, twenty minutes long. Both ships are lashed, (lying on the ground), and are joined about eight feet apart by two planks, (represented by pairs of 2 x 4s), one man wide and two men wide. Fighters may only cross on the planks or by
jumping. Each team has endless ressurections,
spawning at opposite prows of their ships. When time is up, the ressurections are cut off and fighting is to the last man. Blows can be thrown over the planks and the sides of the ships. There is no archery. As in all boat fighting, step off, you're toast.

2:00PM - Fifth Scenario. A Raid. This is a weighted ressurection town battle. The Danes have crossed from the Danelaw into Saxon territory to pillage and burn a few huts. Four houses, (constructed of hay bales, or flour on the ground), comprise the town. The Saxons will defend the four buildings with one ressurection, spawing from the rear of the building. The Danes have two ressurections each, spawning from their ship on the river, (PVC ship),
a good distance away. If the Saxons, from their cover, hold the town, then they win. If the Danes kill all the Saxons, then they win. No archery is allowed in this
scenario. Time permitting, the sides can switch and the Saxons can retaliate.

2:30PM - Last Scenario. The Seige of Jorvik. Ressurection bridge battle with a twist. The Saxons have come to evict the Danes from Jorvik, but first they must take the bridge over the River Ouse. In this stage of the battle, both sides have endless ressurections, the Danes spawning at  Jorvik and the Saxons spawning at a point on the far side of the bridge. They fight at the bridge, (16ft long, made from the 2 x 4s). The Saxons must physically push
the Danes completely off the bridge to procede.
In the second phase of the battle, the Danes retreat to the city, (with something to represent the gate, more boards, flower or hay bales), where they will defend the gate with only one resurection. The Saxons will have two resurections, but must spawn across the river a good distance away. The battle ends when the last Dane
is killed, or an hour has passed. Combat archery is allowed. This battle can be cut short to just the first phase if the day is hot, everyone is tired and tempers are
flying. 

3:30 - Fighting ends. The field is open for pickups.

That's it thus far. Let me know what you think. I will not be running these
scenarios, as I am not sure that I will be able
to stay on the field the whole day. Beside which I would like to fight in some
of them. Perhaps a couple of us can take
turns marshalling or someone will volunteer to do the whole shebang. In any
case, I think the fighters should be exhausted
by the end of the day. That's the whole point.

In Service
Gwydion