Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Battlecry!

 Battlecry!


This is a weekly bulletin for practices in the Realms.  Practices are one of the most important facets to the Realms, it is a place where many people are introduced to the game, as well as a place to enjoy the company and meet new members of the community.  Even if you are not a fighter, it is still a great form of exercise, as well as a way to hone your combat skills, which is an important skill for helping out at events while NPCing.  A lot of what makes a great combatant in the Realms has to do with muscle memory and building a good intuition for combat, which can only happen with consistent practice, so make sure to try and stop by your local practice as often as possible


Tuesday


Western Massachusetts Fight Practice (https://www.realmsnet.net/events/1857)

6:00pm-8:00pm - West Street Playground, Ludlow, MA


Details

  • Practice consists of a mix of individual and group combat.

  • Loaner weapons are/are not available?

  • Water is not available, bring your own water.

  • Public restrooms are available on site.

  • Masks are optional?

  • This is outdoors and inclement weather is very likely to limit attendance.

Important Notes

  • None this week.

Weather

  • It is going to be a great day for practice, sunny and in the mid 60’s, consider bringing sunblock and remember to hydrate.


Wednesday


Nashua Blackwood Fight Practice (https://www.realmsnet.net/events/1857)

4:00pm-8:00pm -Greely Park (Concord St), Nashua, NH


Details

  • Practice consists of a mix of individual, squad, and line battles, as attendees prefer.

  • Loaner weapons are available.

  • There is no water on site, bring your own.

  • Public restrooms are available on site.

  • While a few people might be there around 4:00, 5:00 is a more likely time to get started.

  • We set up near the grills and tables on the West side of Concord St, just off the access road to the north of the public restrooms.

  • Masks are optional.

  • This is outdoors and inclement weather is very likely to limit attendance.

Important Notes

  • None this week.

Weather

  • This week will be partly cloudy but still warm, in the low 60’s to mid .


Thursday


Central CT Fight Practice (https://www.realmsnet.net/events/1860)

6:00pm-9:00pm - Rye Street Park, South Windsor, CT


Important Notes

  • Practice consists of a mix of individual training and if attendees are interested, team combat and combat games.

  • Loaner weapons available.

  • Water fountains are available in season, best to bring your own drinking water however.

  • Public restrooms available on site.


Updates

  • None this week.

Weather

  • It is going to be a hot one this week, partly cloudy and in the low 80’s to mid 70’s, bring sunblock and plenty of water.


Stratham Hill Fight Practice (https://www.realmsnet.net/events/1859)

6:00pm-8:00pm - Stratham Hill Park, Stratham, NH


Important Notes

  • Practice consists of individual combat for the first half, and ditch style team combat for the second half.

  • Masks are optional.

  • Loaner weapons are available.

  • Water is available on site, but bring your own container.

  • On-site bathroom.

Updates

  • None this week.

Weather

  • It is going to be a great day for practice this week, mostly sunny and in the low 60’s.



Featured Drill: 2v1’s


2v1’s is one of the best drills you can run with any sized group.  This is a drill that teaches both teamwork and tactics.  The premise is simple, you form three lines, two lines opposite one in the fighting area.  Each round a combatant from each line enters the fighting area, with the combatants from the side with two lines fighting together.  The fight lasts until either the pair or single combatant wins, then all combatants clear the field and get back into the shortest lines.  It is a simple drill, but it allows the pairs to practice tactics and strategies to efficiently defeat a single opponent, while challenging the single combatant to try and find a strategy to overcome the numbers disadvantage.  This drill is sometimes called a 45s drill, alluding to the most common strategy of having the pairs attack the single combatant at a 45 degree angle, which makes it incredibly difficult to defend against.  Mobility is key for the single combatant who will need to maneuver to try and gain favorable footing where they can try and engage one target at a time, so remember to designate a sizable fighting area, or to expand it if need be.  I would recommend having higher skilled opponents in the single line, while having more inexperienced combatants in the pairs line.  This creates a fun matchup where the single combatant gains a big advantage if they are able to maneuver correctly, while challenging the two more inexperienced pairs to have to work together to achieve victory.  Alternatively, if you have more experienced combatants at your practice, you can also have the paired lines separate for experienced and inexperienced combatants, so that one can learn from another.  If you have a large practice you may also want to consider having multiple pits.  That is all for this week, let me know how you feel about this drill.