Range Tactics for 2v2 Combinations Explained

Last night we had our first melee practice on the college campus with 6 fighters showing up.  After working on some singles fundamentals that were needed from the fighters who don't normally attend SCA practices, we did a 2v2 Endless Resurrection Melee.

Again, if you've forgotten, we begin with teams of 2.  If you die, you go to the rez point and wait for another person to die.  As soon as two people are at rez, the two of you form up a new team, enter the ring, and immediately start fighting anyone else in the melee field.  I prefer to rope off a medium sized area to keep people from running away as a way to survive a fight (though not a terrible tactic, but we are here to learn to fight).

The best aspect of this scenario is that it teaches the fighters to develop small team tactics very quickly.  You have to assess your weapon, your partner's weapon, each others general talent and experience, the side that you are fighting on (left or right) and then all of those same components regarding your opponents.  All of this has to be assessed very quickly before an attack is initiated.

In this kind of fast paced chaos, it is the simplest tactics to employ that become the most important, and in this case that tactic is simply identifying who has the range advantage, whether or not you should be charging, and then coordinating the charge.

So your options are as follows:

You have longer weapons - immediately begin stabbing

They have longer weapons - immediately charge, together

Weapon types are similar - neutral fight


Now you might be thinking, "Why don't the shields just always charge?"  There are a few reasons.  They might be tired.  They might not be tired but don't know if their partner is tired.  They may both be ready to charge, but each is waiting for the other person to call a charge.  They may not realize that they both have shields.  etc. etc.  This is why we practice this.


The Weapons Combinations and Range Tactics
Last night we had six fighters;  two spears, two shields, and two poles.  The following combinations of 2v2 melees can take place.  If you want, read through each one and take a second to decide what course of action would you take in each situation.  Charge immediately?  Thrust from a distance?  Or would it be a neutral fight?


spear, spear vs pole, pole
spear, spear vs pole, shield
spear, spear vs shield, shield
pole, pole vs shield, shield
pole, pole vs spear, shield
shield, shield vs pole, spear
spear, pole vs spear, pole
spear, pole vs spear, shield
spear, pole vs pole, shield
spear, shield vs spear, shield
spear, shield vs shield, pole
pole, shield, vs pole, shield



ANSWERS:

Though the answers may be overly simple and obvious, quick decision making is often the key to winning these engagements and improves through regular practice.