It was great to be back! This was the first official SCA event I'd attended in over a year. It was hot, we were out of shape, and the masks were difficult to breathe in. But we persevered!
I'll cut to the meat of what I think is a key piece that we, and likely most scadians, need to work on regarding melee in static battles (part 2 will talk to the rest of the day)
Author's Note:
I'm about to address three areas with room for improvement. I want to note first and foremost that there is always room for improvement with every group of fighters. Having said that, I was really impressed with the group that we had on the field yesterday and thought everyone did a fantastic job fighting and I look forward to a year with many more well fought events!
Moving Spears and Shields Past Each Other
Consider a basic bridge battle. In our case we had a very narrow bridge, maybe 7 feet wide, with about 10 or so fighters per side. I almost always want to begin this scenario with a shield wall at the front. More often than not, our opponent does the same, and we both march across the bridge and meet in the middle.
In most bridge battles I've seen, one or both sides will bring their spears to the front, and the spears will work for a while trying to get as many kills as they can. At some point, one of the two sides decides that either a) they are losing the spear duels or b) they spot a weakness that can be exploited by a charge (like the opponent has spears in the 2nd rank).
Think of it like a mixed marshal arts fight. Standing up, punching and kicking, is like fighting with spears in the front. Charging at the opponent in an attempt to grab him and throw him to the ground is like a shield charge. Most MMA fights start with both opponents striking, until one opponent decides that their odds would improve if they charged their opponent. In this instance, both opponents need to be trained not just for striking, and grappling (the grabbing part), but also the transition between the two (one wants to initiate the grapple, the other needs to avoid being dumped on their head).
What I found while fighting were three areas in need of improvement:
1-Communication (Spears Talking to Shields)
2-Keeping Spears Off the 2nd Rank
3-Spacing the Spears
Communication: A Lack of Assertiveness and Communication from the Spears
At some point a commander should (and will) yell with a commanding voice, "Spears to the front!" or "Spears up!" or "Let the the spears up!"
Shields in the front rank never respond to these commands because they aren't spears, and they feel a sense of duty to hold their ground when standing directly across from the enemy. Additionally, they cannot take their eyes off of what's in front of them or they'll get killed, so they have no way of knowing what is coming up behind them.
What needs to happen is that as a spear comes to the front line, they need to be very assertive, and very vocal about what they want to do. This does not come naturally for a lot of people, but it is necessary.
Begin by sticking the point of the spear well past the shield fighter who's spot you wish to take. This is necessary in order for them to know that there's a spear coming up, because they can't look behind them. You then have to say something loudly to let them know what you want to do, and you have to identify them in some manner so that they know that you are talking to them and not one of the other 30 people within ear shot.
"Hey Roman guy, can I have your spot?"
"Magnus, I'm coming up behind you with a spear."
"His Majesty, may I please stand in front of you with my spear?"
"Guys, I'm coming up with a spear (tap tap tap) M'lady, I'm coming up on your left (tap tap tap)."
And when you get almost up to the front rank, don't be afraid to do a bit of shoving and jostling to get your spot. As long as everyone knows that the command has been given for spears to replace shields, this shouldn't be an issue.
Below is a short video that models exactly how this is done (the whole video is valuable, but this particular part is at 1:19):
Another problem I noticed was spears who don't fit on the front line would crowd up the second rank. This is very bad, especially if there's any reason to hold ground on the bridge. Any time I see an opponent with spears in the front rank AND the second rank, I immediately call a charge.
A spear in the second rank is completely useless when the spears are in the front. The fight is 9 feet away from the front rank, which means it's 12 feet away from the second rank. There's nothing you can stab. You're just an obstacle preventing your own shields from being able to get into action when needed (when the charge occurs).
Bad Spacing of the Spears
I personally like to have one spear at each extreme flank on the bridge, with spears evenly spaced between.
As I've finished writing this blog, I thought "what could I have done better?"
I was in command at some points. We could have started the battle with a quick prep on what the tactics are. I could have shouted very clear instructions, like, "Spears to the front! We want exactly THREE spears on the front line. NO SHIELDS should be on the front line! If you have a spear, and you are not on the front line, then fall to the back rank! You'll get your chance to fight. Angus, tell Johan to fall back. He's got a spear and should not be in the front rank."
I'm also hoping that in future practices we can work a bit more on this coordination.
One thing I expressed to those at the practice is that you can't train an entire region of fighters at a practice with 20. The real value is for commanders to learn how fighters will naturally behave, and to figure out how to command them in the moment. We also need to get all 20 fighters at the practice not just to be able to model good fighting at war, but to be able to translate these same ideas to those on the field who need to be taught in the moment. Remember, there's a difference between what you can accomplish with a group of people who practice together daily, and a group of people who will never be able to practice together with any regularity.
https://thetacticalfighter.blogspot.com/2019/10/baris-bridge-battles.html
If the bridge is wide enough it is also advantageous to post a shield at one side of the front line who is able to counter charge and keep your line from being pressed. 😀
ReplyDeleteThat's something I struggle with. For narrow bridges it reduces the number of spears you can get on the front line. It also gives the opposing spears the oblique angle advantage.
DeleteHaving said that, there is a big advantage to having a shield there to counter charges. I think you are correct that the wider the bridge is, the more advantageous it is to have a shield in the position.
Also, if holding ground is important, like if there's a timed control point, it may be a good idea to place a shield there instead of a spear.
Thanks for the comment!