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Pears and Jam

An idea for a strategic team tournament for fencers

Updated: 01 Jan 2011  

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Here's an idea for a strategic tournament for two sides with an equal number of fencers each. I also have a version of this for armored combat.

The tournament has two parts. The first part features bouts of individual combat with matched forms. The second part has a mêlée (or just "melee" without the accents) with the rest of the fencers on each side and a limit on how many of those fencers on each side may begin with two long weapons (rapiers and the like).

Before the combat for Part 1 begins, each side secretly submits their rosters of fencers to say who will fight each of the individual rounds.

Each fencer may fill only one slot in either the first or second part. The rosters and pairings for each round are announced beforehand. The side with more points at the end wins.

There are conventions below for four to fourteen fencers per side.

Twelve fencers per side

Let there be seven rounds of individual combat and a five-on-five melee.

Part 1, Individual combat

Here are the seven rounds in order. Forms are matched in each round.

For each round, the winner's side gets a point. However, if the result is a 'double-kill', neither side gets a point.

Part 2, Mêlée

This is for the other five fencers on each side. No more than TWO fencers on each side may begin the melee with two long weapons. Declared Kills from Behind are permitted. The winning side gets 3 points plus one more point for each able survivor at the end. 

An able survivor is a fencer on a given side who fought in that melee who survived (no lethal wound) and is still able (no leg wound, at least one hand unwounded).

Therefore, the most points that can be earned from the two parts is 15.

Variations

 

 

Eleven fencers per side

The fencer in Round 4 on each side may also fence in the melee.

Ten fencers per side

The fencers in Rounds 1 and 4 on each side may also fence in the melee.

Nine fencers per side

The fencers in Rounds 1, 4, and 7 on each side may also fence in the melee.

Thirteen fencers per side

The extra fencer goes into the melee. Would you have one big melee or two small ones?

One big melee: six-on-six

The winning side gets 2 points plus another point for each of their able survivors.

Two small melees: three-on-three

For each melee, the winning side gets ONE point plus another point for each of their able survivors. Only ONE fencer on each side may begin the melee with two long weapons.

Fourteen fencers per side

You could run this with two groups of seven (see below) OR run this the same as 13 fencers per side (see above) adding an extra individual bout after Round 5 with rapier and 'soft parry'.

Option: Assign forms to fencers

To use this option, for Part 1, each side assigns in advance both the fencer and the form for each round. The forms available are the same as those in the standard version: rapier only for two fencers, rapier and dagger for two fencers, rapier and 'rigid parry' for two fencers, and rapier and 'soft parry' for one fencer. They can be in any order and forms need not be matched for a given round.

Seven fencers per side

Let there be four rounds of individual combat and a three-on-three melee.

Part 1, Individual combat

Here are the four rounds in order.

For each round, the winner's side gets a point. However, if the result is a 'double-kill', neither side gets a point.

Part 2, Mêlée

Only ONE fencer on each side may begin the melee with two long weapons. Declared Kills from Behind are permitted. The winning side gets 2 points plus one more point for each of their able survivors. Therefore, the most points that can be earned is 9.

Variations

 

 

Eight fencers per side

Put the extra fencer in the melee to have four-on-four. Decide whether one or two fencers on each side may begin the melee with two long weapons. The winning side gets 1 point plus one more point for each of their able survivors.

Six fencers per side

The fencers in Round 2 may also fence in the melee.

Five fencers per side

The fencers in Rounds 1 and 2 may also fence in the melee.

Four fencers per side

Each fencer has an individual bout and fences in the four-on-four melee. For the melee, no more than TWO fencers on each side may begin the melee with two long weapons. The winning side gets 1 point plus one more point for each of their able survivors.

Option: Assign forms to fencers

To use this option, for Part 1, each side assigns in advance both the fencer and the form for each round. The forms available are the same as those in the standard version: rapier only for one fencer, rapier and dagger for one fencer, rapier and 'rigid parry' for one fencer, and rapier and 'soft parry' for one fencer. They can be in any order and forms need not be matched for a given round.

If you run this style of tournament or have a better suggestion for what to call it, please let me know!

 

Your feedback is most welcome. Would you like to send me email?

Original page posted: January 1, 2011 • Last tweaked: January 1, 2011
 
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