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Pears and Jam

An idea for a strategic armored combat team tournament

Updated: 01 Jan 2011  

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Here's an idea for a strategic tournament for two sides with an equal number of fighters each. I also have a version of this for rapier 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 fighters on each side and a limit on how many of those fighters on each side may begin with a pole weapon (spears, glaives, and the like).

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

Each fighter 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 fighters per side.

Twelve fighters 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 fighters on each side. No more than TWO fighters on each side may start with a  pole weapon. 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 fighter on a given side who fought in that melee who survived (no lethal wound) and is still able (no leg wound, no more than one arm wounded).

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

Variations

 

 

Eleven fighters per side

The fighter in Round 1 on each side may also fight in the melee.

Ten fighters per side

The fighters in Rounds 1 and 7 on each side may also fight in the melee.

Nine fighters per side

The fighters in Rounds 1, 2, and 7 on each side may also fight in the melee.

Thirteen fighters per side

The extra fighter 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 fighter on each side may begin the melee with a pole weapon.

Fourteen fighters per side

You could run this with two groups of seven (see below) OR run this the same as 13 fighters per side (see above) adding an extra individual bout in the middle with sword and shield.

Option: Assign forms to fighters

To use this option, for Part 1, each side assigns in advance both the fighter and the form for each round. The forms available are the same as those in the standard version: greatsword for two fighters, glaive for two fighters, spear for two fighters, and sword and shield for one fighter. They can be in any order and forms need not be matched for a given round.

Seven fighters 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 fighter on each side may begin the melee with a pole weapon. 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 fighters per side

Put the extra fighter in the melee to have four-on-four. Decide whether one or two fighters on each side may begin t a pole weapon. The winning side gets 1 point plus one more point for each of their able survivors.

Six fighters per side

The fighters in Round 1 may also fight in the melee.

Five fighters per side

The fighters in Rounds 1 and 2 may also fight in the melee.

Four fighters per side

Each fighter has an individual bout and fights in the four-on-four melee. For the melee, no more than TWO fighters on each side may begin the melee with a pole weapon. The winning side gets 1 point plus one more point for each of their able survivors.

Option: Assign forms to fighters

To use this option, for Part 1, each side assigns in advance both the fighter and the form for each round. The forms available are the same as those in the standard version: greatsword, spear, sword and shield, and glaive - each form used only once by default. 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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