I focused mostly on foam-weapon specific stuff.
Were you also interested in general fighting advice on stance, distance, defense and attacks? That stuff’s best shown in practice, but I’m sure you can be deluged with tips here if you’re interested. There are quite a few trained fencers, metal-weapon fighters, and SCA fighters in our midst.
Also of note, a lot of LARPers don’t have any formal training. As Derek says, best way to figure it out is through practice.
My personal experience is that those with formal training tend to beat us untrained folk senseless although that being said, they sometimes are suprised by really unconventional things untrained fighters do.
Also, larp weapons are generally (always) completely unlike real weapons in weight and speed and typically we have rules like “no head shots” and avoid joints. I know of at least one martial arts trained player who struggles with his own training, as all of the killing strikes he has learned specifically target the head or joints (like wrists).
As far as contact levels, its really down to those involved to an extent, to find a level suitable for most people you need to get a good few people involved.
For myself, I can quite happily spar with blows just below the bruising threshold (or even past). This tends to happen with people I know well and we all know our own thresholds.
From what I have experienced, that level of contact is far in excess of what is required for LARP and light to moderate pulled blows seems to be the accepted norm.
The other benefit of lighter contact is that when someones head (or groin) appears in front of your blade (for whatever reason) and you hit them, they are less likely to be injured.
I have taken a wild swing to the head and seen stars from a boffer, while modern latex weapons tend to sting more if you get sconed a good one.
Other points to note, try to keep combatants swinging on 45’s or horizontal.
While I agree with Ryan’s comments about latex weapons and thrusting, you CAN approximate a thrust pushing forward and then tapping with the blade end with a flick of the wrist.
Its trickier and you need to aim past the body and angle in when you do it but it does the same trick.
Other points of note, encourage players to count HP correctly (if you have them) however a couple of common sense provisions make gameplay a bit more stream lined.
Firstly - if you forget if you are on 3 or 4 (or whatever) take the lower value and keep playing. If you are reduced to 0 in this manner and manage to figure out you are actually on 1 while lying there, for petes sake stay on the ground. Theres nothing more annoying than people springing back up after they have gone down. Of course, an extra blow to keep them down always goes a long way.
Second - the Mobbing rule - if you can’t count your HP because the blows are falling thick and fast, then you have been mobbed. Fall down on 0 and go from there. Theres no way you could have survived being mobbed anyways.
Combat calls - in a regular stand up fight theres no need for combat calls. If you feel the need to include some other effects make sure the calls are clear and standardised if possible.
The trend is to couch calls in rhetoric for immersive purposes otherwise clear and simple works.
[quote=“Ryan Paddy”]I focused mostly on foam-weapon specific stuff.
Were you also interested in general fighting advice on stance, distance, defense and attacks? That stuff’s best shown in practice, but I’m sure you can be deluged with tips here if you’re interested. There are quite a few trained fencers, metal-weapon fighters, and SCA fighters in our midst.[/quote]
I was mostly interested in the general culture of how hard to hit, and where.
Next step: need to get a shield.
Unless you have already set your heart on a specific shield style, I recommend a round shield with a boss and hand grip in the center. The classic “Viking” shield. They work better for larping because you can extend very low to guard your foot and blows are so light, they’re never really knocked around. The heater shields that are strapped to the forearm are probably more common, but I believe inferior because to guard the foot, you have to stoop into a poor posture. Forearm strapped shields also have a tendency to redirect blows into heads if used incorrectly. Which is unfortunately, quite common.
Others will have a differing opinion, and I’m happy to meet all comers on the field of combat, where we can discuss the advantages and disadvantages in a more … traditional manner 
Unless you have already set your heart on a specific shield style, I recommend a round shield with a boss and hand grip in the center. The classic “Viking” shield. They work better for larping because you can extend very low to guard your foot and blows are so light, they’re never really knocked around. The heater shields that are strapped to the forearm are probably more common, but I believe inferior because to guard the foot, you have to stoop into a poor posture. Forearm strapped shields also have a tendency to redirect blows into heads if used incorrectly. Which is unfortunately, quite common.[/quote]
I was thinking a roundshield anyway because it would be easy to prop.
So, how do you make them? I hear coreflute is a desirable material…
Corflute is good.
I use corrugated cardboard as well, if I can’t find corflute, and as long as you cover it in light fabric (like calico) and paint it, it lasts just fine.
There is a pattern for a shield boss here:
I’ll be happy to teach what little I know to people, it’s just a bit of practice and getting used to a particular weapon.
As most people have said, a big shield is your friend.
Cheers,
Bryn.
The only amendment I want to put to anything above is that the UK weapons are actually moving towards lighter, more controlable weapons, the safety being that lighter mass will impact less, and the greater control makes pulling blows much easier. The only other thing to watch is some weapons sometimes get a “sharpness” to the edge through being carved so, or the latex layers being applied in such a way that they actually have a fairly solid edge to them. It’s a little thing, but it adds so much to the chance of injury from focusing the impact zone. The other cause is often called “blading”, and it’s when there’s two layers of foam side by side which have been carved back, and the very hard thin layer of glue between them is exposed before being latexed over resulting in a very hard very thin striking surface, which will quickly erode leaving an actually sharp blade of glue.
I gather the continental European latex weapons like Forgotten Dreams from Germany are lighter than the UK ones. When I was in the UK a few years back the latex weapons produced there still seemed on the heavier side, I think due to a thick layer of latex. But a lot of people in the UK are now using weapons made on the continent, because they’re coming out with cheaper mass-produced weapons whereas UK weapons tend to be more low-quantity and more labour intensive to produce.
I’m sure this is good advice, but just be aware that the hardness we’re talking about is very relative. In my experience, once you have a weapon made of foam, weight is the key factor in injury. As long as the core doesn’t poke out, you should find that pretty much any padded sword is “safe” to do stupid things with.
Can’t entirely agree there. A really hard, badly-made foam weapon being swung wildly can do actual damage. I had my nose broken by one a long time ago.
Its all a balance, a poorly used weapon of good quality can hurt and a poorly made weapon used well is unlikely to hurt you.
The biggest problem is that us humans are squishy and reckless (in general).
As I said, it’s all relative. A broken nose is a pretty minor injury, and that’s about as bad as it gets with boffers. Maybe the odd scratched eyeball. Compare that to real life…
The UK ones seem to be moving to lighter carbon fibre cores (or at least the ones I played with over the weekend are), though unlike the german/continental weapons (which actually aren’t so common) they are also weighted for better balance, compared to the ultralights which tend to be end-heavy which i personally find kinda lame. They also look a hell of a lot better.
The game I played in over the weekend also allowed headshots, and I have to say that reasonable concerns aside, if people are controlling their blows like they should be - and here there is actually very little/no difference between NZ and the UK - then once you get past the shock of it, being hit in the head is no worse than being hit anywhere else. The important thing here though would be to make sure all involved in a given match/game/scenario are consenting to the same “rules” of combat.
This is the sticking point for me. When someone starts to larp, they don’t require, or often get, any training in weapons fighting, or taught how to pull shots. At least, I was never offered any, and have kind of muddled along, probably inflicting hurting blows without realising it. I know other fighting groups hold weekly sessions, but there doesn’t seem to be anywhere to practise/train with larp weapons. This discussion is the only thing I can recall, other than the 2 minutes of pre-game bashing around. Don’t mean to sound complaining, and impetous on my part could have changed things, but I thought i’d point out that many, newcomers especially, will have zero experience of weapons use before starting to larp.
It has been one of my long term ideas, to see a monthly (say) training session. A relaxed, not in character or in costume time where we could possibly upskill our weapon use. Make a regular social event in a park, or large back yard, perhaps adjourning to a pub afterwards?
I like the way you think.
Every game should have some sort of briefing where new players in particular are shown what is acceptable and what isn’t. Maybe something for all GMs to put on their priority lists.
Actually a monthly weapons practice is something I have considered for a long time. I just have naff all players in Hamilton. But in Orkland, you have lots!
Doesn’t need much organisation past be here at so and so time. People come or they don’t.
Would go a long way, plus its fun!
Live combat is one of the main attractions of larp for me, so having a regular bash is awesome.
This is the sticking point for me. When someone starts to larp, they don’t require, or often get, any training in weapons fighting, or taught how to pull shots.[/quote]
I was lucky, being that I was on time to my first LARP game… Role Models didn’t portray the “Larps never start on time” thing… ha ha… and so I did get taught the basics; combat rules, how to pull shots, what is and isn’t cool, and then had a chance to put it in action one on one, and get over the initial sort of “I feel kinda silly/I don’t want to hurt you/omg I’ve got no chance” thing. And that was good. So show up on time newbies 
lol
A larp weapons practice would be cool. mumbles at Hamilton’s lack of players they obviously don’t know what they’re missing!
perhaps that would help raise numbers/more interest? 
Alrighty then. Give me a couple of weeks (and then a couple more) or so and I’ll get some combat practice underway.
I have had in the past, regular sessions with Dave, Jason, Manky plus others turn up for some sparring at the end of my street (ahh no exit street) plus theres a park just down the road.
And my garage is a good place for a few beers after (once I clean it up).
That and some of the neighbourhood kids too, so if any Hamiltonians are watching, keep an eye out on the Hamilton forum sometime soon, we’ll have some fighting and stuff!
I’m just glad i did it well enough to not scare you away 
