When we think of melee in our Society we think of fighters in armour charging across the fields of Pennsic or Gulf Wars or most events on any weekend. Melee is a very personal endeavor and the armored warrior is its most perfect tool.

When we see fencers melee it is often a very different view. To the uneducated they could appear to be an orgy of single combats. There is little unit cohesion. There is very little communication between the unit commander and the unit, and even less communication between members of a unit. Fencing melee seems to be a very non-verbal affair.

When we think of fencing melee there are plenty of aspects that are involved with armored combatants, it is however, unfortunate that we can not see any of them. What is missing is heavy armour, bulky weapons, and a very protective shield. The largest of the missing pieces is experience. Heavy fighters have been engaged in melee for over 30 years. Fencers as a community to say the least, have not.

What fencing melee has from heavy is very simple. Tactics will come over, how a good unit operates is essential, and the mind set of the combatants and of those placed in command of them.

What I hope to offer here is a clear view of what can be adopted from heavy melee, what we can leave behind, and where we can take it from this point.

I believe my ideas to be correct. They are not the only correct ideas, but these are the ones that I believe in.

Though I have no experience as a heavy combatant, I have taken a serious interest in the study and application of melee for use in rapier combat over the past six years.

In addition to the discussion of tactics for use in team and field combat, I want to discuss specifics, like Roman Melee, Scenario Melee, and unique options for rapier melee including Rubber Band Guns, and Death From Behind.

Melee allows us to expand the application of Rapier combat, with teamwork, and fun and unique scenarios not available in standard double elimination or Round Robin tournaments. Though it will never look like heavy combat, I believe Rapier Melee is something we as a community need to pursue further, and that's what this paper is all about.

A tremendous Thank You to Don Yngvar (now Count Yngvar. been a while since he first composed this), who created the original incarnation of this paper, and allowed me to use it as the basis for my additions. Feel free to use and share the ideas and suggestions made here, that's what it's all about!

What is a melee?

A melee is a combat involving two or more units on separate sides. These sides do not have to have an equal number of units. These sides do not have to have units of equal numbers. Inequality is the norm in melee.

What is a unit?

A unit is a group of combatants working as a team.

What makes up a unit?

SHOULD be more than one person. Can be as large as the commander may command. A unit is composed of a body of combatants, and a unit commander. There may also be a small number of "unattached assets". These would be floaters or harassers. The floater or harasser or "ooga-booga" is either a distraction, or a person(s) sent to confuse the enemy, or held in reserve when and where needed. These are not essential, and I do not recommend them to inexperienced commanders.

What makes a unit work?

There are two keys to a good unit.

Communication is the key. If the members of a unit cannot hear the commander, they are not under command. I suggest then, that a unit be no wider than can hear the commander issue commands while facing forwards. I would also suggest that the unit commander ask members of the unit to repeat his commands until they all feel comfortable together. In addition, the members of the unit must be able to communicate with one another. If someone dies, or loses an arm, or is disabled, they need to let the commander and the rest of the unit know of this.

Cohesion is a key. If a unit does not stay together, they cannot and will not perform in an effective manner. They will not be able to hear commands and will lose the support of those in their unit. They must move together, and fight together. This is not single combat - just because someone is directly before you in another unit does not mean that, should an opening occur, you can't kill the person to their left or right - that's part of the cohesion of the unit.

What is a unit commander?

A unit commander is a person who can get the members of a unit to agree to let them command.

What makes a good commander?

A good unit commander must do many different things:

1. They must be willing to listen to other members of the unit for better or worse.
2. They must be willing to take blame when the unit loses.
3. They must be willing to part with most or all of the credit when the unit wins.
4. They must be willing to commit the unit to combat - this may be the most important.

Is there a chain of command?

Each unit has a commander, but as that person is also engaged in combat, it is good to know whom, should the commander fall, takes command of the unit. Unit cohesion should not rest entirely upon the shoulders of the unit commander - remember, a unit is a team. If the commander falls, it's good if the unit is aware of who takes command, to still win the engagement.

Remember this important rule above all others - KISS - Keep It Simple, Stupid! The more complex the tactic, the more opportunity for it to fall apart! The less complicated, basic tactics will almost always beat the over-planned, over-structured tactics. A simple tactic can be adjusted far easier than a complex one.

What are some of the available tactical ideas?

There is one grand idea to use, greater numbers at the point of engagement. Greater numbers, however, is no guarantee, for greater numbers can be overcome by smarter tactics.

There are, of course, others.

The unit that maneuvers first almost always has the advantage. Unless that unit moves foolishly, and simply opens itself up to attack.

The majority of units are right handed. Bear that in mind for orientation regarding how they are armed.

Advance - The unit moves forward at a walk.

Stop (never hold) - The unit ceases movement.

Back - The unit moves backwards. Good Luck.

Slide Left - The unit moves to the left without any forward movement.

Slide Right - The unit moves to the right without any forward movement.

Oblique Left - The unit faces forward and moves at a 45 degree angle to the left.

Oblique Right - The unit faces forward and moves at a 45 degree angle to the right.

Lemon (Left Encirclement) - The unit wraps around and caps the left side of the opposing unit.

Rose (Right Encirclement) - The unit wraps around and caps the right side of the opposing unit.

Charlie - The unit charges into the opposing unit. This is not recommended.

Counter punch - React to what the opposing unit does. This does work, it's just not easy.

Rose - Advance the unit almost to the point of engagement then call for a rose.

Lemon - Advance the unit almost to the point of engagement then call for a lemon.

Double Envelopment - Both ends of your unit wrap around the opposing unit. This requires a large unit for success.

There are a multitude of ideas, always try to keep your tactics simple and do not expect them to survive engagement. "Get 'em Ray!" is never a plan. Don't get stuck on a single idea - you may be faced with an unexpected tactic. Keep fluid, be prepared to change your plans almost instantly.

Which leads to a pair of important tactics - Regroup and Withdraw. If your initial plan fails, and part of your unit has been eliminated, be prepared to regroup your unit at another point. Also not an easy thing to do, but important. Equally important, and sometimes necessary, is a withdrawal. Retreat can't work - turning your back to an opposing unit is more than just a bad idea - but withdrawing to another position allows for regrouping, and a change of tactics. This is why the simplest tactics, and a fluidity of tactics allows for more opportunities, and additional options for the unit commander.

Also important to any melee - resurrection - vs. - non-resurrection combat. A simple determinant in choice of tactics is often whether or not one is allowed to resurrect, and how many times, or if you live only once. This can affect tactics in a number of ways, depending on scenario, time restrictions, etc. Sometimes, where you might push in a resurrection battle, employing a possibly reckless tactic, you might be less inclined to do so when you can only die but once.

What are my responsibilities as a member of a unit?

As part of a melee unit, you are part of a team. This isn't about glory, it's about your team defeating an opposing team. Don't throw yourself at the opposition, remain in your own line. Advance with your line, don't get ahead, don't fall behind. Don't throw a lunge - especially while engaged with an opposing line - this leaves you WIDE open! Most importantly - DON'T DIE! This sounds obvious, but if you remain defensive, you buy your unit more time. You are engaged with the entirety of the opposing unit - which means you can help each member of your unit take out members of the opposition.

Pay attention to your unit. If people in your unit are eliminated, close ranks. COMMUNICATE within the unit. Obey the orders of the Unit Commander. Work together. If the person to either side of you in your unit fouls an opponent's blade(s), take advantage of this, and kill that opponent! Teamwork - it's all about teamwork in melee combat!

Choose your weapons wisely! If you have all your weapons forms, choose wisely what you take with you. A cloak can be as dangerous to your unit as it is to the opposition! Also, case of dagger impairs the range at which you can engage an opponent successfully. Coordinating placement of individual members of a unit with regards to weapons in hand can affect the outcome of the combat.

Where can we go from here?

From this point experiment, and through trial and error, with experience you will learn what works and what does not. Some thoughts:

Atlantian Five Man Tourney - At this tourney, a five person unit was broken down into two, two person units and a single. Send out the single in front and they pick a side to go to. Put the two larger parts out to either side and try to ball them up.

Stacked Units - This was designed my Master John the Pell and Duke Hasdrubal of Ealdomere. Take two or three units and stack them in line towards the opposing side. The unit in front will be the slower one, and the fastest will be in the back. When lay on is called, the commander of the front unit picks where he should hit. This should be on a corner of the opposing unit.

The commander of the back unit now decides where they should hit. The choices being, around the outside of the front unit and attacking the same flank in support, or hitting on the inside of the first unit to protect the flank, or hitting the other corner of the opposing unit, which will also protect the flank of the first unit but allows access to the opposing units back field.

Two Man Hit Teams - This is a variant of the Atlantian Five Man. Two fencers per unit, one fencer in command. If there are more than one group, they should work in support of each other. In this you can form lines like a traditional unit, but if you need to react to something, you can detach two fencers from the unit to deal with it.

The Ooga-Booga - Using the Atlantian Five Man as the basis, your team is split, either a group of four, or two groups of two. The extra person, sometimes called the Ooga-Booga, is a distraction. While he distracts, the rest of the team moves. As combat ensues, if this person is forgotten, he can go wherever the team is in need.

There are other tactics one can employ. Improvise, experiment. Keep it simple, keep it light, and remember the most important point of all - HAVE FUN!

Roman Melee

The Roman Melee can be a lot of fun. You begin with a circle, and as many combatants as want to play. When lay-on is called, it's all for one, one for all! No teams, everyone versus everyone else! The winner, ultimately, is the last one standing. You can play this with a flag or dagger or some other item in the center of the circle the winner must be in possession of in the end as well.

There are a couple of important things that must be remembered when playing a Roman Melee:

Acknowledgement of Engagement - You cannot attack from behind, you must make the intended target aware of your presence! Either you shout at them, or find some other way to make them acknowledge you. This does not apply, however, if you cross the circle, and you've just turned your back on people you could acknowledge previously.

Alliances - There is no reason why you can't form a temporary alliance. Just remember, in the end, it's the last ONE standing who wins!

Scenario melee can be a lot of fun, and an alternative to open field combat. Most ideas from Unit combat are still applicable, but the individual scenarios will seriously alter tactics, and how a unit is capable of moving. Communication and Cohesion of the unit are still the keys, even in scenarios. These battles can be simply played out to a conclusion, or can be a timed or untimed resurrection battle. Some popular scenarios:

The Tavern Brawl - The patrons of the tavern (one unit) are being accosted by the city guard (another unit). As the guard enters the tavern, the patrons must fight to get out. This can be played out in a couple other ways. The tavern patrons may simply be individuals faced with a unit they must work past.

Roman melee can be applied to a tavern brawl, last one standing wins. This is best with some sort of goal, like a tankard or dagger the winner must leave the tavern with.

Capture the Flag - The opposing teams must capture each other's flags. This can be played in a number of ways, and does not necessarily need to be only two teams.

Boat Battles - An thelmearc invention. The boats are made of PVC tubing, the standard holding six combatants. The fencers carry the .boat. from point A to point B, and can fight with the boat held up, or can drop the boat to fight, or board opposing boats or islands or whatever. A six person boat must have a minimum of two people to operate it, and if the PVC tubing comes apart, the boat sinks. Anyone in the water and not within the boat, drowns. This can be very silly, and a lot of fun.

Bridge Battles - There is a body of water, and to cross it, you must cross the bridge. Width of the bridge affects how many can cross at a time. Whoever holds the bridge controls the battle in most respects. Any who step off the bridge, fall to their death. Very similar to the heavy fighter bridge battles, but it plays very differently with the lack of spears and other longer reach weapons.

There are several other elements one can employ in a scenario:

- Water shallow enough to be crossed, where the fencers must cross on their knees. If legged, they drown.

- Rocks in the water, where you must cross from rock to rock, and if you miss, you fall in, and drown.

- Buildings, with single entrance ways, a good place to put the flag or treasure for a capture the flag type battle.

- Other obstacles: Fences, tables, barricades, anything that must be fought over, or around, or even through.

Any combination of the various scenarios, and the elements, can make for a complex, fun, and unique combat situation. An example:

Hundred Minutes War 1999 - Capture the flag, the flags were in buildings on opposite ends of the field, with single doorways. There was a river in the center of the field, which could be crossed either by bridge, by boat, or by a narrow section of .shallow. water. Resurrection battle.

Half the fun of these battles is combining the elements to create the scenarios. Some things work better than others in combination, and for any melee, having enough space is an important factor!

There are a couple unique options being employed for rapier melee combat that do not exist at all in heavy combat.

Death from Behind (DFB) - More than five years old now, this is still a controversial engagement option. As the name suggests, you can kill an opponent without prior recognition. This is done by placing the blade on the shoulder of the opponent so that - of the blade is over the shoulder, and visible to your opponent. As this is done, you state clearly, "You are dead, my lord(lady)". or sometimes "Death from behind!", and even sometimes "Who's your daddy?!" depending on the rules of engagement. No matter what is called, it must be done so clearly, and it must be made obvious that this form of attack has been carried out - you must be BEHIND - not off to the side, as engagement is now at 180 - You are dead the moment the blade makes contact - the phrase is nothing more than courtesy.

Some argue that this is unchivalrous, and some have expressed concerns over abuse and misuse of this tactic. One serious concern involves actual striking of an opponent from behind, which is strictly forbidden. This has, however, become an acceptable tactic and formal rule in several kingdoms, purely at the discretion of the Marshal in Charge of the given melee scenario. In general, the war point melees at Pennsic are done with DFB.

Rubber Band Guns - Weapons built to resemble the flint lock or wheel lock pistols of the late period. Rubber Band Guns (RBG's) shoot surgical tubing bands, and, like the period weapons, are not always dependable, misfiring, sometimes inaccurate even from point-blank range. The tubing strikes, even at close range, hard enough to be felt, but not hard enough to bruise or leave welts. Experiments with this are ongoing in multiple kingdoms, and some have even formalized rules for these weapons.

Death from Behind (DFB) and Rubber Band Guns (RBG's) both have their place.

RBG's have many applications, which are still being explored. The use of RBG's in resurrection battles can be mostly fruitless, with the exception of the quick advantage one can gain in the beginning. And in close combat, it has both pluses and minuses. The biggest drawback is the need to re-load, fire, and re-load an RBG in close combat, which invites a quick death from observant opponents.

More work needs to be done with firing lines, volley fire, and other period applications of these weapons to make them more effective. The can certainly add another fun element to our game, and range weapons, as they become more wide spread, will certainly change the nature of melee for the fencing community overall. I know that some kingdoms, like Atlantia, are even employing combat archery to rapier.

It is kind of a let down, admittedly, to step into a battle, all set to cross blades, and find yourself shot. But - it's all part of the game.

Further use of these and other new forms will reveal positives and negatives no one has yet considered.

War points were limited to heavy combat and archery for a long time. Finally, we received a single War Point for our Rapier Champions. battle, and since Pennsic XXXII or XXXIII we have had a total of three, adding a field melee and woods melee scenario. Rapier melee has truly come into its own.

There are still issues of melee combat that we are constantly addressing. Calibration has become a serious issue - for some reason, as teams we tend to hit harder, and even in some cases take fewer shots. We still primarily train to be single combatants. As melee in rapier becomes more and more commonplace, we need to take a page from the Heavy fighters, and begin to incorporate melee training right at the outset.

No matter how even or uneven the sides are at Pennsic, we need to remember that these are our friends, and we are doing this for fun. It is very easy to get swept up in the politics of our society, and forget the reason we do this in the first place. It's a game - we're supposed to be having fun playing it!

Melee is not for everyone. That's not a criticism, it's a fact. Some people do not enjoy playing with the team, do not like the possibility of being overrun by three of more fencers at the same time; they prefer single combats. It's a good idea to know that if you don't take pleasure in melee, it's probably best you stay out, and marshal - we can never have too many marshals observing melee combat.

Rapier melee overall has a lot of possibilities, a lot of applications, and can be a lot of fun. These are just a few thoughts and ideas to start you out, either creating melees, or fighting in them. Continued experimentation will bring new ideas, new tactics, and further the development of rapier combat as a whole.