Belegarth

Dagorhirim,
As head weapons checker the responsibility for weapon safety and weapon standards are the job at hand. Over the last few years weapons construction and new technology has created niche weaponry on the field that does not have its own rule set. The head weapons checker is forced to use the current MOA (Approved by RWC June 2009 and updated December 2009) in order to address these weapons fairly.
The rules below affect: swords, clubs, maces and axes. These rules are what a weapon checker has to work with to be safe and fair to each participant. Some weapons that are not addressed in the MOA are, and not limited to clubs, maces and axes.
This is to make sure that the weapons checking guidelines are clear and concise within a reasonable timeframe before Ragnarok.
4.1.2 - Weapons Checkers and Heralds have the final say in determining how to classify a weapon, e.g., whether a weapon with a circular cross-section is a "sword" or a "club." (This rule is basis for checking all non-listed blue weapons.)


4.1.11 - Restrictions:
4.1.11.1 - The pommel of a weapon must be padded to prevent injury in the event of an accidental "hit" and must not easily go through a 2 inch-diameter hole.
4.1.11.2 - All bladed weapons must conform to the following: hide
4.1.11.2.1 - Minimum dimensions of 1.25 inch by 3 inches.
4.1.11.2.2 - Minimum dimensions for single edged bladed weapons are 1.25 by 2.5 inches
4.1.11.2.3 - Blue weapons must weigh a minimum of 12 ounces.
4.2.1 - Blue weapons are edged (hacking) or mass (smashing) melee weapons intended primarily for one-handed use.
4.2.2 - Blue swords must have a minimum blade length of 12 inches from above the handgrip to the tip and a maximum total length less than 48 inches.

Most understand how these rules applies to swords, but how do these rules affect the club, mace and ax.



Clubs:

Because of rule 4.1.11.2.1 the club needs to be a minimum of 3” across in all directions. Where the sword has defined edges for striking, the club striking surface is on all sides.

Rule 4.2.2 requires 12” inches of striking surface and the handgrip should not exceed 1/3 of the total length of the weapon. Include adequate courtesy padding as necessary. Between the two rules above this means a club needs a 3” cross-section for the top 12” of the weapon.

Maces:

Follow the same rules as the club above. To make the weapon look more like a mace enlarge the top of the weapon, be creative.

Ax:

The Ax has defined edges and flats. Single Edge axes use rule 4.1.11.2.2. This means that along the flat it needs to measure a minimum of 2.5”, and that it must have tape along the back; or non-striking side of the blade. It must also resemble the shape of an Ax. The ax blade must conform to the standard 1.25” min width. Again, the handle cannot extend past 1/3 the total length of the weapon, and adequate courtesy padding should be added wherever necessary. Two sided axes need to use the 3-inch rule 4.1.11.2.1 for the first 12 inches or to handgrip. Blades may extend past the 3” as desired.

Plastidip:

Plastidip on weapons is a safety and rules concern that has come up in the recent year. This technology is new and looks cool, but it is untried in the long haul. Using rule:
4.1.4 - All weapons must have cloth covering over all striking surfaces. This striking surface rule is the key to determining where PD will be permitted. Basically any place one would put tape instead of cloth should be acceptable i.e. Flats, quillions, incidental padding, and pommels.

Shields, because of their nature on the battle field as a striking non-wounding piece of equipment fall under the 4.1.4 rule. Shields need to be covered in cloth not plastic dip.







Arrows:

Tape should not be used to wrap carbon, fiberglass or aluminum arrow shafts, the rule ( 4.5.3.15.7 - All wooden arrows must have their shafts wrapped in tape.) applies only to wooden arrows Aluminum and fiberglass arrows cannot be taped because the tape will hide damage or breaks in the shaft. There have been arrows shot that break in half or have the head fall off in flight. The shake test archers use to check for damaged arrows does not catch all broken arrows that are taped. Because of this only wooden arrows are to be taped.

Shields:
4.1.11.5 - No weapons other than aluminum-shafted arrows may have metal cores.
The above rule applies to shields due to the offensive ability of the shield and using a “reasonable person” standard. We do strike, bash and punch with shields, 4.8.1 - A shield bash means using a shield to strike an opponent starting from a distance more than two steps away. 4.8.2 - A shield check means using a shield to strike an opponent starting from a distance two steps away or closer. This means that solid metal cores in shields are disallowed.
If a metal-cored shield is not made properly, when it fails, serious damage could be done to a participant.
To address the metal detectors issue, if they are used at Rag it would be in this manner:
spot checks by trained staff.

How will a weapon be checked? Starting the wand just above the handle, handgrip, quillions and moving toward the top of the weapon at an even pace. In the case where people use a penny or something similar at the top of their core, the wand will emit a short beep. This short beep is passable. If, during the pass, a long beep registers for many inches, it is cause for failure. Metal used in the hand grip and pommel for weighting purposes is allowed.

Back in the day scales were not used and now they are. It has become a weapons check standard. Making sure that your opponent has no metal in the “business end” of his weapon should also be a standard. This standard needs also to apply to shields.

Mods please sticky and lock this post.

Thank you,

Laithe
Rag Head Weapons Checker

Anastasia of Chamonix wrote:Thanks for the info. I'm curious as to what Bel people think about plasti-dip shields. Any comments on that?

Soo Ma Tai wrote:It sounds like Dag, is doing just about all they can to make it harder for crossover fighters to participate with them, without having a completely different set of equipment.

Wisp wrote: I will continue to support the organizations that encourage my hobby to grow, and I will boycott the ones that don't.

Will

Squire Dacian wrote:I just got this from the Dag boards. Please note the main concerns this year are clubs/maces, shields, and plastidip weapons...

Soo Ma Tai wrote:Ummm....I really hate to say this, but there is no such thing as a round sword, they are called clubs, no matter how you slice them, and they are used that way.

Azgarehta wrote:If they are going to treat shields like weapons, then the shield should pass and fail like a weapon.

Arrakis wrote:

Azgarehta wrote:If they are going to treat shields like weapons, then the shield should pass and fail like a weapon.

Belegarth most certainly mother **** does not treat shields like weapons. PLEASE go read the BoW; this game actually put in definitions for what these various words mean, just to keep people from claiming ignorant * like "a shield is a weapon that does no damage". And, if Bel DID treat shields as weapons, they would definitely not be allowed to be covered in Plastidip.

Soo Ma Tai wrote:I never knew it left?!?

Arrakis wrote:Sir Galin was using a Latex'd shield at Beltaine '08. I don't think there were any issues with that except how easily it got beat/chewed up. I'd check a PD shield and if it was safe I'd let it on a field I was Head Herald for.

Wisp wrote:As the rest of the foam fighting world continues to … [back-patting]

Interesting parallel in evolution. I'd suggest that that trend will also follow for Dag. Gates of Summer had around 300 or so last year as a result of the local pocket of groups in the midwest area grouped together for one big event. I don't think there is an organizational structure (meaning geographical kingdoms) in place for Dag to push as far as fast and it will largely remain isolated in pockets for the forseeable future with a strong core to the east. Same with Bel by and large except plug in midwest for east.

Wisp wrote:All that said... 3" round blades remains truly retarded.

Amtgard RoP wrote:3.b ... round blade

Belegarth BoW wrote:1.1.5. Sword - Any Weapon approximating a medieval sword, constructed using either an edge/flat or cylindrical design.

Dagorhir MoA wrote:4.1.2 - Weapons Checkers and Heralds have the final say in determining how to classify a weapon, e.g., whether a weapon with a circular cross-section is a "sword" or a "club."

Slagar wrote:So, are you seriously pretending that this isn't a giant middle finger to cross-gamers from the only game to use almost excusively round swords? C'mon, man.

Soo Ma Tai wrote:I am pretty sure Wisp is referring to the last part of Kyrax's post.

Soo Ma Tai wrote:Even if this is not an intentional slap, it is most certainly an un-intentional one.

Soo Ma Tai wrote:Dag's official stance is that they "don't care about other groups" but this couldn't be farther from the truth. If they didn't care, they wouldn't be lurking our board's and other groups boards, and keeping track of who's from other groups so they can ban them on their own boards.

Athron wrote:You have made this claim many times in prior posts in other threads, and I don't pretend to know if you're right or wrong. Regardless, I think it stands outside the domain of the current issue at hand.