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A safe weapon is one that will not break bones, teeth, or regularly leave bruises when it strikes a person. Every weapon must be checked for legality by the Champion or a designated reeve prior to its use on the field each day. The hallmark of weapon legality is player safety, and as such safety will always trump technical compliance with weapon construction requirements. While a weapon may meet the technical requirements for legality it may still be unsafe in its construction or in the manner in which it is used. Some examples of technically legal but unsafe weapons might be: weapons with cores so exible as to risk core failure or other safety issues during reasonable combat; weapons made with overly hard foam; weapons with excessive tape; or weapons with excessive mass. Use of unsafe weapons or safe weapons in an unsafe manner may result in removal from play by the Champion, a reeve, or other group official
Core: This refers to the base of the weapon to which padding is affixed. For melee weapon cores the best things to use are carbon/graphite rods (such as from non-metallic golf clubs), kite spar, bamboo, PVC tubing or fiberglass. Other materials will be checked for safety on a case-by-case basis. Metal and wooden cores are not legal, although metal may be used to counter-weight weapons provided it is permanently attached, and not in a place that may inadvertently strike an opponent. The ends of all weapon cores must be blunted by capping them with a layer of foam and tape at a minimum. For throwing weapons acceptable options are denim, loose rubberbands, sweatshirt material, or similar
Handle: Refers to the unpadded part of the weapon (where it is often held)
Pommel: This refers to the padded portion of a weapon at the end of the handle, not intended for striking. The end of the pommel must have at least a 2” cross-section perpendicular to the handle and must be padded
Cross Guard: This refers to an optional piece at the juncture of the blade and handle designed to deflect blows and protect the hand from injury. Cross guards must be padded and all tips must have at least a 2” cross section parallel to the handle
Double-Ended: Only Weapon Types with this descriptor may have a striking surface at both ends. This may be either a Stabbing Tip or a Slash edge unless otherwise restricted by the Weapon Type. Weapons may only have up to two ends
Stabbing Tip: This refers to the end of a weapon that is not the pommel, regardless of whether or not it is used to stab. Stabbing tips must not protrude more than 1.5” through a 2.5” ring when uncompressed, nor end in an angle less than 90 degrees and must be strike legal. You must not be able to feel core through a stabbing tip
Padded or Courtesy Padding: This refers to the portion of the weapon that is designed to limit injuries from incidental contact with that part of the weapon and is not intended for striking. These portions of a weapon must have at least 1/2” of foam over the weapon’s core. A weapon is required to have courtesy padding over the entire circumference of its Strike-Legal length
Strike-Legal: This refers to the portions of the weapon that are sufficiently padded to prevent injury when used to strike an opponent at full force. These portions may not break bones, teeth, or regularly leave bruises when it strikes a person and must have at least one 2.5” cross section from edge to edge. Example: the distance from one edge to the other of the flat of a flat blade. The thickness of the striking edge can be any amount that still results in a safe weapon. Strike-Legal surfaces must have at least 1” of foam over the weapon core, measured from the furthest point on the blade to the surface of the core. Stab-only weapons (other than projectiles) are still required to have 6” of Strike-Legal surface extending from the end of the weapon down its length on any stabbing end for safety. Strike-Legal must be covered in a durable, opaque cloth. Unless otherwise noted, cloth tape is not an acceptable cover. Non-striking padded surfaces within 1⁄2” of a striking surface must still be covered with a cloth cover
Heavy Padding: This refers to portions of the weapon that meet all of the requirements of Strike-Legal, and in addition have at least a 4” cross section from edge to edge (instead of 2.5”) and at least 1” of foam over the weapon core. It is considered Strike-Legal for the purposes of scoring hits
Total Length: Refers to the distance from the bottom of the pommel (or one Stabbing Tip of a Double-Ended Weapon) to the furthest point of the weapon measured from the bottom of the pommel in a straight line parallel to the core of the weapon. Example: You measure a scimitar from the bottom of the pommel to the tip of the weapon, not “along the curve.”
Swing/Slash: Indicates a weapon intended to be able to score a hit by swinging the weapon in such a way that the side (as opposed to the tip) of the weapon strikes an opponent.
Thrust/Stab: Indicates a weapon intended to be able to score a hit by thrusting the weapon in such a way that the tip (as opposed to the sides) of the weapon strikes an opponent. Thrust only weapons must have at least 6” of Strike-Legal padding
This category includes thrown weapons (axes, rocks, daggers), javelins, Magic Balls, and arrows. Unless otherwise noted projectiles may not be used to parry, block, or melee, are indestructible, and affect all targets struck while in motion. Strikes to a projectile are treated as strikes to unwielded equipment and are treated as having struck whatever they would have made contact with were the projectile not there. Unless otherwise noted projectiles may be carried in any number. Only projectiles may be thrown (i.e. you may not throw your sword). Unless otherwise noted projectiles may not have rigid or granular cores such as solid rubber balls, wrapped balls of rubber bands, tennis balls, etc. Suggested acceptable materials are sweatshirt material, loose rubber bands, etc. Unless otherwise noted any protrusions or tips on a projectile must meet the requirements for stabbing tips
Light Thrown: These weapons represent throwing daggers and the like
Not explicitly granted to anybody, ammunition is a class of projectiles used in conjunction with other types of weapons.
Arrows: Includes bolts and any other similar itemsThe blunt is the reinforced tip of the shaft upon which the striking portion, the arrow head, will be constructed
The arrow head is the Strike-Legal portion at the end of an arrow or bolt, after the blunt
Includes bows and crossbows used to fire arrows or bolts. They are not projectile weapons themselves but are used exclusively with Arrows. Other devices which aid in accelerating projectiles are not considered Bows. This includes devices such as slingshots, slings, and atlatls
All melee weapons require a rigid core (unless otherwise noted) and may be used to block, parry, or score hits with their Strike-Legal portion. Some melee weapons allow for Heavy Padding Substitution for a given length
ll melee weapons require a portion their length to be Strike- Legal, as noted in the individual weapon descriptions. Heavy Padding Substitution allows you to replace a portion of Strike- Legal with Heavy Padding. For each inch of Heavy Padding added you may also replace an additional inch of Strike-Legal with Courtesy Padding
Heavy Padding added must start within 3” of the stabbing tip and proceed continuously towards the handle. Courtesy Padding added in this manner must begin at the top of the handle and proceed continuously towards the tip
For example: A 48” Long weapon is typically required to have 32” of Strike-Legal followed by 16” of Handle. Using Heavy Padding Substitution you could have 16” of Heavy Padding, followed by 16” of Courtesy Padding, and then 16” of Handle
A shield joined to a weapon
Siege Weapons are extremely powerful engines of destruction that, historically, were used for everything from anti-personnel to tearing down walls from a great distance. Examples of this type of weapon include ballistas, catapults, onagers, and trebuchets. The abilities and limitations of siege weapons are as follows: