Combat in the Imperium
One of the draws to the Imperium Antiquitus is its combat! One on one, gladiatorial or full scale melee our combat is unchoreograped and raw.
We are the Ancient Fight Club !
Because our combat is unchoreographed and physical, you will have a chance to gain fame in the arena, victory on the battlefield, glory and honour by your own deeds! Thats the catch: unlike a video game or tabletop game you earn your own reputation by your own deeds ! If you are interested in fighting we will help you acquire armour either buy visiting merchants row or building it in the armoury. You will learn to wear it and move in it, you may attend practices and youll soon learn there is a lot to the martial art of armoured combat. It will be tough at first! Its hot, sweaty work defending the frontier from barbarian invaders...or invading and faceing a line of crack Legions. BUT that first time the battle ends and your still standing your ground... aye THAT is glory!
WEAPONS
There are many clubs out there that use foam padded weapons. These are refered to as 'boffers' and are usualy light weight toys. They are designed for the typical LARP (Live Action Roleplaying) and are very suitable for that type of recreation. The Imperium, however, tries to recreate the armoured combat of the amcient period. To do this we must recognize that armour and weapons had weight! A weapon that can be flicked from the wrist and hit your opponent 10 times in such rapid succession is just not conductive to armored combat. Its been admited by many in the hobby that the lighter weapons are a game, the heavier ones become a skill.
Heavier weapons means slower recovery time, you have to PLAN your shots and blocks more, you have to learn, practice, and become skilled.
It is with this philosophy, that we have chosen to go with heavier boffers. Many of us come from other clubs where the combat is even heavier and harder. There IS no padding. But we chose the middle ground for safety here. If youd eventualy like to try the heavier combat, please join our elite group with joint membership in one of the other clubs. ask about the spartan warband at any event for more information.
This is a quick guide intended for current , authorized fighters. For the full rules of engagement please see your local officers.
CONSTRUCTION
Weapons are made from PVC, Strapping tape, duct tape, and pipe insulation.
There are many sources for information on construction of boffers. There are also many merchants who sale remarkably realistic looking boffers. HOWEVER, weapons approved for Imperium combat must meet certain criteria and most of the light larp boffers out there do not.
1. Boffers will be made from schedule 40, 1"PVC pipe and appropriate pipe fittings.
2. Closed cell-foam padding is used. This is the 'pipe insulation' available at most hardware store. Please note that we do NOT use the battleship gray padding, it is too thin. We use the off white, thicker padding.
3. All places on the boffer which have potential for striking an opponent must be properly padded with no bald spots or holes.
4. The PVC portions of the whalebone will remain hollow. Filling PVC portions with liquids or solids is prohibited!
5. All open ends of boffers must be capped (Standard Rounded PVC Caps available at the same hardware stores) or plugged and glued.
6. All ends, butts, and tips of the boffer will be padded with 1 to 3 inches of compressible foam (i.e. the foam continues at least one inch past the end of the PVC and no more than 3 inches past).
7. All PVC must be covered with fiberglass strapping tape, so that if the pipe shatters, no one is injured.
8. Once a boffer is broken, it is illegal and cannot be used. A repaired boffer must be re-inspected by a field officer before it can be used again in a combat.
9. When covering the padded portions of the boffer with duct tape, they cannot be taped so tightly as to decrease the compression of the foam. (Tape length-wise not spiral)
10. All padded portions of the boffer must be covered with at least 1 layer of duct tape. The blade cutting edges must be clearly indicated by contrasting colored tape.
11. Hand protection may be included on boffer. This may take the form of, but is not limited to: Crossgaurds, Quillions, or Baskets
12. The maximum boffer length for this construction is 6'.
13. No steel, wood (including rattan), or fiberglass is allowed on any boffer. Fiberglass strapping tape is allowed for interior reinforcement (not on exterior of the boffer).
14. Un-padded handle length shall be limited to eight inches or 25% of the total boffer's length, whichever is greater.
15. Fighters should limit themselves to the bounds of historical accuracy.
We use schedule 40pvs for all weapons. 1" for weapons up to 6' long. Pipe insulation available at most hardware stores. We do NOT use the gray padding (pictured) but rather the off white. A near completed boffer. it could use hilt etc for appearances.
