Gulf War

What is it?

Gulf War is the largest event that Ansteorra is associated with. It occurs every year the second week of March, at Kings arrow Ranch in Lumberton, Mississippi. The War is between us and our Trimarian cousins, with other kingdoms chasing sides due to friendships, diplomacy, and bribery. The War its self is just one feature of the event. There are also many different marshal and artisan tournaments, and an early period life camp, an excellent merchant row, and one of the best Artisan's rows anywhere.

Points in the war are determined not just by winning fitting events but also by volunteer hours and artisan competitions. It is often that the War is 'won' not by the fighters, but by the volunteers, and compition is fierce but friendly.

Marshal events

Rapier

Taken from the GW XXVI (2017) Rapier conventions

• Call your blows! Lets keep it clean, have fun, and let the marshals deal with other marshal type things.
• The Marshals are there to facilitate your fun; they’re not there just to ruin your day. This is everyone’s vacation and fun, the marshals are volunteering their own time to make sure the game goes on and safely. Listen to the marshals. Thank a marshal, better yet, volunteer to marshal!
• Never hesitate to call “HOLD” if you see something unsafe or dangerous about to happen!
• Inspect your equipment early and often. Don’t be surprised if that new blunt doesn’t last all week. Try to check your tips during every hold, and keep an eye out for your fellow fencers’ gear that they may not be able to see.
• Different kingdoms have different rules. This convention guide should help, but it doesn’t hurt to talk to your opponents before you fight to make sure you’re all on the same page.
• Finally: Don’t be a jerk. If your issue can’t be resolved with POLITE dialogue, involve a marshal. Either way, keeping a level head and reasonable composure will make the war better for everyone, including you.

General information for Rapier

• Gulf Wars draws fighters from Kingdoms all over the Known World. A reasonable attempt will be made to meet visiting Kingdoms’ concerns and issues. This cannot happen unless our visitors let us know their concerns and help us to resolve them. Final determination will be made by the RMiC and host Kingdoms.
• SCA Society rapier rules are the default regarding marshal issues.
• SCA rules will be the default for general rapier activities unless more specific rules are provided here. Tournaments will default to the rules of the hosting kingdom.
• Any combatant using the body of the rules vs. the spirit of the rules will be grounds for marshalate action.
• See Chain of Command and Appeal section for further information.

“Excessively” hard hit, or pattern of hard hits, regardless of recipient’s reaction: Information collected, fighter withdraws to sideline for remainder of fight.

In all cases, the parties involved must attend Marshals Court at the completion of the fight

On completion of the melee, a Marshal’s Court will be held by the MiC of the melee. The Marshal, the accused and the offended party, and any witnesses, will attend. Additional penalties may be assessed by the Court.

As a general guideline: injuries, even accidents, that remove a fencer for play will remove the offending party from play an equal amount of time. a Marshal’s court may supersede, impose additional penalties, or overrule this general guideline as it sees fit.

All tourneys and scenarios will be run according to the rules of the hosting Kingdom. All activities are heavy rapier only except for Cut & Thrust activities. The rules will be explained beforehand. For purposes of Inter-kingdom activities, you will have to meet your own kingdom’s armor requirements, but the weapon standards of the hosting kingdom. Stickers will be provided to the Kingdom’s marshals for inspections.

Pointed Melees, Battles or Tournaments

Pointed melees and tournaments will be heavy style blades.

All kingdoms will provide 1 marshal for every 9 fighters they field. Ansteorra and Trimaris will provide any additional marshals needed. Those kingdoms with fewer than 9 fighters on the field are asked to have someone available for the marshals to consult if needed to resolve issues involving a fighter from that kingdom.

Death From Behind (DFB), spears, and rubber-band Guns (RBGs) will not be used in war pointed melees. Two handed weapons must be used with two hands- no secondaries or shields. Should a fighter wielding a two-handed weapon lose use of one hand, they will no longer be permitted to use that weapon but may trade it for a single-handed weapon.

War Points

• Open Field Melee: Any fencer who steps out of bounds with one foot will be considered dead; to cause an enemy to retreat out of bounds is considered a valid tactic. NFL rules- touching the line will remove that fencer from play. Knee walking will be allowed only for those wounded below the knee in the field battle. The open field melee will be fought best 2 out of 3, last combatant standing.

• Rapier Champions List: Ansteorra and Trimaris will each provide 15 fighters each as a mix of MoD, White Scarves or equivalent; non-Scarves; and allies in a 5/5/5 ratio. There will be 15 fights (Weapons to be agreed upon between the fighters). Whichever Kingdom wins majority of these fights will secure the war point.

• Ravine Battle: 60 minute Resurrection Battle with the object being to maintain control over flag emplacements throughout the battle. The field will be divided long ways, with one resurrection point in each corner of the field- two per side, four total. three flagpoles will be placed on the center line of the field. Three flagpoles will have actual flags on a rope representing the armies of Ansteorra and her allies, and Trimaris and her allies. While controlling a flag emplacement, an army must detail one fighter to keep their flag raised. Flags may not be tied, counterweighted or otherwise secured in place and must be held by hand. Any fencer who steps out of bounds with one foot will be considered dead; to cause an enemy to retreat out of bounds is considered a valid tactic. NFL rules- touching the line will remove that fencer from play. At regular intervals throughout the battle (every 5 minutes), the raised flags will be documented by a tally sheet. A bell will be rung as each score is taken. As the score is recorded it will be written on a large chart visible from the field. Sides may send a runner to check that chart anytime they wish. the winner of the battle will be the side who held the most tallies.

• Town Battle The scenario will be a rescue/capture scenario. Each Team will start at a designated starting point deep into the fort on the South End. One of the three buildings along the center will have a chest inside of it. Before each scenario, the marshals will designate one of the three chests as the target for capture (By placing a piece of red paper, etc.). The marking should be placed in such a manner as to prevent identification by participants until they are able to manipulate the chest. Neither Fighters nor chest may cross walls at any time during the battle. One side wins the point (best of 5) by using 2 persons to transport the correct chest out the Front(North) Gate. If there is only 1 person alive, that person may use both hands to secure the Chest.

When transporting the chest, the 2 people must use at least one free hand to do so. Further, they must walk the chest to the back. (Walking is defined that at all points during travel, at least one foot must be touching the ground). If a transporting person is killed, the chest is placed on the ground until such time as the dead person is replaced.

Hay bales will be laid out making various buildings, the armies will start on opposite sides of the field.

Buildings are considered to have walls that you cannot attack through. Fencers are only allowed to engage through doors.

the Town Battle will be fought best 2 out of 3. When a team carries the correct chest out the Front Gate they earn a point. The side with the most points wins the war point.

No DFB, RBGs, or spears will be allowed.

Engagement Conventions

The rules of engagement will be discussed before each battle.

No more than 3 fighters can be actively throwing shots at any 1 fighter at any time.

Units and individual fighters can move into an engagement at a double time step as long as they do not make physical contact with their opponents or strike them with excessive force.

Any engagement issue is subject to marshal review.

Point Stalking is not allowed – Fighters will not start to throw a shot until they have gained engagement and can legally hit their opponent.

Fighters who strike with excessive force will be removed from the field.

Fighters will not strike the back of an opponent’s head.

Attackers approaching from behind may choose to foul blades from behind rather than forcing an opponent to turn and face them. Care should be taken to bind the opponent’s blades, not his/her hands and arms.

Death From Behind will not be used in Gulf Wars point battles, though a surrounded fighter may choose to yield rather than be struck.

180 Degree Front

The melee rules from the SCA Rapier Marshal’s Handbook will apply in all Gulf Wars melees. The following is more specific guidance.

Target Archery

The royal round and the standard IKAC are both widespread and familiar to all Kingdoms. The royal round, which consists of six arrows at 20 yards, six at 30 yards, and six at 40 yards with a 30 second speed round at 20 yards, will remain the official Gulf Wars competition. Official IKAC’s which consist of two static rounds of six arrows each and two 30 second speed rounds at each of the same three distances will be offered, but not as part of the War Point competition. Targets for both of these activities are the 60 cm concentric circle targets used in Olympic competition.

Bow and Arrow Requirements Target Archery
Longbows, recurves, and crossbows that meet Society Conventions are allowed. Bows may be of any weight desired, however those which the marshal feels cause concern for safety or are of a destructive nature will be disallowed. No sights are allowed on longbows or recurves. Crossbows are allowed single fixed sights.

For the War Point, all shooting will be done from the standing position for both bow and crossbow. Disabled archers will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

War points

Each day of War the archer range is sponsored by different kingdoms groups or persons. They choose the challenge of the day, and award points on those challenges.

Archery Events

Some of these events are held every year, some are not, check the war schedule!

• The Grand Exhibition Tourney
• Court Barons/Baroness’ Tournament

Notable Places

• The Ca’ d’Oro the Renaissance Village is a collection of period pavilions where artisans & scholars can demonstrate, share, and teach their particular skills & knowledge. There is a strong emphasis on period dress, accouterments, and period methods there.
• Artisan's Row
• Troll is onsite in the blue building to the right just inside the front gate, The front gate is now located at King’s Hwy and Rault Dr. The back gate is what the front gate has been for the past few years at King’s Hwy and Strahan Dr.
• Early period Life
• Volunteer Point
• Merchant's Row
• The Green Dragon
• Field of Battle
• The Ansteorran Camp
• The Trimarian Camp

Happenings by Year

• Gulf Wars XXVIII A war without Enemys March 9-17, 2019

Important Notes

2019 Important News and Updates

• Parents!!! Be advised if you have children 17 and under they MUST be escorted after midnight. This is the Law in Mississippi.
• Gulf Wars SCA app is Live!!! Currently is available on Google Play. We are still waiting for Apple to make it live. I will update when we know.
• Pre-registration: In consideration of those members of the populace affected by “snowmageddon” and/or the recent government shutdown, we have extended the discounted price for ONLINE pre-registration to Feb 22.
• Site Access: Please continue to access the site by driving around the golf course and around the lake. Please do not come to site by taking a left and driving through the Hillsdale neighborhood and coming across the earthen dam.
• Traffic: Traffic on King’s and Queen’s highways (the two main camp roads) is reversing to accommodate the gate changes. Traffic will move from the front gate to 5 points to the back gate, essentially the reverse of what it has been in years past.
• No Parking: There will be no parking allowed on King’s or Queen’s Highway. These are the two main roads through camp. You may pull into your camp to load/unload or park on a side street. Loading/unloading is limited to 3 hours.
• Parking on one-way streets: Most of the roads on KAR are one-way. Parking for loading/unloading is limited to 3 hours and is only allowed on the right side of the road.
• Dept. of Traffic Enforcement: This department will be closely monitoring the “No Parking” on King’s and Queen’s as well as the parking on one-way roads, which will only be allowed on the right side of the road. A local tow company will be readily available for our towing needs.
• Site Books / War Schedules: We are printing a very limited supply. It is first come/first served. If you aren’t going to be there until later, I’d suggest getting someone to pick you up one if you need one. The site book and schedule will be available for download on this site for free.

Links, Articles, and Stories

• Official site
• Gulf Wars App

Articles & Stories

• Article: What To Bring To Gulf War
• NSTIW: Gulf Wars