Fighting Tutorials

Guard and Stance

An effective stance is one in which you are stable enough to withstand a body check, yet nimble enough to respond to attacks and openings. For most people this means the feet are about shoulder width apart with the front foot facing the opponent while the rear foot is about 45 degrees from centerline, with knees bent slightly. It's important to maintain ones center of mass (hips) over the centerline in order to generate adequate power and be in a position to respond to attacks or disengage.

• Magnus' Fighting Tutorials 1: Equipment and Stance
• Magnus' Fighting Tutorials Episode 7: Basic Footwork

Footwork

To move into striking distance and engage an opponent, use a passing step. Move the rear foot forward of the lead foot on the inside. To disengage and create space, pull the front foot back behind the lead foot on the outside. This is the most straightforward type of footwork as it is most akin to walking, something we do every day. Running will of course get you there faster,or beat a hasty retreat to live and fight another day

A shuffle/gather step is useful for closing or creating distance without crossing the feet. From guard, simply lift the lead foot and gather a few inches, following with the rear leg. To shuffle backwards do the reverse. Executing a smooth shuffle takes a little practice, but will feel familiar to good dancers.

To move around an opponent and create new lines of attack use a compass step. From guard, pick up the rear foot and step forward to the outside and forward at an angle, pivoting on the lead foot. A compass step is also sometimes executed with a lunge to close distance fast. A standard lunge is performed by pushing the lead leg out and shifting your center of mass forward, pushing from the rear leg and gliding into final position. A lunging compass step is a high risk/high reward maneuver and does take practice to perfect, but start practicing now! A quick lunge can catch a lazy opponent off-guard.

Voiding the lead leg is useful for dodging a low attack without needing to make a passing step. Void by quickly retracting the front leg, bending at the knee but keeping your center of mass upright. If you time it just right you can land a strike while your opponent is extended and exposed.

A common feint using footwork is the 'appel' or stomp with the lead foot on the ground. This makes an audible slap which can distract or provoke an opponent.

Basic Strikes

Lines of Attack

The line of attack refers to the arc path a weapon moves through/follows to strike an opponent. An inside attack is one made to the front of an opponents body, being the left side for a right hander. Whereas an outside attack is made to the back of an opponents body, being the right side for a right hander. This assumes a standard stance or guard. Some schools of fencing will incorporate numbered lines of attack, ie 1-high outside, 2-mid outside, 3-low outside, etc.

Attack Types

There are two primary shot types executed in Dagorhir, excluding drawing/grazing cuts and pommel strikes:

 Cut: a chopping attack made with the striking edge.
 Thrust: an attack made with the stabbing point of a weapon.

• Magnus' Fighting Tutorials Episode 2A: Attacking Shield Side
• Magnus' Fighting Tutorials Episode 2B: Attacking Shield Side
• Magnus' Fighting Tutorials Episode 3: Attacking Sword Side
• Magnus' Fighting Tutorials Episode 5A: Fighting Lefties
• Magnus' Fighting Tutorials Episode 5B: Fighting Lefties

Some other types of attacks that do no in-game damage but are still useful include:

 Checking (aggressive contact) with a shield or padded haft against an opponents body or equipment. G
 Grappling (highschool style wrestling).
 Kicking
 Pressing (using a shield or weapon to push an opponents weapon offline.

• Magnus' Fighting Tutorials Episode 9: Ground Fighting

Parries and Wards

A parry can be loosely defined as a defensive action designed to deflect an attack. A good parry is one in which the defender uses the forte (lower third) of their weapon against the foible (upper third) of the opponents weapon to deflect a strike away from centerline. A ward is generally considered a static block and is used to intercept a blow and then deliver a riposte (counterattack). Some basic static blocks are as follows:

 First Ward: blade down and to the inside, hand pronated, covering the low inside line.
 Second Ward: blade down and to the outside, wrist pronated, covering the low outside line.
 Third Ward: blade up and to the outside, hand pronated, covering the outside line.
 Fourth Ward: blade up and to the inside, hand supinated, covering the high inside line.
 Fifth Ward: blade up and to the inside, hand pronated, covering the high inside line.
 Sixth Ward: blade up and to the outside, hand supinated, covering the high outside line.
 Seventh Ward:
 Eighth Ward: blade down and to the outside, hand supinated, covering the low outside line.
 Ninth Ward: blade behind the back point down, covering the outside line along the back.

A strong blow to an opponents weapon which knocks it offline is considered a beat (or beat-to-parry). This is useful for overtaking the centerline and gaining the initiative. Maintaining blade contact with an opponents weapon (opposing) can likewise be useful for controlling their attack while avoiding a hit.

Shield and Weapon

"Sword and board" or simply shield-and-weapon, refers to the wielding a shield in one hand and a weapon in the off-hand. No matter where one travels through the lands of Dagorhir one will find warbands of shieldmen and women. A majority of players will choose to own at least one shield due to the protective qualities offered in-game and their overall versatility. Shields are ideal for blocking missiles and closing lines of attack from hand weapons. Red weapons swung two-handed present a challenge, as they can destroy shields with two solid blows, however their usefulness remains unparalleled in tourneys and melee fields alike.

• Magnus' Fighting Tutorials Episode 4: Defensive Shieldwork
• Magnus' Fighting Tutorials Episode 6A: Aggressive Shieldwork
• Magnus' Fighting Tutorials Episode 6B: Aggressive Shieldwork
• Magnus' Fighting Tutorials Episode 8: Shield Kicks
• SKBC Advanced Sword & Board 1
• SKBC Advanced Sword & Board 2
• SKBC Advanced Sword & Board 3

Spear Fighting

Use of the spear dates back to prehistoric times and it's significance has remained relevant even in boffer and reenactment sports today. In Dagorhir combat there are mainly two types of spears used in a hand-to-hand context: shorter spears used primarily in one hand, and longer spears used with both hands. While recent weapon construction tech has elevated the effectiveness of short spears, long spears maintain range dominance of the battlefield and a veteran spearman or woman will frequently be able to dictate the flow of combat as well as rack up considerable kills.

Long Spear

Long spears are typically from 8-12 feet in total length, are green/stabbing only, and are somewhat beefier than short spears with less core flex. Some spear fighters will carry a small shield to help deflect arrows and incoming blows.

• Grumio's Spear Fighting 101
• Grumio's Spear Fighting 102
• Grumio's Spear Fighting 103
• Grumio's Spear Fighting 104
• Grumio's Spear Fighting 105
• Grumio's Spear Fighting 106
• BftR 7 Spear Class

Short Spear

Short spears are generally 5-7 feet in total length, are green/stabbing only, and held either over or under handed. They can strike at an intermediate distance and can land between small gaps which make them ideal for line fighting. A medium size shield is often wielded on the off hand.

• Brett Down Spear Basics
• Repelling boardmen with downspear
• Git Gud: Sword and Downspear with Sir Monkey and Sir Aiolos, SKBC 2017

Red Weapons

Two handed weapons over 48 inches are [red weapons] capable of destroying shields and cleaving through armor. This style is vulnerable to missile weapons as well as spears, but a skilled red user can destroy whole sections of a shieldwall and eliminate high profile targets if left unchecked. Popular sub-styles include longswords (48" length), great sword (72"), and glaive (102").

• Dagorhir Longsword Stances
• Fools Guard
• Red Sword Tips
• Ragnarok Advanced Red Weapon Class
• Red Weapon Class
• Red Wep Theory Ep 1 Hammers
• Red Wep Theory Ep 2 Defense
• Red Wep Theory Ep 3 and 4 Weapon Phyics/Knowledge and Forms
• Red Wep Theory Episode 6

Florentine

Two-weapon style, anachronistically referred to as "Florentine" is a popular style in Dagorhir, although mastery of it demands ambidexterity and a steep learning curve. While it's use is limited in melee situations, it remains a staple of tourney combat and is perhaps the flashiest and most enjoyable style to watch.

• Florentine Basics, 04-05-2015 Pt 1
• Peter the Quick and Sho - Advanced Two-Sword SKBC 2015

Single Sword

Single weapon style is at first glance not particularly exciting or advantageous. However, it is a popular choice for training purposes as well as tournament formats. Mastery of single sword combat transfers to many other weapon styles and can be a very enjoyable challenge on it's own.

• Intermediate Single Sword - Peter the Quick (Part 1)
• Intermediate Single Sword - Peter the Quick (Part 2)
• Warlord Weekly: Basic Single Sword with Warlord Brett