Melee Events

[Jeffrey Sussman <jsussman@cpcug.org>]

Greetings from Richard!

There are ways to make an event based around an Interbaronial War work.  
Following Dafydd's and mine, listed in earlier posts, I believe will give 
one a good start.  But I'd like to offer alternate ideas.

Instead of using SCA groups, use medieval European Rivals.  The 
Saxon/Norman thing was a lot of fun before it had been beaten to death.

Do a little research, spread a little knowledge, and come up with an 
interesting twist.

The best example of this, that I remember, was the Two Harold's Bridge 
Battle event in Nottinghill.  Historically, THBB is overshadowed, quite 
rightly, by the little fracas at Hastings.  But, it was extremely 
important in it's own right.  The autocrats did a little research, came 
up with some interesting scenarios, and we had a lot of fun.  Some of the 
scenarios didn't work well.  Having just one side take contact kills 
didn't work very well.  But most of the fighting was fun and everyone who 
had never heard of the battle learned something.  

In my opinon, the event was repeated too many times.  It lost that 
interesting edge.

It's possible that when people start planning too much for a particular 
side for an event it get's into US vs. THEM.  At one of the last THBB, 
one of the Saxons, who cared too much about the sucess of the Saxons at 
this event, was recruiting combat archers just to participate at this 
event.  A little to carried away, IMHO.

Some possible themes:

Venetians/Milanese and any of their neighbors (great hot and cold wars)
Burgundy and anybody.  Did the Burgundians ever actually fight the Flemish?
Saxony and anybody.  Pick almost any two adjacent Holy Roman Empire states.
The Stephen and Matilda English Civil War (how many know about this one?)

One caution: be a little careful about crusade stuff.  religous stuff can 
have hidden land mines.  If done carefully, it can be really great.

I'd love to hear more ideas.

Y.I.S.T.A.

Richard  (Thinking about running a July war practice disguised as a 
Hundred Years War campaign).