Greetings Armored Combatants!
Wow, War season has passed us by and Fall Coronation and Crown Tournament is just around the corner. I hope to see many of you there as we Crown our new King and cheer for our favorites in the upcoming contest.
With the turning of the seasons comes the passing of the new Society Armored Combat Handbook. It is now live and ready to go. Be on the lookout for it and the attendant revision of the Northshield Armored Combat Handbook. We will have it done ASAP. Until then, we MUST comply with the new Society rules. Here are some changes that apply directly to us:
Society will be requiring us to wear hard over soft elbow protection under a shield just as you are required to wear on your weapon arm. We will not be allowed to have “just an elbow pad” beneath a shield strapped to the arm. This is a change from the current rules.
There will be fewer authorizations. Please read up on this when our version of the handbook comes out.
A camail or aventail of mail or heavy leather, lined with 1/4 inch (6mm) of closed cell foam or equivalent padding, will be a minimum for neck armor. Gorget requirements remain the same. You will no longer be able to use a camail or aventail on its own as neck protection; it will have to be padded in some way.
To quote the Society Earl Marshal:
“All the new rules are effective as of now, i.e. if you conform to them, you’re OK. In order to give everyone time to get up to speed, I’ll propose we “sunset” the old rules on December 1, 2006, with the previously mentioned exception for the non-contact/contact transition which will need to be complete by Aug 1, 2007.”
The handbook is available at: http://www.sca.org/officers/marshal/combat/armored/index.html
There will be many more changes and I will outline all of those changes in combatant’s classes, marshal’s classes, and in written/online discussions. Remember, reading the rules and being familiar with them is one of the best ways for all of us to avoid a disappointing day on the list field!
I am re-opening the experiment for 2-handed Mandrake Thrusting tips. Please contact your regional marshal if you wish to enter the experiment and make sure that you read the rules for experimentation.
If you have questions or comments about the new rules, please direct them to me at kacm@northshield.org and I will get you answers ASAP.
Have fun, and follow Kevin’s Rules™.
In Service,
Cyveiliog “Cy” McKinely