Who are today's Big Sticks?

[wilmot]

Hi,
For the East Kingdom, I would add Duke Kelson, I watched him last weekend and he looked almost unstoppable.

Duke Ronald

[Duke Icefalcon]

Your Highness,

I think everyone else would also include yourself in the list of the best fighters in the East. Let me add that for you:

Sir Stephan von Dresden
Duke Lucan Von Drachenklaue
King Darius
Duke Brion Tarragon
Duke Gregor
Duke Balfar
Graf Konrad
Count Griffith
Sir Kenrick of Warwick
Prince Andreas Eisfalke

These are truly great fighters and could all hold their own against the rest of the known world.

Maynard

Thank you Highness. I am honored to stand with such men.

[Lucan Dux]

Your Highness,

I think everyone else would also include yourself in the list of the best fighters in the East. Let me add that for you:

Sir Stephan von Dresden
Duke Lucan Von Drachenklaue
King Darius
Duke Brion Tarragon
Duke Gregor
Duke Balfar
Graf Konrad
Count Griffith
Sir Kenrick of Warwick
Prince Andreas Eisfalke

These are truly great fighters and could all hold their own against the rest of the known world.

Maynard

I'll second that. It is a grim list of guys. They would make a fine 10 man melee team as well.

[St. George]

Your Highness,

I think everyone else would also include yourself in the list of the best fighters in the East. Let me add that for you:

Sir Stephan von Dresden
Duke Lucan Von Drachenklaue
King Darius
Duke Brion Tarragon
Duke Gregor
Duke Balfar
Graf Konrad
Count Griffith
Sir Kenrick of Warwick
Prince Andreas Eisfalke

These are truly great fighters and could all hold their own against the rest of the known world.

Maynard

I'll second that. It is a grim list of guys. They would make a fine 10 man melee team as well.

Hmmm a 10 man team with a bunch of Eastern Dukes on it. That might do pretty well, I'll have to think about getting one together

g-

[Mansur]

Sometimes I feel that being a left-handed fighter is actually detrimental at the high end level.

I dont believe there is any advantage for a Left handed fighter once you fight people at a certain level. Skill is skill.

Thor.

P.S. Duke Cosmo Craven is pretty good (lefty)

Who do you think are the best lefties in the known world? I am from AEthelmearc (and a lefty myself). While we have some very talented left handed fighters, we seem to have fewer than some of the other kingdoms (notably Atlantia).

Also, how do you think the best lefties match up against the best right handed fighters - is it an advantage or disadvantage?

[broinnfinn]

We typically have 30-40 fighters in Ansteorra, and there is a strong sense of don't fight unless you can do the job if you win. With the expectations of putting around 15,000 miles of driving in during a reign (that's 2000 for a major war + around 400 miles round trip for 3 out of 4 weekends for 10 months), the $6000+ dollars in gas cost can be a bit of a daunting effect, and will cause those who might otherwise strive for it to deem not to.

I don't want to throw this thread off of the rails, but from your above statement it makes it seem as though your kingdom does not have a travel fund for TRM?

They do. It's around (IIRC) $1500 per reign. But as I've pointed out, that doesn't defray a lot.

JP

And that's only travel - it does not cover the cost of the incidentals, clothing, personal Royal gifts and largess (which sometimes comes out of pocket), phone bills, and the psychic wear and tear of an 11-month commitment (inclusive of Heirship and Reign).

Yeah. Been there. Done that. More than once.

I am a slow learner.

Bri.

[kenrickb]

It's only a detriment if you rely on standard lefty 'tricks' to get by. It's all about angles. Being a lefty gives you access to different angles but don't expect your opponent to stand there while you use them. Or as Thorstenn said, skill is skill.

Kenric, East

Sometimes I feel that being a left-handed fighter is actually detrimental at the high end level.

I dont believe there is any advantage for a Left handed fighter once you fight people at a certain level. Skill is skill.

Thor.

P.S. Duke Cosmo Craven is pretty good (lefty)

Who do you think are the best lefties in the known world? I am from AEthelmearc (and a lefty myself). While we have some very talented left handed fighters, we seem to have fewer than some of the other kingdoms (notably Atlantia).

Also, how do you think the best lefties match up against the best right handed fighters - is it an advantage or disadvantage?

[Lorccan]

I think Duke Sean from Artemisia belongs on this list as well.

Regarding the idea of "gifted" fighters, Duke Sean told a story of pell work. Doing lots and lots of it, throwing numbers of blows that were dizzying. Relentlessly pursuing perfection. "And for that", he said, "I am called a 'natural'". {Feel free to correct me, Your Grace}

Duke Direk of Caid told a roughly similar story.

So, I believe there are 'gifted' fighters, but they're pretty rare - and, unless they have tremendous determination, they'll get edged off of this list by people who worked harder and longer than they did.

I hope to earn a place on this kind of list someday, but it's humbling to consider just how very far I have to go. At least my right wrist recovered pretty well from injury & surgery, so I can still hope!

[carlyle]

Sometimes I feel that being a left-handed fighter is actually detrimental at the high end level.

As it should be. It is incumbent on all Right-minded fighters to thwart Evil at every turn, most especially when it comes to demonspawn left-handers... AoC

[raito]

Regarding the idea of "gifted" fighters, Duke Sean told a story of pell work. Doing lots and lots of it, throwing numbers of blows that were dizzying. Relentlessly pursuing perfection. "And for that", he said, "I am called a 'natural'". {Feel free to correct me, Your Grace}

Quite often the 'gift' is the ability to be so interested in something that the interest borders on the obsessive. That level of interest allows one to put aside most other things in pursuit of skill. Putting aside other things allows one time to practice without distraction, which results in skill.

So far, there's only 3 things I've been that interested in:
writing computer software, martial arts (including SCA), and my wife.

I've been successful in all 3.

[Stephen du Bois]

So far, there's only 3 things I've been that interested in:

Your Grace you now have a 4th...Congratulations to you and Her Grace on your daughter's birth this weekend

Congratulations,

HRM Stephen

[Jaymes]

Richard of Wolfwood

"That back up weapon just came out of nowhere"