I Be Back

Vikingmeet was great. Meet a lot of really cool fellows and had a great time. I got to try out the danish great axe, the boar spear, hand axe, throwing spears, throwing axes (which are easier than spears actually), shield wall combat, did a lot of single combat (I got more wins that deaths I think), and a bunch of other stuff. Twas easily the best weekend in years and among the best in my life. I just wish my phone battery wasn't so poo. I had it shut off most of the weekend to save battery, and the thing still died so I didn't get hardly any pics sadly.

 

So many tales to tell. I'll start with the event called Hunting Parties. We had enough people for 3 shield walls (which is were we lock shields, somewhat like the ancient greeks did), so all 3 were on the field at once fighting. He who stood back and engaged last was most likely to win, but my batch decided to die bravely and bring the fight to the enemy. The first time we were laying into the opposing wall when teh 3rd literally stabbed us in the back. The 2nd time they hit us in the flank.
This was after we did some fights with 2 larger shield walls. We had some guys with polearms behind the wall and an archer on each side. I was on the losing side most of the time (I can only do so much on my first few walls). The only time we won was when the enemy archer picked off 3 of our guys before the melee (he nailed one of the guys in the man parts around the shields somehow), then we slaughtered the rest without losing another dude.
The 2nd day we did more single combat and throwing competitions. We formed a ring and have 2 duke it out. The winner stayed. 1 fellow took down 6 in a row before Big John (one of the group heads) came in and got him. I then faced Big John and did well for being my 2nd day of fighting but lost. Then I came back up against the killstreaker and dropped him fairly easily (he would be defensivly and wait for an opening, I went full on attack and bested him). I then went on to kill 3 or 4 dudes before being beat.
Among the fighting was a kid in the 8-10 range I'd say. We didn't go full force with him, but the kid was pretty dern good. I actually went against him, I let him win but didn't give him the win if you see what I mean. He could have earned it, hooking shields with his hand axe "like a bauss." He was a helluva of an axe thrower too.
Which leads well into the throwing bit. Spears are a lot harder to throw than axes since they tend to twist when you throw them. I had more hit shaft first than point first. We had a compeition with our Hunting Party teams against each other. Luckily we had a ringer (Chris the Broniem, who was the one who took out 3 guys with the bow in the shield walls) or two. The kid was the one that got the winning point.
The last thing we did besides sit around a campfire and trade tales was called The Gauntlet. The 5 vets each took up a different weapon and each person had to fight them 1 at a time. I was the last to go. The first guy was using a small axe and seax (viking shortsword/big knife). I accidentally boped him in the face and made his lip bleed a bit. The 2nd guy had teh boar spear and I can't remember if I beat him. The 3rd guy was Chris the Bronie and he is quick as HELL. He smacked my helm pretty good (I was borrowing a friend's helm and it didn't quite fit, which is my excuse). 4th guy was the guy that ended my killstreak in the circle, but I didn't manage to get revenge before he got my back with a wrapping cut. Last guy had the fearsome dane axe, and it is quite fearsome. Somehow this guy swung to my shield side and hooked my sword shoulder for the kill.

 

The other Missouri guys had a place not but an hour away so I'll try to get some footage of us training at least.