What do I need?
Soft Kit (Clothing)
As a new player you don’t need to be fully decked out in medieval style clothing. All you need is an oversized t-shirt (kind of like a tunic) tied at the waist with a belt, track pants or loose legged pants, and comfortable shoes. This is known as your soft kit.
After a few weeks of attending we recommend getting a starter soft kit such as a tunic and breeches, or a shirt and tabard, depending on which warband you decide to join.
Items can be home made, sourced online or traded for with other players in the group. Second hand stores are also an inexpensive way to find kit and accessories such as belts, buckles, bags, gloves, etc. The idea is, if it looks the part at a distance of 3 meters by candlelight then it passes as garb.
And as we are part fantasy based, get creative with it! Speak with other members, scroll the internet for inspiration, and create your look.
If you do need assistance with your soft kit feel free to collaborate with other players or seek out an official for help.
Joshua Gordon in standard soft kit
Bill Ward posing in full soft kit, armour, weaponry and accessories
Armour
Part of the fun of creating a character is deciding what kind of armour you will wear (if any). There are 3 standard armour classes; light, medium and heavy. This is known as hard kit.
Light Armour
Light armour consists of leather armour, a gambeson or equivalent. The leather must be a minimum of 3mm thick to be counted as leather armour.
Medium Armour
Medium armour consists of steel chain maile, coat of plates, cuirboilli (boiled leather), or equivalent.
Heavy Armour
Heavy armour is steel plate armour (think a knights suit of armour).
Your hit points (HP) is calculated by tallying up the amount of armour you’re wearing and the type.
If you require assistance with your armour please contact the Equipment Desk and they will help in any way they can.
Weaponry
Deciding on what weapon you want to use is just as much fun as choosing soft kit and armour. There are 2 main classes of weapons; hand weapons and missile weapons.
Hand Weapons
Hand weapons include swords, axes, staves, spears, club, flail, hammer, etc.
Missile Weapons
Missile weapons include bow and arrows, throwing weapons, mock black powder band guns and band wands.
Weapons deal damage to a players HP when they hit the body, 3 points for a torso hit and 1 point for a limb hit. The only exception to this rule is with throwing weapons. If a thrown weapon such as a throwing dagger or a mages spell ball hits the body, 1 point of damage is taken unless the body part is armoured in which case no damage is taken.
All players need to be certified safe by the relevant trainer before they can use weapons other than a standard sword on the field to ensure the wellbeing and safety of all. Remember, we’re here to kill our friends, not hurt them!
Damien Yearbury using a wavy flamberge two-handed sword while also carrying a small hammer belted at his hip