Dagorhir Tournaments: Becoming a Complete Competitor

Tournaments are a tricky subject in Dagorhir. They are generally regarded as being unimportant to developing a fighter’s skill, and are rarely the centerpiece for an event or campout. Even Ragnarok has seen a downturn in tournament participation, with only a handful of units fielding fighters over the last few years. The perceived taint of cheating, whether factual or not, has kept many skilled fighters away; for fear of having a rightful victory ripped away by an dishonorable opponent. But, this year at Ragnarok, I witnessed a very clean, fairly well run tournament, and I'm hoping that it heralds the potential for change. I'm a competitive fighter and I crave the adrenaline rush that "fighting for keeps" evokes in me, so I've always loved tournaments; and I genuinely believe that tournaments can bring much to the style, flavor, and substance of our game.

     Simply put, skill sharpens skill. Granted, there's an element of competition to any form of foam fighting, but the game changes completely when only the victor advances. The adrenaline rush in a tournament is simply a different breed from an epic field or forest fight. The pressure to perform is much higher for each individual, and even in team tournaments, the failure of one can spell doom for the whole team. It forces a fighter to establish a "One Fight" mentality where your concentration focuses to a sharp point. I consider it a form of mental fortitude, the tournament mindset, and I find that fighters who are both exceptional on the field and in tournaments are more complete combatants and contenders.

     In Amtgard, the tournament scene is an institutionalized system that is handled very differently from Dagorhir. There are game sanctioned awards for exceptional performance in any number of areas, whose collection culminates in a knightly title. The most relevant to this discussion are Orders of the Warrior, which are given for exceptional tournament performance. Nearly every Amt event has a tournament of some kind, whether they are Martial or Arts and Sciences. This perpetual competition has created some exceptionally talented fighters and they're generally well known due to the obvious victor nature of tournaments. I'm not advocating Dagorhir adopting any of these ideas, but giving this as an example of the way it can enhance a game.

     There's a wide variance in the way that tournaments are run in regards to weapon classes, elimination style, and even heralding standards. The most important of these to the integrity of tournaments is the use of active heralding. Not only does this eliminate much of the ambiguity in tournaments by having multiple experienced herald/fighters watching the entire match from different angles, but also helps grow skill by recognizing weak points in your own game. Tournament heralds need to be comfortable and willing to call shots on even the most respected of fighters, with no favoritism shown at all. Consistently utilizing this style of heralding will do much to help the reputation of tournaments, and potentially Dag as a whole.

     I don't expect most fighters to care about tournament settings; but the fact that many top tier fighters avoid them says something about their current standing. If effort is expended to run better organized, cleaner, and faster tourneys, the average skill level across the country could take a leap. Consider running local tournaments, but keep in mind and emphasize the importance of sportsmanship and honor. Participate in them, and learn from the defeats you will inevitably be handed. Use tournaments as a way to gauge your current skill level, and help provide you with the hunger you need to improve across the board.

-The Golden Lion