====== Armoured Combat ======

**Armoured Combat** (also called Heavy Combat, Rattan Combat, or simply Heavy) is combat sport developed by the [[scaism:Society for Creative Anachronism]] in which participants in recreated medieval armour act fight with blunt rattan weapons. Armoured combat is not choreographed and combatants fight at full speed and power; all "kills" and "wounds" are determined through the honour system -- that is, the fighter receiving a blow is on their honour to accept for refuse a blow honestly. If the blow received would have been in earnest with a real weapon, the fighter "acts out" the consequences: a wounded limb cannot be used, a "fatal" blow ends the bout, and so on.

Conduct on the field of armoured combat is governed by the [[policies:Rules of the List]] and the [[policies:Conventions of Combat]] with an emphasis on safety for all participants.

Armoured Combat occupies a central role within the SCA; [[activities:events:Crown Tournament]] is an armoured combat tournament which determines who sits the Throne. Most events have an armoured combat element and regular fight practices are a feature of most local groups throughout the year.

New players looking to get involved in armoured combat are encouraged to contact their local group [[activities:service:offices:seneschal]], [[activities:service:offices:marshal]] or [[activities:service:offices:chatelaine]]; most groups have "loaner gear" available to borrow. 

===== Armoured Combat in Ealdormere =====

Armoured Combat within Ealdormere can be broken into four main sub-groups which fall directly under the authority the Kingdom [[[[activities:service:offices:Earl Marshal]]:

  * [[Tourney Combat]]
  * [[Melee Combat]]
  * [[Combat Archery]]
  * [[Siege Combat]]

The related disciplines of [[Boffer Combat]] and [[activities:martial:rapier_combat|Fencing]] are considered separate from armoured combat and are governed by their own set of rules under a Deputy to the Earl Marshals. 

===== See Also =====
  * [[people:people_by_interest:armoured_combat|List of People Interested in Armoured Combat]]

====External Links====
  * [[http://www.sca.org/officers/marshal/|Society Earl Marshal Page]]
  * [[http://www.sca.org/officers/marshal/combat/armored/|Rules of Armoured Combat]]
  * [[http://www.sca.org/officers/marshal/ann.html|Updates to the Rules of Armoured Combat]]
  * [[http://www.ealdormere.ca/files/ealdormere_armoured_combat_rules_2011.pdf|Ealdormere's Rules of Armoured Combat]]