COMPETITIONS

THE SWASHBUCKLERS TOURNAMENT

Welcome to the Swashbucklers Tournament
A fun, light-hearted sword-duelling competition that anyone can join!

 
ABOUT THE GAME

The way to score points is to put on a good show.
The best Swashbuckler wins!
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Players will be judged on presentation, skill and showmanship.
Open to all skill levels, including those who have never held a sword before!

Come and play, or just watch the action!

Game begins after the Sword-Fighting class around 7:30pm 

HOW TO SCORE POINTS

The judges panel will award points in 5 categories:
 
1) Sword-Fighting skill (How many hit points you score, good defense)

2) Costume (Fabulous, flamboyant, effective or terrifying)

3) Insults (Quality of remarks made to destabilize your opponent ,
                  or witty, entertaining comebacks - no swearing)

4) Theatricality (Choreography, quick-thinking, interesting moves
                           and good death scenes or victory scenes)

5) Presentation (Character, charisma, audience engagement)


The judges will tally your scores and decide the Champion.
​All judges decisions are final.


FIGHTING ROUNDS

Players will be paired off to fight other players  of similar skill levels.
Players with the highest scores will be chosen to compete in a final round
Fights go for precisely 1 minute, with a 30 second gong and an end gong.

Duelling Bouts go for precisely 1 minute. You can practise with a buddy in advance,
or test your mettle with a fresh opponent on the day.

Players will proceed to the next round with a new opponent based on scores,
not on whether they 'died' in the last bout.



HOW TO ENTER

Sign up to the competition on the entry form sign-up sheet at the start of the game.
Nominate whether you are beginner, intermediate or advanced, and if you are fighting with a partner.



SAFETY RULES

This is a contact sport for entertainment. Participants must be sober and play in good faith.

LARP safe swords ONLY. You can use swords provided. If bringing your own sword your weapons must pass a safety inspection by the Games Master.
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If you need to stop the fight for any reason call out 'Hold'. All action must stop if someone says 'Hold', whether it's a player, a judge, or an audience member. Combat can resume only when the judges say you can continue, after the safety issue has been dealt with.

RULES OF COMBAT

• No head hits, no crotch shots, no grappling
• One hit per second per weapon (no drum-rolling)
• Bouts last for one minute each with time being called at 30 seconds.
• No kicks, no punches
• No attempts to cause actual physical harm or distress to your opponent.
• No swearing (while accidental expletives may understandably occur in the course of vigorous combat, no foul language is permitted, and if used deliberately in any way it will lose you points)​

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TOURNAMENT FAQS

Q: Can I enter with my pirate name, e.g. 'Mudwarbler The Terrible' instead of 'Megan'?

A: Yes, you sure can. Creativity is encouraged!

Q: How can I insult my opponent?

A: Creatively. Respectfully. Not personally.
Don't attack people for their gender, race, creed. Don't use personal information you may know about them against them. If you'd like some ideas, try googling 'Monkey Island insults'. Ridiculous insults are the best insults. 

Q: I've never used a sword before. Will I be ok?

A: Yes. You can quickly learn some skills if you join the sword-fighting class before the tournament. You may like to watch some good sword-fighting movies, like Scaramouche, Captain Blood, The Princess Bride, Pirates of the Carribean and so on to check out some good moves and stances to copy.

Q: Can I use my own weapons?

A: Yes, but only if they are approved for safety by the Games Master. If they don't pass safety standards you will be given a LARP-safe sword to use instead.