By Dede Kilic, Aneala

To give archers a chance to test their skills in archery against individual combatants, the Anealans developed a series of combat archery tourneys. These provide varying challenges and allow an archer to show their skill to the best advantage.

All of these archery tourneys can be run as a round robin or with one of the other related tournament formats such as double elimination.

Field Layout

This tourney requires five 1×1 metre squares marked on each side of a 7-metre mid-section.

Scenario

Each archer starts in the centre square of their set and must strike the other archer to force them back a square.

Combatants

2 archers with 5 arrows each.

How to Win

If an archer can make their opponent move off the last square in their set, then they have won. If both archers run out of arrows or both are forced off the last square, then a double kill is called and the bout is refought.

Safe Viewing Areas

There is no safe area for spectators, so the spectators and archers should follow the rules for a mixed combat war scenario.

Variations

• The field could be expanded to 9 squares and if the archer strikes their opponent they move forward and their opponent moves back one. If you end up on squares 1-4 then you pick up additional arrows which are determined on the day and if you step back to squares 6-9 then you drop an arrow. Because there would be 9 squares each archer would need a minimum of 9 arrows.