On Winning

[MorGrendel]

On Winning
Sometimes staying alive is more important than seeking the win. Often, if you can just be at the right place at the right time, regardless of your skill level, you will be rewarded with a win.

Galatia won an award today. It was for being the best unit on the field. What the gifters did not know was that between battles, Galatians were apologizing to one another for abandoning the unit, or for drifting away to realize a better position, or for generally spreading out too far and not supporting the line.

As would be my fashion, I could admonish the group for ignoring its core principles. However, this time I think I’ll praise the actions of our individual fighters. Is not the goal of training to be able to act, react, and/or hold when most appropriate? Is not the purpose of practice to learn when and where to be, when you are most needed?

There is a point where experience transcends practice; where training becomes so specialized, that its nuances are known only to the individual. There is a point when one stops attending and starts leading.

Realistically, we did not have enough Galatians or the right weapon combinations for the scenarios to be an effective line together. We chose instead to be battle leaders, volunteering to be the “king” or “cross/sword bearer” as the scenario dictated. When we could not lead directly, we became auxiliaries to other lines, complementing them, and ultimately becoming Battlefield Multipliers. Whether we dangled as bait or counter-charged with volition, we found ways to be involved in both lines. We greatly affected both sides, made our presence known, and was why we earned the day’s acclaim.

[MorGrendel]

We won again, a year later. We took the day and the unit award. I thought we fought a bit closer together and more cohesive this year, but again the most experienced traveled in the widest orbits. For myself, it felt like I took an objective, just to turn around and find I had to retake a previously taken objective. Galatians still don't hold things, we take them and move on, but we are going to need to look into holding objectives, if those around us prove they can't hold them. Frustrating. I was happy we won, and disappointed over some of the battles we lost. Our losses seemed to happen all of the sudden at the end. As army commander, I take the blame for this, but can not see how we could have done it better. Some things were different, but in general, most of it was the same. I felt we slipped a little, in that we were unable to answer their biggest advantage, a superior number of archers.

[Thomas Fitzcharles]

Good Day, Jeff.

Easy, to stop combat archers more shields and run them down. After that first battle when it was six on two, in which I got smoked. We held our own against their archers, when the odds were a bit more even 6 or 5 on 4. Talking with goday after the event our side did run down their archers allot more then they did us. I was killed only once or twice by anything other than an arrow. We can always improve, but we also won the day. It was really only that first scenario where it was more of a point and shoot battle, not alot of movement. In these type battles the cross bows have an advantage they had 6. As far as holding ground goes. For myself it is not as much fun to just stand and hold a bail of hay, I want to be out there pressing the issue. I think all galations think this way. Since were all out here to have fun we tend to do what gives us the most enjoyment attack. Which may or may not win the battle. Since it is like valhala we can always come back and try again an again till we win. By the way did we win at Glenn Gary?

Sincerely

Thomas

[MorGrendel]

I don't know about Glengary, nobody gave me an award. :)

As a side, I think we lost the field. As a Unit, I think we did well tieing up the enemy flank. I think we gave our side the opportunity to win, but they left us out to dry. In hindsight (although I did mention it at the event), I think we made a mistake; we were the smaller force and should have presented ourselves as such. The Galatians should have deployed behind the slower line of Wolveshaven, and acted as line backers. We should have swept out of either side opposite to the strength of the line, and have Wolveshaven deny the flank. I also felt that some of the guys I hit in the first engagement were a bit thick, but that is no excuse for losing.

In the Bridge we won as a side and as a unit. I have no doubt that scenario turns out different without us there.I think each of us left a mark.

After that, I think we fought well, and that the sides won about even.

That said, I think both wars are different because in the second one we had no shields, but their archers sucked.

[Thomas Fitzcharles]

Good Day, Jeff.

I thought we did fairly well at G.G. for the size unit we had. Your right their archers were not very good. I was only hit by one arrow all day. There was a big difference between Seamus , Goday and even William to what they had. At GG one of their archers was new and she was using a hand bow. There is a hugh difference in giving some one a hand bow and telling them to go out and fight from a cross bow. It takes years to become a good hand bow archer . You can have a modicum amount of succes the first day with a cross bow. It was even so historicaly at one point the pope tried to out law cross bows calling them the "Devils Weapon"

Sincerely

Thomas