What's your preffered method of fighting for Rangers?

[Pwyll]

Hey, the site looks good. But it could stand some information on directions, where to stay, what to bring, things like that.

I did get a chance to go through Highland Knife Fighting. Extremely interesting, especially how the grappling is seen as so integral to the knife. The more I play with it, the more this seems to be the case.

[dwayne davis]

OK here is how i view it.
bow- for encounters 5 yds and out, also use in any ambush setting. also for harrasing the enemy from a distance, ( don't have to be too acurate just make em keep their filthy little orc heads down.)
also hunting, as well as defending against things like the mirkwood spiders( don't want those creepy crawlys gettin too close now do we?)

Spear- ( if equipped) 5 yds and under as primary weapon.
also for trolls of varying type and size. a must when forming ranks. also
as above for hunting.
sword-and knife or sheild- for the melee
knife and tomahawk or hand ax - for camp work or to be used with bow for light scouting armament.
ok just my take on the gear we use.

[R.D.Metcalf]

My weapons of choice on the trail would be my sword, axe, seax and perhaps a bow, while this may sound like quite a load its not really that heavy. My seax is small enough to stay out of the way, my axe hangs in a frog at a cant on my belt behind me, my sword is suspended from a baldric and held in place under my waist belt. The bow, when I bother to carry one, stays in my hand or slung beind me with my quiver. Granted in thick brush I have got into some hang ups but for low brush or open woods its worked well for me.

One thing I have learned is old ways are best for carrying a sword, I noticed in alot of early period artwork warriors are almost always shown with their swords riding high, I've found this to be best because a low suspension will beat your leg to death walking at a brisk pace, and I hate strolling , if you dont constantly hold the hilt. Which is why I went to the "belted baldric" method.

[Greg]

I doubt that ANYONE on these boards hasn't found themselves in some hangups with the gear we carry. Even with just a backpack on, getting stuck is inevitable at some point in thick brush.

My back quiver has negated SOME of this, because the fletchings tend to ride really close to my head, but it hasn't solved everything. Not even close.

My biggest problem right now is with the rigging that came with my bristol. I'm going to be punching some new holes for fresh rivets soon to bring it up as high as possible, but the two-point suspension that Christian Fletcher designed for it lets it swing around all too freely.

As for it seeming like you're carrying too much...nonsense! I carry a bow, a sword, a small leaf-bladed knife, and a kukri, with a short spear as well on occasion. We're all in the same boat; it's just a matter of finding multiple uses for the same tool so that it's WORTH it to carry the extras. My Bow serves as weapon and hunting tool, sword serves as my main weapon and turkey hunting tool (turkeys like to run when shot with a bow, so I chase them down after they're hit and slowed, and decapitate them, since gobbler guillotine broadheads aren't exactly period-accurate), the kukri serves as a secondary weapon and all-around camp tool for chopping wood and miscellaneous chores, and the knife serves as a smaller, more wieldy tool as well as a last-ditch boot knife. The spear is the most useful thing in the bunch, as the blade can come off the pole to become a dagger or short sword of sorts, while the spear as a whole is useful as a weapon, piece of hunting equipment, tent pole, crutch (with a little help) if I'm injured, splint, and a means for pushing my food bag up higher into a tree out of the reach of bears. The more uses we can find for the tools we have, the less tools we need to bring along.

[R.D.Metcalf]

Greg, I know what you mean, buddy! That swing can sometimes be as annoying as getting the wallop to the leg with every pace. I was using my own scabbard and Albion Knud with a Christian fletcher man at arms belt....Pretty rig...but it almost lamed me on the trail Then I adjusted it high enough to stop beating my leg and by this time the sword was nigh horizontal. At this point "the swing" started. Anyone looking at my profile as I walked by would've thought I had grown a tail.....or very severe hemoroid.

"The more uses we can find for the tools we have, the less tools we need to bring along"

I couldnt agree more.

[Greg]

"The more uses we can find for the tools we have, the less tools we need to bring along"

I couldnt agree more.

We're going to get along oh so well!

[R.D.Metcalf]

As to the fighting part of the equation, I think I would opt for close range ambush, depending on the size of the patrol/scouting party using the sword and axe as well as the mountainous terrain around my home to advantage...Tricky footing and lots of nice narrow bottlenecks, on top of that the thickets of jack pine and poplar overgrown with saw briars, grapevines, and scrub of all description would offer quite a bit of good cover from enemy arrows as well as concealment until we sprung our ambush...The orc patrol wouldnt have a prayer....I'm a relatively small guy anyway at about 5'10" & 170 lbs I can slither through brush pretty good I would just have to cache some of my gear prior to the hostilities to be a bit more nimble..or just pack the relevant weapons and iron rations and not risk caching something I may not be able to get back to.

[Greg]

Alrighty, on the subject of ambushes:

I'm now a resident of northern california. There aren't really any forests here. Certainly not big ones, at any rate. It's mostly farmland around me. I have to travel a fair bit to find land similar in any way shape or form to the forests I'm used to back home.

My question is, here in the middle of nothing, where all there is around you is dry grass and the occasional hill with scattered, loose scrub brush and the occasional tree...how do you pull off an ambush? I'm living in &@*#%ing Rohan here...it's a wee bit frustrating. Trekking's been a challenge. I feel like I'm trying to sneak up on an arachnophobic woman in a white, well-lit room with no windows, no doors, and a wood floor wearing tap dancing shoes...

[Peter Remling]

Alrighty, on the subject of ambushes:

I'm now a resident of northern california. There aren't really any forests here. Certainly not big ones, at any rate. It's mostly farmland around me. I have to travel a fair bit to find land similar in any way shape or form to the forests I'm used to back home.

My question is, here in the middle of nothing, where all there is around you is dry grass and the occasional hill with scattered, loose scrub brush and the occasional tree...how do you pull off an ambush? I'm living in &@*#%ing Rohan here...it's a wee bit frustrating. Trekking's been a challenge. I feel like I'm trying to sneak up on an arachnophobic woman in a white, well-lit room with no windows, no doors, and a wood floor wearing tap dancing shoes...

Change your tactics, think grass fire!

or when in Rohan................. get a horse.

[Willrett]

Low crouch in high grass or even laying down ready to spring up. If you read Terry Goodkind think of the mud people.

When walk in the open like that you get a false sense of security because you can see for so far all around but you don't look down as often as you should.

[Peter Remling]

Alrighty, on the subject of ambushes:

I'm now a resident of northern california. There aren't really any forests here. Certainly not big ones, at any rate. It's mostly farmland around me. I have to travel a fair bit to find land similar in any way shape or form to the forests I'm used to back home.

My question is, here in the middle of nothing, where all there is around you is dry grass and the occasional hill with scattered, loose scrub brush and the occasional tree...how do you pull off an ambush? I'm living in &@*#%ing Rohan here...it's a wee bit frustrating. Trekking's been a challenge. I feel like I'm trying to sneak up on an arachnophobic woman in a white, well-lit room with no windows, no doors, and a wood floor wearing tap dancing shoes...

Actually don't try. The when in Rome is actually what you want to do. Dress and walk like a native so nothing will set you apart. This is a little harder than you think. Do you look around and take in your surroundings naturally ? Are you concious of who and what doesn't belong ? Most people arn't, they are tied up in the moment, thinking about who there are going to meet, what they are going to do later. The biggest give away , in today's society, is if an individual is talking on a cell phone. Observe the people's faces that you would normally accept as belonging where they are, you will see only a few that are "aware" of things around them. These are the few you need to avoid, they, like you are concious of what is going on around them and it is them you will need to avoid, in an ambush situation.

When they start to become aware of your intensity, casually look away and avoid eye contact where possible. If you can't due to circumstances then mask your face with a smile. Substitute your intensity with a look of casual boredom or even indifferent helpfullness.

Your eyes are the biggest betrayer. Intead of looking at someone (when you want to avoid interest) look through them. Focus you eyes to a point behind them or slightly to the side. If they notice you they will also notice where your eyes are focused and they will look away.

It's sort of like speed reading, instead of a tight focus you take it all in.

[R.D.Metcalf]

I live in a very mountainous region with some spots at or just above timberline. But we do have some open country/ pasture. I would agree with Pete on getting a horse, I have two and even though my region is exactly cav country they are worth their weight in gold....if you understand how to use them. I'm not going to digress into a lecture on "tactical" horsemanship but the same rules would apply to a man on foot.

No place on earth is going to be dead flat, there will be rises and dips small hills hollows and such. When plains tribes engaged they would pop out from around hills,engage,run and pop out again somewhere else and engage again. or as Pete pointed out pop out of the grass just under the crest of a rise, set grass fires etc. Your also going to have to rely on your observation skills to see your game before you get spotted and reacting as the situation dictates.

Its also worth remembering that mobility is a weapon in its own right. The Scythians would lure their enemies deep into their country, extending supply lines to the breaking point all the while engaging in small raids and ambushes. Darius was forced to withdraw or lose his army to such tactics. The Russians did much the same to Napolean. The goal in this type of conflict in my opinion is not so much winning as simply not losing until economics, Starvation, or crappy morale take their toll.

If one spot doesnt seem suitable to engage, lead them to one that is.

[David]

There aren't really any forests here.

I'm living in &@*#%ing Rohan here...

1. Who ever said living in Rohan was a bad thing? I think that would be freaking sweet!

2. I just think you aren't looking hard enough for forests, Greg...
http://www.bahiker.com/southbayhikes/sanborn.html
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/eldorado/
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=469
http://www.ebparks.org/parks/briones

[Greg]

Pardon me if I'm used to having one for a backyard. Driving an hour or so (I didn't look through all of them, so odds are one's closer than that, but the Santa Cruz Mountains aren't exactly next door) isn't incredibly convenient on my gas budget currently. All the same, I actually am enjoying my stay in Rohan. I just...miss the shade. Yes, shade! Of COURSE! THAT'S what's missing! How silly of me...

[Oissene]

Many, many interesting posts.....
Consider very carefully what Peter has said(about fitting in)...sorta goes along the line of did the ninjas wear blackjammies an masks everywhere?..no.
So weapons an gear Have to Fall into Catagories...Based on whats the mission.
A recon/scout mission means NO Contact!! period. selfcontained...means minumum gear and weapons...ie...a good hatchet with a polled or pounding back an a seax type knife.Plus a good walking staff(like 6ft of rattan with metal caps on the ends or a good length of blackthorn.
Delay/harassment/ambush mission we step it up. Ranged weapons( I prefer the crossbow) flatter trajectory..better penetrating power..and easier to learn to shoot than a bow..drawback slower rater of fire. A bow mite be a bit more "book" rite..but it is my experience with both weapons that a bow is much like being effective with a pistol.Unless you PRACTICE EVERYDAY a bow is just not that an effective weapon.
The axe and the knife are basic load tools/weapons along on every ride. Considering this type of mission means no direct assault(unless as a last resort) I would probably go with just these. Would probably supplement with trap gear/equipment.
Then we have the recon in force/the assault/the packin for bear mission.
The axe an knife, double crossbow, and sword. Either a long(war) sword or a nagamaki(Looks like the highelven sword)...these are what I train with. Would probably add also a big fighting knife to my load.
So whats this all mean...you need a base to store an stage yur missions out of. If you aint practicing with what you got then you get the results that come with that kind of mindset.
Never view yur gear/weapons as anything but tools that are DISPOSABLE!
Reference books that have sure helped me are "The Ranger Handbook"...small unit tactics...Tom Browns Book on tracking,,the SAS has a real good one for this also...and John Clements book "Medieval Swordmanship"
Practice my ranger brothers and sisters..Practice.