Swordplay in the Latrobe Valley

Hear ye, hear ye.
The sword craft community brings fantasy to life.
Bringing back the medieval times, with knights from all over the known world.
Fun is the primary goal. Fitness is a side benefit.
The Latrobe Valley is the home of the Gippsland Swordcraft community.
Within it are members from a number of factions train and battle together.

New players are welcome

New players arriving early will be treated to a lesson with swords and shield, and other weapons if they’re available. Once training is completed new players can join the fray, registrations and costs are involved (on Christmas Eve it was $2, it sounds like the cost is slightly higher on usual events.)  Registrations are usually required a week ahead (this helps with organisation.) They have a strong online community where players can chat to each other in between clashes.

Choose a team

It’s a friendly community and some will enthrall of with tales of their character stories. One of the charters ‘Chevaliers sans chevaux’ (Knights without horses), is a Monty Python inspired charter with fancy hats. It’s French. Be sure if you do say their name you say it with the right inflection or it is the Knights with no hair. This faction trains out at the Cowarr Weir. They have lots of great quotes. Others war factions are inspired by dungeons and dragons, world of warcraft or entirely created out of imagination.




An accidental sport

Like any sporting game, or similar to fencing points are assigned – this is where the costume is important, those who have no armour are considered 3 hit points. A full suit of armour is considered 15 hit points.
The problem with being uncostumed means you’re on three hits points and strikes to your chest abdomen or buttocks are worth three points. Game over.  In some of the games there was no regeneration and players kneel on the ground until the game ends signaling their death.

Safety is taken seriously

There are rules involved to keep people safe – hands, heads, feet, and groin is off limits. Any weapon hitting in those areas penalty points are not counted against the victim but can be held against the attacker.
Weapons must be approved, the swords are latex with fiberglass cores and have rubber stoppers at the ends. This allows for a full range of swords like motion, which starts above your shoulder.
The ways it’s not like a sport, but very much like the knight’s code of old, it relies on honesty. Some hits if the person hitting you doesn’t feel it won’t be counted as a hit.

 

These are LARP games

The games are called Live Action Role Play, it’s used as an acronym which is said as LARP.

The home of Gippsland Swordcraft community

Their usual battleground is Agnes Bereton Reserve in Traralgon –  Breed St, Traralgon VIC 3844
This group of sword players attended fundraisers for different events to help their communities further. Some of the players from the Melbourne Swordcraft come down to the Latrobe Valley adding to the fun.
Spectators are welcome.
(The photos here were taken at the Apex Park, Moe which is a great location at the back of the Moe Racing Course and the mountains made it that much easier to imagination it was medieval times.)




A wide range of ages were able to take part in the events. There were some young boys who were brought along to participate in the dungeon. There wasn’t a cap on the ages.
Some women took part in the action and others encouraged to participate and even if those who didn’t participate were welcomed warmly.

See more of the Latrobe Valley: