LettheFightersRise

Let the Fighters Rise
A Saracen Combat System
by Interkingdom Warleader Maniacles Lokinos

Let the Fighters shall Rise
"But how shall we know when the Heavens have cracked?"
"Very simply my friend. There shall be such strife upon the land that the Emperor shall cry out for justice and vengeance, and the fighters shall rise in answer."

These words were written by a man named Phan Lao. He was a quiet and studious man, and according to one source, a Shaolin monk. He was also the royal military tactician for two different Chinese emperors. In fact, on of his students, Sun Tsu, became rather famous by writing his teachings in a book called "the Art of War". It is to the memory of Phan Lao, and Saladin, and many others to whom I will give thanks as I watch our Saracen Fighters Rise.

At this point allow me to introduce myself. For those who do not yet know me, I am Maniacles Lokinos, and it has been trusted to me to serve the Saracen Battle Company as Interkingdom War Speaker. As of this writing, I have been a fighter in Amtgard for just over eight years. Also, I was one of the first five Saracens created in the C. K. (Sir Cabal gave me my S from his own belt, may I always be worthy of it.) I cannot say how important it is to me the task I now take up. In short, it is my only goal to take the fighters of this company and with your help and trust, together we will build the most respected and feared fighting force that Amtgard has ever seen. So come my brothers all; let us make the heavens crack!

First of all, I would like to go over some of the many factors that went into the formation of this new (old?) fightings system. This may serve to remove later confusion and even more damaging presumptions about exactly what the system is intended to achieve. The system that to combine as evenly as possible the following features.
Be so simple and basic that any fighter regardless of class or experience level could follow it.
Be so effective that even out most experienced fighters could use it and gain worthwhile advantage.(this is very important since it will be up to our high level fighters to help teach the system and show that it works.)
Be so practical that it can be used in any battle situation and by any number of our fighters from the single individual on up.

Now let me tell you what the system will not do.

The system will not involve specific tactics, individual or unit. Do not be fooled by those who say, " We need to practise group tactics if we want to win." This is like trying to build a house from the roof down. As Alexander the Great once said, ( and I now paraphrase" "The overall strength of any army is always equal to the average strength of it's fighters. Therefore, to best improve the army, seek first to improve the man." This system is designed to maximize our fighter individually, no matter what tactics we may one day use.
The system will not be class specific. Nor will it place more importance on any one class above another. The objetive here is to ensure that every fighter in every class is made able to act and function to greatest advantage regardless of how the opposing sides are structured.
Most important of all, the system will not work perfectly at once or all the time. As an ongoing project it will demand a great deal of faith and trust from every fighter in every class is made able to act and function to greatest advantage regardless of how the opposing sides are structured.
Most important of all, the system will not work perfectly at once or all the time. As an ongoing project it will demand a great deal of faith and trust from every fighter that the system will work to make the Saracens into the best fighters we can possibly be- and do it faster and better than any other system in Amtgard. I know that this is a dangerous claim to make, but I chose the greatest military minds of history as my guides to form this system, and that, combined with the faith and trust I hold in my spirit for every last one of you; will guarantee beyond doubt that the Saracens will soon become elite beyond what any of you might dare hope (and much sooner than you think.)

As a final note for those more battle hardened veterans out there (you know who you are.) As you read the standards and ideals set down in the following pages; be aware that I know full well how impossible it is to force anyone to follow these directives. I also know that much of this will go against what many of you have long thought to be true regarding Amtgard combat and how best to be victorious. (That is right guys, we are going to put this company on top by breaking all the 'rules'. How typically Saracen!) I therefore ask with all of my being for the sake of the example you will be called on to set, that you follow the systemas closely as possible anyway. Remember, you aer the teachers of all who will follow; so if you do not show faith and unity in maintaining the system, neither will those who look yo you for guidance. And if that happens, well.... maybe we will all wind up as the impotent, drunken mob that some other more unified companies believe us to be . And I, for one, have long grown sick and tired of being second best to anyone! So please help me, my oldest and dearest friends, to make this work.

Maniacles Lokinos
War Speaker of the Saracens

Support Fighters

I am a Saracen Support Fighter.
As I am able, so I will do.
Let my victory be seen in my service tto my team.
Let no task go undone while I stoood idle.
Let no comrade gall that I might have saved.
Let my service be blind to company or house.
And in honor of my Commando Brethren whose blood I share,
Let me take my enemy with me when it comes my time to die.
I am a Saracen Support Fighter.
Let these be my vows.

Of the two primary divisions that the new system will form, the support fighters will likely be the majority. Therefore I will cover this group first. As I believe you will see, this group is not much different from the basic patterns that most fighters in Amtgard already follow. The real differences lie mainly in a Support Fighter's attitude and hyperfocused intent (That same sense of extreme focuswill be seen as a vital part of why the system works. Just as Saladin; it helped him crush the second and third crusades).
As with the second primary division, the Commandos, the goals and intentions of the Suport Fighters as stated in theirvows will represent their complete and total objective in each and every battle regardless of any other team objectives. This will have the following effect on how a Support Fighter personally defines victory in combat. As a vital addition point, this is also how I as War Speaker will define it.

From the very first call to lay on to the shattering of your very last life- Did you go out of your way to be useful to your team in whatever way you could find? Never standing idle or without purpose?
If you had the chance and were able, did you make every effort to take your killer with you when you died.

If you can say yes to the first conditions, your battle performance was at least acceptable and satisfactory. If you can say yes to both conditions, (whether your killer died too is far less important than the honest effort to make yourself a difficult and dangerous kill.) As far as you War Speaker is concverned, (and as you yourself should be,) you were completely victorious in that battle! No matter which side "took the flag." If for any reason- physical, medical, or otherwise- conditions demand that you should avoid direct melee combat, simply report his to me, or your local warleader, and I or them will gladly waive condition two. Making service to your team the only condition necessary for you to achieve victory. If there is an easier way to efine and achieve cvictory, or a more practival and useful set of goals, I haven't found it in 8+ years of battle experience, in three 6th level classes, with two masterhoods, and with 2 different battle companies ( as many of you know I was once in Annihilus.)

Now lets look at the vows given at the beginning of the section. First of all, yes they are intended as real vows. To be made upon your very S itself. Now before you have a brain lock over this idea, stop and think for a moment. When you recieve your S, did you not do so in the spirit of total dedication to your new company? I know I did. And were you not prepared to do whatever you could to make this company the very best it could be? Those vows should be no more or less than open declaration of what you already feel. And if you do not, I suggest that you have some very important thinking to do. I n the meantime, I will go over the vows one by one so you can be certain about the meaning of each.

As I am able, so I will do.
Remember that there are always jobs to be done for your team. Filling holes in the battle line; helping to hold the flanks; etc. etc. etc... If there's a job to do and you're not busy, then get in there dammit.

Let my victory be seen in my service. See the victory conditions given earlier.
Let no task go undone. Se #1.
Let no comrade fall.. You don't not have to be a healer to help a teammate get healed. Why not take him to one? I am sure he would like to have his arm or let back.
Let none die alone. There are a few times I can think of more miserable than facing ones death while wounded and alone. and yet it takes only one person standing beside you saying "let us give them hell on the way out bro" to turn an emplty death into something worth bragging about in Nirvana. Nuff said??
Let my service be blind. Go out of your way to help people in other companies and house holds. You are all one team, so act like it.
Let me kill my killer. See victory condition 2.

Allow me to close out this section by putting into your head, two visions of a Saracen future that the Support Fighter will directly make possible and even inevitable if your vows are given and kept. There will come a time when fighters of other companies will value the arrival of Saracens above their own folk because they will know that help has arrived. And when other companies try to kill a Saracen Support Fighter, they will have to send two or three, while expecting to lose one or two. Think about it, folks. It is the kind of rep any elite company would be proud of.

Saracen Commandos

I am a Saracen Commando
For me there is only attack!
In battle I shall seek only to die.
Let my victory be seen as my enemy dies with me.
And in honor of the Support Fighter whose blood I share,
I shall never deny mercy, and yet never ask it.
I am a Saracen Commando.
Let these be my vows.

As the second primary division of the new combat system, the Commandos will find that their task is both easier and much harder than that of the Support Fighters. It will be easier in that a Commando will have a much more direct and more basic set of goals by which to define victory. Yet at the same time they will have a much more difficult path because first they will have to literally unlearn some of the most basic rules of combat that Amtgard has taught over the years, and second- I have added even more hurdles designed very carefully and intentionally to help speed up this unlearning process. Let me warn you all now, only those fighters who are dedicated to the very point of fanatic will succeed as Commandos. If you have any doubt whatsoever in accepting these standards- Be support! This is the only honorable way. Given fair warning, read on.
First, to address that which must be unlearned. If any one thing on the Amtgard field of battle has come to equal defeat, I believe that one thing would have to be 'death'. Almost every tactic and combat system that I have ever seen was meant first to avoid 'dying'; with victory second or even unconsidered. Over time this has created a single and subtle flaw in the fighters of Amtgard; the only flaw that is common to every fighter on every field. The Fighter who fears dying- and we all do- will always to some tiny degree, hesitate in the face of death (and thus defeat) in battle. In order to take the fullest advantage of this most common of weaknesses, I have designed advantage of this most common of weakness, I have designed the Commando system to- as much as possible- remove that hesitation caused by the fear of death. This will be done by making death itself a key and vital part of how the Commandos define winning. (what do you expect from a War Speaker named Maniac? [Don't answer that!]).
When in combat, (battle game, ditch battle, etc. : Doesn't matter) the commando shall only have three goals which will stand above all others in achieving victory. These goals are:
Always Attack! From the first moment to the last, nothing else matters. And I mean NOTHING... PERIOD. If anyone questions this, tell them that the War Speaker said so and have them bitch to me. After all this is my directive.
Always Fight to Die! There are few things on the battlefield more subconsciously frightening than facing an opponent whom you know is intending to die. Far more often than not, this will make an already slightly hesitant enemy even more so. Also remember, you must intend to die. Only then will you have the best and greatest chance to remove that same fear from yourself. You will be amazed how much faster and more effective you will become, and how quickly this will happen.
Take your opponent with you when you die!! Needless to say, this one should be obvious. It is really intended as an added on warning not to throw your life away. Look for weak points in the enemy's lines. If possible, direct your kamikaze attack at ponts that allow you to strike at individual targets; at least until you feel ready to tackle bigger school of enemy fish.
You can see how these goals are actually simpler and much more direct than those of the Support Fighters. Now let me sweeten the deal even more. As long as a Commando can maintain any two of these goals on each life, I am fully satisfied with your performance. And if you make all three, with even one kill as you die; Congratulations Commando, you have won, and I do not care which side came out on top. So, given you the sugar, now lets go to those extra hurdles I mentioned before. I call them the Five Disciplines. And as you read them, I am sure you are going to need all the sugar you can get. (remember you were warned.)
In my many years in Amtgard, I have seen time and time again great many excellent fighters fall into a slow and oh so seductive trap as they try to avoid death in battle. This is the habit of depending more and more on armor and magic to keep themselves alive. This is most clearly seen in kingdom level battles with all those many stone skins and such, While armor and magic do have a vital role to play wherever they are used one and only thing you have in your favor that no spell can every full neutralize and not weapon can truly remove. With this in mind, I designed