Potrero War 2026

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Reminders from your Potrero Rapier Steward:

  1. Rules are standard CAID Rapier and C&T Rules.
  2. Don’t argue with my Marshals. If they say you’re dead, say “Thank You” and go to the res or leave the field.
  3. I ask that Marshals sign up for at least one scenario they wish to marshal. Marshals want to play too, don’t make them stand out all day.
  4. Marshals in Training are encouraged to participate!
  5. Volunteer to help. We can’t do this without volunteers.
  6. Sign up and Armor Inspections will start each day at 0900, Scenarios at 1000. Please allot yourself time to be at inspections.
  7. Bring your Fighter Card EVERY DAY. The lists and marshals will be checking them.
  8. If there is an issue, please take it off the field, notify a Marshal, and allow for mediation.
  9. WATER, WATER, WATER!!
  10. I will be monitoring Spear Calibration. If we are getting too hot with spears, I will not hesitate to pull them from the field for the rest of the War.

Yours in service,

THL Timothy McBride of Aran

Thursday, 21 May 2026

RAPIERMANIA V

Come one, come all, to the 5th annual RAPIERMANIA Earlybird Tournament! Returning to the Open Ramada with stage lighting, come watch our rapier fighters don their wrestling personas. Cheer for your favorite faces and heckle your favorite heels – audience participation is encouraged and ALL of potrero is invited to attend! Fighting is to begin at 8:00pm to see who will go home with the championship belt.

For rapier fighters, please bring your authorization and all standard rapier gear and armor. Though this is a less-than-serious tournament, all safety standards are still in place. Lysts will open at 7:00pm and armor inspection will begin by 7:30pm! Please arrive on time to give our spectators a fantastic show.

Tournaments

Friday – Armor as Worn Pick-Up Fights

After melees conclude on Friday, fighters are invited to participate in pick-up bouts where armor may be worn for rapier or cut & thrust. A variety of armor pieces will be available for fighters to try on so participants can experience how armor affects movement, defense, and tactics. This is intended as a relaxed environment for learning, discussion, and exploration.

Saturday – Historical Techniques Pas d ‘Armes for Cut & Thrust and Harness

On Saturday, following the melee, a Pas d ‘Armes (Presentational Tournament) will be held on the tournament field near merchants. Authorized fighters may enter the list in Unarmored Cut & Thrust, Partial Armored (as worn) Cut & Thrust, or Full Harness.  

The fields will be divided into venans (visitors/challengers) and tenans (tenants/challenged). With each side offering challenges of weapons forms and passes to the other. Many tenans will be pre-selected and those who wish to be a tenan are asked to bring a small gift or token to bestow on the venan of their choice based on their own personal criteria for the day. If you wish to be a tenan and cannot provide a gift or token, the Tournament Sponsors will have some extras. 

The Pas will run for a set number of rounds, or the Sponsors determine the tourney must end. At the end, each field of venans will determine who they feel represented themselves, the art, and the honor of combat from amongst themselves and said fighters will be recognized as “First among Equals” for this year’s Pas d’Armes. 

Unarmored Cut & Thrust will follow standard C&T rules and authorizations, both rapiers and broadsword types are welcome.

Partial Armored (as worn) Cut & Thrust will allow (in addition to cut and thrust minimums), with up to 50% armor coverage adhering to the following guidelines: Head – 10%, Torso 40%, Arms 20%, Legs 30%. Plate is proof, hardened leather and period chain are proof against cuts. Armor must be worn and be of actual historical materials to count.

Full Harness will operate under the rules and standards of the Kingdom Harnessfechten Experimental Program. 

Melees

FRIDAY, 22 May 2026

ACT ONE – A Wrestling Match!

To warm-up, as a carryover from Thursday Night’s RapierMania! we will be fighting in a Battle Royale-style Melee. 

  • All fighters have 3 lives, including their starting life (out on 3rd death) Upon any death, retreat to res point to resurrect.
  • Fighters fight individually but may make momentary alliances as they please!
  • Hitting the boundary while alive counts as one (1) death.
  • As players begin losing their last lives and being knocked out, the Marshals will increasingly shrink the fighting area — from that point on, passing a Marshal’s stave will count as an out-of-bounds death. If a Marshal says you have died…you have died.
    • DFB is allowed.
    • Last fighter with a life wins!
    • No Toys!
    • Single Sword only!

ACT TWO – The Pieces Move on the Board. 

Once we are all back in melee mode, we will be fighting a Three-Team VIP Field Battle.

    • Three Teams: Red Army, Blue Nobles, and Oops, All MoDs.
    • All combatants save for the VIPs in this scenario are limited to single sword or defensive parry, soft or rigid; combatants may not use a dagger or case.
    • VIP: RED ARMY. The Commander can use any weapon form and does not act out nonlethal blows to the arms or hands (invincible arms).
    • VIP: BLUE NOBLES. The Commander can use any weapons form and does not act out nonlethal or lethal blows below the hips (invincible legs).
    • VIPs: Oops, All MoDs choose two commanders. These two can use any weapons form but must both be killed for Oops, All MoDs to lose.
    • Each team’s win condition is to kill or “capture” a specific VIP from another team. Team Commanders will draw rocks to determine goals for each scenario. If they draw their own color, they will redraw until they have an objective.
    • When a win condition has been met, a HOLD will be called, and teams will reset. Marshals will keep tabs on winning points.
    • The winning team will complete their win condition more than either of the other two teams.
    • Should two or three teams tie, a death match between those teams will determine the overall winner.
      • Depending on the number of fighters on the field, The MoD team MAY get an opportunity to even the playing field by selecting extra fighters from the other teams to join their team.
      • NO DFB
      • Toys will alternate on/off for each scenario
        • Spear and RBG limit to 10% of your team size (10 fighters = 1 spear, 1 RBG with 5 shots)
      • NO Resurrection

    INTERMISSION – Lunch Break (12:00 – 12:30) 

    ACT THREE – Into Avondale Forest. 

    After lunch and a break, we will take the hottest part of the day in the Forest with a Capture the Flag Melee!

    • Two Teams — St Patrick’s cohort and The Snakes; 15-minute res battle
    • There are 5 “flags” in the forest — Blue is  for St Patrick’s teachings; the other is bright red for the Snakes.
    • At set intervals (5, 10, 15 minutes) Marshals stationed near each “flag” will mark whether they are in “St Patrick” position (blue cup) (point to St Patrick’s cohort) or in the “red” position (red cup) (point to The Snakes).
    • Upon death, combatants return to their designated res point for their team to resurrect. Infinite resurrections.
    • After 15 minutes, a general HOLD will be called and points tallied. Scenario will be run twice, once without toys, once with.
    • Winning team will have the most points at the end of the scenario.
      • DFB is on.
      • Toys will alternate on/off for each scenario
        • Spear and RBG limit to 10% of your team size (10 fighters = 1 spear, 1 RBG with 5 shots)

    ACT FOUR – Reconciliation 

    We will all have tired ourselves running about the field and will return for some cool-down melee training.

    Asymmetric Bear Pits (3)

    • People initially enter the pits in groups of three. Two of the fighters are the “Fairy” and the “Banshee”, the third fighter the “Leprechaun”. The Fairy and Banshee are working together to defeat Leprechaun.
    • If either of them kills the Leprechaun, that fighter becomes the new Leprechaun and a new fighter enters as the missing animal. If the Leprechaun defeats both the Fairy and Banshee, two new fighters enter as the Fairy and Banshee, and the Leprechaun continues defending themselves.
    • Bear pits will run for 30 minutes. Fighters may drop in and out of the bear pits as they see fit.
    • Fighters may switch Bear pits.

    ACT FIVE – All is revealed and healed! 

    Pickups, Lessons, Free play and Armor as Worn Pick-Up Fights.

    SATURDAY, 23 May 2026

    Warmup Melee

    Nobles Melee, 5 min, Kill-em All, Single Sword only, No Res. 

    • DFB is allowed.
    • Last fighter alive wins!
    • No Toys!
    • Single Sword only!

    ACT SIX – Fight in Verona, Romeo and Juliet

    The Montagues and Capulets will battle it out to keep our star-crossed lovers apart. Romeo and Juliet have other ideas and will try to reach each other in the center of the town. 

    • Objectives: Last team standing, Keep Romeo and Juliet apart, Romeo and Juliet meet in the center of town and hold hands.
    • Scenario Rules: Each side must kill the other while keeping Romeo and Juliet apart. If Romeo and Juliet both put a hand on the pole in the center of town, then Romeo and Juliet win, and the other two sides both lose. Romeo and Juliet are the only ones who can res. They will have two res points outside of town that they can go to. Romeo and Juliet can suicide if they wish. I will need a couple to volunteer to be Romeo and Juliet; prefer fighters who have high endurance.
      • No DFB.
      • Romeo and Juliet cannot be killed by their families.
      • Non-Res battle, except for Romeo & Juliet.
      • Romeo and Juliet must fight SINGLE Sword
      • Initially planned for two rounds of this scenario, but may be re-fought if requested and time permits
      • Toys will alternate each time the scenario is run.
        • Spear and RBG limit to 10% of your team size (10 fighters = 1 spear, 1 RBG with 5 shots)

    ACT SEVEN – Drunk Captains.

    • Description: Town Battle.
    • Layout: The entire rapier field.
    • Objective: Recover your captain, so you can fight in the Sea Battle. The first side to get their captain to leave the town through your starting point wins.
    • Scenario Rules: This is a non-res battle. I will need 6 ‘volunteers’ armed only with a dagger. They will each be given a closed bag, and will pick a ‘pub’ to go get drunk in. The two sides will enter the town, through their starting points. If you enter a pub, you ask the person inside if they are your captain; at that time the volunteer can open the bag & pull out their baldric/sash. There is one blue & one red sash; there are four white sashes. If they have a white sash, you can recruit that drunk (shanghai) to fight for your side. The drunks, captains or not, cannot be killed. They will stagger about. They can take wounds & lose the use of the limb. If they receive a killing shot, they will become docile and will walk/move if lead by the arm. They can suicide if they want at any time, even without arms. They will walk to one of the pubs and  ‘wake up’ with all wounds removed to stagger about again.
      • No DFB.
      • Toys will alternate each time the scenario is run.
        • Spear and RBG limit to 10% of your team size (10 fighters = 1 spear, 1 RBG with 5 shots)
      • Initially planned for two rounds of this scenario, but may be re-fought if requested and time permits

    INTERMISSION – Lunch Break (12:00 – 12:30)

      ACT EIGHT – Grand Sea Battle.

      • Description: Both sides will form an armada to rule the sea.
      • Layout: The entire rapier field.
      • Objective: Last side standing.
      • Scenario Rules: This is a non-res battle that will last 15 minutes. At the end of this time, the side with the most surviving seadogs, including those without their sea legs, wins. Each side will control boats that will attack. If you are on a boat, you MUST always keep one hand on the keel (8 ft pole), except when landing on an island. If you let go and not within a sword’s length of a boat, you drown. If you are legged onboard a boat, you cannot leave the boat without being assisted by two seadogs. You can still fight when legged and will not go to the ground; rather you will move with the boat. If you lose a hand or arm while on a boat, you must switch hands on the keel by ducking under keel or turning around, if you wish to continue fighting. A one-armed seadog with their good hand on the keel still counts towards ‘manning / steering’ the boat. One seadog can sail the dinghy back to an island to pick up more crew, if there is anyone stranded on an island. If no seadogs remain to man the dinghy, it becomes a hazard & will be removed by the marshals.
        • DFB.
        • RBGs: Each side is limited to 1 shot per 10 fighters, plus 1.
        • Non-Res battle.

      ACT NINE – All is revealed and healed!

      Pickups, Lessons, Historical Techniques Pas d’Armes for Cut & Thrust and Harness, and Free play.

        SUNDAY, 24 May 2026 

         Bombs Away!

        • Everyone’s Favorite, Calafia Strike!

        Iron Crescent Challenge

        • Build a team and Challenge the Sea Beggars for possession of Caid’s Iron Crescent!
          • Teams must be comprised of any number of fighters but totaling no more than 10 points.
            • MOD: 4 Points
            • Argent Blade: 3 Points
            • Duelists: 2 Points
            • Unawarded Fighters: 1 Point 
          • The Sea Beggars will be available to fight a maximum of three challengers. Challenges will be on first come, first fight basis.
          • The format for the challenges is up to the teams. There are several options: the holders can fight all the challengers one after another, the challengers may fight each other and then the top team(s) take on the holders or any other format that can be agreed upon. It is requested that all teams be reasonable in this discussion.

        FIELD CLOSES AT 1200 ON SUNDAY. All fights must be completed by noon to facilitate cleanup.