About Sluffing

About Sluffing

Read more from players in their own words

Jynx Mercades

"It's another way of life, you haters. HBS FTW!"

Twikka

I know most of this discussion has died down, but it took some time for me to fully formulate my thoughts on raiders and sloughing.

The raider class doesn't teach sloughing. Raider behavior usually reflects the honor of the park itself more so than the rules of one particular class of Amtgard (Raider)

Here are two possible ways to deal with raiders and sloughing: method A(honor>winning) and method B(winning>honor)

(A) Demonstrate as a park the importance of honor on the battlefield. Make sure honor is always placed above winning. No matter what you tell new people, they are watching you to see what you actually do. If you want raiders to take their hits, take hits yourselves...it probably won't even occur to them to do otherwise and they will be very sorry when they mess up and need correction. The only problem I saw in our park using this method was one kid who was ADD and had lots of other problems too.

(B) Amtgard is more like a sport than it is like role-playing. Sloughing in Amtgard is like fouls in basketball. You get a certain number of fouls in every game of basketball to most effectively bring home the win. The best players are the ones who know how to draw fouls and use fouls flagrantly...sparingly, and at the right moments. So it is in Amtgard, you have the choice to slough at certain key moments to help bring home that win for your side. The first time in a game, it is usually a warning or a limb only...and remember...the first time is really just the first time you get caught by someone respected who will say something about it! The important thing is to do your sloughing in the correct way. Here are some tips to apply that sloughing edge to get help get that win for your team: (1) Step1: The slough

• Most reeves and players can't see behind your shield. It is possible to slough certain torso shots by saying "no that was my shield you hit"
• claim "Garb!" on those close calls, especially when wearing baggy clothes
• learn which players "light hit!" is effective on and only use it on them, for most every hit they get on you(light or not), everyone will believe you
• identify the key people not to slough against ever because they will call you on it and be respected...also identify the people who are too shy/honorable/not respected enough to call a shot on another and play accordingly
• in the heat of battle it is often hard to distinguish a neck shot from a shoulder shot...the correct verbalization is "neck"...not..."no you didn't hit me...nope", if you say neck your apponent is not likely to argue, but if you say "that didn't hit me" you will be called a slougher.
• I was totally out of range! (Be extremely angry when you say this...there can't be any doubt in your voice)
• practice your quick "in- the- heat -of- battle" lines above along with "foot on ground", "hand on weapon", and the following cover ups below...its all about being smooth and convincing, quick and decisive

(2) Step2: The cover-up: Practice these lines for when you get caught to make yourself look more honorable or make it seem like the other person's fault, not yours if you get caught sloughing:

DO NOT EVER SAY "NO, NOPE THAT DIDN'T HIT ME"!!!

• "That was kind of light but I'll take it anyway"
• "Oh did that hit me...oh I wasn't sure...but I'll take it if you say you hit me"
• Raise your weapon above your head as soon as they start to say something
• "Oh..that was a fire ball...I thought it was iceball my bad, I didn't see it!"
• "Oh...what is the range on that spell again...ahh right! I got it mixed up."
• "Oh, you were talking to me...I couldn't hear you"
• "Don't call another person's shots dude!" (This only works on people that are considered annoying or not-respectable...but it always works on those types of people so use it every time someone else who doesn't hate that person wasn't obviously looking)
• Go ahead and take your death after charging a big crowd. But don't do it until after you get your one good shot on that healer in the middle...no matter how many times they hit you in the back...

AND...never, ever slough when a respected reeve is looking at you. If a reeve who does not seem respected by some other members catches you, however, be sure to argue...your team is counting on you!!!

I only can remember one day in our park when I noticed a lot of sloughing overall from raiders. On that day, one of the regular members of the park admitted to sloughing about 15 hits...I don't think this was a coincidence. If...IF you are going to slough and you don't want your raiders to get in trouble for it....you must teach them the correct ways. Method B says: the problem with raiders who slough ... is that they don't know how to do it the right way. Sloughing in Amtgard is an artform. And you don't really defeat your opponent by getting the precise or lucky hit on them. You defeat them by pounding them obviously and repeatedly or it doesn't really count unless they want it to.

Kite Avicenna

Everybody sluffs sometimes, but at least acknowledge that you're sluffing - call garb, hand, point, light, neck-on-ground, something... don't just pretend or someone is gonna get pissed.