A group of people got together on an oval in Bendigo last Wednesday for their weekly training session. 

Afterwards, a post on the group’s Facebook page advised members that some had left equipment behind.

“[Three] shields were found and stored in the club room, there was a drink bottle put in there as well and two Vanguard tabards [were] returned to the Jarl,” Simon Vincent posted. 

"We try and when we can, speak kind of... ye olde," he told the Bendigo Advertiser.  

The group is Swordcraft Bendigo and Vincent is its founding member. Every Wednesday, up to 40 of them meet and split into separate ‘war bands’. Then they proceed to do battle. 

The war bands are based on historical medieval cultures, Vincent explained. The Vanguards were an infamous group of 15th century Viking warriors, ‘jarl’ the Scandinavian word for king. This jarl is Noah Pinder, a local man who started the Bendigo war band.

Vincent’s war band – called the Eisenstadt – are Pinder’s sworn enemies. They are based 14th-century Germanic knights. Vincent is their ‘komtur’ who barks commands to them in German: ‘aufstehen! (attention),’ ‘kette bilden! (form the line)’.  

But for all its association with the Middle Ages, Swordcraft –  like other live action role-playing games (LARPs) – is a case of the internet spilling over into the physical world. 

“A lot of people that participate in it will frequently describe it as like a game that you can do in real life.”

Just as the popular online role-playing game World of Warcraft (WoW), Swordcraft players adopt a character – a distinct persona whose life they play out for a few hours each week. 

Vincent becomes ‘Roy Archon’ – a knight whose life journey mirrors his own. 

Vincent started playing Swordcraft in Melbourne, where the game was born in 2011. When he moved to Bendigo he founded his own Swordcraft chapter. ‘Archon’ is a soldier who was sent north to lead garrison in their fight against the Viking horde. 

“My character is just a reflection upon myself because I’m not really into the heavy role play side – I just like to, you know, hit people,” Vincent said.

“But some of the others are very into the role play, they have characters which are very… eccentric.” 

Samantha Burnett is one Swordcrafter who is drawn to the role play side. By day, she is a 27-year-old student of community services. But of a Wednesday evening, she becomes Hope Faith – healer, merchant and archer. 

“[‘Faith’] used to be part of an organised religion but she didn’t agree with the politics, so she decided to leave and go out on her own,” Burnett said. 

“Currently, she mainly working for the Vikings." 

As well as fighting, ‘Faith’ serves drinks in the tavern – cordial and water for the under 18s, mead for the adults. At her stall she sells rings, potions and necklaces to combatants which boost their health and give them special abilities. Fast swimming helps them in moat fighting, for example.  

‘Faith’ normally serves fried rice but, like many of the club’s activities, the real world is increasingly resembling the fantasy. 

A CONTACT SPORT

Vincent paused when asked if there had been any serious injuries in Swordcraft Bendigo’s short history.

“Depends what you define as a serious," he said. 

“We've hospitalised maybe 10 members... broken legs is the main one, a couple of bad sprains, one guy had a concussion.

”They all came back, dedication is a really big part of the game.” 

When he talks about the sport of Swordcraft – not the archaic weapons used or its links to medieval kingdoms, but the act of doing battle – Vincent talks like a football coach.

And for the IT technician from Gippsland, Swordcraft is most certainly a sport. 

“A lot of people find football fascinating, but if you're into Lord of the Rings you probably won't – well this is probably a blend between the two,” Vincent said. 

Other Swordcrafters compare it to more tradition online combat games.

“It’s kind of like paintball… but with swords,” Dylan Hall said. 

Hall read decided to check out Swordcraft in 2013 when he read a write up in the Addy. 

Now he is Legatus Horace, leader of a band of Roman legionnaires called The Kingsmen. 

“When I first came down there was six or seven people involved… now there is close to 70,” he said.

At least 30 members of the Swordcraft players turn up for the weekly battles at Shadforth Oval – of those around 10 to 15 per cent are women.

Vincent said the is hoping the armies continue to grow, and diversify. 

“Come down at 7pm on a Wednesday and we'll have a chat to you, get you to sign up and then give you a weapon and some training,” he said.

“Then you’re out on the battlefield.

“We welcome anyone, you can dress up, swing you sword, you don't have to worry about hurting anyone and it’s a great way to catch up with like-minded people.

“Basically, it's a safe way to hit your friends with swords.”

Rubber sword hire is $2 for the first week. 

Swordcraft Bendigo members will be putting on a performance at next month’s Bendigo Record, Comic and Toy Fair.