Competition increases rigor on the range and works to improve the skill one develops from practicing at their home range.
Royal Rounds
The East Kingdom Thrown Weapons Royal Round was updated as of April 1, 2022 to align with the (interkingdom) Standard TW Royal Round. Royal Rounds allow participants to measure their own throwing progress using a standard set of throws, and to assess their skill against throwers in the East and throughout the Known World.
Golden Weapons
Thrown Weapons Interkingdom Challenge (TWIC)
Thrown Weapons Interkingdom Challenge (TWIC)
Creative Competitions
Marshals are encouraged to come up with new competitions. A participant may encounter competitions at event-specific competitions, baronial championships, or the EK Thrown Weapons Championship.
Marshals, remember to gauge your competitors when setting up. A basic competition will have several targets on a range with different layouts on each target.
Bullseye
It’s tough to beat an old classic. Put in as many rings as you wish with varying score values (don’t put in so many to make scoring difficult.) Standard practice that eliminates a lot of arguments is if the weapon sticks in more than one ring, score to the higher value (see above about not putting in too many rings.) The “rings” can be square, too.
Viking Braid Toss
Use a small paper plate or unwanted CD as the center, and run yarn/twine/string out from the center of the target at 3 o’clock, 9 o’clock, and 12 o’clock. Cutting the braids gives “x” points, cutting the plate or disc subtracts points.
Dartboard/Pie Slices
Use masking tape and divide the face of the target up into equal (or unequal, you are the marshal) slices. Label what each slice is worth, cutting the tape subtracts “x” points. Note the tip or center of the slices doesn’t have to be symmetrical.
Multiple Circles
Put one circle in the center of the target, and one in each corner (an example of this target can be seen in the “bad throws” picture in Basic Throwing Technique). Assign score values. Make the circles or squares any pattern you wish.
Vertical Strip
Tack a 1/2″ strip of ribbon 12 inches long vertically to the face of the target, tape a centered unwanted over it. Cutting the ribbon scores, cutting the CD loses or subtracts points. A more heinous variation of this is to use a styrofoam mannequins head. As the weapon rotates the handle could well hit the mannequin before the blade cuts the ribbon.
These are not basic competitions. Save this for Baronial Champions and the like:
Combat Run
This is as close to the “Hogan’s Alley” target shooting competitions that thrown weapons can get. The targets are set up in anything but a straight line, often the location where the thrower can stand is marked (it will be an odd distance from the target and probably at an angle.) Weapons the thrower has never used before are placed at the throwing station of each target. The thrower is timed through the course, beginning when the marshal starts the clock. Run to each station and use the weapons provided. Stop the clock when the course is completed. How the thrower’s time relates to the score, and their placement in the competition is up to the marshal. May be challenging for new throwers.
One note of caution: no weapons can be carried while a thrower is running.