In October 2022, the Academy of Steel hosted Wolf Hunt. The first and only HEMA event in the UK focused on training unit combat skills and tactics and then making use of them in war games and battlefield scenarios.
Although traditional HEMA duelling techniques are very applicable, things change drastically when instead of facing one opponent in a salle you are facing multiple combatants, with your back to a river and the sun in your eyes. The mixture of weapons also opens up new tactics with well practiced shield walls presenting an imposing obstacle, weapons with longer reach like spears and pole arms can help counter shield walls while staying out of measure but when archers come into play the pole arm users may miss out on the protection of a shield.
Training exercises taught attendees to fight as part of a unit, to rely on their comrades in arms and to leverage the environment to their advantage – in a unit teamwork is far more important than seeking individual glory.
With participants from across the UK the event was a great success and we look forward to refining and improving things to make things bigger and better for Wolf Hunt 2023 and beyond.
“He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.”
– Niccolò Machiavelli
“The important thing in strategy is to suppress the enemy’s useful actions but allow his useless actions.”
– Miyamoto Musashi
“Those who are victorious plan effectively and change decisively. They are like a great river that maintains its course but adjusts its flow.”
– Sun Tzu
