Training Manua: the Sling

Description:

The sling is a weapon used to throw stones or other missiles. Slings are cheap, easy to make instruments that are generally, by far, the easiest throwing-assist weapon to create, capable of being made out of several different types of material.

The sling bullet potentially has the fastest initial speed and range from a projectile using ranged weapon, even exceeding the crossbow and its brethren; though only the most skilled would have the capability of throwing at such rapidity. In addition, ammunition (rocks) is often plentiful and costs nothing. Not only does the sling have the aforementioned advantages, but the sling can also be used with a shield, much unlike most bows.

However, the hang-up with a sling is that it is not very accurate, at least not without eras of practice. The sling is used more often against massed targets, whether birds flying in formation or soldiers in a different kind of flock.

One thing users should know is that the sling has a steep learning curve, so the techniques that may be learned in basic or intermediate archery or similar skills are learned much later in the practice of slinging. So, where an average person could simply pick up a crossbow and hit their target(s) a moderate amount of the time, an average person using a sling is probably struggling not to hit him or herself with the stone.

Racial factors also take a heavy play into determining power and accuracy of the sling, much like any other weapon. Those races of smaller and weaker stature will more often sling less powerful throws, but are generally a lot more accurate due to the increased rotundity of their targets. The opposite holds true for the bigger and stronger races, whom throw more powerful projectiles that are a bit less accurate.

History:

In the past, Katta have been the race known to use slings the most, along with bolas. In fact, Katta's association with slings is so strong, it is believed by many that they were the ones to invent it. Of course, this is a silly assumption because the exact origin and date of Katta evolution is recorded, while the invention of slings is not. Records of sling usage go back past remembrance, possibly before the invention of the bow. One thing that many ancient Aelyrian historians believe is that the sling was made in the desert due to lack of wood. This theory seems to support many people's belief that Katta made the device due to their affinity with the desert. Regardless, their application has been consistent to the present, never failing in flexibility or power.

What may be true however, is the involvement of Katta in the creation of the stave sling. The purpose of these new weapons was to increase the power of the few brave Katta sling users, who were often placed side-by-side with their archer counterparts in battles against the Arakmat Sultanate of the Dorins.

Skill Tree:

BEGINNER: A person finishing the beginner level with the sling training will know the basic physics of the sling, such as why the sling keeps the stone in the pouch until you are ready to release it. The beginner user will have learned the most basic stance of the sling as well as the most basic approaches on how to project a sling using the full arm length with no wind-up.

Skills learned: Holding the sling, stance, basic throws.

INTERMEDIATE: The intermediate user will learn a secondary technique of how to throw bullets. This technique will increase accuracy by keeping the upper part of the arm stiff while only using the lower part of the arm, but will decrease power dramatically. Another technique learned is the side swing, which involves having the user rotate the sling above the head parallel to the ground, and releasing the bullet on his or her side in the same horizontal pattern. This method allows for greater vertical accuracy, but less horizontal accuracy. The intermediate user may also learn about different projectiles and their effectiveness. For example, a wooden bullet would be easier to throw but do much less damage compared to a bullet made of lead. A small rock would also be a good candidate for slinging, but would project slower than a round lead bullet due to its rugged shape. Since winding up the sling requires a moderate amount of dexterity with the sling, the intermediate user will also learn how to wind-up a number of times before the throw in order to increase power slightly.

Skills learned: Secondary throws, projectile types, wind-up.

ADVANCED: Advanced weapon training includes a new throw, called the Pirouette. It is a very powerful throw which only advanced (and more skilled) users are accurate enough to throw. It involves moving the body in a circular motion and pulling the sling overhead right before releasing the bullet. The user will learn the strong and weak points of this new throw. The user will also learn how to hit moving targets with the other two less powerful techniques.

Skills learned: The Pirouette, hitting moving targets.

EXPERT: The Expert user will expand his knowledge of the sling by learning the ability to use the sling while moving. With this new technique, the expert user will be able to take his weapon and hit targets, though with a bit less accurate while moving on foot. The user will also learn certain weak points on the body that the sling can hit such as the eye. The expert will also learn how to hit moving targets with the Pirouette.

Skills learned: Sling while moving, hitting moving target with the Pirouette, body weak points.

MASTER: A Master of the sling is the most adept at loading his sling and hitting his targets with supreme accuracy. Masters learn how to combine previously learned techniques to create their own special style. In addition, their supreme accuracy is certainly something to be feared, as they have the capability of hitting their targets without minor effort. Only masters have the capability of outranging bows and crossbows, assuming their strength is of high enough caliber.

Skills learned: Technique adaptation, range capacity.

Types of Slings :

HAND SLING: The basic sling which usually has a pouch with two strings attached to its ends. Usually, they have three components; the retention cord, the release cord, and the pouch. A lot of the time, the retention cord holds a loop that can be placed around the wrist or fingers so that the sling doesn't fly away with the bullet. As mentioned previously, hand slings can be used with shields.

STAVE SLING: More militarily focused, the stave sling can throw much farther and harder than its regular counterpart. It consists of a stave along with a string containing a pouch, much like a regular sling. One end of the loop is attached (often nailed) near the end of the stave, while the other is fitted just a bit farther than the first loop. The second loop is tight enough to stay on the stave during a wind-up, but loose enough to be released when the bullet is to be projected. Unfortunately stave slings cannot be used with shields, but serve doubly well as a melee weapon. The Stave Sling also has the disadvantage in that it must be used at a fairly large distance, simply because of the height in which the projectiles are released.

Ammunition :

ROCKS: The most plentiful and basic ammunition for the sling, rocks can be found nearly anywhere. They aren’t the most aerodynamic ammunition to be used, however, resulting in decreased power, range and even accuracy.

CLAY BALLS: Slightly better than the rocks, clay balls are another inexpensive alternative the slinging. They are slightly lighter in weight, and fly a bit farther than rocks.

LEAD BULLETS: The most preferred, though more expensive, alternative to rocks, lead bullets have been found to have the largest range and most power compared to any other ammunition with the sling.

WOODEN BULLETS: Probably not a very favorable form of ammunition, wooden bullets have the potential to do a small amount of damage if placed accurately. These bullets are probably the easiest to cast long distances but are almost always situational.

EGGS, WATERBALLOONS, OR OTHER SMALL SOFT OBJECTS: Generally not used for anything beyond sparring or pranks, these ammunitions don't do much damage to anything. They are, however, great for practice if a large open space cannot be found.