[Castellum] Sapat Training (2nd mini horde) *guide*

[Gauls]

Cycle 2 the Month of Imperos,
in the Season of Autumn, Era II of the Celestine Mandate,
Era XIV Post Fractum

It was an amazing sight. A glorious summer day and the area surrounding the Narim Castellum were teeming with 3500 new orc lughorns awaiting their training to become part of the Great Horde. These orcs were gathered up from the clans now included within the boundaries that make up the conquered lands controlled by Orckon. It was this group's honor and privilege to be trained by the clan leader of the Pardahun Votar who is attempting to arrange these testosterone filled orcs into some sort of effective fighting force. Before anything specific could be taught to them, it had to be made certain that all these orcs had the basic ability to use an axe in combat.

"Listen up! Bakka Grimlir of da Pardahun Votar teach lat how ta use da axe. You not learn axe, you be arrow fodder for shara in next fight!"

The orcs words were met with some grumbling and hisses from the young masses of orcs but being the bolg that he was, they listened and respected what Bakka was about to say next.

"Urak not hab axe, lat raise hand an' git axe from armory snaga. Lat now Lughorn in da Great Horde!"

Not flashy or full of pomp but yet in an instance, the mobs were granted status (rank) within the Great Horde. Lughorn was the starting position of any new recruit and no matter how these orcs felt about being under the Horde Master's command, they were now under him regardless. The Great Horde has swelled in numbers just that quickly. Bakka now is standing by waiting as a slave pushes a cart around handing out axes for those orcs that do not have an axe. The dirt field that they now stand on has rows of poles that have been planted into the ground at regular intervals. The poles are the trunks of small trees and they are about six feet in height. This great number of poles makes the training field look like a forest of trees without branches or leaves.

OOC: This thread is open to all lughorn in the Horde

[Gauls]

The Pardahun Votar orc with his black skin clashed drastically with the green skinned orcs that were his new students. This made him highly visible. Soon, there came out onto the field, a group of other orcs also black skinned. These orcs were also Pardahun Votar. There were about 100 of them and they gathered around the clan leader Bakka. They huddled for a moment then broke up yelling and cursing at the orc lughorn.

:Pushing and shoving the poor orcs around until they finally formed somewhat of smaller more managable groups:

"Git in ta groups scum!"

Now that the orcs were in smaller groups, they were herded off to more secluded spaces where they would have enough room to maneuver and begin their classes.

Basics

Bakka moved off to an area on the west side of the field with his group. Still, with there being 3500 orcs in the area, it was not a whole lot of room to just go nuts in. It was important that the classes be kept under control which is what the Pardahun were trying to do.

:Holding up his axe:
"Dis sapat (axe). One day lat sapat spill blood of many enemies but before lat learn ta spill blood, lat learn da parts an how ta move wit sapat."

Bakka holds his axe over his head and points to each part as he names it off:

"Dis face (points to the side of the axe blade), dis blade (points to the sharpened edge of the axe), dis head (points to the whole metal end including the blade and face), dis shaft (points to the center of the pole connected to the head), dis handle (points to the area closest to the end of the shaft opposite from the head). Dat easy remember right? None git killed after that little bit of class right? Good."

Balance

:Bakka points his axe at his class:
"Now lat hold sapat over head wit both hands holding shaft! MOVE IT!" he shouted.

Bakka paused and waited for all the orcs to get into position with both hands on the shaft of their weapon holding it up over their heads.

"Now, lat stand on one foot an' lean as far as lat can to left din lean as far as lat can right. Don' drop sapat or lower below head!"

Bakka demonstrated and then waited for the class to repeat what they saw. He was ready to see the masses of orcs screw this one up. It was enevitable. When he sees them at least get it right *enough* he will add:

"Hurry up idiots! Move it. Now do same wit opposite foot!"

He stopped again to witness the calamity before him.

[Gauls]

It was pure comedy to see not just the orcs in Orog's group but also in the various other groups falling over and struggling to keep their balance. Axes were swirling everywhere and some were getting dropped. To anyone else this would be one to tell the young ones but Bakka was scowling the whole time throwing slurs and curses in all directions.

More Balance: Swing Plus Balance

"How lat kill shara when lat no able ta stand on own foot? Sapat good weapon but not if lat not able ta git in position ta swing it!"

Bakka paced back and forth pointing at various orcs to try the exercise again. "Do again! Muss learn balance. Shara not stand still an' let urak swing straight at dim! Shara swing, lat move an' swing same time."

Bakka demonstrated leaning on one foot and swinging straight and hopping up on one foot then swinging again as if he was dodging a sword swing to his right.

Basic Attack Stance

After all the orcs performed to Bakka's liking, he moved on to the next lesson; the basic attack stance.

"Ok shok golog!" Bakka cursed to get the class to pay attention again. "Only snaga run at shara wit sapat waving in air like gru!"

:Holding his axe in his right hand waving it up in the air over his head like a lunatic:

"Dis not disciplined urak." he said after his demonstration. "When holding over head, lat only hab half power behind swing." He then held his axe in his right hand with his hand placed between mid-shaft and the end of the handle. His hand was low about waist line and he held the axe head about midway between waist and shoulders. "Dis how hold axe when lat standing an' when charge. Dis hold gib full power when lat make swing."

Bakka showed the class first slowly then faster how one could make various swings overhead, sideways, and diagonal from the basic attack stance. He placed his strongest foot back and weakest foot forward toward the enemy.

"Use balance lat learn ta put weight on strong foot jus before any swing."

Bakka stopped and looked on as his class performed what he was showing them. It was important that the orcs knew how to hold a weapon correctly before they started swinging it around others.

[Gauls]

Bakka looked on pleased with seeing his students perform to this point without lobbing off an ear or imbedding their axes into another orc's back. So far so good. Bakka moved over to a nearby row of posts and motioned for his class to follow.

: Motioning toward the posts :

"All urak fin' post. Stand n' front of post wit sapat in basic attack stance Bakka jus show lat!"

Bakka waited for each orc to find a post to stand in front of. There were sometimes two or three orcs per post each standing at a different side of the post. Bakka himself found a post and held his axe straight out in front of him to where his axe blade could touch the post then placed his strong foot back keeping his other foot in place.

Overhead Strike

Looking around to make sure his orcs were in position, Bakka proceeded with the next lesson, the overhead strike...

"Dis first strike lat learn wit sapat. It called "overhead strike". Wit sapat in basic stance position, whip arm back din forward an' down past lat head! Notice blade pass over head, not below."

Bakka demonstrated slowly drawing his arm back heaving his axe over his shoulder then with a slow motion bringing his axe back forward in an overhead arching motion toward the post in front of him planting the axe blade into the wood of the post.

"Urak aim fer point on center of shara's forehead above da brow. Lat can do same strike but wit angle like dis..."

Bakka repeated his overhead strike in slow motion but this time angled his overhead arching swing to a point on the side of the post from where he had struck first.

"Now urak aim fer point on shara's head by ear. If lat take off many shara ears, lat make good necklace!"

This was orc humor that probably only an orc could laugh at. It was a serious strike to learn not to mention the foundation strike that makes up many fighting tactics. Bakka began practicing the overhead strike faster and faster until it looked like he was making natural swings as one would see in battle. Each strike he made, he alternated from center to left, center to right of the post until the post was pocked with various cuts in the wood from the many blows.

"Now, lat try. Don' stop 'til lat hab swing perfect!"

[Gauls]

Bakka was cherishing the sound of axes ringing upon posts. It almost sounded like it would in battle when axes would hack through bones and limbs. The class was progressing well but he was well aware that this class was only the basics, the foundation for more leathal attacks that these orcs will eventually learn to make with their axes.

After checking, then checking again the orcs to make sure that they were doing everything with not just the right form but also with power, Bakka yelled out to stop the class from that lesson...

"Listen up gru! Lat see dat sapat hab most power when urak use in overhead strike. It too dangerous ta use overhead strike as first move against shara! Never use overhead strike as lat first swing. Urak be dead before make sapat meet shara head! Dis most basic way urak meet shara in battle..."

Measuring Distance

Bakka once again measured the distance from his post by holding out his axe in front of him then taking 2 steps backward.

"Lat not know how far sapat reach when first move toward shara in battle. Lat not know how much longer shara's weapon be than lat own sapat. Urak first mus' find out distance."

Bakka once again moved in slow motion showing his class the form first of finding distance.

: Starting from the Basic Attack Stance :
"Shara not wait for urak to hone in on his location. Urak hab ta find distance fast. Maybe two steps from shara, lat swing sapat flat straight across waistline directly in front."

Bakka demonstrates swinging the axe from right to left in a horizontal arc directly in front of him. Then freezes in that position with his right arm across the front of his body and axe at the left side of his waistline.

"Lat can also start from dis position maybe four steps from shara din measure distance by swinging sapat in opposite direction."

Bakka then swings his axe from left to right in a horizontal arc in front of him while taking one step forward.

"Dis show urak how far lat hab ta move in closer before makin' next swing. Measuring distance not meant ta hit shara, just set up urak ta make next strike a deadly strike. If lat do hit shara in measuring swing, dat a bonus but measuring meant ta git own position and also ta clear away shara's sword if him make first swing at urak when him approaching."

Bakka demonstrates again the two measuring swings (right to left and left to right) and how they always seem to place him in just the right distance from the post to then follow up with a swing at the tree itself. It is also evident to the class how the swings could clear away any blades coming toward them as they attempt to close with the enemy.

"Lat also able ta angle da measuring swings as lat need to when shara chage his angle!"

He then swings his axe in the same fashion as before except he shows the class how they can angle either down or up swinging left or right to parry any blades coming from those directions and still accomplish distance.

"Now lat try measuring distance din attempt overhead strike at end of measure swing ta see if lat gettin' good distance from target."

[Gauls]

Bakka waited for the class to finish the exercise and was pacing through the ranks of his class to make sure that they were measuring correctly and then placing a well aimed overhead strike afterward. When this was accomplished, he proceeded with the final lesson.

Horde Battle Array (basic)

The basic axe class was just that, the basic knowledge of how to handle the weapon without hurting oneself and hopefully doing some damage to the enemy. This simple lesson could be magnified into a deadly combination when done in sheer numbers as a single flowing force. This was the founding principle of the Horde Battle Array.

Bakka looked upon his students with satisfaction...
"Lat doin' good an' maybe lat swing sapat in fights whole life but in battle wit' shara legions, urak not last long if try ta fight alone. Dat is why lat learn da way da Great Horde fight, as ONE unit. Every urak pair wit another ta make groups of two!"

Bakka paused to wait for all of his students to pair up. He then found an orc himslef to pair with and drug the orc over to a position so that all of the students could see.

"In da Great Horde, Sapat an' Lughorn status urak make up da first ranks on all four sides of da Horde. Lat maybe tink dis because Gothmog Ushtar wan' low status Sapat ta die first in battle. Bakka tink dat Gothmog Ushtar put Sapat der ta git first blood from shara!"

Bakka said this with a great passion to instill in his students that they were not just arrow fodder but an important part of the Horde as a force. Bakka's words caused some grunts and roars of excitement from some of the students.

: Bakka put his hand upon the shoulder of the orc he had paired with :

"Der be no greater glory for urak din ta kill many enemies before him die too but ta do dat, lat hab ta rely upon da urak next ta lat!" Bakka took a position next to his partner's right side then took about one step backward. "Now, lat learn da basic rule of da Horde, dat is "Battle Array". Da basic Battle Array is combination of measure swing, an' overhead strike, an' followup swing. All Sapat an' Lughorn ranks start in Basic Attack Stance. Da urak on lat left side (Bakka holds up his left hand so there wasn't any confusion which side he was referring to) makes da measure swing din urak on right follows wit overhead strike at target. After da overhead strike, da urak on left git ta make finishing swing ta any target dat could make couter attack to him or urak on right while him recovering position."

Bakka knew that this may have sounded complicated to the orcs in his class as they were common clan orcs that have never had to rely upon another orc in battle or help to defend his fellow orc while they got to make the "kill" but this was the foundation of the Horde and why it has held off every attempt of invasion since the founding of Orckon. It was the notion of a orc force acting as one entity that scared most legionaires. The orcs in a horde became an unstoppable tide in battle as long as they held together. Bakka now tried to show this to the students visually by replaying first in slow motion how this works with his partner.

Bakka stood in position behind the right side of his partner then hit him in the rump with his knee to signal that he wanted him to go through the motions with him. "First da measure swing..." The front orc slowly swung from right-to-left with his axe horizontally arcing in front of him. When his axe was fully to the left; "Now lat see if need ta make any distance change din attack!" Bakka slowly executed an overhead strike stopping the swing once his axe head was directly in front of his eyesight. "Din da finishing strike..." When Bakka said that, the front orc swung his axe at the imaginary enemy in front of them completing the Array.

Bakka stood back up normally and lowered his axe looking at his students. "It looks simple an' maybe lat tink dat shara never get killed by such weak attack but when lat hab t'ousands of urk makin' da same attack in a charge, da shara maybe git one urak, but him not hab time ta git two! Da shara lat kill maybe da key position in shara lines dat urak can now exploit! Der any questions? Now lat try an' do it right!"

[Gauls]

Bakka watched each orc in his group then glanced around to see other groups finishing up their classes as well. He knew that his class has at least grasped the concepts he has taught them.

"Lat look like know wud lat doin'. Finishin' dis class mean lat know enough now with Sapat to be able ta stand in da front line of da great Horde. If lat not like being in da front line, Bakka suggest lat practice wud lat learned here today an' din git into da next level of Sapat training. Only din will lat git moved deeper within da Horde ranks. Hell, Bakka maybe think lat will live past one battle if lat learn sapat good enough."

It was an ominous truth Bakka spoke of. The orcs here were now just capable of standing in the front line of the Horde as fodder for an enemy charge. This was no doubt why they were only taught a couple attacks. That was all the time they were expected to live in an engagement. It was now each orc's goal to increase their skill with the axe with the next level of training.

Bakka dismissed his class and walked off the field.