The weapon techniques of the Rangers have been based on three very important principles:
1. Weapon Design – Long swords are no good in close quarters and it is also not easy to carry them through dense foliage. Our swords are shorter bladed and our weapons are much lighter than typically found weapons.
2. Systemization of Training – It is much easier to teach all warriors to use a single style of combat.
3. Refinement of Style – This focus on one fighting style allows the Ranger Leader to refine and define the “perfect” way to execute that fighting style.
The Weapons of the Wolfkin
Daggers
The Wolfkin have a large quantity of daggers. The classic Wolfkin dagger is a thin, short hafted, long bladed, eight inch long weapon.
Staffs
The standard quarterstaff is six feet in length with a number of metal studs driven into the wood near both ends. These metal studs give the weapon more heft and striking power, while the overall weapon remains remarkably light and quick. The quarterstaff is a two-handed weapon.
Swords
A Wolfkin sword is slightly curved and is about 3 feet in length. Perhaps its greatest virtue is that it requires almost no strength or deftness to wield effectively.
Practice wooden swords are also used when training at the Barracks. These are made of bundles of staves instead of a blade and will leave welts when they hit their opponent.
Bows
There are two major types of bows. The first is the typical training bow, of about four and a half feet in length. It has a maximum range of about 100 yards and is average compared to what you would find in the field. Bows of this sort are made from pieces of mountain ash, spruce or pine. They are strung with plaited or twisted deerskin.
The second type of bow is the Wolfkin longbow. This longbow is 5 feet long and is a composite of three layers of wood, horn and sinew, with the wood in the middle and the sinew on the outer curve. This bow can pierce a tree at about 170 yards.
The Wolfkin’s Tent
A Wolfkin’s tent has panels of the finest, hand-tanned leather, sewn with double seams and then carefully waxed for weatherproofing, increased durability and extended use. The sides, and even some of the roof panels, are vented with hanging, overlapping flaps that can be opened, weather permitting.
