Basin Battle: Grown Men Play With Swords

Playing with swords: Local Amtgard chapter lets people indulge their fantasy warrior
BY ROY WAGGONER/Odessa American

Love can be found anywhere, even during mock battles in a medieval-based fantasy game.

Hobbs, N.M. resident Ash "Kismet Fyrechyld" Baer plays a live-action fantasy game called Amtgard, coming to Midland periodically to spend time with fellow Amtgard friends like this past weekend. Fiancé David Lasater lives in Hobbs as well and has played the game for eight or nine years himself.

"I got interested in role-playing modules and liked the fantasy aspect," he said.

He met Baer partially through the game and also through mutual friends, spending plenty of time with her on the Amtgard field. He said the social connections are a big part of the game for him and many others.

"A significant portion of my friends are people I met through it," he said. "I know others who have gotten married and even have kids who now play the game themselves."

Lasater said the game has a real mini-culture.

"I would compare it to a giant caravan of gypsies almost," he said.

Baer said she tends to stick to the sidelines and cheer the game players on since she got injured easily when playing the game. She said she comes because it’s fun and a good fit for her personality.

"I come in costume and have been in the theater much of my life. It’s just so much fun to do," she said.

She recalls a recent weekend where 28 people showed up to play in Hobbs even with sub-freezing weather. The Odessa-Midland chapter of the group had a little over a dozen show up last Saturday, gathering around marsh-like field conditions.

Odessan Jacob Sanchez said he has been playing Amtgard for 12 years after a friend invited him out to play. In the process, he has traveled the country, going to places like California, Wyoming and Florida.

"There’s lots of good people out here," he said.

Sanchez said Amtgard is different from some games in that the players are able to choose how much to spend on the game. It’s free to play, but weapons and costumes can be as simple or as elaborate as the player decides. For example, some turn bed sheets into clothing, while others spend hundreds on complex costumes.



I'm usually not one to ridicule other people for their activities. I'm a live and let live kind of guy. But when it comes to fantasy geeks fighting each other with swords that's where I draw the line. You know what kind of people get into fantasy world junk, people who suck at the real world. Some might think my lack of luck with the ladies and my obession with pop culture might make me susceptable to the fantasy lifestyle but luckily I have the blog to pour all my creative juices into. Plus I drink and watch sports which eats up a great deal of my time.

Overall I think it never really gets old making fun of nerds. In fact I think we should all make costumes like the ones from the 'Mad Max' movies or Vikings and crash one of the Amtgard wars.

P.S. - the Amtgard photos aren't of the local chapter as the OA won't allow me to steal their photos but the photos in our newspaper were pretty much the same thing. You can check them out here.