The Fighting Environments

 

                      The Fighting Environments

     In the year 2003, a new aspect was added to the sport of Melee: Combat

Environments. No longer was dueling to be limited to the Arena Sands. Under

the lobbying of the Combatants' Guild, specialized combats like Blood

Matches and certain challenges, could be held in any of the following six

different arenas.

THE ARENA SANDS

     This was the original terrain upon which all combats were held, in

honor of the traditions of ancient Rome. The Sands are relatively neutral,

favoring no warrior, or weapon type, or armor type more than any other.

THE BEAM

     A stylized one-man bridge, The Beam was the first special environment

added to Melee. Raised twenty-five feet up in the air, The Beam provides

only an eight inch width to the combatants. Below, depending on the

combatants' agreement, could be sand, water (deep or shallow, occasionally

with sharks, crocodiles, or piranha), spikes, or predatory mammals. In

some combats, being knocked from the beam could mean little more than a

loss, in others it was fatal.

    The Beam favors Warriors who use thrusting weapons and wear heavy

armor. A large, heavy, strong Warrior will often have a decisive advantage

over one who is small and wiry, although experience will often tell.

THE ALL WEATHER SURFACE

     This white, rubberized mat, was introduced three months after The

Beam. Laid over a network of stiff leaf springs, the traction and rebound

of this surface produces the most exciting combats of any of the terrains.

It favors the wiry, agile Warriors who wear light armor and employ quick

weapons. Even the less athletic Warriors can usually manage five foot

vertical leaps and double flips. Warriors who specialize in this terrain

are breathtaking to watch and often draw incredible crowds.

THE MUD PIT

     Introduced just last year, The Mud Pit is little more than hole in the

ground that is four feet deep and fifty feet across. It is filled with

artificial muck to a depth of two-and-a-half feet which makes maneuvering

an exhausting ordeal. A Warrior who specializes in The Mud Pit must have

extraordinary endurance and, ideally, a constitution that will allow him to

recover faster than his opponent.

THE CAGE

    The fighting environment of the insane, bloodthirsty, or fearless, The

Cage terrifies almost all Warriors who can boast even a touch of sanity.

Only seven feet high, and with dimensions of eight feet by eight feet, combats

held in The Cage tend to be quick and bloody. Obviously, large, slow weapons

are almost useless in its confined space. Warriors who can withstand wounds

that might disable another opponent stand the greatest advantage.

FUTURE ENVIRONMENTS

     Currently, the Combatants' Guild is lobbying to add underwater combat

and blindfolded combat to the current list of fighting environments.