“Unlike reenactments of battles from history, our combat activities are unchoreographed and the outcome is entirely based on the skill and training of the combatants involved.”
—SCA Newcomer’s Portal, Armored Combat
The Senate and People of Rome have fought in these organizations for nearly forty years, and hold a national reputation for sportsmanship and success as an elite Roman unit.
This is not reenactment. This is not live-action roleplay. It is an action-packed team sport—groups of fighters forming up and driving into each other on open fields, with padded weapons or armored rattan, the outcome decided entirely by skill and training. Battles range from under a hundred fighters to thousands. No two are ever the same.
Rome fights in three of these battlefields: the Society for Creative Anachronism, Markland, and Warbands. Each organization runs differently. The common thread is full-contact combat—fast, physical, and serious about safety. These are sports, not games.
The largest medieval combat organization in the world. The SCA covers all cultures from roughly 600–1600 AD, including the late Roman period. Combat is rattan—heavier and more tournament-focused than foam fighting—governed by strict rules of chivalry and honor. The SCA maintains its own heraldry, court structure, and governance. Rome competes as a recognized Roman unit.
sca.org →A mid-Atlantic living history organization with a strong emphasis on historical accuracy. Like the SCA, Markland uses rattan weapons and real armor and does not allow LARP or fantasy elements. Markland keeps its footprint regional and its events tightly run. Its flagship events include Althyng and Fall War.
markland.org →A foam-weapon combat game with minimal historical requirements beyond “pre-gunpowder.” Entry costs less than the SCA, there is no heraldry or court structure, and armor is optional. Head shots are mostly prohibited; shield-bashing and rear strikes are fair. Rome uses Warbands to train newer recruits in fighting and tactics before fielding them in armored combat.
warbands.net →Medieval combat is fast-paced, physically demanding, and technically nuanced. Participating improves coordination, balance, and reflexes. It is a legitimate athletic outlet—weekend warfare that is a genuine relief from the pressures of modern life. Expect to lose at first. Every veteran was once a beginner who got beaten by someone with ten more years of experience. By your third event you will begin to develop a combat sense. Rome provides extensive training to her citizens and auxiliaries.
These organizations give Rome a battlefield. But the reason we fight is purely Roman—to stand in formation, shield to shield, and drive our opponents back together as a unified force.
Safety governs everything. Warbands weapons are well padded. SCA and Markland require participants to wear armor that meets stringent standards. Combat rules define safe conduct and are strictly enforced. Within those rules, combatants may slam, wrestle, and “kill” their opponents. Rome takes both the combat and the safety seriously.
All participants undergo check-in before each event. Experienced representatives inspect your gear against safety standards—weapons and armor are measured, garb checked, attendance fees collected. The SCA requires new fighters to authorize before competing, demonstrating they understand the rules and will not be a danger to themselves or others.
Engineers and artists. Students and veterans. College professors, construction workers, and software engineers. People who would never otherwise cross paths, drawn together by a shared interest in simulated combat. Medieval combat is social in a way no screen-based activity can replicate—you are physically present, competing with and against real people, building real relationships.
You do not have to be an athlete to enjoy it. It is an exciting form of exercise that improves coordination and balance. The community is what keeps most people coming back.
Participants make their own garb, armor, and weapons. This drives genuine research into historical materials, techniques, and design—and inspires deeper knowledge of history in the process. Our members develop real craft skills as they build and create. Rome encourages this investment. A Roman who forges his own equipment understands it differently than one who bought it.
New fighters should bring or borrow a costume and weapons to their first event. Rome usually has loaner gear available, including loaner armor. From our veterans, we expect self-sufficiency.
These organizations give Rome a battlefield. But the reason we fight on it is purely Roman. They allow Rome to build our fantasies into a shared reality—to experience battle as a Roman, to grasp at the unobtainable.
Rome is a nation with a history, a government, a living constitution, and dedicated people who have chosen to build something lasting. We have a glorious past and a mighty destiny. If you have dreamt of Roman grandeur, the Legions are marching.