Playing En Garde on Piste in Oxbridge Village with HUD cards top left. Picture courtesy Stereo Nacht
En Garde is a card-based game that simulates fencing. Two opponents, wearing a HUD and a scripted sword, stand at each end of the piste. Starting 22 paces apart, they share a deck composed of 25 cards: five of each from 1 to 5. They use the cards to advance, retreat, attack, parry; they can even combine them for a stronger attack, or an advance-lunge attack. An attack that can’t be parried, or ending the round with position advantage gets a point; the first to get five points wins the match.
Ladies are among the keenest and most accomplished fencers in SL
Between chess and poker, it is a game of mathematics and tactics as much as bluff, where Lady Fortuna (also called “the dealer”) always has the last word. The mathematics implies some very basics additions,
but also statistics, as one can assess the chances for their opponent to have a particular card, or to be able to attack or parry. Tactics is about using one’s card in such way to increase the odds of winning, and bluff is when nothing else works (or when one has a daring style). But no matter how well ones play, sometimes there is just no way to win. Then one silently curses the dealer, and openly congratulates their opponent for a playing well. Politeness and good mood is always a big help, if only that it makes a game all the more enjoyable.
Many a friendship were born on a piste, and quite a few teams are out there, bringing together players of similar minds. Caledon has its own team: the Caledon Oxbridge Fencing, led by Prof. Ravelli Ormstein and Katrine Baily. Their fencing arena is in Oxbridge Village. Another team is the Transylvania Polygnostic University, Athletic Department En Garde team (TPU for short). Officially owned by Baron Klaus Wulfenbach, this team is captained by Stereo Nacht, and hosts open practices every Tuesday at 4pm SLT in Europa Wulfenbach. There, new players get to learn the game, more experienced ones can be advised on strategies, and everyone can play in a friendly fashion.
Beyond games, there are tournaments; some regular ones held every week, every month, or others linked to specific events. Also, a few groups have been created to allow players to find opponents at all hours, either for qualifying rounds of longer tournaments, or just for the pleasure, on of them being the En Garde Players Club.
Tinies and Biggies both can play together
Among the fun customisations you can add to the game are: dressing up or down for the occasion. You may also apply the building skills picked up from the University’s Building class to make your own weapon. There are two different ways of doing this: 1) Instead of wielding the normal épée, you can wear it in your HUD, and instead carry the other weapon of choice in your hand. 2) Even though the scripts and animation in the default épée are not transferable, they can be transferred to a new sword one might decide to build or buy. Copy over the script to the new sword, change the sounds and animations… you are soon ready to fence with a flower or even a claymore.
Enjoy, and well played!