En Garde Game of Fencing is a card based training tool designed for fencers of all skill levels.
The concept for this card game is that fencers of different experience and skill levels can fence one another and both benefit.
The game was designed by a husband and wife team who wanted to be able to fence together and train for competition regardless of their difference in experience. The game design itself is very simple and yet there are elements included so that even very skilled or experienced fencers can benefit immensely!
There are specific decks for each individual weapon: foil, sabre and epee. For fans of historical fencing, future decks are in development.
The game starts with two fencers agreeing to a match to 15 points. They remove the instruction card from the deck, shuffle the remaining cards and either give it to another party to draw the cards or put it nearby. The participants fence for their first point as normal and then draw a card. The card will reveal a number of different scenarios to effect the match such as designated targets, limited targets, specific techniques, scoring changes and much more! Once the card has been revealed, fencers proceed accordingly and then draw the next card after a point is scored. The game ends when one party reaches 15 points.
This is just a starting point! Coaches and fencers alike are encouraged to customized the game based on your athletes or club needs. For instance, if you encounter a card that features a technique too advanced for one fencer, skip it and put it on the bottom of the deck. Likewise, if a fencer is getting over an injury and you encounter a card that specifies an attack to that target, skip it for this match.
Feel free to be creative and should you find a particular customization you think others might enjoy, reach out and we might include it in future versions.
We recommend storing your copy of En Garde Game of Fencing in your equipment bag so it is always readily available.