Warriors and wizards gathering for mock battles in Okanagan

On a brisk autumn day warriors and wizards are going to step onto a battlefield in Kelowna and duke it out with foam swords and magic balls. 

Anton Mandl is organizing a Kelowna Amtgard chapter, a group that gets together for a type of live action role-play, or LARP, that involves full-speed fights and is sanctioned by an international group of LARPers.

“We do battle games and one-on-one duels as well. It does get into a bit of LARPing and a bit of magic and abilities,” he told iNFOnews.ca. “I walk around in some Jedi robes and play a wizard when the LARPing comes into it.”

Amtgard is an organization that has a rule book that helps guide people play out mock battles and different games that recreate medieval battles. It’s sort of a cross between dodgeball and Dungeons and Dragons. 

“Amtgard is a big international organization. There’s groups all over the world, mostly in the United States and Canada. I got official recognition from the Amtgard organization to start my club,” Mandl said.

His new Kelowna chapter, dubbed Orchard Valley, is having its first event this weekend, Oct. 19, in the fields west of Parkinson Recreation Centre from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. He started a Facebook group and there is a Discord channel to help LARPers connect.

It’s free to show up and everyone aged 14 and up is welcome. 

Warriors and wizards gathering for mock battles in Okanagan | iNFOnews.ca
The Victoria Amtgard group back in 2024. SUBMITTED / Anton Mandl

Mandl has even made a small armoury of foam weapons for people to borrow for free. 

“I was making a bunch of swords as loaner gear. I have all kinds of swords, short, long, greatswords. I have a few shields being made, but they’re a little sparse right now,” he said. 

Dressing up in fantasy outfits isn’t a requirement but it’s definitely encouraged. There are even rules in the Amtgard rulebook that give advantages to players who have dressed up in some armour. 

“The only cost is what people want to invest in themselves towards armoring themselves up. Garbing themselves up with, um, with clothing. It’s a medieval themed (role-playing game), but really anything people want to come in that looks awesome.”

Mandl has been battling for years with his first taste of glory at an anime convention in Vancouver before he started a club Victoria.  

“They had a whole room set up for a sword fighting tournament,” he said. “I went there and I played and swung these wacky bats around for hours and just had the most fun I’ve had in years.”

There are other groups nearby, one in Kamloops and the other near Grand Forks. He said a typical group in Victoria was around 14 people but the larger group in Vancouver will have around 35 people battling it out. 

“We’re super inclusive and welcoming to anyone who wants to come whack some bats,” he said. “It’s as safe as hitting each other with swords can get.”

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Jesse Tomas

Jesse Tomas is a reporter from Toronto who joined iNFOnews.ca in 2023. He graduated with a Bachelor in Journalism from Carleton University in 2022.