What Is Amtgard?

Amtgard is a fighting society that recreates individual and group combat from medieval and fantasy settings. Amtgard is also a live action role playing (LARP) game that includes costumes, quests and feasts. Amtgard first formed in El Paso, Texas in 1983. It is now nationwide with kingdoms from coast to coast. The Iron Mountains was formed in 1991 as the fifth kingdom of Amtgard and the first outside of Texas. The Iron Mountains now has a core centered in the Colorado Front Range and Principalities centered in Nebraska and Utah.

Amtgard is available to all. It is a non-sectarian organization that welcomes all participants. However, combat activities are restricted to those 14 and older (without specific permission from officers) and certain government offices are restricted to those 18 and older. All Amtgard members must sign a waiver and those under 18 must have a parental signature as well. Amtgard takes place in public parks and is open to the public.

Amtgard weapons are safe, foam-padded replicas of the real things. Our weapons are regularly checked by referees (Reeves), and there are strict rules on safety (shots to the head are not allowed). However, Amtgard combat is a sport and injuries, though rare, can happen. All battle games and scenarios are covered by a comprehensive set of rules. The rules are owned and copyrighted by Amtgard, Incorporated.

Amtgard blends melee, missile and magic combat options to a unified combat system. There is a level system that rewards players who come out regularly with more abilities. However, these abilities top out after a year so even ten-year veterans will have the same rulebook granted abilities as people who have played a couple of years which helps to level the playing field. Amtgard fighting activities range from tourneys, to quests, to grand melees; even wars between kingdoms that may involve hundreds of individuals have taken place. The rulebook provides fourteen specific battlefield classes ranging from Archer and Assassin to Monk and Wizard. Individuals can change their class between battle games and try out as many of the classes as they want.

Amtgard is also much more than battle games. Amtgard holds themed feasts, quests, camping events, arts and science competitions, live performances, workshops (how to build armor, etc.) and other similar activities. Participation in Amtgard is free. However, five dollars in dues every six months entitles you to become a full member. This confers voting rights in Amtgard government and a copy of the rulebook and corpora. Fees may be asked for special events (such as to pay for the food at feasts), but there are no pay-for-play rules.

How Do I Get Started?

First, take a look at the Amtgard Rules of Play. You can find this either under the Rules tab on the upper menu, or available for download under the Files Section (which requires a registered account to be seen.) This handbook is the essence of Amtgard. Rules, descriptions of the game, and it's content, are found within its pages.

To speed up your entry into the Iron Mountains, you should definitely download, read, and complete an Iron Mountains Waiver. The Waiver is required for all Amtgard participants in the Empire of the Iron Mountains (as well as for participation throughout Amtgard). You will want to bring this waiver with you on your first trip out to the park. If you are under 18 you will need to have the waiver signed by your legal guardian. The waiver is available in the Files section along with a myriad of other useful documents.

If you have any questions, by all means ask them. New players are always welcome to attend, and definitely encouraged. The first person you can contact is the Emperor of the Iron Mountains ( This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it ). The Emperor can try to answer your questions, and may be able to direct you to a provincial monarch or contact near you for further assistance. You are also welcome to contact Rewth, the webmaster of Ironmountains.org ( This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it )