Hello all, welcome back to the weird world of a new LARP graduate. Today I want to talk more about Legion, but specifically, who I think this LARP is for. This isn’t so much about the emotional journey, it’s very much about its practicalities. For those clicking on this blog looking for advice on going to actual Siberia, apologies this is not the place for you. But seeing as you’re here already, why not read on.
If you’re really confused, this is about the LARP Legion: Siberian Story, a LARP in the Czech Republic about the Czech Legion in the Russian Civil War. It’s an incredible and unique experience, and I touched upon it in my blog “LARP is Acting! Acting is LARP…” so if you want some more emotional details, please check that out.
So firstly, Legion: Siberian Story has a very concise summary of many basic questions on their website, which is linked below.
First of all, boots, boots, boots! Your boots are going to be one of the most important things you have to acquire for Siberia, and you definitely need two pairs. I only ended up using one, but in the terrain (I will touch on this later) you definitely need a back up just in case. My Run (Run 39) was extremely muddy rather than snowy, so still a grueling experience physically. I was very thankful to have a pair of army surplus boots on, they were comfy and hardy to the conditions. Mine specifically were former Austrian Paratrooper boots, they were fantastic. I’ve attached a photo of them below. You can also wear hiking shoes or boots, but you definitely will want some kind of cover for them. Myself, I’d recommend army surplus boots, they are designed for conditions like this and it’s a military style LARP so it made me feel a bit more authentic.
Next up the march itself. As Legion say themselves, it is designed to be physically exhausting. You will be cold, you will be tired and at points you will be hungry. So firstly, eat food. Eat it when it’s there, and bring snacks, preferably era appropriate (don’t be like me running around Prague last minute googling what was a snack that would be appropriate for war torn Siberia and hiking). Also, during the LARP you may not feel the need to eat at a stop even when food is there (especially if you are an officer as you will have things to be doing most likely), you must force yourself to eat. You do not want to be between stops and your stomach starts rumbling.
The terrain is extremely hilly, so if you’re used to this you will be fine. But if you are from somewhere like The Netherlands and have never done anything like this, it may be a bit of a shock. Now one wonderful thing about this LARP is I felt a genuine sense of care from everyone to make sure no one was miserable out of game during the long marches. Our longest march between stops I believe was around 2 hours, and this was in total darkness. Don’t worry lanterns are provided, but still visibility is extremely limited. But don’t look at these marches are dead moments, actually many of my favourtie moments in the event happened during these long stretches of walking because they are great for small relationship play, especially if you want to keep it among people you trust. Not that every character is surrounded by people they trust.
Thermals are definitely a must for this LARP, even without snow the Czech Republic is a very cold country, and while the military greatcoats are fantastic… you will still want thermals. I got a bit ill after the LARP, I think from the weather, and that was with thermals… so please buy them, and buy good quality ones. Also even with all my layers, most of which I kept on, I was still really cold when I went to sleep, so try to bring some extra layers for sleeping, it’s definitely something I will do when I return to Siberia one day.
Another thing to be aware of is EVERYONE must train at least with blank firing revolvers, and there are lots of rules around using these. They are LOUD, and earplugs are an option. I didn’t use them myself, and my ears got used to them, but firing it for the first time my ears definitely rang a little. The rifles are less intense noise wise, and only a few characters will use a grenade… they aren’t real grenades don’t worry but they still make a big pop. But because of some game rules, everyone must know at least how to use the revolver safely. Also don’t bring your own weapons or ammo, that is a HUGE NO.
Another small thing I encountered was the currency issue. The Czech Republic is a little odd for people like me in that the official currency is the Czech Koruna, but it is an EU Member State so Euros are also accepted. I thought bringing Czech Koruna’s would be more helpful, but honestly it seemed to me that Euros may be the easier option. Not 100% on this one, but basically do more research than I did before going on this issue.
Another thing which you should do, and is advised by Legion themselves is to arrive in Prague the day before the workshop day. I wasn’t planning to do this for the sake of money, but I went against that part of myself and stayed in a cheap hotel on Wednesday night. If this is an option for you, I would say do it and get a good night’s sleep. It will do you a world of good for the whole weekend, and you won’t crash as hard. It’s also a nice chance to meet up with other players and get to know them a little.
Now you will surprise yourself during the LARP, I am a guy who doesn’t work out and generally doesn’t particularly enjoy hiking. I was able to do a limited amount of walking prep during my Christmas job, but not as much as I maybe should have done. During the LARP the part of my brain which enables me to continue beyond my normal limit activated, at no time did I feel like I couldn’t carry on or was regretting my choice to be there. It was still hard, but not in an unenjoyable way.
But please enter this LARP with the mindset and expectation you will experience discomfort, and how you are in the cold or how you are when you are hungry is unique from person to person, however as I said I surprised myself and many people I know personally by not only “surviving”, but enjoying my time on the LARP. I don’t go camping in the wild, I don’t do hikes… but I loved the Legion experience.
Mental preparation is probably your best friend, if you enter with the mindset of “I am going to be uncomfortable” then there’s very little that will throw you in terms of these physical elements. It allows you to play your characters’ stakes totally, after all the physical exhaustion should enhance your emotional journey, not hinder it. No one wants to drop out of a LARP midway, and in this LARP especially every character is crucial.
I hope this helps a few of you decide whether Siberia is worth it for you, I would recommend ANYONE to do Legion, but I’m a weird guy who can commit pretty hard to something when I know I will get a lot out of it, even if it’s wildly far apart from my normal routine and comfort zone. You know your own mind and body, but a little bit of guidance never hurts.
LordToSergeantLARPer 
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