> Clan war bands seem to act very much like hero bands in
> many respects - their own wyters, etc.
Clan warbands _are_ herobands: a group of people with a common purpose, aided by a guardian being. (For the nitpickers out there: yes, this definition makes clans and temples hero bands. Coming to think about it, the hero band book will most likely include a temple -- a wonderful piece written by the always brilliant Mark Galeotti.)
> But as I understand it the fyrd never leaves
> the tula - so would be covered by the clan wyter. So my
> questions are:
> 1. Does the war band wyter only cover the warriors and
> weaponthanes abroad?
No. It aids them wherever they are, as long as they fulfill the requirements of its support. AFAIK, individuals who are members of several communities receives the full benefits from each guardian being/wyter.
> 2. Although weaponthanes and co. are obviously strong if full
> scale clan war breaks out how do they stand a chance alone
> against the enemy fyrd plus their weaponthanes?
They wouldn't want that to happen. Heortling tactics relies on ambushes and skirmishes, not pitched battles. I'd imagine that most of the time is spent maneuvering, trying to avoid any direct confrontation with the enemy until the odds are stacked heavily in your favor. ;-) See the Cattle Raiding section of Barbarian Adventures for inspiration.
> 3. Or does this mean that clan wars breakout on borders so all
> can take part and that the victors weaponthanes then loot the
> enemy tula?
Clan wars are extraordinary events, but at times unavoidable. I don't think that war breaks out only between neighboring clans. See Barbarian Adventures.
I hope this answered at least some of your questions. Also, there is some information about guardian beings and hero bands on the Issaries website, I'll see if I can find the links.
Cheers,
/Peter Nordstrand
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