LUMINA Games

Completely optional

LUMINA Games are an add-on, not a requirement. Any organization using the Saber Standard is free to adopt them as a way to expand what it offers, and equally free to leave them aside. Adopting the notation does not commit a school, club, or Saberist to competitive play.

LUMINA: saber battles remixed

LUMINA is a weapon combat-based sport where Lumens (players) compete for points in timed rounds using choreographed movement sequences (CMs). It is part choreography and part improvisation, built to develop saber mastery among its participants.

All attacks are communicated before an exchange using a telegraph: a silent gesture the attacker performs to specify which CM they will deliver.

LUMINA is built around teamwork. Teams of Lumens work together to create the most compelling fight choreography and to out-perform the other teams. In each match, Lumens are paired with other players to battle in choreographed combat, and each player gains points every time they successfully commit or defend a sequence. The objective is to collect the highest number of points.

Duets games usually end with a pair of winners. Players who compete across multiple games in a season accumulate points across those games, and the Lumen with the highest total wins the season.

How to train for LUMINA

LUMINA combines CMs that you and your partner already know, so players from beginner through advanced can take part.

Before playing, work through the following:

Learn the notation. Start with the Notation Overview.
Learn as many CMs as you like. The more CMs you know, the more interesting the matches become.
Learn the telegraph for each CM you plan to use.
Learn the rules of LUMINA.

Suggested CM knowledge by level:

Level	Should know
Beginner	CM-A, CM-B, CM-C, CM-D
Intermediate	CM-A through CM-J
Advanced	CM-A through CM-M and beyond

The LUMINA rulebook is listed on the Downloads page.

How to score points

Each CM is worth points according to its tier.

Tier	Points	CMs
Simple	+1	CM-A, CM-H, CM-Q
Advanced	+2	CM-B, CM-C, CM-G, CM-I, CM-J, CM-N, CM-Q, CM-R, CM 11, CM 12, CM 13
Extended	+3	CM-D, CM-E, CM-F, CM-L, CM-O, CM-R, CM-S, CM 12, CM 14
Super	+4	CM-K, CM-O, CM-P

Power Plays

CMs can be played in combination, producing a Power Play worth an additional point.

The attacker must combine two different telegraphs before engaging in the attack. A maximum of two CMs can be played consecutively. Power Play points are granted to the team as part of each of their individual scores, and the total depends on the complexity of the CMs used.

Combination	Power Play bonus	Total points
2 Simple CMs	+1	3
1 Simple + 1 Advanced	+1	4
2 Advanced CMs	+1	5
1 Advanced + 1 Extended	+1	6
2 consecutive Extended forms	+1	7
1 Super + 1 Extended	+1	8

For example, CM-A (worth 1 point) plus CM-H (worth 1 point), plus 1 for the Power Play, results in 3 points for that turn.

Round types

LUMINA is played in two game types.

Against the Clock (Speed)

Gather several participants.
Split them into teams of two Lumens each.
Select a time-based match, for example two minutes with unlimited rounds.
Roll a die or flip a coin to determine the opening team. The highest roll opens the game, or the teams can agree an order.
Flip a coin for the opening attacker, or use another selection method.
Begin the timer.
Lumen A telegraphs a CM of choice to Lumen B.
Both engage in the turn.
On successful completion, the roles switch.
Lumen B telegraphs a CM of choice to Lumen A.
Both engage in the turn.
On successful completion, the turn is over and roles switch.
When the second turn finishes, the round is over. Continue to the next round.
Repeat until the timer runs out.
Determine points based on the CMs and Power Play combinations.
The team that rolled the next highest number goes next.

Set Rounds

Gather several participants.
Split them into teams of two Lumens each.
Select a round-based match, for example three rounds where each player takes three turns, for a total of six exchanges, up to a three minute maximum.
Roll a die or flip a coin to determine the opening team. The highest roll opens the game, or the teams can agree an order.
Flip a coin for the opening attacker, or use another selection method.
Begin the timer for the entire match.
Lumen A telegraphs a CM of choice to Lumen B.
Both engage in the turn.
On successful completion, the roles switch.
Lumen B telegraphs a CM of choice to Lumen A.
Both engage in the turn.
On successful completion, the turn is over and roles switch.
When the second turn finishes, the round is over. Continue to the next round.
Repeat until the timer runs out or the designated end round is complete.
Determine points based on the CMs and Power Play combinations.
The team that rolled the next highest number goes next.

Winning a game

The winning team is the one that achieves the most points in a given match.

Games usually end with four winners: two for Speed and two for Rounds. Tournaments may be played in brackets, as singles or doubles.

Judging

Players present	How to judge
Only two	Record the match on a camera or phone and make the calls afterwards
Three or more	Have at least one player watch and make the calls

Winning the season

A season is conducted across three games. Each game day has a Speed division and a Rounds division.

To win the season, a Lumen must have the highest score across the whole season, adding their scores across all three games within a division. Keep the Speed and Rounds division scores separate.

For example, a player competing in Speed across all three games scores 30, 25, and 25. Their seasonal score is 80.

The player with the highest total is the champion for the season, with second and third place following. If there is a tie for any place, a tie-breaker decides it, and the loser of the tie-breaker takes the lower place.

Teams and incomplete CMs

Teams are two Lumens working together. The objective is for you and your teammate to complete as many CMs as you can.

If the attacker strikes the wrong target point or hesitates, or if the defender does not defend properly against a CM attack, the CM is incomplete.

Either Lumen may go first, and there are several ways to choose. Once a player has been designated to begin the match, they perform their CM. When they are done, their teammate takes a turn and chooses their own CM. Once that is complete, the round is over. Players keep switching back and forth, and each player should have a turn in every round.

Two examples:

Lumen 1 telegraphs CM-B. Lumen 2 acknowledges. Lumen 1 performs all the moves of CM-B, Lumen 2 successfully blocks every strike, the CM is successful, and the team scores.
Lumen 1 telegraphs CM-B. Lumen 2 acknowledges. Lumen 1 begins CM-B and, as they approach, Lumen 2 hesitates and locks up. Lumen 1 stops, as there is no block in place, and their turn is over. It is now Lumen 2's turn.

Language and terminology

Term	Meaning
Saberist	A practitioner of the Saber Standard, its notation, or its games
Lumen	A player
Duet	A team of Lumens working together in a match
Telegraph	A silent gesture the attacker performs to specify which CM or Power Play they will deliver
Power Play	A combination of two CMs performed successfully and consecutively
Turn	One exchange where a participant completes their exchange. In a two-person game the turn ends after one player has completed one exchange, then their opponent's turn begins
Round	Two turns. A round completes when each Lumen has taken one turn
Match	A series of rounds between two Lumens
Game	A collection of matches of the same type, either Against the Clock or Set Rounds
Set Rounds	A game type completed when a series of rounds between two Lumens has finished
Against the Clock	A game type where an unlimited series of turns is played within a set time. The standard match is two minutes per Duet
Win	A count of points granted to a player or team for successfully completing a match
Draw	An equal number of points granted to the players of a game
Loss	A count of points given to the player who scores fewer points in a match
Ranking	Overall standing, taking all players into account
Incomplete	A turn interrupted by the attacker or defender missing a particular movement in a CM

Matches in play

Usage and licensing

For the terms that apply to LUMINA Games material, see Licensing.