Sunday, October 12, 2025

Archer Jokers: A subsection of the Fighting Jokers

In the fighter section, there are sections for fighters with swords, fighters with swords and money (moneybags!), fighters with halbards (long poles which have sharp points and a hook for pulling horsemen off their horses, fighters with swords or other manual weapons, archers, and people with guns. 

 




 I love the archer on the flying horse below. But I fear that I have double-counted him since this joker also appears on the fantasy horse section. It's on the list of items to fix but for the moment, pardon my double counting..


My Congress matching joker of Diana with a bow and arrow is also in the archery subsection of the fighter section.  I keep the joker with the deck which is why there is only a photocopy of her in the joker album.  The leather box says 1899 but the deck might be from 1903.


Here's the archers all together. Many of the archers came in a deck where the other joker had a different weapon. I keep the sets together and put them here.



 This post is an effort to update my online record of the fighters. Note that if the fighter has both a sword and halbard, they go in the halbard sectiion. And right now, fighters with clubs or wrestlers are in with the swords. 

Here is the whole suite of articles about jokers who are fighters.

Fighters with swords. Or spears, daggers, clubs, or no weapons
Money bags jokers. ie Fighters with swords and bags of money
Fighters with halberds (poles with sharp points, an axe blade, and a hook for pulling horsemen off their horse)
Archers and pairs of fighters where one is an archer - THIS article
Fighters with guns. 

Halberd Holding Jokers

 Halberds: A note of explanation:

A halberd is a versatile, two-handed polearm consisting of an axe blade, a spike, and a hook on a long shaft. It was a prominent weapon for European infantry from the 14th to 16th centuries, used for its ability to fight armored cavalry, hack, thrust, and dismount riders. Later, it evolved into a ceremonial weapon for guards.









Here is the whole suite of articles about jokers who are fighters.

Fighters with swords. Or spears, daggers, clubs, or no weapons
Money bags jokers. ie Fighters with swords and bags of money
Fighters with halberds   - THIS article
Archers and pairs of fighters where one is an archer
Fighters with guns. 

Fighters with Swords, Daggers, Spears, Fists

 This subsection of fighters are those jokers with swords (but not money bags, that's a subsection), spears, daggers, and a few who have no weapons other than their fists.

My jokers with swords section starts with  two jokers where the four suits are designed into the picture. The shield of this ferocious green fighter shows that he fights for the hearts, spades, clubs, and diamonds, regardless of their color.  Note his manly mustache and yellow curls!  And his fierce gaze and jolly chapeau (ie hat). Don't mess with Mr Green Boots and Red Tights unless you too are a fearsome swordsman.


On this joker, the suits have been collected onto his sword. It looks like they kebobs ready to be grilled.


Here are the ensemble pictures.


This next set of "World Jokers" goes on for a little over three pages. Seeing all the distinctions is a bit of a test to see details.  Notice differences in teh banner, the clothes colors, and the text on the page.








AT first glance, one might doubt whether the top three below belong in the fighters section. The first guy has webbed feet and a farming tool. And the one on the far right is short one leg and one eye. Perhaps he was a fighter but he is ill-equipped at this point for combat. But the middle one has a sword and some sort of breast-plate. Since I never split up a group, I felt fighters with swords was the best fit for them.

In the middle row, there are also jokers whose categorization could be debated. Two of them have fighters on horseback. Should they be in the equestrian joker section? And the middle on the page is killing a dragon. Perhaps his name is George. Should he be in the Historical Europeans with names or with the dragon jokers?








The middle of the top row below seems to be a guy holding a bat or club, not really a sword.

Here is the whole suite of articles about jokers who are fighters.

Fighters with swords. Or spears, daggers, clubs, or no weapons  - THIS article
Money bags jokers. ie Fighters with swords and bags of money
Fighters with halbards (long poles which have sharp points and a hook for pulling horsemen off their horse)
Archers and pairs of fighters where one is an archer
Fighters with guns. 

Fighting Jokers with Guns

 These jokers are fighters, armed with firearms.  There are over two dozen of them.

The first one is Picket by the US Playing Card Company.  Copyright 1917, it is listed a US30a Picket #515 in The Hochman Encyclopedia of Playing Cards




Here is the complete collection of fighters with firearms.




Here is the whole suite of articles about jokers who are fighters.

Fighters with swords. Or spears, daggers, clubs, or no weapons  
Money bags jokers. ie Fighters with swords and bags of money
Fighters with halbards (long poles which have sharp points and a hook for pulling horsemen off their horse)
Archers and pairs of fighters where one is an archer
Fighters with guns. - THIS article