Question 1

How does the 30-day Knight free trial work?

Accepted Answer

Any HEMA club officer can activate a one-time, 30-day Knight trial from Guild Settings. Your club gets full access to every Knight feature — tournaments, treasury, armoury, sparring ratings, and more. No credit card required. When the trial ends, your club simply reverts to its previous tier.

Question 2

Is HILT free for small HEMA clubs?

Accepted Answer

Yes. HILT offers a free Page tier for small study groups and clubs. Our Tithe model ensures that small clubs can use core tools for free, while professional academies contribute their fair share. We also offer discounts for registered non-profit HEMA clubs.

Question 3

How does the HEMA Sparring and ELO rating system work?

Accepted Answer

Knight-tier clubs get access to per-weapon ELO ratings. Log sparring matches, track wins and losses by weapon discipline, and see how your fencers rank on your club's leaderboard. It's a great way to measure progress and motivate regular sparring.

Question 4

What are Endorsements and the Fencer Passport?

Accepted Answer

Every fencer gets a digital Passport — a public profile with their weapons, rank, achievements, and training history. Instructors can issue endorsements (e.g., Steel Sparring Approved, Cutting Certified) that are tied to their instructor ID, creating a verifiable safety record.

Question 5

Can I use HILT without a club?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Choose Knight-Errant mode during onboarding to use HILT independently. You can browse the Atlas, find guilds near you, and join one later.

Question 6

What HEMA tournament formats does HILT support?

Accepted Answer

Knight-tier clubs have unlimited tournament hosting with 6 formats: Swiss, Round Robin, Single Elimination, Double Elimination, Bear Pit, and Pools & Bracket.