Parry-Strike Manifesto by Obregon

Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 12:14 pm

The Parry-Strike style is one of the more interesting and maddening styles in the game. Interesting, in that you can make a PS into many different archetypes; maddening, in that their base skills are poor, finding their rhythms is tricky, and their actual performance varies wildly with tactic and opponent. Yet the style's low endurance burn, huge weapon variety (second only to Strikers), and tactical options let it be competitive in the arena. Despite its strengths, Parry-Strike is (as of this writing) one of the least-played styles in the game.

This is not a guide, per se, but more of a rambling thesis on the style from a guy coming back to the game after a long hiatus and rediscovering one of his old love-to-hate styles. I imagine most of this is old hat and welcome your thoughts regardless.

1. PS stats

Parry-Strikers tend to learn Parry, Decise, and (to a lesser extent) Attack. The Stats that affect those skills the most are, unfortunately, everything: ST, WT, WL, SP, and DF. Since their base parry is nothing to write home about (in fact, it's often their worst skill at mode if you're not careful), enhancing Parry-related stats (ST, WL, DF) is probably the most effective design strategy. This will also give you a good attack skill. Since WT and WL each contribute to Decise and Attack, focusing on WT and WL (like all styles) will help your Parry-Strike maximize his key skills, too. If you go with a high WT and low WL, just understand that you'll have to compensate somewhere else (SP, DF, or CN, most likely).

For the record, I prefer my PSs to have the following stats:

ST: 5+ (huge variation possible here)
CN: 7+ (ditto)
SZ: 14-
WT: 11+
WL: 9, 11, 15, 17, 21
SP: any (huge variation possible here)
DF: 9+

CN is important for most Parry-Strikers and will help you win against those low-endurance offensive types.

SP is an underrated Parry-Strike stat. Not only does it boost Decisiveness, it helps with Defense, Riposte, and Initiative, which are all useful to the style.

As for most hybrid or defensive warriors, a high SZ is counterproductive. I would probably look at a different style than PS for a big warrior.

2. PS types

I'm going to try to lay out the variant Parry-Strikers I have run, just for fun and to get your feedback.

a. High ST (the Broke Stroker)

With a decent attack, parry, weapon selection, carrying capacity, and damage, this Parry-Striker is an attractive option. The tricky part is deciding where to scrimp on points so that you can have that 15 or 17 ST. Parry-Strikers with a good ST and CN can armor up and get some wins both offensively and defensively. The other downside: having a high ST incurs a substantial opportunity cost -- the lost skill points from not having a higher WT, WL, SP, or DF. This is a serious consideration for a style with already low skill bases.

b. High CN (Parry-Scum)

Fairly evident what the game plan is here. Going against warriors with poor attack skills/damage output or scummy warriors in heavy armor can get you a lot of scummy wins, due to the low endurance burn of the style. Make sure you can deal with the lower skills you get from dumping your points into CN.

c. High WL

Lots of folks (myself included) will use high WT / low WL rollups on PSs, due to the style's low endurance burn. The problem is that you miss out on WL's contribution to skills and the intangibles that a high WL brings. The High WL Parry-Strike is well-balanced in the style's key skills and will have the toughness to eke out wins in close fights, assuming a decent CN. It is hard, though, to have a high WL while having acceptable numbers in ST, CN, SP, and DF.

d. High SP

The Speed PS embraces the style's offensive inclinations and has a more well-rounded skill set than other PS types. Speed's contributions to Decisiveness, Riposte, Initiative, and Defense are substantial and allow the speedy PS to gain and maintain the initiative. The High SP Parry-Strike is not necessarily offensive; he can be an effective counter-puncher, like a Parry-Riposte. The PS style is a potential fit for a warrior with a high SP rollup, even if you don't add any extra points to it.

e. High DF

It's hard to argue with DF; it's a great overall stat and Parry-Strikers can get use out of every point in this stat. A high-DF PS accentuates his Attack, Parry, Riposte, and Defense; in combination with a good ST and WT, he also gets wonderful weapon selection. A high-DF Parry-Strike will look, stat-wise, a lot like a Parry-Riposte, but with a few more offensive options in his bag of tricks.

3. Rollups

Some of my actual Parry-Strike rollups ... I am not saying they are the pentultimate PS warriors. They are the good, bad, and ugly:

a. High ST / SP

17-6-7-17-13-15-9. I run him generally like a Striker due to his high Decisiveness and low hit points. The downside to this strategy is the style's relatively weak initiative rating and skill learns in that area; he is fairly easy to riposte. Then again, the style's emphasis on parry skill learns helps him deal with the occasional counter-attack, and his high riposte skills help him get the initiative back. Probably the biggest downside to the low CN is that it is harder to run Responsiveness with confidence.

b. High WL / CN

9-13-8-15-17-13-9. Not terribly skilled, but farily durable. With a generally poor offensive output (weapon selection, attack skill, normal damage), she wins defensively by scumming or attacking in the middle minutes against tired offensives.

c. High DF / CN

9-14-9-17-9-9-17. Similar to #2, though with better skills (6 parry at mode, which doesn't sound that great but is actually hard to achieve with a PS) and weapon selection at the cost of endurance, WL intangibles, and decisiveness. I really like this warrior and my only wish is that he had a higher ST.

d. Balanced

11-11-10-17-11-13-11. While this rollup looks boring, it was blessed with Great damage and has decent offensive PS skills, carrying capacity, and weapon selection. Very effective with Responsiveness ... running at 1-5-1 S, she is very hard to hit and often counterattacks.

e. Fantasy Parry-Strike

11-14-7-17-17-5-13. A solid, all-around warrior that can win any number of ways (offense, scum, counterstrike) regardless of his favorite learns. The high WL is personal preference; you could take WL to 9 and boost ST, WT, SP, and/or DF with the extra eight points for some other variations, such as:

15-14-7-17-9-5-17
11-14-7-17-9-9-17 (very similar to warrior c, above)
11-14-7-17-9-13-13
11-14-7-21-9-9-13

4. Tactics

Decisiveness is effective, but be warned: PSers don't usually have the raw initiative or attack skills that offensive warriors possess. Yes, you can outjump many offensives, but you can also lose the initiative fairly easily. Decisiveness is also handy when you don't know your warrior's rhythms and want to attack; PSers often make flailing attacks when running non-optimal numbers. However, due to the difficulty for young PSers to maintain a sustained offense, unless my warrior has a poor CN and I have no other choice, I rarely open a fight in Minute 1 running Decisiveness unless it's for a specific challenge.

Parry works as it is intended, but it's more situational than you may expect. It works best when fighting Slashers, scumming, and in desperation. I prefer Responsiveness in Minute 1 for reasons explained below.

Responsiveness is one of those tactics that some players have no experience with, as it is the fairly exclusive province of Parry-Strikers, Strikers, and Total Parry warriors. Basically, it's the "get ready to defend!" tactic, and it is very effective in minute one when fighting Decisiveness-using Strikers, Bashers, and Parry-Strikers. It is a fairly good all-purpose defense tactic, and you will get a surprising number of attacks while running it, even with a low offensive effort. Compare this to a warrior using Parry or Dodge, who typically surrenders the initiative completely. I also find that Responsiveness messes up your opponent's rhythms and initiative. It's not surprising to only face three or four attacks in the first minute while running the tactic, due to your counters. My theory is this has the bonus side effect of burning your foe's stamina without having to deal with as many incoming attacks. I use the "rope-a-dope" analogy here ... Repsonsiveness seems to get Pikers through the rough early parts of the fight when they are in danger of being overwhelmed.

5. Weapons and Armor

There are many to choose from, and all of the good ones are on the PS weapon list. I suggest running with a shield against lightly armored foes, who are typically offensive speed types with a low CN. A ST and DF of 11 each will get you most of the good weapons. Consider a 13 ST for the warhammer, which is a nice option against the heavily-armored types. A 15 or higher ST is something of a luxury on a Parry-Striker, but gives you the Battle Axe and Greatsword, two very nice weapons for dealing with medium and heavy armor.

And speaking of armor: wear some, unless you are a Piker in Striker's clothing. Padded Leather, Ringmail, and Scale are all great choices depending on your warrior's carrying capacity and your expected opponent. Avoid heavier armor unless you have the encumbrance for it.

6. Rhythm

Probably the most frustrating thing (other than their low base skills) about Parry-Strikers is finding their rhythms, a downside compounded by the style's great skill at using Tactics -- which has the unintended consequence of keeping you from learning your warrior's natural (unmodified by tactic) rhythms. Don't be surprised to see a lot of flailing attacks from Parry-Strikers. Your rhythm could be 1-6 offensive effort and 1-8 activity level ... the range is that big, per Terrablood. You really have to experiment, which means getting into longer fights so you can really see the effects of the different tactics. Challenging TPs, PRs, and other PSs can really help here. This again tends to favor Parry-Strikers with a good CN and/or WL, who have the staying power for those kinds of fights.

The silver lining here is that the style's low endurance burn will let you run some wacky experimental number combinations without causing you to keel over from exhaustion prematurely.

7. Challenges

Some of the matchup issues Parry-Strikers face:

Strikers: Decise if you can beat them to the punch; otherwise Responsiveness. Turn up your offense (and use Decise if you wish) in minute 2 or 3. Responsiveness in desperation.

Bashers: as Strikers, but I would seriously consider using Decise against most bashers, especially if your Piker is learning Decise skills regularly.

Lungers: Not a very good matchup, due to their high defense, attack, and initiative skills. Once they get the initiative, they may never let it go against a PS. Decise can be effective against them, just watch out for their dodge & riposte.

Slashers: You really want to get the first shot on these guys, as they will carve you up and never let go of the initiative otherwise, unless your Parry skill is up to the task. Decise early and Parry in desperation.

Aimed Blow: You'll have a hard time avoiding getting hit by these guys, so you need to hit them first. Use Decisiveness or no tactic. Decise in desperation can get you a win from the jaws of defeat in this kind of match.

Wall of Steel: Not a very good matchup, due to their high parry, attack, and initiative skills. They can pretty much deal with your offensive output and smack you right back with impunity whenever they get the initiative. Scumming them (or beating on them when they are tired) may be your best bet. Use Parry in desperation.

Parry-Lunge: Not a very good matchup, due to their high attack and initiative skills. Scumming them may be your best bet, though you may be able to overwhelm them with Decisiveness. Some Plungers like to Lunge, and if you run into those, Responsiveness is obviously better in desperation than Parry.

Parry-Riposte: A fairly even matchup, style-wise. You may be able to overwhelm them early with Decisiveness. If not, be prepared for a long fight.

Parry-Strike: Against other Pikers, accentuate your strengths ... damage output, hit points, endurance, decise, whatever. Try to overload him with your advantage (whatever it may be); it helps if you have scouted this warrior previously.

Total Parry: Unless you are blessed in attack and/or damage, your best bet may be to go with light armor and try to out-scum TPs. This is surprisingly effective against the heavily-armored types and will earn you some nasty/funny personal ads from their managers.

In summary, a typical PSer's best challenge targets are ST, PR, and TP, and to a lesser extent BA and SL if you can get the jump on them. PL, WS, and LU warriors are bad matchups for most Pikers, and you should strongly consider avoiding teams with those types of warriors near your Piker's rankings. Your Piker's strengths and weaknesses will largely dictate the kind of matchups in which he succeeds.

Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 4:38 am

I am assuming that Baron Cockroach is the top Parry Strike in Primus because everyone else has given up on the sytle. Gypsy Moth and Madam Butterfly were always better warriors on the same team.

If anyone else has a fully developed Parry Strike I would be interested to see how they turned out:

BARON COCKROACH (20-703) of DOC LEGRAND'S LAB (63) [153-138-2, 51, 453FE], will fight (and lose in) Primus.
He is a parry-strike with ST=25(16) CN=25(14) SZ=10 WT=25(8) WL=25(10) SP=25(16) DF=25(12).
He is right handed, has an intellect of unearthly proportions, is a marvel of fighting coordination, has awesome endurance, can withstand almost any amount of punishment, can carry almost limitless weight, is incredibly quick and elusive, does awesome damage, has an Archmaster in initiative, has an Archmaster in riposte, has an Archmaster in attack, has an Archmaster in parry, has an Archmaster in defense, has a Grandmaster in decisiveness, favors the battle axe, favors a low offensive effort, favors a low activity level, uses the decisive tactic well, and preferentially learns parry.

From the reverse math he started as ST= 9 CN= 11 SZ= 10 WT=17 WL = 15 SP= 9 DF = 13 which is nothing remarkable.

Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 6:02 am

Prior to bringing Baron Cockroach into the conversation, I believe both Deadly Bear and Cartman are those who have been tossed around as the top Parry-Strike in Primus at the moment. Congrats on taking the position in 102 this turn as the top of that style.... and welcome back to the game.

ArchMaster Poster Joined: Apr 15, 2004 Posts: 2464

I'm looking forward to the day when I max out my Contenders PS, Axe Murderer. He should give Cartman, Deadly Bear, and Baron Cockroach a run for their money!

Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 8:06 am

One Armed Bandit wrote:

I'm looking forward to the day when I max out my Contenders PS, Axe Murderer. He should give Cartman, Deadly Bear, and Baron Cockroach a run for their money!

You are assuming that the pace of Axe Murder's development is faster than the apathy involved in running Parry Strikes with losing records in Primus will decrease the likelyhood that Baron Cockroach will be fighting in Primus.

Baron Cockroach has maxxed Skills and maxxed Stats. He cannot improve and continues to lose against a warrior population that can improve. What is my motivation to continue?

ArchMaster Poster Joined: Apr 15, 2004 Posts: 2464

Deke wrote:

One Armed Bandit wrote:

I'm looking forward to the day when I max out my Contenders PS, Axe Murderer. He should give Cartman, Deadly Bear, and Baron Cockroach a run for their money!

You are assuming that the pace of Axe Murder's development is faster than the apathy involved in running Parry Strikes with losing records in Primus will decrease the likelyhood that Baron Cockroach will be fighting in Primus.

Baron Cockroach has maxxed Skills and maxxed Stats. He cannot improve and continues to lose against a warrior population that can improve. What is my motivation to continue?

I would suggest you challenge DEADLY BEAR 2-3688 and see how you stack up against him.

As for why you would continue, there is a contest in the Primus arena that occurs every two years called the King of Primus. Managers field 5 warriors of 5 different styles and battle it out in swiss format to see who is best. It is the most fun contest ever and definitely worth reactivating a maxed PS for a few months every two years, at the very least.

In addition, RSI has started offering token stylemaster awards in the Primus class in some tournies. So there is incentive to keep running your PS in tournaments, as well.