DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER Date : 06/11/2009 Duedate: 07/08/2009 ARKERS ARENA DM-8 TURN-310 This Weeks Top Honors THE DUELMASTER IS ZENITH Z GLADIATORZ (519) (8-5082) [14-7-0,113] Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader ZENITH DIOCLETIAN Z GLADIATORZ (519) WARRIOR POETS (578) (8-5082) [14-7-0,113] (8-4990) [3-1-0,50] Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite ZIP DIOCLETIAN Z GLADIATORZ (519) WARRIOR POETS (578) (8-4383) [18-11-0,109] (8-4990) [3-1-0,50] THE CURRENT TOP TEAM CONSANGUINEOUS (567) TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team 1. BLOOD RITES (585) 50 2. SMITHSONIAN (245) 32 CONSANGUINEOUS (567) 3. WARRIOR POETS (578) 30 Unchartered Team 4. Z GLADIATORZ (519) 19 5. HEAD BANGERS (595) 12 WARRIOR POETS (578) The Top Teams Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K 1/ 1 CONSANGUINEOUS (567) 60 16 1 78.9 1/ 1 CONSANGUINEOUS (567) 10 5 1 2/ 3*WARRIOR POETS (578) 15 5 3 75.0 2/ 7*WARRIOR POETS (578) 7 3 1 3/ 4 Z GLADIATORZ (519) 144 76 0 65.5 3/ 3*HEAVEN'S SHADOW (594) 7 6 2 4- 5 BONDAGE (469) 128 81 12 61.2 4/ 6 Z GLADIATORZ (519) 6 2 0 5/ 6 SMITHSONIAN (245) 605 392 13 60.7 5/ 5 SMITHSONIAN (245) 6 5 0 6/ 0 BLOOD RITES (585) 83 55 4 60.1 6/ 0 BLOOD RITES (585) 5 0 0 7/ 2*HEAD BANGERS (595) 5 5 1 50.0 7/ 4*HEAD BANGERS (595) 5 5 1 8/ 7 MIDDLE WAY 11 (546) 134 181 2 42.5 8/ 2 MIDDLE WAY 11 (546) 5 9 0 9/ 8*HEAVEN'S SHADOW (594) 14 26 4 35.0 9- 8 BONDAGE (469) 1 3 0 10- 9*THE ASSASIN GUILD (598) 1 4 0 20.0 10- 9*THE ASSASIN GUILD (598) 1 4 0 '*' Unchartered team '-' Team did not fight this turn (###) Avoid teams by their Team Id ##/## This turn's/Last turn's rank TEAM SPOTLIGHT + ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Andorian Succession #29 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ + Elsewhere: This time the wait seemed shorter. Lenpro tried to stand as if confident and un-alarmed, but he couldn't help wondering--worrying--what kind of creature might be found to fight Sizzling Sunflower. He glanced at his companion out of the corner of his eye. She was staring at her hands and muttering. The leaves that had appeared, had sprouted from her arms were smaller, the knobby green stems or twigs more like fingers. That was good, a human, okay, an elf, made a more effective gladiator than a sunflower plant was likely to, even a sizzling one. There was a stir where the Gladiators' Gate would be on a regular arena: people shifting position, a gate swinging open, people moving out of the way quickly. The opponent, and it was someone--or something--that everyone feared. How encouraging. But at least Sunflower was an advanced gladiator, skilled at her trade. It would be okay. The opponent was tall and thin, probably female. Sharp features, bone-white skin, black hair... blood-red lips, and fangs. Lenpro would have cursed, but he didn't have time for it. A vampire. Not anyone's opponent of choice. Abnormally strong, abnormally fast, difficult to injure, almost impossible to kill. One long white hand drew a sword, which was black and seemed to distort space around itself. "Vampire, and a magic sword," Sunflower murmured beside him. She didn't sound worried. "Not easy, but I know a few tricks myself." She drew her own blades, a sword and a long dagger for parrying. It wasn't the way she fought in the arena, but this wasn't the arena. She flipped her sword up in a salute. The vampire responded the same way. "You are not afraid," she said. "That is too bad, fear makes the blood sweeter." A flash of fangs in something that might have been a smile. "I will teach you to fear me." The king on his throne shouted, "Begin!" The vampire closed with a rush which Sunflower evaded easily enough, dancing to the side and probing with her sword, then dancing back to avoid another rush. They both paused, studying each other. "So, you will not be easy," the vampire said. "That is... good. Yes, it is good. I have not had a hard fight in... a very long time. I am called Berroe. How are you named?" "Sunflower." The gladiatress grinned, a baring of her teeth. "Think of me as the sunshine that means your death. Fight well and I will sing of you on the Isle of the Eye." They began circling, testing each other with feints and attacks. Lenpro stood at the foot of the king's throne, until he felt menace boring into the back of his head. He didn't turn but moved to one side, putting the bulk of the throne's stone platform between him and the half-demon behind the king. The king might be willing to let them go, but the half-demon had no such intention. Part of the manager's mind began to consider ways to attack that deadly creature; another part was already considering the obstacles between him and the exit from this place, which left very little to watch the fight. Except for suiting his timing to the battle on the sand, he didn't need to watch the fight. Sunflower would do what she would do, and he couldn't influence her at this point. But he saw that the crowd was focused completely on the fight. That was good--no interference from them. The two women came together again, both of them very fast. A thrust from the vampire--Lenpro thought her more like a lunger than any other style. Sunflower moved aside just far enough, her parrying blade flicking out, just far enough, to deflect that black sword. There was a scream of tortured metal, and a burst of fat purple sparks. Sunflower backed up a step and shook her hand; the blade of her parrying dagger had what looked like a dark scorch mark across it. The vampire smiled coldly. "Did you think I would be as easy as a human?" West of Fratsfa: Fandil stopped--again--to free his clothing from thorns. The underbrush here seemed to be composed mostly of brambles, rampant, sprawling, and lavishly provided with strong, hooked, thorns. "Why did I think getting under cover here was a good move?" he muttered, tripping on another bramble. The land sloped downward and the leaves underfoot became damp and slippery. "Hiding may be more dangerous to our health and mission than being found!" "Save your breath for climbing trees," Ravishing Redbud answered. "Those trees, I think," she added, pointing at a pair of oaks growing one on either side of a tiny stream. The slant of the ground brought them within reach of a stout limb, and before her companions could respond, she seized Elosjon and tossed him up onto the branch. He uttered a strangled yelp and hung on, eyes wide with alarm. "Why'd you do--" "No time to waste. Work your way along that branch to the trunk, then around and out along a limb on the other side. Hurry." Another horn-blast from behind them added point to her urging. It was nearer, and all three of them could hear the occasional baying of hounds, as well. A second horn call, and shouts. Fandil glanced over his shoulder but could see nothing; as dark as it was under the trees now, sound would serve them better than sight. He tripped again, reminding himself of the need to use his sight anyway. Redbud jumped, caught the limb, and pulled herself up. Straddled the heavy branch and leaned down, stretching a hand toward Fandil. "Jump!" she commanded. The older mage scowled at her. "I'm no athlete," he said, his voice testy. He braced his staff against the ground, placed one foot carefully on an invisible stair, hoisted himself up, and smiled at her. "There's more than one way to climb a tree, girl." She grinned back. "Whatever works. Move back toward the trunk and around it, get into the other tree if you can. I think this is the only easy approach, so I'll guard it." "I'm not helpless in a fight, girl," he said. "Of course not. You're the reserve. Go." She drew her dagger and spiked it into the tree limb in front of her. "Go, I can handle this." + ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Andorian Succession #30 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ + West of Fratsfa: Fandil didn't like the idea of leaving Ravishing Redbud alone to face the hunters coming through the woods, but he was not a fool. There was more at stake here than his pride, after all. "If we can get to ground on the other side of this ravine and move on up the mountain without being seen, we'll do so. You follow when you can. I don't like to leave you, but...." "Finding and stopping the magician is important," she finished for him, nodding. "Good plan, but don't forget that the hunters have hounds. See you later--I promise!" Fandil saluted her silently, for the stand she was about to make, and also for her youth and innocent certainty that all would work out as she expected. He hoped she was right. One more stare into the darkening woods, an assessment of the sounds of horses and hounds moving through the brush, and then he moved carefully back to the trunk of the tree and around it. There was enough light for him to see Elosjon clinging tensely to a mostly- upright branch. The young mage was white-faced but had managed a mask of calm. "What do we do next?" he asked. "We keep moving," Fandil said, keeping his voice low. "Redbud will deal with these hunters, one way or another. Our job is to get up the mountain and locate this magician." "But--" "She is a trained and capable fighter and has, ahem, other skills that will also aid her in stopping and distracting a party of men. She has her job and we have ours, Elosjon." Fandil edged past him and farther out along the limb. Transferring to the next tree was tricky, but he managed it. He had a spell on the tip of his mind ready to serve as a safety net, but he managed without that. Moved far enough along to stand firmly on a good, thick branch, turned, and looked back. Elosjon was hesitating on the other tree, on the other side of this ravine. Might as well give him a minute or two to summon up his resolve. Fandil squinted to the right and left. A good, deep, steep-sided ravine, and neither end in sight. If it was long enough, the hunters wouldn't even consider trying to go around. Good. A true barrier to pursuit. That there might be hostile forces on this side of the ravine was a problem for later. Ah, here he came now. Mincing steps. Nervous clutchings at any other branches within reach. The boy looked a bit silly, but Fandil was not moved to laugh; he was going forward in the face of obvious fear, which was the best working definition of courage. It wasn't the looks of a thing that mattered, just the substance. Horns and hounds closer now, near the other side of the ravine. An outburst of shouting. Fandil's fingers twitched, but he was nearly certain that any serious magic used here--and it would take that to deal with the hunt magically--would be detectable up the mountain at Mountain Home. If the magician up there was watching, and he'd be a fool not to. Nothing so far had indicated that their opponent was a fool. Coming so close to bringing down the Andorian League required competence and alertness as well as malice and cunning. The loud voices reached a crescendo and stopped. To Fandil, that silence seemed more... thoughtful than ominous. He motioned to Elosjon to hurry, hoping the young mage could see him. Apparently so. Elosjon made it to the farthest tip of the first branch that would support him, or that he believed would support him, and stared across at Fandil. Down at the ravine. It was dark in here under the trees, but a sort of translucent darkness-- that was his trained magical perception, of course. Or something to do with his magical training, he'd never been sure exactly what. The ravine was very deep, and there were sharp rocks in the bottom. It would be a really bad place to fall. The nearest sturdy-looking limb of the other tree was... six feet, at least. Farther away than he was tall, anyway. He would have to step on an unreliably slim branch and then... jump. The prospect was not encouraging. At all. But he couldn't stay here. The old mage was counting on him. Besides, Fandil had done this. He must be at least, well, pretty old, and HE had done it. The young man set his teeth, wiped his hands on his robe one at a time, and reached for the next handhold. The branch quivered and flexed. He tightened his grip and kept going. Moved faster, because he didn't think he could stand it to anticipate any longer. Step, step, jump. Desperate clutch. Scrabble with his feet, drag himself forward. He didn't fall. That was a surprise; he had, he admitted now, expected to fall. But the branch he was on now was as firm as a branch could reasonably be. He pried the fingers of one hand off the twigs they were gripping and dried it on his robe. Took a new, firmer grip and did the same with the other hand. Took a deep breath. His respect for magicians like Fandil, who went adventuring despite their ages, went up a lot. This adventuring stuff wasn't as easy as it looked. * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * ---===ANDORIAN REGIONAL NEWS===--- Duelmasters ----------- DM 8 ARKERS (turn 309): CONCUSSION of CONSANGUINEOUS (Mannequin, mgr.) DM 11 ARUAK CITY (turn 621): LILAC LIZARD of ANIMAL FARM (Mino, mgr.) DM 14 TOBIR (turn 620): MR FANG of THE DOGHOUSE (Jorja, mgr.) DM 22 SOLVEN (turn 608): HOT EIGHTEEN of KELLUMBO'S KIDS (Detective Kellumbo, mgr.) DM 24 ZORPUNT (turn 610): PAUL WEIDORFER of MEDAL OF HONOR J4 (The Anarchist, mgr.) DM 25 LYRATILAN (turn 607): GRIFLET IRVEL of THE MIDDLE WAY 4 (Jorja, mgr.) DM 26 CALEAM (turn 606): AMARANTH of MENAGERIE (Ichabod Frothingslosh, mgr.) DM 30 IAYE (turn 602): BAINES of GAMEHENDGE (Malaquar, mgr.) DM 40 ZENSU (turn 572): THE FOOL of AQUARIAN TAROT (?, mgr.) DM 41 KATI-TEI (turn 563): CHARLES DEGLOPPER of MEDAL OF HONOR H3 (The Anarchist) DM 46 ARDIVENT (turn 554): ANNA BEATRICE of FANDILS (Wise Old Fandil, mgr.) DM 52 FRATSFA (turn 257): BRAIN TUMOR of OTTO'S PARTS (Crip, mgr.) DM 63 AMEN-TEI (turn 453): BILLY JOHNSON of 1949 YANKEES (Papa Bear, mgr.) DM 71 KYR'TERR (turn 211): ALBUQUERQUE of WESTERN FRONTIERS (?, mgr.) ADM 105 ANDORAK (turn 506): VAJRA VALMEJAR of SCARLET KNIGHTS (Armalias, mgr.) Top Teams --------- DM 8 ARKERS (turn 309): CONSANGUINEOUS (Mannequin, mgr.) DM 11 ARUAK CITY (turn 621): ANIMAL FARM (Mino, mgr.) DM 14 TOBIR (turn 620): ALL THE MUN'S MEN (The Mun, mgr.) DM 22 SOLVEN (turn 608): KELLUMBO'S KIDS (Detective Kellumbo, mgr.) DM 24 ZORPUNT (turn 610): MEDAL OF HONOOR J4 (The Anarchist, mgr.) DM 25 LYRATILAN (turn 607): THE MIDDLE WAY 4 (Jorja, mgr.) DM 26 CALEAM (turn 606): MENAGERIE (Ichabod Frothingslosh, mgr.) DM 30 IAYE (turn 602): LENPROS (Lenpro, mgr.) DM 40 ZENSU (turn 572): BEYOND THE PALE (Jorja, mgr.) DM 41 KATI-TEI (turn 563): MEDAL OF HONOR H3 (The Anarchist, mgr.) DM 46 ARDIVENT (turn 554): DEATHTONGUE (Technogeek, mgr.) DM 52 FRATSFA (turn 257): FLOWER GIRLS (Lady Fern, mgr.) DM 63 AMEN-TEI (turn 453): WANDERERS (Jorja, mgr.) DM 71 KYR'TERR (turn 211): THE ZOO (Jorja, mgr.) ADM 105 ANDORAK (turn 506): SUPERIOR FATHER et al (Manager, mgr.) Recent Graduates ---------------- DM 8 ARKERS (turn 309): CONCUSSION of CONSANGUINEOUS (Mannequin, mgr.) DM 11 ARUAK CITY (turn 621): LILAC LIZARD of ANIMAL FARM (Mino, mgr.) MOCHA MONKEY of ANIMAL FARM (Mino, mgr.) DM 14 TOBIR (turn 620): MR FANG of THE DOGHOUSE (Jorja, mgr.) (turn 619): DALMORE of OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (The Mun, mgr.) DM 26 CALEAM (turn 606): SUZETTE CREPPAY of GOLDEN CANYON (Jorja, mgr.) (turn 605): KNEE BREAKER of ULTRA-VIOLENT (Deep Thought, mgr.) FLESH FLAYER of ULTRA-VIOLENT (Deep Thought, mgr.) DM 30 IAYE (turn 601): LITTLE ROCKY of RED DOG GANG (Jorja, mgr.) DM 40 ZENSU (turn 571): DAY TURNER of MEDAL OF HONOR G1 (The Anarchist, mgr.) DM 41 KATI-TEI (turn 563): ROBERT DUNLAP of MEDAL OF HONOR H3 (The Anarchist, mgr.) (turn 562): TERRINDAR of WANDERERS (Jorja, mgr.) DM 46 ARDIVENT (turn 553): BUM of DEATHTONGUE (Technogeek, mgr.) DM 71 KYR'TERR (turn 210): TRYPTOPHAN of SUPERIOR FORCES ZC (Manager, mgr.) SPY REPORT Welcome ARKERS. I, Olaf Modeen remember this place well. Many the fights have I fought here. The celebrations, the disappointments... Phhbltt! Too much drinking and too little dodging gave MIDDLE WAY 11 a 1-4-0! I got a good laugh out of it! Ya gotta be quick on yer feet! Keep your elbow off the table! Thrust! Block out the pain! WARRIOR POETS is now ranked 2nd with a 4-1-0 turn. It seems so recently people were saying Z GLADIATORZ was washed up, finished. But 4-0-0 moved them up 2. I guess they're washed no more... What's with DIOCLETIAN? He actually beat CONSANGUINEOUS' CONFESSION, and walked away with 19 more points from the fight. Laughs were big at SMITHSONIAN while they watched GERONIMO clobber NORM QUESHA. He lost 13 points and got bruised from objects thrown from the stands. See how the Duelmaster Dark Arena Challenged DARK ARENA's SPYMASTER? That sort of initiative is how he got where he is now. Try as he might, SPYMASTER wasn't good enough at persuading CONCUSSION to step down from the Duelmaster's throne... Wouldn't it be nice to have live subjects to practice on? I hear some team is looking into the uses of convicted prisoners. If at first you don't succeed, avoid. That'll get you in the Spyreports. The most avoided team was BONDAGE. The bums at SMITHSONIAN couldn't face the challenges from BONDAGE! No excuse for that! How well I know the feeling of being the most challenged warrior, ZITHER! Don't make idle boasts, they may come back to haunt you. Keep challenging up 26 points, PINK, and I won't have to write about you much longer. ZITHER always accepts those kind of challenges... As I expected, ZITHER won PINK. Not to start anything, but, PINK, now that you've faced her and seen hers style, you might try it again! SALIVA of HEAD BANGERS knows how to pick 'em. He challenged AYANNAH WULF of HEAVEN'S SHADOW who is up by 24. Now was this a wise move? SALIVA perhaps got his just desserts, seeing as he defeated AYANNAH WULF and ended up with 19 recognition points. I hate going to the effort of writing about the kind of fights that CONFIDENCE gets in. He fights people like KERBIN NOTTS, 15 points below. I thought CONFIDENCE showed great skill and promise when he bested KERBIN NOTTS. All right, so I slept through it! Big deal! Warriors of ARKERS unite. You have only your games to lose! Who will dare fight CONCUSSION, after he returned from the Dark Arena? (For the record 13-2-1 is 176, and has he points) So SMITHSONIAN sent WATERLOO to the Dark Arena. Big deal. Plenty more fighters where WATERLOO came from. Dime a dozen... Now, Spyreporters... Here's some advice: study your opponent, master many skills, fight dirty. Who knows what the future holds for a warrior. More fights, there's no doubt. ARKERS is a nice place to live, but I don't like to live in nice places. Remember--a good fighter needs both good skills and good luck. Until next time,-- Olaf Modeen DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME ZENITH 5082 14 7 0 113 Z GLADIATORZ (519) CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME ZIP 4383 18 11 0 109 Z GLADIATORZ (519) ZINGER 4890 26 9 0 108 Z GLADIATORZ (519) CONUNDRUM 4892 15 4 0 105 CONSANGUINEOUS (567) PEARL HARBOR 5076 16 11 0 102 SMITHSONIAN (245) -EMM 4588 12 8 1 98 BONDAGE (469) CONSTERNATION 4896 13 2 0 96 CONSANGUINEOUS (567) WAR BOND 5066 15 12 0 95 SMITHSONIAN (245) CONFIDENCE 4894 11 4 0 92 CONSANGUINEOUS (567) CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME -QUEUE 4549 14 11 4 83 BONDAGE (469) INDIOR LANDIS 5058 16 16 0 80 MIDDLE WAY 11 (546) -PUSSY GALORE 4467 11 11 0 76 BONDAGE (469) KERBIN NOTTS 5040 13 21 0 67 MIDDLE WAY 11 (546) CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME -ZILCH 5081 8 5 0 66 Z GLADIATORZ (519) BLOOD STAIN 5049 18 11 0 65 BLOOD RITES (585) GERONIMO 5125 4 4 0 61 SMITHSONIAN (245) ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME CHAOS BLADE 5108 7 4 0 55 BLOOD RITES (585) DIOCLETIAN 4990 3 1 0 50 WARRIOR POETS (578) CONFESSION 4895 8 4 0 44 CONSANGUINEOUS (567) NORM QUESHA 5171 5 1 0 37 MIDDLE WAY 11 (546) ZITHER 5153 6 0 0 35 Z GLADIATORZ (519) ALAMO 5151 4 1 0 34 SMITHSONIAN (245) CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME -ROSA KLEBB 4713 7 7 1 33 BONDAGE (469) ESAU HARDGRAVE 5144 6 2 2 33 HEAVEN'S SHADOW (594) MARTIN LUTHER 4987 4 0 2 30 WARRIOR POETS (578) MENCIUS 4986 3 1 0 24 WARRIOR POETS (578) INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME SIMON BOLIVAR 4989 3 1 0 21 WARRIOR POETS (578) JEREMAYO MELLON 5179 3 2 0 20 MIDDLE WAY 11 (546) SALIVA 5163 1 1 0 19 HEAD BANGERS (595) JOS GATECRASHER 5146 3 5 1 15 HEAVEN'S SHADOW (594) -SONIA 5185 1 0 0 13 THE ASSASIN GUILD (598) CRIMSON DRIP 5172 1 0 0 13 BLOOD RITES (585) AYANNAH WULF 5145 2 6 0 12 HEAVEN'S SHADOW (594) INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME ALBRECHT WULF 5142 1 7 0 11 HEAVEN'S SHADOW (594) GORE 5169 1 0 0 10 BLOOD RITES (585) BLOOD SPRAY 5170 1 0 0 9 BLOOD RITES (585) PINK 5161 1 1 0 6 HEAD BANGERS (595) METALLICA 5159 1 1 1 5 HEAD BANGERS (595) SLIP KNOT 5162 1 1 0 4 HEAD BANGERS (595) KORN 5160 1 1 0 4 HEAD BANGERS (595) FORSAKEN 5180 1 1 0 4 HEAVEN'S SHADOW (594) -DRIZZLE 5181 0 1 0 1 THE ASSASIN GUILD (598) -SHEN ZU 5183 0 1 0 1 THE ASSASIN GUILD (598) -GRUUMSH 5182 0 1 0 1 THE ASSASIN GUILD (598) HANNA KEENE 5187 0 1 0 1 MIDDLE WAY 11 (546) '-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn. THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge? GEORGE JOHN 5186 0 1 0 MIDDLE WAY 11 546 MARTIN LUTHER 4987 308 WATERLOO 5119 5 3 0 SMITHSONIAN 245 SHEWISH GIANT 310 NONE GIMBLE THE QUICK 5184 0 1 0 THE ASSASIN GUIL 598 METALLICA 5159 309 JUVENAL 4988 2 2 1 WARRIOR POETS 578 ESAU HARDGRAVE 5144 310 PERSONAL ADS Congratulations again to finally graduating Concussion who concussed our own Pearl Harbor for the win. Great job managing Concussion, Mr. Consag manager. Concussion, don't let the door hit you on the way out. (wink) -- Curator Norm Quesha -- Five-0?! What was I doing fighting you? Another lost cause for me. You rock. -- Alamo Confidence -- It is nice to know that the Consags are not all infallible. -- War Bond Health. Humility. Honor. -- Curator Consternation -- You rat! You been trainin under a Daydream? -- Zinger Conundrum -- Hah! Got me one of them there C's. Hah! -- Zenith (Arkers best record in the mailer) Ayannah Wulf -- How did you like that tune? -- Zither Indior -- Ugh! You ain't supposed to do that, you cad! You made me feel like... Zilch A Z a day keeps the hospital in play. -- The Z Man All (posted later) -- Waterloo has asked that I release him to his real Waterloo. I have done so. He was a 13-10-10-7-19-18-7 Ba blessed with great damage. He asked to go out with a winning record. -- Curator A big welcome to Head Bangers and to the Assassin Guild. May you compete long and well here in Arkers. -- Downtime Zither -- As often as we do this, we should start fighting in an arena full of Jello, or something. We could make a *fortune*. -- Ayannah Wolf Saliva -- You'll get whiplash if you keep banging your head on the floor like that. -- Forsaken Jeremayo Mellon -- Normally, mayo and melons would leave a bad taste in my mouth. The sweet taste of victory makes a big difference, though. -- Esau Hardgrave Alamo -- Eh? Was I supposed to remember something? It seems to have slipped my mind. -- Norm Quesha P.S. You did a decent job for a building. Confession -- You must be mistaken, I would *never* have said anything like that! -- Kerbin Notts P.S. A man has to keep his self respect, after all. Zilch -- Which is about what you got out of it. You need to take a more positive view if you want to succeed. -- Indior Landis P.S. Has your team enrolled Zsa Zsa yet? Or however that should be spelled. Esau Hardgrave -- Well, if you like that kind of thing. Myself, I'll take a soft one, and for choice I'll avoid the whole issue. -- Jeremayo Mellon Congratulations to Concussion. -- Jorja and the Middle Way A salute to all who participated in the tourney. -- Jorja and the Middle Way Concussion -- We are glad, of course, that you survived that terrible head injury to graduate. But I am sure that, given the long recovery ahead (no pun intended!) of you, there will be neither time or attention for you to spare to manage lands, even if we had lands to give you. Things have been tight lately, and no one has been deeding lands to the arena in their wills, or otherwise making them available. -- Desthvan, Arena Manager LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS CONCUSSION butchered SPYMASTER in a 1 minute Dark Arena fight. WATERLOO was viciously butchered by SHEWISH GIANT in a 3 minute Dark Arena duel. ZINGER luckily beat CONSTERNATION in a unpopular 18 minute expert's Challenge fight. PEARL HARBOR overpowered INDIOR LANDIS in a 2 minute bloody one-sided Challenge fight. CONFIDENCE devastated KERBIN NOTTS in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge duel. GERONIMO devastated NORM QUESHA in a 1 minute mismatched Challenge match. DIOCLETIAN overcame CONFESSION in a action packed 4 minute Challenge fight. JOS GATECRASHER lost to MENCIUS in a 2 minute Challenge duel. ESAU HARDGRAVE dispatched JUVENAL in a 1 minute Challenge duel. SLIP KNOT was overpowered by ALAMO in a 1 minute uneven Challenge duel. PINK was overpowered by ZITHER in a 5 minute one-sided Challenge fight. SALIVA overcame AYANNAH WULF in a 2 minute Challenge bout. CONUNDRUM defeated WAR BOND in a 5 minute bloody veteran's match. ZIP handily defeated VIRGINAL CONCUBINE in a 1 minute one-sided contest. ZENITH demolished NOBLE ASSASSIN in a 1 minute bloody one-sided Title brawl. BLOOD STAIN outwaited FRATSFA MERCENARY in a tiring 9 minute uneven fight. CHAOS BLADE devastated CIVILIZED CRIMINAL in a 1 minute uneven duel. ALBRECHT WULF was narrowly defeated by SIMON BOLIVAR in a unpopular 8 minute brawl. MARTIN LUTHER overpowered KORN in a 1 minute brutal one-sided bout. METALLICA was overpowered by JEREMAYO MELLON in a 1 minute one-sided match. FORSAKEN was viciously subdued by BLOOD SPRAY in a 17 minute amateur's competition. CRIMSON DRIP vanquished SHIFTYEYED VOLUNTEER in a 2 minute one-sided match. GORE handily defeated HANNA KEENE in a 1 minute uneven duel. BATTLE REPORT MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS |FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT| |BASHING ATTACK 10 AIMED BLOW 26 - 17 - 2 60 | |TOTAL PARRY 6 BASHING ATTACK 33 - 22 - 2 60 | |STRIKING ATTACK 5 TOTAL PARRY 29 - 21 - 0 58 | |LUNGING ATTACK 4 LUNGING ATTACK 24 - 20 - 4 55 | |AIMED BLOW 4 WALL OF STEEL 11 - 11 - 0 50 | |WALL OF STEEL 4 PARRY-RIPOSTE 12 - 13 - 0 48 | |PARRY-RIPOSTE 2 PARRY-LUNGE 8 - 10 - 1 44 | |SLASHING ATTACK 2 SLASHING ATTACK 12 - 16 - 2 43 | |PARRY-LUNGE 1 STRIKING ATTACK 13 - 20 - 0 39 | |PARRY-STRIKE 1 PARRY-STRIKE 6 - 11 - 0 35 | Turn 310 was great if you Not so great if you used The fighting styles of the used the fighting styles: the fighting styles: top eleven warriors are: LUNGING ATTACK 4 - 0 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 1 2 BASHING ATTACK AIMED BLOW 3 - 1 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 1 2 TOTAL PARRY WALL OF STEEL 3 - 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 2 2 AIMED BLOW TOTAL PARRY 4 - 2 SLASHING ATTACK 0 - 2 2 WALL OF STEEL STRIKING ATTACK 3 - 2 2 LUNGING ATTACK BASHING ATTACK 5 - 5 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME BASHING ATTACK ZENITH 5082 14 7 0 113 Z GLADIATORZ (519) TOTAL PARRY ZINGER 4890 26 9 0 108 Z GLADIATORZ (519) AIMED BLOW CONUNDRUM 4892 15 4 0 105 CONSANGUINEOUS (567) WALL OF STEEL PEARL HARBOR 5076 16 11 0 102 SMITHSONIAN (245) PARRY-RIPOSTE CONSTERNATION 4896 13 2 0 96 CONSANGUINEOUS (567) LUNGING ATTACK CONFIDENCE 4894 11 4 0 92 CONSANGUINEOUS (567) STRIKING ATTACK CHAOS BLADE 5108 7 4 0 55 BLOOD RITES (585) PARRY-LUNGE CONFESSION 4895 8 4 0 44 CONSANGUINEOUS (567) Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above. The overall popularity leader is ZIP 4383. The most popular warrior this turn was WATERLOO 5119. The ten other most popular fighters were DIOCLETIAN 4990, WAR BOND 5066, PEARL HARBOR 5076, PINK 5161, CONUNDRUM 4892, SALIVA 5163, AYANNAH WULF 5145, ZENITH 5082, MARTIN LUTHER 4987, and JEREMAYO MELLON 5179. The least popular fighter this week was FORSAKEN 5180. The other ten least popular fighters were BLOOD SPRAY 5170, ZINGER 4890, CONSTERNATION 4896, BLOOD STAIN 5049, SIMON BOLIVAR 4989, ZITHER 5153, CONFESSION 4895, HANNA KEENE 5187, METALLICA 5159, and KORN 5160. The following warriors will travel to AD after next turn: ZENITH (8-5082) Z GLADIATORZ (519) ZINGER (8-4890) Z GLADIATORZ (519) The following warriors have traveled to AD after fighting this turn: CONCUSSION (8-4893) CONSANGUINEOUS (567) SUMMER FACE-TO-FACE IN CLEVELAND! Our summer FTF will be an eastern one this time, located in Cleveland, Ohio on July 17-19, 2009. It will be held at the Holiday Inn in Strongsville, OH, at 15471 Royalton Rd (440-238-8800). Rooms are only $95.00 per night, 1-2 occupancy. There is a free shuttle from the airport, free parking, and free high-speed wireless internet in all guestrooms ($3/day in public space). The hotel has an indoor pool, pool table, and hockey, and a fitness center. The hotel is located 1/2 mile from the largest mall in Northeast Ohio, with indoor minigolf and pottery painting, and right next door to Iceland Arena, which offers open skate and skate rental. They also have four bikes on property available for checkout, as the Metro parks are next door as well. The rooms are blocked--ask for the "Reality Simulations" room block. There are many restaurants and nightspots nearby and at the Mall, as well as a cafe in the hotel. The tournament information sheet will be out imminently. We hope you're all looking forward to the tournament and that we will see you there! Daydream Believer You once thought of me, As a white knight on a steed. Now you know how happy I can be... It's true. I'm gone. I've punched my ticket to Immortality and I'm off to the Isle. I know a lot of you are wondering what it is about me that has made me so successful. I wish I knew for sure. I think it has more to do with intangibles (knack) than it does with design, bonuses and favorites. I'll let you decide. Daydream Believer (PR) 17-14-4-17-7-8-17 Poor Endurance--Good Damage I -- 8 (+1) R -- 13 A -- 14 (+4) P -- 14 (+4) Df - 8 Dc - 6 (+3) I know what you're thinking, "WTF, that guy looks like a 98 lb weakling!" Sigh...I prefer to think my physical characteristics are ideally suited for a finesse style. As for my bases, I know they aren't much to look at. After all, I am a PR. I'm fortunate to be blessed where I need it the most--attack and parry. Okay, so I've got nice bases with bonuses in the right spots. What about favorites? Did I know them in advance or did I change them? The answer is no, I had no idea what they were for sure until I recieved my graduation announcement. I would be happy to tell you what my favorites are but I don't think my clone, Jumpinjack Flash, would be very happy with me if I did. Let's just say that from the moment I stepped on the sands as a Rookie I used the same strategy in EVERY fight. The only thing I ever changed was armor (early on vs. TP's) and attack/defend locations. That should give those of you who have faced me more than once something to think about. You may be interested to know that I am all natural. I haven't had a prize of any type used on me. I'm a freak of nature. It just goes to show you never know when a guy like me will walk into your guildhouse looking for work as a gladiator. It's up to you to spot the potential and nuture it along. I'm going to list my tourney results and records versus each style. It isn't meant to be a brag--I just thought you might find it interesting and a lot easier than looking it up yourself. Enjoy! Tourneys: Rookies: 15-1-3 TC. Initiates: 15-3-3 TV. Adepts: 16-2 TC. Champs: 13-1-1 TC. Rookies--Champs record: 59-7-7 (.894) Challengers: 9-3 TV. Challengers: 15-1-1 TC. Challengers: 13-3 TV -- Runner-up (Marv-AB) Challengers: 13-3 TV -- Runner-up (Teevella-LU) Challengers: 7-3 Challengers: 11-3-2 TV Challengers: 11-3-1 TV Challengers: 13-3 TV -- Runner-up (Marv-AB) Challengers: 12-3 TV. Challengers record: 104-25-4 (.806). Career Tourney record: 163-32-11 (.836) TC's: 4 TVs: 8 (3 Runner-ups) Arena record: 5-0-1 Grudge matches: 3-0 Total record: 171-32-12 (.842) Tourney record vs all styles: AB: 7-11 BA: 6-0-1 LU: 46-9-4 PL: 5-1-1 PR: 2-0 PS: --- SL: 9-2 ST: 51-5-2 TP: 35-4-3 WS: 2-0 As you can see, the only style I had trouble with is the ABs. I think that has more to do with which ABs I fought rather than the style as a whole. I was 3-1 vs ABs early on (Rookies-Champs) and 4-10 in Challengers. I was 1-5 vs Marv, 0-1 vs Marv Jr and 0-3 vs Soulsnare. I am going to make an educated guess and assume they all had skills or prizes added to them to make them competetive at the Challenger level where so few ABs are. I could be wrong, though I doubt it. See you on the Isle, Daydream Believer