DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER

Date   : 02/04/2020    Duedate: 02/17/2020

SEAM ARENA

DM-20    TURN-121

This Weeks Top Honors

THE DUELMASTER IS

RAMIREZ
80S FANTASY (60)
(20-748) [16-13-2,111]

Chartered Recognition Leader   Unchartered Recognition Leader

RAMIREZ                        MARK MARKSON
80S FANTASY (60)               BIG LAKE NAMES (61)
(20-748) [16-13-2,111]         (20-818) [3-1-0,36]

Popularity Leader              This Weeks Favorite

CHANNEL MIXER                  GRAVEL
PIXELBENDERS (36)              OAKLEAF (59)
(20-646) [22-19-0,85]          (20-821) [3-2-0,29]

THE CURRENT TOP TEAM

80S FANTASY (60)

          TEAMS ON THE MOVE            TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name                  Point Gain  Chartered Team
1. 80S FANTASY (60)            64
2. OAKLEAF (59)                60      PHANTOM REGIMENT (25)
3. DARQUE KNIGHTS (22)         21      Unchartered Team
4. PIXELBENDERS (36)            9
5. BIG LAKE NAMES (61)          5      BIG LAKE NAMES (61)

The Top Teams

Career Win-Loss Record           W   L  K    %  Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns    W  L K
 1/ 1*BIG LAKE NAMES (61)       12   8  4 60.0   1/ 4 80S FANTASY (60)         10  5 1
 2/ 3 PHANTOM REGIMENT (25)    224 159 10 58.5   2/ 5 LOST SENTINELS (19)       8  6 0
 3/ 2 BOX IN THE ATTIC (58)     29  21  2 58.0   3/ 8 DARQUE KNIGHTS (22)       8  6 0
 4- 4 I'M NOT EGGBERT (9)      257 205 19 55.6   4/ 3 PHANTOM REGIMENT (25)     8  7 1
 5/ 7 80S FANTASY (60)          77  65  8 54.2   5/ 6 OAKLEAF (59)              8  7 0
 6/ 5 DARQUE KNIGHTS (22)      316 277 22 53.3   6/ 1*BIG LAKE NAMES (61)       7  8 1
 7/ 6 PIXELBENDERS (36)        260 233 10 52.7   7/ 7 PIXELBENDERS (36)         7  8 0
 8/ 9 OAKLEAF (59)              88  80  1 52.4   8/ 9 BOX IN THE ATTIC (58)     7  8 0
 9/ 8 THIRSTY THUGS (31)       299 285  8 51.2   9/ 2 HUCKLE'S CATS (23)        6  9 0
10/10 HUCKLE'S CATS (23)       243 278  8 46.6  10/11 THIRSTY THUGS (31)        4  8 0
11/11 LOST SENTINELS (19)      242 349 26 40.9  11-10 I'M NOT EGGBERT (9)       2  2 0

    '*'   Unchartered team                       '-'  Team did not fight this turn
   (###)  Avoid teams by their Team Id          ##/## This turn's/Last turn's rank

                                    TEAM SPOTLIGHT

                                    Dark Stoicism

The giant sword cut a furrow into the dirt. The night's light reflected from a few 
patches on its slowly rusting blade, which rose out through an upturned mouth. The 
ricasso head stretched past a crossguard of outstretched hands. The stylized fighter 
handle stood on a pommel skull. Two beefy hands grasped the figure's body. The sword 
was massive, like the warrior holding it, called Stoic. The sword was sleek and 
battle-worn, the warrior was bloated and uncertain. Towering though he was, even under 
plates of armor, fat rolls peeked out. One might wonder if the cook decided to go to 
war while the soldiers stayed in the kitchen.

Stoic looked back. His manager, memory, had been there just a moment ago, but the tree 
line had misted over, obscuring the entrance. He shrugged under the weight of the 
armor and looked through his helmet. The moonlight was bright on a clearing in the 
forest. All was deadly quiet, night mist roiling. His sollrets clunking through patchy 
grass occasionally broke the silence. It would be serene, but he could feel eyes 
everywhere and the promise of death. This was not a quiet forest and certainly not the 
boisterous and sandy arena he normally fought in. This was the Dark Arena, final 
resting spot of the failed gladiator. 

                                        * * *

"I can do better. I can! Please!" Stoic pleaded but memory was unmoved. "My decision 
is final. You don't have the desire to live a life of war. You have not grown into the 
gladiator name I gave you." Stoic was on his knees, begging, searching memory's 
unseeing eyes for hope. Memory's mouth tightened as he let out an almost imperceptible 
sigh. He pulled the hood of his tight black cloak over his head, turned, and drifted 
away. 

"Wyvern, please. Surely you can save me?" The trainer put a hand on his shoulder. With 
Stoic on his knees, he and the diminutive trainer were eye to eye. An immortal warrior 
with many years and many deaths behind her, she did not harbor his fear of the 
unknown. "Today's fight is over. Tomorrow we will train for the next." She locked eyes 
with him, passing on some of her inner resolve. "Come," she bade, as she led him from 
the infirmary back to their training hall.

                                        * * * 

A biting pain seared through an exposed flap of skin on his stomach. His mind had 
wandered away from the fight. His opponent, a Dark Arena champion, had entered 
silently. An elf stood before him, two feet shorter, but standing tall and towering 
above Stoic by confidence and bearing if not physical height. He might have been a 
glimmering angel, moonbeams dancing on exquisite silver mail. The elf brought his 
needle-thin sword up, hilt to face, blade skyward, in honorable warrior salute. He was 
sure he had won, and everyone knew it. He had time to honor the walking dead. 

                                        * * * 

Old Wyvern snaked a short spear under his guard, stopping just short of cutting. She 
always used her deadly spear, even in training, such was her skill and control. He had 
a greatsword, blunted for training, but massive. "I can barely move it. How can I 
train or fight if it's too heavy?" He felt a familiar and painful whack from the blunt 
end of Wyvern's spear. "Don't blame the sword. Desire victory and the sword will 
move." She struck again and he moved to the side, not moving the sword so much as 
standing it in the path of the attack. The parry was unorthodox but successful. 
"That'll do. Now strike!"

                                        * * * 

Stoic tried to recall his training as the fight continued. It wasn't working. He was 
bleeding profusely. He fell back on his reserves of strength and willpower. Slash, 
cut, smash... the elf was striking every weak spot in his armor, inflicting damage at 
will. Circle, stab, circle, slash, circle, cut. Stoic had been on the ground twice 
before struggling to his feet, stumbling and throwing up defenses with little success. 
He felt frustrated and clumsy but kept defending. Maybe the attacks were coming more 
slowly...

                                        * * * 

The arena crowd was restless, only moderately attentive to the morning's rookie 
warriors. The sand worked its way between his toes. He was just a boy. His parents did 
not love their son so much as an arena bounty. Stoic was scared and slow and the man 
in front of him wished him harm. And harm he did. Stoic cowered behind his shield, 
without even a weapon. "It's better this way. Rely on your hands. I want to see what 
you can do," memory had said. Stoic was bruised and bleeding. His opponent was more 
tired than injured, exhausted, really. Under a slowly diminishing rain of blows, Stoic 
heard calls from his teammates. "Now strike!" They were yelling frantically. He peered 
over his shield to see his opponent, sweating, breathing heavily, grip loosening on 
his sword. The attacking gladiator overextended above his head, ready to deliver 
another hacking, unopposed blow. Stoic roared upward to his full height, at the same 
time sending his shield through the surprised gladiator's face. Blood spattered, he 
flipped once and landed face down with a thud, sword flying end over end to land ten 
feet away. The crowd gasped for a moment then roared. His team roared. He looked to 
see memory, gazing forward blindly as always, but clearly smiling at him.

                                        * * * 

Back in the night mist, he was tired and hurt. After a long fight, minutes under this 
barrage. It must happen soon. Stoic knew he would die. But he wasn't dead yet. He saw 
the elf circling, waiting for another attack. He saw the moonlight and the trees. He 
felt the watching eyes. He felt memory and old Wyvern and his team. He knew they could 
see. He felt his opponents and all the gladiators in him for this moment. He felt his 
parents, who only saw in him a mouth to feed. He saw the high elf, still glistening, 
now with sweat -- still looking down on Stoic -- looking down not with haughty 
indignation as before, but the desperation of a man trying to chop down a stone tower 
and just realizing his error. Stoic saw not confidence but desperation. For the first 
time, resignation gave way to fury. "Strike Now," he heard in his mind.

The elf leapt forward, blade flashing. Stoic spun to his right, pulling the massive 
blade in his wake. The elf and his blade shot through the spot Stoic had been, then 
turned back in disbelief at the unexpected life in his easy quarry. "Strike Now," 
Stoic thought, as he continued his spin, continued his fury, pulling the blade full 
circle, letting out a roar that called all the judging eyes to witness.

The blade felt warm in his hand. He struggled to catch his breath. The arc of the 
blade had pulled him another half circle away from his opponent. He looked back at the 
elf, ready for the next attack. The elf's body stood, head lying on its shoulder, neck 
detached entirely where the blade had hewn through. The head's eyes were still open, 
judging differently now, askew. Immortal these Dark Arena champions were, and 
immortality makes death an odd thing. Stoic fell to his knees, sobbing. The fight was 
over. And it might never end. 

                                          -- memory

                                      SPY REPORT

     I can't believe the violence in SEAM!  I still haven't told Mom I'm writing 
Spyreports.  She'd have a cow!  Well, here we go...  Too bad, BIG LAKE NAMES, but 80S 
FANTASY was just too good to be stopped.  I don't wanna hurt anybody's feelings or 
anything, but HUCKLE'S CATS really goofed with their 1-4-0.  The guys at DARQUE 
KNIGHTS like really pulled together to get a 3-2-0 this turn, moving up by 5.  Cut 
this out and put it in your scrapbooks, 80S FANTASY!  'Cause they got 5-0-0 and moved 
up to 1st!  MVP award for SCARRED?  OAKLEAF's proud of him after beating FREDDIE FOX 
and getting 21 points.  Talk about yer major upsets!  FREDDIE FOX's match with 
SCARRED cost him a loss of 16 points!  The Duelmaster isn't going to stop just cause 
he's Number One!  RAMIREZ knows this.  He was challenged by the Duelmaster.  Was that 
a tear I saw in RAMIREZ's eye, as he took over Duelmastership?  And wasn't MR. 
GRUNKLE fit to be tied!  I hear the top team insists all their warriors get nine 
hours sleep.  They want photogenic fighters for PR photos.   
     So just why would someone becomes a warrior anyway?  It can't be for these 
really neat Spyreports can it?  The warriors of OAKLEAF must be getting lonely.  They 
were the most avoided team.  Do you guys know something that I don't?  I don't know 
what BOX IN THE ATTIC's been doing.  They certainly haven't been accepting many 
fights from OAKLEAF, that's fer sher.  Like, is MIXL popular, or what?  It was 
challenged the most in all of SEAM!  It's got a 10-11-0, is that good?   
     Challenges, revenges, Bloodfeuds.  All SEAM ever talks about is fighting!  Me, 
I'm more laid back.  Fight, fight, fight.  Is that all you guys can do?   
     I really didn't, you know, study when I was a kid.  Who would've guessed I'd be 
a famous Spyreporter?  I know how much you like reading this stuff, but I really 
should stop.  Remember you guys, ease up sometimes!  Chill out!  Later, Debby Tonte  

DUELMASTER                     W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 RAMIREZ 748                  16  13  2   111       80S FANTASY (60)

CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 MEG MUCKLEBONES 747          14  15  1   106       80S FANTASY (60)
-CLOUDZILLA 763               12   8  0   105       I'M NOT EGGBERT (9)
 SCARRED 725                  18  16  0   102       OAKLEAF (59)
 MR. GRUNKLE 677              19  25  1    91       HUCKLE'S CATS (23)

CHAMPIONS                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 DUMBO 787                    11   4  0    90       OAKLEAF (59)
 CHANNEL MIXER 646            22  19  0    85       PIXELBENDERS (36)
 XAPHA IRONJAW 760            14  13  2    85       DARQUE KNIGHTS (22)
 TWOFEET D'GRAVE 757          16  11  2    82       PHANTOM REGIMENT (25)
 FREDDIE FOX 768              15  10  0    79       HUCKLE'S CATS (23)
 PATHAREA 765                 16   9  0    77       PIXELBENDERS (36)
 SAWDUST 717                  15  20  2    77       HUCKLE'S CATS (23)
 MIXL 777                     10  11  0    70       THIRSTY THUGS (31)
-CRAGGY MATTERHORN 767        11   9  1    69       I'M NOT EGGBERT (9)

CHALLENGER ADEPTS              W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 REQUIEM 780                  12   8  0    66       PHANTOM REGIMENT (25)
 MUCK 736                     11  20  3    66       LOST SENTINELS (19)
 SLEEPLESS 752                15  13  1    59       PHANTOM REGIMENT (25)
-CPT. OCTOPUS 783              6   5  0    57       I'M NOT EGGBERT (9)

ADEPTS                         W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 HARUSHU 753                  14  14  0    56       THIRSTY THUGS (31)
 BLOODMOON 798                 8   4  1    55       PHANTOM REGIMENT (25)
 VOX SUNFIRE 773              13  10  0    53       DARQUE KNIGHTS (22)
 VIKTORIA 809                  4   4  0    51       OAKLEAF (59)
 PURGE 785                     7   9  1    50       LOST SENTINELS (19)
 SUSIE SWOOF 784               9   7  0    48       DARQUE KNIGHTS (22)
 YOUNG PICTURES 705            6   4  1    37       BOX IN THE ATTIC (58)
 RUDOLF VON FLUGEL 811         4   3  1    37       HUCKLE'S CATS (23)
 MARK MARKSON 818              3   1  0    36       BIG LAKE NAMES (61)
 DITHER 792                    9   4  0    35       PIXELBENDERS (36)
 ALLMIGHT 782                  8   9  0    35       LOST SENTINELS (19)

CHALLENGER INITIATES           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 TORQUIL 832                   2   0  0    33       80S FANTASY (60)
 MOTHBALL 704                  8   2  0    32       BOX IN THE ATTIC (58)
 JOHN JOHNSON 819              3   1  1    29       BIG LAKE NAMES (61)
 MR READ-A-LOT 774             3  20  0    29       HUCKLE'S CATS (23)

CHALLENGER INITIATES           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 GRAVEL 821                    3   2  0    29       OAKLEAF (59)
 VALERIA 807                   3   6  0    29       80S FANTASY (60)
 SURGICAL GLOVES 702           5   5  0    24       BOX IN THE ATTIC (58)
 RATTLECHAINS 826              3   0  0    24       PHANTOM REGIMENT (25)

INITIATES                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 DEAD ROACH 703                6   4  1    23       BOX IN THE ATTIC (58)
 TARL 822                      3   2  0    23       LOST SENTINELS (19)
 TOM THOMSON 817               3   1  0    23       BIG LAKE NAMES (61)
 SMUDGE STICK 799              5   6  0    21       PIXELBENDERS (36)
 ANDY ANDERSON 816             2   2  2    21       BIG LAKE NAMES (61)
 JAYCE 813                     2   4  1    20       OAKLEAF (59)
 BUTTERFLY COLLECTN 701        4   6  0    18       BOX IN THE ATTIC (58)
 FAL ICETOOTH 810              4   4  0    16       DARQUE KNIGHTS (22)
 PRINCE TARN 833               1   1  0    14       80S FANTASY (60)
 BRAD BRADWELL 820             1   3  1     7       BIG LAKE NAMES (61)
 KALISTA LYNXEAR 828           1   1  0     4       DARQUE KNIGHTS (22)
 MOJO 834                      1   1  0     4       LOST SENTINELS (19)
 FLAZOR 831                    0   2  0     2       THIRSTY THUGS (31)
 CHIP 837                      0   1  0     1       THIRSTY THUGS (31)

'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.

THE DEAD                W  L K TEAM NAME            SLAIN BY              TURN Revenge?
POLLUX LYNXEAR 672     21 22 2 DARQUE KNIGHTS 22    SAWDUST 717           118  REVENGED
CPT. SEACRUD 788        0  1 0 I'M NOT EGGBERT 9    ANDY ANDERSON 816     118  REVENGED
MIGHT WIND MAKER 756   10 11 0 I'M NOT EGGBERT 9    TWOFEET D'GRAVE 757   119   
GNAT 786                5  8 1 LOST SENTINELS 19    JAYCE 813             118   
CROP 823                1  4 0 PIXELBENDERS 36      ANDY ANDERSON 816     121   
ROY MCBRIDE 836         0  1 0 THIRSTY THUGS 31     SPYMASTER             121  NONE

                                     PERSONAL ADS

Plungers and Pikers unite!  They fought last turn!

Channel Mixer -- Why do I keep running into the experience monsters?  Nice win. -- Two 
Feet

icetooth -- That felt closer than it should have been.  Nice matchup for me. -- 
Rattlechains

                                  LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS

ROY MCBRIDE was butchered by SPYMASTER in a 1 minute Dark Arena fight.
MR. GRUNKLE was devastated by RAMIREZ in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge Title duel.
SCARRED handily defeated FREDDIE FOX in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge match.
DUMBO vanquished MIXL in a popular 1 minute mismatched Challenge brawl.
SUSIE SWOOF defeated RUDOLF VON FLUGEL in a 1 minute Challenge match.
MARK MARKSON was bested by VOX SUNFIRE in a 1 minute Challenge brawl.
VIKTORIA devastated JOHN JOHNSON in a 1 minute mismatched Challenge match.
TORQUIL handily defeated MR READ-A-LOT in a 1 minute uneven Challenge fight.
ANDY ANDERSON slaughtered CROP in a 1 minute uneven Challenge duel.
GRAVEL viciously subdued FAL ICETOOTH in a action packed 7 minute Challenge fight.
PRINCE TARN overpowered MOJO in a 2 minute one-sided Challenge fight.
TOM THOMSON outwaited DEAD ROACH in a slow 17 minute Challenge bout.
CHANNEL MIXER was demolished by MEG MUCKLEBONES in a 1 minute mismatched match.
REQUIEM was overcome by PATHAREA in a 3 minute brutal contest.
XAPHA IRONJAW demolished HARUSHU in a crowd pleasing 1 minute one-sided brawl.
TWOFEET D'GRAVE overcame MUCK in a 2 minute expert's fight.
SLEEPLESS was overpowered by SAWDUST in a action packed 1 minute uneven struggle.
YOUNG PICTURES was savagely defeated by PURGE in a 2 minute bloody brawl.
BLOODMOON devastated ALLMIGHT in a 1 minute one-sided fight.
DITHER demolished BUTTERFLY COLLECTN in a 3 minute one-sided bout.
MOTHBALL luckily beat JAYCE in a 2 minute bloody fight.
SMUDGE STICK viciously subdued FLAZOR in a 1 minute veteran vs. novice contest.
VALERIA demolished POLITE BEGGAR in a 2 minute uneven bout.
SURGICAL GLOVES vanquished BRAD BRADWELL in a 1 minute mismatched fray.
TARL defeated CHIP in a 1 minute novice's match.
RATTLECHAINS defeated KALISTA LYNXEAR in a 3 minute novice's duel.

                                    BATTLE REPORT

             MOST POPULAR                        RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS     
|FIGHTING STYLE               FIGHTS        FIGHTING STYLE     W -   L -  K   PERCENT|
|TOTAL PARRY                      9         STRIKING ATTACK   43 -  28 -  2      61  |
|AIMED BLOW                       8         WALL OF STEEL     26 -  19 -  2      58  |
|STRIKING ATTACK                  8         TOTAL PARRY       36 -  28 -  1      56  |
|BASHING ATTACK                   7         AIMED BLOW        39 -  31 -  1      56  |
|LUNGING ATTACK                   6         SLASHING ATTACK   20 -  20 -  3      50  |
|WALL OF STEEL                    5         PARRY-STRIKE       6 -   7 -  0      46  |
|SLASHING ATTACK                  4         LUNGING ATTACK    34 -  41 -  3      45  |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE                    2         PARRY-RIPOSTE      4 -   6 -  1      40  |
|PARRY-STRIKE                     1         BASHING ATTACK    34 -  51 -  1      40  |
|PARRY-LUNGE                      0         PARRY-LUNGE        4 -   8 -  0      33  |

Turn 121 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:

WALL OF STEEL      4 -  1     STRIKING ATTACK    3 -  5         3  BASHING ATTACK 
BASHING ATTACK     5 -  2     LUNGING ATTACK     2 -  4         2  LUNGING ATTACK 
AIMED BLOW         5 -  3     TOTAL PARRY        3 -  6         2  STRIKING ATTACK
PARRY-RIPOSTE      1 -  1     PARRY-LUNGE        0 -  0         2  WALL OF STEEL  
SLASHING ATTACK    2 -  2     PARRY-STRIKE       0 -  1         1  SLASHING ATTACK
                                                                1  TOTAL PARRY    

                               TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE

FIGHTING STYLE   WARRIOR                     W   L  K PNTS TEAM NAME                  
SLASHING ATTACK  RAMIREZ 748                16  13  2  111 80S FANTASY (60)
TOTAL PARRY      SCARRED 725                18  16  0  102 OAKLEAF (59)
BASHING ATTACK   DUMBO 787                  11   4  0   90 OAKLEAF (59)
LUNGING ATTACK   CHANNEL MIXER 646          22  19  0   85 PIXELBENDERS (36)
WALL OF STEEL    TWOFEET D'GRAVE 757        16  11  2   82 PHANTOM REGIMENT (25)
STRIKING ATTACK  FREDDIE FOX 768            15  10  0   79 HUCKLE'S CATS (23)
AIMED BLOW       VOX SUNFIRE 773            13  10  0   53 DARQUE KNIGHTS (22)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.

The overall popularity leader is CHANNEL MIXER 646.  The most popular warrior this 
turn was GRAVEL 821.  The ten other most popular fighters were JAYCE 813, DUMBO 787, 
REQUIEM 780, PATHAREA 765, MUCK 736, PURGE 785, BUTTERFLY COLLECTN 701, RAMIREZ 748, 
SCARRED 725, and VOX SUNFIRE 773.

The least popular fighter this week was TOM THOMSON 817.  The other ten least popular 
fighters were DEAD ROACH 703, KALISTA LYNXEAR 828, CHIP 837, BRAD BRADWELL 820, 
FLAZOR 831, ALLMIGHT 782, MOJO 834, FAL ICETOOTH 810, CROP 823, and MR READ-A-LOT 
774.

The following warriors will travel to AD after next turn:

RAMIREZ (20-748) 80S FANTASY (60)