DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER Date : 02/10/2020 Duedate: 03/07/2020 CHIMLEVTAL ARENA DM-31 TURN-443 This Weeks Top Honors THE DUELMASTER IS URAKO WITSTEALER SHADOWHOLD (640) (31-6505) [24-19-4,130] Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader URAKO WITSTEALER PI CHAMAELEONTIS SHADOWHOLD (640) CHAMAELEON (669) (31-6505) [24-19-4,130] (31-6994) [3-1-0,32] Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite OROKE STONEMAGUS HAXE DOOMCARVER SHADOWHOLD (640) SHADOWHOLD (640) (31-6603) [19-16-4,84] (31-6882) [7-6-1,48] THE CURRENT TOP TEAM AVENGERS (146) TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team 1. SHADOWHOLD (640) 42 2. BOOK OF THOMAS (652) 22 USEFUL WEAPONS (636) 3. USEFUL WEAPONS (636) 16 Unchartered Team 4. CHAMAELEON (669) 13 5. BASH BROS OCEAN (627) 10 CHAMAELEON (669) The Top Teams Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K 1/ 1 USEFUL WEAPONS (636) 213 125 8 63.0 1/ 1 AVENGERS (146) 8 7 1 2/ 2 NUMBERS GAME (403) 411 348 28 54.2 2/ 0 SHADOWHOLD (640) 5 0 0 3/ 0 SHADOWHOLD (640) 106 94 12 53.0 3/ 2 NUMBERS GAME (403) 5 4 0 4/ 0 BOOK OF THOMAS (652) 36 34 4 51.4 4/ 5 BASH BROS OCEAN (627) 5 7 0 5/ 3 BASH BROS OCEAN (627) 154 155 6 49.8 5/ 3 MIDDLE WAY 7 (536) 5 9 0 6/ 4 AVENGERS (146) 473 506 37 48.3 6/ 4 USEFUL WEAPONS (636) 4 6 0 7/ 5*CHAMAELEON (669) 3 4 0 42.9 7/ 0 BOOK OF THOMAS (652) 2 1 0 8/ 6 MIDDLE WAY 7 (536) 266 494 11 35.0 8/ 6*CHAMAELEON (669) 2 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 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 Death! It seems a bit of a shame that the commission has set up the fighting to minimize fatalities. I understand the reasoning; fans, managers, and most certainly the warriors themselves don't want their favorites to die. On the other side, they cheer when their enemies die. Of course, it is almost better for enemies to live as well. Because the actual death is short lived, but the desire for that living enemy to die is a longing that continues. So while I intellectually understand the need and even the motivation to keep death rates low, I am the spy mistress. My own desire is to see the blood flow!!! And the blood did flow this turn. SPECTRUM, having earned immortality, tried his hand in the Dark Arena. SPECTRUM will experience a taste of resurrection. Three other warriors (from three other teams) also fought and lost night fights. The big news, however, was STORM SEASON vs HANZO. Just two short turns ago, these two faced off and the formidable, formerly undefeated STORM SEASON won quickly. The rematch, however, saw HANZO butchering the young star. Well done, HANZO. I love the risk/reward story of young upstarts challenging older warriors. The risk, of course, is death. The reward is that those young warriors tend to learn very well. Speaking of younger undefeated warriors, we have two undefeated streaks going. 2 x 4 of USEFUL WEAPONS made a glorious 14 point downchallenge to TANKEN to stay undefeated AND stay in the challenger adepts. With 61 recognition, it is entirely possible to repeat this challenge next turn. 6-0 today, with a potential to get to the elusive 8-0 by only facing adept level warriors. The other undefeated warrior is BLOOD METAL, returning from inactivity after relatively successful Initiates tourney, going 4-3. I'm sure the commission won't give me my wish, but I'll certainly suggest that next turn, 2 x 4 faces BLOOD METAL. SHADOWHOLD also returned to the sands and they came ready to fight. Or maybe it is that the stables here have become lazy in their training. Not a single stand in and every one of their warriors won. The most impressive win, of course, was URAKO WITSTEALER dethroning 1-800-VICTORY. URAKO did the take the throne and graduate routine. 30 warriors represented 8 teams. 14 fights (1 challenge) in addition to the Dark Arena challenges mentioned earlier. 9 fighting styles were seen (Parry Ripostes were the only style not seen). In addition to the impressive 5-0 by SHADOWHOLD, they won 5 awards! Yes, 5 awards! Well done. TANKEN was the most challenged warrior (the only challenged warrior?). AVENGERS was reported as most avoided by NUMBERS GAME. There were several tourney participants, but I cannot seem to find my notes. While I must say that spy reporting is easier with these fancy computers, I miss the old paper and pencil stuff. Keep a clean desk and you'd never lose anything. With these fancy computers, files seem to disappear all the time, lost on some hard disk in some forgotten folder. The final bit of news? Lady Smith was having a very bad hair day. I'm thinking 2 x 4 was actually tieing up more than its teammates. But she still managed to get two personal ads in. Those were, unfortunately, only ads. I'm not certain I'd agree with the bimbo title Lady Smith wants to give me, but I'll commend her for calling somebody something. Whether it is apathy or laziness, she puts everyone else to shame with her loud mouth. Smithy, must have known about Lady Smith's attitude for he was nowhere to be seen. Wise man. I guess I need to give him more credit. -- Until next time, I remain Belinda, spy mistress extraordinaire DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME URAKO WITSTEALER 6505 24 19 4 130 SHADOWHOLD (640) CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME -BREXIT 2016 6790 14 4 0 123 NUMBERS GAME (403) HANZO 6918 12 15 1 121 AVENGERS (146) -SILVER GLASS 6748 11 2 0 100 BOOK OF THOMAS (652) 1-800-VICTORY 6727 14 4 0 91 NUMBERS GAME (403) CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME OROKE STONEMAGUS 6603 19 16 4 84 SHADOWHOLD (640) LASSO 6865 19 10 0 83 USEFUL WEAPONS (636) BASORN KUBIKIRI 6965 9 6 0 72 AVENGERS (146) NORISON ROSE 6453 14 27 0 69 MIDDLE WAY 7 (536) CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME 2 X 4 6974 6 0 0 61 USEFUL WEAPONS (636) TABOR SKULLSHOT 6903 7 2 0 59 SHADOWHOLD (640) BLOOD METAL 6912 5 0 2 58 BOOK OF THOMAS (652) ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME -POKER 6970 5 2 0 56 USEFUL WEAPONS (636) ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME HAXE DOOMCARVER 6882 7 6 1 48 SHADOWHOLD (640) -BOLO 6908 11 4 1 46 USEFUL WEAPONS (636) HURRICANE 6957 9 5 0 46 BASH BROS OCEAN (627) -ARCTIC NIGHT 6773 6 1 1 44 BOOK OF THOMAS (652) RED PEPPER 6958 8 12 0 41 AVENGERS (146) WINTER 6953 9 4 0 40 BASH BROS OCEAN (627) TANKEN 6987 6 5 1 35 AVENGERS (146) 3 NIGHTS IN VEGAS 6774 5 16 0 34 NUMBERS GAME (403) CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME NASTOLGIA 6922 4 3 0 33 BOOK OF THOMAS (652) PI CHAMAELEONTIS 6994 3 1 0 32 CHAMAELEON (669) BALKO STONEFALCON 6910 6 6 1 31 SHADOWHOLD (640) ONE FISH TWO FISH 7006 3 2 0 30 NUMBERS GAME (403) TOBY ULRIK 7010 3 1 1 25 MIDDLE WAY 7 (536) INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME NEARLY PARKER 6973 2 10 0 16 MIDDLE WAY 7 (536) NELLIE PURR 7001 2 5 0 11 MIDDLE WAY 7 (536) SALT WATER 7012 1 0 0 11 BASH BROS OCEAN (627) HARPOON 7014 0 1 0 1 USEFUL WEAPONS (636) '-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn. THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge? SPECTRUM 6776 21 27 4 AVENGERS 146 LIGHTBRINGER 443 NONE PLASTIC 7013 0 1 0 BASH BROS OCEAN 627 HIGH ELF 443 NONE STORM SEASON 6956 11 3 0 BASH BROS OCEAN 627 HANZO 6918 443 HEAT WAVE 6900 1 5 0 BOOK OF THOMAS 652 BLACK ORC 443 NONE FALLING STAR 3 6992 0 1 0 CHAMAELEON 669 WURM KIN 443 NONE PERSONAL ADS Melinda, Belinda, Peelinda, who cares. You see one bimbo, you've seen 'em all. -- Lady Smith I am a winner. Bolo and Lasso are not. I get to tie 'em up and have my way with 'em. Hmmm. That should be a bash! -- 2 X 4 If any of you warriors did well in the FTF, you do not deserve to be here in Chimmy. Get it!? -- Lady Smith LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS SPECTRUM was butchered by LIGHTBRINGER in a 1 minute bloody Dark Arena fight. HEAT WAVE was slaughtered by BLACK ORC in a 1 minute Dark Arena battle. PLASTIC was put to death by HIGH ELF in a 1 minute Dark Arena match. FALLING STAR 3 was assassinated by WURM KIN in a 1 minute bloody Dark Arena duel. LASSO outwaited BASORN KUBIKIRI in a slow 19 minute Challenge fight. 2 X 4 demolished TANKEN in a action packed 1 minute mismatched Challenge competition. URAKO WITSTEALER overpowered 1-800-VICTORY in a 1 minute one-sided Title struggle. HANZO butchered STORM SEASON in a 1 minute gruesome one-sided competition. OROKE STONEMAGUS won victory over NORISON ROSE in a 2 minute gruesome expert's duel. HURRICANE was defeated by BLOOD METAL in a 1 minute duel. 3 NIGHTS IN VEGAS lost to HAXE DOOMCARVER in a popular 2 minute brutal fight. TABOR SKULLSHOT handily defeated TOBY ULRIK in a 1 minute one-sided bout. ONE FISH TWO FISH was subdued by WINTER in a 2 minute amateur vs. master match. RED PEPPER was bested by THE USEROUS MERCHANT in a 4 minute battle. NASTOLGIA demolished NELLIE PURR in a 1 minute bloody one-sided brawl. BALKO STONEFALCON handily defeated NEARLY PARKER in a 1 minute uneven fight. PI CHAMAELEONTIS overpowered PERSISTENT BEGGAR in a 1 minute uneven struggle. SALT WATER handily defeated HARPOON in a 1 minute mismatched bout. BATTLE REPORT MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS |FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT| |AIMED BLOW 5 SLASHING ATTACK 14 - 7 - 1 67 | |BASHING ATTACK 5 TOTAL PARRY 23 - 16 - 0 59 | |STRIKING ATTACK 5 AIMED BLOW 20 - 16 - 1 56 | |TOTAL PARRY 4 LUNGING ATTACK 15 - 12 - 1 56 | |WALL OF STEEL 4 PARRY-STRIKE 1 - 1 - 0 50 | |SLASHING ATTACK 3 BASHING ATTACK 18 - 18 - 1 50 | |PARRY-LUNGE 2 WALL OF STEEL 8 - 12 - 0 40 | |PARRY-STRIKE 1 PARRY-LUNGE 7 - 13 - 0 35 | |LUNGING ATTACK 1 STRIKING ATTACK 12 - 24 - 2 33 | |PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 0 - 0 0 | Turn 443 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: PARRY-STRIKE 1 - 0 AIMED BLOW 2 - 3 3 LUNGING ATTACK SLASHING ATTACK 3 - 0 BASHING ATTACK 1 - 4 3 TOTAL PARRY TOTAL PARRY 3 - 1 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 2 2 SLASHING ATTACK WALL OF STEEL 3 - 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 0 1 AIMED BLOW LUNGING ATTACK 0 - 1 1 WALL OF STEEL STRIKING ATTACK 0 - 5 1 BASHING ATTACK TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME AIMED BLOW URAKO WITSTEALER 6505 24 19 4 130 SHADOWHOLD (640) LUNGING ATTACK 1-800-VICTORY 6727 14 4 0 91 NUMBERS GAME (403) SLASHING ATTACK OROKE STONEMAGUS 6603 19 16 4 84 SHADOWHOLD (640) TOTAL PARRY LASSO 6865 19 10 0 83 USEFUL WEAPONS (636) BASHING ATTACK 2 X 4 6974 6 0 0 61 USEFUL WEAPONS (636) Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above. The overall popularity leader is OROKE STONEMAGUS 6603. The most popular warrior this turn was HAXE DOOMCARVER 6882. The ten other most popular fighters were OROKE STONEMAGUS 6603, 2 X 4 6974, NASTOLGIA 6922, SALT WATER 7012, URAKO WITSTEALER 6505, HANZO 6918, BLOOD METAL 6912, WINTER 6953, RED PEPPER 6958, and BALKO STONEFALCON 6910. The least popular fighter this week was LASSO 6865. The other ten least popular fighters were BASORN KUBIKIRI 6965, HARPOON 7014, NEARLY PARKER 6973, NELLIE PURR 7001, TOBY ULRIK 7010, HURRICANE 6957, NORISON ROSE 6453, STORM SEASON 6956, 1-800-VICTORY 6727, and FALLING STAR 3 6992. The following warriors will travel to AD after next turn: URAKO WITSTEALER (31-6505) SHADOWHOLD (640) The following warriors have traveled to AD after fighting this turn: SPECTRUM (31-6776) AVENGERS (146)