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)