DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER

Date   : 01/29/2015    Duedate: 02/11/2015

JADE MOUNTAIN ARENA

DM-75    TURN-547

This Weeks Top Honors

THE DUELMASTER IS

STONE HAMMER
SAND DANCERS (67)
(75-3541) [15-27-2,89]

Chartered Recognition Leader   Unchartered Recognition Leader

STONE HAMMER                   HOUND ARCHON
SAND DANCERS (67)              APOKOLIPS (321)
(75-3541) [15-27-2,89]         (75-3617) [4-3-0,53]

Popularity Leader              This Weeks Favorite

STONEFALL                      HOUND ARCHON
SAND DANCERS (67)              APOKOLIPS (321)
(75-3592) [12-4-0,67]          (75-3617) [4-3-0,53]

THE CURRENT TOP TEAM

SAND DANCERS (67)

          TEAMS ON THE MOVE            TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name                  Point Gain  Chartered Team
1. SHEWISH BUFFET (297)        57
2. APOKOLIPS (321)             32      CRITICALS (13)
3. CRITICALS (13)               7      Unchartered Team
4. BAD HANDWRITING! (318)       0
5. SAND DANCERS (67)           -7      YOKAI (323)

The Top Teams

Career Win-Loss Record           W   L  K    %  Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns    W  L K
 1- 1 BAD HANDWRITING! (318)    12   2  0 85.7   1/ 1 SAND DANCERS (67)         9  6 0
 2/ 3 CRITICALS (13)           143  86  7 62.4   2/ 2 CRITICALS (13)            6  0 0
 3/ 2*YOKAI (323)                6   4  0 60.0   3/ 3*YOKAI (323)               6  4 0
 4/ 4*APOKOLIPS (321)           17  18  1 48.6   4/ 4*APOKOLIPS (321)           5 10 0
 5/ 5 SAND DANCERS (67)        %1096 %1536 32 41.6   5/ 0 SHEWISH BUFFET (297)      2  2 0
 6/ 0 SHEWISH BUFFET (297)      16  58  1 21.6   6- 5 BAD HANDWRITING! (318)    1  1 0

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

                                    TEAM SPOTLIGHT

of interest in Jade Mountain:

                                  A Few Notes About
                                       Weather

     Jade Mountain lies at a latitude approximately equivalent to that of Illinois,
Iowa, or Nebraska, and at an altitude of more than 5,000 feet.  Since the Empire of
Lirith Kai is not affected by the radiomagicalactive warming that keeps Alastari
temperate, this means winter.  The weather pattern in Jade Mountain runs
approximately like this:
     The first month, roughly equivalent to Earth's January, is locally called Harza;
in formal speech it is Harin-So.  This is the coldest month of the year in Jade
Mountain, a month of deep snow and the occasional blizzard.
     The second month is called Morinza in Jade Mountain, Morin-So in formal speech,
and it, too, is a month of snow and bitter wind.  It is in Morniza that the
snowflowers bloom on the cliffs, red as blood against black stone and white snow.
     Tiroza, or Tiron-So, is the third month, cold and raw.  In this month comes both
freeze and thaw, so that roads are sheathed in ice, and the wind is terrible.  Small
blue blossoms decorate the bare limbs of the graywood trees, and the jade-oaks are
hung with tassels bright as gold.
     Sinza or Sinan-So is next, thawing weather for sure--it is a month of mud and
flowers, as all the plants of the hills seem to burst into bloom in this month.
Birds return from the lowlands, and the burrows of the rock-whistlers are filled with
pups.  Farmers work from dawn till dark, setting out seed in their terraced fields,
and the miners begin to study the rocks, deciding where to begin the summer's work.
Streams come down from the higher slopes in spate, and the river that runs through
the town rises--which is why no houses are built close to it.
     Lehan-So, called Lealza in Jade Mountain, is the fifth month, a time of warming
sun and continuing bloom.  Herders take their sheep and goats to the high pastures
where the grass is rich.  The quarries echo with the efforts of the stone-cutters,
the roads dry out, and traders stream into the valley.
     Wisilza or Wislin-So, the sixth month, is warm and dry and busy.  Blocks of jade
and marble are hustled down to the river and loaded onto barges for shipment to the
lowlands.
     Equivalent to Earth's July is Zliza or Zilnin-So, a month of heat.  Winds down
come off the heights and stir the dust of quarry and road, annoying all who must
travel; farmers carry water to their fields and watch anxiously for the first signs
of bluebeetles.  Some years there are no beetles at all; in other years the whole
crop of mountain-wheat may be lost to them.
     Kuronza, Kuron-So, is hotter still, and more windy, and drier...  It is a month
simply to be endured.  The river falls to its lowest levels for the year, and many of
the smaller streams dry up.
     Gerithza, which the lowland folk call Gerthin-So--the first light rains fall.
The nights, which had been so oppressive, become cool and pleasant, though the days
are still hot.  Quickly, before the heavier rains of autumn fall, the peasants
harvest their crops--wheat and other grins, and hay from the meadows.  Houses are
gone over carefully, roofs repaired, and wood piles replenished.
     Nilza or Nilman-So is the month for harvesting tree fruits, nuts, and for
butchering.  The hardwood trees are briefly clothed in leaves as colorful as the
robes of a dandy, before the harder rains of autumn strip them bare.  Cold nights
paint the windows with frost.
     Bolsza, Bolsan-So, brings the first real snows, and the ground freezes hard.
Game becomes scarce on the slopes, and herders make sure their flocks are under
shelter each night against the prowling of wolves.
     With Yanza, Yanin-So, the year comes around to an end in snow and cold and a sky
seldom free of clouds.  Passes are closed by snow.

     Houses in Jade Mountain are built tall, with steep roofs to shed the snow, and
most have a door on the second floor, so that people can get out if the lower door
should be snowed shut.  The snow doesn't always get that deep--but there have been
years when it did, and no one wants to be trapped indoors for a month or more.
Wheels are taken off the wagons and replaced with runners in the winter, and skis and
snowshoes are in evidence.
     The Gladiatorial Commissioners, seeing no virtue in suffering (at least for the
audiences!), have arranged that the arena be heated by an ingenious system of
furnaces and hypocausts--brick-lined ducts which lead warm air from the furnaces
under each tier of seats and under the floors of the warriors' locker rooms and the
infirmary.  This system of heating, which is new to the area, has already been
adopted by a few of the wealthier residents, as it is much more efficient than open
fireplaces.

                     A few quick notes on the layout of the town:

     Jade Mountain is built in a river valley which is fairly narrow--no more than a
mile wide at its widest point between the Gate of Jade downstream and the Black Falls
above.  From falls to the canyon that begins with the Gate is a distance of perhaps
five miles, though the town does not occupy the whole length.
     The valley has four levels:  Lowest is the river bank level, meadowland, mostly,
which is flooded every spring.  No one of sense builds here, and the roads that cross
this level are on high causeways.
     Above that by some twenty or thirty feet on either side of the valley is a bench
varying in width between a mere hundred feet and close to half a mile--the greater
width is on the north side of the river which rushes so rapidly toward the southeast.
On the north bench is found most of the town, strung out for two miles along the
rather narrow, straight main street called the Broad Way.  Sometimes there are races
along this street--foot races, horse races, sleigh-races in the winter.  The houses
and businesses are close-packed along the Broad Way, and smaller streets yet make a
maze of the space behind them.  On the south side of the valley, the street along the
bench is called the Dark Street, since in the winter it is shaded all day by the
hills above it.  Here, too, the buildings crowd together, but they are oftener
warehouses and stables than dwellings and stores.
     Above the bench some two hundred feet, where the steeply rising valley walls
begin to slope more gently, is the level called the Inner Ridge.  There are a few
houses here, sprawling manor houses with enclosed courtyards, and the Twisted Ring is
at this level, and the ruins of a few of the ancient monasteries may also be found
here.  Though there is room for more building, most people avoid this higher level
because the roads to it become such treacherous slopes each winter.  Some parts of
this ridge are wooded.  The abandoned quarry which was made into the arena is on this
level, also, on the north side of the valley.
     Highest of all, another two hundred feet or more above the Inner Ridge is the
Outer Ridge.  Here may be found the Castle of Lucan, near the head of the valley, so
close to the Black Falls that any wind from the north will drive its spray against
the castle walls.  Here, also, scattered along the ridge on both sides of the valley,
are the gaunt, forbidden ruins of the monasteries for which the valley was once so
well known.  They are said to be haunted, by ghosts and also by monstrous predators,
and the local Guard patrol them regularly.

                                      SPY REPORT

     Ready for some action-packed adventure, some thrills, chills and spills?  Well 
fergit it, cause this is the Spyreport for JADE MOUNTAIN.  MVP award for BLUE PLATE 
SPECIAL?  SHEWISH BUFFET's proud of him after beating PSYKLOP and getting 37 points.  
Talk about yer big time losers!  STONEFALL got smashed by JADE MASTER, and lost 18 
points!  What a putz!  THE HAPPY F fights so hard to be Duelmaster, then quits 
fighting and loses the title.  No one said he was a genius...  And I was just getting 
used to the ex-Duelmaster's habit of...(!)  Oh well, welcome STONE HAMMER.  Aren't 
SAND DANCERS proud.  (Oh, my.) I hear the top team insists all their warriors get 
nine hours sleep.  They want photogenic fighters for PR photos.   
     I gotta admit I haven't been in "deep con caves" with any spies.  Really, I just 
wing this stuff.  The warriors of APOKOLIPS must be getting lonely.  They were the 
most avoided team.  Do you guys know something that I don't?  Hhmph!  What kind of 
warriors are YOKAI?  APOKOLIPS, an easy team to beat if I ever saw one, can't get 
them to accept an invitation!  Like, is MEADOWLARK popular, or what?  She was 
challenged the most in all of JADE MOUNTAIN!  She's got a 9-8-1, is that good?  For 
sure, I was holding my breath when I found out ENCANTADORA challenged MEADOWLARK.  
After all, haven't APOKOLIPS and SAND DANCERS had a long standing duel in JADE 
MOUNTAIN?  It wasn't a spectacular fight, or anything, but MEADOWLARK wants me to 
write about it since she was defeated by ENCANTADORA.  Satisfied?  CARMEN SANDIEGO 
must not be a good enough fighter to get in fair fights.  She challenged MS. SMOKEY 
MOON.  13 is a big difference.  (Well, that's what they tell me.) I thought CARMEN 
SANDIEGO showed great skill and promise when she was bested by MS. SMOKEY MOON.  All 
right, so I slept through it!  Big deal!   
     Man, all these warriors dying and killing each other!  Don't you guys ever give 
it a break?  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'm getting tired of writing this stuff, so I'm calling it 
quits.  Its been really albendranius!  Later, guys-- Debby Tonte  

DUELMASTER                     W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 STONE HAMMER 3541            15  27  2    89       SAND DANCERS (67)

CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-MURDEROUS THRUST 3562        10   0  2   109       CRITICALS (13)
-THE HAPPY F 3576             12   2  0    91       BAD HANDWRITING! (318)

CHAMPIONS                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-SECURE DEFENS 490             3   3  0    74       CRITICALS (13)
 STONEFALL 3592               12   4  0    67       SAND DANCERS (67)

CHALLENGER ADEPTS              W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 SPIRALS 3613                  9   1  0    64       CRITICALS (13)
 HAN KANG 3569                 9  15  0    61       SAND DANCERS (67)

ADEPTS                         W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 HOUND ARCHON 3617             4   3  0    53       APOKOLIPS (321)
 ENCANTADORA 3620              4   3  0    50       APOKOLIPS (321)
 CHI HO 3612                   7   4  0    38       SAND DANCERS (67)
 BLUE PLATE SPECIAL 3413       1   0  0    37       SHEWISH BUFFET (297)
 MEADOWLARK 3587               9   8  1    36       SAND DANCERS (67)

CHALLENGER INITIATES           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 STRAWBERRY JHANS 3403         4   1  0    33       SHEWISH BUFFET (297)
 GROUND CHUCK 3412             2   3  0    25       SHEWISH BUFFET (297)

INITIATES                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 ANGRY LIGHTNING 3627          3   0  0    23       CRITICALS (13)
 MS. SMOKEY MOON 3633          1   2  0    15       APOKOLIPS (321)
 GINNEI 3630                   2   1  0    13       YOKAI (323)
-KURUMU 3628                   2   0  0    13       YOKAI (323)
 DAKEN 3616                    2   5  0    11       APOKOLIPS (321)
-KOKO 3632                     1   1  0     9       YOKAI (323)
 CARMEN SANDIEGO 3629          1   1  0     4       YOKAI (323)
 PSYKLOP 3634                  1   1  0     4       APOKOLIPS (321)
-HAIJI 3631                    0   1  0     1       YOKAI (323)

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

THE DEAD                W  L K TEAM NAME            SLAIN BY              TURN Revenge?
SNACK 3454              0  1 0 SHEWISH BUFFET 297   CHAO-SO TALLTREE      547  NONE

                                     PERSONAL ADS

Two-three, piffling.  But since we're in the "early winter thaw," we don't mind.
Give it another two weeks and the bitter claws of White Bear will close over us
again. -- Stonefall

Stonefall -- Don't make it sound like such a bad thing.  Look at it this way:  Winter
is the wall that defends us against all those cursed flatlanders! -- Chi Ho

Chi Ho -- Is that a slam at me? -- Han Kang the Ferociously Insulted

Han Kang -- Of course not!  Your family has been here fifty years now, another
generation, and you'll count, or your descendants will count, as native. -- Chi Ho

                                  LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS

SNACK was butchered by CHAO-SO TALLTREE in a 1 minute Dark Arena fight.
HOUND ARCHON was unbelievably bested by SPIRALS in a exciting 4 minute Challenge duel.
ENCANTADORA demolished MEADOWLARK in a 1 minute uneven Challenge fight.
DAKEN slimly lost to ANGRY LIGHTNING in a 3 minute gory Challenge contest.
CARMEN SANDIEGO was defeated by MS. SMOKEY MOON in a 1 minute Challenge match.
STONE HAMMER devastated TO-FU BACKSTABBER in a 1 minute one-sided Title duel.
STONEFALL was overpowered by JADE MASTER in a 2 minute mismatched brawl.
HAN KANG overpowered STONEFACE MIKARN in a 1 minute gruesome uneven melee.
CHI HO vanquished GROUND CHUCK in a action packed 1 minute gruesome one-sided duel.
STRAWBERRY JHANS overpowered GINNEI in a 1 minute one-sided fight.
PSYKLOP was handily defeated by BLUE PLATE SPECIAL in a 2 minute one-sided bout.

                                    BATTLE REPORT

             MOST POPULAR                        RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS     
|FIGHTING STYLE               FIGHTS        FIGHTING STYLE     W -   L -  K   PERCENT|
|BASHING ATTACK                   4         TOTAL PARRY        9 -   1 -  0      90  |
|WALL OF STEEL                    3         STRIKING ATTACK    6 -   1 -  0      86  |
|LUNGING ATTACK                   2         LUNGING ATTACK    13 -   4 -  1      76  |
|AIMED BLOW                       2         WALL OF STEEL     18 -  11 -  1      62  |
|PARRY-STRIKE                     2         PARRY-STRIKE       5 -   4 -  1      56  |
|STRIKING ATTACK                  2         PARRY-RIPOSTE      4 -   4 -  0      50  |
|TOTAL PARRY                      1         BASHING ATTACK    21 -  22 -  0      49  |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE                    1         AIMED BLOW         1 -   2 -  0      33  |
|SLASHING ATTACK                  1         SLASHING ATTACK    2 -   5 -  0      29  |
|PARRY-LUNGE                      0         PARRY-LUNGE        0 -   0 -  0       0  |

Turn 547 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     2 -  0     WALL OF STEEL      1 -  2         4  BASHING ATTACK 
TOTAL PARRY        1 -  0     PARRY-LUNGE        0 -  0         2  LUNGING ATTACK 
AIMED BLOW         1 -  1     PARRY-RIPOSTE      0 -  1         2  WALL OF STEEL  
PARRY-STRIKE       1 -  1     SLASHING ATTACK    0 -  1         2  TOTAL PARRY    
STRIKING ATTACK    1 -  1                                       1  STRIKING ATTACK
BASHING ATTACK     2 -  2     

                               TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE

FIGHTING STYLE   WARRIOR                     W   L  K PNTS TEAM NAME                  
BASHING ATTACK   STONEFALL 3592             12   4  0   67 SAND DANCERS (67)
TOTAL PARRY      SPIRALS 3613                9   1  0   64 CRITICALS (13)
LUNGING ATTACK   ENCANTADORA 3620            4   3  0   50 APOKOLIPS (321)
STRIKING ATTACK  BLUE PLATE SPECIAL 3413     1   0  0   37 SHEWISH BUFFET (297)
WALL OF STEEL    MEADOWLARK 3587             9   8  1   36 SAND DANCERS (67)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.

The overall popularity leader is STONEFALL 3592.  The most popular warrior this turn 
was HOUND ARCHON 3617.  The ten other most popular fighters were ANGRY LIGHTNING 
3627, STONE HAMMER 3541, CHI HO 3612, DAKEN 3616, HAN KANG 3569, BLUE PLATE SPECIAL 
3413, SPIRALS 3613, ENCANTADORA 3620, MS. SMOKEY MOON 3633, and STONEFALL 3592.

The least popular fighter this week was PSYKLOP 3634.  The other ten least popular 
fighters were GINNEI 3630, CARMEN SANDIEGO 3629, MEADOWLARK 3587, SNACK 3454, GROUND 
CHUCK 3412, STRAWBERRY JHANS 3403, STONEFALL 3592, MS. SMOKEY MOON 3633, ENCANTADORA 
3620, and SPIRALS 3613.

                 FACE-TO-FACE TOURNEY LIV

PRIMUS TOURNEY                         W  L  K         TEAM NAME            
SAMURAI 3119 (118-80-1)                3  3  0         GOLD STANDARD        

ADM TOURNEY                            W  L  K         TEAM NAME            
AVALANCHE 2213 (36-22-1)               2  3  0         CHAOS LORDS          

FRESHMEN TOURNEY                       W  L  K         TEAM NAME            
LEAPS INTO THE AIR 85 (53-40-2)        4  3  0         CRITICALS            

CHALLENGERS TOURNEY                    W  L  K         TEAM NAME            
SECURE DEFENS 490 (3-3-0)              8  3  0         CRITICALS            

CHAMPIONS TOURNEY                      W  L  K         TEAM NAME            
MURDEROUS THRUST 3562 (10-0-2)         2  3  0         CRITICALS            

INITIATES TOURNEY                      W  L  K         TEAM NAME            
BLUE PLATE SPECIAL 3413 (0-0-0)       10  3  0         SHEWISH BUFFET       

APPRENTICES TOURNEY                    W  L  K         TEAM NAME            
KRAC SHIELDBORN 3603 (0-0-0)           5  3  0         RUNEBLADES           
REX 3585 (0-0-0)                       3  3  0         ALL MY PETS          

ROOKIES TOURNEY                        W  L  K         TEAM NAME            
TRICK OR TREAT 3597 (0-0-0)            2  1  0  DEAD   FAVORITE SAYINGS     
FANCY FREE 3626 (0-0-0)                1  3  0         CLASSICS 1.2         
HORRIFYING ATTACK 3621 (0-0-0)         1  3  0         CRITICALS            

                 NEW TEAMS IN THE TEMPORARY TOURNAMENT ARENA (DM 85)

Please note that all new teams created at the Face-to-Face were temporarily placed in 
a temporary Tournament Arena, DM 85.  If you requested that your team be placed in a 
specific arena, it has already transferred to that arena.  Effective immediately, any 
teams placed in DM 85 and not transferred out to another arena, will be automatically 
deleted a month after the tournament.  If you have questions about any of your teams, 
please contact Customer Service. -- RSI