DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER

Date   : 12/31/2024    Duedate: 01/27/2025

TELORINTHE ARENA

DM 83    TURN 229

This Week's Top Honors

THE DUELMASTER IS

PHYSICALITY
RIFF-RAFF CREW (69)
(83-599) [23-22-1,111]

Chartered Recognition Leader   Unchartered Recognition Leader

PHYSICALITY                    POSITION IS EMPTY
RIFF-RAFF CREW (69)            
(83-599) [23-22-1,111]         

Popularity Leader              This Week's Favorite

PHYSICALITY                    NOTHINGBURGER
RIFF-RAFF CREW (69)            RIFF-RAFF CREW (69)
(83-599) [23-22-1,111]         (83-700) [10-21-0,51]

THE CURRENT TOP TEAM

CIXELSID HEROES (11)

          TEAMS ON THE MOVE            TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name                  Point Gain  Chartered Team
1. SORCERER KINGS (66)           25 
2. RIFF-RAFF CREW (69)           15    CIXELSID HEROES (11)
3. CIXELSID HEROES (11)          -19   Unchartered Team

                                       NICK NAMES (88)

The Top Teams

Career Win-Loss Record           W   L  K    %  Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns    W  L K
 1/ 1 CIXELSID HEROES (11)      73  41  0 64.0   1/ 1 CIXELSID HEROES (11)     11  4 0
 2- 2 BAD SIGNS (24)           434 285 33 60.4   2/ 2 SORCERER KINGS (66)      10  5 0
 3/ 0 RIFF-RAFF CREW (69)      105 107  3 49.5   3- 3 BAD SIGNS (24)            4  6 0
 4/ 3 SORCERER KINGS (66)      201 208 14 49.1   4/ 0 RIFF-RAFF CREW (69)       2  2 0

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

                                 DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
                             Notes from the arena champ.

Greetings and snoitatulas!
DAMN IT! Dyslexia really spahc my ssa!

Pardon my language, but it does.

In good news, I am the first Cixelsid Hero to get the call to the Isle! It only took 
me 228 turns to get the call! (Okay, I played hooky a fair bit in the middle, but 
still...) The boss believes Repus Grover would have beat me to that honor, had he 
survived, but we'll never know that for sure.

For those who didn't pick up on it, Cixelsid is supposed to be Dyslexic as a dyslexic 
might say/spell it. However, the boss didn't think at the time to double check how 
Dyslexic was spelled. So not only are we dyslexic, but apparently we can't spell goood 
eether. And for any whipper-snappers asking about enchanted spelling checking 
thingies, those don't work on the mark 1 pencil!

Now for the grand reveal: I am the dyslexic version of... (wait for it)... MR. 
INCREDIBLE! I know, I know. Caught all of you by surprise. I'll give everyone a minute 
to digest that. Oh... You're already ready? Okay...

I am, of course, a Total Parry with offensive tendencies as was pointed out recently. 
I began life at 12-15-6-9-21-10-11 and leave basic as 14(2)-17(2)-6-9-21-10-11 with a 
66% stat training rate and having an average learning curve of 2.5 skills per fight. I 
favor the LO (sweet!!), Low Offensive efforts and Moderate Activity Levels, with 
Attack as my favorite learn. I have confirmed +3 to Defense. My physicals so far are 
dead center (neither blessed or cursed) from what we know. The boss believes me to be 
knack-y as I have a strong tendency of beating others with attacks even though my 
Damage rating remains Normal.

I will get to spend some time on the Isle, since the Boss likes having at least one 
member of every one of his teams represented. We'll see if I can wow enough to keep 
that seat when the others start graduating. 

As for what follows for the rest of the team, we can't say with much certainty. Rednow 
Woman seems determined to outshine the other heroes. Of course, that also means she 
might get smashed like a melon if she meets the wrong one of you in those upper ranks. 
And the other heroes remain modestly successful at this point. If I had to bet, my 
money would be on Ecaps Ghost being the next graduate with Rednow following soon 
after. 

Enough from me. Time to go pick up a new sword and brace myself for who will try to 
claim the throne. I'm avoiding both the Sorcerers and Bad Signs and made no 
challenges. Either one of you gets a challenge through or the match-up gods will 
determine who gets a parting shot at me!

                                -- Mr. ELBIDERCNI
                                 FOUR time Duelmaster of Telorinthe
                                 Lord Protector of Alastari
                                 All-around good guy

                                      SPY REPORT

The air was crisp, and the sun was bright, so it was a great day for some gladiator 
fights! I have sat through fights in the rain, a thunderstorm, hail, and an errant ice 
storm cast by a wizard. It doesn't matter to me what the weather is doing; it is 
ALWAYS a great day for some gladiator fights! It was exciting, so let me get into 
today's news! 

Oh, what a delightful turn of events in the Telorinthe Arena! The sands excitedly 
buzzed as Physicality of Riff-Raff Crew reclaimed the Duelmaster's throne! With a 
decisive victory over Tyr of Sorcerer Kings, Physicality reminded us all why she's a 
force to be reckoned with. Her strikes landed like the hammer of a dwarven blacksmith, 
leaving no doubt about her skill'or her flair!

Meanwhile, the top team of the cycle, Cixelsid Heroes, held onto their perch despite 
fierce competition. Sorcerer Kings made a commendable push with stellar performances, 
notably from Viva Lexa and Abalach-Re, but the cunning strategies of Cixelsid Heroes 
kept them just a whisker ahead. Oh, my elfin ears are positively tingling with 
admiration for their consistency!

Now, let's talk about the whisper-worthy antics of Riff-Raff Crew! They crowned a new 
Duelmaster and dodged and weaved around some potential threats. Most notably, Sorcerer 
Kings were avoided like goblins dodging daylight. I suppose the Riff-Raff Crew has an 
uncanny knack for knowing which battles to pick--or not!

Speaking of changes, let us extend a warm welcome back to Riff-Raff's Crew! Their 
return to the arena has already left a mark with their aggressive yet strategic 
performances. On the flip side, there's a hollow in the air without Bad Signs, Dark 
Oracle's team, gracing the sands. Where have they gone? I hope they'll be back to add 
to the fun soon!

Before I scurry off, let me urge your managers to spread the word. Invite your friends 
to join the fray! More teams mean more excitement, and oh, my little elfin heart leaps 
at the thought of more glittering blades and strategic plots. Until your next turn, 
may your blades stay sharp and your wits sharper! Unless you are a Basher, then you 
don't want sharp weapons since they do not accentuate your fighting style. Anyway, I 
gotta go!

                                             -- Ori Starbloom

DUELMASTER                     W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 PHYSICALITY 599              23  22  1 111         RIFF-RAFF CREW (69)       

CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-MOM'S MAD 698                17  14  0 108         BAD SIGNS (24)            
 VIVA LEXA 875                17   9  0 107         SORCERER KINGS (66)       
-0-2 COUNT 603                29  13  0 100         BAD SIGNS (24)            
 CHARMING KITTEN 601          22  23  0  96         RIFF-RAFF CREW (69)       

CHAMPIONS                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-14 DAY QUARANTINE 699        16  15  1  89         BAD SIGNS (24)            
 RIDE OR DIE 635              21  17  0  85         RIFF-RAFF CREW (69)       
-6AM ALARM 706                18  12  0  78         BAD SIGNS (24)            
 TYR 907                      11   6  0  76         SORCERER KINGS (66)       
 ABALACH-RE 899               12   6  0  75         SORCERER KINGS (66)       
-EXTRA HOMEWORK 754            9  15  0  73         BAD SIGNS (24)            

CHALLENGER ADEPTS              W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 REDNOW WOMAN 917              6   2  0  59         CIXELSID HEROES (11)      
 NAMREPUS 75                  14   9  0  57         CIXELSID HEROES (11)      

ADEPTS                         W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 NAMTAB 73                    13  10  0  55         CIXELSID HEROES (11)      
 NOTHINGBURGER 700            10  21  0  51         RIFF-RAFF CREW (69)       
 ECAPS GHOST 76               13  10  0  50         CIXELSID HEROES (11)      

CHALLENGER INITIATES           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 GULG 928                      3   3  1  26         SORCERER KINGS (66)       

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

THE DEAD                W  L K TEAM NAME            SLAIN BY              TURN Revenge?

                                     PERSONAL ADS

0-2 Count -- Well my friend, I desired a chance to meet you and give you a chance at 
the throne. Well fought but apparently you needed a little more juice. -- Mr. 
Elbidercni

Abalach-Re -- We all continue to dance with you and show little progress. Thanks for 
the training at least. -- Ecaps Ghost

Dangerous Criminal -- Justice served. Stop being a criminal. You already stopped being 
dangerous. -- Rednow Woman

Commission -- I am confused about why I'm fighting a slave? Have they offended their 
master? Are they a gladiator slave? Inquiring minds want to know. -- Namtab

Ambitious Guard -- Perhaps if you work on your stroke a little more. I mean, there 
were a couple of points where I almost felt threatened by you. Kinda. -- Namrepus

All -- Well, well, well. I'm off to the Isle to see what that is like. Perhaps I 
return some day. In the mean time, try not to beat up my buddies too much. I was told 
to make my prediction about who would be next to make it to the isle. At this point, I 
think I'd bet on Rednow. She seems more of an upward climber than my other brothers. 
-- Mr. Elbidercni

                                  LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS

REDNOW WOMAN was viciously subdued by ABALACH-RE in a 1 minute Challenge fight.
MR. ELBIDERCNI was savagely defeated by SACHA in a popular 2 minute veteran's melee.
CHARMING KITTEN was bested by VIVA LEXA in a popular 2 minute veteran's contest.
PHYSICALITY demolished TYR in a 1 minute mismatched Title competition.
RIDE OR DIE vanquished CONVICTED ASSASSIN in a 1 minute mismatched fight.
NAMTAB beat GULG in a 4 minute brawl.
NOTHINGBURGER slimly lost to NAMREPUS in a action packed 4 minute expert's fight.
ECAPS GHOST vanquished FRATSFA SLAVE in a crowd boring 8 minute one-sided duel.

                                    BATTLE REPORT

             MOST POPULAR                        RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS     
|FIGHTING STYLE               FIGHTS        FIGHTING STYLE     W -   L -  K   PERCENT|
|TOTAL PARRY                      6         STRIKING ATTACK    1 -   0 -  1     100  |
|AIMED BLOW                       3         WALL OF STEEL      7 -   2 -  0      78  |
|PARRY-LUNGE                      1         PARRY-LUNGE        7 -   4 -  0      64  |
|LUNGING ATTACK                   1         AIMED BLOW        14 -   8 -  0      64  |
|BASHING ATTACK                   1         TOTAL PARRY       32 -  23 -  0      58  |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE                    1         LUNGING ATTACK    13 -  10 -  0      57  |
|WALL OF STEEL                    1         PARRY-RIPOSTE      3 -   3 -  1      50  |
|PARRY-STRIKE                     0         BASHING ATTACK     4 -   5 -  0      44  |
|SLASHING ATTACK                  0         PARRY-STRIKE       0 -   1 -  0       0  |
|STRIKING ATTACK                  0         SLASHING ATTACK    0 -   0 -  0       0  |

Turn 229 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-LUNGE        1 -  0     AIMED BLOW         1 -  2         4  TOTAL PARRY    
LUNGING ATTACK     1 -  0     PARRY-STRIKE       0 -  0         2  BASHING ATTACK 
BASHING ATTACK     1 -  0     PARRY-RIPOSTE      0 -  1         2  LUNGING ATTACK 
TOTAL PARRY        4 -  2     SLASHING ATTACK    0 -  0         2  AIMED BLOW     
                              STRIKING ATTACK    0 -  0         1  PARRY-LUNGE    
                              WALL OF STEEL      0 -  1     

                               TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE

FIGHTING STYLE   WARRIOR                     W   L  K PNTS TEAM NAME                  
BASHING ATTACK   PHYSICALITY 599            23  22  1  111 RIFF-RAFF CREW (69)
AIMED BLOW       VIVA LEXA 875              17   9  0  107 SORCERER KINGS (66)
TOTAL PARRY      RIDE OR DIE 635            21  17  0   85 RIFF-RAFF CREW (69)
PARRY-LUNGE      ABALACH-RE 899             12   6  0   75 SORCERER KINGS (66)

FIGHTING STYLE   WARRIOR                     W   L  K PNTS TEAM NAME                  
WALL OF STEEL    REDNOW WOMAN 917            6   2  0   59 CIXELSID HEROES (11)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.

The overall popularity leader is PHYSICALITY 599.  The most popular warrior this turn 
was NOTHINGBURGER 700.  The ten other most popular fighters were VIVA LEXA 875, 
ABALACH-RE 899, PHYSICALITY 599, RIDE OR DIE 635, NAMREPUS 75, REDNOW WOMAN 917, 
CHARMING KITTEN 601, TYR 907, NAMTAB 73, and GULG 928.

The least popular fighter this week was ECAPS GHOST 76.  The other ten least popular 
fighters were GULG 928, NAMTAB 73, TYR 907, CHARMING KITTEN 601, REDNOW WOMAN 917, 
NAMREPUS 75, RIDE OR DIE 635, PHYSICALITY 599, ABALACH-RE 899, and VIVA LEXA 875.

The following warriors will travel to AD after next turn:

PHYSICALITY (83-599) RIFF-RAFF CREW (69)

The following warriors have traveled to AD after fighting this turn:

MR. ELBIDERCNI (83-74) CIXELSID HEROES (11)
SACHA (83-772) SORCERER KINGS (66)

                                NAME CHANGE-O-RAMA

      The gladiator known as Pretty in Pink Johnson came into the guildhouse in a 
state of excitement that sat oddly on his large battered face.  "There are goats on 
the lawn outside the Commission office!"  
      His teammate Slinky Silver raised a languid eyebrow.  "So?"
      "That means a name-change coming!  I can finally change my name to Pinkerton and 
get some respect!"
      "As badly as you fight, who will respect you?" his teammate asked.
      "With a new name, I will fight better, just wait, you'll see.  Because I will 
respect myself!"
      Slinky shook his head.  "Circular reasoning won't help.  You need more 
managerial attention."
      "If my name isn't embarrassing, I'll GET more attention.
      Slinky shook his head again.  "You're expecting a lot of a couple of goats that 
may have been hired to manage the landscaping."

                                  *   *   *   *   *  

     Warrior and team name changes will be accepted beginning February 15 and continuing 
throughout the month of March.  The cost will be $2 per name change.  All proceeds 
will be used to buy goats via Heifer International and will be matched up to $500.  If 
you have names you want to change, please contact Customer Service. -- RSI

               NEW GRADUATES--FROM ALL ARENAS (INCLUDING CLOSED ARENAS)

For those of you who keep track of such things, a few additional warriors graduated 
from regular DM arenas (including closed arenas) since the last tournament. 

                   RIFF RAFF (82-37476) ROOKIE ARMADA 6 II  (6212) 
                  MAURICE BRITT (84-6039) MEDAL OF HONOR T10  (1140) 
                       RIMGARR (84-57625) ALGOPHOBIACS  (6250) 
                        FIVE (85-43995) FAST TRACK III  (8036) 

Congrats to the grads. -- Green Eyes