DUELMASTERS NEWSLETTER
Date : 07/12/2003 Duedate: 07/25/2003
NOBLISH ISLAND ARENA
DM-93 TURN-146
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
WEDNESDAY
THE DARK TIDES (1234)
(93-7156) [8-2-2,91]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
WEDNESDAY RENDOR QUIL
THE DARK TIDES (1234) MIDDLE WAY 8 (1300)
(93-7156) [8-2-2,91] (93-7513) [5-3-0,33]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
WEDNESDAY GUTTERSNIPE
THE DARK TIDES (1234) RIFF RAFF (1305)
(93-7156) [8-2-2,91] (93-7545) [2-2-0,14]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
THE DARK TIDES (1234)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. THE DARK TIDES (1234) 41
2. MIDDLE WAY 8 (1300) 39 THE DARK TIDES (1234)
3. LEATHER CHICKS (1239) 15 Unchartered Team
4. TYCRON'S MERCS (1298) 1
5. X-MEN (1236) 0 MIDDLE WAY 8 (1300)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1- 1*X-MEN (1236) 22 13 1 62.9 1/ 2 THE DARK TIDES (1234) 11 4 0
2/ 3 THE DARK TIDES (1234) 29 21 3 58.0 2/ 3*RIFF RAFF (1305) 9 6 1
3/ 5*MIDDLE WAY 8 (1300) 22 18 0 55.0 3/ 4*MIDDLE WAY 8 (1300) 8 7 0
4/ 4*RIFF RAFF (1305) 11 9 2 55.0 4- 1*X-MEN (1236) 7 3 0
5/ 2*TYCRON'S MERCS (1298) 12 11 0 52.2 5- 6*DRUNKEN CLONES (1144) 3 4 1
6- 6*DRUNKEN CLONES (1144) 15 20 2 42.9 6/ 5*TYCRON'S MERCS (1298) 3 6 0
7- 7*THE BLACK GUARD (1299) 2 5 1 28.6 7/ 0*LEATHER CHICKS (1239) 1 4 0
8- 8*NO HOPE (1303) 3 12 0 20.0 8- 8*THE BLACK GUARD (1299) 1 4 0
9/ 0*LEATHER CHICKS (1239) 1 4 0 20.0 9- 7*NO HOPE (1303) 1 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
+<]H[>+-----+<]H[+ Question of the Week #10 +]H[>+-----+<]H[>+
The Question, Aruak City (dm 11), turn 426:
If a warrior is wearing plate and he is hit on the hand or ankle does he get the same
amount of protection? It seems to me the most you could wear on your hand is
Chainmail. -- Hanibal, Q.O.W.
The Answers, turn 427:
Q.O.W. -- I think if you wear armor of chainmail or lighter, the protection to your
limbs is limited, certainly not to a degree equal to the armor you are wearing over
the body. But I think with platemail or full plate, the armor protects your limbs
well. Gauntlets, which I imagine being used with platemail and up, are steel plates,
so they protect better than chain. I think this is played out well in our fighters'
fights. I've seen chain wearing warriors who are tough go down with one shot to the
leg, while the same warrior in platemail takes one or two more hits. You'd be
surprised at how well medieval gauntlets' metal plates flexed for hand movement. --
Adie
QoW -- When using heavy armor, the limbs seem to be less well protected than the
chest and abdomen. I base this observation mainly on the number of ineffective
("bounced") hits seen against the torso compared to the limbs. The lighter armors
don't seem to have this difference. -- Generalissimo Puerco
Hannibal -- Questions! Great, I've missed them. Unfortunately, I can't offer much
help on this. I do know that to rely on "it would logically seem that" is the way to
get into trouble, unfortunately. After all, it would logically seem that a basher
should be well-suited to using the fist, and this is not so. So I can't guess about
the "armor for hands and feet" question. -- Leeta
Hannibal -- Take a good look at a suit of full plate some time. ; Everything EXCEPT
the head is protected, unless you're wearing a helmet of some sort as well. If
you're going to have warriors wearing APA, you better put them in a Helm or a Full
Helm as well, otherwise you may as well send them out in leather. A hit to an
unarmored head and you're APA is worthless. -- Talon, War-Priest of Mantor the Bright
The Question, Aruak City (dm 11), turn 427:
All -- I was looking at a fight a few turns ago with Predator (Broadsword fav). In
min 1 he attacked 12 times w/ BS and only 1 crit. Min 2 six normal attacks, weapons
breaks, pulls his epee and throws three crits in a row. He always threw more crits
using an epee even though he is -6 in Deftness to use it. He used a BS in two other
fights with no crits. This makes me wonder; are favorites generated after your
warrior graduates? -- Hanibal Q.O.W.
The Answers, turn 428:
Q.O.W. -- From my understanding, favorite weapons are generated when your warrior is
created, and the bonuses are applied in basic. However, I have experienced similiar
situations to what you have seen with Predator. I have a lunger who never seemed to
throw a crit with the short spear, but constantly threw crits with the longspear even
though he wasn't quite suited to it in strength or deftness. I felt certain the
longspear was his favorite weapon because of this, and was highly shocked when upon
graduation the shortspear was listed as his weapon of choice. -- the Outsider
Hanibal, Q.O.W. -- From what I have experienced and discussed with other managers,
fighting rhythm, weapon, learns and tactics are determined upon creation. Did you
change rhythms during any of these fights? Was your attack rating high or low at the
time? If all is the same, and you throw more crits with an epee, maybe you should
send your "favorite weapon" to hell and go with what works. After all, the whole
point of finding your fave weapon is to increase your crit percentage. Although, it
would be nice to have BS crits over the EP crits (except for the knockdowns!) -- Dr.
Strange
QoW -- Well, now you're understanding why I don't make too much of an effort to try
to find a warrior's "favorite" weapon. Finding a weapon they win with is much more
important, and Predator certainly had no problem winning. I think people have had
enough cases where a suspected favorite weapon was confirmed to suggest that a
warrior's favorites are determined before AD, but the exceptions such as Predator's
are numerous. I'll bet Adie will have more to say on this matter, since it seems
like it happens to her warriors a lot. -- Generalissimo Puerco
Q.o.W. (Fav Weapons) -- I was the closest thing the KoV had to somebody who found
their favorite weapon in basic. But since I got my advanced master in attack so soon
it's hard to tell. We really haven't noticed our warriors having a favorite weapon
in basic. I personally think there may be something to what you're saying. But I
think most people believe that it's there all along. -- Maxwell Honorblade
Hanibal's Question of the Week -- No, favorites are generated when the warrior is
first created. Unless you get a favorites-prize and use it on a warrior, his
favorites always and forever remain what they were at the time of generation. --
Leeta
Q.O.W -- BS favorite and no crits sounds typical for a lot of warriors. Or GA...or
BA...or even SC. Sometimes, favorite weapons just don't serve. I have a WS in
Primus with GA favorite and Grandmaster Attack who throws more normals than crits
with her favorite. To make matters worse, I have a LU in Primus with Archmaster
Attack who still throws normals...with her favorite and with LO. Some warriors, in
my experience, just don't throw crits like they should. Others will go crazy with
their favorite weapon in basic, right from the start. I've discovered many favorite
weapons that way over the years...then again, I've also THOUGHT I'd discovered
favorite, only to have them be something else. I've always thought that somewhere, a
bit is kept with each warrior for how experienced they are with any given weapon...
and if you use a weapon enough, you get better with it (skills not withstanding). I
can't prove it, but watching some of my LS and SS, SH and MS favorite warriors using
SC and LO, you see improvement over time, even when they aren't getting more attack.
-- Talon Warsmith, Epee favorite <grin>
Hanibal, Q.O.W., favorites are born with the warrior. It's just that sometimes they
seem hard to believe. -- Kennelworth
Q.O.W. -- I've always understood that a warrior's favorite weapon is generated right
at the beginning. I have however, had the similar experience of throwing more crits
with a non-fav weapon. -- Anti
>)]H[(< + -----:----- + >)] The Free Cities #65 [(< + -----:----- + >)]H[(<
Near Zukal:
Ghenis grimaced at the wave of fear but set himself to defend his shelter,
himself, his horse, and Veleks. The fear, he realized after a moment, was something
outside himself, something the monstrous hunter was attempting to impose on him.
That knowledge did not lessen the icy waves coming at him, but it let him set it away
from himself, make a space between fear and thought. It would not find him an easy
victim.
There was what seemed like a very long silence, with Ghenis in the ruined house
beside his fire, and the icy-eyed shadows outside. The shadows seemed to be waiting
for something--for him to flee, screaming, probably. And to be disconcerted by his
failure to do so.
Ghenis reached up to touch his amulet again, then paused before his fingers
reached the cool stone. It looked like he could handle this on his own, so better
not to invoke the dark powers. But should he speak, demand what this shadow wanted
of him, or wait and let it be first to break the silence? Better to wait; in a
contest of nerves, the first to break silence lost points. He didn't have any
points, whatever they might be in this context, to spare.
Sooner than he expected, a voice came out of the night. It was cold, and
hollow, and deep as a cave, sounding distant, somehow, or not quite real. Oh, it was
real, Ghenis knew that--out of the corner of his eye, he saw his horse flinch at the
sound. But it was hard to imagine that any creature of flesh and blood might produce
such a voice.
"Why do you not flee?"
"Flee? You think I should run away?" The gladiator put as much surprise in his
voice as he could. "Why? I've got a fine location here, shelter from the wind and
rain, a fire for light and warmth. Why should I leave before morning?"
"Do you not fear me? You should." The voice dropped to a deeper, darker tone.
"I could rip life and soul from your puny mortal flesh--"
"Sounds unpleasant," Ghenis agreed. "But I'm a Lord Protector, and the Greywand
has a deal with Ahringol--he doesn't get to keep us Lord Protectors. We get
resurrected on a regular--"
"Ahringol!" The name crackled like thunder in the darkness. Scornful thunder.
"That foolish child? These young gods have no sense of dignity, trafficking with
wizards as though they were mortal merchants! Ahringol and Greywand are nothing to
me, what I take, I keep."
"If you say so," the gladiator responded. The statement that Ahringol, who had
a deal concerning gladiators, was not involved was disconcerting, but this was not
the time to show it. "But if you could come here and get me, you'd already have done
it. What's stopping you?" he added curiously. "The fire, the steel, the fact that
I'm not afraid?"
"Why should I tell you anything?" The voice sounded annoyed now. Almost sulky.
"You think too much." It dropped to a note of menace. "But one night you will be
without shelter, and then we will see what your brave words really mean."
There was a stir in the shadows, a rushing wind of movement, and then Ghenis had
the night to himself.
* }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *
---===FREE BLADES REGIONAL NEWS===---
Duelmasters
-----------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 468): TREMERE of DARK TOADS (TigToad, mgr.)
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 466): LIFE SENTANCE of THE LAWMEN (?, mgr.)
DM 15 MALCORN (turn 462): DIRT KNAP of UNKNOWNS XX (Dark Spirit, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 463): MANAGER TC'S of IT'S JUST WRONG (LHI, mgr.)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 461): COL SALOMON of 82ND ILLINOIS (Otto X. Frothingslosh)
DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 460): STEERFORTH of GO TO THE DICKENS! (Reverend Boz,
acting mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 229): SHAWINIGAN SMURF of CANADIAN BACON (Firehawk, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 452): MR. YUCK of THE TAKEN (Stillgard, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 227): GRIFFIN of MYTH (Lightbringer, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 448): LIGHTNING of HARBINGERS (High Lord Bosk, mgr.)
DM 33 ANASAZI (turn 446): SLUGWORTH of WILLY WONKA INC. (Distorted, mgr.)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 439): FINN of CHILDREN OF LLYR (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 403): SUNGOD DESIGNED ME of WENSINWASIN (Youngblood, mgr.)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 205): DEBBIE DAHMER of MORDRED'S MADMEN (Abraxis, mgr.)
DM 47 NORTH FORK (turn 199): JUMBO MUMBO of SPOONERTIKS (Spawn, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 186): CLOUDS AWAY of OPEN SESAME (Crip, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 327): HAIRY TUB of MY BATHROOM (Nuln, mgr.)
DM 61 JURINE (turn 307): VLADIMIR TALTOS of BLACK PEARL (Dr. Guts, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 134): PUNCH DRUNK of WAY TO GO! II (Spawn, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 353): GNU WORLD ORDER of HELPLESS ANIMALS from WILLAF (
Top Teams
---------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 468): none
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 466): ARENA FELINES II (Garfield, mgr.)
DM 15 MALCORN (turn 462): UNKNOWNS XX (Dark Spirit, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 463): WAY OF THE BLADE 1 (Vhagar, mgr.)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 461): HEROESANDFOUNDONES (The Judge, mgr.)
DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 460): CARNIVAL (Carny, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 229): IDIOTIC ICCERS (THawk, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 452): THE TAKEN (Stillgard, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 227): THE STORMGUARDS (The Icelord, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 448): THE STORMLORDS (The Icelord, mgr.)
DM 33 ANASAZI (turn 446): WHEN DOGMA FAILS (Prophet, mgr.)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 439): CHILDREN OF LLYR (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 403): MEDS (Berylstar, mgr.)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 204): DARQUE FORCES (Master Darque, mgr.)
DM 47 NORTH FORK (turn 199): SPOONERTIKS (Spawn, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 186): OPEN SESAME (Crip, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 327): GENERAL SURGERY (Darkfist, mgr.)
DM 61 JURINE (turn 307): BLACK PEARL (Dr. Guts, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 134): none
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 353): MEOW MIX, etc. (Ultraist, mgr.)
Recent Graduates
-----------------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 468): INDIGO of BLUE MOON (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 465): WILD BILL of THE LAWMEN (?, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 462): IMA MAROON of COLOR ME (Ghoti, mgr.)
GINGER BROWN of COLOR ME (Ghoti, mgr.)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 461): TY BRINSON of LO' DOWN (Cayl Reed, mgr.)
DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 460): STEERFORTH of GO TO THE DICKENS! (Reverend Boz,
acting mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 229): SHAWINIGAN SMURF of CANADIAN BACON (Firehawk, mgr.)
BILLY LILLY of DODGE BULLETS (Uncle Wolf, mgr.)
(turn 228): NIGHTSHADE of CRYPT KNIGHTS (?, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 227): GRIFFIN of MYTH (Lightbringer, mgr.)
DM 33 ANASAZI (turn 446): SLUGWORTH of WILLY WONKA INC. (Distorted, mgr.)
(turn 445): DRY KEG of JOYS OF BOOZE (Berylstar, mgr.)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 439): FINN of CHILDREN OF LLYR (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 185): DR. NO-NOOKIE of MASTER BLASTERS (Tripwire, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 133): KAMIKAZE of WAY TO GO! II (Spawn, mgr.)
DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
Notes from the arena champ.
Well, fellow Gladiators, this will probably be the last you will hear from me
unless you follow me to the arena I go to so I am going to do a bit of a profile of
myself. Don't tell Diaretic, he may DA me for it, to let you see the blood that has
made me who I am today. Let's start with the numbers. I am a Slasher 16-15-9-13-
14(1)-9-9. (7-2-2, 79, 13 FE). I have earned my Adex in Initiative and an Expert in
attack. I went 4-3 in the last tourney where I was put out by a slasher, lunger and
a Scummy TP. Which is what I used the fights for TP. My first fight I killed my
opponent which created an exciting bloodfeud which was never revenged. I am the only
surviving member of the Dark Tides. I like to think of myself as their top fighter
but Little Horn is starting to win the hearts of fans. I have had several hard
fights where I had the Initiative in the first minute got it ripped away from me and
still came back to win. See, Con is good for something. I truly believe that I
wouldn't be what I am today if I didn't have it. Sure that you all were weak. We
will see if she runs this turn. I will be challenging this turn and we will see if
she accepts. If by chance she does win good luck to you all in defeating her and
relieving her of her throne.
Now, Gambit, if the challenge to Katrina doesn't go through, I will hopefully be
seeing you, so good luck.
To all the other newbies, good luck in your fights and may we share the blood
that stains the sands in the heat of battle. But let yours be more than mine.
Your Duelmaster,
Wednesday of The Dark Tides
P.S. How come this arena has to get exciting when it is time for me to leave?
SPY REPORT
The sages err'd not in their foretelling of a god descending upon NOBLISH
ISLAND, for I, Novgorodny Vir, have returned! X-MEN? Who? THE DARK TIDES is the
top team these days, buddies! MIDDLE WAY 8 posted a nice gain, to come in 3rd.
Everybody loves a winner... MIDDLE WAY 8 had cause to celebrate, after RENDOR QUIL
got 17 points by beating JINX. Win some, lose some. Speaking of which, RENDOR QUIL
was winsome, after beating JINX and seeing him lose 17 points. VENEMOUS CONCUBINE
found out that NOBLISH ISLAND isn't a democracy. You've gotta be the best to be
Duelmaster here! So who was the warrior seen charging into immovable walls and
challenging dead trees? Someone's got a basic problem...
And how sociable are NOBLISH ISLAND's warriors? Come, let us see.
Is there life after death? Pragmatics (and warriors) know there is death after
life! Questions are being raised about the disposing of severed body parts in the
arena. A certain tavern in NOBLISH ISLAND would I avoid!
Do not think spyreporting in NOBLISH ISLAND is the highlight of my life. Keep
those sands bloody and the buzzards fat! Can anything compare to the pleasure of
writing Spyreports for NOBLISH ISLAND? On that giddy note I take my leave--
Novgorodny Vir
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
WEDNESDAY 7156 8 2 2 91 THE DARK TIDES (1234)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
FURIOUS IMP 7536 5 0 0 52 THE DARK TIDES (1234)
LITTLE HORN 7526 5 1 0 48 THE DARK TIDES (1234)
-GAMBIT 7166 5 2 0 47 X-MEN (1236)
-MORPH 7528 4 0 0 35 X-MEN (1236)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
RENDOR QUIL 7513 5 3 0 33 MIDDLE WAY 8 (1300)
-BEAST 7165 4 3 0 32 X-MEN (1236)
KATRINA THE RED 7504 4 1 0 27 TYCRON'S MERCS (1298)
-POO FLINGER 7529 2 1 0 27 NO HOPE (1303)
THE WRETCHED 7535 4 1 0 26 THE DARK TIDES (1234)
LENA KORIL 7510 5 3 0 24 MIDDLE WAY 8 (1300)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-STRIDEN 6650 4 4 1 23 DRUNKEN CLONES (1144)
NEFAN MURH 7511 4 4 0 22 MIDDLE WAY 8 (1300)
-TOAD 7527 2 2 0 22 X-MEN (1236)
POL OLVAN 7512 4 4 0 21 MIDDLE WAY 8 (1300)
-WOLVERINE 7163 4 3 0 21 X-MEN (1236)
TEALIN SALI 7514 4 4 0 20 MIDDLE WAY 8 (1300)
WAIF 7556 3 0 0 19 RIFF RAFF (1305)
RAVAGER OF DOOM 7503 3 2 0 17 TYCRON'S MERCS (1298)
JINX 7546 2 2 1 15 RIFF RAFF (1305)
TRAILER TRASH 7557 2 1 0 15 RIFF RAFF (1305)
GUTTERSNIPE 7545 2 2 0 14 RIFF RAFF (1305)
-XARION 7108 3 3 1 13 DRUNKEN CLONES (1144)
GHENGIS KAHN 7534 2 3 0 13 THE DARK TIDES (1234)
PORK CHOP 7542 2 2 1 11 RIFF RAFF (1305)
WIDOWMAKER 7180 1 0 0 11 LEATHER CHICKS (1239)
-MALITHORN 7555 1 0 0 10 DRUNKEN CLONES (1144)
THE ROOKIE 7502 2 3 0 9 TYCRON'S MERCS (1298)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-ZAK 7554 1 0 0 7 DRUNKEN CLONES (1144)
-ZULOK THE SHADOW 7508 1 1 1 6 THE BLACK GUARD (1299)
-LEONIDAS 7507 1 1 0 4 THE BLACK GUARD (1299)
-WARTS B. GONE 7533 0 3 0 3 NO HOPE (1303)
METARO 7547 0 2 0 2 TYCRON'S MERCS (1298)
-AMASTASIA 7506 0 2 0 2 THE BLACK GUARD (1299)
THE DOMINATRIX 7182 0 1 0 1 LEATHER CHICKS (1239)
-NARYM 7505 0 1 0 1 THE BLACK GUARD (1299)
THE MISTRESS 7181 0 1 0 1 LEATHER CHICKS (1239)
THE WIDOW 7179 0 1 0 1 LEATHER CHICKS (1239)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
MISS PRISS 7183 0 1 0 LEATHER CHICKS 1239 PORK CHOP 7542 146
MELOFARLASKI 7500 1 1 0 TYCRON'S MERCS 1298 ZULOK THE SHADOW 7508 142 REVENGED
KESSEL 7501 2 2 0 TYCRON'S MERCS 1298 XARION 7108 144
PERSONAL ADS
About that SIZE thing.... If I could I'd like to have a 21 size slasher with at
least 15's in wit and will. I want 10 of them, that way I have a good chance at
getting good favorites or bonuses on luck. I'd like to have a 14 Size lucky lunger.
This way I can ensure my chances at getting the MAXIMUM damage category of Unearthly
damage. I would also like to have a 3 size WASTE or LUNGER or AIMED BLOW...this way
I can have a maximized defense ability in those styles (a 3 size TP would maximize
defense + parry). So it comes down to attack skills + how much damage you can
inflict OR attack skills + how much damage you can avoid...there's a LOT more things
to look at but as for size, smaller doesn't necessarily mean better.
Notes on MY articles, I don't know if this has ever been done...the person who wrote
the article being critical about the thing he wrote. (At least this way Jorja
doesn't have to try and talk about how horrible I am as a manager and how little I
think I know being greater than the amount itself....) <smile>
Are You Ready To Take Tournament Play Seriously? by Pagan. -- STILL a good article.
AVOIDS, BLOODFEUDS, & CHALLENGES by Pagan -- I think its a good article, HOWEVER I
would have you understand, even though I wrote it in the first paragraph, that it is
my own idea of how things work. It's a good way to get an idea about what is
actually happening. The only BIG GUESS is just how does the computer pick a warrior
then assign a challenge...does it take a warrior from a specific pool it has
delineated, then do first challenge, then second challenge of the same warrior, then
move on the other warriors, OR does it move more from all warriors' first challenges,
and then move on to the second challenges.... Again, it's still a good article and
one representation of how it 'could' work.
GETTING THE JUMP by Pagan -- I saved this one for last because many times I have to
explain it to some people, and would like to elaborate a bit more on some things, but
so be it.... Factor #1 talks about a warrior 'string'. YES, each warrior has a
string number assigned to it at birth. When the program needs a number it takes the
numbers you made and adjusts them by referencing the string number and pulling a
number from that string. These STRINGS have classifications that used to be listed
on the team overviews a long time ago but has since been changed and is no longer
seen. Only numbers listed now are a HEX numbering system. For date and number
class...whatever, I'm getting off topic.
In factor #3 I talk about this: #Speed + 0.5#Wit + #DeciseSkills + OE + string#
+ tactic + style-adjustment.... These are the factors I think affect getting the
jump. AL (activity level DOESN'T MATTER it matters in keeping the initiative but not
in getting the jump), KD (kill desire DOESN'T MATTER it affects other things of which
I will not go into since it would be conjecture). The WIT thing is just something is
think is true. The stat itself is used in the calculation in some way APART FROM the
skills gained in it. Much as a warrior can parry or seems to parry in a fight,
regardless of style, if he has a high speed. The stat Speed is used as its number in
the calculations for the ability to parry. It's not better than having parry skills,
but you see my point.
Noblish managers -- Welcome to Duelmasters, your new addiction!! Just wanted to
extend a greeting and an invitation to come test your mettle in Sunset, jewel of the
Delarquan federation! Competition is fierce but there is always room for young up-
and-coming managers to make their mark. Cross blades with veterans like the
Frothingsloshers, myself (Stik), and Crip, or other rising managers like Sensei Jan,
C. Canary, Klep, and Abarsis. More are coming in every turn, join us!! -- Stik,
manager of Grim Fandango and The Bloodbanes in Sunset
Jorja -- Thank you for the warm welcome. I believe that Pol Olvan may be right
though. Pork Chop may soon find himself in the Dark Arena. -- Caffiend, mgr. Riff
Raff
Pol Olvan -- Thank you for the magnificent skill learns. I might have to go ahead
and promise you that gravy when you next meet Pork Chop. -- Waif
Wolverine -- Ouch! That must be painful. -- Jinx
Jorja -- Thanks for the comments on my challenge strategy. It lets me know that I'm
not the only one that thinks this way and that I'm doing things this way and that I'm
things right. My W/L record should let me know but you know what I mean. -- Diaretic
All -- Kung-Fu Master was an open hand fighter and he paid for it. He kept trying to
parry and I nearly cleaved off both his arms. -- Wednesday
All -- I have had absolutely poor matchups. If I can pull some better matchups off
then maybe I can stop losing. I haven't even been able to get a good challenge
through. Oh well. -- Ghengis Kahn
Professor X -- Congrats on the success streak that you have had here lately. --
Diaretic
Gambit -- You're a Parry-Lunger and I'm a lunger yet somehow I managed to parry more
than you. Ok whatever. PLUS you jumped me. Great fight. ALL in ALL on both sides.
-- Little Horn
P.S. Maybe it's my size!
Beast -- I wasn't running faster than moderate, and I jumped you. You might want to
experiment with running faster or carrying less. Not that you're doing badly, but
maybe you could do better! You never know. Ours is a style that sometimes rewards
tinkering lavishly. -- Lena Koril
P.S. Regardless, good luck.
Waif -- Hmm, looks like I should try running a little faster. I think I'll talk to
Jorja about that.... -- Pol Olvan
P.S. Also, you should run slower. If I'd been on the ball, you might have been dead
at the end of that fight. The old "flails a weary-armed attack" means you're burning
your endurance too fast. Slow down. When your endurance is shot, you're easy meat
for anyone with a little bloodlust, and I'd hate to see something fatal happen to
you.
Morph -- Proof positive, if any were needed, that the style-vs.-style chart is a
crock of beans. -- Nefan Murh
P.S. My brother never warned me about days like this. Do you think he was trying to
get me into trouble by encouraging me to enter the arena?
Osksi Noble. Hmphf. I bet they threw him OUT of Osksi. Or else they've got a
mighty low standard in nobles there. -- Rendor Quil
Xarion -- What a pair we made out there. No wonder the audience was laughing. --
Tealin Sali
Tycron -- As Ed. said. "Diplo," by the way, is short for "Diplomatic Note." Perhaps
because it's forwarded by the company with the turn, as though it was in a
"Diplomatic Pouch"? -- Jorja
P.S. Sorry about the jargon, one gets in the way of using it after a while. When in
doubt, always ask--Ed. will probably answer on the same turn your question appears,
but if not, I'll answer next time around. -- Jorja
Diaretic -- I'm away from home this week so probably won't have a Lighthouse
spotlight in this newsletter. This is so you know that I actually have a good reason
this time! -- Jorja, not slacking today
P.S. For a while, there was a run of warriors graduating who all seemed to have
double numbers in the middle of their id numbers. One can have a lot of fun with
these numeric flukes, but don't take 'em to the bank.
Comments on the articles--
Getting the Jump by Pagan. I don't think Pagan's active right now, but it's a good
article. A fair amount of computer jargon, but comprehensible.
Constitution by Jessie Jest. This manager is inactive. I'm not sure what the point
of the article is, but if you like to do math, there is something to play with.
The Real Offensive Total Parry by Blackstorm. This manager is inactive. I have no
doubt he enjoyed his total parry experiments, and some of you might enjoy them also,
but this is more a case of the dog that walked on its hind feet: the wonder isn't
that he does it well, but that he does it at all. The Commission designed the total
parry style to be defensive. PURELY defensive. In his initial generation, the total
parry is loaded with defensive skills and shorted on offensive ones, so he is not
going to be a "natural" at offense. That the warriors whose numbers are given in the
article did well is no surprise; they would be likely to do well as any style.
BETTER, in fact, as almost any other style.
Avoids, Bloodfeuds, & Challenges by Pagan. Generally, any article by Pagan
explaining how some part of the game process works is going to be the goods.
Another Beginner's Guide to Duelmasters by Jolly. I think he's still active in dm
18, team Burn and Pillage. Good basic suggestions.
Are You At Your Wit's End? by Destitute Noble. He's currently active in various
places which I don't happen to remember offhand. EXCELLENT advice.
The Darque Slasher by Master Darque. This manager is active as indicated and lots of
other places also. His advice is sound. I personally would probably not run a
slasher 10-10-x these days, but I used to. Now, looking at that 10-10 makes me
tired....
Beginner's Guide to Duelmasters Rebuttal by Drake. Drake is active in 103 at this
time. We don't have the article he's rebutting (it isn't the one above), but this is
good basic stuff.
Yet Another Striker Article by Tex. This manager is inactive, but the article has
good stuff in it.
The Godling Heresy by Jorja. Obviously an excellent piece by a knowledgeable and
literate manager!
The High Strength Aimed Blow by Donald Trump. This manager is inactive, so far as I
know. His suggested rollups would be good at most any style, though I would prefer a
little more CN than most of them have, especially since I find aimers don't like to
rush into things. I also would not start one off 10-10-x in the first minute, not
unless I had a very clear idea what he was going up against. Still, this is a good,
thought-provoking piece on a style that many find difficult.
The Zen of Putting Your Opponent Six Feet Under by Merlin. This manager is inactive,
but people in the know agree that he had an excellent grasp of his topic.
Warrior Design by the Rogue She-Puppy. This manager is currently active in 107, team
Nightlings. It's an old article, and some of the information is a little dated, but
there are good basic suggestions here.
26 June 2003
All -- Would you be willing to proxy my lunger Ganglare at the Face-to-Face? He's
fighting in the champions tourney. Thanks. Write: Michael Rogers #25335-013, PO
Box 6000, Florence, Co 81226 -- Skullagrim
STOP THINKING TOGS!!!!! It's here. Well, almost here anyway. We're looking at
a start date of the first turn in Aradi (DM 60) following the Fall Mail-In. This
should give everyone sufficient time to study the new ultra-improved T#%S IV rules
and prep accordingly. So without further ado, here is your handy-dandy guide to
winning your very own Golden Scrod (and some other very cool prizes to be announced
officially before the start of the tourney that must not be named):
1. Each T#%S team consists of two managers. After the tourney starts, there will be
no switching partners whatsoever, so choose your partners wisely. T#%S IV will
last for 13 turns, so pick a partner you can stand for 6 months or so. The only
team I know of so far is last TOGS winners: Ganolus Oakleaf/Hombre of Blood
Related/Thieves Guild. Hey, this is fun!
2. The T#%S entry fee is 2 team setups per manager. This means 4 setups per T#%S
team. This entry fee is required before the start of the tourney with no
exceptions being made. This is to ensure that nobody gets screwed if a team or
manager decides to back out early. To pay the entry fee either:
a) send $10 cash/check/money order/ or whatever to me personally at:
Andy Salveson
6812 Romanzo Way
Elk Grove, CA 95758
b) get RSI to send me 2 team setup gift certificates. Sorry, no credit cards and
no old teams you have lying around will be accepted.
3. T#%S point system:
10 points for winning on your up-challenge against another T#%S warrior.
7 points for winning on your even challenge of another T#%S warrior.
7 points for winning on another T#%S warriors challenge.
7 points for winning a random matchup against another T#%S warrior.
4 points for winning on your down-challenge of another T#%S warrior.
4 points for winning a random matchup against a non-T#%S warrior. Do not fight
your team mate, you will not get any points. Also, you will not get any points
if you challenge or get challenged by a non-T#%S team, so use your avoids
wisely if you think someone is out to get you.
10 points for being the Duelmaster. This is in addition to all points listed
above and will begin turn 1, so prep accordingly.
5 points for every spotlight written by any team member, 1 per manager per turn.
The minimum length of a spotlight to receive points is 1/2 column in the
newsletter (that's 31 lines-each line 85 characters across) and I will be
completely firm on this. In addition to the length criteria, spotlights will
not be given points if they are in any way plagiarized or if they are not
Duelmasters or fantasy related. I will be the sole judge of this. If you're
unsure if I will judge something to be Duelmasters or fantasy related, then
e-mail me before you write the spotlight and ask me. I reserve the right to
take points away from a spotlight after they are given if I judge at a later
time that the spotlight has been plagiarized.
-5 points per manager per turn every time a manager does not at least write one
personal ad.
-5 points for being the team that avoided the most.
If you participated in TOGS III, you'll notice some slight changes in the points
structure. The main things are points for random match ups against non T#%S
warriors, bonus points for being the Duelmaster, new spotlight criteria, and no
points given for being the most avoided team.
4. I already mentioned this, but T#%S IV will start the first turn in arena 60 after
the Fall Mail-In runs and it will last for 13 turns. There will not be a
Survivor format this time around, meaning no eliminations. I will still be doing
the multipliers at the end, however. This means that all points accumulated by a
team on turns 10 and 11 will be multiplied by 1.5 and all points accumulated by
each team on turns 12 and 13 will be multiplied by 2.
5. Prizes are yet to be determined, but I'll tell you what I know. There will be
prizes given out each turn to whichever team scores the most combined points on a
given turn. Tie breakers will go to the team with the most wins on that turn and
then to the team with most overall points. I have asked RSI for the same prizes
as last TOGS which were transferring any warrior to arena 60 and renaming Aradi
for approximately 6 months, but we'll see what they come back with. I haven't
decided how to split the prizes up, partly because I don't know how many teams
will be entering yet, but I do know the prizes will be split among the top 3
teams at the end. I will announce the exact breakdown of everything when I know
more.
6. And just like TOGS III, Death Stud and I will be the sole arbiters of any dispute
that may arise. Whine all you like, but as Nuln told you last time, that's how
it is.
7. M & RR Clause (go ahead, read between the capitals): I reserve the right to
disallow entry to this tourney if you have a previous history of being a big fat
mouth about everything.
I think that pretty much covers it. I will be accepting team entries as of now
and then posting them in the newsletters as I receive entry fees. Please feel free
to e-mail me regarding any questions or comments at Ganolus@aol.com. So everyone don
your best pair of leg warmers, hop on your favorite farm animal, and ride to Aradi
for the 4th kinda-annual Tournament that must not be named for no apparent reason
whatsoever, or T#%S IV, for short. See ya'll there!
-- Ganolus Oakleaf, T#%S IV Commish
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
LITTLE HORN devastated KATRINA THE RED in a 1 minute mismatched Challenge fight.
THE WRETCHED outwaited TRAILER TRASH in a 16 minute beginner's Challenge battle.
GHENGIS KAHN defeated THE ROOKIE in a 2 minute amateur's Challenge duel.
WEDNESDAY devastated VENEMOUS CONCUBINE in a exciting 1 minute one-sided Title fight.
FURIOUS IMP devastated TEALIN SALI in a 1 minute uneven brawl.
JINX was overpowered by RENDOR QUIL in a crowd pleasing 1 minute one-sided struggle.
POL OLVAN handily defeated CONVICTED THIEF in a 1 minute uneven fight.
NEFAN MURH vanquished OSKSI NOBLE in a 1 minute uneven duel.
LENA KORIL vanquished OSKSI NOBLE in a 1 minute uneven fight.
RAVAGER OF DOOM vanquished THE MISTRESS in a 1 minute brutal one-sided fight.
WAIF viciously subdued THE WIDOW in a 1 minute brutal novice's bout.
METARO was demolished by WIDOWMAKER in a 2 minute mismatched competition.
GUTTERSNIPE bested THE DOMINATRIX in a 2 minute novice's battle.
PORK CHOP delivered the death blow upon MISS PRISS in a 4 minute amateur's bout.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|LUNGING ATTACK 5 PARRY-LUNGE 9 - 3 - 1 75 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 3 TOTAL PARRY 8 - 4 - 0 67 |
|AIMED BLOW 3 LUNGING ATTACK 21 - 11 - 1 66 |
|WALL OF STEEL 3 SLASHING ATTACK 14 - 9 - 2 61 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 2 AIMED BLOW 14 - 14 - 0 50 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 2 BASHING ATTACK 12 - 12 - 1 50 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 2 STRIKING ATTACK 15 - 18 - 0 45 |
|TOTAL PARRY 2 PARRY-RIPOSTE 13 - 17 - 2 43 |
|BASHING ATTACK 1 WALL OF STEEL 13 - 17 - 1 43 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 1 PARRY-STRIKE 7 - 13 - 1 35 |
Turn 146 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:
SLASHING ATTACK 3 - 0 AIMED BLOW 1 - 2 2 LUNGING ATTACK
BASHING ATTACK 1 - 0 WALL OF STEEL 1 - 2 2 AIMED BLOW
LUNGING ATTACK 4 - 1 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 1 2 WALL OF STEEL
PARRY-LUNGE 1 - 1 1 SLASHING ATTACK
PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 - 1 1 PARRY-LUNGE
STRIKING ATTACK 1 - 1 1 BASHING ATTACK
TOTAL PARRY 1 - 1 1 STRIKING ATTACK
1 TOTAL PARRY
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
SLASHING ATTACK WEDNESDAY 7156 8 2 2 91 THE DARK TIDES (1234)
LUNGING ATTACK FURIOUS IMP 7536 5 0 0 52 THE DARK TIDES (1234)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is WEDNESDAY 7156. The most popular warrior this turn
was GUTTERSNIPE 7545. The ten other most popular fighters were GHENGIS KAHN 7534,
WEDNESDAY 7156, FURIOUS IMP 7536, RENDOR QUIL 7513, RAVAGER OF DOOM 7503, WAIF 7556,
PORK CHOP 7542, LITTLE HORN 7526, POL OLVAN 7512, and NEFAN MURH 7511.
The least popular fighter this week was THE WRETCHED 7535. The other ten least
popular fighters were TRAILER TRASH 7557, MISS PRISS 7183, THE WIDOW 7179, THE
MISTRESS 7181, TEALIN SALI 7514, THE ROOKIE 7502, KATRINA THE RED 7504, METARO 7547,
JINX 7546, and THE DOMINATRIX 7182.
A SACRED LORD'S SLASHER
Well, this article/spotlight is for Seal at 7th Order, so here goes.
ST: If he's huge (15+), 3 is okay, and use HA. I prefer 7 for epee. 9 gets scimitar
and 11 gets broadsword. Anything above 11 is a WASTE!!!
CN: Whatever they send you.
SZ: Any.
WT: 15, 17, or 21. 13 is workable, but I hate slow learners! 21 will probably take
a lot from other areas, so 17 is best.
WL: 17, 17, 17!!!! You need endurance, lots of endurance. Some of my friends use
15, but I prefer not to.
SP: 9+ They use SP as well as most, but don't add here until after WT/WL/DF.
DF: 15+, 15+, 15+. Once again, I have high standards. The reason? Have you ever
had a slasher come out w/ "relying on his speed to stay out of trouble"? That's
'cause his parry is in the negative. With a 15 DF your slasher will have a much
better parry and will probably be about 1-3 trains from a Master parry in advanced.
Later on, you'll see!
Now, how to run them:
10 9 7 -------------------------> 10
10 4 2 -------------------------> 10
7 9 7 -------------------------> 1
CH/HE -------------------------------------------- >
HE ----------------------------------------------- >
Off: D at first, open later, min 2 +, open
Def: D/S (preferably Dodge)
Min two+ is in case of a TP or WoS coming after you. This setup works, so good
luck!
Mike Bookout
Bookie, Sacred Lord of the Black Regime
Memphis Mafia (36,100)
P.S. Anybody want to join the Regime?
The Dark Arena: A Fighter's Perspective
(sung to the hymn: Battle Hymn of the Republic)
Mine eyes have seen the glory
Of the coming of the dawn
I am walking down the tunnel
After everyone is gone
I step into the torchlight
And I see the blade he's drawn
My mind, it sings this song:
CHORUS
Worry, worry, I've come for ya
Worry, worry, I've come for ya
Worry, worry, I've come for ya
My mind continues on
The crowd is chanting praises
But all I hear are growls
Mine enemy's upon me
So I strike him and he howls
Parry, parry, slash, and parry
I smell his breath so foul
And death, he sings this song:
(CHORUS)
Now we both are tired
And my strength is fading fast
Oh, let me give that fatal blow
Oh, let me be the last
I swing my sword with all my might
The crowd it stands, aghast
As he dies, I sing my song:
(CHORUS x2)
Scotlan (28, 31, 39, 50, ?)
Kill Desire: "Patience."
Many times I have lost warriors, and the manager claimed the KD was only five.
As if KD had anything to do with the death of my fighter. It was really the battle
axe to the head that killed him.
I was quite disturbed at the widespread belief that kill desire has something to
do with killing an opponent. But they have good reason to believe this: the
Duelmasters Handbook definition of kill desire has a tendency to cast a "confusion
spell" on the reader to make them think that way. The wording is very misleading.
The name "kill desire" is also misleading. A more correct word would be "patience."
Yes, kill desire is actually how much patience your fighter had before taking a
shot. KD doesn't add damage or tell your fighter where to aim at.
Damage is calculated by weapon and strength. (Of course, favorite weapon also
affects damage.)
You let your warrior know where you want him to aim at by filling out the attack
location boxes on the fight sheets.
Hit location and damage are the main two things that will kill warriors. Hit
locations to vital areas such as head, chest, and the abdomen repeated times increases
your chance to kill. The amount of damage inflicted to these vital areas also
increases your chance to kill an opponent.
As you see, none of this has anything to do with kill desire.
Now, I will tell you what kill desire, or patience, as I call it, actually is.
If you run your warrior with an 8-10 KD, you're telling him to swing like a
drunken wildman. You'll see statements in his fights that say "swings wildly" or
other things to that effect. He is not waiting for a good opening. He is swinging at
everything! This is bad for several reasons.
With his KD that high, he is very easily dodged and parried. Also, he can be
feinted into bad dueling decisions as well.
I think that KD between 5-7 for offensive styles and 3-6 for defensive styles is
perfect.
You get a lot more hits with a 5-7 KD, and feint a lot less. But you also get
more kills in this range. Reason being, you're waiting for a good shot that is hard
to dodge or parry. The example I used earlier about the manager with the 5 KD and
battleaxe is the point I am trying to make. If his warrior's KD was 10, my warrior
could have dodged or parried the attack and still be alive today. But since it was a
5 KD, he waited for a good shot that my warrior had trouble defending against, and
cleaved his head off! (Well, not literally.)
Defensive styles run about 3-6 KD. Defensive styles swing wildly a lot in the
beginning, but that is natural. They will get better. 3-4 KD, they still have a
tendency to let attacks go by. Of course, if you're scumming, go with a 1 KD.
In short, having an 8-10 KD means your warrior is doing all that swinging and
hitting less. Not to mention all the endurance he is burning up to no avail.
Any comments, you can diplo me.
ta-ta,
Sir Jessie Jest
DM 11: Lords of the Abyss
DM 61: Pit Fiends
DM 67: Storm Wizards
DM 5: Bad Girls
SOME INFO ON THE RIPPER
Being that the parry-riposte is my favorite style, I thought I'd share a few
things I've learned.
General design:
ST: 7-11 Strength isn't all important to the P.R. An 11 will gives you all well
suited weapons. I'll even go as high as 17, but with no dramatic
effect.
CN: Any A higher con will give a better endurance and make survival easier.
SZ: Any Although a smaller size gives you a defensive bonus.
WT: 15-21 As with all other styles the higher the better. 15 will give the epee.
A P.R. needs to learn skills to survive.
WL: 13-21 Will is as important as wit. It helps endurance and life expectancy.
A higher will allows you to pick apart most scum.
SP: 5-13 13 is a major breakpoint but it's not necessary to go that high. A
combo of 15 wit, 15 deftness and 11 speed will give you an expert in
riposte with any luck.
DF: 13-21 The higher the coordination the easier it is to hit your attack
location. A 15 will give you the epee.
The perfect P.R. would look something like this: 9-4-5-17-21-11-17 with starting
skill bases like:
Ini: 60%
Rip: 90%
Att: 75%
Par: 70%
Def: 75%
Dec: 40%
One of my first PRs looked like this: 15-10-9-15-15-6-14, Thror the Dark. He was
extremely unlucky as far as starting skills. He now looks a little different: 17-11-
9-17-16-7-15 with 90% Init, 145% Rip, 130% Att, 130% Par, 115% Def and 80% Dec. I
destroyed him with early stat raises.
I had a similar design that was luckier, at least until he got X-ed by a slasher
in a tourney. He died with a 12-3-1 record. But enough of that. You're probably
wanting to get on with the strategies.
So getting on with it, I've tried both offensive and defensive strategies.
Generally defensive has worked better for me. Something like: 3-6-6 going offensive
in minute 3 or 4 with a 10-8-6 or a 9-7-6 and then backing off to a 6-4-6 or a 4-5-6.
As far as tactics go I don't use 'em very often. If you use any offensive tactic
use the lunge or nothing. Defensively use dodge and parry sparingly, if at all, and
don't use the riposte tactic after you've achieved a master.
Okay, now on to weapons and armor. A parry-riposte is somewhat limited when it
comes to weapons. The longsword is their best choice against heavier armors. I once
tried the halberd (I'll wait until you finish laughing.) Anyway, Thror the Dark
savagely slew Spymaster with it. I only give the PR an off hand weapon with epee,
shortsword or the longsword.
I've done varying things with armor, but I've found that lighter armor works
better, personal favorites being APL, ARM, and ASM. I read an article about the
parry-riposte of coom that made me laugh. It said something about wearing more armor
than expected of a PR, listing nothing higher than ACM+F. Imagine what he would have
thought fighting Thror the Dark in APA+F.
This is just an opinion brought to you by Necrom, manager of Knightmares (33),
Pentad Paladins (55), Northlanders (70) and a couple of others.
Crimson Strikers
Greetings, fellow managers, I, Crimson Strategist, shall share my thoughts with
you on the striking attack style.
This style developed in cultures where weapon quality surpassed that of the
armors, this made landing the first blow vital. This blow is usually delivered in a
downward fashion quickly, surely, and with power in a minimal of wasted motion.
Here's how I rate the stats:
ST 11-15: Never go below 11, strikers are well suited to ALL the weapons in the
game and 11 allows the use of the majority of them. They also need to hurt their foe
when they hit, thus making this an important consideration for damage rating.
CN 3-9: This whole style revolves around finishing your foe quickly, if your foe
has time to develop a complex formal attack on your striker, then you're not fighting
him properly. A properly run striker should never be hit more than four or five
times, any more than this and the whole concept behind this style gets thrown right
out the window, therefore I rate con as the least important attribute for this style.
SZ 9-16: A size of 9 allows use of all the weapons and it is important in
determining your damage rating, plus, it also adds to your init and this style thrives
on init.
WT 13+: As with any style, the higher the better. 13 is rock bottom, it allows
the use of all weapons except the epee and you'll still learn at a decent pace.
WL 7-13: This style conserves endurance which allows this attribute to go
considerably less than most styles and still fight effectively for a respectable
length of time. I've had strikers with a 13 ST, 3 CN, and 5 WL get poor endurance
ratings and ones with 11 ST, 6 CN, and 9 WL get normal. However, if you want some
long term potential, you'd want to be around 13 or so.
SP 10+: This is very important for decise and init skills which are the heart of
this style. Landing the first blow and finishing the fight quickly is hinged on your
striker's speed.
DF 15+: This is crucial attribute for this style, they NEED to be precise with
their blows, plus, it also adds to their init. Get to 17 or 21 if possible.
Now let's take a look at the style itself. The striking attack is one of the
easiest styles to run, yet they have adversity that many styles lack. As I've said
before, a striker can use ALL the weapons in the game. They can fight effectively
wearing plate armor and no armor, they can use EVERY tactic in the game be it
offensive or defensive, a striker can fight like a lunger or basher, ripper or
slasher, etc... provided that you match up their strategy with the appropriate tactic
and weapon. They can beat ALL the styles in DM and beyond if you choose their
strategy correctly for that particular style vs. style matchup.
Here are some examples of style vs. style matchups for strikers and various
tactic selections vs. the different styles.
High decise strikers over slashers and lungers, strikers over total parry and
wall of steel, rippers over strikers, etc...
Using the decise tactic vs. lungers, slashers, and aimed blows. Using the lunge
tactic vs. rippers and aimed blows, using no tactic and having a moderate offensive
effort and moderate activity level vs. total parries and wall of steel, etc...
The possible variations for this style are virtually endless.
Now let's take a brief look at your striker overview and glean some helpful hints
on how to fight them. If you see statements like "relying on speed to stay out of
danger" or "avoiding rather than trading blows," this is telling you that your AL
should be moderate to high. If he does great damage, then don't use weapons like the
epee or shortsword, this would be an underutilization of his strengths. If he learns
attack skills easily, then this is telling you that he likes to take his time and pick
his shots so don't send him out with a 10 OE! If you see statements like "has learned
how to be a decisive and quick fighter," then by all means USE the decise tactic with
a high OE. Don't send him out with offhand weapons unless he's ambidextrous, if you
do, it will take away from his attack. As you can see, the various statements on your
overview are very helpful in telling you how your striker likes to fight.
Here's a very general strategy that has worked well for my strikers.
OE 10 8 7 7 7 6 6 Armor: ARM to ACM
AL 4 3 2 1 1 1 8 Weapons: BS,LO,SC,GS,BA
KD 6 6 6 6 6 6 5
ATT LOC Head, body, arms
PRO LOC Head or body
OFF TCT Decise or bash
DEF TCT Response or dodge
Before I close there is one last point I wish to emphasize, USE the
challenge/avoid system, it will help control who you fight and when. In closing, I
would like to thank the following managers for their diplos and articles which helped
me learn the game: Sir Jessie Jest, Talon, Tex, the managers on the roundtable, and
numerous others who took their time to put quill and ink on parchment and pass their
knowledge on to others, thanks!
Many of you know the Crimson Death stables or soon will know them since I plan to
have quite a few of them up and running, however, some of them will be on and off due
to monetary fluctuations so if you wish to diplo me with any comments, criticisms,
whatever, send them to my home arena, which, from here on out, will always be active.
Later,
Crimson Strategist
Crimson Death DM 61