DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER
Date : 08/07/2004 Duedate: 08/20/2004
NOBLISH ISLAND ARENA
DM-93 TURN-173
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
JERNIG MARS
MIDDLE WAY 11 (1369)
(93-7930) [4-1-0,49]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
POSITION IS EMPTY JERNIG MARS
MIDDLE WAY 11 (1369)
(93-7930) [4-1-0,49]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
GEROGE JIM NEWLIN
MIDDLE WAY 11 (1369) CRIMSON DEATH (1348)
(93-7927) [5-0-0,39] (93-7811) [2-3-1,31]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
MIDDLE WAY 11 (1369)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. CRIMSON DEATH (1348) 30
2. MIDDLE WAY 11 (1369) 21 THE NEST (286)
3. WIMPS (1039) 4 Unchartered Team
WIMPS (1039)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1/ 0*WIMPS (1039) 1 0 0 100 1/ 1*MIDDLE WAY 11 (1369) 9 5 0
2/ 1*MIDDLE WAY 11 (1369) 18 6 0 75.0 2/ 0*CRIMSON DEATH (1348) 7 8 3
3/ 0*CRIMSON DEATH (1348) 8 14 3 36.4 3/ 0*WIMPS (1039) 1 0 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[ The Lighthouse ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Profile of a Team
Middle Way 7
Instead of giving you the profile of a graduating warrior this week, I'm going
to show you what I started with and what I did to make the Middle Way 7.
Warrior #1 I made a parry-riposte, as much because I like making rippers as
because I thought this was an "ideal" ripper. (Hint, it is NOT an "ideal" ripper.)
13 + 0 = 13 I left the ST at 13 because that's enough to use any ripper's
5 + 0 = 5 weapon. I didn't raise the CN, though an "ideal" ripper would have
12 + 0 = 12 more, because I didn't have the points to spare. I can raise this
13 + 2 = 15 warrior's CN later, and in fact I did so on the first fight. Why
7 + 6 = 13 didn't I raise the WT to 17 or 19, as I could have done? Again, I
13 + 0 = 13 needed the points more elsewhere, and 15 is sufficient for any of
7 + 6 = 13 the ripper's preferred weapons. Learning with a 15 WT is fine,
also. I raised WL to 13, the maximum allowable addition of points, because that is
THE most important stat. Without a decent WL, you can't raise any of the other
stats, and 13 is marginal anyway. If this warrior survives to graduation, it will go
into automatic retirement because of that low WL. SP I left alone because that's
more than enough for any ripper to start with. DF I raised by the maximum six points
because it's so useful for a) getting initial skills (this warrior was born with an
expert in riposte) and b) hitting on target and winning fights before the low CN
loses them. This warrior is very frail--mostly the low CN, but incredibly quick
(relatively high SP and DF combined). She can't carry much weight, but she does do
good damage.
Warrior #2 I made a wall of steel, which may be my favorite style. I added
6 + 3 = 9 three to ST because I HATE warriors who do little damage. Also,
10 + 0 = 10 raising ST to 9 will allow this warrior to use the SC, one of my
16 + 0 = 16 favorite weapons. Nothing to CN, 10 is okay. Not great, but okay.
12 + 5 = 17 Five to WT, since I have the points to spend there, gives me 17,
7 + 6 = 13 just about the ideal starting WT. The full six to WL for the same
6 + 0 = 6 reason as above--gotta get it as high as possible, and this is
13 + 0 = 13 still just marginal for a long term warrior. I left the SP at 6,
because I never know what to do with SP anyway. And DF left at 13 because the points
were needed more urgently elsewhere, and 13 will give this warrior the SC, the wall
of steel's best weapon. This warrior came out slightly uncoordinated (the low SP)
but at the same time quick on his feet. He can trip faster than anyone you ever saw!
Again, can't carry much weight but does good damage.
Warrior #3 I made another ripper. Hey, I warned you I'm doing rippers right
9 + 0 = 9 now! It would probably have made a better lunger, but I didn't
8 + 0 = 8 feel like making a lunger, and besides, the idea of a seven-foot
20 + 0 = 20 tall ripper tickled my fancy. I left ST untouched, as 9 will
14 + 3 = 17 give this warrior the SC. CN is acceptable, though low for a
4 + 6 = 10 ripper. Raised WT to 17, because WT is always useful to have; if
4 + 1 = 5 I could have put the two extra points on WL, I'd have settled for
11 + 4 = 15 a WT of 15, though. Six points to WL for the same reason as above
--this team is cursed in the WILL department. Oh, well, you work with what you've
got. Four added to DF for starting skills and accuracy, and the final one point I
dropped on SP because it looked so desperately low. This warrior came out with
"slightly uncoordinated" but is not listed as "slow and inactive," possibly thanks to
that extra point on SP. At least, that's what I choose to tell myself. This one
came out slightly uncoordinated but incredibly quick and active, can't carry much
weight but does great damage (the SZ).
Warrior #4 has perhaps the best potential, in my view. I made it a wall of
11 + 0 = 11 steel (you're not surprised, are you?). Left ST and CN alone;
9 + 0 = 9 they're high enough to go with. Raised WT to 15, which is a good,
13 + 0 = 13 meaty WT. Why not 16? Because that wouldn't give me anything I
10 + 5 = 15 can't get at 15, and save the extra point for use elsewhere. WL to
12 + 5 = 17 seventeen--gotta love it. If this warrior survives, that 17 WL
5 + 1 = 6 means long-term possibilities in the form of relatively easy stat
10 + 3 = 13 raises later on. One point on SP because I had it and that seemed
more useful than any other place I might put it. Three to DF, because the extra
accuracy is always useful, though I could have stopped at 11 (the minimum needed to
use a SC) and put the other two points elsewhere. If I had chosen to do that, they
would probably have gone to ST for more damage. Slightly uncoordinated but active
and very quick on his feet, can't carry much weight but does good damage. A familiar
pattern, eh?
Warrior #5 is a total parry. Somehow he just didn't look like anything else.
4 + 5 = 9 Points to ST to reach my minimum preferred of nine, so that he will
14 + 1 = 15 not be cursed with little damage. After all, he MIGHT strike a
16 + 0 = 16 blow some day. Also, I wanted him to be able to stand up under his
9 + 0 = 9 armor. An extra point to CN, because total parries can always use
12 + 5 = 17 more of that. Nothing on WT, as skills are not important for him,
9 + 0 = 9 and 9 isn't too bad... for a total parry. Five to bring WL to 17;
6 + 3 = 9 this is as important for a total parry as for any other style, and
maybe more so, since it affects endurance. Left SP alone; he won't be moving much.
Three to DF to bring that up to 9 so that he can use some weapons other than the
shields. I have a hard time thinking of shields as weapons, frankly. Normal
intelligence--no statement as to how intelligent he is, but then again, no statement
that he is "very stupid" either. A compromise I--and he--can live with. He's got
good endurance and can take a lot of damage, thanks to CN, SZ, and WL. Can't carry
much weight (the low ST) but does great damage (the high SZ). I've already raised
his ST by one and plan to up it another point to 11, as I have chosen to arm him with
a longspear (they use 'em like quarterstaves for parrying and may, on rare occasions,
even attack with them); also, if I am reading the chart correctly, there are no
skills to be burned by stat trains from 9 to 11.
You'll note that only one of them won its first fight. This is not unusual, nor
is it distressing to me. In fact, I like for them to lose their first fight, as it
teaches them a little humility! But seriously, the first fight gives you a chance to
get the feel of the warrior and decide what adjustments to make to each one's
standard strategy.
Number 1 was going 6-6-6 straight across, not fast enough to burn out early, not
slow enough to scum. She got the first blow, which is good, but I don't expect her
to do it again; her opponent should probably be cranking up his Offensive Effort to
grab the first blow for himself. She didn't start showing exhaustion statements, so
she can handle this speed, at least; it was damage (that low CN) that took her down.
The second was going 8-6-6 and did NOT get the first blow, which was appropriate
considering his opponent's style. He went down to damage, the wimp, before I could
tell if he could sustain this speed.
The third, my seven-foot ripper, went 6-6-6 and had no trouble dealing with the
Persistent Beggar. I really can't call that a test.
The fourth was jumped, knocked down, went desperate, and quit, all in the space
of a few seconds. He's going to get some teasing for that from his teammates! He
was going 8-6-6, but there wasn't time to see how he liked that.
The last one, the total parry, went down to damage, having made no attempt to
parry, dummy that he is. I may set him the parry tactic in minute one. He was going
6-6-6, for all the good it did him. If he'd bothered to parry and hung on a little
longer, he could have had that fight, because his opponent was staggering with
exhaustion in the first minute.
Jorja
Middle Way 7
+>]H[<+-----+>]H[+ Question of the Week #6 +]H[<+-----+>]H[<+
From turn 412:
AK's Q.O.W. -- There's no single trick to keeping warriors alive. Constitution and
armor probably helps the most because it's more difficult for them to run out of hit
points and die in the infirmary, plus they don't go desperate as easy which is
usually when the death intent comment comes. Warrior experience is a big help, but
it takes time to earn, of course. Tourneys could help with this, but you can die
there too. It may be at half chance, but you get so many.... It really comes down
to the death intent statement usually. Skill, and toughness (including armor) help
to keep you from getting to that point, and once there, only warrior experience makes
a difference in reducing the chance of failing the survival role after that death
intent statement. -- Adie
AK's Q.O.W. #2 -- It takes a lot more than three master ratings once you get to the
middle ranks of ADM. In the lower end, that could be enough. But success is much
more attributed to the sum of the warriors' capabilities. Are they tough? Do they
have staying power/endurance? Do they defend well, even with low skills? Do they
have good rythyms? Do they 'like' their rythyms? How bout their favorite weapon?
Is it good and do they love it or hate it? Sometimes a warrior, for a reason not
easily definable, just wins. Other super skilled ones can just lose regularly. Of
course, each warrior may win at one level of the game, like basic and as freshmen,
but maybe lose like crazy higher up. Godlings will commonly come into their own as
champions and freshmen. The very rare few can win ALL the way. Those warriors are a
true joy.... -- Adie
Another Q.O.W. -- Perhaps it is not the fact that your good roll-ups never get
blessed and the others do. But it may be the fact, that you only get few great ones,
and it is EASY to remember them not getting gifted. Kind of like that syndrome where
people find it easy to remember all the negative things in their life, but find it
difficult to point out the equal or more numerous good things. However, if this is
not the case, keep those better gifted average roll-ups. Especially those that can
win in basic. You may find them winning in ADM later too, especially once they start
training stats. Also, if you get enough great roll-ups, you will eventually get
gifted ones. Remember, some styles find it easier to be more gifted. -- Adie
AK47 -- Let's see... <shuffling through paperwork> It says here that the three
recently deceased warriors from my team had 'normal', 'a lot', and 'very frail' hit
points. The 'very frail' one died in the infirmary, which is a little different.
The hit points, if you will, just determine how much damage can be sustained before
the warrior goes desperate/frantic/careless/you-name-it. Once that happens, con
ceases to matter. I've seen all types of warriors buy the farm, from 7 will to 21,
from no armor to APA/F. You hit upon the most important point, winning as much as
possible, but beyond that it's all about luck. Running in a friendly arena can help
the statistics of dying, but it doesn't mean any individual is safe and unkillable.
Tournies aren't that safe, in my opinion. FEs are helpful, but I think they are just
a visible artifact of being a developed fighter. A warrior with a lot of FEs but a
lousy learn rate probably isn't much more survivable just due to those FEs. -- Axly
AK47 -- Three masters sounds like a good rule of thumb, but that would vary depending
on what the warrior's physicals were like. I might say two masters and two ad exes
for defensives, but I'm no expert on them. -- Axly
Hanibal, QoW -- I have no idea. Some styles get gifted more than others, and in
certain areas. If you want the best bonuses, run aimers! -- Axly
QOW / AK 47 -- I've found skills keep a warrior alive better than anything. My best
learners have all lived. Especially offensives who learn a lot of init and decise
quickly. Swing first and keep swinging. I'd take WL over CN for its skills. I fear
mentioning this that it may jinx me, but I've never lost a warrior past about 10
fights. Armor has helped me at times, but it robs warriors of much of their finesse.
If a good defensive warrior can live through about 5-10 fights and learn well
he/she/it should be well on the way to success. -- JRK
QOW / AK 47 -- I think it's an oversimplification to say three masters are needed in
AD. I also think it depends on the arena. Andorak is very competitive right now. I
have warriors with three advanced masters who can't seem to win much anymore. As to
what the requirement is... I think it depends on a number of factors, where you are
in the rankings, what your favorites are, what you get in the way of challenges,
matchups and where your attributes fall. Three masters and tremendous
damage/endurance would be much different from three masters and normal in both areas.
I'm not sure a good benchmark can be set. But it is certainly and interesting
question. -- JRK
QOW -- Overall, I would lean toward saying the reverse is true as far as giftedness.
Most of my average warriors have come out very close to average, usually a little
above. While many of my good warriors have been at least +3, often +5 or more. On
my all star team of long ago (Maxwell Honorblade, Monica Virtueshield, Michael
Honorblade, Corina Honorblade, and Angela Silverblade) all of my warriors were gifted
(four of them by +3 or more, 3 by +5 or more), average or not. I also tend to do
well in attack and poorly in init. Giftedness seems to be a fickle thing, I suspect
this is because the RUGS are involved. -- JRK
P.S. I apologize if it seems I am bragging, but my record and I have never gotten
over the graduation of all those warriors.
Axly -- Damned if I know. I found the style-linked starting points very curious.
Looks to me like there was an attempt to balance styles that resulted in drastic
imbalances! -- Leeta
Hanibal -- Once you've gotten the death-intent statement, only luck will keep you
alive. The thing you need to do is avoid getting the death-intent statement. No,
this is serious. You can up a warrior's hit points in the design stage, by adding to
CN and, I think WL (but maybe ST), and having a large SZ helps. Of course, if you
pile the points on there, he may be dumb and clumsy. You can pile on the armor,
which will help keep him alive but may lose him fights unless he can scum; some
warriors are totally immobilized by armor.
On a more positive note, if I have a warrior who is "very frail" that I really
don't want to die, I will use armor, and I will attempt to keep him alive by using
the "surrender in desperation" tactic. No, no, it isn't a joke! Honest! Say I've
got a frail warrior, probably with normal or lower endurance. I send that boy out
running hard, 10-10, even. Sometimes, especially if he's smart and deft, he wins
right off. But if he doesn't win right off, he rapidly becomes exhausted and quits.
I forget who it was who suggested this to me, years ago--Phido, maybe. It doesn't
always work (nothing ALWAYS works), but it may help. And I'd rather have good
warriors lose than die; if they stay alive long enough, they build up skills and
start winning. -- Leeta
P.S. Yes, CN keeps you alive better than WL. WL sometimes leads a low-CN warrior to
go on fighting a little too long.
P.P.S. Yes, warriors who can take a lot of damage do die, sometimes, because some
warriors can dish out a lot of damage.
P.P.P.S. The survival of low-CN high skill warriors is more a matter of strategy
than anything else. And, obviously, if you don't lose, you don't die.
P.P.P.P.S. Picking your arena does contribute to warrior survival, but it can be
tricky, since a warrior has, as a normal minimum, a year to go before graduation and
the character of an arena may change in the course of a year. Andorian is not always
a guarantee of relative safety; you need to look at the actual managers present and
evaluate THEM for propensity to run killing styles and strategies. In my opinion,
tourneys are of limited value in building up a warrior for the regular arena. Sure,
the chance of dying is only half that in regular dueling, but the chance of learning
skills or training stats is also only half. And that's what increased FE is about:
more skills, more stat trains.
P.P.P.P.P.S. There is NO number of fights that will preserve you from being killed,
and if you fight equally experienced opponents who happen to be "headhunters," it
won't improve your chances much, either! Pick your fights with care, challenge and
avoid every time. The only absolute guarantee against death is a potion of
immortality (a tourney prize) or graduation.
AK47 -- It depends on the advanced arena you're fighting in. And by "hold your own,"
do you mean have a 50% winning percentage, or rise rapidly through the ranks, or make
it to the top, or what? I have run warriors in Lirin Kiv (ADM 107) from the day it
opened, and in that arena, no, you don't have to have three masters. Oh, sure, it
HELPS, especially now that the arena has aged enough so that some of the foundation
warriors DO have those masters. But it happens to be a small advanced arena fed by
small basic arenas, and while the competition among the fossils in the upper levels
is stiff, the lower levels aren't that bad. Heck, even MY warriors win sometimes!
Or, try 101, Home Guard. Yes, the current status lets in warriors who are
potentially good, but I doubt anyone there has three masters, and if they do, they're
probably on their way out. -- Leeta
P.S. And no amount of innate ability on the part of a warrior can overcome for long
the effects of careless management. Management may not be ALL, but it's at least
half.
Hanibal -- Regarding blessed warriors and great rollups, the law of averages says
everybody has a chance to be blessed. But it takes a LOT of warriors for the law of
averages to operate visibly. I have had great (in stats) warriors who were blessed
and the same who were cursed, ditto for average ones. -- Leeta
* }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *
---===FREE BLADES REGIONAL NEWS===---
Duelmasters
-----------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 497): TOXIK of KILLING FLOOR (Stik, mgr.)
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 495): CROUCHING TIGER of ARENA FELINES (Garfield, mgr.)
DM 15 MALCORN (turn 491): RUTHLESS of TRIPLE CROWN (Sultan, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 491): AMBROSIUS of BLACKHEART'S AXE (?, mgr.)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 489): SIGIL CAMISADO of BALANCE OF TERROR (Noachian, mgr.)
DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 488): ADARA AL ZAHRA of JAGUAR WARRIORS (Noachian, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 244): GALENA of BOXOROX (Berylstar, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 480): ENOSHIMA of BLACK SAMURAI (Doc Miracle, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 242): LUCKY 7 of NUMBERS GAME (Destitute Noble, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 477): SOLAR MAN of SARATOGA GLORY (The Trainer, mgr.)
DM 33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 475): STRAY of ARENA FELINES (Garfield, mgr.)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 468): GWALCHMAI of CHILDREN OF LLYR (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 431): DESPAIR of HELL'S PAWNS (Harbinger, mgr.)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 219): ZINDELLA AZRON of MOJO P@TROL (Master Voodoo, mgr.)
DM 47 NORTH FORK (turn 213): CUP OF CAT of MYSTIC ORC FEAST (Slugbait, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 200): TOM SMITH DISEASE of STRANGE TUNES (Berylstar, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 356): BROKEN TOE of REDHORSE (Mila, mgr.)
DM 61 JURINE (turn 336): TAIL IN THE AIR of ARENA FELINES (Garfield, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 149): MIGHTY CUT-UP of PERFECTION QUEST (Mannequin, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 381): WOUNDWORT of DARKMOON from RIZTAB (Bobby Bigfoot)
Top Teams
---------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 497): BLUE MOON (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 495): THE LAWMEN (Marshal D?, mgr.)
DM 15 MALCORN (turn 491): TRIPLE CROWN (Sultan, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 491): PUNNY AMINALS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 489): HEROESANDFOUNDONES (The Judge, mgr.)
DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 488): JAGUAR WARRIORS (Noachian, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 244): OTTO'S MECHANICS (Crip, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 480): EQUESTORS (Spartacus, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 242): THE STORMGUARDS (The Icelord, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 477): SARATOGA GLORY (The Trainer, mgr.)
DM 33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 475): ARENA FELINES (Garfield, mgr.)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 468): CHILDREN OF LLYR (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 431): THE FAMILY (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 219): VENDETTA INC. (Goat, mgr.)
DM 47 NORTH FORK (turn 213): MYSTIC ORC FEAST (Slugbait, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 200): DRUID'S GROVE (Talon Warsmith, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 356): BAD APPLES (Uncle Wolf, mgr.)
DM 61 JURINE (turn 336): ARENA FELINES (Garfield, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 149): DEMONIC (?, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 381): DARKENED PRIDE, etc. (Ultraist, mgr.)
Recent Graduates
-----------------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 497): INSOMNIAC of DSM4 (The Sandman, mgr.)
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 495): BATAAKAPPU of POWERPUFF GIRLS (The Narrator, mgr.)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 489): KARO LEE of MIDDLE WAY (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 243): CIARAN POWER of 50TH MILK RAS (Dr. Mabuse, mgr.)
STUPID SMILEY of IDIOTIC ICCERS (THawk, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 479): COOKIE of CROC FILES (THawk, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 242): LUCKY 7 of NUMBERS GAME (Destitute Noble, mgr.)
SUBOTAI of THE STORMGUARDS (The Icelord, mgr.)
(turn 241): DIXIE SCUM of LOONY TOONS (Rascally Rabbit, mgr.)
DM 33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 474): LUCKY LADY HAMMER of CASINO HAMMERZ (Hammer, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 431): DESPAIR of HELL'S PAWNS (Harbinger, mgr.)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 218): SUNFLASH of NORTHERN LIGHTS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 47 NORTH FORK (turn 213): CUP OF CAT of MYSTIC ORC FEAST (Slugbait, mgr.)
(turn 212): HONEY BEAR of THE BEAR'S PAW (Kat, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 199): MAEGOLOS of DARK SIDHE (Daehir, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 356): CAPTAIN CAVEMAN of LAFFALYMPICS (The Dark One, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 149): MIGHTY CUT-UP of PERFECTION QUEST (Mannequin, mgr.)
SPY REPORT
Oh, hi. Its just little 'ol Debby Tonte. Thought I'd check out NOBLISH ISLAND
to see what's new. MVP award for JERNIG MARS? MIDDLE WAY 11's proud of him after
beating THE USEROUS MERCHANT and getting 16 points. Talk about yer big time losers!
IMBER LACK got smashed by DEBARROWS, and lost 11 points! And I was just getting used
to the ex-Duelmaster's habit of...(!) Oh well, welcome JERNIG MARS. Aren't MIDDLE
WAY 11 proud. (Oh, my.) Is the Duelmaster really being a real snob to his teammates?
Don't ask me!
Look, you guys stick to fighting, all right?
Challenges, revenges, Bloodfeuds. All NOBLISH ISLAND ever talks about is
fighting! Me, I'm more laid back. Hey you guys, don't you think your families would
like to hear from you? Write! (Or have someone write for you.)
I really didn't, you know, study when I was a kid. Who would've guessed I'd be
a famous Spyreporter? I know how much you like reading this stuff, but I really
should stop. Remember you guys, ease up sometimes! Chill out! Later, Debby Tonte
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
JERNIG MARS 7930 4 1 0 49 MIDDLE WAY 11 (1369)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
GEROGE JIM 7927 5 0 0 39 MIDDLE WAY 11 (1369)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
NEWLIN 7811 2 3 1 31 CRIMSON DEATH (1348)
DARE 7810 4 0 2 27 CRIMSON DEATH (1348)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
FEORDIS INK 7926 5 0 0 23 MIDDLE WAY 11 (1369)
DEBARROWS 7809 2 3 0 19 CRIMSON DEATH (1348)
FAHFER 6036 1 0 0 13 WIMPS (1039)
IMBER LACK 7932 1 1 0 7 MIDDLE WAY 11 (1369)
DULGIN 7808 0 4 0 5 CRIMSON DEATH (1348)
GLINDORA 7807 0 4 0 4 CRIMSON DEATH (1348)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
EMBEZZLING SCRIBE 5 0 1 0 1 NEWLIN 7811 173 NONE
HACKER KLUTZ 7928 1 2 0 MIDDLE WAY 11 1369 DARE 7810 171
IDRIS LIN 7929 2 2 0 MIDDLE WAY 11 1369 DARE 7810 172
PERSONAL ADS
Jorja -- Hmm...looks like my warhammer is too good of a weapon. I've killed two of
your people, unintentional I assure you. -- Dare
P.S. Why stop using something that works.
Ouch! My momma never told me about Venomous Concubines, I wasn't set for him.
Besides, I thought concubines were women, this was a MAN. Of course, he was half
elven, and we hear about the way the elves carry on, even down in the mines (I'm a
Dwarf, of course), so... I dunno, I just didn't like anything about this. Inculding
losing, of course. -- Jernig Mars
Debarrows -- I'm making up for having a negative name: Lack. I don't want ANYONE to
think I lack courage or ferocity, you see? -- Imber Lack
P.S. By the way, you might want to consider swapping your offhand weapon for a small
shield. Jorja doesn't usually recommend having stuff in both hands, but if you're
GOING to anyway, well, a small shield might not be a bad idea.
Dare -- You know, I really didn't need that to happen. (sigh) I think it's really
strange for someone of your style to come out in that selection of armor--which
probably accounts for your failure to strike the first blow, which you should have
done--but this time I could have used some of that iron myself. Oh, well, back into
the, er, whatever. -- Ghost of Idris Lin
Dulgin -- Ahem. Notice our respective styles? How the HECK did I get first mention?
You should've popped out the minute old Ganamir said "Go!" and been all over me. Not
that it would've done you a lot of good, given that I was tanked up with armor and
scumming for what little I'm worth, but still, you should've come out of the blocks
FAST, slicing and dicing. -- Feordis Ink
P.S. You might want to lighten the armor and try to run really fast in the first
minute, take your opponent out with a whoosh, so to speak. If possible, you should
WIN in the first minute. Then drop to a defensive strategy in the second and
subsequent minutes so that if you have a long-haul opponent (like me) you aren't
burning out to no effect. Because you shouldn't be panting so soon. Your style
conserves endurance well, at least you're SUPPOSED to, which means no heavy breathing
in the second minute!
Glindora -- We seem to be saying this a lot, but, Lady, you shoulda jumped me. Up
that offensive effort! Your style should be ligntning off the mark. -- Geroge Jim
P.S. Switch to a shortspear; it might work better for you.
P.P.S. I love this being listed as Harkeny! As long as I keep my mouth shut when I
smile so that no one can see the fangs, people treat me like a person instead of a
monster. Which I am a person, of course. Us orcs have gotten a lot of bad press,
but we come good and bad just like anybody else.
Comments on the articles--
Tricks of the Trade, by Roku. I don't think this manager is active at persent.
Uh... it says here "more beginning skills than normal." Define normal? You will not
get random bonuses of skills if you have a stat at one of those numbers. It is
NORMAL to get additional skills at those numbers. All warriors who have skill-making
stats at those numbers will get the associated skills. Aside from this point, all he
says is good stuff. Even the bit about more skills at those stats is good, in the
sense of true, but it's also normal.
Warrior Handedness, by Jessie Jest. This manager is inactive. And since you have no
control over what handedness your warrior comes with, and you can't change it or
train it, my first response to this article is, "And so?" There is one point,
though, if you target a warrior's primary hand, you can sometimes get him to drop his
weapon, which gives you an edge.
The Arcane Slasher, by the Arcane Kid. This manager is inactive. This article
looks good to me.
The Basher, by Uncle Charlie. This manager IS still active, I think. Look for him
in Jhans (dm 36), possible under another name. Except that I would prefer to see a
warrior with more DF (lack of deftness eliminates half the bashing weapons from his
repertoire, and leaves him with things like shields and war flails), his setups would
be good at just about any style. That's the thing about really good rollups, you can
do almost anything with them.
The Anti-Thesis Slasher, by Talon Volksie. This manager is active in several arenas,
but I'm not sure about the ones mentioned at the end of the article. This is good
stuff.
17 July 2004
I am currently trying to put together a favorites chart for AD warriors. I
desperately need help with this. What I need are style, favorite rhythm (ex.:
hi/low), favorite weapons, and tactics. What would be great is if you could send me
a copy of the invite with the warrior's name, id#, and arena blacked out. This way,
I can verify that this is an actual warrior. Minis will work, too!
For those interested, I have both a challenge style vs. style and a match-up style
vs. style chart. There's about 250 fights calculated in these charts, and I'll be
happy to send a copy to anyone who asks. You can contact me (if you're a free world
player) at: Rick Stringer, Merit/East, SCI, P.O. Box 500, Georgetown, DE 19947-0500.
If you're in prison, just send a diplo to: Baphomet, Mgr. Knights Templar (568), DM
#47--North Fork. (I also have a lot of other charts and info for anyone who wants
it.) Thanks!
30 July 2004
The total number of fights calculated was reported as 250 fights. This is a
misprint. It should have read "over 2,500 fights." -- Baphomet
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
JERNIG MARS devastated THE USEROUS MERCHANT in a 1 minute mismatched Title fight.
GEROGE JIM viciously subdued AMBITIOUS GUARD in a 2 minute gruesome battle.
FAHFER savagely defeated GLINDORA in a 2 minute bloody beginner's fight.
DULGIN was bested by FEORDIS INK in a 3 minute novice's fight.
DEBARROWS subdued IMBER LACK in a 2 minute amateur's competition.
DARE won victory over EMBEZZLING SCRIBE in a 2 minute brutal amateur's fight.
NEWLIN viciously butchered EMBEZZLING SCRIBE in a 3 minute novice's competition.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|BASHING ATTACK 2 TOTAL PARRY 10 - 0 - 0 100 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 2 PARRY-LUNGE 5 - 2 - 0 71 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 2 BASHING ATTACK 13 - 7 - 2 65 |
|AIMED BLOW 1 SLASHING ATTACK 9 - 5 - 1 64 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 7 - 5 - 1 58 |
|TOTAL PARRY 1 STRIKING ATTACK 5 - 4 - 0 56 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 1 WALL OF STEEL 8 - 7 - 0 53 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 0 LUNGING ATTACK 7 - 7 - 0 50 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 0 AIMED BLOW 3 - 4 - 1 43 |
|WALL OF STEEL 0 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 - 0 0 |
Turn 173 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:
AIMED BLOW 1 - 0 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 0 2 LUNGING ATTACK
PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 - 0 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 2 STRIKING ATTACK
BASHING ATTACK 2 - 0 SLASHING ATTACK 0 - 1 2 BASHING ATTACK
TOTAL PARRY 1 - 0 WALL OF STEEL 0 - 0 1 AIMED BLOW
LUNGING ATTACK 1 - 1 1 TOTAL PARRY
STRIKING ATTACK 1 - 1 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE
1 SLASHING ATTACK
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
LUNGING ATTACK JERNIG MARS 7930 4 1 0 49 MIDDLE WAY 11 (1369)
STRIKING ATTACK GEROGE JIM 7927 5 0 0 39 MIDDLE WAY 11 (1369)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is GEROGE JIM 7927. The most popular warrior this turn
was NEWLIN 7811. The ten other most popular fighters were FAHFER 6036, GEROGE JIM
7927, DULGIN 7808, DEBARROWS 7809, DARE 7810, JERNIG MARS 7930, GLINDORA 7807, IMBER
LACK 7932, FEORDIS INK 7926, and 0.
The least popular fighter this week was FEORDIS INK 7926. The other ten least
popular fighters were IMBER LACK 7932, GLINDORA 7807, JERNIG MARS 7930, DARE 7810,
DEBARROWS 7809, DULGIN 7808, GEROGE JIM 7927, FAHFER 6036, NEWLIN 7811, and 0.
NEW TEAMS IN THE TEMPORARY TOURNAMENT ARENAS (DM 81/83)
Please note that all new teams created at the Face-to-Face were temporarily placed
in a temporary Tournament Arena, DM 81 or DM 83. If you requested that your team be
placed in a specific arena, it has already transferred to that arena. Any teams not
transferred out of DM 81 and DM 83 by October 1st will be deleted. If you have
questions about any of your teams, please contact Customer Service. -- RSI
Article for Newbies
This here is an article aimed mostly at you new managers to the game out there.
This chart is a consensus of managers on the internet about how they felt each style
fairs against all other styles at the beginning levels of the game. Of course, once
you get ten or so fights under your belt the whole scenario changes and you can throw
this right out the window. But in the meantime, use this chart to help you get a
feel for the game, how the different styles interact with each other and to hopefully
dispel those 5-25 starts that can make you drop the game. Hope this helps you some.
KEY FOR ODDS OF WINNING:
1 - ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE 6 - BETTER THAN EVEN
2 - HARDLY LIKELY 7 - GOOD CHANCE
3 - NOT MUCH 8 - HIGHLY PROBABLE
4 - SLIGHT CHANCE 9 - MOST DEFINATELY
5 - 50/50 10 - ALMOST GUARANTEED
Reminder: Left Row vs Top Column
BA ST LU SL AB TP PS PL PR WS
BA 5 2 6 6 8 9 7 6 5 6
ST 8 5 8 9 9 6 7 5 6 4
LU 4 4 5 6 10 5 7 7 9 6
SL 4 1 5 5 8 6 8 7 8 9
AB 2 2 2 4 5 10 6 6 6 7
TP 3 4 6 4 1 5 7 8 6 5
PS 3 3 3 4 5 4 5 4 5 4
PL 5 4 3 3 6 2 7 5 7 6
PR 7 5 2 2 4 5 6 3 5 4
WS 5 8 6 2 4 6 7 5 6 5
There you have it folks. I would personally like to thank all the managers on the
internet who made a contribution to this effort. You know who you are. Also a big
nod of appreciation goes out to the mighty PUG (Ben Hitz) who organizes and runs the
roundtable and without whose effort little projects like this would prove quite
difficult.
David Gottwald - Magic Man
The Crew - Monuntial (34)
Rocky's Heroes - North Fork (47)
Tragedy Strikes - Andor (57) (inactive)
Natural Born - Illis (59)
Slow & Easy - Aradi (60)
Omega Squadron - Dragonhead (72)
MAKING YOUR CHALLENGES GO THROUGH
First, you need to be sure you are making your challenges correctly.
1. Are you writing down the warrior I.D. number of the warrior you want to
challenge?
2. Is your handwriting clear?
3. Is the warrior you are challenging within range of your warrior? Warriors
can challenge within their own class and the next higher class, plus the "Challenger"
classes can also challenge the next lower class. So, an Adept can challenge Adepts
and Challenger Adepts. A Challenger Adept can challenge Adepts, Challenger Adepts,
and Champions. (Try not to challenge down, though. Besides being unsportsmanlike and
making everyone mad, it isn't advantageous to your warriors. They need to fight more
experienced warriors so they will learn.)
4. Are your warriors eligible to make challenges? If they didn't fight within
the last two turns, then they can't challenge.
5. Are the warriors they want to fight eligible to receive challenges? If they
didn't fight within the last two turns, then they can't be challenged.
Next, adjust your choices for the maximum likelihood of getting your challenges.
There are several things that will help:
1. Have each of your warriors challenge two different opponents from two
different teams. That way, if the first opponent's team doesn't fight that turn, you
still might get your second challenge.
2. Use your avoids. Have each warrior avoid the teams of whoever you think
might be likely to challenge him. If you can get out of being challenged, that
increases your chance of getting your own challenge through.
3. Don't challenge warriors who didn't fight last turn. The odds are higher
that they won't be fighting this turn.
4. Don't challenge warriors who might be involved in a bloodfeud (either as the
killers, or the avengers). A bloodfeud challenge has priority over all other
challenges.
5. Don't challenge Tournament Victors. A TV challenge has priority over all
other challenges except bloodfeuds. You'll need to do a little research in back
issues of the newsletter to find out who the TVs are.
6. Don't challenge warriors who you know are going to challenge someone else, or
are going to get challenged by someone else. Your challenge has a better chance of
getting through if it is the only challenge to that particular warrior.
7. Don't challenge the "easy pickings." That is, warriors above you who have
way too few fights or very bad records for where they are ranked. They will tend to
get challenged a lot.
8. Don't challenge warriors who are likely to be avoiding your team. This
includes any warrior your team fought within the last two turns.
Well, it sounds like I've eliminated just about everybody, doesn't it? Of course
you can challenge opponents who fit into one or more of those categories; just try to
find ones who don't. Your idea candidate for a challenge is: A warrior ranked
somewhat above your warrior in the same class, or in the next higher class, with a few
more fights than your warrior, and a winning record, who isn't a TV and isn't
currently at war with anyone.
I hope this will be of some help to you.
The Rogue She-Puppy
MAXIMIZING THE DUELMASTERS EXPERIENCE: WHAT THE RULES DIDN'T SAY
When you get your turn results in the mail it is very important that you squeeze
as much enjoyment as possible out of that envelope! I recommend (and also use!) the
following procedures.
First, open the envelope lengthwise with a letter opener. Remove the blue-sheet
BUT DON'T LOOK AT IT! It may tell you that you are broke and owe RSI a lot of money.
Flip it over instead! The blue-sheet will be used as a "hider" when you read the
fight results line by line, so you don't see the end of the fight by mistake and ruin
the excitement.
Remove the rest of the sheets in one smooth maneuver and place the flipped-over
blue-sheet on top of the pile, without looking at anything. You don't want to
accidentally uncover an unexpected replacement rollup. This is a traumatic experience
that should be avoided at all costs, as it indicates that one of your battles didn't
go exactly as planned.
Now you must prepare your room, or whever you are, for the battles. If you are
suicidal, or a lousy manager, or a suicidally lousy manager, remove all sharp objects
from the area. If you happen to manage an entire team of scummy warriors it is okay
to leave a loaded musket nearby.
The next step is to put on music. It definitely adds to the experience to have
your favorite tunes playing in the background, preferably AS LOUD AS YOU CAN GET AWAY
WITH! I christen each new warrior with a song that is his and his alone, and play
that song whenever it is his turn upon the sands. It is a personal choice but I
recommend Judas Priest, Manowar or Metallica. Avoid Abba and Barry Manilow (like I
had to say it). It is also important to match the song length with the expected
length of the fight. Don't choose "The Immigrant Song" for your 21-con Ultra-Scum.
Likewise, don't choose "Stairway to Heaven" for your quick lunger. Finally, sometimes
it is nice to choose an exceptionally violent alternate selection for those
Bloodfeuds.
Now you are almost ready! The final preparatory step (optional) is to prepare a
pot of coffee. Beer also works well, especially on Fridays, but I understand that
some managers are not Well-Suited to that particular beverage. I've heard the Duke
Malibu in Solven drinks goat blood, but mind you this is only a rumor. For the final
touch, try putting on any handy armor you have. Or a loin-cloth. I put on most of my
hockey gear.
The fights are on! The music is loud! The coffee is good! Read the fights
slowly, line by line using your blue-sheet as a guide. Don't go too fast, now. Yell,
"Yeah!" if your warrior scores an especially gruesome hit. Cringe if your warrior
feels the joys of a great axe connecting with his face (that means you, Marilith).
Raise your fist in the air when that total parry realizes that his last shield has
broken! And cry when your favorite gladiator is gravely injured and then takes ten
consecutive war hammer shots to the head...
When the end of the fight comes you will be emotionally drained, so yell out,
"Huzzah!!!" or "Damnnn!!!" or whatever, to take the edge off. When the fighting is
ended take a breather before preparing for the next cycle's fights. Reflect on what
has transpired and make a few notes. You'll be a better person (and manager) for it!
Isn't Duelmasters great?
Brought to you by ICE (the deranged): DM-49 (Vithicar) Rotting Livers (205)
DM-10 (Kolact) Beermacht
DM-22 (Solven) Steel Warriors
DM-24 (Zorpunt) No Escape
Winning With the Average Warrior
Hi! The Master of Anime here... Yeah, yeah, I know, you're all doing a
collective, "Who the Hell is this character?" Well, my claim to fame, if you can call
it that, is that I run Eve, one of the more popular, if not completely unspectacular,
warriors to fight in Alastari. I am a micro-manager (you've heard of mega-managers?
Well, think in reverse) who has been mainly running only one team during my 8+ years
of Duelmasters. This little write-up is aimed towards the less experienced managers,
the ones that can be brainwashed from some of the "How to build the perfect
warrior..." spotlights that tend to appear from time to time.
Many of the "How to build..." spotlights tend to deal with roll-ups that are
quite ideal, but in reality, rarely come out of RSI's number crunching machine,
commonly referred to as "the Roll-Up Gods". There have been a few good articles on
how to design skillful warriors from 'average' roll-ups. Those articles, in my
opinion, are the most helpful to new managers for the simple fact that you will almost
always get an 'average' roll-up. Occasionally, that 'average' roll-up might turn out
to be something special, and that is what I would like to key in on.
I know a lot of managers who will continually DA their warriors until they get
something that is as close to perfect as possible. You know, the warrior with three
or four 17s or the warrior with a couple of 21s or that size 3 or 4 warrior, etc...
If you are a relatively new manager and you are also doing this, I think you are
missing out on one of the more intriguing aspects of this game and that is warrior
development.
Being a micro-manager, I do not have an army of warriors like the mega-managers
do, but I'd like to think that I can hold my own against them (hey, if you're gonna
dream, dream big). Anyway, back to the point. One of my 'average' warriors seems to
have achieved a form of notoriety in Advanced Duelmasters to the extent that even the
ever quiet Mirage (manager of Donatello) has had something to say (it was at the last
Tempe FTF and my warrior, at the end of the 6th or 7th round, was listed as the top
Primus warrior on the tourney list.) Mirage pointed at my warrior on the list and
said, "That, is embarrassing..." I took it as a compliment. In case you're
wondering, my warrior is Akira (the reason I'm writing this article is that I've been
approached many times of late by managers who wanted to see Akira's numbers, thinking
he had some sort of godlike roll-up. I set them straight).
I'm not going to print Akira's numbers in this article for the main reason that I
don't have them with me at this time (it'll probably tick-off a lot of managers whose
warriors Akira has beaten anyway), but I do know this... he has about 30 attribute
increases and only one attribute is in the 20's, that one being WL (he even got gypped
by not getting some skills that you normally think he'd get by raising WL up the
20's). He won't be getting another attribute above 20 for a long, long time. (I
think his next highest attribute is 17... note that this is after the 30 or so
increases...) You should have a pretty good idea how generic this roll-up is... a
roll-up that would probably be DA'd by most managers looking for a good roll-up... a
roll-up that I even said, "I'll run him for kicks, but will probably retire him once
he gets to AD."... a roll-up that entered AD with a less-than-stellar 14-10 record...
a roll-up currently on a 20 fight win streak... a roll-up with three consecutive
Primus TVs.
So, before you give up on that average warrior, think again about giving him a
chance to flourish... he might suprise you as Akira has surprised me. Good luck in
the arena!
M.A., a proud member of GAPPDA
P.S. If you want to know Akira's original roll-up, diplo Anime Legends (Arena 102,
104).
P.P.S. Swift -- We GAPPDA members are NOT slugs!!! At least, I don't think we are...
TWELVE TIPS
A rookie manager asked me a question recently which prompted my "teaching juices"
to flow. I quote: "Just give me a dozen hints, and I'll leave you alone!" Obviously,
his challenge prompted me to organize my thought creating my Twelve Tips.
"Now wait a minute!" I hear you asking. "Why should I read on?" Simply put:
-- If you're an experience manager, you'll want to "clue me in" on other valuable tips
I missed.
-- If you're a "newbie," these tips will enhance your W-L record and compound your
fun.
"But, are they GOOD tips?" you ask. Believe me, fellow opponents, after 5000+
fights, dozens of "tutored pupils," many A.D. warriors, and a rather lofty W-L record,
they're GOOD tips. So here we go, in no particular order.
(I) ASK FOR HELP--Ask RSI about the Sponsor Program. Diplo "good" managers in your
arena. Proclaim your willingness to learn in a personal ad. You'll get some
conversation.
(II) OFFENSIVES FIRST--This is not an easy game, and the basher, lunger, striker can
be readily designed and more easily "mastered." (Whatever that means.) Avoid the most
difficult finessives, such as aimers (AB), rippers (PR), and probably wastes (WS).
Get some confidence first! Most of us old-timers yet struggle with a good aimed-blow.
(III) SKILLS, SKILLS, SKILLS--One of the most prevalent rookie errors is training too
many stats. Skills win fights, and in the long run, you will regret certain stat
raises.
(IV) COLLECT DATA--The more you know about your own warrior (And even with the same
stats, warriors differ) and the more you know about your opponents, the more likely
you can cause something "good" to happen. In the military/political world, we call
this "intelligence." (Clue: ask about a D.M. handbook filled with info.)
(V) PERSONAL ADS--Don't be a jerk! But write some every time. Let me assure you that
an unliked rookie cannot succeed in an arena against the local "Powers-in-control."
You want to create friendly opponents. (When you know what you're doing--then you can
try the jerk routine!)
(VI) TURN SHEET--Accuracy counts. Fill it out perfectly (and legibly) pal! Know what
each section is for. (Reread the instructions.) Many have been the surprised and
frustrated manager who caused his or her own problem! (Even us "megas" blow it now and
then!)
(VII) NO CON--Don't ever (well maybe 1% of the time) add points to constitution on an
offensive rollup. Other attributes may add skills; con won't. (Just wait until you
hear someone shout never add to con--ever. I didn't say that.)
(VIII) ONE WEAPON--For offensives. When you get to finesse styles, you'll understand
why you may want one in your off-hand also. But, almost always carry a backup. (Hands
can be hurt both striking and defending.)
(IX) CHALLENGE/AVOID--Always! A manager's prime purpose is to optimize his warrior's
chances. Challenge those you'll have a good shot at beating and avoid teams who can
cause you the most difficulties. (Challenge warriors--avoid teams.)
(X) ENTER TOURNAMENTS--What a way to acquire skills and experience without impacting
your arena W-L record. Actually, you will create a positive impact in that those
"tournament earnings" are "hidden" from other arena warriors. Plus, tournaments are a
real "rush!"
(XI) FIND A FRIEND--In every arena find at least one "friendly" foe. Share opponent
info. With two, or more, of you sharing, look how much more "intelligence" you'll
have.
(XII) STAY COOL--Don't let any problem (loss, death, personal ad, error, etc.) anger
you. (This is fun, right?) The cool head wins more matches than the emotional one.
So good luck, rookie! We were all in your shoes once. (And for some of us that
was a long, long time ago.)
THE CONSORTIUM
DM 8 Smithsonian (Curator)
DM 11 Bulldogs (Kennelworth)
DM 20 Animal Farm (Mino)
DM 46 Fandils (Fandil the Wise)
(and many, many more)