DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER
Date : 07/22/2006 Duedate: 08/04/2006
NOBLISH ISLAND ARENA
DM-93 TURN-213
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
COUNTRY
TEAM COUNTRY (1407)
(93-8127) [7-3-2,74]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
COUNTRY MAORAKITH
TEAM COUNTRY (1407) HELLSWORN (1421)
(93-8127) [7-3-2,74] (93-8214) [4-0-0,40]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
COUNTRY BELISSA HOUGH
TEAM COUNTRY (1407) MIDDLE WAY 15 (1427)
(93-8127) [7-3-2,74] (93-8241) [2-2-0,18]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
HELLSWORN (1421)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. THE TOMAHAWKS (1432) 61
2. MARIONETTE PETS (1433) 46 TEAM COUNTRY (1407)
3. ARENA MASTERS, INC. (1431) 42 Unchartered Team
4. HELLSWORN (1421) 20
5. TEAM CHAOS (1416) 11 ORDO HERETICUS (1420)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1/ 3*ORDO HERETICUS (1420) 6 3 0 66.7 1/ 2*HELLSWORN (1421) 10 5 0
2/ 2*ARENA MASTERS, IN (1431) 6 4 1 60.0 2/ 3*MISFIT CREW (1417) 7 4 3
3/ 0*MARIONETTE PETS (1433) 3 2 1 60.0 3/ 1*MIDDLE WAY 15 (1427) 7 7 0
4/ 0*THE TOMAHAWKS (1432) 3 2 0 60.0 4/ 8*ORDO HERETICUS (1420) 6 3 0
5/ 1*MIDDLE WAY 15 (1427) 11 8 0 57.9 5/ 7*ARENA MASTERS, IN (1431) 6 4 1
6/ 5*HELLSWORN (1421) 11 9 0 55.0 6- 5*THE WILL-O-WISPS (1422) 4 6 0
7/ 4*MISFIT CREW (1417) 11 10 3 52.4 7- 6*DRAGON DANCERS (1423) 4 6 0
8- 8*THE WILL-O-WISPS (1422) 4 6 0 40.0 8/ 0*MARIONETTE PETS (1433) 3 2 1
9- 7*DRAGON DANCERS (1423) 4 6 0 40.0 9/ 0*THE TOMAHAWKS (1432) 3 2 0
10/ 6 TEAM COUNTRY (1407) 17 27 3 38.6 10/ 9*TEAM CHAOS (1416) 2 13 0
11/ 9*TEAM CHAOS (1416) 6 14 0 30.0 11/ 4 TEAM COUNTRY (1407) 1 7 0
'*' Unchartered team '-' Team did not fight this turn
(###) Avoid teams by their Team Id ##/## This turn's/Last turn's rank
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
Looking at a Rollup Independent of Style
By Drake
Okay, I suppose I should introduce myself since several of you are probably
wondering who the heck I am and why you should even bother with reading about how *I*
design warriors. First and foremost, it's your game and you're the one playing it.
You should play the game how you want and stuff what anyone else says. However, I
have some experience in the game (I started playing back in '88) and what follows is
a method that works for me. It won't always lead to a Primus god-warrior, but very
few rollups have that potential anyway (and a significant portion of what goes into
that you don't have much control over). So, on with the show:
Most articles you see have 3 features that bug me. First is that many of them
are over 10 years old and contain a lot of out-dated information. Second is that
they're almost always about trying to create some sort of godling warrior and if you
look at the needed stats you'll see that 75-90% of most rollups can't meet the
criteria. The third is they talk about how to make a rollup into a particular style.
Realistically, style should be the last thing you look at when designing a warrior.
You don't make the rollup fit the style, you pick a style that best fits the rollup
you've got. So, with that in mind, I've decided to outline the process that I go
though when I get a new rollup.
WIT and WILL
The first stats that I look at are Wit and Will. These are the two stats that
govern your warrior's future development and as such are the most important in the
game. Wit determines how many skills your warrior learns per fight and Will governs
your warrior's chances of raising stats.
As a side note, many articles talk about "burning" skills via stat raises. This
is due to a glitch in the game program that causes skills learned by raising stats to
count against a warrior's maximum of 20 learned skills in each area. For example, if
your warrior has learned 19 Attack skills and you raise Strength from 16 to 17, the
program will count your warrior as having learned 20 attack skills; leaving you
without any more to learn though skill training. However, if your warrior had
already learned all 20 attack skills through skill training and then you raised
Strength from 16 to 17, you warrior would have 21 attack skills. If your warrior
makes it to Primus, however, it will be able to learn back these "burnt" skills so
it's not as bad as it was before the implementation of Primus (actually Gateway, but
Gateway doesn't exist anymore), but I'd still only burn sparingly. If you want to
know what trains are safe, get one of the skill charts floating about. Check
Terrablood's website (www.terrablood.com/) for this and many other useful charts.
Okay, back to the topic at hand. The first thing I do on any rollup is try to
get both Wit and Will to the highest of 15, 17 or 21 (skill breakpoints tend to fall
on odd-numbered stat levels with the exception of 19; see the skill charts at the
site mentioned above). I try to get at least one of them to a 17+, but I will go
with double 15s if at least 1 of the following conditions apply:
+ A total skill base of 55+
+ Superior physicals: ENDURANCE, HIT POINTS and DAMAGE DOING all ranked above
Normal with at least one ranked 2+ levels above Normal (charts available at
the above reference).
I will go lower than a 15 Wit only if *all* the following conditions are met:
+ A 15 Wit is impossible to reach
+ Will is 17+ (the warrior will have to train stats in order to stay
competitive)
+ Any 2 of ENDURANCE, HIT POINTS and DAMAGE DOING are 2 or more levels above
Normal.
I will go lower than a 15 Will only if *all* the following conditions are met:
+ A 15 Will is impossible to reach
+ Wit is 17+
+ A total skill base of 50+
A number of managers will tell you not to use a Will of 10 to 14 because there
are no skills to be gained at those levels. The problem I have with this reasoning
is that skills are not the only factor in the game (though they are important). If
it will get me to an ENDURANCE or HIT POINT breakpoint (see the above website), I
will use a Will in this range if 15 is unreachable. Will also determines how soon
your warrior will give up a fight and may play a roll in how likely they are to
survive a trip to the infirmary.
I will *not* go below a 9 Will as all styles (even Strikers and Aimed Blows)
will suffer greatly with Little ENDURANCE. Likewise, I will *not* go below 15 in
both Wit and Will under any circumstances.
STRENGTH and DEFTNESS
Once I'm satisfied with my warrior's starting Wit and Will, I will then look at
Strength and Deftness. I rate these two roughly equally because Strength is
important for various physicals (DAMAGE DOING, CARRYING CAPACITY and ENDURANCE),
Deftness is important to starting skill levels (more so than Strength) and both are
important in weapon selection.
My usual minimum for Strength is 9 to get a good variety of weapon
suitabilities, however an 11 will get you the LO and BS. If Size is low, I will
raise Strength. If you don't have access to a damage chart, a rough rule of thumb is
that Strength + Size = 20 will nearly always get you Good damage, and won't get you
below Normal. Also, if Strength is close to an ENDURANCE breakpoint, I'll raise it a
point or 2, but not at the cost of Wit or Will.
As for Deftness, I generally try for an 11 because it's a major skill breakpoint
and a requirement for several weapons. I will go lower if one of the following
conditions is met:
* A total skill base of 50+
* The warrior has high HIT POINTS to make up for the lowered Parry and Defense
* The rollup starts with a high Speed (makes up for the loss of Defense and the
Decisiveness bonus means your warrior might not have to defend as often).
Finally, I don't worry too much about COORDINATION (Speed + Deftness) because
I've had many *very* successful warriors that were clumsy. By very successful I mean
graduating with 80%+ W/L records and still doing well in ADM.
SPEED and CONSTITUTION
If you have any points left over at this point it's probably only 1 or 2. So,
if 1 or 2 points on Constitution will get to a HIT POINT, ENDURANCE or CARRYING
CAPACITY breakpoint, I'll put them there. Otherwise, leftovers go into Speed.
SIZE
You're stuck with what you get.
DARK ARENA
If a rollup won't conform to the above guidelines, I DA it. These requirements
aren't that strict and anything less is going to have real trouble.
STYLE SELECTION
Okay, so you've got a set of stats. Now you need to pick a style. You can go
by one of the many available style articles and pick one that your rollup meets the
criteria for. My usual minimums for the various styles are as follows:
Aimed Blow: Deftness 17+ (ABs get a base Attack skill bonus that increases the
higher their starting Deftness is), a starting Attack of 10+, Decisiveness + Attack
of 18+ (they are an offensive style after all) and Defense 7+.
Basher: Strength 13+ (Almost all Bashing weapons need this), ENDURANCE of
Normal or better, Good or better DAMAGE DOING, a starting Attack of 8+, a starting
Decisiveness of 8+, Decisiveness + Attack of 18+ and Decisiveness + Initiative of
16+. I will go lower on ENDURANCE, but for every level below Normal, I want DAMAGE
DOING to be one level above Good.
Lunger: Good or better ENDURANCE, Good or better DAMAGE DOING, a starting
Attack of 8+, Decisiveness + Attack of 16+ and Defense 7+.
Parry-Lunger: Good or better ENDURANCE, normal or better HIT POINTS, Parry +
Defense of 12+, Riposte 7+ and Attack 6+.
Parry-Riposte (personally, this is a style I don't run much because all they do
well is riposte; they're average at best at attacking, parrying and dodging): Normal
or better HIT POINTS, Parry + Defense of 12+ and Attack 6+.
Parry-Strike (a niche style good for certain purposes but inferior in most
areas): normal or better HIT POINTS, Decisiveness 7+, Attack 6+, and Parry +
Defense of 12+. Surprise your opponents by sometimes running offensive and other
times defensive.
Slasher: Good or better ENDURANCE, Good or better DAMAGE DOING a Decisiveness
8+, Attack 8+, Decisiveness + Attack of 18+ and Decisiveness + Initiative of 16+.
Like a Basher or Striker, these guys don't defend real well.
Striker: Good or better DAMAGE DOING a Decisiveness of 8+ and Attack 6+. While
they do defend slightly better than Bashers and Slashers, their real strength is
getting the jump on *everyone*.
Total Parry: Normal or better ENDURANCE, Normal or better HIT POINTS a starting
Parry of 10+ (it's what you do best) and Parry + Defense of 15+. For each level of
HIT POINTS above Normal, I'll drop the Parry requirement by 1 and the Parry + Defense
requirement by 2.
Wall of Steel: Strength of 9+ (minimum for their lightest weapon, the
Scimitar), Deftness 11+ (again for weapon selection), Good or better ENDURANCE,
Normal or better HIT POINTS, a starting Parry of 8+, Parry + Defense of 14+, a
starting Attack of 8+ and starting Riposte of 6+. These guys are very good at tiring
out an offensive and then tearing them apart, or mercilessly pounding on a defensive.
However they are slow to learn Riposte skills, so you want to start at a decent
level.
Now, you'll probably find that many rollups will be viable for two or more
styles. At this point, I look at the 2 or 3 most popular styles in the arena and
make my final choice based on what style does well against the most common this
warrior will be going up against. If you're new, a good general rule is if the arena
has lots of offensives go with a Total Parry or Wall of Steel (the Parry-Whatevers
are best run after you've had some experience), if there's lots of TPs go with a
Striker or Basher (Aimed Blows are also great at beating up TPs but are a very quirky
style best saved for when you have some experience) and if there's a lot of non-TP
defensives go with a Lunger or Slasher. Another consideration is to pick a style
that your team is currently lacking in. If your team is mostly offensive or
defensive, go with the opposite. It will allow you more flexibility when you make
challenges.
Another piece of general advice for new managers: Pick 3 or 4 styles that
interest you: 1 or 2 defensive (TP & WS), 1 or 2 offensive (BA, LU, SL & ST) and
maybe 1 'quirky' style (AB, PL, PR & PS) and concentrate on those styles. This way
you'll have a solid mix of offense & defense on your team. Play those styles
exclusively for a while so you can learn the quirks of the chosen styles. If you
spread your attention between too many styles to start off, you can miss a lot of the
nuances that go into running particular styles (especially with the quirky styles).
As for running your warriors, the various style articles have handled that
fairly well. Be wary of articles that suggest counter-intuitive strategies (running
TPs with a higher than 5 Offensive Effort, running Aimed Blows like a TP, running
Parry-Ripostes like Lungers and so on)' you're best off going with a style's
strengths: Defensively for defensives, Offensively for offensives and mixed for Wall
of Steels, Parry Lungers and Parry Strikers.
That's pretty much it (at 4 pages, that's enough). If you have any questions,
I'm easiest to reach at Drake's Comics in arena 47.
-- Drake (July, 2006)
+ ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Striking Style ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
by Sir Boyd
Strikers are very effective in basic, but have little use in Advanced
Duelmasters. This is due to the nature of their primary strength: decise. Young
strikers win or lose in the opening few swings. In basic, few styles can match the
striker's lightning opening or avoid his initial attack. However, in higher levels
of the game most fighters have sufficient defenses to avoid the striker's relatively
low attack rating, and the striker has little to fall back on.
A striker should be designed to maximize his initial decise (speed) or
alternately his ability to learn decise (wit). Strikers have little use for
constitution or will. Here are a few comments on which stats are good for strikers:
ST: 9-17, the higher the better. ST 9 is required for SC, but unless you have a big
fighter you shouldn't settle for less than 11.
CN: unnecessary.
SZ: up to 14 is great. A good striker will have at minimum 21 points between ST and
SZ (this is the average combination for being able to do good damage with a
blow.)
WT: the higher the better. 17 and 21 are great cutoffs. You want to learn on
average 2 to 3 skills per turn to maintain your decise advantage over other
styles.
WL: 9-13 is all that's required. Longer-term strikers (designed for relevance past
invite to Advanced) might benefit from a higher WL, but in my opinion such a
design would be better as a different style.
SP: 9+. The higher your WT, the less initial SP you'll need. But for a striker,
speed is life. Spend lavishly on your striker's speed.
DF: 11+. This is also a good stat for a striker to have. DF 11 allows the use of
most weapons without coordination penalty, and provides valuable attack skills.
Here's my idea of some great strikers:
13-4- 9-21-11- 9-17
11-4-11-17-11-15-15
As for strategy, use weapons that are fast and do decent damage (SC, LO, SS, BS,
QS, WH are some of the better ones,) and wear little or even no armor. Run hard,
with high offense and activity levels. The decise tactic is well suited to strikers,
and use it whenever the opponent doesn't know you're coming. Beware that the Decise
tactic can be countered by the use of a Responsive tactic. It's sort of a rock-
paper-scissors thing. Decise tactic has advantage over no tactic or any tactic other
than Response. Any tactic other than Decise has advantage over Response tactic.
Response tactic has advantage over Decise tactic.
Sir Boyd,
Elanti Hunters (102 and 107)
+ ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Lighthouse ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Jorja sat at her private table at the back of the Lighthouse's taproom and
scanned Sir Boyd's article again. Quite good, straightforward, no freakish stuff.
Solid. Helpful, she hoped. Well, it had better be, because she didn't feel much
like trying to do one on Strikers today herself. She glanced around the room to make
sure things were going smoothly. A little rowdiness among a group of young
gladiators off behind the piano, but her back-up bartender, Olber Pring, was already
moving that way. He'd deal with it. But maybe she could add just a little around
the edges....
Below is a list of weapons "well-suited" to use by strikers, and the minimum stats
required for effective use. My thanks to Pagan and other number-crunchers who have
made this information available. -- Jorja
Striker Note that the strikers can use every weapon plus the small shield
effectively. This is the only style that has so broad a selection. Twenty-one
weapons.
Battleaxe ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 9 Mace ST 13 SZ - WT 3 DF 5
Broadsword ST 11 SZ - WT 9 DF 7 Maul ST 15 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 7
Dagger ST - SZ - WT 7 DF 7 Morningstar ST 13 SZ - WT 7 DF 13
Epee ST 7 SZ - WT 15 DF 15 Quarterstaff ST 11 SZ 9 WT 11 DF 11
Fist - presumably any Scimitar ST 9 SZ - WT 11 DF 11
Greataxe ST 13 SZ WT 9 DF 11 Shortspear ST 9 SZ - WT 7 DF 7
Greatsword ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 11 Shortsword ST 5 SZ - WT 11 DF 3
Halberd ST 17 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 9 Small shield ST 5 SZ - WT 5 DF 5
Hatchet ST 5 SZ - WT 3 DF 7 Warflail ST 11 SZ - WT 7 DF 5
Longspear ST 11 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 9 Warhammer ST 13 SZ - WT 5 DF 7
Longsword ST 11 SZ - WT 13 DF 11
A couple of specific examples of Strikers, neither of them great, but they both
survived to graduation--
Profile of a Warrior
Kardo Dosh
Kardo was a classic example of the mediocre warrior, starting out as 10-13-15-9-
15-7-15. He was trained as a striker, I forget why. It must have seemed like a good
idea at the time. He'd have made a better lunger, but I must not have wanted a
lunger. One of the mysteries of the universe. His overview was not impressive,
merely stating that he was--
Left handed
(no primary wit statement, due to the low number)
Seldom wastes his endurance needlessly
Is relatively slow and inactive (that 7 SP)
Can take a lot of damage (SZ and CN)
Cannot carry a lot of weight (relatively low ST)
Can do good damage with a blow (mostly his SZ)
The mode skills for his stats and style are: three initiative, six riposte,
three attack, two parry, two defense, and seven decisiveness. Not impressive, and I
must admit that I have not done any research to discover whether he is plus or minus
on any skill.
At the time he received his graduation notice, he was 21-20-3, running with
minimal attention from the management. No challenges, no avoids, and he probably
didn't have more than three strategy changes in his whole career. On his graduation
fight, he was armed with a hatchet, an off-hand hatchet, and a backup hatchet,
armored in leather and a helm, and running 10-10-6 straight across, attacking the
arm. It turns out that this was NOTHING like his favorite weapon and rhythm: short
spear, moderate offensive effort (5 or 6), very low activity level (1 or 2). In
other words, born to scum.... I have a personal bias against running warriors that
slowly, as I hate to wade through long fights. He left the arena with a master in
decisiveness (his favorite learn) and an expert in attack (this is what he was
waiting for; he got it on the same fight as he received his invitation to the Isle).
Kardo Dosh is headed for retirement; he's had his fishing spot picked out for
months. But he was fun to run and with more attention would almost certainly have
done better.
Profile of a Gladiator
Lord Protector and one-time Duelmaster of Noblish Island arena
Olber is a striker, 15-7-14-11-17-5-15.
His overview was nothing exciting--
He's right-handed
His intelligence is unremarkably average (no primary wit line on the overview)
He makes clever attacks (I wouldn't have minded seeing some of these!)
He is gifted at avoiding a blow (yeah, right!)
He seldom wastes his endurance needlessly
He's slightly uncoordinated (that low SP)
He is incredibly quick and elusive on his feet (despite the lack of coordination
which caused him to trip over his own shadow around the guildhouse)
He can do good damage with a blow.
From the lack of mention, we also know that he has normal endurance, a normal
ability to take damage, and can carry a normal amount of weight in armor and weapons.
His base skills, those deriving from his initial stats, are: initiative 5, riposte 5,
attack 7, parry 5, defense 9, decise 7. He is plus four in defense, otherwise mode,
or normal for his stats.
Olber was never a great warrior. After leaving here at 8-2, he went to Aljafir
and proceeded to lose fights, ending up graduating at 22-29. He could have done
better if I'd paid more attention to his strategy, issued challenges, and so on.
Given the neglect he labored under, he could also have done much worse. Good but not
great about describes him.
Despite this, he has some long-term potential, as indicated by the fact that
none of his base skills are lower than mode, and by that 17 WL which would allow him
to raise stats relatively easily.
I normally ran him fairly fast, 8-6-x or, if he should have been getting the
jump and didn't, 10-x-x. Light armor--ALE, H, and, of course, a scimitar and back-up
scimitar for weapons. He held his own in Aljafir at first, until the arena pulled
out of its slump and began to gather determined managers again. I feel that it was
the good management of his opponents, rather than his own short-comings, that
resulted in his losing record. I feel that given a couple of decent--not great, just
decent--warriors matched against each other, it's the better manager who wins the
most.
Despite my lack of attention, Olber hung on long enough to get the skills and
political points needed to graduate. He will not be run on the Isle (that's why you
have to put up with him hanging around the Lighthouse). At the time of graduation,
he was 22-29-0, had experts in attack and decise (only! what a slug--that 11 WT
doubtless slowed his learning), was found to be naturally adept with the dagger
(ick), and to favor a fighting rhythm of high offense and high activity. If I was
running him further, I would ignore the dagger favorite and continue to arm him with
a scimitar, probably going 8-8-x. An increase in CN would enable him to take more
damage without compromising his skill-learning.
I thank you all for your patience with this presentation and invite you to
1. Drop in at The Lighthouse any time to talk about managing or mainland
politics or any other thing that's on your mind.
2. Let your warriors hang out here between practice sessions. I'll see to it
that they get back home okay after closing.
3. State opinions, raise questions, make suggestions, etc. If you like the
idea of a warrior profile each turn, I'd be glad to provide one from my files--pick a
style, any style....
Jorja
Middle Way 7
+>]H[<+-----+>]H[+ Question of the Week #5 +]H[<+-----+>]H[<+
Question, turn 407:
All -- Is there a difference in between an Expert and (AE). It appears to me that
your (17, 18, 19th) skills don't seem to make a difference until you get that next
rating @ 20? -- Q.O.W.
Answers, turn 408:
This isn't in answer to the Question of the Week, but it looks like stuff you all
might find interesting, so here 'tis. -- Jorja
Hanibal -- Here's my advice: Prep your warriors for the Apprentices, Inits, Adepts,
then next for the Freshmen. Don't worry about the Champions class unless you have a
warrior that received their Invite to AD before the tourney. Also, run rookies
whenever you can. It is one of the purest competitions available. Learn about aimed
blows then run some as rookies. It is a lot of fun! If you want to get serious
about tourneys, think about what every warrior needs to do to be at the top of their
class. Take what the megas on the Duel List say with a grain of salt. Someone else
will always have a better warrior than you, but the best doesn't always win! Luck
plays a great role in determining tournament winners, meaning luck in matchups. --
Generalissimo Puerco
QoW -- Each skill makes just a little difference. So little, that the difference
might be hard to see in any given fight. I think that the ratings are just there to
give the manager an indication of their warrior's progression. -- Generalissimo
Puerco
If there were more answers in the newsletter in question, I missed them. Also, I
didn't see a new question in this one! And I seem to have mislaid the next
newsletter, so I will say again, that's all for now, but more next time. -- Jorja
It's a little untidier this week, with some delayed answers to earlier
questions, and some questions not yet answered. For those of you newly arrived on
Noblish Island, these questions and answers are taken from the Aruak City (DM 11)
newsletter, mostly asked by Hanibal, a graduate of Noblish Island, and answered by
any manager in that arena who has something to say on the topic.
Feel free to ask questions of your own. I'll answer, Pagan will answer, various
other managers, such as Rillion, who read the newsletter on line will answer, and
we'll put it up to the experienced managers of Aruak City as well. -- Jorja
From turn 410:
The first three continue an earlier discussion of learning rates.
Q.O.W. -- I have three warriors that I bumped from 17 to 19 [WT] and it didn't make
any difference so I am inclined to believe it is the intelligence rating. However, I
have talked to managers who have bumped wit to an even number and sometimes it helps.
-- Hanibal
Q.O.W -- I think learn rate for a particular warrior (and only the warrior, exclusive
of other factors) is centered around the intelligence comment. The mean learn rate
is placed there, but there is also a range higher and lower than that mean rate.
Kind of like a standard deviation distance in statistics. I feel, though its not
provable, that each warrior gets a random roll that places their own general learn
rate somewhere in this range. The range is big enough to overlap with the higher and
lower categories of intelligence, thus a 13 WT warrior with a lucky roll could learn
as well as a 17 WT warrior, for example. This is exclusive of other factors of
course that could greatly affect learning as noted in an earlier Q.O.W. -- Adie
QoW -- We are convinced that "average-skills-learned-per-fight" is dependent solely
upon the wit number. E.G. -- a 14 wit learns slightly better than a 13 who is
slightly better than a 12. But ON-THE-AVERAGE-is key. Each warrior is different. --
Kennelworth
P.S. Yes, we run even-wit warriors with no qualms. We prefer odd, hence optimizing
overall skills, but even works great. Sure thing.
All -- I have heard about having a favorite of a double tactic. If you had lunge and
dodge as favs would you use them separately or in the same minute? -- Q.O.W.
P.S. Do offensive tactics raise your initiative?
From turn 411:
Q.O.W. -- Yep, it's rare, but you can get double tactics. Though it's usually not
recommended to use two at once, I'd try it if it was your favs. It's hard to tell,
but I think some offensive tactics might raise init. I don't use them all that much,
so I can't really say what exactly I think each tactic influences. -- Adie
Q.O.W. -- What is the secret to keeping your warriors alive? Of course winning all
your fights is the best way, but let's be for real. I believe that wearing plate
armor could help the underskilled win fights, but does not appear to keep you alive
once you get a death statement. Would all agree Con keeps you alive much better than
will? I never had a warrior die on me who could take a lot of damage. Have any of
your teams? High skilled warriors with low con win a lot but do they seem to die a
lot when they do lose? Fighting in tournaments and in Andorian arenas is this the
best way to get fight experience without dying? What is the number of fights you
must have under your belt before it becomes unlikely you would be killed? -- AK47
Q.O.W. To start to hold your own in Advanced Duelmasters I believe now you must have
3 master ratings in skills. I am wondering if I am correct? -- AK47
All -- I have noticed that my great rollups seldom get blessed, but my average ones
almost always do. Is this just me? What say you all. -- Q.O.W.
Q.O.W. -- Double tactics are optimized separately; offensive tactics raise only that
which they are -- decisive to gain the attack, slash and bash to enhance the attack
via power and criticals. -- The Bulldogs
Q.O.W. -- If one gets an invite, goes to the tournament and is killed, that "dead"
warrior will appear alive in the selected ADM arena. (It just occurred to one of our
compatriots in this most recent mailer.) -- The Bulldogs
SPY REPORT
If you were disturbed from your beauty rest only to have to watch a bunch of
NOBLISH ISLAND brutes like you, you'd be grouchy, too. Later days, MIDDLE WAY 15,
since HELLSWORN took top team from you this turn, you guys are old news. Now keep
the taverns open late tonight, for there are sorrows to drown for TEAM COUNTRY, whose
0-5-0 this turn dropped them by 7 into 11th. Ha! ORDO HERETICUS turned their 3-1-0
turn into a 4th place rank in the listings this turn. Any better than this, and you
get put on hit lists. I can just hear all the boasts coming in THE TOMAHAWKS' next
personal ads. Their first turn they went 3-2-0. NOBLISH ISLAND saw the first turn
for MARIONETTE PETS, a 3-2-1, and some teams are scared, others are too arrogant to
notice. Take note friends, take note. Of course, we're all terribly impressed to
see DORTHA JANETTO win a fight and gain 18 points, terribly. Tsk, tsk, MISTRESS
DEATH beat SARJSKI and SARJSKI lost 8 points. You're breakin' my heart. Our
Duelmaster has lost, folks, lost to KHALHUMS DWARF, BUT COUNTRY is still the
Duelmaster because he has the most recognition points! Kickbacks and bribes,
kickbacks and bribes, how else do you think some of these guys win their fights?
Skill? Ha!
He who fights and runs away will live to fight another day, the coward.
AMIDAMARU was challenged more times this turn than the Duelmaster. Now was the DM
insulted or feared? Heh, heh. Looks like time for laurels or hemlock, BELISSA HOUGH
was challenged by BAZTHRAX, who was ranked 28 points below her. Well, ok, the
upstart knave (where've I heard that before?) won this match and gained 20 points to
boot! Ha ha ha, BELISSA HOUGH. I guess I can give a little credit to LARDY JAY of
ARENA MASTERS, INC. for challenging up by 21 to EDGILES KAPP. LARDY JAY lost to get
10 points of recognition.
Ah, now we come to my favorite part, where we see all the guys who are dead and
gone, and get to see if their team cared. Not that I'll be buying the drinks, but
I'll be glad to see TOBIUS and ORDO HERETICUS at The Welcome Wench tonight
celebrating their bloodfeud victory over MYRA. We're all going to die in the end, so
why worry if the fate catches up with you sooner that later?
There's got to be a better place in NOBLISH ISLAND to get a drink than The
Welcome Wench! Any suggestions? Phlllt! Just had to do that before I leave the
fine city of NOBLISH ISLAND. I feel much better now. Paste this one in your
scrapbooks, you'll need the kindling come this winter-- Snide Clemens
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
COUNTRY 8127 7 3 2 74 TEAM COUNTRY (1407)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
MAORAKITH 8214 4 0 0 40 HELLSWORN (1421)
EDGILES KAPP 8244 4 0 0 34 MIDDLE WAY 15 (1427)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
MISTRESS LOVE 8266 2 0 0 28 ARENA MASTERS, INC. (1431)
DORTHA JANETTO 8243 3 1 0 25 MIDDLE WAY 15 (1427)
-QUEENLISA CHOLE 8217 2 0 0 25 THE WILL-O-WISPS (1422)
BAZTHRAX 8281 2 0 0 25 HELLSWORN (1421)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
NARUTO 8128 4 6 0 22 TEAM COUNTRY (1407)
-GABRIELLE MYSAN 8219 1 1 0 22 THE WILL-O-WISPS (1422)
AMIDAMARU 8126 5 5 0 20 TEAM COUNTRY (1407)
BELISSA HOUGH 8241 2 2 0 18 MIDDLE WAY 15 (1427)
MISTRESS DEATH 8264 1 1 0 18 ARENA MASTERS, INC. (1431)
VRANCELLE 8283 2 0 0 17 HELLSWORN (1421)
MEAN TEA 8190 3 1 0 16 MISFIT CREW (1417)
SOLEMN GOLEM 8278 1 0 0 16 MARIONETTE PETS (1433)
YOUSEFF 8208 2 0 0 15 ORDO HERETICUS (1420)
SINSTER MINSTER 8277 1 0 1 15 MARIONETTE PETS (1433)
CUNNING FOX 8273 1 0 0 15 THE TOMAHAWKS (1432)
STANDING BEAR 8270 1 0 0 15 THE TOMAHAWKS (1432)
SHOUTING LION 8271 1 0 0 15 THE TOMAHAWKS (1432)
TOBIUS 8209 2 0 0 13 ORDO HERETICUS (1420)
LARDY PEACE 8267 1 1 0 13 ARENA MASTERS, INC. (1431)
ALLEGORY MASQUE 8276 1 0 0 13 MARIONETTE PETS (1433)
-MARYAH 8222 1 1 0 13 DRAGON DANCERS (1423)
GROTHEN 8194 3 2 1 12 MISFIT CREW (1417)
AURORA 8189 2 2 0 12 TEAM CHAOS (1416)
ANGUS 8280 1 0 1 11 MISFIT CREW (1417)
LARDY JAY 8265 1 1 0 10 ARENA MASTERS, INC. (1431)
MYRA 8191 2 2 1 9 MISFIT CREW (1417)
MASTER OF BLADES 8263 1 1 1 9 ARENA MASTERS, INC. (1431)
STRATUS 8185 2 2 0 8 TEAM CHAOS (1416)
CROCKER 8192 2 2 0 8 MISFIT CREW (1417)
-EMA'LINA 8224 1 1 0 8 DRAGON DANCERS (1423)
ORION 8186 1 3 0 6 TEAM CHAOS (1416)
CHUCKER ISTTA 8242 1 3 0 6 MIDDLE WAY 15 (1427)
-JUDARIUS 8223 1 1 0 4 DRAGON DANCERS (1423)
-ALIANNA 8221 1 1 0 4 DRAGON DANCERS (1423)
SARJSKI 8282 1 1 0 4 HELLSWORN (1421)
-ATARA VERSARIAN 8218 1 1 0 4 THE WILL-O-WISPS (1422)
GULLET 8207 1 1 0 4 ORDO HERETICUS (1420)
BEQUIN 8206 1 1 0 4 ORDO HERETICUS (1420)
-PANDORA KUSILLO 8215 0 2 0 2 THE WILL-O-WISPS (1422)
-KASANDRA LEFAYN 8216 0 2 0 2 THE WILL-O-WISPS (1422)
KAKASHI 8268 0 1 0 1 TEAM COUNTRY (1407)
LOATHING MAULER 8279 0 1 0 1 MARIONETTE PETS (1433)
RHAPSODY RHYME 8275 0 1 0 1 MARIONETTE PETS (1433)
SASUKE 8269 0 1 0 1 TEAM COUNTRY (1407)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
GEMINI 8220 0 2 0 DRAGON DANCERS 1423 GROTHEN 8194 212
ZIDIA 8211 2 2 0 HELLSWORN 1421 DANGEROUS CRIMINAL 11 213 NONE
ADRION GOTMALK 8240 1 2 0 MIDDLE WAY 15 1427 MASTER OF BLADES 8263 212
KRUGER 8205 0 1 0 ORDO HERETICUS 1420 MYRA 8191 211 JUST REV
CHAOS 8188 0 4 0 TEAM CHAOS 1416 HIGH ELF 19 213 NONE
LOKI 8187 1 3 0 TEAM CHAOS 1416 SINSTER MINSTER 8277 213
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
WIKATE 8272 0 1 0 THE TOMAHAWKS 1432 MASTER SEN GANAMIR 23 213 NONE
LITTLE RABBIT 8274 0 1 0 THE TOMAHAWKS 1432 ANGUS 8280 213
PERSONAL ADS
All -- I'm willing to allow the honor to fight Judarius, but you must be willing to
die. -- Whitedragon, manager of Dragon Dancer
All -- My last fight shows that I'm the only one with the heat to win in this arena,
so you should just bow to me and call me the Duelmaster. -- Judarius (93-8223)
The Will-O-Wisps (1422) -- Let's join together and work our way to the top. -- White
Dragon, manager of Dragon Dancer
Juice -- We of Team Country await to see what you can do. You better make it good.
-- Country
Jorja -- I see your team has done well in my team's absence. -- Country
Probably a fluke.
Ema' Zina -- DRAGON DANCER? A Dragonfly does more damage than you did. Try using a
shortspear (takes less str.). Of course, your style doesn't fit such a weapon well!
-- Queenlisa Chole
Loki -- I'm sorry if I was too quick for you still a good fight, though! -- Atara
Versarion
Belissa Hough -- How dare you use me like that! If you weren't Duelmaster, I'd want
a rematch! -- Kondora Kusillo
P.S. The Noblish Island hospitals really need a new paint job!
They have a hospital on Noblish Island? I thought there was just a rather
depressing back room at the Ice Dragon.
Tobius -- You are garbage! You are nothing but a waste of time for us to fight. Go
back to farming where you belong! -- Gabrielle Myson
Jorja -- How can I contact Pagan for a copy of the Enchiridion? -- Juice, mgr. Arena
Masters, Inc.
I'm not sure, he doesn't seem to be active in D2 at the moment. I'll ask
around.
Belissa Hough -- Enjoy your stay at the top while it lasts! Until then.... -- Juice
Drake's Comments on Last Turn's Articles:
And very glad we are to see you again!
Note that I'm specifically writing about the articles that appear at the end of the
newsletter as they tend to be a bit dated and thus misleading. Those articles that
appear under the Team Spotlight heading are going to be far more recent and thus
accurate in the info they provide. So, with that in mind, here we go:
'Tricks of the Trade' -- Most skill bonuses for Speed are on even rather than odd
numbers. Skills are not the be-all end-all of the game; your warrior needs some
physicals (HIT POINTS, ENDURANCE, DAMAGE DOING, etc.) or their skills will never come
into play.
'Warrior Handedness' -- Some interesting theories, but you have no real control over
your warrior's handedness. Also, his discussion of which hand an Ambidextrous
warrior favors has some errors in it. Pagan wrote an article about this that should
cycle around eventually and it contains better info on being Ambi.
'The Arcane Slasher' -- Jorja's article last turn is far better. For one thing,
roll-ups that can hit 15+ in all three of Wit, Will & Deftness aren't real common and
will likely come up short in other stats. You definitely want a high Wit & Will
(especially Will as Slashers burn ENDURANCE almost as fast as Lungers). You want
enough STR to do Good damage. I like my slashers to have some SPD (8+, higher if Wit
or Will are below 17) in order to improve their Decisiveness skill. Otherwise they
get jumped and toasted by other offensive warriors. As you can tell by my Team
Spotlight article this turn, I'm not as focused on Deftness as Kid Arcane was. The
notes on running are pretty good, but there is no reason to match your KILL DESIRE to
your OFFENSIVE EFFORT (there's an old DM myth about it giving you Dec or Att
bonuses). According to Terrablood's statistics, the most common favorite rhythm is
7-8 OFFENSIVE EFFORT/1-2 ACTIVITY LEVEL with 9-10/1-2 and 9-10/3-4 coming next. Top
3 favorite weapons are SC, EP & BS. This is somewhat different than Jorja's article,
so remember to play around some to find out what your warrior really likes.
'The Basher' -- An okay article. The suggested stats are pretty standard. Bashers
are good for those occasional high-size/moderate-str or high-str/moderate-size
rollups you get. They can go as low as 9 on Will and I like to put their Speed at
8+. The problem with Bashers is that they don't defend themselves very well, so if
they get jumped or riposted they tend to lose. Top 3 favorite rhythms are: 7-8
OFFENSIVE EFFORT/3-4 ACTIVITY LEVEL, 9-10/1-2 and a tie between 9-10/3-4 & 9-10/5-6.
Top 3 favorite weapons are: MA, ML and a tie between GS & WH. The QS & WH are the
fastest basher weapons and nothing get's through plate like a HL or ML.
'The Anti-Thesis Slasher' -- A pretty good article on running non-godling warriors.
Otherwise see my above comments on 'the Arcane Slasher'.
Another general note for everyone. I strongly recommend those with internet access
check out www.terrablood.com for all kinds of useful charts, tips & hints to help
with this game. Also, visit the Forums on www.duel2.com where you can converse with
many of the more experienced managers in the game. -- Drake (who can be reached by
diploing Drake's Comics in DM 47)
Whacking Willow -- I am glad you enjoyed our time together. Hopefully next time I'll
end up on top. -- Cannonball
Matador -- Very well fought. -- Cannonball
Five Golden Rings -- !?#*. -- Orphan
I believe the three ads just before this note should have been in Crysalis.
Jorja -- How can one find out what a warrior's favorite weapon is? In newsletter
(Turn 211) "Abe" from DM 64, 103 talks about it, but the weapons that my warriors can
use due to their stats, according to his method are not favorites. Can you help with
different method or something? -- Silky, mgr. Misfit Crew
Well... when the warrior graduates to Advanced, the Commission will just TELL
you. Other than that, it isn't something I've bothered about much. I generally
go with whatever I find at the intersection of the warrior's critical stats and
his style. Hmm, that isn't due up again until turn 219.
Also, a thing to bear in mind when designing future warriors, which I learned
from bitter experience, is to always, always, make sure that the warrior will
have the minimum stats to use at least ONE of the weapons favored by the style.
If you have a warrior now who lacks the wit, will, or deftness to use any of his
style's preferred weapons, TRAIN THAT STAT. Do it now. Yes, it will burn
skills. Big deal. A warrior who fights well and wins is a lot more fun than a
warrior who may, somewhere down the road, be able to compete at the highest
levels of the game--which you wouldn't reach for AT LEAST a couple of years
anyway. Besides, a warrior who can't fight well isn't likely to make it that
far in the first place.
Naruto -- Nice train. -- Maorakith
Amidamaru -- Nice train.... -- Zidia
Kasandra Lefayn -- Nice defense. -- Sarjski
Lady Peace -- Nice riposte. -- Vrancelle
Mistress Death -- Wow, you big! -- Baztrhax
Adrion Gotmal -- Our condolences. -- Hellsworn
Jorja -- I appreciate the info! However a friend of mine is insisting I go to his
arena. -- Ikaun
It's always good to go where you already have one friend.
G.E.C.K.O. -- So tell us about the quest. -- Ikaun
To the Dragon Dancers -- I am very sorry for your loss of Gemini. Our thoughts are
with you. -- Grothen and the rest of the Misfit Crew
Chucker Istta -- Thank you, you are a worthy opponent. I will fight by your side if
you call. -- Crocker
Jorja -- Why is it taking so long for me to get my results? I just got it today (7-
17-06) and it was mailed on 7-10-06. I barely have time to mail it back in! --
Juice, mgr. Arena Masters
Once the turn envelope leaves RSI and enters the Post Office, it is totally out
of RSI's control. All I can suggest is that when you leave Noblish Island, you
pick a slow-turnaround arena (we're pushing Xochithlan, DM 39, at the moment).
If you have internet access, you can at least see the newsletter online after, I
think, three days.
Atara -- Ha! Ha! You too weak, me win! -- Lardy Joy
Chass -- How was your visit, darling? You know what they say, though: Love can
hurt! -- Mistress Love
All -- I would comment on Adrion Gotmalk, but I can't talk to the dead. My
apologies, Jorja, but it is obvious who the superior warrior is in this case! --
Master of Blades
Bazthrax -- That fist was a low blow, wasn't it? Still, you overdid me on the wait-
out! I think a friend of mine has something to say about that.... -- Mistress Death
Vroncelle -- Your luck astounds me! Please, tell me where did you buy your charms
at? -- Lardy Peace
Lardy Joy -- How can you lug those around? I was surprised you could even move!
You're a waste! -- Atara
Soriski -- Good battle, but I fail to see where I went wrong. Any suggestions? --
Kasandra
Chucker Istta -- What is it with you people? I keep losing because you guys refuse
to fight! -- Pandora
It's a style-and-strategy thing.
Oortho Jonetto -- I hope that teaches you to keep your grubby paws off my teammates!
21 points! The Duelmaster position is to be mine! -- Gabrielle
Alionna -- Challenge me again and I shall not let you live! -- Queenlisa
All -- I shall tiptoe my itty bitty Marionette pets to the top of Noblish Island!
Hear the pitter patter of my stringed friends and tremble and shake. Oh yes, tremble
and shake. -- Master of Puppets
It's beginning to look alive in here again. Good stuff! For those of you who don't
know, my job is to answer questions and give advice. This requires, however, that
you ASK questions. Write personals! I hate talking to myself. -- Jorja, the Middle
Way
Loki -- Well, it was a good try, but as you can see, you've got a problem. Try
scaling down to the next-smaller size of that weapon, it might help. After all, so
what if the one you were using does a lot of damage... if you can't hit with it? I
shouldn't have had that all my own way. -- Edgiles Kapp
Gabrielle Mysan -- That was well done, and *I* don't think you need any advice to
make you nastier, but Jorja's the boss. (sigh) And SHE says, you might do even
better (like you needed to!) without the offhand weapon. Something about, if your
offhand is empty, you can use both hands on your main weapon and do some serious work
with it. Well, what *I* say is, I'm glad you didn't! At least I survived this time.
-- Dortha Janetto
Oh, the shame, the ignominy, to lose to a standby! Granted, a standby ranked so far
above me I couldn't see him with a telescope, but still. -- Belissa Hough
Pandora Kusillo -- Lady, I really liked winning that. Let me buy you a dinner, no
pressure offered, in thanks, eh?
But the advice part, you know where it says at the end of the first minute that
you were stumbling with exhaustion? That's your clue. Yes, you're supposed to run
as fast as you were, you've got a flat-out style. BUT, you're not supposed to do it
in heavy armor. Talk about hard work! Even I don't like the run-in-heavy-armor
thing, which Jorja makes me do every day "to build my constitution," and I'm SUPPOSED
to do it, you know? So try something lighter.
Also, she suggests that you bear in mind the desperation strategy "surrender."
Ah, I know, there isn't anything in the operating manual on that! But what I've
HEARD is, IF, in desperation, you drop your offensive effort and activity level to
something low, I mean, really low, and your kill desire to five (which I THINK means,
"don't care either way"), then if the other guy has the upper hand, you'll just say,
"heck with THAT," and quit for the day. Before dying. I don't promise it'll work,
but it's an idea to keep in mind. -- Chucker Istta
P.S. Oh, Jorja said I was supposed to tell you that because, if you failed to get me
in the first minute, your style probably wouldn't have the endurance to keep going
anyway, and best to get out when you can. Er, you don't have a high endurance, do
you? I mean, yours is a win-quick-or-quit style.
Master of Blades -- Well, HECK. I hate this kind of thing. -- Ghost of Adrion
Gotmalk
P.S. You've been screwed on your weapon. Of the ones suited to your style, you've
got the lightest, and you can't handle it well. Bummer. It'll do you no good to
shift to something lighter, because anything lighter wouldn't suit your style, and
you wouldn't be able to use it properly. So you'll have to train that stat.
I know, people will scream at you not to train stats until you've maxed skills.
That's a crock of it. Here's the deal, yes, if you train up that stat to the point
where you can handle that weapon well, yes, you will burn one or maybe two skills.
And this is bad why? Search me! The whole "never burn a skill" deal is based on two
assumptions:
First, that you survive, and if you can't use your weapon well, you can die so
easily, it isn't a joke. I mean, you can die anyway, look at me! But still, the
idea is to survive as long as possible.
Second, that you not only survive until graduation (when you become Advanced,
become immortal or at least get guaranteed resurrection, go to the Isle of the Eye,
all that stuff), AND that you make it to the highest levels of the Advanced games,
where one skill more or less could make an enormous difference. Not meaning the
least disrespect to you, I honestly don't think that's going to happen, and at any
level below the dizzy top, being able to use your weapon to best advantage is a lot
more important than one or two skills.
Face it, you're one of your manager's very first warriors. He's just learning
this business, same like you. Nobody expects perfection the first time out, AND,
even if they did, they wouldn't get it. It can take years to master the nuances.
Well, okay, some people master faster than others, but still, you're standing at the
very beginning of whatever your manager might do. Nothing wrong with a mistake here
and there, and I gotta tell you, to design a warrior who doesn't have the requisite
minimum stats to use any weapon suited to his style is a mistake. Jorja has made it
once or twice, through carelessness or pigheadedness, and some other, very
experienced and, just possibly, very bored managers do it just to work out the fine
tuning on weird theories, but all us gladiators, on every team, hate it when our
managers get one of those wild hairs.
So, train up that stat, you need a nine there, and fight well. Good luck.
Team Country -- I have trouble getting answering diplos out, depending on who is
working in the office on the day this arena runs (Saturday, and some people, lucky
dogs, don't work on Saturday). However, if you have specific questions (I would be
glad to help, but that's too vague), I will do my best to answer them. Also, save
your Noblish Island newsletters. Between the articles and the spotlights, in ten
turns you should have a decent beginner's handbook. That's what the articles and
spotlights are there for, it's what Noblish Island arena itself is there for.
I will do my best to answer any question posed in the newsletter, or any
question posed in a diplo, but I don't do letters direct, sorry. -- Jorja, the Middle
Way
26 June 2006
To those interested, G.E.C.K.O., Inc, is looking for able-bodied warriors to embark
on a dangerous mission. Those interested (or for more details) diplo me at:
Juice, DM 93, mgr. Arena Masters, Inc -- Juice
30 June 2006
All -- I am looking for able bodied warriors, magic-wielding wizards, faith-healing
clerics, and quick-handed thieves to begin a quest requested by the Emperor of the
Southern Kingdom of Crailmia. All interested parties can diplo me in arena 93 --
Noblish Island, c/o Will-O-Wisps (1422) or write to me at -- Robert Bennett, 317173,
4269 West M-80, Kincheloe, Mi 49784. -- the Lightbearer, mgr. Will-O-Wisps
1 July 2006
BROTHER KNIGHTS OF THE DESOLATE EMPIRE -- Hail brothers where ever you are to be
found! We are engaging in arena 31. Let them feel our wrath. Onward to glory!!! --
Dark knight Blackstorm
1 July 2006
Soultaker -- Read your e-mail! -- Guardian
10 July 2006
The Dark Knights sat at the Dark Table with grim faces. All present knew that there
could be no quarter. The Forces of Desolation would be unleashed. There would be no
turning back, no mercy and no hesitation to do what was necessary. Teeth gritted and
knuckles whitened with fury as the IMPERIAL PROCLAMATION was signed by each Dark
Knight.
AS OF JULY 1, 2006 -- WAR IS DECLARED ON THE ALLIANCE KNOWN AS THE VENDETTA
CARTEL.
The Desolate Empire -- Dark Knights: Ancient Creep, Blackstorm, Dok Sik, Goat,
Heathen, Hatebred, Kon, Osiris, Toker, Wasby the Great
14 July 2006
In response to the Desolate Empire's declaration of war, the Vendetta Cartel offers
the following response:
The members of the Vendetta Cartel can be found in 1, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 22, 25, 28,
31, 39, 45, 47, 50, 52, 54, 59, 60, 100, and 106. Stop yapping in the all-arena ads,
pick an arena, issue a challenge, actually win something, and then maybe (and we
stress maybe) you may speak. You may come to our home arenas (8, 31, and 47) and
confront us, but we suggest you learn to win in your own "home" arena (52) first.
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
CHAOS was viciously butchered by HIGH ELF in a 2 minute bloody Dark Arena fight.
WIKATE was slaughtered by MASTER SEN GANAMIR in a 1 minute gruesome Dark Arena battle.
MISTRESS DEATH demolished SARJSKI in a 1 minute uneven Challenge fight.
LARDY PEACE devastated ORION in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge contest.
MISTRESS LOVE overpowered AMIDAMARU in a 1 minute mismatched Challenge match.
MASTER OF BLADES was devastated by MAORAKITH in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge duel.
BAZTHRAX unbelievably bested BELISSA HOUGH in a 3 minute amateur's Challenge match.
LARDY JAY was viciously subdued by EDGILES KAPP in a 2 minute Challenge melee.
COUNTRY was narrowly defeated by KHALHUMS DWARF in a 3 minute gruesome Title duel.
ZIDIA was assassinated by DANGEROUS CRIMINAL in a 1 minute one-sided fight.
NARUTO was handily defeated by DORTHA JANETTO in a 1 minute one-sided bout.
BEQUIN outlasted LOATHING MAULER in a unpopular 8 minute amateur's match.
GULLET was devastated by SHOUTING LION in a 1 minute one-sided battle.
YOUSEFF bested RHAPSODY RHYME in a 2 minute bloody amateur's bout.
TOBIUS outlasted MYRA in a unpopular 13 minute novice's duel.
CROCKER was vanquished by STANDING BEAR in a 1 minute one-sided fray.
MEAN TEA outwaited CHUCKER ISTTA in a 7 minute amateur's brawl.
AURORA defeated KAKASHI in a exciting 3 minute brutal novice's bout.
LOKI was executed by SINSTER MINSTER in a crowd pleasing 1 minute mismatched fight.
STRATUS was beaten by CUNNING FOX in a 2 minute beginner's fight.
GROTHEN was subdued by SOLEMN GOLEM in a 3 minute gruesome beginner's bout.
VRANCELLE handily defeated SASUKE in a 1 minute one-sided contest.
LITTLE RABBIT was murdered by ANGUS in a 1 minute gruesome one-sided fight.
ALLEGORY MASQUE overpowered CONVICTED THIEF in a 4 minute uneven fight.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|BASHING ATTACK 8 PARRY-RIPOSTE 10 - 4 - 0 71 |
|TOTAL PARRY 6 LUNGING ATTACK 12 - 7 - 0 63 |
|AIMED BLOW 6 SLASHING ATTACK 21 - 15 - 3 58 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 4 BASHING ATTACK 25 - 18 - 3 58 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 4 PARRY-LUNGE 4 - 4 - 1 50 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 4 STRIKING ATTACK 21 - 23 - 0 48 |
|WALL OF STEEL 4 TOTAL PARRY 10 - 13 - 1 43 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 3 AIMED BLOW 12 - 18 - 0 40 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 3 PARRY-STRIKE 2 - 7 - 0 22 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 1 WALL OF STEEL 3 - 11 - 1 21 |
Turn 213 was great if you Not so great if you used The fighting styles of the
used the fighting styles: the fighting styles: top eleven warriors are:
PARRY-LUNGE 1 - 0 STRIKING ATTACK 1 - 3 3 BASHING ATTACK
LUNGING ATTACK 3 - 1 WALL OF STEEL 1 - 3 2 LUNGING ATTACK
BASHING ATTACK 6 - 2 AIMED BLOW 1 - 5 2 STRIKING ATTACK
PARRY-RIPOSTE 2 - 1 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 3 1 PARRY-LUNGE
SLASHING ATTACK 2 - 2 1 TOTAL PARRY
TOTAL PARRY 3 - 3 1 AIMED BLOW
1 WALL OF STEEL
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
BASHING ATTACK COUNTRY 8127 7 3 2 74 TEAM COUNTRY (1407)
LUNGING ATTACK MAORAKITH 8214 4 0 0 40 HELLSWORN (1421)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is COUNTRY 8127. The most popular warrior this turn
was BELISSA HOUGH 8241. The ten other most popular fighters were AURORA 8189,
EDGILES KAPP 8244, COUNTRY 8127, CUNNING FOX 8273, SOLEMN GOLEM 8278, MISTRESS LOVE
8266, MAORAKITH 8214, DORTHA JANETTO 8243, YOUSEFF 8208, and SINSTER MINSTER 8277.
The least popular fighter this week was TOBIUS 8209. The other ten least popular
fighters were MYRA 8191, BEQUIN 8206, CHUCKER ISTTA 8242, LITTLE RABBIT 8274, SASUKE
8269, STRATUS 8185, CROCKER 8192, GULLET 8207, NARUTO 8128, and ZIDIA 8211.
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 September 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)
NEW GRADUATES--FROM ALL ARENAS (INCLUDING CLOSED ARENAS)
For those of you who keep track of such things, 5 additional warriors graduated
from regular DM arenas (including closed arenas) since the last tournament.
SNOTTYMAN (40-3685) of THEY TRAINED ME!
HORRID (65-6385) of LEGION IV
JUDICIOUSLY (82-27214) of ADVERBS II
TERRICONUS (82-27651) of THE GLORIOUS DARK
FLABBY-O (82-30720) of STREET PIZZAD XXII
Congrats to the grads. -- Green Eyes