DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER Date : 09/30/2006 Duedate: 10/13/2006 NOBLISH ISLAND ARENA DM-93 TURN-218 This Weeks Top Honors THE DUELMASTER IS MAORAKITH HELLSWORN (1421) (93-8214) [7-2-1,75] Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader POSITION IS EMPTY MAORAKITH HELLSWORN (1421) (93-8214) [7-2-1,75] Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite BELISSA HOUGH DORTHA JANETTO MIDDLE WAY 15 (1427) MIDDLE WAY 15 (1427) (93-8241) [5-4-0,38] (93-8243) [5-4-0,30] THE CURRENT TOP TEAM HELLSWORN (1421) TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team 1. TEAM CHAOS (1416) 46 2. MISFIT CREW (1417) 24 DARK TOADS II (725) 3. FOLLOWER'S OF XOAN (1441) 23 Unchartered Team 4. ORDO HERETICUS (1420) 20 5. GODS OF WAR (1446) 16 HELLSWORN (1421) The Top Teams Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K 1/ 2*HELLSWORN (1421) 30 15 2 66.7 1/ 1*HELLSWORN (1421) 12 3 2 2/ 3*ORDO HERETICUS (1420) 12 6 1 66.7 2/ 2*INDIGO CIPHER (1445) 9 5 0 3/ 1*INDIGO CIPHER (1445) 9 5 0 64.3 3/ 3*MARIONETTE PETS (1433) 8 6 0 4/ 6*MARIONETTE PETS (1433) 14 10 2 58.3 4/ 4*MIDDLE WAY 15 (1427) 8 7 0 5/ 5*MIDDLE WAY 15 (1427) 23 21 0 52.3 5/ 7*ORDO HERETICUS (1420) 6 3 1 6/ 8*MISFIT CREW (1417) 16 16 5 50.0 6/ 6*TEAM CHAOS (1416) 6 9 0 7/ 4*GODS OF WAR (1446) 5 5 1 50.0 7/ 8*GODS OF WAR (1446) 5 5 1 8- 7*THE TOMAHAWKS (1432) 3 3 0 50.0 8/ 5*CANOE CLUB (1434) 4 10 0 9/10*TEAM CHAOS (1416) 17 28 0 37.8 9/ 9*MISFIT CREW (1417) 2 0 0 10/ 9*CANOE CLUB (1434) 7 16 0 30.4 10/10*FOLLOWER'S OF XOA (1441) 2 6 0 11/11*FOLLOWER'S OF XOA (1441) 2 6 0 25.0 11/11*MARAUDER'S FIVE (1443) 1 8 0 12/ 0*THE DAIKEN TADA (152) 2 10 1 16.7 12-12*THE TOMAHAWKS (1432) 0 1 0 13/12*MARAUDER'S FIVE (1443) 1 8 0 11.1 13/ 0*THE DAIKEN TADA (152) 0 1 0 '*' Unchartered team '-' Team did not fight this turn (###) Avoid teams by their Team Id ##/## This turn's/Last turn's rank TEAM SPOTLIGHT + ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Lighthouse ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ + I thought I'd say a few words today about styles and challenges. You have all seen--or will see before you leave Noblish Island (it runs on turns numbered ending in 3), this chart (and I thank Magic Man for making it available): 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 I consider this chart to be a fertile topic for debate, possibly even acrimonious debate. There is some truth in it, I don't dispute that. And it is to this chart, usually, that managers refer when they speak of some warrior having "the style advantage" over another. But I believe that other factors than style are at least as important, and perhaps MORE important, such as the relative skill of the two managers and two warriors involved. But, as I say, there is some truth in it, especially where the managers and warriors are on a level of experience. Therefore, information on the styles of other warriors in a given arena is important, so you can gauge your challenges and avoids to give you the best chances for winning. This is one of the things alliances do for their members--provide a forum for exchanging style information. It is also the reason why experienced managers generally regard it is bad form to reveal a warrior's style in the personals. [Exceptions to this--when the warrior in question has been a stylemaster, and when the warrior in question is graduating.] Style information is valuable; you, or somebody, fought to get it, so it shouldn't be given away. But there's more to "style knowledge" than simply being able to say, "X has the style advantage over Y." You have to use your information. Note that "offensive warriors" are bashers, lungers, strikers, and slashers. Defensive styles are those with "parry" in their names. Aimed Blows and Walls of Steel are ambiguous and may be considered--and run--either way. If you KNOW or even just suspect that you have an offensive warrior who will be facing a defensive warrior, you can adjust your strategy accordingly. You change your armor and the speed with which you're running the warrior to pace him for a long haul, perhaps. (And this is the adjustment that most often needs to be made.) Or if you've got an offensive warrior facing another offensive, you can do the same--slow your warrior's pace--and hope to take out your opponent in the second minute when he's gasping for breath. Of course, you have to survive the first minute somehow. More armor, perhaps, or defenisve tactics. But it's a fact that, especially in the lower levels of the game, many offensive warriors DO burn out by the end of the first minute or shortly thereafter. So if you're paced for that, you may be surprised at some of the wins you can get. Jorja The Middle Way +<]H[>+-----+<]H[+ Question of the Week #10 +]H[>+-----+<]H[>+ The Question, Aruak City (dm 11), turn 426: If a warrior is wearing plate and he is hit on the hand or ankle does he get the same amount of protection? It seems to me the most you could wear on your hand is Chainmail. -- Hanibal, Q.O.W. The Answers, turn 427: Q.O.W. -- I think if you wear armor of chainmail or lighter, the protection to your limbs is limited, certainly not to a degree equal to the armor you are wearing over the body. But I think with platemail or full plate, the armor protects your limbs well. Gauntlets, which I imagine being used with platemail and up, are steel plates, so they protect better than chain. I think this is played out well in our fighters' fights. I've seen chain wearing warriors who are tough go down with one shot to the leg, while the same warrior in platemail takes one or two more hits. You'd be surprised at how well medieval gauntlets' metal plates flexed for hand movement. -- Adie QoW -- When using heavy armor, the limbs seem to be less well protected than the chest and abdomen. I base this observation mainly on the number of ineffective ("bounced") hits seen against the torso compared to the limbs. The lighter armors don't seem to have this difference. -- Generalissimo Puerco Hannibal -- Questions! Great, I've missed them. Unfortunately, I can't offer much help on this. I do know that to rely on "it would logically seem that" is the way to get into trouble, unfortunately. After all, it would logically seem that a basher should be well-suited to using the fist, and this is not so. So I can't guess about the "armor for hands and feet" question. -- Leeta Hannibal -- Take a good look at a suit of full plate some time. ; Everything EXCEPT the head is protected, unless you're wearing a helmet of some sort as well. If you're going to have warriors wearing APA, you better put them in a Helm or a Full Helm as well, otherwise you may as well send them out in leather. A hit to an unarmored head and your APA is worthless. -- Talon, War-Priest of Mantor the Bright The Question, Aruak City (dm 11), turn 427: All -- I was looking at a fight a few turns ago with Predator (Broadsword fav). In min 1 he attacked 12 times w/ BS and only 1 crit. Min 2 six normal attacks, weapons breaks, pulls his epee and throws three crits in a row. He always threw more crits using an epee even though he is -6 in Deftness to use it. He used a BS in two other fights with no crits. This makes me wonder; are favorites generated after your warrior graduates? -- Hanibal Q.O.W. The Answers, turn 428: Q.O.W. -- From my understanding, favorite weapons are generated when your warrior is created, and the bonuses are applied in basic. However, I have experienced similiar situations to what you have seen with Predator. I have a lunger who never seemed to throw a crit with the short spear, but constantly threw crits with the longspear even though he wasn't quite suited to it in strength or deftness. I felt certain the longspear was his favorite weapon because of this, and was highly shocked when upon graduation the shortspear was listed as his weapon of choice. -- the Outsider Hanibal, Q.O.W. -- From what I have experienced and discussed with other managers, fighting rhythm, weapon, learns and tactics are determined upon creation. Did you change rhythms during any of these fights? Was your attack rating high or low at the time? If all is the same, and you throw more crits with an epee, maybe you should send your "favorite weapon" to hell and go with what works. After all, the whole point of finding your fave weapon is to increase your crit percentage. Although, it would be nice to have BS crits over the EP crits (except for the knockdowns!) -- Dr. Strange QoW -- Well, now you're understanding why I don't make too much of an effort to try to find a warrior's "favorite" weapon. Finding a weapon they win with is much more important, and Predator certainly had no problem winning. I think people have had enough cases where a suspected favorite weapon was confirmed to suggest that a warrior's favorites are determined before AD, but the exceptions such as Predator's are numerous. I'll bet Adie will have more to say on this matter, since it seems like it happens to her warriors a lot. -- Generalissimo Puerco Q.o.W. (Fav Weapons) -- I was the closest thing the KoV had to somebody who found their favorite weapon in basic. But since I got my advanced master in attack so soon it's hard to tell. We really haven't noticed our warriors having a favorite weapon in basic. I personally think there may be something to what you're saying. But I think most people believe that it's there all along. -- Maxwell Honorblade Hanibal's Question of the Week -- No, favorites are generated when the warrior is first created. Unless you get a favorites-prize and use it on a warrior, his favorites always and forever remain what they were at the time of generation. -- Leeta Q.O.W -- BS favorite and no crits sounds typical for a lot of warriors. Or GA...or BA...or even SC. Sometimes, favorite weapons just don't serve. I have a WS in Primus with GA favorite and Grandmaster Attack who throws more normals than crits with her favorite. To make matters worse, I have a LU in Primus with Archmaster Attack who still throws normals...with her favorite and with LO. Some warriors, in my experience, just don't throw crits like they should. Others will go crazy with their favorite weapon in basic, right from the start. I've discovered many favorite weapons that way over the years...then again, I've also THOUGHT I'd discovered a favorite, only to have them be something else. I've always thought that somewhere, a bit is kept with each warrior for how experienced they are with any given weapon... and if you use a weapon enough, you get better with it (skills not withstanding). I can't prove it, but watching some of my LS and SS, SH and MS favorite warriors using SC and LO, you see improvement over time, even when they aren't getting more attack. -- Talon Warsmith, Epee favorite <grin> Hanibal, Q.O.W., favorites are born with the warrior. It's just that sometimes they seem hard to believe. -- Kennelworth Q.O.W. -- I've always understood that a warrior's favorite weapon is generated right at the beginning. I have however, had the similar experience of throwing more crits with a non-fav weapon. -- Anti DUELMASTER'S COLUMN Notes from the arena champ. Islanders, Well my second column didn't make the newsletter, so let's give it another shot. Hellsworn went 5-0 and I retain again!! Whooo!! From where I sit, it looks like nothing but standbys the rest of my time on Noblish Island, so eat my dust. Your Champ, Maorakith SPY REPORT Ready for some action-packed adventure, some thrills, chills and spills? Well fergit it, cause this is the Spyreport for NOBLISH ISLAND. One team deserves special mention 'cause they moved up 0 after going 4-1-0. Keep it up, MARIONETTE PETS! Our Duelmaster has lost, folks, lost to VETERAN MERCENARY, BUT MAORAKITH is still the Duelmaster because he has the most recognition points! I hear the top team insists all their warriors get nine hours sleep. They want photogenic fighters for PR photos. AAARRGH!!! I HATE SPYREPORTING!!! Sorry. I just had to say it. Like, is STRATUS popular, or what? She was challenged the most in all of NOBLISH ISLAND! She's got a 3-6-0, is that good? People were asking me did ANGUS REALLY challenge EDGILES KAPP? (all right, maybe they didn't, but it sounded good!) It wasn't a spectacular fight, or anything, but EDGILES KAPP wants me to write about it since he was defeated by ANGUS. Satisfied? OBERON must not be a good enough fighter to get in fair fights. He challenged FLAVIUS VALERIUS. 10 is a big difference. (Well, that's what they tell me.) I thought OBERON showed great skill and promise when he beat FLAVIUS VALERIUS. All right, so I slept through it! Big deal! Challenges, revenges, Bloodfeuds. All NOBLISH ISLAND ever talks about is fighting! Me, I'm more laid back. AURORA bloodfeuded (is that a word?) SOLEMN GOLEM for revenge over some guy's bad fortune. Was it really worth it? What if they had a fight and nobody showed up? I'd be out of a job, that's what!!! I really didn't, you know, study when I was a kid. Who would've guessed I'd be a famous Spyreporter? I gotta leave. NOBLISH ISLAND is like such a dump, and you guys smell too much! Remember you guys, ease up sometimes! Chill out! Later, Debby Tonte DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME MAORAKITH 8214 7 2 1 75 HELLSWORN (1421) ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME ANGUS 8280 4 1 2 52 MISFIT CREW (1417) AURORA 8189 6 3 0 45 TEAM CHAOS (1416) BAZTHRAX 8281 6 1 0 45 HELLSWORN (1421) SINSTER MINSTER 8277 4 1 1 40 MARIONETTE PETS (1433) BELISSA HOUGH 8241 5 4 0 38 MIDDLE WAY 15 (1427) CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME EDGILES KAPP 8244 7 2 0 30 MIDDLE WAY 15 (1427) DORTHA JANETTO 8243 5 4 0 30 MIDDLE WAY 15 (1427) XIAN THE BLACK 8353 3 0 0 30 INDIGO CIPHER (1445) VRANCELLE 8283 6 1 1 29 HELLSWORN (1421) SARJSKI 8282 5 2 0 29 HELLSWORN (1421) OBBO 8336 4 0 0 24 HELLSWORN (1421) INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME GULLET 8207 3 1 0 23 ORDO HERETICUS (1420) SOLEMN GOLEM 8278 4 1 1 22 MARIONETTE PETS (1433) OBERON 8349 3 0 0 21 INDIGO CIPHER (1445) AURELIUS GAIUS 8322 2 3 0 19 TEAM CHAOS (1416) TOBIUS 8209 4 0 0 17 ORDO HERETICUS (1420) CHUCKER ISTTA 8242 3 6 0 17 MIDDLE WAY 15 (1427) -LI LONG 804 1 2 1 16 THE DAIKEN TADA (152) -MYRA 8191 3 3 2 15 MISFIT CREW (1417) STRATUS 8185 3 6 0 15 TEAM CHAOS (1416) ARVIN LARN 8289 2 0 1 15 ORDO HERETICUS (1420) -CUNNING FOX 8273 1 0 0 15 THE TOMAHAWKS (1432) MORRIGAN 8382 1 0 0 15 GODS OF WAR (1446) -SHOUTING LION 8271 1 0 0 15 THE TOMAHAWKS (1432) -STANDING BEAR 8270 1 0 0 15 THE TOMAHAWKS (1432) LOATHING MAULER 8279 2 3 0 14 MARIONETTE PETS (1433) -GROTHEN 8194 3 3 1 13 MISFIT CREW (1417) -MEAN TEA 8190 3 3 0 12 MISFIT CREW (1417) INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME -CROCKER 8192 3 3 0 12 MISFIT CREW (1417) AGASAYA 8355 2 0 0 12 GODS OF WAR (1446) TOPO GIGIO 8360 1 2 0 12 TEAM CHAOS (1416) JON 8286 3 2 0 11 CANOE CLUB (1434) RHAPSODY RHYME 8275 2 3 0 11 MARIONETTE PETS (1433) DOLBY JOSSEL 8368 2 0 0 10 MIDDLE WAY 15 (1427) FLAVIUS VALERIUS 8323 2 3 0 9 TEAM CHAOS (1416) YOUSEFF 8208 2 2 0 8 ORDO HERETICUS (1420) STEEL 8341 1 1 0 8 MARAUDER'S FIVE (1443) PIER 8326 2 0 0 7 FOLLOWER'S OF XOAN (1441) MENTU 8354 1 1 0 7 GODS OF WAR (1446) LIONHEART 8288 1 4 0 7 CANOE CLUB (1434) VENGENCE SWORN 8361 1 0 0 7 MARIONETTE PETS (1433) RICK 8284 1 4 0 7 CANOE CLUB (1434) -LUTHER 803 1 1 0 6 THE DAIKEN TADA (152) CAMULUS 8358 1 1 1 5 GODS OF WAR (1446) GRIMJAW 8343 1 2 0 5 CANOE CLUB (1434) ROLNANDO 8359 1 1 0 5 CANOE CLUB (1434) -BEQUIN 8206 1 2 0 5 ORDO HERETICUS (1420) MALEEVA 8352 1 2 0 5 INDIGO CIPHER (1445) COG TWOTHUDS 8351 1 1 0 4 INDIGO CIPHER (1445) SENIOR BOB 806 0 3 0 3 THE DAIKEN TADA (152) SEPTU 8356 0 2 0 2 GODS OF WAR (1446) SNAKE 8340 0 2 0 2 MARAUDER'S FIVE (1443) -HAZARD 807 0 2 0 2 THE DAIKEN TADA (152) SHANK 8337 0 2 0 2 MARAUDER'S FIVE (1443) '-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn. THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge? BOB 8287 0 2 0 CANOE CLUB 1434 MYRA 8191 215 OCTIS 8328 0 2 0 FOLLOWER'S OF XO 1441 HIGH ELF 19 218 NONE OGLA 8325 0 2 0 FOLLOWER'S OF XO 1441 MASTER SEN GANAMIR 23 218 NONE SHIMTAINT 8350 1 2 0 INDIGO CIPHER 1445 SPYMASTER 22 218 NONE BONE CRUSHER 8338 0 2 0 MARAUDER'S FIVE 1443 VRANCELLE 8283 218 STRIKER 8339 0 1 0 MARAUDER'S FIVE 1443 CAMULUS 8358 217 BERT HARGE 8329 0 1 0 MIDDLE WAY 15 1427 ANGUS 8280 214 REVENGED CULLY IRVEL 8342 0 2 0 MIDDLE WAY 15 1427 ARVIN LARN 8289 216 ORION 8186 2 4 0 TEAM CHAOS 1416 SOLEMN GOLEM 8278 215 JUST REV PERSONAL ADS Drake's Comments on Last Turn's Articles: 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: 'REALITY SIMULATIONS E-MAIL ADDRESSES' by RSI -- Hmm. I wonder what they're trying to say. 'A NOTE ON MAILMEN' by Staple Gun -- Now there's a manager name I haven't heard in a long time. Remember, be nice to your local postal representative. Especially if you run a lot of scum. "Strikers R Us" by Talon -- Not a bad article on Striker design. Way more Deftness than is really needed, but that was the rule back when this article would have been written. Really, you don't need more than 11 and I place a much higher premium on Wit & Strength with Strikers. The strategy is pretty standard, but you can see the influences of that old myth about getting a bonus from matching your OE and KD. Trust me, doing that has no appreciable effect on your warrior's performance. 'HOW I MADE DUELMASTER IN THREE EASY STEPS' by Khyron -- Hey, look, it's a Dixie Cup (disposable) Aimed Blow. Don't try this set up if you're wanting to be competitive in ADM. Wit is how your warrior learns skills and thus I won't put less than a 13 on any long-term warrior. Will is nice and needed for the way this guy runs Aimers but in general you don't need more than 9 for Basic and 15 for ADM. A 19 Deftness gets you nothing that a 17 doesn't give you. I would say Khyron got lucky with this guy as any decent offensive that doesn't drop from exhaustion in the first 2 minutes should be able to eat this design alive. Finally, the trick with the DM bloodfeuding and losing is *highly* unlikely to work in most arenas. 'THE WALL OF STEEL AS A BERSERKER' by She-Puppy -- I strongly recommend *against* a Deftness below 11 (okay, you can do 9 but you'd best have a high Wit [17+] on that guy). This is because most waste weapons require at least an 11 DFT (though the BS does only need a 7) and 11 is a *major* skill breakpoint. Also, I like more SPD on my wastes in order to bring up their base Riposte as they won't be learning any Rip skills for quite a while. The given strat is a bit odd for a waste. Most wastes seem to prefer more moderate numbers in OE and lower numbers in AL. Also, you can see another mention of that old OE = KD gives a bonus myth. I also don't recommend switching around attack locations like that. You'll finish off a foe quicker if you're consistently damaging one area. 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. If you don't have internet access, contact me with a mailing address and I'll see about putting together a small 'D2 Care Package' with some of the more commonly used charts. -- Drake (who can be reached by diploing Drake's Bar-B-Q in arena 101, emailing dm_drake@sbcglobal.net or you can find me on the Duel2 website posting under the name Drake; who'da guessed) Angus -- You're a bully and a Troll. Not sure which I despise more. I'll be to see you very soon. -- Nathen Van Hesser Belissa Hough -- You're our favorite. -- Men of Qyar Jon, Lionheart and Rick -- You'll not likely get another shot at Seraphina but we can help you with Myra. Let us know. -- Men of Qyar Jorja -- The Men of Qyar were detained and managed to miss turn 215 (I'm afraid Ehmis can get rather longwinded after a few ales), but hopefully they have fought well in turn 216. Would you please give them some personal advice. They are new to your world and thus inexperienced in your fighting styles. Yours truly. -- Morpheus, The Great White Wizard Drake -- Thank you for the package of charts. It was very helpful. Thanks again. -- Silky, mgr. Misfit Crew DM-93, Ladies of Dread DM-47 Solemn Golem -- I hate it when people do stuff right. I want you to make mistakes and LOSE, dammit. -- Dortha Janetto P.S. The only comment I might make is that given our respective styles, we could and perhaps should have had some clashes before the announcer reported definite blows. You might want to consider (don't change it right now, because it ain't broke) running harder some time, just to see what happens. Ah, the Userous Merchant. Gotta love those standbys. Rotten fighters, mostly, and, what a surprise, rotten teachers, too. -- Edgiles Kapp Another standby! I laughed at the Cult Member. He looked silly standing there after I disarmed him, and if the arenamaster hadn't stepped in, I'd've ripped the OTHER arm off, too. I wanted a matched set. -- Belissa Hough Topo Gigio -- Nothing like a gross mismatch to increase the chaos on the sands, eh? If you want to avoid, or reduce the chances of, that happening in the future, issue challenges. Challenges and avoids are important management tools. -- Chucker Istta P.S. Train that stat. Or switch to a shortspear, which is quite a decent sort of weapon for your style. Septu -- Your name sounds like something the Infirmary should be fighting. -- Dolby Jossel P.S. You have been, in case you wondered, the victim of what is called "a classic style match." At the lower levels of the game, your style generally has problems with my style. Not always, there is NO "always," but generally. Bazthrax -- Why should I be a striker? -- Dortha Janetto P.S. It's generally considered "bad arena manners" to reveal someone else's warrior's style in the personals. Just thought I'd mention it, or how would you learn? Because knowing the style of your opponent is valuable when it comes to picking your fights. P.P.S. Just mark 1427 in one of the "avoid" blanks. No need to mark it in both, as this does NOT double the effectiveness. It isn't a one hundred percent guarantee that we won't match up again, but it helps. Maorakith -- Jobs are hard to get on Noblish Island. And so are concubines, who can afford 'em here? So I have to dress funny, I can live with that for a paycheck every two weeks. -- Haplaine Sarle, "Venomous Concubine" P.S. And I do NOT want to hear any jokes about those with elven blood being "girly." So we're slim, graceful, and good looking, eat your hearts out. Sinster Minster -- Nice try. -- Bazthrax Shimtaint -- You're weird. -- Sarjski Stratus -- You don't want to get me desperate! -- Vrancelle Rhapsody Rhyme -- Don't I hit hard? -- Obbo Veteran Mercenary -- You and your cronies don't teach! -- Maorakith It's their revenge, since they aren't allowed to learn. Marionette Pets -- Why are you avoiding us? We don't even know who you are. -- Ikaun Don't trust what the spy report says about avoids. I once had a team in a now- closed arena that was repeatedly avoided, according to the spy report, but the Dark Arena! Jorja -- Drake clued me in on your mentorship here at the arena. I look forward to your advice, and competition. -- Orellon Silvercloak, mgr. Indigo Cipher Sarjski -- Perhaps I over-stepped bounds with my challenge to you?! I underestimated your abilities and sacrificed a warrior with a three wit. Before you and the rest of Hellsworn depart to another arena in a couple turns, diplo me so I can have some more experience next fight. -- Orellon Silvercloak, mgr. Indigo Cipher The loss of a three-wit warrior is not a "sacrifice." All -- Hmph! And just when you thought I was unpopular I showed you gents that the Lady of Destruction can party with the rest. Next please?! Kisses. -- Maleeva Dortha -- Mmmm...I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave. You locals are smokin'. (whistles -n- catcalls) -- Solemn Bazthrax -- Good (gasp) fight (gasp) hmmm, nine minutes! (wicked grin) See you around. Just not in this town. -- Sinister Minister Obbo -- And then I woke up and my intestines were sloopin' out, an the nurse was going' through my gear. What kind of infirmary is this? -- Rhapsody The alternative is being nailed back together in the back room over at the carpenter's shop. Although I hear he also uses a glue made from boiled down sheep hooves. Grimjaw -- The irony of the gods is a cruel thing...and just as I was becoming frantic. Train that stat. -- Mauler 4 September 2006 Civil War/The Crusades The next edition of the Civil War series is to be held in Tobir, arena 14, beginning November 25th with a round where all participating managers must DA all 5 of their warriors; in addition all warriors must be prefixed with an A an F or a D in the following manner: A-Broke Stroker or (A) Broke Stroker. Names simply beginning with the letter of your federation will NOT count as properly prefixed! Existing teams are welcome but no warrior who survives the DA who had prior Fight Experience (arena or tourney) will be allowed to score or challenge into the contest teams. There will be an equal number of teams set up for each of the three factions (Andorian, Free Blades, and Delarquan) to create sides as equal as possible. This along with the DA round should set up pretty equal footing for all managers. After the DA there will be another round where you can either DA again or fight your new, or surviving, warriors so they will be set up to challenge an opponent beginning on round 1. So as a recap DA round, turn 0, then turn 1 it begins with the following rules: The Civil War to be held in arena 14. - The contest runs for 10-28 turns (barring ties). - No tourney participation allowed. Teams with warriors participating in any tournament are disqualified. - An even number of teams per faction worked out by the Faction Leaders. No later substitutions are allowed. - If a manager brings in a second team and challenges into the contest he is DQ'd and his side will fight one team short! - Three factions will be participating: Andorian, Delarquan, Free Blades - Everyone prefixes their warrior with A-, F-, or D- (No prefix = disqualification of the warrior) - Turn DA: (The DA Round) November 25, 2006. Every warrior must DA. (Warriors not DA'd on Turn 0 are disqualified) - Turn 0: December 9th, 2006. There will be no scoring this turn it is meant to allow for challenges on turn 1. - Turn 1+: Scoring as detailed below - Each team gets 1 point for defeating a warrior from an opposing team. - Fights against warriors on your team do not generate points in any situation. - The team with the most points each turn gets a Battle Point (if there is a tie for the most points then no Battle Points are accrued) - The first team to 10 Battle Points wins the war - Managers of teams on the winning side each receive a +1 bonus potion to be used on a warrior on their contest team. This must be applied within a month of the conclusion of the contest and the team must have been active on the last turn of the contest. Anyone wishing to participate, and feels they can probably stick around for the duration (don't want to handicap a side, of course unforeseeable events cannot be planned for), should either diplo me at THE DEATH SQUAD(63) in Tobir (arena 14) or place a personal ad in the arena. You may also contact me via the Duel2.com boards! Let me know which faction you would like to fight for! This contest is intended to be open to ALL managers wishing to pit themselves against each other to try and determine which faction has the best managers! -- Street Legal 14 September 2006 I am back in the arena and thinking back to those days in 1984 where I was a novice and clueless manager. Now, 22 years later it looks like I am an ancient and once again clueless manager. I am looking to recover some old warriors. Since none of them are Aimed Blows, they are no threat to win anything. I just want to see how they turned out. The Couatl 2-17 Madam Butterfly 20-701 Gypsy Moth 20-703 King Crab 21-1 Priestess Python 26-1388 Please contact me at DekeYoung@Comcast.net if you know about any of these ancient warriors, or just want to bs about the old, old, old times. 25 September 2006 It is obvious that the Dark Knights wish to be shown the light. Allow me to step forward and blind them with truth. YOU ARE WORTHLESS!!! The Dark Knights are so afraid of the light that they hide behind their black armor and empty threats. It is too bad they are unwilling to actually FIGHT us! I guess our natural light is too bright for you all to face! Fear us, for we are here! -- Gemini Goldphoenix, Overlord of the Avengers of Light! LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS OCTIS was butchered by HIGH ELF in a 1 minute Dark Arena fight. OGLA was butchered by MASTER SEN GANAMIR in a 1 minute Dark Arena duel. SHIMTAINT was murdered by SPYMASTER in a 1 minute Dark Arena melee. AURORA demolished SOLEMN GOLEM in a 1 minute uneven Bloodfeud fight. ANGUS devastated EDGILES KAPP in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge contest. SINSTER MINSTER luckily beat SARJSKI in a 2 minute bloody Challenge match. STRATUS was unbelievably bested by XIAN THE BLACK in a 7 minute gory Challenge duel. OBERON slimly won victory over FLAVIUS VALERIUS in a 3 minute Challenge match. COG TWOTHUDS was outlasted by LOATHING MAULER in a 11 minute Challenge melee. YOUSEFF lost to OBBO in a 1 minute novice's Challenge duel. GRIMJAW lost to TOBIUS in a 6 minute novice's Challenge duel. ROLNANDO was defeated by ARVIN LARN in a 2 minute beginner's Challenge match. AURELIUS GAIUS beat JON in a 1 minute novice's Challenge fight. MAORAKITH was subdued by VETERAN MERCENARY in a 2 minute Title competition. BELISSA HOUGH was overcome by DANGEROUS CRIMINAL in a 1 minute contest. BAZTHRAX luckily beat DORTHA JANETTO in a crowd pleasing 4 minute gory match. CHUCKER ISTTA unbelievably bested MENTU in a 2 minute conflict. VRANCELLE assassinated BONE CRUSHER in a 1 minute one-sided duel. RICK was viciously subdued by TOPO GIGIO in a exciting 3 minute beginner's duel. LIONHEART was unbelievably bested by DOLBY JOSSEL in a 7 minute brutal novice's brawl. RHAPSODY RHYME savagely defeated SNAKE in a 2 minute brutal novice's bout. PIER defeated SEPTU in a 6 minute amateur's conflict. SHANK was bested by AGASAYA in a 2 minute novice's bout. STEEL viciously subdued MALEEVA in a dull 8 minute gruesome novice's match. GULLET handily defeated CAMULUS in a 1 minute one-sided contest. SENIOR BOB was subdued by VENGENCE SWORN in a 3 minute gruesome novice's fight. MORRIGAN overpowered PERSISTANT BEGGAR in a 1 minute uneven fight. BATTLE REPORT MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS |FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT| |LUNGING ATTACK 10 SLASHING ATTACK 25 - 12 - 4 68 | |BASHING ATTACK 9 TOTAL PARRY 24 - 18 - 2 57 | |TOTAL PARRY 7 BASHING ATTACK 31 - 26 - 3 54 | |STRIKING ATTACK 5 LUNGING ATTACK 26 - 23 - 2 53 | |SLASHING ATTACK 5 STRIKING ATTACK 20 - 21 - 1 49 | |PARRY-RIPOSTE 5 PARRY-STRIKE 9 - 11 - 0 45 | |PARRY-STRIKE 3 AIMED BLOW 11 - 17 - 0 39 | |AIMED BLOW 2 PARRY-LUNGE 4 - 8 - 0 33 | |PARRY-LUNGE 2 PARRY-RIPOSTE 8 - 18 - 0 31 | |WALL OF STEEL 0 WALL OF STEEL 3 - 10 - 1 23 | Turn 218 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: TOTAL PARRY 6 - 1 BASHING ATTACK 4 - 5 4 BASHING ATTACK PARRY-STRIKE 2 - 1 SLASHING ATTACK 2 - 3 2 SLASHING ATTACK STRIKING ATTACK 3 - 2 LUNGING ATTACK 3 - 7 2 STRIKING ATTACK AIMED BLOW 1 - 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 5 1 LUNGING ATTACK PARRY-LUNGE 1 - 1 WALL OF STEEL 0 - 0 1 TOTAL PARRY 1 PARRY-STRIKE TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME LUNGING ATTACK MAORAKITH 8214 7 2 1 75 HELLSWORN (1421) BASHING ATTACK ANGUS 8280 4 1 2 52 MISFIT CREW (1417) SLASHING ATTACK AURORA 8189 6 3 0 45 TEAM CHAOS (1416) TOTAL PARRY BAZTHRAX 8281 6 1 0 45 HELLSWORN (1421) STRIKING ATTACK BELISSA HOUGH 8241 5 4 0 38 MIDDLE WAY 15 (1427) Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above. The overall popularity leader is BELISSA HOUGH 8241. The most popular warrior this turn was DORTHA JANETTO 8243. The ten other most popular fighters were TOPO GIGIO 8360, STRATUS 8185, MENTU 8354, OBERON 8349, GRIMJAW 8343, RHAPSODY RHYME 8275, SNAKE 8340, SEPTU 8356, VENGENCE SWORN 8361, and AURORA 8189. The least popular fighter this week was COG TWOTHUDS 8351. The other ten least popular fighters were MALEEVA 8352, TOBIUS 8209, STEEL 8341, PIER 8326, DOLBY JOSSEL 8368, LOATHING MAULER 8279, CAMULUS 8358, SHANK 8337, RICK 8284, and BONE CRUSHER 8338. The Defensive Lunger Perfect Minimums Actual Characters ST 13 11 11 13 CN 7 3 3 11 SZ 4 4 10 6 WT 21 17 17 17 WL 17 13 17 19 SP 5 5 9 5 DF 17 13 17 13 The lunger, in my opinion, makes a much better defensive fighter than offensive fighter. Fighting defensively will compensate for the speed at which lungers burn endurance. They will still attack whenever possible but their defensive ability will allow them to dodge most attacks. The most important part is their initiative. When they do dodge, they'll usually steal the initiative and attack. I haven't been fighting lungers defensively for long but my record is 14-5-0. Don't fight defensively against other lungers as they will usually win. The strategy I use is: Min 1 2 3 4 5 6 Desp Off 4 -------------------------> 9 Weapon: Any lunging Act 6 4 --------------------> 9 No armor if low con KD 4 -------------------------> 9 APL/H if average con O.T. ---------------------------> L D.T. --------------------------------> You can attack any location you wish but I suggest protecting the body. The third character listed started with experts in attack, defense and initiative. The last character had an expert in attack. The Wild Boar, manager of Things (5) and many inactive teams. Top 10 Things to Do to Have a Better FTF! 10. Have at least one meal that doesn't involve either McDonalds or Domino's Pizza. Bonus points if that meal includes the use of utensils. (Double bonus points if you already knew how to use utensils) 9. Recycle all those cover sheets and unwanted roll-ups into ammunition for the next great paper ball fight! (And don't assume that because you don't have any ammo, you're not in the game. When these things break out, ANYONE is a potential target! Don't assume that I'm going to throw AROUND you to get to my target, if you're sitting there in the middle of things trying to read your fights as the paper balls fly in all direction, you're not only likely to get hit by a misfired projectile, but I will be aiming for you!) 8. Showering at least once a day is not an option. REPEAT: Showering at least once a day, is NOT AN OPTION!!! 7. Much like a watched pot never boils, asking if your overviews or reprints are there yet every three minutes will only make the person sitting behind the desk irritable (or even more so than usual). They'll be there when they get there. 6. Yes, the printer will break down, the hard drive will crash, and RSI will undergo some sort of catastrophe. This is normal. Be prepared for long delays. Some people like to play Magic while waiting, some of us prefer heavy drinking. 5. For you first timers, it is customary to do a triumphant little war dance each and every time you win a fight, complete with whoop-whoops. That's what the raised platform is for, so the rest of us can see you. If you don't do the dance, RSI will take away your TVs and you will forever get 3 WT roll-ups. Would I lie to you? 4. Converse with your fellow managers. Take the time to chat, and introduce yourself to at least one complete stranger. "Have you seen this warrior?" is not a good way to introduce yourself. "Hi, my name is _______ and I run _______; nice to meet you!" is a much better way to introduce yourself. 3. When the run off fights are being read, I want to hear a lot of noise! Cheer every time a brilliant parry is made, shudder at the impact of a horrific blow, laugh derisively when a warrior falls down. Cheer those who read a good fight, and heckle those who can't. Get crazy. MAKE SOME NOISE GOLDURNIT!!! 2. Conversely, if you insist on reading your fights out loud and you don't have an audience, go back to your room until the urge passes. 1. Buy your good ol' buddy Forge a beer! As always, your own tips and comments are appreciated. *LOL!* Hope to see you all there! -- Forge WARRIOR ENDURANCE Greetings, joy and happiness to everyone! I hope you have had pleasant dueling. This article is about endurance and some things to think about when you're designing your warriors. Below is a chart showing the different endurance levels a warrior may have. This chart may be a little off of due to the fact it isn't possible to have all the variables as a manager, but it does give you idea of the amount of endurance a warrior should have. The formula for endurance is: E = (ST+CN)WL With the result of that number use the chart below. 000-180 = Very Poor 181-240 = Poor 235-390 = Normal 391-509 = Good 510-639 = Great 640-699 = Tremendous 770+ = Awesome Here are some examples of warriors with their Endurance ratings: 1) Slasher ST 5 CN 7 WL 15 (5+7)15 = 180 Poor 2) Striker ST 7 CN 13 WL 9 (7+13)9 = 180 Poor 3) Parry-Rip ST 7 CN 10 WL 11 (7+10)11 = 187 Poor 4) Basher ST 13 CN 9 WL 9 (13+9)9 = 198 Very Poor 5) Striker ST 13 CN 9 WL 9 (13+9)9 = 198 Poor 6) Aimed-Blow ST 9 CN 15 WL 9 (9+15)9 = 216 Normal 7) Striker ST 10 CN 5 WL 15 (10+5)15 = 225 Normal 8) Slasher ST 13 CN 10 WL 10 (13+10)10 = 230 Normal 9) Wall/Steel ST 13 CN 12 WL 17 (13+12)17 = 425 Great There are several factors such as warrior style, RSI random factor, and there is some evidence that SIZE has some effect on a warrior's endurance. In any case the RSI LUCK factor can be around 7 to 8% in your favor or 2-3% worse than average. These are just estimates, but are still factors nevertheless. Some styles that are HIGH BURN endurance, like lungers, slashers and walls of steel, are more likely to be UNLUCKY with the endurance rating. Every action your warrior does consumes endurance. Attacking seems to use more endurance than any other action. Once a warrior's endurance is used up, he will make an endurance check against his WILL. If he fails the roll, he will either stop to rest or collapse to the sand, depending on how badly he failed the roll. When a warrior stops to rest, he gets back some endurance. When he gets enough endurance back, he will start attacking again. This is just a theory that I have developed from observations. It maybe completely off, but it gives one something to ponder. That's it for now lords and ladies, I must go entertain elsewhere. If you would like to chat about DM or other things, you can EMAIL me at 103260.3347@compuserve.com or visit my DM website at http://ourworld.compuserve.com./homepages/jessisjest/homepage.htm You can also diplo me at DM 11 "The Lords Of the Abyss (319)" or any of the Joker's Wilds scattered about. Cheerio, Sir Jessie Jest Member of the Ivory League Presenting, by Popular Demand (from 1989)... THE NUMEROLOGY OF DUELMASTERS by The Ghost of Eldrid Character Generation Hello, I am the Ghost of Eldrid, and I have an important message that directly effects how well your team may do in the future. Some managers will not take this important article seriously (some people don't believe in ghosts, either), and their records will suffer for it. I have played Duelmasters for four years and searched through all of my old turns and painstakingly researched every important fact in this article, and I have discussed my conclusions with about ten different managers (named managers such as Phido, Doctor LeGrand, Silk, Russ, and Biff Frothingslosh) who all agree on the validity of my arguments. The results of my research are both startling and magnificent. THERE IS NUMEROLOGY IN DUELMASTERS!!! Whether it was programmed in or it exists on a higher plane, it matters not. IT EXISTS!!! And I plan to share some of its amazing secrets with you, starting with character creation. Remember in the realm of character generation the powers favor odd number stats. NEVER, EVER have an even number on stats, except, of course, for size, which, obviously should be even since everyone can tell what size your character is by his description in the fight. Do you want people thinking your warrior is odd? I should hope not!! But in case you decide to keep your odd warrior, DO NOT MAKE ANY OTHER STATS EVEN!! Write a letter to the commission stating that you forgo the rights to the last point and you want it to be sacrificed to the benefit of Alastari. Always start adding points to wit and will first. Either make them 13, 17, or 21. Why? Under 12 wit is worthless, as any good manager will tell you. A 13 understandably gives your opponent bad luck, a 17 has the ever-lucky "7" in it, and 21 is BLACKJACK, and you get twice the number of winnings you would normally get. Why not 15 or 19? Is it not obvious to everyone that 15 is unlucky? The only President of the United States not married was the 15th, James Buchanan (who?). Lincoln was shot on April 15th, and the clincher... my brother was born on the 15th of May. If these "coincidences" don't prove to you that 15 is unlucky, I don't know what will. 19 is an evil number. It tries to deceive you into thinking it is better than 17, but actually, it is an "11" with a small zero placed on the second pole, and we all know that a zero is nothing. So what do we get for our extra eight points? In effect, something smaller than nothing. Next, make every other stat odd. Add the other points to make the style you want. Deftness is the key to character generation. Deftness (min) 5 to make a basher (ST 13+) 7 for a lunger 9 for a striker 11 for a wall of steel (ST 11+, WL 17+) 13 for a parry lunge (ST 11+), slasher (SP 11+), parry-strike, and total parries (these styles depend on the opponent's bad luck. 17 for a parry-riposte (WT 17+) 21 for an aimed blow (this style needs the double winnings) The last thing to remember is that luck is a big factor in this game and I don't know if you noticed, but when warriors have even ID numbers they are luckier than odd ID characters. Look at the best warriors in Primus: Wallbanger, Donatello, Epitaph, Chaos Knight, Villiage Idiot, Silverflash, Khorga Khan, Jake the Snake, Sly, Max, Stormbringer, Teetotaler, Raphael, Selleque, Kiri, Constance, Hangover, Eve, and Sam Spade. All have even-numbered IDs. Now you say, "But Yoda and Necron-99 both have odd IDs, and they are the best aimed blows of the game!" Yes, but they are AIMED BLOWS and they are members of an odd style, so of course they do better with odd numbers. So remember if you want your warriors to be best in all Alastari someday, Dark Arena all your odd-numbered characters, unless of course they are aimed blows. Good luck, and may the numbers fall your way. -- The Ghost of Eldrid, retired PARRY-STRIKE, ANOTHER FUN STYLE There have been several articles about fighting styles, some say theirs is the best, or ultimate, one said theirs is the most fun style. Well, I feel that parry- strikers are just as much fun to play as any other style. First, let's start with the run down of what they say in the "RED BOOK". The book says that parry-strikers are defensive, using small quick movements in their actions (sounds like you could say that about some other styles as well.) The book says that some managers swear that a high wit is critical to the style (only those who have no brains would disagree with that.) Let's get to business. First and foremost this style is deceptively aggressive, making them a very good offensive type of fighter, or deadly type of defensive fighter. Offensively they tend to get the jump on their opponent. I had a parry- striker that was only jumped 3 out of 11 fights, before he died. To prepare and run a parry-striker can be quite confusing, so I will try to help make it as simple as possible. Here are my feelings on roll-ups for the parry-strike style: ST: 11-15, I'll explain later. CN: who cares. SZ: 10-14, don't go over 14. WT: 13-17, 17 is the best. WL: 13-17, to get good endurance. SP: not important. DF: 11-15, I'll explain later. Here are some good roll-ups for a parry-striker: 11,7,10,17,17,7,15; 15,7,11,17,16,7,11; 11,7,14,17,13,7,15; 15,7,14,17,13,7,11. Now, if you have a decent wit, the way you run this fighting style will depend on strength and deftness. For example: if your fighter has a high DF and a low ST it would be to his/her advantage to be defensive, since the speed would benefit the ability to move in reaction to their opponent. If the ST is high, and DF low, it would be better to fight offensively like a striker, trying to get the first, and only blow in. If they don't have a decent wit, you're on your own. I can't help you on that. Remember this style of fighting is the same as a striker except for added knowledge of parrying, as well as bein a little more aggressive. I would not suggest a low ST and DF, it will take away from your WT & WL, and you don't want to do that, but if you do, good luck. You don't need much CN if you have a good WL, which gives you your endurance. SZ; you don't want it to be above 14, it would hurt your fighting style more than your attributes. WT; it is the same as it is with strikers, the higher the WT the faster and deadlier they become. Raise WT to 17 if you don't have it at the start, then don't worry about it again until ADM. WL; this is where you get your endurance. 13 is fine to start out, but I would suggest 15, then bump it up to 17 in basic. SP; it is what you need to riposte, but PSers have this "one strike one kill" attitude. Meaning that there isn't much time to riposte with a killing attitude, so do whatever. DF; what is there to say, it helps, but is not crucial to be a great PSer. Now to running a PSer. If he is an offensive fighter 10-10-10 Dec. all the way through the fight, even in desperation. If Defensive, 1st 10-10-10 Resp., 2nd 10-7-10 Dec., 3rd 10-10-10, 4th 10-10-10 Dec., 5th 10-10-10 Dec., 6th 10-10-10, Desp. 10-10-10 Resp. Remember, first you want to assure your defense, and to do that, you should go defensive the first minute. By the second minute you will be secure enough to go on the offensive, but experiment. 6th minute on, leave blank, for by that time he/she will know what to do (if their WT is high that is.) The best thing you could do for your fighter is watch the fights, if you are getting more defensive skills than offensive, run the def., or change weapons. That is the best advice I can give you about PSers. About armor, I like to use ringmail or nothing, but experiment. I know that there is someone that will disagree with me, but I feel that I have given you some ideas about this fighting style that can be used, even though I am a new manager, playing for just over a year. No matter who writes a style article, it is just advice, not the bible. Just use the articles as a point of reference, not as sworn law. This is a very fun fighting style, try it out. I have written this in answer to Foreign Legion Arena 31, and The Spartans Arena 8. I challenge any Primus Manager to correct my writing of PSers. It is not my favorite style, but it is as fun as any other that I have used, including my favorite one (Which is a STRIKER!!) If there are any comments, please Diplo The Priest, the manager of The Heroes of XIAN DM-10, or The Crucifiers DM-46. 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE TOURNEY... 'Twas the night before Tourney, And all through the place Many managers were drinking, Getting smashed at the Face; The staff were all busy, The computers were humming, Rollups were bought, for the deadline was coming; Soon managers were nestled, all smug at their tables, With visions of TC's coming from their stables; And NAIMT doing massages, while A-Sop caused trouble, An hour before deadline, the workload just doubled, When by the computers, there arose such a clatter, All eyes turned to them, to see what was the matter. Sue glaring at the screen, Lee's fingers just flew, Oh, the computer was down, so what else was new? The lights in the room were too bright, someone said, Nah, it's just the reflection from off Hoffa's head, Then, what to our wondering eyes should appear, But Soultaker and Sentinel, once again here this year, Yes, we heard "No more Faces!", We hear this each time, But we know it's a farce, like this parody's rhyme. More rollups are bought, more warriors are made, Names are thought up, and carefully weighed; "How 'bout FREE WILLY? Or RODMAN? Or PUSSY? Or KNOCKERS? Or SHEIK T'WEEZEL? Or BALLSY? Or TAKE OFF THEM DOCKERS!? Not a chance say the censors! Nice try, bub, but no! Now it's HAPPY, and BARNEY, and WE LOVE YOU SO! The managers groan, but undaunted keep trying, The censors all laugh, and just are not buying, The RUGS altars are burning, offerings are gifted, With hopes that the rollup curses soon will be lifted. And then, in a twinkling, we hear down the hall, A Lunat!k roar and Fusion chased with a maul. You see, he'd heard about Fusion's campaign for the Prez, Now it's "Off with his Head!", so Lunat!k says. At the Dark Circle table, 6'7" down in height, With their arrogant statures, their great show of might. Yet amidst all the notebooks, are nerf toys and giraffe, Such silliness there, NAIMT can't help but laugh. At Aradi's table -- how they giggle, at the cartoons and stories Of the FONZ done by Nuln, in his infinite glories! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a ring, And Barb drew his beard as straggly as string; The new guys at Duelmasters, some call them a rookie, Making names for themselves like Jessie and Bookie; The regulars are here, The Boss, PUG, and TUM Carapace, Sensei, and lots more to come Doc Steele and his legends, even now in the making, If there weren't many witnesses, I'd think he was faking. The paperball fight, and the chaos ensues, Clean it up, says Lee, or your heads you will lose! The independents and alliances, speaking more than a word, NAIMT's resounding giggles can also be heard; But the hour before deadline is soon at a close, And giving a nod, on a chair Sandy rose; Okay guys, she says, no more inputs to be made, And away goes some managers for a Bourbon Street raid. But ere I end this bad poem, I just want to say, "GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD DAY!" ****Hey, what do you expect for a quickie?... <grin> THE ARMOR PIERCING PARRY-LUNGE When you think "attack" what style comes to mind? Bashing? Definitely lunging? Of course. Parry-Lunging? Excuse me? Yes, the parry-lunger! Few people realize the fact that parry-lungers are attack gods waiting to be born. All it takes is the right warrior and lots of guts. This warrior is not for the weak of heart. We'll begin with stats. Range Perfect ST 9-11 11 CN 5-9 5 SZ 6-11 8 WT 17or21 21 WL 17or21 17 SP 5-8 5 DF 15-17 17 Why? ST(11): This is your optimum PL strength. It puts your warrior in the normal to good damage range. Also, you have the best PL weapon at your disposal--the LO! CN(5): Yes, his life expectancy is low. What'd I tell you? Guts, right? He gets his endurance from WL. If you want to make trains, make them here. SZ(8): Our most flexible stat. A high SZ (i.e.11) allows you to skimp a bit on Str (9). WT(21): If it's not a 21 you're not going to get the attack this fellow counts on. His learns will be awesome and a 21 WT will make him a better warrior out of the chocks. WL(17): End/Att are dependent on this one being high. Keeps you on your feet when you should drop from exhaustion. SP(5): Not a big requirement. Init and Parry will come from elsewhere (WT/DF). This is not a lunger mimic. DF(17): Combine this DF with a 21 WT and you will have a massive attack. Pinpoint accuracy is the byword. Parry, init, def and riposte will all benefit immeasurably. At 15 you have access to the EP, a fine lunging weapon this style can put to devastating use. Strategy (General, but effective in most cases) 2 9 9 7 6 5 10 6 9 9 7 6 5 10 2 7 7 7 5 5 10 HE ----------------------------> HE BD -----------------------> - - - - - - - P - - - - - - Minute 1: This fellow won't get the jump on offensives, so we'll just go defensive and render their "mad minute" fruitless. This PL's counterattack will be amazing at even 2-6-2 P due to the high AL. Keep the parry tactic until Adv Expert parry is gained. Minutes 2 and 3: These two will end most of his fights. When he starts landing precision blows in his opponent's face it will usually be over quickly. Keep the kill desire relatively low as to avoid sloppy attacking. Minutes 4 through 6: If you haven't won by now you've got to depend on your WL to carry you until you finish the job. He'll probably top out at the five min. mark. But we want to keep the attacks coming so we do so at his endurance's expense. Desp: If your opponent is an offensive he's probably blasted through your min. 1 defense. Your best bet is to go spastic and hope to take him out in one shot or so. If he's some super-defensive (scum) this PL is probably exhausted and you're hoping the super-offense will put him over the edge. After all, it's better to burn out than fade away. Always aim for the head to maximize the impact of your blows. If it tickles your fancy, aim for your opponent's weapon arm and beat him senseless when he's unarmed. Protecting the head in min. 1 is strictly odds playing on my part. My offensives aim head so I assume everyone else's do too. After min. 1, we forget defense. Weapons and armor are simple. APL/H or ARM/H (if you're challenging a real heavy-hitter). I prefer swords for armament. My combos are usually LO/SM, LO/SH, SC/DA etc. Against heavy armor go with LO/SH. Always aim for the head. Philosophy: This guy clings to life by luck, early on, and will never be free of the spectre of death. In his first few fights stay away from lungers and bashers. Both have high attacks and usually do substantial damage. Prey on strikers, PS, PR and slashers. As he progresses, his attack, parry and defense will equip him with the tools to handle most everybody but always remain cautious of those bashers and lungers. A PL of this calibre should begin with around a 90 att, 70 par/init and 60-70 def. Decise and riposte will be slightly lower. Riposte 50 and decise anywhere from 35-50 depending on how lucky you get. Train skills exclusively from fight one and on. Use tourneys if you must raise anything at all (including con). Don't be discouraged if he's around .500 early on. By ten fights he'll be sporting three Adv Experts at least (att, par and init) and will begin to dismantle those scum/finesse styles that managed to beat him. Feel free to write or diplo me with comments/criticisms/or questions. Fight the Good Fight, or: Agath CPL Michael Dockus Lunatic Fringe (23) H Co BLT 2/8 Circle of Five (51) 24 MEU (Det F) Slaves of Power (52) FPO NY NY 09502-8531