DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER Date : 07/07/2007 Duedate: 07/20/2007 NOBLISH ISLAND ARENA DM-93 TURN-238 This Weeks Top Honors THE DUELMASTER IS CHAENY GROVE MIDDLE WAY 17 (1464) (93-8471) [7-2-0,96] Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader POSITION IS EMPTY CHAENY GROVE MIDDLE WAY 17 (1464) (93-8471) [7-2-0,96] Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite CHAENY GROVE CHAENY GROVE MIDDLE WAY 17 (1464) MIDDLE WAY 17 (1464) (93-8471) [7-2-0,96] (93-8471) [7-2-0,96] THE CURRENT TOP TEAM MIDDLE WAY 17 (1464) TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team 1. MIDDLE WAY 17 (1464) 56 2. CRUCIBLE (1480) 46 S.O.N. (28) 3. ABYSSAL PLAINS (1462) 27 Unchartered Team 4. NO QUARTER (1463) 14 5. BLOOD KNIGHTS (1461) 2 CRUCIBLE (1480) The Top Teams Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K 1/ 0*CRUCIBLE (1480) 4 1 1 80.0 1/ 1*MIDDLE WAY 17 (1464) 12 1 0 2/ 1*MIDDLE WAY 17 (1464) 30 13 1 69.8 2/ 3*NO QUARTER (1463) 8 7 1 3- 3*COUNTRY LOVE (382) 3 2 0 60.0 3/ 2*BLOOD KNIGHTS (1461) 7 8 2 4/ 2*BLOOD KNIGHTS (1461) 23 17 2 57.5 4/ 4*ABYSSAL PLAINS (1462) 5 10 1 5/ 4*NO QUARTER (1463) 20 25 1 44.4 5/ 5*ECLIPSE (1476) 5 10 0 6/ 6*ABYSSAL PLAINS (1462) 17 26 3 39.5 6/ 0*CRUCIBLE (1480) 4 1 1 7/ 5*ECLIPSE (1476) 5 10 0 33.3 7- 6*COUNTRY LOVE (382) 2 0 0 8/ 8*THE WOLVES (1467) 1 5 0 16.7 8- 8*MITHRIL CROWN (1471) 1 8 0 9- 9*MITHRIL CROWN (1471) 1 9 0 10.0 9/ 7*THE WOLVES (1467) 0 3 0 '*' Unchartered team '-' Team did not fight this turn (###) Avoid teams by their Team Id ##/## This turn's/Last turn's rank TEAM SPOTLIGHT * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * The Squire Trolls, trolls, the swamp does hold They loom 'bout ten feet tall Their eyes are deep yellow, and their skin mottled green But their teeth are the scariest of all. They stalk through the mire and bay at the moon Their howls give all quite a scare They are able to bound through the thickest of bush Although they run around bare. They brandish clubs that are uprooted trees Their strength is that of ten men They terrorize the towns, you see But no, that is not the end. Some knights held a meeting, they all did agree To take action the next day was best So I gathered the horses and polished the armor Then crawled into bed for some rest. The next day the knights geared up for a fight And a fight they soon would well get They were off on their horses, away toward the bog The townsfolk they wagered and bet. That very same day the knights did return Bashed and battered and bruised They told of a battle hard fought and well won Great bets did some townsfolk then lose. -- Fox, Mgr. Eclipse * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * Rhythm and Blues A Few Thoughts on Rhythm Every warrior has a favorite rhythm--a favored number for Offensive Effort and Activity Level. (Note, to the best of my knowledge and belief, there is NO favored Kill Desire.) This rhythm is set when the warrior is created, and it is revealed to the manager when the warrior graduates. I have never been entirely clear as to what, exactly, using the favored rhythm does for the warrior, but there is a general agreement that it does something, usually something good. Paces him, perhaps, to get the most fight for the least endurance burn? Paces him so that he can make the most of his style's specific strengths and minimize the weaknesses? Something like that, no doubt. This implies that favored rhythms are linked to style, and that certain ranges may be specific to style, and I understand that the major number crunchers have demonstrated this to be so. It further suggests to me that if one knows the range of favored rhythms for a given style, one may be able to give a warrior of that style a more effective strategy than one derived simply by guessing and looking at the warrior's stats and overview. Wherefore I have pulled out the favorite rhythms by style of the graduated warriors available for my inspection. You will note that the size of the samples varies a lot from style to style. This roughly indicates the ease with which I have been able to keep the different styles alive until graduation, modified by my personal preferences as to style. The first letter in a pair indicates favored Offensive Effort, the second favored Activity Level. VH=very high H=high M=moderate L=low VL=very low Distributing the ten numbers available in an even and logical manner, we get: VH= 10, 9 H= 8,7 M= 6,5 L= 4,3 VL= 2,1 We don't know exactly which number of the pair a given "favorite" is, but this is close enough. I'm including the raw data here, despite the fact that it looks very boring, heck, it is very boring, so that any of you who wish to may study it and make your own deductions. Aimed Blows, twenty-two graduated warriors polled as to favorite rhythms: L/VL L/L VL/L VL/M L/VL M/VL M/L L/VL VL/VL L/M L/L L/M L/L VL/L VL/M L/VL L/L VL/L L/M M/L VL/VL L/L Notice a pattern here? Nothing higher than Moderate, and every pair has at least one Low or Very Low. In other words, Aimed Blows prefer to be run "scummy." Or if you're feeling charitable, they like to take their time and make their blows count, which is natural enough when you consider that accuracy is their strong suit. Bashers, twenty-five graduated warriors polled. VH/VL VH/VL VH/VL H/VL H/L H/L H/M H/L M/VL H/VL VH/VL H/L H/M M/L H/L H/L H/M VH/L VH/VL VH/VL H/L VH/M H/L H/VL M/L Again, there's an obvious pattern, but it's a different one. Offensive Effort no lower than Moderate, Activity Level no higher than Moderate, and often a very sharp division between the two in any given pair. High Offensive Effort, low Activity Level. No instances of M/M listed here! Bashers are very direct in their fighting: attack, attack, attack. No finesse, little dodging. Lungers, forty graduated warriors polled. VH/H H/H H/M M/H M/H M/VH L/H VH/M VH/VH H/VH H/VH M/VH VH/M H/H H/VH M/VH H/VH H/H VH/M M/VH VH/VH L/VH L/H H/VH M/H M/M M/H M/M H/VH H/H VH/VH VH/H M/VH L/H M/H H/H H/H VH/M M/M VH/H Everything but VL is represented in this group. Two out of the forty warriors have rhythms of M/M. It may be significant that these are both fairly old warriors; other anomalies have shown up from time to time in very old warriors. Other than that, every pair contains either H or VH at least once, although there seems to be no definite preference as to which position it should be in. A slight bias toward faster OE than AL, but the sample isn't large enough to be sure of that. It's common to see BOTH numbers H or VH for this style. Lungers like to run fast, and a good lunger fight has a lot of action--dodging to the side, leaping over or ducking under a blow, as well as attacking. Of course, that means they tend to burn out fast, too, so you have to plan for that. Parry-Lungers, twenty graduated warriors polled. M/VH M/H L/M H/VH VL/H M/M H/M H/H H/M H/L M/L H/H L/L H/L M/M H/L L/L H/M VL/L L/VH Granting that this is a small sample, I see no pattern here. P-lungers vary a lot from one warrior to the next, and you have to experiment to find the rhythm that works best for any individual warrior. Some are more lunger, some more parry. In fact, you could say that the "Offensive Total Parries" and "Defensive Lungers" that some managers write articles about could be summed up as: Parry-Lunger. Parry-Ripostes, a mere fourteen graduated warriors polled. VL/M M/M M/M H/M L/M VL/M L/M L/H M/H L/H VL/M L/H L/M L/M Hardly a definitive sample (these are hard to graduate), but there seems to be a pattern of Offensive Effort no higher than Moderate (okay, one, unless it's a typo), Activity Level no lower than Moderate. I must admit that I have been known to run them with an OE of High or Very High when I got tired of having them jumped by offensive-styled warriors. Some rippers can handle that without flailing or getting tired, and some can't. Parry-Strikers, twenty-one polled. M/VL M/VL VL/M M/M VL/H L/L L/VL VL/L L/L M/L M/H L/M M/VL L/VL VL/L VL/VL VL/M VL/L L/L VL/L M/L I see every range of numbers here but VH, and no obvious pattern. Figures. Everyone says this style is notional when it comes to how they want to run. A large sample might show some clear tendency, but from this small group, all I can say is, they don't seem to like to run very fast. Slashers, sixty warriors polled. What can I say? I like slashers, and when I was starting out, I ran a lot of them, many of whom lived to graduate. In some cases, this was unfortunate, but at the time, it seemed like a good idea.... VH/VL H/L H/VL M/L H/VL H/L M/VL H/L H/VL M/M M/M VH/VL VH/L H/VL H/VL VH/L H/VL H/L M/VL VH/L VH/M M/VL H/M M/VL M/VL H/L H/L M/L H/VL VH/VL VH/VL M/M H/VL M/VL H/VL H/VL VH/L H/L H/L H/VL M/L M/L H/VL M/M M/L M/L VH/VL VH/L M/VL H/VL H/VL VH/VL H/VL H/VL VH/L H/VL M/L H/VL VH/VL Now that we're back among the pure offensive styles, a pattern emerges again. No Offensive Effort lower than Moderate, no Activity Level higher than Moderate. Within those limits, anything goes--from Moderate/Moderate to Very High/Very Low. Slashers like to run hard, they don't like to stand around and scum their opponents, but they'll accept a modestly cautious approach if it's called for. Pay attention to the details in your warrior's fight. If he starts getting tired early on, you probably need to lower his Offensive Effort some. If he never gets the first blow and loses continually because of that, raise Offensive Effort. Strikers, sixty-three polled. (shrug) When in doubt, make it a striker.... VL/M L/L L/L H/VL M/H M/L L/M L/L L/VL M/L M/VL M/L H/VL H/L M/L M/VL M/L M/H L/VL M/M L/M L/VL M/VL L/VL L/VL M/L L/VL VL/L H/L M/H M/H H/VL VL/L H/VL M/VL VL/L H/VL M/VL M/VL VL/VL M/VL L/H H/L M/VL H/VL M/M L/VL M/L M/L M/L H/M M/L L/M VL/M M/VL M/L M/M L/L M/VL M/L H/VL H/H M/L Neither Offensive Effort nor Activity Level of Very High appears, but that leaves a lot of possible combinations (okay, only sixteen, but that seems like a lot when you're writing an article late at night), and most of them seem to show up on this list. Strikers, like P-Strikers, need tinkering. Total Parries, twenty-nine warriors polled. VL/M VL/L M/VL VL/VL L/L VL/VL VL/M VL/VL L/M VL/L VL/M L/M L/H M/M M/VL VL/VL VL/L VL/VL L/L VL/VL VL/L L/L VL/L L/L VL/L L/VL VL/L VL/L VL/L No Offensive Effort higher than Moderate, no Activity Level except one higher than Moderate. This is what you'd expect, right? Total Parries conserve their energy. While you can run them faster, they aren't going to like it. And if they don't like it, they aren't going to perform really well. Walls of Steel, thirty-five polled. M/VL L/L L/VL M/L M/M L/VL H/VL L/VL M/VL VH/M M/L L/M H/VL H/M L/L L/L M/L M/L M/VL M/L M/L H/L VH/VL H/L M/L L/M H/M M/M M/M H/L M/VL VH/M H/L M/VL H/M No Offensive Effort of Very Low, no Activity Level higher than Moderate. Some people call this style the "parry-slash," others say it's a prime candidate for running like a berserker. Otherwise, a lot of variation. Some are scummy (L/VL) and some are slice-and-dice machines (VH/M). Too bad you can't tell right off which you've got, eh? This style needs attention and experimenation for best results. Now that you've plowed through all the tedious stuff (at least, it was tedious for me to organize the data, hope it was less so for you to look at it), I'll offer a word of advice to new players. Make all or most of your first warriors of the styles that have clear patterns. Bashers and slashers are the easiest to do well with right off the bat. Lungers and strikers are a little trickier, but not much. The others are a lot trickier. Winning right off with your first attempts at those styles-- especially once you're out of Noblish Island and into the cold, cruel mainland, is unlikely. However, the study and struggle needed to master one of the trickier styles is amply rewarded by the rush of guiding one to a winning record, a duelmastership, and graduation. Jorja The Middle Way +<]H[>+-----+<]H[+ Question of the Week #9 +]H[>+-----+<]H[>+ The question, turn 420: All -- I was noticing the skill modifiers for low to high size; do these negatives keep a warrior from being successful at the high end of the game? -- Hanibal -- Q.O.W. Answers, turn 421: Q.O.W. (size) -- Smaller size has always had an advantage in the upper levels of the game, especially at the top of Primus and Gateway. The bonus to defense and parry offsets the initiative loss and the damage taking and dealing that a large size provides. Of course, large size comes with its own defense penalty. A high defense is critical in the upper levels where it is imperative not to get hit. If you are unhittable, it comes down to an endurance contest. However, huge warriors, especially those gifted in defense can make devastating opponents on their road to the top. They are tough and dish out more than all the little pip squeaks ever could. It's much easier to get a great warrior out of a smaller size than out of a larger size of course, due to stat distribution to the other critical areas like WT, WL and DF, so finding a great huge warrior is difficult. My best is Khazakh who is in 105 right now. He's gifted in defense and endurance, and he's devastating in the arena. But some day, near the very top, his size will probably be a hindrance unless his attack is absolutely crazy and he can hit the little guys. -- Adie Q.O.W. (answer) -- It depends greatly on what you define as the top of the game. Certainly any sized warrior can be effective at the top of a basic arena or any AD arena. By the time you're talking Primus or Gateway it's mainly a matter of whether or not your team can muster enough warriors to win magical prizes to enhance you, those without them must be truly gifted indeed. -- Maxwell Honorblade Q.O.W. -- Do the small size skill negatives prevent success in the top end game? -- Certainly not! While the negatives are there, remember that small size allows more "points" elsewhere, easily making up the skills. The smaller warriors are *often* the leaders at the top end. There are also TC-winning ways to modify warriors, and this past FTF prize is "very expensive" for this very purpose. -- Kennelworth QoW -- I don't participate at the Primus/Gateway level of play, but the word is that ability to deal a powerful blow remains important and thus allows the large warriors (read: lungers) to remain competitive with their smaller peers. What I do know is that my sz 3 Lunger that's +4 in defense will have, when completely maxxed out in both skills and stats, the highest number of naturally attainable defense skills in the game. Unfortunately, she'll only do tremendous if she's lucky. -- Generalissimo Puerco QOW -- My limited experience in the high end of the game (I have one whole Gateway warrior...WHOO!) the most important skills are, in order: attack, defense, and initiative. So while it isn't good to lose defense, init is a valuable asset as well (helps keep the momentum). Another aspect in the end game is the damage rating, which size does help and can make a LOT of difference. But since it is better to have a 21 wit than a 21 size, I would say that in general over 11 size is unwanted. -- Anti The questions this time were in regard to the Style-vs-Style chart and how to run a parry-riposte. Parry-Riposte: How to run them? Hmm... well, I've only run three so far, but I think I've seen a lot of what they can and can't do. From my experience, if their parry is decent, they can take a couple good hits, and carry decent, give them heavy armor and run parry tactic (very helpful with their low parry bases), but at maybe 4- 5-5, or faster at 5-3-5. The parry tactic augments their defense, but they'll still try to riposte since they have so much of it. For those who are more frail, can't carry much, and have decent defense, I go in lighter armor and run maybe 3-6-4 (I've never run dodge tactic here, but I'd try). My first ripper to AD had a 7 ST, did normal damage, and she ran in ALE/L running with moderate activity. She graduated 16- 6. Of course, she's also +5 in att, +2 in par. But she still defends much better than she parries in that light armor. -- Adie P.S. As for early in the career, scumming is handy, but put OE up just a bit so they'll swing if given the opportunity. Armor for sure to keep them alive unless you're bold. Leeta -- I've seen that chart too, but I have no idea if it was based off of a large number of fights. I think those numbers for strikers reflects their great ability to throw those crits early in the career, and to be quick to the first hit. For parry- strikers, I think it merely reflects the variability in how they can be run and designed. The chart of course is based on gross stereo-typing of the styles. I wouldn't use it too much even as a beginner. -- Adie Leeta -- I think that "chance to win by style" chart is silly. Doesn't it say that lungers will almost always beat aimers? My aimers tend to do pretty well against lungers, how about yours? -- Generalissimo Puerco Leeta and ALL others -- While I have not seen this chart, I can't help but say that it is probably not very accurate. Too many things factor into a match-up of two warriors to expect style to <cut off by Hal, unfortunately> On thinking it over in the light of the past month's fights, I have a feeling that the chart is probably rather old, and that recent advances in management technique have drastically undermined its usefulness in most instances. Discounting luck (which one should never do, of course), and all other things being more or less equal, the best manager is more likely to win, rather than the one whose warrior has the favored style. (Now, there's an inflamatory statement!) Probably that overstates the case, but I think managerial skill is now a significant factor, anyway, even if it isn't decisive. -- Jorja DUELMASTER'S COLUMN Notes from the arena champ. Oh, gods, the Venomous Concubine. Probably venomous out of spite and frustration, being male and having to wear that ridiculously padded tunic. One thing for sure, I'm not getting into any bathtub with him! Chaeny Grove SPY REPORT Good day, friends and fiends, welcome to your friendly neighborhood spyreport. I doubt NOBLISH ISLAND will ever be the same. On their very first turn, CRUCIBLE had a 4-1-1, and with this kind of luck or skill, should do well. Welcome to NOBLISH ISLAND. And let's see, RON BURGUNDY fought DEATHBLADE and gained 20 points and contributed to CRUCIBLE's 4-1-1. TALYM has lost to ABALOND EGRAN, falling 12 points, while helping make BLOOD KNIGHTS a 2-3-0 turn. The attempts to dethrone the Duelmaster have failed, and CHAENY GROVE remains NOBLISH ISLAND's top warrior for another turn. By the way, was that our Duelmaster that I saw last night, cramped under the table at The Welcome Wench? I tell you, a green quarterstaff lasts longer than a seasoned sapling. A basher friend of mine assures me this is true. Well, sports fans, take notice that BASAIDO from BLOOD KNIGHTS was NOBLISH ISLAND's most challenged warrior this turn. In a brave attempt, AALAIYA from BLOOD KNIGHTS challenged up 18 points to fight PHOENIX RISING from the ABYSSAL PLAINS stable. AALAIYA perhaps got hers just desserts, seeing as she was beat by PHOENIX RISING and ended up with 12 recognition points. The Dark Arena is for those who cannot win, not who cannot lose with grace. Dignity in life or death is the warrior's creed. A brave warrior does not carry a red shield, he has nothing to cover or hide when the fight is over. Consider well. Remember, blood on the purple robe does not change it from a purple robe. Dare to fight bravely. It's been nice chatting with you, until we meet again, keep your swords sharp and your hammers heavy. Until you see my quill in NOBLISH ISLAND again, farewell-- Alarond the Scribe DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME CHAENY GROVE 8471 7 2 0 96 MIDDLE WAY 17 (1464) CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME ELLIRIN IMBRAY 8473 6 3 1 66 MIDDLE WAY 17 (1464) ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME ABALOND EGRAN 8469 7 2 0 50 MIDDLE WAY 17 (1464) DENCIE HILLIS 8472 5 4 0 48 MIDDLE WAY 17 (1464) KYRA 8457 7 1 0 43 BLOOD KNIGHTS (1461) AEREON 8458 5 3 1 39 BLOOD KNIGHTS (1461) MIDNIGHT RUIN 8461 6 3 1 37 ABYSSAL PLAINS (1462) CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME PHOENIX RISING 8460 5 4 1 31 ABYSSAL PLAINS (1462) TALYM 8455 5 3 1 28 BLOOD KNIGHTS (1461) VELUNA 8465 5 4 0 26 NO QUARTER (1463) BASAIDO 8505 3 2 0 26 BLOOD KNIGHTS (1461) INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME RON BURGUNDY 8566 1 0 0 20 CRUCIBLE (1480) PEITON 8529 3 1 0 16 NO QUARTER (1463) PAREDE 8554 2 0 0 15 NO QUARTER (1463) THAAR 8571 1 0 1 14 NO QUARTER (1463) -SHANIA TWAIN 2136 2 0 0 13 COUNTRY LOVE (382) BLACKMOON 8556 2 0 0 13 ECLIPSE (1476) AALAIYA 8456 2 6 0 12 BLOOD KNIGHTS (1461) BLIZZARD 8569 1 0 0 12 CRUCIBLE (1480) -MINDY MCCREADY 2137 1 0 0 11 COUNTRY LOVE (382) REQUIEM 8536 2 2 0 10 ABYSSAL PLAINS (1462) MYEYESAREUPHERE 8565 1 0 1 7 CRUCIBLE (1480) DARKWIND 8558 1 1 0 6 ECLIPSE (1476) GUNNY HIGHWAY 8568 1 0 0 6 CRUCIBLE (1480) -VARDA OF STARS 8506 1 1 0 4 MITHRIL CROWN (1471) LEVITHEAN 8485 1 1 0 4 THE WOLVES (1467) DEATHBLADE 8559 1 1 0 4 ECLIPSE (1476) NIGHTSHADOW 8555 1 1 0 4 ECLIPSE (1476) VALERIAN 8484 0 3 0 3 THE WOLVES (1467) INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME -FUNDIN OF STONE 8510 0 2 0 2 MITHRIL CROWN (1471) -TINUVIEL 8508 0 2 0 2 MITHRIL CROWN (1471) -ODO PROUDFOOT 8507 0 2 0 2 MITHRIL CROWN (1471) VELOON 8570 0 1 0 1 NO QUARTER (1463) BOLT THROWER 8567 0 1 0 1 CRUCIBLE (1480) '-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn. THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge? CONVICTED THIEF 1 0 1 0 1 THAAR 8571 238 NONE VORUS 8462 2 6 1 ABYSSAL PLAINS 1462 MASTER SEN GANAMIR 23 238 NONE LINGER 8572 0 1 0 ABYSSAL PLAINS 1462 HIGH ELF 19 238 NONE BLOODHARVERSTER 8557 0 2 0 ECLIPSE 1476 STONE GOLEM 26 238 NONE BARDON FROER 8470 5 2 0 MIDDLE WAY 17 1464 TALYM 8455 236 JUST REV CROMWALLIS 8467 2 3 0 NO QUARTER 1463 VORUS 8462 234 REVENGED HEW 8528 1 2 0 NO QUARTER 1463 AEREON 8458 237 GRIMME 8530 2 1 0 NO QUARTER 1463 MIDNIGHT RUIN 8461 237 SONNY 8486 0 1 0 THE WOLVES 1467 MYEYESAREUPHERE 8565 238 PERSONAL ADS Midnight Ruin -- Since our first day on the Island you have been the bane of our team. Your tactics, a great sweeping axe stroke to the chest or belly, remain unchanged. Only this time you have spilled the blood of one of our promising young warriors, Grimme. Perhaps he bit off more than he could chew by demanding a bout with you, but his death is a bitter pill to swallow. We both have but a few short weeks left on the Island and we shall not rest until you are destroyed. You may hide and you may run, but we are out for vengeance! -- Reegan Ironbeard (promoter, No Quarter) Aereon -- You have slain Hew. We shall give you no quarter in the coming weeks. -- Reegan Ironbeard (promoter, No Quarter) Odo Proudfoot -- You really ought to consider changing weapons and lightening your load. Our manager is sending a Diplo your way with some helpful information. Ask Jorja for help and your record will surely improve. -- Parede Requiem -- Sorry about the groin shot. I was aiming for your leg. It happens. Better luck next time, my friend! -- Peiton Arturius and Lazarian -- As the poet once said, best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley (which roughly translates into the oft-quoted best laid schemes of mice and men often go astray. How I, being in Alastari, would know about the Scot poet Robert Burns is another matter entirely.). Suffice it to say, Aruak City is in turmoil at the moment and does not appear to be a friendly place for an up and coming team. The wind of change or rebellion is in the air. While I'm certain it will all blow over, as most winds do, we would prefer NOT to be tossed around in its wake. Therefore we will be seeking our fortune in Lapur. We look forward to meeting your dad, Arturius, and hope to see you and Lazarian there as well! We shall see what the fates decree. -- Reegan Ironbeard (promoter, No Quarter) Fox -- 'Tis a pity that No Quarter will only be on the island for a few more turns. Otherwise we might have been friends or rivals, both of which have their rewards and are not mutually exclusive. -- Reegan Ironbeard (promoter, No Quarter) All -- My apologies for the death of Grimme, warrior of No Quarter. Our desire to kill is far less than it once was and still there was unnecessary death. We shall further adjust our strategy to try and prevent such. -- Lazarian (Necromancer and Ahringol Priest) All -- Just as Ardent, I have failed. Perhaps I will walk the sands again when next the wheel turns. -- Vorus Mindy Mccready -- You fought exceptionally well and I fought exceptionally poorly. Perhaps I will do better in the Dark Arena. -- Bloodharvester No Quarter -- Thank you for the warm welcome. Perhaps a dance? -- Fox, mgr. Eclipse Blood Knights -- My previous warriors were dirt compared to my new ones. -- Fox, mgr. Eclipse P.S. I don't pick on the weak. No offense. Varda of Stars -- For gods' sake, woman, drop the epee! What was your manager thinking? And slow down! -- Blackmoon Vorus -- Ah, today's lesson: It takes more deftness to use two weapons at once than to use just one. Either one. Note that for this purpose, a shield counts as a weapon, too. So stick the dagger back in your belt sheathe (NOT in your belt, it shreds the leather if it's sharp enough to be worth carrying), and go with your main weapon only in your hands. -- Dencie Hillis Basaido -- Oog, man. Your backup shouldn't be heavier than your main weapon, and your main weapon, well, okay, I wouldn't ever use it for style reasons, but...EPEE? It takes a lot of deftness to use. (pause to check) Right, it takes a DF of 15 or better to use it well. There are weapons suited to your style which require less DF and don't exceed your probable strength and wit. Sure, they aren't as classy as an epee, but winning is classier than losing, so it all balances in the end. -- Abalond Egran Talym -- Whoa, have I got an input error! Gotta get THAT fixed, for sure. I hear there was a warrior on the first Middle Way who had a major input error, and she DIED of it! She was a lunger, and someone accidentally sent her out with a war flail.... But to your problems: you have a serious lack of endurance. Train WL if it's low, CN otherwise. You should NOT be burning out before the first minute is over. If I'd been running with my original strategy, you could easily have gotten killed. -- Ellirin Imbray Pork Chops -- If this is your strategy, I have it on good authority (my own experience, for one) that changing target and protect locations every minute is basically confusing to the warrior. Also, you numbers are weird. -- Ellirin Imbray Aalaiya -- He could be right, you know. Skills can make an ENORMOUS difference. Provided you last long enough to get 'em. -- Dencie Hillis P.S. If you've already got your fight numbers (offensive effort and activity level) jacked up, maybe you should try decisiveness in minute one or something? Totally just a guess, but you should get moving faster. Ellirin Imbray -- Why do you have to be so darned good??? -- Talym Tinuviel -- Let's start with what you did right. You wanted to fight me. Always a good thing if you want a win. Now let me tell you the things you did wrong so you can get the win next time. First, lighten the armor and drop the shield. With your style, you need to be fast and that much armor is slowing you down and the shield is not very useful for your style. Second, I am only one woman. You don't need FOUR backup weapons. One will do. Third, find a weapon you are well suited to. It helps. Trust me. Lastly, run faster. Go 10-10-x in your first minute. If you do some or all of these things, then you should be able to beat me and maybe a few others. Good luck to you. -- Aalaiya Abyssal Plains -- Two challenges in a row. Either you guys have something for me or you guys just like pulling splinters out of your heads. -- Kyra P.S. I don't really mind the attention. Reegan -- We are very sorry about Hew. I know what it is like to have a promising warrior cut down before his prime. I was expecting Aereon to be able to hurt people because of his high strength, but I never expected a kill. Aereon awaits your bloodfeud and he expects no quarter. -- Arturius Abalond -- Ok, bad weapon selection. Next time I won't pick my weapon blindfolded. -- Basaido I have made my decision on my arena. When it is time to pack and leave this wonderful island, my Knights will travel to and fight on the sands of Lapur. It is a glorious city that I have watched my father fight in for some time now. The competition is fierce and gamesmanship is high. I request that my fellow managers consider this fine city for their destination after graduation. Wherever the winds take you, let it be known that the Knights and I have enjoyed every turn we have spent here on Noblish. I would like to especially thank Jorja, Reegan and Lazurian for making my stay here one of the most enjoyable moments of my career. -- Arturius LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS VORUS was butchered by MASTER SEN GANAMIR in a 1 minute Dark Arena fight. BLOODHARVERSTER was butchered by STONE GOLEM in a 2 minute Dark Arena duel. LINGER was murdered by HIGH ELF in a 1 minute Dark Arena melee. PEITON was demolished by AEREON in a 1 minute uneven Bloodfeud fight. VELUNA was bested by MIDNIGHT RUIN in a 2 minute Bloodfeud contest. TALYM was overpowered by ABALOND EGRAN in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge fight. KYRA was devastated by ELLIRIN IMBRAY in a 1 minute uneven Challenge brawl. AALAIYA was defeated by PHOENIX RISING in a 1 minute Challenge struggle. NIGHTSHADOW was overpowered by BASAIDO in a 1 minute mismatched Challenge brawl. DARKWIND slimly lost to PAREDE in a 3 minute gruesome beginner's Challenge duel. CHAENY GROVE overpowered KHALHUMS DWARF in a 2 minute gory uneven Title duel. DENCIE HILLIS overpowered CAPTURED ORC in a 1 minute gory uneven match. LEVITHEAN was narrowly defeated by BLIZZARD in a 10 minute bloody novice's match. VALERIAN was overcome by GUNNY HIGHWAY in a 6 minute brutal novice's contest. REQUIEM bested VELOON in a 2 minute amateur's bout. BLACKMOON overcame BOLT THROWER in a 1 minute beginner's fight. DEATHBLADE was overpowered by RON BURGUNDY in a 1 minute gruesome uneven struggle. MYEYESAREUPHERE savagely slew SONNY in a 2 minute bloody amateur's brawl. THAAR assassinated CONVICTED THIEF in a 1 minute one-sided bout. BATTLE REPORT MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS |FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT| |BASHING ATTACK 8 LUNGING ATTACK 12 - 8 - 0 60 | |STRIKING ATTACK 7 AIMED BLOW 8 - 6 - 0 57 | |WALL OF STEEL 3 PARRY-LUNGE 9 - 7 - 2 56 | |SLASHING ATTACK 3 SLASHING ATTACK 16 - 14 - 1 53 | |AIMED BLOW 3 BASHING ATTACK 29 - 28 - 3 51 | |PARRY-LUNGE 2 TOTAL PARRY 3 - 3 - 0 50 | |LUNGING ATTACK 2 WALL OF STEEL 11 - 11 - 1 50 | |PARRY-STRIKE 2 STRIKING ATTACK 24 - 31 - 2 44 | |TOTAL PARRY 1 PARRY-STRIKE 5 - 8 - 0 38 | |PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 4 - 14 - 0 22 | Turn 238 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 2 - 0 SLASHING ATTACK 1 - 2 3 STRIKING ATTACK TOTAL PARRY 1 - 0 AIMED BLOW 0 - 3 3 BASHING ATTACK WALL OF STEEL 3 - 0 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 2 1 WALL OF STEEL STRIKING ATTACK 4 - 3 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 1 1 AIMED BLOW LUNGING ATTACK 1 - 1 1 SLASHING ATTACK BASHING ATTACK 4 - 4 1 PARRY-LUNGE 1 PARRY-STRIKE TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME STRIKING ATTACK CHAENY GROVE 8471 7 2 0 96 MIDDLE WAY 17 (1464) WALL OF STEEL ELLIRIN IMBRAY 8473 6 3 1 66 MIDDLE WAY 17 (1464) BASHING ATTACK ABALOND EGRAN 8469 7 2 0 50 MIDDLE WAY 17 (1464) AIMED BLOW KYRA 8457 7 1 0 43 BLOOD KNIGHTS (1461) SLASHING ATTACK MIDNIGHT RUIN 8461 6 3 1 37 ABYSSAL PLAINS (1462) Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above. The overall popularity leader is CHAENY GROVE 8471. The most popular warrior this turn was CHAENY GROVE 8471. The ten other most popular fighters were VELOON 8570, BASAIDO 8505, DARKWIND 8558, VELUNA 8465, DENCIE HILLIS 8472, REQUIEM 8536, RON BURGUNDY 8566, MYEYESAREUPHERE 8565, AEREON 8458, and MIDNIGHT RUIN 8461. The least popular fighter this week was VALERIAN 8484. The other ten least popular fighters were BLIZZARD 8569, DEATHBLADE 8559, LEVITHEAN 8485, NIGHTSHADOW 8555, AALAIYA 8456, KYRA 8457, TALYM 8455, PEITON 8529, LINGER 8572, and BLOODHARVERSTER 8557. SUMMER FACE-TO-FACE IN ATLANTA! Our next summer FTF will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, July 27-29, 2007. It will be held at the Sheraton Buckhead Hotel in Atlanta, on 3405 Lenox Road NE (404-261-9250). Room rates are $95.00 per night, 1-4 occupancy. There is a free shuttle from the MARTA station two blocks away and free parking, high speed internet (for extra charge), fitness center, jacuzzi, and pool. The rooms are blocked--ask for the Reality Simulations room block. Look for transportation info in the tournament information sheet. We hope you're all looking forward to it and that we will see you there! 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