DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER
Date : 04/26/2008 Duedate: 05/09/2008
NOBLISH ISLAND ARENA
DM-93 TURN-259
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
WOODY HAYES
SCARLET BROTHERHOOD (1505)
(93-8726) [5-0-0,50]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
VILLITA ULAN WOODY HAYES
MIDDLE WAY 19 (1502) SCARLET BROTHERHOOD (1505)
(93-8708) [5-5-0,45] (93-8726) [5-0-0,50]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
VILLITA ULAN BHANDARKAR
MIDDLE WAY 19 (1502) I.H.O. PAINCAKES (1509)
(93-8708) [5-5-0,45] (93-8753) [1-0-0,6]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
MIDDLE WAY 19 (1502)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. MIDDLE WAY 19 (1502) 44
2. I.H.O. PAINCAKES (1509) 36 MIDDLE WAY 19 (1502)
3. SCARLET BROTHERHOOD (1505) 34 Unchartered Team
4. WAVES OF GLADIATION (1507) 0
5. ORDER (1501) 0 I.H.O. PAINCAKES (1509)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1/ 0*I.H.O. PAINCAKES (1509) 3 0 0 100 1/ 2 MIDDLE WAY 19 (1502) 10 5 0
2- 1*WAVES OF GLADIATI (1507) 4 1 1 80.0 2/ 1*HOUSE OF JADE (1503) 7 8 0
3/ 2*SCARLET BROTHERHO (1505) 17 6 0 73.9 3/ 4*SCARLET BROTHERHO (1505) 5 4 0
4/ 3*HOUSE OF JADE (1503) 11 9 0 55.0 4- 3*WAVES OF GLADIATI (1507) 4 1 1
5/ 5 MIDDLE WAY 19 (1502) 25 21 0 54.3 5/ 5*ORDER (1501) 4 8 0
6- 4*SHENANIGANS (1494) 19 16 4 54.3 6/ 0*I.H.O. PAINCAKES (1509) 3 0 0
7/ 6*ORDER (1501) 7 11 0 38.9 7- 6*SHENANIGANS (1494) 2 3 0
8- 7*GOLDEN HORDE (1497) 0 1 0 0.0 8- 7*GOLDEN HORDE (1497) 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
* }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *
Long-Term Fighter Concepts
Once again, it's me, Gavin. Here I will provide concepts of warriors in each
fighting style with different focal points. All these are based on long-term
potential. They are not the bottom line by far, hence "Concepts," and warriors may
be long term with any likeness to the following. I have tried to provide examples
that enhance a style's natural potential to its fullest, and a few sub-style ideas as
well. Remember, there is no "perfect" warrior. There are far too many variables to
account for everything. That is why we are managers: We try to use challenges and
avoids, plus research, to pair fighters with an opponent best suited to them.
Aimed Blows. Hit unprotected spots with precision (DF). Not overly active
fighters and primarily offensive. Their offense is modified by all offensive tactics
except decise, which is not suited well. Defensive tactics they are suited to are
dodge and somewhat parry.
ST 11 CN 12 SZ 9 WT 17 WL 15 SP 5 DF 15: This is a basic all around AB.
Deftness is high enough to be effective and allows the use of all of the style's
favored weapons. Speed isn't a big factor in this setup. Damage, carry capacity,
and endurance are more or less average. The higher Con lets the fighter take some
hits. Wit allows a good learning curve for skills and Will lets you train without
much difficulty on stats, at least a few times. Moderate activity level, low to
medium kill desire, and moderate to high offensive effort. ABs seem to do well
without tactics. If you use a defensive tactic, use parry for this guy. Offensive
tactics should be used only with advance knowledge of your opponent and a tactic to
exploit their weakness; using lunge vs. parry styles and slash vs. lungers.
ST 9 CN 14 SZ 5 WT 18 WL 16 SP 4 DF 17: Similar to above but now, Size is
reduced (as well as damage) with a higher WT and DF for better defense. Con is
raised so this fighter can take a beating if need and should have plenty of
endurance. His mainstay is the ability to shrug off what blows may hit him and tough
it out long enough to drill holes in his foe.
Bashers. Pressure your foes with initiative (WT + SP), hit hard enough to
penetrate foes' defense with a superior attack. Compatible with bash and decisive
tactics and no defensive tactics.
ST 13 CN 5 SZ 9 WT 19 WL 17 SP 7 DF 14: The high will allows quick stat trains
and affects endurance with a low con. Strength allows use of most weapons and good
damage. The main strength of this fighter comes into play as he learns skills very
fast. This, combined with DF, will provide a good attack rating with decise and
initiative right behind to pound their foe across the sands.
ST 13 CN 14 SZ 9 WT 17 WL 15 SP 5 DF 11: This basher has enough Con to take a
beating, even if he doesn't get the jump on his foe. He can wear heavier armor and
he has a lot of endurance to keep him swinging long after his foe has fallen.
Traditionally, bashers have a higher Strength, but that can later be raised. I enjoy
making fighters with very little weakness and evidence shows they fare better in the
long run than "godlings," on the average.
Lunger. Keep moving (high AL). For an offensive style, lungers are
surprisingly good at dodging if made right. They are quick and powerful fighters.
The lunge tactic is suited to the style and is great when you go offensive, to
devoting your fighter to the attack. Decise is only moderately effective.
Decisively, dodge works well and possibly riposte.
ST 11 CN 13 SZ 4 WT 17 WL 15 SP 13 DF 11: The small Size limits carrying
capacity and damage but the Wit is high enough for the lunger to stay ahead on the
initiative and use his attack. Endurance is pretty good and will allow this lunger
with the combination of Speed, to dodge around to get a shot in. He can take some
blows and once he goes fully offensive, can stay at it without falling over.
ST 15 CN 10 SZ 9 WT 15 WL 15 SP 7 DF 13: This lunger is more average except for
the high strength to deliver crippling blows. He can use every weapon except the
epee, which would be a waste considering his strength. This is a purely offensive
lunger, unlike above which grants a measure more of defense ability.
Parry Lunger. Much like the lunger but favors parry instead of dodge and more
focused on defense first. Offensive tactics are still mainly lunge. Defensively,
this style is best suited to parry and responsiveness. Riposte works okay and dodge,
though not suited, can work.
ST 11 CN 12 SZ 9 WT 16 WL 16 SP 7 DF 13: An all around, capable fighter
deserves all around capable stats. This setup uses parry best. He may take time to
develop and to figure out how he likes to fight.
ST 11 CN 11 SZ 6 WT 18 WL 19 SP 10 DF 11: Small size will help this fighter's
defense, but his damage will be his weakest point. He will learn quickly and when
you start training stats, this fighter is easily capable of 15's which will make him
a very serious competitor. Until then, you'll need to help this guy out with a good
challenge strategy.
Parry Riposte. They use superior riposte to steal the initiative and strike
when their foe is off balance. Offensively they are well suited to the lunge tactic,
not so much the slash and terribly suited to bash and decise. Defensively, riposte
and parry and poorly suited to dodge and responsiveness.
ST 9 CN 11 SZ 6 WT 19 WL 18 SP 6 DF 15: Centered primarily around parry with
stats and using the high Wit and the style's strength in riposte to weave a tight
defensive web. The will is great for later stat trains and combined with Con, gives
great endurance. The Deftness will help a riposte's lower attack rating so he can
hit where he needs to hit and allows the use of an epee.
ST 11 CN 9 SZ 5 WT 17 WL 15 SP 14 DF 13: riposte is a fast counterstrike, so by
adding speed, we are focusing on the natural riposte ability. This quick, he will
often riposte before his opponent swings. Strength is higher for the use of large
weapons such as the longsword.
Parry Strike. These are quick fighters but concentrate on assuring defense and
then worrying about attack. Like strikers, they strike fast and powerful, but tend
to conserve endurance better than expected. Offensive tactics, decise is well
suited. Defensively, parry and responsiveness are suited and riposte can work. They
tend to favor holding their ground, so dodge isn't so great.
ST 9 CN 9 SZ 6 WT 17 WL 19 SP 9 DF 15: Since they are defensive first, this
warrior is focused around his parry ability. Speed wasn't dropped to help good
coordination. Strength 9 is lower than I would prefer with the small size, but that
can be easily raised with the high Will.
ST 12 CN 9 SZ 5 WT 17 WL 15 SP 14 DF 13: This warrior will be very responsive
and will have a workable riposte ability as well. The higher strength allows some
lunger weapons such as a longsword. It would be feasible to trade a point of
Strength and speed to raise Size to a 7 with would enable more offensive ability. I
feel that it is manager preference, however. Try responsiveness the first round,
parry the second, riposte the third, and then go offensive.
Slasher. They can sometimes penetrate parry with their superior attack if
Deftness is high enough. Slashers need to be consistent and make few mistakes. They
are a very offensive style who is well suited to the slash tactic only.
ST 11 CN 6 SZ 6 WT 19 WL 15 SP 10 DF 17: Despite a lack of defensive skills, a
slasher can't always get in the first shot. Thus, decisive fighters are more his
bane. They seem to eat up lungers though. With any luck, this guy will have some
parry and possibly a decent riposte. The higher Wit and Deftness will enable this
slasher to develop a strong attack and the Speed won't hinder his initiative at all.
So he can stay in control of the fight. Give him a heavier armor for his first few
fights until his skills come online, less so against parry styles. You should have
no problem with them.
ST 11 CN 15 SZ 6 WT 15 WL 17 SP 5 DF 15: I've had more success with these
tougher warriors. He doesn't need to get in the first shot and can wear stout armor
without much trouble. With his great endurance you can go all out without worries.
It's pretty hard to take this guy down as he slices you up and the intimidation
factor is great! He's an excellent long term slasher with a good skill base and easy
stat trains.
Striker. Fast and decisive. They are mainly designed around their decisiveness
to get the first shot. Offensive tactics suited are solely decise. Defensively,
responsiveness if anything.
ST 11 CN 10 SZ 6 WT 19 WL 13 SP 11 DF 15: This is a sub-style that goes against
the trends. It's not so well-suited against warriors with a lot of Con. So,
primarily it's an offensive style hunter. The high Deftness helps their attack
rating with a great Wit to back it up. They will learn decise enough to stay ahead
of most other strikers with Speed to help decise and their initiative. The Con will
give them some toughness and alright endurance. It's feasible to lower Speed and up
Will to 15 as well. This striker may surprise you with some defensive capability,
depending on strategy, and can use responsiveness to full effect, frustrating those
strikers and bashers. They don't do a lot of damage, which I'm not too happy about,
but most offensives don't have much Con anyway.
ST 15 CN 5 SZ 9 WT 17 WL 15 SP 7 DF 15: This is a more traditional striker. He
uses the style's decise advantage and a good Wit to stay ahead of other styles. The
Deftness adds to attack skills. Since if you get the first shot, you better hit with
a low Con. Strength is high for great damage and you can use nearly any weapon in
the game. Con and Size should be enough so he isn't frail; if he is, raise it to
keep your warrior alive. But his Speed and Strength should carry him through. His
fallback is endurance, so he *has* to end it quick.
Total Parry. Entirely defense. They only attack as an afterthought once
defense is assured. There are a multitude of combinations that work here. Depending
on how offensively capable you want them and which defense you focus on, tactics-
wise, they are very good at parry but are able to use all of them. Their
effectiveness depends mostly on strategy and your opponent/style. They don't use
offensive tactics well, but if you do, be careful, because you lower their defense.
ST 5 CN 10 SZ 3 WT 19 WL 15 SP 13 DF 19: Yes, this is extreme. His parry will
be insane and along with the small Size and good Speed, he will be near impossible to
hit. He can't carry more than his weapon but doesn't really need to. He will do
very little damage which is ok for this setup. The high Deftness and speed will help
a good riposte and he'll hit where he aims. This is a more exciting version of scum,
but long term capable. Responsiveness for very decisive fighters, otherwise parry.
Around round 3, try some riposte tactics.
Wall of Steel. The all-around style with good defense ability and an equal
offense. They aren't usually fast. They use parry until they gain the initiative
and then strike powerfully. Defensive tactics include parry and some riposte.
Offensively, bash and slash work well. Depending on the weapon choice.
ST 11 CN 10 SZ 7 WT 19 WL 15 SP 5 DF 17: This is a defensive version heavy on
parry. Long term, strength should be increased, but for now, his Wit will assure him
an incredible parry attack and init skill base. Believe it or not, this guy can and
probably should be fought like an aimed blow. KD low, AL low/mod, OE mod.
ST 13, CN 16, SZ 9 WT 15 WL 17 SP 3 DF 11: An offensive version, though usually
they have more strength. It will develop over time. The Speed eventually needs to
be raised to avoid clumsiness. With such a high Con, he can take near anything and
be fully offensive for a long, long time. He's also able to wear pretty much any
armor without a problem.
Well, that's it! I've used "The Red Book," my own fights, and a ton of articles
from the helpful newsletters. Thanks, Jorja! Stats are never perfect but hopefully
this will give you a basic and some ideas. Want to chat, scheme, or compare notes?
Drop me a diplo any time.
-- Gavin Rule, mgr Faux Tides (1482) "Soon to be Faux II" DM 93
* }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *
I am announcing the formation of the Golden Horde. Alas, I have only one
fighter in my stable, but I hope to soon acquire more. Yet the story is one worth
telling.
I, John Wilson, was once a slave to Li-Kao, the Sage of Brass. Over the
miserable years of my servitude, I managed to hoard a tidy sum of coin. When the
Sage was put to flight, I managed to grab my hoard, hide it on my person, and
insinuate myself as an assistant to help with his escape. I had to kill his
apprentice to do so, but such is the way we sin. I paid a merchant, the beautiful
Miriah Sommerset, to "buy" me from Li-Kao and then set me free. I knew my own value,
and she was free to keep any excess coin made from bargaining down my price. Of
course, I had to pay by weight, as my coinage was minted in an unrecognized land. As
she had never seen a Northern Kelt (of course she hasn't), she would not keep her
promise to free me until I had taught her the ways of pleasure among my people. She
then allowed me to change my coin and go.
I traveled, until my dwindling funds forced me to look for work. I had seen
several arena fights, and with a bribe of a few ales, I learned the ways of
management. In the An-Kiu Valley, I saw a man dancing in the street with twin
scimitars. He was leading a group of younglings in a weapons drill. The masterful
whirl of his swords bade me to approach him about becoming a gladiator. He needed a
sponsor as much as I needed a fighter. So, with a pact sealed in the manners of both
our people, Nortis Dethkyn became my first gladiator.
We are looking at several candidates, and if Mortis wins his first fight, I will
use some of the money to purchase or hire more warriors. I will give updates as my
stable expands.
+ ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Lighthouse ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Where do you go when you leave Noblish Island?
After ten turns, just when you're getting used to the everlasting rain here on
Noblish Island, you're going to have to leave forever. Everyone (except me) leaves
after ten turns.
You have to go, but you get to choose your destination. Out of sixty or so
possible arenas, how do you choose?
Some of you will be following friends who have already gone, and for you this
question is moot. Otherwise....
Fast or slow? Noblish Island is a "fast" arena in that the fights are run every
two weeks. For some of you, this may not allow enough turn-around time. "Slow"
arenas run every four weeks. The slow arenas are 8, 28, 31, 39, 45, 47, 50, 52, 54,
59, and the three slow transfer arenas, 71, 72, and 73. You may have an unlimited
number of teams in a transfer arena, and many managers do; I would not recommend
choosing a transfer arena for your first non-Noblish home.
Regions--the world of Duelmasters is divided into four regions, which have
slightly different preferred style of management.
The Andorian region as a general rule tends toward a role-playing, non-killing
style of play. By "non-killing," I mean that Andorian managers perfer not to seek
kills and disapprove of down-challenging. In most (but not, alas, all) cases,
Andorian arenas will have lively personals. The Andorian arenas currently open are:
8 (slow), 11, 14, 22, 24, 25, 26, 30, 40, 41, 46, 52 (slow), 60, 63, and 71.
The Delarquan region, except in the case of some of the slow arenas, is not much
prone to role-playing and convesation. For Delarquans, the win is all. Down-
challenging is an accepted tactic used when desired by any manager. Deaths may be
more frequent than elsewhere. The Delarquan arenas currently open are: 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 10, 18, 21, 36, 38, 39 (slow), 42, 51, 54 (slow), 59 (slow), 62, and 72.
The Free Blades region tends to be very active in the slow arenas and less
dogmatic in either direction about style of play. Free Blades arenas currently open
are: 9, 12, 15, 16, 17, 19, 28 (slow, currently hosting a contest), 29, 31 (slow),
32, 33, 35, 43, 45 (slow), 47 (slow), 50 (slow), 56, 61, and 73.
The Lirith Kai region is the youngest and is currently very small, having only
arenas 65, 74, 75, and 78 open at the present time. There is a tendency to prefer
the Andorian-style, "no down-challenges and no deliberate killing," but the managers
seem to be less dogmatic about it.
Note that currently contests of various kinds are being held in several arenas.
Some are just starting, some are just about done, others are in the middle. Contest
arenas will tend to be bigger than others while the contest is going on, and full of
often-confusing personals.
Large arenas or small ones?
There are advantages for a new manager in either choice. In a large arena,
there are lots of managers who will be willing to help a novice. There will be a lot
of variety in the kind of competition your warriors come up against--varieties in
style, management, levels of skill. You can learn a lot in large arenas. But there
are drawbacks, too. You can get lost in the crowd, maybe find no one or only a few
of the available responding to your personals. You can get caught between feuding
factions.
In small arenas, you soon get to know every manager's playing style and what to
expect from their warriors. If you write personals, they will be noticed and
probably responded to. But just as you get to know all the managers and warriors
sharing the arena with you, so will they get to know you. You may see a lot of
standbys fighting, and while they are relatively easier to beat, they don't teach as
well. After a while, you won't meet with many surprises.
If you have access to the internet, I strongly recommend that you check out
RSI's website and sample the newsletters of various arenas to get the flavor of them.
If not, ask for advice. Diplo managers mentioned in the Regional Arena News from
arenas you're interested in, as they are likely to be leaders in those arenas. Ask
questions here, in the personals or by diplo. I'd like to see you all have the best
possible Duelmasters experience that's consistent with other people doing the same,
and I ALWAYS have opinions!
Jorja
The Middle Way
+>]H[<+-----+>]H[<+ Question of the Week #1 +>]H[<+-----+>]H[<+
Hanibal, manager of Cannibalz in Aruak City (DM 11) and formerly of Noblish
Island, has asked a series of questions of the experienced managers of that arena. I
believe you might find these questions and answers instructive, or at least
interesting. Feel free to comment or question in response. That goes for other
experienced managers, too; I'm sure your input would be valuable. -- Jorja, The
Middle Way
Question, turn 396:
All -- If 2 identical warriors (theoretically) ran 10-10-2 and 10-10-8, who
would swing first? Would they both have an equal chance? -- Hanibal's question of
the week
Replies, turn 397:
Hanibal -- Of the three numbers, I think KD is least influential in determining
who swings first. I'm not discounting its involvement entirely, but there are many
factors that weigh more heavily. I ran aimers 10-10-1 for a long time, when it was
the 'in' thing to do, and they fought quite aggressively. KD might be more important
in determining who swings LAST. -- Generalissimo Puerco
Hannibal -- I firmly believe that 10-10-2 will sometimes outjump 10-10-8. And
vice versa. -- Kennelworth The Seasoned
See also Captain K's article on "Getting the Jump." It was printed in this
newsletter a few turns ago, but if you want a copy and don't have it, email me at
jputney@zianet.com and I'll send it to you. Okay, okay, if you don't have email,
request it in the personals or even send me a diplo. -- Jorja
P.S. I believe this may now be included in the regularly cycling articles.
Question, turn 397:
All -- If two warriors have a good damage rating, one has 11 str. and one has 13
str., would it make a difference in the amount of damage they do? -- Hanibal's Q.O.W.
P.S. Warriors are same size.
Replies, turn 398:
Hanibal -- Regarding your QoW, it is a very good question. I think that there
is a difference in damage done between warriors with different strengths but similar
damage comments. Of course the attack rating a warrior has can make a world of
difference too. I've got a piker (the Consortium may know Lustra from DM 52) that
has a 5 str. and does normal damage with a blow. Yet, she performs like a warrior
that does little damage. (And I have a lot of experience with those.) Not only
that, she has normal endurance, too, but she seems to get tired awfully quick for a
piker with normal endurance. So that's one example. Another is my overall look at
warriors that do 'little' damage.
If you take one with 9 str. and another with 13 str. I think a clear Difference
can be discerned. On the high end, my experience doesn't go much past 'good' damage.
But what I can say is that my warriors that do 'good' damage seem to do more damage
than my few warriors that have done 'tremendous' damage. That is probably because
those big strong warriors have relatively lousy attack ratings. So in a nutshell I
would say yes, there is a minor but still noticeable effect. What you might be
finding is that there seems to be differences within those broad categories given on
the warrior overview. It's just like if you raise con you improve your warrior's
ability to sustain damage a little bit, even if the comment on the overview stays the
same. Your questions are getting at some of the interesting subtleties of the game.
Keep asking them! -- Generalissimo Puerco
Q.O.W. (Hanibal) -- I don't think so. -- Adie
Pagan's replies:
Question, turn 396:
All -- If 2 identical warriors (theoretically) ran 10-10-2 and 10-10-8, who
would swing first? Would they both have an equal chance?
This is a loaded question. There are a number of factors which will determine which
warrior swings first. In speaking of this I can only tell you what I have a 'feel'
for. In no way does anyone know all the factors or how this works exactly unless
someone gets to look at the source code for the program. I will ignore the KD
dispute simply because I don't know.
The Factors:
1. At warrior creation, the program initiates a random string class to be used for
your warrior. Each string has a series of numbers that are pre-generated and always
the same. It however appears random except for the facts that some strings are good
for some warriors and bad for others. You'll notice this only over time. This
string class is permanent and not all of them are created equal. This is above and
beyond any total number of skills.
2. At fight time, the program calls a random string to be used for BOTH warriors.
This string affects the string of the warrior. This is why you will never see two
fights that are line-by-line exactly the same. But if the fights were constantly run
with exactly the same string, and no strategy changes are made then you will
consistently have the same fight line-by-line.
3. Fight-String modified Warrior-String# are taken for each warrior and #Decise-
skills + OE + string# + tactic + weapon-weight + style-adjustment equates to a
number.
4. These bonuses could be negative in adjustments also: IE. Running responsiveness
would be the addition of a negative number equal to warrior's Decise. Running decise
would increase a lot, running lunge, slash, or bash use initiative instead of Decise
if higher than current #decise skills.
4. Biggest controllable factors are OE, tactic, & weapon-weight
5. If the number for JUMP does not have a disparity of a specific number then a
continued clash will occur until that disparity is shown. Then the fight actually
begins. You can have a series of 8+ clash statements until the program finds who
starts and initiates the fight sequences. Example: fighterA ends up with a jump# of
60 and fighterB ends up with a jump# of 65; if the disparity had to be 10 points then
what would happen is a clash statement would be printed and the steps repeated. The
next number from the Fight-String is called along with the next number in each of the
Warrior-strings ; the computation is done again until the disparity (for the computer
anyway) becomes true. Then the fight sequence is activated. -- Pagan
Question, turn 397:
All -- If two warriors have a good damage rating, one has 11 str. And one has 13
str., would it make a difference in the amount of damage they do? -- Hanibal's Q.O.W.
P.S. Warriors are same size.
Most definitely. Weapon damage is equated to Strength + damage class. So damage is
done like this:
1. Armor weight + 12 + any bonus it has vs weapon type is a negative to the damage
done. (How the hell did he get 12!?)
2. Damage done is strength + damage class variable + weapon variable.
3. Slashing & Bashing increase the damage done.
4. When the damage done equals 1 or less then there is a weapon bounce statement.
The minimum damage a blow can do is 1 point of damage. The program knows there's a
hit before it knows damage so you can't reverse a hit, you merely take a minimum of 1
point of damage to your hit-points.
5. The lower your strength then more bounces you will see. The lower your damage
class the more bounces you will see. The lighter weight a weapon is vs the armor its
hitting the more bounces you will see.
6. In reverse to #5, all of those secondary-damage statements (often referred to as
extra-damage statements) such as "it was a devastating blow"... "what a massive blow"
-- these merely show that you hit your opponent with enough damage to exceed the
computer secondary-damage statement threshold. Your warrior caused enough damage to
exceed a programmed set number (whatever that number may be) and the fight is only
showing that you exceeded that number. The programmed number for the secondary-damage
threshold is a Hard number: it is constant within the program and is used for all
fights and all warriors. It is not random. It has nothing to do with how much
damage you did in relation to your opponent's hit-points either. If you exceed that
number in damage, you get a printed statement showing that to be the case. There is
no such thing as Extra-Damage. -- Pagan
Question, turn 398:
All -- If you lower your kill desire in desperation, do you have less of a chance of
being killed? -- Hanibal's Q.O.W.
Replies, turn 399:
Q.O.W. -- I think that if your KD is lower in desperation, you're more likely to
surrender than draw out the fight. Drawing out the fight by having a higher KD gives
the attacker more chance to kill you. But you could defend and make a come-back.
But that higher KD also lowers your defensive ability somewhat. -- Adie
Hanibal's Q.o.W -- Yes, lowering your own KD helps keep you alive and allows you to
surrender...hopefully in time. -- Armalias
Hanibal -- The choice of kill desire in desperation seems to be a very tactically
important one. I do believe that lowering kill desire will tend to preserve a
warrior's life by making him give up (and end the fight) sooner. This also means
the warrior may end up losing fights he could have won if he had hung around. I
think scum strategy is a good example of this. While it may be counterintuitive, a
good scum strategy involves using a moderate to high kill desire. This is done to
prevent them from giving up prematurely. Also, most managers don't care too much if
their scum gets killed, so there's no point to running with a low KD. There's a very
good article on the total parry written by Scrag, in which this scheme is discussed.
Maybe you saw it in Noblish. Personally, I either lower or raise KD in desperation,
based on my expectations for a particular warrior. I think it was Miles that first
wrote on this way of looking at kill desire, and I believe it to be the most correct.
Other published theories, such as Jessie Jest's, are variably more questionable.
(But then, everything Jessie Jest wrote should be taken with a grain of salt.) --
Generalissimo Puerco
Question, turn 399:
All -- If you have 18 HP and cannot take a lot of punishment and raise con once to
normal--20 HP, does the rating affect the rate at which you take damage or do you
just have 2 more Hit Points? -- Hanibal's Q.O.W.
Replies, turn 400:
Hanibal's QOW -- I think you just get a bump in hit points. But that little bump
makes a big difference. I think armor and warrior experience are the only factors
that affect the rate of damage per blow. -- Adie
P.S. There's a new chart for hit points that is more accurate and does not involve a
luck factor.
Hanibal -- I think the amount of damage a warrior can take is not variable but
constant. The variables in the equation are: the weapon being struck with and the
armor it is striking, and the attack and damage-dealing ability of the warrior doing
the swinging. Not to mention kill desire, as discussed last turn. -- Generalissimo
Puerco
DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
Notes from the arena champ.
I'm sure it's an honor to be the Duelmaster, but...for defeating the Ambitious
Guard? Well, I suppose it's better than taking the title by LOSING to a standby.
And it's a great farewell gift! See you somewhere someday, guys.
Villita Ulan
SPY REPORT
It is I, Novgorodny Vir, Spymaster of Spymasters. Look on my work, ye mighty,
and despair! The boys at HOUSE OF JADE left the arena dejected, after being kicked
out of the top spot by MIDDLE WAY 19. Good show! I doubt many are quaking in their
boots, but I.H.O. PAINCAKES comes out of nowhere to get 3-0-0. What does the future
hold? Watch this space... I.H.O. PAINCAKES had cause to celebrate, after SALAH
AL'DIN got 16 points by beating EARL BRUCE. Win some, lose some. Speaking of which,
WOODY HAYES was winsome, after beating GEMINI and seeing him lose 9 points. Out with
the old, in with the new. Enter VENEMOUS CONCUBINE, handily defeating VILLITA ULAN.
With 50 points, WOODY HAYES of SCARLET BROTHERHOOD takes the position of NOBLISH
ISLAND's Duelmaster. Word has it one team in NOBLISH ISLAND is using psychics to
predict wins. They lead a charmed life!
And how sociable are NOBLISH ISLAND's warriors? Come, let us see. Everyone is
famous for fifteen minutes, and MARA ACOMA is it right now. Most challenged warrior.
Isn't HOUSE OF JADE proud!
Ah, the duel! The roar of the oppenent, the smell of the crowd! Ask not a
spymaster for counsel, for he will pontificate long after you have fallen into an
unconscious stupor.
All good things must come to an end. As if buffeted by forces of nature beyond
my control, I must take my leave of this place. Like a mixed metaphor, and an
overtaxed simile, I now bid NOBLISH ISLAND farewell-- Novgorodny Vir
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
WOODY HAYES 8726 5 0 0 50 SCARLET BROTHERHOOD (1505)
CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-HOLLAND 8660 6 1 1 84 SHENANIGANS (1494)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
VILLITA ULAN 8708 5 5 0 45 MIDDLE WAY 19 (1502)
TEEBI SHOSTALLO 8707 5 5 0 41 MIDDLE WAY 19 (1502)
SALIRA TEES 8728 6 2 0 35 MIDDLE WAY 19 (1502)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
ARCHIE GRIFFIN 8725 3 0 0 30 SCARLET BROTHERHOOD (1505)
REGGISAKI 8702 2 2 0 29 ORDER (1501)
GEMINI 8703 4 1 0 28 ORDER (1501)
-TALHO 8657 4 3 1 27 SHENANIGANS (1494)
EDDIE GEORGE 8724 4 1 0 24 SCARLET BROTHERHOOD (1505)
XANTIPAR WYE 8709 4 6 0 24 MIDDLE WAY 19 (1502)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
MARA ACOMA 8712 3 1 0 24 HOUSE OF JADE (1503)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
SELLATRA ROSE 8737 3 1 0 21 MIDDLE WAY 19 (1502)
-KHURST 8738 1 0 0 20 WAVES OF GLADIATION (1507)
-KOS-MOS 8659 4 3 0 19 SHENANIGANS (1494)
SALAH AL'DIN 8752 1 0 0 16 I.H.O. PAINCAKES (1509)
KEYOKE 8711 3 1 0 15 HOUSE OF JADE (1503)
-BRONIOL 8742 1 0 1 14 WAVES OF GLADIATION (1507)
GHOD 8750 1 0 0 14 I.H.O. PAINCAKES (1509)
EARL BRUCE 8723 3 2 0 11 SCARLET BROTHERHOOD (1505)
-MAYSIN 8741 1 0 0 11 WAVES OF GLADIATION (1507)
PAPWYEO 8713 3 1 0 10 HOUSE OF JADE (1503)
JIM TRESSEL 8727 2 3 0 9 SCARLET BROTHERHOOD (1505)
LUJAN 8715 2 2 0 8 HOUSE OF JADE (1503)
BHANDARKAR 8753 1 0 0 6 I.H.O. PAINCAKES (1509)
ARIES 8701 1 3 0 6 ORDER (1501)
-KIRKLEIS 8740 1 0 0 5 WAVES OF GLADIATION (1507)
SCORPIO 8743 0 2 0 2 ORDER (1501)
-MORTIS 8679 0 1 0 1 GOLDEN HORDE (1497)
MISKA KELL 8766 0 1 0 1 HOUSE OF JADE (1503)
-OCLOR 8739 0 1 0 1 WAVES OF GLADIATION (1507)
LEO 8704 0 1 0 1 ORDER (1501)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
PERSONAL ADS
Kos-Mos -- Bang! one hit, like I said. You make funny sounds. Maybe we visit in
hospital. *snort* -- One Eyed Mack
Gemini -- Ouch! Uh...where am I? -- Glaive
All -- Eat that bruce! *blink* Wow, a 24 point gain and I'm not even mentioned!
What gives! Ok, who's getting pay offs? -- Bastor
Shenannigans -- Fate brought you to the forefront as our arch rival, you have been a
worthy opponent which we will miss but surely will find others. Anemone has fallen.
We honor him, for it was a lucky blow. IF not for that, surely he would have won.
Order surprised us with the BF and you have one shot. Good luck and fare well. Till
swords meet. -- Faux Tides, mgr. Gavin Rule
Sorry, these were from last cycle, but were mixed in the middle of the
turnsheets and I didn't find them 'til I ran the turn. -- NAIEI
Oh, for pete's sake! Middle Way 19 is charter this turn and will be gone the next.
How tedious of them! I have no idea where they'll end up, probably inactive in some
closed arena. Middle Way 20 will be along right behind though. Look for them here.
-- Jorja, the Middle Way
Villita thinks she has things to complain about? Beating the Guard is better than
losing to the stupid Embezzling Scribe. -- Xantipar Wye
Defeating the Cult Member is also good. -- Teebi Shostallo
P.S. But boring.
Oh, wow, what a thrill. The Mordant Deserter is one of the wimpiest standbys going!
-- Salira Tees
P.S. At least I won.
Oclor -- Oh, bad cess! In this newsletter that will contain my comment (turn 259),
on the back page, you'll find a chart giving weapons suitable for a style and the
minimum stats required to use them. Study it. This will help you. -- Sellatra Rose
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
GEMINI was devastated by WOODY HAYES in a 1 minute mismatched Challenge Title fight.
REGGISAKI subdued KEYOKE in a slow 5 minute novice's Challenge melee.
LUJAN was vanquished by XANTIPAR WYE in a 1 minute mismatched Challenge brawl.
ARIES was overpowered by MARA ACOMA in a 1 minute bloody one-sided Challenge fight.
VILLITA ULAN was bested by VENEMOUS CONCUBINE in a 2 minute duel.
SALIRA TEES defeated FRATSFA SLAVE in a 1 minute struggle.
TEEBI SHOSTALLO beat AMBITIOUS GUARD in a 1 minute brawl.
SCORPIO was handily defeated by SELLATRA ROSE in a 1 minute uneven fight.
PAPWYEO was vanquished by ARCHIE GRIFFIN in a 1 minute uneven duel.
EARL BRUCE was vanquished by SALAH AL'DIN in a 1 minute uneven fight.
EDDIE GEORGE vanquished LEO in a 1 minute brutal one-sided fight.
JIM TRESSEL was handily defeated by GHOD in a 2 minute brutal one-sided bout.
BHANDARKAR narrowly defeated MISKA KELL in a 5 minute bloody amateur's competition.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|LUNGING ATTACK 5 SLASHING ATTACK 22 - 10 - 0 69 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 5 LUNGING ATTACK 31 - 15 - 3 67 |
|WALL OF STEEL 3 AIMED BLOW 16 - 11 - 3 59 |
|AIMED BLOW 2 STRIKING ATTACK 26 - 21 - 0 55 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 2 TOTAL PARRY 8 - 8 - 0 50 |
|BASHING ATTACK 2 PARRY-STRIKE 9 - 9 - 0 50 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 2 WALL OF STEEL 10 - 10 - 0 50 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 8 - 16 - 0 33 |
|TOTAL PARRY 1 BASHING ATTACK 9 - 18 - 2 33 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 0 PARRY-LUNGE 4 - 10 - 0 29 |
Turn 259 was great if you Not so great if you used The fighting styles of the
used the fighting styles: the fighting styles: top eleven warriors are:
AIMED BLOW 2 - 0 STRIKING ATTACK 2 - 3 4 LUNGING ATTACK
PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 - 0 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 2 2 STRIKING ATTACK
WALL OF STEEL 2 - 1 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 2 AIMED BLOW
LUNGING ATTACK 3 - 2 TOTAL PARRY 0 - 1 1 SLASHING ATTACK
SLASHING ATTACK 1 - 1 1 WALL OF STEEL
BASHING ATTACK 1 - 1 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
LUNGING ATTACK WOODY HAYES 8726 5 0 0 50 SCARLET BROTHERHOOD (1505)
AIMED BLOW SALIRA TEES 8728 6 2 0 35 MIDDLE WAY 19 (1502)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is VILLITA ULAN 8708. The most popular warrior this
turn was BHANDARKAR 8753. The ten other most popular fighters were WOODY HAYES 8726,
MARA ACOMA 8712, VILLITA ULAN 8708, TEEBI SHOSTALLO 8707, EDDIE GEORGE 8724, XANTIPAR
WYE 8709, SELLATRA ROSE 8737, ARCHIE GRIFFIN 8725, GHOD 8750, and SALIRA TEES 8728.
The least popular fighter this week was KEYOKE 8711. The other ten least popular
fighters were JIM TRESSEL 8727, LEO 8704, EARL BRUCE 8723, SCORPIO 8743, ARIES 8701,
LUJAN 8715, REGGISAKI 8702, GEMINI 8703, MISKA KELL 8766, and SALAH AL'DIN 8752.
THE STOMPING GROUNDS
The new all-basher arena will be in Seam, DM 20. Only new teams (0FE) may
participate. The only rule is that all of your warriors must be bashers.
The first turn of the contest will be due on Monday, April 28. It will be a slow
turn-around arena. If you wish to enter a team, please submit your new team and first
turn strategies before then. Only one team per manager, please.
This arena will stay open indefinitely, providing there is interest (i.e., this is not
a contest that runs a set number of turns, although there are prizes scheduled after
the first 15 rounds). For more information, see details in the first newsletter or on
the forums.
-- RSI
AVERAGE
I was trying to design a warrior that would have no weaknesses, when my mind
wandered (It does this a lot!) to what would be the average stat for this game called
Duelmasters.
Almost at once I came upon the number nine. Why, you may ask?
Okay, I'll tell you, after all that's the point of this article. There are
nineteen levels for each stat, half this is 9.5, since RSI randomly assigns attributes
between 3-21.
In this manner, even if they assign an attribute below average, the player can
bring it up to at least average by adding 6 points when he modifies the rollup. I
checked this assumption with some rolls I have received, and it appears to run true
with some interesting results.
A 9 SZ seems to allow use of any weapon without being too small.
9 ST seems to allow you to use most weapons without the comment "does not have ST
to use weapon well."
9 SP with a 9 DF will give the normal speed/coordination to offensive warriors
and to PS, PL and PR. (Does anyone think WS, TP, AB are normal?)
9 WT with a 9 WL will give no negative wit/will statement (no positive one
either).
A 9 in all attributes leaves 21 points to modify the key stats for a warrior's
style.
I have been trying for a while to design warriors with a minimum of 9 in all
attributes, or to at least be able to train to a 9 in a couple of raises. I am still
trying with mixed results to date.
I lost track to the point or purpose of this article, but maybe it will provoke
some thought, yes, no, maybe? Suggestion and comments will come.
Jeff Hannah, c/o Star Signs, DM 13
EARTHWORM FLAMBE A LA THAIGYN
Arena gourmets, try this tasty tidbit, before, during and after your next
training session:
Ingredients - 3 qts. processed camel spit
1 pint fingernail larva
6K cups giant earthworm droppings (imported)
3 cups sweet'n'sour orc sweat
1 slice head cheese
1 bavarian mint (imported)
1 tsp. toe jam (I would suggest your own)
Directions - 1. Pre-heat oven to 6200C.
2. Grease 1 22x22 Turtle shell.
3. Pour camel spit & orc sweat into shell, mix with high octane
gasoline (unleaded for those on diet), place in oven, and heat for 3 -
4 hours.
4. Place all other ingredients into osterizer at *whip* setting until
thick.
5. Bake for 7 days or until you get that distinctive scorched aroma.
6. Take out of oven, get a match, and light that sucker up.
7. Now scarf it down. Yum, yum.
*It's perfect for those Dark Arena picnics.*
For a first hand experience come over to Thaigyn's Scarf'N'Barf, right next to
the Welcome Wench, or go to D. Tramp's Tune-Up Garage & Salad Bar, 1 block east of
Saugum's Outhouse Inn..
*** Coming to an arena near you, the Steel Breez Chop'N'Slop, (formerly known as
the Eradicator's International House of Toe Jam***
To all, enjoy, Thaigyn of Petrys Acoplys
D. Tramp, Lord Petrys & Ennexa
Mephobasheth of Steel Breez.
Zeb Karan looked around the table at the rest of Dwes Eg's staff. Arenamasters,
standby and Dark Arena warriors, stewards and infirmarians, even the maintenance crew.
There was wine and beer on the side-table, even sandwiches, but no one was partaking.
"Stop looking like your dog died," Lew Voth said. He had once been the
arenamaster of Sentern and had taken his turns overseeing the fights in Dwes Eg. "We
all knew this day would come. When are they closing us down?"
"Immediately after the tourney, according to the information I was given."
"Short notice," Jame Rinvar, another arenamaster commented.
"No offense intended, these things just creep up on people. Tourneys make it
worse, I suppose, all the new teams being entered." Zeb grimaced. "Some of the file
cabinets have exploded from over-stuffing, you know, and it takes so long to run
through all the registered gladiators to find those who are planning to fight on any
given day that the day is OVER by the time we're ready to start."
"Which is why they closed down Sentern, Cimmeriac, and Firehold," Lew pointed
out. "This is the same thing all over again."
"Cycles," Jame said. "Things happen, and then later they happen again. We live
with it. And Dwes Eg did last for, what, eight and a half years before it reached the
explosion point. That isn't bad. That's forever, speaking practically."
"Eight or nine years is not forever--"
"The only thing that's real is today, and maybe, up to a point, tomorrow. I
don't see a problem with this. What are the new parameters, Zeb?"
"Dwes Eg remains open, existing teams can run and can recruit new members. BUT,
no new teams will be accepted. New teams will go into a new arena, DM 84, running its
first turn on the seventh of May. A regular two-week cycle."
"So Dwes Eg isn't actually being closed, just closed to new teams. Okay. This
works," Jame said again. "Number 84... does this mean it'll be out at that Blackstone
place? Rotten weather half the year, but I suppose you could say that about any site.
What about regional allegiance?"
"None specified in the data I received. Probably a personal-choice situation,"
Zeb said.
"Transfers?" Lew asked.
"I don't know about transfers IN," Zeb said, "but I'd guess yes, they would be
allowed. No transfers OUT, though. None out of DM 82, for that matter. Once you're
in 82 or 84, the only way out is death or graduation."
"That fairly describes most arenas," Jame said. "Anyone who takes up the
gladiatorial life has already accepted that."
DEATH INTENT STATEMENT EXPLAINED
In order to keep this brief, I'm going to avoid a long rambling opening and get
right to the meat of the issue. The `death intent statement' (`fights with a deadly
bloodlust in his eyes,' `is going for the kill,' `is eagerly seeking the death blow,'
etc.) can ONLY be gained in normal combat (non-Dark Arena, non-Bloodgames) AFTER
striking an opponent in a vital location (some region of the HE, CH, or AB, pelvis
included.) Once the death intent statement is printed, the struck warrior makes a
roll to survive the fight. If this roll is failed, he is dead, and the rest of the
fight is simply a matter of running down the dead fighter's hit points by normal, non-
critical attacks.
Now, the moral offshoot of this is that, knowing this, any fighter sent out by
his manager attacking a vital location is purposefully increasing his chance of
killing his opponent. The logic is this: if you attack vitals you are more likely to
hit a vital location. In striking a vital, you may get the death intent statement,
and that's then one dice roll to end the fighter. By attacking non-vitals you are
decreasing your chances of striking a vital (by increasing your chances of striking
non-vitals.) Note that this is not flawless, as the percentage of actually HITTING
your attack location is perhaps only 67% on high-deftness fighters, but by not
attacking vitals you are doing the best you can, which is all anyone can ask.
Here's the bottom line. A fighter can run 10-10-10 L-N and NEVER kill (excepting
infirmary deaths, which is an entirely separate case) if he hits only arms or legs.
Thus, while KD is a large factor in determining kills (a head shot by a 10-10-1
fighter is far less likely to get the statement than a head shot by a 10-10-10
fighter,) it is less important than attack location.
Gary Triplett, a.k.a. Miles/Sir Boyd
diplo Crimson Pegasi (arena 105) for advice, questions, comments, wit statement charts
or other charts, etc.
P.S. Apologies to those I said I'd diplo this to. I just decided to make this a
general article. If you're one of the managers in the wave that received only the tan
wit statement chart and the lavender activity statement chart, please re-contact me if
you'd like the explanation sheet, which includes details on all the statements printed
on the fighter overview.
REBUTTAL TO "THE LITTLE BASHER"
So many times I've seen one of these "helpful hints" that I disagreed with, but
never have I been so disgusted that I'd write a rebuttal. Well, this time I could not
sit aside and watch someone slaughter a style that I love.
I am referring to Belegrath's article, entitled, "The Little Basher." Now, even
though I have yet to have a warrior achieve the title of "Lord Protector," I have been
at this game for a couple of years now. I've run bashers more than any other style,
and my record with them is over .500. Therefore, I think I have enough experience and
knowledge to say that Belegrath's basher sucks!!!
The main purpose I write this is not to undermine Belegrath's managerial
abilities, but to warn any new people who might read his article. I don't think
anyone should waste their money on Belegrath's basher theory. Or even worse, to have
someone quit the game after getting the crap beat out of them having warriors modeled
after Belegrath's.
First, I'll tell you what is wrong with "The Little Basher" (to refresh your
memory: 20-6-3-13-7-20-15).
1) The best he can get, regardless of his strength, is good damage because of
his 3 SZ.
2) He'll fall over from exhaustion before the first minute is up, unless you run
a real low activity level. He'll be very frail and have very little endurance.
3) A 3 SZ?!? And what if the war hammer or mace aren't his favorite weapons?
You lost the QS, a very reputable bashing weapon, and the GS, which I've recently
found to be a great bashing weapon.
4) He probably won't pick up too many skills with a 13 WT. Good luck maxing out
in the next decade!!
5) With a 7 WL, he has only a 35% chance to raise a stat ONCE, then the chances
for that same category are halved every time thereafter. Therefore, he'll always be
very frail with poor endurance.
6) 20 SP, what a waste! Bashers, in my opinion, have no need for speed. And
even if you wanted to waste points on speed, you don't need to raise it to such an
extreme. One stat raise here, and you lose app. four skills.
7) 15 DF. This is pretty much the only point I agree with. I know, I know,
bashers don't need deftness. But just imagine a basher with an AB's accuracy!
I had a ST once who looked similar to Belegrath's basher. He looked like this:
19-4-13-16-3-19-10. What happened to him, you ask? He was killed by a maul-wielding
scum basher on his third fight. In his first two fights he hacked the crap out of two
TP's, and then fell over from exhaustion. No broken shields, no broken bones. Get
the point, yet?
Now, a better basher, not the best, mind you, would look like this:
13 ST Achieve good damage (possibly great) and be able to use all
bashing weapons (except HL).
10 CN This isn't important, but at least he'll be able to take a couple
of blows.
9 SZ Fulfills requirement for all bashing weapons.
17 WT A nice number. 19 isn't good, and 21 means that it should be
something else.
15 WL Gives at least normal endurance, and increases chances of raising
stats.
5 SP SP is unimportant, absolutely no need! Although, it will take a
few more skills to get a rating in Decise.
15 DF Wonderful to have DF. Keeps them from swinging at the flies (Most
of the time).
Well, there you have it. I hope I cleared things up a little. I doubt if anyone
else agrees with me, but that's what makes this game so fun!
LUVUALLWAYS,
Vanion
Drunken Stupor (11) The Dawn-Men (67)
The Dark (26) Othrsydosanity (74)
THE UN-SCUM
The type of TP I make will often win fights without ever getting hit! The fights
are exciting to read, full of dodges and ripostes, and if you've never seen a TP
outjump a Basher, make an offensive TP.
ST: 7-13 All you really need is normal damage! 11 is perfect, for carrying capacity
and weapon selection. Good damage is nice to have, but if it looks like your rollup
will get good or great, he's probably better off as a WS, LU or BA.
CN: 9-16 Again, all you need is normal. We're making a finesse substyle, and the
points are badly needed on WT, WL and DF. Just make sure he can take a hit or two.
Don't add any points here on the rollup, but go ahead and raise it later if you think
he needs it. Endurance is not a priority.
SZ: 3-9 A single digit is important for dodging and activity levels. I will go as
high as 10, but any bigger and you can't dodge well enough. Small size also helps
parry and defense, as well as getting a good activity and elusive statement on the
overview. Plus, you need the points below.
WT: 15, 17 or 21 only! This is the biggie, he'll learn like crazy! I know what
you're saying, "my 11 WT SCUM learns 3 skills a fight!" Yeah, but your SCUM's skill
base will be so low, when he's maxxed out in skills, my off. TP will be at the same
level of expertise by his 10th fight! For any style, 90% of the skills are in WT, WL
and DF, and that's where the 14 points must go.
WL: 13-21 As with any fighter, more is better. However, you can get by with normal
endurance, believe it or not! This TP will wear moderate armor, and can run active
for 6-7 minutes with normal endurance. That's long enough for all but a few
opponents. Raise WL on the rollup to 17 or 21 if you can, but if 13 or 15 is all he
can have, he'll be okay.
SP: 5-9 This is a touchy area, and can make or break your TP. I like to use 7, 8
or 9. If you use 5 or 6, he'd better be small, and have a 17 or 21 WT. OR, a CN that
will allow him to take a lot of damage. If he's too big, dumb and slow then he'll get
"slow and inactive" on the overview, and that is too scummy for my TP. You MUST have
normal or better activity. SP also helps with your riposte, crucial to the off. TP.
DF: 11-17 Second in importance, behind WT. Parry, Riposte, Defense and Attack are
your mainstays, and they're all enhanced by a high DF. Try to get normal coordination
(SP+DF=21) if possible.
Here are some examples of good off. TPs, all are real fighters;
11 10 8 11 7 11 10
14 12 15 9 15 13 12
7 4 7 6 8 7 10
17 15 15 17 21 17 17
17 21 17 21 13 17 13
5 7 9 9 7 8 8
13 15 13 11 13 11 13
Now, how to fight them, you ask? Every one of them seems to like to run
differently, I've seen some tee off at 2-7-5, some do better at 4-4-5, some 2-3-2,
even those who go 3-3-5 first min, then go ballistic in the second (10-10-6). Also,
some run 7-7-7! You just have to play around with the numbers, 'til you find what
works best. Here's a general strategy I usually start with:
4 5 6 7 4 3 10 Armor: I use ARM/H most of the time,
7 6 5 4 4 2 10 but guys like examples #1 and 2
5 5 5 5 5 5 6 would be better off in ACM/F. If
facing a LU or SL, you can wear
RA ------------------------> HE APA/F (yes, even with normal endur-
AM ------------------------> HE ance!), 'cause the LU or SL is going
- - - - - - - to drop in min. 2, more than likely.
S S - - - - D
Weapons: Any sword and shield you're suited to, as well as the Quarterstaff and the
Longspear. Vs. heavy armor, use a BS two-handed.
Tactics: Parry, dodge, and especially vs. strikers, responsiveness! Resp. will drive
other managers nuts, prompting them to say, "How'd you do that?" My favorite tactic
for the Un-Scum.
Matchups: Every striker in the arena should be on your hit-list. Other good
challenges are PS, WS, PR, BA. Avoid lungers and ABs like the plague!
So, there you have it. If you'd rather have a TP who's as elusive as a La-Z-Boy
than one who sidesteps more blows than he parries, then don't follow my advice. But,
if you're ready to have fun fights with TPs, and watch their popularity rise (except
vs. scum) every match, then that's what I offer you.
Brought to you by Buri of the G.A.P.P.D.A., MGR. Aesier (3, 104), Swords of
Sergio (4, 104), S.O.S. (59), and way too many others. Fell free to diplo me, for
praise, ridicule, or just for the halibut.
Duelmasters for Dummies
There are handbooks around that will guide you in becoming the hottest player
Duelmasters has ever seen... if you're prepared to work at it. But what if you don't
want to be hot, but only pleasantly warm, have a good time, and not fret and stew
over maximizing the potential of every roll-up you receive? What if spending months
in the Dark Arena searching for the perfect roll-up sounds boring? What if the
"Perfect Warrior" is not for you, and you have no intention of dominating Gateway?
What if such handbooks as the Enchiridion represent "more than you ever wanted to
know" about the inner workings and minute tunings of the game?
This article is for you....
You have a new roll-up sheet in front of you; it doesn't matter whether it's a
new team or only one replacement. How do you design the warrior(s) for best present
enjoyment? First, don't send anyone straight to the Dark Arena. Okay, do if you
like to read Dark Arena fights, but not otherwise. Give every roll-up, regardless of
"Perfect Warrior" potential or lack thereof, your best design efforts and a chance to
show his stuff. Some supposed duds will surprise you.
A few simple rules for basic warrior design and strategy:
1) Aim at achieving an odd number in your key stats, 15 is good, 17 is better,
except in unusual cases (DF for aimed blows), 21 is too much of a good thing.
2) Wit and Will are the key stats for any warrior except a freak experiment.
Deftness and Strength are second, Speed and Constitution are third.
3) Offensive styles (Basher, Lunger, Slasher, Striker) and Total Parries are
easier to run and easier to win with than the finesse styles (Aimed Blows, Parry-
anythings, Walls of Steel). Yes, the finesse styles can be fun and devastating, but
don't START there. Start with the easier styles and work up to finesse. Watch out
for stereotypes. Big, dumb, clumsy bashers do not generally do well. Fast, brainy
lungers with low CN and WL burn out early in the first minute and also tend to die
easily. A medium good roll-up will do well at any of the offensive styles.
4) Pick your arena with some care, as different arenas favor and reward
different styles of play and different tones in the personals.
Generally speaking, arenas of the Andorian and Lirith Kai regions will frown on
down-challenges and deliberate killing, and hostile "trash-talking" personals will
not be appreciated. On the whole, these Andorian and Adantri arenas are the more
sociable arenas and will tend to have more personals and more role-playing. (There
are, of course, exceptions.) Players in the Andorian and Lirith Kai arenas will tend
to be helpful to a newcomer.
Arenas of the Delarquan region will accept more aggressive styles in play and in
personals, more down-challenging, and more killing... BUT you can expect to draw a
quick and hard response in kind. Generally these arenas are not as friendly as the
Andorians, and they are much less likely to help out a newcomer.
The arenas of the Free Blades region vary more among themselves than those of
the other regions but generally tend to fall in between the Andorian and Delarquan
extremes.
5) When arming your warrior, check the Weapon/Style/Stat Suitability chart
below, probably THE most useful chart for a beginner. It sorts the weapons by style,
listing only those that are favored by each style, and gives the minimum stats (in
ST, SZ, WT, and DF) to use any particular weapon. Note which weapons your warrior is
physically able to use. Arm him with something he can use and that is favored by his
style, and GIVE HIM A BACK-UP WEAPON, even if it's only a dagger. Do not be misled
by real-world logic, by the way: bashers are not well-suited to using the fists as
weapons! (If you are going to use the same weapon against all armor weights, it
isn't necessary to make three categories on your strategy sheet, and it annoys the
inputter.)
In fact, you might want to consult the chart below before picking a style for
your new warrior. It is not a good idea to make a warrior into, say, a basher, if he
is unable to use well any of the basher's weapons of choice. (I've done this by not
paying attention, and I have ALWAYS regretted it afterward.) For example, I just got
a replacement who is 8-10-20-9-12-4-7. If I make it 9-10-20-15-17-4-9, then I should
NOT make it a Basher, because the poor goop couldn't use any bashing weapon well. If
I go with this set of numbers, he should probably be a Lunger using a short spear, or
a Striker using a hatchet. But if I drop WT to 13 and raise ST to 11, he could use a
broadsword and might make a Slasher; equally, if I drop WT to 13 and raise DF to 11,
instead, he could use a scimitar and make a Slasher.... Choices, choices....
6) Put armor on the warrior before sending him out to fight. Armor saves
lives. Total Parries can take the heaviest armors, as they generally don't move
around a lot. Offensives can run faster with no armor or leather armor, but that
doesn't give them much protection. If you're worried about their survival, put them
in mid-weight armor; I favor ringmail for this, but scalemail and chainmail are also
options. Always put something on their heads! A blow to the head can be especially
deadly, so give them protection there--at least a steel cap, a helm for choice, a
full helm if the warrior is a Total Parry.
7) Train skills, unless/until you're sure this is going to be a throw-away,
short-term warrior.
8) Challenge warriors above your warrior, and/or those with more fights, for
the best chance to learn skills. Challenge warriors below your warrior to improve
your chances of winning and to provoke maximum hostility from other managers.
Repeated challenges to the same warrior, when there are other targets available, will
also provoke hostility.
9) Avoid teams with high kill percentages and teams that regularly down-
challenge or repeat-challenge.
10) Don't run a warrior 10-10-10 unless you like to see him go berserk and then
collapse half way through the first minute. Yes, the pure offensives should run
fast, but drop either Activity Level or Kill Desire or both by a few points if your
warrior doesn't have a good or better endurance. If endurance is not mentioned on
the warrior's overview, then it is "normal" or "average," and 10-10-10 will probably
burn him out early in the fight. If endurance is poor, don't even think of it.
(Yes, I can hear all you number crunchers out there rising up to point out that there
are exceptions. I admit the exceptions, but these are general guidelines for the
average beginner. Exceptions belong in a different article.} Generally speaking,
Total Parries should run slowly.
11) Be wary of using tactics. Sometimes they help, sometimes they hinder, and
they're tricky. Even when a tactic gives some clear benefit, remember that it comes
with a built-in danger in that it commits the warrior to that attitude during the
minute it is used. A defensive tactic will tend to hinder offense, offensive tactics
will reduce the warrior's defense. Do not use both an offensive and a defensive
tactic in the same minute.
12) Fill out your strategy sheet clearly and completely to avoid antagonizing
the inputter! Don't make her guess what you want your warrior to do.
13) Write personal ads to take part in the player-player interaction. This is
a significant part of the fun of the game. If you want other managers to help you
learn, write =friendly= personals! Surprising how some people miss this obvious
point, but the obnoxious managers are likely to have a hard time getting help.
14) Fill out the front part of the Warrior Census Form. Picking a warrior's
race can make him a more clearly realized character and one that it is more fun to
write personals for. Filling out the warrior sayings can make reading the fights
more amusing. Fill out the back of the form only if you feel like it, as NOTHING on
the back, not even the character stats, has any effect on the fights. The back of
the form is all role-playing information and, at this time, will only be used if/when
your warrior appears in a spotlight written by a staff writer. When/if the extension
of the Duelmasters system for which the back of the form was originally intended is
completed, you will have another chance to fill out this stuff.
Weapons, Styles, Minimum Stats required for use
The weapons best-suited to each style are listed under that style. If a weapon is
not listed under that style, then it is not well-suited to use by that style.
Regardless of style, however, the stats required to use a weapon are the same.
This chart was composed with information found in the Enchiridion, and I thank
Pagan for making it readily available.
Aimed Blow nine weapons Slasher eight weapons
Dagger ST - SZ - WT 7 DF 7 Battleaxe ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 9
Epee ST 7 SZ - WT 15 DF 15 Broadsword ST 11 SZ - WT 9 DF 7
FiST - presumably any Epee ST 7 SZ - WT 15 DF 15
Longspear ST 11 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 9 Greataxe ST 13 SZ 5 WT 9 DF 11
Longsword ST 11 SZ - WT 13 DF 11 Hatchet ST 5 SZ - WT 3 DF 7
Quarterstaff ST 11 SZ 9 WT 11 DF 11 Longsword ST 11 SZ - WT 13 DF 11
Scimitar ST 9 SZ - WT 11 DF 11 Scimitar ST 9 SZ - WT 11 DF 11
Shortspear ST 9 SZ - WT 7 DF 7 Shortsword ST 5 SZ - WT 11 DF 3
Shortsword ST 5 SZ - WT 11 DF 3
Striker Note that the strikers can
Basher eleven weapons use every weapon plus the small shield
Greataxe ST 13 SZ 5 WT 9 DF 11 effectively. This is the only style that
Greatsword ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 11 has so broad a selection. Twenty-one
Halberd ST 17 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 9 weapons.
Large shield ST 11 SZ 7 WT 5 DF 5 Battleaxe ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 9
Mace ST 13 SZ - WT 3 DF 5 Broadsword ST 11 SZ - WT 9 DF 7
Maul ST 15 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 7 Dagger ST - SZ - WT 7 DF 7
Medium shield ST 9 SZ - WT 5 DF 5 Epee ST 7 SZ - WT 15 DF 15
Morningstar ST 13 SZ - WT 7 DF 13 FiST - presumably any
Quarterstaff ST 11 SZ 9 WT 11 DF 11 Greataxe ST 13 SZ 5 WT 9 DF 11
Warflail ST 11 SZ - WT 7 DF 5 Greatsword ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 11
Warhammer ST 13 SZ - WT 5 DF 7 Halberd ST 17 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 9
Hatchet ST 5 SZ - WT 3 DF 7
Lunger five weapons Longspear ST 11 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 9
Epee ST 7 SZ - WT 15 DF 15 Longsword ST 11 SZ - WT 13 DF 11
Longspear ST 11 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 9 Mace ST 13 SZ - WT 3 DF 5
Longsword ST 11 SZ - WT 13 DF 11 Maul ST 15 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 7
Shortspear ST 9 SZ - WT 7 DF 7 Morningstar ST 13 SZ - WT 7 DF 13
Shortsword ST 5 SZ - WT 11 DF 3 Quarterstaff ST 11 SZ 9 WT 11 DF 11
Scimitar ST 9 SZ - WT 11 DF 11
Parry-Lunger six weapons Shortspear ST 9 SZ - WT 7 DF 7
Epee ST 7 SZ - WT 15 DF 15 Shortsword ST 5 SZ - WT 11 DF 3
Longspear ST 11 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 9 Small shield ST 5 SZ - WT 5 DF 5
Longsword ST 11 SZ - WT 13 DF 11 Warflail ST 11 SZ - WT 7 DF 5
Scimitar ST 9 SZ - WT 11 DF 11 Warhammer ST 13 SZ - WT 5 DF 7
Shortspear ST 9 SZ - WT 7 DF 7
Shortsword ST 5 SZ - WT 11 DF 3 Total Parry twelve weapons
Parry-Riposte six weapons Battleaxe ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 9
Epee ST 7 SZ - WT 15 DF 15 Broadsword ST 11 SZ - WT 9 DF 7
Longspear ST 11 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 9 Epee ST 7 SZ - WT 15 DF 15
Longsword ST 11 SZ - WT 13 DF 11 Greatsword ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 11
Scimitar ST 9 SZ - WT 11 DF 11 Large shield ST 11 SZ 7 WT 5 DF 5
Shortspear ST 9 SZ - WT 7 DF 7 Longspear ST 11 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 9
Shortsword ST 5 SZ - WT 11 DF 3 Longsword ST 11 SZ - WT 13 DF 11
Medium shield ST 9 SZ - WT 5 DF 5
Parry-Striker eleven weapons Quarterstaff ST 11 SZ 9 WT 11 DF 11
Battleaxe ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 9 Scimitar ST 9 SZ - WT 11 DF 11
Broadsword ST 11 SZ - WT 9 DF 7 Shortsword ST 5 SZ - WT 11 DF 3
Epee ST 7 SZ - WT 15 DF 15 Small shield ST 5 SZ - WT 5 DF 5
Greatsword ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 11
Longsword ST 11 SZ - WT 13 DF 11 Wall of Steel eight weapons
Quarterstaff ST 11 SZ 9 WT 11 DF 11 Battleaxe ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 9
Scimitar ST 9 SZ - WT 11 DF 11 Broadsword ST 11 SZ - WT 9 DF 7
Shortspear ST 9 SZ - WT 7 DF 7 Greataxe ST 13 SZ 5 WT 9 DF 11
Shortsword ST 5 SZ - WT 11 DF 3 Greatsword ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 11
Small shield ST 5 SZ - WT 5 DF 5 Morningstar ST 13 SZ - WT 7 DF 13
Warhammer ST 13 SZ - WT 5 DF 7 Quarterstaff ST 11 SZ 9 WT 11 DF 11
Scimitar ST 9 SZ - WT 11 DF 11
Warflail ST 11 SZ - WT 7 DF 5
Jorja
The Middle Way
DM 93 and elsewhere