DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER
Date : 06/07/2008 Duedate: 06/20/2008
NOBLISH ISLAND ARENA
DM-93 TURN-262
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
MARA ACOMA
HOUSE OF JADE (1503)
(93-8712) [6-1-0,65]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
POSITION IS EMPTY MARA ACOMA
HOUSE OF JADE (1503)
(93-8712) [6-1-0,65]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
GEMINI ELLYN GRUNE
ORDER (1501) MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514)
(93-8703) [6-2-0,42] (93-8781) [3-0-0,31]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
(-1)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514) 34
2. HOUSE OF JADE (1503) 16 AVENGERS (287)
3. SCARLET BROTHERHOOD (1505) 0 Unchartered Team
4. TEARS OF THE WASTE (267) 0
5. ORDER (1501) -4 MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1- 2*SCARLET BROTHERHO (1505) 23 10 0 69.7 1/ 2*HOUSE OF JADE (1503) 9 6 0
2/ 5*MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514) 9 6 0 60.0 2/ 3*MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514) 9 6 0
3- 4*TEARS OF THE WASTE (267) 14 10 1 58.3 3- 1*SCARLET BROTHERHO (1505) 6 4 0
4/ 3*HOUSE OF JADE (1503) 20 15 0 57.1 4/ 4*ORDER (1501) 5 10 0
5/ 6*ORDER (1501) 12 21 0 36.4 5- 6*TEARS OF THE WASTE (267) 1 0 0
'*' Unchartered team '-' Team did not fight this turn
(###) Avoid teams by their Team Id ##/## This turn's/Last turn's rank
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
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WARRIOR INFORMATION
(Consortium recent grads May 2008)
This information and these numbers are posted for informational purposes only.
Mainly developed for training/learning in DM93, The Newby Arena, the posting is also
being made in selected other arenas.
This collection of appx 25 warriors includes the most recent, without exception,
ADM Consortium graduates. Most have zero or limited tournament fights, but a couple
of the "better" warriors do have reasonable tournament time. All of these warriors
were developed and "played" in varying active DM arenas.
starting stats burned to: faves arena record
AIMER
4-12- 7-21-15- 4-21 --no burn-- DA - VL/MD 13- 7-0
8- 9-10-17- 9-10-21 9- 9-10-17- 9-10-21 SS - MD/MD 14- 6-0
BASHER
12- 5-16-14-19-12- 6 14- 6-16-15-21-12- 7 MA - MD/VL 19- 5-2
13- 9-14-15-10-12-11 (no burn) ML - HI/LO 14- 8-2
15-16-11- 8-20- 9- 5 18-19-11-12-21-10- 9 ML - MD/LO 30- 8-2
16- 4- 9-15-17-12-11 17- 5- 9-15-18-12-11 WF - HI/VL 17-13-0
LUNGER
11- 8-11-16-15-12-11 12-10-11-17-16-14-11 SS - MD/VH 25-17-1
12- 8-10-21-17- 5-11 12-10-10-21-18- 5-11 LS - LO/HI 15- 3-0
10- 3-12-16-20-13-10 11- 5-12-17-21-14-11 LS - VH/HI 17- 6-0
PLUNGER
--none--
RIPPER
10- 9- 9-17-17- 5-17 11-11- 9-17-17- 5-17 EP - MD/MD 14- 6-0
PIKER
11-11-14-21- 9- 3-15 --no burn-- BS - LO/LO 19-12-1
SLASHER
10- 9-10-14-16-11-14 11-10-10-15-17-12-15 EP - HI/VL 26-12-0
9-12-10-17-17- 8-11 --no burn-- GA - VH/VL 14- 6-0
STRIKER
9- 3-21-17- 9-14-11 10- 3-21-17- 9-14-11 GS - MD/VL 14- 9-0
9- 4-10-15- 9-16-21 --no burn-- BA - MD/MD 19- 8-0
17- 8- 6-17- 9-10-17 --no burn-- QS - HI/VL 16- 8-2
17- 9- 7-21- 9- 6-15 --no burn-- LO - LO/LO 15- 3-1
TOTAL PARRY
16-14- 9- 4-16- 9-16 18-16- 9- 7-19-10-17 LO- VL/LO 30-16-0
17-20- 9- 3-16- 9-10 19-21- 9- 5-19-10-11 ME - LO/VL 37-10-0
8-13-10-15-21- 4-13 9-14-10-15-21- 4-13 LG - VL/VL 18-11-1
12-16- 7- 9-21- 4-15 13-19- 7-11-21- 5-17 SM - VL/LO 22- 3-0
12-20- 9- 5-15-10-13 14-21- 9- 8-18-11-15 SC - LO/LO 25-15-0
17-20- 7- 4-19-12- 5 21-21- 7- 7-21-13- 8 ME - LO/LO 19- 6-0
WASTE
11-14-12-15-16-5-11 12-15-12-15-17- 5-11 SC - HI/LO 24- 7-0
10-13-16-15-15-5-10 11-14-16-16-17- 6-11 MS - MD/LO 25-12-0
Use the information as you see fit.
The Consortium Elders
wfms101@aol.com (if you want to ask or comment)
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Profile of a Style
Slashers
This article is not the Last Word on Slashers. But I've run a lot of them, and
I think I have something useful to say. They were my default style when I was
learning the game; if I didn't know what else to do with a roll-up, I made it a
Slasher, armed it with a scimitar, and ran it 10-10-x until I figured out what I
should be doing instead. Usually, "instead" meant lightening the armor and slowing
them down because they got tired too fast, activity level first, then if necessary,
offensive effort. An amazing number of them survived and even graduated on this
strategy.
I have the details of sixty-five immortal Slashers here, warriors who,
regardless of my managerial expertise or lack thereof, managed to survive to
graduation. Some are very bad, but lucky. A few are very good. Most are ordinary
warriors of moderate ability, made from the kind of roll-ups that you see every day.
I'm not going to list all sixty-five of them, which is way too many for a practical
discussion, but think of them in the background, confirming or denying suggestions
and suppositions.
Favorite weapons: You will find that only those weapons which may show up as
favorites when a warrior graduates will be listed as "well-suited" in the fight
reports. These favored weapons vary with style, and I assure you they have been
thoroughly researched by players over the years.
The eight weapons suitable for use by Slashers, and the minimum stats required
to use them, are:
Battleaxe ST 15 WT 9 DF 9 \\ 12 in sample
Broadsword ST 11 WT 9 DF 7 \\ 7 in sample
Epee ST 7 WT 15 DF 15 \\ 5 in sample
Greataxe ST 13 WT 9 DF 11 \\ 8 in sample
Hatchet ST 5 WT 3 DF 7 \\ 9 in sample
Longsword ST 11 WT 13 DF 11 \\ 8 in sample
Scimitar ST 9 WT 11 DF 11 \\ 10 in sample
Shortsword ST 5 WT 11 DF 3 \\ 6 in sample
[Data courtesy of Pagan and other managers, for which I thank them. Any errors are
my own.]
The final number on each line is the total number of Slashers in my sample who
had the weapon in question as a favorite. (Just as a warning on the unreliability of
statistics, the first twenty-two warriors on my Slasher list favored an axe of some
kind over a sword by 2 to 1. But on the group of sixty-five, the proportions are
reversed! Tricky things, numbers.)
Study this chart, and resist the temptation to make a Slasher who doesn't have
the stats to use at least one of these weapons well. I can tell you from bitter
experience that you do not want a warrior who is unsuited to every weapon in the book
by reason of either stat deficiencies or style preferences. If you haven't done it
yet, then take my advice and avoid this pitfall; it is enormously frustrating.
Weapons not listed on this chart are not suited to the slashing style. Really,
we're not guessing--managers have tested this repeatedly, and arming a Slasher with,
say, a war hammer or a long spear will always, regardless of his stats, get the
result "uses this weapon in an unorthodox style" (meaning "badly"). You want to
avoid that.
As you can see from the list above, a Slasher doesn't have just ONE important
stat where weapon choice is concerned. Over all, strength, wit, and deftness are
equally important, but there is enough variation that a warrior deficient in one area
but not the others can find something to fight with.
Below are two dozen immortal Slashers, three who favor each of the Slasher's
weapons, their relevant stats, and their favorite rhythms.
Battleaxe
Damoreth ST 13 WT 17 DF 11 H/VL
Kaltho ST 10 WT 17 DF 13 VH/L
Robin ST 10 WT 17 DF 7 M/M
Note that none of these three warriors has the minimum stats needed to use a
battleaxe to best advantage! That's one of the little tricks the Commission plays on
us to make sure we don't find things too easy. You'll see others below who lack some
critical stat needed for using their favorite weapon, also.
Broadsword
The Kid ST 13 WT 11 DF 11 H/L
Elin ST 19 WT 11 DF 17 H/VL
Gilis ST 9 WT 17 DF 11 H/VL
Epee
Billie ST 12 WT 12 DF 9 H/VL
Anlis ST 11 WT 15 DF 13 VH/L
Kyra ST 9 WT 11 DF 17 M/VL
Greataxe
Kothland ST 10 WT 15 DF 9 H/VL
Jane Erh ST 9 WT 15 DF 15 M/VL
Ginger ST 9 WT 11 DF 11 H/VL
Hatchet
Kirmo ST 9 WT 15 DF 13 H/VL
Treefrog ST 10 WT 13 DF 9 H/L
Medio Curr ST 9 WT 11 DF 13 H/L
Longsword
Goff ST 9 WT 11 DF 9 H/VL
Tumbleweed ST 11 WT 13 DF 9 H/L
Nelinaria ST 12 WT 17 DF 13 H/L
Scimitar
Horace ST 13 WT 11 DF 13 VH/VL
Wolf ST 9 WT 15 DF 13 H/VL
Geladina ST 9 WT 15 DF 12 M/VL
Shortsword
Rover ST 13 WT 9 DF 11 VH/VL
Riya ST 10 WT 15 DF 9 VH/VL
Hammir ST 9 WT 15 DF 13 VH/L
My habit of giving any Slasher with the necessary stats a scimitar to wield
means that a lot of these warriors never ran their favorite weapon. But they
survived anyway, because the scimitar is so GOOD. I really like arming Slashers (and
many other styles) with scimitars, and I highly recommend it. Just one scimitar in
hand, off-hand empty, and a back-up on the belt. A warrior who does NOT have the
stats for a scimitar (hard to imagine, given my basic design philosophy) is not
trained as a Slasher.
Which brings us to the question of warrior design. With me, if I'm determined
that a warrior shall be a Slasher, the basic design decisions are already made: a
Slasher must be able to use a scimitar. Okay, not always. Seven of the twenty-four
warriors listed above lack the deftness for a scimitar, which means I probably sent
them out with a shortsword or a hatchet. But "able to use a scimitar" is still my
basic Slasher criterion. If there are points left over after arranging that, I put
'em on will. And if will is 11 or better, I MIGHT put some points on speed, just to
see what happens.
You will note that I don't figure any points to be added to CN. True, a Slasher
burns endurance rapidly and may get tired in less than a minute if running hard. But
Slashers are offensive warriors. They aren't out there for a long fight; their style
wins quickly by attacking, or quits and fights another day. For the same reason, I
am unlikely to put a Slasher in anything heavier than leather armor. (The "quits to
fight another day" strategy has offensive effort and kill desire both dropped to
moderate or lower in desperation.)
Favorite rhythm: As I said at the beginning, when I started playing, I used to
run my Slashers 10-10-x, and many of them did well enough to graduate under that
regimen. But looking at the favorites from my graduated Slashers, I find no
offensive effort lower than Moderate (5 or 6) and no activity level higher than
moderate. It breaks down this way:
Very High (9-10)/Moderate (5-6): 2
Very High (9-10)/Low (4-5): 6
Very High (9-10)/Very Low (1-2): 8
High (7-8)/Moderate (5-6): 1
High (7-8)/Low (3-4): 10
High (7-8)/Very Low (1-2): 21
Moderate (5-6)/Moderate (5-6): 4
Moderate (5-6)/Low (3-4): 6
Moderate (5-6)/Very Low (1-2) 7
This gives you a clear idea of how the Gladiatorial Commission sees Slashers:
offensive. In all but four out of sixty-five cases, offensive effort is higher than
activity level, and sometimes--often--it's a lot higher. This is not to say that you
will always want to run your Slasher hard and fast, which will burn his endurance at
a furious rate, but this is what he does best.
There is no evidence to support the hypothesis that warriors have a favorite
kill desire.
There is no convincing evidence to support the hypothesis that warriors have a
favorite attack location. Logical arguments based on real-life concepts do not
necessarily apply to Duelmasters. There IS evidence to support the claim that
increased deftness means a better chance of hitting the designated attack location,
in case you wondered about that. And even without training DF to a higher number, a
warrior appears to gain accuracy with experience and an increase in skills.
Favorite Tactics: In my sample of sixty-five warriors, only four have a
favorite tactic, and in all four cases that favorite is the offensive tactic Slash.
This is not to say that your warrior can't use any other tactic to advantage, because
maybe he can. Well, okay, I wouldn't give him a Bash tactic, and probably not a
Lunge, either.... But apparently the only tactic he really likes is Slash.
Going from the general to the specific--
Profile of a Warrior
Black Victor
Slasher
Vic is 9-7-15-17-15-10-11, no stats trained, and he was 22-18-2 running on
maintenance at the time he received his graduation notice. He had an advanced master
in initiative, and advanced expert in riposte, a master in attack, and an advanced
expert in decisiveness.
According to his overview, he is very intelligent (something not always
demonstrated in his dealings with his teammates)
Nothing short of a genius at keeping his foes at sword's point
Does a lot of little things well
Uses an unusual fighting style, deadly to slower, less active foes (I have
NEVER gotten an overview that claimed the warrior used a hackneyed, common fighting
style that would result in getting himself killed)
Avoids blows well
He's an extremely active fighter (the SP and DF)
Cannot take a lot of punishment (low CN)
Can only carry a very little weight in armor and weapons (low ST)
Is very quick on his feet
Avoiding rather than trading blows
Can do good damage with a blow (largely a result of his SZ)
The Commission claim he favors a battle axe, which he has never tried, and a
rhythm of very high offensive effort and very low activity level
At the time this invitation to the Isle arrived, he was running 10-10-8 straight
across, carrying a scimitar and backup scimitar, in leather armor and a helm,
attacking right arm, protecting body, and using no tactics. Sunset (DM 21) is not an
easy arena, but this strategy--you'll note that it is not his "favorite"--got him out
alive.
But suppose he had the same stats but some other style. What difference might
that have made? None to his ability to take and deal out damage, but more than you
might think to his initial, or base, skills. Several managers (Sir Boyd and Pagan
are prominent among them, but I know others have helped, all unsung) have done a lot
of research, analysis, and experiment on the relation between a warrior's starting
stats and style and his starting skills. (Note that a warrior's starting skills may
not be exactly what the charts would lead you to expect. There is a luck factor; a
warrior may sometimes have more or fewer of a given skill than expected.) His
ability to take and deal out damage, and to carry or not carry weight would have
remained the same, but....
This is how Vic would have stacked up as a warrior of another style in the
skills department:
Skills
Style Init Rip Att Par Def Dec Total
AB 5 3 6 1 5 10 30
BA 12 7 10 1 3 10 33
LU 13 7 12 1 7 9 49
PL 10 7 10 3 5 8 43
PR 8 11 6 3 3 6 37
PS 8 7 6 3 5 8 37
SL 14 7 10 -1 5 9 44
ST 9 7 6 0 5 10 37
TP 8 7 4 7 5 6 37
WS 14 7 10 5 5 8 49
All styles are not created equal, but have their own various strengths and
weaknesses.
Do you look at this chart and wonder why all warriors aren't created lungers and
walls of steel? Well, a lot of them are, especially lungers. Some die of that low
CN, inability to carry much armor, and lack of parry and defense skills. Some fall
victim to bad matches, develop losing records (this warrior is NOT at his best
against a long-haul total parry, for instance), and get sent to the Dark Arena. Some
managers simply LIKE to play other styles, and can make up in skilled management what
the warrior may lose on the initial roll-up.
Which brings me to an issue I would like to just mention to those of you here
who are new managers. You can design warriors to maximize starting skills. Let's
suppose that Vic's initial roll-up had a ST of 7 and I decided NOT to add two points
to it. I could have put those points on either WT, WL, or DF, the three most skill-
rich stats and had more skills for him to start with. But with a ST of 7, I couldn't
have counted on getting at least normal damage done, even with his big SZ, and
"little damage" has been the end of many warriors. What good are skills if you can't
take your opponent down? If I'd accepted a lower CN, I could have put more points
into stockpiling skills... and maybe gotten a "very frail" warrior, one who couldn't
survive a blow. What good are skills if you can die from a single blow?
Good warrior design is a balancing act. You have to know what you expect of the
warrior: is he to be a long-term project, destined to dominate high-end play, or a
dixie-cup short-term warrior? A short-term warrior can get away with a lot of
"design flaws" that would be disaster for a long-termer. He can get away with being
very frail, or having a WL too low for training up stats. He can be experimental.
But the first requirement for a long-term warrior is that he survive to reach the
Isle and immortality. Skills alone are not enough for that.
Jorja
Middle Way
P.S. If there's something you'd specifically like to hear about, ASK. I don't know
what your questions are if you don't ask 'em.
+>]H[<+-----+>]H[+ Question of the Week #4 +]H[<+-----+>]H[<+
The Question of the Week is posed in Aruak City (DM 11) by Hanibal, a manager
who is himself an alumnus of Noblish Island. The answers are provided by other
managers in that arena. Any manager here in Noblish who wishes to pose a question to
the more experienced managers of Aruak City, feel free to do so, either by sending in
a personal directed to DM 11 and identifying yourself as a manager from Noblish
seeking enlightenment, or by posting the question here, in which case I will be glad
to see that it reaches Aruak.
Also, Hanibal sends you greetings and asks that we remind you that all arenas do
not have the same attitude and local conventions. Aruak City is an Andorian arena
and subscribes to the doctrine of Honorable Play, meaning, no down-challenging except
from the throne or in bloodfeus, no deliberate attempts to kill the warriors of other
managers, and a general attitude of friendly respect toward the other members of the
arena. It is, in fact, a fine arena, and one where you would all be welcome (though
there are plenty of others--just ask, and I'll be glad to tell you about my
favorites). -- Jorja
Question, turn 405:
All -- If I had a warrior blessed +4 in all areas, maxed out with all 25's would I
have a chance to beat the top warriors in Primus or Gateway? RSI says you get better
as you gain FE. Some of those warriors have 10 years of FE. How could one ever
compete? -- Hanibal's Q.O.W.
Answers, turn 406:
Q.O.W. -- A warrior as you have described would definitely be a viable contender at
the top of Gateway! Maybe even the best. Experience, though helpful, is vastly
outweighed by raw skill. Plus, a great set of favorites make's such a warrior much
better. If worked properly, a warrior +4 in everything could possibly TC a couple of
times and use those prizes to make them better. Young warriors are continually
making gains into being competitive with the top of Primus and Gateway. It just
takes a lot of time. Donatello and some older warriors used to be the very best, but
younger ones have upset the balance. Nothing is set in stone. -- Adie
P.S. Not that I've had much luck chipping at that stone. It's very difficult when
you're a small manager.
Hanibal -- If that hypothetical warrior you speak of had one of the fighting styles
that were suited to high end competition, then it would be very competitive. Let's
say you went whole-hog and made it a lunger. Being bonused by four in every category
would make it one of the very best. But it just doesn't happen! Ask the Consortium
how many +24 warriors they've had.
Total FEs have a slight, even marginal effect, on the outcome of fights. Having
good favorites is more important, and the amount of tourney prizes used on a warrior
cannot be discounted either. If you're trying to choose which tourney class to try
and TC, I would advise something lower than Primus or Gateway! -- Generalissimo
Puerco
Hannibal -- Regarding your question of the week: Does their long experience make the
top warriors in Gateway unbeatable? I have no personal experience with Gateway and
don't care to get any at this point, but a manager who IS in Gateway says, No, the
top warriors in Gateway are not unbeatable. But the critical factors include not
only the warrior's abilities but those of the manager. -- Leeta
Not a question of the week, but something else you might find interesting. Thank of
it as an alternative to all the "How to make a perfect whatever" articles.
Jorja -- In dm 12 Riztab you asked me what I'd do with a certain roll-up wich wasn't
too good: 12-16-12-3-9-12-6.
IF I wanted to actually play this monstrosity of brilliance, then I would do so
only for a limited time it depends upon what I can challenge in the arena but let's
say there are a lot of poor endurance weaklings, and/or a lot of Scum TP's. Then I
would run this guy until I didn't have a descent chance to get my challenges through.
There seems to me only one option for this guy: 17-16-12-3-13-12-11 Basher. He has
a 50-50 chance to get tremendous damage capability. If he only gets Great Damage
then DA him. If he gets his Tremendous damage then what you do is challenge EVERY
scum TP you possibly can, and since they are scum TPs they are prime targets for
down-challenging. Its not like you are picking on them; they are scum. This guy has
a 100% chance to get Good endurance. I would ONLY run a 10 Kill-desire and try to
kill things, but perhaps multiple wins over the same warriors is beter than being
bloodfeuded by a warrior that can beat you. I would ONLY run with the MAce. You
could go ahead and use a HL or a ML for those TP's but at tremendous damage and a
MAce you shouldn't get any bounces, and plenty of massive damage statements. Only
use a MODERATE OE with a 1 AL starting in minute 3. USE BASH. Minute 1 and 2 go
with a scum TP strategy but use response. No armor of course. Now for all other
match-ups you go out like the scum you are: APA+F MA+LG (well-suited to the weapons
selected), and run a triple-10 trying to get the jump, desperation should mimick your
minute 1 strat. Minute 2 onward just drop the AL to LOW and then to VERY LOW.
Physicals for this guy are: Good endurance, can sustain a Tremendous amount of
damage, can carry a Tremendous amount of weight, can do a Tremendous amount of
damage. This kind of warrior is much more fun than a Scum TP. He should beat any TP
as long as you follow my guidelines. During random match-ups you will have some
definate good chances to kill those weaklings that can't do enough damage to get
through the plate and the hit-points. If you don't want to kill then I advise not
droping your KD below a 6. The problem is that although you can take a lot of hits
like a TP you can't parry any of them. If you can't start swinging sometime in
Minute 2 then your chances to win are slim against those random offensive matchups. -
- Pagan
Question, turn 406:
All -- Does having a lot of initiative skills help to steal initiative or is it all
riposte skills? Is there a difference between "seeking the counterstrike" and "tries
to steal the initiative" or is it the same thing, but a different statement. --
Q.O.W.
Answers, turn 407:
Hanibal -- QoW: If two warriors are fighting and one has a great deal more init.
skills than the other, it is possible for the initiative in the fight to get taken
without a riposte. It doesn't happen an awful lot, but it isn't shocking to see it
happen. Ex: A friend had a basher that started AE init on the rollup. His first
fight he matches against an aimed blow. The aimed blow wins decise, hits him once in
the head, and without going desperate or anything, he just starts swinging and beats
the poor aimer just like that. You probably know that aimers usually tend to lack
init skills, so in that case the difference in total init allowed the basher to just
steal it. Even when ripostes are involved, init still plays a role. If you've seen
a warrior repeatedly make riposte attempts, only to get attacked again, then its
because the defending warrior's init was insufficient to allow him to attack after
the riposte. Alternatively, styles like plungers and wastes make fewer attempts to
riposte, but their attempts are usually successful because their init is so good. Of
course, the strategy a particular warrior is using (as well as the strategy of his
opponent) is important in taking and maintaining the initiative too. -- Generalissimo
Puerco
Q.O.W. -- Those fancy terms that come after a parry or dodge are successful attempts
to potentially riposte. Then, once you succeed at getting that fancy line (your
riposte vs. their init), you make another check (I think your init vs. your
opponent's init) to actually take the initiative from them. This is usually the
easiest way to take the initiative from a warrior. Each riposte line is a chance to
take it away. An example is how some rippers with low init may attempt to riposte
off of every single attack, but they may only steal it after several tries.
Sometimes, however, a warrior may actually just straight out steal the
initiative. This occurs usually when the one doing the stealing has a very high
rating in init and the opponent's rating is low. A good example includes when a
lunger gets hit by say an aimed blow, but the very next line is the lunger swinging
back. No riposte what-so-ever! This is much rarer. This can also be a function of
what offensive effort and activity a warrior is running. Warriors running more
slowly can often lose the initiative this way as they just give it up. -- Adie
Question, turn 407:
All -- Is there a difference in between an Expert and (AE). It appears to me that
your (17, 18, 19th) skills don't seem to make a difference until you get that next
rating @ 20? -- Q.O.W.
Answer next turn, don't have the time to dig it out today! -- Jorja
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---===FREE BLADES REGIONAL NEWS===---
Duelmasters
-----------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 595): VENTRIIE of DARK WARDS (Dr. Doom, mgr.)
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 595): SWEET BETSEY of SWEET MAGIC (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 13 DULLENS (turn 500): LITTLE OX of CARDOW HUNTERS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 15 MALCORN (turn 589): QUASIL of TERMINUS (Carick, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 591): KILDILLI DALL of PUNNY ANIMALS (Jojra, mgr.)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 589): STELRA TIRINS of MIDDLE WAY (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 587): DAN STEPPE of FUNKY FOLK (Papa Bear, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 294): XANAX of THE PENTARCHY (Le Pentarque, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 580): BRICKHOUSE of STREETWALKERS (Roadkill, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 291): CERIDWEN of SOL INVICTUS (Bobby Bigfoot, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 577): MESHARR of RILL'S GCSC2 (Rillion, mgr.)
DM 33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 575): THINKER of PHILANTHROPISTS (Aragorn, mgr)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 566): ALE'CHAI TALLSKY of PHILANTHROPISTS (Aragorn, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 528): NORILTENNE of THE FAMILY (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 269): REALITY of SRETSAMLEUD II (Phat Phat, mgr.)
DM 47 DOUBLE X (turn 263): JACK & JILL of ROYAL FLUSH (Crip, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 250): RUBBER DUCKIE of OPEN SESAME (Crip, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 456): CENTURION of KNIGHTS OF ROCANIS (Jakari, mgr.)
DM 60 COLLUSION COVE (turn 443): TYVEK of DEMONS OF DARNKESS 2 (Rillion, mgr)
DM 61 JURINE (turn 434): LOCKENLOAD of CLAN GHOST BEARS (Bjorn, mgr.)
DM 65 DAL SHANG (turn 419): BETTER DUCK of MIGHTY DUCKS (Woody, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 199): SKIN PEELER of BLACKMAIL (The Mun, mgr.)
DM 74 DAYLA KIV (turn 389): RUBY TUESDAY of CORPS (Papa Bear, mgr.)
DM 75 JADE MOUNTAIN (turn 388): GARTH of MANAGER MUSINGS (FTF Manager, mgr.)
DM 78 LIN TIRIAN (turn 374): MESSALIDA of SAND DANCERS (Jorja, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 481): NEBUCHADNEZZAR of BLADES OF WONDER (The Sandman)
Top Teams
---------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 595): BLUE MOON (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 595): SWEET MAGIC (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 13 DULLENS (turn 500): CARDOW HUNTERS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 15 MALCORN (turn 589): TERMINUS (Carick, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 591): GOLDEN GLADIATORS (Midas, mgr.)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 589): FIELDS OF ELYSIUM (Caesar, mgr.)
DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 587): CUNNING RUNTS (Deep Thought, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 294): POSITION IS EMPTY
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 580): STREET WALKERS (Roadkill, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 291): WAR (Lord of War, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 577): SARATOGA GLORY (The Trainer, mgr.)
DM 33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 575): RAVAGING LORDS (General Ikillu, mgr.)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 566): CHILDREN OF LLYR (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 528): THE FAMILY (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 269): NOSTALGIA (Crow, mgr.)
DM 47 DOUBLE X (turn 263): SECOND BANANAS (Mannequin, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 250): LIFE IMPACTS (Smitty, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 456): KNIGHTS OF ROCANIS (Jakari, mgr.)
DM 60 COLLUSION COVE (turn 443): ELOQUENT KNIGHTS (Soultaker, mgr.)
DM 61 JURINE (turn 434): CLAN GHOST BEARS (Bjorn, mgr.)
DM 65 DAL SHANG (turn 419): MIGHTU DUCKS (Woody, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 198): SUE'S BOYS (Crip, mgr.)
DM 74 DAYLA KIV (turn 389): SAND DANCERRS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 75 JADE MOUNTAIN (turn 386): MANAGER MUSINGS (FTF Manager, mgr.)
DM 78 LIN TIRIAN (turn 374): MAGIC ARTISTS (Houdini, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 481): DO IT AGAIN et al (The Dark One, mgr.)
Recent Graduates
-----------------
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 590): HEART OF GOLD of GOLDEN GLADIATORS (Midas, mgr.)
PENNY LOPEZ of PUNNY ANIMALS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 589): STELRA TIRINS of MIDDLE WAY (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 294): SRAN3E of PHANTACITY (Omega, mgr.)
(turn 293): VAIDISAVA of THE PENTARCHY (Le Pentarque, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 291): LES NAYLE of MIDDLE WAY 7 (Jojra, mgr.)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 269): REALITY of SRETSAMLEUD II (Phat Phat, mgr.)
DM 47 DOUBLE X (turn 262): HANTA of DOK SIK KILLERS (Doc Sik, mgr.)
DM 60 COLLUSION COVE (turn 443): TYVEK of DEMONS OF DARNKESS 2 (Rillion, mgr)
YELLOW JACKET of BUGS, SLUGS & THUGS (A-sop, mgr.)
BURNT OFFERINGS of CHILDHOOD TRAUMA (Samwise the
Bald, mgr.)
(turn 442): 3D'S NOT L33T of WILD CARDS (Snotman, mgr.)
DM 61 JURINE (turn 434): LOCKENLOAD of CLAN GHOST BEARS (Bjorn, mgr.)
DM 75 JADE MOUNTAIN (turn 387): SOULTAKER of MANAGER MUSINGS (FTF Manager, mgr.)
DM 78 LIN TIRIAN (turn 373): CONJUROR of MAGIC ARTISTS (Houdini, mgr.)
SPY REPORT
Well, what are you looking at, NOBLISH ISLAND? Ain't you never seen Snide
Clemens before? Ah, shaddup and listen to my news. Now let's all watch MIDDLE WAY
20's heads swell from their 4-1-0 this turn. Haa ha ha ha! Big shots, big talk, big
deal. Of course, we're all terribly impressed to see CHARLIE EKSA win a fight and
gain 17 points, terribly. Tsk, tsk, MARA ACOMA beat GEMINI and GEMINI lost 11
points. You're breakin' my heart. Due to absence, and inability to defend the
throne, WOODY HAYES has lost the Title of Duelmaster. Start setting that alarm
earlier! And it's out with the old, in with the new, as MARA ACOMA takes the Title
and last week's bar tab from the old Duelmaster. Heh, heh. The Swinging Aardvark,
humph! I've tasted better ale at mortuaries. Where do they get this stuff? From
NOBLISH ISLAND's trash dumps?
Well, let's take a look at some more misdeeds of you miserable sword-boys.
Ah, now we come to my favorite part, where we see all the guys who are dead and
gone, and get to see if their team cared. Titanium shields and bamboo daggers, guess
what brave team is developing these kinds of weapons?
There's got to be a better place in NOBLISH ISLAND to get a drink than The
Swinging Aardvark! Any suggestions? Phlllt! Just had to do that before I leave the
fine city of NOBLISH ISLAND. I feel much better now. Glad to see the back of this
place-- Snide Clemens
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
MARA ACOMA 8712 6 1 0 65 HOUSE OF JADE (1503)
CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-WOODY HAYES 8726 7 0 0 74 SCARLET BROTHERHOOD (1505)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
GEMINI 8703 6 2 0 42 ORDER (1501)
-DOOM BRINGER 1494 5 1 1 34 TEARS OF THE WASTE (267)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-EDDIE GEORGE 8724 5 2 0 31 SCARLET BROTHERHOOD (1505)
-ARCHIE GRIFFIN 8725 4 1 0 31 SCARLET BROTHERHOOD (1505)
ELLYN GRUNE 8781 3 0 0 31 MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514)
REGGISAKI 8702 3 4 0 27 ORDER (1501)
CHARLIE EKSA 8779 2 1 0 26 MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
ABELINDA CHASE 8777 2 1 0 21 MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514)
MISKA KELL 8766 3 1 0 18 HOUSE OF JADE (1503)
LEO 8704 2 2 0 18 ORDER (1501)
BERTRAN DULLISK 8778 1 2 0 17 MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514)
-MORGANA 1492 3 2 0 16 TEARS OF THE WASTE (267)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-MONGRUL 1490 1 2 0 16 TEARS OF THE WASTE (267)
-EARL BRUCE 8723 4 3 0 15 SCARLET BROTHERHOOD (1505)
-SILVAN TIS'VLENT 1493 4 1 0 14 TEARS OF THE WASTE (267)
-JIM TRESSEL 8727 3 4 0 13 SCARLET BROTHERHOOD (1505)
LUJAN 8715 3 4 0 13 HOUSE OF JADE (1503)
-CYSCERO 1491 1 4 0 8 TEARS OF THE WASTE (267)
DILILAH FRANN 8780 1 2 0 7 MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514)
ALPHA 8808 0 1 0 1 ORDER (1501)
OMEGA 8807 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?
KEYOKE 8711 4 3 0 HOUSE OF JADE 1503 SPYMASTER 262 NONE
PAPWYEO 8713 4 3 0 HOUSE OF JADE 1503 WURM KIN 262 NONE
PERSONAL ADS
Leo -- Bah! What does an orc know about order? -- Abelinda Chase
P.S. I think my downfall, and your victory, had to do at least in part with pacing.
Rather annoying, since mine was off and yours was not. Keep on as you are, but
against someone else, please!
Keyoke -- And MY downfall definitely had to do with pace. I just can't keep up as
long as you can. I salute your deserved good fortune. -- Charlie Eksa
Papwyeo -- You didn't listen to Bertran last time. Much as I hate to admit that he
has ANY sense, he was right on about the stat and the weapon. -- Ellyn Grune
Earl Bruce -- You probably need to get moving faster (increase the numbers for
Offensive Effort and Activity Level). It might also be a good idea to drop the
off-hand weapon and just go in with the main weapon and your backup, but that's a
different issue. I think. -- Bertran Dullisk
Cyscero -- Madam, I glad you got your first win, but I have to tell you that you have
SERIOUS problems. Specifically, your weapon choice is about as bad as it can get.
Maybe not TOTALLY as bad as it can get, I knew of one gladiator--it's a classic case,
she was a lunger and an input error handed her a war flail. Try lunging with that,
eh? She died, of course. But in your case, well, not ONE of the weapons with which
you are over-burdened is suitable for your style. Do not use any of them. There are
several good weapons which will work for you, but those are not them. Of course, if
you have been activated by accident, which does occasionally happen, you may
disregard this note. -- Dililah Frann
31 May 2008
Any and all who live in the 805 area, I would like for you to call me so we can get
together for BBQ's, softball games, and so on. It has been a while since the last
get together (several years). It was a blast and I am sure the next one will be
also. We just have to do it. All alliances are welcome. Just because my warriors
leave your warrior beaten and bloody in defeat does not mean we can't have a beer or
five together. I'll even buy the first round. So call 805-588-3419 and ask for Dave
a.k.a. Misfit, former member of the Green and Purple Polka Dot Alliance (GAPPDA).
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
KEYOKE was butchered by SPYMASTER in a 1 minute bloody Dark Arena fight.
PAPWYEO was slaughtered by WURM KIN in a 1 minute Dark Arena battle.
GEMINI was handily defeated by MARA ACOMA in a 1 minute Challenge Title match.
REGGISAKI bested BERTRAN DULLISK in a 3 minute Challenge contest.
LEO was defeated by ELLYN GRUNE in a crowd pleasing 3 minute novice's Challenge fight.
LUJAN was viciously subdued by ABELINDA CHASE in a 2 minute bloody fight.
MISKA KELL beat ALPHA in a 2 minute gory amateur's brawl.
CHARLIE EKSA handily defeated EMBEZZLING SCRIBE in a 1 minute uneven melee.
DILILAH FRANN viciously subdued OMEGA in a 2 minute gruesome novice's duel.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|LUNGING ATTACK 4 WALL OF STEEL 11 - 6 - 0 65 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 3 SLASHING ATTACK 16 - 9 - 0 64 |
|AIMED BLOW 2 LUNGING ATTACK 31 - 19 - 2 62 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 2 AIMED BLOW 15 - 11 - 1 58 |
|BASHING ATTACK 1 STRIKING ATTACK 23 - 18 - 0 56 |
|WALL OF STEEL 1 TOTAL PARRY 5 - 4 - 0 56 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 1 PARRY-STRIKE 5 - 6 - 0 45 |
|TOTAL PARRY 1 PARRY-LUNGE 6 - 9 - 0 40 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 0 BASHING ATTACK 7 - 15 - 2 32 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 3 - 8 - 0 27 |
Turn 262 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 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 1 3 LUNGING ATTACK
BASHING ATTACK 1 - 0 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 2 BASHING ATTACK
WALL OF STEEL 1 - 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 0 2 WALL OF STEEL
LUNGING ATTACK 2 - 2 STRIKING ATTACK 0 - 3 2 AIMED BLOW
SLASHING ATTACK 1 - 1 TOTAL PARRY 0 - 1 1 STRIKING ATTACK
1 SLASHING ATTACK
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
LUNGING ATTACK MARA ACOMA 8712 6 1 0 65 HOUSE OF JADE (1503)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is GEMINI 8703. The most popular warrior this turn was
ELLYN GRUNE 8781. The ten other most popular fighters were REGGISAKI 8702, BERTRAN
DULLISK 8778, DILILAH FRANN 8780, MARA ACOMA 8712, ABELINDA CHASE 8777, MISKA KELL
8766, ALPHA 8808, CHARLIE EKSA 8779, LEO 8704, and GEMINI 8703.
The least popular fighter this week was OMEGA 8807. The other ten least popular
fighters were PAPWYEO 8713, KEYOKE 8711, LUJAN 8715, GEMINI 8703, LEO 8704, CHARLIE
EKSA 8779, ALPHA 8808, MISKA KELL 8766, ABELINDA CHASE 8777, and MARA ACOMA 8712.
SUMMER FACE-TO-FACE IN MINNEAPOLIS!
Our summer FTF will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 18-20, 2008. It will be
held at the Holiday Inn Select Minneapolis/St. Paul in Blomington, MN, just down the
street from the Mall of America, at 3 Appletree Square (952-854-9000). Rooms are only
$105.00 per night, 1-2 occupancy. There is a free 24-hour shuttle from the airport
and free shuttle service to the mall; free parking, free high-speed wireless internet
in all guestrooms. There is a large fitness center, jacuzzi, and indoor pool. The
rooms are blocked--ask for the "Reality Simulations" room block. There are tons of
restaurants nearby at the Mall, as well as a cafe in the hotel.
Hotel info: www.himspairport.com
Mall of America: www.mallofamerica.com
The tournament information sheet will be out imminently. We hope you're all looking
forward to the tournament and that we will see you there!
TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Here are a few tricks of the trade I've found out.
15, 17, and 21. Those are the magic numbers for stats; any fighter who starts
with a stat (except Con and Size) at any of those numbers will have more beginning
skills than normal.
Stats: The stats in order of importance with regard to skills, most to least,
are wit, will, deftness, speed, and strength, with con giving you no skills, just hit
points and endurance. The higher you can start any of these, especially the first
three, the more skilled your fighter will be. Logically, therefore, what you really
want is a fighter who has wit, will, and deftness at 21. This will be a GOD! And
probably go out and get killed immediately due to low con...
Raising stats: Care must be taken in doing this. All fighters start out with
the ability to learn 20 skills in the categories of Defense, Parry, Riposte, Attack,
Decisiveness, and Inititive. When you learn all 120 skills, you've maxed out. You
can get skills though normal learns, or by raising stats; however, if you raise stats
BEFORE you max out (except for Con), anything gained will count as one of the 20.
This is called "burning" skills. If, on the other hand, you wait until you've maxed
out, then raising stats will add those skills to the ones you've learned, enabling you
to exceed your limits. But raising stats will give an immediate boost to your
abilities. It's a question of short term vs. long term gain, you see.
And aiming at vital areas - head, chest, and abdomen - will increase your chances
of getting kills. And being bloodfeuded, and maybe getting your fighter killed in
return. Keep in mind that what you send forth will come back to you. Sometimes
redoubled.
Roku
Warrior Handedness, is he a Righty, Lefty or Ambi?
Greetings, Joy and Happiness to everyone!!!! I hope everyone that reads this
article is doing well and remembering not to drink and duel. This article discusses
things about the handedness of a warrior. Most managers only worry about things like
skill, weapons and trains. Handedness is not a major factor in playing the game but
it's nice to know some things about it.
Most warriors will be right handed, with a small percentage left handed. Even
more scarce is the ambidextrous warrior. I believe that the defensive styles have a
higher percentage chance to be a lefty or an AMBI than offensive styles do. It's just
an observation that I made in the 513 warriors surveyed. Another note on that, I
notice that out of 211 parry-ripostes that I was using for a PR article, about 43% of
them were AMBIs. The highest percent of AMBIs out of all the styles polled.
When a manager puts weapons into his warriors hands and also when he tells his
warrior where to strike, handedness plays a key role in the manager's decision making.
I had a team with 4 AMBIs on it, and I started to do some experiments with them to see
how the AMBI thing worked. I noticed that in general the AMBI favors using the left
hand more than the right hand. But, there are a small percentage of AMBI warriors
that are reversed, where the right hand is used more than the left.
There also seems to be some confusion amongst managers that get the USE of a hand
mixed up with which hand the weapons go in (IE which is primary and which is off-
hand). Right handed warriors USE the RIGHT hand the most and the primary weapon is
the RIGHT hand, off hand is the left hand. For left-handed warriors, it is the
opposite of right-handed warriors, of course. The confusion comes with the AMBI
handed warriors. AMBIs USE the left hand more BUT the RIGHT hand holds the primary
weapon, and the left hand holds the off hand weapon. Every so often you will get an
AMBI that this is reversed, where the RIGHT hand is USED more and the PRIMARY weapon
is held in the LEFT hand. But this kind of ambi is extremely rare.
Well, that's it for now. Have fun, and watch out for that right hook... 'cause
it might be a left hook!!!!!
For more DM info, or just to chat you can DIPLO me at ADM 103, THE JOKER'S WILD.
You can also email me at 103260.3347@compuserve.com or visit my DM web site at the
following address: http://ourworld.compuserve.com./homepages/jessiejest/homepage.htm
Ta-Ta,
Sir Jessie Jest
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
The Arcane Slasher
I love the Slashing Style! Slashers are finesse artists, but they're much more
aggressive than your aimed-blow. Well-designed slashers are formidable opponents;
they are as ready to defend as to attack, though they prefer the latter. Fate has
been to kind to this style, perhaps too kind. Even a badly-designed slasher may do
well in basic, prompting many well-intentioned managers to promote questionable set-
ups as "the slasher ideal." After reading another `Eureka!' article, I am compelled
to add my 2 cents. I've learned how to design great slashers, and I'd like to pass on
my ideas to the rest of Alastari. I can't tell you how to keep them alive (in four
years I've only gotten one to ADM) but I can outline guidelines for creating a spooky
character that will win for you--until they die or get to ADM. Just remember that
decent opportunities to make a slasher aren't very common!
WT, WL, & DF--15 pts each at least. Period. If you don't have it, you don't
have a great slasher. Believe me, you can't afford to skimp anything here!
ST--Anything from 7-11 is fine. The smaller the character the higher the number,
but anything with a +9 size can get by with a 7 ST. For light armor use an epee, for
anything heavier use a pair of hatchets, a scimitar, or a broadsword, depending on ST.
CN & SP--Ideally, both are single-digit; if your con is high you're probably
looking at a WASTE. Whatever else you do, don't add them.
SZ--Since this is something we can't change anyway, don't worry about it. The
bigger they are the less points to spread around to other areas, though.
My slashers come up with the best overviews when I follow these guidelines. Most
earn at least four wit statements; about 50% either start out with an Expert or two,
or they pick them up within a couple of skills. One of my very best died in a
tourney: 6-3-11-15-51-11-17. He started out doing good damage; picked up Experts in
att, init, def, and rip. in two skills or less. This is an extreme example, but it
seems to me that the well-designed slasher gets more than their fair share of luck on
their overview. I've run one a lot worse that did fairly well--a winning record,
until he was killed by a veteran lunger: 11-7-14-15-15-7-15, good bases in attack and
init, four wit statements, great damage.
Running them?
Start out with an offensive effort of 10, and never let the OE drop below 7. How
quick you taper down depends on the endurance rating. Slashers burn endurance very
quickly; if you don't have good endurance drop right away from 10 to 7 and leave it
there unless desperate, then go back to 10. Otherwise try 10, then 9, then 7.
Remember, these are aggressive beasts; keep 'em on the offensive!
Keep the activity level fairly low except in the very beginning, when you should
be running 10. Then drop to 5 or 6, then 3 or 4m then 1. Go back up to 7 or 10 in
desperation.
Match your kill desire to your offensive effort, always.
Summary: 10-10-10, 9-5-9*, 7-3-7, 7-1-7 across. Desperation: 10-10-10 or 10-7-
10.
Avoid armor unless you MUST, but no higher than ARM and H.
Don't use tactics--they seem to inhibit the slasher's ability to riposte and
respond well to their opponent. Exception: to take out scum pick the heaviest weapon
your character can lift and use the slash tactic--go for the legs or the arms: 7-1-7.
Slash all the way!
These `rules' have worked for me. The biggest problem I've had is that my
slashers rise too high too quickly. Within five or six fights they're fighting
warriors with 15 fights' experience. So be forewarned; give them sometime off every
few turns so that they won't get clobbered by some old-timer looking for an easy win!
Good Luck!
The Arcane Kid, of Astral Kin, Osksi DM-3
*Remember, with `good' endurance only!
"The Basher"
My friends would laugh if they knew I was writing this, but who cares what they
think? The basher is not a bad style in my opinion. It starts with the same base
decisiveness as the striker, but has 4-5 more skills in initiative, and 3-4 more
skills in att. That's what makes this style so good. I mean, you have the ability to
get the jump on your opponent, you have the ability to hit your opponent, and who
cares about their high riposte with your high att rating combined with your exp+ in
initiative, they won't know what train hit them, much less think about the counter
attack.
O.K. I only make two types 1st the WL Basher:
#1 #2
12 13
10 11
10 9
21 16
15 15
9 13
7 7
Example #1--Currently 8-3-1 in Firehold (68) has Master+1 att, Master +1 init., and
Adv.Exp. dec., and is already sitting pretty with 80 recognition points.
Example #2--Currently 8-3-0 in Jhans (36) has Exp.+3 att, Adv.Exp. init., and Exp+3
dec. with 87 recognition points.
O.K., the other kind I like to call it the "High damage, low will, needs to end
the fight before he passes out with exhaustion" Basher. This type of basher relies on
his high damage capabilities to make up for his low WL. I've not had the best of luck
with these types of bashers, but I do know they can win (Warbeast has proved that to
me). The key is to get at least great damage on the roll-up. O.K. some examples:
#1 #2 #3
11 13 17
11 9 12
16 17 10
17 17 17
7 10 11
11 11 10
11 7 7
Example #1--I DA'ed, he didn't win
Example #2--Killed in round 1 of the winter FTF, went 4-3 in the Oct. Tournament,
learned 6 skills 5 being Att.
Example #3-1-0 in Jhans(36)
I run both styles ALE +L, WH light armor, mace medium armor, and WH heavy armor.
Go 10-10-7 dec 1st minute, and after min 1, go 8-8-5. WL basher, and the other kind
drop down drastically. Always aim for the head (it gets you an att bonus and could
score you a kill every now and then) unless you know you're gonna be up against a TP
or waste, then aim for a leg. Well that's gonna be it. Somebody write me and tell me
what you think.
Uncle Charlie Mgr.
Genocide (68)
Helter Skelter (36, 100)
'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 Anti-Thesis Slasher
Greetings all. No, this is definitely not another "Perfect" article. In fact,
it actually is just the opposite--finding success with a warrior whose stats were just
average. I am not an expert at this game and do not have near the experience that
some managers have. What I do have is some now solid experience with Slashers thanks
to this guy. So what I will do with this article is show you how my first attempt at
building a Slasher went, what it taught me, and maybe I can show a new or old manager
something about the style that can help their game.
This Slasher was my first attempt at the style. His starting stats were average
at 13-11-12-10-16-11-11. Definitely no Primus-quality warrior. By most people's
standards, he wouldn't have even been thought of as an ADM warrior because of his low
wit and will combo. Today, I don't know if I would even keep this guy, but at the
time I didn't know any better and kept him. I'm glad I did because he turned out to
be a good warrior, not great, but good and a fun one to watch.
He had three statements to start: "...learned how to be decisive and quick",
"...conserve his endurance past what might normally be expected", and "does great
damage". The last statement I think helped him a lot in many of his fights.
Weapons and Armor
Weapons-wise, all I knew about the Slashing style at the time was that a scimitar
was good, so I gave him one. He did well with it, so I kept using it. I didn't use
any off-hand weapon because I knew that an offensive-styled warrior could make quicker
attacks with a weapon using two hands. I gave him one back-up scimitar, knowing that
scimitars break though not that often.
Early on, I may have given him light armor and a helm, but later I discovered
that if he didn't get the first hit, he almost had no hope of winning. After all, the
credo of an offensive warrior is to "hit first, hit hard" and hope it ends the fight
quickly. I also started to realize he would never be a "great" warrior. My
philosophy changed and I could only hope to get him to ADM. So, I decided to use no
armor or helm, which slows warriors down.
Strategy:
Ah, the most important part of this warrior's winning ways. Looking back at his
early strategy, I wonder how he did so well. I started him going 10-10-10, attack and
protect the head with no tactics. My desperation strategy was usually 10-10-5, which
did nothing to help him. I used the decisiveness tactic since his overview said he
was decisive.
Through observing his fights and looking at what he preferred, I ironed out a
general strategy which I think is good for a lot of Slashers:
min. 1 2 3 4 5 6+ desp
OE 10 8 6 4 4 4 5
AL 10 4 2 2 2 2 8
KD 6 8 6 4 4 4 5
AL RA HE ----------------------->
PL AM BD -------------------> HE
Against more parry-type warriors like WOS and TP's, I've used a 10-6-6 min. One
strategy that he seems to like.
Design and Trains:
I started him off training skills only. But I soon learned that his average
stats meant that he wasn't going to learn very well. I decided late to train skills,
then stats, every other turn. The training of his will to 17 really helped his
endurance out. He finally went to ADM at 15-11-12-12-17-12-11. If I had recognized
earlier that he would not be a great warrior, and accepted that, then I might have
been about to train everything twice like in the "old" days and he would have gone at
15-13-12-12-18-13-13.
Record:
He started out great at 4-0-0, then was 8-4-1. He hit a rut and was soon 9-7-1.
He was mediocre in his middle fights but was above .500% at 14-12-2. He was under
.500% once at 14-15-2. Near the end of his regular DM career, with some careful
challenges and strategy changes, he went 5-0-0 and ended up 21-16-2. He was
Duelmaster for three turns in Cliffhome.
Final Notes:
So, what's the purpose of all this? It's to show that anyone can take a mediocre
warrior and through careful strategy and design build them into a formidable warrior.
I recognized long ago that this Slasher would never be great and accepted it. That's
what turned him into the warrior he is today. I was willing to take the risks
necessary to make him win. His name is E.G.B.D.F. (Every Good Boy Does Fine) and in
this case his name is true. I couldn't have asked more from him in his
accomplishments. He can be found fighting occasionally in Darkholm. He's taught me
an incredible amount about this style and has contributed to my 65% overall win-loss
record with them.
I'm open to feedback, positive or negative, and hope in some way that I've helped
someone learn more about this style.
So, good luck to all and may your swords ring true!
Brought to you by Talon, mgr. of
Eagles Claw (38,104), Farfignewtons (32)
where I'm known as Volksie, and other teams
throughout Alastari.