DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER
Date : 08/16/2008 Duedate: 08/29/2008
NOBLISH ISLAND ARENA
DM-93 TURN-267
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
CHARLIE EKSA
MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514)
(93-8779) [6-2-0,58]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
POSITION IS EMPTY CHARLIE EKSA
MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514)
(93-8779) [6-2-0,58]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
DILILAH FRANN ELLYN GRUNE
MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514) MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514)
(93-8780) [4-4-0,25] (93-8781) [7-1-0,49]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514) 25
2. MILNE'S MOB (873) 3 SUBJUGATORS (617)
3. DRAGONS (1491) 0 Unchartered Team
MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1/ 1*MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514) 27 13 0 67.5 1/ 1*MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514) 12 3 0
2/ 0*MILNE'S MOB (873) 0 3 0 0.0 2/ 0*MILNE'S MOB (873) 0 3 0
3- 2*DRAGONS (1491) 0 3 0 0.0 3- 2*DRAGONS (1491) 0 3 0
'*' Unchartered team '-' Team did not fight this turn
(###) Avoid teams by their Team Id ##/## This turn's/Last turn's rank
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
Rhythm and Blues
A Few Thoughts on Rhythm
Every warrior has a favorite rhythm--a favored number for Offensive Effort and
Activity Level. (Note, to the best of my knowledge and belief, there is NO favored
Kill Desire.) This rhythm is set when the warrior is created, and it is revealed to
the manager when the warrior graduates.
I have never been entirely clear as to what, exactly, using the favored rhythm
does for the warrior, but there is a general agreement that it does something,
usually something good. Paces him, perhaps, to get the most fight for the least
endurance burn? Paces him so that he can make the most of his style's specific
strengths and minimize the weaknesses? Something like that, no doubt.
This implies that favored rhythms are linked to style, and that certain ranges
may be specific to style, and I understand that the major number crunchers have
demonstrated this to be so. It further suggests to me that if one knows the range of
favored rhythms for a given style, one may be able to give a warrior of that style a
more effective strategy than one derived simply by guessing and looking at the
warrior's stats and overview.
Wherefore I have pulled out the favorite rhythms by style of the graduated
warriors available for my inspection. You will note that the size of the samples
varies a lot from style to style. This roughly indicates the ease with which I have
been able to keep the different styles alive until graduation, modified by my
personal preferences as to style.
The first letter in a pair indicates favored Offensive Effort, the second favored
Activity Level.
VH=very high H=high M=moderate L=low VL=very low
Distributing the ten numbers available in an even and logical manner, we get:
VH= 10, 9 H= 8,7 M= 6,5 L= 4,3 VL= 2,1
We don't know exactly which number of the pair a given "favorite" is, but this is
close enough.
I'm including the raw data here, despite the fact that it looks very boring,
heck, it is very boring, so that any of you who wish to may study it and make your
own deductions.
Aimed Blows, twenty-two graduated warriors polled as to favorite rhythms:
L/VL L/L VL/L VL/M L/VL M/VL M/L L/VL VL/VL L/M
L/L L/M L/L VL/L VL/M L/VL L/L VL/L L/M M/L
VL/VL L/L
Notice a pattern here? Nothing higher than Moderate, and every pair has at
least one Low or Very Low. In other words, Aimed Blows prefer to be run "scummy."
Or if you're feeling charitable, they like to take their time and make their blows
count, which is natural enough when you consider that accuracy is their strong suit.
Bashers, twenty-five graduated warriors polled.
VH/VL VH/VL VH/VL H/VL H/L H/L H/M H/L M/VL H/VL
VH/VL H/L H/M M/L H/L H/L H/M VH/L VH/VL VH/VL
H/L VH/M H/L H/VL M/L
Again, there's an obvious pattern, but it's a different one. Offensive Effort
no lower than Moderate, Activity Level no higher than Moderate, and often a very
sharp division between the two in any given pair. High Offensive Effort, low
Activity Level. No instances of M/M listed here! Bashers are very direct in their
fighting: attack, attack, attack. No finesse, little dodging.
Lungers, forty graduated warriors polled.
VH/H H/H H/M M/H M/H M/VH L/H VH/M VH/VH H/VH
H/VH M/VH VH/M H/H H/VH M/VH H/VH H/H VH/M M/VH
VH/VH L/VH L/H H/VH M/H M/M M/H M/M H/VH H/H
VH/VH VH/H M/VH L/H M/H H/H H/H VH/M M/M VH/H
Everything but VL is represented in this group. Two out of the forty warriors
have rhythms of M/M. It may be significant that these are both fairly old warriors;
other anomalies have shown up from time to time in very old warriors. Other than
that, every pair contains either H or VH at least once, although there seems to be no
definite preference as to which position it should be in. A slight bias toward
faster OE than AL, but the sample isn't large enough to be sure of that. It's common
to see BOTH numbers H or VH for this style. Lungers like to run fast, and a good
lunger fight has a lot of action--dodging to the side, leaping over or ducking under
a blow, as well as attacking. Of course, that means they tend to burn out fast, too,
so you have to plan for that.
Parry-Lungers, twenty graduated warriors polled.
M/VH M/H L/M H/VH VL/H M/M H/M H/H H/M H/L
M/L H/H L/L H/L M/M H/L L/L H/M VL/L L/VH
Granting that this is a small sample, I see no pattern here. P-lungers vary a
lot from one warrior to the next, and you have to experiment to find the rhythm that
works best for any individual warrior. Some are more lunger, some more parry. In
fact, you could say that the "Offensive Total Parries" and "Defensive Lungers" that
some managers write articles about could be summed up as: Parry-Lunger.
Parry-Ripostes, a mere fourteen graduated warriors polled.
VL/M M/M M/M H/M L/M VL/M L/M L/H M/H L/H
VL/M L/H L/M L/M
Hardly a definitive sample (these are hard to graduate), but there seems to be a
pattern of Offensive Effort no higher than Moderate (okay, one, unless it's a typo),
Activity Level no lower than Moderate. I must admit that I have been known to run
them with an OE of High or Very High when I got tired of having them jumped by
offensive-styled warriors. Some rippers can handle that without flailing or getting
tired, and some can't.
Parry-Strikers, twenty-one polled.
M/VL M/VL VL/M M/M VL/H L/L L/VL VL/L L/L M/L
M/H L/M M/VL L/VL VL/L VL/VL VL/M VL/L L/L VL/L
M/L
I see every range of numbers here but VH, and no obvious pattern. Figures.
Everyone says this style is notional when it comes to how they want to run. A large
sample might show some clear tendency, but from this small group, all I can say is,
they don't seem to like to run very fast.
Slashers, sixty warriors polled. What can I say? I like slashers, and when I was
starting out, I ran a lot of them, many of whom lived to graduate. In some cases,
this was unfortunate, but at the time, it seemed like a good idea....
VH/VL H/L H/VL M/L H/VL H/L M/VL H/L H/VL M/M
M/M VH/VL VH/L H/VL H/VL VH/L H/VL H/L M/VL VH/L
VH/M M/VL H/M M/VL M/VL H/L H/L M/L H/VL VH/VL
VH/VL M/M H/VL M/VL H/VL H/VL VH/L H/L H/L H/VL
M/L M/L H/VL M/M M/L M/L VH/VL VH/L M/VL H/VL
H/VL VH/VL H/VL H/VL VH/L H/VL M/L H/VL VH/VL
Now that we're back among the pure offensive styles, a pattern emerges again.
No Offensive Effort lower than Moderate, no Activity Level higher than Moderate.
Within those limits, anything goes--from Moderate/Moderate to Very High/Very Low.
Slashers like to run hard, they don't like to stand around and scum their opponents,
but they'll accept a modestly cautious approach if it's called for. Pay attention to
the details in your warrior's fight. If he starts getting tired early on, you
probably need to lower his Offensive Effort some. If he never gets the first blow
and loses continually because of that, raise Offensive Effort.
Strikers, sixty-three polled. (shrug) When in doubt, make it a striker....
VL/M L/L L/L H/VL M/H M/L L/M L/L L/VL M/L
M/VL M/L H/VL H/L M/L M/VL M/L M/H L/VL M/M
L/M L/VL M/VL L/VL L/VL M/L L/VL VL/L H/L M/H
M/H H/VL VL/L H/VL M/VL VL/L H/VL M/VL M/VL VL/VL
M/VL L/H H/L M/VL H/VL M/M L/VL M/L M/L M/L
H/M M/L L/M VL/M M/VL M/L M/M L/L M/VL M/L
H/VL H/H M/L
Neither Offensive Effort nor Activity Level of Very High appears, but that
leaves a lot of possible combinations (okay, only sixteen, but that seems like a lot
when you're writing an article late at night), and most of them seem to show up on
this list. Strikers, like P-Strikers, need tinkering.
Total Parries, twenty-nine warriors polled.
VL/M VL/L M/VL VL/VL L/L VL/VL VL/M VL/VL L/M VL/L
VL/M L/M L/H M/M M/VL VL/VL VL/L VL/VL L/L VL/VL
VL/L L/L VL/L L/L VL/L L/VL VL/L VL/L VL/L
No Offensive Effort higher than Moderate, no Activity Level except one higher
than Moderate. This is what you'd expect, right? Total Parries conserve their
energy. While you can run them faster, they aren't going to like it. And if they
don't like it, they aren't going to perform really well.
Walls of Steel, thirty-five polled.
M/VL L/L L/VL M/L M/M L/VL H/VL L/VL M/VL VH/M
M/L L/M H/VL H/M L/L L/L M/L M/L M/VL M/L
M/L H/L VH/VL H/L M/L L/M H/M M/M M/M H/L
M/VL VH/M H/L M/VL H/M
No Offensive Effort of Very Low, no Activity Level higher than Moderate. Some
people call this style the "parry-slash," others say it's a prime candidate for
running like a berserker. Otherwise, a lot of variation. Some are scummy (L/VL) and
some are slice-and-dice machines (VH/M). Too bad you can't tell right off which
you've got, eh? This style needs attention and experimenation for best results.
Now that you've plowed through all the tedious stuff (at least, it was tedious
for me to organize the data, hope it was less so for you to look at it), I'll offer a
word of advice to new players. Make all or most of your first warriors of the styles
that have clear patterns. Bashers and slashers are the easiest to do well with right
off the bat. Lungers and strikers are a little trickier, but not much. The others
are a lot trickier. Winning right off with your first attempts at those styles--
especially once you're out of Noblish Island and into the cold, cruel mainland, is
unlikely. However, the study and struggle needed to master one of the trickier
styles is amply rewarded by the rush of guiding one to a winning record, a
duelmastership, and graduation.
Jorja
The Middle Way
+<]H[>+-----+<]H[+ Question of the Week #9 +]H[>+-----+<]H[>+
The question, turn 420:
All -- I was noticing the skill modifiers for low to high size; do these negatives
keep a warrior from being successful at the high end of the game? -- Hanibal --
Q.O.W.
Answers, turn 421:
Q.O.W. (size) -- Smaller size has always had an advantage in the upper levels of the
game, especially at the top of Primus and Gateway. The bonus to defense and parry
offsets the initiative loss and the damage taking and dealing that a large size
provides. Of course, large size comes with its own defense penalty. A high defense
is critical in the upper levels where it is imperative not to get hit. If you are
unhittable, it comes down to an endurance contest. However, huge warriors,
especially those gifted in defense can make devastating opponents on their road to
the top. They are tough and dish out more than all the little pip squeaks ever
could. It's much easier to get a great warrior out of a smaller size than out of a
larger size of course, due to stat distribution to the other critical areas like WT,
WL and DF, so finding a great huge warrior is difficult. My best is Khazakh who is
in 105 right now. He's gifted in defense and endurance, and he's devastating in the
arena. But some day, near the very top, his size will probably be a hindrance unless
his attack is absolutely crazy and he can hit the little guys. -- Adie
Q.O.W. (answer) -- It depends greatly on what you define as the top of the game.
Certainly any sized warrior can be effective at the top of a basic arena or any AD
arena. By the time you're talking Primus or Gateway it's mainly a matter of whether
or not your team can muster enough warriors to win magical prizes to enhance you,
those without them must be truly gifted indeed. -- Maxwell Honorblade
Q.O.W. -- Do the small size skill negatives prevent success in the top end game? --
Certainly not! While the negatives are there, remember that small size allows more
"points" elsewhere, easily making up the skills. The smaller warriors are *often*
the leaders at the top end. There are also TC-winning ways to modify warriors, and
this past FTF prize is "very expensive" for this very purpose. -- Kennelworth
QoW -- I don't participate at the Primus/Gateway level of play, but the word is that
ability to deal a powerful blow remains important and thus allows the large warriors
(read: lungers) to remain competitive with their smaller peers. What I do know is
that my sz 3 Lunger that's +4 in defense will have, when completely maxxed out in
both skills and stats, the highest number of naturally attainable defense skills in
the game. Unfortunately, she'll only do tremendous if she's lucky. -- Generalissimo
Puerco
QOW -- My limited experience in the high end of the game (I have one whole Gateway
warrior...WHOO!) the most important skills are, in order: attack, defense, and
initiative. So while it isn't good to lose defense, init is a valuable asset as well
(helps keep the momentum). Another aspect in the end game is the damage rating,
which size does help and can make a LOT of difference. But since it is better to
have a 21 wit than a 21 size, I would say that in general over 11 size is unwanted.
-- Anti
The questions this time were in regard to the Style-vs-Style chart and how to run a
parry-riposte.
Parry-Riposte: How to run them? Hmm... well, I've only run three so far, but I
think I've seen a lot of what they can and can't do. From my experience, if their
parry is decent, they can take a couple good hits, and carry decent, give them heavy
armor and run parry tactic (very helpful with their low parry bases), but at maybe 4-
5-5, or faster at 5-3-5. The parry tactic augments their defense, but they'll still
try to riposte since they have so much of it. For those who are more frail, can't
carry much, and have decent defense, I go in lighter armor and run maybe 3-6-4 (I've
never run dodge tactic here, but I'd try). My first ripper to AD had a 7 ST, did
normal damage, and she ran in ALE/L running with moderate activity. She graduated 16-
6. Of course, she's also +5 in att, +2 in par. But she still defends much better
than she parries in that light armor. -- Adie
P.S. As for early in the career, scumming is handy, but put OE up just a bit so
they'll swing if given the opportunity. Armor for sure to keep them alive unless
you're bold.
Leeta -- I've seen that chart too, but I have no idea if it was based off of a large
number of fights. I think those numbers for strikers reflects their great ability to
throw those crits early in the career, and to be quick to the first hit. For parry-
strikers, I think it merely reflects the variability in how they can be run and
designed. The chart of course is based on gross stereo-typing of the styles. I
wouldn't use it too much even as a beginner. -- Adie
Leeta -- I think that "chance to win by style" chart is silly. Doesn't it say that
lungers will almost always beat aimers? My aimers tend to do pretty well against
lungers, how about yours? -- Generalissimo Puerco
Leeta and ALL others -- While I have not seen this chart, I can't help but say that
it is probably not very accurate. Too many things factor into a match-up of two
warriors to expect style to <cut off by Hal, unfortunately>
On thinking it over in the light of the past month's fights, I have a feeling
that the chart is probably rather old, and that recent advances in management
technique have drastically undermined its usefulness in most instances. Discounting
luck (which one should never do, of course), and all other things being more or less
equal, the best manager is more likely to win, rather than the one whose warrior has
the favored style. (Now, there's an inflamatory statement!) Probably that
overstates the case, but I think managerial skill is now a significant factor,
anyway, even if it isn't decisive. -- Jorja
DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
Notes from the arena champ.
I want to welcome the team Dragons. Jorja'll do it in the personals, but since
I'm duelmaster, I get first shot. So, welcome. I dunno where everybody else went;
they come and go. Probably gone to the mainland to get away from the rain.
With regard to my fight. Ugh. Captured Orc. He's a standby, not the most
wussy, but not the greatest, either. Of course, I wouldn't have a chance against the
best standbys--someone like the Khalhums Dwarf. In case you don't know, standbys are
run by the Commission and slotted in when there's no managed gladiator in range for a
fight. You can't challenge them, you have to take them as chance offers. Usually--
not always--you can beat them. Usually they teach poorly. Sometimes, and I'm told
this is really embarrassing, a managed gladiator will be killed by a standby.
Definitely a mixed blessing.
Looking at the rankings, I would say that unless some inactive team pops up
again, I will be fighting another standby here. I wouldn't mind another Captured
Orc.
Charlie Eksa
SPY REPORT
It's me, The Unknown Spymaster here with my bag to give you the news on last
week's fights. Hey everybody, watch out for ELLYN GRUNE, who flew up 13 points in
the rankings after mashing AMBITIOUS GUARD like a melon. Keep your eye on this gal.
Our Duelmaster has lost, folks, lost to VENEMOUS CONCUBINE, BUT CHARLIE EKSA is still
the Duelmaster because he has the most recognition points! Can you believe they are
paying me 10 gold to deliver this stuff?
But enough of that bunch, let's get on to the wimps who like to avoid battle!
Remember that an arena is not always a safe place to be, but it is one of the
most interesting, though! Knowing when to use the right tactics at the proper time
is a very important step on the road to Duelmaster.
Well, that wasn't too bad; Alarond told me that the people in NOBLISH ISLAND
have no sense of humor. Or maybe that they were senseless. Well, there goes another
Spy Report. Good luck in next week's fights. See ya next time I'm on this
circuit!-- The Unknown Spymaster
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
CHARLIE EKSA 8779 6 2 0 58 MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
ELLYN GRUNE 8781 7 1 0 49 MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
ABELINDA CHASE 8777 6 2 0 28 MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514)
DILILAH FRANN 8780 4 4 0 25 MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
OWL 5088 0 1 0 17 MILNE'S MOB (873)
CATCHER ELLIS 8876 2 0 0 13 MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514)
-STAR GIRL 8640 0 2 0 2 DRAGONS (1491)
HEFFALUMP 5086 0 1 0 1 MILNE'S MOB (873)
WOOZEL 5087 0 1 0 1 MILNE'S MOB (873)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
PERSONAL ADS
Yet another standby, the Osksi Noble. He's boring. -- Ellyn Grune
P.S. And he isn't an Osksian, either. Or if he is, he isn't noble.
Embezzling Scribe, yet another standby. How tedious. You can't teach them a thing,
and we're supposed to be teaching people stuff here. -- Abelinda Chase
I buried the Mordant Deserter in the sand, and even that was too good for him. --
Dililah Frann
Star Girl -- I would be glad to help you hunt down the spectator who called you a
stupid idiot. He should be smacked around in an alley.
On a more personal note, oogh, you've got a tricky style there. But let's see
what we can do. More armor. Speed is not your friend here, your friend is a steel
shirt. Drop the offhand weapon, and get something a little more substantial in your
primary hand. Try the same one as mine, if you have the stats for it. Resist the
temptation to pick up a shield in that now-empty offhand, by the way. -- Catcher
Ellis
17 July 2008
All -- Many of you know me and many more don't, but I will be scarce for a few
months. I am relocating, so look for my presence online! As my will, so mote it
be! -- Abraxis
9 August 2008
All -- We are currently looking for capable manager that will give the Desolate
Empire Alliance a full roster for the Turf War. We currently have four (4) roster
slots that are open to capable managers without questionable morals. If interested
for the Turf War, contact: Lamar Treas-Wilson, Dok Sik, Dok Sik Killas DM 47
8 July 2008
*****************************************************
**********************ATTENTION**********************
*****************************************************
ALLIANCES
OF
ALASTARI
*****************************************************
**********************ATTENTION**********************
*****************************************************
*TURF WAR VI RULES*
Starting Nov 2008 (10 turns)
Anyone may participate; known alliances, new alliances, or temporary alliances created solely to compete in the Turf War! To participate, each alliance must:
1. Announce the alliance and the Captain of the alliance in the North Fork
(DM 47) newsletter.
2. Announcements made on the D2 Forums will not be accepted.
Captains are responsible for:
1. Verifying those who wish to participate under the banner of their
alliance;
2. Distribution of prizes should their alliance win the Turf War.
3. Submit one (1) RSI Roll-Up Certificate to participate
Participating managers who are not Captains must:
1. Submit one (1) RSI Roll-Up Certificate to participate
2. Announce their intent to compete with manager name, team name, and
alliance they will represent in the North Fork (DM 47) newsletter.
Announcement made on the D2 Forums will not be accepted.
a. No scores will be tabulated until a Gift Certificate is received.
No EXCEPTIONS.
b. Before a manager can compete, he/she must declare themselves in
the North Fork (DM 47) newsletter as stated above AND be verified
by the alliance Captain they will represent.
c. Only one (1) team per player may compete. No multiple teams or
aliases will be allowed. Violations will result in immediate
disqualification from the Turf War (so be sure to take any
multiple teams OFF of Team Maintenance).
d. Scoring will NOT be retroactive for teams that do not properly
declare or fail to send a Gift Certificate by Turn 1. In other
words, if your Gift Certificate is not received until Turn 3 of
the Turf War, and you have fought on Turns 1 and 2, your scoring
will not begin until Turn 3. All conditions must be met before
scoring will begin--declaration, verification, and Gift
Certificate received.
e. No declarations or verifications will be accepted after Turn 5 of
the Turf War.
f. For purposes of scoring, the moderators will score the Turf War
and settle any and all disputes as they arise. Their decisions
will be final.
Scoring will be as follows for Fights:
Win Loss Kill Die
Challenge +2 -2 +5 -5
Match Up +1 -1 +1 -5
Bloodfeud +2 -5 +5 -10
Champion x2 x2 x2 x2
Dark Arena* +10 -5 xx xx
*After 2nd win, warrior scores no points for wins
Special Scoring Considerations for the Turf War are as follows:
Spy Report mention (team name only) +2
Style Master +2
Duelmaster +2
Champions:
1. A Champion may be declared, but one is not mandatory.
2. Only one Champion allowed per manager at any given time.
3. Champions that graduate or are killed by another warrior in the arena, but
not the Dark Arena, may be replaced.
4. Champions must be in the Adepts bracket or lower on the turn they are
declared, and may NOT have gone above Adepts level at any time; this
includes teams transferred into North Fork for the Turf War.
Bloodfeuds:
1. Bloodfeuds will score points on all four (4) turns.
2. There is no limit to which warrior may bloodfeud or how often.
Tournament Considerations:
1. Tournament participation is ALLOWED and encouraged.
2. Tournament Victors won during the course of the contest will gain a one
(1) time bonus of 25 points. This bonus will apply EACH time a
warrior(s) wins such status.
3. Tournament Champions won during the course of the contest will gain a one
(1) time bonus of 50 points. This bonus will apply EACH time a
warrior(s) win such status.
4. Points for TVs and TCs will be applied the Turn after RSI posts
tournament results in the North Fork (DM 47) newsletter (i.e., if the
results post on North Fork turn 275, points will be credited on North
Fork turn 276 to the applicable teams).
Special Considerations:
1. Each alliance begins the Turf War with zero (0) points.
2. There will be NO alliance or team changes once the contest has begun. If
you begin the Turf War with Alliance A, you must end the Turf War with
Alliance A. If you begin the Turf War with Team A, you must end the Turf
War with Team A.
3. There will be a maximum of seven (7) teams allowed per alliance for the
Turf War.
4. The Dark Arena may be used on the first turn only, of every warrior,
without penalty.
Prizes:
The Turf War is a "winner take all" contest. All prizes and 100% of the Gift
Certificates will be awarded to the Captain of the winning alliance. It is the
responsibility of the Captain to distribute Gift Certificates. Moderators will
submit a list of each manager on the winning alliance to RSI at the completion of the
contest for the non-Certificate prizes.
The following prizes have been secured from RSI:
1. Renaming of the North Fork (DM 47) arena;
2. Renaming of Dark Arena Monsters (one for each manager in the winning
alliance);
3. Known Favorites for one warrior on each team of the winning alliance
(warrior must be ranked Initiate or above, must be alive, and must have
at least one arena fight to receive this award).
4. +1 Skill bonus potion for each manager on the winning alliance. Bonus
potion must be applied to a living warrior from (DM 47)
5. +1 Skill bonus potion (one) for each manager who fights in all 10 rounds
AND 45 fights of the Turf War. Bonus potion must be applied to a living
warrior from (DM 47)
These awards will be listed by the Moderator for claiming from RSI (Lee) within 4
turns of the end of TW VI.
Moderators:
The Moderators for this event will be Oz and Master Darque. They will arbitrate all
dealings during the course of the contest. Their decisions will be final. All
questions, comments, and scoring disputes may be directed to Land of Oz or Darque
Forces via diplo in DM 47. Managers with internet access may send a private message
to [The Consortium] or [Darque] on the Duel2 Forums. Lastly, you may also email
questions, comments, and scoring disputes to rebelnerfherder at yahoo dot com.
Please note there have been rule changes from the last Turf War. Please read them
carefully!
Contest will begin in November following the Fall Mail In Tournament.
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
CHARLIE EKSA was viciously subdued by VENEMOUS CONCUBINE in a 2 minute Title fight.
ELLYN GRUNE vanquished AMBITIOUS GUARD in a 1 minute brutal uneven battle.
ABELINDA CHASE defeated OWL in a 1 minute duel.
DILILAH FRANN devastated MORDANT DESERTER in a 1 minute one-sided contest.
CATCHER ELLIS defeated HEFFALUMP in a 1 minute amateur's match.
WOOZEL was devastated by MORDANT DESERTER in a 1 minute one-sided duel.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|AIMED BLOW 2 AIMED BLOW 14 - 5 - 0 74 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 2 SLASHING ATTACK 12 - 5 - 0 71 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 1 WALL OF STEEL 7 - 4 - 0 64 |
|BASHING ATTACK 1 TOTAL PARRY 5 - 4 - 0 56 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 BASHING ATTACK 9 - 8 - 2 53 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 1 LUNGING ATTACK 18 - 19 - 0 49 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 0 PARRY-LUNGE 5 - 7 - 1 42 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 0 STRIKING ATTACK 11 - 16 - 0 41 |
|TOTAL PARRY 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 - 4 - 0 20 |
|WALL OF STEEL 0 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 - 0 0 |
Turn 267 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:
STRIKING ATTACK 1 - 0 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 0 2 AIMED BLOW
BASHING ATTACK 1 - 0 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 2 LUNGING ATTACK
AIMED BLOW 1 - 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 1 2 PARRY-RIPOSTE
LUNGING ATTACK 1 - 1 SLASHING ATTACK 0 - 1 1 SLASHING ATTACK
TOTAL PARRY 0 - 0 1 BASHING ATTACK
WALL OF STEEL 0 - 0 1 STRIKING ATTACK
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
SLASHING ATTACK CHARLIE EKSA 8779 6 2 0 58 MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514)
AIMED BLOW ELLYN GRUNE 8781 7 1 0 49 MIDDLE WAY 20 (1514)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is DILILAH FRANN 8780. The most popular warrior this
turn was ELLYN GRUNE 8781. The ten other most popular fighters were CHARLIE EKSA
8779, ABELINDA CHASE 8777, DILILAH FRANN 8780, CATCHER ELLIS 8876, OWL 5088,
HEFFALUMP 5086, WOOZEL 5087, 0, 0, and 0.
The least popular fighter this week was WOOZEL 5087. The other ten least popular
fighters were HEFFALUMP 5086, OWL 5088, CATCHER ELLIS 8876, DILILAH FRANN 8780,
ABELINDA CHASE 8777, CHARLIE EKSA 8779, ELLYN GRUNE 8781, 0, 0, and 0.
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A NOTE ON MAILMEN
In response to the articles on new fighting styles, those were good, but how can
you forget our most favorite warrior who has a style all his own? The Mailman! To
Duelmasters he is our most sacred person. I mean, how many of you managers out their
have sat down and calculated what day your Duelmasters will arrive and have sat
waiting for it to arrive, while unknown to you, your mailman is fighting away to get
your Duelmasters delivered. Let's review him...
ST - should be around 19. He needs to heft two medium bags, cloth mail armor and
a ton of rubber bands.
CN - 13, give or take a few. He does get bitten by dogs often.
SZ - Any.
WT - At least 10. He often likes to read the mail.
WL - Try about 20. He must endure all kinds of weather.
SP - 16 is good. He needs to run across streets in traffic.
DF - 10 is good. Sometimes he has to carry packages.
This setup should get you a good mailman but they are hard to come by. If you
can come up with any better, diplo me. I am:
Staple Gun
mgr. of Technet (3)
The New Deal (23)
I am currently working on the U.P.S. and Federal Express warriors.
"Strikers R Us"
Greetings, everyone. It is I, Talon, again. I am very glad to see everyone
participating in the arena and sharing their thoughts on styles and strategies. This
turn I will take on the striking attack style, which is certainly one of my favorites.
I believe the striker is one of the easiest styles to run, and one in which no
team should be without. A high-powered striker can diversify and empower your team.
A well run striker can beat any other style, period, at any level in regular
Duelmasters. In arenas where scum TPs are rampant, strikers are just the answer as
they can attack for up to 12 minutes or more. Strikers are versatile. They can do
exceptionally well with a dagger as a weapon or with a halberd. They can do well with
no armor or with plate armor.
Stats:
Biff Primal Solid Perfect
ST 5-21 9-17 13 15
CN 3+ 3+ 6 3
SZ 9-21 3-17 9 5
WT 3-17 17 + 17 21
WL 9-17 13 + 17 15
SP 5+ 5-13 9 8
DF 9+ 9-17 13 17
With the way I design strikers, there are essentially two strikers that evolve.
The BIFF and the PRIMAL. The Biff striker is typically one that is not looking long-
term, but one which I want to run and have fun with. With this striker, I try to have
one stat (wit, will, or deftness) which is extraordinary, one which is average, and
the other ends up being at some non-normal level. Some examples of the Biff are: 10-
10-11-4-17-17-15, 7-11-17-17-11-6-15, 9-5-14-17-11-13-15, 4-8-17-15-13-10-17, and 21-
3-15-21-5-8-11. With these warriors, the emphasis is on having fun and learning more
about the style.
The Primal is essentially a Primus-quality warrior. In this category, the
striker will be designed with stats that most other managers will gasp, "OH MY, WHY
DID YOU MAKE HIM A STRIKER?" It is also the warrior that will be Duelmaster for 8
straight turns and will go to ADM with a 16-4-2 record, with 4 Masters and an Ad Ex.
The key here is to create a warrior with AT LEAST a 17 wit and 15 deftness, along with
a 13+ will and who will do normal damage or better. The goal with the Primal is a 21
wit and 17 deftness, because this will ensure a great warrior.
Weapons and Armor: As for weapons, the best striking weapons that I have found
and used are the dagger, epee, scimitar, broadsword, quarterstaff, greatsword,
longsword, war hammer, and sometimes the short spear. I don't run my strikers with
shields or off-hand weapons, as it takes away from their attack. The heaviest armor I
will use is padded leather. Always wear a steel cap or a helm.
Strategy (general):
Min. 1 2 3 4 5 6+ Desp
OE 10 8 6 6 6 5 5
AL 10 5 4 2 2 1 8
KD 6 8 6 6 6 5 5
attack arms/legs/head -- take your pick
protect arms/legs/head -- take your pick
off tactic decise, slash, bash, depending on weapon
def tactic response is best; try dodge though.
With this strategy, a striker with a normal endurance should fight for eight
minutes as a scum TP and come out on top, outrageously victorious. Just match your
weapon with your tactic and only use the tactics in minute one or desperation.
If you have any further questions on this or any other style, feel free to diplo
me.
Talon, mgr. Eagle's Claw
HOW I MADE DUELMASTER IN THREE EASY STEPS
OR
a new look for Aimed Blows
Greetings and salutations, all. Here's a new twist on aimed blows I haven't seen
before....one that works, at least for me! Here's what I did with Rex Walters, my
first Duelmaster in the Free Blades transfer arena, DM 70.
ST: 17 (for good damage, attack and parry skills)
CN: 13 (gonna need every hit point he can get)
SZ: 4 (smaller the better!)
WT: 4 (overrated for aimed blows!)
WL: 21 (if ya try this method, 17 is a MINIMUM)
SP: 4 (ya want NO speed, none, nothing, zero!)
DF: 21 (better max this one out too, at least a 19)
You laugh at me? I started expert in both attack and parry! (OK, so I got lucky,
I didn't expect either one of em.) But both are in reach with a little luck. Hey, if
ya can get that strength to 21 you're almost guaranteed those experts... though a bit
more CON would be nice.
But how do I RUN this monstrosity, you may ask? Why, I'm glad you inquired!
LOTS of armor. The hit points combined with, say, platemail should win this character
a lot of fights. But, while I've picked up a few easy wins scumming, that's not
really what this character does best.
I use the only weapon Rex is well suited to: the bare hand. With an offhand
small shield or shortsword, so I can take advantage of that expert parry rating. So:
FI-SH, APM-H.
And I run him at a 4 offensive effort, with a matching 4 activity level. He can
last through the initial onslaught of nearly any offensive, then smash them.... like a
good waste. And with that monster endurance and good damage, no one scums this
warrior!
I attack and protect the head, usually, and keep the kill desire high... 5-7
generally. Now, how to become Duelmaster?
Well, step one is fight your first fight... and train your CON. Step two, now
that you're in the arena, is get a fight with an up-and-coming young warrior from the
Duelmaster's team... and kill them. (I randomly matched up with, and killed, a member
of the incoming Duelmaster's team...luck helps, ya know.) Offensives that wear
themselves out but haven't quite dropped are the easiest to kill.
Then, when the Duelmaster comes at you (bragging about how he "only" needs to
beat you twice to assure his ascension to the Isle) you stomp him. Badly. Once
you're on that lofty throne he won't even be able to bloodfeud you, since you can bet
he's not gonna be anywhere near the challenger champions after losing to a 2-fight
warrior (just ask Ciron of ENDS WITH IRON, now in AD).
There are drawbacks, of course. Once you get to that level, odds are you're
gonna get stomped like a stuck pig (I was most challenged 2 turns in a row after this
trick... Oo! I love mixed metaphors...) But... even a 4 wit warrior can learn skills
against gladiators with 50 fights!
Rex is now 7-3-1. All three losses have come against warriors now in AD. In
those ten matches, he's trained his strength and constitution once each, and learned
twenty skills, including his adex in both parry and attack. And boy, is it fun
humiliating some of those "gods" bound for AD!
What else can one do with this warrior? Well, Rex is, get this, well suited to
an off-hand epee! He wouldn't dare use one as a primary weapon, but its a great off-
hand toy...
Does he have what it takes to be a long-term winner? Who knows? He's probably
the DUMBEST aimed blow to ever make Duelmaster... He's in the Challenger Champions and
climbing....and he'll meet ya in AD!
Amazingly enough, this is not an isolated fluke. We entered a similar warrior
into Bloodgames (with the 4's as 3's, and a bit more CON). That warrior, Jalon, is
now in AD after going 9-1-5 and finishing on TOP of his Bloodgames arena.
Ah, just thought I'd mention I have had a second bare-handed Duelmaster, now...
Seeker Still Water in DM 74 is an open-hand lunger, Duelmaster at 8-1... but that's
another story...
--Khyron
mgr., Pitt Gladiators (2,29,56,103)
Jayhawks (70)
Silent Storm (65,74,75)
and numerous others....
THE WALL OF STEEL AS A BERSERKER
This article is for newer players; more experienced managers will, I'm sure, have
much more sophisticated ideas about warrior design and strategy. This will enable a
newbie to design a competent warrior who should be able to achieve a better than 50/50
record.
The wall of steel, or "waste," is often considered the second scummiest style in
Duelmasters. I love the style, but I don't run mine that way; I prefer to think of
the waste as a fierce dervish ripping into his opponent like an airplane propeller.
In accordance with this view, most walls of steel that I design couldn't scum if they
wanted to (well all right, sometimes it happens by accident if the opposing warrior is
going all-out and can't last very long). It's fun to run them fast; they get the jump
on people who don't expect it of them, and their fights are exciting. Mind you, they
don't win as much as if they ran more defensively, but the ones with good stats still
do okay (I'll make practically anything a waste and run it, but this article isn't
about the ones that a sane manager would DA).
So, here is a design for a competent wall of steel:
ST 13+ Needed for endurance, damage doing, and weapon selection.
CN 9+ You need a passably good con for endurance.
SZ 7+ Teeny weenie wastes don't hit hard enough or take enough damage. Real big
(15+) is bad because it hurts endurance.
WT 13+ Preferably 17. Like any other style, the smarter they are, the better.
WL 17+ Needed for endurance, damage-taking, and sheer grit. 21 is recommended.
SP 3+ Whatever.
DF 7+ Higher deftness is better, but you can get by without it.
As you can see, these are fairly easy requirements. Of course, the more wit,
will, and deftness, the better your waste will be (same as any other style). If you
don't end up with at least good endurance on the overview, the warrior probably isn't
going to do very well. With that high will, though, you can bump con a couple of
times and you might get good endurance, so there's still a chance.
Choose your weapons based on deftness, and your opponent's armor weight. I
normally use something like 0-8 SC, 9-12 BS, 13+ GA, backup SC or BS. No shield.
Some other good weapons for the waste are QS (only takes 11 ST, and can hit heavy
armor), MS, and BA. The war flail isn't a very good weapon, but you can play with it
against leather armor. For armor, I usually choose something middling like ARM & H,
but will go with APL & H if he has a lot of con.
For strategy--I heard a rumor (NOT confirmed) that a wall of steel gets a bonus
if his OE equals his KD. Since I don't like to use a kill desire above 6, I don't go
by that in the first couple of minutes. Keep the activity level moderate to low; the
waste doesn't need to jump around a lot and the way he keeps his weapon moving, he's
burning a lot of endurance without that added drain. Attack and defend the arms, like
a slasher; a waste is a sort of parry-slasher. A typical strategy for my wastes might
look like this:
Minute 1 2 3 4 5 6 Desp
Offensive 9 8 7 6 5 5 2
Activity 6 5 4 3 2 1 6
Kill des. 6 6 6 6 5 5 2
Att. loc. RA LA RA LA RA LA RA
Pro. loc. AM AM AM AM AM AM HE
Off tac. none -- -- -- -- -- --
Def tac. -- -- -- -- -- -- P
I play with the numbers a lot, depending on what the warrior seems to like. For
example, if he doesn't parry too well, I'll give him a more offensive desperation
strategy, like 8-4-8-slash. (If I really like a warrior I sometimes use a 7+ KD to
try and save his life.) If he never manages to get the jump on anybody, I'll try
running him more defensively, like with a first minute of 3-6-3. It's not as much fun
as going all out, but it's more fun than losing all the time.
You can challenge pretty much any style (lungers aren't recommended). When
fighting a warrior you know to be very defensive (a TP, or a scummy variety of PS, PR,
PL, or WS), slow down or you will be scummed. For the most part, though, an offensive
waste is very versatile and can beat any style. The better his important qualities
are (WT, WL, DF, endurance), the better the quality of warriors he can defeat. In
other words, if you have a so-so rollup that barely made the minimum requirements,
challenge so-so opponents. If you have a good rollup, go for the gold. Challenge
warriors with a few more fights than you, so you'll learn plenty of skills--but don't
challenge way way up in experience, because it's no fun to lose a good warrior.
For the most part, train skills--especially on your challenge strategy, when
you're going after someone with more fights! And for sure on the first fight, because
you'll likely be matched against someone who can teach you a lot. It's okay to train
con once in a while if you need more endurance and damage-taking; and if you have bad
luck on the rollup and get "does little damage" or something, you might have to train
strength once or twice (no more!). But it's best not to train any other stats until
way, way down the road.
Ask your DM sponsor or any experienced manager in your arena for more advice (if
they tell you I'm full of hot air, they're probably right). A little bit of good
advice from a more advanced player can make a big difference in your enjoyment of the
game!
If you have any questions or suggestions, you can diplo: the She-Puppy, mgr.
Mordant Prison DM-1, and others.