DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER
Date : 02/13/2010 Duedate: 02/26/2010
NOBLISH ISLAND ARENA
DM-93 TURN-293
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
DEATH
IWC (1554)
(93-9035) [4-2-0,61]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
POSITION IS EMPTY DEATH
IWC (1554)
(93-9035) [4-2-0,61]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
BONES HICKS
IWC (1554) SPACEMARINES (1555)
(93-9032) [4-2-0,27] (93-9037) [2-3-0,11]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
SPACEMARINES (1555)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. SPACEMARINES (1555) 21
2. MIDDLE WAY 23 (1556) 10 AVENGERS (287)
3. IWC (1554) 9 Unchartered Team
4. DRAGONS (1491) 9
MIDDLE WAY 23 (1556)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1/ 1*MIDDLE WAY 23 (1556) 13 6 1 68.4 1/ 2*SPACEMARINES (1555) 11 4 1
2/ 2*SPACEMARINES (1555) 17 8 3 68.0 2/ 1*MIDDLE WAY 23 (1556) 9 5 1
3/ 3*IWC (1554) 15 14 0 51.7 3/ 3*IWC (1554) 4 10 0
4/ 4*DRAGONS (1491) 1 6 0 14.3 4/ 4*DRAGONS (1491) 1 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
+ ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Striking Style ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
by Sir Boyd
Strikers are very effective in basic, but have little use in Advanced
Duelmasters. This is due to the nature of their primary strength: decise. Young
strikers win or lose in the opening few swings. In basic, few styles can match the
striker's lightning opening or avoid his initial attack. However, in higher levels
of the game most fighters have sufficient defenses to avoid the striker's relatively
low attack rating, and the striker has little to fall back on.
A striker should be designed to maximize his initial decise (speed) or
alternately his ability to learn decise (wit). Strikers have little use for
constitution or will. Here are a few comments on which stats are good for strikers:
ST: 9-17, the higher the better. ST 9 is required for SC, but unless you have a big
fighter you shouldn't settle for less than 11.
CN: unnecessary.
SZ: up to 14 is great. A good striker will have at minimum 21 points between ST and
SZ (this is the average combination for being able to do good damage with a
blow.)
WT: the higher the better. 17 and 21 are great cutoffs. You want to learn on
average 2 to 3 skills per turn to maintain your decise advantage over other
styles.
WL: 9-13 is all that's required. Longer-term strikers (designed for relevance past
invite to Advanced) might benefit from a higher WL, but in my opinion such a
design would be better as a different style.
SP: 9+. The higher your WT, the less initial SP you'll need. But for a striker,
speed is life. Spend lavishly on your striker's speed.
DF: 11+. This is also a good stat for a striker to have. DF 11 allows the use of
most weapons without coordination penalty, and provides valuable attack skills.
Here's my idea of some great strikers:
13-4- 9-21-11- 9-17
11-4-11-17-11-15-15
As for strategy, use weapons that are fast and do decent damage (SC, LO, SS, BS,
QS, WH are some of the better ones,) and wear little or even no armor. Run hard,
with high offense and activity levels. The decise tactic is well suited to strikers,
and use it whenever the opponent doesn't know you're coming. Beware that the Decise
tactic can be countered by the use of a Responsive tactic. It's sort of a rock-
paper-scissors thing. Decise tactic has advantage over no tactic or any tactic other
than Response. Any tactic other than Decise has advantage over Response tactic.
Response tactic has advantage over Decise tactic.
Sir Boyd,
Elanti Hunters (102 and 107)
(now inactive)
+ ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Lighthouse ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Jorja sat at her private table at the back of the Lighthouse's taproom and
scanned Sir Boyd's article again. Quite good, straightforward, no freakish stuff.
Solid. Helpful, she hoped. Well, it had better be, because she didn't feel much
like trying to do one on Strikers today herself. She glanced around the room to make
sure things were going smoothly. A little rowdiness among a group of young
gladiators off behind the piano, but her back-up bartender, Olber Pring, was already
moving that way. He'd deal with it. But maybe she could add just a little around
the edges....
Below is a list of weapons "well-suited" to use by strikers, and the minimum stats
required for effective use. My thanks to Pagan and other number-crunchers who have
made this information available. -- Jorja
Striker Note that the strikers can use every weapon plus the small shield
effectively. This is the only style that has so broad a selection. Twenty-one
weapons.
Battleaxe ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 9 Mace ST 13 SZ - WT 3 DF 5
Broadsword ST 11 SZ - WT 9 DF 7 Maul ST 15 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 7
Dagger ST - SZ - WT 7 DF 7 Morningstar ST 13 SZ - WT 7 DF 13
Epee ST 7 SZ - WT 15 DF 15 Quarterstaff ST 11 SZ 9 WT 11 DF 11
Fist - presumably any Scimitar ST 9 SZ - WT 11 DF 11
Greataxe ST 13 SZ WT 9 DF 11 Shortspear ST 9 SZ - WT 7 DF 7
Greatsword ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 11 Shortsword ST 5 SZ - WT 11 DF 3
Halberd ST 17 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 9 Small shield ST 5 SZ - WT 5 DF 5
Hatchet ST 5 SZ - WT 3 DF 7 Warflail ST 11 SZ - WT 7 DF 5
Longspear ST 11 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 9 Warhammer ST 13 SZ - WT 5 DF 7
Longsword ST 11 SZ - WT 13 DF 11
A couple of specific examples of Strikers, neither of them great, but they both
survived to graduation--
Profile of a Warrior
Kardo Dosh
Kardo was a classic example of the mediocre warrior, starting out as 10-13-15-9-
15-7-15. He was trained as a striker, I forget why. It must have seemed like a good
idea at the time. He'd have made a better lunger, but I must not have wanted a
lunger. One of the mysteries of the universe. His overview was not impressive,
merely stating that he was--
Left handed
(no primary wit statement, due to the low number)
Seldom wastes his endurance needlessly
Is relatively slow and inactive (that 7 SP)
Can take a lot of damage (SZ and CN)
Cannot carry a lot of weight (relatively low ST)
Can do good damage with a blow (mostly his SZ)
The mode skills for his stats and style are: three initiative, six riposte,
three attack, two parry, two defense, and seven decisiveness. Not impressive, and I
must admit that I have not done any research to discover whether he is plus or minus
on any skill.
At the time he received his graduation notice, he was 21-20-3, running with
minimal attention from the management. No challenges, no avoids, and he probably
didn't have more than three strategy changes in his whole career. On his graduation
fight, he was armed with a hatchet, an off-hand hatchet, and a backup hatchet,
armored in leather and a helm, and running 10-10-6 straight across, attacking the
arm. It turns out that this was NOTHING like his favorite weapon and rhythm: short
spear, moderate offensive effort (5 or 6), very low activity level (1 or 2). In
other words, born to scum.... I have a personal bias against running warriors that
slowly, as I hate to wade through long fights. He left the arena with a master in
decisiveness (his favorite learn) and an expert in attack (this is what he was
waiting for; he got it on the same fight as he received his invitation to the Isle).
Kardo Dosh is headed for retirement; he's had his fishing spot picked out for
months. But he was fun to run and with more attention would almost certainly have
done better.
Profile of a Gladiator
Lord Protector and one-time Duelmaster of Noblish Island arena
Olber is a striker, 15-7-14-11-17-5-15.
His overview was nothing exciting--
He's right-handed
His intelligence is unremarkably average (no primary wit line on the overview)
He makes clever attacks (I wouldn't have minded seeing some of these!)
He is gifted at avoiding a blow (yeah, right!)
He seldom wastes his endurance needlessly
He's slightly uncoordinated (that low SP)
He is incredibly quick and elusive on his feet (despite the lack of coordination
which caused him to trip over his own shadow around the guildhouse)
He can do good damage with a blow.
From the lack of mention, we also know that he has normal endurance, a normal
ability to take damage, and can carry a normal amount of weight in armor and weapons.
His base skills, those deriving from his initial stats, are: initiative 5, riposte 5,
attack 7, parry 5, defense 9, decise 7. He is plus four in defense, otherwise mode,
or normal for his stats.
Olber was never a great warrior. After leaving here at 8-2, he went to Aljafir
and proceeded to lose fights, ending up graduating at 22-29. He could have done
better if I'd paid more attention to his strategy, issued challenges, and so on.
Given the neglect he labored under, he could also have done much worse. Good but not
great about describes him.
Despite this, he has some long-term potential, as indicated by the fact that
none of his base skills are lower than mode, and by that 17 WL which would allow him
to raise stats relatively easily.
I normally ran him fairly fast, 8-6-x or, if he should have been getting the
jump and didn't, 10-x-x. Light armor--ALE, H, and, of course, a scimitar and back-up
scimitar for weapons. He held his own in Aljafir at first, until the arena pulled
out of its slump and began to gather determined managers again. I feel that it was
the good management of his opponents, rather than his own short-comings, that
resulted in his losing record. I feel that given a couple of decent--not great, just
decent--warriors matched against each other, it's the better manager who wins the
most.
Despite my lack of attention, Olber hung on long enough to get the skills and
political points needed to graduate. He will not be run on the Isle (that's why you
have to put up with him hanging around the Lighthouse). At the time of graduation,
he was 22-29-0, had experts in attack and decise (only! what a slug--that 11 WT
doubtless slowed his learning), was found to be naturally adept with the dagger
(ick), and to favor a fighting rhythm of high offense and high activity. If I was
running him further, I would ignore the dagger favorite and continue to arm him with
a scimitar, probably going 8-8-x. An increase in CN would enable him to take more
damage without compromising his skill-learning.
I thank you all for your patience with this presentation and invite you to:
1. Drop in at The Lighthouse any time to talk about managing or mainland
politics or any other thing that's on your mind.
2. Let your warriors hang out here between practice sessions. I'll see to it
that they get back home okay after closing.
3. State opinions, raise questions, make suggestions, etc. If you like the
idea of a warrior profile each turn, I'd be glad to provide one from my files--pick a
style, any style....
Jorja
Middle Way 7
+>]H[<+-----+>]H[+ Question of the Week #5 +]H[<+-----+>]H[<+
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.
Answers, turn 408:
This isn't in answer to the Question of the Week, but it looks like stuff you all
might find interesting, so here 'tis. -- Jorja
Hanibal -- Here's my advice: Prep your warriors for the Apprentices, Inits, Adepts,
then next for the Freshmen. Don't worry about the Champions class unless you have a
warrior that received their Invite to AD before the tourney. Also, run rookies
whenever you can. It is one of the purest competitions available. Learn about aimed
blows then run some as rookies. It is a lot of fun! If you want to get serious
about tourneys, think about what every warrior needs to do to be at the top of their
class. Take what the megas on the Duel List say with a grain of salt. Someone else
will always have a better warrior than you, but the best doesn't always win! Luck
plays a great role in determining tournament winners, meaning luck in matchups. --
Generalissimo Puerco
QoW -- Each skill makes just a little difference. So little, that the difference
might be hard to see in any given fight. I think that the ratings are just there to
give the manager an indication of their warrior's progression. -- Generalissimo
Puerco
If there were more answers in the newsletter in question, I missed them. Also, I
didn't see a new question in this one! And I seem to have mislaid the next
newsletter, so I will say again, that's all for now, but more next time. -- Jorja
It's a little untidier this week, with some delayed answers to earlier
questions, and some questions not yet answered. For those of you newly arrived on
Noblish Island, these questions and answers are taken from the Aruak City (DM 11)
newsletter, mostly asked by Hanibal, a graduate of Noblish Island, and answered by
any manager in that arena who has something to say on the topic.
Feel free to ask questions of your own. I'll answer, Pagan will answer, various
other managers, such as Rillion, who read the newsletter on line will answer, and
we'll put it up to the experienced managers of Aruak City as well. -- Jorja
From turn 410:
The first three continue an earlier discussion of learning rates.
Q.O.W. -- I have three warriors that I bumped from 17 to 19 [WT] and it didn't make
any difference so I am inclined to believe it is the intelligence rating. However, I
have talked to managers who have bumped wit to an even number and sometimes it helps.
-- Hanibal
Q.O.W -- I think learn rate for a particular warrior (and only the warrior, exclusive
of other factors) is centered around the intelligence comment. The mean learn rate
is placed there, but there is also a range higher and lower than that mean rate.
Kind of like a standard deviation distance in statistics. I feel, though its not
provable, that each warrior gets a random roll that places their own general learn
rate somewhere in this range. The range is big enough to overlap with the higher and
lower categories of intelligence, thus a 13 WT warrior with a lucky roll could learn
as well as a 17 WT warrior, for example. This is exclusive of other factors of
course that could greatly affect learning as noted in an earlier Q.O.W. -- Adie
QoW -- We are convinced that "average-skills-learned-per-fight" is dependent solely
upon the wit number. E.G. -- a 14 wit learns slightly better than a 13 who is
slightly better than a 12. But ON-THE-AVERAGE-is key. Each warrior is different. --
Kennelworth
P.S. Yes, we run even-wit warriors with no qualms. We prefer odd, hence optimizing
overall skills, but even works great. Sure thing.
All -- I have heard about having a favorite of a double tactic. If you had lunge and
dodge as favs would you use them separately or in the same minute? -- Q.O.W.
P.S. Do offensive tactics raise your initiative?
From turn 411:
Q.O.W. -- Yep, it's rare, but you can get double tactics. Though it's usually not
recommended to use two at once, I'd try it if it was your favs. It's hard to tell,
but I think some offensive tactics might raise init. I don't use them all that much,
so I can't really say what exactly I think each tactic influences. -- Adie
Q.O.W. -- What is the secret to keeping your warriors alive? Of course winning all
your fights is the best way, but let's be for real. I believe that wearing plate
armor could help the underskilled win fights, but does not appear to keep you alive
once you get a death statement. Would all agree Con keeps you alive much better than
will? I never had a warrior die on me who could take a lot of damage. Have any of
your teams? High skilled warriors with low con win a lot but do they seem to die a
lot when they do lose? Fighting in tournaments and in Andorian arenas is this the
best way to get fight experience without dying? What is the number of fights you
must have under your belt before it becomes unlikely you would be killed? -- AK47
Q.O.W. To start to hold your own in Advanced Duelmasters I believe now you must have
3 master ratings in skills. I am wondering if I am correct? -- AK47
All -- I have noticed that my great rollups seldom get blessed, but my average ones
almost always do. Is this just me? What say you all. -- Q.O.W.
Q.O.W. -- Double tactics are optimized separately; offensive tactics raise only that
which they are -- decisive to gain the attack, slash and bash to enhance the attack
via power and criticals. -- The Bulldogs
Q.O.W. -- If one gets an invite, goes to the tournament and is killed, that "dead"
warrior will appear alive in the selected ADM arena. (It just occurred to one of our
compatriots in this most recent mailer.) -- The Bulldogs
* }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *
---===FREE BLADES REGIONAL NEWS===---
Duelmasters
-----------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 637): LIP GLOSS of HOT STUFF (Papa Bear, mgr.)
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 639): DORA BELL of SWEET MAGIC (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 13 DULLENS (turn 508): AVENGING ANTELOPE of SATAN'S KINGDOMS (Dark One, mgr.)
DM 15 MALCORN (turn 633): ROCKWOOD of GREENWARDENS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 635): BRUAR of MAXIMUM RESULTS (Coyote, mgr.)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 626): THEODOSIUS of FIELDS OF ELYSIUM (Caesar, mgr.)
DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 628): ERIC CARTMAN of CUNNING RUNTS (Deep Thought, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 316): OTHER of EXPENSE ACCOUNT (Finance Manager, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 624): SALAMANDER of TRAIL OF TEARS (Jugger?, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 313): EXECUTIONER of RETRIBUTION (?, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 621): UNBREAKABLE of CHRISTIAN ROCK (Zalgor Prigg, mgr.)
DM 33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 619): ZOMBIEFIED of LIVING HELL (The Dark One, mgr.)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 610): ORION of ON THE ROCKS (Bartender, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 572): PRINCE JACKSON of LUROCIAN ROYALTY (The Greek Guy, mgr.)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 291): PAYNE of DARQUE FORCES (Master Darque, mgr.)
DM 47 TEMPLE OF ABARSIS (turn 285): VYNMORGATH of KAOS (Grimm, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 272): MRS. VAUGHN of LIFE IMPACTS (Smitty, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 500): DEBRA FARIN of MIDDLE WAY 20 (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 60 COLLUSION COVE (turn 487): IMOTO-CHAN of EX OBLIVIONE (Enigma, mgr.)
DM 61 JURINE (turn 467): DRAGON HARVEST of AUTUMN SAGA (?, mgr.)
DM 65 DAL SHANG (turn 463): FLITCHAK of CASTAWAYS (She-Puppy, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 221): SQUEEZE of BLACKMAIL (The Mun, mgr.)
DM 74 DAYLA KIV (turn 426): ALEXANDROS of GATES OF FIRE (Chief Illiniwek, mgr.)
DM 75 JADE MOUNTAIN (turn 417): QUINCY WATTS of GREATS OF TROY (Zalgor Prigg, mgr.)
DM 78 LIN TIRIAN (turn 409): SANDY STRATTON of GIRLS X3 (Non, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 525): NATAS of DO IT AGAIN (The Dark One, mgr.)
Top Teams
---------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 637): SEA DOGS (One Armed Bandit, mgr.)
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 639): SEA DOGS (One Armed Bandit, mgr.)
DM 13 DULLENS (turn 508): CARDOW HUNTERS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 15 MALCORN (turn 633): GREENWARDENS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 635): GOLDEN GLADIATORS (Midas, mgr.)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 626): FIELDS OF ELYSIUM (Caesar, mgr.)
DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 628): THE MAGNIFICENT MAGS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 316): EXPENSE ACCOUNT (Finance Manager, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 624): STREET WALKERS (Roadkill, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 313): THE STORMBRINGERS (High Lord Bosk, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 621): APOCALYPSE (The Walkin' Dude, mgr.)
DM 33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 618): THE SEWING CIRCLE (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 610): ON THE ROCKS (Bartender, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 572): LUROCIAN ROYALTY (The Greek Guy, mgr.)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 291): DARQUE FORCES (Master Darque, mgr.)
DM 47 TEMPLE OF ABARSIS (turn 285): LAND OF OZ (Oz the All-Winning, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 272): LIFE IMPACTS (Smitty, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 500): MIDDLE WAY 20 (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 60 COLLUSION COVE (turn 487): EX OBLIVIONE (Enigma, mgr.)
DM 61 JURINE (turn 467): MIDDLE WAY 16 (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 65 DAL SHANG (turn 463): SAND DANCERS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 221): BLACKMAIL (The Mun, mgr.)
DM 74 DAYLA KIV (turn 423): GATES OF FIRE (Chief Illiniwek, mgr.)
DM 75 JADE MOUNTAIN (turn 417): POSITION IS EMPTY
DM 78 LIN TIRIAN (turn 409): SAND DANCERS (Jorja, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 525): DO IT AGAIN et al (The Dark One, mgr.)
Recent Graduates
-----------------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 636): SAFFIRA of BLUE MOON (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 634): GOLD CACHE of GOLDEN GLADIATORS (Midas, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 316): OTHER of EXPENSE ACCOUNT (Finance Manager, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 624): SALAMANDER of TRAIL OF TEARS (Jugger?, mgr.)
(turn 623): MAKADOS of PHLANTHROPISTS (Aragorn, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 621): UNBREAKABLE of CHRISTIAN ROCK (Zalgor Prigg, mgr.)
(turn 620): MALIGNANT TUMOR of APOCALYPSE (The Walkin' Dude, mgr.)
UNDEAD DUCK of BARN OF HORRORS (Rillion, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 572): PRINCE JACKSON of LUROCIAN ROYALTY (The Greek Guy, mgr.)
DM 47 TEMPLE OF ABARSIS (turn 284): SPARROW of RAPTOR (Owlin, mgr.)
DM 60 COLLUSION COVE (turn 485): FLUMMAX of RED DOG GANG (Spot, mgr.)
DM 61 JURINE (turn 465): HEADING SOUTH of AUTUMN SAGA (?, mgr.)
SNOTMAN of I HATE THEM TOO (Zalgor Prigg, mgr.)
DM 65 DAL SHANG (turn 462): SORRELISHE of SAND DANCERS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 78 LIN TIRIAN (turn 409): TYLER DURDEN of PROJECT: MAYHEM (The Greek Guy, mgr.)
SPY REPORT
If you were disturbed from your beauty rest only to have to watch a bunch of
NOBLISH ISLAND brutes like you, you'd be grouchy, too. Later days, MIDDLE WAY 23,
since SPACEMARINES took top team from you this turn, you guys are old news. Of
course, we're all terribly impressed to see BONES win a fight and gain 12 points,
terribly. Tsk, tsk, BONES beat ARABELLA DEEDS and ARABELLA DEEDS lost 8 points.
You're breakin' my heart. Our Duelmaster has lost, folks, lost to VENEMOUS
CONCUBINE, BUT DEATH is still the Duelmaster because it has the most recognition
points! Kickbacks and bribes, kickbacks and bribes, how else do you think some of
these guys win their fights? Skill? Ha!
He who fights and runs away will live to fight another day, the coward.
Death and Taxes. The less death I see, the more it taxes my patience. Let's
see if anyone's dead or dying. Not that I'll be buying the drinks, but I'll be glad
to see BONES and IWC at The Welcome Wench tonight celebrating their bloodfeud victory
over ARABELLA DEEDS. 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
Welcome Wench! Any suggestions? Well, I've had enough of this drivel, and I'm sure
you have too. Off like a dirty shirt of padded leather. I see the crowds are
getting restless, I must leave now-- Snide Clemens
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
DEATH 9035 4 2 0 61 IWC (1554)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
VASQUEZ 9038 5 0 1 41 SPACEMARINES (1555)
DRAKE 9039 5 0 2 36 SPACEMARINES (1555)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
HUDSON 9040 4 1 0 30 SPACEMARINES (1555)
BONES 9032 4 2 0 27 IWC (1554)
CUSTIS FORN 9043 3 1 0 24 MIDDLE WAY 23 (1556)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
ELSPETH HAUN 9045 3 1 0 23 MIDDLE WAY 23 (1556)
DELIA GARTH 9044 3 1 0 23 MIDDLE WAY 23 (1556)
CHUCKIE FUDH 9051 2 0 0 20 MIDDLE WAY 23 (1556)
STYX 9034 3 3 0 12 IWC (1554)
HICKS 9037 2 3 0 11 SPACEMARINES (1555)
STONES 9031 2 4 0 10 IWC (1554)
ARABELLA DEEDS 9041 2 2 1 9 MIDDLE WAY 23 (1556)
DUMB BULL 8644 1 0 0 8 DRAGONS (1491)
RIPLEY 9036 1 4 0 7 SPACEMARINES (1555)
HARSHNAG THE GRIM 8875 0 3 0 3 DRAGONS (1491)
-STAR GIRL 8640 0 2 0 2 DRAGONS (1491)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
THOR 9033 2 3 0 IWC 1554 ARABELLA DEEDS 9041 292 JUST REVENGED
BENSAMIN EADES 9042 0 1 0 MIDDLE WAY 23 1556 VASQUEZ 9038 290
PERSONAL ADS
Vasquez -- Damn, I knew I forgot something. The can-opener! -- Custis Forn
Bones -- You should try a different weapon, maybe a hatchet. Jorja knows some
gladiators who did very well with hatchets, kind of like a butcher making stew meat.
Or a broadsword, she says you should be able to handle that just fine, too. Myself,
I like opponents who are having problems, but I don't pay the bills, and Jorja's here
to offer advice. So, there it is. Different weapon. -- Delia Garth
Thor -- Ah, that really puts you up a creek. But there are other weapons you could
use, like a warflail. Hmm, examining the newsletter, I see that you've been here
five turns--your team, for sure. So go back to turn 289--you should be saving the
newsletters, as the ten consecutive newsletters of your Noblish Island experience
constitute a handbook for basic dueling--anyway, go back to that newsletter, turn to
the last page, and check the chart which shows weapons organized by style suitability
and described by stats required to use them. There are options you can handle, if
you don't want to train up the deficient stat. -- Arabella Deeds
P.S. Damn, I see you died. Not my intention, and the advice above won't do you much
good, I guess, but your teammates could benefit from it.
Stones -- Cheese louise, guy, at least wear armor! -- Elspeth Haun
Hicks -- You're the most exasperating opponent I've faced so far. I hope you trip
over an initiative lost in the sand--or someone buried there--and fall on your face!
-- Chuckie Fudh
9 February 10
All -- I know you all thought the old Wiz that is Fiz went off to die somewhere.
Well, I didn't. Now I'm back to befuddle and frustrate you with my senseless
ramblings. I look forward to reconnecting with all my old friends and enemies alike.
-- Fizban the Famous
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
DEATH was viciously subdued by VENEMOUS CONCUBINE in a 2 minute bloody Title fight.
VASQUEZ vanquished STYX in a 2 minute uneven battle.
DRAKE subdued DELIA GARTH in a 2 minute bloody beginner's fight.
HUDSON bested OSKSI NOBLE in a 3 minute fight.
STONES was defeated by CUSTIS FORN in a 1 minute match.
BONES devastated ARABELLA DEEDS in a 1 minute uneven brawl.
HARSHNAG THE GRIM was defeated by HICKS in a 2 minute novice's struggle.
RIPLEY was unbelievably bested by DUMB BULL in a 2 minute novice's competition.
CHUCKIE FUDH vanquished PERSISTANT BEGGAR in a 1 minute uneven duel.
ELSPETH HAUN vanquished MORDANT DESERTER in a 1 minute uneven fight.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|AIMED BLOW 3 TOTAL PARRY 10 - 5 - 0 67 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 3 AIMED BLOW 16 - 8 - 4 67 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 3 LUNGING ATTACK 13 - 9 - 0 59 |
|TOTAL PARRY 3 SLASHING ATTACK 17 - 13 - 0 57 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 2 PARRY-LUNGE 1 - 1 - 0 50 |
|BASHING ATTACK 2 STRIKING ATTACK 10 - 11 - 2 48 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 0 BASHING ATTACK 3 - 7 - 0 30 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 0 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 2 - 0 0 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 0 - 0 0 |
|WALL OF STEEL 0 WALL OF STEEL 0 - 2 - 0 0 |
Turn 293 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 - 1 TOTAL PARRY 1 - 2 3 SLASHING ATTACK
LUNGING ATTACK 2 - 1 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 0 3 TOTAL PARRY
SLASHING ATTACK 2 - 1 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 2 AIMED BLOW
STRIKING ATTACK 1 - 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 0 2 LUNGING ATTACK
BASHING ATTACK 1 - 1 WALL OF STEEL 0 - 0 1 STRIKING ATTACK
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
SLASHING ATTACK DEATH 9035 4 2 0 61 IWC (1554)
AIMED BLOW VASQUEZ 9038 5 0 1 41 SPACEMARINES (1555)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is BONES 9032. The most popular warrior this turn was
HICKS 9037. The ten other most popular fighters were VASQUEZ 9038, RIPLEY 9036,
DRAKE 9039, CUSTIS FORN 9043, BONES 9032, CHUCKIE FUDH 9051, ELSPETH HAUN 9045, DEATH
9035, DELIA GARTH 9044, and STONES 9031.
The least popular fighter this week was ARABELLA DEEDS 9041. The other ten least
popular fighters were HUDSON 9040, STYX 9034, DUMB BULL 8644, HARSHNAG THE GRIM 8875,
STONES 9031, DELIA GARTH 9044, DEATH 9035, ELSPETH HAUN 9045, CHUCKIE FUDH 9051, and
BONES 9032.
Article for Newbies
This here is an article aimed mostly at you new managers to the game out there.
This chart is a consensus of managers on the internet about how they felt each style
fairs against all other styles at the beginning levels of the game. Of course, once
you get ten or so fights under your belt the whole scenario changes and you can throw
this right out the window. But in the meantime, use this chart to help you get a
feel for the game, how the different styles interact with each other and to hopefully
dispel those 5-25 starts that can make you drop the game. Hope this helps you some.
KEY FOR ODDS OF WINNING:
1 - ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE 6 - BETTER THAN EVEN
2 - HARDLY LIKELY 7 - GOOD CHANCE
3 - NOT MUCH 8 - HIGHLY PROBABLE
4 - SLIGHT CHANCE 9 - MOST DEFINATELY
5 - 50/50 10 - ALMOST GUARANTEED
Reminder: Left Row vs Top Column
BA ST LU SL AB TP PS PL PR WS
BA 5 2 6 6 8 9 7 6 5 6
ST 8 5 8 9 9 6 7 5 6 4
LU 4 4 5 6 10 5 7 7 9 6
SL 4 1 5 5 8 6 8 7 8 9
AB 2 2 2 4 5 10 6 6 6 7
TP 3 4 6 4 1 5 7 8 6 5
PS 3 3 3 4 5 4 5 4 5 4
PL 5 4 3 3 6 2 7 5 7 6
PR 7 5 2 2 4 5 6 3 5 4
WS 5 8 6 2 4 6 7 5 6 5
There you have it folks. I would personally like to thank all the managers on the
internet who made a contribution to this effort. You know who you are. Also a big
nod of appreciation goes out to the mighty PUG (Ben Hitz) who organizes and runs the
roundtable and without whose effort little projects like this would prove quite
difficult.
David Gottwald - Magic Man
The Crew - Monuntial (34)
Rocky's Heroes - North Fork (47)
Tragedy Strikes - Andor (57) (inactive)
Natural Born - Illis (59)
Slow & Easy - Aradi (60)
Omega Squadron - Dragonhead (72)
MAKING YOUR CHALLENGES GO THROUGH
First, you need to be sure you are making your challenges correctly.
1. Are you writing down the warrior I.D. number of the warrior you want to
challenge?
2. Is your handwriting clear?
3. Is the warrior you are challenging within range of your warrior? Warriors
can challenge within their own class and the next higher class, plus the "Challenger"
classes can also challenge the next lower class. So, an Adept can challenge Adepts
and Challenger Adepts. A Challenger Adept can challenge Adepts, Challenger Adepts,
and Champions. (Try not to challenge down, though. Besides being unsportsmanlike and
making everyone mad, it isn't advantageous to your warriors. They need to fight more
experienced warriors so they will learn.)
4. Are your warriors eligible to make challenges? If they didn't fight within
the last two turns, then they can't challenge.
5. Are the warriors they want to fight eligible to receive challenges? If they
didn't fight within the last two turns, then they can't be challenged.
Next, adjust your choices for the maximum likelihood of getting your challenges.
There are several things that will help:
1. Have each of your warriors challenge two different opponents from two
different teams. That way, if the first opponent's team doesn't fight that turn, you
still might get your second challenge.
2. Use your avoids. Have each warrior avoid the teams of whoever you think
might be likely to challenge him. If you can get out of being challenged, that
increases your chance of getting your own challenge through.
3. Don't challenge warriors who didn't fight last turn. The odds are higher
that they won't be fighting this turn.
4. Don't challenge warriors who might be involved in a bloodfeud (either as the
killers, or the avengers). A bloodfeud challenge has priority over all other
challenges.
5. Don't challenge Tournament Victors. A TV challenge has priority over all
other challenges except bloodfeuds. You'll need to do a little research in back
issues of the newsletter to find out who the TVs are.
6. Don't challenge warriors who you know are going to challenge someone else, or
are going to get challenged by someone else. Your challenge has a better chance of
getting through if it is the only challenge to that particular warrior.
7. Don't challenge the "easy pickings." That is, warriors above you who have
way too few fights or very bad records for where they are ranked. They will tend to
get challenged a lot.
8. Don't challenge warriors who are likely to be avoiding your team. This
includes any warrior your team fought within the last two turns.
Well, it sounds like I've eliminated just about everybody, doesn't it? Of course
you can challenge opponents who fit into one or more of those categories; just try to
find ones who don't. Your idea candidate for a challenge is: A warrior ranked
somewhat above your warrior in the same class, or in the next higher class, with a few
more fights than your warrior, and a winning record, who isn't a TV and isn't
currently at war with anyone.
I hope this will be of some help to you.
The Rogue She-Puppy
MAXIMIZING THE DUELMASTERS EXPERIENCE: WHAT THE RULES DIDN'T SAY
When you get your turn results in the mail it is very important that you squeeze
as much enjoyment as possible out of that envelope! I recommend (and also use!) the
following procedures.
First, open the envelope lengthwise with a letter opener. Remove the blue-sheet
BUT DON'T LOOK AT IT! It may tell you that you are broke and owe RSI a lot of money.
Flip it over instead! The blue-sheet will be used as a "hider" when you read the
fight results line by line, so you don't see the end of the fight by mistake and ruin
the excitement.
Remove the rest of the sheets in one smooth maneuver and place the flipped-over
blue-sheet on top of the pile, without looking at anything. You don't want to
accidentally uncover an unexpected replacement rollup. This is a traumatic experience
that should be avoided at all costs, as it indicates that one of your battles didn't
go exactly as planned.
Now you must prepare your room, or whever you are, for the battles. If you are
suicidal, or a lousy manager, or a suicidally lousy manager, remove all sharp objects
from the area. If you happen to manage an entire team of scummy warriors it is okay
to leave a loaded musket nearby.
The next step is to put on music. It definitely adds to the experience to have
your favorite tunes playing in the background, preferably AS LOUD AS YOU CAN GET AWAY
WITH! I christen each new warrior with a song that is his and his alone, and play
that song whenever it is his turn upon the sands. It is a personal choice but I
recommend Judas Priest, Manowar or Metallica. Avoid Abba and Barry Manilow (like I
had to say it). It is also important to match the song length with the expected
length of the fight. Don't choose "The Immigrant Song" for your 21-con Ultra-Scum.
Likewise, don't choose "Stairway to Heaven" for your quick lunger. Finally, sometimes
it is nice to choose an exceptionally violent alternate selection for those
Bloodfeuds.
Now you are almost ready! The final preparatory step (optional) is to prepare a
pot of coffee. Beer also works well, especially on Fridays, but I understand that
some managers are not Well-Suited to that particular beverage. I've heard the Duke
Malibu in Solven drinks goat blood, but mind you this is only a rumor. For the final
touch, try putting on any handy armor you have. Or a loin-cloth. I put on most of my
hockey gear.
The fights are on! The music is loud! The coffee is good! Read the fights
slowly, line by line using your blue-sheet as a guide. Don't go too fast, now. Yell,
"Yeah!" if your warrior scores an especially gruesome hit. Cringe if your warrior
feels the joys of a great axe connecting with his face (that means you, Marilith).
Raise your fist in the air when that total parry realizes that his last shield has
broken! And cry when your favorite gladiator is gravely injured and then takes ten
consecutive war hammer shots to the head...
When the end of the fight comes you will be emotionally drained, so yell out,
"Huzzah!!!" or "Damnnn!!!" or whatever, to take the edge off. When the fighting is
ended take a breather before preparing for the next cycle's fights. Reflect on what
has transpired and make a few notes. You'll be a better person (and manager) for it!
Isn't Duelmasters great?
Brought to you by ICE (the deranged): DM-49 (Vithicar) Rotting Livers (205)
DM-10 (Kolact) Beermacht
DM-22 (Solven) Steel Warriors
DM-24 (Zorpunt) No Escape
Winning With the Average Warrior
Hi! The Master of Anime here... Yeah, yeah, I know, you're all doing a
collective, "Who the Hell is this character?" Well, my claim to fame, if you can call
it that, is that I run Eve, one of the more popular, if not completely unspectacular,
warriors to fight in Alastari. I am a micro-manager (you've heard of mega-managers?
Well, think in reverse) who has been mainly running only one team during my 8+ years
of Duelmasters. This little write-up is aimed towards the less experienced managers,
the ones that can be brainwashed from some of the "How to build the perfect
warrior..." spotlights that tend to appear from time to time.
Many of the "How to build..." spotlights tend to deal with roll-ups that are
quite ideal, but in reality, rarely come out of RSI's number crunching machine,
commonly referred to as "the Roll-Up Gods". There have been a few good articles on
how to design skillful warriors from 'average' roll-ups. Those articles, in my
opinion, are the most helpful to new managers for the simple fact that you will almost
always get an 'average' roll-up. Occasionally, that 'average' roll-up might turn out
to be something special, and that is what I would like to key in on.
I know a lot of managers who will continually DA their warriors until they get
something that is as close to perfect as possible. You know, the warrior with three
or four 17s or the warrior with a couple of 21s or that size 3 or 4 warrior, etc...
If you are a relatively new manager and you are also doing this, I think you are
missing out on one of the more intriguing aspects of this game and that is warrior
development.
Being a micro-manager, I do not have an army of warriors like the mega-managers
do, but I'd like to think that I can hold my own against them (hey, if you're gonna
dream, dream big). Anyway, back to the point. One of my 'average' warriors seems to
have achieved a form of notoriety in Advanced Duelmasters to the extent that even the
ever quiet Mirage (manager of Donatello) has had something to say (it was at the last
Tempe FTF and my warrior, at the end of the 6th or 7th round, was listed as the top
Primus warrior on the tourney list.) Mirage pointed at my warrior on the list and
said, "That, is embarrassing..." I took it as a compliment. In case you're
wondering, my warrior is Akira (the reason I'm writing this article is that I've been
approached many times of late by managers who wanted to see Akira's numbers, thinking
he had some sort of godlike roll-up. I set them straight).
I'm not going to print Akira's numbers in this article for the main reason that I
don't have them with me at this time (it'll probably tick-off a lot of managers whose
warriors Akira has beaten anyway), but I do know this... he has about 30 attribute
increases and only one attribute is in the 20's, that one being WL (he even got gypped
by not getting some skills that you normally think he'd get by raising WL up the
20's). He won't be getting another attribute above 20 for a long, long time. (I
think his next highest attribute is 17... note that this is after the 30 or so
increases...) You should have a pretty good idea how generic this roll-up is... a
roll-up that would probably be DA'd by most managers looking for a good roll-up... a
roll-up that I even said, "I'll run him for kicks, but will probably retire him once
he gets to AD."... a roll-up that entered AD with a less-than-stellar 14-10 record...
a roll-up currently on a 20 fight win streak... a roll-up with three consecutive
Primus TVs.
So, before you give up on that average warrior, think again about giving him a
chance to flourish... he might suprise you as Akira has surprised me. Good luck in
the arena!
M.A., a proud member of GAPPDA
P.S. If you want to know Akira's original roll-up, diplo Anime Legends (Arena 102,
104).
P.P.S. Swift -- We GAPPDA members are NOT slugs!!! At least, I don't think we are...
TWELVE TIPS
A rookie manager asked me a question recently which prompted my "teaching juices"
to flow. I quote: "Just give me a dozen hints, and I'll leave you alone!" Obviously,
his challenge prompted me to organize my thought creating my Twelve Tips.
"Now wait a minute!" I hear you asking. "Why should I read on?" Simply put:
-- If you're an experience manager, you'll want to "clue me in" on other valuable tips
I missed.
-- If you're a "newbie," these tips will enhance your W-L record and compound your
fun.
"But, are they GOOD tips?" you ask. Believe me, fellow opponents, after 5000+
fights, dozens of "tutored pupils," many A.D. warriors, and a rather lofty W-L record,
they're GOOD tips. So here we go, in no particular order.
(I) ASK FOR HELP--Ask RSI about the Sponsor Program. Diplo "good" managers in your
arena. Proclaim your willingness to learn in a personal ad. You'll get some
conversation.
(II) OFFENSIVES FIRST--This is not an easy game, and the basher, lunger, striker can
be readily designed and more easily "mastered." (Whatever that means.) Avoid the most
difficult finessives, such as aimers (AB), rippers (PR), and probably wastes (WS).
Get some confidence first! Most of us old-timers yet struggle with a good aimed-blow.
(III) SKILLS, SKILLS, SKILLS--One of the most prevalent rookie errors is training too
many stats. Skills win fights, and in the long run, you will regret certain stat
raises.
(IV) COLLECT DATA--The more you know about your own warrior (And even with the same
stats, warriors differ) and the more you know about your opponents, the more likely
you can cause something "good" to happen. In the military/political world, we call
this "intelligence." (Clue: ask about a D.M. handbook filled with info.)
(V) PERSONAL ADS--Don't be a jerk! But write some every time. Let me assure you that
an unliked rookie cannot succeed in an arena against the local "Powers-in-control."
You want to create friendly opponents. (When you know what you're doing--then you can
try the jerk routine!)
(VI) TURN SHEET--Accuracy counts. Fill it out perfectly (and legibly) pal! Know what
each section is for. (Reread the instructions.) Many have been the surprised and
frustrated manager who caused his or her own problem! (Even us "megas" blow it now and
then!)
(VII) NO CON--Don't ever (well maybe 1% of the time) add points to constitution on an
offensive rollup. Other attributes may add skills; con won't. (Just wait until you
hear someone shout never add to con--ever. I didn't say that.)
(VIII) ONE WEAPON--For offensives. When you get to finesse styles, you'll understand
why you may want one in your off-hand also. But, almost always carry a backup. (Hands
can be hurt both striking and defending.)
(IX) CHALLENGE/AVOID--Always! A manager's prime purpose is to optimize his warrior's
chances. Challenge those you'll have a good shot at beating and avoid teams who can
cause you the most difficulties. (Challenge warriors--avoid teams.)
(X) ENTER TOURNAMENTS--What a way to acquire skills and experience without impacting
your arena W-L record. Actually, you will create a positive impact in that those
"tournament earnings" are "hidden" from other arena warriors. Plus, tournaments are a
real "rush!"
(XI) FIND A FRIEND--In every arena find at least one "friendly" foe. Share opponent
info. With two, or more, of you sharing, look how much more "intelligence" you'll
have.
(XII) STAY COOL--Don't let any problem (loss, death, personal ad, error, etc.) anger
you. (This is fun, right?) The cool head wins more matches than the emotional one.
So good luck, rookie! We were all in your shoes once. (And for some of us that
was a long, long time ago.)
THE CONSORTIUM
DM 8 Smithsonian (Curator)
DM 11 Bulldogs (Kennelworth)
DM 20 Animal Farm (Mino)
DM 46 Fandils (Fandil the Wise)
(and many, many more)