DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER
Date : 01/26/2013 Duedate: 02/08/2013
NOBLISH ISLAND ARENA
DM-93 TURN-369
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
ACES
COLLEGE FOOTBALL (1618)
(93-9405) [6-2-1,51]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
POSITION IS EMPTY ACES
COLLEGE FOOTBALL (1618)
(93-9405) [6-2-1,51]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
HOOSIERS DAISY FRYE
COLLEGE FOOTBALL (1618) LOW ROAD 5 (1620)
(93-9404) [5-3-0,35] (93-9417) [1-4-0,8]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
COLLEGE FOOTBALL (1618)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. LOW ROAD 5 (1620) 37
2. BASH BROS SUITCASE (1619) 36 DRAGON'S FIRE (711)
3. OLYMPUS MAXIMUS (1612) 7 Unchartered Team
4. COLLEGE FOOTBALL (1618) -16
COLLEGE FOOTBALL (1618)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1/ 1*COLLEGE FOOTBALL (1618) 25 15 1 62.5 1/ 1*COLLEGE FOOTBALL (1618) 9 6 0
2/ 2*BASH BROS SUITCAS (1619) 23 17 0 57.5 2/ 2*BASH BROS SUITCAS (1619) 8 7 0
3/ 3*LOW ROAD 5 (1620) 12 13 0 48.0 3/ 3*LOW ROAD 5 (1620) 6 9 0
4/ 4*OLYMPUS MAXIMUS (1612) 9 18 2 33.3 4/ 4*OLYMPUS MAXIMUS (1612) 1 4 0
'*' Unchartered team '-' Team did not fight this turn
(###) Avoid teams by their Team Id ##/## This turn's/Last turn's rank
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
TACTICS; TO BE OR NOT TO BE
Let's start with the facts. There are eight available tactics. Four offensive
--lunge (L), slash (S), bash (B), decisiveness (D) and four defensive--dodge (D),
parry (P), riposte (R), responsiveness (S). Note: while Reality Simulations uses "S"
as the denotation for both slash and responsiveness, in this class we will use slash
(S) and responsiveness (s). Similarly, RSI uses (D) for both dodge and decisiveness,
and we will use dodge (d) and decisiveness (D) in this spotlight.
Are they valuable? Yes. Do we know how valuable? No. Is there a trade-off
when using one? Probably. Do we know exactly what that trade-off is? Not really.
Most old-time managers say they use tactics sparingly or not at all, allowing the
warriors natural skills to internally choose their actions. The Consortium probably
uses tactics more than any other managing entity. That leaves The Consortium in the
minority, right where they would like to be. So what does that mean?
Let's start with the Consortium's internal definition/summary of the tactics.
Lunge (L) -- focuses the warrior on underhand jabbing; probably adds attack and
damage; probably decreases natural defensive reaction; may deoptimize speed; seems to
enhance knock-downs
Slash (S) -- focuses the warrior on sideways swiping; probably adds attack and
damage; probably decreases natural defensive reactions; may deoptimize speed
Bash (B) -- focuses the warrior on overhand downward whacking; probably adds attack
and damage; probably decreases natural defensive reactions; may deoptimize speed
Decisiveness (D) -- focuses the warrior on swinging first and/or next; almost
certainly decreases natural defensive thoughts and actions.
Dodge (d) -- focuses on getting out of the way of an attack; less effective, maybe
penalizing verses slash; a good counter to lunge; probably reduces the warrior's
desire to attack
Parry (P) -- focuses on blunting an opponent's attack; less effective, maybe
penalizing verses bash, while excellent against lunges; probably reduces the
warrior's desire to attack; probably puts the warrior in optimal position to counter
Riposte (R) -- focuses on reacting to an attack by blocking/avoiding and then
attacking; surely reduces the warrior's desire to swing unless reacting
Responsiveness (s) -- a counter to decisiveness--very effective; may have other,
but unknown, defensive values; may (or may not?) be a serious detriment if opponent
is not using decise either by tactic or naturally
The Consortium usage of tactics probably follows this strategic thinking:
Consider using L, S, and B when:
1. You need extra attack or oomph
2. You feel you need to nudge your warrior to swing
3. You are less concerned with defending
4. You are using weapons to match the tactics
Consider using D
1. When you want to enhance swinging first or simply must swing first
Consider using d
1. When you do not want to get hit
2. When you have enough defensive skills to make it effective
3. To protect against known lungers
Consider using R
1. When you want to enhance stealing the initiative and are not fast/quick/decisive
enough
Consider using P
1. When you want to block opponent attacks
2. When you want to enhance a natural parrying style
3. When you are really not into attacking
4. When you think a best recourse is hopefully breaking opponent weapons
Consider using s:
1. As a direct match to an opponent using decisiveness
2. When your warrior is naturally responsive (e.g. pikers)
The use of "double tactics" (e.g. both an offensive and a defensive tactic at
the same time) seems to have very limiting value, and by most managers is considered
negative. (But this is really an unknown, and at higher levels, especially if the
warrior has both an offensive and a defensive "fave", double tactics are used by
some.)
Some other noted Consortium tendencies are:
1. When D is used, it is almost always the 1st minute
2. d is used most in minute 1 and in desperation
3. P is used a lot with parrying and scum types
4. s is almost always used on a challenge or if-challenged strategy
5. R is seldom used
6. B, S, and L are commonly used in middle minutes with appropriate offensives
7. L is used in opening minutes when the jump is "assured" and a knock-down is
desired
8. The most commonly used tactics are P and D
9. Favorite tactics are commonly employed in ADM
One must realize that this information is very specific to The Consortium and to
the types and styles of warriors commonly run by said group.
Tactics are available. They are often a part of a graduated warrior's
favorites. They must have a place or value in D2. But the masses seem to say "Use
them wisely."
Coach Rah Rah
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Assur's Guide to Pure Offensives
1) Design
When you are making a pure offensive, the things that matter most are:
Damage, Endurance, Attack skills, Decise skills, Initiative skills,and wit.
While other attributes and skills are nice, especially if you want to try fighting
differently, the pure offensive doesn't care much about them.
Damage is dictated by Strength and Size.
Endurance is dicated by Strength, Constitution, and Will (especially Will)
You get attack skills at:
Str: 5, 7, 15, 17, 21, 21 Wit: 5, 7, 9, 11, 11, 13, 15, 17, 21, 21
Wil: 5, 7, 15, 17, 21, 21 Dft: 5, 7, 9, 11, 11, 13, 15, 17, 21, 21
You get decise skills at:
Wit: 5, 7, 17, 21 Wil: 5, 7, 9, 15, 17, 21 Spd: All even values
You get init skills at:
Siz: 5, 7, 15, 17, 21, 21 Wit: 5, 7, 9, 11, 11, 11, 11, 13, 15, 17, 21, 21
Spd: 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 21 Dft: 5, 7, 7, 15, 15, 17, 21, 21
Wit helps you learn more skills and as you'll notice contributes to each of the
skills that you care about (attack, decise, and init). The only other thing to
seriously consider is your weapon selection.
Damage is probably the most important attribute, followed by decise and then attack.
Wit is also very important as you need to learn your offensive skills enough to keep
up your ability to overwhelm your opponents.
2) Style Choice
Strikers are the best pure offensive style. They conserve endurance, learn the
best skills naturally (decise and attack), and can use all the good weapons. The
only real negative is that they have fewer attack skills than the other pure
offensive styles.
Bashers are the next best choice. They learn the right skills (but learn attack
more than decise) and have more attack than strikers. However, their weapon choices
are not as good as strikers (which makes damage rating very important for bashers)
and do not conserve endurance like strikers.
Slashers are the last of the styles that are naturally a pure offensive. They
do not learn decise naturally, though, so while they are great with their attack and
initiative, they are generally slower than their counterparts. They have access to
most of the best weapons in the game, but do not have a great speed weapon.
Parry Strikers can also be run naturally as a pure offensive. They learn lots
of decise skills, but learn parry skills to go with it. They can use almost any
weapon and can make fine pure offensives.
None of the other styles learn decise naturally, so while it can be a favorite
learn for any other style, you can't count learning them, so speed can be an issue.
Other styles' strengths are not in the pure offensive category, but there is nothing
wrong with running other styles as pure offensives. Recommend HIGH WIT for these!
Many managers run Lungers as pure offensives and because of their natural high
favorite rhythms it works just fine. But it is Assur's opinion that Lungers' natural
strengths do not make them the best choice for a pure offensive.
3) Weapon Selection (with requirements)
The following are my recommendations. Feel free to try other weapons
Speed Weapons (best chance to attack first):
Striker/Parry Striker
Short Spear (9 Str, 5 Wit, 7 Dft)
Dagger (3 Str, 7 Wit, 7 Dft)
Basher
Quarterstaff (11 Str, 9 Siz, 11 Wit, 11 Dft)
War Hammer (13 Str, 5 Wit, 7 Dft)
Slasher (I run far fewer slashers, so I'm not as sure about this one)
Hatchet? (7 Str, 5 Wit, 7 Dft)
Damage Weapons: (When damage is what you really care about)
Striker/Parry Striker/Slasher
Battle Axe (15 Str, 7 Wit, 9 Dft - If using an off-hand weapon, also 9 Siz)
Scimitar (9 Str, 11 Wit, 11 Dft)
Broadsword (11 Str, 9 Wit, 7 Dft)
Basher (note that HL and GS are very heavy and burn endurance fast)
Halberd (17 Str, 9 Siz, 9 Wit, 11 Dft)
Greatsword (15 Str, 9 Siz, 9 Wit, 11 Dft)
...can also use Battle Axe or Broadsword marginally...
Other Good All Purpose Weapons:
Striker/Parry Striker/Slasher
Longsword (11 Str, 13 Wit, 11 Dft)
Basher
Maul (15 Str, 9 Siz, 5 Wit, 7 Dft)
Great Axe (13 Str, 9 Wit, 11 Dft)
4) Strategy and Tactics
The most common strategy used by pure offensives is run hot. Hot means high
offensive effort (OE) and activity level (AL). 10 OE and 10 AL is very common.
Realize the hotter you run, the faster you will use your endurance. But most of the
time, you'll want to run hot. Unless you know you're fighting a pure defensive,
running hot is good advice for pure offensives.
If you're fighting a pure defensive, they want you to use all your endurance, so
running this hot might not be a good idea. Running 1 AL is not a bad idea (they are
not going to try to attack you).
Also realize that every warrior has a favorite rhythm (favorite OE and AL) which
will make them fight better. Some warriors don't like running super hot (or aren't)
as well suited to run super hot. Until you get to advanced duel2, you won't know for
sure what your favorite rhythm is. But you can experiment and sometimes get a feel
that your warrior runs very well as certain numbers.
I am not a fan of using tactics. They hurt you as much as they help you. That
said, the Decise tactic is great for making you faster. It is easily countered by a
warrior using the Response tactic. I've won ridiculous fights (new warriors beating
20 fight warriors) by using the response tactic. The response tactic is a great way
to counter another offensive using the decise tactic.
I usually do not use Bash, Slash, or Lunge very often.
5) Armor
No armor is recommended. But death is a high risk. Even using the lightest
armor (ALE/L) protects against death in a major way compared to no armor. If you
know you're fighting someone faster than you, wearing armor may very well be a good
idea (While who attacks first is dictated largely by luck, I'd rather not depend on
luck if I have another choice)
* }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *
This correction to the weapon/stats, produced by Assurnasirbanipal, is included here
because this newsletter will have a weapons/stats chart at the end. Use these
modifications to that chart.
Assur's Weapon Requirement Chart (Without the inaccuracies)
Over the years, many people have published weapon charts. Most of them have had
mistakes. This is the correct weapon chart and you should discard all others.
STR SIZ WIT DFT STR SIZ WIT DFT
Battle Axe 15 3 7 9 Maul 15 9 5 7
Broadsword 11 3 9 7 Morning Star 13 3 9 11
Dagger 3 3 7 7 Quarterstaff 11 9 11 11
Epee 7 3 15 15 Scimitar 9 3 11 11
Great Axe 13 3 9 11 Shortsword 5 3 11 3
Greatsword 15 9 9 11 Shortspear 9 3 5 7
Hatchet 7 3 5 7 War Flail 11 3 5 5
Halberd 17 9 9 11 War Hammer 13 3 5 7
Longsword 11 3 13 11 Large Shield 13 7 3 7
Longspear 11 9 5 9 Medium Shield 9 3 3 5
Mace 13 3 3 5 Small Shield 5 3 3 5
---Battle Axe requires 9 size if you are carrying an off hand weapon
Off Hand No Wit Requirement
Strength Requirement same as for Main Hand
No Size Requirement
Off Hand Deftness Requirements
For this section, you look at the weapons you want to use in your main hand (MH)
and off hand (OH). From the chart above find their deftness requirements. Use these
values in the chart below (MH on the left, OH on the top) and the result is the
deftness to use them together.
Examples: Suppose your scum wants to use ME in your main hand and LG in your off
hand. Cross referencing, 5 on the left, 7 on the top, you'll see that the required
deftness to use them together is 9.
MH\OH 3 5 7 9 11 15
3 4 6 8 10 12 16
5 5 7 9 11 13 17
7 6 8 10 12 14 18
9 7 9 11 13 15 19
11 8 10 12 14 16 20
15 10 12 14 16 18 22
Caveats: In finding the values for this chart, there have been inconsistencies. The
chart shows the value that we believe will always be well suited. Some warriors seem
to be able to use weapons in both hands with lower deftness than the chart shows. So
far, I have not seen evidence for a warrior requiring more than the value shown.
Note that some values make little sense. (While you can use an EP with an off hand
SH together with 10 deftness, you would still lack 5 points of deftness to use the
Epee.)
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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
* }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *
---===FREE BLADES REGIONAL NEWS===---
Duelmasters
-----------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 714): GLINDORA of CRIMSON DEATH (Verol, mgr.)
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 716): HERMIAS of DREAMERS (Sleepy, mgr.)
DM 13 DULLENS (turn 662): ADELITA of ARCANE ROYALTY (Destitute Noble, mgr.)
DM 15 MALCORN (turn 710): LUCK DEVIL of THE DEVIL'S OWN (The Dark One, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 712): GOLDPLATED of GOLDEN GLADIATORS (Midas, mgr.)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 703): WHIRLING FROGGY of KAOS FROGS (Grimm, mgr.)
DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 704): SIR BLUEBELL of LORDS INC. (Lord Z., mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 354): POSTAGE of EXPENSE ACCOUNT (Finance Manager, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 701): STEEL SHARPENER of METAL MINCERS (Oremaster, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 352): DRONE-ON of BAD NEWS BEES (Stinger, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 698): PAM DEMONIUM of DEVIL ADVOCATES (The Dark One, mgr.)
DM 33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 695): TAVELSHAN KETHAL of THE SEWING CIRCLE (Jorja, mgr)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 687): GRINCH of BAD GUYS (Mr. Bad Guy, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 643): ARCHERS OF LOAF of UNC COLLEGE RADIO (Floyd, mgr.)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 329): AURORA MARIE of NORTHERN LIGHTS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 47 NORTH FORK (turn 324): SOUTH SPOON of OTTODROME TW (Otto X, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 310): 4-H of LIFE IMPACTS (Coach, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 577): LINKIN LOGGER of INCONSISTENT FURY (Banthius, mgr.)
DM 60 ARADI (turn 562): TICK ... TOCK of UNNAMEABLES (Howlin' Wolf, mgr.)
DM 61 JURINE (turn 544): GRAHAM CRACKER of SHEWISH BUFFET (One Armed Bandit, mgr.)
DM 65 DAL SHANG (turn 538): THE BLUE PILL of THE MOTHERSHIP CE (Floyd, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 259): FRISBEE of FOUND IN THE SAND (Assurnasirbanipal, mgr.)
DM 74 DAYLA KIV (turn 499): MARISAN TEN MEDARIN of SAND DANCERS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 75 JADE MOUNTAIN (turn 494): KOGAN DJIAN of SAND DANCERS (Jorja, mgr)
DM 78 LIN TIRIAN (turn 485): TIGER JONSALMIN of SAND DANCERS (Jorja, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 602): NOREASTER of DIRT DEVILS (The Dark One, mgr.)
Top Teams
---------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 714): CRIMSON DEATH (Verol, mgr.)
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 716): SWEET MAGIC (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 13 DULLENS (turn 662): ARCANE ROYALTY (Destitute Noble, mgr.)
DM 15 MALCORN (turn 710): GREENWARDENS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 712): PUNNY AMINALS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 703): MIDDLE WAY (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 704): LORDS INC. (Lord Z, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 354): LORD OF DISCIPLINE (Longshot, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 701): CARDOW HUNTERS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 352): BAD NEWS BEES (Stinger, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 698): SAVAGE HORDE (Hawk, mgr.)
DM 33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 695): SUMMERTEETH (Howlin' Wolf, mgr.)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 687): HAPPY FUN TIME (Floyd, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 645): THE FAMILY (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 329): DARQUE FORCES (Master Darque, mgr.)
DM 47 NORTH FORK (turn 324): OBG! (Howlin' Wolf, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 310): LIFE IMAPACTS (Coach, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 577): INCONSISTENT FURY (Banthius, mgr.)
DM 60 ARADI (turn 562): RED DOG GANG (Spot, mgr.)
DM 61 JURINE (turn 544): STAR WARS (Sir Jessie Jest, mgr.)
DM 65 DAL SHANG (turn 538): SAND DANCERS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 259): SUPER STARS (Crip, mgr.)
DM 74 DAYLA KIV (turn 499): MEDAL OF HONOR (The Anarchist, mgr.)
DM 75 JADE MOUNTAIN (turn 494): SAND DANCERSS (Floyd, mgr.)
DM 78 LIN TIRIAN (turn 485): SHEWISH BUFFET (One Armed Bandit, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 602): DIRT DEVILS et al (The Dark One, mgr.)
Recent Graduates
-----------------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 714): MIDNIGHT of BATTEL BLADES (Madwand, mgr.)
(turn 713): BLUE STREAK of BLUE MOON (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 715): DIZZY GILLESPIE of BLUE NOTE (Howlin' Wolf, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 711): DEE NILE of PUNNY AMINALS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 701): STEEL SHARPENER of METAL MINCERS (Oremaster, mgr.)
PLUTONIUM PUNCH of METAL MINCERS (Oremaster, mgr.)
(turn 700): GRASSFIRE of CARDOW HUNTERS (Jorja, mgr.)
MOTHIAS of MID EARTH (Visionist, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 698): PAM DEMONIUM of DEVIL ADVOCATES (The Dark One, mgr.)
(turn 697): INSIDIOUS of DEATH BY DESIGN (Bubba Ganoosh, mgr.)
DM 47 NORTH FORK (turn 324): LATKA of SECOND BANANAS (Mannequin, mgr.)
(turn 323): FROSTY of FAST FOOD (Madwand, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 310): MATH of LIFE IMPACTS (Coach, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 577): MOE FROSTTOOTH of INCONSISTENT FURY (Banthius, mgr.)
DM 74 DAYLA KIV (turn 498): SPIDERPIG of HOMER'S PETS (Floyd, mgr.)
DM 78 LIN TIRIAN (turn 484): NAKED LUNCH of SHEWISH BUFFET (One Armed Bandit, mgr.)
DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
Notes from the arena champ.
South Carolina Gamecocks -- The athletic musculature and usually long colorful
plumage causes them to be well suited for chicken beauty pageants.
or
A gamecock or game fowl is a type of rooster with physical and behavioral traits
suitable for cockfighting. The first use of the word gamecock, denoting use of the
cock as to a "game," a sport, pastime or entertainment, being in 1646 after the term
"cock of the game" used by George Wilson, in the earliest known book on the sport of
cockfighting in The Commendation of Cocks and Cock Fighting in 1607. Game fowl are
more closely related to their wild cousins "jungle fowl"; a shy wild chicken from
forests in South Central and Southeastern Asia. Game fowl are physically more
similar to jungle fowl than domestic chickens and are bred to retain these physical
attributes as well as the jungle fowl's natural territorial instinct. This instinct
among sexually mature males is the driving force behind their desire to dominate (and
eliminate) other males that would compete for breeding rights in their territory.
Hens also will often have an above average need for territorial dominance. In some
bloodlines the hens must be kept separate, just as with the cocks. Domesticated
chickens, in contrast, have been bred over many generations to cohabitate on farms or
other smaller pieces of land. Because of this change in environment, the aggressive
attributes found in wild chickens (and modern game fowl) are not desirable for farm
life. The "gameness" or fighting spirit has been bred out of domestic chickens.
Domestic chickens are primarily bred for egg and meat production. The roosters will
fight each other regardless of human contact, it is their natural instinct to fight.
There are numerous chicken breeds that fit the gamecock type, but a gamecock is not
in itself a breed. Today, cockfighting, like most blood sports, is illegal in most
of the world, but exceptions exist. Ireland, England, the U.S. and Spain are well
known for the quality of their gamefowl. A gamecock may undergo physical
conditioning in preparation for a fight. The conditioning process is sometimes
referred to as a "keep" and is designed to, among other things, tame the cock so that
he can be handled during a fight. The primary purpose of a keep is to ensure that
the bird is physically and mentally fit for its upcoming match, similar to the
conditioning a boxer or wrestler goes through. The keep usually includes a special
high energy diet as well as physical exercise. Prior to physical conditioning, a
gamecock that is to be fought or shown is often groomed. The comb (the red skin on
top of the head) and wattles (skin under the beak) is usually trimmed at around a
year old. This process is called "dubbing." The feathers are sometimes groomed as
well. The sickle feathers of the tail may be trimmed or any long feathers that a
cock might trip on during a fight. In some cultures (particularly among Cuban game
fowl enthusiasts), the feather trimming is much more extensive. The feathers of the
chest and the back are sometimes shorn completely off. The reason for this extensive
trimming is to help prevent a bird from overheating during a longer match. The
reasons for this vary among individual game fowl enthusiast. Some trim their birds
according to a tradition and others do it because they believe that losing the
"bulky" feathers improves mobility during a fight. Because of the physical
attributes of gamecocks, they are often raised not for fighting but as "show fowl."
The athletic musculature and usually long colorful plumage causes them to be well
suited for chicken beauty pageants. Cockfighting is a seasonal sport. From
September to November, gamecocks go through their molting stage (lose old feathers
and grow new ones). This is a sensitive period of time for the gamecock, so no
fighting occurs. Gamecocks are bred for traits that make them less suitable for
barnyard use, and are kept today in the developed world primarily for exhibition
purposes. There are several breeds of chicken, such as the Modern Game and Old
English Game Bantam, which fit the gamecock type, but are not directly used in
cockfighting. Although cockfighting is illegal in the U.S., in Puerto Rico it is
very popular.
SPY REPORT
Greetings, Warriors of NOBLISH ISLAND. Allow this humble servant Novgorodny Vir
to give you a respite from the fights in the form of this Spyreport. Say what you
will about blind luck and dirty fighting, but LOW ROAD 5 will tell you 12-13-0 is
nothing to laugh at... Practice pays for RIPPED OPEN, who pummelled JAYHAWKS, to
pocket 19 points. JAYHAWKS certainly had a baffled expression on his face, after
losing to RIPPED OPEN and losing 16 points in the process! Out with the old, in with
the new. Enter M. CHARDINEE, handily defeating GAMECOCKS. With 51 points, ACES of
COLLEGE FOOTBALL takes the position of NOBLISH ISLAND's Duelmaster. Word has it one
team in NOBLISH ISLAND is taking speech lessons to try to bore their opponent to
death. I'll bet it works.
So much to report, so little time! To quell some nasty rumors, the guys in BASH
BROS SUITCASE are not carrying any incurable diseases. No need to avoid 'em. As a
woman of good breeding scorns the "warriors" of COLLEGE FOOTBALL, so did that sorry
team shy from BASH BROS SUITCASE
Is there life after death? Pragmatics (and warriors) know there is death after
life! Oh hard! that to strike a flame, the match itself must needs be wasting!
Do not think spyreporting in NOBLISH ISLAND is the highlight of my life. More
important duties call me. Do not despair! I shall return!-- Novgorodny Vir
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
ACES 9405 6 2 1 51 COLLEGE FOOTBALL (1618)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
GAMECOCKS 9401 5 3 0 50 COLLEGE FOOTBALL (1618)
BROKEN WHEEL 9410 6 2 0 43 BASH BROS SUITCASE (1619)
RIPPED OPEN 9415 4 3 0 43 BASH BROS SUITCASE (1619)
HOOSIERS 9404 5 3 0 35 COLLEGE FOOTBALL (1618)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
BENNY DOGGE 9419 3 2 0 28 LOW ROAD 5 (1620)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
OVERFILLED 9411 5 3 0 23 BASH BROS SUITCASE (1619)
TIGERS 9403 4 4 0 22 COLLEGE FOOTBALL (1618)
CHARLOTTE ELLIS 9418 3 2 0 22 LOW ROAD 5 (1620)
OVERTHEWEIGHTLIMIT 9408 6 2 0 20 BASH BROS SUITCASE (1619)
JAYHAWKS 9402 5 3 0 19 COLLEGE FOOTBALL (1618)
ABRAM CROSS 9420 2 3 0 19 LOW ROAD 5 (1620)
ELMER GREEN 9416 3 2 0 18 LOW ROAD 5 (1620)
DOMITIUS 9362 3 4 2 15 OLYMPUS MAXIMUS (1612)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
HOLES 9407 2 6 0 13 BASH BROS SUITCASE (1619)
AURELIUS 9413 1 1 0 9 OLYMPUS MAXIMUS (1612)
DAISY FRYE 9417 1 4 0 8 LOW ROAD 5 (1620)
VITRUVIUS 9406 1 3 0 6 OLYMPUS MAXIMUS (1612)
METALLUS 9364 1 3 0 6 OLYMPUS MAXIMUS (1612)
HONORIA 9363 0 5 0 5 OLYMPUS MAXIMUS (1612)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
PERSONAL ADS
What!! Can't best those NPCs? What kind of warriors are you College Footballers
anyway? Are NPCs tHAT tough? -- Coach Rah Rah
P.S. Results for the College Football team. (Note the hierarchy. "wink")
NPC 2 Football 0
Football 1 Low Road 0
Football 2 Suitcase 0
Noooooooooooooooo. Userous Merchant, that's two in a row I lost to you. What did
you do, join the SEC? -- Jayhawks
Venomous Concubine? I lost the title to a concubine? I must really suck! -- Aces
Charlotte Ellis -- I am surprised I was able to eke out that win over you. Lucky me.
-- Gamecocks
Holes -- There must have been a hole in your strategy? How could an ugly, ugly
basher (13-13-19-15-7-13-4 ugly) defeat a pretty king-of-all-styles aimed-blow
godling like you? -- Hoosiers
Overtheweightlimit -- Now we get it--don't challenge! Prior to our match, you had
handled College Football 3-0 and all were Footballer challenges. How smart of you!
I lucked ito that one and I am dadgum proud. -- Tigers
Assur -- It is okay to write personals no matter how demorilized we Footballers are
making your Suitcases feel. -- Coach
Well, heck! Again no trainees. Why are they avoiding Noblish Island? It can't be
the weather, can it? It's January, everywhere has cold and damp in January. -- Jorja
and those on the Low Road
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
GAMECOCKS was viciously subdued by M. CHARDINEE in a 4 minute bloody fight.
ACES vanquished OVERFILLED in a 1 minute uneven Title battle.
JAYHAWKS was demolished by RIPPED OPEN in a 1 minute uneven fight.
TIGERS was devastated by BROKEN WHEEL in a popular 1 minute one-sided contest.
HOOSIERS savagely defeated HOLES in a crowd pleasing 1 minute gruesome competition.
DOMITIUS was overpowered by BENNY DOGGE in a 1 minute one-sided struggle.
OVERTHEWEIGHTLIMIT bested DAISY FRYE in a popular 3 minute competition.
METALLUS was handily defeated by ELMER GREEN in a action packed 1 minute uneven melee.
VITRUVIUS was overpowered by ABRAM CROSS in a 1 minute gory uneven duel.
HONORIA was defeated by CHARLOTTE ELLIS in a popular 1 minute gory beginner's match.
AURELIUS subdued CONVICTED THIEF in a 2 minute amateur's match.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|STRIKING ATTACK 5 PARRY-STRIKE 2 - 0 - 0 100 |
|BASHING ATTACK 5 LUNGING ATTACK 9 - 5 - 0 64 |
|WALL OF STEEL 3 BASHING ATTACK 33 - 20 - 2 62 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 2 STRIKING ATTACK 23 - 20 - 2 53 |
|TOTAL PARRY 2 TOTAL PARRY 10 - 10 - 0 50 |
|AIMED BLOW 2 SLASHING ATTACK 10 - 10 - 1 50 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 1 WALL OF STEEL 7 - 11 - 0 39 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 0 AIMED BLOW 8 - 19 - 0 30 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 0 - 0 0 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 0 - 0 0 |
Turn 369 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:
LUNGING ATTACK 1 - 0 WALL OF STEEL 1 - 2 3 BASHING ATTACK
STRIKING ATTACK 3 - 2 AIMED BLOW 0 - 2 3 STRIKING ATTACK
BASHING ATTACK 3 - 2 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 0 1 SLASHING ATTACK
SLASHING ATTACK 1 - 1 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 1 AIMED BLOW
TOTAL PARRY 1 - 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 0 1 LUNGING ATTACK
1 TOTAL PARRY
1 WALL OF STEEL
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
SLASHING ATTACK ACES 9405 6 2 1 51 COLLEGE FOOTBALL (1618)
AIMED BLOW GAMECOCKS 9401 5 3 0 50 COLLEGE FOOTBALL (1618)
BASHING ATTACK BROKEN WHEEL 9410 6 2 0 43 BASH BROS SUITCASE (1619)
STRIKING ATTACK RIPPED OPEN 9415 4 3 0 43 BASH BROS SUITCASE (1619)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is HOOSIERS 9404. The most popular warrior this turn
was DAISY FRYE 9417. The ten other most popular fighters were HOOSIERS 9404, ELMER
GREEN 9416, CHARLOTTE ELLIS 9418, GAMECOCKS 9401, ACES 9405, RIPPED OPEN 9415, BROKEN
WHEEL 9410, BENNY DOGGE 9419, ABRAM CROSS 9420, and AURELIUS 9413.
The least popular fighter this week was VITRUVIUS 9406. The other ten least popular
fighters were METALLUS 9364, DOMITIUS 9362, JAYHAWKS 9402, OVERFILLED 9411, HONORIA
9363, HOLES 9407, TIGERS 9403, OVERTHEWEIGHTLIMIT 9408, AURELIUS 9413, and ABRAM
CROSS 9420.
AVERAGE
I was trying to design a warrior that would have no weaknesses, when my mind
wandered (It does this a lot!) to what would be the average stat for this game called
Duelmasters.
Almost at once I came upon the number nine. Why, you may ask?
Okay, I'll tell you, after all that's the point of this article. There are
nineteen levels for each stat, half this is 9.5, since RSI randomly assigns attributes
between 3-21.
In this manner, even if they assign an attribute below average, the player can
bring it up to at least average by adding 6 points when he modifies the rollup. I
checked this assumption with some rolls I have received, and it appears to run true
with some interesting results.
A 9 SZ seems to allow use of any weapon without being too small.
9 ST seems to allow you to use most weapons without the comment "does not have ST
to use weapon well."
9 SP with a 9 DF will give the normal speed/coordination to offensive warriors
and to PS, PL and PR. (Does anyone think WS, TP, AB are normal?)
9 WT with a 9 WL will give no negative wit/will statement (no positive one
either).
A 9 in all attributes leaves 21 points to modify the key stats for a warrior's
style.
I have been trying for a while to design warriors with a minimum of 9 in all
attributes, or to at least be able to train to a 9 in a couple of raises. I am still
trying with mixed results to date.
I lost track to the point or purpose of this article, but maybe it will provoke
some thought, yes, no, maybe? Suggestion and comments will come.
Jeff Hannah, c/o Star Signs, DM 13
EARTHWORM FLAMBE A LA THAIGYN
Arena gourmets, try this tasty tidbit, before, during and after your next
training session:
Ingredients - 3 qts. processed camel spit
1 pint fingernail larva
6K cups giant earthworm droppings (imported)
3 cups sweet'n'sour orc sweat
1 slice head cheese
1 bavarian mint (imported)
1 tsp. toe jam (I would suggest your own)
Directions - 1. Pre-heat oven to 6200C.
2. Grease 1 22x22 Turtle shell.
3. Pour camel spit & orc sweat into shell, mix with high octane
gasoline (unleaded for those on diet), place in oven, and heat for 3 -
4 hours.
4. Place all other ingredients into osterizer at *whip* setting until
thick.
5. Bake for 7 days or until you get that distinctive scorched aroma.
6. Take out of oven, get a match, and light that sucker up.
7. Now scarf it down. Yum, yum.
*It's perfect for those Dark Arena picnics.*
For a first hand experience come over to Thaigyn's Scarf'N'Barf, right next to
the Welcome Wench, or go to D. Tramp's Tune-Up Garage & Salad Bar, 1 block east of
Saugum's Outhouse Inn..
*** Coming to an arena near you, the Steel Breez Chop'N'Slop, (formerly known as
the Eradicator's International House of Toe Jam***
To all, enjoy, Thaigyn of Petrys Acoplys
D. Tramp, Lord Petrys & Ennexa
Mephobasheth of Steel Breez.
DEATH INTENT STATEMENT EXPLAINED
In order to keep this brief, I'm going to avoid a long rambling opening and get
right to the meat of the issue. The `death intent statement' (`fights with a deadly
bloodlust in his eyes,' `is going for the kill,' `is eagerly seeking the death blow,'
etc.) can ONLY be gained in normal combat (non-Dark Arena, non-Bloodgames) AFTER
striking an opponent in a vital location (some region of the HE, CH, or AB, pelvis
included.) Once the death intent statement is printed, the struck warrior makes a
roll to survive the fight. If this roll is failed, he is dead, and the rest of the
fight is simply a matter of running down the dead fighter's hit points by normal, non-
critical attacks.
Now, the moral offshoot of this is that, knowing this, any fighter sent out by
his manager attacking a vital location is purposefully increasing his chance of
killing his opponent. The logic is this: if you attack vitals you are more likely to
hit a vital location. In striking a vital, you may get the death intent statement,
and that's then one dice roll to end the fighter. By attacking non-vitals you are
decreasing your chances of striking a vital (by increasing your chances of striking
non-vitals.) Note that this is not flawless, as the percentage of actually HITTING
your attack location is perhaps only 67% on high-deftness fighters, but by not
attacking vitals you are doing the best you can, which is all anyone can ask.
Here's the bottom line. A fighter can run 10-10-10 L-N and NEVER kill (excepting
infirmary deaths, which is an entirely separate case) if he hits only arms or legs.
Thus, while KD is a large factor in determining kills (a head shot by a 10-10-1
fighter is far less likely to get the statement than a head shot by a 10-10-10
fighter,) it is less important than attack location.
Gary Triplett, a.k.a. Miles/Sir Boyd
diplo Crimson Pegasi (arena 105) for advice, questions, comments, wit statement charts
or other charts, etc.
P.S. Apologies to those I said I'd diplo this to. I just decided to make this a
general article. If you're one of the managers in the wave that received only the tan
wit statement chart and the lavender activity statement chart, please re-contact me if
you'd like the explanation sheet, which includes details on all the statements printed
on the fighter overview.
REBUTTAL TO "THE LITTLE BASHER"
So many times I've seen one of these "helpful hints" that I disagreed with, but
never have I been so disgusted that I'd write a rebuttal. Well, this time I could not
sit aside and watch someone slaughter a style that I love.
I am referring to Belegrath's article, entitled, "The Little Basher." Now, even
though I have yet to have a warrior achieve the title of "Lord Protector," I have been
at this game for a couple of years now. I've run bashers more than any other style,
and my record with them is over .500. Therefore, I think I have enough experience and
knowledge to say that Belegrath's basher sucks!!!
The main purpose I write this is not to undermine Belegrath's managerial
abilities, but to warn any new people who might read his article. I don't think
anyone should waste their money on Belegrath's basher theory. Or even worse, to have
someone quit the game after getting the crap beat out of them having warriors modeled
after Belegrath's.
First, I'll tell you what is wrong with "The Little Basher" (to refresh your
memory: 20-6-3-13-7-20-15).
1) The best he can get, regardless of his strength, is good damage because of
his 3 SZ.
2) He'll fall over from exhaustion before the first minute is up, unless you run
a real low activity level. He'll be very frail and have very little endurance.
3) A 3 SZ?!? And what if the war hammer or mace aren't his favorite weapons?
You lost the QS, a very reputable bashing weapon, and the GS, which I've recently
found to be a great bashing weapon.
4) He probably won't pick up too many skills with a 13 WT. Good luck maxing out
in the next decade!!
5) With a 7 WL, he has only a 35% chance to raise a stat ONCE, then the chances
for that same category are halved every time thereafter. Therefore, he'll always be
very frail with poor endurance.
6) 20 SP, what a waste! Bashers, in my opinion, have no need for speed. And
even if you wanted to waste points on speed, you don't need to raise it to such an
extreme. One stat raise here, and you lose app. four skills.
7) 15 DF. This is pretty much the only point I agree with. I know, I know,
bashers don't need deftness. But just imagine a basher with an AB's accuracy!
I had a ST once who looked similar to Belegrath's basher. He looked like this:
19-4-13-16-3-19-10. What happened to him, you ask? He was killed by a maul-wielding
scum basher on his third fight. In his first two fights he hacked the crap out of two
TP's, and then fell over from exhaustion. No broken shields, no broken bones. Get
the point, yet?
Now, a better basher, not the best, mind you, would look like this:
13 ST Achieve good damage (possibly great) and be able to use all
bashing weapons (except HL).
10 CN This isn't important, but at least he'll be able to take a couple
of blows.
9 SZ Fulfills requirement for all bashing weapons.
17 WT A nice number. 19 isn't good, and 21 means that it should be
something else.
15 WL Gives at least normal endurance, and increases chances of raising
stats.
5 SP SP is unimportant, absolutely no need! Although, it will take a
few more skills to get a rating in Decise.
15 DF Wonderful to have DF. Keeps them from swinging at the flies (Most
of the time).
Well, there you have it. I hope I cleared things up a little. I doubt if anyone
else agrees with me, but that's what makes this game so fun!
LUVUALLWAYS,
Vanion
Drunken Stupor (11) The Dawn-Men (67)
The Dark (26) Othrsydosanity (74)
THE UN-SCUM
The type of TP I make will often win fights without ever getting hit! The fights
are exciting to read, full of dodges and ripostes, and if you've never seen a TP
outjump a Basher, make an offensive TP.
ST: 7-13 All you really need is normal damage! 11 is perfect, for carrying capacity
and weapon selection. Good damage is nice to have, but if it looks like your rollup
will get good or great, he's probably better off as a WS, LU or BA.
CN: 9-16 Again, all you need is normal. We're making a finesse substyle, and the
points are badly needed on WT, WL and DF. Just make sure he can take a hit or two.
Don't add any points here on the rollup, but go ahead and raise it later if you think
he needs it. Endurance is not a priority.
SZ: 3-9 A single digit is important for dodging and activity levels. I will go as
high as 10, but any bigger and you can't dodge well enough. Small size also helps
parry and defense, as well as getting a good activity and elusive statement on the
overview. Plus, you need the points below.
WT: 15, 17 or 21 only! This is the biggie, he'll learn like crazy! I know what
you're saying, "my 11 WT SCUM learns 3 skills a fight!" Yeah, but your SCUM's skill
base will be so low, when he's maxxed out in skills, my off. TP will be at the same
level of expertise by his 10th fight! For any style, 90% of the skills are in WT, WL
and DF, and that's where the 14 points must go.
WL: 13-21 As with any fighter, more is better. However, you can get by with normal
endurance, believe it or not! This TP will wear moderate armor, and can run active
for 6-7 minutes with normal endurance. That's long enough for all but a few
opponents. Raise WL on the rollup to 17 or 21 if you can, but if 13 or 15 is all he
can have, he'll be okay.
SP: 5-9 This is a touchy area, and can make or break your TP. I like to use 7, 8
or 9. If you use 5 or 6, he'd better be small, and have a 17 or 21 WT. OR, a CN that
will allow him to take a lot of damage. If he's too big, dumb and slow then he'll get
"slow and inactive" on the overview, and that is too scummy for my TP. You MUST have
normal or better activity. SP also helps with your riposte, crucial to the off. TP.
DF: 11-17 Second in importance, behind WT. Parry, Riposte, Defense and Attack are
your mainstays, and they're all enhanced by a high DF. Try to get normal coordination
(SP+DF=21) if possible.
Here are some examples of good off. TPs, all are real fighters;
11 10 8 11 7 11 10
14 12 15 9 15 13 12
7 4 7 6 8 7 10
17 15 15 17 21 17 17
17 21 17 21 13 17 13
5 7 9 9 7 8 8
13 15 13 11 13 11 13
Now, how to fight them, you ask? Every one of them seems to like to run
differently, I've seen some tee off at 2-7-5, some do better at 4-4-5, some 2-3-2,
even those who go 3-3-5 first min, then go ballistic in the second (10-10-6). Also,
some run 7-7-7! You just have to play around with the numbers, 'til you find what
works best. Here's a general strategy I usually start with:
4 5 6 7 4 3 10 Armor: I use ARM/H most of the time,
7 6 5 4 4 2 10 but guys like examples #1 and 2
5 5 5 5 5 5 6 would be better off in ACM/F. If
facing a LU or SL, you can wear
RA ------------------------> HE APA/F (yes, even with normal endur-
AM ------------------------> HE ance!), 'cause the LU or SL is going
- - - - - - - to drop in min. 2, more than likely.
S S - - - - D
Weapons: Any sword and shield you're suited to, as well as the Quarterstaff and the
Longspear. Vs. heavy armor, use a BS two-handed.
Tactics: Parry, dodge, and especially vs. strikers, responsiveness! Resp. will drive
other managers nuts, prompting them to say, "How'd you do that?" My favorite tactic
for the Un-Scum.
Matchups: Every striker in the arena should be on your hit-list. Other good
challenges are PS, WS, PR, BA. Avoid lungers and ABs like the plague!
So, there you have it. If you'd rather have a TP who's as elusive as a La-Z-Boy
than one who sidesteps more blows than he parries, then don't follow my advice. But,
if you're ready to have fun fights with TPs, and watch their popularity rise (except
vs. scum) every match, then that's what I offer you.
Brought to you by Buri of the G.A.P.P.D.A., MGR. Aesier (3, 104), Swords of
Sergio (4, 104), S.O.S. (59), and way too many others. Fell free to diplo me, for
praise, ridicule, or just for the halibut.
Duelmasters for Dummies
There are handbooks around that will guide you in becoming the hottest player
Duelmasters has ever seen... if you're prepared to work at it. But what if you don't
want to be hot, but only pleasantly warm, have a good time, and not fret and stew
over maximizing the potential of every roll-up you receive? What if spending months
in the Dark Arena searching for the perfect roll-up sounds boring? What if the
"Perfect Warrior" is not for you, and you have no intention of dominating Gateway?
What if such handbooks as the Enchiridion represent "more than you ever wanted to
know" about the inner workings and minute tunings of the game?
This article is for you....
You have a new roll-up sheet in front of you; it doesn't matter whether it's a
new team or only one replacement. How do you design the warrior(s) for best present
enjoyment? First, don't send anyone straight to the Dark Arena. Okay, do if you
like to read Dark Arena fights, but not otherwise. Give every roll-up, regardless of
"Perfect Warrior" potential or lack thereof, your best design efforts and a chance to
show his stuff. Some supposed duds will surprise you.
A few simple rules for basic warrior design and strategy:
1) Aim at achieving an odd number in your key stats, 15 is good, 17 is better,
except in unusual cases (DF for aimed blows), 21 is too much of a good thing.
2) Wit and Will are the key stats for any warrior except a freak experiment.
Deftness and Strength are second, Speed and Constitution are third.
3) Offensive styles (Basher, Lunger, Slasher, Striker) and Total Parries are
easier to run and easier to win with than the finesse styles (Aimed Blows, Parry-
anythings, Walls of Steel). Yes, the finesse styles can be fun and devastating, but
don't START there. Start with the easier styles and work up to finesse. Watch out
for stereotypes. Big, dumb, clumsy bashers do not generally do well. Fast, brainy
lungers with low CN and WL burn out early in the first minute and also tend to die
easily. A medium good roll-up will do well at any of the offensive styles.
4) Pick your arena with some care, as different arenas favor and reward
different styles of play and different tones in the personals.
Generally speaking, arenas of the Andorian and Lirith Kai regions will frown on
down-challenges and deliberate killing, and hostile "trash-talking" personals will
not be appreciated. On the whole, these Andorian and Adantri arenas are the more
sociable arenas and will tend to have more personals and more role-playing. (There
are, of course, exceptions.) Players in the Andorian and Lirith Kai arenas will tend
to be helpful to a newcomer.
Arenas of the Delarquan region will accept more aggressive styles in play and in
personals, more down-challenging, and more killing... BUT you can expect to draw a
quick and hard response in kind. Generally these arenas are not as friendly as the
Andorians, and they are much less likely to help out a newcomer.
The arenas of the Free Blades region vary more among themselves than those of
the other regions but generally tend to fall in between the Andorian and Delarquan
extremes.
5) When arming your warrior, check the Weapon/Style/Stat Suitability chart
below, probably THE most useful chart for a beginner. It sorts the weapons by style,
listing only those that are favored by each style, and gives the minimum stats (in
ST, SZ, WT, and DF) to use any particular weapon. Note which weapons your warrior is
physically able to use. Arm him with something he can use and that is favored by his
style, and GIVE HIM A BACK-UP WEAPON, even if it's only a dagger. Do not be misled
by real-world logic, by the way: bashers are not well-suited to using the fists as
weapons! (If you are going to use the same weapon against all armor weights, it
isn't necessary to make three categories on your strategy sheet, and it annoys the
inputter.)
In fact, you might want to consult the chart below before picking a style for
your new warrior. It is not a good idea to make a warrior into, say, a basher, if he
is unable to use well any of the basher's weapons of choice. (I've done this by not
paying attention, and I have ALWAYS regretted it afterward.) For example, I just got
a replacement who is 8-10-20-9-12-4-7. If I make it 9-10-20-15-17-4-9, then I should
NOT make it a Basher, because the poor goop couldn't use any bashing weapon well. If
I go with this set of numbers, he should probably be a Lunger using a short spear, or
a Striker using a hatchet. But if I drop WT to 13 and raise ST to 11, he could use a
broadsword and might make a Slasher; equally, if I drop WT to 13 and raise DF to 11,
instead, he could use a scimitar and make a Slasher.... Choices, choices....
6) Put armor on the warrior before sending him out to fight. Armor saves
lives. Total Parries can take the heaviest armors, as they generally don't move
around a lot. Offensives can run faster with no armor or leather armor, but that
doesn't give them much protection. If you're worried about their survival, put them
in mid-weight armor; I favor ringmail for this, but scalemail and chainmail are also
options. Always put something on their heads! A blow to the head can be especially
deadly, so give them protection there--at least a steel cap, a helm for choice, a
full helm if the warrior is a Total Parry.
7) Train skills, unless/until you're sure this is going to be a throw-away,
short-term warrior.
8) Challenge warriors above your warrior, and/or those with more fights, for
the best chance to learn skills. Challenge warriors below your warrior to improve
your chances of winning and to provoke maximum hostility from other managers.
Repeated challenges to the same warrior, when there are other targets available, will
also provoke hostility.
9) Avoid teams with high kill percentages and teams that regularly down-
challenge or repeat-challenge.
10) Don't run a warrior 10-10-10 unless you like to see him go berserk and then
collapse half way through the first minute. Yes, the pure offensives should run
fast, but drop either Activity Level or Kill Desire or both by a few points if your
warrior doesn't have a good or better endurance. If endurance is not mentioned on
the warrior's overview, then it is "normal" or "average," and 10-10-10 will probably
burn him out early in the fight. If endurance is poor, don't even think of it.
(Yes, I can hear all you number crunchers out there rising up to point out that there
are exceptions. I admit the exceptions, but these are general guidelines for the
average beginner. Exceptions belong in a different article.} Generally speaking,
Total Parries should run slowly.
11) Be wary of using tactics. Sometimes they help, sometimes they hinder, and
they're tricky. Even when a tactic gives some clear benefit, remember that it comes
with a built-in danger in that it commits the warrior to that attitude during the
minute it is used. A defensive tactic will tend to hinder offense, offensive tactics
will reduce the warrior's defense. Do not use both an offensive and a defensive
tactic in the same minute.
12) Fill out your strategy sheet clearly and completely to avoid antagonizing
the inputter! Don't make her guess what you want your warrior to do.
13) Write personal ads to take part in the player-player interaction. This is
a significant part of the fun of the game. If you want other managers to help you
learn, write =friendly= personals! Surprising how some people miss this obvious
point, but the obnoxious managers are likely to have a hard time getting help.
14) Fill out the front part of the Warrior Census Form. Picking a warrior's
race can make him a more clearly realized character and one that it is more fun to
write personals for. Filling out the warrior sayings can make reading the fights
more amusing. Fill out the back of the form only if you feel like it, as NOTHING on
the back, not even the character stats, has any effect on the fights. The back of
the form is all role-playing information and, at this time, will only be used if/when
your warrior appears in a spotlight written by a staff writer. When/if the extension
of the Duelmasters system for which the back of the form was originally intended is
completed, you will have another chance to fill out this stuff.
Weapons, Styles, Minimum Stats required for use
The weapons best-suited to each style are listed under that style. If a weapon is
not listed under that style, then it is not well-suited to use by that style.
Regardless of style, however, the stats required to use a weapon are the same.
This chart was composed with information found in the Enchiridion, and I thank
Pagan for making it readily available.
Aimed Blow nine weapons Slasher eight weapons
Dagger ST - SZ - WT 7 DF 7 Battleaxe ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 9
Epee ST 7 SZ - WT 15 DF 15 Broadsword ST 11 SZ - WT 9 DF 7
FiST - presumably any Epee ST 7 SZ - WT 15 DF 15
Longspear ST 11 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 9 Greataxe ST 13 SZ 5 WT 9 DF 11
Longsword ST 11 SZ - WT 13 DF 11 Hatchet ST 5 SZ - WT 3 DF 7
Quarterstaff ST 11 SZ 9 WT 11 DF 11 Longsword ST 11 SZ - WT 13 DF 11
Scimitar ST 9 SZ - WT 11 DF 11 Scimitar ST 9 SZ - WT 11 DF 11
Shortspear ST 9 SZ - WT 7 DF 7 Shortsword ST 5 SZ - WT 11 DF 3
Shortsword ST 5 SZ - WT 11 DF 3
Striker Note that the strikers can
Basher eleven weapons use every weapon plus the small shield
Greataxe ST 13 SZ 5 WT 9 DF 11 effectively. This is the only style that
Greatsword ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 11 has so broad a selection. Twenty-one
Halberd ST 17 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 9 weapons.
Large shield ST 11 SZ 7 WT 5 DF 5 Battleaxe ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 9
Mace ST 13 SZ - WT 3 DF 5 Broadsword ST 11 SZ - WT 9 DF 7
Maul ST 15 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 7 Dagger ST - SZ - WT 7 DF 7
Medium shield ST 9 SZ - WT 5 DF 5 Epee ST 7 SZ - WT 15 DF 15
Morningstar ST 13 SZ - WT 7 DF 13 FiST - presumably any
Quarterstaff ST 11 SZ 9 WT 11 DF 11 Greataxe ST 13 SZ 5 WT 9 DF 11
Warflail ST 11 SZ - WT 7 DF 5 Greatsword ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 11
Warhammer ST 13 SZ - WT 5 DF 7 Halberd ST 17 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 9
Hatchet ST 5 SZ - WT 3 DF 7
Lunger five weapons Longspear ST 11 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 9
Epee ST 7 SZ - WT 15 DF 15 Longsword ST 11 SZ - WT 13 DF 11
Longspear ST 11 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 9 Mace ST 13 SZ - WT 3 DF 5
Longsword ST 11 SZ - WT 13 DF 11 Maul ST 15 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 7
Shortspear ST 9 SZ - WT 7 DF 7 Morningstar ST 13 SZ - WT 7 DF 13
Shortsword ST 5 SZ - WT 11 DF 3 Quarterstaff ST 11 SZ 9 WT 11 DF 11
Scimitar ST 9 SZ - WT 11 DF 11
Parry-Lunger six weapons Shortspear ST 9 SZ - WT 7 DF 7
Epee ST 7 SZ - WT 15 DF 15 Shortsword ST 5 SZ - WT 11 DF 3
Longspear ST 11 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 9 Small shield ST 5 SZ - WT 5 DF 5
Longsword ST 11 SZ - WT 13 DF 11 Warflail ST 11 SZ - WT 7 DF 5
Scimitar ST 9 SZ - WT 11 DF 11 Warhammer ST 13 SZ - WT 5 DF 7
Shortspear ST 9 SZ - WT 7 DF 7
Shortsword ST 5 SZ - WT 11 DF 3 Total Parry twelve weapons
Parry-Riposte six weapons Battleaxe ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 9
Epee ST 7 SZ - WT 15 DF 15 Broadsword ST 11 SZ - WT 9 DF 7
Longspear ST 11 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 9 Epee ST 7 SZ - WT 15 DF 15
Longsword ST 11 SZ - WT 13 DF 11 Greatsword ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 11
Scimitar ST 9 SZ - WT 11 DF 11 Large shield ST 11 SZ 7 WT 5 DF 5
Shortspear ST 9 SZ - WT 7 DF 7 Longspear ST 11 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 9
Shortsword ST 5 SZ - WT 11 DF 3 Longsword ST 11 SZ - WT 13 DF 11
Medium shield ST 9 SZ - WT 5 DF 5
Parry-Striker eleven weapons Quarterstaff ST 11 SZ 9 WT 11 DF 11
Battleaxe ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 9 Scimitar ST 9 SZ - WT 11 DF 11
Broadsword ST 11 SZ - WT 9 DF 7 Shortsword ST 5 SZ - WT 11 DF 3
Epee ST 7 SZ - WT 15 DF 15 Small shield ST 5 SZ - WT 5 DF 5
Greatsword ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 11
Longsword ST 11 SZ - WT 13 DF 11 Wall of Steel eight weapons
Quarterstaff ST 11 SZ 9 WT 11 DF 11 Battleaxe ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 9
Scimitar ST 9 SZ - WT 11 DF 11 Broadsword ST 11 SZ - WT 9 DF 7
Shortspear ST 9 SZ - WT 7 DF 7 Greataxe ST 13 SZ 5 WT 9 DF 11
Shortsword ST 5 SZ - WT 11 DF 3 Greatsword ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 11
Small shield ST 5 SZ - WT 5 DF 5 Morningstar ST 13 SZ - WT 7 DF 13
Warhammer ST 13 SZ - WT 5 DF 7 Quarterstaff ST 11 SZ 9 WT 11 DF 11
Scimitar ST 9 SZ - WT 11 DF 11
Warflail ST 11 SZ - WT 7 DF 5
Jorja
The Middle Way
DM 93 and elsewhere