DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER
Date : 05/17/2014 Duedate: 05/30/2014
NOBLISH ISLAND ARENA
DM-93 TURN-403
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
DEL CURVE
THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
(93-9535) [6-3-0,52]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
POSITION IS EMPTY DEL CURVE
THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
(93-9535) [6-3-0,52]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
SHADY LANE ANVENGEN KALE
THIRD HIGHWAY (1642) ANVENGEN'S EDGE (1649)
(93-9537) [5-4-1,34] (93-9577) [1-2-0,7]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. BEYOND THE WALL (1647) 44
2. SPORTS FLICKS (1651) 29 BANE'S CHILDREN (235)
3. SCORPIONS (1646) 29 Unchartered Team
4. BB BASEBALL MONEY (1650) 20
5. ANVENGEN'S EDGE (1649) 15 BB BASEBALL MONEY (1650)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1/ 1*BB BASEBALL MONEY (1650) 8 2 0 80.0 1/ 1*THIRD HIGHWAY (1642) 13 2 1
2/ 2*THIRD HIGHWAY (1642) 28 17 1 62.2 2/ 4*BB BASEBALL MONEY (1650) 8 2 0
3/ 3*SPORTS FLICKS (1651) 6 4 2 60.0 3/ 5*SPORTS FLICKS (1651) 6 4 2
4/ 6*BEYOND THE WALL (1647) 9 11 0 45.0 4/ 2*X-MEN! (1644) 6 9 1
5/ 5*X-MEN! (1644) 12 18 1 40.0 5/ 3*BEYOND THE WALL (1647) 5 10 0
6/ 4*ANVENGEN'S EDGE (1649) 4 7 1 36.4 6/ 6*ANVENGEN'S EDGE (1649) 4 7 1
7- 7*ALLADIN'S ELITE (1648) 3 7 0 30.0 7/ 8*SCORPIONS (1646) 4 9 0
8/ 8*SCORPIONS (1646) 4 14 0 22.2 8- 7*ALLADIN'S ELITE (1648) 3 7 0
9/ 0*NEO POLITY (1652) 1 4 0 20.0 9/ 0*NEO POLITY (1652) 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
WHAT THEY DIDN'T TEACH YOU IN
GRADE SCHOOL or D2 101
BUT YOU JUST MIGHT LEARN HERE
Any warrior that loses a fight can die. Dead. Gone. One can die by being
killed by the opponent, and every loser has a small chance (estimated odds 1 in 50)
of dying in the infirmary. Note: There is no chance of dying if one wins!
Any warrior can use any weapon. Not a problem. However, there are undefined
penalties for using marginal, unsuited, inadequate wit, inadequate size, inadequate
strength, and inadequate deftness weapons. One can certainly win with an improperly
suited weapon, but, is it worth the chance? Usually not, I say.
Warriors are born with certain skills which are dependent on the base 70 point
stat sheet and the style selected. The 14 points of added stats also add skills to
those base skills. You really need to know which skills come from what stat.
RSI seldom makes input errors. I said seldom. The best thing a manager can do
to help avoid input errors is to fill out the strategy sheet accurately and legibly
with good penmanship. Yes, we have doctors in the warrior management ranks (Slugbait
and Grimm come to mind) and they probably regret their yucky penmanship.
These are considered the three best ways to acquire info, knowledge and
"secrets" about D2:
* Terrablood.com
* Noblish Island (DM93) newsletters
* Reality.com
There is more to strategy than filling out the warrior's initial armor and
weapon selection and offensive effort and activity level and kill desire and tactic
selection. Challenges and avoids are an important way to attempt to give your
warrior an advantage. Challenge warriors (warrior ID) that your warrior is likely to
defeat and learn a lot from, and avoid teams (team ID) with warriors whom are likely
to defeat you. Indeed, your warrior can be provided with an alternate strategy for
challenging or when being challenged or both. A warrior does not have to challenge,
bloodfeud, or avoid, but it is probably in his best interest to do so.
Ask dumb questions! Often managers, especially new managers, have a doubt or a
question, but they feel "asking for help/advice" is a sign of weakness or lack of
intelligence or knowledge about D2. Do not let this be you! Ask! We dumb veteran
managers ask each other dumb questions all the time. One man's dumb is another man's
smart. What are the best ways to ask?
* On the Reality.com site
* On the D2 Chatzy blog site
* In personal ads in the arenas (especially Noblish Island)
* By diplo to another manager in D2 (Certain managers will almost always respond;
some may not.)
No matte what any veteran, friend or expert tells you about design or strategy
or concept, it is not necessarily the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth. It may be good or great or common advice, but it is not necessarily the only
good (or bad) advice. Some advice is best learned first-hand.
D2 is a normally a friendly atmosphere. While managers are very competitive,
most of the vets know each other, see each other at Faces, chat with each other on
line, and even help each other out with advice and ideas. The fount of knowledge
available now, about D2, was acquired by a collective "working together" and sharing
info. Be advised that an overly mean, overbearing, threatening, haughty, unfriendly
character/manager is likely to be colluded against and ostracized by D2 regulars.
Smack talk is desirable and a part if the game. Personal threats, harsh meanness, or
overbearingness is not at all welcomed. You are forewarned!
Noblish Island is a great learning atmosphere. What comes after Noblish?
Choose wisely an arena in which to participate. (Fast -- two week turnaround or slow
-- four weeks) (Large -- 15+ teams participating, medium -- 8-14ish, small -- 7 or
less) (friendly -- usually Andorian arenas are up for role-playing and up for helping
newbies, and down on down challenging or taking advantage of newbies) (cutthroat --
Darkholm arenas tend to be win-at-all-cost). You can participate in as many arenas
as you want. You can also participate in separate tournaments, held quarterly, which
allow warriors from all arenas to compete with each other for acclaim and prizes.
There are many other things they apparently didn't teach you, you say? Well,
send a personal ad or diplo to Assur, Jorja, or The Consortium rep in DM93 Noblish
Isle and give them a shot at answering in the newsletter.
The Producer(Consortium affiliated)of Sports Flicks here.
Contact me for help. Ask me dumb questions.
I tutor and coach -- all too often for free.
* }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *
I will continue my warrior types articles next turn, but this turn I address
(again) the subject that is most troublesome for young managers. What style should I
make my warrior. Here is Assur's new team, BB Baseball Money.
Obviously the start of the discussion has to be about TV CONTRACTS. Are these
good or bad for the game? Since they're paying for the game we love, I guess I have
to say they are good. Represented by the recruit 15-7-9-9-12-4-14, I notice
immediately that speed and con are on the low side, Strength and Deftness on the High
side. Attack and Parry! With a decent will and adequate wit, I see another Wall of
Steel (though a lot of styles could use these numbers - any other style with parry in
the name). 17-11-9-11-17-4-15 almost maximizes parry, hits the 11 wit breakpoint,
and adds enough con to make me happy. I would stay away from the offensive styles,
though 15-7-9-11-17-10-15 looks pretty reasonable as any offensive style.
When money is there, it makes it much easier to GUARANTEE that money. And when
I see a 14-3-17-10-7-7-12 I see frail, low will, and damage. An offensive warrior,
for sure. My style of choice, of course, is basher. 15-3-17-15-9-12-13 adds to wit
and every decise skill I can get out of him. Hopefully his big damage will overcome
his poor endurance.
Even worse than the guaranteed money is that it is guaranteed for a LONGTERM
CONTRACT. 3-16-11-13-8-7-12. Here we have a physical weakling that can take damage.
I chose Aimed Blow, the style that performs best with really low strength. Design
goes 7-16-11-17-9-7-17. Note that Aimed Blows get bonus attack for high deftness
(preferred 21), so I put most of the points on Wit and Deftness. After that, I add
the balance to Strength to get access to the EP and SC (not quite suited). I
wouldn't suggest any other styles, but it is a fairly unique set of numbers. As
Consortium and I usually recommend, don't start with less than 7 strength or will.
One of the most notorious ways to spend good money goes to left handed pitchers.
It is said that a LEFTY with a PULSE can easily make a MLB team. In this case, I
took my 10-8-10-9-15-13-5 and added points to get 10-8-10-11-21-13-11. He'll do some
quick training to bump Strength and Constitution and then focus on skills. For
style, I choose another Wall of Steel. I've always loved this style and don't run
enough of them. 21 will is an awesome thing and loved on Lungers and Total Parries
(as well as Wall of Steels). The design I gave could be used as just about any style
in the game. The only two I'd stay away from are Parry Ripostes and Aimed Blows.
Also note that Normal Damage on a basher makes it a challenge to win.
Finally, it should be noted that baseball money is OUT OF CONTROL. Is anyone
worth this kind of money, even if they can hit .300 and 30 home runs? 9-8-13-9-5-16-
10 says absolutely not. Another low will guy, this one really fast. PS, AB, TP, and
PR (and STK) all can do well with low will. With the speed, this guy is better
suited to an offensive warrior. Again, I choose Basher, though I think it is a
mistake. 12-8-13-15-9-16-11 is the end design. Way too little endurance for my
liking on a basher (unless it does more damage than this guy).
Assur and His Bashers
If you get to know Assurnasirbanipal at all, you will learn that his favorite
style is the bashing style. Before going any further, you need to know that it is
not one of the 'best' styles in the game and that not all styles are created equal.
'Most' warriors that make good bashers could likely be made into a better something
else. There are a few notable exceptions which I will talk about briefly.
Jorja's Profile of a Basher is a solid article. The only things I'd say to
'add' to it are:
1) For weapons, I highly recommend WH and QS first and foremost. And I virtually
never use MS or WF. But the first two are the bread and butter weapons for Bashers
2) Design comments: Jorja undervalues wit. For bashers, don't undervalue wit.
11 or more. For Will, I recommend 9, 15, 17, or 21. That is where you get skills.
I'll typically add to Strength, Speed or Deftness once my Will is at one of those
values. If your setup starts with 9-11 will, I'd consider carefully whether adding
4-6 points is really worth it. There are other ways to make bashers, but her article
is a great place to start.
* }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *
Profile of a Style
Bashers
I make no claims to being exhaustive in this study of Bashers. There are
managers who know more about the style, managers who have better Bashers, managers
whose Bashers win more consistently. But this is a place to start.
I have the details of twenty-eight immortal Bashers under my hand here, Bashers
who, good, bad, or indifferent, survived long enough to graduate and discover their
favorites. In those favorites lie clues to how the Gladiatorial Commission expects
Bashers to operate. This does not mean that Bashers HAVE to operate that way, and it
can be fun to force a style to do the unexpected and take everyone by surprise, but
this could be said to be "what comes naturally."
Favorite weapons. You will find that only weapons that may be received as
favorites are ever described as "well-suited" to the style. For instance, an epee
never occurs as a favorite weapon for a Basher, and any Basher who uses one will find
he "is unsuited to his weapon" or "uses this weapon in an unorthodox style" at the
top of his fight report. There is little, if anything (well, okay, surprise), to be
gained from using a weapon unsuited to the style in question.
The eleven weapons suited to use by Bashers, and the minimum stats required for
their best use (information courtesy of Pagan's Enchiridion), are:
Greataxe ST 13 SZ 5 WT 9 DF 11
Greatsword ST 15 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 11
Halberd ST 17 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 9
Large Shield ST 11 SZ 7 WT 5 DF 5
Mace ST 13 SZ any WT 3 DF 5
Maul ST 15 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 7
Medium Shield ST 9 SZ any WT 5 DF 5
Morningstar ST 13 SZ any WT 7 DF 13
Quarterstaff ST 11 SZ 9 WT 11 DF 11
Warflail ST 11 SZ any WT 7 DF 5
Warhammer ST 13 SZ any WT 5 DF 7
Assurnasirbanapal offers the following alternate requirements for some of these
weapons:
Halberd ST 17 SZ 9 WT 9 DF 11
Large Shield ST 11 SZ 7 WT 3 DF 5
(not sure about size, but I believe wit is 3)
Morningstar ST 13 SZ any WT 7 DF 11
Warflail ST 11 SZ any WT 5 DF 5
(I can see that some warriors in my future are going to have to test these weapons.)
Study this chart, and never make a Basher who doesn't have the stats to use at
least one of the weapons well! I've made the mistake more than once (and more than
once done it deliberately, but then, I'm perverse) of creating a warrior who is
unable to use well any weapon to which his style is suited. This is enormously
frustrating. Take my advice and DON'T DO IT.
You may notice that the Fist is not listed as a weapon suited to the Bashing
attack. This is an example--one of the most glaring ones--of the fact that sometimes
intuition and real-world experience are "not well suited" to Duelmasters.
Two weapons not listed on this chart are the Broadsword and the Battleaxe. If
you arm a Basher with one of these weapons, the fight report will inform you that
your warrior is not well suited to the weapon or uses it in a marginally effective
manner. A manager I consulted informs me that he has had good results anyway with
the Broadsword and is still experimenting with the Battleaxe. So you CAN ignore the
weapon suitability chart above, though I would not recommend doing it until you have
enough experience to know what risks you're taking. And don't do it with a warrior
who adds the disadvantage of having inappropriate stats for the weapon to the
disadvantage of unsuited style.
As you can see from this list, the most important stat for a Basher, from the
standpoint of weapon use, is Strength. A Basher who is dumb and on the clumsy side
will find weapons he can use appropriately, provided he has the strength to lift
them. This has led to the creation of a lot of dumb, clumsy Bashers. My own
personal feeling--and I've run a lot of these depressing warriors--is that a dumb,
clumsy Basher is doomed in the long run. And often very boring, as well. Boring is
even worse than doomed.
My immortal Bashers, their relevant stats, and their favorite weapons:
Madoc ST 11 SZ 11 WT 13 DF 9 Mace
Wanda the Blonda ST 17 SZ 8 WT 9 DF 15 Warflail
Kenda Teegue ST 19 SZ 7 WT 11 DF 11 Greatsword
Al Kore ST 13 SZ 14 WT 11 DF 13 Quarterstaff
Broken Nose ST 17 SZ 18 WT 11 DF 9 Quarterstaff
Hogar ST 13 SZ 13 WT 21 DF 7 Maul
Ski Mask ST 13 SZ 15 WT 15 DF 9 Maul
Crabby Appleton ST 19 SZ 11 WT 13 DF 6 Warflail
Lissette ST 14 SZ 9 WT 11 DF 15 Greataxe
Velendeis ST 9 SZ 14 WT 13 DF 7 Maul
Hoftalj ST 21 SZ 14 WT 11 DF 7 Mace
Cadal ST 14 SZ 15 WT 15 DF 11 Mace
Caramella ST 13 SZ 13 WT 14 DF 11 Quarterstaff
Lulu ST 17 SZ 11 WT 15 DF 9 Morningstar
Franklin ST 15 SZ 6 WT 5 DF 17 Morningstar
Bam Bam ST 13 SZ 14 WT 11 DF 9 Medium Shield
Dune ST 19 SZ 17 WT 4 DF 3 Halberd
Old Maid ST 17 SZ 7 WT 15 DF 11 Halberd
Pelis the True ST 13 SZ 9 WT 11 DF 15 Large Shield
Joe ST 15 SZ 10 WT 15 DF 13 Medium Shield
Claudius ST 19 SZ 13 WT 10 DF 7 Quarterstaff
Ekkar ST 17 SZ 15 WT 13 DF 7 Mace
Jomon ST 11 SZ 17 WT 11 DF 15 Greatsword
Dijanna ST 17 SZ 12 WT 17 DF 7 Mace
Khora the Small ST 15 SZ 9 WT 17 DF 11 Warhammer
Sweet Jorja ST 13 SZ 13 WT 15 DF 7 Quarterstaff
Tarok ST 7 SZ 18 WT 11 DF 9 Warflail
Kelan ten Salth ST 14 SZ 15 WT 17 DF 11 Greatsword
You will notice that some of these warriors did not have the initial stats to
use their favorite weapon efficiently. That's a little trick the Commission plays on
us to keep us from getting too cocky. Only one of them (Tarok) was initially unable
to use ANY of the bashing weapons well, and I trained up his strength early in his
career. My personal favorites among the bashing weapons are the warhammer, the mace,
and if the warrior has the wit for it, the quarterstaff, as these seem to me to
produce the most interesting fights. If I'm going to train a warrior as a Basher, I
try to make him able to use one or another of those weapons; it saves me a lot of
stress.
Which brings up the question of Basher design. In almost all cases, the advice
routinely given is to put the points on WT, WL, and DF in preference to other stats.
But to use any of the weapons listed above, the warrior DOES NOT NEED a WT of more
than 11, and depending on which version of the stats for Morningstar you accept, he
doesn't need more than 11 or 13 in DF. Do not put points on these stats beyond the
necessary.
ST: A Basher needs strength, and lots of it--who wants a Basher who "does
little damage"? Besides, he needs a minimum strength of 9 for the least of his
weapons, and that's a medium shield. Who wants to send a Basher out with a medium
shield? Pile 'em on here.
CN: No. A Basher wins by attacking, not defending. He should be keeping his
opponent too busy to fight back, and he should not have to worry about his hit
points. Generally speaking, go with whatever you've been given on the roll-up. The
time to experiment with the creation of a Scum Basher is later, after you have more
experience.
SZ: You can't do anything about this, but a large size is not such a handicap
for a Basher as for some of the more finicky styles. And it will increase the damage
he can do--a Basher is all about doing damage.
WT: No more than is needed for the weapon you've chosen. If you have extra
points after satisfying other requirements, sure, go ahead and put them on wit, but
you can get a decent learning rate with a wit of 11 so why waste the points here?
Besides, if he survives long enough, you can train up more wit later.
WL: I would always put points on will (unless it was 17+ already), but for me,
that's reflex, not conscious planning. In theory, a Basher wins fights fast by
attacking all out, and so he doesn't need will for the stick-to-it effect. But
then... if he's a good Basher, wins a lot, graduates, and you want to keep on running
him, a high will does make it easier to train up stats once you get around to it.
SP: I don't really have a feel for the effects of high or low speed on ANY
style. I would cautiously suggest that if you can get the speed into the moderate
range (8-12?) without sacrificing anything important, then do it. But if you can't,
then don't.
DF: Enough to use the weapon of choice, or perhaps two or three weapons for
variety. No more.
And a note on armor: A Basher should NOT be loaded down with heavy armor. He
isn't supposed to get hit, so what does he need that armor FOR?
Favorite rhythms. Sometimes it's expedient to ignore a warrior's favorite
rhythm, once you know it, but it does give you a guideline for running the style.
Rhythm is given as Very High or VH (10-9), High or H (8-7), Moderate or M (6-5), Low
or L (4-3), and Very Low or VL (2-1), for Offensive Effort first, and then for
Activity Level. For the warriors listed above, the favorite rhythms are:
H/VL H/L H/L H/M VH/M VH/L M/L M/VL H/VL H/VL VH/VL M/VL
H/VL H/L H/L VH/VL VH/VL VH/VL H/L M/L VH/M VH/VL VH/VL H/L
H/VL H/L VH/M H/M.
You'll notice that there is no Offensive Effort lower than Moderate, and no
Activity Level higher than Moderate, and that Offensive Effort is usually at least
two steps higher than Activity Level. Not always--some of those listed above are
only one step apart, and another manager tells me that he has some Bashers with
favorite rhythms of Moderate/Moderate. But from the sample I have, it seems that
Bashers favor a higher Offensive Effort than Activity Level, often considerably
higher. While you may not always want to run a Basher this way, it appears that
nature and the Gladiatorial Commission intended them to run very offensively. With a
newly entered Basher, this kind of speed is a place to start. Once you get a feel
for the warrior in question and for his likely opponents, you can tinker with the
numbers for the ideal strategy. But be warned that running so offensively, the
average Basher won't be able to keep going for long! Especially, he won't be able to
go for long with a heavy weapon (one requiring more ST to handle) and heavy armor.
When I think of the Bashers I have seen come out in Plate and struggle to last a
single minute at high speed, I could weep. High speed burns endurance. Bashers go
out to win fast, or they become easy prey for a slower-paced, more deliberate
warrior.
Of course, sometimes you'll run up against a Basher who ignores the stereotype,
the so-called "Scum Basher." He differs from most of his kind by having a high
endurance which allows his manager to run him slowly and take people by surprise.
But this warrior is a freak. I distrust freakish warrior designs as a matter of
principle.
There is no evidence to support the hypothesis that warriors have a favorite
Kill Desire.
There is no convincing evidence to support the hypothesis that warriors or
styles have a favorite attack location. Managers have argued that the nature of the
bashing attack lends itself to overhead blows to the head and upper body. However, I
suspect that this is one of those intuitive things which turn out not to work, just
as one would intuitively expect a Basher to do well with his fists, and he does not.
Some managers have pointed out that a Basher aiming at the head tends to end his
fight quickly. ANY style striking the head tends to end the fight quickly.
(Consistently aiming at the head will increase the chance of killing, which will, in
the long run, decrease the chance of your Basher's survival. Managers bloodfeud
dedicated killers with hostile intent.) I consider this a case of "Not Proven."
Favorite Tactics. Of the twenty-eight Bashers listed above, only eight had
favorite tactics. Two favored the offensive tactic of Decisiveness, and the rest
favored the offensive tactic of Bash. It seems reasonable to assume that the
offensive tactics of Lunge and Slash are inappropriate for a Basher. (Of course, you
can't always count on reason here, but....) There were no defensive tactics favored
(granted, this is not a large sampling of warriors), which suggests that they should
be used sparingly, if at all--a Basher is a purely offensive style.
Proceeding from the general to the specific, here's a basher who had a very
unpromising beginning--
Profile of a Gladiator
Turo the Brick
Lord Protector and Pain in the Rear
Turo, a seven-foot Troll, just graduated from Lin Tirian, my own home arena, at
16-44-2, 94. He's a basher. And I suspect that most other managers would have sent
him straight to the Dark Arena.
At graduation, he is 11(2)-9-20-6(2)-17(2)-10-17.
According to his overview, even after those stat raises, he
Is not very bright
The more subtle points of the riposte simply escape him, which I could have
told anyone right off
Stands around making himself a target, which we noticed
Cannot carry a lot of weight in weapons and armor (that low ST)
Is slow on his feet (Does size have an effect here?)
Can do tremendous damage with a blow (mostly SZ, I suspect)
Turo is "naturally adept" with a maul (well, okay, he's probably pulled up a few
trees and swung 'em around to bat at pesky people), favors a rhythm of very high/low,
and has an innate ability to use the bash tactic. None of this comes as a great
surprise--it fits his character. He's aggressive by nature (definitely) and most
readily learns initiative skills. (Doesn't that require BRAINS?) Ah, well. I've
been running him lately as follows:
Mace, backup war hammer, offhand medium shield, plate mail and a full helm.
9 8 7 6 7 8 10
3 2 1 1 1 1 1
8 8 7 8 7 8 10 which I wouldn't swear is the strategy I sent in
for him originally, but it is what he's using. Attacking right arm, protecting head,
no tactics. Maybe this was based on something another manager suggested to me.
He graduated with no ratings at all. Yes, really.
Obviously, he's not anybody's ideal warrior, but he's been surprisingly fun to
read. And it seems at least possible that if I'd paid more attention to his
strategies, issued challenges and avoids, he might have taken a better record out of
the arena. He is headed for retirement, obviously. I think he has some idea of
going back to his home in the foothills of the Khriatrin Mountains and terrorizing
his kin.
And another example of a basher, a much more successful one:
Khora the Small
Lady Protector
Contender for the Throne in Lirin Kiv (ADM 107)
Basher
I don't have her graduation overview here, as that was a long time ago. But she
started as 15-12-9-17-11-9-11. Now, after years of fighting, maxed on skills and
training stats, she is 25-12-9-17-17-13-16. Her record at the present is 94-129-3,
and despite doing devastating damage, being incredibly quick and elusive, and having
an Advanced Master rating in attack and Masters in all the other skills, she is still
not woman enough to take the throne in this smallest of the Advanced Duelmasters
regions. Her favorite weapon is the war hammer, her favorite rhythm high offensive
effort and very low activity level, which are good favorites. So why isn't she
Duelmistress, or as it is called in Lirin Kiv, Champion of the Horn? Because there's
an even better basher up there already. Her most serious problem is that low CN, I
think. Maybe she should train that up....
Here's their most recent fight, a short one, so I'll give it to you in full--
Phetmolge is 8' tall, right-handed, fights with no armor or helm, carries a war
hammer and a large shield, to which he is well suited.
Khora is 5'7" tall, ambidextrous, in leather armor and a helm, carrying a war
hammer and an off-hand war hammer, to which she, too, is well-suited. Khora is
running 8 4 7 RA BD no tactics; about Phetmolge we can only guess.
Both warriors move with snake-like speed around each other.
The weapons lock together in a test of strength.
Phetmolge is moving constantly without pause!
He sweeps his large shield in a sudden unexpected assault!
A spectator exclaims, "Brilliant!" Phetmolge smiles briefly.
Khora parries the blow with her war hammer.
She disengages her foe's weapon arm and tries to steal the initiative!
She makes a lightning-quick backhand smash with her war hammer!
Phetmolge is struck in the belly.
Khora says admiringly (this is irony), "How much damage can you take, anyway?"
(Lots. Lots and lots. More than she can, anyway.)
She launches a brilliant attack with her war hammer.
Phetmolge stops the blow with his large shield.
He sidesteps, trying to throw his opponent off balance.
He launches a brilliant attack with his war hammer!
Khora is hit on the right hip!
It is a tremendous blow!
Khora winces, obviously feeling great pain.
She mutters a desperate prayer and is stopped by the herald.
She is determined to become top basher in Lirin Kiv and will keep fighting
until she is Inducted into Primus.
Jorja
The Middle Way
+>]H[<+-----+>]H[<+ Question of the Week #3 +>]H[<+-----+>]H[<+
Question, turn 403:
All -- I've read that once you have an AE in a skill area you don't need to use a
tactic in that area. What if you have a favorite tactic? Would it benefit your
warrior to use it even if he is maxed in that area? -- Hanibal's Q.O.W.
Answers, turn 404:
Q.O.W. -- Tactics. It's generally believed that using a tactic, at any level of
skill, increases something (init, attack, damage, etc. though no one's sure) at the
expense of one or more other abilities. Usually it seems you lose more for using the
tactic than you gain, so they should be used sparingly. However, favorite tactics
are a bit different. I've noticed, generally, that the penalties usually imposed by
using the tactic are greatly reduced or eliminated, making it more useful. I run a
piker in AD who has response as a favorite and run her with it. She seems to do
great with it against everybody. My decise running striker still defends well
(though she's got favorite learn defense), and she still jumps everyone with a poor
decise rating. My advice is to give it a try if it's a tactic you think your warrior
needs, or can use based on their current point of development. -- Adie
Hanibal -- It really is almost like flicking a switch the way you can (usually)
prevent death intent statements if you want to. Dartor is the arena expert on
killing and he too agrees. Most new managers gain pleasure from seeing their
warriors kill, and it's not something to be ashamed of. But there is a better way of
going about things. I think as you gain more experience and experiment with lower
KD, you'll find that running with a 4 where you used to run with a 6 will have little
effect on a warrior's performance other than decreasing the chance of death intent.
This is especially true in the first minute, or before your warrior would get tired.
-- Generalissimo Puerco
Hanibal -- Each tactic has some benefits and some drawbacks. I can't tell you
exactly what those are because I don't know myself. If a tactic only provided the
equivalent of extra skills, then it might be true that a warrior wouldn't need them
after a certain level of skill is achieved. But let's say that your warrior has an
AE+3 and his opponent has a MA. Then there might still be good cause to use a
tactic.
I believe tactics grant benefits that can't always be translated into more
skills. I think the best example of this is what happens when response is used
against decise. Tactics have their value at all levels of the game, but the most
valuable tactics might change. I don't think many would run with decise at the top
of AD, though lunge and dodge remain popular. But for a new warrior, decise can be
very important. Tactics are not well documented in the literature, and for that
reason you may do well to learn first-hand and develop some instincts regarding the
use of appropriate tactics. -- Generalissimo Puerco
Hanibal -- Regarding the latest question: if you have an advanced expert in an area
that equates to a given tactic, is there any point in running the tactic. Yes, if
the tactic is a useful one. I don't THINK that there is a one-to-one equivalence
between types of skills and types of tactics. For one thing, there are eight tactics
and only six types of skills! -- Leeta
Question, turn 404:
All -- Do you think you are faster with your favorite weapon? If your fav is a
Halberd would you be quicker with a War Hammer? I've read you get +4 in each area if
you are using your favorite. -- Hanibal's Q.O.W.
Answers, turn 405:
Hanibal -- I strongly doubt that a favorite weapon gives four extra skills in each
category. I don't see how anyone could know that unless it was said by a credible
source within the GC. I'm terrible at finding favorite weapons. I can tell you that
the one large favorite weapon I've had experience with is the greatsword, and it is
still lousy even as a favorite. I really enjoy longsword as a favorite. --
Generalissimo Puerco
Q.O.W. -- With regard to favorites, the only really obvious effect is that you are
automatically well suited to it, and the warrior using it almost always throws more
critical attacks with that weapon than if it wasn't their favorite. That pretty much
gives me the impression it only helps attack. -- Adie
Q.O.W. -- I would be amazed if you would receive +4 in each area for a favorite
weapon. And we do not believe the fave adds to the speed with the weapon. The fave
greatly aids attack and parry, hit %, and ability to hold onto the weapon. And, of
course, criticals increase. -- Kennelworth
Hanibal -- I don't know about specific bonuses for using a favored weapon. However,
I do believe that if your favored weapon is something that you aren't otherwise
suited for (for example, a broadsword for someone lacking the necessary attributes),
you can often get good results by going for a lower version of that weapon. From the
halberd of your example, for instance, "down" to a great axe, or even farther down to
battle axe and then to hatchet. Experiment with them and see what might work. I
have no specific numbers to support this, but it is the impression I've gathered over
the cycles. -- Leeta
* }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *
---===FREE BLADES REGIONAL NEWS===---
Duelmasters
-----------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 748): EXPENDABLE YOUTH of KARNHORN KARNAGE (Var, mgr.)
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 750): INCREDIBLE HULK of FANTASTIC FIVE II (?, mgr>)
DM 13 DULLENS (turn 730): BLACKHAWK of CARDOW HUNTERS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 15 MALCORN (turn 744): SIR TOO DUMB of THE GRAIL KNIGHTS (The Dark One, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 746): GOLDEN FLASH of GOLDEN GLADIATORS (Midas, mgr.)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 737): LIMB BIZKIT of BODY OF MUSIC (Howlin' Wolf, mgr.)
DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 738): RAMEX of VISIONS V2 (Tolbin, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 371): TRAVEL of EXPENSE ACCOUNT (Finance Manager, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 735): SERENA of SHADOWMIST (Tolbin, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 639): MALICE of ASSASSINATION (Ghab, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 732): MR SCHICICLES of DEATH BY DESIGN (Bubba Ganoosh, mgr.)
DM 33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 729): SSINK! Of F/X (Mannequin, mgr.)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 721): MAYNERD of NERDS (DMobster, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 679): SHADOW FROGGY of BATTLE FROGS 12-15 (Grimm, mgr.)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 346): BENEZIA of DARQUE FORCES (Master Darque, mgr)
DM 47 NORTH FORK (turn 341): WITCHCRAZE of DARQUE FORCES (Master Darque, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 327): KINGU of MESOPOTAMIA (Var, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 611): FERRIA HOUGH of MIDDLE WAY 20 (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 60 ARADI (turn 596): SISTER MOON of DREAMTIME (Hombre, mgr.)
DM 61 JURINE (turn 578): SYBO of TREXTRAS (Otto X, mgr.)
DM 65 DAL SHANG (turn 572): STAR RUBY of TOLBIN'S GEMS (Tolbin, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 276): URSULA ZAROFF of MIDDLE WAY 18 (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 74 DAYLA KIV (turn 536): SASHA of TOLBIN'S LADIES (Tolbin, mgr.)
DM 75 JADE MOUNTAIN (turn 528): RAGE of RUNEBLADES (Stillgard, mgr.)
DM 78 LIN TIRIAN (turn 519): SERGEANT 4 of MEDAL OF HONOR Z2 (The Anarchist, mgr)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 636): ABSOLUTION of ANGELS OF PAIN (The Dark One, mgr.)
Top Teams
---------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 748): QUEEN (Howlin' Wolf, mgr.)
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 750): PURE POISON (?, mgr.)
DM 13 DULLENS (turn 730): CARDOW HUNTERS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 15 MALCORN (turn 744): GREENWARDENS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 746): BLOOD ON THE TRACKS (Howlin' Wolf, mgr.)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 737): MIDDLE WAY (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 738): VISIONS V2 (Tolbin, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 371): EXPENSE ACCOUNT (Finance Manager, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 735): SHADOWMIST (Tolbin, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 369): WHAMMO & THUDDA 4U! (La Guillotine, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 732): OTTOMAN EMPIRE (Otto X, mgr.)
DM 33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 729): DUELMASTERS BUFFET (Chuck, mgr.)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 721): CHILDREN OF LLYR (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 679): TOLBIN'S X-MEN (Tolbin, mgr.)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 346): DARQUE FORCES (Master Darque, mgr.)
DM 47 NORTH FORK (turn 341): NUKE TEST (Malaquar, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 327): LIFE IMPACTS (Smitty, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 611): MEDAL OF HONOR A11 (The Anarchist, mgr.)
DM 60 ARADI (turn 596): THE ELITE (?, mgr.)
DM 61 JURINE (turn 578): MEDAL OF HONOR G10 (The Anarchist, mgr.)
DM 65 DAL SHANG (turn 572): TOLBIN'S GEMS (Tolbin, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 276): MIDDLE WAY 18 (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 74 DAYLA KIV (turn 533): TOLBINS LADIES (Tolbin, mgr.)
DM 75 JADE MOUNTAIN (turn 528): RUNEBLADES (Stillgard, mgr.)
DM 78 LIN TIRIAN (turn 519): MEDAL OF HONOR Z2 (The Anarchist, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 636): DIRT DEVILS et al (The Dark One, mgr.)
Recent Graduates
-----------------
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 750): AMMONIUS of DREAMERS (Sleepy, mgr.)
JOY OF LOSING of WHO DA MAN? (Var, mgr.)
(turn 749): ARIGNOTE of DREAMERS (Sleepy, mgr.)
NELLI POLITANA of SWEET MAGIC (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 15 MALCORN (turn 744): SILVAMERE of BLOODSWORN (Hollowshade, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 745): 56TH AND WABASHA of BLOOD ON THE TRACKS (Howlin' Wolf)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 737): LIMB BIZKIT of BODY OF MUSIC (Howlin' Wolf, mgr.)
DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 738): DOTTLE of VISIONS V2 (Tolbin, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 734): RAVAGE of THE TAKEN (Stillgard, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 639): MALICE of ASSASSINATION (Ghab, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 732): MR SCHICICLES of DEATH BY DESIGN (Bubba Ganoosh, mgr.)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 720): NO TURN of FOOT OF PRIDE (Howlin' Wolf, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 678): CYCLONE of FAMOUS HURLERS (Assurnasirbanipal, mgr.)
LOLITA MARIA of THE FAMILY (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 47 NORTH FORK (turn 341): WITCHCRAZE of DARQUE FORCES (Master Darque, mgr.)
CHICKEN A LA KING of ROYAL FLUSH (Crip, mgr.)
(turn 340): MANDORALLEN of PAWN OF PROPHECY (Gentleben, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 610): SERGEANT 1 of MEDAL OF HONOR A11 (The Anarchist)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 275): WONTON NOT NOW of PALINDROMES (Assurnasirbanipal, mgr.)
DM 74 DAYLA KIV (turn 532): HOGSHEAD of COUNTRY PIE (Howlin' Wolf, mgr.)
DM 75 JADE MOUNTAIN (turn 526): IRON HANDED of CRITICALS (Howlin' Wolf, mgr.)
DM 78 LIN TIRIAN (turn 519): SERGEANT 4 of MEDAL OF HONOR Z2 (The Anarchist, mgr)
DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
Notes from the arena champ.
Another five-oh for us, which we all put down to the experience difference.
Defeating the standby M. Chardinee for the title is... acceptable, I suppose, since
there don't seem to be any better candidates. And it's better than taking the title
on points after a loss!
Del Curve
SPY REPORT
Well, what are you looking at, NOBLISH ISLAND? Ain't you never seen Snide
Clemens before? Ah, shaddup and listen to my news. Of course, we're all terribly
impressed to see KNEEDLINYA win a fight and gain 18 points, terribly. Tsk, tsk, THE
NATURAL beat XABOO and XABOO lost 10 points. You're breakin' my heart. Our
Duelmaster has lost, folks, lost to M. CHARDINEE, BUT DEL CURVE is still the
Duelmaster because he 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. THIRD
HIGHWAY, I suppose you'll be glad to know you were this turn's most avoided team.
Care to know who is the most afraid of you? And it looks like SPORTS FLICKS avoided
them the most this turn. What a pack of would be losers, if you ask me. Hmph. Ooh,
I'm frightfully impressed, SHADY LANE was this turn's most challenged warrior. Watch
that ego swell, sports fans.
Ah, now we come to my favorite part, where we see all the guys who are dead and
gone, and get to see if their team cared. A big yahoo goes out to BRYSON MOSSBERG
this turn, for revenging SCORPIONS' bloodfeud against SPORTS FLICKS' warrior TIN CUP.
Heh, heh, heh. It's about time ROCKY got beat for picking on warriors like SIR CODY
STORM. Bravo, SCORPIONS. See you at The Warty Toad. Titanium shields and bamboo
daggers, guess what brave team is developing these kinds of weapons?
I was about to buy a new quill pen the other day, but some fighter took it for
an epee. Forgive me for writing with a dagger. Just wait 'till next time I show up
here, I won't be so nice! So nyaaah! Paste this one in your scrapbooks, you'll need
the kindling come this winter-- Snide Clemens
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
DEL CURVE 9535 6 3 0 52 THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
GERONIMO FORD 9536 6 3 0 37 THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
SHADY LANE 9537 5 4 1 34 THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
KNEEDLINYA 9567 3 1 0 32 BEYOND THE WALL (1647)
ALLEN BRIDGER 9538 6 3 0 24 THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-OLA SHAITAN 9570 2 0 0 21 ALLADIN'S ELITE (1648)
DEAN END 9539 5 4 0 19 THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
TOYTLES 9563 2 2 0 19 BEYOND THE WALL (1647)
LONGTERM CONTRACTS 9580 2 0 0 18 BB BASEBALL MONEY (1650)
GUARANTEED 9581 2 0 0 17 BB BASEBALL MONEY (1650)
HOOSIERS 9585 2 0 0 17 SPORTS FLICKS (1651)
SIR CODY STORM 9559 1 2 0 17 SCORPIONS (1646)
GORGORE 9599 1 1 0 17 BEYOND THE WALL (1647)
TAMINA BLAZE 9596 2 0 0 16 SCORPIONS (1646)
BRYSON MOSSBERG 9555 1 2 0 16 SCORPIONS (1646)
XUNA 9548 4 2 1 15 X-MEN! (1644)
LEFTY & PULSE 9582 2 0 0 14 BB BASEBALL MONEY (1650)
XOOMA 9547 3 3 0 12 X-MEN! (1644)
THEODORE PRESCOTT 9573 2 1 1 12 ANVENGEN'S EDGE (1649)
CUTTING EDGE 9584 1 1 0 12 SPORTS FLICKS (1651)
TV CONTRACTS 9583 1 1 0 11 BB BASEBALL MONEY (1650)
JOHN CUTLY 9590 1 0 0 11 NEO POLITY (1652)
XEPHYR 9603 1 0 0 11 X-MEN! (1644)
THE NATURAL 9587 1 1 0 11 SPORTS FLICKS (1651)
BRIX 9566 2 2 0 8 BEYOND THE WALL (1647)
ANVENGEN KALE 9577 1 2 0 7 ANVENGEN'S EDGE (1649)
-SULI JANN 9569 1 1 0 6 ALLADIN'S ELITE (1648)
TIN CUP 9588 1 1 1 5 SPORTS FLICKS (1651)
ROCKY 9586 1 1 1 5 SPORTS FLICKS (1651)
OUT OF CONTROL 9579 1 1 0 4 BB BASEBALL MONEY (1650)
XABOO 9597 1 1 0 4 X-MEN! (1644)
PING 9564 0 4 0 4 BEYOND THE WALL (1647)
-SYL DJINN 9571 0 2 0 2 ALLADIN'S ELITE (1648)
EMILE RUHAN 9593 0 1 0 1 NEO POLITY (1652)
SYMPHONICA 9592 0 1 0 1 NEO POLITY (1652)
FRANKY 9601 0 1 0 1 SCORPIONS (1646)
-URMA MARID 9598 0 1 0 1 ALLADIN'S ELITE (1648)
DYSOFONIA 9591 0 1 0 1 NEO POLITY (1652)
MELINA SAI 9600 0 1 0 1 SCORPIONS (1646)
TIBERIUS DIRK 9575 0 1 0 1 ANVENGEN'S EDGE (1649)
JIMMY DENS 9589 0 1 0 1 NEO POLITY (1652)
XIVECK 9602 0 1 0 1 X-MEN! (1644)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
URSALA MARID 9568 0 1 0 ALLADIN'S ELITE 1648 XUNA 9548 401
DINGUS NIVEN 9576 1 2 0 ANVENGEN'S EDGE 1649 BANDIT PRINCE 403 NONE
NIVET THE STUPID 9574 0 1 0 ANVENGEN'S EDGE 1649 SPYMASTER 403 NONE
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
PONG 9565 1 1 0 BEYOND THE WALL 1647 SHADY LANE 9537 401
MS. SMOKE 9594 0 1 0 SCORPIONS 1646 TIN CUP 9588 402 JUST REVENGED
SPIRAL FLAME 9595 0 1 0 SCORPIONS 1646 ROCKY 9586 402 JUST REVENGED
XERXES 9545 2 2 0 X-MEN! 1644 THEODORE PRESCOT 9573 401
PERSONAL ADS
Look at that Jorja, like the New York Yankees, at 12-3-1 in three turns! And Assur
blasting off to a 4-1 with all that baseball money? Kudos! -- Producer (the jealous)
Avengen Edge, Alladin's Elite, Beyond The Wall, Scorpions, X-Men... just wanted to
tell you how pleased I am to see you all here. Keep up the good work. Train and
LEARN. Ask questions! ASK, ASK, ASK. Three of us are here to teach and coach, while
we compete with you. Ask Assur. Ask Jorja. Ask Producer. And thanks for being
here. -- Producer, Consortium Affiliated.
P.S. Nice introductory spotlight, Avengen Kale.
Scorpions -- I deeply apologize. My Sports Flicks are not meant to kill. They just
want to win. May Spiral Flame (killed by Rocky) and Ms. Smoke (killed by Tin Cup)
fight well in That Great Arena In The Sky. What happened was unusual and a great
surprise. I hope your new recruits are of pleasingly high quality. -- Producer,
Sports Flicks
Longterm Contract -- Well, your antics will surely keep ME from getting one, you dog.
-- The Natural
Out Of Control -- Dang right! Assur is out of control when he starts 4-1 and handles
The Consortium 2-0. Dang Yankees! And poor ole me. -- Cutting Edge
Avengen Kale -- Sometimes the victory goes to he who plods and waits. Ask the
tortoise. -- Hoosiers
All -- My all-time favorite sports movie is Hoosiers. I grew up in that area and
played high school basketball in some of those same towns and cities depicted in the
film. My home gym--Cannelton Bulldogs--was a crackerbox just like those. The movie
was a very, very real depiction of those times and places. -- Producer
Keyoke's question *** Should I be wasting any more time on a 11-9-15-9-13-21-7
warrior? *** My belief is that at this stage of your DM career, you should be
learning to run ANYTHING you can get. Learn to make anything work. Years ago, when
I was at your stage, I would have loved to work with that warrior! I still run them
in stables all across D2. He is a fast and decisive warrior, presuming he is an
offensive style. Use his strengths well. He will not be one of your long-term ADM
beauts, but he can win a lot. -- The Producer
All -- By the way, as to Keyoke's question, there are many more things to know about
a warrior other than just his stats. Was he hosed or blessed in skills anywhere.
(What did his rollup profile say?) Was his damage good? or blessed to great or hosed
to normal. What was his endurance--poor or possibly good? There are ways to know
much, much more about your warrior. If you are internet limited, ask RSI for the CIC
packet which is provided here in Noblish for newbies. It will help. Otherwise, look
deeply at all the info on Terrablood.com. -- Producer
Ponce De Leon -- And while I edged out the head to head record, you also had a kill
on me. -- Assur
Keyoke -- Luck plays a roll in many fights, you'll find. Who you match up with is
the first part of that luck! And welcome! -- Assur
Anvengen Kale -- Welcome! -- Assurnasirbanipal
Theodore Prescott -- Very well fought! It is fights such as those which keep fans
coming to see the fights, which makes advertisers willing to pay to support the
fights, which in turn makes the broadcast companies willing to give the big huge-- TV
Contracts
Urma Marid -- Most strikers tend to wear light armor and come out swinging fast (i.e.
run high numbers for both offensive effort and activity level). Not to say other
strategies can't work, but that is the most typical strategy for strikers, slashers,
and bashers. Certainly you don't want to let a Wall of Steel that is not trying to
attack first attack first. -- Lefty & Pulse
P.S. Of course sometimes strange things happen even if you do everything I said.
Gorgore -- Similarly most bashers also try to come out in light or no armor and come
out fast. -- Guaranteed
The difference between ALE/L and No Armor? ALE/L will slow you down a very little
bit, but do a MUCH better job of keeping you alive should you lose. As you increase
armor, the biggest differences you'll see are increased endurance requirements and
decreased dodging ability. Speed is not affected as much as you might think by
wearing heavy armor. -- Assur
P.S. Exception is if you come out with TOO MUCH weight in weapons and armor. In
this case, fighting ability is in general affected in a vastly negative way, though
one skill that isn't impacted as much as it might be is parry ability (so wearing too
much armor when trying to parry is not as bad as wearing too much armor trying to do
something else).
The Natural -- I know... Your head was in a bad place. But with your injuries,
there is no way you'll ever get one of those-- Longterm Contracts
Keyoke -- Regarding the 11-9-15-9-13-21-7 guy, the only answer can be, "It depends."
The first thing to ask is: "Is this warrior providing me enjoyment now or will he in
the future?" If the answer to this is yes, then there is no such thing as a waste of
time. My absolute favorite warrior right now is 17-18(1)-17-3-8-12-11 WOS. He is
14-45 on the sands, but is more fun than anyone else I'm currently running. So if he
is fun, KEEP RUNNING HIM. Most people, however, want to win and more than a small
amount of their fun comes from winning. Physically, I expect him to have normal
endurance (no message), normal hit points, cannot carry a lot, and good damage.
Those physicals aren't going to win any awards, but they are acceptable for most
warriors.
If he rolled lucky, he could do great or tremendous damage. If he rolled
unlucky, he could have poor or very little endurance. The problem comes when you
start talking about skills. He's fast!!! That is a plus. Hopefully he has a style
that likes being fast (Striker, Slasher, Basher the most traditional, Aimed Blows,
Parry Strikers, and Lungers also can fight well being 'fast'). His attack, however,
is miserable. I'd have recommended one of the higher attack styles to go with the
high speed (Lunger, Basher, or Slasher). If he carries one of those three style, the
attack is still very low. The latter two styles learn attack fast, so they might be
able to overcome it. If the lunger learns attack fast, he could also overcome it.
If it is another style, than one of those three, it is a non-standard warrior. Most
of the time, those have troubles. Occasionally you'll find something that can work.
It looks on the surface like a poor warrior, but that doesn't mean it can't win or be
fun. -- Assur
Producer -- Thanks for letting us know what 'Cut' means during production. I didn't
know that it meant to cut off their heads, but now that I do, I'll not be pursuing a
career in film. Way to kill the new players' warriors! -- Assur
Noblish Island -- I bring forth to you three excellent warriors: Tamina Blaze,
Spiral Flame (he's a little fruity -- lol), and the most elusive Ms. Smoke. I have
no regard for the weak, so the other three had to go, plus I don't like orcs. --
Scorpio (well, scratch that--I mean ONE excellent warrior)
Princess Kayla -- Are you a real princess? Then perhaps I should come save you then?
Looking forward to it! -- Sir Cody Storm
Does Noblish Island HAVE any beautiful ladies to fight during the day on the sand,
and lay with during the night on furs in my tent? Let me know. -- Bryson Mossberg
Sports Flicks -- Well, well, well, you must like the color of red, because the
bloodfeud has now been declared! -- Scorpio
Kneedlinya -- Ouch, baby! I like pain, but not THAT much. -- Bryson Mossberg
We salute the tourney participants. Don't sweat your performance, think of it as
"just getting a feel for a tourney." -- Jorja
Scorpio -- "Ties in the land"? Other than having been here for about fifteen years,
you mean? But sure, I'll drop by. Um, if your tent is on a well-drained site. It
rains A LOT here. -- Jorja
Keyoke and Beyond the Wall -- Of course. We never avoid a bloodfeud, even though we
don't practice them ourselves. -- Jorja and Shady Lane
Keyoke -- Re the rollup posted last time: I'd run it, but I run everything. Of
course, with a point total of 85, you will have to change something. And if you've
got the stats total that high, you've already added your extra points. What is/was
the original? You might could have made a more usable warrior with a different
distribution. -- Jorja
Toytles -- Bad style match for you, and you had some serious problems in armor (need
more!) and weapons (need less, perhaps?). You should not have lost that fast. --
Shady Lane
Ping -- I hate it when that stuff happens. I was not aiming for your head, and I
wasn't trying to kill you, despite what that drama queen of a steward said. If I had
to guess what might help (and that's a tricky, finicky style you've got), I *might*
suggest that you lower your fight numbers (offensive effort and attack level) so as
not to burn out so quickly. -- Allen Bridger
Syl Djinn -- Close, but not quite good enough. You might have been running too hard
and burned yourself out. Or try running fast the first minute, then slowing down for
a while, then picking the pace back up. Sometimes it's hard to tell what advice
might be best. -- Dead End
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
DINGUS NIVEN was butchered by BANDIT PRINCE in a 2 minute bloody Dark Arena fight.
NIVET THE STUPID was slaughtered by SPYMASTER in a 1 minute Dark Arena battle.
SIR CODY STORM handily defeated ROCKY in a 1 minute one-sided Bloodfeud match.
BRYSON MOSSBERG vanquished TIN CUP in a 1 minute mismatched Bloodfeud brawl.
BRIX was overpowered by SHADY LANE in a 1 minute one-sided Bloodfeud fight.
PING was bested by TAMINA BLAZE in a 2 minute beginner's Challenge brawl.
GORGORE overpowered XOOMA in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge struggle.
KNEEDLINYA devastated XUNA in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge competition.
THE NATURAL outwaited XABOO in a crowd boring 11 minute beginner's Challenge melee.
DEL CURVE was vanquished by M. CHARDINEE in a 4 minute gruesome uneven Title fight.
GERONIMO FORD overpowered OSKSI NOBLE in a 1 minute one-sided fight.
DEAN END was outwaited by HOOSIERS in a slow 9 minute brutal bout.
ALLEN BRIDGER savagely defeated THEODORE PRESCOTT in a 2 minute bloody competition.
TOYTLES devastated OUT OF CONTROL in a 2 minute one-sided battle.
ANVENGEN KALE viciously subdued EMILE RUHAN in a 4 minute bloody amateur's bout.
LONGTERM CONTRACTS overpowered JIMMY DENS in a 1 minute one-sided duel.
GUARANTEED devastated XIVECK in a 1 minute uneven duel.
LEFTY & PULSE savagely defeated SYMPHONICA in a 2 minute bloody amateur's brawl.
TV CONTRACTS overpowered DYSOFONIA in a 2 minute one-sided bout.
CUTTING EDGE overpowered TIBERIUS DIRK in a 1 minute gory one-sided bout.
JOHN CUTLY handily defeated FRANKY in a 2 minute gory mismatched competition.
MELINA SAI was overpowered by XEPHYR in a 1 minute one-sided duel.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|WALL OF STEEL 8 SLASHING ATTACK 17 - 8 - 1 68 |
|BASHING ATTACK 6 TOTAL PARRY 17 - 10 - 0 63 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 5 LUNGING ATTACK 16 - 10 - 0 62 |
|AIMED BLOW 5 WALL OF STEEL 41 - 27 - 2 60 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 4 AIMED BLOW 14 - 14 - 1 50 |
|TOTAL PARRY 4 STRIKING ATTACK 12 - 12 - 2 50 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 3 PARRY-RIPOSTE 9 - 12 - 1 43 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 3 BASHING ATTACK 11 - 18 - 1 38 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 2 PARRY-STRIKE 1 - 14 - 0 7 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 0 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 0 - 0 0 |
Turn 403 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:
SLASHING ATTACK 4 - 0 BASHING ATTACK 2 - 4 2 WALL OF STEEL
STRIKING ATTACK 4 - 1 AIMED BLOW 1 - 4 2 LUNGING ATTACK
LUNGING ATTACK 2 - 1 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 0 2 SLASHING ATTACK
TOTAL PARRY 2 - 2 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 2 2 TOTAL PARRY
WALL OF STEEL 4 - 4 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 3 1 STRIKING ATTACK
1 AIMED BLOW
1 BASHING ATTACK
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
WALL OF STEEL DEL CURVE 9535 6 3 0 52 THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
LUNGING ATTACK GERONIMO FORD 9536 6 3 0 37 THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
STRIKING ATTACK SHADY LANE 9537 5 4 1 34 THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is SHADY LANE 9537. The most popular warrior this turn
was ANVENGEN KALE 9577. The ten other most popular fighters were OUT OF CONTROL
9579, LEFTY & PULSE 9582, KNEEDLINYA 9567, ALLEN BRIDGER 9538, EMILE RUHAN 9593,
CUTTING EDGE 9584, JOHN CUTLY 9590, XEPHYR 9603, SIR CODY STORM 9559, and SHADY LANE
9537.
The least popular fighter this week was THE NATURAL 9587. The other ten least
popular fighters were HOOSIERS 9585, DEAN END 9539, XABOO 9597, MELINA SAI 9600,
FRANKY 9601, TIBERIUS DIRK 9575, DYSOFONIA 9591, XIVECK 9602, JIMMY DENS 9589, and
THEODORE PRESCOTT 9573.
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)
BLOODGAMES at the SUMMER FACE-TO-FACE
Back by popular demand, we will be having Bloodgames at the Summer FTF! For those of
you who always wanted the chance to manage the last warrior standing alive upon the
arena sands, your day has come. At the end of the ten turns, even though several
warriors, bruised and scarred, MAY yet live, only one will be crowned Champion of the
Bloodgames. And in this game mere survival counts for little. A great general once
said, "The object of battle is not to die for your cause, but to make your enemy die
for his." This general would have greatly enjoyed the Duelmasters Bloodgames. There
will be two different arenas:
FTF-Style (DM 98): for Face-to-Face attendees, with turn-by-turn strategies
Mail-in-Style (DM 99): for all managers, with one strategy for all ten rounds
Gameplay proceeds according to standard DM rules, except for a few notable exceptions:
BLOODGAMES ROLLUP -- Your Bloodgames team is ten warriors, one of each fighting
style, each warrior designed from scratch! (All are 84 points, 3-21, as usual.)
DEATH -- As the name implies, the Bloodgames will leave the arena sands somewhat
darker before they're over. It's a dangerous sport intended only for the tough and
spirited. The Arenamaster will be less likely to intercede on behalf of a dying
warrior. Even at a 1 kill desire, kill attempts will occur.
REPLACEMENTS AND ROLLUPS -- There will be no replacement characters.
CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES -- In the FTF-style bloodgames, there are no regular
challenges, only bloodfeuds. For the Mail-in arena, warriors may not change their
strategy from round to round (to make it fair for those who could not attend the
FTF). There will be no DA challenges in either arena.
TURN PROCESSING AND DUE DATES -- If you are not attending the FTF, we must have your
rollups and strategies by the Wednesday before the FTF, else they are due by 9pm on
Friday, at the hotel. The Bloodgames will process at the FTF with the regular
tournament.
MISSED TURNS -- All warriors fight each round. Only the dead may rest.
ERRORS -- If we make an input error, that warrior will be awarded a win and kill.
Errors must be reported before the next turn processes.
NEWSLETTER -- Warriors are ranked according to their number of kills. Champions of
Bloodgames may write a column for the newsletter at the end of the games.
FEES -- A Bloodgames rollup costs a $10 set-up fee. Managers may roll up more than
one team but may run only one team in each arena. The fee for all ten rounds is $49.
AWARDS -- The Bloodgames last ten rounds. Only warriors who survive to the end of
Turn 10 will be eligible for an award. However, a consolation award of a Bloodgames
T-shirt will be awarded to the dead warrior with the most kills.
The living warrior with the greatest number of kills will be the Bloodgames Champion.
Bloodgames Victor titles, 2nd and 3rd place, and Bloodgames Runner-up titles, 4th
through 6th place, will be awarded to those living warriors with the greatest number
of kills at the end of Turn 10, with one other important consideration: Each of these
six warriors must be of a different fighting style. Win/loss records and, if
necessary, recognition points will only be used to determine awards if there is a tie.
A Bloodgames T-shirts will be awarded to the manager of the team with the most kills.
The Bloodgames Champion fights for free in Advanced Duelmasters, and all Champions and
Victors earn Tournament Victor status, which allows them to challenge once per turn
with increased priority. These awards last for six months. The manager of the
Bloodgames Champion, Victors, and Runners-up will receive Bloodgames T-shirts.
AFTERMATH -- Warriors from the Bloodgames may not transfer to any other arena. Once
the games are over, the arena and teams will be disbanded. The fighters have won
their freedom and will never more be seen in the gladiatorial games. A special bonus
will, however, be awarded to the 1st through 3rd place warriors. Lady Sheila
Greywand, of the Isle of the Eye, has consented to allow the top three gladiators in
each Bloodgames admission to the Advanced Duelmasters games. Any special training
required to qualify those three warriors for Advanced Duelmasters combat will be
conducted before transfer into ADM. Astute managers will note that this means that
three warriors that are designed from scratch will survive the Bloodgames, win one of
the top three places, and go on to immortal glory! One of those warriors could be
yours!
The challenge is yours to take. The final plans are yours to make.
When the dust settles, remember: To the victor goes the spoils!