DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER
Date : 09/06/2014 Duedate: 09/19/2014
NOBLISH ISLAND ARENA
DM-93 TURN-411
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
HOOSIERS
SPORTS FLICKS (1651)
(93-9585) [9-1-0,80]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
HOOSIERS AGEHA
SPORTS FLICKS (1651) THE SHADOW GUILD (1654)
(93-9585) [9-1-0,80] (93-9613) [5-0-0,42]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
ANVENGEN KALE THE RED VIPER
ANVENGEN'S EDGE (1649) DARK LOTUS (1659)
(93-9577) [4-6-0,28] (93-9659) [0-1-0,1]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
BB BASEBALL MONEY (1650)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. BB BASEBALL MONEY (1650) 38
2. THE SHADOW GUILD (1654) 29 BB BASEBALL MONEY (1650)
3. DARK LOTUS (1659) 27 Unchartered Team
4. PHOENIX GUARD (1655) 19
5. SPORTS FLICKS (1651) 15 DARK LOTUS (1659)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1/ 2 BB BASEBALL MONEY (1650) 37 13 0 74.0 1/ 2 BB BASEBALL MONEY (1650) 11 4 0
2/ 1 SPORTS FLICKS (1651) 36 14 4 72.0 2/ 1 SPORTS FLICKS (1651) 10 5 1
3/ 0*DARK LOTUS (1659) 3 2 0 60.0 3/ 4*PHOENIX GUARD (1655) 10 5 0
4/ 3*THIRD HIGHWAY (1642) 45 35 3 56.3 4/ 5*THE SHADOW GUILD (1654) 7 4 0
5/ 4*THE SHADOW GUILD (1654) 11 9 0 55.0 5/ 3*THIRD HIGHWAY (1642) 7 8 1
6/ 5*PHOENIX GUARD (1655) 11 13 0 45.8 6/ 7*TOXIC STORM (1658) 4 6 1
7/ 6*TOXIC STORM (1658) 4 6 1 40.0 7/ 6 ANVENGEN'S EDGE (1649) 4 11 0
8/ 7 ANVENGEN'S EDGE (1649) 17 29 1 37.0 8/ 0*DARK LOTUS (1659) 3 2 0
9/ 8*CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657) 3 10 0 23.1 9/ 8*CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657) 3 10 0
'*' Unchartered team '-' Team did not fight this turn
(###) Avoid teams by their Team Id ##/## This turn's/Last turn's rank
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
"Jorja of Third Highway: You claim that you try not to kill, yet you have
killed two of my promised men! You have crossed the line and killed my warriors.
You have inacted yet another bloodfeud. Let it be known that I won't stand for this!
Death stalks you and your warriors. The Shadows have teeth, remember that. The
bloodfeud has been set. Blood for blood, death for death. But I shall not stop with
John Asazi; the rest of your warriors are also going to go to Ahringol as his shoe
lickers! Blood shall rain from the heavens when I'm done with you! DEATH IS COMING,
DON'T HIDE FROM ME!! Quit trying to hold me back! I'm coming for you! Aaaaaa!"
Lord Abyss screams his rage as he is dragged back to his tent by his warriors.
The warriors look into their manager's eyes and bolt out of the tent. What they saw
in Abyss' eyes was nothing but Death!
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Inside "The Edge's" Pavillion
"Hurry up and get all this packed!"
Anvengen was having one of those days where no matter the effort she put forth
into her endeavor, it dragged into everyone sitting around and idle chatter.
Looking around the large tent, it appeared almost bare. Brutus was packing his
favorite warhammer into a large trunk that he *insisted* he absolutely needed.
Drosgar sat back, lounging on a pile of clothes he had dumped from his bag so he
could "repack it to fit." He and Theodore had engaged in a deep conversation about
Lady Sheila Greywand.
"That means now! I swear you'll both fight the monstrocities of the Dark Arena
if I have to tell you again!" Anvengen yelled, interrupting Drosgar in the middle of
espressing with his hands in front of his chest as if they were holding two large
tomatoes.
"Yes Ma'am!" Drosgar quipped, snapping to attention with a smirk on his face.
The boys slowly went back to packing, chuckling quietly over the slight on Anvengen.
She shook her head and resumed packing. She understood. None of the team
really wanted to leave. The endless rain had become a comfort to Anvengen, putting
her at ease during nightfall.
To the front of the pavillion Cadimus had finished packing his things quickly
and had moved on to packing the team's gear into a large trunk.
"You don't seem particularly distracted as the rest of the Edge, Cade. If I
didn't know any better, I'd say you were nervous and are keeping yourself busy to
hide it," Anvengen mused.
"Lady Kale, have you ever visited the Delarquan Federation?" inquired Cadamus.
"Certainly. I manage a team in Rodeki."
"Oh, ho! Rodeki, huh? Well, ma'am, I am from the city of Kaltos. My family
moved there generations ago from the Karnhorn empire. Not because we harbor any
political feelings, but because the martial arts schools there were top notch." He
paused, a look of grim stoicness crawled over his face. "Lady Kale, you're going to
take us to the most feared arena in the Delarquan Federation. Sunset is a place
where the best of the best compete and they don't share your value of life. To kill
in the Federation is to gain glory."
Anvengen smiled, putting down her bag of clothing. A rogue hair had fallen down
in her face. Brushing it aside, her green eyes locked on his. "If we are to make it
to the Isle, we need to train. Only the warforged will be in that next battle vs.
the Chaos, so I intend to forge us for war in the Crucible of Combat. If that means
our deaths, so be it."
Cadamus nodded, letting a smile creep over his lips as well. "Good. I am glad
to be on your team, Ma'am."
Anvengen picked up her bags and placed them neatly by the exit. Looking out the
door, she gazed upon the island. Rain was falling, but it wasn't dark. The sun
shone through the clouds behind "The Lighthouse" and backlit the rain, causing the
droplets to shine with golden radiance.
"The gods are feasting," Anvengen thought. "Somebody has spilled their nectar."
A tear rolled down her cheek as she turned back to her temporary home. Theodore
was finished packing but Drosgar and Brutus were bickering again.
"Everyone listen up!" she said evenly. "We've overstayed our welcome upon this
island. They would shunt us onward. Old Assur said we should go cause some hell in
Delarquan. But! Before we do, let's show this arena we won't go quietly!"
Throughout the encampment the war cry of five warriors could be heard over the
endless patter of rain.
********************
I'ts been fun, guys. Hope to see y'all again in another arena.
-- The Edge, Sunset -- DM 21
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CONSORTIUM SECRETS
Or
Consortium Information Collection Unveiled
Once upon a time there was a long-time manager who decided to collect a lot of
valuable information, in irregular small print form, on only three pages of 8.5x11.
That manager, or group of managers, use said data information when:
1. The internet is down and the Terrablood/RSI sites are unavailable
2. Traveling around the world and "working D2 strategies" in unusual places
3. Quick information is needed
4. They feel like it
The information is not necessarily the prettiest, but it can be quite invaluable to
D2ers especially D2ers with internet accessibility. Copies of that information are
now available for Noblish Island managers. Contact the RSI office to request it by
mail or, perhaps, Jorja, the Noblish Island coordinator, or The Noblish Island
Consortium representative, Ponce de Leon, can help you out.
Most of the information on the data sheets is self-explanatory. Some will
require explanation. Most has been gathered from various sources over time in the old
DM community. Much of it has been gathered empirically. (Meaning that the information
is not programming code, or from the designers, but rather gathered by users and
players of the game.) The information may not always be "perfect", but it is widely
used in this or similar fashion.
I will explain the information by placing it into two categories -
straightforward, and intricate. First let's cover what is in the first category.
The following charts/info fit the straightforward category. Some include simple
calculations.
1. WEAPON SUITABILITY - shows which weapons are suited, marginal, or unsuited to a
style.
2. WEAPON REQUIREMENTS - indicates the ST, SZ, WT, DF limitations for a weapon. It
also covers the weapon weight, the armor it is best used against, and whether it is a
slash, bash, lunge weapon.
3. INTELLIGENCE - defines the WT needed for each rating.
4. DAMAGE - reveals the approximate damage rating one should expect for all ST/SZ
combinations. Note: a luck roll factor can both hose and bless damage rating.
5. ENCUMBRANCE - a table which shows what level of "carry" (encumbrance rating) one
should expect at all SZ/CN combinations.
6. HEIGHT - a simple conversion between the SZ number and ft/in.
7. COORDINATION - which is defined as SP + DF; the chart provides a summary of each
coordination rating and the "points" range for each
8. ENDURANCE - most still use this calculation, although a "luck roll factor" can
alter the results slightly. The endurance rating which is WL x (ST+CN) is defined for
each rating.
9. HIT POINTS - sometimes called "damage taking" is broken down in this chart. The HP
is defined as 3.75CN + 1.1SZ + 0.4 WL. The rating levels are defined by "points".
And now for the more difficult to explain charts which interact with each other.
The three intricate charts are:
1. BAGMAN2 SKILL CHART - this chart explains how many and what skills are added to
the warrior base for each stat point. (All stats add skills at certain levels except
CN.)
2. STYLE SKILL MODIFIER - indicates the modification, by style, of skills per type.
This occurs "at birth" of the warrior.
3. HIGH WIT STATEMENTS - a chart of phrases which indicate, at birth, the skill
level, by skill type, of your warrior. Note: there is a Low Wit Statement chart for
warriors with less that 8 WT, but it is very inaccurate (minimal empirical data) and
seldom used. It is not included in this collection of charts.
These three charts work together to help a warrior determine his anticipated starting
skills. They also define at which skill levels, per stat, that skills are added
during the warrior's development. Note: Depending on the warrior's style, it is
possible to be blessed or hosed by up to 4 skills by the "luck of the roll". The
other thing to remember is that an ambidextrous warrior gets one attack skill added
to his base at birth.
These intricate three charts, and the interaction between them, can seem quite
complicated. After a certain amount of trial-and-error, and/or by absorbing enough
advice, a manager finally "gets it". Use them well.
DETAILS OF USING THE CIC
What can you do with the Consortium Information Collection (CIC)? How does one use
all that info? (Noblish Island managers can contact RSI for a copy.)
You can use the information to:
1. Predict what your designed warrior is going to look like. (Indeed, you can use the
info to "try out" several design ideas, before you choose your final design.
2. Review the overview of the warrior you received to see if he/she is bonused/hosed.
3. Help keep track of the warrior's skills, including those earned from certain stat
raises.
4. Determine advantageous and usable weapons and armor for certain situations.
One note: Use of this information can be meticulous, detailed and exasperating at
first. It will take practice. So let's examine the CIC in detail.
1. ***DAMAGE CHART*** This chart shows you the range of expected damage doing your
character will yield. For example, a SZ16, 10ST warrior yields "-R+", meaning great
damage is typical, but lower and higher are not uncommon. Damage doing is dependent
on SZ, ST, and luck of the roll. If a warrior is much below, or much above, the chart
predictions, he is "hosed" or "blessed". This chart is more of generic reference than
most of the other information.
2. *** HIT POINTS*** HP is calculated as (3.75xCN)+(1.1xSZ)+(0.4xWL) . This chart
shows the HP needed for each rating. For example, an 11-10-8-15-17-12-11 warrior
would have(3.75x10)+(1.1X8)+(0.4x17)=53.10HP and his "hit point rating" would be
"cannot lot", meaning cannot take a lot of damage. One raise of CN elevates him to
56.85 and "normal HP".
3. ***ENDURANCE*** By this chart's definition, endurance equals (WL)x(ST+CN) Using
the warrior mentioned above, endurance is (17)x(11+10) = 357. Based on the chart,
this warrior should have "normal endurance. It is possible to be hosed/blessed in
endurance, which would be the case if this warrior did not have normal. Note: On a
warrior profile sheet, the lack of any comment about endurance, means the warrior has
normal.
4. ***COORDINATION*** Coordination is merely SP + CN. There is no hosing or
blessing. The warrior listed above has 12+11 = 23 or normal coordination.
5. ***ENCUMBRANCE*** is often called "carry". Carry is a non-hosed/blessed attribute
dependent on ST and CN and it indicates how much weight a warrior can carry without
penalizing the endurance. Checking the chart for the above listed warrior shows
11ST/10CN yields "B" carry, or "cannot carry a lot of weight". Each level of carry
adds 9 points of weight that can be carried. A = 9; B = 18; C = 27, etc. Items to be
carried are armor, helm, and weapon/shields. Check the WEAPON REQUIREMENT chart to
see the weights of weapons and armor. As an example, a warrior wearing ASM/H, and
carrying BS/ME and a backup SH, has the following weights of 8 + 3 + 4 + 4 + 2 = 19.
That amount of carry is more than the 18 indicated for "B carry", hence, the warrior
out much quicker than normal.
6. ***HEIGHT*** this is a simple conversion chart showing what heights equate to what
SZ. While the warrior fight summary may list the warrior in ft-in, the D2 program
really runs using the SZ number. Size may limit weapons or shields that may be used
without penalty, and as seen above, it impacts certain other characteristics.
7. ***INTELLIGENCE*** This chart indicates the intelligence statement you will
receive at each numeric WT. In general, only the numeric value is of importance.
8. ***STYLE SUITABILITY*** This is a chart which summarizes which weapons/shields are
suitable, marginal, or unsuitable for which styles.
9. ***WEAPON REQUIREMENTS*** This chart only refers to primary-hand weapons, and it
is a terrific summary of weapon requirement and impact. This chart reveals all of the
following and more:
a. weapon weights
b. ST requirements for a weapon
c. SZ limitations for a weapon
d. WT requirements for all weapons
e. DF requirements for a weapon
f. Weapon impact vs. armor type
g. Kill "ratings" for weapons (Take this rating with a "grain of salt" as it is not
really supported by empirical results, and it appears to say heavy weapons kill
better.)
h. Whether the weapon is a slash, bash, or lunge type weapon.
10. ***BAGMAN 2 SKILL CHART AND STYLE MODIFIERS*** This chart is a doozy! It took
years of data and development, and has become a highly important tool in D2. The
SKILL CHART explains what skills are earned at each stat level. For example: at 5 WL
the warrior gets 1 each Attack, Parry, Defense, and Decisiveness skill; at 6 WL, no
more skills are earned; but bumping the 7WL again adds one each of those same four.
Note also that SZ does impact skills. A SZ3 warrior gets two each defense and parry
skills and loses two initiative, while a SZ21 earns 4 initiative but loses four each
defense and parry. This chart is prepared in an accumulative fashion, showing the
total skills at each stat.
Coupled with that chart the STYLE MODIFIER chart shows the "at birth" style of
modifications. (All negative or zero. Each style starts with a different base of
skills. Let's take our previously mentioned 11-10-8-15-17- 12-11 warrior for example,
and let's say he is a slasher The skill chart shows 2 each attack and parry skills
at 11 ST; no skills for CN and no skills for SZ; at 15WT 9 initiative, 3 riposte, 7
attack, 7 defense, and 2 decisiveness; 4 each attack, parry and defense plus 5 decise
at 17WL; 3 init, 4 riposte, 2 defense, and 5 decise at 12SP; and at 11DF there are 3
Init, 4 Riposte, and 5 each attack, parry and defense skills. Add those all together
to get a 15Init-11Rip-18Att-11Par -18Def-12Dec total of skills for that design. Now
you must apply the style modifier chart, and a slasher has as follows: -2 Init, -
4Rip, -8Att, -10Par, -12Def, -2Dec. Putting them both together yields a slasher who
should expect starting skills of 13 Init, 7 Rip, 10 Att, 1 Par, 6 Def, and 11 Dec.
11. ***HIGH WIT STATEMENTS*** These statements apply to those warriors with 8+ WT.
(There are also Low Wit Statements, but that information summary is inaccurate due to
lack of input data.) This list indicates what "statements" should appear on your
"warrior profile" for each of Initiative, Riposte, Attack, Parry, and Defense per
each level of wit. Using our warrior above, as stated, he is expected to start with
13 Initiative skills. He has 15 WT. Examining the chart, under Initiative and across
from 15 WT (which also applies for 16WT, since the next listed level is 17), the left
side (high order) is for 13+base init skills, and the right side (low order 10-12
base init). We determined that he should start with 13, so we should expect the
statement "Nothing short of genius ...". If we do get this statement as expected, we
DO have 13+ Initiative skills. (13 min) Hence, we could be bonused with skills above
13. We would know if we were bonused 3 Init skills, as we would start with an expert
in Initiative. However, if, indeed, we received the other statement "With a very
aggressive .....", we would know we started with 10-12 Initiative skills, and were
hence hosed 1 to 3 initiative skills.
Let's try one more example - for Riposte. Our skill evaluations showed him to
have 7 skills. Looking at the HIGH WIT chart at 15WT, he has fewer skills than the
low order amount of 10-12, so he should expect no riposte statement. If he did get
the low order statement, then he truly has at least 10 riposte skills, so he is
bonused +3 or +4 (4 is max skill hose or bonus.) Evaluating the high wit statements
of all five skill areas (There is none for decisiveness.) will lead to a true and
actual understanding of the starting skill set of any warrior.
***** Brought to you by Producer and CONSORTIUM affiliates everywhere. *****
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Assur's Guide to High Skill Hybrids
The last of the Hybrid types is perhaps the most unclear of the warrior types in
terms of getting them to win. High Skill Hybrids don't really have a clear path to
victory, but expect to win by virtue of the fact that they have more skills than
their opponents.
Assur is far from an expert in this type of warrior, but it has been shown many times
that pure skills CAN win. Sometimes, they are called skill whores, becuase they
sacrifice everything for more skills.
1) Design
As Hybrids, they want a bit of everything, but their focus is on high skills with
some balance of physicals (often meaning as long as you don't have little damage or
little endurance, you're good to go). But you especially want to make sure you hit
major skill breakpoints and always want a decent wit to ensure they keep learning
skills as fast as their peers around them.
Most commonly these Hybrids start with 8-11 Strength, but higher strength versions
are definitely possible, but since strength is not a main skill stat, 8-11 is most
common. You almost always want more constitution on this type of hybrid, but because
you're focusing on skills, you almost never add points here. Size and Speed are
usually very low, but there are plenty of high speed versions (usually made into
Lungers).
High wit and deftness are the norm; 17 or 21 wit is highly recommended. High Will is
also nice. I recommend not trying this type of hybrid with less than 11 wit or less
than 11 deftness (both major skill breakpoints). Will of 9 (or even 7) is just fine
for endurance conserving styles.
The most 'extreme' examples of this type of hybrid look something like:
9-7-7-21-17-6-17, 12-3-9-21-17-5-17, and 11-4-5-21-17-9-17
More realistic versions (i.e. the chance of getting a set of stats that can make the
extreme versions is very small, you'll see these types of stats more often)
15-8-6-17-17-6-15, 12-3-13-17-17-5-17, 8-9-7-17-17-11-13, and 11-9-13-17-9-4-21
2) Style Choice
With 21 wit, pretty much any style can attempt to win with skills. Otherwise, the
following styles are recommended.
Lungers: The highest skill style, the highest base attack and defense, and the
highest favorite fighting rhythms all make for a very strong style. When you're
looking for a high skill style, Lungers should always be in the running. The
downside is that they require lots of endurance to run.
Wall of Steels: Wall of Steels start with the same initial skill total as a Lunger,
though the distribution is dramatically different. They also run well with lower
fighting rhythms, so do not need as much endurance as their lunger counterparts.
Still, it is a good idea to have high endurance for Wall of Steels.
Parry Lungers: This style falls just short of Lungers and Wall of Steels in the
traditional power rankings. But they are definitely on the higher side of of the
skill totals and built correctly can be powerful opponents.
For both Wall of Steels and Parry Lungers, their reluctance to learn riposte skills
suggests that hybrids of this style either start with some riposte, have a bit more
defensive oomph (parry, carry, and hit points), or are augmented in strategy with the
Riposte Tactic.
Aimed Blows: (With High Deftness, usually 17 or 21). Aimed Blows round out the
styles that naturally perform well as high skill hybrids. Aimed Blows are unique in
that they can do very well with extremely low strength (even 3) or will (7+) and
still have lots of skills. The do not need the endurance that the other high skill
styles need. The downside of hybrid AB's is that they can be extremely vulnerable to
death given the way they are typically designed.
And with 21 wit (or even 17), any of the ten fighting styles can learn fast enough to
outpace opponents in the skill race. Realize that wit is a high commodity stat, and
many of your opponents may also have 17 or 21 wit, especially teams run by managers
that focus on the tournament game.
3) Weapon Selection
Weapon selection for high skill hybrids varies by manager and design. The first
choice will normally be one of the top weapons in the game (SC, BA, BS, LO), but
there are other situations where your warrior may be better with another weapon.
Maybe your warrior likes to run fast (QS, HA, SS). Maybe your warrior wants a better
riposting weapon (EP). Maybe you want to strive for Knockdowns (LS). Perhaps you
want to look for your favorite weapon and get bonus skills that way!
Almost every weapon has its uses. I will warn once again that weapons that only deal
crushing damage tend to be underpowered. They do quite well against Scale Mail, but
otherwise are clearly outclassed by other weapons in the game. This is built into
the game mechanics.
4) Armor
You are a hybrid. You'll want to wear armor. How much needs to be a balance of your
endurance, carry ability, and your specific warrior's strengths. More defensive and
you might wear a bit extra armor. A faster hybrid (like the Lunger) will often wear
a bit less armor. A super low strength hybrid will wear very little.
Most importantly, unless you're expecting a certain type of fight, DO NOT
OVERENCUMBER YOUR HYBRID! This is the easiest way to make a hybrid perform poorly as
the overall encumbrance penalties are harsh.
5) Strategy and Tactics
Option #1: Look for your favorite rhythm. Warrior naturally fight better when they
are running at or near their favorite rhythm. You don't know what your favorite
rhythm is initially, but each style has rhythms that are common to the style and each
style as limits on what is possible to get. It is amazing what some warriors do when
running on their faves.
Option #2: Run hot (or semi-hot). Having your warrior going out hot is not a bad
strategy. There may be better strategies for your hybrid, but at least you'll know
he's going out with the intention to attack. Bad idea for most hybrids against pure
defensive warriors.
Option #3: Run defensive minute 1. This is especially effective for Wall of Steels,
but can be used by any of the style mentioned above. It also conserve endurance
better than option #2.
Option #4: Run a riposting strategy. This is highly dependent on your warrior, but
you don't need a lot of riposte to get the counterstrike. Generally this is a
moderate type strategy (too low and most warriors won't try to attack, unless those
low numbers happen to be their faves and then all bets are off)
+ ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Lighthouse ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Where do you go when you leave Noblish Island?
(note that this article is old, but still mostly relevant)
After ten turns, just when you're getting used to the everlasting rain here on
Noblish Island, you're going to have to leave forever. Everyone (except me) leaves
after ten turns.
You have to go, but you get to choose your destination. Out of sixty or so
possible arenas, how do you choose?
Some of you will be following friends who have already gone, and for you this
question is moot. Otherwise....
Fast or slow? Noblish Island is a "fast" arena in that the fights are run every
two weeks. For some of you, this may not allow enough turn-around time. "Slow"
arenas run every four weeks. The slow arenas are 8, 28, 31, 39, 45, 47, 50, 52, 54,
59, and the three slow transfer arenas, 71, 72, and 73. You may have an unlimited
number of teams in a transfer arena, and many managers do; I would not recommend
choosing a transfer arena for your first non-Noblish home.
Regions--the world of Duelmasters is divided into four regions, which have
slightly different preferred style of management.
The Andorian region as a general rule tends toward a role-playing, non-killing
style of play. By "non-killing," I mean that Andorian managers perfer not to seek
kills and disapprove of down-challenging. In most (but not, alas, all) cases,
Andorian arenas will have lively personals. The Andorian arenas currently open are:
8 (slow), 11, 14, 22, 24, 25, 26, 30, 40, 41, 46, 52 (slow), 63, and 71 (slow
transfer).
The Delarquan region, except in the case of some of the slow arenas, is not much
prone to role-playing and convesation. For Delarquans, the win is all. Down-
challenging is an accepted tactic used when desired by any manager. Deaths may be
more frequent than elsewhere. The Delarquan arenas currently open are: 1, 2, 3, 5,
6, 7, 10, 18, 21, 36, 38, 39 (slow), 42, 51, 54 (slow), 59 (slow), 62, and 72 (slow
transfer).
The Free Blades region tends to be very active in the slow arenas and less
dogmatic in either direction about style of play. Free Blades arenas currently open
are: 9, 12, 15, 16, 17, 19, 28, 29, 31 (slow), 32, 33, 35, 43, 45 (slow), 47 (slow),
50 (slow), 56, 61, and 73 (slow transfer).
The Lirith Kai region is the youngest and is currently very small, having only
arenas 65, 74, 75, and 78 open at the present time. There is a tendency to prefer
the Andorian-style, "no down-challenges and no deliberate killing," but the managers
seem to be less dogmatic about it.
Note that currently contests of various kinds are being held in some arenas,
which I can't list for sure, they keep changing. If you're interested in a contest
arena, let me know (a personal ad will do), and I'll look around. Contest arenas
will tend to be bigger than others while the contest is going on, and full of
often-confusing personals.
Large arenas or small ones?
There are advantages for a new manager in either choice. In a large arena,
there are lots of managers who will be willing to help a novice. There will be a lot
of variety in the kind of competition your warriors come up against--varieties in
style, management, levels of skill. You can learn a lot in large arenas. But there
are drawbacks, too. You can get lost in the crowd, maybe find no one or only a few
of the available managers responding to your personals. You can get caught between
feuding factions.
In small arenas, you soon get to know every manager's playing style and what to
expect from their warriors. If you write personals, they will be noticed and
probably responded to. But just as you get to know all the managers and warriors
sharing the arena with you, so will they get to know you. You may see a lot of
standbys fighting, and while they are relatively easier to beat, they don't teach as
well. After a while, you won't meet with many surprises.
If you have access to the internet, I strongly recommend that you check out
RSI's website and sample the newsletters of various arenas to get the flavor of them.
If not, ask for advice. Diplo managers mentioned in the Regional Arena News from
arenas you're interested in, as they are likely to be leaders in those arenas. Ask
questions here, in the personals or by diplo. I'd like to see you all have the best
possible Duelmasters experience that's consistent with other people doing the same,
and I ALWAYS have opinions!
Jorja
The Middle Way
+>]H[<+-----+>]H[<+ Question of the Week #1 +>]H[<+-----+>]H[<+
Hanibal, manager of Cannibalz in Aruak City (DM 11) and formerly of Noblish
Island, has asked a series of questions of the experienced managers of that arena. I
believe you might find these questions and answers instructive, or at least
interesting. Feel free to comment or question in response. That goes for other
experienced managers, too; I'm sure your input would be valuable. -- Jorja, The
Middle Way
Question, turn 396:
All -- If 2 identical warriors (theoretically) ran 10-10-2 and 10-10-8, who
would swing first? Would they both have an equal chance? -- Hanibal's question of
the week
Replies, turn 397:
Hanibal -- Of the three numbers, I think KD is least influential in determining
who swings first. I'm not discounting its involvement entirely, but there are many
factors that weigh more heavily. I ran aimers 10-10-1 for a long time, when it was
the 'in' thing to do, and they fought quite aggressively. KD might be more important
in determining who swings LAST. -- Generalissimo Puerco
Hannibal -- I firmly believe that 10-10-2 will sometimes outjump 10-10-8. And
vice versa. -- Kennelworth The Seasoned
See also Captain K's article on "Getting the Jump." It was printed in this
newsletter a few turns ago, but if you want a copy and don't have it, email me at
jputney@zianet.com and I'll send it to you. Okay, okay, if you don't have email,
request it in the personals or even send me a diplo. -- Jorja
P.S. I believe this may now be included in the regularly cycling articles.
Question, turn 397:
All -- If two warriors have a good damage rating, one has 11 str. and one has 13
str., would it make a difference in the amount of damage they do? -- Hanibal's Q.O.W.
P.S. Warriors are same size.
Replies, turn 398:
Hanibal -- Regarding your QoW, it is a very good question. I think that there
is a difference in damage done between warriors with different strengths but similar
damage comments. Of course the attack rating a warrior has can make a world of
difference too. I've got a piker (the Consortium may know Lustra from DM 52) that
has a 5 str. and does normal damage with a blow. Yet, she performs like a warrior
that does little damage. (And I have a lot of experience with those.) Not only
that, she has normal endurance, too, but she seems to get tired awfully quick for a
piker with normal endurance. So that's one example. Another is my overall look at
warriors that do 'little' damage.
If you take one with 9 str. and another with 13 str. I think a clear Difference
can be discerned. On the high end, my experience doesn't go much past 'good' damage.
But what I can say is that my warriors that do 'good' damage seem to do more damage
than my few warriors that have done 'tremendous' damage. That is probably because
those big strong warriors have relatively lousy attack ratings. So in a nutshell I
would say yes, there is a minor but still noticeable effect. What you might be
finding is that there seems to be differences within those broad categories given on
the warrior overview. It's just like if you raise con you improve your warrior's
ability to sustain damage a little bit, even if the comment on the overview stays the
same. Your questions are getting at some of the interesting subtleties of the game.
Keep asking them! -- Generalissimo Puerco
Q.O.W. (Hanibal) -- I don't think so. -- Adie
Pagan's replies:
Question, turn 396:
All -- If 2 identical warriors (theoretically) ran 10-10-2 and 10-10-8, who
would swing first? Would they both have an equal chance?
This is a loaded question. There are a number of factors which will determine which
warrior swings first. In speaking of this I can only tell you what I have a 'feel'
for. In no way does anyone know all the factors or how this works exactly unless
someone gets to look at the source code for the program. I will ignore the KD
dispute simply because I don't know.
The Factors:
1. At warrior creation, the program initiates a random string class to be used for
your warrior. Each string has a series of numbers that are pre-generated and always
the same. It however appears random except for the facts that some strings are good
for some warriors and bad for others. You'll notice this only over time. This
string class is permanent and not all of them are created equal. This is above and
beyond any total number of skills.
2. At fight time, the program calls a random string to be used for BOTH warriors.
This string affects the string of the warrior. This is why you will never see two
fights that are line-by-line exactly the same. But if the fights were constantly run
with exactly the same string, and no strategy changes are made then you will
consistently have the same fight line-by-line.
3. Fight-String modified Warrior-String# are taken for each warrior and #Decise-
skills + OE + string# + tactic + weapon-weight + style-adjustment equates to a
number.
4. These bonuses could be negative in adjustments also: IE. Running responsiveness
would be the addition of a negative number equal to warrior's Decise. Running decise
would increase a lot, running lunge, slash, or bash use initiative instead of Decise
if higher than current #decise skills.
4. Biggest controllable factors are OE, tactic, & weapon-weight
5. If the number for JUMP does not have a disparity of a specific number then a
continued clash will occur until that disparity is shown. Then the fight actually
begins. You can have a series of 8+ clash statements until the program finds who
starts and initiates the fight sequences. Example: fighterA ends up with a jump# of
60 and fighterB ends up with a jump# of 65; if the disparity had to be 10 points then
what would happen is a clash statement would be printed and the steps repeated. The
next number from the Fight-String is called along with the next number in each of the
Warrior-strings ; the computation is done again until the disparity (for the computer
anyway) becomes true. Then the fight sequence is activated. -- Pagan
Question, turn 397:
All -- If two warriors have a good damage rating, one has 11 str. And one has 13
str., would it make a difference in the amount of damage they do? -- Hanibal's Q.O.W.
P.S. Warriors are same size.
Most definitely. Weapon damage is equated to Strength + damage class. So damage is
done like this:
1. Armor weight + 12 + any bonus it has vs weapon type is a negative to the damage
done. (How the hell did he get 12!?)
2. Damage done is strength + damage class variable + weapon variable.
3. Slashing & Bashing increase the damage done.
4. When the damage done equals 1 or less then there is a weapon bounce statement.
The minimum damage a blow can do is 1 point of damage. The program knows there's a
hit before it knows damage so you can't reverse a hit, you merely take a minimum of 1
point of damage to your hit-points.
5. The lower your strength then more bounces you will see. The lower your damage
class the more bounces you will see. The lighter weight a weapon is vs the armor its
hitting the more bounces you will see.
6. In reverse to #5, all of those secondary-damage statements (often referred to as
extra-damage statements) such as "it was a devastating blow"... "what a massive blow"
-- these merely show that you hit your opponent with enough damage to exceed the
computer secondary-damage statement threshold. Your warrior caused enough damage to
exceed a programmed set number (whatever that number may be) and the fight is only
showing that you exceeded that number. The programmed number for the secondary-damage
threshold is a Hard number: it is constant within the program and is used for all
fights and all warriors. It is not random. It has nothing to do with how much
damage you did in relation to your opponent's hit-points either. If you exceed that
number in damage, you get a printed statement showing that to be the case. There is
no such thing as Extra-Damage. -- Pagan
Question, turn 398:
All -- If you lower your kill desire in desperation, do you have less of a chance of
being killed? -- Hanibal's Q.O.W.
Replies, turn 399:
Q.O.W. -- I think that if your KD is lower in desperation, you're more likely to
surrender than draw out the fight. Drawing out the fight by having a higher KD gives
the attacker more chance to kill you. But you could defend and make a come-back.
But that higher KD also lowers your defensive ability somewhat. -- Adie
Hanibal's Q.o.W -- Yes, lowering your own KD helps keep you alive and allows you to
surrender...hopefully in time. -- Armalias
Hanibal -- The choice of kill desire in desperation seems to be a very tactically
important one. I do believe that lowering kill desire will tend to preserve a
warrior's life by making him give up (and end the fight) sooner. This also means
the warrior may end up losing fights he could have won if he had hung around. I
think scum strategy is a good example of this. While it may be counterintuitive, a
good scum strategy involves using a moderate to high kill desire. This is done to
prevent them from giving up prematurely. Also, most managers don't care too much if
their scum gets killed, so there's no point to running with a low KD. There's a very
good article on the total parry written by Scrag, in which this scheme is discussed.
Maybe you saw it in Noblish. Personally, I either lower or raise KD in desperation,
based on my expectations for a particular warrior. I think it was Miles that first
wrote on this way of looking at kill desire, and I believe it to be the most correct.
Other published theories, such as Jessie Jest's, are variably more questionable.
(But then, everything Jessie Jest wrote should be taken with a grain of salt.) --
Generalissimo Puerco
Question, turn 399:
All -- If you have 18 HP and cannot take a lot of punishment and raise con once to
normal--20 HP, does the rating affect the rate at which you take damage or do you
just have 2 more Hit Points? -- Hanibal's Q.O.W.
Replies, turn 400:
Hanibal's QOW -- I think you just get a bump in hit points. But that little bump
makes a big difference. I think armor and warrior experience are the only factors
that affect the rate of damage per blow. -- Adie
P.S. There's a new chart for hit points that is more accurate and does not involve a
luck factor.
Hanibal -- I think the amount of damage a warrior can take is not variable but
constant. The variables in the equation are: the weapon being struck with and the
armor it is striking, and the attack and damage-dealing ability of the warrior doing
the swinging. Not to mention kill desire, as discussed last turn. -- Generalissimo
Puerco
* }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *
---===FREE BLADES REGIONAL NEWS===---
Duelmasters
-----------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 756): THE TALL MAN of BLUE MOON (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 758): HYPATIA of DREAMERS (Sleepy, mgr.)
DM 13 DULLENS (turn 746): SIERRA of MMM BEER!! (Khisanth, mgr.)
DM 15 MALCORN (turn 752): GROOVY SIR GRIMM of THE GRAIL KNIGHTS (The Dark One, mgr)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 754): MISDIAGNOSIS of BASH BROS. DOCTOR (Assurnasirbanipal, mgr)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 745): T.G.I. FLOYD'S of ALL THINGS FLOYD (Floyd, mgr.)
DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 746): MAD DOG RUSSO of MAN OR BEAST? (The Dark One, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 375): TRAVEL of EXPENSE ACCOUNT (Finance Manager, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 743): ALI BOOMBAH YAY of DEVIATION (Marma Duke, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 373): PITCHFORK of USEFUL WEAPONS (Smithy, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 741): UNGNOME SOLDIER of SECRET SQUIRRELS (Gentleben, mgr.)
DM 33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 737): BRUNHYLDA of OBSIDIAN HALL (Dameon Darkheart)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 729): A MAN of FOOT OF PRIDE (Howlin' Wolf, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 687): PLASTIC MAN of MELODY MAYHEM (Stillgard, mgr.)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 350): PULLED ORC of SHEWISH BUFFET (One Armed Bandit, mgr)
DM 47 NORTH FORK (turn 345): RU BRINGER of LES TURFISTES (Le Pentarque, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 331): BERT & ERNIE of OPEN SESAME (Crip, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 619): SWYTAI of GRIZZLED VETERANS (Dameon Darkheart, mgr.)
DM 60 ARADI (turn 604): CRAYONS of UNNAMEABLES (Howlin' Wolf, mgr.)
DM 61 JURINE (turn 586): ROVERWURST of CANINE CUISINE (Alfredo Frothingslosh, mgr.)
DM 65 DAL SHANG (turn 580): ABITA of MMM BEER (Khisanth, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 280): URSULA ZAROFF of MIDDLE WAY 18 (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 74 DAYLA KIV (turn 544): TAX MAIL-IN of I HATE TOURNEYS (Crumudgeon, mgr.)
DM 75 JADE MOUNTAIN (turn 535): UNTAMED BERSERKER of CRITICALS (Howlin' Wolf, mgr)
DM 78 LIN TIRIAN (turn 527): HOLLOWPOINT of DEATH PENALTY (Hollowshade, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 644): BILBO BAGGINNI of MIDDLE ITALY (The Dark One, mgr.)
Top Teams
---------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 756): QUEEN (Howlin' Wolf, mgr.)
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 758): PURE POISON (?, mgr.)
DM 13 DULLENS (turn 746): ALLITERATE ARMY (Howlin' Wolf, mgr>)
DM 15 MALCORN (turn 752): THE GRAIL KNIGHTS (The Dark One, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 754): BLOOD ON THE TRACKS (Howlin' Wolf, mgr.)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 745): ALL THINGS FLOYD (Flody, mgr.)
DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 746): THE MAGNIFICENT MAGS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 375): LORDS OF DISCIPLINE (Longshot, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 743): THE TAKEN (Stillgard, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 373): BASH BROS OCEAN (Assurnasirbanipal, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 740): SECRET SQUIRRELS (Gentleben, mgr.)
DM 33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 737): DEMONSPAWN (Spirit, mgr.)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 729): FOOT OF PRIDE (Howlin' Wolf, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 687): THE FAMILY (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 350): DARQUE FORCES (Master Darque, mgr.)
DM 47 NORTH FORK (turn 344): LES TURFISTES (Le Pentarque, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 331): MESOPOTAMIA (Var, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 619): MEDAL OF HONOR A11 (The Anarchist, mgr.)
DM 60 ARADI (turn 604): RED DOG GANG (Spot, mgr.)
DM 61 JURINE (turn 586): CANINE CUISINE (Alfredo Frothingslosh, mgr.)
DM 65 DAL SHANG (turn 580): POSSE (Hollowshade, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 280): WORLDWIDE GORE (Crip, mgr.)
DM 74 DAYLA KIV (turn 541): I HATE TOURNEYS (Crumudgeon, mgr.)
DM 75 JADE MOUNTAIN (turn 536): SAND DANCERS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 78 LIN TIRIAN (turn 527): SAND DANCERS (Jorja, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 644): DIRT DEVILS et al (The Dark One, mgr.)
Recent Graduates
-----------------
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 758): HYPATIA of DREAMERS (Sleepy, mgr.)
STRYCHNINE of PURE POISON (?, mgr.)
(turn 757): CHARLENE of SWEET MAGIC (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 753): JACK OF HEARTS of BLOOD ON THE TRACKS (Howlin' Wolf, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 375): TRAVEL of EXPENSE ACCOUNT (Finance Manager, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 373): PITCHFORK of USEFUL WEAPONS (Smithy, mgr.)
AMUR of AVENGERS (Huckle Cat, mgr.)
(turn 372): DUST MITE of UNFIT TO BE ORCS (slugbait, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 740): DROGON of DEATH BY DESIGN (Bubba Ganoosh, mgr.)
(turn 739): DACIA SANDERO of OTTOMAN EMPIRE (Otto X, mgr.)
DM 33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 736): DEN'S FAVORITE of DEMONSPAWN (Spirit, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 685): BIG SIX of FAMOUS HURLERS (Assurnasirbanipal, mgr.)
ZILLA KHIRNAJ of THE FAMILY (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 349): LAPUR BISQUE of SHEWISH BUFFET (One Armed Bandit, mgr)
DM 47 NORTH FORK (turn 345): ASTROTRAIN of DARQUE FORCES (Master Darque, mgr.)
(turn 344): CASTLE THUNDER of OTTODROME TW (Otto X, mgr.)
FLESH HUNTER of BAAL'S MINIONS (Var, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 619): KRAIT of SERPENTS' HOLD (Khisanth, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 280): URSULA ZAROFF of MIDDLE WAY 18 (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 75 JADE MOUNTAIN (turn 534): DESTRUCTIVE ENERGY of CRITICALS (Howlin' Wolf, mgr)
DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
Notes from the arena champ.
As your outgoing and four-time Duelmaster, I want to credit my teammates, some
whom I believe are really better warriors than I. (All data after 9 fights)
Cutting Edge 11-13-12-17-10-10-11 ST 6-3-1 Expert Decise
Tin Cup 9(+1)-12-9-15(+1)-15(+1)-6-21 AB 6-3-1 Expert Attack
Rocky 17-10(+1)-15-8(+1)-17(+2)-11(+1)-11 BA 7-2-1 no experts
The Natural 16(+2)-19(+1)-9-5(+1)-21(+1)-10(+1)-11(+1) TP no experts
Hoosiers 14(+1)-15(+1)-7-15-17-5-13 WS 8-1-0 no experts
Totaled we have trained 17 stats (yielding 34 skills) and learned an additional
33 skills. Our damage doing is 1 norm, 3 goods, and 1 tremendous while our
endurances are 2 norms, 2 goods, and 1 tremendous. Our skill learn rates are 2.13,
2.00, 1.50, 0.50. and blank. We have 13 criticals in 151 swings for 12 extra value
hits and sadly, three kills.
We hope we have entertained you and that you have learned something from us.
Hoosiers, DMIV
SPY REPORT
Ready for some action-packed adventure, some thrills, chills and spills? Well
fergit it, cause this is the Spyreport for NOBLISH ISLAND. Like, SPORTS FLICKS had
to be so embarrassed when they got kicked off #1 spot by BB BASEBALL MONEY! Way to
go BB BASEBALL MONEY! What was the name of that team who got 3-1-0 this turn for a
total 11-9-0 you ask? (Sure) THE SHADOW GUILD's their name, and fighting's their
game! MVP award for HADDYR WOTAN? TOXIC STORM's proud of her after beating MONNA
KOPI and getting 14 points. Talk about yer big time losers! RAVEN LEIGH got smashed
by THE NATURAL, and lost 10 points! Don't you think the Duelmaster is being unfair?
I think HOOSIERS should let M. CHARDINEE be Duelmaster for a while, without fighting
about it. Who was the wiseguy that said NOBLISH ISLAND's Duelmaster was paying for
drinks at The Warty Toad? Don't look at me!
AAARRGH!!! I HATE SPYREPORTING!!! Sorry. I just had to say it. The warriors
of THE SHADOW GUILD must be getting lonely. They were the most avoided team. Do you
guys know something that I don't? Hhmph! What kind of warriors are TOXIC STORM?
THE SHADOW GUILD, an easy team to beat if I ever saw one, can't get them to accept an
invitation! Like, is JOHN ASAZI popular, or what? He was challenged the most in all
of NOBLISH ISLAND! He's got a 3-3-1, is that good? For sure, I was holding my
breath when I found out URSUS DRAVEN challenged KOKO BELLA. After all, haven't TOXIC
STORM and THIRD HIGHWAY had a long standing duel in NOBLISH ISLAND? It wasn't a
spectacular fight, or anything, but KOKO BELLA wants me to write about it since she
defeated URSUS DRAVEN. Satisfied?
Challenges, revenges, Bloodfeuds. All NOBLISH ISLAND ever talks about is
fighting! Me, I'm more laid back. Like was that some Bloodfeud, or what? (AGEHA
vs. JOHN ASAZI, that is.) Hey you guys, don't you think your families would like to
hear from you? Write! (Or have someone write for you.)
I really didn't, you know, study when I was a kid. Who would've guessed I'd be
a famous Spyreporter? I know how much you like reading this stuff, but I really
should stop. I had a fun time, see you later-- Debby Tonte
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
HOOSIERS 9585 9 1 0 80 SPORTS FLICKS (1651)
CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
TIN CUP 9588 6 4 1 59 SPORTS FLICKS (1651)
ROCKY 9586 8 2 2 57 SPORTS FLICKS (1651)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
TV CONTRACTS 9583 9 1 0 53 BB BASEBALL MONEY (1650)
OUT OF CONTROL 9579 8 2 0 52 BB BASEBALL MONEY (1650)
GUARANTEED 9581 7 3 0 47 BB BASEBALL MONEY (1650)
CUTTING EDGE 9584 6 4 1 43 SPORTS FLICKS (1651)
AGEHA 9613 5 0 0 42 THE SHADOW GUILD (1654)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
LEFTY & PULSE 9582 7 3 0 32 BB BASEBALL MONEY (1650)
BRUTUS TIMBLIN 9623 4 2 0 30 ANVENGEN'S EDGE (1649)
LONGTERM CONTRACTS 9580 6 4 0 28 BB BASEBALL MONEY (1650)
ANVENGEN KALE 9577 4 6 0 28 ANVENGEN'S EDGE (1649)
THE NATURAL 9587 7 3 0 27 SPORTS FLICKS (1651)
JINN SHAKAR 9653 3 0 0 25 PHOENIX GUARD (1655)
SPARTAN 9614 4 0 0 24 THE SHADOW GUILD (1654)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
KOKO BELLA 9618 5 1 0 23 THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
DRASGAR FINCHLY 9622 3 3 0 23 ANVENGEN'S EDGE (1649)
THEODORE PRESCOTT 9573 5 5 1 21 ANVENGEN'S EDGE (1649)
RAGE 9628 3 2 0 20 PHOENIX GUARD (1655)
JOHN ASAZI 9617 3 3 1 18 THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
HADDYR WOTAN 9647 1 1 0 15 TOXIC STORM (1658)
KURZAK 9660 2 0 0 14 PHOENIX GUARD (1655)
MIGGY OWENS 9621 3 3 1 13 THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
MIKE DRE' 9651 1 1 1 12 TOXIC STORM (1658)
VLAD TALTOS 9656 1 0 0 11 DARK LOTUS (1659)
OARS 9661 1 0 0 11 THE SHADOW GUILD (1654)
AUTUMNBE 9643 2 1 0 10 CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657)
LUCKY CHUCKY 9619 2 4 0 10 THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
CONOR PYREHEART 9624 2 3 0 9 PHOENIX GUARD (1655)
MONNA KOPI 9620 1 5 0 8 THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
VIOLENT J 9658 1 0 0 7 DARK LOTUS (1659)
BRIENNE 9657 1 0 0 7 DARK LOTUS (1659)
LA PATRONA 9649 1 1 0 5 TOXIC STORM (1658)
DRAXXUS 9644 1 2 0 5 CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657)
RAVEN LEIGH 9648 1 1 0 5 TOXIC STORM (1658)
AGRISEL 9646 0 3 0 3 CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657)
CADAMUS FELL 9652 0 3 0 3 ANVENGEN'S EDGE (1649)
URSUS DRAVEN 9650 0 2 0 2 TOXIC STORM (1658)
SEARRUS 9645 0 2 0 2 CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657)
PERSEPHONE 9642 0 2 0 2 CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657)
THE RED VIPER 9659 0 1 0 1 DARK LOTUS (1659)
ROBERTS 9662 0 1 0 1 PHOENIX GUARD (1655)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
FRATSFA SLAVE 0 0 0 ROCKY 9586 411 NONE
THE UNSULLIED 9655 0 1 0 DARK LOTUS 1659 MIKE DRE' 9651 411
ACE 9615 0 4 0 THE SHADOW GUIL 1654 MOUNTAIN TROLL 411 NONE
KIRARA 9639 1 1 0 THE SHADOW GUIL 1654 JOHN ASAZI 9617 410 JUST REVENGED
VICE 9611 0 1 0 THE SHADOW GUIL 1654 MIGGY OWENS 9621 407 REVENGED
PERSONAL ADS
All -- Only one more round to go for Sports Flicks. It has been fun and hopefully
educational. Look for The Consortium's next team to be My 60's TV, managed by Ed
Sullivan. It will be a black-and-white blast! -- Producer, Consortium affiliated
Welcome, welcome to Caveat Emptor and Toxic Storm. Glad to have you with us. Ask,
ask, ask anything you want as Jorja, Assur, and Producer/Ed Sullivan are here for you
with their years of DM/D2 knowledge. -- Producer
Assur -- WOW! Those words "... you are the master ..." were quite the uplift coming
from a master himself. Thanks. -- Producer
P.S. And thanks to Tin Cup and Cutting Edge in putting and toe-picking Sports Flicks
to +2!
Toxic Storm -- Nice manager name at American Infidel. A salute to AI. -- Producer
Caveat Emptor -- Is your manager's name Mea Culpa or Buyer B. Ware? -- Producer
Venomous Concubine -- I do love concubines. Thanks for letting me finish on top. --
Hoosiers
Avengen Kale -- Well planned, well challenged and well fought, you dirty rotten
winner! -- The Natural
Captured Orc -- Well I guess that was a workout for me. Why, the beef slabs in the
cold room fought back better than you! -- Rocky
Lefty & Pulse -- That glove did you no good; next time perhaps you will qualify for a
Golden Glove? You'd better hope as that fast ball only clocked at 85. (sigh) --
Cutting Edge
Guaranteed -- Well, all I can say, is you pulled one over their eyes. -- Tin Cup
(smashing one down the middle 301 yards...)
Good luck to all, and to all a good fight. -- Producer
Producer -- You ARE the boss. We see that now. Great job overtaking us. A sad day
for us, but not unexpected. -- Assur & BB Baseball Money
Welcome to all the new teams/players. There are three people here whose job is to
help you learn the ropes here in Noblish Island while you get your fighting legs
underneath you. Assurnasirbanipal (Assur) runs the Bash Bros or 'BB' teams. Jorja
apparently has upgraded and paved her ways and now runs the "HIGHWAY" (formerly
simply "WAY"). And the third to help you is known as the Consortium, who leads a
ragtag bunch of (oh, whoops, wrong intro). The Consortium is an organization of many
different managers who fall under thing single Consortium banner, ultimately. You'll
find their teams near the top of nearly every arena they can be found in. They ARE
that good... Feel free to ask us for help. That is what we are here for.
The DM 93 newsletters obviously have 'too much' information to really process at a
time. I recommend first looking at your fights for reference. Those will have the
most relevant information of what you need to do with your specific warriors. Next,
ask questions and the answers given by the three of us will hopefully help more than
hurt. Finally, start to try to process the articles, CIC, and other information that
is scattered around the community. For these newsletters, the articles at the top
tend to be more current and relevant than the articles at the bottom of the
newsletter. Some of the bottom articles are very, very old and no longer relevant.
And even the most current articles can have flaws or things which don't work quite as
well for you as they might for others. Good luck and WELCOME. -- Assur
Monna -- On the chilliest of days, I fight to my most excellent of skilled combat.
So forgive me if I hurt you too bad. I seem to be transfixed on the alluring beauty
of Lady Avengen Kale... *exhaling a most exotic cold mist and focusing on Lady Kale*
-- Spartan
P.S. I seem to have caught the bite of the fleas that I knocked off your fur.
*frowns, scratching*
All -- 2-3 today, 7-3 tomorrow. Who will be the next foes to fall at the feet of the
Toxic Storm? -- American Infidel
Abyss -- Keep your guard up and your steel sharp! -- American Infidel
Ace -- You have failed me for the last time! Off to the Dark Arena. -- Abyss
Lord Abyss -- I beg for your mercy! Not the Dark Arena, I beg of thee. -- Ace
Ace -- I show no mercy, as Third Highway shall soon realize. -- Abyss
All -- I have found a new warrior to take the place of Ace. May he bring me victory
where Ace could not. His name is Oars. -- Abyss
Lord Abyss -- I shall indeed bring you victory where that loser Ace has brought you
loss, for I am Oars! May your enemies fear me! -- Oars
Welcome to the new teams. Enjoy yourselves, and, if puzzled, ask questions!
Anvengen -- Sorry, life has gotten in the way and the diplos are not coming right
now. Look for them in Rodeki in a week. -- Jorja
Three-two-one. We hate turns like that. The countdown effect, the death, all give
us a grue. Not to mention Jorja stomping into the barracks growling at us and
throwing things. -- John Asazi for those out on the Third Highway
Ghost of Kirara -- Why did you DO that? Were you suicidal? You challenged someone
with four times your experience, you didn't carry a back-up weapon, and you neither
attacked nor parried once! Had you survived, I would have suggested that you wear
more armor and increase your fight numbers, either or both. I will dedicate a round
to you at the Lighthouse tonight. -- John Asazi
Ursus Draven -- Bad luck you got such an uneven match to begin with, but at least you
have nowhere to go but up, eh? Two suggestions: shift one of those weapons to back-
up. Having a free hand seems to make other things possible, such as two-handed
blows, swatting flies, and groping wildly for the railing to keep from falling down.
No, seriously, some have found the free hand useful. Wouldn't hurt to try it. And
increase your offensive effort, maybe. You should have been faster off the mark. Of
course, by the end of the second minute, you were winded, so... maybe you were going
fast enough and didn't have the stamina? Training CN would help that. -- Koko Bella
P.S. I'm surprised you didn't learn any skills. Were you training them?
Searrus -- Oh, gods, where to BEGIN. *NO* body armor? Even leather helps. And if
you're wearing body armor, you don't have to carry the shield, which gives a hand
free for the kind of stuff Koko was talking about. Your weapon... I've never heard
any manager speak enthusiastically about it. You should have other options. (And if
you don't, you have design problems that are possibly beyond fixing.) You could try
a broadsword, for instance. Are you maybe pushing too hard and fast at the
beginning? You shouldn't have gotten tired so quickly. Your style burns a lot of
energy, so consider pacing yourself, or training CN. -- Lucky Chucky
Spartan -- I was laboring under a major input error (some other fool's strategy
entirely), but you capitalized on my problems well. -- Monna Kopi
Conor Pyreheart -- Where it said that I "feinted an attack"? It felt more like I was
fainting one. I was NOT set up to fight someone of your style. Well done. -- Miggy
Owens
All -- Another 1-4. *sigh* I really need to figure this out... -- Kale
Remind yourself that you are a beginner. You have to learn the way to go,
and it can take a while. Give yourself a little time.
Jinn Shaker -- I had you so beat! Shoulda let you wear yourself out instead of going
offensive. -- Cade Fell
All -- I intend to participate in the Slaughter games. Certainly hope to see you all
there! -- Kale
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
ACE was viciously butchered by MOUNTAIN TROLL in a 1 minute bloody Dark Arena fight.
AGEHA vanquished JOHN ASAZI in a 1 minute uneven Bloodfeud battle.
CUTTING EDGE was subdued by TV CONTRACTS in a 1 minute Challenge fight.
DRASGAR FINCHLY vanquished CONOR PYREHEART in a 5 minute mismatched Challenge brawl.
LA PATRONA was overpowered by LEFTY & PULSE in a 1 minute mismatched Challenge match.
HADDYR WOTAN devastated MONNA KOPI in a 2 minute one-sided Challenge duel.
URSUS DRAVEN was viciously subdued by KOKO BELLA in a 2 minute bloody Challenge match.
RAVEN LEIGH was handily defeated by THE NATURAL in a 6 minute uneven Challenge fight.
HOOSIERS outwaited M. CHARDINEE in a action packed 8 minute gory Title duel.
TIN CUP lost to VENEMOUS CONCUBINE in a popular 1 minute duel.
OUT OF CONTROL overpowered ANVENGEN KALE in a 1 minute uneven match.
ROCKY executed FRATSFA SLAVE in a 1 minute one-sided fight.
GUARANTEED demolished THEODORE PRESCOTT in a 1 minute mismatched competition.
BRUTUS TIMBLIN demolished LUCKY CHUCKY in a 1 minute one-sided brawl.
LONGTERM CONTRACTS handily defeated AGRISEL in a 2 minute gruesome one-sided conflict.
MIGGY OWENS was savagely defeated by RAGE in a 3 minute gruesome struggle.
SPARTAN handily defeated ROBERTS in a 1 minute mismatched bout.
PERSEPHONE was devastated by OARS in a 1 minute one-sided brawl.
AUTUMNBE savagely defeated THE RED VIPER in a exciting 5 minute brutal novice's match.
DRAXXUS was savagely defeated by VLAD TALTOS in a 5 minute bloody amateur's conflict.
SEARRUS was savagely defeated by VIOLENT J in a 2 minute brutal beginner's fight.
KURZAK overpowered MORDANT DESERTER in a 3 minute uneven fray.
MIKE DRE' easily killed THE UNSULLIED in a 1 minute one-sided contest.
CADAMUS FELL was savagely defeated by BRIENNE in a 9 minute gruesome novice's fight.
JINN SHAKAR overpowered PERSISTANT BEGGAR in a 2 minute uneven fight.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|WALL OF STEEL 12 BASHING ATTACK 43 - 30 - 3 59 |
|BASHING ATTACK 7 LUNGING ATTACK 12 - 9 - 0 57 |
|AIMED BLOW 5 WALL OF STEEL 45 - 35 - 1 56 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 5 SLASHING ATTACK 20 - 16 - 3 56 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 3 TOTAL PARRY 15 - 16 - 0 48 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 3 STRIKING ATTACK 23 - 25 - 1 48 |
|TOTAL PARRY 3 AIMED BLOW 18 - 26 - 1 41 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 3 PARRY-RIPOSTE 12 - 21 - 0 36 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 3 PARRY-STRIKE 4 - 19 - 0 17 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 0 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 0 - 0 0 |
Turn 411 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:
PARRY-RIPOSTE 3 - 0 PARRY-STRIKE 1 - 2 5 BASHING ATTACK
BASHING ATTACK 7 - 0 WALL OF STEEL 4 - 8 3 WALL OF STEEL
LUNGING ATTACK 2 - 1 STRIKING ATTACK 1 - 4 2 AIMED BLOW
TOTAL PARRY 2 - 1 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 0 1 STRIKING ATTACK
AIMED BLOW 3 - 2 SLASHING ATTACK 0 - 3
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
WALL OF STEEL HOOSIERS 9585 9 1 0 80 SPORTS FLICKS (1651)
AIMED BLOW TIN CUP 9588 6 4 1 59 SPORTS FLICKS (1651)
BASHING ATTACK ROCKY 9586 8 2 2 57 SPORTS FLICKS (1651)
STRIKING ATTACK CUTTING EDGE 9584 6 4 1 43 SPORTS FLICKS (1651)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is ANVENGEN KALE 9577. The most popular warrior this
turn was THE RED VIPER 9659. The ten other most popular fighters were VLAD TALTOS
9656, KOKO BELLA 9618, LONGTERM CONTRACTS 9580, RAGE 9628, AUTUMNBE 9643, VIOLENT J
9658, BRIENNE 9657, HADDYR WOTAN 9647, GUARANTEED 9581, and JINN SHAKAR 9653.
The least popular fighter this week was RAVEN LEIGH 9648. The other ten least
popular fighters were THE NATURAL 9587, CADAMUS FELL 9652, CONOR PYREHEART 9624,
HOOSIERS 9585, DRASGAR FINCHLY 9622, THE UNSULLIED 9655, KURZAK 9660, PERSEPHONE
9642, ROBERTS 9662, and AGRISEL 9646.
The Effects of Coordination
Coordination has long been ruled as having no effect on a warrior. I have
noticed a few things that may be the cause of certain coordination levels. So I
decided to write this article to give the general DM populace something to ponder.
Below is the coordination table:
Coordination = SP + DF
06 - 16 = Clumsy
17 - 20 = Slightly Uncoordinated
21 - 27 = Normal
28 - 31 = Highly Coordinated
32 - 39 = Very Highly Coordinated
40 - 42 = Marvel of Fighting Coordination
Since I run a lot of bashers that have a clumsy rating most of the time, I
noticed a few things that happen to them and not the high coordination warriors I
have. Most people don't have clumsy warriors, save some bashers and TPs, so it may
not be paid that much attention to.
The first thing I have noticed is that a clumsy warrior seems to drop his weapon
more often than a higher coordination warrior. So I think that maybe he has a higher
chance to do this than normally coordinated warriors.
Second, I noticed that clumsy warriors have harder time trying to quick draw
their back-up weapon, causing them to fumble around trying to get it.
Third is that the clumsy warrior also is slower to get up after he has been
knocked down. It may also influence the roll on whether you get knocked down or not,
along with other factors.
These things aren't as noticeable the higher the coordination becomes. That's
probably why a lot of people don't place any value on coordination. At the higher
levels of the game there aren't any clumsy warriors, so coordination isn't noticed.
You can still get knocked down, lose your weapon, and draw your back-up quickly, but
the odds are more in your favor with a higher coordination in my opinion.
Well, may joy and happiness be with you. If you would like to chat , I can be
reached at 103260.3347@compuserve.com
You may diplo me at LORDS OF THE ABYSS, in DM 11, or any of the JOKER'S WILDS
scattered about.
Ta-Ta,
Sir Jessie Jest
(He who always gets the last laugh......)
The Basic Ripper
Why isn't one of basic's most entertaining styles, a style capable of beating all
others, a common sight upon the sands? The myth that rippers are difficult to run and
inherently prone to dying is widely accepted. True, the graveyard is full of rippers
that began their careers running little numbers and the parry tactic. This is no
mystery given that very few rippers start with great defenses and the parry tactic
destroys a young ripper's offense. In their efforts to make better punching bags,
many managers have turned to big constitutions and heavy armor. A dose of sanity is
long overdue. If you would like to run some rippers who will survive and win, read
on.
DESIGN: My approach is somewhat unorthodox. I maintain an evolving list of
physical requirements for each style, i.e., endurance, punishment, damage, and carry
capacity. If you don't have the means to accurately forecast these ratings, ask
around. If at all possible, I first max out a new rollup's WL at a value of 15, 17,
or 21 and then compare the rollup's physical potential with each style's physical
requirements. Generally, the style that matches up best and requires me to add the
least number of points to ST and CN is the one I want. It isn't absolutely necessary
for a fighter to be physically fit at the beginning of his career. Plan ahead. Will
a few preselected attribute trains make him so? Must points be added to the rollup's
ST or CN so that he can make the grade with no more than two trains per attribute?
Which weapons will he use? With these questions answered, it's simply a matter of
taking WT to the highest odd value possible (avoid 19) and then doing the same with
DF. Godlings are not born as a results of how many points you can pump into WT, WL,
and DF; that's luck's job.
Young rippers need to be able to go fast for two minutes without tiring. If your
ripper isn't physically fit, he will slow down. If he slows down, you are gambling
with his life. The more frail the warrior, the greater the gamble. That said, if
your ripper can quickly meet the following criteria and learn reasonably well, you
will get your money's worth.
Endurance: Something in the neighborhood of 350 (that's {ST+CN}WL)
Punishment: Anywhere from the high end of very frail to midrange normal
Damage: Normal
Capacity: Cannot carry a lot (minimum ST/CN combos: 9/8, 10/7, 11/6, 12/5)
ST: 9 + Midgets need an 11 or better.
CN: See Endurance, punishment, and capacity requirements
SZ: Small (3-8) to medium (9-14)
WT: 15+ If your ripper doesn't learn, he's toast.
WL: 15+ See endurance and punishment requirements.
SP: Though frequently unimportant, it helps to have points here if you're stuck
with a few 15's in WT, WL, and DF.
DF: 15+ 13 will do if you're fortunate to have a big WT and/or WL.
Strats: X 8 9 5 5 5 8
X 8 5 3 3 3 10
X 6 7 7 7 7 5
ARM ------------------------- >
HE -------------------------- >
N --------------------------- >
N ------------------------ > R
Why the missing numbers in the first minute? You'll want to find what works for
your new ripper and possibly change his numbers as he develops. 8-8-6 is probably the
best opening minute for a young ripper. If your youngster has a high speed, try 10-
10-6. 6-8-6 is a bit slow for my taste. Nevertheless, this might be the way to go
even if your ripper doesn't need to build up his endurance. Something I call "the
change" occurs when your ripper approaches his master in riposte, his AD Ex in parry,
and Experts in attack, defense and initiative. This is a moment of decision. If your
ripper takes normal punishment, this is when you can opt to slow him down. I don't do
this, but I have seen 5-7-5 and 5-5-5 parry work rather well. It's probably wise for
a slow-running ripper to run fast in desperation. If your ripper continues to run
fast after "the change," a first minute strat of 8-10-4 often works well.
WEAPONS: A scimitar or longsword belongs in your ripper's hand. After he starts
critting, check to see if the epee is his favorite. I don't believe in heavy backups
for youngsters; a dagger will do. Most youngsters will benefit from an offhand dagger
(preferred), hatchet, or shortsword. After "the change," rippers who don't slow down
can improve the quality of their attacks by getting rid of their off hand weapons.
These guys will need a backup scimitar, longsword, or epee. Rippers who do slow down
should keep their offhand weapons.
ARMOR: Very frail rippers should debut in ASM/H. After ten fights or so, it's
probably best to go with APL/H. Guys who cannot take a lot of punishment belong in
ARM/H for their entire basic careers. Put them in ALE/H if you're feeling gutsy.
Rippers who take normal punishment can debut in APL/H, ARM/H, or ASM/H. After ten
fights or so, it's definitely time for APL/H. If you decide to slow one of these guys
down, you'd better put him back in ARM/H or ASM/H.
CHALLENGES: Scummers deserve numbers like 4-1-6; keep that big desperation,
though. If you know that an opponent is out to kick you when you're down, go with 5-
8-5 or 5-5-5 while he's playing dead and 8-8-5 and 9-5-7 when he's active. Good aimed
blows are a pain. Still, like every other style, they can be beaten with standard
strats.
Many people have contributed indirectly to the content of this article. Foremost
in my mind are The Lunatic, Scrag, Voo-Doo, U-Star, Shark, Moriarty, and Wormtongue.
Thanks. If you have a bone to pick or a story to tell, you know where to find me.
Cadmus
Wild Oats (479)
Solven, DM 22
Stimpy's Thoughts on Total Parries
part II
Well, when we last spoke I gave you a rundown on I feel TPs should be designed.
Now I will give you my ideas on how to run them.
First, you need to consider what type of warrior you now have. A total parry is
what its name suggests. Total defense. The idea around a TP is to concentrate on
defense first and utmost. Only when the situation arises will the TP decide to
attack. With this in mind NEVER run a TP with an offensive effort (OE) above 5. In
doing so you have just told your TP to do what they weren't designed to do. Go
offensive. If you want to run your TP above 5, you should have made an offensive
styled warrior, NOT a TP. By using a high OE, you cause your TP to ignore defense and
go offense. This results in numerous "flailing" and "wild" attacks. So don't do it.
While running your TP, you may find that he tends to really turn on the offense
often. That is typical, typical of a warrior who favors initiative skills. This does
not mean that you should boost your OE. What is happening is that one of your
warrior's favorite learns is initiative. So he/she will be naturally adept in
initiative. And remember that initiative is the skill that allows you to continuously
make attacks on your opponent. Since your TP decided to attack, your opponent should
be relatively worn down. So it will be hard for your opponent to steal that
initiative back from you. Hence the reason that your TP looks like an offensive
killer. But that's good. It means that you have a very dangerous warrior on your
hands. High endurance burning styles, look out!
I know, I know!!! There are managers out there still that believe in the
offensive TP and suggest using higher OE. That's all fine and dandy. Let those
managers do just that. I personally guarantee that if you run your TP with a low OE
like the style was designed to do, you'll win fights. Experiment with unorthodox
strategies when you get a better hang of the game.
Activity level (AL) is the variable in TP strategies. I would definitely begin
running a TP with a moderate/low AL. Try a 3 at first. After a few fights you'll see
if your TP likes to dodge more or parry more. It should be quite obvious; your TP
will learn more skills in his "favorite" area. Chances are, though, if your TP has
received the statement: "avoiding rather than trading blows," or "relying on his speed
to stay out of danger," your TP would rather dodge than parry. And that's just fine.
Boost your AL to about a 4 or 5. If you choose to use the dodge tactic in defense,
use AL up to 7. Beyond that tends to hurt your warrior more than it helps.
So why not go with an AL of 7 all the time if your TP likes to dodge more than
parry, you might ask? That's simple; your TP may like to dodge more, BUT HE STILL
PARRIES. So you'll need to be less active to allow your TP that choice. With an AL
of 4-5, your warrior will dodge when it is more advantageous, parry when it isn't.
Kill desire varies greatly from warrior to warrior. To be on the safe side, I
always go low KD with my TPs, until they gain expert in attack. After that point, I
may begin to experiment, seeing how my warrior reacts to various KDs. Generally, if
your warrior learns attack skills relatively well, then a higher KD won't inhibit them
at all. If this is the case, I believe that your warrior is not looking for landing
several blows to win the match (favoring initiative skills), but is instead looking to
land a few good blows (favoring attack skills). In the latter case, a moderate to
high KD may help. Keep in mind though that your TP is still defensively oriented. An
extremely high KD will cause any warrior to behave like a berserker, and may cause
your TP to make lots of bad attacks. With this in mind, stay below 7.
Now to place it all together...
Minute 1 2 3 4 5 6on Desp
OE 2 ------------------------ > varies
AL 2 ------------------------ > "
KD 2 ------------------------ > "
or
Minute 1 2 3 4 5 6on Desp
OE 2 ------------------------ > varies
AL 4 ------------------------ > "
KD 2 ------------------------ > "
These show my general strategies for parry and dodging oriented warriors,
respectively. Seldom do I use any tactics, unless I am making a challenge and wish my
warrior to behave differently to that challenge (i.e., using the dodge tactic against
a lunger). At that point I would refer to the paragraphs in the beginning to
customize that particular minute to fit the tactic.
Attack and protect locations are totally up to you. I like to protect the head
and body, while attacking the head, arms, and legs. This protects my vitals, yet can
allow my warrior to land blows on parts of the body that can cause a warrior to lose a
fight with the minimum number of hits.
Desperation is my opposite area. If I was relying on a low AL in the regular
minutes, I will boost it in desperation. While going vice versa if I had a high AL in
regular minutes.
Now the one tactic I haven't touched on is the riposte tactic. Occasionally your
TP will favor this tactic. When he does, I like to raise my OE to 3, sometimes 4, and
the AL to 4. If I use the riposte tactic, I will use 4-5 OE and a 3-5 AL. When these
numbers are any lower, your TP may refrain from attacking in a riposte situation in
favor of more defense.
I have found that these strategies work well whether your warrior fights as a
SCUM or skilled TP. If you remember from my last article, the difference between the
schools of thought are the amount of damage the warrior is willing/able to take.
Well, I hope that this has been informative for the newer players, and the older
ones, too. Good luck and see you on the sands.
Stimpy
MORE ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS
Many essays dwell on style specifics. This piece describes a playing philosophy.
When you just want to WIN, create scum TPs and size 17 monsters with impunity. Don't
worry about getting these warriors into ADM! YOU'RE concerned with winning those "Top
Team" and "Team on the Move" awards.
By comparison, managers with an excellent setup shouldn't be too concerned with
the team win/loss record. Their character must develop, gain every skill possible, in
order to blossom into a deadly duelist. THEIR goal is to advance this fighter into
ADM, and eternal life.
Here are some broad parameters for assessing a warrior's value, and a few
representative samples:
Primus Bound:
- WT, WL and DF total 49+.
- 4 or more wit statements.
- Start with Expert rating or gain it in one or two skills.
- [13-5-5-21-13-10-17, 6-6-9-17-21-9-17, 11-7-9-17-17-6-17, etc.]
Basic/ADM Only:
- WT, WL and DF total to 35+.
- At least 3 wit statements.
- Gain Expert rating in no more than five skills.
- [17-9-10-17-9-9-13, 13-11-11-17-13-8-11, 9-13-10-15-21-5-11, etc.]
Dark Arena: [Any two of these qualify the character as "expendable"]
- WT less than 13.
- Less than 3 wit statements.
- Is clumsy.
- Has very little endurance.
- [15-15-16-11-13-5-9, 7-18-13-17-5-13-11, 13-15-13-13-17-6-7, etc.]
The Primus Bound setups are rare; they are coddled, protected and sometimes
sandbagged for a year or so in order to build up a few Ad Experts to help them survive
in the arena.
The Basic/ADM Only fighters have mediocre to decent stats, and are going to be
very dependent on their overview for that elusive "luck factor." This class of
warrior should be highly competitive. Most of the fighters seen in the arena are in
this category.
Finally, the Dark Arena fighters: conceived from pitiful setups with little
chance of being competitive. However, these rollups might prove useful. Don't fight
the system; learn to use it to your advantage! Many managers send fighters to the
D.A. who might have provided them with a successful (if brief) career in Basic.
Give BIG numskulls lots of ST and SP; these are your killer LUs and STs. More WL
= LU; Higher DF = ST. (I don't advise making Bashers unless you have a 17+ wit and 15+
points in WL.) Give LITTLE morons a boost to WL, ST and CN; these are your TP scum.
If they have absolutely no WT or WL, escort them to the Dark Arena.
Of course, some fighters have good stats and decent overviews yet still lose most
of their fights in the beginning of their career. The "old" method of dealing with
this phenomenon was to bump all stats by two or more. Now, it's generally agreed that
this increases performance at the cost of future skill learns. This takes away from a
duelist's competitive abilities in the higher levels of play. Competitive fighters
should be making as few stat raises as possible until they have "maxed out" in at
least three of four skill areas. (Some managers advocate waiting until a character is
completely "maxed out" before raising stats; this will take a long time for most
warriors.)
Some warriors (particularly the finesse styles: AB, PR, PL, PS) take a little
longer to develop. If they DON'T have the stats or the overview to raise visions of a
Primus inductee, take a HARD look at their potential. Will stat raises help? Well
they come easily? Is the rest of the team strong? How much money are you willing to
invest in this character?
ANYONE can create an awe-inspiring fighter by adding a couple of points to key
stats. It means the fighter may lose some of its long-term potential, but so what?
Duelmaster, Most Popular Fighter, Best Win/Loss Record, etc. all equate into free
fights and recognition. If you don't have that Godling in your stable, what other
goal might you have but to excel in your arena?!!
I urge new managers to run EVERY setup at least once in the arena. Look on
rollups as a challenge; try to make the best killer or scum possible out of Dark Arena
material. There's a tremendous amount of experience to be gained by this.
See what effect a high ST or DF has on specific styles; compare overviews to find
what works and what doesn't; gain new insights on character design. You will enjoy
playing far more than you do now! You might even come up with a better way of
designing a character for a specific style, and write an article to share your views.
The point is, DON'T wait around for the "right" rollup, or waste time and money
(or sentiment) on characters who aren't doing anything for you. Play the percentages.
If a promising warrior is losing repeatedly, be patient. Once a few AdExperts are
gained he will probably turn things around. If you Dark Arena Mutant loses a lot and
his scumminess or killer-design aren't working, either bump a couple of stats or DA
him. If your scum/killer goes out there and wins a few, start paying attention to
challenges/avoids (which you SHOULD be doing anyway). Send that scum against a LU or
ST; send that monster ST against a midget Parry-whatever. Style vs. style matchups
are crucial in the early careers of EVERY fighter.
Generally, even lousy STs, LUs, BAs and TPs do well starting out. Later the
finesse styles--PL, PS, PR, AB--usually take over. Summary: Recognize the difference
between playing "to win" and playing "longterm." Start noticing which teams have high
win/loss percentages: what kind of warriors are they running? Start sending diplos;
don't be bashful. You can bring that win/loss to a respectable level with careful
play, short-term Mutant killers and scum, and the occasional stat-bump for those
mediocre fighters whom you plan on retiring later. Try it and see. It gives the game
more spice, you win more often, and you have more FUN! And just remember... I told
you so!
Diplo me with comments, questions, rebuke:
-- The Arcane Kid, of Astral Kin in Osksi (DM-3)
"Favorite Weapons"
One of the best ways to improve a warrior's record in basic is to find his
favorite weapon. The effect of using a favorite weapon is that a warrior's attack
ability will improve. A warrior will throw more critical attacks, improve the odds to
inflict critical damage, and make attacks that are more difficult to dodge and parry.
There are two methods used to find a favorite weapon. The first is, "Don't worry
about it. They tell you when you get to ADM anyway." While some managers have the
patience to wait that long, I would rather have my favorite in hand in fight one!
The second method is called, "Charting." The way I chart weapons is I break
down, statistically, my warrior's attacks with a particular weapon. (No, it's not
difficult to do!) I chart 4 categories, (1) Total number of attacks, (2) Total number
of crit attacks, (3) Total number of crit damages, (4) Total number of knockdowns.
(1) Total number of attacks (#ATT) -- Record the total number of attacks with the
weapon in question, including hits, crits, misses, parried attacks, dodged attacks,
and wild swings.
(2) Total number of crit attacks (C ATT) -- Record the total number of critical
attacks with the weapon in question. Do not get good attacks confused with critical
attacks. A good attack is a statement that is more descriptive than, "strikes with
dagger," but is not as spectacular as a critical. An example of a good attack is,
"Bats outward with her quarterstaff," or, "Makes a lunging attack wielding a short
spear." These are more descriptive but are not outstanding. A critical attack is
exemplified by spectacular statements such as; "Catapults forward, longsword stabbing
cruelly at his foe," "Punches with piston-like horsefelling power," or "Hatchet
flashes with snake-like speed and accuracy." As you can see, crit attacks are very
obvious.
(3) Total number of crit damages (C DAM) -- A crit damage statement will signify
a significant amount of additional damage and is typified by a statement such as;
"Spectators cringe as the horrific power of the blow strikes home" or "It was a
devastating attack."
(4) Total number of knockdowns (# KD) -- Record every time an opponent is knocked
off his feet with the weapon in question.
The next step is to convert this data into a usable format. To do this I divide
the last three categories by the first. This gives a "batting average" of sorts.
EXAMPLE: Dark One fights his first three fights with a scimitar. In those three
fights Dark One made 16 attacks, 2 crit attacks, 4 crit damage, and 1 knockdown. This
breaks down as such:
C ATT = .125
C DAM = .25
# KD = .06
Remember, the more fights with the weapon, the more accurate your chart will be.
Looking at Dark One's performance with the scimitar we can conclude that it is
not his favorite weapon. I determine this by looking at the three categories in order
of precedence.
First I look at C ATT:
.00-.25 Doubtful
.25-.35 Slight possibility
.35-.50 Very possible
.50 + BINGO!
If your warrior is critting 50% of the time, stick with that weapon. Favorite or
not, it is VERY effective.
Next is crit damage. This is trickier to look at, as the primary chance to do
critical damage is primarily based on strength.
Does little 0%
Normal 1-5% (style dependent)
Good 10%
Great 25%
Tremendous 50%
Awesome 75%
Look for increases in the expected average crit rate. These numbers may be a
little off as I don't have a large enough sample of warriors with high damage ratings.
In the example, Dark One rated at 25%, and with his great damage rating it appears he
is not doing any additional crits.
Finally, knockdowns. I don't have a fast and easy rule for this, but anything
over 15% or 20% if attacking the legs, could bear investigating. It's best to look at
all three and infer a weapon's performance.
Dark One switches to a short spear and after 4 fights has 15 attacks, 7 crit
attacks, 6 crit damages and 2 knockdowns.
C ATT = .466
C DAM = .40
# KD = .13
This weapon suits him much better. His crit percentage is up for all categories.
This weapon has a very good chance to be his favorite weapon. In this example it
wasn't, but his W/L record improved with 6 straight wins. (By the way, the names and
weapons have been changed but the numbers are from one of my ADM warriors.)
Okay, I've figured out that the weapon I'm using is not my favorite. What now?
There are some indicators to help you. Look at how your warrior uses his current
weapon. If he likes to slash a lot, stay with a slashing weapon. Also, look at good
attacks. If a warrior makes quite a few good attacks with the weapon, try a weapon
that is used in a similar fashion. I.E. epee is used in similar fashion to a long
sword. Dark One loved to lunge with his scimitar at a 3:1 ratio. Try weapons that
fit your stats at first but don't be afraid to try a weapon that is out of your stat
parameters. Should you find your favorite and you don't have the strength, size and
deftness to use it, who cares. The fact that it's your favorite will nullify or
minimize all those penalties.
I know that this is a question on the mind of new managers, as it was for me when
I was new to the game. I hope someone can get some good use out of this article and
expand upon the charting method in their own way. If you have any questions,
comments, additions, or criticism please feel free to Diplo.
-- Abe
Ango (DM 64, 103)
Imploding Ducks (DM 19, 103)