DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER

Date   : 12/27/2014    Duedate: 01/09/2015

NOBLISH ISLAND ARENA

DM-93    TURN-419

This Weeks Top Honors

THE DUELMASTER IS

FURY
MY 60'S TV (1661)
(93-9671) [4-4-0,50]

Chartered Recognition Leader   Unchartered Recognition Leader

POSITION IS EMPTY              FURY
                               MY 60'S TV (1661)
                               (93-9671) [4-4-0,50]

Popularity Leader              This Weeks Favorite

BRIENNE                        BRIENNE
DARK LOTUS (1659)              DARK LOTUS (1659)
(93-9657) [6-2-0,35]           (93-9657) [6-2-0,35]

THE CURRENT TOP TEAM

 (-1)

          TEAMS ON THE MOVE            TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name                  Point Gain  Chartered Team
1. MY 60'S TV (1661)           35
2. BASH BROS SCUM (1663)       34      COLD IRON BLOWS (794)
3. THE HEATHENS (1664)         33      Unchartered Team
4. THE BRAIN BUSTERS (1671)    23
5. KULLISAARS (1670)           11      BASH BROS SCUM (1663)

The Top Teams

Career Win-Loss Record           W   L  K    %  Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns    W  L K
 1- 1*LUDUS VIRTUS (1668)        4   1  1 80.0   1/ 4*MY 60'S TV (1661)         9  6 0
 2/ 2*BASH BROS SCUM (1663)     29  11  1 72.5   2/ 2*BASH BROS SCUM (1663)     9  6 0
 3/ 3*EINHERJAR (1665)          11   7  1 61.1   3/ 1*EINHERJAR (1665)          8  5 0
 4/ 4*MY 60'S TV (1661)         24  16  0 60.0   4/ 3*DARK LOTUS (1659)         7  7 2
 5- 6*GREMORY DEVILS (1667)      5   5  0 50.0   5/ 5*THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)      6  9 0
 6/ 8*DARK LOTUS (1659)         18  21  3 46.2   6- 6*GREMORY DEVILS (1667)     5  5 0
 7/ 7*THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)       9  11  0 45.0   7/ 9*THE BRAIN BUSTERS (1671)  5  7 1
 8/10*KULLISAARS (1670)          3   4  0 42.9   8- 7*LUDUS VIRTUS (1668)       4  1 1
 9/ 9*THE BRAIN BUSTERS (1671)   5   7  1 41.7   9/ 8*GOAT'S HAI-5 (1669)       4  6 0
10/ 5*GOAT'S HAI-5 (1669)        4   6  0 40.0  10/10*KULLISAARS (1670)         3  4 0
11-11*TEAM NIETZCHEAN (1614)     2   4  1 33.3  11/12*THE HEATHENS (1664)       2  6 1
12-12*TOXIC STORM (1658)        11  29  3 27.5  12-11*TOXIC STORM (1658)        0  5 0
13/13*THE HEATHENS (1664)        2   6  1 25.0  13-13*TEAM NIETZCHEAN (1614)    0  1 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 SCHOOL
                                     or D2 101
                          BUT YOU JUST MIGHT LEARN IT 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 one.  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 matter 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.
       Ed Sullivan(Consortium affiliated)of My 60s TV here.
       Contact me for help.  Ask me dumb questions.
       I tutor and coach   - all too often for free.

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                         Assur's Guide to Pure Offensives

Offensives are the easiest type of warrior to design, run, and master.  The idea of a
pure offensive is that you are going to come out fast and overwhelm your opponent
with your offensive abilities.

1) Design
When you are making a pure offensive, the things that matter most are:
   Damage, Endurance, Attack skills, Decise skills, Initiative skills, and wit.
While other attributes and skills are nice, especially if you want to try fighting
differently, the pure offensive doesn't care much about them.
Damage is dictated by Strength and Size.
Endurance is dicated by Strength, Constitution, and Will (especially Will)
You get attack skills at:
   Str: 5, 7, 15, 17, 21, 21   Wit: 5, 7, 9, 11, 11, 13, 15, 17, 21, 21
   Wil: 5, 7, 15, 17, 21, 21   Dft: 5, 7, 9, 11, 11, 13, 15, 17, 21, 21
You get decise skills at:
   Wit: 5, 7, 17, 21  Wil: 5, 7, 9, 15, 17, 21  Spd: All even values
You get init skills at:
   Siz: 5, 7, 15, 17, 21, 21  Wit: 5, 7, 9, 11, 11, 11, 11, 13, 15, 17, 21, 21
   Spd: 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 21  Dft: 5, 7, 7, 15, 15, 17, 21, 21
Wit helps you learn more skills and as you'll notice contributes to each of the
skills that you care about (attack, decise, and init).  The only other thing to
seriously consider is your weapon selection.

Damage is probably the most important attribute, followed by decise and then attack.
Wit is also very important as you need to learn your offensive skills enough to keep
up your ability to overwhelm your opponents.  One of the most common Bloodgames
designs for pure offensives is 17-3-3-21-21-8-11 (when a manager can dictate his
warriors' exact designs)

2) Style Choice
     Strikers are the 'best' pure offensive style.  They conserve endurance, learn
the best skills naturally (decise and attack), and can use all the good weapons.
Their only real negative is that they have fewer attack skills than the other pure
offensive styles.
     Bashers are the next best choice.  They learn the right skills (but learn attack
more than decise) and have more attack than strikers.  However, their weapon choices
are not as good as strikers (which makes damage rating very important for bashers)
and do not conserve endurance like strikers.
     Slashers are the last of the styles that are naturally a pure offensive.  They
do not learn decise fast naturally, though, so while they are great with their attack
and initiative, they are generally slower than their counterparts.  They have access
to most of the best weapons in the game, but do not have a great speed weapon.
     Parry Strikers can also be run naturally as a pure offensive.  They learn lots
of decise skills, but learn parry skills to go with it.  They can use almost any
weapon and can make fine pure offensives.
     None of the other styles learn decise naturally, so while it can be a favorite
learn for any other style, you can't count learning them, so speed can be an issue.
Other styles' strengths are not in the pure offensive category, but there is nothing
wrong with running other styles as pure offensives.  Recommend HIGH WIT for these!
Many managers run Lungers as pure offensives and because of their natural high
favorite rhythms and high skill base it works just fine.  But it is Assur's opinion
that Lungers' natural strengths do not make them the best choice for a pure
offensive.
Aimed Blows with their incredible attack and endurance conservation are also often
run as pure offensives.

3) Weapon Selection (with requirements)
The following are my recommendations.  Feel free to try other weapons
Speed Weapons (best chance to attack first):
     Short Spear (9 Str, 5 Wit, 7 Dft)
     Quarterstaff (11 Str, 9 Siz, 11 Wit, 11 Dft)
     War Hammer (13 Str, 5 Wit, 7 Dft)
     Hatchet (7 Str, 5 Wit, 7 Dft)
Damage Weapons: (When damage is what you really care about)
     Battle Axe (15 Str, 7 Wit, 9 Dft - If using an off-hand weapon, also 9 Siz)
     Scimitar (9 Str, 11 Wit, 11 Dft)
     Broadsword (11 Str, 9 Wit, 7 Dft)
     Halberd (17 Str, 9 Siz, 9 Wit, 11 Dft)
     Greatsword (15 Str, 9 Siz, 9 Wit, 11 Dft)
Other Good All Purpose Weapons:
     Longsword (11 Str, 13 Wit, 11 Dft)
     Maul (15 Str, 9 Siz, 5 Wit, 7 Dft)
     Great Axe (13 Str, 9 Wit, 11 Dft)
     Dagger (3 Str, 7 Wit, 7 Dft)

4) Strategy and Tactics
     The most common strategy used by pure offensives is run hot.  Hot means high
offensive effort (OE) and activity level (AL).  10 OE and 10 AL is very common.
Realize the hotter you run, the faster you will use your endurance.  Most of the time
Assur lowers Activity level before Offensive Effort when trying to lower from the
tried and true 10-10-x strategy.
     If you're fighting a pure defensive, they want you to use all your endurance, so
running this hot might not be a good idea.  Running 1 AL is not a bad idea (they are
not going to try to attack you).
     Also realize that every warrior has a favorite rhythm (favorite OE and AL) which
will make them fight 'better.'  Some warriors don't like running super hot (or
aren't) as well suited to run super hot.  Until you get to Advanced Duel2, you won't
know for sure what your favorite rhythm is.  But you can experiment and sometimes get
a feel that your warrior runs very well as certain numbers.  For each warrior you
run, you must decide if favorites will help you win more than using the 'tried and
true' strategy.
     I am not a fan of using tactics.  They hurt you as much as they help you.  That
said, the Decise tactic is great for making you faster.  It is easily countered by a
warrior using the Response tactic.  I've won ridiculous fights (new warriors beating
20 fight warriors) by using the response tactic.  The response tactic is a great way
to counter another offensive using the decise tactic.
     I do not use Bash, Slash, or Lunge very often.

5) Armor
     No armor is recommended.  But death is a high risk.  Even using the lightest
armor (ALE/L) protects against death in a major way compared to no armor.  If you
know you're fighting someone faster than you, wearing armor may very well be a good
idea (While who attacks first is dictated largely by luck, I'd rather not depend on
luck if I have another choice)

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This correction to the weapon/stats, produced by Assurnasirbanipal, is included here
because this newsletter will have a weapons/stats chart at the end.  Use these
modifications to that chart.

            Assur's Weapon Requirement Chart (Without the inaccuracies)

     Over the years, many people have published weapon charts.  Most of them have had
mistakes.  This is the correct weapon chart and you should discard all others.

            STR  SIZ  WIT  DFT                   STR  SIZ  WIT  DFT
Battle Axe  15    3    7    9     Maul           15    9    5    7
Broadsword  11    3    9    7     Morning Star   13    3    9   11
Dagger       3    3    7    7     Quarterstaff   11    9   11   11
Epee         7    3   15   15     Scimitar        9    3   11   11
Great Axe   13    3    9   11     Shortsword      5    3   11    3
Greatsword  15    9    9   11     Shortspear      9    3    5    7
Hatchet      7    3    5    7     War Flail      11    3    5    5
Halberd     17    9    9   11     War Hammer     13    3    5    7
Longsword   11    3   13   11     Large Shield   13    7    3    7
Longspear   11    9    5    9     Medium Shield   9    3    3    5
Mace        13    3    3    5     Small Shield    5    3    3    5

---Battle Axe requires 9 size if you are carrying an off hand weapon

Off Hand     No Wit Requirement
             Strength Requirement same as for Main Hand
             No Size Requirement

Off Hand Deftness Requirements
     For this section, you look at the weapons you want to use in your main hand (MH)
and off hand (OH).  From the chart above find their deftness requirements.  Use these
values in the chart below (MH on the left, OH on the top) and the result is the
deftness to use them together.

Examples:  Suppose your scum wants to use ME in your main hand and LG in your off
hand.  Cross referencing, 5 on the left, 7 on the top, you'll see that the required
deftness to use them together is 9.

MH\OH  3    5    7    9   11   15
  3    4    6    8   10   12   16
  5    5    7    9   11   13   17
  7    6    8   10   12   14   18
  9    7    9   11   13   15   19
 11    8   10   12   14   16   20
 15   10   12   14   16   18   22

Caveats:  In finding the values for this chart, there have been inconsistencies.  The
chart shows the value that we believe will always be well suited.  Some warriors seem
to be able to use weapons in both hands with lower deftness than the chart shows.  So
far, I have not seen evidence for a warrior requiring more than the value shown.
Note that some values make little sense.  (While you can use an EP with an off hand
SH together with 10 deftness, you would still lack 5 points of deftness to use the
Epee.)

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                                   Rhythm and Blues
                               A Few Thoughts on Rhythm

     Every warrior has a favorite rhythm--a favored number for Offensive Effort and
Activity Level.  (Note, to the best of my knowledge and belief, there is NO favored
Kill Desire.)  This rhythm is set when the warrior is created, and it is revealed to
the manager when the warrior graduates.
     I have never been entirely clear as to what, exactly, using the favored rhythm
does for the warrior, but there is a general agreement that it does something,
usually something good.  Paces him, perhaps, to get the most fight for the least
endurance burn?  Paces him so that he can make the most of his style's specific
strengths and minimize the weaknesses?  Something like that, no doubt.
     This implies that favored rhythms are linked to style, and that certain ranges
may be specific to style, and I understand that the major number crunchers have
demonstrated this to be so.  It further suggests to me that if one knows the range of
favored rhythms for a given style, one may be able to give a warrior of that style a
more effective strategy than one derived simply by guessing and looking at the
warrior's stats and overview.
     Wherefore I have pulled out the favorite rhythms by style of the graduated
warriors available for my inspection.  You will note that the size of the samples
varies a lot from style to style.  This roughly indicates the ease with which I have
been able to keep the different styles alive until graduation, modified by my
personal preferences as to style.

The first letter in a pair indicates favored Offensive Effort, the second favored
Activity Level.
     VH=very high   H=high    M=moderate     L=low     VL=very low
Distributing the ten numbers available in an even and logical manner, we get:
     VH= 10, 9     H= 8,7     M= 6,5     L= 4,3     VL= 2,1
We don't know exactly which number of the pair a given "favorite" is, but this is
close enough.
     I'm including the raw data here, despite the fact that it looks very boring,
heck, it is very boring, so that any of you who wish to may study it and make your
own deductions.

Aimed Blows, twenty-two graduated warriors polled as to favorite rhythms:
      L/VL    L/L    VL/L    VL/M     L/VL    M/VL    M/L     L/VL   VL/VL    L/M
      L/L     L/M     L/L    VL/L    VL/M     L/VL    L/L    VL/L     L/M     M/L
     VL/VL    L/L
     Notice a pattern here?  Nothing higher than Moderate, and every pair has at
least one Low or Very Low.  In other words, Aimed Blows prefer to be run "scummy."
Or if you're feeling charitable, they like to take their time and make their blows
count, which is natural enough when you consider that accuracy is their strong suit.

Bashers, twenty-five graduated warriors polled.
     VH/VL   VH/VL   VH/VL    H/VL    H/L     H/L     H/M     H/L     M/VL    H/VL
     VH/VL    H/L     H/M     M/L     H/L     H/L     H/M    VH/L    VH/VL   VH/VL
      H/L    VH/M     H/L     H/VL    M/L
     Again, there's an obvious pattern, but it's a different one.  Offensive Effort
no lower than Moderate, Activity Level no higher than Moderate, and often a very
sharp division between the two in any given pair.  High Offensive Effort, low
Activity Level.  No instances of M/M listed here!  Bashers are very direct in their
fighting: attack, attack, attack.  No finesse, little dodging.

Lungers, forty graduated warriors polled.
     VH/H     H/H     H/M     M/H     M/H     M/VH    L/H    VH/M    VH/VH    H/VH
      H/VH    M/VH   VH/M     H/H     H/VH    M/VH    H/VH    H/H    VH/M     M/VH
     VH/VH    L/VH    L/H     H/VH    M/H     M/M     M/H     M/M     H/VH    H/H
     VH/VH   VH/H     M/VH    L/H     M/H     H/H     H/H    VH/M     M/M    VH/H
     Everything but VL is represented in this group.  Two out of the forty warriors
have rhythms of M/M.  It may be significant that these are both fairly old warriors;
other anomalies have shown up from time to time in very old warriors.  Other than
that, every pair contains either H or VH at least once, although there seems to be no
definite preference as to which position it should be in.  A slight bias toward
faster OE than AL, but the sample isn't large enough to be sure of that.  It's common
to see BOTH numbers H or VH for this style.  Lungers like to run fast, and a good
lunger fight has a lot of action--dodging to the side, leaping over or ducking under
a blow, as well as attacking.  Of course, that means they tend to burn out fast, too,
so you have to plan for that.

Parry-Lungers, twenty graduated warriors polled.
      M/VH    M/H     L/M     H/VH   VL/H     M/M     H/M     H/H     H/M     H/L
      M/L     H/H     L/L     H/L     M/M     H/L     L/L     H/M    VL/L     L/VH
     Granting that this is a small sample, I see no pattern here.  P-lungers vary a
lot from one warrior to the next, and you have to experiment to find the rhythm that
works best for any individual warrior.  Some are more lunger, some more parry.  In
fact, you could say that the "Offensive Total Parries" and "Defensive Lungers" that
some managers write articles about could be summed up as: Parry-Lunger.

Parry-Ripostes, a mere fourteen graduated warriors polled.
     VL/M     M/M     M/M     H/M     L/M    VL/M     L/M     L/H     M/H     L/H
     VL/M     L/H     L/M     L/M
     Hardly a definitive sample (these are hard to graduate), but there seems to be a
pattern of Offensive Effort no higher than Moderate (okay, one, unless it's a typo),
Activity Level no lower than Moderate.  I must admit that I have been known to run
them with an OE of High or Very High when I got tired of having them jumped by
offensive-styled warriors.  Some rippers can handle that without flailing or getting
tired, and some can't.

Parry-Strikers, twenty-one polled.
      M/VL    M/VL   VL/M     M/M    VL/H     L/L     L/VL   VL/L     L/L     M/L
      M/H     L/M     M/VL    L/VL   VL/L    VL/VL   VL/M    VL/L     L/L    VL/L
      M/L
     I see every range of numbers here but VH, and no obvious pattern.  Figures.
Everyone says this style is notional when it comes to how they want to run.  A large
sample might show some clear tendency, but from this small group, all I can say is,
they don't seem to like to run very fast.

Slashers, sixty warriors polled.  What can I say?  I like slashers, and when I was
starting out, I ran a lot of them, many of whom lived to graduate.  In some cases,
this was unfortunate, but at the time, it seemed like a good idea....
     VH/VL    H/L     H/VL    M/L     H/VL    H/L     M/VL    H/L     H/VL    M/M
      M/M    VH/VL   VH/L     H/VL    H/VL   VH/L     H/VL    H/L     M/VL   VH/L
     VH/M     M/VL    H/M     M/VL    M/VL    H/L     H/L     M/L     H/VL   VH/VL
     VH/VL    M/M     H/VL    M/VL    H/VL    H/VL   VH/L     H/L     H/L     H/VL
      M/L     M/L     H/VL    M/M     M/L     M/L    VH/VL   VH/L     M/VL    H/VL
      H/VL   VH/VL    H/VL    H/VL   VH/L     H/VL    M/L     H/VL   VH/VL
     Now that we're back among the pure offensive styles, a pattern emerges again.
No Offensive Effort lower than Moderate, no Activity Level higher than Moderate.
Within those limits, anything goes--from Moderate/Moderate to Very High/Very Low.
Slashers like to run hard, they don't like to stand around and scum their opponents,
but they'll accept a modestly cautious approach if it's called for.  Pay attention to
the details in your warrior's fight.  If he starts getting tired early on, you
probably need to lower his Offensive Effort some.  If he never gets the first blow
and loses continually because of that, raise Offensive Effort.

Strikers, sixty-three polled.  (shrug)  When in doubt, make it a striker....
     VL/M     L/L     L/L     H/VL    M/H     M/L     L/M     L/L     L/VL    M/L
      M/VL    M/L     H/VL    H/L     M/L     M/VL    M/L     M/H     L/VL    M/M
      L/M     L/VL    M/VL    L/VL    L/VL    M/L     L/VL   VL/L     H/L     M/H
      M/H     H/VL   VL/L     H/VL    M/VL   VL/L     H/VL    M/VL    M/VL   VL/VL
      M/VL    L/H     H/L     M/VL    H/VL    M/M     L/VL    M/L     M/L     M/L
      H/M     M/L     L/M    VL/M     M/VL    M/L     M/M     L/L     M/VL    M/L
      H/VL    H/H     M/L
     Neither Offensive Effort nor Activity Level of Very High appears, but that
leaves a lot of possible combinations (okay, only sixteen, but that seems like a lot
when you're writing an article late at night), and most of them seem to show up on
this list.  Strikers, like P-Strikers, need tinkering.

Total Parries, twenty-nine warriors polled.
     VL/M    VL/L     M/VL   VL/VL    L/L    VL/VL   VL/M    VL/VL    L/M    VL/L
     VL/M     L/M     L/H     M/M     M/VL   VL/VL   VL/L    VL/VL    L/L    VL/VL
     VL/L     L/L    VL/L     L/L    VL/L     L/VL   VL/L    VL/L    VL/L
     No Offensive Effort higher than Moderate, no Activity Level except one higher
than Moderate.  This is what you'd expect, right?  Total Parries conserve their
energy.  While you can run them faster, they aren't going to like it.  And if they
don't like it, they aren't going to perform really well.

Walls of Steel, thirty-five polled.
      M/VL    L/L     L/VL    M/L     M/M     L/VL    H/VL    L/VL    M/VL   VH/M
      M/L     L/M     H/VL    H/M     L/L     L/L     M/L     M/L     M/VL    M/L
      M/L     H/L    VH/VL    H/L     M/L     L/M     H/M     M/M     M/M     H/L
      M/VL   VH/M     H/L     M/VL    H/M
     No Offensive Effort of Very Low, no Activity Level higher than Moderate.  Some
people call this style the "parry-slash," others say it's a prime candidate for
running like a berserker.  Otherwise, a lot of variation.  Some are scummy (L/VL) and
some are slice-and-dice machines (VH/M).  Too bad you can't tell right off which
you've got, eh?  This style needs attention and experimenation for best results.

     Now that you've plowed through all the tedious stuff (at least, it was tedious
for me to organize the data, hope it was less so for you to look at it), I'll offer a
word of advice to new players.  Make all or most of your first warriors of the styles
that have clear patterns.  Bashers and slashers are the easiest to do well with right
off the bat.  Lungers and strikers are a little trickier, but not much.  The others
are a lot trickier.  Winning right off with your first attempts at those styles--
especially once you're out of Noblish Island and into the cold, cruel mainland, is
unlikely.  However, the study and struggle needed to master one of the trickier
styles is amply rewarded by the rush of guiding one to a winning record, a
duelmastership, and graduation.

Jorja
The Middle Way

           +<]H[>+-----+<]H[+ Question of the Week #9 +]H[>+-----+<]H[>+

The question, turn 420:

All -- I was noticing the skill modifiers for low to high size; do these negatives
keep a warrior from being successful at the high end of the game? -- Hanibal --
Q.O.W.

Answers, turn 421:

Q.O.W. (size) -- Smaller size has always had an advantage in the upper levels of the
game, especially at the top of Primus and Gateway.  The bonus to defense and parry
offsets the initiative loss and the damage taking and dealing that a large size
provides.  Of course, large size comes with its own defense penalty.  A high defense
is critical in the upper levels where it is imperative not to get hit.  If you are
unhittable, it comes down to an endurance contest.  However, huge warriors,
especially those gifted in defense can make devastating opponents on their road to
the top.  They are tough and dish out more than all the little pip squeaks ever
could.  It's much easier to get a great warrior out of a smaller size than out of a
larger size of course, due to stat distribution to the other critical areas like WT,
WL and DF, so finding a great huge warrior is difficult.  My best is Khazakh who is
in 105 right now.  He's gifted in defense and endurance, and he's devastating in the
arena.  But some day, near the very top, his size will probably be a hindrance unless
his attack is absolutely crazy and he can hit the little guys. -- Adie

Q.O.W. (answer) -- It depends greatly on what you define as the top of the game.
Certainly any sized warrior can be effective at the top of a basic arena or any AD
arena.  By the time you're talking Primus or Gateway it's mainly a matter of whether
or not your team can muster enough warriors to win magical prizes to enhance you,
those without them must be truly gifted indeed. -- Maxwell Honorblade

Q.O.W. -- Do the small size skill negatives prevent success in the top end game? --
Certainly not!  While the negatives are there, remember that small size allows more
"points" elsewhere, easily making up the skills.  The smaller warriors are *often*
the leaders at the top end.  There are also TC-winning ways to modify warriors, and
this past FTF prize is "very expensive" for this very purpose. -- Kennelworth

QoW -- I don't participate at the Primus/Gateway level of play, but the word is that
ability to deal a powerful blow remains important and thus allows the large warriors
(read: lungers) to remain competitive with their smaller peers.  What I do know is
that my sz 3 Lunger that's +4 in defense will have, when completely maxxed out in
both skills and stats, the highest number of naturally attainable defense skills in
the game.  Unfortunately, she'll only do tremendous if she's lucky. -- Generalissimo
Puerco

QOW -- My limited experience in the high end of the game (I have one whole Gateway
warrior...WHOO!) the most important skills are, in order:  attack, defense, and
initiative.  So while it isn't good to lose defense, init is a valuable asset as well
(helps keep the momentum).  Another aspect in the end game is the damage rating,
which size does help and can make a LOT of difference.  But since it is better to
have a 21 wit than a 21 size, I would say that in general over 11 size is unwanted.
-- Anti

The questions this time were in regard to the Style-vs-Style chart and how to run a
parry-riposte.

Parry-Riposte:  How to run them?  Hmm... well, I've only run three so far, but I
think I've seen a lot of what they can and can't do.  From my experience, if their
parry is decent, they can take a couple good hits, and carry decent, give them heavy
armor and run parry tactic (very helpful with their low parry bases), but at maybe 4-
5-5, or faster at 5-3-5.  The parry tactic augments their defense, but they'll still
try to riposte since they have so much of it.  For those who are more frail, can't
carry much, and have decent defense, I go in lighter armor and run maybe 3-6-4 (I've
never run dodge tactic here, but I'd try).  My first ripper to AD had a 7 ST, did
normal damage, and she ran in ALE/L running with moderate activity. She graduated 16-
6.  Of course, she's also +5 in att, +2 in par.  But she still defends much better
than she parries in that light armor. -- Adie
P.S.  As for early in the career, scumming is handy, but put OE up just a bit so
they'll swing if given the opportunity.  Armor for sure to keep them alive unless
you're bold.

Leeta -- I've seen that chart too, but I have no idea if it was based off of a large
number of fights.  I think those numbers for strikers reflects their great ability to
throw those crits early in the career, and to be quick to the first hit. For parry-
strikers, I think it merely reflects the variability in how they can be run and
designed.  The chart of course is based on gross stereo-typing of the styles.  I
wouldn't use it too much even as a beginner. -- Adie

Leeta -- I think that "chance to win by style" chart is silly.  Doesn't it say that
lungers will almost always beat aimers?  My aimers tend to do pretty well against
lungers, how about yours? -- Generalissimo Puerco

Leeta and ALL others -- While I have not seen this chart, I can't help but say that
it is probably not very accurate.  Too many things factor into a match-up of two
warriors to expect style to <cut off by Hal, unfortunately>

     On thinking it over in the light of the past month's fights, I have a feeling
that the chart is probably rather old, and that recent advances in management
technique have drastically undermined its usefulness in most instances.  Discounting
luck (which one should never do, of course), and all other things being more or less
equal, the best manager is more likely to win, rather than the one whose warrior has
the favored style.  (Now, there's an inflamatory statement!)  Probably that
overstates the case, but I think managerial skill is now a significant factor,
anyway, even if it isn't decisive. -- Jorja

                                 DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
                             Notes from the arena champ.

     Okay.  It's me, Fury, again.  I already posted a spotlight all about The FURY
show, mostly so that slow-witted (5 WT?) Assur would understand what it was all
about.  Remember?  Me, Fury, TV horse star of the 50s and 60s.
     So that limits what I have to say this time out.  How about I leave it at this
since there are two new members of My 60s TV, here we all are in design:
11-9-8-15-9-21-11 ST
11-15-15-5-15-12-11 TP
21-7-16-15-9-5-11 BA
11-17-13-9-16-4-14 TP
11-12-8-15-15-12-11 SL
     May the best horse win.
               Fury DMII
P. S.  Please do not mix me up with Francis The Talking Mule, a star who probably
made much more than I did.

                                      SPY REPORT

     I was going on vacation, see?  Surf, sun...  But what do those bums say?  "Hit 
the road, Debby Tonte.  NOBLISH ISLAND needs a spyreport."  Oh, well.  MY 60'S TV 
like really fought hard to move up to 1st from 4th.  Way to go!  Cut this out and put 
it in your scrapbooks, BASH BROS SCUM!  'Cause they got 4-1-0 and moved up to 2nd!  
MVP award for BATMAN?  MY 60'S TV's proud of him after beating TALLAHASSE MOON and 
getting 19 points.  Talk about yer big time losers!  TALLAHASSE MOON got smashed by 
BATMAN, and lost 18 points!  Our Duelmaster has lost, folks, lost to KUNG-FU MASTER, 
BUT FURY is still the Duelmaster because he has the most recognition points!  I hear 
the top team insists all their warriors get nine hours sleep.  They want photogenic 
fighters for PR photos.   
     So just why would someone becomes a warrior anyway?  It can't be for these 
really neat Spyreports can it?  The warriors of DARK LOTUS 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 EINHERJAR?  DARK LOTUS, an easy team to beat if I ever saw 
one, can't get them to accept an invitation!  Like, is ROLLO popular, or what?  He 
was challenged the most in all of NOBLISH ISLAND!  He's got a 3-1-0, is that good?   
     Challenges, revenges, Bloodfeuds.  All NOBLISH ISLAND ever talks about is 
fighting!  Me, I'm more laid back.  What if they had a fight and nobody showed up?  
I'd be out of a job, that's what!!!   
     Remember, blood on a purple robe may stain.  Soak it in cold water, and hand 
wash.  I'm getting tired of writing this stuff, so I'm calling it quits.  Its been 
really albendranius!  Later, guys-- Debby Tonte  

DUELMASTER                     W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 FURY 9671                     4   4  0    50       MY 60'S TV (1661)

ADEPTS                         W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 TERRIBLE ATTACKERS 9682       7   1  1    44       BASH BROS SCUM (1663)
 BORING 9681                   7   1  0    36       BASH BROS SCUM (1663)
 BRIENNE 9657                  6   2  0    35       DARK LOTUS (1659)
 ROLLO 9694                    3   1  0    34       EINHERJAR (1665)

CHALLENGER INITIATES           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-RAVEN LEIGH 9648              3   5  1    33       TOXIC STORM (1658)
-VIOLENT J 9658                5   2  2    31       DARK LOTUS (1659)
 BATMAN 9736                   2   1  0    30       MY 60'S TV (1661)
 THE RED VIPER 9659            3   5  0    28       DARK LOTUS (1659)
 DO NOTHING 9679               5   3  0    26       BASH BROS SCUM (1663)
 PERRY MASON 9670              4   4  0    26       MY 60'S TV (1661)
 ASTRID 9696                   3   1  1    26       EINHERJAR (1665)

CHALLENGER INITIATES           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 MODE PARRY 9683               6   2  0    24       BASH BROS SCUM (1663)

INITIATES                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 ACEOTIS 9729                  3   0  1    23       THE BRAIN BUSTERS (1671)
-RIAS GREMORY 9704             2   0  0    23       GREMORY DEVILS (1667)
-YUUTO KIBA 9707               2   0  0    21       GREMORY DEVILS (1667)
-CHUCKUS NORICUS 9711          1   0  0    20       LUDUS VIRTUS (1668)
 STONG BELWAS 9685             2   4  1    19       DARK LOTUS (1659)
 MICKEY MOUSE CLUB 9669        5   3  0    18       MY 60'S TV (1661)
 QUINCY JONES 9724             3   1  0    18       THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
 BRAZZ 9740                    1   0  0    17       THE BRAIN BUSTERS (1671)
 ROOKIES AND DONE 9680         4   4  0    16       BASH BROS SCUM (1663)
 KYGOMAI-LOVEGRL 9717          2   0  0    16       GOAT'S HAI-5 (1669)
-ODIN THORSEN 9377             1   0  1    15       TEAM NIETZCHEAN (1614)
 SHAGGY 2 DOPE 9684            1   6  0    15       DARK LOTUS (1659)
-MIKE DRE' 9651                2   6  1    13       TOXIC STORM (1658)
-HADDYR WOTAN 9647             2   6  1    13       TOXIC STORM (1658)
-AUTUMNBE 9643                 3   2  0    12       CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657)
-URSUS DRAVEN 9650             2   6  0    12       TOXIC STORM (1658)
 OUTER LIMITS 9735             3   0  0    11       MY 60'S TV (1661)
 BERYLLIOSIS 9719              1   1  0    11       KULLISAARS (1670)
 SIX FOOT DOWN 9689            1   1  0    11       THE HEATHENS (1664)
 SARATOGA LEE 9726             2   2  0    10       THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
-TEMPUS 9708                   1   0  0    10       LUDUS VIRTUS (1668)
-REMUS 9710                    1   0  0    10       LUDUS VIRTUS (1668)
 TALLAHASSE MOON 9727          2   2  0     9       THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
-TAMAGRAMAFLU 9722             1   0  0     9       KULLISAARS (1670)
 LAETHA 9693                   2   2  0     8       EINHERJAR (1665)
 ROCHESTER KING 9725           2   2  0     8       THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
 WIDOW-MAKER 9688              1   1  1     8       THE HEATHENS (1664)
-DRAXXUS 9644                  1   4  0     7       CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657)
-ROMULUS 9712                  1   0  1     6       LUDUS VIRTUS (1668)
-GASPER VLADI 9706             1   1  0     6       GREMORY DEVILS (1667)
 DREWSKI 9731                  1   2  0     5       THE BRAIN BUSTERS (1671)
-EL GUARDO 9720                1   0  0     5       KULLISAARS (1670)
 SVEN 9734                     1   1  0     4       EINHERJAR (1665)
-FREYA SIGURSDOTTER 9373       1   1  0     4       TEAM NIETZCHEAN (1614)
 PINK-YOMI GIRL 9715           1   1  0     4       GOAT'S HAI-5 (1669)
-SEARRUS 9645                  0   4  0     4       CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657)
-PERSEPHONE 9642               0   4  0     4       CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657)
-AGRISEL 9646                  0   4  0     4       CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657)
-AKENO HIMEJUMA 9705           0   2  0     3       GREMORY DEVILS (1667)
 SANGO-GOTH GIRL 9713          0   2  0     2       GOAT'S HAI-5 (1669)
 MORGUE-FILLER 9691            0   2  0     2       THE HEATHENS (1664)
 SUBLIME MAX 9718              0   2  0     2       KULLISAARS (1670)
-ISSEI HYOUDOU 9703            0   2  0     2       GREMORY DEVILS (1667)
-LADY SANDSTORM 9723           0   2  0     2       TOXIC STORM (1658)
 VERMONT OLSON 9738            0   2  0     2       THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
-HEL FRIGGASDOTTER 9376        0   1  0     1       TEAM NIETZCHEAN (1614)
-SIF FRIGGASDOTTER 9374        0   1  0     1       TEAM NIETZCHEAN (1614)
-DRUTUS REX 9709               0   1  0     1       LUDUS VIRTUS (1668)
-TOMASTICUS 9721               0   1  0     1       KULLISAARS (1670)
 PUFFY-AMI GIRL 9741           0   1  0     1       GOAT'S HAI-5 (1669)

'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.

THE DEAD                W  L K TEAM NAME            SLAIN BY              TURN Revenge?
HERGER 9692             2  1 0 EINHERJAR 1665       VIOLENT J 9658        418   
THJALFI 9695            0  1 0 EINHERJAR 1665       VIOLENT J 9658        416  REVENGED
HARI-YUKU GIRL 9716     0  1 0 GOAT'S HAI-5 1669    ACEOTIS 9729          418   
YUMI-KAI GIRL 9714      1  1 0 GOAT'S HAI-5 1669    STONG BELWAS 9685     419   
AMERICAN BANDSTA 9668   2  3 0 MY 60'S TV 1661      ASTRID 9696           416   
SKY KING 9672           4  1 0 MY 60'S TV 1661      RAVEN LEIGH 9648      416   

THE DEAD                W  L K TEAM NAME            SLAIN BY              TURN Revenge?
B TWO 9733              0  1 0 THE BRAIN BUSTE 1671 ROMULUS 9712          417   
BRAXIUS 9737            0  1 0 THE BRAIN BUSTE 1671 WIDOW-MAKER 9688      419   
SCALLYWAG 9739          0  1 0 THE BRAIN BUSTE 1671 WURM KIN              419  NONE
FEMME-FATAL 9690        0  1 0 THE HEATHENS 1664    MASTER SEN GANAM      419  NONE

                                     PERSONAL ADS

What!?!  2-3?!?  That is not possible!  I am running scum lords! -- Assur
P.S.. Kudos to those who beat my scum!

Dark Lotus -- The 'Red Book' is the original rules.  Hopefully you got a copy when
you started.  It is so called because it used to come with a red cover.  If you
didn't get a copy, request a copy from RSI. -- Assur
P.S.  Some of the things in it (especially style and tactic descriptions) should be
taken in small doses or not at all.  It also has a nickname among players as the Red
Book of Lies.  That isn't a fair nickname, but it is funny and got that nickname for
good reasons.

Weapons to use against scum?  SC, BA, BS, and GS are the weapons I'd 'recommend'.  If
you are strength challenged, HA or DA, perhaps.  If you are a lunger, LO is the best
well suited weapon (and I recommend using that or SC regardless of your stats).
P.S.  Perhaps I should not be publishing this until after my scum are gone from 93...
Nah, let the new players learn how to hate scum as most of the rest of us do.  Maybe
even help them solve the scum!  Best Team On The Move?  Gremory Devils all over the
place.  Kudos. -- Ed Sullivan

The Professor -- That "accuracy" stuff in the CIC Bagman, do what we all do--ignore
it.  It will not help you one iota.  Use the rest, but not that. -- Ed Sullivan

Saratoga Lee -- You shoulda stuck with the first highway.  That third one is... Outer
Limits

Youto Kiba -- I surely hate losing a case to you.  I wasn't as well prepared as I
should have been. -- Perry Mason

Boring -- Our fight wasn't really that boring as I made it short and sweet and the
right team won.  If I were a man, I would say harharhar or nanana, but I am a horse
so I say neigh. -- Fury

Akeno Himejuma -- I was glad to see you get with the spirit of things.  You know...
M I C K E Y, M O U S E!

Issei Hyoudou -- And a biff, bam, pow to you! -- Batman (with little help from Robin)

The Professor -- We think Jorja's answer on desperation is as good as it gets... go
desperate, minute ends, desperation goes off, minute strategy kicks in, until... one
gets smacked desperate again. -- Ed Sullivan (who has been smacked desperate too many 
times to count)

Looking at all these names....
Toxic Storm              Goat's Hia-5        Caveat Emptor
Kullisaars               Ludus Virtus        Einerherjar
The Heathens             Dark Lotus          The Brain Busters
Team Nietzchean          Third Highway       Bash Bros Scum
Gremory Devils
One might think they were in a Latin Stephen King novel.  Anyway, I am glad to see
you all here. -- Ed Sullivan, My 60s TV, Consortium Affiliated

Tallahasse Moon -- My challenges are only an experiment to test the "Recognition
Point System" as well as teh way skills are acquired and, as you must know, such
experiments require a "control" which is what you are for me, Ms. Moon.  I am NOT
"going for the kill" as you can see, so please bear with me as we "swap places."
*smiles kindly* -- The Red Viper

To get priority challenging with a TV, you write and circle TV on your strategy
sheet, not BF, which is for bloodfeud. -- Jorja

Professor -- Being desperate only lasts for the minute in which the statement occurs.
In your example, in minute three you were using whatever strategy you put down for
that minute, NOT your desperation strategy. -- Jorja

Two-three again, but nobody died.  That's better. -- Jorja

Red Viper -- If I am correctly reading the fight, it looks like this time you went
desperate in the second minute from loss of hit points (injuries) and received those
injuries in part due to the onset of exhaustion.  Wind sprints!  Er, train CN?  And
maybe slow down a little in the second minute. -- Tallahasse Moon

Outer Limits -- Oh, you.  Bah. -- Saratoga Lee

Astrid -- That blow to the arm will teach me not to wear my heart on my sleeve!  I
know you won the fight, but for your style, you might do better to forget the shield.
-- Quincy Jones

Strong Belwas -- If you know in advance you're going to match up with someone of my
style, it MIGHT help to drop your fight numbers (offensive effort and activity level
both) in the later minutes.  When it's likely to be a long fight, you have to pace
yourself. -- Rochester King

El Guardo -- I know one of us had to win and the other to lose, but I was HOPING that
I could be the winner.  Remember that if we meet again! -- Vermont Olson

What happened to my ads?!?  Hopefully they show up this turn. -- Assur

Desperation strategy ends when you start the next minute and goes back to the normal
strategy for that minute.  It isn't uncommon (especially when tired) for a warrior to
be desperate in one minute, and then at the very start of the next minute go
desperate again. -- Assur

But as far as figuring out what strategy is 'best', remember that there are other
things that impact your performance in addition to your strategy (Weapon, Armor, OE,
AL, KD, tactics).
     -- The mighty dice (computerized, but still dice) can dramatically impact a
     warrior from fight to fight.
     -- Your opponent impacts your strategy.  Example: you'll notice more critical
     attacks against warriors with bad defenses and more flailing attacks against
     warriors with great defenses
     -- Your warrior's age (how many fights he's had before) impacts to some degree
     your abilities (especially at around 5 fights).

Brienne -- Well done.  On paper, I would not have expected as much from Terrible
Attackers, but his learning has been phenomenal and he seems to be one of those that
fights better than expected. -- Assur

Fury -- You put me in a Fury, beating my best Boring scum. -- Assur

Drewski -- You're new here and probably haven't heard.  Total Parries (also known as
Scum) are one of the most boring style to run and one of the most frustrating to face
on the sands (unless your warrior is an Aimed Blow).  I'm 'almost' sorry to be
running five of them. -- Assur, manager of Do Nothing and the Bash Bros Scum

Also, I name most of my Bash Bros warriors as things that I find 'annoying' in some
way (loose definition of annoying) regarding the team name.  So I find Scum annoying
because they are Boring, Terrible Attackers, they Do Nothing, they are Mode in Parry
(in most skills your warrior can roll blessed, cursed or be mode), and it is commonly
thought that for tourneys, it is Rookies and Done (they perform well in rookies, then
their tournament career is done--not strictly true, because most anything that is
good in rookies can also do well in Apprentices, but it is a commonly coined term for
low wit, short term warriors). -- Assur

Aceatis -- You have killed sweet Hari-yuku girl.  I must tell her mother, Gwen.  For
this you must suffer. -- Zodiac Goat, mgr. Goat's Hai-5

Freya Sigursdotter -- When you fell to my blade, you shamed your father.  Now, you're
disowned. -- Freya No'oresdotter--Yumi-Kai Girl

All -- Meeheh *chewing a TAB soda can* -- Zodiac Goat, mgr. Goat's Hai-5

Tomasticus -- 3, 5, 2....  Unh, *scratches head*  Ow Uny Ingrs gow en Ive Ingr Xplody
Art Ekneek?!? -- Pink-Yomi Girl

Berylliosis -- I hope you're a better lover than  you are a fighter.  Perhaps I can
show you a few tricks in both arenas. *blows kiss* -- Kygomai-Lovegrl

                                  LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS

FEMME-FATAL was butchered by MASTER SEN GANAMIR in a 1 minute bloody Dark Arena fight.
SCALLYWAG was slaughtered by WURM KIN in a 1 minute Dark Arena battle.
PINK-YOMI GIRL was handily defeated by ACEOTIS in a 1 minute Bloodfeud match.
PERRY MASON vanquished ROOKIES AND DONE in a 1 minute mismatched Challenge brawl.
MICKEY MOUSE CLUB was savagely defeated by ROLLO in a 3 minute bloody Challenge match.
STONG BELWAS delivered the death blow upon YUMI-KAI GIRL in a 2 minute Challenge duel.
BATMAN overpowered TALLAHASSE MOON in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge struggle.
KYGOMAI-LOVEGRL outwaited ROCHESTER KING in a 7 minute novice's Challenge competition.
FURY was overcome by KUNG-FU MASTER in a action packed 1 minute Title melee.
BRIENNE was unbelievably bested by TERRIBLE ATTACKERS in a popular 6 minute duel.
ASTRID lost to BORING in a 2 minute duel.
MODE PARRY outlasted SHAGGY 2 DOPE in a 8 minute fight.
DO NOTHING overpowered SANGO-GOTH GIRL in a popular 5 minute one-sided melee.
THE RED VIPER demolished MORGUE-FILLER in a 1 minute mismatched match.
LAETHA was viciously subdued by QUINCY JONES in a 3 minute brutal novice's contest.
SIX FOOT DOWN unbelievably bested DREWSKI in a 3 minute bloody amateur's bout.
WIDOW-MAKER savagely slew BRAXIUS in a 3 minute bloody novice's duel.
SUBLIME MAX lost to SARATOGA LEE in a crowd pleasing 1 minute novice's fray.
BERYLLIOSIS devastated VERMONT OLSON in a 1 minute one-sided brawl.
SVEN was overpowered by BRAZZ in a 1 minute one-sided match.
OUTER LIMITS outlasted PUFFY-AMI GIRL in a unpopular 11 minute bloody novice's match.

                                    BATTLE REPORT

             MOST POPULAR                        RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS     
|FIGHTING STYLE               FIGHTS        FIGHTING STYLE     W -   L -  K   PERCENT|
|TOTAL PARRY                      9         TOTAL PARRY       49 -  24 -  1      67  |
|STRIKING ATTACK                  7         AIMED BLOW        26 -  17 -  3      60  |
|SLASHING ATTACK                  5         PARRY-LUNGE        3 -   2 -  0      60  |
|BASHING ATTACK                   5         LUNGING ATTACK    16 -  11 -  1      59  |
|AIMED BLOW                       5         STRIKING ATTACK   28 -  25 -  1      53  |
|LUNGING ATTACK                   3         SLASHING ATTACK   19 -  19 -  2      50  |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE                    2         BASHING ATTACK    24 -  28 -  3      46  |
|WALL OF STEEL                    2         PARRY-STRIKE       9 -  15 -  2      38  |
|PARRY-STRIKE                     1         PARRY-RIPOSTE      9 -  15 -  0      38  |
|PARRY-LUNGE                      0         WALL OF STEEL     16 -  32 -  1      33  |

Turn 419 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-STRIKE       1 -  0     STRIKING ATTACK    2 -  5         3  STRIKING ATTACK
LUNGING ATTACK     2 -  1     AIMED BLOW         1 -  4         3  TOTAL PARRY    
TOTAL PARRY        6 -  3     PARRY-LUNGE        0 -  0         2  BASHING ATTACK 
SLASHING ATTACK    3 -  2     PARRY-RIPOSTE      0 -  2         1  AIMED BLOW     
BASHING ATTACK     3 -  2     WALL OF STEEL      0 -  2         1  SLASHING ATTACK
                                                                1  LUNGING ATTACK 

                               TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE

FIGHTING STYLE   WARRIOR                     W   L  K PNTS TEAM NAME                  
TOTAL PARRY      TERRIBLE ATTACKERS 9682     7   1  1   44 BASH BROS SCUM (1663)
STRIKING ATTACK  BRIENNE 9657                6   2  0   35 DARK LOTUS (1659)
BASHING ATTACK   ROLLO 9694                  3   1  0   34 EINHERJAR (1665)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.

The overall popularity leader is BRIENNE 9657.  The most popular warrior this turn 
was BRIENNE 9657.  The ten other most popular fighters were SANGO-GOTH GIRL 9713, 
SHAGGY 2 DOPE 9684, WIDOW-MAKER 9688, PERRY MASON 9670, ROLLO 9694, QUINCY JONES 
9724, THE RED VIPER 9659, DREWSKI 9731, SARATOGA LEE 9726, and ACEOTIS 9729.

The least popular fighter this week was PUFFY-AMI GIRL 9741.  The other ten least 
popular fighters were OUTER LIMITS 9735, MODE PARRY 9683, LAETHA 9693, ROCHESTER KING 
9725, SVEN 9734, VERMONT OLSON 9738, BRAXIUS 9737, MORGUE-FILLER 9691, 
KYGOMAI-LOVEGRL 9717, and TALLAHASSE MOON 9727.

               NEW GRADUATES--FROM ALL ARENAS (INCLUDING CLOSED ARENAS)

For those of you who keep track of such things, several additional warriors 
graduated from regular DM arenas (including closed arenas) since the last tournament. 

                   CHARGING BUFFALO (11-5764) TRIBAL COUNCIL  (518) 
                        PHOTON (18-3292) MAD SCIENTISTS  (75) 
                     YOURBAGD FOREVER (47-6968) THE OPERA  (613) 
                    TERRY SEYMOUR (74-4284) MEDAL OF HONOR  (519) 
                             SHADIS (77-174) RESCUE  (48) 
                  VANNA WHITE (82-39213) SUAVE'S FINEST HOUR  (4264) 
                  BANALADAR (82-37977) SUPERIOR FORCES 5703  (6306) 
                    ANNIE DUKE (82-49334) HOUSE OF CARDS 3  (8302) 
                 SLICK BILLY (82-49457) POLITICALY INCORRECT  (8320) 
                    PRIVATE 28 (84-3780) MEDAL OF HONOR L2  (736) 
                    GIAN CHILD (84-8531) SUPE FORCES 1906  (1564) 
                    LEBRON LEAVING (84-15536) WHY I WORRY  (2744) 
                  FOREST MOON (84-20784) STORMY'S TROOPERS C  (3699) 
                     GRIMLOUNGE (84-25308) THE BLACK WIND  (4494) 

Congrats to the grads. -- Green Eyes

                                       AVERAGE

     I was trying to design a warrior that would have no weaknesses, when my mind 
wandered (It does this a lot!) to what would be the average stat for this game called 
Duelmasters.
     Almost at once I came upon the number nine.  Why, you may ask?
     Okay, I'll tell you, after all that's the point of this article.  There are 
nineteen levels for each stat, half this is 9.5, since RSI randomly assigns attributes 
between 3-21.
     In this manner, even if they assign an attribute below average, the player can 
bring it up to at least average by adding 6 points when he modifies the rollup.  I 
checked this assumption with some rolls I have received, and it appears to run true 
with some interesting results.
     A 9 SZ seems to allow use of any weapon without being too small.
     9 ST seems to allow you to use most weapons without the comment "does not have ST 
to use weapon well."
     9 SP with a 9 DF will give the normal speed/coordination to offensive warriors 
and to PS, PL and PR. (Does anyone think WS, TP, AB are normal?)
     9 WT with a 9 WL will give no negative wit/will statement (no positive one 
either).
     A 9 in all attributes leaves 21 points to modify the key stats for a warrior's 
style.
     I have been trying for a while to design warriors with a minimum of 9 in all 
attributes, or to at least be able to train to a 9 in a couple of raises.  I am still 
trying with mixed results to date.
     I lost track to the point or purpose of this article, but maybe it will provoke 
some thought, yes, no, maybe?  Suggestion and comments will come.

                                             Jeff Hannah, c/o Star Signs, DM 13

                            EARTHWORM FLAMBE A LA THAIGYN

     Arena gourmets, try this tasty tidbit, before, during and after your next 
training session:

Ingredients -  3 qts. processed camel spit
               1 pint fingernail larva
               6K cups giant earthworm droppings (imported)
               3 cups sweet'n'sour orc sweat
               1 slice head cheese
               1 bavarian mint (imported)
               1 tsp. toe jam (I would suggest your own)

Directions -   1. Pre-heat oven to 6200C.
               2. Grease 1 22x22 Turtle shell.
               3. Pour camel spit & orc sweat into shell, mix with high octane 
               gasoline (unleaded for those on diet), place in oven, and heat for 3 - 
               4 hours.
               4. Place all other ingredients into osterizer at *whip* setting until 
               thick.
               5. Bake for 7 days or until you get that distinctive scorched aroma.
               6. Take out of oven, get a match, and light that sucker up.
               7. Now scarf it down.  Yum, yum.

               *It's perfect for those Dark Arena picnics.*

     For a first hand experience come over to Thaigyn's Scarf'N'Barf, right next to 
the Welcome Wench, or go to D. Tramp's Tune-Up Garage & Salad Bar, 1 block east of 
Saugum's Outhouse Inn..
     *** Coming to an arena near you, the Steel Breez Chop'N'Slop, (formerly known as 
the Eradicator's International House of Toe Jam***

                                   To all, enjoy, Thaigyn of Petrys Acoplys
                                   D. Tramp, Lord Petrys & Ennexa
                                   Mephobasheth of Steel Breez.

                           DEATH INTENT STATEMENT EXPLAINED

     In order to keep this brief, I'm going to avoid a long rambling opening and get 
right to the meat of the issue.  The `death intent statement' (`fights with a deadly 
bloodlust in his eyes,' `is going for the kill,' `is eagerly seeking the death blow,' 
etc.) can ONLY be gained in normal combat (non-Dark Arena, non-Bloodgames) AFTER 
striking an opponent in a vital location (some region of the HE, CH, or AB, pelvis 
included.)  Once the death intent statement is printed, the struck warrior makes a 
roll to survive the fight.  If this roll is failed, he is dead, and the rest of the 
fight is simply a matter of running down the dead fighter's hit points by normal, non-
critical attacks.
     Now, the moral offshoot of this is that, knowing this, any fighter sent out by 
his manager attacking a vital location is purposefully increasing his chance of 
killing his opponent.  The logic is this: if you attack vitals you are more likely to 
hit a vital location.  In striking a vital, you may get the death intent statement, 
and that's then one dice roll to end the fighter.  By attacking non-vitals you are 
decreasing your chances of striking a vital (by increasing your chances of striking 
non-vitals.)  Note that this is not flawless, as the percentage of actually HITTING 
your attack location is perhaps only 67% on high-deftness fighters, but by not 
attacking vitals you are doing the best you can, which is all anyone can ask.
     Here's the bottom line.  A fighter can run 10-10-10 L-N and NEVER kill (excepting 
infirmary deaths, which is an entirely separate case) if he hits only arms or legs.  
Thus, while KD is a large factor in determining kills (a head shot by a 10-10-1 
fighter is far less likely to get the statement than a head shot by a 10-10-10 
fighter,) it is less important than attack location.

Gary Triplett, a.k.a. Miles/Sir Boyd
diplo Crimson Pegasi (arena 105) for advice, questions, comments, wit statement charts 
or other charts, etc.

P.S.  Apologies to those I said I'd diplo this to.  I just decided to make this a 
general article.  If you're one of the managers in the wave that received only the tan 
wit statement chart and the lavender activity statement chart, please re-contact me if 
you'd like the explanation sheet, which includes details on all the statements printed 
on the fighter overview.


                           REBUTTAL TO "THE LITTLE BASHER"

     So many times I've seen one of these "helpful hints" that I disagreed with, but 
never have I been so disgusted that I'd write a rebuttal.  Well, this time I could not 
sit aside and watch someone slaughter a style that I love.
     I am referring to Belegrath's article, entitled, "The Little Basher."  Now, even 
though I have yet to have a warrior achieve the title of "Lord Protector," I have been 
at this game for a couple of years now.  I've run bashers more than any other style, 
and my record with them is over .500.  Therefore, I think I have enough experience and 
knowledge to say that Belegrath's basher sucks!!!
     The main purpose I write this is not to undermine Belegrath's managerial 
abilities, but to warn any new people who might read his article.  I don't think 
anyone should waste their money on Belegrath's basher theory.  Or even worse, to have 
someone quit the game after getting the crap beat out of them having warriors modeled 
after Belegrath's.
     First, I'll tell you what is wrong with "The Little Basher" (to refresh your 
memory: 20-6-3-13-7-20-15).
     1)  The best he can get, regardless of his strength, is good damage because of 
his 3 SZ.
     2)  He'll fall over from exhaustion before the first minute is up, unless you run 
a real low activity level.  He'll be very frail and have very little endurance.
     3)  A 3 SZ?!?  And what if the war hammer or mace aren't his favorite weapons?  
You lost the QS, a very reputable bashing weapon, and the GS, which I've recently 
found to be a great bashing weapon.
     4)  He probably won't pick up too many skills with a 13 WT.  Good luck maxing out 
in the next decade!!
     5)  With a 7 WL, he has only a 35% chance to raise a stat ONCE, then the chances 
for that same category are halved every time thereafter.  Therefore, he'll always be 
very frail with poor endurance.
     6)  20 SP, what a waste!  Bashers, in my opinion, have no need for speed.  And 
even if you wanted to waste points on speed, you don't need to raise it to such an 
extreme.  One stat raise here, and you lose app. four skills.
     7)  15 DF.  This is pretty much the only point I agree with.  I know, I know, 
bashers don't need deftness.  But just imagine a basher with an AB's accuracy!
     I had a ST once who looked similar to Belegrath's basher.  He looked like this: 
19-4-13-16-3-19-10.  What happened to him, you ask?  He was killed by a maul-wielding 
scum basher on his third fight.  In his first two fights he hacked the crap out of two 
TP's, and then fell over from exhaustion.  No broken shields, no broken bones.  Get 
the point, yet?
     Now, a better basher, not the best, mind you, would look like this:
13 ST     Achieve good damage (possibly great) and be able to use all 
          bashing weapons (except HL).
10 CN     This isn't important, but at least he'll be able to take a couple
          of blows.
 9 SZ     Fulfills requirement for all bashing weapons.
17 WT     A nice number.  19 isn't good, and 21 means that it should be
          something else.
15 WL     Gives at least normal endurance, and increases chances of raising
          stats.
 5 SP     SP is unimportant, absolutely no need!  Although, it will take a 
          few more skills to get a rating in Decise.
15 DF     Wonderful to have DF.  Keeps them from swinging at the flies (Most
          of the time).
     Well, there you have it.  I hope I cleared things up a little.  I doubt if anyone 
else agrees with me, but that's what makes this game so fun!

                                        LUVUALLWAYS,
                                        Vanion
                         Drunken Stupor (11)   The Dawn-Men (67)
                         The Dark (26)         Othrsydosanity (74)

                                    THE UN-SCUM

     The type of TP I make will often win fights without ever getting hit!  The fights 
are exciting to read, full of dodges and ripostes, and if you've never seen a TP 
outjump a Basher, make an offensive TP.

ST: 7-13   All you really need is normal damage!  11 is perfect, for carrying capacity 
and weapon selection.  Good damage is nice to have, but if it looks like your rollup 
will get good or great, he's probably better off as a WS, LU or BA.

CN: 9-16   Again, all you need is normal.  We're making a finesse substyle, and the 
points are badly needed on WT, WL and DF.  Just make sure he can take a hit or two.  
Don't add any points here on the rollup, but go ahead and raise it later if you think 
he needs it.  Endurance is not a priority.

SZ: 3-9    A single digit is important for dodging and activity levels.  I will go as 
high as 10, but any bigger and you can't dodge well enough.  Small size also helps 
parry and defense, as well as getting a good activity and elusive statement on the 
overview.  Plus, you need the points below.

WT: 15, 17 or 21 only!  This is the biggie, he'll learn like crazy!  I know what 
you're saying, "my 11 WT SCUM learns 3 skills a fight!"  Yeah, but your SCUM's skill 
base will be so low, when he's maxxed out in skills, my off. TP will be at the same 
level of expertise by his 10th fight!  For any style, 90% of the skills are in WT, WL 
and DF, and that's where the 14 points must go.

WL: 13-21  As with any fighter, more is better.  However, you can get by with normal 
endurance, believe it or not!  This TP will wear moderate armor, and can run active 
for 6-7 minutes with normal endurance.  That's long enough for all but a few 
opponents.  Raise WL on the rollup to 17 or 21 if you can, but if 13 or 15 is all he 
can have, he'll be okay.

SP: 5-9    This is a touchy area, and can make or break your TP.  I like to use 7, 8 
or 9.  If you use 5 or 6, he'd better be small, and have a 17 or 21 WT.  OR, a CN that 
will allow him to take a lot of damage.  If he's too big, dumb and slow then he'll get 
"slow and inactive" on the overview, and that is too scummy for my TP.  You MUST have 
normal or better activity.  SP also helps with your riposte, crucial to the off. TP.

DF: 11-17  Second in importance, behind WT.  Parry, Riposte, Defense and Attack are 
your mainstays, and they're all enhanced by a high DF.  Try to get normal coordination 
(SP+DF=21) if possible.

     Here are some examples of good off. TPs, all are real fighters;

     11        10         8        11         7        11        10
     14        12        15         9        15        13        12
      7         4         7         6         8         7        10
     17        15        15        17        21        17        17
     17        21        17        21        13        17        13
      5         7         9         9         7         8         8
     13        15        13        11        13        11        13

     Now, how to fight them, you ask?  Every one of them seems to like to run 
differently, I've seen some tee off at 2-7-5, some do better at 4-4-5, some 2-3-2, 
even those who go 3-3-5 first min, then go ballistic in the second (10-10-6).  Also, 
some run 7-7-7!  You just have to play around with the numbers, 'til you find what 
works best.  Here's a general strategy I usually start with:

     4    5    6    7    4    3    10   Armor: I use ARM/H most of the time,
     7    6    5    4    4    2    10   but guys like examples #1 and 2 
     5    5    5    5    5    5     6   would be better off in ACM/F.  If
                                        facing a LU or SL, you can wear 
     RA ------------------------>  HE   APA/F (yes, even with normal endur-
     AM ------------------------>  HE   ance!), 'cause the LU or SL is going
     -    -    -    -    -    -     -   to drop in min. 2, more than likely.
     S    S    -    -    -    -     D

Weapons:  Any sword and shield you're suited to, as well as the Quarterstaff and the 
Longspear.  Vs. heavy armor, use a BS two-handed.

Tactics:  Parry, dodge, and especially vs. strikers, responsiveness!  Resp. will drive 
other managers nuts, prompting them to say, "How'd you do that?"  My favorite tactic 
for the Un-Scum.

Matchups:  Every striker in the arena should be on your hit-list.  Other good 
challenges are PS, WS, PR, BA.  Avoid lungers and ABs like the plague!

     So, there you have it.  If you'd rather have a TP who's as elusive as a La-Z-Boy 
than one who sidesteps more blows than he parries, then don't follow my advice.  But, 
if you're ready to have fun fights with TPs, and watch their popularity rise (except 
vs. scum) every match, then that's what I offer you.
     Brought to you by Buri of the G.A.P.P.D.A., MGR. Aesier (3, 104), Swords of 
Sergio (4, 104), S.O.S. (59), and way too many others.  Fell free to diplo me, for 
praise, ridicule, or just for the halibut.

                               Duelmasters for Dummies

     There are handbooks around that will guide you in becoming the hottest player 
Duelmasters has ever seen... if you're prepared to work at it.  But what if you don't 
want to be hot, but only pleasantly warm, have a good time, and not fret and stew 
over maximizing the potential of every roll-up you receive?  What if spending months 
in the Dark Arena searching for the perfect roll-up sounds boring?  What if the 
"Perfect Warrior" is not for you, and you have no intention of dominating Gateway?  
What if such handbooks as the Enchiridion represent "more than you ever wanted to 
know" about the inner workings and minute tunings of the game?
     This article is for you....
     You have a new roll-up sheet in front of you; it doesn't matter whether it's a 
new team or only one replacement.  How do you design the warrior(s) for best present 
enjoyment?  First, don't send anyone straight to the Dark Arena.  Okay, do if you 
like to read Dark Arena fights, but not otherwise.  Give every roll-up, regardless of 
"Perfect Warrior" potential or lack thereof, your best design efforts and a chance to 
show his stuff.  Some supposed duds will surprise you.
     A few simple rules for basic warrior design and strategy:
      1)  Aim at achieving an odd number in your key stats, 15 is good, 17 is better, 
except in unusual cases (DF for aimed blows), 21 is too much of a good thing.
      2)  Wit and Will are the key stats for any warrior except a freak experiment.  
Deftness and Strength are second, Speed and Constitution are third.
      3)  Offensive styles (Basher, Lunger, Slasher, Striker) and Total Parries are 
easier to run and easier to win with than the finesse styles (Aimed Blows, Parry-
anythings, Walls of Steel).  Yes, the finesse styles can be fun and devastating, but 
don't START there.  Start with the easier styles and work up to finesse.  Watch out 
for stereotypes.  Big, dumb, clumsy bashers do not generally do well.  Fast, brainy 
lungers with low CN and WL burn out early in the first minute and also tend to die 
easily.  A medium good roll-up will do well at any of the offensive styles.
      4)  Pick your arena with some care, as different arenas favor and reward 
different styles of play and different tones in the personals.
     Generally speaking, arenas of the Andorian and Lirith Kai regions will frown on 
down-challenges and deliberate killing, and hostile "trash-talking" personals will 
not be appreciated.  On the whole, these Andorian and Adantri arenas are the more 
sociable arenas and will tend to have more personals and more role-playing.  (There 
are, of course, exceptions.)  Players in the Andorian and Lirith Kai arenas will tend 
to be helpful to a newcomer.
     Arenas of the Delarquan region will accept more aggressive styles in play and in 
personals, more down-challenging, and more killing... BUT you can expect to draw a 
quick and hard response in kind.  Generally these arenas are not as friendly as the 
Andorians, and they are much less likely to help out a newcomer.
     The arenas of the Free Blades region vary more among themselves than those of 
the other regions but generally tend to fall in between the Andorian and Delarquan 
extremes.
      5)  When arming your warrior, check the Weapon/Style/Stat Suitability chart 
below, probably THE most useful chart for a beginner.  It sorts the weapons by style, 
listing only those that are favored by each style, and gives the minimum stats (in 
ST, SZ, WT, and DF) to use any particular weapon.  Note which weapons your warrior is 
physically able to use.  Arm him with something he can use and that is favored by his 
style, and GIVE HIM A BACK-UP WEAPON, even if it's only a dagger.  Do not be misled 
by real-world logic, by the way: bashers are not well-suited to using the fists as 
weapons!  (If you are going to use the same weapon against all armor weights, it 
isn't necessary to make three categories on your strategy sheet, and it annoys the 
inputter.)
     In fact, you might want to consult the chart below before picking a style for 
your new warrior.  It is not a good idea to make a warrior into, say, a basher, if he 
is unable to use well any of the basher's weapons of choice.  (I've done this by not 
paying attention, and I have ALWAYS regretted it afterward.)  For example, I just got 
a replacement who is 8-10-20-9-12-4-7.  If I make it 9-10-20-15-17-4-9, then I should 
NOT make it a Basher, because the poor goop couldn't use any bashing weapon well.  If 
I go with this set of numbers, he should probably be a Lunger using a short spear, or 
a Striker using a hatchet.  But if I drop WT to 13 and raise ST to 11, he could use a 
broadsword and might make a Slasher; equally, if I drop WT to 13 and raise DF to 11, 
instead, he could use a scimitar and make a Slasher....  Choices, choices....
      6)  Put armor on the warrior before sending him out to fight.  Armor saves 
lives.  Total Parries can take the heaviest armors, as they generally don't move 
around a lot.  Offensives can run faster with no armor or leather armor, but that 
doesn't give them much protection.  If you're worried about their survival, put them 
in mid-weight armor; I favor ringmail for this, but scalemail and chainmail are also 
options.  Always put something on their heads!  A blow to the head can be especially 
deadly, so give them protection there--at least a steel cap, a helm for choice, a 
full helm if the warrior is a Total Parry.
      7)  Train skills, unless/until you're sure this is going to be a throw-away, 
short-term warrior.
      8)  Challenge warriors above your warrior, and/or those with more fights, for 
the best chance to learn skills.  Challenge warriors below your warrior to improve 
your chances of winning and to provoke maximum hostility from other managers.  
Repeated challenges to the same warrior, when there are other targets available, will 
also provoke hostility.
      9)  Avoid teams with high kill percentages and teams that regularly down-
challenge or repeat-challenge.
     10)  Don't run a warrior 10-10-10 unless you like to see him go berserk and then 
collapse half way through the first minute.  Yes, the pure offensives should run 
fast, but drop either Activity Level or Kill Desire or both by a few points if your 
warrior doesn't have a good or better endurance.  If endurance is not mentioned on 
the warrior's overview, then it is "normal" or "average," and 10-10-10 will probably 
burn him out early in the fight.  If endurance is poor, don't even think of it.  
(Yes, I can hear all you number crunchers out there rising up to point out that there 
are exceptions.  I admit the exceptions, but these are general guidelines for the 
average beginner.  Exceptions belong in a different article.}  Generally speaking, 
Total Parries should run slowly.
     11)  Be wary of using tactics.  Sometimes they help, sometimes they hinder, and 
they're tricky.  Even when a tactic gives some clear benefit, remember that it comes 
with a built-in danger in that it commits the warrior to that attitude during the 
minute it is used.  A defensive tactic will tend to hinder offense, offensive tactics 
will reduce the warrior's defense.  Do not use both an offensive and a defensive 
tactic in the same minute.
     12)  Fill out your strategy sheet clearly and completely to avoid antagonizing 
the inputter!  Don't make her guess what you want your warrior to do.
     13)  Write personal ads to take part in the player-player interaction.  This is 
a significant part of the fun of the game.  If you want other managers to help you 
learn, write =friendly= personals!  Surprising how some people miss this obvious 
point, but the obnoxious managers are likely to have a hard time getting help.
     14)  Fill out the front part of the Warrior Census Form.  Picking a warrior's 
race can make him a more clearly realized character and one that it is more fun to 
write personals for.  Filling out the warrior sayings can make reading the fights 
more amusing.  Fill out the back of the form only if you feel like it, as NOTHING on 
the back, not even the character stats, has any effect on the fights.  The back of 
the form is all role-playing information and, at this time, will only be used if/when 
your warrior appears in a spotlight written by a staff writer.  When/if the extension 
of the Duelmasters system for which the back of the form was originally intended is 
completed, you will have another chance to fill out this stuff.

                   Weapons, Styles, Minimum Stats required for use
The weapons best-suited to each style are listed under that style.  If a weapon is 
not listed under that style, then it is not well-suited to use by that style.  
Regardless of style, however, the stats required to use a weapon are the same.
     This chart was composed with information found in the Enchiridion, and I thank 
Pagan for making it readily available.

     Aimed Blow  nine weapons                   Slasher  eight weapons
Dagger         ST  -  SZ  -  WT  7  DF  7  Battleaxe      ST 15  SZ  9  WT  9  DF  9
Epee           ST  7  SZ  -  WT 15  DF 15  Broadsword     ST 11  SZ  -  WT  9  DF  7
FiST  -        presumably any              Epee           ST  7  SZ  -  WT 15  DF 15
Longspear      ST 11  SZ  9  WT  5  DF  9  Greataxe       ST 13  SZ  5  WT  9  DF 11
Longsword      ST 11  SZ  -  WT 13  DF 11  Hatchet        ST  5  SZ  -  WT  3  DF  7
Quarterstaff   ST 11  SZ  9  WT 11  DF 11  Longsword      ST 11  SZ  -  WT 13  DF 11
Scimitar       ST  9  SZ  -  WT 11  DF 11  Scimitar       ST  9  SZ  -  WT 11  DF 11
Shortspear     ST  9  SZ  -  WT  7  DF  7  Shortsword     ST  5  SZ  -  WT 11  DF  3
Shortsword     ST  5  SZ  -  WT 11  DF  3  
                                                Striker  Note that the strikers can 
     Basher  eleven weapons                use every weapon plus the small shield 
Greataxe       ST 13  SZ  5  WT  9  DF 11  effectively.  This is the only style that 
Greatsword     ST 15  SZ  9  WT  9  DF 11  has so broad a selection.  Twenty-one 
Halberd        ST 17  SZ  9  WT  9  DF  9  weapons.
Large shield   ST 11  SZ  7  WT  5  DF  5  Battleaxe      ST 15  SZ  9  WT  9  DF  9
Mace           ST 13  SZ  -  WT  3  DF  5  Broadsword     ST 11  SZ  -  WT  9  DF  7
Maul           ST 15  SZ  9  WT  5  DF  7  Dagger         ST  -  SZ  -  WT  7  DF  7
Medium shield  ST  9  SZ  -  WT  5  DF  5  Epee           ST  7  SZ  -  WT 15  DF 15
Morningstar    ST 13  SZ  -  WT  7  DF 13  FiST  -        presumably any
Quarterstaff   ST 11  SZ  9  WT 11  DF 11  Greataxe       ST 13  SZ  5  WT  9  DF 11
Warflail       ST 11  SZ  -  WT  7  DF  5  Greatsword     ST 15  SZ  9  WT  9  DF 11
Warhammer      ST 13  SZ  -  WT  5  DF  7  Halberd        ST 17  SZ  9  WT  9  DF  9
                                           Hatchet        ST  5  SZ  -  WT  3  DF  7
     Lunger  five weapons                  Longspear      ST 11  SZ  9  WT  5  DF  9
Epee           ST  7  SZ  -  WT 15  DF 15  Longsword      ST 11  SZ  -  WT 13  DF 11
Longspear      ST 11  SZ  9  WT  5  DF  9  Mace           ST 13  SZ  -  WT  3  DF  5
Longsword      ST 11  SZ  -  WT 13  DF 11  Maul           ST 15  SZ  9  WT  5  DF  7
Shortspear     ST  9  SZ  -  WT  7  DF  7  Morningstar    ST 13  SZ  -  WT  7  DF 13
Shortsword     ST  5  SZ  -  WT 11  DF  3  Quarterstaff   ST 11  SZ  9  WT 11  DF 11
                                           Scimitar       ST  9  SZ  -  WT 11  DF 11
     Parry-Lunger  six weapons             Shortspear     ST  9  SZ  -  WT  7  DF  7
Epee           ST  7  SZ  -  WT 15  DF 15  Shortsword     ST  5  SZ  -  WT 11  DF  3
Longspear      ST 11  SZ  9  WT  5  DF  9  Small shield   ST  5  SZ  -  WT  5  DF  5
Longsword      ST 11  SZ  -  WT 13  DF 11  Warflail       ST 11  SZ  -  WT  7  DF  5
Scimitar       ST  9  SZ  -  WT 11  DF 11  Warhammer      ST 13  SZ  -  WT  5  DF  7
Shortspear     ST  9  SZ  -  WT  7  DF  7  
Shortsword     ST  5  SZ  -  WT 11  DF  3       Total Parry  twelve weapons
     Parry-Riposte  six weapons            Battleaxe      ST 15  SZ  9  WT  9  DF  9
Epee           ST  7  SZ  -  WT 15  DF 15  Broadsword     ST 11  SZ  -  WT  9  DF  7
Longspear      ST 11  SZ  9  WT  5  DF  9  Epee           ST  7  SZ  -  WT 15  DF 15
Longsword      ST 11  SZ  -  WT 13  DF 11  Greatsword     ST 15  SZ  9  WT  9  DF 11
Scimitar       ST  9  SZ  -  WT 11  DF 11  Large shield   ST 11  SZ  7  WT  5  DF  5
Shortspear     ST  9  SZ  -  WT  7  DF  7  Longspear      ST 11  SZ  9  WT  5  DF  9
Shortsword     ST  5  SZ  -  WT 11  DF  3  Longsword      ST 11  SZ  -  WT 13  DF 11
                                           Medium shield  ST  9  SZ  -  WT  5  DF  5
     Parry-Striker  eleven weapons         Quarterstaff   ST 11  SZ  9  WT 11  DF 11
Battleaxe      ST 15  SZ  9  WT  9  DF  9  Scimitar       ST  9  SZ  -  WT 11  DF 11
Broadsword     ST 11  SZ  -  WT  9  DF  7  Shortsword     ST  5  SZ  -  WT 11  DF  3
Epee           ST  7  SZ  -  WT 15  DF 15  Small shield   ST  5  SZ  -  WT  5  DF  5
Greatsword     ST 15  SZ  9  WT  9  DF 11  
Longsword      ST 11  SZ  -  WT 13  DF 11       Wall of Steel  eight weapons
Quarterstaff   ST 11  SZ  9  WT 11  DF 11  Battleaxe      ST 15  SZ  9  WT  9  DF  9
Scimitar       ST  9  SZ  -  WT 11  DF 11  Broadsword     ST 11  SZ  -  WT  9  DF  7
Shortspear     ST  9  SZ  -  WT  7  DF  7  Greataxe       ST 13  SZ  5  WT  9  DF 11
Shortsword     ST  5  SZ  -  WT 11  DF  3  Greatsword     ST 15  SZ  9  WT  9  DF 11
Small shield   ST  5  SZ  -  WT  5  DF  5  Morningstar    ST 13  SZ  -  WT  7  DF 13
Warhammer      ST 13  SZ  -  WT  5  DF  7  Quarterstaff   ST 11  SZ  9  WT 11  DF 11
                                           Scimitar       ST  9  SZ  -  WT 11  DF 11
                                           Warflail       ST 11  SZ  -  WT  7  DF  5

Jorja
The Middle Way
DM 93 and elsewhere