DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER
Date : 10/31/2015 Duedate: 11/13/2015
NOBLISH ISLAND ARENA
DM-93 TURN-441
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
NOT ENOUGH
BASH BROS LEFTOVERS (1685)
(93-9834) [7-3-0,89]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
NOT ENOUGH PRETTY KITTY
BASH BROS LEFTOVERS (1685) FARM ANIMALS (1682)
(93-9834) [7-3-0,89] (93-9815) [6-3-1,33]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
NOT ENOUGH ROOSTER
BASH BROS LEFTOVERS (1685) FARM ANIMALS (1682)
(93-9834) [7-3-0,89] (93-9813) [4-5-0,28]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
BASH BROS LEFTOVERS (1685)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. CHAOS LORDS (1691) 56
2. BASH BROS LEFTOVERS (1685) 36BASH BROS LEFTOVERS (1685)
3. THE BLOODLUST (1688) 33 Unchartered Team
4. ROSS' RAIDERS (1689) 6
5. THE FIGHTING CHAIRS (1692) 4 CHAOS LORDS (1691)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1/ 0*CHAOS LORDS (1691) 5 0 0 100 1/ 1 BASH BROS LEFTOVE (1685) 13 2 1
2/ 1 BASH BROS LEFTOVE (1685) 40 10 1 80.0 2/ 0*CHAOS LORDS (1691) 5 0 0
3/ 2*ROSS' RAIDERS (1689) 4 2 1 66.7 3/ 3*THE BLOODLUST (1688) 5 5 1
4/ 3*FARM ANIMALS (1682) 24 20 2 54.5 4/ 2*FARM ANIMALS (1682) 5 10 1
5/ 4*THE BLOODLUST (1688) 6 6 2 50.0 5/ 4*ROSS' RAIDERS (1689) 4 2 1
6- 6*THE DAMNED (301) 1 2 0 33.3 6/ 0*THE FIGHTING CHAI (1692) 0 4 0
7/ 0*THE FIGHTING CHAI (1692) 0 4 0 0.0 7- 7*THE DAMNED (301) 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
HOW DOES THIS D2 THING ACTUALLY WORK?
D2, the game of Duelmasters, is just plain fun. It is so good that there has even been
a published book written about it! It must be great, then! Do you want to have the fun
and pleasures that hundreds of other managers before you have experienced? Can't blame
you! I have been enjoying Duelmasters-to-D2 for nearly 30 years. Perhaps this article
will assist or simplify your introduction to this game and speed up your enjoyment
process. It goes something like this....
ACQUIRE A D2 ROLL UPS sheet from RSI. (Reality Simulations Inc., P.O. Box 22400, Tempe
AZ 85285-2400, 480-967-7979) The first sheet/team is free. Subsequent teams cost $5.
Later, after your introductory 10 turns in the Noblish Island (DM93) arena, you can
transfer your starting team to another arena, or you may find you even want to start
up a new team/s in other arenas, or both. Actually, you can start new teams any time,
even while going through your learning process in DM93; but you may want to "learn the
ropes" first.
FILL OUT THE ROLL UPS and send the sheet to RSI. Other than the normal personal
information, the most important things to decide are: Team name, Manager Name, and 5
individual warrior designs. Let's discuss each of those briefly.
1. Team name and manager name can be anything you like that fits you. (RSI will edit
inappropriate naming.) They can be gladiator driven, silly ideas, great play on words,
or whatever. The warrior names can be closely tied to the team name, or not. My very
first team was: Bulldogs, manager Kennelworth, and names like Tiger Lily, Sir Smythe,
Wild Wayne, and Flash. Etc. A team I admire in the game is Azure Clouds, manager
Slugbait, warrior names like Black Bile, Violent Orange, Blue Note.
2. We could spend hours and hours on warrior designs, (Where to place the 14 points
on the fixed 70 points and what style to choose?) and there are many articles
available examining design, so I will offer only a few basic comments:
a. Offensive styles are easier to learn for a newbie (or anyone, for that matter.)
Gender does not matter at all in the fight process.
Generally, fast & quick or brawny & strong rule the day. I said generally. WT and WL
are the most important stats.
b. There are reasons to design to odd numbers. (Exclude CN from that statement.)
Read newsletters and other RSI info, especially DM93 for design reviews You have
received your 5 warrior profiles.
Time to fill out DUEL II STRATEGY FORMS and send them in to RSI. "Goodness!" you say;
"I wish I had a lot more information about weapons and strategies and what the warrior
profile means, and..." Here are a list of places and methods for getting additional
info:
- "Phone a friend." Diplo, e mail, call, write, etc., beg from other players,
especially experienced players in the game.
- "Put on your newbie outfit." Ask RSI, or better yet, diplo the teachers/coaches in
Noblish Island (DM93) the "starter's arena" and ask for information provided there. If
you are already in Noblish Island, ask RSI to make sure you get the CIC or "fact
sheets".
- "Go electronic." The best information in the game is available at reality.com/dm, or
terrablood.com, or even try chatzy.com/42003746228981 as DMers chat there from appx
9AM to 2AM EST and they seem to welcome inexperienced questions.
So back to the strategy sheets. One for each warrior you plan to fight. Write legibly!
You would be very disappointed to have a code inputted improperly because your
scribbles were not so discernible. The basic stuff like warrior name and ID, or game #
and account # don't need discussion. But weapon selection, strategy, armor and
challenging do.
Weapon choice is your chance to select a best weapon against the opponent's probable
armor. Bigger weapons are probably needed against heavy armor. Some weapons do
especially well against certain armor types. (Hmmm; that information mentioned earlier
would help.) The most common weapon arrangements are a single primary weapon and a
small backup primary for offensive types, and a primary/secondary (secondary could be
a shield) and zero to two backups for defensives/finesse warriors.
Strategy is more difficult to decide. Offensives usually start "hot and heavy" and
then slow down, as they will wear down/tire due to weight being carried and a high
activity level Defensives tend to run moderately, but current arena defensive warriors
can be found fighting anywhere from "hot and heavy" to very slow. The desperation
strategy is important, because if your warrior is nearing defeat or exhaustion, you
may want to do something different in a last-ditch effort to pull out the win.
Armor is really a matter of preference, but like every other choice in the game, there
are trade-offs. Heavy armor, while providing more protection, can slow down and wear
down warriors. Naked or light armor may be less restricting and faster but offers
little protection. It is easy to think, "I need lots of armor," but over encumbering
a warrior greatly impacts (diminishes) his fighting ability.
Training is simple. The most common training is "skills", but stats can be and are
trained also. In general the amount of skills learned is based on your WT (the higher
the better), but it is also impacted by the knowledge of the warriors you fight (and
other things). Stat training is very highly dependent on WL, as the odds of getting a
first stat train of a stat type are 5% times the WL (e.g., a WL of 15 = 5%x15 or 75%
chance). There can be a luck roll impact also in almost everything that occurs in Duel
2. Attempting to get a 2nd stat raise in a certain stat is halved (e.g., a WL of 15 =
5%x15x 0.5 = 37.5%).
Challenging and avoiding are very strategic components of the game. There are quite a
few managers who do not challenge or avoid or both. You can use that to your best
advantage. Challenge warriors (the warrior ID number) and avoid teams (the team ID
number). Several points about challenging/avoiding):
1. Challenging and avoiding do not work until after the warrior has fought his/her
first fight in the arena.
2. Challenge warriors or styles you think you can beat, or who will teach you well,
or to attempt to advance in the rankings.
3. Avoid those teams who have warriors that can probably beat you, or who are likely
to challenge you.
4. Remember: challenge warrior ID numbers (not names) and avoid team numbers (not
names)
5. Some arenas, usually Andorian, frown on down-challenging (usually defined as
challenging someone with fewer recognition points that oneself). Beware of the arena
environment, history, and politics.
6. You have the option to use an alternate "special strategy" either (or both) when
you challenge someone, or when someone challenges you. You can use this alternate to
prepare a specific strategy for that challenge you just made, or surprising an
opponent who will likely challenge or blood feud you. To use these alternatives, "x"
the proper box or boxes and fill out the strategy info on the back of the strategy
form. This alternative strategy will not be used unless the conditions you selected
occur.
That was easy, wasn't it!? After sending in your strategy sheets (in plenty of time
for the due date -- or last minute via fax; no internet submittals allowed), the
computer utilizes everyone's inputs and the fights proceed. A few days after the arena
run date, the actual fights and arena newsletter will arrive in your mailbox. Before
submitting the new warrior strategies for the next round of fights, there is much a
manager can/should examine and review. Here are generic things that this old-time
manager evaluates:
1. Have I collected/recorded all the information I want from the fight so I can
access it quickly? (Ed Sullivan and his Consortium cronies record this for every
fight: opponent's name, stable, arena and ID number, size, handedness, record, style,
armor, and weapons plus my warrior's train results, armor, weapons, swing info
(criticals/swings/extra value hits). W or L, how many minutes, recognition points, and
political point status- if any. Also recorded are who, if anyone challenged. This is
manually recorded on a sheet with my warrior's name, ID, and size, handedness, plus
style.
2. Did each warrior fight as I expected from the strategy? Do I need to adjust or
change any strategies?
3. Did any warrior act over encumbered or tire faster than I thought? Do I need to
adjust strategies, armor, or weapons?
4. Did each warrior fight well with the weapon? (e.g., hit when he swung and had
critical hits: which are strongly stated weapon hit statements compared to the norm)
Do I need to change weapon selections?
5. Did another warrior out jump me when I did not expect it? Do I need to adjust
strategies or weapons?
6. Did the warriors learn what I expected and learn well? (e.g., earn lots of skills)
If not, what can I do about it? (Switch to learning stats/skills? Challenge a very
experienced warrior?)
7. Do I know anything about the arena warriors that I can challenge? (Have I and my
friends accumulated style and other information on opponents?) Should I challenge or
take the luck of the draw? (Remember: challenge warrior ID#'s!)
8. Likewise, is there someone within range I just do not want to fight? (A warrior
that has beaten me? A warrior with lots more experience than me? A team that has my
number? Should I avoid the team with that warrior? (Remember: avoid team ID#'s!)
9. Have I written some personal ads or a spotlight to add to the enjoyment of the
arena?
Then it is time to turn in those strategy sheets again!
Duel 2 is a game of gladiators, comprised of knowledge, strategy, and a little luck.
Above all, it is fun. See you on the sands!
-- Johnny Appleseed, Consortium Affiliated
***---------*---------*---------*---------**---------*---------*---------*---------***
Bash Bros Rippers
All teams are not created equal. The team of recruits I received this time for the
sands of Noblish Island were definitely above average. As I started testing them and
putting them through workouts, I started upon and idea and it was born. Parry
Ripostes, every one of them! Well, except for one, who I can't resist running as a
basher, my favorite style. Rippers (as many people call them) are one of the harder
styles to have success with. There are certain models which work most of the time,
but because their skills are so low, they struggle. Their advantages include low
endurance burn, naturally learning the right skills for their style, and a natural
ability to beat the best style in basic (Strikers).
#1: 17-13-11-9-9-8-3. Look at those physicals! He's going to have terrible skills
and low deftness. That usually implies TP, LU, or BA. I'm going basher! I could
have chosen PR, leaving the will low, wit to 11, and the rest on str, con, and dft.
But my end design becomes 17-17-11-11-15-8-5. Tough call between 3/5 deftness and
19/17 constitution. Because I like having weapons well suited, I chose the deftness.
#2: 4-9-16-12-13-7-9. This is the black sheep of the team. He doesn't look
fantastic. Something along the lines of 8-9-16-17-15-8-11 offensive would be my
recommendation for most. A slower offensive that with one train can use the Scimitar.
But this is a team of Rippers. I'll sacrifice wit!!! 9-11-16-13-17-7-11 PR. He's
going to struggle, but I really don't love any design, so I'm not giving up much
making him a PR.
#3: 20-4-9-7-10-16-4. This guy 'should' have been made into a fast lower wit
offensive. As a PR, I'm going to burn him (burning referring to doing stat trains
that give him skills fast). 20-9-9-7-16-16-7 PR (I will train Will, Strength,
Consitution, and then skills)
#4: 17-5-13-4-15-8-8. Low wit, low con. Looks like a hybrid or offensive to me.
Hmmm, PR is a fun hybrid style! 17-9-13-5-21-8-11 PR gives me the two spears as
weapons. Not the best weapons, but perfectly acceptable.
#5: 9-9-11-12-11-10-8. Regardless of style choice, 9-9-11-17-17-10-11 is the design
most people will recommend. That works as a PR. I'm REALLY hoping he gets good or
great damage.
The most important items on your Parry Riposte are Damage Rating, Ability to carry
weight, Hit Points, and Parry Skills. As a hybrid, everything matters. But those are
the most important things in my experience. None of these are perfect, but all look
like fun to run.
-- Assur
DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
Notes from the arena champ.
It's been fun. These leftovers are heading out!
I know the Consortium has had more than enough of us. Assur will never have enough of
beating the Consortium's pants off. (Which happens far too rarely for his liking --
usually it is the other way around.)
-- Not Enough
SPY REPORT
Oh, hi. Its just little 'ol Debby Tonte. Thought I'd check out NOBLISH ISLAND
to see what's new. I talked to CHAOS LORDS' manager before the fights. He said,
"We're gonna do good." And look at this: 5-0-0! Psychic, or what! All you
experienced warriors can look at THE FIGHTING CHAIRS' 0-4-0 and laugh. But with some
more experience, they'll be the ones laughing! MVP award for BLOODIED MIKE? CHAOS
LORDS' proud of him after beating CONVICTED THIEF and getting 13 points. Talk about
yer big time losers! PLOW HORSE got smashed by MOLDY, and lost 10 points! This
Duelmaster is like something else! NOT ENOUGH stopped VETERAN MERCENARY dead in his
tracks! Is the Duelmaster really being a real snob to his teammates? Don't ask me!
Look, you guys stick to fighting, all right? BASH BROS LEFTOVERS was NOBLISH
ISLAND's most avoided team. Is there some award for that? Is there some deep dark
secret why FARM ANIMALS' been avoiding BASH BROS LEFTOVERS so much? Or is it just
that they're too scared? Like, is MYSTERIOUS popular, or what? He was challenged
the most in all of NOBLISH ISLAND! He's got a 7-3-0, is that good?
Challenges, revenges, Bloodfeuds. All NOBLISH ISLAND ever talks about is
fighting! Me, I'm more laid back. Hey you guys, don't you think your families would
like to hear from you? Write! (Or have someone write for you.)
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. Remember
you guys, ease up sometimes! Chill out! Later, Debby Tonte
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
NOT ENOUGH 9834 7 3 0 89 BASH BROS LEFTOVERS (1685)
CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
TOO MANY 9832 9 1 1 58 BASH BROS LEFTOVERS (1685)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
MOLDY 9830 9 1 0 55 BASH BROS LEFTOVERS (1685)
SOMEONE ELSE ATE 9833 8 2 0 37 BASH BROS LEFTOVERS (1685)
MYSTERIOUS 9831 7 3 0 36 BASH BROS LEFTOVERS (1685)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
PRETTY KITTY 9815 6 3 1 33 FARM ANIMALS (1682)
PLOW HORSE 9816 7 2 0 31 FARM ANIMALS (1682)
MOCKINGBIRD 9814 4 5 1 31 FARM ANIMALS (1682)
ROOSTER 9813 4 5 0 28 FARM ANIMALS (1682)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
STABLER 9854 2 0 0 21 ROSS' RAIDERS (1689)
FAT COW 9812 3 5 0 20 FARM ANIMALS (1682)
-M. ALLEN 9855 1 0 0 20 ROSS' RAIDERS (1689)
VAMPIRIAL 9849 2 2 0 18 THE BLOODLUST (1688)
TOM BRITEBLADE 9864 1 0 0 13 CHAOS LORDS (1691)
BLOODIED MIKE 9863 1 0 0 13 CHAOS LORDS (1691)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-AUTUMNBE 9643 3 2 0 12 CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657)
-DEATH BASHER 9847 1 0 1 11 THE BLOODLUST (1688)
TIMID TIM 9862 1 0 0 11 CHAOS LORDS (1691)
CUNNING TERRI 9866 1 0 0 11 CHAOS LORDS (1691)
DRAKONYA 9867 1 0 0 10 THE BLOODLUST (1688)
-FANTHOM DEFT 9850 2 1 1 9 THE BLOODLUST (1688)
-LOTT R 9852 1 0 1 8 ROSS' RAIDERS (1689)
ASHLEY'S GHOST 9865 1 0 0 8 CHAOS LORDS (1691)
-DRAXXUS 9644 1 4 0 7 CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657)
-ZED 1676 1 2 0 5 THE DAMNED (301)
-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)
CHAIRMANDER 9868 0 1 0 1 THE FIGHTING CHAIRS (1692)
HALLE CHAIRY 9870 0 1 0 1 THE FIGHTING CHAIRS (1692)
-LONGSTER 9856 0 1 0 1 ROSS' RAIDERS (1689)
ROCKINGCHAIR 9871 0 1 0 1 THE FIGHTING CHAIRS (1692)
SADCHAIR BILLY 9869 0 1 0 1 THE FIGHTING CHAIRS (1692)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
PERSISTANT BEGGA 0 0 0 MOCKINGBIRD 9814 441 NONE
ATTILIUS 9810 0 3 0 KRAKEN'S DEN 1681 FANTHOM DEFT 9850 438
ROCKET 9853 0 1 0 ROSS' RAIDERS 1689 DEATH BASHER 9847 440
KIL'SLAER 9848 0 2 0 THE BLOODLUST 1688 MASTER SEN GANAM 441 NONE
PERSONAL ADS
Consortium -- That wasn't a very kind thing to do to the Friendly Farmer. He was
doing a fine job. Even though I beat you badly, he was still holding the team around
60% win/loss. That is usually your standard, isn't it? -- Assur
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
KIL'SLAER was butchered by MASTER SEN GANAMIR in a 1 minute Dark Arena fight.
ROOSTER was bested by SOMEONE ELSE ATE in a 2 minute brutal Challenge duel.
FAT COW was overcome by MYSTERIOUS in a popular 1 minute gruesome Challenge match.
NOT ENOUGH devastated VETERAN MERCENARY in a 1 minute gory one-sided Title contest.
TOO MANY subdued PRETTY KITTY in a 2 minute competition.
PLOW HORSE was devastated by MOLDY in a unpopular 6 minute brutal one-sided duel.
MOCKINGBIRD butchered PERSISTANT BEGGAR in a 1 minute one-sided competition.
STABLER handily defeated ROCKINGCHAIR in a 1 minute uneven melee.
VAMPIRIAL vanquished CHAIRMANDER in a action packed 1 minute one-sided duel.
TIMID TIM won victory over PERSISTANT BEGGAR in a 3 minute novice's fight.
BLOODIED MIKE overpowered CONVICTED THIEF in a 1 minute one-sided melee.
TOM BRITEBLADE overpowered CONVICTED THIEF in a 1 minute one-sided match.
ASHLEY'S GHOST bested MORDANT DESERTER in a 3 minute amateur's conflict.
CUNNING TERRI demolished HALLE CHAIRY in a 3 minute mismatched match.
DRAKONYA overpowered SADCHAIR BILLY in a 1 minute mismatched conflict.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|AIMED BLOW 5 PARRY-LUNGE 10 - 3 - 0 77 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 3 WALL OF STEEL 15 - 7 - 2 68 |
|BASHING ATTACK 3 TOTAL PARRY 8 - 4 - 0 67 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 3 AIMED BLOW 19 - 11 - 2 63 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 3 BASHING ATTACK 25 - 15 - 2 63 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 2 SLASHING ATTACK 15 - 14 - 2 52 |
|TOTAL PARRY 2 PARRY-STRIKE 2 - 2 - 0 50 |
|WALL OF STEEL 1 STRIKING ATTACK 8 - 8 - 0 50 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 1 LUNGING ATTACK 6 - 10 - 0 38 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 3 - 10 - 0 23 |
Turn 441 was great if you Not so great if you used The fighting styles of the
used the fighting styles: the fighting styles: top eleven warriors are:
AIMED BLOW 5 - 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 - 2 3 BASHING ATTACK
PARRY-LUNGE 3 - 0 SLASHING ATTACK 1 - 2 2 AIMED BLOW
WALL OF STEEL 1 - 0 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 2 PARRY-LUNGE
BASHING ATTACK 2 - 1 LUNGING ATTACK 0 - 1 1 WALL OF STEEL
STRIKING ATTACK 1 - 1 TOTAL PARRY 0 - 2 1 TOTAL PARRY
1 SLASHING ATTACK
1 LUNGING ATTACK
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
BASHING ATTACK NOT ENOUGH 9834 7 3 0 89 BASH BROS LEFTOVERS (1685)
WALL OF STEEL TOO MANY 9832 9 1 1 58 BASH BROS LEFTOVERS (1685)
AIMED BLOW MOLDY 9830 9 1 0 55 BASH BROS LEFTOVERS (1685)
PARRY-LUNGE MYSTERIOUS 9831 7 3 0 36 BASH BROS LEFTOVERS (1685)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is NOT ENOUGH 9834. The most popular warrior this turn
was ROOSTER 9813. The ten other most popular fighters were TIMID TIM 9862, SOMEONE
ELSE ATE 9833, MYSTERIOUS 9831, NOT ENOUGH 9834, PRETTY KITTY 9815, VAMPIRIAL 9849,
CUNNING TERRI 9866, TOO MANY 9832, STABLER 9854, and TOM BRITEBLADE 9864.
The least popular fighter this week was PLOW HORSE 9816. The other ten least popular
fighters were SADCHAIR BILLY 9869, HALLE CHAIRY 9870, ASHLEY'S GHOST 9865,
ROCKINGCHAIR 9871, KIL'SLAER 9848, BLOODIED MIKE 9863, CHAIRMANDER 9868, MOCKINGBIRD
9814, MOLDY 9830, and FAT COW 9812.
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)