DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER
Date : 02/06/2016 Duedate: 02/19/2016
NOBLISH ISLAND ARENA
DM-93 TURN-448
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
HODES
FAMILY NAMES (1695)
(93-9884) [4-3-0,47]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
POSITION IS EMPTY HODES
FAMILY NAMES (1695)
(93-9884) [4-3-0,47]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
GENGELBACH SPENCER
FAMILY NAMES (1695) FAMILY NAMES (1695)
(93-9883) [5-2-1,35] (93-9886) [4-3-0,33]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
BASH BROS RIPPER (1696)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. FIGHTING IRISH (1693) 35
2. FAMILY NAMES (1695) 12 DARK TOADS (527)
3. BASH BROS RIPPER (1696) 0 Unchartered Team
4. BRIT BULLDOGS (957) 0
5. VALHALLA (1676) -2 FAMILY NAMES (1695)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1/ 1*FAMILY NAMES (1695) 23 11 1 67.6 1/ 1*BASH BROS RIPPER (1696) 11 4 0
2/ 2*BASH BROS RIPPER (1696) 21 14 2 60.0 2/ 2*FAMILY NAMES (1695) 8 6 1
3/ 3*FIGHTING IRISH (1693) 12 17 0 41.4 3/ 3*FIGHTING IRISH (1693) 5 9 0
4/ 0*VALHALLA (1676) 1 5 0 16.7 4- 5*BRIT BULLDOGS (957) 0 1 0
5- 5*BRIT BULLDOGS (957) 0 1 0 0.0 5/ 0*VALHALLA (1676) 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
The CIC (Consortium Information Collection)
Noblishers Should Ask RSI for it
Once upon a time there was a long-time manager who decided to collect a lot of
valuable information, in irregular small print form, on only three pages of 8.5x11.
That manager, or group of managers, use said data information when:
1. The internet is down and the Terrablood/RSI sites are unavailable
2. Traveling around the world and "working D2 strategies" in unusual places
3. Quick information is needed
4. They feel like it
The information is not necessarily the prettiest, but it can be quite invaluable
to D2ers especially D2ers with no internet accessibility. Copies of that information
are now available for Noblish Island managers. Contact the RSI office to request it by
mail. (If it wasn't sent in an intro packet to you.)
Most of the information on the data sheets is self-explanatory. Some will require
explanation. Most has been gathered from various sources over time in the old DM
community. Much of it has been gathered empirically. (Meaning that the information is
not programming code, or from the designers, but rather gathered by users and players
of the game.) The information may not always be "perfect", but it is widely used in
this or similar fashion.
I will explain the information by placing it into two categories:
straightforward and intricate. First let's cover what is in the first category. The
following charts/info fit the straightforward category. Some include simple
calculations.
1. WEAPON SUITABILITY -- shows which weapons are suited, marginal, or unsuited to a
style.
2. WEAPON REQUIREMENTS -- indicates the ST, SZ, WT, DF limitations for a weapon. It
also covers the weapon weight, the armor it is best used against, and whether it
is a slash, bash, lunge weapon.
3. INTELLIGENCE -- defines the WT needed for each rating.
4. DAMAGE -- reveals the approximate damage rating one should expect for all ST/SZ
combinations. Note: a luck roll factor can both hose and bless damage rating.
5. ENCUMBRANCE -- a table which shows what level of "carry" (encumbrance rating) one
should expect at all SZ/CN combinations.
6. HEIGHT -- a simple conversion between the SZ number and height.
7. COORDINATION -- which is defined as SP + DF; the chart provides a summary of each
coordination rating and the "points" range for each
8. ENDURANCE -- most still use this calculation, although a "luck roll factor" can
alter the results slightly. The endurance rating which is WL x (ST+CN) is defined
for each rating.
9. HIT POINTS -- sometimes called "damage taking" is broken down in this chart. The
HP is defined as 3.75CN + 1.1SZ + 0.4 WL. The rating levels are defined by
"points".
And now for the more difficult to explain charts which interact with each other.
The three intricate charts are:
1. BAGMAN2 SKILL CHART -- this chart explains how many and what skills are added to
the warrior base for each stat point. (All stats, including SZ, add or subtract
skills at certain levels except CN.)
2. STYLE SKILL MODIFIER -- indicates the modification, by style, of skills per type.
This occurs "at birth" of the warrior.
3. HIGH WIT STATEMENTS -- a chart of phrases which indicate, at birth, the skill
level, by skill type, of your warrior. Note: there is a Low Wit Statement chart
for warriors with less than 8 WT, but it is very inaccurate (minimal empirical
data) and seldom used. It is not included in this collection of charts. (A good
low WT statement chart was later developed by Assur.)
These three charts work together to help a warrior determine his anticipated
starting skills. They also define at which skill levels, per stat, that skills are
added during the warrior's development. Note: Depending on the warrior's style, it is
possible to be blessed or hosed by up to 4 skills by the "luck of the roll". The other
thing to remember is that an ambidextrous warrior gets one attack skill added to his
base at birth.
These intricate three charts, and the interaction between them, can seem quite
complicated. After a certain amount of trial-and-error, and/or by absorbing enough
advice, a manager finally "gets it". Use them well.
DETAILS OF USING THE CIC
What can you do with the Consortium Information Collection (CIC)? How does one
use all that info? (Noblish Island managers can contact RSI for a copy.) You can use
the information to:
1. Predict what your designed warrior is going to look like. (Indeed, you can use the
info to "try out" several design ideas, before you choose your final design.
2. Review the overview of the warrior you received to see if he/she is bonused/hosed.
3. Help keep track of the warrior's skills, including those earned from certain stat
raises.
4. Determine advantageous and usable weapons and armor for certain situations. One
note: Use of this information can be meticulous, detailed and exasperating at
first. It will take practice. So let's examine the CIC in detail.
1. ***DAMAGE CHART*** This chart shows you the range of expected damage doing your
character will yield. For example, a SZ16, 10ST warrior yields "-R+", meaning
great damage is typical, but lower and higher are not uncommon. Damage doing is
dependent on SZ, ST, and luck of the roll. If a warrior is much below, or much
above, the chart predictions, he is "hosed" or "blessed". This chart is more of
generic reference than most of the other information.
2. *** HIT POINTS*** HP is calculated as (3.75xCN)+(1.1xSZ)+(0.4xWL) . This chart
shows the HP needed for each rating. For example, an 11-10-8-15-17-12-11 warrior
would have (3.75x10)+(1.1X8)+(0.4x17)=53.10 HP and his "hit point rating" would be
"cannot lot", meaning cannot take a lot of damage. One raise of CN elevates him to
56.85 and "normal HP".
3. ***ENDURANCE*** By this chart's definition, endurance equals (WL)x(ST+CN) Using
the warrior mentioned above, endurance is (17)x(11+10) = 357. Based on the chart,
this warrior should have "normal endurance. It is possible to be hosed/blessed in
endurance, which would be the case if this warrior did not have normal. Note: On a
warrior profile sheet, the lack of any comment about endurance, means the warrior
has normal.
4. ***COORDINATION*** Coordination is merely SP + CN. There is no hosing or
blessing. The warrior listed above has 12+11 = 23 or normal coordination.
5. ***ENCUMBRANCE*** is often called "carry". Carry is a non-hosed/blessed attribute
dependent on ST and CN and it indicates how much weight a warrior can carry
without penalizing the endurance. Checking the chart for the above listed warrior
shows 11ST/10CN yields "-" carry, or "cannot carry a lot of weight". Each level of
carry adds 9 points of weight that can be carried. A = 9; -- = 18; C = 27, etc.
Items to be carried are armor, helm, and weapon/shields. Check the WEAPON
REQUIREMENT chart to see the weights of weapons and armor. As an example, a
warrior wearing ASM/H, and carrying BS/ME and a backup SH, has the following
weights of 8 + 3 + 4 + 4 + 2 = 19. That amount of carry is more than the 18
indicated for "- carry", hence, the warrior wears out much quicker than normal.
(Drop the back up to DA and carry is 18 points!)
6. ***HEIGHT*** this is a simple conversion chart showing what heights equate to what
SZ. While the warrior fight summary may list the warrior in ft.-in, the D2 program
really runs using the SZ number. Size may limit weapons or shields that may be
used without penalty, and as seen above, it impacts certain other characteristics.
7. ***INTELLIGENCE*** This chart indicates the intelligence statement you will
receive at each numeric WT. In general, only the numeric value is of importance.
8. ***STYLE SUITABILITY*** This is a chart which summarizes which weapons/shields are
suitable, marginal, or unsuitable for which styles.
9. ***WEAPON REQUIREMENTS*** This chart only refers to primary-hand weapons, and it
is a terrific summary of weapon requirement and impact. This chart reveals all of
the following and more:
a. Weapon weights
b. ST requirements for a weapon
c. SZ limitations for a weapon
d. WT requirements for all weapons
e. DF requirements for a weapon
f. Weapon impact vs. armor type
g. Kill "ratings" for weapons (Take this rating with a "grain of salt" as it is
not really supported by empirical results, and it appears to say heavy
weapons kill better.)
h. Whether the weapon is a slash, bash, or lunge type weapon.
10. ***BAGMAN 2 SKILL CHART AND STYLE MODIFIERS*** This chart is a doozy! It took
years of data and development, and has become a highly important tool in D2. The
SKILL CHART explains what skills are earned at each stat level. For example: at 5
WL the warrior gets 1 each Attack, Parry, Defense, and Decisiveness skill; at 6
WL, no more skills are earned; but bumping the 7WL again adds one each of those
same four. Note also that SZ does impact skills. A SZ3 warrior gets two each
defense and parry skills and loses two initiative, while a SZ21 earns 4 initiative
but loses four each defense and parry. This chart is prepared in an accumulative
fashion, showing the total skills at each stat.
Coupled with that chart the STYLE MODIFIER chart shows the "at birth" style
of modifications. (All negative or zero. Each style starts with a different base
of skills. Let's take our previously mentioned 11-10-8-15-17- 12-11 warrior for
example, and let's say he is a slasher. The skill chart shows 2 each attack and
parry skills at 11 ST; no skills for CN and no skills for SZ; at 15WT 9
initiative, 3 riposte, 7 attack, 7 defense, and 2 decisiveness; 4 each attack,
parry and defense plus 5 decise at 17WL; 3 init, 4 riposte, 2 defense, and 5
decise at 12SP; and at 11DF there are 3 Init, 4 Riposte, and 5 each attack, parry
and defense skills. Add those all together to get a 15Init-11Rip-18Att-11Par -
18Def-12Dec total of skills for that design. Now you must apply the style modifier
chart, and a slasher has as follows: -2 Init, -4Rip, -8Att, -10Par, -12Def, -2Dec.
Putting them both together yields a slasher who should expect starting skills of
13 Init, 7 Rip, 10 Att, 1 Par, 6 Def, and 11 Dec.
11. ***HIGH WIT STATEMENTS*** These statements apply to those warriors with 8+ WT.
(There are also Low Wit Statements, but that information summary is inaccurate due
to lack of input data.) This list indicates what "statements" should appear on
your "warrior profile" for each of Initiative, Riposte, Attack, Parry, and Defense
per each level of wit. Using our warrior above, as stated, he is expected to start
with 13 Initiative skills. He has 15 WT. Examining the chart, under Initiative and
across from 15 WT (which also applies for 16WT, since the next listed level is
17), the left side (high order) is for 13+base init skills, and the right side
(low order 10-12 base init). We determined that he should start with 13, so we
should expect the statement "Nothing short of genius". If we do get this statement
as expected, we DO have 13+ Initiative skills. (13 min) Hence, we could be bonused
with skills above 13. We would know if we were bonused 3 Init skills, as we would
start with an expert in Initiative. However, if, indeed, we received the other
statement "With a very aggressive", we would know we started with 10-12 Initiative
skills, and were hence hosed 1 to 3 initiative skills.
Let's try one more example -- for Riposte. Our skill evaluations showed him
to have 7 skills. Looking at the HIGH WIT chart at 15WT, he has fewer skills than
the low order amount of 10-12, so he should expect no riposte statement. If he did
get the low order statement, then he truly has at least 10 riposte skills, so he
is bonused +3 or +4 (4 is max skill hose or bonus). Evaluating the high wit
statements of all five skill areas (there is none for decisiveness) will lead to a
true and actual understanding of the starting skill set of any warrior.
NOTE: With internet accessibility, use The Terrablood site for ALL this info.
* Brought to you by High Hopes of Family Names and CONSORTIUM affiliates everywhere. *
DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
Notes from the arena champ.
Yep, it's me again. Hodes. I am Duelmaster, a Noblish Duelmaster. That makes
three times for me. Ask those Assur rippers how many crown they have. Har har.
But I admit it has not been easy. Drawing Khalhums Dwarf this time is a very,
very tough match. Almost all low fight equivalent fighters (If you don't know what FE
is, ask. You should know!) have difficulty with The Dwarf Wall Of Steel. I surely
did. And the fight before was Kung Fu Master, another difficult NPC and a really fine
aimed-blow. Why couldn't I match with Fratsfa Slave (a piker - and if you don't know
what a piker is, ask; you should know) who is just plain easy.
But I am HERE, on the throne. So get over it! Odds are I will be here next time
too. Eat your hearts out, World!
High Hopes says for me to reiterate who I am - so here is me:
8(+1)-8-18-15-9-10-17 Aimed Blow
Great damage, Poor endurance
Ambi (one extra attack skill!)
Through 5 fights my skill level looked like this:
Init = 8, Riposte = 6, Attack = 15, Parry = 2, Defense = 5, Decise = 9
I am 1-4-1 with the dagger-DA and 2-17-0 with the epee-EP
(If you don't know what the x-x-x nomenclature means, then ask; you should know)
my skill learn rate is 1.75 skill per attempt
So, here I am. Come and get me if you can. Hopefully I can fight some Bash Bro
Ripper easies instead of these difficult NPCs. Know what I mean?
-- Hodes, Family Names, DMIII
SPY REPORT
Hail and well met warriors of NOBLISH ISLAND! Know me for who I am, Zontani
Sharp Eyes, Spymaster extraordinaire of all Alastari. DEIDRE caught the eye of many
in the gladiatorial commission as she skillfully bested GUDBRAND and was awarded 14
points in recognition. In one of the week's more notable duels, SPENCER put down
WON'T ATTACK, causing him to lose 6 points of recognition in the process. Our
Duelmaster has lost, folks, lost to VETERAN MERCENARY, BUT HODES is still the
Duelmaster because she has the most recognition points! Would you believe that over
half of the old women in NOBLISH ISLAND seem to feel that they could fight better
than you gladiators?
Many and various are the arts of battle. In NOBLISH ISLAND "art" is a word that
has long since passed from the language! I saw one fighter that warriors avoided
when this week's challenge seeking began. BASH BROS RIPPER is feared. This much I
can say. Apparently the stalwarts of FAMILY NAMES are catching the bulk of jests
down at the challenging board for their large share of the avoids. Mighty fighters
cannot but expect competition from those below. WON'T ATTACK take warning! You have
more than a few enemies in NOBLISH ISLAND.
Is not Death a warrior's foremost adviser? Warriors, may this counselor stand
ready at your right hand forever! This week's duel proved deadly to DANTALION as he
fell to the more renowned warrior, GENGELBACH. How will FIGHTING IRISH find revenge?
Fate is a fickle mistress. She showers the miserable with fortune but sets enemies
against the victorious. Remember this!
If it were not for my skills as a spy I would have been mugged three times
already in NOBLISH ISLAND. Nice atmosphere you have here! Sadly warriors, now
longer can I keep thy company nor savor the ale of thy fine city. Depart I must and
soon! Till we meet again, remember: a turtle walks slow, hides head in a shell, and
harms no one; a lion runs to slay its prey.-- Zontani Sharp Eyes
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
HODES 9884 4 3 0 47 FAMILY NAMES (1695)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
MILLER 9887 6 0 0 43 FAMILY NAMES (1695)
WOEFUL BASES 9888 5 2 0 37 BASH BROS RIPPER (1696)
GENGELBACH 9883 5 2 1 35 FAMILY NAMES (1695)
FELDSPAR 9873 4 2 0 35 FIGHTING IRISH (1693)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
SPENCER 9886 4 3 0 33 FAMILY NAMES (1695)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
MINSTREL 9877 4 2 0 30 FIGHTING IRISH (1693)
HARD TO RUN 9890 4 3 1 25 BASH BROS RIPPER (1696)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
WON'T ATTACK 9889 5 2 0 19 BASH BROS RIPPER (1696)
BAD ATTACK 9892 4 3 0 15 BASH BROS RIPPER (1696)
HAGEDORN 9885 4 3 0 15 FAMILY NAMES (1695)
WORST DEF IN GAME 9891 3 4 1 14 BASH BROS RIPPER (1696)
DEIDRE 9904 1 0 0 14 FIGHTING IRISH (1693)
-AUTUMNBE 9643 3 2 0 12 CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657)
ALEMBIC 9874 1 5 0 8 FIGHTING IRISH (1693)
-DRAXXUS 9644 1 4 0 7 CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657)
GUDBRAND 9778 1 1 0 4 VALHALLA (1676)
-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)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
DANTALION 9876 2 4 0 FIGHTING IRISH 1693 GENGELBACH 9883 448
PERSONAL ADS
All, glad to see everyone here. This is the place to love and learn Duelmasters. We
got the meat! -- High Hopes of Family Names
I cannot believe it! Hodes on top? Again? Twice in a row despite a loss? My
goodness! -- HH
Fanthom Deft, I can be a very difficult style to beat and I am designed really, really
stoutly. -- Miller
Dantilion, that was a long one. You will need to up your aerobic exercises if you
want to hang with me. -- Hagedorn
Minstrel, apparently I was lucky, lucky, lucky! -- Gengelbach
Woeful Bases, I guess I just don't have it. You do. At least, when it comes to me.
The Big A does it again! The ratfink! -- Spencer
Khalhums Dwarf, phbttttttt! -- Hodes
All, I hope Assur writes about the Bashapocalypse; it is a great story! -- HH
Health. Humility. Honor. -- High Hopes
P.S. That's HHH by HH.
High Hopes -- Yes, that WH for Minstrel was a bit of a brain fart; I realized that as
soon as I looked at the results for that match. Luckily this time it didn't cost her
much more than a bruised ego. -- Donner
Assur -- Thanks for the welcome, and yes the game is still as fun as I remember it. I
was thrilled as ever to see that first crit thrown, hehe as I'm sure I will be just as
crushed when I receive that inevitable first 'unexpected' replacement rollup. Thanks
for that advice, and I have enjoyed very much both yours and High Hope's contributions
in the newsletter. The articles have been very informative! -- Donner
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
SPENCER bested WON'T ATTACK in a 2 minute Challenge fight.
HAGEDORN slimly lost to HARD TO RUN in a monotonous 13 minute gruesome Challenge duel.
HODES was demolished by VETERAN MERCENARY in a 1 minute uneven Title fight.
MILLER outwaited THE USEROUS MERCHANT in a slow 17 minute contest.
GENGELBACH savagely slew DANTALION in a 2 minute bloody match.
WOEFUL BASES devastated ALEMBIC in a 1 minute one-sided duel.
FELDSPAR devastated WORST DEF IN GAME in a 1 minute mismatched match.
MINSTREL handily defeated BAD ATTACK in a 1 minute uneven fight.
GUDBRAND was vanquished by DEIDRE in a 1 minute uneven duel.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 5 WALL OF STEEL 8 - 3 - 1 73 |
|BASHING ATTACK 4 BASHING ATTACK 20 - 10 - 2 67 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 2 TOTAL PARRY 16 - 9 - 0 64 |
|AIMED BLOW 2 PARRY-LUNGE 5 - 4 - 0 56 |
|TOTAL PARRY 2 AIMED BLOW 20 - 17 - 3 54 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 19 - 19 - 2 50 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 0 SLASHING ATTACK 3 - 4 - 0 43 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 0 LUNGING ATTACK 9 - 16 - 0 36 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 0 STRIKING ATTACK 3 - 8 - 0 27 |
|WALL OF STEEL 0 PARRY-STRIKE 1 - 5 - 0 17 |
Turn 448 was great if you Not so great if you used The fighting styles of the
used the fighting styles: the fighting styles: top eleven warriors are:
LUNGING ATTACK 2 - 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 - 4 3 PARRY-RIPOSTE
BASHING ATTACK 3 - 1 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 0 2 AIMED BLOW
AIMED BLOW 1 - 1 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 1 2 TOTAL PARRY
TOTAL PARRY 1 - 1 SLASHING ATTACK 0 - 0 2 BASHING ATTACK
STRIKING ATTACK 0 - 0 2 LUNGING ATTACK
WALL OF STEEL 0 - 0
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
AIMED BLOW HODES 9884 4 3 0 47 FAMILY NAMES (1695)
TOTAL PARRY MILLER 9887 6 0 0 43 FAMILY NAMES (1695)
BASHING ATTACK WOEFUL BASES 9888 5 2 0 37 BASH BROS RIPPER (1696)
LUNGING ATTACK FELDSPAR 9873 4 2 0 35 FIGHTING IRISH (1693)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is GENGELBACH 9883. The most popular warrior this turn
was SPENCER 9886. The ten other most popular fighters were GENGELBACH 9883, WOEFUL
BASES 9888, FELDSPAR 9873, MINSTREL 9877, DEIDRE 9904, WON'T ATTACK 9889, HODES 9884,
DANTALION 9876, HARD TO RUN 9890, and ALEMBIC 9874.
The least popular fighter this week was MILLER 9887. The other ten least popular
fighters were HAGEDORN 9885, GUDBRAND 9778, BAD ATTACK 9892, WORST DEF IN GAME 9891,
ALEMBIC 9874, HARD TO RUN 9890, DANTALION 9876, HODES 9884, WON'T ATTACK 9889, and
DEIDRE 9904.
FACE-TO-FACE TOURNEY LVI
The Defensive Lunger
Perfect Minimums Actual Characters
ST 13 11 11 13
CN 7 3 3 11
SZ 4 4 10 6
WT 21 17 17 17
WL 17 13 17 19
SP 5 5 9 5
DF 17 13 17 13
The lunger, in my opinion, makes a much better defensive fighter than offensive
fighter. Fighting defensively will compensate for the speed at which lungers burn
endurance. They will still attack whenever possible but their defensive ability will
allow them to dodge most attacks. The most important part is their initiative. When
they do dodge, they'll usually steal the initiative and attack. I haven't been
fighting lungers defensively for long but my record is 14-5-0. Don't fight
defensively against other lungers as they will usually win.
The strategy I use is:
Min 1 2 3 4 5 6 Desp
Off 4 -------------------------> 9 Weapon: Any lunging
Act 6 4 --------------------> 9 No armor if low con
KD 4 -------------------------> 9 APL/H if average con
O.T. ---------------------------> L
D.T. -------------------------------->
You can attack any location you wish but I suggest protecting the body. The
third character listed started with experts in attack, defense and initiative. The
last character had an expert in attack.
The Wild Boar, manager of Things (5) and many inactive teams.
WARRIOR ENDURANCE
Greetings, joy and happiness to everyone! I hope you have had pleasant dueling.
This article is about endurance and some things to think about when you're designing
your warriors. Below is a chart showing the different endurance levels a warrior may
have. This chart may be a little off of due to the fact it isn't possible to have all
the variables as a manager, but it does give you idea of the amount of endurance a
warrior should have.
The formula for endurance is: E = (ST+CN)WL
With the result of that number use the chart below.
000-180 = Very Poor
181-240 = Poor
235-390 = Normal
391-509 = Good
510-639 = Great
640-699 = Tremendous
770+ = Awesome
Here are some examples of warriors with their Endurance ratings:
1) Slasher ST 5 CN 7 WL 15 (5+7)15 = 180 Poor
2) Striker ST 7 CN 13 WL 9 (7+13)9 = 180 Poor
3) Parry-Rip ST 7 CN 10 WL 11 (7+10)11 = 187 Poor
4) Basher ST 13 CN 9 WL 9 (13+9)9 = 198 Very Poor
5) Striker ST 13 CN 9 WL 9 (13+9)9 = 198 Poor
6) Aimed-Blow ST 9 CN 15 WL 9 (9+15)9 = 216 Normal
7) Striker ST 10 CN 5 WL 15 (10+5)15 = 225 Normal
8) Slasher ST 13 CN 10 WL 10 (13+10)10 = 230 Normal
9) Wall/Steel ST 13 CN 12 WL 17 (13+12)17 = 425 Great
There are several factors such as warrior style, RSI random factor, and there is
some evidence that SIZE has some effect on a warrior's endurance. In any case the RSI
LUCK factor can be around 7 to 8% in your favor or 2-3% worse than average. These are
just estimates, but are still factors nevertheless.
Some styles that are HIGH BURN endurance, like lungers, slashers and walls of
steel, are more likely to be UNLUCKY with the endurance rating.
Every action your warrior does consumes endurance. Attacking seems to use more
endurance than any other action. Once a warrior's endurance is used up, he will make
an endurance check against his WILL. If he fails the roll, he will either stop to rest
or collapse to the sand, depending on how badly he failed the roll. When a warrior
stops to rest, he gets back some endurance. When he gets enough endurance back, he
will start attacking again. This is just a theory that I have developed from
observations. It maybe completely off, but it gives one something to ponder.
That's it for now lords and ladies, I must go entertain elsewhere. If you would
like to chat about DM or other things, you can EMAIL me at 103260.3347@compuserve.com
or visit my DM website at
http://ourworld.compuserve.com./homepages/jessisjest/homepage.htm
You can also diplo me at DM 11 "The Lords Of the Abyss (319)" or any of the
Joker's Wilds scattered about.
Cheerio,
Sir Jessie Jest
Member of the Ivory League
Presenting, by Popular Demand (from 1989)...
THE NUMEROLOGY OF DUELMASTERS
by The Ghost of Eldrid
Character Generation
Hello, I am the Ghost of Eldrid, and I have an important message that directly
effects how well your team may do in the future. Some managers will not take this
important article seriously (some people don't believe in ghosts, either), and their
records will suffer for it. I have played Duelmasters for four years and searched
through all of my old turns and painstakingly researched every important fact in this
article, and I have discussed my conclusions with about ten different managers (named
managers such as Phido, Doctor LeGrand, Silk, Russ, and Biff Frothingslosh) who all
agree on the validity of my arguments. The results of my research are both startling
and magnificent. THERE IS NUMEROLOGY IN DUELMASTERS!!! Whether it was programmed in
or it exists on a higher plane, it matters not. IT EXISTS!!! And I plan to share
some of its amazing secrets with you, starting with character creation.
Remember in the realm of character generation the powers favor odd number stats.
NEVER, EVER have an even number on stats, except, of course, for size, which,
obviously should be even since everyone can tell what size your character is by his
description in the fight. Do you want people thinking your warrior is odd? I should
hope not!! But in case you decide to keep your odd warrior, DO NOT MAKE ANY OTHER
STATS EVEN!! Write a letter to the commission stating that you forgo the rights to
the last point and you want it to be sacrificed to the benefit of Alastari.
Always start adding points to wit and will first. Either make them 13, 17, or
21. Why? Under 12 wit is worthless, as any good manager will tell you. A 13
understandably gives your opponent bad luck, a 17 has the ever-lucky "7" in it, and 21
is BLACKJACK, and you get twice the number of winnings you would normally get. Why
not 15 or 19? Is it not obvious to everyone that 15 is unlucky? The only President
of the United States not married was the 15th, James Buchanan (who?). Lincoln was
shot on April 15th, and the clincher... my brother was born on the 15th of May. If
these "coincidences" don't prove to you that 15 is unlucky, I don't know what will.
19 is an evil number. It tries to deceive you into thinking it is better than 17, but
actually, it is an "11" with a small zero placed on the second pole, and we all know
that a zero is nothing. So what do we get for our extra eight points? In effect,
something smaller than nothing.
Next, make every other stat odd. Add the other points to make the style you
want. Deftness is the key to character generation.
Deftness (min)
5 to make a basher (ST 13+)
7 for a lunger
9 for a striker
11 for a wall of steel (ST 11+, WL 17+)
13 for a parry lunge (ST 11+), slasher (SP 11+), parry-strike, and total
parries (these styles depend on the opponent's bad luck.
17 for a parry-riposte (WT 17+)
21 for an aimed blow (this style needs the double winnings)
The last thing to remember is that luck is a big factor in this game and I don't
know if you noticed, but when warriors have even ID numbers they are luckier than odd
ID characters. Look at the best warriors in Primus: Wallbanger, Donatello, Epitaph,
Chaos Knight, Villiage Idiot, Silverflash, Khorga Khan, Jake the Snake, Sly, Max,
Stormbringer, Teetotaler, Raphael, Selleque, Kiri, Constance, Hangover, Eve, and Sam
Spade. All have even-numbered IDs. Now you say, "But Yoda and Necron-99 both have
odd IDs, and they are the best aimed blows of the game!" Yes, but they are AIMED
BLOWS and they are members of an odd style, so of course they do better with odd
numbers. So remember if you want your warriors to be best in all Alastari someday,
Dark Arena all your odd-numbered characters, unless of course they are aimed blows.
Good luck, and may the numbers fall your way.
-- The Ghost of Eldrid,
retired
PARRY-STRIKE, ANOTHER FUN STYLE
There have been several articles about fighting styles, some say theirs is the
best, or ultimate, one said theirs is the most fun style. Well, I feel that parry-
strikers are just as much fun to play as any other style.
First, let's start with the run down of what they say in the "RED BOOK". The
book says that parry-strikers are defensive, using small quick movements in their
actions (sounds like you could say that about some other styles as well.) The book
says that some managers swear that a high wit is critical to the style (only those who
have no brains would disagree with that.)
Let's get to business. First and foremost this style is deceptively aggressive,
making them a very good offensive type of fighter, or deadly type of defensive
fighter. Offensively they tend to get the jump on their opponent. I had a parry-
striker that was only jumped 3 out of 11 fights, before he died. To prepare and run a
parry-striker can be quite confusing, so I will try to help make it as simple as
possible. Here are my feelings on roll-ups for the parry-strike style:
ST: 11-15, I'll explain later.
CN: who cares.
SZ: 10-14, don't go over 14.
WT: 13-17, 17 is the best.
WL: 13-17, to get good endurance.
SP: not important.
DF: 11-15, I'll explain later.
Here are some good roll-ups for a parry-striker: 11,7,10,17,17,7,15;
15,7,11,17,16,7,11; 11,7,14,17,13,7,15; 15,7,14,17,13,7,11. Now, if you have a decent
wit, the way you run this fighting style will depend on strength and deftness. For
example: if your fighter has a high DF and a low ST it would be to his/her advantage
to be defensive, since the speed would benefit the ability to move in reaction to
their opponent. If the ST is high, and DF low, it would be better to fight
offensively like a striker, trying to get the first, and only blow in. If they don't
have a decent wit, you're on your own. I can't help you on that. Remember this style
of fighting is the same as a striker except for added knowledge of parrying, as well
as bein a little more aggressive. I would not suggest a low ST and DF, it will take
away from your WT & WL, and you don't want to do that, but if you do, good luck. You
don't need much CN if you have a good WL, which gives you your endurance. SZ; you
don't want it to be above 14, it would hurt your fighting style more than your
attributes. WT; it is the same as it is with strikers, the higher the WT the faster
and deadlier they become. Raise WT to 17 if you don't have it at the start, then
don't worry about it again until ADM. WL; this is where you get your endurance. 13
is fine to start out, but I would suggest 15, then bump it up to 17 in basic. SP; it
is what you need to riposte, but PSers have this "one strike one kill" attitude.
Meaning that there isn't much time to riposte with a killing attitude, so do whatever.
DF; what is there to say, it helps, but is not crucial to be a great PSer. Now to
running a PSer. If he is an offensive fighter 10-10-10 Dec. all the way through the
fight, even in desperation. If Defensive, 1st 10-10-10 Resp., 2nd 10-7-10 Dec., 3rd
10-10-10, 4th 10-10-10 Dec., 5th 10-10-10 Dec., 6th 10-10-10, Desp. 10-10-10 Resp.
Remember, first you want to assure your defense, and to do that, you should go
defensive the first minute. By the second minute you will be secure enough to go on
the offensive, but experiment. 6th minute on, leave blank, for by that time he/she
will know what to do (if their WT is high that is.) The best thing you could do for
your fighter is watch the fights, if you are getting more defensive skills than
offensive, run the def., or change weapons. That is the best advice I can give you
about PSers. About armor, I like to use ringmail or nothing, but experiment. I know
that there is someone that will disagree with me, but I feel that I have given you
some ideas about this fighting style that can be used, even though I am a new manager,
playing for just over a year. No matter who writes a style article, it is just
advice, not the bible. Just use the articles as a point of reference, not as sworn
law.
This is a very fun fighting style, try it out. I have written this in answer to
Foreign Legion Arena 31, and The Spartans Arena 8. I challenge any Primus Manager to
correct my writing of PSers. It is not my favorite style, but it is as fun as any
other that I have used, including my favorite one (Which is a STRIKER!!) If there are
any comments, please Diplo The Priest, the manager of The Heroes of XIAN DM-10, or The
Crucifiers DM-46.
THE ARMOR PIERCING PARRY-LUNGE
When you think "attack" what style comes to mind? Bashing? Definitely lunging?
Of course. Parry-Lunging? Excuse me? Yes, the parry-lunger! Few people realize the
fact that parry-lungers are attack gods waiting to be born. All it takes is the right
warrior and lots of guts. This warrior is not for the weak of heart. We'll begin
with stats.
Range Perfect
ST 9-11 11
CN 5-9 5
SZ 6-11 8
WT 17or21 21
WL 17or21 17
SP 5-8 5
DF 15-17 17
Why?
ST(11): This is your optimum PL strength. It puts your warrior in the normal to
good damage range. Also, you have the best PL weapon at your disposal--the LO!
CN(5): Yes, his life expectancy is low. What'd I tell you? Guts, right? He
gets his endurance from WL. If you want to make trains, make them here.
SZ(8): Our most flexible stat. A high SZ (i.e.11) allows you to skimp a bit on
Str (9).
WT(21): If it's not a 21 you're not going to get the attack this fellow counts
on. His learns will be awesome and a 21 WT will make him a better warrior out of the
chocks.
WL(17): End/Att are dependent on this one being high. Keeps you on your feet
when you should drop from exhaustion.
SP(5): Not a big requirement. Init and Parry will come from elsewhere (WT/DF).
This is not a lunger mimic.
DF(17): Combine this DF with a 21 WT and you will have a massive attack.
Pinpoint accuracy is the byword. Parry, init, def and riposte will all benefit
immeasurably. At 15 you have access to the EP, a fine lunging weapon this style can
put to devastating use.
Strategy (General, but effective in most cases)
2 9 9 7 6 5 10
6 9 9 7 6 5 10
2 7 7 7 5 5 10
HE ---------------------------->
HE BD ----------------------->
- - - - - - -
P - - - - - -
Minute 1: This fellow won't get the jump on offensives, so we'll just go
defensive and render their "mad minute" fruitless. This PL's counterattack will be
amazing at even 2-6-2 P due to the high AL. Keep the parry tactic until Adv Expert
parry is gained.
Minutes 2 and 3: These two will end most of his fights. When he starts landing
precision blows in his opponent's face it will usually be over quickly. Keep the kill
desire relatively low as to avoid sloppy attacking.
Minutes 4 through 6: If you haven't won by now you've got to depend on your WL
to carry you until you finish the job. He'll probably top out at the five min. mark.
But we want to keep the attacks coming so we do so at his endurance's expense.
Desp: If your opponent is an offensive he's probably blasted through your min. 1
defense. Your best bet is to go spastic and hope to take him out in one shot or so.
If he's some super-defensive (scum) this PL is probably exhausted and you're hoping
the super-offense will put him over the edge. After all, it's better to burn out than
fade away.
Always aim for the head to maximize the impact of your blows. If it tickles your
fancy, aim for your opponent's weapon arm and beat him senseless when he's unarmed.
Protecting the head in min. 1 is strictly odds playing on my part. My offensives aim
head so I assume everyone else's do too. After min. 1, we forget defense.
Weapons and armor are simple. APL/H or ARM/H (if you're challenging a real
heavy-hitter). I prefer swords for armament. My combos are usually LO/SM, LO/SH,
SC/DA etc. Against heavy armor go with LO/SH. Always aim for the head.
Philosophy: This guy clings to life by luck, early on, and will never be free of
the spectre of death. In his first few fights stay away from lungers and bashers.
Both have high attacks and usually do substantial damage. Prey on strikers, PS, PR
and slashers. As he progresses, his attack, parry and defense will equip him with the
tools to handle most everybody but always remain cautious of those bashers and
lungers.
A PL of this calibre should begin with around a 90 att, 70 par/init and 60-70
def. Decise and riposte will be slightly lower. Riposte 50 and decise anywhere from
35-50 depending on how lucky you get. Train skills exclusively from fight one and on.
Use tourneys if you must raise anything at all (including con).
Don't be discouraged if he's around .500 early on. By ten fights he'll be
sporting three Adv Experts at least (att, par and init) and will begin to dismantle
those scum/finesse styles that managed to beat him. Feel free to write or diplo me
with comments/criticisms/or questions.
Fight the Good Fight,
or: Agath
CPL Michael Dockus Lunatic Fringe (23)
H Co BLT 2/8 Circle of Five (51)
24 MEU (Det F) Slaves of Power (52)
FPO NY NY 09502-8531