DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER
Date : 03/15/2019 Duedate: 03/28/2019
NOBLISH ISLAND ARENA
DM 93 TURN 526
This Week's Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
SLOW
BASH BROS DRIVING (1753)
(93-10251) [5-0-0,63]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
POSITION IS EMPTY SLOW
BASH BROS DRIVING (1753)
(93-10251) [5-0-0,63]
Popularity Leader This Week's Favorite
DODGE CHARGER GWEN NIGHTROSE
C CARS (1752) SHADOWBORN (1751)
(93-10246) [3-2-0,25] (93-10236) [2-2-0,15]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
BASH BROS DRIVING (1753)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. BASH BROS DRIVING (1753) 49
2. SHADOWBORN (1751) 22 THE RUSH (537)
3. C CARS (1752) 8 Unchartered Team
BASH BROS DRIVING (1753)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1/ 1*BASH BROS DRIVING (1753) 16 7 0 69.6 1/ 1*BASH BROS DRIVING (1753) 10 5 0
2/ 2*C CARS (1752) 12 13 0 48.0 2/ 2*C CARS (1752) 7 8 0
3/ 3*SHADOWBORN (1751) 9 11 1 45.0 3/ 3*SHADOWBORN (1751) 4 6 1
'*' Unchartered team '-' Team did not fight this turn
(###) Avoid teams by their Team Id ##/## This turn's/Last turn's rank
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
What the Style?
My opponents of style ___ keep beating me, but my representatives of that
style lose! Manager ___ seems to dominate with style ___! What style is
the best?!? What style should I make my warrior?
These burning questions come up over and over again. And while it is true that not
all styles are equal, there are good reasons to use (and become proficient with) all
10 fighting styles. This article hopes to demystify some of questions above.
First, it is useful to understand that winning warriors win by being a pure offensive
(and these are the easiest to master), a pure defensive, or a hybrid of the two.
Below, I list the styles in approximate ease to learn and succeed with. The 'big
four' weapons (BA, BS, LO, SC) are often considered the best four weapons in the game
(weapons are also not equal)
I try to give an overview of all strengths and weaknesses, but realize that the higher
your warriors advance in that game, the more the game favors attack and defense
skills. But during your warrior's career in basic, all of the skills are fairly well
balanced.
When I talk about tourney success, I am talking about winning it all! AB's, L's, and
STK's win more tourneys than the rest of the styles. Also realize that these
descriptions are intended to help you know how to design to a style's strengths and
hide their weaknesses.
Strikers -- The premiere pure offensive style. They learn decise and attack. Their
starting skills are relatively low (most notably their attack), but they conserve
endurance well and can use virtually every weapon. They are one of the strongest
tourney styles in basic. However because of their mostly one sided nature, they are
not as strong past graduation. They cannot be bonused in attack.
Total Parries -- The ultimate pure defensive warrior, but by virtue of their defenses
also make fine hybrid warriors. They learn defense and parry. Starting skills other
than defense and parry are poor and have the worst attack of any style. Moderate
endurance conservation and can use all of the 'big four' well suited. Usually
considered a 2nd tier tourney style and the large numbers of AB's in tourneys these
days makes life harder for TP's. However many managers have strategies and designs to
use for TP's to minimize their vulnerabilities to the most popular style around. TP's
have shown themselves competitive at virtually all levels of the game except the very
top (Years away for a new warrior). They cannot be bonused in parry.
Bashers -- I call them the poor man's striker. They are solid pure offensives and the
most popular pure offensive style to use for Tank Hybrids. They learn attack and
decisiveness. They start with very high offensive skills and very low defensive
skills. I put them in the middle for endurance conservation and have the worst weapon
selection of any style, unable to use any of the 'big four' well suited. They are one
of the weakest tourney styles at virtually all levels, but are better than average
against AB's early on. Past graduation, their usefulness is limited. They cannot be
bonused in decise or riposte.
Lungers -- The ultimate hybrid, but can be offensives or defensives. They learn init
and defense. They have the highest attack and defense in the game and the highest
overall starting skills. They burn endurance fast and have access to the LO. A top
tier tourney style at all levels (though perhaps never the favorite). They were once
the dominant style past graduation.
Wall of Steels -- Strong as hybrids or defensives. They learn init, parry and attack.
They are tied with lungers for highest overall starting skills. They burn endurance
fast and use SC, BA, and BS well suited. They can be competitive at most tourney
levels but are 2nd tier. They can only be bonused in attack or parry.
Slasher -- Another pure offensive style, harder to play because they don't learn
decise as fast as other offensives. They learn init and attack. A high attack style.
Somewhere between middle and high for endurance burn, they have access to all of the
'Big Four.' They have been successful at most tourney levels but at best can be
considered a 2nd tier tourney style.
Parry-Strikers -- Can run as any of offensive, defensive, or hybrid. They learn parry
and decise. They have very low starting skills, including attack. They conserve
endurance perhaps better than any other style and can use all the 'Big Four.' They
are shunned by tourney managers because of their poor learning in basic and their
typical horrible favorites in ADM. I rank them higher than the bottom three because
in basic, parry and decise are very, very useful and the other three are harder to
make win early on.
Aimed-Blows -- Can run as any of offensive, defensive, or hybrid. They learn attack
and riposte. With 21 deftness, they are second only to L's in best attack/defense.
The conserve endurance perhaps equal or better than PS's and can use LO and SC.
However they can use FI and gain a bonus to defense skills, making them the strongest
style past graduation. They are one of the big three tourney styles, but as strikers
dominate at the lower levels, aimed blows dominate at the upper levels (and rookies).
They cannot be bonused in decisiveness. What makes them hard to run early on is their
tendency to learn so much attack and riposte (which without other skills are not a
pure winning formula).
Parry-Ripostes -- Great hybrids, ok defensives. They learn riposte, parry, and
attack. Their skills are frustratingly low, especially in attack and defense. That
said, they are in the moderate area of endurance conservation and can use LO and SC.
Their best tourney success is in the lower tourneys, preying on strikers, but again,
2nd tier at best. One of the harder styles to master, especially because there aren't
many good wind up strategies for them (every one seems to run optimally slightly
differently).
Parry-Lungers -- Mostly run as hybrids, have succeeded as defensives or offensives.
They learn initiative and parry. Overall, their skills are strong, one of the higher
attack skill styles. They burn endurance like slashers and have access to LO and SC.
Traditionally one of the better styles in upper tourneys, not nearly as many of them
are being run in today's game because of their difficulties in basic and are often
considered a poor man's version of the lunger.
DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
Notes from the arena champ.
Slow Drivers. Such a conundrum. On the one hand, people driving a safe speed makes
sense. But on the other hand, too slow and they create a different type of problem.
This is a very, very tricky issue and not one that is likely to be solved in my
lifetime. Of course, 10 turns is a very short lifetime.
Personally, I think the best thing to do is to realize that other drivers, in spite of
their problems, are allowed on to the road and we should learn to share the road
better.
But what do I know? I'm just a silly gladiator in my moment of glory (Unfortunately
probably my final moment of glory).
-- Slow
SPY REPORT
Welcome NOBLISH ISLAND. I, Olaf Modeen remember this place well. Many the
fights have I fought here. The celebrations, the disappointments... What's with
DODGE CHARGER? It actually beat SHADOWBORN's ERIC VAN QUNN, and walked away with 14
more points from the fight. Major screwup at C CARS. FORD GRENADA lost 9 points to
SPEEDING TICKET. Some new strategies, perhaps? Maybe FORD GRENADA will provide more
easy wins... Try as he might, VETERAN MERCENARY wasn't good enough at persuading
SLOW to step down from the Duelmaster's throne... Wouldn't it be nice to have live
subjects to practice on? I hear some team is looking into the uses of convicted
prisoners.
If at first you don't succeed, avoid. That'll get you in the Spyreports. The
most avoided team was C CARS. Management must be dealin', as the boys at BASH BROS
DRIVING ain't reelin'! C CARS' mad! How well I know the feeling of being the most
challenged warrior, FORD GRENADA! Don't make idle boasts, they may come back to
haunt you.
There have been some calls to lengthen the time limit. Do you want the fighters
to walk away, or not? Here's some advice: study your opponent, master many skills,
fight dirty.
Who knows what the future holds for a warrior. More fights, there's no doubt.
The end of another Spyreport! That's cause for celebration in my book! Remember--a
good fighter needs both good skills and good luck. Until next time,-- Olaf Modeen
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
SLOW 10251 5 0 0 63 BASH BROS DRIVING (1753)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
JEEP CHEROKEE 10248 4 1 0 40 C CARS (1752)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
SPEEDING TICKET 10254 4 0 0 27 BASH BROS DRIVING (1753)
DODGE CHARGER 10246 3 2 0 25 C CARS (1752)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
CAR TROUBLES 10255 2 0 0 23 BASH BROS DRIVING (1753)
FORD GRENADA 10244 2 3 0 19 C CARS (1752)
GRIM SHADOW 10240 3 1 0 16 SHADOWBORN (1751)
GWEN NIGHTROSE 10236 2 2 0 15 SHADOWBORN (1751)
DUNKEN BLACKROSE 10239 2 2 0 15 SHADOWBORN (1751)
SUNDAY DRIVER 10253 2 2 0 12 BASH BROS DRIVING (1753)
ERIC VAN QUNN 10238 2 2 1 9 SHADOWBORN (1751)
KIA SOUL 10245 2 3 0 9 C CARS (1752)
ALMOST HIT 10252 2 3 0 9 BASH BROS DRIVING (1753)
RAV 4 TOYOTA 10247 1 4 0 7 C CARS (1752)
ASHER BLACK 10256 0 1 0 1 SHADOWBORN (1751)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
TRAFFIC 10250 1 2 0 BASH BROS DRIVI 1753 ERIC VAN QUNN 10238 524
PERSONAL ADS
BTW, I didn't mention it in my spotlight, but the fact that you are running a bunch of
warriors that a FI AB can beat didn't hurt my decision making process on my new
recruit! -- Assur
In answer to the above Assur comment in the last newsletter.............
Mr. Assur, you are so far off base! Your gloating is quite useless. I want you to know
that I am running such a bunch of incompetent warriors that any opponent, with or
without weapon, would be highly favored in a fight. I was clearly not in the favor of
either The Gods nor The Commission when recruits were provided. You, however, were
clearly blessed. (As usual.) -- Joe Jalopy
Assur, just us again. Where did those Shadows go? -- Joe Jalopy
P.S. Nice spot, even though your numbers sort of made me sick.
Shadowborn --
The APA/F basher is typically called a Tank Basher (I'm surprised Consortium didn't
use that name, but perhaps it isn't quite as typical as I thought). There are many
ways to make them, but almost always they DO NOT have 11 deftness. Consortium's
article was great in describing how to make one with 11 deftness, though.
The idea behind Tank Bashers is that they either attack first and quickly take out
their opponent OR soak up damage until later in the fight and then take out their
opponent. (I will publish my Tank Hybrid article again
next turn -- a more generic version of the Tank Basher).
If you are willing to sacrifice GS, here is how I typically make my Tank Bashers:
ST: 15+ CN: As high as possible SZ 9+ WT 5+ WL 21 preferred SP any DF 7+
Here are two I just started running recently that I think are exciting (i.e., designs
I like):
17-17-10-4-19-12-5 (before adding points: 11-17-10-4-13-12-3)
17-17-13-3-21-6-7 (before adding points: 13-13-13-3-15-6-7)
As you see, I don't follow my guidelines exactly. But my goals with these two is to
run them to graduation and then prepare them for Freshman. For that, getting str, con,
and will to 25 is what I'm targetting, so I added more points there that in the short
term might be better getting to the suggested stats.
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
CAR TROUBLES devastated RAV 4 TOYOTA in a 1 minute mismatched Challenge fight.
SPEEDING TICKET won victory over FORD GRENADA in a 4 minute Challenge battle.
SLOW savagely defeated VETERAN MERCENARY in a 3 minute Title fight.
JEEP CHEROKEE overpowered SUNDAY DRIVER in a crowd pleasing 1 minute one-sided fight.
DUNKEN BLACKROSE devastated CONVICTED THIEF in a 1 minute one-sided duel.
GRIM SHADOW devastated CONVICTED THIEF in a 1 minute mismatched match.
ERIC VAN QUNN was handily defeated by DODGE CHARGER in a 1 minute uneven fight.
KIA SOUL was viciously subdued by GWEN NIGHTROSE in a 4 minute beginner's duel.
ALMOST HIT won victory over ASHER BLACK in a tiresome 6 minute novice's fight.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|AIMED BLOW 3 AIMED BLOW 9 - 3 - 0 75 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 3 PARRY-STRIKE 2 - 1 - 0 67 |
|BASHING ATTACK 3 TOTAL PARRY 9 - 6 - 0 60 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 2 STRIKING ATTACK 9 - 6 - 0 60 |
|TOTAL PARRY 2 LUNGING ATTACK 9 - 6 - 0 60 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 1 BASHING ATTACK 12 - 12 - 1 50 |
|WALL OF STEEL 1 WALL OF STEEL 11 - 12 - 1 48 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 0 SLASHING ATTACK 2 - 4 - 0 33 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 2 - 6 - 0 25 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 0 - 0 0 |
Turn 526 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 3 - 0 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 0 3 AIMED BLOW
STRIKING ATTACK 2 - 0 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 2 LUNGING ATTACK
TOTAL PARRY 2 - 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 0 2 STRIKING ATTACK
LUNGING ATTACK 2 - 1 SLASHING ATTACK 0 - 1 2 WALL OF STEEL
BASHING ATTACK 0 - 3 1 TOTAL PARRY
WALL OF STEEL 0 - 1 1 BASHING ATTACK
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
LUNGING ATTACK SLOW 10251 5 0 0 63 BASH BROS DRIVING (1753)
AIMED BLOW JEEP CHEROKEE 10248 4 1 0 40 C CARS (1752)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
The overall popularity leader is DODGE CHARGER 10246. The most popular warrior this
turn was GWEN NIGHTROSE 10236. The ten other most popular fighters were FORD GRENADA
10244, SLOW 10251, JEEP CHEROKEE 10248, CAR TROUBLES 10255, DODGE CHARGER 10246, KIA
SOUL 10245, SPEEDING TICKET 10254, SUNDAY DRIVER 10253, DUNKEN BLACKROSE 10239, and
GRIM SHADOW 10240.
The least popular fighter this week was ALMOST HIT 10252. The other ten least
popular fighters were ASHER BLACK 10256, ERIC VAN QUNN 10238, RAV 4 TOYOTA 10247,
GRIM SHADOW 10240, DUNKEN BLACKROSE 10239, SUNDAY DRIVER 10253, SPEEDING TICKET
10254, KIA SOUL 10245, DODGE CHARGER 10246, and CAR TROUBLES 10255.