DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER
Date : 09/24/2021 Duedate: 10/07/2021
NOBLISH ISLAND ARENA
DM 93 TURN 592
This Week's Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
POSITION IS EMPTY
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
OMNI GREAT WHITE SHARK
PHOENIX FORCE (1811) VICIOUS FISH 2021 (1818)
(93-10596) [9-1-0,61] (93-10648) [7-1-0,61]
Popularity Leader This Week's Favorite
THUNDERHAMMER ROGER MOORE
PHOENIX FORCE (1811) SHAKN-NOT-STIRD (1820)
(93-10597) [6-4-0,22] (93-10657) [2-2-0,26]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
BEER BELLIES (1821)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. BEER BELLIES (1821) 36
2. BB BIG PROJECTS (1827) 34 PHOENIX FORCE (1811)
3. VICIOUS FISH 2021 (1818) 17 Unchartered Team
4. PHARMANOMICON (1823) 13
5. ANITSCARBUTICS (1824) 11 PHARMANOMICON (1823)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1/ 2*PHARMANOMICON (1823) 14 5 2 73.7 1/ 4*BEER BELLIES (1821) 11 4 0
2/ 3 PHOENIX FORCE (1811) 15 6 0 71.4 2/ 1*PHARMANOMICON (1823) 10 5 1
3/ 4 FLOWERS! (1816) 31 19 1 62.0 3/ 5*VICIOUS FISH 2021 (1818) 9 6 0
4/ 6*ANITSCARBUTICS (1824) 6 4 0 60.0 4/ 2 FLOWERS! (1816) 8 7 1
5/ 8*BEER BELLIES (1821) 17 13 1 56.7 5/ 9*ANITSCARBUTICS (1824) 6 4 0
6/ 7*VICIOUS FISH 2021 (1818) 22 18 0 55.0 6/ 6 PHOENIX FORCE (1811) 4 2 0
7/ 0*BB BIG PROJECTS (1827) 2 3 0 40.0 7/10*THE LEGACIES (1826) 3 6 0
8/ 9*THE LEGACIES (1826) 3 6 0 33.3 8/ 0*BB BIG PROJECTS (1827) 2 3 0
9/10*SHAKN-NOT-STIRD (1820) 7 19 0 26.9 9/ 7*SHAKN-NOT-STIRD (1820) 2 8 0
10/11*FINAL FANTASY (1819) 4 16 0 20.0 10/ 8*FINAL FANTASY (1819) 2 13 0
11- 0*LORDS OF CHAOS! (1825) 1 9 0 10.0 11- 0*LORDS OF CHAOS! (1825) 1 4 0
'*' Unchartered team '-' Team did not fight this turn
(###) Avoid teams by their Team Id ##/## This turn's/Last turn's rank
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
This was a dm column from another arena a while back, and it seems useful to include
it here.
Well, that was a little different. Walked out onto the sands to face my
opponent only to find this large wooden box sitting in the center of the arena. There
was a large crank arm protruding out of one side, with a note attached. "Turn me," is
all that was written on the note. Fortunately, this was not the first time for one of
us to come upon this thing. Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice...
I proceeded to walk around the box, looking it over carefully. As I started
around the second time I slipped my narrow-bladed weapon through a seam in the wood
and sank it to the hilt. I repeated this three more times, when suddenly the top
sprang open. Tied to the end of a short spear was this bloodied white rag being
frantically waved about.
My second attempt at defending the throne was a success. With that win came an
additional bonus: my invite. (Or eviction notice, depending on your point of view.)
But anyway here're some numbers to ponder: 11(2)-7-10-15-21-9-13 SL. Rolled out doing
normal damage. Achieved good after second ST train, which was just a couple turns
ago. I have a Master rating in attack, and AdEx ratings in initiative, defense, and
decise. A 15-wit slasher with a defensive rating? Yep, you guessed it. Favorite
learn is defense. Favorite weapon? Epee. Was afraid it was going to be the "not-so-
great axe." Got a rhythm of H/VL and apparently have an innate ability to use the
slash tactic to good effect. Hmmm... never tried it.
With a 15WT I wasn't really what most would consider tourney worthy, but was
sent to several to pick up extra skills. So invite arrived at 17pps, 14 wins, 36FE
and 121 total skills. Bonused +4 def and +4 dec.
Well, that's about it, but since this will likely be my last opportunity to say
anything from the top position of an arena, I'm going to ramble on just a bit longer.
Any objections? No? Good!
I wish to discuss favorite learns for my style.
I'm going to be allowed to continue developing because of two things. The first
being that I have a 21WL. The second is because my favorite learn is defense. It's
well known that my style isn't known for its defensive abilities. While we usually
start out with a decent base in defense, something prevents us from utilizing it. My
manager has made the following observations regarding my style and favorite learn.
(Disclaimer: These opinions are just that: Opinions. Opinions based on what he has
experienced while running this style. By no means are they law, or even known to be
shared by others.)
Decise favorite: Very coveted. Remain very decisive throughout entire career.
Couple this with a bonus in decise and you have a nice tourney slasher, provided he
learns well enough.
Attack favorite: Let's face it, every style benefits from having attack as a
favorite learn. For my style it seems to increase our crit percentage very early in
our career. As such, it may make it more difficult to find our favorite weapon. But
if you're throwing that many crits... who cares?! My manager speculates that a very
large percentage of basic slasher TVs will have either decise or attack as a favorite
learn.
Initiative favorite: What a waste. Our style already has an abundant supply.
With initiative as a favorite we tend to be extremely unbalanced skill-wise. Like
having a Master in init before achieving Expert in any other area. When this happens
we seem to struggle until things start evening out a bit.
Riposte favorite: Believe it or not, having riposte as a favorite learn isn't
all bad. Couple it with a little bit of CN and some armor to beat those decisive STs
and BAs early in our career. Of course, if you're very frail, then riposte skills
aren't going to be as much use.
Parry favorite: The single worst favorite learn a SL can get! Once you find out
that your SL's favorite learn is parry, do yourself a favor and send him back to the
farm. Save yourself the frustration. It will hinder his performance throughout his
career.
Defensive favorite: Unknown. I'm the first to graduate with defense as a
favorite. (Now there have been a couple along the way that more than likely had
defense as a favorite learn, but they're both dead. Messiah is suspected to have it
as a favorite and he's died twice.) If you have a SL in basic that achieves an AdEx
or higher in defense, then chances are really good that it's his favorite. Even if
he's learned more init and attack.
But anyway, my manager is curious to see how I perform as I develop. Even
though my rhythm and learn do not compliment each other.
There! That ought to be a column worthy of my last! For my final fight there
will be no avoids or challenges issued.
Farewell, everyone. I have enjoyed my time here. Now I must go pack and get
ready to depart. Homeguard bound. Life and luck to you all!
-- LP Seam
* }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *}%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *
Profile of a Style
Slashers
This article is not the Last Word on Slashers. But I've run a lot of them, and
I think I have something useful to say. They were my default style when I was
learning the game; if I didn't know what else to do with a roll-up, I made it a
Slasher, armed it with a scimitar, and ran it 10-10-x until I figured out what I
should be doing instead. Usually, "instead" meant lightening the armor and slowing
them down because they got tired too fast, activity level first, then if necessary,
offensive effort. An amazing number of them survived and even graduated on this
strategy.
I have the details of sixty-five immortal Slashers here, warriors who,
regardless of my managerial expertise or lack thereof, managed to survive to
graduation. Some are very bad, but lucky. A few are very good. Most are ordinary
warriors of moderate ability, made from the kind of roll-ups that you see every day.
I'm not going to list all sixty-five of them, which is way too many for a practical
discussion, but think of them in the background, confirming or denying suggestions and
suppositions.
Favorite weapons: You will find that only those weapons which may show up as
favorites when a warrior graduates will be listed as "well-suited" in the fight
reports. These favored weapons vary with style, and I assure you they have been
thoroughly researched by players over the years.
The eight weapons suitable for use by Slashers, and the minimum stats required
to use them, are:
Battleaxe ST 15 WT 9 DF 9 \\ 12 in sample
Broadsword ST 11 WT 9 DF 7 \\ 7 in sample
Epee ST 7 WT 15 DF 15 \\ 5 in sample
Greataxe ST 13 WT 9 DF 11 \\ 8 in sample
Hatchet ST 5 WT 3 DF 7 \\ 9 in sample
Longsword ST 11 WT 13 DF 11 \\ 8 in sample
Scimitar ST 9 WT 11 DF 11 \\ 10 in sample
Shortsword ST 5 WT 11 DF 3 \\ 6 in sample
[Data courtesy of Pagan and other managers, for which I thank them. Any errors are my
own.]
The final number on each line is the total number of Slashers in my sample who
had the weapon in question as a favorite. (Just as a warning on the unreliability of
statistics, the first twenty-two warriors on my Slasher list favored an axe of some
kind over a sword by 2 to 1. But on the group of sixty-five, the proportions are
reversed! Tricky things, numbers.)
Study this chart, and resist the temptation to make a Slasher who doesn't have
the stats to use at least one of these weapons well. I can tell you from bitter
experience that you do not want a warrior who is unsuited to every weapon in the book
by reason of either stat deficiencies or style preferences. If you haven't done it
yet, then take my advice and avoid this pitfall; it is enormously frustrating.
Weapons not listed on this chart are not suited to the slashing style. Really,
we're not guessing--managers have tested this repeatedly, and arming a Slasher with,
say, a war hammer or a long spear will always, regardless of his stats, get the result
"uses this weapon in an unorthodox style" (meaning "badly"). You want to avoid that.
As you can see from the list above, a Slasher doesn't have just ONE important
stat where weapon choice is concerned. Over all, strength, wit, and deftness are
equally important, but there is enough variation that a warrior deficient in one area
but not the others can find something to fight with.
Below are two dozen immortal Slashers, three who favor each of the Slasher's
weapons, their relevant stats, and their favorite rhythms.
Battleaxe
Damoreth ST 13 WT 17 DF 11 H/VL
Kaltho ST 10 WT 17 DF 13 VH/L
Robin ST 10 WT 17 DF 7 M/M
Note that none of these three warriors has the minimum stats needed to use a battleaxe
to best advantage! That's one of the little tricks the Commission plays on us to make
sure we don't find things too easy. You'll see others below who lack some critical
stat needed for using their favorite weapon, also.
Broadsword
The Kid ST 13 WT 11 DF 11 H/L
Elin ST 19 WT 11 DF 17 H/VL
Gilis ST 9 WT 17 DF 11 H/VL
Epee
Billie ST 12 WT 12 DF 9 H/VL
Anlis ST 11 WT 15 DF 13 VH/L
Kyra ST 9 WT 11 DF 17 M/VL
Greataxe
Kothland ST 10 WT 15 DF 9 H/VL
Jane Erh ST 9 WT 15 DF 15 M/VL
Ginger ST 9 WT 11 DF 11 H/VL
Hatchet
Kirmo ST 9 WT 15 DF 13 H/VL
Treefrog ST 10 WT 13 DF 9 H/L
Medio Curr ST 9 WT 11 DF 13 H/L
Longsword
Goff ST 9 WT 11 DF 9 H/VL
Tumbleweed ST 11 WT 13 DF 9 H/L
Nelinaria ST 12 WT 17 DF 13 H/L
Scimitar
Horace ST 13 WT 11 DF 13 VH/VL
Wolf ST 9 WT 15 DF 13 H/VL
Geladina ST 9 WT 15 DF 12 M/VL
Shortsword
Rover ST 13 WT 9 DF 11 VH/VL
Riya ST 10 WT 15 DF 9 VH/VL
Hammir ST 9 WT 15 DF 13 VH/L
My habit of giving any Slasher with the necessary stats a scimitar to wield
means that a lot of these warriors never ran their favorite weapon. But they survived
anyway, because the scimitar is so GOOD. I really like arming Slashers (and many
other styles) with scimitars, and I highly recommend it. Just one scimitar in hand,
off-hand empty, and a back-up on the belt. A warrior who does NOT have the stats for
a scimitar (hard to imagine, given my basic design philosophy) is not trained as a
Slasher.
Which brings us to the question of warrior design. With me, if I'm determined
that a warrior shall be a Slasher, the basic design decisions are already made: a
Slasher must be able to use a scimitar. Okay, not always. Seven of the twenty-four
warriors listed above lack the deftness for a scimitar, which means I probably sent
them out with a shortsword or a hatchet. But "able to use a scimitar" is still my
basic Slasher criterion. If there are points left over after arranging that, I put
'em on will. And if will is 11 or better, I MIGHT put some points on speed, just to
see what happens.
You will note that I don't figure any points to be added to CN. True, a Slasher
burns endurance rapidly and may get tired in less than a minute if running hard. But
Slashers are offensive warriors. They aren't out there for a long fight; their style
wins quickly by attacking, or quits and fights another day. For the same reason, I am
unlikely to put a Slasher in anything heavier than leather armor. (The "quits to fight
another day" strategy has offensive effort and kill desire both dropped to moderate or
lower in desperation.)
Favorite rhythm: As I said at the beginning, when I started playing, I used to
run my Slashers 10-10-x, and many of them did well enough to graduate under that
regimen. But looking at the favorites from my graduated Slashers, I find no offensive
effort lower than Moderate (5 or 6) and no activity level higher than moderate. It
breaks down this way:
Very High (9-10)/Moderate (5-6): 2
Very High (9-10)/Low (4-5): 6
Very High (9-10)/Very Low (1-2): 8
High (7-8)/Moderate (5-6): 1
High (7-8)/Low (3-4): 10
High (7-8)/Very Low (1-2): 21
Moderate (5-6)/Moderate (5-6): 4
Moderate (5-6)/Low (3-4): 6
Moderate (5-6)/Very Low (1-2) 7
This gives you a clear idea of how the Gladiatorial Commission sees Slashers:
offensive. In all but four out of sixty-five cases, offensive effort is higher than
activity level, and sometimes--often--it's a lot higher. This is not to say that you
will always want to run your Slasher hard and fast, which will burn his endurance at a
furious rate, but this is what he does best.
There is no evidence to support the hypothesis that warriors have a favorite
kill desire.
There is no convincing evidence to support the hypothesis that warriors have a
favorite attack location. Logical arguments based on real-life concepts do not
necessarily apply to Duelmasters. There IS evidence to support the claim that
increased deftness means a better chance of hitting the designated attack location, in
case you wondered about that. And even without training DF to a higher number, a
warrior appears to gain accuracy with experience and an increase in skills.
Favorite Tactics: In my sample of sixty-five warriors, only four have a
favorite tactic, and in all four cases that favorite is the offensive tactic Slash.
This is not to say that your warrior can't use any other tactic to advantage, because
maybe he can. Well, okay, I wouldn't give him a Bash tactic, and probably not a
Lunge, either.... But apparently the only tactic he really likes is Slash.
Going from the general to the specific--
Profile of a Warrior
Black Victor
Slasher
Vic is 9-7-15-17-15-10-11, no stats trained, and he was 22-18-2 running on
maintenance at the time he received his graduation notice. He had an advanced master
in initiative, and advanced expert in riposte, a master in attack, and an advanced
expert in decisiveness.
According to his overview, he is very intelligent (something not always
demonstrated in his dealings with his teammates)
Nothing short of a genius at keeping his foes at sword's point
Does a lot of little things well
Uses an unusual fighting style, deadly to slower, less active foes (I have
NEVER gotten an overview that claimed the warrior used a hackneyed, common fighting
style that would result in getting himself killed)
Avoids blows well
He's an extremely active fighter (the SP and DF)
Cannot take a lot of punishment (low CN)
Can only carry a very little weight in armor and weapons (low ST)
Is very quick on his feet
Avoiding rather than trading blows
Can do good damage with a blow (largely a result of his SZ)
The Commission claim he favors a battle axe, which he has never tried, and a
rhythm of very high offensive effort and very low activity level
At the time this invitation to the Isle arrived, he was running 10-10-8 straight
across, carrying a scimitar and backup scimitar, in leather armor and a helm,
attacking right arm, protecting body, and using no tactics. Sunset (DM 21) is not an
easy arena, but this strategy--you'll note that it is not his "favorite"--got him out
alive.
But suppose he had the same stats but some other style. What difference might
that have made? None to his ability to take and deal out damage, but more than you
might think to his initial, or base, skills. Several managers (Sir Boyd and Pagan are
prominent among them, but I know others have helped, all unsung) have done a lot of
research, analysis, and experiment on the relation between a warrior's starting stats
and style and his starting skills. (Note that a warrior's starting skills may not be
exactly what the charts would lead you to expect. There is a luck factor; a warrior
may sometimes have more or fewer of a given skill than expected.) His ability to take
and deal out damage, and to carry or not carry weight would have remained the same,
but....
This is how Vic would have stacked up as a warrior of another style in the
skills department:
Skills
Style Init Rip Att Par Def Dec Total
AB 5 3 6 1 5 10 30
BA 12 7 10 1 3 10 33
LU 13 7 12 1 7 9 49
PL 10 7 10 3 5 8 43
PR 8 11 6 3 3 6 37
PS 8 7 6 3 5 8 37
SL 14 7 10 -1 5 9 44
ST 9 7 6 0 5 10 37
TP 8 7 4 7 5 6 37
WS 14 7 10 5 5 8 49
All styles are not created equal, but have their own various strengths and weaknesses.
Do you look at this chart and wonder why all warriors aren't created lungers and
walls of steel? Well, a lot of them are, especially lungers. Some die of that low
CN, inability to carry much armor, and lack of parry and defense skills. Some fall
victim to bad matches, develop losing records (this warrior is NOT at his best against
a long-haul total parry, for instance), and get sent to the Dark Arena. Some managers
simply LIKE to play other styles, and can make up in skilled management what the
warrior may lose on the initial roll-up.
Which brings me to an issue I would like to just mention to those of you here
who are new managers. You can design warriors to maximize starting skills. Let's
suppose that Vic's initial roll-up had a ST of 7 and I decided NOT to add two points
to it. I could have put those points on either WT, WL, or DF, the three most skill-
rich stats and had more skills for him to start with. But with a ST of 7, I couldn't
have counted on getting at least normal damage done, even with his big SZ, and "little
damage" has been the end of many warriors. What good are skills if you can't take
your opponent down? If I'd accepted a lower CN, I could have put more points into
stockpiling skills... and maybe gotten a "very frail" warrior, one who couldn't
survive a blow. What good are skills if you can die from a single blow?
Good warrior design is a balancing act. You have to know what you expect of the
warrior: is he to be a long-term project, destined to dominate high-end play, or a
dixie-cup short-term warrior? A short-term warrior can get away with a lot of "design
flaws" that would be disaster for a long-termer. He can get away with being very
frail, or having a WL too low for training up stats. He can be experimental. But the
first requirement for a long-term warrior is that he survive to reach the Isle and
immortality. Skills alone are not enough for that.
-- Jorja
Middle Way
P.S. If there's something you'd specifically like to hear about, ASK. I don't know
what your questions are if you don't ask 'em.
***---------*---------*---------*---------**---------*---------*---------*---------***
Question of the Week #4
The Question of the Week is posed in Aruak City (DM 11) by Hanibal, a manager
who is himself an alumnus of Noblish Island. The answers are provided by other
managers in that arena. Any manager here in Noblish who wishes to pose a question to
the more experienced managers of Aruak City, feel free to do so, either by sending in
a personal directed to DM 11 and identifying yourself as a manager from Noblish
seeking enlightenment, or by posting the question here, in which case I will be glad
to see that it reaches Aruak.
Also, Hanibal sends you greetings and asks that we remind you that all arenas do
not have the same attitude and local conventions. Aruak City is an Andorian arena and
subscribes to the doctrine of Honorable Play, meaning, no down-challenging except from
the throne or in bloodfeuds, no deliberate attempts to kill the warriors of other
managers, and a general attitude of friendly respect toward the other members of the
arena. It is, in fact, a fine arena, and one where you would all be welcome (though
there are plenty of others--just ask, and I'll be glad to tell you about my
favorites). -- Jorja
Question, turn 405:
All -- If I had a warrior blessed +4 in all areas, maxed out with all 25's would I
have a chance to beat the top warriors in Primus or Gateway? RSI says you get better
as you gain FE. Some of those warriors have 10 years of FE. How could one ever
compete? -- Hanibal's Q.O.W.
Answers, turn 406:
Q.O.W. -- A warrior as you have described would definitely be a viable contender at
the top of Gateway! Maybe even the best. Experience, though helpful, is vastly
outweighed by raw skill. Plus, a great set of favorites makes such a warrior much
better. If worked properly, a warrior +4 in everything could possibly TC a couple of
times and use those prizes to make them better. Young warriors are continually making
gains into being competitive with the top of Primus and Gateway. It just takes a lot
of time. Donatello and some older warriors used to be the very best, but younger ones
have upset the balance. Nothing is set in stone. -- Adie
P.S. Not that I've had much luck chipping at that stone. It's very difficult when
you're a small manager.
[editor's note: The Gateway arena is currently closed.]
Hanibal -- If that hypothetical warrior you speak of had one of the fighting styles
that were suited to high end competition, then it would be very competitive. Let's
say you went whole-hog and made it a lunger. Being bonused by four in every category
would make it one of the very best. But it just doesn't happen! Ask the Consortium
how many +24 warriors they've had.
Total FEs have a slight, even marginal effect, on the outcome of fights. Having
good favorites is more important, and the amount of tourney prizes used on a warrior
cannot be discounted either. If you're trying to choose which tourney class to try
and TC, I would advise something lower than Primus or Gateway! -- Generalissimo Puerco
Hannibal -- Regarding your question of the week: Does their long experience make the
top warriors in Gateway unbeatable? I have no personal experience with Gateway and
don't care to get any at this point, but a manager who IS in Gateway says, No, the top
warriors in Gateway are not unbeatable. But the critical factors include not only the
warrior's abilities but those of the manager. -- Leeta
Not a question of the week, but something else you might find interesting. Thank of
it as an alternative to all the "How to make a perfect whatever" articles.
Jorja -- In dm 12 Riztab you asked me what I'd do with a certain roll-up wich wasn't
too good: 12-16-12-3-9-12-6.
IF I wanted to actually play this monstrosity of brilliance, then I would do so
only for a limited time it depends upon what I can challenge in the arena but let's
say there are a lot of poor endurance weaklings, and/or a lot of Scum TP's. Then I
would run this guy until I didn't have a descent chance to get my challenges through.
There seems to me only one option for this guy: 17-16-12-3-13-12-11 Basher. He has a
50-50 chance to get tremendous damage capability. If he only gets Great Damage then
DA him. If he gets his Tremendous damage then what you do is challenge EVERY scum TP
you possibly can, and since they are scum TPs they are prime targets for down-
challenging. Its not like you are picking on them; they are scum. This guy has a 100%
chance to get Good endurance. I would ONLY run a 10 Kill-desire and try to kill
things, but perhaps multiple wins over the same warriors is beter than being
bloodfeuded by a warrior that can beat you. I would ONLY run with the MAce. You
could go ahead and use a HL or a ML for those TP's but at tremendous damage and a MAce
you shouldn't get any bounces, and plenty of massive damage statements. Only use a
MODERATE OE with a 1 AL starting in minute 3. USE BASH. Minute 1 and 2 go with a
scum TP strategy but use response. No armor of course. Now for all other match-ups
you go out like the scum you are: APA+F MA+LG (well-suited to the weapons selected),
and run a triple-10 trying to get the jump, desperation should mimic your minute 1
strat. Minute 2 onward just drop the AL to LOW and then to VERY LOW. Physicals for
this guy are: Good endurance, can sustain a Tremendous amount of damage, can carry a
Tremendous amount of weight, can do a Tremendous amount of damage. This kind of
warrior is much more fun than a Scum TP. He should beat any TP as long as you follow
my guidelines. During random match-ups you will have some definate good chances to
kill those weaklings that can't do enough damage to get through the plate and the hit-
points. If you don't want to kill then I advise not droping your KD below a 6. The
problem is that although you can take a lot of hits like a TP you can't parry any of
them. If you can't start swinging sometime in Minute 2 then your chances to win are
slim against those random offensive matchups. -- Pagan
Question, turn 406:
All -- Does having a lot of initiative skills help to steal initiative or is it all
riposte skills? Is there a difference between "seeking the counterstrike" and "tries
to steal the initiative" or is it the same thing, but a different statement. -- Q.O.W.
Answers, turn 407:
Hanibal -- QoW: If two warriors are fighting and one has a great deal more init.
skills than the other, it is possible for the initiative in the fight to get taken
without a riposte. It doesn't happen an awful lot, but it isn't shocking to see it
happen. Ex: A friend had a basher that started AE init on the rollup. His first fight
he matches against an aimed blow. The aimed blow wins decise, hits him once in the
head, and without going desperate or anything, he just starts swinging and beats the
poor aimer just like that. You probably know that aimers usually tend to lack init
skills, so in that case the difference in total init allowed the basher to just steal
it. Even when ripostes are involved, init still plays a role. If you've seen a
warrior repeatedly make riposte attempts, only to get attacked again, then its because
the defending warrior's init was insufficient to allow him to attack after the
riposte. Alternatively, styles like plungers and wastes make fewer attempts to
riposte, but their attempts are usually successful because their init is so good. Of
course, the strategy a particular warrior is using (as well as the strategy of his
opponent) is important in taking and maintaining the initiative too. -- Generalissimo
Puerco
Q.O.W. -- Those fancy terms that come after a parry or dodge are successful attempts
to potentially riposte. Then, once you succeed at getting that fancy line (your
riposte vs. their init), you make another check (I think your init vs. your opponent's
init) to actually take the initiative from them. This is usually the easiest way to
take the initiative from a warrior. Each riposte line is a chance to take it away.
An example is how some rippers with low init may attempt to riposte off of every
single attack, but they may only steal it after several tries.
Sometimes, however, a warrior may actually just straight out steal the
initiative. This occurs usually when the one doing the stealing has a very high
rating in init and the opponent's rating is low. A good example includes when a
lunger gets hit by say an aimed blow, but the very next line is the lunger swinging
back. No riposte what-so-ever! This is much rarer. This can also be a function of
what offensive effort and activity a warrior is running. Warriors running more slowly
can often lose the initiative this way as they just give it up. -- Adie
Question, turn 407:
All -- Is there a difference in between an Expert and (AE). It appears to me that
your (17, 18, 19th) skills don't seem to make a difference until you get that next
rating @ 20? -- Q.O.W.
Answer next turn, don't have the time to dig it out today! -- Jorja
***---------*---------*---------*---------**---------*---------*---------*---------***
DUEL 2 FORUMS VIA TERRABLOOD
After going to the www.terrablood.com website and clicking on the Duel II option, look
to the far right-hand side of the page and go down to the third category titled
Related Duel II Links: then click on the first line in red titled Duel2 Forums.
This takes you to the Duel2 Forum Index where you will find the following four main
categories headings: Code of Conduct; Duel2, Contests and Web Site.
Sub Headings under each main category are as follows:
Code of Conduct: Code of Conduct -- Terms of Service.
Duel2: General Discussion; Tourney Chat; Roll Up Discussion; Game Changes; Andorian
Issues; Delarquian Issues; Freeblades Issues; Lirith Kai Issues; Arena 20 Discussion;
Arena 81 Discussion; Primus Discussion; Off Topic; Trades; In Character Role Playing
and New and Returning Members.
Contests: General Contest Discussion; TOGS; Regional Rumble Royale; Arena 18 Contest;
All Basher Arena (DM 20); The 3 and Out; Slaughter's Challenge; Scumfest; Turf War;
Mordant Olympics; Civil War; Capture the Flag and Kaltos Kaos.
Web Site: Feature Request and Bug Report.
A number of these Sub Headings are outdated. For example, the All Basher Arena (DM 20)
under Contests is obviously way outdated, because DM 20 is now a Regular Non-Tourney
Basic Arena.
The point I am making here is that both New Players and Veteran Players have plenty of
options for exploring an almost endless variety of archived information that are
likened to buried treasure with countless clues, subtle insights and a multitude of
opinions from both active and inactive managers that have been recorded over the
years.
When you click on one of the Sub Headings you may find a plethora of options to click
on in your quest for gaining knowledge and a deeper understanding of this game that we
all enjoy playing.
If you do decide to explore any of these archives, remember that the first page begins
when the thread was first introduced with comments. If you want the most recent
information, then click on the last page noted in blue to the left of the word Next.
I will leave it up to you to explore these archives at your own discretion. I am
merely letting you know what is available. Which is barely scratching the surface!
-- Hammer, Duel 2 Sponsor, mgr of Vicious Fish 2021
[editor's note: You can also get to the forums via http://www.reality.com/dm and
clicking on "Forums."]
***---------*---------*---------*---------**---------*---------*---------*---------***
Let me introduce myself, my name is Sunwake and years and years ago I trained my
stable Thunderclap here before we went on to Caer, Khalith and then Willaf where my
gladiatores paid their dues on the bloody sands of the arenas. Although we did not
stay long at any of these, we hope to learn much from our short stay here on Noblish
Island. My fighter are Zaius, Slater, Isham, Savvi, Sisson adn we are the Legacies.
SPY REPORT
Greetings warriors! It is I, Zontani Sharp Eyes, here to bring report of the
clash and bustle of the weekly NOBLISH ISLAND games. Former top team PHARMANOMICON
was unseated this week as BEER BELLIES moved up from 4th ranking to take the top spot
with a 5-0-0 record for the round. Warriors--remember that glory waits always around
the corner! Witness how this week ANITSCARBUTICS went 3-2-0 to move up 4 in the
rankings. My praise to BEER BELLIES for their 5-0-0 week this time out. Indeed, it
was a skillfully fought round deserving of notice! BARRY NELSON caught the eye of
many in the gladiatorial commission as he skillfully bested DY-QUIL and was awarded
21 points in recognition. In one of the week's more notable duels, PAPPY BLUE RIBS
put down DANIEL CRAIG, causing him to lose 15 points of recognition in the process.
Heed this! A seer has warned that if exactly 6 die in duels this week, the whole
city shall perish! Just remember...5 or 7!
Many and various are the arts of battle. In NOBLISH ISLAND "art" is a word that
has long since passed from the language! My inside sources tell me that the team to
beat in NOBLISH ISLAND these days is VICIOUS FISH 2021. At least, most blades in
town are looking to avoid them. Methinks more than a few here could name the guild
it was that spent the better part of last week avoiding VICIOUS FISH 2021. Indeed it
was FLOWERS!. Mighty fighters cannot but expect competition from those below. DAISY
take warning! You have more than a few enemies in NOBLISH ISLAND.
Vendettas. Bloodied blades and broken spears. Indeed the city has seen more
than its fair share of red in recent times. Some say a warrior is judged by the way
he bears arms. One thing is sure, better a dagger in hand then a sword on the belt!
A thought before I go. Each warrior practices one style, but must not the wise
manager learn the secrets of them all? Ahh, but I can hear the spires of a far off
city calling to me. I must away! Till next we meet remember: a fool flies into a
rage quickly and often. The wise are angered by the same thing only once. Zontani
Sharp Eyes
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
OMNI 10596 9 1 0 61 PHOENIX FORCE (1811)
CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
GREAT WHITE SHARK 10648 7 1 0 61 VICIOUS FISH 2021 (1818)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
POPPY 10633 7 3 0 43 FLOWERS! (1816)
LILY 10632 7 3 1 39 FLOWERS! (1816)
CROCUS 10634 5 5 0 39 FLOWERS! (1816)
IRIS 10635 6 4 0 35 FLOWERS! (1816)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
DAISY 10636 6 4 0 33 FLOWERS! (1816)
THE ALLIGATOR GAR 10649 5 3 0 33 VICIOUS FISH 2021 (1818)
DIEBUPROFEN 10676 4 0 0 33 PHARMANOMICON (1823)
PAPPY BLUE RIBS 10666 3 3 0 33 BEER BELLIES (1821)
BENNAKYL 10673 4 0 1 30 PHARMANOMICON (1823)
DRINK EM UP 10664 5 1 0 28 BEER BELLIES (1821)
ROGER MOORE 10657 2 2 0 26 SHAKN-NOT-STIRD (1820)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
THUNDERHAMMER 10597 6 4 0 22 PHOENIX FORCE (1811)
SCURVICIOUS 10679 2 0 0 22 ANITSCARBUTICS (1824)
BARRY NELSON 10706 1 0 0 21 SHAKN-NOT-STIRD (1820)
STRESS 10696 1 0 0 20 BB BIG PROJECTS (1827)
FURIOUS INHALER 10674 3 1 1 17 PHARMANOMICON (1823)
PERILOUS PIRANHA 10647 3 5 0 17 VICIOUS FISH 2021 (1818)
XXX 10662 3 3 0 17 BEER BELLIES (1821)
PUFFER FISH PERIL 10646 4 4 0 16 VICIOUS FISH 2021 (1818)
DANIEL CRAIG 10659 1 3 0 15 SHAKN-NOT-STIRD (1820)
BRUTAL BARRACUDA 10650 3 5 0 14 VICIOUS FISH 2021 (1818)
YUFFIE KISARAGI 10653 2 2 0 12 FINAL FANTASY (1819)
BUD THE WISER 10692 2 3 0 11 BEER BELLIES (1821)
-DIERDRE 10685 1 1 0 11 LORDS OF CHAOS! (1825)
PRESSURE 10697 1 0 0 11 BB BIG PROJECTS (1827)
DY-QUIL 10675 3 1 0 10 PHARMANOMICON (1823)
TIMOTHY DALTON 10660 2 4 0 10 SHAKN-NOT-STIRD (1820)
LEMON J 10677 2 0 0 10 ANITSCARBUTICS (1824)
BARRET WALLACE 10655 1 3 0 10 FINAL FANTASY (1819)
SLATER 10688 2 0 0 8 THE LEGACIES (1826)
SEAN CONNERY 10656 1 5 0 8 SHAKN-NOT-STIRD (1820)
BOOZY SOOZY 10712 1 0 0 7 BEER BELLIES (1821)
-ZAIUS 10687 1 1 0 6 THE LEGACIES (1826)
CID HIGHWIND 10694 1 2 0 5 FINAL FANTASY (1819)
BLADDERWRACK 10681 1 1 0 5 ANITSCARBUTICS (1824)
RAW RED ONION 10680 1 1 0 4 ANITSCARBUTICS (1824)
SUDAFEDORA 10672 0 3 0 3 PHARMANOMICON (1823)
-OSRIC 10682 0 2 0 2 LORDS OF CHAOS! (1825)
-DALT 10686 0 2 0 2 LORDS OF CHAOS! (1825)
-JULIAN 10683 0 2 0 2 LORDS OF CHAOS! (1825)
ISHAM 10689 0 2 0 2 THE LEGACIES (1826)
-BLEYS 10684 0 2 0 2 LORDS OF CHAOS! (1825)
LIMEY LIME LIME 10678 0 2 0 2 ANITSCARBUTICS (1824)
SAVVI 10690 0 2 0 2 THE LEGACIES (1826)
24-7 SUPPORT 10700 0 1 0 1 BB BIG PROJECTS (1827)
INTERRUPTIONS 10698 0 1 0 1 BB BIG PROJECTS (1827)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-SISSON 10691 0 1 0 1 THE LEGACIES (1826)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
UNFORESEEN EVEN 10699 0 1 0 BB BIG PROJECTS 1827 FURIOUS INHALER 10674 592
BOOZIE SOOZIE 10693 3 1 1 BEER BELLIES 1821 LILY 10632 591
CLOUD STRIFE 10651 0 4 0 FINAL FANTASY 1819 SHEWISH GIANT 592 NONE
RED XIII 10695 0 3 0 FINAL FANTASY 1819 SPYMASTER 592 NONE
TIFA LOCKHART 10652 0 1 0 FINAL FANTASY 1819 BENNAKYL 10673 589
PERSONAL ADS
Palinc, stuck here in Noblish Isle? Yes, I guess you could give us (Assur, Jorja,
Hammer, Consortium) all a jab for being stuck here. But, you know, we volunteered for
this duty. We all felt there was a need to aid and in some ways, mentor, potential new
managers to this fine game. All of us are long-time (VERY long-time) managers, have
populated many, many arenas, and have fought (total of us) well over a hundred
thousand fights. We love this game and we have a great respect for the people who run
it and the managers who play it. We hope you learn to like it like we do. -- The
Consortium (Rose Of Sharon, current assigned Consortium manager)
Good-bye BB CBA. Really, we will miss you. -- Rose Of Sharon
As this is the last round for my Flowers, I would like to wish you all good luck and
great enjoyment. -- Rose Of Sharon, Consortium affiliated
Beer Bellies and Boozie Soozie, I am very, very sorry to have killed Soozie. May she
fight well in That Great Arena In The Sky. I am truly sorry I shall not be around for
you to avenge and bloodfeud. Mea Culpa. -- Lily, Flowers
Bad Faith, all I have to say is "Yer outta here!". -- Iris, Flowers
Fratsfa Slave, you are no match for a great and beautiful ..... -- Iris, Flowers
Omni, you are clearly better that me (13-9-13-7-20-15-7 original design) and I salute
you and wish you great success. -- Poppy Flowers
Furious Inhaler, I was lucky to win. -- Daisy, Flowers
P.S. If you were to have to smell some of the stuff I have seen, you wouldn't inhale
so furiously.)
Newsflash: From The Consortium headquarters .... Due to the fine management
performance of Rose Of Sharon with the flowers, we have contracted her to manage the
next Consortium Noblish Team -- Shrubs. Hopefully, we can provide her with better
(much better) recruits than last time with Flowers. -- The Consortium
Jorja, keep the faith; stay well, we depend on you. -- the Consortium
All -- As it seems my time in Noblish Island is almost up, can anyone give me some
info on other arenas? I'd like to be in an active, regular arena with good banter and
fun. Thx. -- mgr. Shakn Not Stirrd
All -- Sorry to report our Agent Pierce Bronsan failed in his mission. Forturnately, a
former Agent has coe out of retirement. Please give Agent Barry Nelson a warm welcome
the the arena. -- M
All -- Thank you M, I hope I haven't lost my killer instingcts. Time to show what the
original 007 can do. Cheerio. -- Barry Nelson
Barry Nelson -- Come on Barry, everyone knows I'm the crowds favorite Bond. -- Sean
Connery
Barry Nelson -- Don't listen to Sean, he can barely speak English. -- Daniel Craig
Barry Nelson -- Hey you're almost as obscure a Bond as I was. -- Timothy Dalton
Barry Nelson -- You realize I was the most British Bond and thus the best. -- Roger
Moore
Red XIII -- Here boy. *whistles and shakes a ball* Come and getr it. *throws the ball
into the Dark Arena* -- Cloud Strife *lures REd to his death... and somehow clumsily
falls in hemself*
Bennakyl -- Finally, my manager realizes that he shouldn't send a man to do a woman's
job. Watch your back. The boys might be sad that we WONT be using pillows. -- Yuffie
Kisaragi
All Has anyone seen Cloud and Red? I cannot seem to find where they are... -- Paline
"Cloud Strife and Red XIII are the next challengers in the Dark Arena." -- Announcer
...WHAT? -- Paline, mbr of Final Fantasy *sprints to arena to try and stop the fight*
*Barret Wallace, oblivious to the world, picks a flower from the ground, smells it,
then ties it to his jerkin.*
Daisy -- Your pollen is no match for my advair!
Jorja -- Thanks for posting the Question of the Week info! -- Hammer
All -- I have misplaced my newsletter from last cycle, so my warriors are unable to
make comments to their fight opponents! -- Hammer
P.S. At least I got an article submitted this cycle and hopefully I will be on better
track next cycle!
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
CLOUD STRIFE was butchered by SHEWISH GIANT in a 1 minute Dark Arena fight.
RED XIII was butchered by SPYMASTER in a 1 minute brutal Dark Arena duel.
YUFFIE KISARAGI slimly lost to BENNAKYL in a popular 3 minute Bloodfeud match.
LILY was devastated by GREAT WHITE SHARK in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge contest.
DAISY luckily beat ROGER MOORE in a crowd pleasing 5 minute bloody Challenge match.
DIEBUPROFEN vanquished THUNDERHAMMER in a 1 minute mismatched Challenge fight.
BLADDERWRACK outlasted CID HIGHWIND in a 9 minute amateur's Challenge brawl.
SUDAFEDORA was defeated by PERILOUS PIRANHA in a 2 minute Challenge melee.
OMNI won victory over POPPY in a 1 minute duel.
CROCUS lost to DANGEROUS CRIMINAL in a popular 1 minute duel.
IRIS vanquished PUFFER FISH PERIL in a 2 minute gory one-sided duel.
DANIEL CRAIG was overpowered by PAPPY BLUE RIBS in a 1 minute one-sided melee.
THE ALLIGATOR GAR overpowered BARRET WALLACE in a 1 minute one-sided match.
BRUTAL BARRACUDA was devastated by SCURVICIOUS in a 1 minute mismatched conflict.
SEAN CONNERY was demolished by DRINK EM UP in a 2 minute gory mismatched match.
TIMOTHY DALTON was viciously subdued by XXX in a 3 minute gory conflict.
FURIOUS INHALER viciously butchered UNFORESEEN EVENTS in a 1 minute amateur's bout.
DY-QUIL was overpowered by BARRY NELSON in a 1 minute mismatched brawl.
LEMON J unbelievably bested 24-7 SUPPORT in a 2 minute brutal novice's fight.
LIMEY LIME LIME was overpowered by PRESSURE in a 1 minute one-sided bout.
RAW RED ONION was overpowered by STRESS in a 1 minute mismatched conflict.
SLATER bested INTERRUPTIONS in a 2 minute novice's bout.
ISHAM was viciously subdued by BOOZY SOOZY in a 2 minute gruesome novice's match.
SAVVI lost to BUD THE WISER in a 2 minute gory amateur's fray.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|BASHING ATTACK 10 LUNGING ATTACK 38 - 14 - 1 73 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 8 TOTAL PARRY 25 - 17 - 0 60 |
|TOTAL PARRY 5 PARRY-LUNGE 4 - 4 - 0 50 |
|WALL OF STEEL 5 SLASHING ATTACK 16 - 17 - 1 48 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 5 BASHING ATTACK 31 - 34 - 0 48 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 4 STRIKING ATTACK 32 - 36 - 2 47 |
|AIMED BLOW 4 AIMED BLOW 17 - 21 - 1 45 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 2 PARRY-RIPOSTE 4 - 9 - 0 31 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 2 WALL OF STEEL 9 - 21 - 0 30 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 0 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 2 - 0 0 |
Turn 592 was great if you Not so great if you used The fighting styles of the
used the fighting styles: the fighting styles: top eleven warriors are:
PARRY-LUNGE 2 - 0 BASHING ATTACK 2 - 8 3 LUNGING ATTACK
SLASHING ATTACK 4 - 0 WALL OF STEEL 1 - 4 2 BASHING ATTACK
AIMED BLOW 3 - 1 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 2 AIMED BLOW
LUNGING ATTACK 6 - 2 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 2 2 SLASHING ATTACK
TOTAL PARRY 3 - 2 STRIKING ATTACK 0 - 5 1 STRIKING ATTACK
1 TOTAL PARRY
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
LUNGING ATTACK OMNI 10596 9 1 0 61 PHOENIX FORCE (1811)
BASHING ATTACK POPPY 10633 7 3 0 43 FLOWERS! (1816)
STRIKING ATTACK LILY 10632 7 3 1 39 FLOWERS! (1816)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is THUNDERHAMMER 10597. The most popular warrior this
turn was ROGER MOORE 10657. The ten other most popular fighters were BENNAKYL 10673,
SUDAFEDORA 10672, BUD THE WISER 10692, CID HIGHWIND 10694, XXX 10662, DIEBUPROFEN
10676, PERILOUS PIRANHA 10647, IRIS 10635, PAPPY BLUE RIBS 10666, and SCURVICIOUS
10679.
The least popular fighter this week was BLADDERWRACK 10681. The other ten least
popular fighters were SAVVI 10690, ISHAM 10689, RAW RED ONION 10680, LIMEY LIME LIME
10678, DY-QUIL 10675, SEAN CONNERY 10656, BRUTAL BARRACUDA 10650, BARRET WALLACE
10655, DANIEL CRAIG 10659, and PUFFER FISH PERIL 10646.