DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER
Date : 12/30/2022 Duedate: 01/12/2023
NOBLISH ISLAND ARENA
DM 93 TURN 625
This Week's Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
SNEEZER MCGEEZER
AUDACIOUS STABLE (1856)
(93-10873) [9-1-1,76]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
SNEEZER MCGEEZER PLAYER
AUDACIOUS STABLE (1856) BB BACHELOR (1860)
(93-10873) [9-1-1,76] (93-10896) [4-0-0,42]
Popularity Leader This Week's Favorite
SNEEZER MCGEEZER SPAM
AUDACIOUS STABLE (1856) SILENT GENERATION (1861)
(93-10873) [9-1-1,76] (93-10903) [2-0-0,24]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
SILENT GENERATION (1861)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. SILENT GENERATION (1861) 34
2. BB BACHELOR (1860) 10 AUDACIOUS STABLE (1856)
3. AUDACIOUS STABLE (1856) -20 Unchartered Team
SILENT GENERATION (1861)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1/ 2*SILENT GENERATION (1861) 9 1 0 90.0 1/ 3*SILENT GENERATION (1861) 9 1 0
2/ 1*BB BACHELOR (1860) 13 7 1 65.0 2/ 1*BB BACHELOR (1860) 8 7 1
3/ 3 AUDACIOUS STABLE (1856) 28 22 1 56.0 3/ 2 AUDACIOUS STABLE (1856) 7 8 0
'*' Unchartered team '-' Team did not fight this turn
(###) Avoid teams by their Team Id ##/## This turn's/Last turn's rank
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
All About D2 Tournaments
A Face-To-Face Is Imminent (January 13, 2023) in Tempe, AZ
An Actual Scenario For A Former Noblish Isle Warrior
The purpose of this spotlight is to give newcomers to D2 a sense or feeling or
information about tournaments, in this case a recent past Face-To-Face tournament,
held in Tempe near the RSI offices. Hence, Billiken of College Mascots from Noblish
Isle was selected as the guinea-pig. Rah, rah, Billiken!
So, a tournament. Four times a year RSI holds tournaments. Winter and Summer are
Face-To-Face Tournaments where managers from all arenas compete on-site against each
other face-to-face and can change strategies each and every fight if they wish. The
winter Face Site has always been in Tempe, AZ, (The RSI Home Site) while the summer
event is held in varying cities east of the Mississippi. (Past ones were in New
Orleans, DC, Orlando, KC, Tampa Cincinnati etc.) The Mail-In Tournaments are done
completely via mail and managers submit predetermined strategies for their entered
warriors. (Each warrior is allowed a primary strategy and also a secondary strategy
which will be employed against selected styles.) Both events cost $7.00 per warrior
and are great fun. Warriors compete in classes, thereby allowing similarly experienced
warriors from all arenas to be fairly matched with each other. In tournaments, a
warrior's chance to learn skills or earn stat increases is half that in normal arenas.
Supposedly, the chances of dying are also halved.
Why might I want to do this? I had four real reasons.
(1) Tournaments are fun; a real rush, as the warrior and manager get lots of fights in
a very short period: minimum three fights
(2) Seeing one's warrior compete against warriors from many other arenas is fulfilling
and a good judge of the skill and status of one's own warrior and one's own
management style.
(3) Meeting and intermingling with other managers and the RSI staff is a great
experience. Many have become good friends. Often, the face-too-face, is a fine way
to learn from other managers.
(4) The warrior acquires fights plus skills and/or stat raises that are "hidden",
meaning that those fights and resultant learnings cannot be seen in the arena
status listing of the warrior. For example, Billiken was 3-0-1 on the Noblish
Island newsletter prior to the tournament, and despite fighting several fights in
the tournament, will be listed at 3-0-1 after the tournament.
I entered Billiken from Noblish Island in The 2017 Winter FTF. Prior to fighting
him in The FTF, I wanted to give him the best possibility to succeed. I prepared to
fight him in the Apprentices class. Classes are segregated by FE = Fight Equivalents.
What is a fight equivalent? Each arena fight counts as one fight and any tournament
fights count as a half fight. The Apprentices Class is for warriors with 1-4 FE.
Having no tournament fights prior, I wanted to try to "max" Billiken for Apprentices.
By "max" I wanted him to fight with the maximum FE possible in that class. By doing
so, I would optimize his chances to have as many skills as possible and to succeed.
Alas, I was unable to do so, only getting Billiken three fights prior to the Face;
hence, he was one fight "light", but that wasn't too bad.
Pre-Tournament, Billiken looked like this: 11-13-5-15-21-8-11, a Lunger who was
right-handed, intelligent, incredibly quick and elusive, did normal damage, had good
endurance, and had an expert in attack on the roll. He earned expert defense after one
learn in the arena, so I also knew he was +2 to 4 attack skills and +4 defense. Nice,
but not quite a godling.
Billiken did o.k. in the tournament, finishing 3-3 (1 a grudge match) against the
best Apprentices in the land, even though he was only 75% maxed. He also
learned/trained well, earning 1 stat (CN, moving endurance to great) and 7 skills.
(mostly initiative) Perhaps a general fight-by-fight summary would prove of value?
First, let me list for you the one strategy I chose:
8- 9- 9- 7- 7- 4- 4 ASM/S
10- 9- 6- 3- 3- 1-10 0-13 = SS
6- 6- 6- 7- 7-10- 4 14+ = LO
N- L- N- N- N- L- N b/u = DA
D- N- N- N- N- N- D
Strategies, armor, weapons, backups, tactics, training, etc, etc are all variable, and
explaining MY choices or normal Consortium choices would require a much, much longer
spotlight. Perhaps another day. As to Billikens's tournament action:
Fight one against a sz13 scum TP -- Billiken swung 26 times with the LO, 1 crit, but
with his only normal damage could not take the scum down and lost in six rounds,
earning an init and attack skill.
Fight two, a sz8 aimer (ale/l sc/-) with a lot of dodging and back and forthing, the
aimer was a winner; Billiken was 0/10/0 with the SS earning a riposte and init skill.
Fight three, which Billiken has to win or he is out! (3 losses and done) another
aimer, also sz8, who was ale/l and using fist. The fight was nearly identical to the
previous fight except Billiken won, going 0/9/0 with the SS and earning one init
skill.
Fight four, a striker at sz11, naked, and with a scimitar. Billiken dodged his
advances in the first round, traded strokes with him in the second, finally getting
his best crit of the tourney, knocking him down, and finishing the win in three
rounds. He was 1/10/0 with the SS. (one init skill)
Fight five, another scum, sz8, and Billiken did not know he was fighting a scum.
(APM/F SH/ME) Had he known, in the FTF, he could and would have changed his strategy
to slow down and hopefully take out the scum. But instead, although Billiken
performed well with the LO, going 4/20/0, he lost in 4 rounds. He finished at 2-3,
earning another init. BUT....
A final special grudge match is allowed at FTFs, so Billiken brokered a match up with
a basher. A sz 11, naked, HL wielding basher. Scary For the grudge, but Billiken
wanted to test a strategy. Since he was pretty defensive skilled and not so much of a
damaging hitter, 6-6-2 dodge, with ale/l sh/- (low armor, and LO high armor). He
learned the basher was going 10-10-7 decise in the first round. Amazingly, Billiken
dodged the first two swings of the massive halberd, then jabbed him twice for the win
and a decent 3-3 record. He was training for a CON stat and got it, not only adding to
hit points, but giving him great endurance.
Billiken says he was glad to get out of the FTF alive! Such is Billiken's Face-To-Face
tournament saga. He was an OK 3-3. He earned 7 skills, and a stat increase which
enhanced his hit points and endurance. It was a great experience.
Key things you might have learned from this article:
1. 4 tournaments held plus their type and timing
2. FE = Fight Equivalents
3. Tournament Prep
4. Some basic Consortium lunger strategies
5. The value of tournaments to your warriors (and you)
6. Stat raising and burning skills
-- Written by: Agent, and modified by Whitey,
then FDR, all Consortium affiliates.
***---------*---------*---------*---------**---------*---------*---------*---------***
ASSUR'S LUNGER MODEL
In order to better serve new and returning players to gain a better understanding
of our favorite game, The Consortium and Assurnasirbanipal have undertaken a project
to give more current designs that work in today's game as it has changed over so many
years. But even though we believe these articles are more accurate and helpful, every
design article is loaded with biases and opinions. There is no absolute right and
wrong. This particular article is Assur's opinion of the Lunging style.
Lungers are one of the strongest styles in the game with the highest base skills
of any style (and better distributed than Wall of Steels, who share the same total
base skills). Because Lungers are so strong, there are many ways to make them.
Assur's model of the Lunger is a good one, but by far not the only one.
This particular model is a hybrid warrior (a warrior who wins with a combination
of attack and defense). There have been successful lungers run as pure defensives and
as pure offensives as well. Lungers really can do it all.
I can describe my goals with my lunger model with a small set of desired
requirements: Ability to wield the LO well suited (11 str, 13 wit, 11 dft), Good
damage, Good endurance, and 21 will. Technically, I also say 5 or more speed, but
this may be a superstition. I have not seen an unsuccessful lunger with the actual
requirements (though realize with 13 wit, your tourney success is more limited after
Apprentices). However, because Lungers are so strong, the requirements are less set
in stone than many other styles.
For design, the numbers look like this:
STR: 11+ (11 for LO, after that only needed for damage/endurance)
CON: 8ish++ (more is better, for taking damage and endurance)
SIZ: any (Less is better, but really want good damage or better)
WIT: 13+ (13 is what is required for LO)
WIL: 21 (The model says 21, but you 'can' go lower)
SPD: 5+ (Assur falls in the superstitious camp)
DFT: 11+ (Need 11 for LO, really don't want much more)
Weapons: LO is the only weapon you 'need.' Often Assur will use SC against plate,
especially earlier in the lunger's career. But the lazy mode is just to use LO
against everything and not have to think.
Armor: ALE or APL and whatever helm you like. Higher hinders your dodge more than
you want, while the advantages of a little armor far outweigh the extra dodge you get
wearing nothing. Certainly there are exceptions (the most obvious being against scum
Total Parries, when no armor is recommended).
Strategy: I start almost every lunger like this running 7-10 in minute 1. Once
again, if I'm lazy, I leave it like this for the warrior's entire basic career (until
I know his actual favorites). I also use 7-10 in desperation. If I'm not lazy, I
tinker with it and try to find where the lunger runs 'best.' (More often I'm lazy). I
lower the activity level quickly as the fight progresses (to conserve endurance), but
often leave the offensive effort at 7 or somewhere around there. I typically do not
use tactics on this lunger. (Once again, laziness is king, since tactics do help
situationally).
Examples: The model, while it has extra points available, is not trivial to find.
I have not graduated a single lunger that 'MET' all the standards, but many very good
examples of lungers that were 'close.' I list ALL my graduated lungers that I
consider 'close'. As you see from their records, they do VERY well.
12-13-8-13-21-6-11 -- He only did normal damage, even after two trains to strength,
but he was fantastic. He graduated 17-6 in a difficult arena.
9-15-11-14-20-5-10 -- After two trains to strength he did good damage and graduated
19-12. Didn't train the wit/will/deftness, but this warrior
TC'd freshman in April 2017 by 'busting' those stats.
9-11-8-15-21-7-13 -- Graduated 14-7 without any trains (did normal)
10-10-4-16-20-14-10 -- Luck is a good thing!!! This warrior rolled good damage and
did no trains during basic, graduating 16-5. Since he didn't
train deftness or strength, he 'missed' the standard because of
not being well suited to the Longsword.
9-11-13-13-19-9-10 -- Quickly trained to 11-13-13-14-21-9-11 and then rocked the
arena, graduating 18-6. After the training, he DID meet all
the standards.
9-9-13-17-21-4-11 -- In an easy arena, graduated 17-4 with good damage and normal
endurance.
Advantages: This model can win just about any fight. You have enough endurance to
get to minute 3. The skills/physicals are well balanced. You are running the one of
the top styles in the game.
Disadvantages: Hard to beat good defensives. Wit is critical for basic tourney
success and this model doesn't ensure that.
Best Matchups: This lunger can beat just about anyone, but won't win every fight
against them, either. Other hybrids and strikers/bashers are probably your best
matchups, especially if they aren't ready for you.
Worst Matchups: Pure scum in Plate Armor!!! Avoid like the plague! Very high
attack offensives and/or very high init offensives can also cause problems, but
nothing like the pure scum.
DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
Notes from the arena champ.
Hammer has still [Sneeze] been so [Sneeze] busy with Real Life [Sneeze] studies and
the demands of [Sneeze] writing nearly a [Sneeze] dozen [Sneeze] Sermon Outlines for
two of his [Sneeze] classes that he literally [Sneeze] has not found much [Sneeze]
time to do any other kind of [Sneeze] writing either here or for any other [Sneeze]
arenas!
At least Hammer did [Sneeze] send our [Sneeze] arena transfer [Sneeze] sheet to RSI
requesting a [Sneeze] transfer for our [Sneeze] stable to be transferred to the Riztab
[Sneeze] Arena.
Veteran Mercenary nearly bought the [Sneeze] farm from our most recent [Sneeze]
battle!
I still [Sneeze] hope the [Sneeze] New Year brings some more [Sneeze] New Players to
our [Sneeze] arena!
Please [Sneeze] pass me a [Sneeze] hankie!
Still Enjoying the [Sneeze] View from the [Sneeze] Top!
-- Sneezer McGeezer of Audacious Stable
SPY REPORT
Greetings, Warriors of NOBLISH ISLAND. Allow this humble servant Novgorodny Vir
to give you a respite from the fights in the form of this Spyreport. The boys at BB
BACHELOR left the arena dejected, after being kicked out of the top spot by SILENT
GENERATION. Good show! Practice pays for PLAYER, who pummelled NOSE DRIPPING FOE,
to pocket 13 points. A certain someone should cut down on the drinking and practice
more, after losing 11 points to PLAYER. (Discrete enough, NOSE DRIPPING FOE?) Our
Duelmaster has lost, folks, lost to KUNG-FU MASTER, BUT SNEEZER MCGEEZER is still the
Duelmaster because she has the most recognition points! Word has it one team in
NOBLISH ISLAND is taking speech lessons to try to bore their opponent to death. I'll
bet it works.
My mother wished me to avoid conflict, and seek the gentle trade of Spyreporter.
But warriors aren't supposed to avoid fights! Like a horde of jackals fleeing from
the lion, so did the "warriors" in NOBLISH ISLAND avoid SILENT GENERATION. As a
woman of good breeding scorns the "warriors" of BB BACHELOR, so did that sorry team
shy from SILENT GENERATION If challenges were horses, ONE NIGHT STAND could open up a
fast food joint!
Like the wind whispering among the pines, do hearest I many disquieting rumors.
Ask not a spymaster for counsel, for he will pontificate long after you have fallen
into an unconscious stupor.
All good things must come to an end. Keep those sands bloody and the buzzards
fat! NOBLISH ISLAND, I leave you now. The Duelmaster has agreed to foot my bill at
The Warty Toad. 'Til next time-- Novgorodny Vir
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
SNEEZER MCGEEZER 10873 9 1 1 76 AUDACIOUS STABLE (1856)
CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
SNORTER MCWORTER 10872 6 4 0 62 AUDACIOUS STABLE (1856)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
PLAYER 10896 4 0 0 42 BB BACHELOR (1860)
PARTY 10899 3 1 0 37 BB BACHELOR (1860)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
SILENT MAJORITY 10905 2 0 0 30 SILENT GENERATION (1861)
MCCARTHY 10902 2 0 0 29 SILENT GENERATION (1861)
BURPING BELLFLOWER 10875 4 6 0 24 AUDACIOUS STABLE (1856)
SPAM 10903 2 0 0 24 SILENT GENERATION (1861)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
NOSE DRIPPING FOE 10874 5 5 0 21 AUDACIOUS STABLE (1856)
GREAT DEPRESSION 10904 2 0 0 19 SILENT GENERATION (1861)
WHEEZER MCGEEZER 10876 4 6 0 18 AUDACIOUS STABLE (1856)
NO CARES 10897 2 2 1 9 BB BACHELOR (1860)
UNCLEAN 10898 2 2 0 8 BB BACHELOR (1860)
ONE NIGHT STAND 10895 2 2 0 8 BB BACHELOR (1860)
WW II 10906 1 1 0 7 SILENT GENERATION (1861)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
PERSONAL ADS
Hammer, we salute you for holding the DM Title. We suspect we will have to say that
again next time. -- FDR and The Silent Generation (Consortium affiliated)
And I thought we were the Silent Majority of The Silent Generation? No spotlights?
(Except us Silent Ones) No personal ads? (Except we Silent Ones) No DM Columns? Tsk,
tsk. -- FDR
Unclean, heh, heh. I do declare you a Red. And it felt good chastising you! --
Mccarthy
No Cares? Was that No Cares? Losing to me? I think maybe his manager should have a lot
of cares. -- Spam
Hmmm. Let me get this straight. Us verses NPCs was 2-1. Us verses BB Bachelor was 2-0.
Perhaps that means the NPCs are a more difficult team? Perhaps the NPCs are better
managed? Perhaps The Silent Generation just simply loves it! -- FDR
Health. Humility. Honor. (The Consortium motto) -- FDR
All --- Mail has been running late and as Sneezer McGeezer mentioned between sneezes,
I have been busy with writing assignments for my classes! I am sending my Audacious
Stable to the Riztab Arena! --- Hammer, mgr of Audacious Stable and Duel2 Sponsor
P.S. I also sent a New Team application to RSI with the Transfer application! No
guarantee as to how soon they will begin fighting here in the Noblish Island arena!
Hammer / F.D.R. -- You ruined my dream of going 50-0 here in DM 93! -- Assur
P.S. Ok, I really wasn't dreaming or expecting that, but it was kind of fun going
10-0, even if it was mostly stand ins.
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
WW II outwaited ONE NIGHT STAND in a crowd boring 13 minute amateur's Challenge fight.
SNEEZER MCGEEZER was subdued by KUNG-FU MASTER in a 2 minute brutal Title melee.
SNORTER MCWORTER overpowered PARTY in a 1 minute mismatched duel.
BURPING BELLFLOWER was devastated by DANGEROUS CRIMINAL in a 1 minute one-sided fight.
NOSE DRIPPING FOE was demolished by PLAYER in a 2 minute mismatched competition.
WHEEZER MCGEEZER lost to SPAM in a crowd pleasing 1 minute fight.
NO CARES was beaten by GREAT DEPRESSION in a popular 1 minute amateur's brawl.
UNCLEAN was handily defeated by MCCARTHY in a 1 minute uneven melee.
SILENT MAJORITY vanquished EMBEZZLING SCRIBE in a 1 minute one-sided duel.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|TOTAL PARRY 4 LUNGING ATTACK 7 - 0 - 0 100 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 3 TOTAL PARRY 24 - 16 - 1 60 |
|AIMED BLOW 2 AIMED BLOW 12 - 8 - 0 60 |
|BASHING ATTACK 2 PARRY-STRIKE 7 - 5 - 0 58 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 1 PARRY-LUNGE 7 - 5 - 0 58 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 1 STRIKING ATTACK 14 - 11 - 0 56 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 BASHING ATTACK 16 - 15 - 1 52 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 1 SLASHING ATTACK 4 - 5 - 1 44 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 5 - 7 - 0 42 |
|WALL OF STEEL 0 WALL OF STEEL 0 - 1 - 0 0 |
Turn 625 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 1 - 0 TOTAL PARRY 1 - 3 3 STRIKING ATTACK
STRIKING ATTACK 3 - 0 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 1 2 TOTAL PARRY
AIMED BLOW 1 - 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 1 2 BASHING ATTACK
BASHING ATTACK 1 - 1 LUNGING ATTACK 0 - 0 1 PARRY-LUNGE
SLASHING ATTACK 0 - 1 1 PARRY-STRIKE
WALL OF STEEL 0 - 0 1 AIMED BLOW
1 PARRY-RIPOSTE
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
TOTAL PARRY SNEEZER MCGEEZER 10873 9 1 1 76 AUDACIOUS STABLE (1856)
STRIKING ATTACK SNORTER MCWORTER 10872 6 4 0 62 AUDACIOUS STABLE (1856)
PARRY-LUNGE PLAYER 10896 4 0 0 42 BB BACHELOR (1860)
PARRY-STRIKE PARTY 10899 3 1 0 37 BB BACHELOR (1860)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is SNEEZER MCGEEZER 10873. The most popular warrior
this turn was SPAM 10903. The ten other most popular fighters were GREAT DEPRESSION
10904, SNEEZER MCGEEZER 10873, SNORTER MCWORTER 10872, PLAYER 10896, NO CARES 10897,
MCCARTHY 10902, SILENT MAJORITY 10905, WHEEZER MCGEEZER 10876, PARTY 10899, and
BURPING BELLFLOWER 10875.
The least popular fighter this week was ONE NIGHT STAND 10895. The other ten least
popular fighters were WW II 10906, UNCLEAN 10898, NOSE DRIPPING FOE 10874, BURPING
BELLFLOWER 10875, PARTY 10899, WHEEZER MCGEEZER 10876, SILENT MAJORITY 10905,
MCCARTHY 10902, NO CARES 10897, and PLAYER 10896.