DARKHOLM SPORTING JOURNAL Date : 07/25/2015 Duedate: 08/07/2015 DARKHOLM ARENA DM 104 TURN 667 RANK TEAMS W L K % RANK TEAMS W L K % 1 WIDER IS BE 21/1369 494 193 4 71.9 THE HOLY LEGION 10/490 2 WASTELAND II 7/500 3764 2711 16 58.1 5 HIGHLANDERS 42/1341 638 799 10 44.4 NEGATIVE CASH FLOW 82/1197 6 JOHNS 5/927 1556 2805 27 35.7 3 BRUTAL LEGIO 7/1335 83 91 0 47.7 ARROGANCE 18/732 LEGION OF LEGEND 62/1305 THE LADY'S LIST 6/917 4 OBSIDIAN HA 33/1370 42 52 0 44.7 THE GUARDIAN'S FORUM Reflections by the Keeper of the Runeblade Zakau had just knocked her down. Summoning her energy, Tolais Deepheart flipped to her feet again, and sand flew out behind her. She tried not to show that her left leg still stung from the hamstring hit that had briefly numbed it. That was going to leave a mark. Then she had to hit the ground again, this time ducking under a thrust and rolling to her feet again in a single smooth move. Zakau was on fire today, she thought. He must have analyzed the other times he'd fought her and tried to figure out a new strategy. She hadn't. Maybe she was getting complacent. Maybe she just wanted someone else to write the damned column for a change. He attacked, she parried, she parried again and then feinted and caught him on the backspin of her weapon. But then, quick as a snake, he jabbed her in the knee and then the ankle. And said one of those hackneyed things that people always regret once they've cooled off a bit. With both legs hurt, she was less mobile now and knew she was in trouble. The bell sounded for minute two of the fight. The announcer murmured that Zakau seemed to be beating her. As if to confirm that, Zakau hit her in the breast and then in the shoulder, and then on the forearm. Gritting her teeth, she set aside all of her pain and forced herself to move as if nothing was hurting. She easily dodged an attack, slammed her quarterstaff into her opponent's midsection, then followed up with another attack which he avoided. He feinted three times, confusing her, then lunged at her, but she managed to dodge him, just barely. Ah! He was breathing hard now. She tried to smash him on the shoulder with a downward staff-strike, but he slid out of the way. The bell rang for minute three. The announcer, getting excited now, said it looked like Zakau was going to win. Splinters flew from their weapons as they traded blows. The weapons they had to use in the arena were of uniform, not very great quality. Then she poked her staff at his thigh. Her aim was mostly accidental, but that was a nerve center that she'd hit, and she knew it would leave a big, painful knot for some weeks. He moved slightly, shifting his weight to his other leg, and she attacked the same spot again. It was mean of her, but she wanted to win this fight. For all that she wished someone else would write the columns, she really hated losing. This time, he nearly fell. She saw his grimace of pain as he raised his hand in surrender. As the announcer declared her the winner, and flowers rained down from the stands... well, only a few flowers, since there were just half a dozen spectators... Zakau reached out to offer his hand. She took it, then slid her arm around him to help him limp out of the arena. "That was a very good fight, my friend. After you see the healers, I'd be glad to buy you a drink." REPORT FROM WITHIN THE TOWER Hullo hullo hullo! I raise my glass to all of you warlike sorts out there. We had nine fights today, no deaths, no challenges... hmm. The excitement of it all was quite brief, really. TOLAIS DEEPHEART (42-1620) (170-165-0,245) of HIGHLANDERS fought ZAKAU (5-4623) (82- 90-0,188) of JOHNS. TOLAIS DEEPHEART bested ZAKAU in a crowd pleasing 3 minute gruesome Title fight. Of course, Ms. Deepheart remains the Keeper of the Runeblade as well as the top-ranked Wall of Steel. GLAMDRING (33-2328) (43-29-1,194) of OBSIDIAN HALL fought CRACK IS CHEAP (82-18422) (83-99-0,210) of NEGATIVE CASH FLOW. GLAMDRING was savagely defeated by CRACK IS CHEAP in an exciting 18 minute gory melee. Mr. Cheap is our top-rated Total Parry, which pretty much explains the 18 minutes, eh? He's also the overall popularity leader. This was the least brief portion of our day, and it was actually pretty good. I like a fight that goes slowly enough that I can tell what's happening. I have slow eyes. ZEUS (62-4010) (58-39-0,181) of LEGION OF LEGEND fought FERD THE TOWER (104-27) (120- 15-8,280) of . ZEUS was vanquished by FERD THE TOWER in a popular 1 minute gory mismatched brawl. Ferd the Tower! No wonder! Poor Zeus. RYANATOR (33-3462) (42-36-0,193) of OBSIDIAN HALL fought E AHO LAULA (21-4224) (79-45- 0,194) of WIDER IS BETTER. RYANATOR was demolished by E AHO LAULA in a 2 minute mismatched competition. The formidable E is our highest ranked Lunger. MIKEL (6-6190) (67-71-3,205) of THE LADY'S LIST fought PHILTHRY (42-2079) (66-58- 0,169) of HIGHLANDERS. MIKEL was viciously subdued by PHILTHRY in a crowd pleasing 2 minute bloody match. Mikel is top Slasher, while Philthry is top Parry-Striker. ASSUR (18-7821) (79-130-2,199) of ARROGANCE fought STING (10-429) (31-30-2,177) of THE HOLY LEGION. ASSUR was overpowered by STING in an action packed 1 minute uneven melee. Assur is our arena's best Basher, at least this turn. Sting didn't win a stylemaster title, even though he won his fight. The crowd seemed to think Assur should have won, so he was voted this turn's least favorite fighter. PELIS THE TRUE (42-3469) (58-90-1,141) of HIGHLANDERS fought FATALITY (7-5820) (48-47- 0,148) of BRUTAL LEGION. PELIS THE TRUE was vanquished by FATALITY in an action packed 1 minute one-sided duel. Fatality is our premier Striker. DIGITALIS (33-6862) (26-27-1,135) of OBSIDIAN HALL fought ANGRY BOOKIE (104-11) (15- 10-0,150) of . DIGITALIS won victory over ANGRY BOOKIE in a popular 5 minute fight. Digitalis is still our best Parry-Riposte expert. Well done! JHAARAN (10-2017) (19-13-1,61) of THE HOLY LEGION fought MAN-MOUNTAIN (7-3853) (23-18- 1,49) of WASTELAND II. JHAARAN luckily beat MAN-MOUNTAIN in a popular 4 minute gory melee. No stylemasters here, but it was a good fight. From a spectator's point of view. That's all that happened, so that's all I'm reporting. Have a fun two weeks, and please invite your friends to join this arena. Thank you. Malic of Talcama KEEPER OF THE RUNEBLADE W L K PNTS TEAM NAME CITY TOLAIS DEEPHEART 42-1620 171 165 250 HIGHLANDERS (1341) RODEKI GRAND CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS W L K PNTS TEAM NAME CITY CRACK IS CHEAP 82-18422 84 99 221 NEGATIVE CASH FLOW (1197) DWES EG GRAND CHAMPIONS W L K PNTS TEAM NAME CITY E AHO LAULA 21-4224 80 45 210 WIDER IS BETTER (1369) SUNSET ZEUS 62-4010 58 40 203 LEGION OF LEGEND (1305) VALAMANTIS STING 10-429 32 30 2 199 THE HOLY LEGION (490) KOLACT GLAMDRING 33-2328 43 30 1 194 OBSIDIAN HALL (1370) NIATOLI ISLAND PHILTHRY 42-2079 67 58 193 HIGHLANDERS (1341) RODEKI GRAND CHAMPIONS W L K PNTS TEAM NAME CITY RYANATOR 33-3462 42 37 193 OBSIDIAN HALL (1370) NIATOLI ISLAND ZAKAU 5-4623 82 91 191 JOHNS (927) KALTOS MIKEL 6-6190 67 72 3 182 THE LADY'S LIST (917) TRANSEL GRAND CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K PNTS TEAM NAME CITY ASSUR 18-7821 79 131 2 179 ARROGANCE (732) TALCAMA FATALITY 7-5820 49 47 157 BRUTAL LEGION (1335) BONSUR DIGITALIS 33-6862 27 27 1 154 OBSIDIAN HALL (1370) NIATOLI ISLAND GRAND ADEPTS W L K PNTS TEAM NAME CITY PELIS THE TRUE 42-3469 58 91 1 135 HIGHLANDERS (1341) RODEKI GRAND INITIATES W L K PNTS TEAM NAME CITY JHAARAN 10-2017 20 13 1 69 THE HOLY LEGION (490) KOLACT MAN-MOUNTAIN 7-3853 23 19 1 52 WASTELAND II (500) BONSUR -BRUNHYLDA 33-8082 24 13 1 49 OBSIDIAN HALL (1370) NIATOLI ISLAND '-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn. THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE Zakau -- You almost beat me! Whatever you were doing, keep it up! -- Tolais Deepheart Glamdring -- Maybe I should stick with my minute one strategy, hm? -- Philthry That Laughing Barmaid is just insufferable. I hate gigglers -- Pelis the True P.S. Actually I don't. Giggling is sort of cute. But not when I'm getting beaten up. LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS TOLAIS DEEPHEART bested ZAKAU in a crowd pleasing 3 minute gruesome Title fight. GLAMDRING was savagely defeated by CRACK IS CHEAP in a exciting 18 minute gory melee. ZEUS was vanquished by FERD THE TOWER in a popular 1 minute gory mismatched brawl. RYANATOR was demolished by E AHO LAULA in a 2 minute mismatched competition. MIKEL was viciously subdued by PHILTHRY in a crowd pleasing 2 minute bloody match. ASSUR was overpowered by STING in a action packed 1 minute uneven melee. PELIS THE TRUE was vanquished by FATALITY in a action packed 1 minute one-sided duel. DIGITALIS won victory over ANGRY BOOKIE in a popular 5 minute fight. JHAARAN luckily beat MAN-MOUNTAIN in a popular 4 minute gory melee. BATTLE REPORT MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS |FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT| |TOTAL PARRY 4 SLASHING ATTACK 7 - 3 - 0 70 | |LUNGING ATTACK 3 WALL OF STEEL 15 - 12 - 0 56 | |BASHING ATTACK 3 LUNGING ATTACK 16 - 14 - 0 53 | |WALL OF STEEL 2 TOTAL PARRY 9 - 9 - 0 50 | |PARRY-STRIKE 1 PARRY-STRIKE 4 - 6 - 0 40 | |PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 STRIKING ATTACK 4 - 6 - 0 40 | |STRIKING ATTACK 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 2 - 4 - 0 33 | |SLASHING ATTACK 1 AIMED BLOW 1 - 2 - 0 33 | |AIMED BLOW 0 BASHING ATTACK 12 - 24 - 0 33 | |PARRY-LUNGE 0 PARRY-LUNGE 1 - 3 - 0 25 | Turn 667 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-STRIKE 1 - 0 AIMED BLOW 0 - 0 3 TOTAL PARRY PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 - 0 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 0 3 LUNGING ATTACK STRIKING ATTACK 1 - 0 SLASHING ATTACK 0 - 1 2 WALL OF STEEL LUNGING ATTACK 2 - 1 BASHING ATTACK 0 - 3 1 PARRY-STRIKE TOTAL PARRY 2 - 2 1 SLASHING ATTACK WALL OF STEEL 1 - 1 1 BASHING ATTACK TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME WALL OF STEEL TOLAIS DEEPHEART 42-1620 171 165 0 250 HIGHLANDERS (1341) TOTAL PARRY CRACK IS CHEAP 82-18422 84 99 0 221 NEGATIVE CASH FLOW (1197) LUNGING ATTACK E AHO LAULA 21-4224 80 45 0 210 WIDER IS BETTER (1369) PARRY-STRIKE PHILTHRY 42-2079 67 58 0 193 HIGHLANDERS (1341) SLASHING ATTACK MIKEL 6-6190 67 72 3 182 THE LADY'S LIST (917) BASHING ATTACK ASSUR 18-7821 79 131 2 179 ARROGANCE (732) STRIKING ATTACK FATALITY 7-5820 49 47 0 157 BRUTAL LEGION (1335) PARRY-RIPOSTE DIGITALIS 33-6862 27 27 1 154 OBSIDIAN HALL (1370) The overall popularity leader is CRACK IS CHEAP 82-18422. The most popular warrior this turn was MAN-MOUNTAIN 7-3853. The ten other most popular fighters were ZAKAU 5-4623, GLAMDRING 33-2328, DIGITALIS 33-6862, TOLAIS DEEPHEART 42-1620, E AHO LAULA 21-4224, JHAARAN 10-2017, PHILTHRY 42-2079, CRACK IS CHEAP 82-18422, MIKEL 6-6190, and STING 10-429. The least popular fighter this week was ASSUR 18-7821. The other ten least popular fighters were ZEUS 62-4010, PELIS THE TRUE 42-3469, RYANATOR 33-3462, FATALITY 7-5820, STING 10-429, MIKEL 6-6190, CRACK IS CHEAP 82-18422, PHILTHRY 42-2079, JHAARAN 10-2017, and E AHO LAULA 21-4224. Arena (Number) W L K Arena (Number) W L K Arena (Number) W L K KALTOS(5) 0 1 0 TALCAMA(18) 0 1 0 RODEKI(42) 2 1 0 TRANSEL(6) 0 1 0 SUNSET(21) 1 0 0 VALAMANTIS(62) 0 1 0 BONSUR(7) 1 1 0 NIATOLI ISLAND(33) 1 2 0 DWES EG(82) 1 0 0 KOLACT(10) 2 0 0 TOP WARRIOR OF EACH ARENA W L K PNTS TEAM NAME CITY ZAKAU 5-4623 82 91 0 191 JOHNS (927) KALTOS MIKEL 6-6190 67 72 3 182 THE LADY'S LIST (917) TRANSEL FATALITY 7-5820 49 47 0 157 BRUTAL LEGION (1335) BONSUR STING 10-429 32 30 2 199 THE HOLY LEGION (490) KOLACT ASSUR 18-7821 79 131 2 179 ARROGANCE (732) TALCAMA E AHO LAULA 21-4224 80 45 0 210 WIDER IS BETTER (1369) SUNSET GLAMDRING 33-2328 43 30 1 194 OBSIDIAN HALL (1370) NIATOLI ISLAND TOLAIS DEEPHEART 42-1620 171 165 0 250 HIGHLANDERS (1341) RODEKI ZEUS 62-4010 58 40 0 203 LEGION OF LEGEND (1305) VALAMANTIS CRACK IS CHEAP 82-18422 84 99 0 221 NEGATIVE CASH FLOW (1197) DWES EG ATTENTION: ALL MANAGERS WHO ARE ATTENDING THE FACE-TO-FACE If you plan to attend the Winter Face-to-Face in Phoenix, please let Customer Service know. We will hold your turns for the few days preceding the tourney, starting with anything that would mail out on the previous Saturday. (This means that games due on Thursday the 9th (which would mail on Friday) would probably mail to you, but games due on the 10th and thereafter will be held and delivered to you at the tournament. This way, you won't have to worry about not receiving a critical turn before you depart for Newark, and you also don't have to worry about whether you can get a reprint before the first turn of the tournament is due. See you there! RSI