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First, you need to be sure you are making your challenges correctly.
1. Are you writing down the warrior I.D. number of the warrior you want to
challenge?
2. Is your handwriting clear?
3. Is the warrior you are challenging within range of your warrior? Warriors
can challenge within their own class and the next higher class, plus the “Challenger”
classes can also challenge the next lower class. So, an Adept can challenge Adepts
and Challenger Adepts. A Challenger Adept can challenge Adepts, Challenger Adepts,
and Champions. (Try not to challenge down, though. Besides being unsportsmanlike and
making everyone mad, it isn’t advantageous to your warriors. They need to fight more
experienced warriors so they will learn.)
4. Are your warriors eligible to make challenges? If they didn’t fight within
the last two turns, then they can’t challenge.
5. Are the warriors they want to fight eligible to receive challenges? If they
didn’t fight within the last two turns, then they can’t be challenged.

Next, adjust your choices for the maximum likelihood of getting your challenges.
There are several things that will help:
1. Have each of your warriors challenge two different opponents from two
different teams. That way, if the first opponent’s team doesn’t fight that turn, you
still might get your second challenge.
2. Use your avoids. Have each warrior avoid the teams of whoever you think
might be likely to challenge him. If you can get out of being challenged, that
increases your chance of getting your own challenge through.
3. Don’t challenge warriors who didn’t fight last turn. The odds are higher
that they won’t be fighting this turn.
4. Don’t challenge warriors who might be involved in a bloodfeud (either as the
killers, or the avengers). A bloodfeud challenge has priority over all other
challenges.
5. Don’t challenge Tournament Victors. A TV challenge has priority over all
other challenges except bloodfeuds. You’ll need to do a little research in back
issues of the newsletter to find out who the TVs are.
6. Don’t challenge warriors who you know are going to challenge someone else, or
are going to get challenged by someone else. Your challenge has a better chance of
getting through if it is the only challenge to that particular warrior.
7. Don’t challenge the “easy pickings.” That is, warriors above you who have
way too few fights or very bad records for where they are ranked. They will tend to
get challenged a lot.
8. Don’t challenge warriors who are likely to be avoiding your team. This
includes any warrior your team fought within the last two turns.
Well, it sounds like I’ve eliminated just about everybody, doesn’t it? Of course
you can challenge opponents who fit into one or more of those categories; just try to
find ones who don’t. Your idea candidate for a challenge is: A warrior ranked
somewhat above your warrior in the same class, or in the next higher class, with a few
more fights than your warrior, and a winning record, who isn’t a TV and isn’t
currently at war with anyone.
I hope this will be of some help to you.

The Rogue She-Puppy

10. When you spend money on Duelmasters, you know you’re going to get return on your investment.

9. One arena won’t get jealous when you start playing in another.

8. With the right tourney prize, you can design your own warrior.

7. If you make it to AD, they tell you your warrior’s favorites.

6. You can always DA and get another roll-up.

5. The more experience you get, the less likely you are to die.

4. SZ, CN and Charisma are less important in Duelmasters.

3. Most mangers are satisfied with two minute fights.

2. Warriors do as they’re told, even if it means using ALE and a WF.

And the number one reason……….

1. You don’t have to hold your turn for an hour after you’re finished reading it.

Composed by the Jester and Predator

Once upon a time, there was a team in Talcama. It was the third team started by the manager that was to become known as The Neon Necromancer. Now, this team started out pretty darn good. They ran over 80% for just about their entire first year, and regularly got free turns as a result. Not all was wine and roses, however. There was a death in the family, and Neon needed a new recruit. He went to his laboratory and set to work. He created a golem with the body parts of the finest physical specimens he could find. He then surfed the astral plane for a mind as fine as the body. As he was trying to pull the mind essence of one Albert Einstein from ‘earth’ into his construct, things went a bit awry and a different mind was entrapped in the golem. Norman Bates. Psycho. Thus was born Psycho Scientist. (Neon later admitted that if he had thought of that name to begin with, he would have used it as the team name.)

Psycho was born as an 11-5-11-13-20-12-12 Lunger. This fit Neon’s early career pattern of creating stat trainers. The 20 quickly became 21, the 12’s quickly became 13’s, and a couple points of wit were added for good measure. The quick boost allowed Psycho some early arena success. He translated that arena success into tournament success with the first ever Champions TV for Neon. (This was Mail-In IV or so.) Enjoying the arena success led to a quick induction to ADM. At that time, that was the top arena; Primus didn’t exist yet. With training enhanced at the Isle of the Eye, Psycho took full advantage and raised his will to 25, and tacked on at least three trains in every other area. This turboed Psycho to a TV in his first ever ADM tournament (the one that Jake the Snake won). He lost the first two rounds to Epitaph and Jake the Snake, then won his next eight fights in a row.

Around this time was when Neon became fully convinced of the skill burning aspect of stat training. Of course, it was far too late for Psycho, who had already burned approximately 50 skills. After a run of several TV’s, these lost skills resulted in Psycho fading from the TV ranks in Primus. While he could pull the occasional fluke win (like beating Dee Dee when she was a TC caliber warrior), he just didn’t have what it took to hang with the big dogs.

Neon hadn’t been idle during this time, and the concept of warrior bonuses came to his knowledge. He analyzed Psycho and found he was -1 Init, +3 Atk, +1 Def, +3 Dec, one of the most bonused warriors Neon owned (at the time), and the only one that bonused that was already in ADM. (Alas, several others more bonused never made it to ADM.) Neon kept running the fading warrior out of a sense of sentimentality, but also because, despite the burnt skills, Psycho was still the best he had. Psycho experienced a minor resurgence when he got his strength trains past 21. When he reached 24 strength (at the beginning of a tournament), he got devastating damage. He went on a rampage of ‘Psycho Devastation’, winning his next four consecutive fights with one mighty swing. He once again broke the ranks of the TV’s. At the time, he was one of only two warriors with that kind of damage, and while it didn’t launch him into TC contention, it did allow him to eke out a few more TV’s.

Just when Psycho was once again fading down the ranks due to newer, better-trained warriors, along comes Gateway! Gateway was a dream come true for Psycho! It would allow him to learn back all those burned skills, and he would at last reach his full potential. Psycho had a lot of learning to do, and those skills did not come as fast as the Commission had led him to believe. But, come they did, and stat trains followed them. As Psycho did better and better in tourneys, the Commission suddenly announced that all accumulated tourney prizes had to be used or forfeited. Neon had a favorites prize laying around for years (which Doc Steele was constantly trying to pry from his gnarled hands), and decided the time had come to give Psycho that something extra. No longer shackled with shortspear, moderate/moderate, Psycho would now become a scimitar wielding, very high/very high attack monster! (This was the original version of the favorites prize, the one that allowed modification of all favorites, but only on a single warrior.) As the improvements came, Psycho became the second warrior ever to achieve a Blademaster rating in attack. With his new rating, his improved favorites, and his Gateway trains, Psycho inched his way past the mere TV stage and into the TC contender stage. He started going deep in the tourneys, making the final four several times, and the final two once. Still, Neon searched for that one final thing that would put Psycho over the top and make him a TC.

Then, the experimentation began. Neon began giving Psycho unusual orders on the strategy sheet. Delbaeth became Psycho’s personal tackling dummy. Neon chose Delbaeth because, a) he was a good warrior that gave Psycho a run for his money, and b) Carapace didn’t avoid so Psycho could fight him repeatedly and see the results of strategy changes. Psycho never questioned the unusual orders, but his tourney performance began to suffer. Neon insisted he was learning from the experiments, but Psycho dropped down, and actually missed his TV in a tournament after seven consecutive. Neon felt that the TC strategy was just around the corner when an interesting tourney prize became available.

It was not the first time that growth had been offered as a tournament prize, but the timing was significant. Psycho was all but maxed (he had a couple parry skills left), and Neon was wondering what else he could do to help his beleaguered gladiator. In stepped Doc Steele to suggest that Neon procure several growth potions and raise Psycho’s size until he increased his damage rating. There were very few warriors that did superhuman damage, and none of the top ones did. Perhaps this would be the kicker Neon was searching for.

With the help of Moriarty and some willing sellers, Neon carried out the plan. Psycho was raised from size 11 to size 14 and achieved superhuman damage, and didn’t have to sacrifice a single skill to get it. Combined with what Neon had learned from the strategy experiments, Psycho proved that dreams can come true. With the ability to take out completely maxed warriors with one or two hits, Psycho powered his way to a TC in January 2000, beating Vengeance for the first time ever. The TC fight consisted of Psycho getting hit by Falstaff, then hitting back twice and winning the title, avenging an earlier tournament loss in the process. Psycho repeated the feat the next tourney taking his only losses from the legendary Vengeance. His third, undefeated TC proved it wasn’t a fluke, and cemented Psycho’s place in history. Psycho Scientist had returned from the brink of retirement to conquer the toughest arena in Duelmasters and become a legend of the game.

(Postscript: After the summer FTF in July 2002, Psycho Scientist now has a total of five Gateway championships.)

     Coordination has long been ruled as having no effect on a warrior.  I have 
noticed a few things that may be the cause of certain coordination levels.  So I 
decided to write this article to give the general DM populace something to ponder.  
Below is the coordination table:

Coordination =  SP + DF

06 - 16  = Clumsy
17 - 20  = Slightly Uncoordinated
21 - 27  = Normal
28 - 31  = Highly Coordinated
32 - 39  = Very Highly Coordinated
40 - 42  = Marvel of Fighting Coordination

     Since I run a lot of bashers that have a clumsy rating most of the time, I 
noticed a few things that happen to them and not the high coordination warriors I 
have.  Most people don't have clumsy warriors, save some bashers and TPs, so it may 
not be paid that much attention to.
     The first thing I have noticed is that a clumsy warrior seems to drop his weapon 
more often than a higher coordination warrior.  So I think that maybe he has a higher 
chance to do this than normally coordinated warriors.
     Second, I noticed that clumsy warriors have harder time trying to quick draw 
their back-up weapon, causing them to fumble around trying to get it.
     Third is that the clumsy warrior also is slower to get up after he has been 
knocked down.  It may also influence the roll on whether you get knocked down or not, 
along with other factors.
     These things aren't as noticeable the higher the coordination becomes.  That's 
probably why a lot of people don't place any  value on coordination.  At the higher 
levels of the game there aren't any clumsy warriors, so coordination isn't noticed.  
You can still get knocked down, lose your weapon, and draw your back-up quickly, but 
the odds are more in your favor with a higher coordination in my opinion.
     Well, may joy and happiness be with you.  If you would like to chat , I can be 
reached at 103260.3347@compuserve.com  
     You may diplo me at LORDS OF THE ABYSS, in DM 11, or any of the JOKER'S WILDS 
scattered about.

                                                         Ta-Ta,
                                                         Sir Jessie Jest
                                            (He who always gets the last laugh......)

     We all know them.  We all hate them.  What am I talking about?  Scum.  But there 
is nothing better than a scum to scout at your enemy's weak points.  You can see if 
they'll last long, what weapons they use, where they attack, their style, etc.  And 
you typically don't have to fear a loss.  Picture this.  You see a guy on the listing 
10-5-2.  Well, you don't want to send your best warrior with his perfect 5-0-1 because 
you want to keep winning.  So you send in your scout.  Now you know if you can beat 
him.  The scout will enable you to better pick and choose your fights.  Also if you 
feel like getting back at someone these scum are great.

How to design:

ST13+ can go as low as 11
CN17+
WT5-7 no more
WL17+
SP3 as low as possible
DF7 is perfect

     So a perfect set up would be 15-19-13-7-19-3-8 to start train CN till 21 then WL 
21 WT 8 DX 9 then whatever you want.  This guy is not for ADM he's just for regular DM 
and to be used to scout.  Don't worry about skills until you've 3 raises in everything 
then go to skills.  Oh yeah strategy.

1-1-1-1-1-1-1
1-1-1-1-1-1-1
1-1-1-1-1-1-1
HE---------HE
BD---------BD
Parry-------P

     Get rid of him when they get up high.  Then they've already scouted everything.

                                   Brought to you by Mr. Drake DM#5, Mgr. of Pirates

Broadsword
Brings his BROADSWORD down in a horrible cleaving motion! (*)
BROADSWORD arcs from overhead with maximum momentum and force! (*)
BROADSWORD whips horizontally across with a deadly timed power! (*)
Charges forward, BROADSWORD whistling through the air! (*)
Hacks at her (BROADSWORD at her) foe with untamed berzerker energy! (*)
Makes a ferocious backhanded assault with her BROADSWORD!
Sweeps his BROADSWORD in a sudden, vicious assault!
Unleashes a horrifying attack (with her BROADSWORD), straining every muscle for power! (*)

Battle Axe
Brings his BATLE AXE hurtling down with devastating force! (*)
Brings his BATTLE AXE slicing across with tree-felling power! (*)
BATTLE AXE arcs forward with a terrible destructive energy! (*)
Makes an all out cleaving attack with his BATTLE AXE!
Slices up wickedly with the gleaming blade of his BATTLE AXE! (*)
Sweeps his BATTLE AXE in a deadly assault on his opponent! (*)
Unleashes an incredible full-bladed chop with her BATTLE AXE! (*)
Whirls his BATTLE AXE from overhead, attacking with demonic fury! (*) (*)

Dagger
Attacks, his DAGGER wielded with an unnerving precision! (*)
DAGGER flashes as he takes a sudden vicious slash at his foe! (*)
DAGGER strikes instantly as his opponent leaves an opening! (*)
Drives his DAGGER in a forward slash! (?)
Ducks low and takes a wicked upward slice with his DAGGER! (*)
Leaps forward, DAGGER thrusting with malevolence and surety! (*)
Makes a cruel and cunning underhanded attack with his DAGGER! (*)
Strikes overhead, DAGGER ripping with incredible swiftness! (*)
Whirls and strikes backhandedly with his DAGGER! (*)

Epee
Attacks from low guard, EPEE slicing wickedly upwards at her foe!
Blurs forward, EPEE stabbing suddenly with blinding speed! (*)
Dives forward, EPEE stabbing repeatedly with his charge! (*)
EPEE leaps forward suddenly from a high guard overhead!
EPEE strikes forward in a clash of cold steel! (*)
Lunges forward, EPEE thrusting with incredible speed and accuracy!
Makes an incredible flesh-splitting slash with her EPEE! (*)
Whips his EPEE blade back and forth as if to slash his foe to ribbons! (*)

Fist
Attacks, FISTS punching with piston-like horse felling power!
Attacks his foe with a pinpoint accurate ELBOW! (*)
Dives forward, FISTS driving at his opponent with menacing fury!
Explodes into a deadly double OPEN HAND strike!
HANDS flash forward, jabbing fiercely at her surprised foe!
Hammers down a ferocious FOREARM smash!
Hauls back and spins into a near-lethal ELBOW smash!
PUNCHES from the waist with an unbelievable quickness! (*)
Spins around and hammers a tremendous ELBOW smash towards his foe!
Throws a rock-fisted PUNCH of incredible felling power! (*)

Great Axe
Attacks, bringing his GREAT AXE down with bone-splitting force! (*)
Brings his GREAT AXE ferociously slashing downward from his head! (*)
Cuts powerfully forward, his full weight behind his GREAT AXE! (*)
GREAT AXE slices at his opponent with concentrated hatred!
Makes a malevolent attack with his gleaming GREAT AXE!
Muscles ripple as his GREAT AXE cuts through the air! (*)
Throws his entire weight behind his GREAT AXE in a mighty assault!

Greatsword
Attacks, bringing his GREATSWORD down with bone-splitting force! (*)
Attacks, swinging his GREATSWORD with untamed savagery! (*)
Brings his GREATSWORD hurtling downward from above his head!
Brings his GREATSWORD smashing outward in a vicious attack!
Hacks mercilessly at his foe with his GERATSWORD! (*)
GREATSWORD arcs forward in an attempt to cut his foe in two!
Muscles ripple as he makes a powerful swing with his GREATSWORD!
Whirls his GREATSWORD overhead, attempting a bashing attack! (*)

Halberd
Attacks, HALBARD sweeping with devastating momentum!
Batters mercilessly at his foe with his HALBARD! (*)
Flashes outward, attacking with horrifying power!
Grimly unleashes an incredible attack with his HALBARD!
Hurls his body behind a full length sweep with his HALBARD!
Jerks her HALBARD brutally upward in a wicked thrusting arc!
Lashes out with the full length of her HALBARD!(?)
Powers her HALBARD to smash at her foe with untamed fury! (*)
Smashes her HALBARD down executioner-style from overhead!

Hatchet
Backhands mightily, revealing the flash of her HATCHET spike!
Chops savagely downward with her trusty HATCHET!
Hacks viciously downward with the blade of his HATCHET! (*)
HATCHET flashes with snake-like speed and accuracy! (*)
Lashes out brilliantly with his HATCHET!(?)
Makes a HATCHET swing that takes the crowd’s breath away! (*)
Twists his HATCHET aiming a malevolent chop at the defense!
Unleashes a HATCHET attack that absolutely stuns the fans!

Kick
LEG smashes outward, kicking with tremendous force!
Throws a piston like SIDE KICK at his opponent!
Leaps into the air taking a vicious flying KICK at his opponent!
Unleashes a bone-crushing KICK of incredible power!
Focuses all of his skill and power into a devastating KICK!
Howls as he snaps a full force KICK at his foe!
Spins, throwing a devastating WHEEL KICK at his foe!
Attacks, LEGS flying in an unbelievable double footed kick!

Large Shield
Barrels forward, LARGE SHIELD smashing before him as the crowd roars!
Cruelly attempts to pulverize his foe with his LARGE SHIELD!
Cruelly attempts to batter her foe with her LARGE SHIELD!
Rest same as other shields

Longspear
Catapults forward, LONGSPEAR flashing in a deadly assault! (*)
Charges forward, LONG SPEAR thrusting with murderous power! (*)
Is making a deliberate attempt to impale her enemy with her LONG SPEAR (*)!
LONG SPEAR strikes forward with incredible swiftness and power!
Lunges into an attack, his LONGSPEAR flying with incredible force! (*)
Makes a devastating thrust, LONG SPEAR blurring in the attack! (*)
Makes a lighting thrust with his LONGSPEAR! (*)
Unleashes a murderous thrust, that brings the crowd to their feet! (*)

Longsword
Catapults forward, LONGSWORD stabbing cruelly at his foe! (*)
Feints, then springs viciously forward with his LONGSWORD! (*)
Lashes out with her longsword in a murderous thrust! (*)
Leaps into an incredible flesh-splitting lunge with his LONGSWORD!
LONGSWORD lunges forward with a flash of cold, cruel steel! (*)
Strikes forward with his LONGSWORD, all his weight behind his blow!
Thrusts her LONGSWORD, brilliantly timing her opponent’s motion! (*)
Thrusts his LONGSWORD, cleverly timing his opponent’s motion! (*)
Thrusts his LONGSWORD forward with an unbelievably deadly force! (*)
Unleashes her LONGSWORD in a piercingly accurate thrust! (*)

Maul
Bats murderously at his foe with his MAUL! (?)
Bludgeons his MAUL with terrible savagery! (*)
Makes a devastatingly powerful sweep with his MAUL!
Smashes furiously downward with his MAUL! (?)
Sweeps his MAUL in a tremendous bone-crushing arc!
Throws his weight behind is MAUL in an all-out assault! (*)

Medium Shield
Barrels forward, MEDIUM SHIELD smashing before him as the crowd roars! (*)
Cruelly attempts to batter his foe with his MEDIUM SHIELD!
Cruelly attempts to flatten his foe with his MEDIUM SHIELD!
Smashes his MEDIUM SHIELD wickedly forward toward his foe!
Sweeps his MEDIUM SHIELD in a sudden, unexpected assault! (*)
Runs forward, seeking to pummel his opponent with his MEDIUM SHIELD!

Morning Star
Attacks, whirling the MORNING STAR with tremendous Froce!
Attempts to smash at his opponent with his MORNING STAR! (?)
Cleverly tries to break her foes defense with her MORNING STAR! (*)
MORNING STAR whines with unstoppable velocity!
Snaps the MORNING STAR forward in a deadly assault!
Swings his MORNING STAR with deadly intent at his target (*)
Whips his MORNING STAR downward in a remorseless arc!
Whips his MORNING STAR downward in a viciouis power smash!

Quarterstaff
Bats murderously at his foe with his QUARTERSTAFF! (*)
Brings his QUARTERSTAFF smashing ferociously downward! (*)
Impresses everyone with a masterful thrust of her QUARTERSTAFF! (*)
Jabs murderously at her foe with the tip of her QUARTERSTAFF!
Lashes out with her QUARTERSTAFF in a lightning quick assault!
Surprises everyone with a masterful swing of his QUARTERSTAFF! (*)
Sweeps her QUARTERS in a tremendous bone-crushing arc!
Whirls her QUARTERSTAFF, attacking with berserker fury!

Scimitar
Attacks, her SCIMITAR wielded with malevolence!(*)
Ducks low, her SCIMITAR slicing suddenly upwards! (*)
Leaps forward, swinging her SCIMITAR into a veritable wall of blades! (*)
Leaps into the air, bringing his SCIMITAR down in a powerful slash! (*)
Leaps into the air in a furious slash!
Leaps into the air taking a furious slash with his SCIMITAR! (*)
makes a brilliant twisting thrust with his SCIMITAR! (*)
times a devilish cunning attack, SCIMITAR leaping with deadly force! (*)
twists into a tremendous cutting attack with his SCIMITAR! (*)
Turns into a furious whirlwind of blades as her SCIMITAR leaps forward! (*)
SCIMITAR lunges with awesome cutting power! (*)

Small Shield
Attempts to swat at his foe with his SMALL SHIELD! (NOT)
Barrels forward, SMALL SHIELD smashing before him as the crowd roars! (*)
Charges forward, trying to run down his opponent with his SMALL SHIELD! (*)
Cruelly attempts to batter his foe with his SMALL SHIELD! (*)
Cruelly attempts to bruise his foe with his SMALL SHIELD! (*)
Runs forward, seeking to pummel his opponent with his SMALL SHIELD! (*)
Sweeps his SMALL SHIELD in a clever backhanded assault!
Sweeps his SMALL SHIELD in a sudden, unexpected assault! (*)
Smashes his small SMALL SHIELD wickedly forward towards his foe!

Short Spear
Dives into a powerful lunge with its SHORT SPEAR! (*)
Lunges past its foe and brings its SHORT SPEAR into a brilliant backhand stab! (*)
Makes a menacing underthrust with her SHORT SPEAR!
Rushes her foe, her SHORT SPEAR underthrusting malevolently! (*)
SHORT SPEAR leaps forward with incredible swiftness and power! (*)
SHORT SPEAR moves like angry lightning! (*)
SHORT SPEAR strikes with blinding quickness! (*)
Springs with full extension with her SHORT SPEAR!

Shortsword
Focuses his energy in a powerful upward stab with his SHORTSWORD! (*)
Hacks viciously downward with her SHORTSWORD! (*)
Lashes his SHORTSWORD cruelly at a break in the defense! (*)
Makes a clever stab with his SHORTSWORD that stuns the fans! (*)
Stabs powerfully upward with his SHORTSWORD! (*)
Thrusts his SHORTSWORD forward with his full force behind it! (*)
Thrusts his SHORTSWORD in a lightning move at the defense! (*)
SHORTSWORD leaps forward in a bloodthirsty assault on his foe! (*)
Sweeps his SHORTSWORD in a tight, powerful slash!

War Flail
Attacks, his WAR FLAIL whistling with a frightful acceleration! (*)
Cracks his cruelly barbed WAR FLAIL with tremendous force! (*)
Hauls back and power smashes with his WAR FLAIL! (*)
Lashes out, WAR FLAIL chains curling with a hideous power!
Takes a tremendous swipe at his foe with his WAR FLAIL! (*)
Sweeps his WAR FLAIL in a vicious flailing arc!
Unleashes a murderous full force attack with his WAR FLAIL!
WAR FLAIL screams in the rush of this assault!

War Hammer
Attacks, his WARHAMMER wielded with pile-driving precision!
Backhands, swinging his HAMMER-SPIKE savagely at his target! (*)
Brings his WAR HAMMER crashing downward with horrific power! (*)
Is attempting to smash through the defense with his WAR HAMMER!
Launches a brilliant attack with his WAR HAMMER! (*)
Makes a lightning-quick backhand smash with her WAR HAMMER!
Sweeps his WAR HAMMER downward in a crudely brutal smash! (*)
Sweeps his WAR HAMMER downward in a vicious power slash!
Takes a tremendous swipe at his foe with his WAR HAMMER! (*)