Re: A no-future aimed blow

From: mward@maths-and-cs.dundee.ac.uk (Martin Ward)

Date: Sat, 04 Apr 1992 14:46:55 +0000

> John White writes:
>I tried out this design for an aimed blow:
>8-15-9-21-5-9-17
>Expert attack (which is a three skill bonus, by my count, Dennis).

Nice design.  It may work.  Keep reading.

>I ran him 10-10-6-x as Vlad suggested, and lost the jump to a slasher in the
>first minute.  The next turn, I ran him 10-6-6-x (an accident, really) and
>he got the jump on a PARRY-LUNGER and won in three hits.  Huh?
>Maybe the PL was going slow, or something.

Maybe, the P-L had a bad strategy.  Maybe your AB had a good strategy
(ie, the 10-6-6).

>I remember Demon wrote that one of the managers which he knows suggested
>going 4-3-4 the entire time.  Well, the next day, I got my turn back, and
>lo-and-behold, I had tried that!  My warrior got taken down my a _TP_ in 9
>minutes from damage and exaustion.  It didn't work for him.

Haa-ha-hee.  A TP beat your AB!?!  I never heard of that.  Oh, I am
sorry.  I really shouldn't laugh, but <snicker> that is funny.
I must apologize, I shouldn't be laughing at your misfortune.
Obviously you won't be using that strategy again.

Okay, here's my AB (which is designed like your AB) and I'll tell
you something about ABS.

AB 9-17-12-17-7-5-17
Good damage, Poor endurance, Incredibly quick and elusive, can take a
Tremendous Amount of damage.  Has those same two Wit comments that
every AB must have: 1) uses an unusual fighting style, deadly to slower,
less active foes, and 2) has turned avoiding blows into an artform.

I usually run him (and my other regular AB) with this type of
strategy for random matches:

1st	2nd	3rd-on	Desp.
	3	9	7	1
	7	3	3	7
	3	7	7(5)	1
				Dodge

(Further reduce AL and KD, if you want.)
Against TPs (and other slower foes) skip the 3-7-3 in the 1st minute.
(That is when you challenge TPs and the like.)

(Note: the 3-7-3 strategy has enabled my other AB to beat strikers
and lungers in that 1st minute.)

This AB has just a 3-1 record.  He was fighting this APA/F & ME/ME
TP scum and his strategy at the time for the 6th-on was 4-2-6.
(I've switched to 5-2-5.)  For the first four minutes the TP parried
all my AB's attacks.  The 5th and 6th were pretty un-eventful.
Then for the 7th - 9th minutes, my AB made about four attacks
to the head (all my ABs go for the head) and beat the TP.  What was
surprising was that the strategy was inputted incorrectly.  For the
5th minute and on, he was going 4-2-1.  I figured that this really
slowed him down, and since the TP was going slow (obviously, for
this type of TP) and getting tired, my AB just stood around, took his time and
landed a few blows.  That's what an AB is supposed to do.
I have kept that 4-2-1 strategy in my head for future use.
Oh yeah, my AB got his Expert in attack after the fight.

So, that's my little anecdote for the day.  Right, now, I was
going to give you some advice for ABs:  Don't make them.
JUST KIDDING!  Really, though, try my strategy.  Yeah, trust me. :)

[ If you reply to this article, please e-mail a copy of your reply to me. ]

|a|} Marty Ward, computer science student from Acadia University, Wolfville,
 |l|  Nova Scotia on exchange to the University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland.
 |e|   & Cerebus fanguy & b&w comics elitist & Apple IIe owner & DM player
 ---    o^o E-mail: mward@mcs.dund.ac.uk  or  mward@maths-and-cs.dundee.ac.uk