Re: Duelmasters: A Lunger

From: ccs012@othello.ucdavis.edu (Riff-Raff)

Date: Sat, 22 Feb 1992 21:08:44 +0000

In article <1992Feb22.084352.23884@cco.caltech.edu>  writes:
>So, at the Orcon, I got this rollup:
>8-4-10-13-11-11-13

Can I go publicy on the record as saying that I hate you?  Okay... :)

>One idea: 11-4-10-17-17-11-13.  A pretty solid lunger.  But, I went for the
>skill max-out:

Boring, but definitely solid.  This is a roll-up without imagination, one
that is designed only to win a lot with the occasional kill.  It would
probably graduate to AD at 17-3-3 after having TV'd twice.  Not the kind
of guy I'd want on _my_ team!

>8-4-10-17-17-11-17.  A pretty ok lunger.  With Advanced Expert Attack on the
>rollup.  And Expert Init in one skill.
>And Poor endurance.

Advanced Expert Attack on the roll-up?  Son of a gun, and I was happy with
my lunger that started with only Expert.  I'm a little confused by the fact
that you didn't get Expert Init on the roll-up, but I guess that the Attack
should more than make up for it.

Vlad ran a lunger in Lapur that had an even worse endurance rating that
your guy.  Dilligus (I think that was his name) started with CN 3 WL 3
and was quite successful before he died.  Of course, he also had WT 21
DF 21, but I think that your guy is strong to make up for the difference.

>So my questions:  Would any of you have done any different?

Of course, how about....

BA       ST       SL       PS       LU
ST  8       12       11       10        8       10
CN  4        5        5        4        4        4
SZ 10       10       10       10       10       10
WT 13       17       17       17       17       17
WL 11       17       17       17       17       17
SP 11       11       11       11       13       11
DF 13       13       13       15       15       15

PL       AB       PR
ST  8        8       13       11
CN  4        4        4        5
SZ 10       10       10       10
WT 13       17       17       17
WL 11       17       12       13
SP 11       11       11       11
DF 13       17       17       17

For a warrior like this, who could really be anything, what you make him
is a matter of personal preference.  Lunger was a good choice, since they
tend to win a lot, and the numbers lent themself to a good skill base.
I would probably have used the Basher, training ST to 13 immediately, and
then going skill city.  That's mostly because I would love to get a Basher
to Primus, and this guy is a prime candidate.  (Also, I try to make all
warriors above SZ 9 offensive).

>And, does anyone have any experience running lungers with poor endurance?  At
>10-10-10-L, he drops in the first minute.I tried to maximize his accuracy and
>conserve endurance by going 10-8-6-L, but he usually lost the jump to
>offensives.I ended up running him at 10-8-6-D, which was ok, but not great.
>How about backing him off from the start with 8-7-8-x-x with hopes that his
>defense and riposte skills are on the verge of expert?

With a specialized roll-up like this, challenges are of supreme importance.
Try to challenge slow offensives, and young finesse stylists.  No TP, PS,
PL, etc ever started with Advanced Expert Parry, so you've got the advantage
now.  Find out which ones wear little armor, and challenge them with your
middling strategy (8-6-8-L, etc).  Chances are very good that you'll get
the jump, and take them down early.  Avoid turtle TP's and other lungers,
who might have the advantage of you early in your career.

For standard strategy, you have no choice but to go for the one-shot strategy:
10-10-6-Lunge.  If you don't take the opponent down early, you're in trouble,
but running in the middle numbers against other lungers and slashers is
probably only going to keep you from even getting to swing.  As I see it,
it's your only chance.

I've run several poor endurance lungers successfully, and none of them had
the skill base that this guy does.  Accept the early losses if you have to,
because he's definitely going to be a force in the Adepts and beyond!

Trump

References

Duelmasters: A Lunger
kanga.caltech.edu!johnjohn (John White)
Sat, 22 Feb 1992 08:43:52 +0000