Duelling Guide

This document aims to give some advice about duelling for those not familiar with the system. The experienced duellist should be aware of the differences to the original EG system:
1. That Endurance is generally lower - 5 x (STR + CON) rather than (STR x CON)
2. The use of up to 2 optional routines in duelling orders
3. That mandatory rests do not apply
4. That a hit is not automatic, and
5. The rules regarding surrender

To Fight or not to Fight?

Losing a duel is one thing; getting killed is quite another. It's worth thinking carefully about whether to turn up to the duel or not, bearing in mind your own and your opponent's abilities. Although there is status to be gained from winning and humiliation for cowards, it is pretty easy to get killed particularly if you have a low endurance.

To help make this decision, consider your own current END level, the weapon being used by your opponent, and his brawn (either from the greasy pole, or from previous encounters). The weapons which do most damage in a single hit pose the greatest threat as you may be killed before you have a chance to surrender. It's also worth noting that being hit by a weapon (not a kick) while closing leads to more damage than if you were just resting.

As an example, take someone of STR 8 and CON 6, and therefore a maximum END of 70. He could be killed with one slash from a cutlass wielded by an opponent with STR 18, and if he was hit while closing, would be killed by a slash from a sabre. If hit while closing, a cut from a sabre and a cut or slash from a 2 handed sword, would kill him if his opponent had a STR of 12 or more. The worse case would be being hit by a slash from a cutlass while closing - an opponent with STR 9 or more would deal a fatal blow.
The above example shows that including any close actions in your orders (needed as part of a kick routine) can be very risky if facing a strong opponent armed with a good slashing and cutting weapon.

Choice of Weapons

The different weapons available all have their own strengths and weaknesses:
Rapier : good all round weapon with lunges and cuts more effective than slashes

Dagger : only good for lunges and being thrown, but have to close to make an attack

Foil : can not be used to slash or cut with; really a practice weapon

Sabre : best for slashing and cutting, and not at all good for ripostes; a stronger weapon than the rapier, dagger and foil

Cutlass : can only be used to slash with but does great damage; kicking while wielding a cutlass is not as effective; slash routine is longer than for other weapons; stronger than a sabre

Two Handed Sword : can be used to slash and cut with but reduces the effectiveness of kicking; can not be used to riposte; all routines take longer than normal but opponent must close before he can attack; the strongest of the weapons

Although the cutlass and two handed sword may look attractive due to the high damage they do, their attacking options are limited and so more predictable.

For duels with regimental enemies, regimental weapons are always used. This means that if in the military, your and your opponent's weapon will always be known. For instance, a Royal Marine fighting a regimental duel will be armed with a cutlass, and his opponent the Crown Prince Cuirassier, with a sabre. As such duels are probably the most frequent type, it's worth paying particular attention to orders for this combination of weapons to devise some tactics to beat your enemies.

Note that a slash with a sabre, cutlass or two handed sword, has a chance of breaking the defender's weapon (if it is weaker) when the slash is successfully blocked. The weapons breakage table gives the same results as in the original EG rules, but is hopefully easier to understand.

Decline and Surrender Conditions

These should always be included in duelling orders. The decline condition can refer to your current endurance, the brawn of your opponent (from the Greasy Pole), and his regiment/rank/position. If under half endurance, declining a duel leads to no loss of face. Declining with regimental colleagues is a good idea as the penalty for duelling is very severe. Fighting regimental friends and clergymen invokes less severe penalties. Accepting a duel while under half endurance gains you extra status but makes it harder to score a hit due to your wounds.

The surrender condition can be dependent on your current endurance level, the duration of the duel (in terms of actions), the number of times you get hit, and so on. These conditions can be as complex as you like, but the simpler they are, the more likely they will be interpreted correctly. In general, it is a pretty good idea to surrender when under half endurance, or even at first blood if facing a strong opponent. Note that any condition referring to the opponent's STR will be ignored until you have been hit once by him. As well as stating when you will surrender, you should also include a condition for accepting your opponent's surrender (the default is to accept it).

Expertise

Whoever has the better expertise has a higher chance of hitting his opponent whenever the damage tables show other than zero. Falling under half endurance makes it harder to score a hit and thus inflict any damage.

Choosing Routines

The main part of the duelling orders is the sequence of routines that you intend to perform. When deciding what to do, bear in mind the following:

Optional Routines

You can (and should) include two optional routines in your orders. These are in addition to the surrender option and the riposte option. Where a * features in your sequence of routines (must be in between routines), the conditions for the 2 options will be checked. If one applies, then that option will be carried out, otherwise the original sequence of routines continues. Again these conditions can be based on anything, but the simpler ones are more likely to be carried out properly (the most useful condition is based on actions just performed by your opponent).
As an example, take someone who is fighting a rapier v. rapier duel and has ordered these options:
option 1 : (CL) [JB-X-X-S]
option 2 : (P-P) [X-S-X-C-X-X-X]
The first one will apply if his opponent has just performed a close action. Predicting that this is the first action of a kick routine (not necessarily the case, as CL is also a routine on its own) his response is to jump back and slash. If this option is executed and his opponent is starting a kick routine then the kick will be avoided and he will get to slash his opponent while he is performing the last rest of the kick routine.
The second option will apply if his opponent has parried for the previous two actions. Predicting that his opponent is playing a defensive game, waiting for a chance to riposte, his response is to make a furious slash (as both a slash and a cut do damage against a parry).
Note that the options can not be checked for in the middle of a routine. For example, in the above case, an opponent's close action would get no response if our duellist were performing an action of an unfinished routine.

Duel Example

This example is for a duel between Jacques and Henri, both armed with rapiers and both with a STR and CON of 10 (END therefore of 100). Both start the duel at maximum endurance and Henri has an expertise in rapier 4 higher than Jacques. This expertise difference means that Jacques has a 3 in 6 chance to hit, and Henri a 4 in 6 chance. In this example all attacks are successful.
Jacque's orders:
decline : if under half END, to members of the same regt
surrender : if under half END if opponent has 'brawn' of 5 or more, otherwise if END is 40 or less
accept opponent's surrender

P(R)-*-JB-X-*-X-S-*-P(R)-*-X-L-X-*-X-L-X-*

option 1 : (L-X-X) [JB-X-X-S-*]
option 2 : (JB) [L-X-X-C-X-X-X-*]


Henri's orders:
decline : if under half END, to members of the same regt
surrender : if under half END
accept opponent's surrender

CL-X-L-X-*-P(R)-*-B-*

option 1 : (P-P) [(X)-X-S-*]
option 2 : (X) [P(R)-*]


The Outcome
(END levels are given here though they would not be known to each other)

JacquesHenri
actiondamageENDactiondamageENDnotes
PCL
JBX
X2080L(1)
XX
SP1090(2)
PP
XB
LP0(3)
X1070R(4)
XP(3)
LP0(3)
X1060R(4)
PP(5)(3)
JBCL(6)
XX
X2040L
SURX(7)


(1) Jacque's rest is the last of his jump back routine and the first of his slash routine.
(2) After his lunge, Henri checks his conditionals and option 2 is selected as Jacques has just performed a rest action.
(3) Again Henri performs the optional parry.
(4) The parry stops the lunge, and as P(R) was ordered, Henri performs a riposte next action.
(5) Jacques now starts from the beginning of his sequence again.
(6) Henri now restarts from the beginning of his sequence.
(7) Henri's lunge takes Jacques down to 40 or less endurance so he surrenders next action. If his surrender condition forced him to fight on, his chance of making a successful attack would fall to 2 in 6, for serious wounds and inferior expertise.

As a result of the duel both fighters gain 0.25 in rapier expertise, as the winner of the duel had the higher expertise.



I made up the orders for this duel on the spur of the moment with little thought to the consequences, but the example managed to highlight some key points. Also of note is the fact that the fighter with the shorter set of orders won, and that the only optional routine that was ever used was the one that was activated by the simplest condition (and it actually performed its intended function twice by getting in the parry and riposte). You may have noticed that Henri performed a close routine (i.e. a solitary close action) as the first of his routines in the hope of fooling his opponent into thinking that he was about to kick, but that this neither worked for or against him the two times that he did it.

Over to You

Well, I hope this guide has helped a bit in your understanding of the subtle art of duelling and given you some food for thought. Of course, experience is the best teacher, so study those duel reports closely to find out what went wrong!



back Back

Front Page | Gazette | Archives | Rules | Articles | Related Pages | Write
This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page
1