Category : BBS Programs+Doors
Archive   : MEL_191.ZIP
Filename : TACTICS.TXT

MELEE TACTICS

[A] FIGHTING STRATEGIES
A Warrior's strategies can be loosely grouped into three basic
modes: Defensive, Cautious, or Aggressive. Each of these modes can
further be defined by other combat determinations, but the overall
strategy will often set the tone for any given melee.
A Warrior in the defense is often characterized by a very
deliberate or nonexistent advance, and will often attempt to use an
opponent's aggressiveness against him. Defensive strategies are often
employed by those who lack great physical speed or who are using a slow,
powerful weapon. One who is a master of the smooth, quick counter is
fantastic to watch and usually admired by the crowds. There is something
that seems appealing in the cool customer who systematically takes apart an
opponent strictly by using the other guy's attacks against him....
But not all Warriors have the physical attributes or mental
discipline to start--and stay!--with a defensive strategy. Many lose
their cool after taking a wound, or when their active defense is used
against them. A Warrior practicing caution will still probe his
opponent, seeking the weak spots while attempting to leave as little an
opening as possible for his opponent to capitalize on. This is perhaps
the "safest" strategy for someone who has given little thought to his
weapon selection with regard to body type, mental attribute, and/or
combat environment.
Lastly there is the aggressive Warrior. The strategy is simple:
rely on strength, speed, stamina, ability to sustain wounds, armor and
guts or luck to rain enough blows on the enemy to overwhelm him before he
can hurt you too badly. It takes a special mind set and physical build to
make this strategy pay off consistently, since the aggressive attacker
must expect to incur wounds and be able to continue the attack. But boy!
Do the crowds ever love to watch two of these types go against each
other!

[B] PRIMARY TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY
Simply put, this is the area where, for whatever reason, your
Warrior will direct most of his attacks. While this can be an emotional
decision, the wise, old Warriors set this tactic in their minds only
after doing thorough research on an opponent, and use this mind set to
take advantage of a real weakness in the opponent.

[C] PERCENT OF THE TIME TO ATTACK THE PRIMARY TARGET
There is a real subtlety to using this tactical mind set. One who
spends all his energy attacking a perceived weakness in his opponent
becomes predictable, allowing other potential challengers to prepare for
such attacks by beefing up their armor and defensive strategies. On the
other hand, the Warrior who doesn't go at the enemy's weakness often
enough is likely to be less effective in combat than is wise.

[D] PRIMARY FOCUS OF DEFENSE
Obviously, the area which the Warrior has identified as either
A) his weak point or Achilles Tendon, or B) that area where his
opponent is expected to target most of his attacks. Warriors who try to
out-think their enemies can get into as much trouble here as those who
don't think about their enemy at all! This is where you will cover with
your shield a percent of the time determined below. If you are
covering this portion with your shield when the enemy tries to hit it,
you will automatically block the blow and take no damage.

[E] PERCENT OF THE TIME TO DEFEND THEIR PRIMARY FOCUS OF DEFENSE
Naturally, a Warrior who always protects his head is soon going
draw hosts of opponents who are determined to chop his legs out from
under him. Varying your defensive focus will throw some uncertainty into
the equation, making your defense less predictable. How often do you want
to cover the area you identified in [D] above?

[F] PRIMARY DEFENSIVE OPTION
Which particular defense are you going to use most often, the
block, the parry, or the counter? A block is usually the best,
percentage-wise, but is also the most damaging to one's equipment, since
it is without finesse, and is tossed up there simply to catch the
opponent's blow before it clobbers you. Blocks tend to be hard on weapons,
and have even been known to shatter weapons which have not been properly
taken care of.
The parry is more difficult to master, but is much easier on your
equipment, since the idea is to deflect an attack rather than simply stop
it. Ideally the deflection will leave the attacker open for a riposte. It
is possible for a clumsy, hard parry to shatter a weapon, but it is MUCH
less common than the block.
Lastly, the counter is the hallmark of a master. The idea is simply
to avoid the blow and strike your own, taking advantage of the opening that
is offered by every fully-committed attack. The counter requires exquisite
timing, coordination, and awareness all backed by lots of experience. Few
Warriors without ten or twenty battles under their belt, and a fair
amount of time spent training under a master, can execute a successful
counter with any reliability.... Note that you cannot kill someone, or beat
them into submission with a counter. You can, however, stun them, leaving
them with no ability to fight; then you can deliver the coup de grace at
leisure...

[G] PERCENTAGE OF THE TIME TO USE THE PRIMARY DEFENSE AGAINST A SURE HIT
It takes little training for a Warrior to know when an
opponent's attack is going to strike home. This tactic is merely a
programming of the subconscious to use a specific defense a certain
amount of the time when it becomes apparent that a blow is going to hit.
Plain and simple, it allows a slightly better chance of catching that
uncatchable attack. The wise Warrior will not lose sight of the fact
that to be predictable is to be beaten, and that only the foolish will
use the same last-resort defense all the time. When you pull your attack
to execute this last-ditch defense, it throws off your timing a little, and
will more than likely force you to pass your next attack opportunity, so it
is not wise to set this too high, or you will spend all your time defending
and not throwing attacks of your own!

[H] GRANTING QUARTER TO A BEATEN ENEMY
Ah.... here is where things really get tense in the Arena. All
else being equal, how often will you spare an opponent who has either
surrendered or been knocked unconscious by your attacks? In a Blood
Match it's expected that you take the other Warrior's life, but what
about a normal match? Reputations are made here, and a Warrior's infamy
is directly tied to his decisions at such times. On the other hand, if a
Warrior gains a name for killing all his opponents, no matter what, then
he's certain to end up fighting every match to the death, since it is
suicidal to surrender to him... and every round fought increases the
chances of that unlucky critical hit....

[I] SURRENDER CRITERION
At what point will the Warrior surrender the fight? A Warrior
can decide he will surrender at first blood (and be guaranteed small
purses for his battles, if he ever wins), or he can decide that he will
fight to the death. The Warrior falling into the latter category often
wins a large prize, but rarely lasts for long; after all, there is only
so much that modern medicine can accomplish, and only a fool tests the
fates with EVERY fight... It also takes a remarkable amount of will to
fight even unto death. Warriors who consistently fight until they lose
consciousness suffer a pretty fair chance of being maimed to the point
where their loss of strength, agility, or other characteristics becomes
permanent.

[J] WHEN WILL THE WARRIOR GO BERSERK?
Occasionally one happens across a Warrior who, when sorely
wounded, loses all capability for rational thought -- he "berserks." A
Warrior gone berserk will never bother to defend against anything, but
will instead concentrate upon nothing other than inflicting as much
damage, as rapidly as possible, upon the enemy. Some Warriors will never
berserk, while others will go into the death-rage at the very first
wound. Berserking Warriors often attack more often than they might
be capable of while in full control of themselves, and their rage might
give them extra strength, but it will also tend to make their attacks
less calculated, and therefore less accurate. They are also easier to hit.
It takes a great deal of endurance to remain berserk for very long. And,
once berserk, the character is out of control and fights without guidance
until he manages to control his berserk rage... or is hacked to doll rags.

[K] HOW OFTEN WILL THE WARRIOR ATTEMPT A COMBINATION ATTACK?
Most experienced fighters will say that combination attacks are
the key to getting through an opponent's defenses. Combination attacks
are the rational Warrior's substitute for berserking. However, like
berserking, combination attacks take a lot of energy, and very few can
keep them up for long without tiring to the point where they can't even
fight anymore. Being well-rehearsed, oft-practiced attacks, combination
attacks don't usually inflict anymore damage per blow, like a
berserker's attack might, but neither do they suffer the loss of
accuracy, due to loss of control.

[L] WHEN WILL THE WARRIOR CEASE BERSERKING, OR COMBINATION ATTACKING?
While some Warriors consider it glorious to swing, keep
swinging, and swing away, even unto death, most Warriors find it wiser
to save some strength and fatigue for the end-game (Chess parlance). If
a Warrior can do enough damage during a berserk or with combination
attacks, then he may be able to slow back down and outlast the other
guy. However, while someone practicing combination attacks can slow back
down at will, a Warrior who's gone berserk will have to have a strong
will to regain control of himself. This value sets the point at which he
will plan on beginning the attempts to regain control.

[M] WHAT TO DO IF YOUR PRIMARY WEAPON BREAKS
Very few Warriors will ever be so lame as to be overcome by
someone who is fighting with his bare hands. Therefore, if a Warrior's
primary weapon breaks, or if he is disarmed, or if he just flat doesn't
have a secondary weapon, then he might consider it wisest to surrender,
take the loss on his record, and avoid the serious wounding or death that
might result from attempting to continue the fight.

[N] WHAT TO DO IF YOUR SECONDARY WEAPON BREAKS
While there is little chance of winning a melee if both your
weapons are broken (unless your opponent is much, MUCH worse off then
you!), there is nothing that forces a Warrior to surrender. This
mind set is for those Warriors who would rather risk losing their life
than their pride.