Let’s be honest here: the Crimson Legion ain’t exactly the most approachable bunch in the land. They’re known for their discipline, ferocity in battle, and a brand of toughness that stretches beyond a leather hide and steely gaze. These guys live to march, grunt, kick ass and take names. They are true artisans of martial combat. I had the privilege of picking the brain of Legionnaire Aureliano, Orssus, and finally, the infamous Anarquendi, three residents of Ta’Vaalor who are ready to step into the arena and show the world the true strength of the Fortress City.
Important note: During these rather informal discussions, in some cases, we would organically move from IC to OOC and back with little warning or provocation. In these cases (with the exception of Anarquendi because Anarquendi), I’ve done my best to indicate these answers with “(OOC).” I hope this helps to alleviate any conceptual whiplash.
First, I managed to catch Aureliano in between marches and drills.
Dezter: I would love it if you could speak to the nature of Ta’Vaalor hosting event, whether there are any goals as far as foreign relations, any potential policy evolution, and what the Festival and tournament means to you. Feel free to be as elaborate or concise as you like.
Aureliano: I would defer to my superiors for any comment on policy goals. It is our honor to share our Sovereign’s hospitality with our guests from across the map. We proudly invite them to partake in our culture while visiting.
D: It seems like warrior is probably the most common profession to compete. Is that related to the warrior’s inherent abilities, or are y’all just more bloodthirsty?
A: (OOC) Is that the case this time? How many people have you spoken with? This is good insider info for me.
D: Ha! Is raw strength going to trump tactics in the arena?
A: (OOC) Command input speed is going to trump everything. If I get the first move off, I will win like 85% of the time. My guess is that it will be more non-warriors than warriors. Most classes have something that incapacitates everyone else almost automatically. So if I get the first command off, I can lock up any other character.
D: Literally any.
A: (OOC) Yes. Being an elf, my warcries have a 95% chance of landing (basically barring a critical miss). So… If I get off warcry cry, it binds/immobilizes my target and then I can just string set ups until I feel like swinging. What will be more interesting is warrior vs warrior, or rogue vs rogue or something like that. Orssus did a multistrike on me in the arena last night when I had no weapon out in offensive and could not kill me or even get a rank 3 wound anywhere. Its more of an attrition battle at that point.
D: I can’t wait to see how the match-ups turn out. Then we’ll really see what kind of game we have on our hands. I know you’re busy, so I’ll thank you for your time.
Orssus proves a man of few words, though when they’re coming from a guy who looks like Orssus, they certainly carry weight.Dezter: I’ve heard some mixed feelings about Ta’Vaalor from visiting adventurers. How do you feel about our city hosting the festival? Do you think it’ll have any political ramifications?
Orssus: A lot of people still hold dislike for Ta’Vaalor based off the actions of people in the past, and I can understand that to some extent, I’m not going to expect everyone to like Ta’Vaalor or agree with the decisions of the Fortress. I think many people dislike the inability to become citizens without being elves and many of the shop owners can be stiff or even mean to non-elves. As to the citizenship issue it’s always best to remember Ta’Vaalor is a Fortress first and a city second, the Sovereign Commander King Qalinor Fausto is always going to make decisions based off what is best for the life and survival of the Fortress, and this is coming from a giantkin who would love nothing more than to be a citizen of Ta’Vaalor. Concerning the discrimination non-elves can and do face here, I know they are working to correct that. It’s a slow process to change decades or millenia of beliefs, but they are making steps toward it. Everyone thought the identification system that was put in place would never go away, but here we are today with no mandatory identification papers necessary for entry or to do business.
I think every chance Ta’Vaalor can get to invite people in to show the progress they have made in being more accepting is a positive thing. The more the visitors from other towns, especially those from across the Dragon Spine Mountain, interact with the people of the fortress, importantly those who represent it directly such as the Reservists in the Crimson Legion, the more they will see that Ta’Vaalor is a honorable and respectful place that is far more welcoming than many people might expect.”
Dezter: When you’re dueling, do you already have strategies laid out for different professions? And without going into too much detail, is it common to tailor your plan of attack based on who you’re facing? If you can, speak a little bit about the moments leading up to the duel.
Orssus: As a warrior my strategy is pretty universal regardless of opponent. I do know some professions, namely spell casters, require different tactics depending on what kind of profession their opponent happens to be. I certainly don’t take the tournament as seriously as some do, I’m not too caught up on if I win. I do feel anxious leading up to a fight, but I just put my shoulder into it and power through. The tension goes away once I enter the arena tunnel and it’s replaced with an adrenalin surge followed by a very uncomfortable adrenaline dump.
This final, climactic interview is going to be a little different. Anarquendi Aldudil is a… different kind of guy. I’ve spoken before about the arena combatant as a special breed. Well, you’ll find no greater example of that than in Anarquendi. He’s forgotten more about this world than I will ever learn, and I’m not exaggerating in the least. So like I said, this interview is slightly different. In discussing mechanics, we’re going to pull back the veil just a little bit and enjoy a deep dive into the ins and outs of arena combat. You’re in for a treat tonight. Joining the conversation live…
Dezter: So let’s get back to 605…
Anarquendi: It’s 319 on steroids. And, if the ranger is trained properly, gives them a 60 second get out of jail free. 319 = Soul Ward.
D: Ok, so that works only if it flares.
A: But it flares based off of a warding roll.
D: Aha, gotcha.
A: It uses the attacker’s TD vs. the victim’s CS. The attack does get a TD bonus of level / 5 (+20 at level 100) but that’s usually not a big deal. Clerics can get their CS high enough to 100% ward anyone.
(Pauses to find an example.)
Leafiara gestures at Pereus.
Particles of dust and soot rise from the ground at Leafiara’s feet as she releases a pulsating, platinum ripple of energy toward Pereus!
The dull golden nimbus surrounding Pereus suddenly begins to glow brightly.
Pereus’s rune-covered platemail emits a deafening wail as a bright red glow erupts from its surface, surrounding him!
CS: +550 – TD: +441 + CvA: -31 + 50 + d50: +3 – -5 == +136
Warding failed!
Pereus is cloaked in a blinding platinum light and assailed for 52 points of damage!
… 24 points of damage!
Pereus’s eye blackens and pops leaving a smoking hole behind!
He is stunned!
… 4 points of damage!
Blood boils in Pereus’s chest.
The shade of Leafiara’s skin changes, as if some light has gone out of her.
The powerful look leaves Pereus.
The deep blue glow leaves Pereus.
The misty halo fades from Pereus.
The white light leaves Pereus.
The very powerful look leaves Pereus.
Pereus appears less confident and fearless.
Pereus loses the flickering deep black energy surrounding him.
Pereus seems to lose some focus as his eyes narrow and shift momentarily to one side.
A crimson mist bleeds out from Pereus’s exposed skin.
Pereus appears to lose some internal strength.
Pereus becomes unbalanced for a second, then recovers.
Pereus seems less resolute.
The divine force surrounding Pereus slowly fades away.
The wall of force disappears from around Pereus.
* Pereus has fallen unconscious!
Pereus was one of the higher level paladins in game. His TD is actually really impressive. Plus he was wearing T5 full plate so his CvA was -31. But her CS is 550. Against his above average TD and superior CvA, she still had a natural end roll of 133 against him. So add in the +20 TD bonus when dealing with 319, she still has a 0% chance that it won’t flare.
D: That was the whole fight?
A: She got her warding spell off first. He was stunned, she flubbed a set up, but then landed that before he could break the stun. So 319 gave clerics a HUGE advantage in the fights. Their opponent’s first attack was guaranteed to miss.
D: Kind of diminishes the importance of the first shot.
A: So if they are first on the draw, they have a CS that can’t be defended against. If they go second, they still have the advantage. 605 is SIMILAR, but arguably better. It costs 5 mana as opposed to 19. It’s a 100% chance to avoid melee, warding, bolt / ball, and cman attacks.
605 also has a 50 + (Spiritual Lore: Summoning ranks / 2)% chance to reapply if the end result of the attack is below 20 + (Ranger survival skill / 10) for a max of 50 with 3x Survival. So if the end result of the attack is 150 or less, Barkskin will reapply. There’s a little-known mechanical trick involving ranger’s spell 608 (Camouflage). Because it is a spell, not a physical action, rangers can stalk immediately after it’s cast. Stalking someone puts you in their group. If you are in their group, AoE spells like ewave and other open warding spells won’t hit you and pull you out of hiding. So 605 buys an almost guaranteed window to get off the Camo / stalk. Which then makes it virtually impossible to force the ranger out of hiding if they don’t want to come out.
D: That is tricky.
So in my fight against Melivn…
The dull golden nimbus surrounding you flares into life as it glows brightly for a moment.
CS: +565 – TD: +415 + CvA: -28 + d100: +36 – -5 == +163
Warding failed!
You contort in excruciating agony!
… 58 points of damage!
Roundtime: 7 sec.
So from that snippet, I was missing +30 TD from GoS skills (because society skills are dropped when you enter the match and must be reapplied.) Plus, Melivn’s runestaff ensorcell flared giving him +30 CS. So with his natural CS at 535, and my TD at 435, that roll of 36 would have had an end result of 103. It would have hit me, but not that hard.
D: That’s a lot of factors to keep in your head, for sure.
A: And now with 605, if I have the requisite training (or dumb luck) 605 could be reapplied while still protecting me. That would have given me the camo / stalk against Melivn, which arguably would have given me the ability to kill him at my leisure. I know my DS can push over 1000 when fully spelled. Self spelled, I should still be in the 800’s. Even forced into offensive, I should be able to maintain 600 – 700. Roblar’s self-spelled AS 4 years ago was 739. It could be more now, but not substantially more. He couldn’t hit 800 by himself.
D: So how could he hit you then?
A: He could warcry me, feint me into offensive, tackle / bullrush me, then mstrike me. All he has to do is cut of my bow arm and my DS drops significantly. Or, if he’s good at paying attention, he can look at the max health a Sylvankind ranger can have. Then he just has to do that much damage and cman Coupe de Grace me. But casters are the bigger threat to me. I think I stand a fighting chance. But like everything, it will come down to the opening move.
[Roll result: 158 (open d100: 54)]
Roblar feints to the left, Hoy buys the ruse and twists awkwardly to block the blow that never came!
Roblar looks determined and focused.
In an awe inspiring display of combat mastery, Roblar engages Hoy in a furious dance macabre, spiralling into a blur of strikes and ripostes!
The thorny barrier surrounding Hoy blocks Roblar’s attack!
The thorny barrier surrounding Hoy blocks Roblar’s attack!
The thorny barrier surrounding Hoy blocks Roblar’s attack!
The thorny barrier surrounding Hoy blocks Roblar’s attack!
Roblar swings an immense rolaren waraxe at Hoy!
AS: +739 vs DS: +830 with AvD: +36 + d100 roll: +98 = +43
A clean miss.
The guiding force leaves Roblar.
The thorny barrier surrounding Hoy blocks Roblar’s attack!
The thorny barrier surrounding Hoy blocks Roblar’s attack!
Roblar swings an immense rolaren waraxe at Hoy!
With extreme effort, Hoy blocks the attack with his staff!
The thorny barrier surrounding Hoy blocks Roblar’s attack!
Roblar swings an immense rolaren waraxe at Hoy!
By amazing chance, Hoy evades the attack!
The thorny barrier surrounding Hoy blocks Roblar’s attack!
The thorny barrier surrounding Hoy blocks Roblar’s attack!
But he wound up losing to Hoy. In his fight with Hoy AND with his exhibitions with Leafiara, he opened with feint. I have 2x cman with 5 ranks of feint. Combine that with 605, I have no real fear of Roblar’s cman feint.
I also just want to beat the two past champions: Leafiara and Melivn. I prepared for the last FoF by really working on building up gear sets to deal, primarily, with clerics. I have a +12 TD T5 ensorcelled shield I made only for FoF.
D: So for all intents and purposes, Melivn is the reigning champion and Leafiara before him?
A: Round three: Yakushi beat Fleurs, I beat Akenna, and Melivn got a by.
Semi finales: Melivn beat Yakushi, and I got a by.
Finals: Melivn beat me.
D: And yet apparently in ’17, both Roblar and Melivn lost in the first round.
A: Nuadhja beat Sabreon too. So like… three of the top competitors were knocked out in round one by rangers in 2017. Hoy beat Roblar, Nuadhja beat Sabreon, and Aurach beat Melivn. That’s nuts. What’s even MORE nuts is Roblar’s mstrike against Hoy:
Roblar looks determined and focused.
In an awe inspiring display of combat mastery, Roblar engages Hoy in a furious dance macabre, spiralling into a blur of strikes and ripostes!
The thorny barrier surrounding Hoy blocks Roblar’s attack!
The thorny barrier surrounding Hoy blocks Roblar’s attack!
The thorny barrier surrounding Hoy blocks Roblar’s attack!
The thorny barrier surrounding Hoy blocks Roblar’s attack!
Roblar swings an immense rolaren waraxe at Hoy!
AS: +739 vs DS: +830 with AvD: +36 + d100 roll: +98 = +43
A clean miss.
The guiding force leaves Roblar.
The thorny barrier surrounding Hoy blocks Roblar’s attack!
The thorny barrier surrounding Hoy blocks Roblar’s attack!
Roblar swings an immense rolaren waraxe at Hoy!
With extreme effort, Hoy blocks the attack with his staff!
The thorny barrier surrounding Hoy blocks Roblar’s attack!
Roblar swings an immense rolaren waraxe at Hoy!
By amazing chance, Hoy evades the attack!
The thorny barrier surrounding Hoy blocks Roblar’s attack!
The thorny barrier surrounding Hoy blocks Roblar’s attack!
Wall of Thorns puttin’ in extra work.
D: Anyone you DON’T want to face?
A: Roblar comes to mind. And any other ranger. Because the only ones that would really compete are just more experienced version of me.D: Surely you’ve devised anti-ranger strategies?
A: I mean, I know what other professions can do to me. But I don’t have anything I can do to myself… Well, I do. But it’s more like rock, paper, scissors. You can’t keep a ranger from hiding. The pointing / sunbursting someone out of hiding mechanics don’t apply to Camouflage (608.) So if you point a ranger out of hiding, they can immediately camo to hide again. Even if you knock them out with Sunburst, they can just camo again.
D: Any final thoughts? Closing statements? Trash talk?
A: I just don’t want to lose in the first round!
From the bottom of my heart, I want to wish all of the prospective combatants nothing but the best of highlight reels, and above all, let’s everyone have a great damn time!
This interview series is dedicated to the players of Gemstone IV. All of my love and best wishes.
– Dez
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