1. Foreword

   To most people Clan Lord, at first glance, may seem like a very simple RPG, in part because of its crude graphics (by todays standards) and by its easy to use interface. There are many reasons for this, but they all boil down to Delta Tao's design philosophy that nods to the early video games that were simple to learn, hard to master and highly addictive.
   However, beneath the low-tech graphics and deceptively easy interface lies a game that manages to be as fun and addictive as the best games out there because of it's limitless options. Few games can tout that they can be just as much fun to play after years, provided the player doesn't dig them self into a hole, or get in a rut. Luckily, the game is updated every two weeks with new items, areas and monsters coming in a sporadic stream. Not only that, Clan Lord can boast about having an actual virtual community online were friendships form and enemies are made. Every other game I've played online falls flat in this area because of various reasons and limitations.
   Joe Williams, president of Delta Tao, said in an interview before the game was released that it was an "experiment on creating a virtual community." Today, he can be proud to say that the experiment was a success.
   Literally hundreds of player written web sites have sprouted up around the game dealing with everything from character Journals to new services to clan scrolls to information sites about the game. There are even yahoo groups dedicated to various aspects of the game. On the West Coast, there's even a group, WCCLC, where members meet in person to get to know the person who clicks for a character, which has inspired people in other regions to start their own regional CL groups. To add to that, virtually an entire newsgroup <comp.sys.mac.games.adventure> was taken over by CL players. So much so, that non-CL players have to filter all posts with "CL:" in them in order to find posts about other games.
   Not only that, there's a fairly decent macro language with C-like syntax, that allows players to easily personalize their character(s) and make their character capable of doing complex tasks quickly with just a touch of a button, like play a song, sing and do a dance, and even a web site where people can share their CL macros with others.
   
   As new players come and older players go, knowledge about effectively playing the game is passed down from player to player. Among this group there is a class of super players -- ones that seem to be unstoppable, do amazing things and can remaining standing in all but the worst situations. And among these super players there's great fighters. These great fighters aren't great simply because they have amassed a thousands of ranks over the years, but because they've carefully observed how things work, and use this knowledge to become better fighters.
   
   While this manual represents the skill the top fighters have learned, it can't actually teach one exactly what to do to fight skillfully. Learning must be done on the battlefield. However, it can tell someone what to look for, and provides a background for one to become a skillful and effective fighter, and an asset to his or her group by teaching what is expected of them.

2. Why I wrote this Manual

   I noticed a lack of publications beyond the basics and general information available in the library (web scrolls available) to teach these things to newbies (new players) instead of making them learn orally in the game over years, and in some cases never learning them. When people first start hunting with organized groups, they might be able to take some instruction, but not everything is quickly and easily conveyed as each new situation presents itself.
   
   My main profession is one of a fighter who has been around over 4 years (16 years in Puddleby time). Long ago I started training fighters and treated them as apprentices, teaching them the art or fighting. After training many excellent fighters on the basics of movement, and various tactics and also learning a lot of techniques from other fighters, I decided it would be great if we had a manual that taught fighters the basic concepts of my style and proven group hunting techniques. I realized this manual would never be complete because almost every storm there's new challenges and changes that we have to learn new techniques to deal with. Also, I take the approach that one is never done learning. I'm still improving even after all this time and challenging myself to learn more each day. This Manual represents my many years of knowledge and insight on the subject.
   
   
   

3. Attitude of This Manual

   Some may disagree with me and they are welcome to submit new topics and topics for debate which I'll add to the manual or in an appendix as they come in. I'm always open to better ways to do things, and I am open to adding in your comments, even if they clash with my own, since there's many styles that use slightly different stances.
   My hope is that newbies will find this guide a valuable reference, and old timers might find some insight into the art that they never thought of. Old timers may skim most of Part I, complete newbies should find this manual more complete than current scrolls covering trainers and weapons. If you have comments or suggestions, or would like to add to this work, please feel free to contact me in the lands. I also am willing to take on apprentices that show a dedication to becoming a great fighter.
   I'd remain In Character many things are explained easier by using the knowledge we have than trying to put everything into Puddleby terms.
   
   M & Noivad
   HWC & Sheriff of Puddleby
   

4. Topics in This Manual

   In Part one I starts by covering the basics of Clan lord that every fighter should know. This includes game mechanics, which is applicable to every player (known "in character" [IC] as an exile), and things specific to fighters. Part I ends with a discussion on effectively managing movement and monsters.
   
   Part II covers group fighting tactics and techniques, and Part III will cover formations, strategies and touch on move advanced material. Part IV covers specific tactics used by exiles to effectively handle difficult situations.
   
   Some of this stuff might be spoiler information, but I feel it's necessary to write a comprehensive manual on the art of fighting. If you'd rather not spoil your fun of learning and exploring for yourself, do not read this manual at this time. If however you're been around a bit or you'd rather skip the painful process of learning this manual in addition to the many scrolls out there is a good start.

5. A word about Solo Fighting

   Part one deals mainly with developing your skills as a solo fighter. Soloing is not an encouraged method of play. DT does not encourage it because this is supposed to be a co-operative massive multiplayer game. However, before you can join a group as a competent member you need to learn about yourself and how to handle situations on your own. You can join a group of exiles with about the same amounts of ranks as you have, but it might take you longer to find out what type of fighter you are, and how to deal with things. Don't get me wrong, groups are great, and people cross sharing in groups tend to advance more quickly, but to learn to depend on yourself you need to occasionally go out on your own. I'll list many excellent scrolls on hunting that cover the basics of fighting solo, if you have such a scroll please inform me, and I'll add it to the appendix.
   Once you have a firm grasp of the basic principles, you can become a better part of any group you decide to join. Part II deals specifically with group tactics and strategies. Older Fighters know how to spot talent in a groups, despite your lack of ranks. Fight smart, learn to obey orders, think fast, and move faster are all part of the strategy to becoming an excellent fighter, healer or mystic.
   
   
   

Part 0: Basic Game Mechanics

Game mechanics are the fundamentals of the world works, that every exile should know. They break down into 4 basic concepts: Experience, Sharing, Karma and Combat mechanics.

1. The Experience System

   When you slay something, besides another exile, there are different levels of experience you get which is in relation to your level. As you gain experience for each creature you slay, it goes toward obtaining a rank in whatever you're training in. Unlike most RPGs ranks do not improve all players stats, just the stats that the current trainer improves. Also, the steps are much smaller than other RPGs making the first few hundred ranks come very fast if one is actively hunting.
   
   
   Currently there are 4 levels of experience feedback a player gets. From highest to lowest, these are: Vanquish, Kill, Dispatch and Slaughter. None of these terms equals a set number of experience points, but a range of experience points one gets for each beast they slay. This feedback helps players know how good they're doing with their training, without disclosing numbers. Because Delta Tao keeps virtually all numbers secret, no solid formulas exist to tell anyone outside those working with the company what a players' actual statistics are nor how the experience point range per beast.
   
   "Vanquish" means you've slain or helped to slay a beast that should be far beyond your means, and you get the either a maximum amount of experience for it, or you get a little bonus thrown in for defeating it.
   
   "Kill" means you've slain or helped to slay a beast within your range and you get a normal amount of experience for it.
   
   "Dispatch" means you've slain or helped to slay a beast below your range and you get a minimal amount of experience for it.
   
   "Slaughter" means you've slain or helped to slay a beast so far below your range and you get a no experience for it.
   Note: "Slaughter" in another sense has become the term to describe anything that increases your level, and thus what you slaughter.
   
   The more powerful a weapon the more it affects your slaughter. If you find that using your best weapon you start to dispatch something, and you can just as easily take it with a less powerful weapon, switch to that one and you'll probably notice that the slaughter is lowered and you get kill messages.
   

   1. The Libraries

      The libraries (northeast of town center), and training hall practice rooms (in both the fighter and healer halls) in town allow a player who logs off in one to gain experience while not online (this is called studying). There are currently four types of library. There is also a mystic library in their academy which is probably equivalent to the basic library.
      
      The basic library and training rooms cost nothing to use and give the least amount of experience. The intermediate library, to the north east of the basic library cost a few coins per day to use and gives a bit more experience.
      
      The advanced and expert libraries cost more and more coins, and give more and more experience are between the basic and intermediate library, with the advanced library in another room next to the intermediate library, and the expert library in the room next to the basic library. The advanced and expert libraries are connected, allowing one to travel through all four rooms and check their prices without stepping outside.

   2. Departs & Falling

      When you fall a message is displayed in your side bar on the left of the main window, telling you may /depart or wait for help. If you depart you end up in purgatory for a period of time and you loose a certain amount of experience you've accumulated. You will not loose any ranks you've already gained, but you can go below the starting level for the next rank, thus making your next rank take longer than it usually would have. Therefore, only depart when there is slim to no chance to rescue you, or when it would take longer to rescue you than it would to depart and make up the lost experience.
      
      You do not loose any items you have when you depart, unlike most online RPGs.
      
      To avoid long waits when you fall there are several things you can do to avoid departing or waiting for long periods of time to be rescued.
      
      The best way is to take a few people with you around your level, but often when you start out you don't know who you should hunt with. Look for people wearing the same tan clothing, because chances are they're new too. If you see none, ask a friendly person in town center for advice on who is around that you might be invited to hunt with.
      
      If you decide to go out alone to hunt (solo hunt), make sure to share with a healer (especially town and rescue healers) and locating mystic. You can also tell people in town center where you're going to hunt, that way if a locating mystic is not around, people will know where to begin to look. That way, if you fall the healer will know to come looking for you and the locating mystic will be able to locate where you fell. this If you're fallen close to, or in town, often you will be rescued quickly. The further away you are from town, or if you neglected to share with anyone, the longer it will take to get rescued. If you fall to a creature that only lives in certain areas, or people know you're approximate level or favorite hunting grounds, the less time it will take to be rescued.
      
      Also, if you happen to have a sunstone, and you know that you very well might fall, quickly send out a general sunstone message saying "falling in <this location>", or if there's not time for all the message to be sent out, simply sunstone you location.
      
      If you fail at all the above, you can always check the player list for a journeyman mystic or higher, a rescue healer, a friend, or the last person who saw you in the area you fell and "share toggle" them to let them know you need help. Sharing toggling is sharing with a person, then unsharing them, then resharing them. If you're already sharing with someone, simply unsharing and resharing them will let them know you're fallen and need assistance. If the person you toggled has a sunstone, they should direct sunstone you to let them know if they're looking for you or if they're asking others to look for you. If they tell you someone else is looking for you, share with that person, so they know about your status and what you've fallen to.
      
      If someone asks you where you're fallen, then toggle them when they ask you if you've fallen in the location you are in. If you fall and you already have help, a /thank (good karma: GK) will tell them that you appreciate the concern, but you have help.
      
      As part of good etiquette, you probably want to give good karma to a mystic who locates you, and the healer(s) and fighter(s) who rescue you. Saying, "thank you" when you're out of karma to give also helps. (See the section on the Karma System to see how this affects people.)

2. The Sharing System

   The share system, while not unique, does effect various aspect of play. The most prominent of these effects, is experience points one gets from someone who is sharing with them when they kill a beast. The other effects are making it easier for a healer to heal you and how fairly coins are divided up among a group.
   
   For each dispatch, kill or vanquish, the person being shared with (the sharee) gets %10 of the experience the person slaying the beast (the sharer) receives. The sharer does not loose the %10, but instead gets a 1% or 2% bonus for sharing. Thus if a person is sharing with 5 people (the maximum number of people you can currently share with) slays a beast they get 105% of the experience, while each sharee gets 10% of the initial 100%. The 10% bonus to the sharee doesn't not continue on to whomever they are sharing.
   
   Also, when multiple people slay a creature, the experience is divided among them. If they're cross sharing each person get's a bonus of 10% per person who is sharing with them, plus their 1%-2%. So it's possible to get nearer 100% of the experience. In group hunts this adds up quickly, and people tend to advance faster.
   
   To healers this 10% is how most get their experience. Also, when sharing a healer, it makes it easier for the healer to heal you.
   
   If the creature slain has a fur or teeth that is successfully skinned/pulled, the coins are divided among the people who hit it and anyone on the same snell that they are sharing.

3. The Karma System

   Giving karma is an immediate way to let someone know that you appreciate, or don't appreciate his or her action. Karma given to someone fades over time, and each time you give out karma it usually takes a few minutes to be able to give karma out again.
   
   Karma effects how other players react to you, what price you pay to NPCs for items, and how long you spend in purgatory [purg] when you depart. The higher your good karma the cheaper items are and the less time you spend in purg when you depart, conversely the higher your bad karma, the more you spend on items and the more time you spend in purgatory when you depart.
   
   Some even believe your karma affects you luck in general: everything from fighting to skinning/teeth-pulling. However this is speculation, and I do not recall if anyone in authority (a Game master [GM] or Joe) every confirmed or denied this rumor.
   
   If a person has more BK than GK, their name tag will turn red. If you'd like to check how much good and bad karma someone has, simply type "/karma <name>.
   
   You may also use "/anonthank" and "/anoncurse" to attach a reason without revealing your identity. The person may still figure out who thanked or cursed them if th BK or GK was received right after they did something.

   1. Good Karma [GK]

      If you like what someone has done for you, such as hunting with you, rescuing you, saving you from falling, healing you, or simply giving you information, it's polite to thank that person by typing "/thank <name>" (or select them [cmd {apple} -click] on that person either in the main game window or click on that person in the player window, and then press cmd-t). This gives them one point of good karma [GK].
      
      If you'd like to attach a reason for the GK, you can type "/thank <name> <reason>" For example, say an exile named "Bana'toth" just saved you from certain death by stepping in between you and a creature that was chasing you and obviously about to kill you, and killing it instead. You'd type "/thank Bana'toth for saving me from certain death." Bana'toth will hear a pleasant sound and see "<your name> gave you good karma for saving me from certain death." in his status/message side bar and his text log.
      
      The person must be on the same snell to get the reason you attached. Also if you attach a reason, that person will see who the karma came from, unless you use "/anonthank <reason>". Let's say you're standing in town center and someone does something that amuses you. In this case the person would see, "You received good karma for being funny."

   2. Bad Karma [BK]

      If you don't like what a person has done, such as running up and attacking a creature you were soling without asking, killing you kudzu farm, insulting or offending you, dropping creatures on you when you weren't ready or able to handle them, or anything else that you don't like that person doing (whether it is in or out of character [IC or OOC]), then you can type "/curse <name>" to let them know they've displeased you. This gives that person one point of bad karma [BK].
      
      For example, let's say you were standing there obviously soloing the beast, and in no danger of falling, and Bana'toth, ran up and attacked the beast he could have easily avoided, without a word or even sharing with you first. If you'd like to attack a reason for the BK, type "/curse Bana'toth for leeching off me" or "for breeching fighter etiquette."
      
      If you sign BK, and don't use "/anoncurse", the person will see who it came from, and some people will curse you back just to spite you. This can lead to Karma Bombing wars. (See below about Karma Bombing.)
      
      

      • Using BK

        Below is how I handle BK, though you may handle it anyway you like. Some people, like Prue, believes all Karma is deserved and doesn't hesitate to curse someone for the slightest offense. Some people never curse others, no matter what the offense. Other's will only use BK in character, while others only used BK for out of character offenses. Everyone is different in their use of Karma. Though I'll give my general guidelines, because BK can detract from a person's fun -- especially if they're had a bad day and only logged on to clan and relieve stress.
        
        When cursing people, most people -- including myself -- tend to give some people the benefit of the doubt if their action might have been unintentional. Often, I'll ask that person if they meant to do that. If he or she didn't, I'll often forgive them and not give them BK. If they did, seem unremorseful, I'll usually give them one warning not to do it again. If that person does it again, I'll often /curse them. Often I won't sign it, but it should be obvious it was me. If I sense that a person lied about unintentionally doing something, I'll often /curse them once for lying and maybe twice for the initial offense.

      • Abusing Karma/Karma Bombing

        When people start /cursing each other back and forth, this is know as a karma war. If a person or multiple people curse the same person multiple times, this is know as "karma bombing." Karma bombing, and wars often go hand in hand. Often karma bombing and wars end when one person gets tired of it, or when it's obvious to one party that they are out matched and surrender.
        
        Some people are above bombing and wars, and some people aren't. DT has a policy of not getting involved in these sort of disputes, and often it is useless to take someone to court over karma bombing because the population at large has decided these cases are frivolous and don't want to be bothered by people who can't settle their differences, or are too immature or oversensitive and BK.

4. The Court system

   The court system was put in place to allow exiles to settle their differences, whether IC or OOC, using a jury of peers. To file a complaint you go to the courthouse and lodge your complaint.
   
   The courts determine if there are enough eligible jurors on to form an adequate jury. If there is the Defendant is summoned to court, where each will be given a chance to state their side of the case and call witnesses.
   
   Each person is allow 90 seconds to state their case, and one 60 second rebuttal to the other person's arguments.
   
   If you'd like to call a witness who would likely help your case, you may do so by saying "witness: <name>" That person must be present and approach the north railing to be put into the witness box, and has 60 seconds to state what they saw happen.
   
   After each side has made their case, the jury goes and can deliberate or the guilt or innocence of the person accused. Also, if the jury finds the lawsuit to be frivolous, the plaintiff may face criminal penalties.
   
   These penalties may consist of fines paid to the court, jail time and even banishment from town in extreme cases. Also, if a person who was found guilty has prior convictions the court may add fines and/or jail time.
   
   If the person does not have sufficient funds to cover fines issued, the court will garnish their earnings until the debt is paid off. The court is a criminal court and not a civil court and cannot recover stolen property.
   
   Players who bring multiple frivolous lawsuits may also be banned from filing additional lawsuits and will get the reputation as one who does this, and hurts their chances to win even legitimate cases.
   
   As mentioned above suing over karma is often found to be frivolous. Other things may also be found frivolous -- such as suing an exile for failing to depart.
   
   Filing lawsuits that are obviously frivolous or are made to pull a person out of a hunt far away is considered an abuse of the court system. Abusing the court system often earns a person a good amount of BK from the community.
   

   1. Building a Good Case

      Before bringing a case to court it is often a good idea to consult a someone wise in the ways of the court and the general consensus of citizens of puddleby. You can build a good case by writing up your arguments ahead of time, anticipating the defendants defense and have text ready to counter it, or responding to charges directly during the rebuttal phase, by writing up a counter-argument on the fly while the plaintiff or defendant is testifying in a sticky or other text editor. Having reputable witnesses is also a good idea if any are available.
      
      

5. Formal Complaints

   Filing a formal complaint is often used when a person is harassing or threatening a person or persons. It is also used for when players cross the line of what is acceptable play. Players who role play raping another exile, sexually harass women or behave in a way to annoy other players constantly [these are called "snerts"] are all good reasons to file a complaint with Complaina in the city hall.
   
   Complaints are a serious matter to Delta Tao, and each is looked into by GMs and even Joe himself.If the complaint is found to be valid, most people will get a warning via e-mail, or online from a GM. If the player fails to comply with a GM order, their account may be suspended or even revoked permanently, with any remaining time of it not refundable.
   
   Even if an exile is not kicked out of the game, they will gain a reputation as a snert and many exiles will refuse to help them in any way. Often snerts are karma bombed by many players, and generally treated like garbage by other players. They are considered fair game by some, and may even be harassed with the support of the exile community. The snert may file a complaint against others, but their credibility is so damaged, that often GMs will toss out their complaint.
   
   These steps are intended to keep snerts out of the game, and discourage snerty behavior. Some snerts wise up and reform and may eventually regain a half-way decent reputation over a long period of time if they act in a manner acceptable to the community.

   1. The Sheriff's Department

      The Sheriff's Department (AKA The Puddleby Polices) handles disputes between players acting as a neutral party. It will try to resolve a dispute if possible before things get out of hand and formal complaints are issued. The Department also handles role played disputes, and other problems where the court system and/or complaina haven't, or cannot help.
      
      The department may also act as a civil court would where a person is fined for wronging another person, and all coins collected go to the injured party.
      This includes the recover of stolen or fraudulently obtained goods after an investigation is launched and a party is found guilty of thievery. The manner of recovering stolen goods is a difficult process that is aimed at convincing the thief that it is in their best interests to give back the property. It is highly effective and may include a formal complaint if the crime is serious enough.
      
      Disputes can be resolved if both parties agree to binding arbitration. The sheriff's office will mediate in cases of karma bombing. If the bombing is deemed justified, then the police will take no action. If the bombing is deemed excessive, the department will convince the bomber that it is in the bomber's best interests to stop karma bombing.
      
      The Sheriff's department is not officially sanctioned by Delta Tao, and has no special powers beyond what any average exile has. Because of this, the Police is not bound to any non-intervention policy placed on GMs. Instead, its strength comes from the support of the citizens of Puddleby and the good reputation of its officers. No abuse of powers is tolerated, and any deputy caught abusing those powers is subject to immediate dismissal. The department does not support any "laws" that would limit the freedom of exiles to live in peace, nor does the department take its own personal interests into account when investigating or resolving disputes. All are seen as equal in th e eyes of the law. It's purpose is to serve the public trust, protect the innocent and uphold the common laws established by court cases. Because of these policies and the goodwill fostered by the department, the Department has some influence over a wide range of clans and organizations.
      
      The department also has the authority to issue permits for special events and acts which it is available to oversee these events to keep the peace. Many activities require no special permit. And some special events are allowed anywhere and anytime. Specifically, the right of Thooms to Conga wherever they see fit: The right of Dwarves to stay intoxicated and yell "Beer": The right of fen's to use any building or fences as scratching (though using Gaia's temple may bring the wrath of Gaia herself): The right of Zos to head butt and otherwise celebrate their heritage: The right of witches to assemble and practice magic openly(so long as no one is permanently harmed): The right of anyone to play music, dance, sing or even read bad poetry: The right of any group to be composed of complete idiots; and the right of anyone to smoke ingest or otherwise take into their body whatever they want, including substances that may be harmful to them.
      
      To contact the department ask virtually any exile to direct you to the sheriff or a deputy if you have any crimes to report, want unbiased information, would like to discuss whether you have a good case to take to court, or questions on acceptable acts. All cases are reviewed by the Sheriff.

Part I: Combat Basics

What you will learn in this part: fundamental concepts of fighting, trainers that relate to fighters, weapons, survival, finding your own style and developing it, Finding your limits, all about monsters and other beasts you will encounter and a few places where you can learn these things on your own.
Reading alone is not enough to make you a great fighter, it takes practice and dedication to improve yourself, along with a healthy dose of varied terrain and combat experience.

1. Balance

   As you've noticed, with each swing you take, you loose balance temporarily (the center bar in the upper left hand corner. The lower your balance the easier you are to hit, and the more damage you take when hit. Also, the higher your balance when you swing, the greater chance you have to hit something. This is also true for creatures. So, the best way to fight something, is to make it swing first, then immediately swing on it. Instead of standing there swinging out, it is wisest to fall back out of reach of the creature until your balance has returned to full.
   
   On a side note: this principle of balance, and being able to directly influence how much you have and how fast you regain balance is what sets Clan Lord head and shoulders above all other online games I've seen. So much so, that Delta Tao should patent the idea, if at all possible.

2. Facing

   Because facing is a more recent addition to Clan Lord, and most scrolls were written before this feature was added and never updated, many scrolls neglect to mention this, and such information must be passed on oraly, until now. The direction something is facing matters for both you and other creatures. It is hardest to hit something from the front, and easiest to hit something from the back, as you move toward the sides and back of either an exile or creature, the easier they get to hit. Therefore, always face creatures you're fighting, and don't do poses either, because these are just as easy to hit as the back of something is. The Slingshot group attack discussed later, takes full advantage of this principle of facing and balance by both forcing the creature to swing and turning it around so the second fighter in line gets an attack where the beast has swung and turned its back on the fighter.

Training

This section will only focus only on fighter trainers and those that aren't specific to fighters, but might want to be trained in for the benefits they provide. Secondary profession trainers like baking, brewing, and tailoring will not be touch upon as they make no difference in improving your abilities as a fighter. If you do plan to learn a secondary skill, do it early in your career when ranks come fast and easy, because they don't increase your slaughter as much as ranks used to improve fighting.

1. The Fighter Trainers

   Fighter trainers can teach you everything from how to hit more accurately to how to avoid being hit so easily. I proper balance of training will ensure you don't hit a wall before you can overcome it. For instance a fighter with too much Atkus and not enough Balthus might find himself with one swing every 10 seconds, while a fighter with too little histia may find himself able to hit creatures so powerful that the first blow they take will level them. It's important to keep track of where your weaknesses lie so you can improve upon them. A lot of people place too much emphasis on counting ranks and neglect to realize that no matter how much of X trainer you have, it's in actual combat that your number of ranks is unimportant if they can't be an effective in the field. I've witnessed first hand how a smart fighter with far less ranks can survive a blood bath while a fighter who is stronger on paper dies. The difference is skill, and cunning. With that said let me introduce you to each of the fighter trainers by circle and placement within the fighter hall.
   Note: All numbers and ratios are subject to change because of Delta Tao's habit of tweaking trainer effectiveness every few months to keep the most efficient formulas secret and keep the game away from formulas and counting, and more like the real world where many things that effect performance are non-quantifiable.

   • First Circle Trainers
     • Atkus

       Atkus allows you to hit monsters more easily. It's the accuracy of each swing, and I'll use both Atkus and accuracy interchangeably throughout this guide. If you find yourself whiffing beasts at your level, then train up some atkus. It's a fast way to advance to the second circle and move up to more challenging areas, so long as you offset it with the other first circle trainers. The price for atkus' training is that as you continue to train with him, you use as bit more balance per swing. It is important to offset Atkus training with Swengus, Balthus or Regia. I good ratio of Atkus to Swengus is 1:1, or Atkus to Balthus and Regia is 1: 1 & 1 Atkus is a fairly high slaughter trainer.
       

     • Swengus

       Swengus is a combination trainer. He teaches a little bit of Balthus and a little bit of Regia. He's the only way a first circle fighter can increase these attributes specifically to offset Atkus training. There is no down side to training with Swengus. Some even believe he gives a little bit of a bonus over training Balthus and Regia separately.

     • Evus

       Evus trains a little bit of almost everything. Evus is fickle about his mix of these trainings, and percentages about what he trains fly about. At once he trained less Atkus, and fighters who exclusively trained with him, found that they couldn't hit anything they didn't slaughter, and hit a wall far faster than they should have. That problem in his training has been fixed, and now he trains a bit more atkus per rank, but now the down side is that fighters who train exclusively with him will find their swing count (number of consecutive swings they can make) slowly deteriorates over time. So, it is a good idea to offset his training with a bit of Swengus, Balthus or Regia. A good ratio of Evus to Swengus to maintain swing count is about 2:1. If a fighter want to augment their Evus training to actually get more swings slowly over time, a 1:1 ratio is good.
       
       side note 1: There's a school of thought among some fighters that training straight evus is the quickest way to pass the second circle. That seemed to be true for a time, but now, with the changes in beasts and Evus it is unsure whether this is still correct.
       
       side note 2: Many fighters choose to use Evus to increase their Histia because they believe it raises your slaughter less. Though it is not proven that the equivalent amount of histia in Evus' training raises your slaughter less than the equivalent amount of Histia Training. If anything, Evus allows them to improve their overall performance while their slaughter rises more naturally, which keeps their "wall" the same distance away.
       

     • Histia

       Histia trains a fighter to be tougher to kill by increasing the amount of health (hit points) a fighter has. A fighters with a significant amount of Histia and skill can even disregard the old adage "Don't fight on Red." There are two down sides to Histia. One is that he among all other fighter trainers, Histia ranks probably increases your slaughter the most. (When you slaughter something, you gain no experience for it.) Thus many fighters choose to obtain their Histia by training Evus instead. The other down side is that with lot of Histia is that it takes longer for a healer to heal you to full health. This can be offset by training spiritus to make you easier to heal. At minimum the ratio of Histia to Spiritus is 10:1. This is optional, but healers will love you for it.
       

   • Second Circle Trainers
     • Detha

       Detha is a very popular trainer because he allows you to avoid taking blows by increasing your base defense. You base defense is the amount of balance you have when your balance bar is completely depleted. Because of this some fighters have called Detha "non-potable balance" -- meaning you can't use it to attack, only to defend. However, one rank of Detha give more defense than one rank of Balthus because of this limitation. Some fighters do not like Detha all that much, and prefer to train Balthus to increase their defense. Balthus and Detha make up your total defense (plus any evus and swengus, though those amounts are trivial unless one has trained a lot of either of these trainers.) The only down side to Detha is that among fighter trainers, he increases your slaughter more than most other fighter trainers. side note: Detha vs. Histia
       
       Once a young Fen'neko female fighter by the name of Ananna, asked me if it was better to have a large amount of Detha or a large amount of Histia. I replied, "Well, what's better? being able to take more hits, or being able to avoid being hit?" She took that to heart and became a legendary fighter known for being able to survive blood baths with hardly a scratch on her. She left the lands a few years later, and I'm sure many who knew her still miss her and wish her well.

     • Balthus

       Balthus is the amount of balance you have to use to attack with. The higher your balance the harder it is to hit you, and conversely the easier it is to hit things provided you have enough Atkus. The higher your balance gets the more swings you'll have, and the faster you'll be able to kill things because you'll have more chances to hit things is a shorter period of time.

     • Regia

       Regia is a complement to Balthus and governs how fast you regain your balance after each swing. With enough regia a fighter will be able to get in one more swing, and be ready to attack again within a few seconds. With a large amount of Regia, it is possible to become capable of dealing out an infinite number of swings. There is no known down side to training high Regia. A good ratio of Regia to balthus is 1:1, that way it doesn't seem like your Regia is slowing down as you train up Balthus. What's actually happening, is that with more Balthus, each pixel in the balance bar equals a greater amount of balthus it represents. So if your Regia stays constant, it will appear like your regia is slowing down.
       

     • Darkus

       Darkus affects how much potential damage you can do with each hit you get. The damage dealt by both exiles and monsters fluctuates, but as you train up Darkus your entire range is shifted up. If you want to be able to kill things extremely quick, train up Darkus until you can one hit most lesser beasts.
       
       Darkus has enough balance training in it to offset the increase in balance use. Thus after a significant number of trainings, balance regeneration appears to slow down.
       
       Some believe that Darkus increases slaughter greatly, however according to Master Crunch, one of the few, if not only active fighter with a Darkus Training Ledger, he increases slaughter less than Histia and Atkus do.
       

   • Third Circle Trainers

     Third circle trainers do not reside in the third circle room of the training hall because they don't get along with Evus. The reason they don't get along is that for each rank you train in you get the equivalent of two ranks in whatever the train trains, but you loose one rank of Evus. So, Evus has banned them from the fighter hall and they remain in hiding in a far off secret location. If you really want to train with one of them after obtaining 3rd circle, ask a high level fighter for their location and put together a strong party that can reach them.
     

     • Angilsa

       Angilsa is a female Zo Regia trainer. One rank trained with Angilsa equals two ranks of Regia minus one rank in Evus. Angilsa is a very effective way to fix a fighter who has mucked up his or her training with too much Darkus and/or Atkus and has very slow balance regeneration. As mentioned before the down side is a loss of one rank of Evus. Because of this many fighters refuse to train with her.

     • Knox

       Knox is a Higher powered Darkus trainer. As with Angilsa, one rank of Knox equals 2 ranks of Darkus minus one rank of Evus. Knox is very effective for fighters who wish augment their Darkus very fast, and who don't care about the penalty.
       

   • Fourth Circle Trainer

     Their is currently only one Fourth circle trainer, by the name of Rodnus. It is unknown if another fourth circle trainer, or any above the fourth circle will come to our island chain anytime in the future.
     

     • Rodnus

       Rodnus is a thoom with the ability to train you how to absorb damage taken, so you loose less health. Many fighters, erroneously believe he is an enhanced Spirit trainer, but this is not the case. Rodnus has nothing to do with spirit, and in fact makes healing a fighter with Rodnus take longer. So, in effect, he's an anti-spiritus trainer if anything when it comes to healing. It is unknown how rodnus trains you to become a "damage sponge" (perhaps he changes something about a fighter's spirit to nullify both beneficial and detrimental changes in your current level of health) but the results are quite dramatic. Because of his effectiveness, Rodnus will only train up to 50 ranks in his skill. Most fighters generally regard Rodnus as an essential trainer for more deadly hunts because of his ability to allow you to take less damage. And most quickly train up to full Rodnus because of this. As mentioned previously, Rodnus slows down healing, thus making many healers quite unhappy with fighters who've trained Rodnus and no Spiritus. It is unknown if training Spiritus decreases the effectiveness of Rodnus, however I suspect there is no negative effect of training Spiritus along with Rodnus.
       

   • Weapon Training

     Certain weapons are available to 3rd circle fighters and above and allow the wielder to train specifically for use of that weapon for either conservation of balance or more accurate and damaging blows from behind a monster. These weapons, the Blood Blade, the Gossamer Blade and the Fell Blade, are covered in detail in the weapons section.
     

2. Open Trainers

   Open Trainers are ones that allow anyone of any profession to train in them. Because of this some are capped anywhere from 50 to 100 trainings. The down side to each of these trainers is that a rank trained in a non-fighter specific trainer is the rank that could have gone into making the person a better fighter. Thus some fighters, refuse to train anything but Fighter trainers and Troilus. Also, with the exception of Troilus, open trainers raise slaughter the least. So, it's better to train these trainers early on in your career, when ranks come fast and easy.
   

   • Temple Trainers

     Temple Trainers are the ones that stand in the Temple just north of Town Center (TC). New exiles often emerge here after setting their appearance and race preference.
     

     • Bodrus

       Bodrus is the introductory trainer necessary for an exile to become a fighter. With a small amount of bodrus an exile can go seek out the person that allows them to become a fighter and receive their dagger. Once that is done the exile, now turned fighter is allowed access to thee first circle room in the fighter training hall. Other non-fighters may wish to train a modest amount of bodrus to increase their accuracy, defense and health. Bodrus is a less effective version of Evus, so it' in an exile's best interest to stop training Bodrus once they become a fighter. Non-fighters will find that the cap for the amount anyone can train in bodrus is about 100 ranks.

     • Spiritus

       Spiritus essentially makes one easier to heal. For fighters this means they can negate slower healing times as a result of Histia and Rodnus training. There is no know cap to the amount of spiritus one can train. Healers on the other hand can utilize Spiritus as a less powerful version of Eva (Evus' equivalent trainer for healers).
       
       Addendum: It has come to my attention that Spiritus training can increase one's accuracy when using the fell blade. This is unconfirmed, however current evidence points to this being the case.

     • Mentus

       Mentus is used by everyone to do two things: decrease the amount of sunstone wear every time it's used and to avoid death caused by some magical items. For Mystics, this is the first trainer they should visit before they become an apprentice since it increases their base powers. Some mystics have publicly stated that they have well over 300 ranks in Mentus which allows them to become very powerful mystics later on.
       

   • Troilus

     Troilus training allows one to heal faster without the aid of a healer. It takes a significant amount of troilus to be able to self heal as fast as even the slowest healers. However, for rangers, and solo hunters who wander without someone to heal them and other exiles whose healers have fallen, a decent amount of troilus is a very effective way to stay alive in dire situations if that person can get to a safe area. Troilus is quite popular with many fighters that wish to be able to survive either solo or group hunts. The biggest down side is that troilus raises slaughter about as much as the highest slaughter fighter trainers.
     

   • Loovma Geer

     Loovma Geer works in the smith shop, and she teaches exiles how to take better care of metal items that are subject to wear -- specifically the chain and the shiny dagger. If any exile chooses to be a chainer, or use a shiny dagger, a decent amount of Loovma Geer is essential to keep the costs of repairing these items down. A broke chain, costs 500 and two metal --as much as a new one-- and can quickly put a fighter with a modest income in the poor house.
     

   • Pathfinding

     Pathfinding (PF) allows exiles to use shortcuts to get places quicker, and at higher amounts allows them access to places unenterable by non-Pathfinders. At higher circles fighters may find themselves unable to join a party with a pathfinder to let them in, and often times, they'll miss out on good solid experience opportunities because of their lack of PF. Because of this, it's important to some people to train Pathfinding, because they want to be able to go almost anywhere. Rangers fall into that crowd, as do rescue healers, and those interested in exploration. Currently, the maximum amount of pathfinding trainable is 100, and even then it takes some time to open the more complicated paths. So patience is a must for those that wish to train to full. Also, groups interested in exploration often take more than one full pathfinder (PF as well) with them, which gives lower level exiles a chance to hunt with groups they wouldn't be invited to join otherwise.
     
     Note: Michael, a Ghorak Zo fighter, publicly stated that he untrained in order to quickly become a full PF, and regretted the decision, because it put him back a significant amount, for what then seemed to be minor rewards. I'm curious to see if Michael still feels this way.
     

   • Skea

     Skea gives you a greater chance to skin a creature with fur after you kill it. The higher your skea they more successful you'll be at skinning a creature, and it allows you to skin higher value furs. These furs are instantly converted to coins you see falling into your pack.
     
     If you're at the level where you can successfully kill a creature, but are ruining a lot of furs, skea will allow you a greater chance to skin and your purse to expand much more rapidly.
     
     Good skinners who may be too weak to go to a higher level area are sometimes invited by exiles just to skin. If the skinner doesn't hit the creature, in order for him/her to attempt to skin the creature, an exile who has hit the creature must be sharing with the skinner. Thus even if the skinner never tags a creature, they can gain shared experience and advance rapidly if all the fighters are sharing with the skinner.

   • Dentir

     Dentir is exactly like skea, but instead of furs, Dentir allow the pulling of teeth and insect pinchers from slain creatures.

Weapons

There are many types of weapons in the lands now. They can be divided into 4 catagories. Starting Weapons, Intermediate Weapons, Advanced Weapons and Special Weapons.
Generally, Starting Weapons give the least bonuses to Atkus and Darkus, but use less balance than Intermediate and Advanced weapons. They also tend to be the cheapest weapon around and are sufficient for exiles new to the land.
On average, Intermediate weapon use a bit more Balthus than Starting weapons but give decent bonus to atkus and/or darkus.
Advanced weapons represent the most powerful weapons currently available, and use enough balance that starting fighters can barely swing them more than a few times.
Most fighters carry at least 2 weapons, some carry one from each category, for the versatility they offer.

Note: Delta Tao does have a way to label weapons, like tatoos label exiles, but has yet to implement it for various reasons. One speculation is that they are waiting until a system that allows players to make weapons and armor is ready.

1. Starting weapons

   Starting weapons are the type available to exiles fresh off the boat, or those that have just become fighters or monks. They tend to be weak in atkus and darkus.

   1. Cloth Bracers

      This is the starting weapon of the monk, they are used to prevent injuries to the hands while learning how to use various open handed punches correctly. The are very low on accuracy and damage, but have very quick balance recovery.

   2. The Roguewood Club

      Every exile steps off the boat with this weapon. And you know what they say about free things. Clubs are the weakest pure weapon in the lands. Clubs are useful to experienced fighters when they find that when hunting in large groups not all fighters can tag a beast before it's dead. Thus fighter etiquette is for all fighters to switch to the weakest weapon they have.

   3. The Dagger

      Once an exile chooses the fighting profession, they are given a dagger. The dagger uses less balance than a club, and does a bit more damage. (The only way to obtain a dagger is to become one, or buy it off of one.)

   4. The Hand Axe

      The hand axe is purchaseable by anyone. Little information about it's stats is known to me. However in my limited trials with it, it seemed to have a bit better accuracy than a dagger and balance regeneration seemed a bit slower than the dagger. This is common for the Axe family when compared to blades within the same class.

   5. The Staff

      This weapon is available to anyone, however some monks choose to use this weapon as an alternate to their open fist attacks. This weapon seems to has good regia, but weak darkus. (more information about the staff is welcome.)

   6. The Studded Club

      The studded club may be an intermediate weapon, but I have no experience using it. (More information about the stats of the Spiked Club is welcome.)

2. Intermediate weapons

   Intermediate weapons usually use more balance in exchange for either accuracy or damage bonuses. However these weapons are not the most efficient user of the balance they consume. However many low level fighters buy these weapons because they are relatively inexpensive, compared to the advanced fighter weapons.

   1. The Axe

      The axe was the standard weapon of most fighters up until a few years ago, and remains a standard when comparing weapon atkus, darkus and regia pluses and minuses. It is available to anyone willing to pay the price and deal with the Darshak. However there are many used Axes on the market, and an inexpensive one may be purchased, if one is lucky.
      
      The Axe has good Atkus and good Darkus, but should only be wielded by those with sufficient balthus and regia to offset its high Balance use. Thus it is very rare for a healer or mystic to choose this weapon as their primary defense weapon.

   2. The Battle Hammer

      The Battle Hammer consists of a pole between 4 and 6 feet in length with a large flat metal hammer head on one side, and sometimes either a spike or another hammer head on the other. It is in the pole arm family, but so far this is the only weapon from the family that has made it to Lok'groton Isles. This weapon was originally developed by Dwarves, but its battle effectiveness made it very popular among many races.
      
      Because it takes a large swing to use effectively, the Battle Hammer uses a large amount of balance and has slower regia than most weapons. The Hammer delivers powerful blows that flatten creatures when it hits.
      
      This weapon could be classified as an advanced weapon, but more information is needed to determine if this is the case. Also, because there is no regular hammer, nor any other hammer, available classification is more difficult. (More info on the stats of the Battle Hammer would be appreciated.)

   3. The Flail

      The flail is a fairly effective intermediate weapon. It does nearly the same damage as the Axe, and also takes less balance to use. The atkus bonus may be a bit lower, but I have not extensively tested this item. (More information regarding the Flail is welcome.)

   4. Leather Bracers

      Leather Bracers are the equivalent of a shiny dagger in terms of the Atkus and Darkus bonus the shiny dagger (SD) has, and it has about the same Regia of the shiny Dagger. However unlike the SD, it requires no maintenence. Only Monks my use bracers effectively.

   5. The Long Sword

      The long sword is a blade between three and a half and five feet long. Even though it has a sharp tip, the balance and weight of it make it only suitable for slashing attacks.
      
      The long sword uses more balance to swing than short sword, but less than the axe. Thus it delivers less damage than the axe, but is about as accurate as the axe.

   6. The Short Sword

      The short sword is simply and elongated dagger, usually about one and a half to three feet long. It has a sharp edge and a pointy tip. Thus it is designed for both thrusting and swinging.
      The short sword is a staple weapon for many starting fighters because its inexpensive price and its superiority over the dagger. It uses more balance than the dagger, and in exchange deals out decent damage. The long sword uses less balance, deals less damage and has a bit less accuracy than the Axe, but has faster Regia. So, some intermediate fighters that lack regia and balthus training, but have decent atkus and darkus choose this weapon over the Axe until they can support the Axe's requirements.
      
      Some fighters stick with blades exclusively and upgrade to either the broadsword or the great sword.

   7. The Rapier

      The rapier is a very thin blade with no edge and a sharp tip, made for thrusting. Thus it uses less balance and has higher regia than the long sword. The down side is that it does less damage than most weapons of this class.

3. Advanced Weapons

   Advanced weapons are those designed to be used by skilled fighters, and thus give accuracy and damage bonuses usually greater than intermediate weapons. Some are better made and/or slightly larger than their intermediate counterpart.

   • The Broad Sword

     The broad sword as its name implies is a wide flat blade with no edge, and acts as a large metal stick to beat monsters with in a slashing motion. This item is available for purchase only to fighters. It has greater Atkus and Darkus bonuses than the long sword, and only uses a bit more balthus, and slows regia less than most other Advanced weapons.
     
     Note: Some fighters swear by the Broad Sword, and prefer it over the Great Axe and the Great Sword.

   • The Great Axe

     The Great Axe is an improved version of the Axe. It is only available to fighters, and with good reason. It uses slightly more Balance than an Axe, but delivers more damage and is more accuracy as well. With such advantages you'd think every high level fighter would use this as a primary weapon, however the very high price (about 10x the price of an Axe) of the Great Axe keeps it out of reach, from all but the rich and the most determined fighters.
     
     Note: In my opinion, it is the best advanced weapon for balanced fighters.

   • The Great Sword

     The Great sword delivers more damage than the axe at the expensive of using more balance than an Axe. It has a bit more Atkus than an axe and decent regia for a weapon of it's size. This weapon is only sold to fighters. Some fighters who lack Darkus and Regia, but have decent Atkus might choose this weapon as their primary weapon for the increased damage is does without the usual penalities associated with large weapons.
     
     Note: Again, some fighters consider the Great Sword to be the best advanced weapon.

   • Metal Bracers

     Master Monks use these to deliver deadly open handed and closed handed blows in rapid succession. Metal bracers have about the same amount of damage and accuracy bonuses as an Axe, but they use less balance and have higher regia than the Axe.
     
     Some mystics and some healers choose to be a monk as their secondary profession, and currently metal bracers are the peak of that profession. A few fighters choose to become monks and use their high regia to augment the naturally high regia of the bracers.
     
     In the hands of a master monk who is a high level fighter, the Metal Bracers can mean an extremely quick and painless death for many creatures.

4. Fighter trainable weapons

   Fighter trainable weapons are only available to fighters who meet the criteria to use these weapons and have obtained third circle or higher status. Trainable weapons give bonuses in direct correlation with the amount of training a fighter has put into learning this weapon.
   
   Trainable weapons, have one major drawback. They are known as "sticky" weapons. With untrainable weapons, the wielder usually slides off any exile they bump into. However, with trainable weapons, when the wielder bumps into another person, they stop moving and have to break contact with the other person in order to move freely again. Thus in groups that haven't learn how to fight without running into each other, a sticky weapon can be more of a liability than the bonuses they give.

   • The Blood Blade (Trainable)

     The blood blade is an enchanted weapon that uses the wielders blood (health/histia) and spirit to augment the fighters accuracy and damage.The weapons origins are mysterious, as is their exact functioning.
     
     One who wields a blood without fulfilling the necessary requirements will have their blood spill uselessly to the ground and the weapon will be no more effective than a club or dagger. Also tis person might even fall because their body cannot sustain the physical requirements of the blade.
     
     Without any training, one who can train in the use of the weapon will fell a slight tingle and the blade will act as a "painful dagger". As the wielder trains this weapon trains in it he or she will notice a stronger sensation when equipping the weapon. The less health a person has while wielding the blood blade, the greater their bonuses are. With more training, this weapon gives the wielder a greater atkus and/or darkus bonus.
     
     Information about the precise effects of the blade is a closely guarded secret among those that possess these powerful items.
     
     Although making a Blood blade is hardly a secret, no information disclosing the precise effects of the blade will be added to this entry out of respect for fighters who've trained hard to learn the secrets of the Blood Blade, and how to master it.

   • The Fell Blade (Trainable)

     The fell blade is named for the deadly blows a master of the fell blade can deal a monster, often leaving most monsters fallen. It is only available to fighters that qualify to use it, after they've achieved the third circle.
     
     With sufficient training the fell blade gives accuracy and damage bonuses when attacking a monster from behind.

   • The Gossamer Blade (Trainable)

     When properly trained the Gossamer blade is designed to conserve balance without loosing accuracy. It has the unique ability of not using any more balance that it would take to hit a monster, plus it has higher regia than most blades. It is a good weapon to choose for fighters with high darkus and low regia.

5. Special Weapons

   Special weapons are so because of one of two reasons: they are very rare and/or often give excellent advantages to the wielder.
   

   • The Boomerang (Rare)

     The boomerang is the only known th rowable weapon. It does little damage and can break when it hits a creature. Also, once a creature is hit with one, the boomerang falls to the ground in front of it, and anyone can pick it up.
     
     The Boomerang is prized more as a novelty than an actual combat weapon.

   • The Main Gauche (Very Rare)

     The main gauche is unique in that it is held in the left hand and is used to both increase defense and increase accuracy. It supplements the fighters main weapon and has no negative side effects. Because of this, the main gauche is a highly prized and sought after weapon. Thus it's commonly sold at extremely high prices.

   • The Oak Basher ( Very Rare)

     The Oak basher is essential a giant spiked club. It deals out massive damage to anything it hits. It uses massive amounts of balance and also gives a hefty accuracy bonus. It is considered the ultimate weapon because of this, and the few fighters that have one only pull it out to attack very powerful monsters. It is extremely rare and sells for an extremely high price because of it's bonuses and rarity.

   • The Shiny Dagger (Misc.)

     The shiny dagger can be made by the workers in the smith shop for some metal and enough coins. It has higher accuracy and damage bonuses than the dagger, uses the same balance as a dagger, and has higher regia. This weapon is ideal for healers because of their low balthus and atkus.
     
     The only down side of this item, besides the price is that it must be sharpened occasionally because the blade dulls. Sharpening a shiny dagger that has dulled also costs money as well.

   • The Sword of Souls (Rare)

     The sword of souls (SoS) is a magical weapon, which steals the soul of anyone who is slain by it. It is less effective against undine -- whose souls have been purged from their bodies, even without the magical element the SoS makes a fine weapon. However because of it's action of stealing the souls of all it has slain, many healers and some fighters shun it because it is against their morals. Some healers will even refuse to hunt with anyone who uses a SoS. Given their suspicious origin, some suspect the SoS is an evil device. A few scholars believe these swords are forged with the souls of the greatest of undine, and are intelligent. They also suspect the power absorbed by these swords will someday be used by the intelligent swords against their wielder and both imprison their soul while the Greater Undine the sword was forged from will possess the physical body, and once again become among the living, with all their powers intact (perhaps some of them channeled from the souls trapped in the sword.)
     
     The SoS gives accuracy and damage bonuses without any penalties. Thus many fighters are attracted to this item, and do not consider any ill effects these swords might cause them or others.

   • The Taintless Club (Rare)

     Taintless clubs are equal to roguewood clubs in every respect. What makes them special is that only exiles that fought and lived through the ripture wars possess these items. Few if any are ever sold because of the historic and sentimental value they hold to the exiles that brought them through the Adytum to the new physical plane we now exist on.
     
     Note: for more information on the Ripture Wars and the Adytum, consult the Puddleopedia.

Survival

One simple answer is Troilus, as you probably know he does wonders for your self heal after a sufficient number of ranks, but he also raises your slaughter a pretty decent amount.

If you want to survive on your own you have to train well and fight smart. Fighting smart involves three main principles: Know yourself, Know your opponent and know the terrain. This section deal with mainly these three goals.

Knowing yourself involves learning your preferred fighting technique and learning your limits. Knowing the enemy is learning how the monsters act and react to your presence. Knowing the terrain involves get familiar with the many places you can hunt, learning how to use trees, bushes, walls, rocks and other things that block or hinder movement against your enemy, and not against yourself.

Find your limits

To know yourself you must find out what you can or can't do. To find out you must know your limits. Finding your limits is simple: push yourself. Go out alone into the wood with nothing but your brain and your brawn. see how far you can go before you loose enough health that you have to start heading back to town. If you don't make it back the first few times, decide to leave earlier. When you finally do make it back with a sliver of health you know you've found your limit.

Another simple way is to walk into a highly populated area at night, and see how many things you can kill before you have to turn tail and run for a snell crossing.

OR, you can go to the coliseum, which is open once per week and choose almost any type of monster (up to 3) to battle, for 15 coins. Exiles can even place bets on you or the beast you're fighting. It used to be a fun night out for all, but now it's mainly a testing room.

There's tons of ways to find your limit alone or in a group -- however if you fall during this exercise, you did not find your limit, and should work within your means to improve your chances of successfully coming out of a battle without falling.

1. Fighting Styles (Finding yours)

   In the beginning everyone with a bit of sense learned to swing and fall back, regain balance, and repeat until either you of the beast was dead. But with a few hundred ranks you can start tailoring yourself to become one of the multitude of fighter types in the lands. No two mid or upper level characters are alike, and each has its weaknesses for its amount of ranks. Also, you must take into consideration the latency (lag) of your connection when choosing a path. All styles benefit from a low latency connection, but some require low latency to become effective in that style.
   
   Do you enjoy the game most when you're running and dodging attacks? maybe you're a "Dancer" as Babajaga calls it?
   
   Or do you like to move like seamless "flowing water" where one action naturally leads to the next?
   
   Do you want to be able to stand there swing freely with every hit landing a deadly blow, and be able to take out more than the monster can dish out? Then you probably want to become a Tank.
   
   Do you want to be able to stand there while the beasts whiff at you constantly, only getting in the occasional lucky hit? Then you probably want to become a Brick.
   
   Do you want to be able to do all these things and switch to each when the occasion calls for it? Then you probably want to learn a balanced method that you slowly meld into a super fighter among the many.
   

   1. Bricks

      Bricks Train heavily in Detha and Balthus. They can go toe-to-toe with almost any creature and trades swings, often ending up with the creature dead and the brick barely scratched. Bricks can go practically anywhere in the planes with little fear of falling. Bricks are often used in parties to hold a beast steady while other fighters with less defense tag the beast until it's dead. Becoming a brick is a good path for people who don't have good reflexes or timing due to latency issues.
      
      Being a brick may open up higher level hunting grounds for a fighter, but unless the brick has trained up sufficient atkus, they may find themselves unable to hit what they can brick.
      
      The bricks biggest weakness is their inability to move quickly because of lack of practice. Also, because of luck hits and some creatures with amazing atkus, bricks can find themselves quickly out matched, without the skill to get away when confronted with a large number of fast moving lucky hitting creatures or one very powerful creature that they never learned to run properly.

   2. Taggers

      Taggers tend to forgo Defense and Histia training and instead concentrate on Training Atkus and Regia. As a side effect they also must train Balthus, and end up with decent defense but one average not enough to solo what they hit if they have to go toe-to-toe. Thus they tend to run in and swing and quickly move away before being hit. These are excellent support fighters for a brick, and highly skilled ones who've also trained up Darkus, can quickly kill even the strongest creatures before the creature can kill the tagger. Taggers must have excellent timing, thus a low latency connection is a prerequisite.
      
      Taggers also tend to take up the Blood Blade to augment their high atkus, darkus and regia.

   3. Tank

      Tanks are fighters that have trained in both defensive skills and offensive skills. The tend to be histia heavy, and can fight effectively even on red. Tanks are very similar to balanced fighters because of the wide range of training they use, but tend to have slower regia. They rely on their high histia to take blows and high atkus/darkus to out damage a creature before they can be killed. As a necessity their balance tend to be great, giving them brick-like qualities at full balance and many swings, but they are easily hit once they swing more than a few times. Thus, tanks can go toe-to-toe with high darkus creatures if they learn to time their swings right, and they can take the lucky hits from high darkus creatures because of their great histia. Tanks make excellent killing machines because they can mow through a herd of beasts with little healer support. Tanks do not require a low latency connection, but they do require attention to their status.
      
      Because they have trained to take damage, it is not uncommon for them to have high troilus to heal to full in less than 2 minutes.
      
      Tanks are very rare because of the high value placed on Detha over Histia trainings, and the conception that Histia's slaughter rate is too high for the benefits Histia gives.
      
      
      The biggest disadvantages of Tanks, beside their fairly high slaughter, is that if they over-swing when swarmed or surrounded, they can easily take more damage than they are designed to take. Thus tanks must be very adept at controlling their movements and not over-extend themselves.

   4. Balanced

      Balanced fighters are always adjusting their training to eliminate any weaknesses, and tend to be able to do Bricking, Tagging and Tanking as the need arises. Because this method of training focuses on being well balanced, their are no physical weakness to this training regime. Balanced fighters make excellent companions in any situation because of their ability to play multiple roles.
      
      Because of their flexibility, and skill at doing it all, balanced fighters tend to be the last ones standing in a heated battle, were other fighters with greater ranks have fallen. The reason for this is that Balanced fighters have to be very aware of their surroundings, quick witted, and always be able to see an escape route. Thus, this training path is not for the impatient, nor those who don't want to use their mind as much as their brawn. (The most effective balanced fighters require very low latency connections.)
      
      However, this training path is longer and slower than others because the time it takes to build up all the fighting skills equally. Because of this many balanced fighters are weaker rank-wise than people who started about the same time and clan as much as they do.

Special Fighter Types

Special Fighter Types fall into 2 categories: Roleplayed (RP) and Trained (T). Roleplayed ones such as the Puddleby Navy, do not have any special abilities while others train in the same things all fighters can in such a specific way as to declare their own subclass, some RP fighters have an recognized association. Special fighters who train into a particular sub-class do have special abilities and advantages that only members of their class have.

1. The Ranger (RP+T)

   There is a type of fighter that has trained him or herself to become one who can survive outside of town indefinitely. They also are completely independent. Their training usually consists of a healthy about of troilus (150+) and a complete course in pathfinding from the hermit. They tend to train heavily on the detha/balthus side so their defense is usually quite high. Some tend to train heavily in atkus and darkus, and use their skill and cunning to survive attacks and kills beasts. This type tends to have even higher Troilus training.
   
   The is an organization in Puddleby that calls themselves Rangers, and information about becoming a recognized ranger is available here /-- {insert url} --/.

2. The Monk (T)

   The Monk is the only fighter type that non-fighters can train. They train in bracis and can purchase bracers according to their skill level. Because this type is open to others there is a maximum amount of Bracis one can train.
   
   There is an organization is puddleby with information about becoming a member of their order. /-- insert url --/

3. The Knight-Errant (RP)

   The Knight is the only class that can wield the knight's shield. To become a knight one must first become a knight's squire. Knighthood is open to all professions. There are no training differences for knight's of any type. There are no quantifiable benefits to being a knight.
   
   There is a scroll /-- {insert url} --/ in the library about becoming a Knight-Errant

4. The Puddleby Navy (RP)

   The Puddleby Navy is an organization dedicated to defend the waters around the Lok'gratin Island chain. To join a fee must be payed. To advance up the ranks fees also must be paid -- the higher the rank, the higher the fee. There is no training difference, and the navy is open to all classes. Their scroll /-- {insert url} --/ is located in the library.

5. Fell Bladers (T)

   Fell Bladers are fighter's who have mastered the art of the surprise back attack. They use a special blade, called the Fell, and train in its use to improve their Atkus and Darkus bonuses when attacking a beast from behind.
   
   Aside from being third circle or above, it is unknown what it requires to become a Fell Blader.

6. Blood Bladers (T)

   The blood bladers use their blood (health/histia) and spirit (life energy) to augment their accuracy and damage. Because of the secrecy around the blood blade itself no public organization exists to help exiles learn to become an effective blood blader.

Beast Basics

Learning the timing of movements, timing of swings/swingouts, speed, and the range at which beasts can sense you is an important part of your career. Some fighters and healers have been playing for years and act like they don't know what a beast will do. But luckily for us, and unluckily for a funner game, all beasts fall into a few categories of basic movement, as well as a few categories of speed, sense range, and swings per second, and whether they're swing out, or regia too fast to swing out.

I believe a lot of people either don't care -- they just want to have fun and "Keel" or they really haven't observed monsters in their natural setting long enough to know when which beast is going to do what. Below is a general overview of different types of movement, timing, speed and sensory range of a majority of the creatures one will encounter in the Lok'groton island chain, the planes and other places an exile may go.

1. Movements

   Monster Movement is probably the easiest to learn, but for some reason, some people don't seem to have mastered it (nor even to have recognized it). Walk into any snell populated with monsters, and one of 5 things will happen: The monster will charge you, circle you, run away from you, zap you and/or teleport, or be completely oblivious to you.
   
   It's important to learn the movement of each particular monster, because you can learn to use their habits against them, either to trap them in a killing circle or hang them up on terrain to put more distance between yourself and it.
   
   

   1. Chargers

      Chargers are one of the most common type of create. They charge at anything that can sense your presence. I won't stop until either you're dead or it's dead. This is a simple and very stupid movement pattern that's incredibly easy to fool into running itself behind a tree, or leading right into a collapsing venus fly trap of fighters [more on that in formations].
      
      This is pretty much the equivalent of a stupid newbie charging a Zerk, waving his club and swinging until he's dead. Unfortunately some chargers are all business, and they're best left to the professionals -- until you become one, or learn to handle them.
      
      Most Chargers will go after the closest person, but chargers that lock onto one person are becoming more common.

   2. Circlers

      Circlers are the second most common. These creatures, people have dubbed the Feral "AI" because initially only ferals circled their prey. You walk into the snell and the feral (or other creature) might look like he's running right at you, but before he get's to you -- if you're far enough away -- he decides to break off his attack and circle you for a bit. Usually once or twice or until it thinks it's balance is full, then it charges you, swings a few times, then backs out and circles you again. When faced with multiple targets the feral will place the radius of his circling on the closest person to it, and it'll weave back and forth until he decides to charge again.
      
      A basic way to protect yourself is to know quickly observe where he is in that pattern, and simply run in a vector that makes him break off into a circling motion before he reaches you. This is also effective to keep them away from healers and wounded members in your party. Instead you follow him around the party, always keeping yourself the closest person to him, that way, when he charges, he'll attack you and not that unobservant newbie being raised or the healer who's turning yellow raising him because Mr. newbie hasn't learned /share yet either.

   3. Chickens

      And I don't mean 6 foot tall cloak wearing, "Bawking" Super chickens neither -- untamed those can be the fiercest beasts in all the planes! I'm talking about creatures such as starbucks, that run away from you if you're anywhere within range of seeing them, until you force them to within 2 exile widths away and then decide that since they're been forced into a corner, they might as well fight. There are no know creatures using this movement pattern that are very deadly to anyone but a very low to early mid level fighters. The most dangerous class of known creatures who act like chickens are oddly enough most bears.
      
      Occasionally you'll find a bear that is a charger, and usually these are tougher than most bears of the same type.

   4. Teleporters

      There's only one known teleporting race of wild beings in the lands that we know of. These are spriggins. You run at them and right when you get about an exile length away they teleport 180 degrees to the other side of the line that you and he made up the point of. They also zap your balance and occasionally steal huge sums of money.
      
      They're are three ways to defeat them.
      Method 1) Spriggin Baseball: You or a friend run at the spriggin forming a straight line between you, the spriggin and your friend. The person who charges the spriggin is called the pitcher, and the person standing at the end or the 180° line is the batter. The batter stands just close enough to the spriggin to see them. When the charger approaches the spriggin, the spriggin teleports right into arms reach of the batter and HOME RUN! that little thief is outta the park!
      
      Method 2) Solo: you run at the spriggin full speed, just before you get hit the spot where he teleports you change directions 180 degrees. If you're fast enough and you did it right you'll be closer to him be the time he tries to teleport away, if he does start to teleport away,turn around and run 180 degrees the other way. You'll notice that he's getting tired of teleporting and is actually teleporting lesser and lesser distances, until his teleport is so close to you that when you turn around he can't teleport out in time, and bam! The little devil bites it hard. I fighter who is extremely good at hunting spriggins can often kill the spriggin within one or two teleports.
      
      The third method is easy to learn if you are observant, and it's so easy execute, I feel it'd be a too much of a spoiler, and will not include it in this manual.

   5. Targeters

      These are the only monsters that don't use distance to nearest exile to pick their target. They tend to choose someone in range at random and chase them until they loose interest or another exile steps in their way long enough to get the monster's attention. If you are being chased by one and you might fall if it hits you again -- or you just don't want to be picked on, circle it around into a fighter by stepping so the fighter is between you and Mr. One Track Mind. If you decide to run for it without doing this, you'll eventually end up like many a teenager in one of those slasher films.

   6. Oblivious

      "So you're a fighter? big deal I got more important things to do!" would be the catch phrase of the oblivious beasts of the field. These are pretty much harmless unless you try something like corner them and get right in their face. like the chickens, they pose virtually no threat -- unless it's a frog and you kill it. In that case no one's going to want to stand too close to you for a while. Also, it is rumored that Killing Tors and Butterflies does nasty things to your luck and karma.

2. Swinging on Monsters

   Learning to time you swings, and where to swing is essential to hit hard to hit monsters and not take anymore damage that necessary. The basic instruction pages all tell you to swing just after the monster swings since this is when the monster is at its lowest balance. It's good practice to also know what your maximum sustainable swing rate is and use it to establish a rhythm. Many people experience lag and can't time their swings by just watching. In this case it's best to listen for the sound, and time the interval between swings. If you aren't hitting a beast in one rhythm, try an alternate rhythm.
   
   The newest addition to swinging on beasts is that now facing matters. The back is the easiest place to hit anything (including you), with the sides being a bit easier than the front. So, if you come across a monster that you can't hit easily, if at all, and you're alone, it's best to "park" the beast and call in back up. If you're in a group, let the others fighters know you're having problems, and ask to be let in to attack the back of the beast. But beware, there are fell bladers that also need to attack the rear to be fully effective.
   

   1. Swings per second

      Some beasts swing very slowly, like Baltoise, and a few swing several times a second, like GCP and giant foxweir. Generally, the larger something is, the slower it swings, and vice versa. Most beasts have a swing rate between one and three seconds, and getting down the timing of these creatures is easier.
      

   2. Swingouts

      Some monsters used to swing out, and exhaust all their balance and swing as soon as they had enough balance to swing. Now, such creatures are all but extinct, as they were too easy to kill. Now only the ones smart enough not to swing out survive. It's best to learn from them, and not swing out unless you can safely do so.

3. Speed

   Most monsters move at the exact same speed as exiles, but a few, such as Mahas, can overtake an exile running away, and turn that planned escape into a lecture from your tailor about blood and grass stains on your clothes. Some move a lot slower than exiles, and these are much more easily managed. Various monster speeds is one of the things that all but the most unwashed newbie knows intrinsically, and knowing their speed comes in handy when you have to retreat.

Dealing with Beasts

There's only two ways to deal with monsters: either you avoid them, or you kill them. This section deals with both avoiding monsters by loosing them and hunting them with extreme efficiency. As mentioned previously once you know a monster's movement, speed, sensory range and swing rate, you'll be more adept at hunting them and surviving them, hunting you.

1. Loosing monsters

   Loosing monsters is a basic stunt, anyone can pull off. The easiest way is to cross a snell (and even recross it), or better yet go through a path. But if you're a long way from the snell border and they're catching up to you, buy some space and read "How to use Terrain..." Note that the better you know the pattern the monsters move in, their speed and swing speed, the easier it will be to trick them into bumping into things.

2. Sensory Range

   Along with movement type, comes monster sensory range. Many creatures can see just as far as an exile can, and by the time you're aware of them it's too late to choose a path that goes around them. Many can see, hear or smell further than exiles can, and are already moving towards an exile long before the exile is aware of them. Taller monsters, and those enhanced senses of smell or hearing, can detect exiles extremely far. Learning sensory range is important in deciding how far you should run, if you have to retreat. If a beast can see all the way across a snell and they can cross borders in pursuit of you, it's a good idea to retreat two snells if you or your party is critically injured. If you just need a few seconds to regroup and quickly heal up, you might just get away with retreating to the edge of the same snell or just over the boundary into the next snell.

3. Leading and Corralling monsters

   Since aside from kudzu, we don't have a conveinent way to keep a horde of beasties from surrounding us and using our innards as punching bags, chew toys, or clawing posts, often we have to corral them like a cowboy would. since you don't have a fence or even a lasso -- you become the lasso.
   
   You circle the large group, trying to keep the faster ones behind the slower ones, and keep then penned up by chasing you as you run in a circle around them. This works extremely well with chargers, but is much harder to do with circlers -- but it is possible. You can even hunt solo by corralling too, and it's similar to the "How to use Terrain" section, but this is all monsters, bumping into each other, and you pick off the ones at the edges. The problem is since they're in a circle, most likely 2 or 3 will be about to take a pot shot at you in you go in to hit one. How to use terrain solves this one problem.
   
   So, corralling is best practiced in a small groups, even though this is a solo section, mastering this art of leading beast into a circle will become vital to both healers and fighters alike in later stages of their advancement. With corralling comes the next related topic: Peeling

   1. Monster sense ranges and peeling

      Peeling monsters is one way to rescue someone you come upon completely surrounded. And as you probably know by now, surrounded fighters are much closer to death than free moving fighters. You're a fighter, and you can't take them all on at once or else you'll get surrounded too. So, once you've learned the range a beast will go for you, you step just a bit closer than the person it's currently trying to get to and viola! it is now chasing you. If you've studied had at noticed beasts range you'll notice some only see you half your visible area away, and some see you from the other side of the snell.
      
      However all but a few monsters target the closest person to them. You can peel off a few from your surrounded new friend, kill them and come back for more. if it looks like he's going to fall, call in some back up and a healer while you're at it -- you did remember to get a SS the first few weeks you played didn't you?
      
      
      Later on one person in your group might be corralling or "leading" them, and you, with your expert peeling skills can yelling "Peeling." He'll yell back his location and maybe a beast count and type, and you carefully approach and pick up the stragglers in the back closest to you and furthest from him. a more advanced technique is to run parallel to the runner, and peel from the side, so you can both make sure you peel the right amount to lead back to your group.
      
      Peeling is an easy concept, but mastery of it depends on both the person corralling them, and the peeler. Even the most experienced peelers and corrallers occasionally have miscommunications or unexpected problems.

4. soloing prey tougher than you are

   Soloing prey tougher than you are is a skill that really tests your limits. You'll usually want to use the hit and run approach, assuming you can hit it once and run away before it can land one or two blows on you. If it's really tough, have a healer on standby in another snell so you can practice. If the beast troiluses slowly, you could conceivably leave the snell, troi and come back to it when at full health.
   
   Until you get decent at this, I suggest sharing with your local locating mystic regularly (they increase your luck, it is rumored) -- you'll want them as friends anytime you're fallen alone -- and letting people know where you're at via SS or in town center before you leave helps as well.

How to use Terrain (and other monster's own bodies against multiple monsters)

Remember those car chases in every action adventure movie since the French Connection? Remember how the guy running from whoever was chasing him lost his hunters? They used their knowledge of driving and obstacles to get them off their tail. You can do the same to just about every beast in the game, even those faster than you.

Practice running away from a heard of beasts you've been corralling and dodging behind a tree to trip some of them up and give you a little more room. Also, notice that fat, slow beast in the back? Why not swing around the pack and make him the leader? all the other beasts will have to slow down a bit and have to move around him, buying you maybe enough time to dodge around another tree, and further your lead, and maybe even shake a few off your tail. The better you get the closer you'll be able to cut around trees and boulders and beasts coming at you. You might even rush by one close enough to let it swing at you while not stopping, and then watch as the other beasts pile up behind it.

Before I mentioned leading beasts in a circle to manage them, but in order to pick one off you need to be able to separate them momentarily. Lead beasts into a straight line. Turn back quickly, hit the one in the front of the pack, and run off in the direction that keeps everyone behind the one you hit -- he's at a standstill, since he swung too and you can easily retake your lead. The down side is the others might pass him, and you'll have to swing back and corral them in order to get the one you hit at the front again. The upside is that only one got to swing on you.

You can start learning how to use terrain and other monsters in the Undine cavern, then move to Wendeckas, and move on to South Forest, then eventually to Northwest Forest at night.

Moving Cleanly: The Key to Effective, Intelligent Fighting

This is the last section of Part I because it ties in directly with Part II and because it's the key to effectively hunting in groups. Moving cleanly is the key to fighting effectively, as you'll spend less time running into things and more time attacking things. Learning how to anticipate the movement of everything in your sight is the key to moving cleanly. We have already discussed the simple movement


Moving cleanly means running at top speed and only bumping into (swinging at what you want to) when there's a very narrow margin for error. It requires a decent low latency connection (under 250 millisecond ping) excellent hand-eye coordination, and the ability to judge paths being taken by monsters and yourself in a very quick fashion. It's like moving geometry. Later I'll talk about vectors, and arcs, and how getting from one point to the next, group stances, and that it isn't always best to move in a straight line.

Practice running between narrow opening -- like two exiles barely one exile length apart from each other. Zigzag between, between bushes, and between monsters with predictable movement patterns. As you practice get familiar with how monsters and other exiles move.

Learn to anticipate where people and monsters are moving by keeping an eye on the overall situation. A seriously injured fighter (if s/he is smart) is obvious going to move behind a healthy healer, a (smart) healer about to be attacked by something they can't rod (or if there's no reason to rod, like when there's a perfectly good brick doing nothing right next to them) with obviously run behind the brick. A healthy fighter is definitely going to attack any beast that's their party is there to hunt. These we can take as givens. And as a given, we know exactly where someone is going to move. If you can do this with multiple people on the fly you can choose a path that next collides with someone else's .

A really good way to anticipate someone's move is to put yourself in their shoes. Any fighter who's been paying attention can very quickly gauge another fighter's abilities by watching them in combat for a few seconds. Using that knowledge, you decided what you would do, if you were them. As before, once you can anticipate where someone else going to go, you can move in a complimentary path.

Part II: Group Hunting Techniques

Group hunting techniques contain many variables, mainly due to the many different styles exiles practice. Also, people all have their own idea of how things should work. It can take months or even years of hard training with a select group before a cohesive unit can be formed because of this. I think part of this lengthy process can be shortened by putting everyone in the same book and the same page, instead of the same page in different books.

All of this knowledge is held by people who pass it on orally while they are in the hunt, or just before it. There are also no generally know calls other than "North, South, East, West, and Run!" Many people are taught how to hunt particular places and not a general mode of group conduct which leads to each person having to find out about each different person's habits and styles. This is very inefficient and often leads to failure in first hunts of these groups.

It all boils down to paying attention, knowing what to do, and having the same expectation from others.

1. Group Etiquette

   Group etiquette is usually learned young, but no manual can be complete without touching on the subject briefly. There are different expectations depending on the situation.
   There are three general situations during a hunt: rest breaks, casual hunting where no great danger exists, and all out bloodfests where people are falling left and right.
   
   
   
   

   1. Breaks

      The first, rest breaks are standard fare, and are often taken at safe places to stop. Breaks are usually 5 minutes long and exiles should return to their keyboard at the agreed upon time. Breaks are usually taken in areas that pose little threat to exiles if the creatures who inhabit them spawned. More dangerous areas are usually balanced by safe areas the group can retreat to for breaks.
      
      Breaks are also a good time to chat about whatever crosses your mind, or role play, depending on your group. Some groups dispense completely with role-playing during breaks and joke around and talk about TV or movies or even computers. If you're in a group with stricter role-players it's more appropriate to stay in character
      
      Breaks are usually agreed on, and taken at a logical place. If you need to take a break, and there's no logical place to do so, let the other players know in advance that you'll be needing to take a break in X minutes. Taking a break by simply announcing it, and running off before anyone has a chance to respond is rude, and could be hazardous to your and your group's health. If you can't avoid it, ask if it's okay, and give a time estimate on how soon you'll be back or ask/offer to go to a safe or at least safer area if one is nearby.

   2. Casual Hunting

      The second situation is casual hunting, where the group is in little danger. During these times, fighters should make sure to tag a creature and back away far enough so another fighter can get his or her tag in quickly. If you hear the phrase "no camping" spoken to you during a hunt, it means you've violated the right of other fighters in your party to take their swing at whatever you're killing by standing next to a monster while wait for your balance to regenerate. Only bricks and rods should not move away, and at the same time bricks shouldn't be hacking away at things until they are certain that all have tagged. If a fighter with far too little atkus swings and swings, but gets no hits it is up to the brick and group leader(s) to decide not to wait for the exile to hit call "kill" on the beast the beast. Until then the exile(s) who haven't hit should waste no time talking about how they're not going to hit. and at most say "kill" to signal they don't mind not tagging. If a fighter says "no hit" it means they haven't hit and would like people to restrain from killing a beast until that person hits.
      
      Some fighters actually use their body position and facing to indicate whether they've tagged or not. If a fighter is facing toward a monster after moving back from it, it means that they have yet to hit, and if the fighter turns their back on a monster, that means they're done with it. If a fighter lays down, or sleeps, even if they're the brick, it means they're done as well, and maybe even bored.
      
      If there are multiple beasts in the area running loose, it is good etiquette to only it each one once, and even better etiquette to use your knowledge of how a beast moves to set it up to run closer to a fighter who has not hit. It is also good etiquette for Healers and non-combatants and fighter's who have already hit to stay out of the way of a fighter going after a tag. As a general rule, if no one attacks a beast for more than 3 seconds and the entire party is in view, the brick or closest fighter to it may deal a death blow.
      
      In this situation, healers can choose whether to heal the most injured or any fallen. If everyone is white, some healers may elect to go for a tag if they don't slaughter whatever it is they're whiffing at.

   3. Dire Situations

      The third group hunt situation is the blood bath. This is where there are enough monsters to overwhelm the group, and the party could be lost. Fighter are all injured and your combined group health looks like it's dropping below 50%. At this point the priority switches from running around tagging randomly to focusing on one creature at a time -- either the greatest threat to the group, or the ones closest to death. Tags are not as important to the survival of the group, and at this point everyone should be fighting their best. If you can hit, hit. If you can't hit, get clear if there's someone that could use your spot to attack.
      
      During these potentially fatal situations, healers should focus on keeping the fighters standing alive instead of raising the fallen.

2. Priorities

   There are many individual and group goals during a hunt, sometimes it's to rank up, sometimes it's to gain a rare item, sometimes it's to beat the clock. However there are priorities that should supercede any group goal when the safety of the entire group is at stake. Some of these may seem like little things, but little things can add up quickly if the situation gets out of hand and you suddenly have a blood bath to deal with.

   1. Overall group survival

      To survive you need two things - enough fighters capable of fending off most any danger, and healers that are healthy and safe enough to keep those fighters standing healthy. Without one, the other will all in tight spots. Do not do anything that jeopardizes a group in a tight spot. An act of foolhardy bravery, cowardly self-preservation or supreme stupidity will look the same when your entire group is lying across the snell and waiting for a rescue.

   2. Healer's Health

      Keep a close eye on your healers at all times. If your group must be spread out across a snell for strategic reasons, assign a detachment of fighters able to defend them from attacks.

   3. Covering the injured

      Don't let others fall if you can take a hit and not fall yourself. It takes much longer to raise a person who fell hard than to heal one or two from red to white.

   4. Backup fighters who need it

      If you see a fighter in trouble, and are not anchored to a more vital position, move quickly to assist that fighter by circling around the beast and attack to get it's attention*, allowing the injured fighter to withdrawal to your protected healers.
      
      (*If the monster is the type of that locks onto a target, it is better to try to step between the monster and the injured fighter, or pull the fighter back, so the monster has to at least go around you to get the fighter.)

   5. Don't take any unnecessary damage

      If there's a person who bricks a beast, and you do not, do not stand still and let the beast hit you while the brick is there. This applies to healers and fighters. Taking unnecessary damage makes the entire groups health rating sink and vulnerable to surprise attacks, so only do this if you know how to survive when low.
      
      There are two exceptions:
      If you wish to test your bricking ability quickly, and your limits and it is a casual hunt.
      If you are a tank in a dire situation (in which case, the damage might not be unnecessary in the first place) and you can absorb the damage and still be in a relatively good health.
      

3. Group Communication

   Communication among the group is key to having a successful hunt, especially during a dire situation. The leader, navigator and battle sub-commanders (if any) should all have a firm grasp on the situation at all times and be able to quickly communicate to the entire group their information.
   
   Usually the leader is one with the most experience in fighting whatever is being hunted. Or it might be the one with more command experience. Because of the need for clear communication, there should often be a clear group leader decided on before the hunt begins in earnest.
   
   Also, there should be at least one person designated as the second in command in case the leader falls. If the group is large enough, there might be a healer in charge of other healers, while a fighter commands the other fighters. In huge groups the group might slit into teams with the group leader heading one, and the second in command heading the other.
   
   The second in command should be familiar with tactics, and be able to call changes in tactics while in battle.
   
   Last, in wilderness areas a pathfinder familiar with the terrain is appointed the navigator for the group. The group leader and subcommander/captains may command people in a snell, but the navigator moves the entire group between snells.
   
   Following are specific duties for each role in the group that are beneficial to the survival and success of the group.

   1. Leader: be attentive and decisive

      The leader should always monitor the overall group health, ask for status reports from those off screen, and even refrain from fighting sometimes in order to keep his or her attention on the groups well being, emergency calls, etc. The leader also needs to be able to quickly make decisions as to the best course of action. Even a fallen leader, can help out in tight situations by giving orders from the ground, since he or she is unable to move and attack, this gives them an opportunity to forget about their body and assess the overall situation, and focus on group tactics be giving orders that benefit the group -- not raising him or her if it's not in the best interests of the group. If the group has to leave the area, the next highest in command should take over leadership until the leader can be rescued.
      

   2. Leader/Tactical: Briefing members

      Before the hunt distribute maps, strategies, etc. to all members of the group. Have a plan that is gone over with in detail once more while gathering to hunt and waiting for latecomers.

   3. Leader/Tactical: Modifications to destinations, tactics, strategy

      Be willing to modify plans in the field to compensate for unforeseen problems. Explain them quickly and if possible have alternate plans in the briefing, so less time is wasted deciding what to do. Have a set protocol for dealing with members lost through one way snells, or otherwise missing, disconnected, etc.

   4. Navigator: Always call "gather" and give directions

      The navigator should be responsible for all maps and guidance, freeing up the leaders to focus on group survival. (The leaders should already know the directions to some extent.) Also, give advanced direction quickly in case some fall behind or don't hear the direction call. Announce snell locations when possible.

   5. Scout/Runner: Gather Intelligence

      A scouts job is to simply go somewhere, assess the danger, and report back to the group in one piece, or report sunstone, if the scout becomes trapped by an overwhelming number of monsters.
      
      A good scout will be able to travel enough of a snell to see what lies there and come back to the party without being followed, unless the scout goes into the role a lurer and wants to be followed.

   6. Group: Follow directions, give status reports

      With a good leader you should never have to question or hesitate a call because he or she may know more than you about the situation. This is where your status reports come in. If there's something the leaders should know that would affect his or her decision, it's your job to report it.
      
      Exiles who refuse to follow directions, don't follow group etiquette or often make stupid moves that endanger the group are liabilities. People who are liabilities become known to group leaders for this behavior quickly and aren't invited on hunts until they learn not to be a liability.
      Report status -- especially if something changes dramatically. Report things such as dangerous spawns, people going unexpectedly afk, or not moving. Doing so will avoid the party being broken apart with half the people dealing with new threats, while the other half aren't around to help.

   7. Criticism of leadership

      Question bad calls after the hunt or during breaks, suggest better tactics and strategies for the next outing. Speak you mind, so long as it does not hold up the groups progression. After the hunt write a report on what could have been done better in a constructive manner.

Stay Tight

1. Stay close to the group at all times

   Unless strategy demands splitting up the group across a snell or more. Only designated scouts should wander ahead. If you are skilled at evasion, know your limits, and are experienced with the territory beyond the group, offer to scout it out, and sunstone back any vital info.
   
   More than one person running ahead is a signal to other fighters to follow, so, unless asked, don't run ahead with another fighter. If you are the designated scout, this is where your ability to survive on your own comes in.

2. Getting Separated

   If forced to run away from group, either stay in communication with them, or get back to them as soon as it is safe. Sometimes going back to the group is not an option. If you lead monsters into a group that not ready, then expect the worst. Never lead a monster into a healer unless that healer knows it's coming, is ready, and can take it (i.e. the healer is a rod point).

   1. lose monsters that leading back to the group could cause a serious situation

      Use your skill at evasion to run beasts or loses them altogether if you know the group is not ready to take them.

      • cross and recross cleared snells
      • Use terrain to put some distance between you and the monster
      • report your situation and ask when ready
3. Only lead things back to a group if they are ready

   Leading a tough monster back to a weakened group is a recipe for disaster. If you come back to your group, and notice no one can take of the monster you're leading safely, take the monster away from the group, and try to loose it so you can come back and help the group. If possible yell your intentions to the group to let them know you aren't running off.

Don't be a dead hero

1. In a tight situation, unless you know you can do it with a great probability of success, don't run off to chain someone in an extremely dangerous combat zone

   Especially if you're a healer and there are still fighters that need to be healed. Especially if you can't take more than a few hits from what's out there

   1. Ask or inform party of your intention to chain.

      If you don't state your intentions, some might assume you mean for everyone to charge, leading to pileups on the way back in and more fallen.

2. Charging into Death

   Don't charge at two or more monsters with the combined strength to level you with one hit each. Just don't do it, you'll look like a complete idiot, and you tax the abilities of the healers. Call out for backup or separate the monsters.
   
   Even though this is something that's obvious, I've seen enough young fighters do exactly this enough to put it in here.

3. Tagging While Red

   Don't try to make a tag on a monster if red -- especially if you've already tagged. And unless you're positive you can time its swings with enough time to get in and out between them don't do it.
   
   Exception: you're a master at fighting on red or a blood blader with plenty of practice.

4. No Solo Bloodblading

   Do not run up to a monster solo while Bloodblading. Make sure you have a brick or rod safely in place to take it's blow and time it right. Many a bloodblader has fallen trying to beat a monster to the punch. Even master fighters have a hard time beating anything to the punch. A bloody screaming fighter attacking a beast alone usually ends up fallen with other fighters disgusted with the blood blader. This situation has occurred so often as to throw a pall on the entire sub-category of blood bladers, making them the butt of many jokes.

Guarding

When someone calls "Guard" it's a fighter's job to protect those more injured than them self.

1. Protect the wounded and healers

   Healers are the life blood of a group. If all your healers fall the party is sure to die if they're very deep in a dangerous place. The wounded are much more effective standing, and it takes less healing power to get them healthy.
   

   1. Protective Circle

      Form a protective circle around the healers and wounded when healing. This consists of the healthiest fighters encircling the healers and wounded and placing themselves equidistant from each other around the circle. 2 Fighters should be 180 degrees apart, 3 should form a triangle, 4 forms a square, etc. The strongest fighter should be facing the direction that the most danger could come from.

   2. Stay sharp

      Even in periods that seem clam, if you're out in the open and your party is at less than 50% strength, once in a defensive circle, stay focused on your zone of protection.

2. Taking a hit

   Never allow someone to fall when you could take the hit and live. It's sometimes better to have two good fighters at 25% health than one fallen and one at 50% health. It can be a tough call, but consider the group's interests first.

   1. Exception: Liabilities

      A reckless player is best left fallen until all the smarter members are healed so they have time to ponder the error of their ways. Feel free to remind them of their recklessness while they're fallen, in case they don't understand why everyone else is getting up first. A reckless member is often a liability to a group.

Potentially fatal situations

There's times when even the best groups become overwhelmed, at that point don't wait for a leader to call a withdrawal or retreat, call it yourself, and make sure go back to the safety of the snell you left if possible.

1. 50% Health

   when a group is at less than 50% that means there's some things there that could probably take out the other 50%. The only exception is if there is only one or two beasts left and you have a person or two who can hit most of the time. Other than that fall back or retreat.

2. Falling back and retreating

   Have high Detha/Histia/Higgrus fighters/healers cover the retreat. They'll absorb damage that would otherwise be translated into a KO of some of your seriously injured group members. Believe or not, you can even use a retreat as a tactical advantage, and a way to ge the wounded out safely. Here's how:

3. The Fighting retreat/ AKA Feint back

   Remember that hit and run you learned earlier and mastered on the unfortunate kitties and monkeys? If healthy enough, use that on those beast chasing you if you're healthy enough. If you and another fighter time it right, the higher detha one can brick the monster's swing, hit back and allowing the other fighter to double back for a tap. who knows, you might even kill one of them on your way out. (It is key to know your partners timing though, or have him issue a verbal command.)
   
   Note: More of these tactics are covering in formations and group mobile attacks.

If unable to retreat

If unable to retreat, form a protective wall or circle. Use whatever terrain you can to help anchor that wall.

1. Plant Kudzu

   If you have time and the ability plant a kudzu fort, but if not use the next best thing -- dead bodies.

2. The Sacrifice

   If you're party is stuck pinned against a wall and you have a layer of dead fighters in front of you, sometimes there will be a stronger fighter than you who is healable, but is also fulfilling a crucial role as a buffer. The stronger fighter has a better chance to get your group out of a jam than you do. In this case you pull the better fighter back to your safe spot to be healed up and you take the fall.

3. Allow small gaps in your protective wall

   Leave them wide enough between anchors (bricks/rods) for hit and run fighters (High Atkus, Low Defense) to rotate attacks and back the anchors up

4. Focus on the greatest threats

   The more damage something dishes out, the more it needs to be dead. All fighters able to get to a major threat should do so ASAP. Using pulling and quick clockwise rotations to get the heavy muscle to the SOB! If you can't hit it and you're being pounded, pull in a stronger fighter to take care of it.

   • Use Minor Beasts as Buffers

     Skeletons, mice and small penguins can be used as a wall as well. Since they have such low atkus most fighters could leave them alive in order to act as a buffer. Their whiffing is the only thing keeping that big old nasty demon behind them from vaporizing you with a touch!

Healer Focus

Healers should focus on healing the wounded, not the fallen, Unless you have time to spare to raise another fighter or healer and your standing fighters are holding their own long enough to. Heal the most valuable fighters, and healers to keep them standing. Why raise Biff with the glass jaw when you could raise Hellrazor with the detha of a astral guardian?

When and how to Fall

Yes, there is an art to falling besides earning judges points. In group situation that are turning from bad to worse, sometimes moving would mean opening up a healer you're defending to attack and certain death. You're taking blows faster than the healers can heal them and you know it's only a matter of time before you look like Prue when she wakes up! So this is the entry on tactical falling

1. Saving a more valuable party member

   This can be a dicey subject. In general, save the healers -- but if you're the last fighter standing and all that's left are healers, it's extremely important that you keep on your feet to fend off the monsters. If you're a second string fighter, and a stronger fighter might fall, it depends on whether you could do a better job where you are, or if that fighter is acting in a careless way.

2. blocking with your body

   If there's a very dangerous beast that could get through an opening your body could block, plug a hole and buy time for the standing, or make a wall next to another fallen to trap or otherwise keep a beast at bay.

3. Mystics

   You're a mystic and that's part of your job description. but use the above as good guidelines, please.

Healing in a heated battle

I know I mention this a lot but healers are there to help fighters, just as fighters are here to keep healers safe. As a point of etiquette above, being in the way of a fighter who's sharing with you hurts you and them if they don't make a critical tag or kill something quick enough. It would be akin to a fighter standing there while a healer was pounded on by a swarm of bees, and the fighter discussing the latest rubberized grip handle he got on his Axe.

1. Be aware of fighter and beast presence

   Try to put yourself out of harm's way by keeping a close eye on where beasts and fighters are going. Watch for monsters in a feral attack pattern. Move and don't let them put you at the center of their circling attack.

   1. get out of the way if you're between a fighter coming to attack a monster

      Avoid putting yourself in the way of a fighter. If a fighter has to move around you they loose precious seconds, that in a heated battle could mean life or death of another party member. (The same applies to fighters who've already tagged or are running in opposite direction to tag each other's beast.* [covered in group fighter tactics.])

   2. Use terrain instead of rodding to hold off that "one too many" monster

      Why take hits and loose vital health, when you could park a beast on a tree or rock within sight of the party while cadding those that you can?

      1. heal from the side

         

         There's other ways to cause death and destruction while trying to do the right thing. One of them is trapping a fighter who's trying to get away from that valley panther. If a fighter that's bricking and you're backpacking turns red, or you see him/her face you. Move away quickly to let the fighter out, and avoid trapping him in for a fall. Also, ask fighters if they mind backpacking, even some who do might call out "backpack" in certain situations. No cad? No problem. Healing at the side allows a fighter to easily retreat when his/her health gets low enough for them to be uncomfortable bricking. and you to run by a beast instead of into its mouth. If healing from the side blocks fighter access to a monster, step away to let the fighter in. If forced to backpack directly behind a fighter, be ready to fall back to let the fighter retreat at the first sign of red.

      2. Don't rod.

         When enough fighters are in party to surround a beast, unless requested, do not rod. You could be taking away valuable fighter space and making someone (who is obviously sharing with you miss a tag), or cause fighters to rotate more, thus decreasing the efficiency of the hunt.

2. How NOT to handle bad situations

   If you want the entire party in a bad situation to fall do the following:
   
   Go for tags, not kills. If you see a monster on red and one you haven't tagged, ignore the almost dead monster, especially if it's pounding on a healer, and go for the tag.
   
   Don't retreat back to the snell you last cleared, because the chances of falling or getting more of your party members to fall there decrease rapidly.
   
   Don't use safe areas, they're for people who want to survive.
   
   Run toward the uncleared area of a snell, or even to an uncleared snell to pick up some monsters, then turn around and run back to the group. Aside from the monsters on your snell, if you're lucky, you might be able to lure another five beast from the next snell back to your weakened group, almost ensuring more falls.
   
   Run right toward an exile who is red, leading a monster into them -- especially if it's a healer, even if you're white.
   
   Even if you're perfectly healthy, seriously injured people run toward you with a monster chasing them, don't let them scrape it off on you. Run away in the EXACT same direction that they're going. If you're lucky, you'll be able to step in someone's way, long enough to stop them, and the monster to catch up and kill them.
   
   Make sure to scatter your party across the snell in a giant circle by running back and forth leading monsters everywhere, so no part of the snell is beyond they monsters' detection.
   
   Yell for everyone to go in a direction that leads to an uncleared snell, or lead them there yourself.
   
   If you must go back toward a safe area, lead the monster so it cuts off the escape route. Then swing around so you can put yourself between a party member and the exit, with the monster behind them.
   
   If you have the choice of falling where it will create a barrier, protecting the rest of your group, and falling just far enough to make a hole the monsters can easily get through, fall so the monster can get through, that way it can kill more party members. Also, fall in such a way that you block an escape route if it's a narrow passage.
   

Part III: Group Formations

I've already covered two basic formations, one is called "Guard" and the other is "Wall." They're pretty self explanatory, but I need to give them their proper space.

By the Way, ALL formations require exiles to stand at least one full body length away from the next closest exile. This is because you never know what direction you might have to move in, and standing too close causes people to bump into each other.
Also all mobile formations use rotating fighters working in precision, to deliver co-ordinated blows at about the same time, confusing the beast into immobility. Mobile attacks take a high degree of control and skill to execute cleanly without bumping into each other.

1. Defensive: Guard

   

   Guard is when you spread as many healthy fighters out in a circle equidistant from each other, with at least one exile length apart from the next guard and the nearest person who you're protecting. It's very effective and was my first formation I taught my apprentices. To this day, I can say "guard" to these old friends and they can snap into position.

2. Defensive: Wall

   

   It's simple and straight forward -- really it's a straight line of fighters facing forward into an onslaught of foul beasts (one exile length apart). The healers are backpacking and cadding away safely behind them. There might be a few hit and run type taggers stepping into these gaps to assist taking down tougher beasts, and there also responsible for deal with any approaches from the left or right flank or behind. If the beast are charging from the east, the wall is north-south. his formation should it get mobbed on all sides can anchor on terrain or curl up into the guard position with one call.

3. Defensive/Offensive (mobile or immobile): The Vanguard

   

   The Vanguard is a "V" formation with the closed end facing the beasts. The lead fighter takes the closest beast head on, and the others take any others trying to slip by, or other approaching beasts from the right or left flank. This formation can mobilize into the Bell or the Venus FlyTrap if there are no beasts flanking the group.

4. Defensive/Offensive (mobile or immobile): The Bell

   Fighters stand in a wide formation "V" with the open end facing the beasts. In defensive mode, it's meant to catch anything that tries to slip by a group while the wounded and healing are in back. In offensive, mobile mode, The Bell can be advanced slowly with the edges of the V taking the brunt of the attack. This formation can change into the Vanguard or the Venus Flytrap.

5. Offensive (mobile): The Slingshot

   

   Here a group of fighters running off kilter approach one of more beasts, the lead fighter runs past the first beast, just close enough for it to swing at him(Feint), and spins around to it's back side while the second fighter hits the freshly swung beast. a third fighter goes straight in after the second, while the second swings around to the back of the beast, making it turn around for the third fighter to land a devastating back stab. The first fighter meanwhile continues on to the next closest target to repeat the feint manuvere. The second, third, forth, fifth, etc. fighting are the sling bullets. If there are no more beasts to attack, the first fighter swings around behind the other fighters to take his place in line to become a bullet. This attack can mobilize into the Lotus.

6. Offensive(mobile or immobile): Venus Fly Trap

   

   here a semi circle of fighters waits for a runner to run between the center of two anchors (the goalposts) at the middle. The second before the beast makes contact with the two goal posts, the rest of the semi circle collapses into a surround and pound mob. The healers are safely back forming the stem of the venus fly trap and heal those in need, including the runner. If there are more fighters than there is space to fight the fighters take turns and rotate clock wise around the beast into the Lotus Flower. The runner, if he or she was a fighter loops back around the collapsing arc to attack from behind.

7. Offensive(mobile): The Shredder

   This is a reverse of the venus fly trap meant to keep fighters away from other incoming threats. The goal posts rotate clockwise and counter-clockwise with the fighters making up the convex arc, making two nice counter rotating hit an runners. the healers are safely hidden inside each rotating circle.

Part IV: Tactics

Tactics are generally left until the place and time of the hunt to explain. Here, I'll document some of them developed by groups I've been a part of for years. These are tried and true ways to combat the various types of monsters you'll hunt on a daily basis.

1. Avoiding collisions

   In a group hunt it is essential to avoid people running into each other, for group efficiency and group safety.
   The best way to avoid collisions between group members is to allow at least a one exile gap between them and all times except when healing and performing a Surround and Pound. Also, if a beast is surrounded and you're not in the surrounding group, make sure to hang back at least 2 exile lengths away, standing just off a straight line between you the fighter you're waiting to step back and the beast that's surrounded. This allows the fighter to step back at least 2 exile width or greater gracefully and not impede your approach. The fighter backing off should choose a retreat vector that leaves your attack vector unhindered.
   Bumping into or standing behind retreating fighters while you're moving in for an attack can cause a number of bad results to you and the fighter. These bad things are even more severe for fighters with sticky weapons:

   1. The fighter retreating

      He or she may bump into you, letting the beast follow and execute a back stab (an attack made with an Atkus bonus) that seriously wounds or fells the fighter.
      
      Or, he or she may bump into you, slide off of you and be forced to accidentally double swing on the beast -- killing it, so you miss that tag you were too eager to try to make. A good group of fighters well trained in group etiquette will give you plenty of time to attack gracefully, without running into someone falling back.

   2. The fighter attacking

      You delay yourself and the fighter falling back long enough that someone else might accidentally kill the beast and you miss your tag.
      
      Also, if you're coming from one beast you tagged and going toward a beast surrounded that others have tagged, the collision could result in the beast that's now behind you catching up with you and hitting you, causing serious injury or worse, death.

   3. The healer standing in the wrong place

      A healer standing in the wrong place impedes the movement of a fighter either fleeing from, or going to attack a monster. If you encounter such a healer in the group, politely ask them to try not to do that after the battle. During the battle, saying "excuse me" or "move" should get the healer to move. Either that or you can pull them out of your way.

2. Luring

   Luring is a technique where the whole party gathers at the edge of a snell while another person (usually a fighter) crosses the snell into a very dangerous area with tons of monsters and tries to get a few monsters to follow him or her across the snell, into the waiting arms of the fighters. Since snell crossing placement is random, almost no formations are effective since the monster my appear behind a wall on healers, or in corner. away from the bulk of the group.
   
   The only tactic to really use is to space fighters out evenly across the entry area, and have them attack the closest thing to them that pops up. If you can get a surround on beasts that move in and out quickly, the job of picking off the lures goes much quicker. Look to lead fighters to pick the target you decide to help with the surround on.

3. Attack Vector: Multiple Targets

   Sometimes your party or you will have a couple beasts it has to kill quickly, or your party is killing things fast and you're missing tags because of this necessity. This is where choosing a good attack vector comes in.
   
   A lot of times the monsters will be side by side facing the party, and your first instinct is to attack head on, then turn and move toward the next one. But the time it takes you (from the time you realize the first beast is dead, to switching vectors, and finding a good angle of attack [targeting] on the next one) is too long, and you miss the tag.
   
   Instead of coming at one monster head on and switching direction, attack in a vector that puts both monsters is a straight line, so when the first one falls you continue on without having to re-target your vector for the next one. This usually involves swinging out to the left (clockwise) or right (counter-clockwise) and attacking from the side, while the majority of your party takes the head on approach. If timed and positioned correctly, you can kill one beast and simply let your momentum carry you right to the next one, allowing you to tag it within seconds.

4. The Runner and the Peeler

   This tactic is used for when there is a multitude of monsters where each one can be a challenge to the group one it's own. In this a runner (usually a healer) corrals the beasts far away from the group on the same snell. The peeler runs in and lures one or two of them away to lead it back to the group. If the group is experienced in formations above, the Venus Fly Trap is an excellent way to position the beast for an optimal and fast take down.

5. The Kudzu Fortress

   A kudzu fortress is best used when the group enters a densely populated area where are many monsters that could easily overpower the entire group. Before the group enters the area a runner enters the area and lures away any monsters near the entrance, making it easier for the Kudzuers to enter and plant a wall of kudzu each one exile length apart. This wall will quickly grow to form a solid wall.
   
   At that point the Kudzuers will message the group to enter the area, and if done properly all members will appear within the fort. Then a fighter or two will cut an opening for one monster to get through at a time. A lurer might run out of the fort and lead a monster back into the fort where fighters are waiting to surround and pound the monster.
   
   Note: Make sure not to plant kudzu so close to the entry that it grows over it and blocks entry or exit from the snell.

6. The Chain Runner

   Chaining is a much a technique as it is an art form. A good chainer will have a one button macro that will check to see if the chain is in their right hand, if it's not, the macro will switch to the chain and immediately use the chain to pick up fallen exiles. This macro allows the chainer to do running grabs where the chainer swings right by the fallen and chains them without slowing down.
   
   Also, in certain circumstances a chainer may chain one fallen exile to lead monsters that run faster than the chainer. The chainer makes sure to keep the chainee between him/her and the beast that runs faster . With the fallen behind the chainer, the beast can never get by the chainee to attack the chainer. Thus chain runners should make wide enough turns to keep the faster monster behind the chainee.

7. The Kill Squads

   Kill Squads are usually a group of 2 to 3 fighters and one healer following behind. The kills squads job is to follow a path and clear any beast that comes into it. It is good to have one brick, one tagger and a cadding healer with good fautus in a 3 person kill squad.

8. Lightning Rods

   Lightning rods are a set of 2 to 4 healers, and one or two fighters with a lead healer drawing the lightning bolts to them and the remaining healers healing the draw. If the draw becomes too weak the next strongest healer takes the point will the main draw is healed. If the lightning bounces from one healer to another,The draw stands at least 2-3 exile lengths in front of the Rod. Any monsters that start attacking the rod point or other healers in it are quickly dealt with by the fighters. If the monster is in front of the draw point, the point may drop back leading the monster to the fighters and swing around to take the front most point again. Or skilled fighters can time the lightning and quickly run up and kill the beast and quickly fall back behind the rod.
   
   
   A rod can be mobile and have a group of fighters following their slow advance.

9. Retreating: Covering

   Covering a retreat is simply the act of the healthiest person (fighter or rodding healer) staying between the monsters and the rest of the group while retreating. If you're healthier, and just as strong as the fighter behind you in a retreat, you should slow down or run back and let the other fighter pass you, so you can cover their escape. In some cases, two fighters might take turns taking hits from monsters that run faster than they do.

10. Retreating (mobile [duh!]): Fighting Retreat

    The fighting retreat is simply multiple fighters doing hit and runs while running away from creatures. It should not be done unless you can kill whatever you're hitting before you reach the group and you risk little chance of falling.

Appendix A: How to learn to compensate for lag

Lag, or "weather" as it's called in character is when your ping rate rises above about 250 milliseconds (.25 seconds). Ping is the time it takes for a packet of data (in CL packets are usually under 1000 bits) to reach the clan lord server [or any server] from your computer. The longer the latency (or delay), then the less responsive your character becomes. Because of this delay between when you act and when the server receives the command, you over shoot your targets and sometimes end up a couple of exile lengths from where you intended to go. A lot of people blame latency on DT and the CL server, but, as many a trace route has shown, it is almost never their fault. It's usually closer to home or on their ISPs side of things, well beyond their control. If everyone in the world experiences lag, then you know it's the DT server. If it's just you, or a few people in your group, you know it was a router between you and DT. The only time server lag is noticeable and caused by DT is right before an update on Wednesdays, when the World Gerbil GM loads new code and backup the game databases. Sometimes the GMs are kind enough to post a message about such weather problems, sometimes they're not. A good measure of how close the network problem is to the CL Server, without doing a trace route is if the entire clanning world feels a hiccup -- it could be the server or the main pipe out of it.

If your latency is fairly static (if it's usually around .4 seconds and doesn't change very much due to your location) then you can compensate by thinking ahead of what you see and reacting earlier than you would. You know that it take .X seconds for a command to register, so go someplace and practice your timing by running in circle around a building, and then graduating to ferals and other quick prey once you've master that.

1. Ditching Lag.

   The best thing to do is to get rid of lag altogether though. If you're a frequent clanner (you clan more than 15 hours a week, or at least once a day), with one phone line you could get another phone line so your RL friends don't think you've been inducted into a strange cult. There's 3 factors to lag in order of relevance: the quality of your connection (including the quality of your ISP), your modem and your computer itself.
   

   1. Static

      If you're on dial-up and you can pick up your phone and hear hissing, popping, static or other sound from and open line then you've found at least one (if not all) of your culprits. A noisy line causes packets transmitted through them to become garbled, causing the modem to request re-transmisions of that packet, which takes more time to get the info sent.
      
      If your phone lines are old, see about having them replaced all the way out to the box. Copper breaks down with oxidation and become brittle and resistance increase. I suggest getting inside wire repair if you don't already have it from your phone company if it's offered, waiting a month or so and then reporting the problem phone line. I strongly recommend NOT mentioning your computer or modem or anything about equipment at all when you request rewiring. Many Telcos will turn you away if they find out you want to improve your phone line quality because of a computer, and cite that they only guarantee 9600 baud or some ridiculously low number. Instead simply complain about the static and say you can't hear people calling very well because of it (which could very well be the case anyway). I've tried both, and feinting partial deafness got much better results. If you don't have inside wire repair, or your line from their box isn't covered, hire someone to rewire to your modem's telephone outlet, or do it yourself if the wire feed is easily accessible and you're comfortable doing it. A 100' spool of 4 wire, and an outlet will only set you back about $25.
      
      

   2. QOS: Dial-up vs. DSL/Cable

      ISPs -- whether POTS (analog modem), DSL or Cable -- are not all alike in terms of latency. Some, like AOL have a huge network you have to go through in order to even get out to the Internet, and some small providers bought their access from some else who bought their access from someone else until you reach the major communications companies. In either situation, this means more hops from router to router in order to get out to the Internet. Each hop adds latency, no matter how fast the router or gateway.
      
      Doing a trace route and resolving the IPs to which network they're on will tell you if you're the victim of hopitis. If this is the case consider changing ISPs.
      
      I've played CL on AOL and it is not pretty. Besides having terrible latency (constant lag that's >.35 seconds), they also have a bad habit of disconnecting you at the worst moment (like when you're practicing soloing GMV -- ouch!). On the same phone line, with the same computer I hooked up to both Earthlink dial-up and Pacbell (SBC's California Bell company) and gotten virtually no lag, and virtually no drops for hours on end. (*Earthlink and SBC's dial-up service in your area may not be fast nor reliable as in my area.)
      
      When shopping around for a better ISP, check out their web site and see if they mention how close they are to a backbone. The closer to the internet backbone an ISP is, the better the service usually. Ask for a free month to evaluate it, or find a friend on a different ISP nearby and try CL out there. Some smart ISPs who know they have a good network will welcome the possibility of a new customer, while those that don't might not want to give you a sample. If you can't get a free month (which is now infrequent), make sure you don't sign any lengthy contracts, and try it month to month.
      
      If it's available in your area, DSL or Cable are very cost effective ways of not only getting rid of lag, but getting great download speeds. Many people have a second phone line for their modem. Another phone line costs around $20/month in most areas, and you're already paying your ISP $20 as well. DSL and Cable costs about the same price you'd pay for a second line and your ISP. (You also get a reason to install a home network if you have more than one computer -- or you want to go with Airport. )
      
      DSL and cable sometimes do require contracts. But on the upside, the quality of service is better than dial-up.

   3. Hardware

      If you're on dial-up. Make sure your modem isn't the cause of it by borrowing another modem and trying it on the same line. Generally, very cheap modems and equipment deliver the worst performance. Most manufacturers don't release latency tests, and only release throughput (over all speed) tests since a majority of people don't use internet applications that require low latency. Note: Apple's modems, like their other hardware is first class (unless you have a Performa).
      
      If you have a pre-G3 computer, maybe your video hardware can't keep up with the graphics demands. Despite the fact that CL uses 8-bit graphics, CL is a very demanding on video cards. The addition of VRAM to older system onboard graphics or the addition/replacement on a video card, even a closeout 8MB video card is sufficient to run CL's graphics smoothly. If you're hardware is really old, and your CPU is under 200MHz, and you're really poor, the only thing I can say is, start saving your pennies for a closeout iMac or try e-bay. CL can run on Macs 10 years old if you insist on it, but it's like watching a flip book -- a really slow flip book.
      

Appendix B: Where to practice

In every place on and off the main island you will always be learning what you need to work on. If you tend to hunt some places more often, and they won't be below your level anytime soon you can adopt a training and fighting style just for that area. No one style works in all areas, so it;s important that you hunt a broad range of places to learn about yourself.

1. The Hive:

   Basic Swing timing, corralling/leading multiple monsters

2. The Undine Cavern:

   corralling/leading monsters and using terrain

3. Rockodile Beaches:

   hit and run and terrain use

   1. Kitty Beach

      Using Terrain, early group hunting and survival

4. Tanglewood

   hit and run, using terrain, basic survival skills, navigating in a CL world

5. North Forest/Muddy NF:

   the movement and timing of the Feral AI class

6. Northwest Forest:

   using terrain/monsters against themselves, how not to get trapped, your limits

7. South Forest:

   hit and run, terrain, your limits

8. Bear Caves:

   your limits, how to survive

9. The Passes:

   How to survive alone, Timing multiple swings, Using multiple beasts against themselves, Timing and avoiding getting flattened by stones.

10. The Plains:

    Survival, the hit and run

11. TGBG:

    Test your toughness, quickness and ability to outwit monsters -- find your limits.

Glossary

A.
Anchor, Anchored:
n.1. A boat anchor used to keep one in a boat from floating away with the current.
v.2. To use terrain (kudzu, buildings, fallen exiles) as a way of keeping monsters from flanking a line of fighters.
B.
Balance Tax, BalTax: n.1. A delay in regaining balance after switching any items, inserted into the game circa. v73 to correct a problems that no longer exist. The balance tax greatly reduces the skill necessary and obtainable to fight and heal effectively, taking away a valuable component of the game. In addition to this, the balance tax is even applied to items that had nothing to do with the original problems. (See: SDB)

Brick: v.1 The ability to stand in front of a monster and not get hit by it's swings.

C.
Camping: v.1. The act of staying in a particluar places long enough for multiple spawns of beasts or valuable items to appear. The former is discouraged, the latter is seen as game abuse.

Catapult: n.1. seige weapon that hurls stones with poor accuracy. Puddleby had one until it was stolen by Orga. The whereabouts of the catapult are unknown, but suspected to be in orga territory in the Northeast portion of the island.

Chain: n.1. iron links joined together to form a thin metal rope used for dragging fallen exiles. v.2. The act of using a chain to drag fallen exiles away from battle.

Chainee: n.1. The fallen person being

Chainer: n.1. The person who drags the fallen person. Chainers have formed a guild known as the Catanea.

D.
Darkus: n.1. A fighter trainer that teaches fighters to inflict more damage on a beast with each hit. n.2. damage.

Detha: n.1. A fighter trainer that teaches fighters how to avoid being hit. n.2. defense

Dizzle: n.1. Dwaven Fighter who roamed the lands pre-rip, one of the first to learn fighting techniques discussed in this manual. Dizzle Passed on his knowledge to his son Charlos when he retired at the end of the Ripture Wars. See "Killswitch."

E.

F.
Fort:
n.1. A formation of exiles in a defensive formation, with almost no space between each person, usually anchored on at least one side by terrain. Often exiles fallen at the edge make up the border of the fort, and movement within the fort is accomplished by pulling. Often used in overwhelming situations, especially with monsters that can push exiles.
n.2. A barrier composed of kudzu
Fort up: n.1. A command yelled by Fighter signaling others to form a fort.

K.
Keel: v.1. Kill

Killswitch: n.1.Charlos, a famous dwarven fighter, son of Dizzle. Charlos was taught by Dizzle how to fight. Charlos expanded on the techniques. Using these techniques he proved himself in a clan challenge, earning the name of Killswitch for the volume of monsters he alone hunted in an hour.

Kudzu: n.1.A plant that grows amazingly fast, often used by exiles to make barriers against monsters, or trap more dangerous ones. Kudzu can also be dried and smoked for it's psychotropic effects. Kudzu has an amazing short life span, making seeds commonly harvestable within an hour (CL Time) of planting. Colloquially called "zu" or "'zu."


L.
Lag: n.1. Invisible non-corporeal demons from the ninth circle of the abyss, that often attacks individuals making them slow to react. Some individuals can sense the lag demons and futilely attempt to slash them. Some exiles are possessed by them, while others are occasionally harassed by them in passing.

M.

N.
No hit: p.1. Short for "I haven't hit this monster yet. Please don't kill it until I've hit."

No swing: short for "You're standing in my way of being able to swing at this monster. Please move a little bit, so I can swing."

P.
Park: v.1. To hold a beast behind terrain by placing your body on the other side of it.

Peel, Peeling: v.1. The act of leading one or more monsters away from a larger group of monsters being lead by a runner. (See Runner.)

Peeler: n.1. One who peels monsters away from a runner.

Q.

R.
Rod: n.1. Originally developed to absorb lightning thrown by orga 'locks and named after that practice. Now it is applied to any situation where a healer is absorbing damage from a monster that can't be bricked. A rod is composed of a least one healer (commonly 2 or 3) with one absorbing damage (called the "rod point" or "rod") and self healing and the other healers (support healers) healing the rod point.

Runner: n.1. A person who leads a herd of monster, often corralling them, so his group can pick off the herd one by one by using a peeler. (See: peeling)

S.
SDB: p.1. short for "suck (or sucks) donkey balls." Applied to things that are really bad, like the Balance Tax. (See: Balance Tax)

South Farms Empire: n.1. region extending from South Farms south Encompassing South Forest and the South Beaches, ruled by Emperor Phelps. There is a one coin per day charge for hunting here, yet Emperor Phelps has never enforced this law. BalTax=SDB. (See: Balance Tax, SDB)

T.
Tank: n.1. A fighter who can both brick a large group of monsters or dangerous, and take a large amount of damage without falling, often plowing through them without concern for their own health.
v.2. To plow through a group of monsters, taking massive amounts of potential damage and destroying them in the process.

V.
Vector: n.1. A directed force. ( i.e "vectored thrust")
n.2. a line of movement defined by the start and end point, the path taken to a location (not to be confused with pathfinding paths).
n.3. A planned or chosen path of travel from the starting point, where a fighter is, to a target or location.
W.
Whiff/ing: v.1. Swinging at a beast or exile and missing. Also, called "fanning."

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