Duel of Fists
DoF Game Guide
Duel of Fists is the home of unarmed, hand-to-hand combat, so be prepared to take away a few bruises. There are fourteen moves which all ranks may use; as you move up in rank, you will earn the right to modify literally any move using Feints and Fancies.
The moves of Duel of Fists
| 1. | Jab | [JB] | A quick, thrusting punch to the upper body or head. |
| 2. | Hook | [HK] | A roundhouse "Haymaker" punch that swings wide and is directed to the head or upper body. |
| 3. | Uppercut | [UC] | An upward swing, usually to the stomach or head. |
| 4. | Chop | [CH] | A "karate"-style chop, usually to the stomach or head. |
| 5. | Jumpkick | [JK] | A kick where the fighter first jumps into the air towards their opponent with their foot extended. |
| 6. | Snapkick | [SN] | A quick kick to the mid-section or lower body of your opponent. |
| 7. | Spinkick | [SP] | A kick where the fighter spins their whole body around and into the kick. |
| 8. | Legsweep | [LS] | A spinning strike to the lower leg designed to trip your opponent. |
| 9. | Flip | [FL] | A maneuver allowing the fighter to grab their opponent and use their movements against them. |
| 10. | Armblock | [AB] | An attempt to block your opponent's attack with your arm(s). |
| 11. | Legblock | [LB] | An attempt to block your opponent's attack with your leg. |
| 12. | Dodge | [DO] | Quickly moving to one side as your opponent moves toward you. |
| 13. | Duck | [DU] | Dropping into a crouch. |
| 14. | Leap | [LP] | Jumping to the side of, away from, or over your opponent. |
Scoring, Advantages and Conversions
There are two ways to score points in Duel of Fists: The simpler way is with an attack (moves 1 through 9 above). The other way is by stringing together a pair of advantages in two consecutive rounds by using defensive maneuvers (moves 10 though 14); this is called a point conversion. Your first advantage will be lost if you do not convert it in the very next round, so utilize them wisely. Advantages in Duel of Fists are signified by a "+" on the scoreboard.
Moving up through the ranks: Feints and Fancies
To reflect your character's increasing skill in the ring, he or she will be able to execute a certain number of Feint and/or Fancy maneuvers. Feints and Fancies are awarded according to rank as follows:
| Rank | # Feint/Fancy Moves |
|---|---|
| Glass | 0 |
| Jade | 2 |
| Ruby | 3 |
| Sapphire | 5 |
| Emerald | 6 |
| Opal | 6 |
| Diamond | 7* |
(*The Diamond is limited to 6 modifiers vs. someone below Emerald rank.)
Players may use any combination of Feints and Fancies up to their total allotted number. Using one is easy: Just attach the word "Fe" For Feint or "F" for fancy to the front of the move you send in private message to the Nexus Guide (examples: "?m FeSN" for Feint Snapkick or "?m FLB" for Fancy Legblock. Both modifiers can affect a round's score, but each does so in its own way
Fancies - Defend and Counter
A Fancy allows you to score a full point when using a defensive move. If your move is successful in scoring an advantage, the Fancy will add a bonus advantage to your score to give you a full point.
In roleplay, the duelist will only score a point when contact is made, unless they have been awarded two advantages spread out over a pair of rounds. Because a Fancy defense only needs one round in order to score a full point, it is important that contact be made with the opponent; this is commonly described as a defensive maneuver followed by a counterattack. For example, a successful Fancy Dodge might be described as a spin to one side followed by a backhand.
Feints - Distract and Attack
The Feint allows you to score a full point when your opponent uses a would-be successful defensive move, at the expense of disabling your own attack's scoring ability. If your opponent's move scores an advantage, the Feint will steal that advantage and convert it into a full point for you (ex: Feint Jab vs. Armblock). However, if your move would normally score a point, the Feint forces it to miss (ex. Feint Jab vs. Legblock).
What is a feint? When putting together combos, martial artists will save the strongest attack for last. The first move or series of moves are merely to distract and draw out your opponent's defenses – these are called feints.
For example, if a martial artist wanted to give an opponent a body blow, he (or she) might send a nearly fully extended jab just a hair outside the opponent's ear. Typically, this would cause someone to draw his (or her) lead arm up to block the punch. In a best case scenario, the martial artist wants his opponent to actually block the punch. By blocking the punch, the opponent would further extend his arm and rotate his body, leaving more of a target. With an open midsection, the martial artist would then throw in a cross or (if he's too far away for a punch) a front or side kick. A judge would never know that the feint was more than a missed/blocked punch.
Confused by a round's score in which both a Fancy AND a Feint were used? Just remember that the Feint is applied first, and that a score can only be altered once.
