All-Time Madness Tournament Final: Dalamar vs. Avery

[Cassius Gaius Maximius]

((Sorry for the shortness, but I wanted to get this done and I'm a little sick. I'll post more on it tomorrow.))

Ladies and Gentlemen...after...a *lot* of delays...we have reached the Finals of All-Time Madness 1. Voting starts now, and will conclude on Nov. 1. More will be added about the duelists in coming days, but for now..let's hear the opinions of some knowledgable sources on this matchup!

First up, multiple-time Baron and current DoS Supervisor G'nort Dragoon Talanador:

"And 'lo, but I have been asked to write an opinionated article regarding
a match between the Great Dalamar au'Darmon, and the Formidable Avery
Shiv Blade.

It can go without saying that both duelists were considerably talented.
Dalamar having won his title of Overlord and then seemed all but
impossible to remove from that rank. Nineteen defenses, even if some
where via tests, most were fought by his own hand. When you consider
the next closest is a whopping Six defenses, you can't argue that the
title of Overlord was dominated by that one man. Keeping in mind, also,
that he interceded on nearly every Loyal Baronial challenge that was
within his power to intervene.

Avery, on the other hand, had youthful enthusiasm and a skilled hand to
match. He quickly dominated his way up the ranks and when he chose to
be Overlord, he was. Avery defended his title Four times, which isn't
something to frown at. How he would have fared in challenges after that
is unknown, for Avery never lost his title in the ring. He failed to
show for a challenge by Drey Starke, and was eventually stripped of the
title of Overlord, which was ultimately decided in a Barons tournament.

I have the dubious distinction of trying to decide who of these two
would emerge the victor in a battle between each other, and I hereby dub
this match to be the Epic Matchup of all Matchups. This would
undoubtably be the premiere match to witness, black tie event, red
carpet, the elite of the elite out to witness it. I know I certainly would.

Who would win? It's not entirely easy to decide. I've seen both duel,
I've dueled both, and I've won and lost to both. It would have to be a
Best of Three. For these two great duelists anything less would be
uncivilized. I would venture to say that Dalamar would arrive without
much fanfare or glitter, he would likely be just respectably there. The
crafty veteran with knowledge as his power. Avery would make a show of
it and probably enter to some loud music or something like that.

But once the matches started, both would be ready to get down to
business. Dalamar would start slowly, testing Avery, and Avery would
likely be the aggressor. However, Dal wouldn't be fazed by Avery's
tactics and I would venture to say that after about 12 hard fought
rounds, Dalamar would turn a bookend parry to block an Avery cut and
thrust combo to take the first match.

The second match, Avery would still maintain his aggressiveness, and
Dalamar would be a little more relaxed. Being up in this situation one
match to none would allow him to take it easy and that would be what
Avery would capitalize on. It wouldn't be so much a mistake on Dalamars
part as it would be a partial tactic, partial acceptance. Dalamar would
fight hard and try to win, but in the end, Avery would likely win the
second match in 7-8 rounds by a 2-3 point margin, simply overpowering
Dalamar and bringing it to a third match.

That's what Dalamar would want, though, and where he thrived. Pressure
situations were his strongest point and this match would be no
different. This isn't to say that Avery would cave under the pressure,
but Dalamar was more experienced. And Experience is what would carry
the day. It could end up being a quick match, in 6 rounds, a decent
match going another 10-12 rounds, or a much harder fought 18 round
matchup, but in the end, Dalamar would nickle and dime Avery to death
and take the final match, proving that no matter how much youthful
energy you had, experience is what wins the race.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. "

Next, we'll hear from newer blood--2010 DoS Madness finalist, Fall 2010 Warlord's Tournament winner, and former Baron of the Third/Dockside
Neo Eternity:

"The question of who would win between Dalamar and Avery is a very tough question, especially speaking as someone who can't remember ever having seen either of them in action. Sure, I was possibly around when they were, but it's not like my memory's all that great. On one hand, we have who is widely known as the best duelist DoS has ever had. On the other hand, we have the only duelist to hold the simultaneous triple crown. Dueling is always a game of predictions, of doing something the other person doesn't expect you to do. I am inclined to favor Avery here. Why? Dalamar has a master perspective of DoS... but Avery has a master perspective of all three sports. And let me tell you, it counts. I know from experience that applying my DoM perspective and style to DoS allowed me to get as far as I have. In so doing, I now understand DoS better from a DoS duelist's perspective, and my style there is a mixture of the style I started with, and the perspective I learned. My DoS experience and perspective now influences my DoM fights from time to time as well. But that doesn't mean I go fixing what isn't broken. It means I have options to fight in ways my opponent doesn't expect me to. Avery started out in DoS, if I understand right. But he also made Archmage and Diamond. I know Dalamar made Mage, and maybe he made Emerald too (I don't know; there's no Parade of Emeralds). But Dalamar was very DoS-centric. Everything you ever hear about Dalamar is DoS, DoS, DoS. But Avery was the DiArchLord. Chances are, if Dalamar were to detail his own fighting style, there would be little to no DoM or DoF influence, and his ability to pull influence from those two would be limited. Avery though, would probably have a mish-mash of influences for each fighting style, and could probably draw more or less influences as he sees fit, thus giving him many more options to do something his enemy wouldn't expect. This is what makes Triple Crowns very dangerous. If Avery can stay on his feet and keep coming out of left field with his myriad of influences while using his DoS experience to cover his own butt, I believe he can beat Dalamar."


And finally, we go to the announcer's booth, to hear from former duelist and current Rhydin Post analyst Chris Reed:

"Now I'm not one of those people that pine for yesteryear, and I've never really been one for nostalgia in everyday life. But when it comes to Swords, there is honestly nothing quite like looking back on some of the greats that have had their name well-established in our records and our hearts. One of those spectacular fighters, and one who deserves a special place in the Duel of Swords Hall of Fame, was Dalamar Ar'Daumon.
If I had to use one word to describe Ar'Daumon, it would be 'precise.' Ar'Daumon always had a tendency to wrap his duels up before they went into overtime. He was flawlessly patient, viciously dedicated, and was one of the most intelligent swordsmen I have ever had the pleasure of observing. There was also something else about him that just makes him… legendary, though. You see, before and during Ar'Daumon's reign as the twenty-eighth Overlord, there seemed to be a kind of solidarity between duelists. He always made the extra effort to reward his Loyal Barons by interceding constantly - often more than he probably should have. But it didn't really matter, because whether his Barons were Loyal or Renegade, or whether the whole Duel of Swords population was out to get him, the camaraderie between fighters was still there. These days dueling is all about rank, and an every-man-for-himself mentality pervades the sport. But back then? Ar'Daumon wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty or to give away his 'secrets' by training some new up-and-coming apprentice or squire. Dalamar Ar'Daumon brought the people of this culture together, even if was only to have at each other in a ring for a while."

"I think one of the things I loved about Shiv Blade so much was his zest. He had so much passion for the sport, even if his Overlordship did trickle off a little bit at the end. How could I describe his style of fighting? I'd have to call it flashy. Shiv Blade was incredibly thorough in his methods, but he always managed to bring a certain amount of pizazz and energy to the ring that was damn near contagious. It is no wonder he became the only duelist to hold the Triple Crown a simul. That is, he held the statuses of Overlord, Archmage, and Diamond at the same time. That kind of feat is astronomically difficult - perhaps even more so in those days.

Shiv Blade would always say he 'just enjoyed fighting,' but in reality, he was a truly gifted fighter. You don't get the Triple Crown by just being lucky."

And now...the voting opens. "Stimulated duel results" of their path to the Finals will be posted tomorrow!(Or tonight, if I get bored and feel better)

[Cassius Gaius Maximius]

The votes are in and the people have spoken: Out of 15 votes, Dalamar Ar'Daumon garnered 11 votes; Avery Shiv Blade garnered a mere 4. I have to admit, this is slightly more one-sided than I expected. Regardless, Avery's superlative skill recieved some recognition in the populace's choice for the format results: 10 votes for a 3 duel series to 5 votes for a 2 duel series...a 2 to 1 margin. In addition, 8 of Dalamar's 11 votes picked Avery to be able to win a single duel in a B03. Ergo, it is decided that this was a 3 duel series.

As I mentioned coming into the finals, I have decided to provide a new innovation: "Duel Simulations". It's been a little while since I introduced this concept, so here's a little refresher: I delved into the Duel Archives and took the historical round-by-round duel results from challenges that were actually fought by the combatants in question, and placed the combatant's sends side by side against each other. In this instance..I selected a successful Overlord defense that Dalamar had against Eros deBurgo in late 1997. For Avery, I selected a successful Overlord defense against Damien Mortis and a successful Overlord defense against Roland Sal Roa--the Mortis challenge occurred in Oct. 1999, and the Roland Sal Roa challenge occurred in Jan. 2000. I selected these eras because they have generally been considered to be the peak eras for these respective duelists.

As with all future "Duel Simulations", the results were tailored to match the voting results: i.e, Dalamar winning 2 duels in a B03, Avery winning 1 duel. The first duel is the third duel of Dalamar's B03 against Marzan(Eros deBurgo) matched against Avery's defense against Damien Mortis. The second duel is the second duel of Dalamar's defense against Marzan against the second duel of Avery's defense against Roland Sal Roa. The third and final duel is the first duel of the Dalamar-Marzan challenge against the first duel of Avery vs. Roland.

Dalamar Ar'Daumon vs. Avery Shiv Blade, Duel 1:

Round 1: Dalamar TH Avery LC 1-0 Dalamar
Round 2: Dalamar LC Avery FSS 2-0 Dalamar
Round 3: Dalamar FSS Avery TH 3-0 Dalamar
Round 4: Dalamar FDk Avery LC 3-1 Dalamar
Round 5: Dalamar FSS Avery TH 4-1 Dalamar
Round 6: Dalamar TH Avery LC 5-1 Dalamar

Dalamar Ar'Daumon vs. Avery Shiv Blade, Duel 2:

Round 1: Dalamar TH Avery TH 1 all
Round 2: Dalamar FLP Avery LC 2-1 Avery
Round 3: Dalamar SS Avery HC 3-1 Avery
Round 4: Dalamar SH Avery LC 4-1 Avery
Round 5: Dalamar FSS Avery HC 5-1 Avery

Dalamar Ar'Daumon vs. Avery Shiv Blade, Duel 3:

Round 1: Dalamar TH vs. Avery FLP 1-0 Avery
Round 2: Dalamar LC vs. Avery LC 1-0 Avery
Round 3: Dalamar FSS vs. Avery TH 1 all
Round 4: Dalamar LP vs. Avery LC 2-1 Avery
Round 5: Dalamar TH vs. Avery HC 2 all
Round 6: Dalamar LC vs. Avery FLP 3-2 Dalamar
Round 7: Dalamar SL vs. Avery FDk 4-2 Dalamar
Round 8: Dalamar FSS vs. Avery FSS 4-2 Dalamar
Round 9: Dalamar TH vs. Avery HC 5-2 Dalamar


Congrats to Dalamar!