The Art of Battling

     THE ART OF BATTLING!

     Swords, shields, bows, and mace,

     There’s more to battling than hitting your opponents in the face!

     SHOP: Illustrious Armoury

     LOCATION: Altador

     ITEM CATEGORY: Altadorian Armour

     BATTLING STYLES:

     “The one thing you got to understand about Altador is that we use many kinds of ancient battling styles. That's what happens when your founders come from places all over and from all walks of life... and then get trapped in a time bubble for one thousand years. But that’s another topic, you want to know the battling styles I’m most familiar with, am I right?

     The one I’m most familiar with is the style of our army’s leader, General Torakor. He has trained all of our soldiers in what has been dubbed the “Altadorian Military Style”. Very regimented, you’re taught to stand proud and tall, as if your back doesn’t bend. All the movement is done with your waist and arms as you position yourself to either deflect an attack or strike with a strong arm swing. *Grins* And that’s where I come in. Shields and swords, when I’m not making armour that’s nearly 90% of the equipment I make. Sometimes a soldier would take up a spear or axe, but those soldiers are usually training in more specialized positions. Still the same training, though the spearmen do less waist movement as they always have their shields up while sticking you with the pointy end; they’re most often placed on the front lines. Meanwhile, the axe wielders often discard their shields entirely so they could put their full power behind their axe swings, providing powerful backup if a soldier is tangled with an unyielding opponent.

     On the opposite end of the field, and arguably the law, we got the thieves. Oh, sorry, I mean “rogues”; they get a bit twitchy if you call them what they are, Hmph. Anyway, their Master Kelland’s lot and they like dinky daggers, the shorter the better. They’re more stealth inclined; while soldiers stand tall the rogues have their backs against something, crouched beneath something, or just twisted all sorts of ways around something. Don’t know how they don’t ruin their backs. They do all this to stay out of sight; reason they want small daggers is so they can hide them up their sleeve, jump at you when you’re least expecting it, and pull it out once they got you held tight. At least, that’s what they tell me. I don’t know what Master Kelland does but he keeps the rogues from robbing the good honest folk of Altador and that’s all I care about.

     The only other two Council Members that know their way around a blade are King Altador and Admiral Marak. Admiral Marak and his “Waveriders” require special waterproof weapons that they either make themselves or get from a source from their homeland. King Altador was originally a hunter but has picked up General Torakor’s way of fighting with a sword; however, his preferred weapon is a bow. If you want to learn more about that, and how some of the more mystical Council members fight, you best talk with my fellow weapon shop associate in Magical Marvels a street down from here.”

      SHOP: Magical Marvels

     LOCATION: Altador

     ITEM CATEGORY: Altadorian Magic

     BATTLING STYLES:

     “Magical style of fighting? I wouldn’t say there is one, unless you count two wizards duelling spells back-and-forth a style. Magic doesn’t have its own style, magic fits into and enhances the style you practice. Nearly any object can be enchanted. I’ve made compasses which spew flames, chalices which grant healing sips, rings that pack a punch, and an assortment of potions and amulets. But I’m just chattering on now, maybe talking about some of the enchanted objects I made on request from the council members will answer your question.

     We’ll start with King Altador first, he’s a former hunter and the master of the bow; it’s even his constellation sign! I’ve made both a longbow for experts and a crossbow for everyone else, though both have the same enchantment to light the arrow in a bright glow when fired. King Altador prefers the longbow, even after all these years his posture is perfect when he’s drawing the string: no matter his position he remains as still as a statue and keeps his eye down the shaft of the arrow. He also factors in the angle and wind, but all that is beyond my understanding. He passes on his knowledge to a legion of bowman he trains as part of his contribution to Altador’s army; my crossbows usually going to the new recruits or those who just can’t get a knack for the longbow. The crossbow is a fine substitute as long as you can handle the additional weight.

     Both Sir Florin and Lady Fauna wield wooden staffs but prefer to use them in more defensive ways. No problem either way, staffs are real easy to enchant as there’s plenty of room for the runes. Sir Florin mostly uses his staff as a walking stick and making holes in the ground to test the soil and plant seeds; if he comes across a vicious plant, he'd rather use his horticulture knowledge to subdue it than physically fight it. Dealing with more active critters, Lady Fauna needs her staff to be solid and able to take a horned tackle or gnashing of teeth. The trick with staffs is hand placement and grip strength; knowing where to hold and how tight to hold it can be a difference of holding off an attack or losing your grip.

     While it’s not my preferred way to cast spells, I do have a wand made on request from Lady Jerdana; a surprise as she too prefers casting spells from her palms. The wand creates an impactful gust of wind, knocking back anyone who comes too near. But after a few casts, Lady Jerdana did not find it to be her style. Wand casters focus on far range combat because they need a second to stabilize the magic rushing out, which by then the spell has travelled some distance. Palm casters, those of us who don’t use an object to channel our magic, already are in control of the spell we are using and the closer we are to the spell the stronger the control. Not close, mind you, but closer than a wand caster. Lady Jerdana’s palm magic is especially potent when close by, but she didn’t want to feel vulnerable so considered a wand for backup. But with how far the wand sent the spell, she sought other ways to defend herself; meanwhile, the wands have become a top seller so no loss in enchantments there.”

     SHOP: Faerie Weapon Shop

     SHOPKEEPER: Aethia, the Battle Faerie

     LOCATION: Faerieland - Faerie City

     ITEM CATEGORY: Faerie Weapon Shop

     NOTE: While Aethia owns the shop selling excess, outdated, and unconventional weapons from the Faerieland Army, she rarely runs it. Who is normally greeting customers is an illusion of Aethia as a sort of certification, meanwhile behind the counter are Faerie warriors who have volunteered to maintain the shop. However, there are rare few times, such as Half Price Day during the busier months, where Aethia herself will be in the shop to handle an increase in customers. While the volunteering Faerie warriors know their stuff, I think the Battle Faerie would be able to provide greater insight on all types of Faerieland battling styles.

     BATTLING STYLES:

     “Alina, handle the register for a few minutes while I answer these questions. Alright then, there are six basic Faerie elements so likewise there are six basic Faerie battling styles. Or Faerieland battling styles if you prefer, there’s really no difference, a Faerie either focuses on an element to fight or doesn’t and uses another style they learned or came up with. Let’s stay focused on the basic six as that’s mandatory for all Faerie Warriors to learn.

     We’ll go in alphabetical order through the elements: air, darkness, earth, fire, light and water. Air style focuses on dodging and evading your opponent, waiting for the opportune moment to strike with a hard blow. Imagine trying to literally catch the wind only for a strong gust to blow you back. Air style uses weapons which can control or be controlled by the wind, such as a fighting fan or lightweight chakrams; you’ll either be blown back or have the weapon redirected to smack you from behind.

     Darkness style focuses on taunting and counterattacking. It’s exactly how you’d imagine fighting with a Darkness Faerie would be like... or doing business with one, or talking with one, or really any interaction with a Darkness Faerie. They viciously mock you and then when you try to fight back they use your own power against you. Because of that they more rely on spells and curses than weapons, but for times when physical combat can’t be avoided, they like to use intimidating looking weapons such as a twisted battle axe. It’s not that they’re trained to wield such weapons effectively, often it’s the darkness magic imbued in the weapon which does the most damage, but the sight alone of a Darkness Faerie with a demented grimace ready to strike down is enough to give even the most hardened warriors a shiver.

     Earth style focuses on adaptation and using your surroundings. You make the whole battlefield into your weapon: understanding the terrain to best manoeuvre on, making it difficult for your opponent to chase after, what materials are on offer that you can pick up, push over, or lead your opponent, and using the traits of your opponent such as their size, weight and shape to throw them off. Earth style users would more often use a shield to protect themselves from close-range combat and dart across the field to use a long-range projectile like a bow, darts, or a slingshot.

     Fire style is all about power. Give her a heated shield and a fiery sword and let her charge into battle like an unstoppable wave of flames. It’s the most direct of the styles, but there are some nuances. Like the Darkness style, it relies on a bit of intimidation, but instead of it being a singular striking moment it’s the warrior herself that’s the intimidating factor as she rushes towards you. Any proactive attack will be met by a singeing shield and any attempt to defend will be struck against by a blade of flames. There’s not much that can be done to prevent getting enveloped by flames, you will get burned and that’s the true power behind this style: dread and the anticipation.

     Light style focuses on blinding and dazzling the opponent; an opponent who cannot see is an opponent who cannot attack or defend. It’s more than just shining brightly in the opponent’s eyes; otherwise the opponent can just close their eyes and use their other senses to keep on fighting. Light also gives off warmth and using that to relax the opponent or misdirect them; make your foe lose track of the battle and maybe their willingness to fight. Some Light style practitioners even swear off using weapons entirely; though I would still suggest carrying at least a staff if they need to smack some common sense into their opponent.

     The after lunch crowd is starting to come in so let’s finish with Water style. Water style focuses on going with the flow and movement of the battle, not trying to resist the force of battle but use it to your advantage. Lunged forward with a halberd and missed? Don’t pull back, instead dash along with it and curve around into a slash. Opponent strikes the halberd as you swing it around? Don’t push back against their attack, use the force to spin yourself around and attack them on the other side. It’s like a dance performance, and it’s most effective when you’re in the water. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m hearing the stampede rumbling of the after lunch crowd; BRACE YOURSELVES SISTERS!”

     SHOP: Haunted Weaponry

     LOCATION: Haunted Woods - The Deserted Fairgrounds

     ITEM CATEGORY: Haunted Weaponry

     BATTLING STYLES:

     “BATTLING STYLE? This is the Haunted Woods, the battling style is SURVIVAL! You go with what WORKS, what keeps you ALIVE. But I’ll tell you what; we’ll look through my weapons stock because there are themes to some of them.

     The first most obvious theme would be BONES. Think the first material someone in the Haunted Woods would use to make a weapon would be wood or stone? THINK AGAIN! While not all of them are alive, if you pick up the wrong rock or start cutting into the wrong tree you’ll end up as their MEAL! So early Haunted Woods weapon makers had to get CREATIVE and took notice of the excess amount of bones around, and so BONE WEAPONS came to be. Bone weapons are STURDY but FLEXIBLE; you’re to use them as if they’re an extension of your own SKELETON! But do be careful, sometimes bone weapons get a bit LONELY and find a way to get ATTACHED to you, literally. Heh EH eh.

     GHOSTKERCHIEF WEAPONS are next. Actually, we could talk about any of the GHOSTLY or SPIRITUAL weapons here. That’s because most of these weapons aren’t just designed with a ghost theme or give off a ghostly aura, they don’t even have a STABLE PHYSICAL FORM! You can equip them but when used against an opponent it’s not their body you’re aiming for, it’s their very SOUL you’re striking! However, these weapons tend to leave their wielder VULNERABLE to their opponent’s likely more physical attacks. You have to fight them as a GHOST would, striking and retreating, wearing down their soul until THEY BECOME a ghost before you do. Only kidding, mostly.

     Let me see what else... PUMPKINS! What’s WORSE than a several pound gourd being swung in your direction? The MESS of pumpkin seeds afterwards, HA HA HA! And that’s it. There’s really no deeper finesse when you’re wielding a pumpkin. Doesn’t make for a good shield, can’t roll or throw it around without breaking, it’s strictly for SMASHING over the head of your opponents and covering them in seeds. MOVING ON.

     If the only thing from the Haunted Woods you get covered in is pumpkin seeds then you should consider yourself LUCKY. Thanks to a certain nasally Meerca, SNOT WEAPONS has become its own theme. There’s no way getting around it, when you play with snot EVERYONE gets some green slime on them. If you’re going to use a SNOT WEAPON you’re going to need to use that knowledge to your advantage: know you’ll never lose GRIP of the weapon so can be looser with your movements. Snot weapons will always leave a STICKY snot pile wherever it touches, so you can use that to set sticky floor TRAPS. Didn’t think there would be any STRATEGY using snot weapons, DID YOU? Huh, WHOSE snot is it? This interview is OVER...”

     SHOP: Maractite Marvels

     LOCATION: Maraqua

     ITEM CATEGORY: Maractite Weaponry

     BATTLING STYLES:

     “First off, if you’re using a Maractite weapon above water you’re using it wrong. Maractite weapons rust when exposed to air, and when that happens you gotta soak it in a high salinity water solution for a few days to break the rust apart. Not fun; I get rusty returns *all* the time. The Maractite Resource Association begun decreasing my supply delivery of Maractite because of it, saying they feel there are better things to make Maractite out of aside from weapons. Can you believe that? These Maractite weapons SAVED us from Captain Scarblade and his pirates and now they just want to have them fade away. You know Scarblade is still out there, right?

     But where were we? Oh yeah, using Maractite weapons. As I said, don’t use them above water, they’re made for undersea combat. Maractite’s unique structure makes it go through water like it was air, *real* advance stuff. I don’t even know how some of these weapons work, but they do so don’t worry about it. Easiest to understand are the blades, love ‘em, I’ve made many blades and not all of them swords. Though the swords are probably the easiest to wield, Maraquan battling style is all about understanding how fighting underwater works. You got your 3D space, swimming and buoyancy control, learning how to see past and use bubbles; all advance stuff. So it’s good to just have a weapon you swipe with and it cuts. The battleaxe is a bit more cumbersome and requires more of a swing but you got plenty of room to do that underwater and boy when it hits, it *HITS*.

     If you’re looking for something fancier we got spears, tridents, even a whip cord! Don’t cause a big ol’ quash like the blades do but if you’re looking to hit the opponent from out of arm’s reach than there’s your pick. And when you’re underwater being out or reach means you could be anywhere, including above and below your opponent. Underwater battling has got to be the *greatest* way to fight. Spear and trident are straight forward, you just stab straight forward. The cord is a bit more complicated, gotta take into account the angle and curve, but it can really confuse your opponent when they don’t know where you’re attacks are coming from!

     Now if you want something less fancy we also got that. *WHAM*. Battle hammers and mace, one whack with any of these and anyone is out for the count. Now it goes without saying a normal blunt force weapon is pretty useless underwater, that’s why it gotta be made of Maractite. They’re most effective with charging momentum, usually dropping down to clock them on the head or rising from above and pulverizing their leg or tail.

     Finally we got a bunch of projectiles like bows, net, and a sling if that’s what you’re into. Oh, we also got a boomerang! *Everyone loves* the boomerang! With the bow and sling once you take a shot you gotta reload with extra ammo you brought or fetch the ammo if you didn’t, but the boomerang you can play mind games with. A boomerang always returns to from where you threw it, so toss it, get your opponent to position themselves where you were, and *BOOM*! Well, there’s no explosion, but they’ll feel dazed enough for you to grab back the boomerang and then hit them with something that *really* huts!”

     SHOP: Ninja Weaponry

     LOCATION: Mystery Island - Secret Ninja Training School

     ITEM CATEGORY: Varies

     BATTLING STYLES:

     “To fight as a ninja, one must be trained to be as stealthy as a shadow, swift as the wind, and dangerous as a blade. It takes years to understand, decades to learn, and a lifetime to master. But for those who are on a time crunch, my weapons can provide at least a passing resemblance of the ninja battling style.

     A bamboo staff can sometimes be the most versatile tool a ninja can have at their disposal. Most just see a long stick to strike the opponent with, but ninja know even the thinnest of bamboo is still strong and sturdy. It can block a blade strike and remain in one piece, can be used to pole vault over an opponent or impeding obstacle, thrown like a blunt spear, or swung low to trip your foe. There are ninjas who never bother to carry a bladed weapon and instead master the art of the staff weapon after getting the feel of the bamboo staff.

     But the bamboo staff is not for everyone, some want the blade. Ninjas do carry swords and daggers, but here in the Training School, we teach the art of stealth. This is why only blade weapon on sale is the fighting fan, what looks to be fine fabric to cool oneself is actually thin blades perfect for surprise attacks! But you just don’t swing the fans around; fan fighting is a highly choreographic dance of graceful movements, acrobatic dodges, and precision counterattacks. It reminds students that even the thinnest of blades can cut as deep as the biggest of swords, and that agility can be far more effective than power.

     Staffs and hidden blades are the most stealthy melee weapons, but what is stealthier then never having to directly face your opponent? Blowguns have a long history of taking out soldier, guards, generals, and rulers alike! It is more than just what the dart is filled with, but also how the blowgun itself is used. Made of trusty bamboo, a ninja can use it to slide down a rope, use as a breathing tube underwater, and wait for their target unaware stroll by. And after a quick and silent blow to inflict the dart, back underwater you go; only bamboo sprouts here! No ninja tool is all that is appears, most have multiple uses so a ninja doesn’t need to carry more than they need.

     And then there’s the smoke bomb. Sometimes ninja tools only have one use, but one use is sometimes all the tool needs. If caught or in need of a distraction, nothing stops the opponent in their tracks like a loud explosion and a wall of black smoke. Hide, attack your opponent, or sneak by unnoticed; one simple trick, many possibilities. Ninja either learn they need to adapt, or learn they won’t be a ninja for long.”

     SHOP: Wonderous Weaponry

     SHOPKEEPER: Kentari

     LOCATION: Shenkuu

     ITEM CATEGORY: Wonderous Weaponry

     BATTLING STYLES:

     “Shenkuu is the homeland of many kinds of martial arts and the disciplines of ninjutsu and bushido. Hm, you thought Mystery Island was where ninjutsu originated? No, while certainly the land with the most practitioners and masters of ninjutsu, the one known as the Techo Master’s Master is believed to be from Shenkuu. When the royal bloodline chose the followers of bushido, the samurai, to be their guards many of the ninja masters felt it was a great dishonour so left Shenkuu to spread their craft. Let me guess, you spoke with the Aisha in the Secret Ninja Training School’s shop, right? As I’m also a seller of ninja weapons we do business time-to-time. Since they told you about battling as a ninja, let me tell you about battling as a samurai.

     A battling style that came about from wanting to find the morality in combat and protecting others, samurai are proud warriors who do not hide. When fighting another samurai, a samurai warrior either issues a challenge or is the one accepting it. That is when a samurai duel takes place, both entering a stance of their preferred katana sword style and then seeing who has mastered their craft the best. Swift swipes, clashing blades, counterattacking, and falling back are all part of the dance the two perform with and against one another. It is somewhat entrancing to watch if I do say so myself; I did not become weapon master of the Cyodrake’s Gaze simply from my weapon selling skills.

     Of course, not every battle is one-on-one against a fellow samurai. While a sword is still useful, a samurai is a master of all kind of weapons. Pudao are used in similar ways as katana swords except have a longer reach and swung in a way so there’s great force at the end tip. Staffs are a non-lethal alternative to the pudao, for when you want to knock down your opponent and not stitch them back-up. Chakrams provide a more all-rounded way to do close combat in ways a simple knife or dagger couldn’t; makes hand swings to be like they were axes.

     You may notice the samurai don’t really have any “tricks” such as throwing projectiles or smoke bombs. While certainly handy if we had, the way of the samurai doesn’t need it as we train to fight our opponent’s face-to-face. As we train to master our weapons our senses too get trained so we can make out the sound of blades slicing the wind, notice the movements around us so we can swing accurately and safely, and feel the bond between us, our sword, and nature. While I’m not saying a ninja couldn’t sneak up to us, what I am saying is that it takes a top-level ninja to do so.”

     SHOP: Ice Crystal Shop

     LOCATION: Terror Mountain - Ice Caves

     ITEM CATEGORY: Ice Crystals

     BATTLING STYLES:

     “While I’m more of a crafter than a fighter, I am no stranger to having to hurl a snowball or cut with my ice dagger when the rare occasion arises. A Terror Mountain battling style, if there is one, isn’t about how best an equal opponent but surviving against the powerful Snow Beasts that live on Terror Mountain.

     First rule to remember: unless you’re an amazing fighter, you’re not winning. Stories about the Snow Beast go as far back as to when the Bori were originally active and they made artwork of battles with them. They tell about how many brave warriors have gone and faced Snow Beasts, only to never return. Even today whenever someone goes missing it’s usually chalked up as a “win for the Snow Beast”. So your first action: distract & run. Well, those are two actions, but you get my point.

     I have dozens of Snowballs and Snowflakes, each with their own effect, meant to momentarily stun the beast. A Snowball is easier to throw and activates upon hit, meanwhile, a Snowflake is faster to toss and sticks onto its target causing a delayed reaction. There are a few kinds of different Snow Beasts who have adapted in different ways, so before you go into the wilderness of Terror Mountain make sure you study what the local Snow Beasts are and take the suggested Snowballs and Snowflakes with you.

     To go over a few Snowballs: Bullseye Snowball is a general favourite as the red stripes draw the Snow Beasts attention to it; even if you miss with it you should still have a chance to run as the Snow Beast watches where it goes. Smaller and weaker Snow Beasts will generally run away when hurt so a hard-hitting Diamond Snowball, Frozen Snowball, or Steel Snowball will send them fleeing. Snow Beasts that have thick fur you need something a little more to distract. A Fiery Snowball or Fire Gormball Snowball usually does the trick by setting some of their fur on fire. Finally, there’s a certain breed of Snow Beasts who for some reason are drawn to the colour pink; throwing a Pink Faerie Snowballs or Pink Gormball Snowballs might get them off your back, though I’ve also heard stories of them continuing to chase after you as they think you have more “pink” on you.

     My Snowflakes are based on the Snowballs which are given out from Snow Wars, Scratchcards, and sold at the Healing Spring. Instead of just reselling those I thought I’d put my own spin on them, giving one more way to handle the Snow Beasts. Many Snow Beasts have gotten used to Snow Balls, anticipating their effects thus making them less effective. However, with my Snowflakes delayed activation, they usually have no idea why they’re suddenly feeling odd which spooks them off. Exploding Snowflake causes a sudden flash of light of heat, Glowing Snowflake makes them glow green for a bit, Icy Snowflake causes that part of their body to freeze up, Poisonous Snowflake makes them feel gradually more ill, Abominable Snowflake releases a shriek which gets louder and louder, Dung Snowflake releases a foul odour that gets worse and worse, and you get the picture by now.

     And before you even think it, my Snowballs and Snowflakes were given a pass by the Petpet Protection League. Sure the effects sound bad, but they’re only temporary and do no real harm to the Snow Beasts. Why does the PPL care? While not Petpets themselves, the Snow Beasts are considered guardian species of Snicklebeasts and Xamphers so they’re also given some protection rights. Not that they need them, but it’s another reason why it’s better to toss a Snowball or Snowflake at ‘em instead of trying to go at them with one of the ice weapons I carved. Wait, I should be advertising my wares...”

     SHOP: Sakhmet Battle Supplies

     SHOPKEEPER: Remnok the Nomad

     LOCATION: The Lost Desert - The City of Sakhmet

     CATEGORY: Desert Weapon

     BATTLING STYLES:

     “In the Lost Desert, it’s not who has the better battling style that win conflicts, it’s who has the worse battling style which wear themselves out. Your opponent could have the longest blade or the most accurate bow, but your true enemy is the desert sun. Unless you’re fighting in the shade it will bake you, and so the best battling style more has to do with reserving one’s energy than giving all they got.

     But perhaps I’m making this sound too simple. You can’t just hold a shield in front of you and hope your opponent keeps whacking it until they’re red in the face. Folks out in the desert know better, plus a metal shield would get too hold to hold with your bare hands. The most reliable way to get your opponent to overheat is with a blade. Not to cut them, though that would certainly help, but to cut their clothes revealing their sensitive skin, scales, or whatever to the harsh heat and rough, sand-filled air. A scimitar is the favourite sword out here; the curved blade cuts through the air unhindered and leaves the biggest gashes. That is, of course, if you hit, but a big sword requires a lot of strength to swing, a heavy swing you must follow through with, and a swing which takes much energy to muster. Those without the strength to spare may do better with a dagger; smaller holes and you have to get close but lighter to wield and more likely to hit. Such a small weapon is easy to conceal and spring out when those who wish you ill least expect it. Same could be said about a handheld scythe, not quite as easy to hide as a dagger but it does leave a bigger tear if it snags their clothes. But if you got the muscles for it, a heavy swing of the great axe would take off about half of your opponents clothes, if not a bit more, really putting them in a bad spot.

     Exposing them to the sun is on way to outlast your opponent, but you can also tire them out and let the resonating heat from the sand do its toll. A long spear or staff can be used to try and trip your opponent. If you’re using a spear, as a bonus, when they’re down you can cut the back of their clothes letting them be roasted by the sands below and sun above. That’s not to say the staff has no additional use, its heavy head could knock a fallen foe unconscious if you have places to get to. But if that’s more your style you can instead try sceptre or maces. The sceptre is a decisive weapon, at first glance, it looks like your swinging around nothing better than a stick, but the head is made of a much denser metal; definitely denser than the skull it’s going to be hitting against. But if you don’t have the arm strength or want to keep your opponent at arm’s length a mace is a perfectly acceptable alternative, you just need to practice with it to understand how the chain bends and curve as your flail it; would be counterproductive to smack yourself with your own weapon, not to mention embarrassing.

     I see you eyeing my bow. Honestly, not a great weapon for the desert, too much sand in the air and into your eyes. Instead use this: wrist-mounted arrow launcher. Just aim and shoot, it can get in a cheap tear in or two; nothing that’ll slow them down but set you up to shred their clothes to shreds. Personally, that’s why I prefer the slingshot. Yes, I said the slingshot. A few stones don’t sound much, but it can give you the distraction you need to knock your opponent off balance. If your aim is to tear I’d also suggest a chain spear, not only does it cut but can be used to wrap around your opponent’s legs and drag them through the sand; just thinking about the friction burns makes me wince. Speaking of which, there’s also nothing against throwing a bag of sand in their eyes. And if anyone says you’re playing dirty, just correct them that you’re playing sandy... that was a joke; we’re in the desert, we make sand puns.

     SHOP: Desert Arms

     LOCATION: The Lost Desert - The City of Qasala

     CATEGORY: Qasalan Weaponry

     NOTE: I changed the question up a bit. Instead of directly asking about the Qasalan Battling Styles, I asked how they were different from the above Sakhmetian Battling Styles.

     QASALAN & SAKHMETIAN BATTLING STYLE DIFFERENCES:

     “No shade against my fellow weapon merchant in Sakhmet but the battling styles of the Lost Desert have definitely lost their finesse over the past centuries. Waiting out your opponent? I thought we were fighting not waiting on line at the fruit stall! Though with how barbaric they fight I guess I shouldn’t be surprised most fights end with them laying in the sand. Qasalan battling styles are much more articulate, having purposeful movements that waste less energy but provide critical strikes.

     Take this sword for example. Any Sakhmet blade is likely a shoddily sharpened piece of metal, but Qasalan blades are made to comfortably fit in your palm for smoother transitions between swipes. The blade too is handcrafted so that it cuts cleanly but is lightweight that once you’re done with one swing you can bring it back for another and then another. Similarly, a Qasalan dagger also fits into your palm if not better. Unlike in Sakhmet where a blade is just for a quick stab or small tear, a Qasalan dagger is meant to be used as a gourmet chef uses a prized knife. With some precision cuts, you should leave them with half their clothes, HA! Remnok said they use an axe for that? We too have an axe, but they’re such unwieldy weapons that we use them as projectiles to stun our opponent; nothing brings you down quicker than a sudden chop seemingly from the sands.

     Speaking of Remnok, did he suggest the same use for a spear and staff and called their important differences a bonus? You won’t catch me saying that! A Qasalan staff is very much meant to be used for close-quarter stick combat while we use our spears more for throwing; like a giant arrow. But if you want a bladed staff we do have that, as well as a trident. Never expect to see one of those in the desert, did you? Qasalan used to be a major trade city, merchants from all over Neopia would travel through the desert specifically to do business in Qasala. And not only did they come with money and wares but also ideas and designs from their culture; if you look carefully around you’ll see our architects took inspirations from many places and cultures. I too took inspirations copying some of their weapon designs, though tweaked them so they would work better in a desert environment. While a normal trident is meant to spear through water, my trident is meant to dig through sand; just don’t be expecting to catch any sand fish, because there’s no such thing.

     Maces and sceptres aren’t my favorites but I can understand the appeal of just swinging down a heavy spike ball or a rod that shoots light. Oh, yes, did I mention Qasala weapons tend to have a touch of magic? Just a little something to spice up battles. You should see the effects we’ve added to our bows. Did Remnok say bows weren’t that great in the desert? Of course he would, let me guess, he tried to sell you on a slingshot, right? You might as well just pick up some pebbles and throw them yourself. If you’re going to be close enough to your opponent and want to use a strange weapon I’d suggest a blowgun instead; you can at least fill the darts with magic or poison. But contrary to what Remnok said, a bow can give you a great advantage in the desert. You may not get a clear view of your target but an arrow does not need perfect vision to hit a shadow through shifting sands, leaving a lasting impres-sand!... that was a joke; we’re in the desert, we make sand puns.”

     SHOP: Tyrannian Weaponry

     SHOPKEEPER: Tyran Far

     LOCATION: Tyrannia - Jungle

     CATEGORY: Tyrannian Weaponry

     NOTE: For sake of convenience, I translated Tyran Far’s Tyrannian into common Neopian.

     BATTLING STYLES:

     Tyrannians combine stealth and strength into one ULTIMATE BATTLE STYLE! We make our weapons out of the strongest of objects like stone, bone, teeth, and claws. Weapons are very heavy, you cannot just charge at opponent or you’ll end up as a gargaraptor lunch. Must be patient and wait, but not wait too long or fall asleep and go hungry. Learn to know when opponent’s guard is down and CHARGE! Heavy club good for knocking off balance but takes time to swing again, make first swing count. Dagger hurts lots and keeps holding onto big opponents, but easy to lose if grip isn’t good. Spear keep opponent from coming near but also within reach, give chance to take a breath and plan next attack. If weapons don’t work, sometimes best to do what beasts do and pounce with claws first, even if claws aren’t own.

     But Tyrannians also have secret weapon, a power that we have mastered for many generations: FIRE! Must be very well trained to use fire weapons, can really hurt opponent but also burn self easily too. I have made weapons that are covered in fire, as good as stone or bone counterparts plus heat and light to burn and scare opponent. But problem with weapon on fire is that it easy to burn self, so best thing to do with fire is throw it! Arrows are precise and piece deeply to burn deeply, but if don’t shoot soon will burn out quickly... or burn self. Fire burn longer in ball form so slingshot is good way to throw fire, but fireball can’t be held long or burn slingshot... and self. Made weapons that combine both hitting and throwing; if works sets opponent on fire while you BASH THEM DOWN! But if don’t work fire falls off stick and burns self. Tyran Far is not responsible if burn self with fire weapon, me told you plenty of times so NO GIVE BACK SHINY SMALL WHEELS!

     SHOP: Space Weaponry

     LOCATION: Virtupets Space Station - Supply Deck

     CATEGORY: Space Battle

     BATTLING STYLES:

     “Battle styles in space focus less on direct melee and more on incapacitating the opponent as quickly as possible. With lasers being shot across the battlefield at near light speed, there isn’t really any time for theatrics. Of course, that is not to say there isn’t any wonderment to see elite troopers carve their way across the battlefield taking down any opposition with flawless movement and precision.

     Let’s start by going over blasters. I’m sure we’re all familiar with energy blasters; they’re the most common because they’re the most effective. All fire a condensed plasma bolt dealing kinetic force and high heat to whatever or whomever it hits. Their only real weakness is they are more easily deflected either from highly reflective surfaces or energy force fields, though I’ve seen some amazing trick shots pulled off by expert troopers hitting an out-of-sight target by reflecting a shot around corners.

     Even more destructive are the sonic blasters, using intensified sound waves to cause widespread kinetic force damage. The downside to them is that you need to hold yourself steady to not get knocked over which will leave you wide open; but do so at the right time and I’ve seen sonic blasters take down a whole room. It’s quite the sight.

     Slime blasters aren’t as much for offense but for support. A squad of troopers usually has one designated “slimer” who has two jobs. First is to cover the field they expect their opponents to travel through making it either difficult and/or harmful to move through. When we all hear the word “slime” we think of the sticky stuff and that is one kind of slime we in the biz call “goo slime”, but the other kind of slime Neopians forget about is the acidic kind. But you’ll certainly remember the difference if a slimer runs into you as their second job is to cover opponents in slime to hold them down or burn away their equipment and armour, maybe even leaving a nasty sting in the process. You may have also heard about alternatives to slime blasters such as rays that freeze you or put you to sleep, don’t sell them here sadly but show there are other ways which blasters are more than just weapons of destruction.

     And while not a blaster, I’d feel remiss if I didn’t mention the explosive devices. Blasters are fun, but you need to have your target lined up to hit and its usually one target at a time. Any trooper worth their slothite knows to carry a few bombs on them. They’re not just good for hitting multiple opponents at once but can also clear objects in your way or provide a distraction. I’ve seen plenty of matches flip themselves around with one good use of a bomb when otherwise the situation looked lost.

     Getting off blasters, I do sell some melee weapons for those moments a trooper comes face-to-face with an opponent... or you see yourself as some kind of space ninja. Starting with most practical, a strength-enhancing glove can give you the edge in overpowering your opponent in a grappling match or rip them to shreds with energy claws. But with that said I guess I should go over the most popular melee weapon we have, the energy sword. I don’t mean to sound negative, it’s nothing against the sword itself, I’ve seen a few masterful uses of it especially one where the trooper used it deflect laser blasts! But that’s just a few instances; I’ve seen way more foolhardy rookies rush into battle thinking they suddenly got the ultimate weapon in their hands only then to be blasted unconscious in the next second. Was funny the first time, just pitiful the next several dozen. Finally, we got a hammer. It’s just a hammer, all virtusteel, when slammed against another hard surface releases a shockwave and sparks. It’s a heavy one though, got to train hundreds of hours on your strength and then a hundred more to properly wield it. Then again, that’s probably for the best, we don’t need more rookies charging into battle thinking they’re some lord of thunder while holding the hammer overhead.”

     Whether it’s with a paint brush, poem, sword, snowball, or ray gun, art can be deemed from anywhere, even from battle. From Altador’s regimented military tactics and magic, Faerieland’s elemental control, Mystery Island’s ninjitsu training, to even Terror Mountain’s variety of snow weaponry and Tyrannia’s brute force ideology, there are many ways battle presents itself as an art. So the next time you go down to the Battledome, before you gear up maybe take a moment to watch some other matches and see the combatants work their art. Maybe it’ll inspire some creativity in your next fight.