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Statistics 
Strength: 9+ 
Constitution: 9+ 
Size: 3-14 
Wit: Varies. 17 or 21 is ideal (obviously), but I've had a lot of success 
with 13, and I've seen good wastes with as low as 9 
Will: 17 or 21 (15 if CON is at least 17) 
Speed: none. 3-6 is ideal. 
Deftness: 11-17 

Comments_advice: This is a very basic Wall of Steel design, and properly 
run, it will win a lot of fights. 

Strength: 9 is minimum for SC, but higher is better, especially with the 
runts (sz 3-5). I'd go as high as 17, depending on size. Try to get at 
least "does good damage" and normal carriage ability. 

Con: Wastes are, primarily, a defensive style, and you need to be able to 
take a few hits, especially early on in your career. 9 is a bare minimum. 
The more con you can get, the more you will win. One of the best Wastes 
I have ever seen started with a 16, trained to 18, and won a tournament. 
Try for 11-13, or at least enough to take normal damage and to get normal carriage 

Size: Low is good, because you can use the points elsewhere, but any will do. 
If you're over a sz 14, then you're probably losing points you need elsewhere. 

WT: As with any style, a 17 or 21 is ideal, but I've been very successful 
with 13-witters. You can go as low as 9 or 11, but it will hinder the 
warrior's growth. Try to stay at a minimum of 13. 

Will: This is the single most important stat for a Waste. You only have 
three real choices: 15, 17, or 21. To get by with a 15, you need a con of 
17 or so in order to get good endurance. Endurance is key to winning with 
a Waste. If the roll-up does not have a Will of 17 or 21, or does not have 
a high enough Con to make a 15 will work, save yourself some trouble and make 
it another style. 

Speed: Speed is totally unnecessary. 3-6 is ideal, because that give you 
plenty of points for other stats. Any more speed than 9 and you are taking 
points away from areas that need it more. 

Deftness: 11 is necessary to use the scimitar--a Wall of Steel's weapon 
of choice. If you can get a 15 or 17, that's awesome. Any points you want to 
add after 17 can probably be better used on wit, will, or con. 

Weapons: Give your waste a scimitar, with an off-hand weapon for parrying. 
Early on in your career, a medium shield is a good choice. Once your 
warrior gets an expert in parry, drop the shield and use an off-hand hatchet. 
Against scum and defensives, I have always liked the great axe. 

Armor: This depends on the warrior. If the warrior is offensive-minded, 
give him enough to take a few hits, but not so much that he loses all mobility.
ARM/H or ASM/F are two good choices. If your warrior has a high constitution,
can carry a lot, and has great endurance, you may want to go with APA/F. 

Strategy: Wastes can be run in a variety of ways, with a majority of them 
having mod/low as favorites. Therefore, 5-3-x is an excellent default strategy.
Others that I have used with success include 3-2-x, 2-3-x parrry, 7-2-x, and 
8-1-x. As you can see, you have a lot of room to play with in Offensive 
effort, but there is almost never a reason to go over an activity level of 5. 

Some examples of Wall of Steel Warriors: 

17-13-5-13-17-4-15, Great endurance, Good carriage, does Good damage. 
Graduated at 18-10-1 

12-17-9-15-15-5-12, Great endurance, takes a Lot of damage, does Good damage. 
Graduated at 18-10-2 

14-12-5-13-21-4-15. Starting stats of the legendary warrior Sqorpion. He is 
now retired in Primus with a record of 82-39. 

10-11-8-13-21-6-15. Good endurance, normal carriage ability, does Good 
damage. Went 10 rounds in the novices in the fall '98 mail-in tourney. 

9-9-13-15-21-4-13. Does good damage. Nice skill base, but came back with 
only normal endurance, which will hinder his career early on. 

This has been a BASIC look at the Wall of Steel style. Play with what you 
see here, and good luck! 

This article brought to you by Lord Andarus. 
For more info: email: joedog56@aol.com ICQ: 33702160 or Diplo: Blades of Ice (188), DM7