Duel - daddog vs. d0gma

[d0gma]

After playing email tag for a few days (totally my fault), daddog and I finally got to our duel last evening.  Since he was the challenger, I picked the first plane: Spit IX.

As we made our second merge first flight, I noticed daddog was actually flying a Spit XIV.  We augered and went up in the Spit IX together.  Second flight we collided on the third (I think) merge and I lost a wing.  Upping again.

Clean merge, we both came up and over and I shot him in the face with a lucky shot on the second merge and knocked his wing off. I felt bad about winning a duel on a HO but daddog insisted all's fair in dueling.  This was to be my only victory, as daddog owned me in the next three duels.

Second duel, daddog chose the C202.  To be honest I think I may have flown the 202 once, if ever, and if I did I sure don't remember it.  I had to set up my views, that's how much I fly it.  We made a clean merge and then circled around counterclockwise for what seemed about six hours.  The 202 is most definitely not a turnfighter and I spent most of the time trying not to go into a spin.  After tiring of the turn, I hammered the throttle and tried to zip away from daddog.  Note to self: 202 does not accelerate well either.  My next very obvious tactic was to chop throttle and flop around and try to get daddog to overshoot.  That didn't work very well, as soon as he got within 200 and blew me apart as I looked backward.

Third duel, my choice.  I chose the FM2, I'm not really sure why, because I am NOT GOOD in it and haven't got a clue as to how the flaps help turning.  Oh well.  On the second merge daddog went low and I came around and tried to come down on him but slipped into a flat spin.  By the time I got out of it I was on the deck, slow as a turtle and daddog was 400 off my six.  I think you can figure out how this ended (quickly and painfully for me).

Last duel, daddog chose the FM2 again.  We made the initial merge and then got into a lefthand turn fight, dumping flaps and speed and trying not to auger.  I only went half flaps because I thought that full flaps would make it uncontrollable, but daddog took a chance and went full flaps and easily got behind me and took me out.

The entire time we were dueling daddog was giving me lots of advice and help on how to duel.  This was my first duel ever, and quite humbling.

<S> to daddog for all the encouraging comments and help learning how to duel.

d0gma

[daddog]

Did you have to put in the part about my taking up a Spit 14? I just wanted to make sure you were paying attention.

Dogma has improved significantly since he joined our squad. Even though we have not dueled before you can get a feel for how good a squadie is after winging together a few times in Squad Ops, MA or AVA. First time I really noticed a difference was a couple months ago when he and I were after each other in the Axis VS Allied arena. I could tell then he improved. For those of you new to this game, just be patient. It does take time, lots of time. You can’t become a great stick in 3 months or even 6 unless you are at this 6 hours a day.

He sure surprised me when he took off my wing in our first round at the top of our 2nd merge. I think one of the biggest mistakes some of you might make (I had seen this in Sour’s ladder too) is to not be aggressive enough. If you have a shot take it. This is especially true if you are in birds that have canons. Crank that bird around till you are blacking out, but of course don’t hold it too long or when you release pressure off the stick you will remain blacked out for a few more seconds. Also consider you merging speed. If you are too fast you might not come around as fast as your opponent. If you are two slow you might not make it around at all. Dogma said he might not have even taken that shot at me in our first hot merge, but it gave him the win right off the bat. Inverted no less. Great shot dogma!

The rest of the rounds went my way. I could not give dogma a lot of tips (in my mind at least) because he was doing most everything right. He just needs to be aggressive, take shots when he has them, work on stall fighting, and flying a variety of different aircraft. No telling what your opponent will pick and it is good to have at least flown it a few times. The FM2 duel was close. Not until I cranked in those extra flaps did I start to come around. I was not planning on doing so because just that week I was flying the FM2 in the AVA. I had noted that with full flaps it was a DOG! It could hardly accelerate. When I saw that I was not gaining on him I added the full flaps which did the trick.

You’re a good stick dogma. Keep at it. Duel all you can, it can only help.