As the battle begins in Phyrra, each side of the PvP event has brought their fashion to the Arena. The Revolution Mini Set is available the Game Store at this time!

The mini set is divided in to four sets, one for each High Path. Each outfit comes with a special legendary, available only as part of this Mini Set.

The Daemon Mage Gear Set features the infamous Daemon Hellcaller gear, along with the ghastly Staff of the Foul Baptism and the legendary Abominable Wand.

The Daemon Mage Gear Set includes the Fleshrender collection of armor, as well as  the Daemon Horn Clobberknocker and the legendary Fleshy Shiv.

The Aenok Warrior Gear Set features classic Aenok Paladin armor pieces, the Aenokic Defender and the legendary Sword of Shining Faith.

The Aenok Druid Gear Set includes the Aenok High Father armor, and the High Father Scepter and the legendary High Father Staff.

http://www.duels.com

I thought we’d try something a little different this week and talk about our update a little bit on the Blog (our Patch Notes are still posted in the forums, as always). Change is always fun, right?

This week’s update touched on a lot of different subjects. There were a lot of changes made in regard to game balance, all tested on our Forge servers and ready for the live game. For a more detailed breakdown of these changes, please visit this week’s Patch Notes

• * First and foremost, the “If Resisted” Clauses were removed entirely from Energy Drain, Hold Person, Slow, and Shakes to simplify their purposes.

• * Burning Powder’s duration was reduced by one turn, to help bring high Stamina builds in line.

• * Energy Drain was change to non-resistible and the ‘drain’ was reduced due to the removal of the “If Resisted” clause.

• * Shakes’ reduction was changed to beef it up a bit and help it perform better for non-Artifact builds.

• * Resistance was put on a Diminishing Returns scale. This change was made because Resist granting gear has evolved and Resistance needed to reflect the current times.

• * Dual Wield/Shields and Shield Mastery skills had their dodge debuff removed entirely. Shield builds have been underperforming and needed a little boost to pick up some momentum.

• * Fortitude’s bonus to Stamina was reduced a bit.

• * Offensive Power’s effect on an opponent’s Absorb and Dodge was tweaked to give Sword paths a better way to reduce Dodge and Absorb without relying completely on Openers and Actions.

• * Defensive Power’s bonus was split because it was allowing too high of  a Resistance bonus, but is still useful has a general Resistance/Dodge boosting skill.

• * Dark Elf’s Delight’s duration was changed a little bit to combat its High Stamina version while keeping the same duration for non-Stamina focused builds

We also brought back the ever-popular limited-run Nobleman’s Bundle (50 Noble packs and 50 inventory slots), complete with its exclusive pet Rat (they’re actually quite darling and sought after!). The only way to snag a rat is to grab a Bundle, just remember it’s limited to one per avatar. The Nobleman’s Bundle carries a very special guarantee- if you purchase two Nobleman’s Bundle and don’t find a legendary in either one, Shindaan Guardian Del will be more than happy to give you one of his!

Chapters 7-9 of the Revolution in the Shadowlands have been unlocked at this time and are waiting for you. “The Aenok have arrived. The newest Duels race has landed and, with their help, the cleansing of Shadow Phyrra begins. But, what are these strange, angelic creatures and what unexpected consequences might their arrival hold?” To get started, visit your Quest Journal and begin the Revolution.

Last but certainly not least, Shadowland packs are on sale for Challenge Coins. When you pick up a pack, box, or case of the Shadowlands using CCs it’s buy one get one free. Very nice.

For a short time after our update this morning, we will run our weekly trivia contest. To try your hand at winning a few free packs, please visit our Patch Notes page to view the question and submit your answer!

It’s been less than a week since the Shadowlands launched in Phyrra. The awe-inspiring art of the Shadowlands set has been the talk of the Arena, as well as the deadly weapon and armor stats. Hundreds of teams have formed and are tearing it up in our Team Battles ring. Tons of team battles have been waged and show no signs of stopping.

August’s Forum Contest has also started, and this month’s theme is Sci-Fi Costume Party. You can use any items in the game to dress up your Duels avatar as any science fiction character, then enter for free for your chance to win great prizes.

That’s the good news.

With the arrival of the Shadows, there has been a change in the mood of the Arena, and Phyrra in general. Regular Duelists are now fighting for the twisted amusement of the Shadows, Phyrra’s new rulers. The quarantine placed on Phyrra by the mainland remains in place, making it impossible to get off the island by the usual means.

Our city has turned in to a  psychotic circus for madmen, killers, and the seemingly unstoppable Shadows. And the outside world wants nothing to do with us.

A small group of well-trained Duelists managed to escape the initial corruption of the Shadows, slipping past the dark collars and leashes being snapped on all Phyrrans’ necks. The only safe place in our city has proven to be Tomb Town, where we’ve taken residence.

Join us every week as new chapters unfold. Take part in the Revolution by visiting your Quest Journal and clicking on the Revolution image. The Prologue is currently available, and new chapters will unlock this Thursday after our scheduled update.

It’s time to take the city back.

Click For Wallpaper

Nightmare in the Elemental Age was kind of the Empire Strikes Back of Duels. As we left that last series, Phyrra was pretty boned. The ‘Bad Guys’ had won and gone on to betray even those who helped them and the city was overrun with psychotic monsters.

Now it is time to take the city back.  But, even if we manage to send the various Shadow Beasts and Kin back to their own foul dimension, Phyrra’s future may not be too rosy.  Two new factions are waiting in the wings. In a few weeks, they will make their appearance and, once again, we will need to choose sides and decide the future. It promises to be a devilishly good time.

And, even though the people of Phyrra are currently being forced to endure slavery at the hands of shadowy lunatics, on the plus side, we get an absolutely gorgeous new set out of the deal.  There is some pretty gnarly stuff in this one and gruesome is always fun to write for, thus, coming up with the lore this time has been a total (ly grim) blast.

Team Battles 1.0 also arrive today.  Blerg and I (and hopefully a few others) are planning to set up a team and take all comers once the launch craziness is finished, so be sure to track us down.

Finally, Sunday marks our second anniversary! We have some special surprises planned just for that day, so be sure to log in and check it out.

- TAD out!

Challenge Games’ very own Robby Anderson, the Duels Defense long-time-running champ, has been unceremoniously outseated! Robby’s high score of reaching level 505 seems paltry compared to Nicole Perel’s record-shattering score of level 625. For any players of Duels Defense, you can appreciate the sheer time it would take to reach such a high level (have we mentioned that Duels Defense is not a game where you can save your progress and then come back later?).

We tracked down Nicole, who resides in Australia, to ask her how she managed the seemingly impossible (and put our beloved Robby to shame in the process).

Residing in Queensland, Nicole was very gracious to answer our questions. She responded saying it took about 2 days of running Duels Defense to reach level 625, and only ended because she “needed to shut down the computer.” It was actually her partner, Aaron, who managed to get the score ( and hi-jacked the use of her computer in the process).

While Aaron is happy he got the high score, Nicole writes, “I’m glad I got my computer back for awhile haha.”

Have you ever tried Duels Defense? It’s really fun (and rather addicting). You can run the application through Facebook by visiting this page, http://apps.facebook.com/duelsdefense and get started by picking your chosen Path class. If you beat Nicole’s new high score, let us know!

Here’s a quick snapshot of the current Duels Defense Top Ten (just imagine your name in the top spot!)

By the way, #5 is also part of the CG crew. Duels Defense is big around these parts.

New creatures have been spotted within the Phyrran city limits. Three of these beasts have been caught and documented (click on image for larger preview).

Starry’s Facebook Page has an exclusive Shadowlands pet preview of its own! Its bite is definitely worse than its bark. Check out Starry’s Facebook to see the new beast.

Here’s a copy of the press release sent to the gaming press in regards to Noble Set VI’s launch.

DUELS.COM® GETS ENCHANTED WITH RELEASE OF NOBLE SET VI

Expansion Set Brings Unique Item Count to More than 5000!

June 11, 2009 (AUSTIN, TX) –  For the half a million Duelists battling it out on Duels.com, the online player vs. player (PVP) game developed by Austin game studio Challenge Online Games, Inc. (Challenge Games®), their favorite game just got a touch of magic. Enchantment is just one of the new features to be unveiled in Duels’ latest expansion Noble Set VI upon its release today, June 11, 2009.

With the introduction of enchanting, players will be able to obtain enchantment components by salvaging them from existing weapons and applying those components to enhance new weapons. As with each Noble Set release, new lore will provide more depth to the Duels universe. In Noble Set VI players will gain insight into the Amarian Warrior women, the druidic Fey Hunters and the mysterious Chrono-Watch. Any good Duelist knows his build can only be as good as the items he collects and Noble Set VI introduces more than 250 new Rare, Epic, Legendary and Artifact weapons, as well as new jewelry and trinkets, bringing the total number of unique items in the game to more than 5,000.

With half a million players worldwide, Duels is an online strategy game where players build powerful characters based on physical attributes, battle experience, special abilities and collectible items. Unlike many online strategy games which require hours of grinding play to achieve player power and status, Duels is designed to provide compelling in-depth PVP, head-to-head game play in 10 to 30 minute increments, attracting both hardcore and casual gamers for quick-fix gaming.

Register to play Duels today and receive free items packs at www.duels.com.

About Challenge Games, Inc.

Challenge Games was founded by veteran entrepreneur and gamer Andrew Busey, author of Secrets of the MUD Wizards and creator of one of the first instant messaging applications. Challenge Games currently produces Planetstorm, Warstom, Duels and Baseball Boss – multiplayer web-based games that combine the best features of collectible card games (CCGs) and online roleplaying games, with the convenience of the short-form gaming experience. The company also holds a multi-year licensing agreement with MLB Advanced Media, LP (MLBAM), the interactive media and Internet company of Major League Baseball. Challenge Games is based in Austin, TX and is privately held with funding from Sequoia Capitol and Globespan Capital Partners. For more information on Challenge Games, visit www.challengegames.com.

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 This is being sent on the wire as I type, reaching websites, journalists and readers around the world. We’ll keep the blog updated with more news. Enjoy!

DUELS.COM® HOSTS 200,000,000^TH BATTLE, SHATTERS RECORDS AND CROWNS NEW WORLD CHAMPION

Exponential One-Ups O.J. Simpson in 2009 World Duels Championship
May 28, 2009 (AUSTIN, TX) – It was a record-breaking week for Duels.com®, the massively multiplayer online player vs. player (PVP) game developed by Austin game studio Challenge Online Games, Inc. (Challenge Games®). Not only did the game host its 200,000,000^th (yes, that’s two hundred millionth) battle, but a new World Duels Champion was crowned after a tournament that shattered year over year records.

The championship ladder opened Tuesday, May 12 at 1pm EDT and nearly 3,000 competitors from 70 countries battled it out for two weeks. With double the participants from last year and nearly four times the amount of matches, it was a fierce, record-breaking competition to be last man standing. In the end, Duelist David Johnson (a.k.a. “Exponential”) was crowned 2009 World Duels Champion and took home $2000 in cash and prizes. Runner-up Duelist Andy Foote (a.k.a. O.J. Simpson) took home $1000 in cash and prizes. Each finalist will also have the opportunity to design a new item to be included in Duels®.

“Reaching the 200-millionth milestone during the 2009 World Duels Championship added an exclamation point to an already phenomenal event,” says Christian Primozich, Executive Producer of Duels. “From me and the entire Duels team, two hundred million thanks to all of the Duelists who brought their A-game and participated in the 2009 WDC. Duels continues to have the most amazing community of gamers on the Internet, and the bar has been set very high for 2010!”
With half a million players worldwide, Duels is an online strategy game where players build powerful characters based on physical attributes, battle experience, special abilities and collectible items. Unlike many online strategy games which require hours of grinding play to achieve player power and status, Duels is designed to provide compelling in-depth PVP, head-to-head game play in 10 to 30 minute increments, attracting both hardcore and casual gamers for quick-fix gaming.

Register to play Duels today and receive free items packs at www.duels.com.

About Challenge Games, Inc.

Challenge Games creates online games that are fun and easy to play whether you’re a serious or casual gamer. The company was founded by veteran entrepreneur and gamer Andrew Busey, author of Secrets of the MUD Wizards and creator of one of the first instant messaging applications. Challenge Games currently produces Planetstorm, Warstom, Duels and Baseball Boss – multiplayer web-based games that combine the best features of collectible card games (CCGs) and online roleplaying games, with the convenience of the short-form gaming experience. The company also holds a multi-year licensing agreement with MLB Advanced Media, LP (MLBAM), the interactive media and Internet company of Major League Baseball. Challenge Games is based in Austin, TX and is privately held with funding from Sequoia Capitol and Globespan Capital Partners. For more information on Challenge games, visit www.challengegames.com

*Correction- Exponential’s name is actually David Johnston, and not David Johnson as originally written. We apologize for the error.*

The World Duels Championship 2009 Semi Finals have concluded, and ‘intense’ doesn’t even begin to describe the day’s event. Five rounds, 256 participants, all battling for the top 16 spots. As each challenge commenced, players around the world watched to see who their next opponent could be. The Duels Chat room was a hot spot, as people shared agonizing losses, miraculous wins, and quick advice about their next match ups.

After each round, the list of top players changed dramatically, and some seasoned favorites found themselves in trouble due to a few under-the-radar players. By round five, it was all heart for many of our participants as each fight of the final round held their WDC fate.

Congratulations to all 256 participants that made it thus far in the WDC battle, and a bigger congratulations to our sweet 16, who are moving on to tomorrow’s Finals tournament!

The top 16 (in current ranking order as of Saturday, May 23rd)

1. HaVoCLaD

2. FreezemeUp

3. Duke

4. Almighty Argh

5. Alcoholic Champ

6. OJ Simpson

7. GigaPat

8. wetryu

9. NigerianWarlord

10. Exponential

11. Sora Elsa

12. Dark as Knight

13. The Quick

14. SteamRoller

15. Jowlstar

16. Princess Fluffy

Follow these top 16 players tomorrow, as the struggle to become the World Duels Champion heats up! You can stay up to date with the 2009 Finals by visiting the Finals page and by watching the Tournaments tomorrow afternoon- beginning at 2pm EDT.

From these top 16 will emerge the top 2 Finalists, who will go through a best-of-three match up later tomorrow afternoon beginning at 5:30 EDT. Only one will be crowned the World Duels Champion- who will it be?