Duel: Noun. 1. A prearranged fight with deadly weapons by two people (accompanied by seconds) in order to settle a quarrel over a point of honor. 2. Any struggle between two skillful opponents (individuals or groups).

The history of dueling goes back into the haze of centuries. It has been suggested that dueling first took form in primitive judicial systems, when disputes that could not be resolved peacefully were settled in a trial by combat. Later on, more private duels became popular, allowing a wronged or insulted person the opportunity to gain some satisfaction through ornate challenges and physical combat with swords or the elegant dueling pistols that were developed in the late 1700s.

In The Matrix Online, duels may be fought between redpills to defend their personal honor, or that of their Organization. However, the most common reason for dueling is to test one’s skills against another player. Fighting enemies that are controlled by a computer brain can be challenging at first, but once one figures out their tricks, it becomes fairly easy.

Fighting another player, on the other hand, is a constantly new and challenging experience–even if you fight the same player daily. Both you and your opponent can change your fighting styles with new loadouts in The Matrix Online, so you can never be certain exactly what abilities you will be up against. Yet, there are several basic principles that can help you prepare for dueling success, no matter which ability loadout you may prefer.