>People keep suggesting damage reduction as a legitimate
>tactic. I'm sorry but unless it's class-based and not on a
>Paladin, I consider damage reduction is a special case only,

Dunno man. I've seen a couple skilled, well-geared, prep-chugging non-village warriors pretty much own the berserker warriors they've fought.

Now, granted, they're not always fighting someone on the "high end" like Woldrun. Also they're skilled, well-geared, and toting around tons of preps. So they pretty much represent the "upper limit" of warriordom.

But, then again, there's probably always going to be one or two of these type guys running around. The Kostyans, Hunsobos, Igbahs and Humberts of the world. You don't think they crushed their fair share of berserkers? And I'm not just talking about when the village doesn't have its item. So if you're playing a berserker, it's almost guaranteed that at some point you're going to have to deal with someone who can punk you in melee. And, unlike him, you don't have word or teleport.