On this page
- Three player-versus-player modes: Classic Arena (one team vs one team), Tag Team Arena (three teams vs three, best of three) and Live Arena (you and the opponent draft champions in real time).
- Your Classic Arena tier gives a permanent bonus to HP, ATK and DEF for all your champions, from 1% in Bronze I up to 25% in Platinum.
- Arena fights are decided by who acts first. Speed, turn-meter tricks and crowd control come before raw damage.
- You fight against other players' defence teams, not live players, in Classic and Tag Team. Only Live Arena is a live match.
- Arena rewards are mostly Great Hall medals, Magisteel, Gold Bars, Live Arena crests, and a few gear sets you cannot get elsewhere.
Classic Arena
Classic Arena is open from the start of the game. You pick an opponent from a list of other players and fight their defence team, the team they have set to defend. You win by defeating all the champions on the other side. Every win raises your rating and every loss lowers it, and your rating decides your tier.
- Tokens. Each fight costs one token. In the guide we checked, tokens come back at about one an hour up to a maximum of 10.
- Refreshing the list. The opponent list can be refreshed for free about every 15 minutes, and sooner for a few gems.
- Weekly period. A ranking period runs a week and resets on Monday. Your end-of-week chest depends on the highest tier you reached, not the one you hold on the last day.
- Your defence team is set separately. It fights for you while you are away, so build a sturdy one.
Tiers and the stat bonus
The tier ladder is Bronze I-IV, Silver I-IV, Gold I-V and Platinum. Each tier pays a bonus to HP, ATK and DEF that applies to every champion on your account. It does not touch the other stats.
| Tier | Bonus to HP, ATK and DEF |
|---|---|
| Bronze I / II / III / IV | 1% / 2% / 3% / 4% |
| Silver I / II / III / IV | 6% / 8% / 10% / 12% |
| Gold I / II / III / IV / V | 14% / 16% / 18% / 20% / 22% |
| Platinum | 25% |
This is a real part of your champions' stats, so climbing the ladder helps in every other mode too. It is added to a champion's other sources, see account-wide bonuses. Gold V and Platinum exist only in the Classic Arena.
Tag Team Arena
Tag Team Arena opens at account level 35. You set three teams, and they fight the opponent's three teams in order: first against first, second against second, third against third. Win at least two of the three and you win the match.
- Keys. Tag Team Arena uses its own keys, which in the guide we read are fully restored every day.
- Gold Bars. The currency of this mode. Spend them in the Bazaar, which sells, among other things, accessories such as the Refresh and Cleansing sets.
- Team building. The same champion cannot be in two teams, so this mode asks for roster depth, not one super-team. See building your first team.
Live Arena
Live Arena is a live match against another player, found by matchmaking in your tier. It unlocks at account level 50 and runs in windows during the day, not around the clock (the windows were four a day at launch; check the schedule in the game).
- Matchmaking. The game finds an opponent of similar skill.
- Draft. The players take turns choosing champions from their own rosters until each has five. A coin flip decides who picks first.
- Ban. Each player then bans one champion from the other team.
- Leader. Choose the team leader. The leader's aura helps the whole team, so it matters.
- Battle. The fight works like Classic Arena. It has a 30-minute limit, and if nobody wins, both lose.
Wins give points, which move you up the tiers, and crests. Crests are spent in the Great Hall's area bonuses, which strengthen champions in particular places. See the Great Hall guide.
Seasons
When you reach Gold I (reported as 2,700 points) you are in the seasonal part of Live Arena. A season lasts about four weeks, followed by a break of about two. Once you are in Gold you cannot drop out of it.
What an arena team needs
Both sides in an arena fight are players, so enemies do not have boss immunities, and control works. What wins is acting first. The effects that matter most:
- Turn meter: reduce turn meter and fill it. See the turn meter guide.
- Buff control: Block Buffs and steal buffs.
- Control: Stun, Freeze and True Fear.
- Staying alive: Perfect Veil, Revive on Death and Block Debuffs.
Speed is the stat that most arena teams care about first. Accuracy and resistance decide whether the control lands, see accuracy and resistance.
Gear you only get here
| Source | Gear sets |
|---|---|
| Arena rewards | Divine Speed and the other Divine sets, Swift Parry, Deflection |
| Arena tournament rewards | Relentless |
| Live Arena | Impulse, Zeal |
| Live Arena league rewards | Stonecleaver, Rebirth |
Classic Arena also pays Bronze, Silver and Gold medals (spent in the Great Hall) and Magisteel (spent in the Forge). Platinum has been rebalanced, and a limited Shadow Arena has run to reduce repeat opponents in it.
How to start
- Spend your tokens every day. Even a few fights keep your rating moving.
- Pick weaker opponents first. The list shows their power; take sure wins while you climb.
- Build a fast team before a strong one. Speed gear is worth more than damage gear here.
- Set a good defence team and revisit it after big changes to your roster.