Let’s be real, nobody likes Arena mode very much, but here are some simple ideas that could probably step it up a little… (JUST a little, though):
Idea: “Arena Champion” battle
Because an Arena run ends after 6 victories or 2 defeats, it has a maximum length of 7 battles (after which you will, by definition, have either 6 victories or 2 defeats), right?
So, if a player wins 6-0 in battles (aka: no defeats), they unlock a secret 7th battle against an “Arena Champion” team.
This Arena Champion battle is NOT required to complete an Arena run; the player can already retire at this point and collect the usual rewards for 6 wins. But if the player battles and wins, they will receive bonus rewards (resources which are not already obtained via this mode).
The Arena Champion team is selected in the same manner as any other Arena team, except it is scaled to Lv.20 and fully traited.
The player only gets one chance at the Arena Champion: win or lose (or forfeit), their arena run ends after this battle.
Idea: “Legendary Arena” mode
A slightly higher-tier version of Arena.
Each teams is drafted from: 1 Legendary, 1 Epic, 1 Ultrarare, and 1 Rare.
All Troops are set to the highest Level for their rarity (Lv.16-19) and have two traits unlocked.
Final traits are NOT unlocked, meaning no unique Legendary traits, no Empowered traits, etc.
The entry cost is higher (5k/10k gold?) but its reward tier is also a step above, i.e. includes some resources not already part of the normal Arena reward payout (e.g. a few Gem Keys instead of Glory Keys?).
Sounds nice, although I think, it will not appeal to a lot more players, than the already existing mode. Those who do not play it, mostly avoid it because it is less rewarding per invested time than other game modes.
… and while typing I notice, that I most likely still would prefer the classical arena mode to your new versions. The complete deleveling and reshuffling of strategies just has an extra kick to it, that other areas of the game are missing, so at least your “legendary” version would make it less unique to me.
It’s hard for new players to enjoy arena. It requires careful and lucky drafts to make it through. Arena also doesn’t have power creep and mindless leprechaun casting to charge everything up instantly.
However, once I got better at arena after doing it faithfully for months, I got better at the game. Careful troop selection that synergize with each other. Precise gem matching to get the most value for your team or prevent the other team from winning. Choosing when to fill mana, force the enemy into a bad move, or cast your spells.
All these things make you better at guild wars. One mistake in guild wars usually means the books just loop you to death. I understand some starting boards are horrible, and there is no way to prevent your defeat, but at least you know that you did everything you could to win.
I can consistently get 55-57k now in guild wars, and I attribute much of that to arena. You love to hate it.
A small very recent example on what I mean above:
I just had Flame Rhynax mixed into my team. On normal gameplay a completely forgettable troop.
In the first fight, I was dead two rounds after casting it. From there, I became very, very careful on how to use the troop. Fights will turn out short and very messy.
I never had as much respect for Burning Gems as I do now. On low levels, matching one of those is enough to wipe a party out.
Would not have been able to experience this, if it was with your suggested stronger teams.
That is a nice example of forgotten aspects having value. (Like poisoning the team and playing turtle defense till enemy dies out)
There r a lot of spells, status effects, and troop combinations that work so well in arena. I honestly can c myself playing arena in my later years.
“U youngins r blastin’ away with Megatron, not even thinkin’. Back in my day, I was fightin’ a Summoner with nothing but a peasant, but boy howdy did I win alright!”
I really like this idea, but I already like Arena. While I was playing this weekend I thought it would be a fun addition to unlock traits as you go. Your idea works for me.
Nice anecdote, but I have to disagree with the conclusion. Arena’s lack of permanent stat bonuses becomes the single biggest difference Arena mode has from anything else the more you grind out your Kingdoms (levels/power) and Factions (renown). For example, I get (checks) +16 Attack, +10 Magic, and +30+31 to Armor and Life for literally anything I run, which for a troop like Amira (with a +10 Magic bonus +4 for Elite Level) just over doubles her spell damage outside Arena, compared to inside an Arena team.
You can enjoy Arena by make it selection of troops from a pool of troops based on rarity and you choose your troops based on rarity. That way you can have a strategy and something to build on.
Then improve the rewards to include Deeds or/and Books.
Additionally, you can even have after each battle a random chest can be opened only by number of Treasure Maps, cost depend on the rarity of that chest. Yes Treasure Maps, so you can at least utilize them instead of just setting there without any use.
No thanks Arena runs are long enough as they are. I do like Arena actually but it takes a lot of time and there is no Class XP to be gained, and paltry terrible rewards for the Arena event especially. What we need is Class XP and better rewards, not longer arena runs.
There’s also the elephant in the room, that the main Arena “incentive” for reasonably progressed players is supposed to be the three discounted purchase offers you get each day after completing a full run. Purchase offers supposed to target what your account needs, except that they have been broken for years to drown you in useless ingots and a single overpriced event key instead. They can’t even get that fixed, asking for anything remotely sophisticated is like trying to get a rock to sing.
Merchants and angels replaced horrible arena offers, and arena offers were swept under the rug. The game mode will probably never get an update, but as you said, arena could provide us with targeted and helpful offers that could finally give us a way to make meaningful kingdom progress.
The power levels of kingdoms keep getting closer or are already at the unrealistic level of 30. What do they expect? For us to give in and buy new flash offers for deed books?
It’s strange though. An otherwise unobtainable goal of gold medaling every mythic is now achievable through glory orbs and under spire. Will they introduce a new way to get deed books? Who knows…
Well, there’s a PvP rework coming up, which also seems to introduce something called “PvP Shop”. I wouldn’t be surprised if the top placed players get some books out of it each week, as long as they have a big enough wallet to compete.
U would have even less time for other game modes, weekly events, grinding out explore, and helping out your guild. Might as well rename the game to "Gems of Work."
The people who have enough time to compete for the top of the PvP leaderboards are probably players who don’t need the Deeds and Books as badly as the rest of us.
I actually find that arena is fine as a game mode, I just don’t play it because the rewards aren’t worth the time, compared to other modes, same as treasure hunt. If they improved the rewards, more players would give them a go. Just don’t make the rewards so good that other modes become the new black sheep. Respect player’s time and effort and give rewards accordingly.
They could probably make some other changes, but unless the mode is worth playing, it’s not worth changing anyway.
I know from one of the regular #1 pvp players through several discussions.
You dont need books/deeds or power levels to top the pvp leaderboard. They dont even care about collecting all underworld troops, power levels are meaningless to them.
The pvp leaderboard has nothing to do with power levels, thats not how you win in pvp
