Random Arenas

For information on the Zaishen Combat quest, see Random Arena (Zaishen quest).

The Random Arenas (or RA) are a group of Player versus Player arenas where two teams of four people battle each other across thirteen different maps. Both the teams that are generated and the maps themselves are chosen randomly. Because forming parties is done automatically, RA has the shortest waiting period for entering PvP matches among all of the areas. Characters must be level 20 to be able to participate in these arenas.

Objectives
Each map will have one of the following objectives that teams need to meet in order to win a match:

Normal Deathmatch
Most of these matches contain Environmental Effects that are dependent on the map that the team is on. Other than that, it's a straightforward destroy-all-enemies objective!


 * Maps: Ascalon Arena, D'Alessio Arena, Fort Koga, Amnoon Arena, Shiverpeak Arena, Shing Jea Arena, Petrified Arena, Sunspear Arena, and Churranu Island Arena.
 * Time Limit: 8 minutes
 * Victory Condition: All players on the opposing team must be defeated.
 * Death Penalty: Yes
 * Tiebreaker: Awarded to team with the least amount of DP after the time limit. If both teams have equal DP, then neither team wins.

Deathmatch with Obelisk Flag Stand
In these maps, teams are given a Flag which is held as a bundle by players that carry it. When flags are placed on the flag stand, their team gains control over that stand. Enemies in range of the controlled flag stand will take Obelisk Lightning damage every so often. When a flag is placed on a stand, or it is picked up by the enemy, the item will re-spawn at the team's starting point.


 * Maps: Heroes' Crypt and Brawler's Pit.
 * Time Limit: 8 minutes
 * Victory Condition: All players on the opposing team must be defeated.
 * Death Penalty: Yes
 * Tiebreaker: Awarded to team with the least amount of DP after the time limit. If both teams have equal DP, then neither team wins.

Deathmatch with Priest
The Priest in this map will resurrect party members whose Death Penalty is less than 60% every two minutes from the start of the match. This NPC is also equipped with the skill Heal Area and will use it whenever he or other team mates are losing health. Be aware that this skill can also heal enemies!


 * Map: Seabed Arena
 * Time Limit: 12 minutes
 * Victory Condition: All players on the opposing team, including the priest, must be defeated.
 * Death Penalty: Yes
 * Tiebreaker: Awarded to team with the least amount of DP after the time limit. If both teams have equal DP, then neither team wins.

Kill Count
There are two Resurrection Shrines allocated to each team at different parts of the map. Players that are slain can automatically resurrect at every 30 second interval from when the timer begins.


 * Map: The Crag
 * Time Limit: 3 minutes
 * Victory Condition: Awarded to the team with the most kills.
 * Death Penalty: No
 * Tiebreaker: Where both teams have an equal number of kills after the time limit, Sudden Death will commence. Victory is awarded to the team with the first kill during this tiebreaker. Unlike the other matches, there is no time limit during Sudden Death.

Tips

 * Because the vast majority of rounds are deathmatch, players are strongly advised to bring some form of quick resurrection skill (with the notable exception of builds dedicated to keeping the party alive to begin with). It is more efficient to raise a player with 8 skills of his own (while preventing the loss of the match on deathmatch maps) than to bring along any other non-resurrect skill. Resurrection Signet is by far the most popular choice; those that bring a hard res tend to choose Death Pact Signet for its short activation time, or Resurrection Chant for Mesmers with high Fast Casting.
 * Use your resurrection skill immediately when a teammate drops, unless you can achieve a kill in a few seconds or prevent yourself from being killed.
 * With very few exceptions, characters in RA should try to take out healers first, then dropping to low-armor soft targets such as Mesmers and Assassins, leaving Warriors, Rangers, and other difficult-to-kill characters until last. Healers of one flavor or another, though many Ritualists and few Dervishs, Elementalists or Paragons can also do the job as well. As of August 2008, however, the Random Arenas metagame has shifted toward Monks with self-defense stances; often you can apply more pressure by attacking another soft target with no stances.
 * A basic player tactic that can be used to increase your lifespan in RA is kiting, try to learn this tactic as soon as possible.
 * Due to the randomness of RA, you will not always be paired with a healing character in your team. For this reason, it can be useful to have a self-heal with you. Bringing your own hex and/or condition removal can also be useful, even with a Monk on your team the chances are that conditions and hexes will be removed far more slowly than organized PvP.
 * Don't leave prematurely. Having a team with no Monk doesn't mean that you will lose the match, so don't leave when there is no healer on your side. Give your teammates some time to use their resurrection skills on you if you die, too. Leaving before a match ends will result in dishonor.
 * Be cautious when reporting leeching players. Your party members may not report them when you do, resulting in dishonor points for yourself.
 * Skills that can interrupt are valuable in RA, allowing you to shut down key skills on the opposing team, for example self heal skills, elite damage skills, Resurrection Signet, powerful attacks etc.
 * Always have a place for the Party Window on face screen (Default hotkey: P). This window will tell you quickly what the status is of your teammates and whether you might have to abandon your current activity to aid a teammate or resurrect them.
 * Get to know the various arenas and use the arena specific effects to your advantage. For example, a bow-carrying ranger has to have a line of sight in order to successfully attack you. (Note that numerous map bugs mean that line-of-fire is sometimes blocked when it is not immediately apparent; the bridges on the Jade map are notorious for this.) A player who uses a melee attack while standing on Icy Ground will be slowed down for a couple of seconds, allowing you to get away.
 * When you do not have a supportive character in your team, know that the Priest can help you when you do not have enough energy or time to increase your Health. When the Priest notices a player with less than ~80% Health, he will try to cast Heal Area.
 * Be civilized, no one enjoys being called names, even if it is "just a game".
 * Don't get frustrated if the battles seems repetitive, since sometimes a "flavor" is established, either change profession and/or make a build according to the flavor "established", either countering it or supporting it.
 * Heavy hexing is a good way to shutdown foes, while causing pressure. During which time you can easily interrupt hex removal skills - especially with hexes that increase casting times, such as Migraine. Or simply overpower hex removal entirely.
 * Use the Score Chart (default hotkey, "O") and click Morale to see how well your team is performing. The score chart is the prime indicator in determining the winner in the event of a tiebreak during deathmatches.

Trivia

 * Prior to the June 2, 2011 update, a player gained additional Gladiator points for each interval of 5 consecutive wins.
 * Prior to the October 22, 2009 update, once a party member had won 10 consecutive matches in Random Arenas, that party would be moved up to Team Arenas where they were pitted against teams who formed in the Team Arenas outpost.
 * Prior to the September 27, 2007 update, a player had to reach 10 consecutive wins to earn 1 Gladiator point.