Codex Arena
The Codex Arena is a four vs. four PvP game type where players are limited in their build creation by a limited pool of skills, the Codex. It replaced the old Team Arenas and Hero Battles in the October 22nd, 2009 update. This PvP game type found its roots in "Sealed Deck" combat, and is considered an in-game implementation of such.
The Codex[edit]
“The Codex is the list of skills that Codex Arena players must choose from. To keep things interesting, we'll change the skills in The Codex each day at 12:01 AM Pacific (7:01 UTC). [sic] When The Codex changes over, we'll let you know by sending a chat message to all players in the Codex Arena outpost.
If you're playing a match when the daily [sic] skills change, you can finish your match. Once the match is completed, you will be sent back to the outpost, and must select from the current day's [sic] skills in The Codex before playing again.
- The available skills can be viewed from the Skills and Attributes Panel (default "K") in the Codex Arena.
- The Codex skill pool changes weekly on Monday at 15:00 GMT/UTC (7:00 AM Pacific Standard Time).
Objectives[edit]
Each map will have one of the following objectives that teams need to meet in order to win a match:
Normal Annihilation[edit]
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.
Annihilation with Obelisk Flag Stand[edit]
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.
Annihilation with Priest[edit]
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.
- Map: Seabed Arena and Deldrimor 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[edit]
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: Yes
- 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.
Rewards[edit]
| Balthazar faction | |
|---|---|
| Unique kill | 40 |
| Victory | 50 |
| Flawless | 50 |
| 5 Consecutive | 50 1 Strategist's Zaishen Strongbox |
| Honor points after each win | |
|---|---|
| 2-4 wins | 1 |
| 5-9 wins | 2 |
| 10-14 wins | 3 |
| 15-19 wins | 4 |
| 20+ wins | 5 |
| Bonus Honor points | |
| Every fifth consecutive win | 3 |
- There is a 100 Honor points cap per day. The cap is doubled during the Codex Arena weekly bonus.
- There is a five Strategist's Zaishen Strongboxes cap per day.
Rules[edit]
- Each team is only allowed to bring one player of each primary profession, but it's possible to have both a player and a henchman with the same primary profession on the same team.
- Elite skills from the Codex are only available to the primary profession.
- Assassins, Dervish, Warriors and Paragons will receive 17 non-elite skills and 3 elites.
- Elementalists, Necromancers and Mesmers will receive 20 non-elite skills and 5 elites.
- Monks and Ritualists will receive 16 non-elite skills and 4 elites.
- Rangers will receive 19 non-elite skills and 4 elites.
- Resurrection Signet is always available.
- Aura of Restoration, Blood Renewal, Ether Feast, Healing Signet, Leader's Comfort, Shadow Refuge, Troll Unguent, and Vital Boon are skills that are always available in order to facilitate self healing.
- Certain skills are made available for the usage of other skills.
- Rangers will always have Charm Animal (Codex).
- Assassins will always have one randomly selected lead attack and one randomly selected off-hand attack.
- Ritualists will always have one randomly selected, non-elite binding ritual.
- Necromancers will always have one randomly selected, non-elite minion-summoning skill.
- Armor of Sanctity, Protector's Defense, Symbols of Inspiration, and Visions of Regret (PvP) are on the restricted list, therefore will never be available.
- Skills from the Codex that have not been learned (in the case of roleplaying characters) or unlocked (in the case of PvP-only characters) can be used. Roleplaying characters are still limited to secondary professions they have unlocked.
- Skills can always be used regardless of the campaigns or expansion (Eye of the North) on an account. For example, Burning Arrow may be used regardless of whether or not Nightfall is on the account.
Notes[edit]
- Codex Arena and Random Arenas share the same maps, except for Deldrimor Arena which is only for Codex.
- Priests in Codex Arena have 800 health and lack Heal Area.
- Teammates who leave after a victory will be replaced by Zaishen Henchmen, who are much more powerful than regular Codex Henchmen as they each possess an elite skill.
- Victories achieved in 60 seconds or less (counting from the moment the match was created) do not give any rewards. This includes honor points, zaishen strongboxes, and even quest progression. Players however will still receive credit during the game for kills in form of Balthazar faction and experience.
- According to Robert Gee, the skill selection is random (source).
Bug. If an elite skill of another profession than your Primary is added to your skill bar in combat (from skills like Arcane Mimicry or Arcane Thievery), it will be locked due to Codex rules. However, the skill is still useable the first second. Bug. Kills during Random Arena bonus weeks award double Balthazar faction and XP in Codex Arena.Trivia[edit]
- The Codex was changed four times daily from January 28, 2010 until June 2, 2011, when it was reverted back to once daily.
- Since the May 16, 2013 update, the Codex changes weekly on Mondays instead of daily.
See also[edit]
- Current statistics on pooled skills. (outdated)
- List of codex skills subpages, for previous Codex skill pools.
