Gladiator guides for this genre deal in vibes. Arena Duel runs on a single engine file, and every roll is written down. The formulas below are the whole fight, followed by the numbers that decide character creation.
The damage formula
Every strike in the game computes the same expression. Take strength plus weapon attack, multiply by the attack power value, multiply again by a random factor between 0.8 and 1.2, then subtract 0.3 times the target total equipment defense, with a floor of 1.
Defense is the sum of the defense values on all five equipped slots. Each defense point shaves 0.3 damage off every single hit, so armor stacks linearly across the fight, and a full tier 5 set carrying 61 defense removes about 18 damage per hit.
After the subtraction, crits double the result and blocking halves it. The crit chance for you is 2 percent per agility point, capped at 40 percent, plus 10 percent while crowd favor sits at 80 or higher. The enemy crit chance is 2 percent per its agility, capped at 30 percent.
The attack table
Three basic attacks set the economy of stamina.
1. Quick strike costs 2 stamina, reaches 2 tiles, hits 90 percent of the time, and multiplies damage by 0.7.
2. Power strike costs 5 stamina, reaches 2 tiles, hits 70 percent, and multiplies damage by 1.3.
3. Jump attack costs 8 stamina, reaches 4 tiles, hits 50 percent, and multiplies damage by 1.8.
Run the expectation with strength 5 and a tier 3 Steel Blade, a base of 17. Quick strike averages 10.7 damage after accuracy, which is 5.4 per stamina. Power strike averages 15.5, or 3.1 per stamina. Jump attack averages 15.3, or 1.9 per stamina. Quick strike wins the stamina race by a wide margin, and both fighters regen only 1 stamina per round, so the ratio holds all fight.
Dodge checks run before accuracy checks. Enemy dodge is 3 percent per agility point, capped at 30 percent, and a dodged power strike refunds nothing.
Stats, hit points, and the reward loop
Hit points equal 30 plus 10 times vitality. Stamina equals 5 plus 2 times the stamina stat. Character creation hands you 20 points on top of five base stat points of 1 each, and level ups add 3 points with a cap of 15 per base stat.
Rewards after a win are 50 gold plus 30 times the enemy level plus 10 times your charisma, and 50 xp plus 20 times the enemy level. Each level needs 100 times your current level in xp. Charisma also drives the taunt, which flusters the enemy into skipping a turn with a chance of 8 percent per charisma point.
The ten opponent ladder runs from Weakling Wilbur at level 1 to The Immortal at level 10 with full tier 5 gear, 130 hit points, and a 61 defense set. New Game Plus adds 40 percent to opponent stats per cycle and one equipment tier every two cycles.
Abilities and enchants worth the stamina
Shield Bash, unlocked at level 2, costs 4 stamina and stuns for one turn. Whirlwind at level 3 costs 6, multiplies strength plus weapon by 1.4, and applies a bleed for 3 turns at 15 percent of the damage dealt. Battle Cry at level 5 adds 50 percent damage for 3 turns. Dodge Roll at level 7 guarantees you evade the next attack. Second Wind at level 9 heals 25 percent of max hp once per fight.
Weapon tiers add passive effects. Tier 3 and above roll a keen edge bonus of 5 percent per tier above 2 that adds 30 percent extra damage. Tier 4 adds a 20 percent burn chance dealing 12 percent damage over 3 turns. Tier 5 heals you for 15 percent of damage dealt. Crits apply their own 2 turn bleed at 10 percent, and bleed ticks at round end can finish a dying opponent.
Crowd favor rises as you land attacks and abilities, then decays 3 points per round. At 50 it grants 10 percent bonus damage and at 80 it grants 20 percent damage plus the crit bonus. Landing crits raises it fastest at 15 points.
Deterministic fight plan
1. Open every fight at distance 3 or 4 with a jump attack only if the enemy is slow and you can close after. Otherwise walk in and spam quick strike.
2. Keep stamina above 5 at all times so a block, costing 3, stays available against heavy hitters.
3. Use Shield Bash the moment the enemy is in range, then land your best attack on the stunned turn.
4. Cast Battle Cry before a Whirlwind, since the 50 percent buff multiplies into the 1.4 power scale.
5. Against level 6 and higher opponents, expect the engine AI to block below 40 percent hp and to throw power strikes when you drop below 30 percent hp.
6. Buy the tier 3 Steel Blade before armor. Weapon attack adds to every swing at full power multiplier value, while armor only subtracts 0.3 per point.
Honest limits
The 0.8 to 1.2 random band plus accuracy rolls means fights swing, and a 50 percent accurate jump attack can miss twice in a row. Enemy taunts, blocks, and finishers are probability rolls you cannot disable. There is no respec, so creation points spent badly stay spent for that save, and the save lives in your browser's local storage, where clearing site data deletes it. Potions cap at 3 per fight, so long brawls against scaled New Game Plus opponents outlast any potion supply.
Arena pre fight checklist
- [ ] Weapon at the highest tier affordable before armor upgrades.
- [ ] Quick strike as the default attack.
- [ ] Shield Bash saved for in range stun turns.
- [ ] Stamina kept above 5 for emergency blocks.
- [ ] Battle Cry up before Whirlwind.
- [ ] Dodge Roll held for enemy power and jump attacks.
Open [Arena Duel](/en/swords-and-sandals) and log ten fights with the quick strike plan. If your damage per stamina lands below the ratios above, send us the stat sheet and the fight log. Mismatches against these formulas are exactly the data worth publishing.
