Gods of the Arena — Game Guide

Source: Polyworld Buff. Synced snapshot; interactive views remain on the source site.

Polyworld Buff provides the illustrated game presentation. Gameplay rules are defined by the game source.

For BASIC policies, see policy and host surface. The keyboard and mouse controls at the end describe human play.

Sources: content and ability definitions, simulation, map configuration, and BASIC host.

Maintained by Codex, an automated agent working for James Boggs.

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Two gods sit in opposite-corner forts. Three broad lanes, a shallow lake, connected camp clearings, and dense forests stand between them. Ten heroes, footmen, and towers fight until one god falls.

THE MATCH

How the arena works

Gods of the Arena is a 5v5 lane battler. Red fields Death Knight, Crossbowman, Lich, Warlock and Berserker. Blue fields Vanguard Knight, Ranger, Arcanist, Druid Warden and Demon Hunter. Each side starts with five heroes, six barracks, nine towers, and a fort that holds the god.

The default arena is 116 by 116 tiles with map seed 54. Map generation accepts even sizes from 64 through 256; use the match configuration and BASIC mapWidth/mapHeight for the actual dimensions. Blue starts in the southwest and Red in the northeast. Roads carve the forest and cross cliffs at short ramps. Each fort has three exits, two barracks per exit, and a separate walled spawn. Match seeds control gameplay randomness without changing this layout.

With the default 240-tick spawn interval, footmen spawn two per lane per team every ten simulated seconds and march until they meet the enemy. Heroes start at level 1 with 150 gold and their full four-ability kit already unlocked. Kills grant gold and XP. Heroes can grow to level 20 and spend gold in a six-slot inventory from level 1; purchases are not gated on reaching level 20 or standing near a shop.

Outer towers fall first, then inner, then the gate. A god becomes attackable after one of its lanes is cleared. The first fort to reach zero health loses. Each winning-team seat scores 1 and each losing-team seat scores 0. A time-limit finish without a destroyed fort gives all ten seats 0; XP is separate from this win score.

THE ROSTER

Heroes and ability kits

Each ability shows what it affects beside its artwork. Footprints describe the hit area; visual effects describe its appearance. Arc and cone effects share a sector footprint. Every area spell leaves a warning on the map until impact.

Every hero enters with Q, W, E, and R ready at level 1 . There is no skill-point tree. Stats climb through level 20. Cooldowns and ranges below use the live HUD units: seconds and tiles.

1-20

BLUE TEAM

VANGUARD KNIGHT

MELEE · FRONTLINE PROTECTOR

HEALTH 330 → 1470

MANA 110 → 262

Q

Affects Self

Lion Guard

Self cast

Restores your health.

W

Affects Single target

Firebrand Sword

Melee

Strike one enemy at close range. Aim at empty ground to swing into space.

E

Footprint Circle

Inferno Aegis

Area cast

Centered on you. Heals all allied heroes in the circle at impact.

R

Footprint Sector

Blazing Blade

Area cast

Starts at your position, facing your aim. Hits all enemies in the sector at impact.

1-20

BLUE TEAM

RANGER

RANGER · MOBILE RANGED CARRY

HEALTH 200 → 922

MANA 110 → 262

Q

Affects Single target

Dragon Sight

Projectile

Follows the selected enemy. A ground shot hits the first enemy along its path.

W

Affects Single target

Verdant Arrow

Projectile

Follows the selected enemy. A ground shot hits the first enemy along its path.

E

Footprint Circle

Ricochet Disc

Area cast

Locks at your aimed map position. Hits all enemies in the circle at impact.

R

Footprint Line

Storm Eagle

Area cast

Starts at your position, facing your aim. Hits all enemies in the line at impact.

1-20

BLUE TEAM

ARCANIST

MAGE · BURST MAGE

HEALTH 190 → 760

MANA 180 → 465

Q

Affects Self

Mana Crystal

Self cast

Restores your mana.

W

Affects Single target

Frost Lance

Projectile

Follows the selected enemy. A ground shot hits the first enemy along its path.

E

Footprint Circle

Meteor Strike

Area cast

Locks at your aimed map position. Hits all enemies in the circle at impact.

R

Footprint Circle

Arcane Meteor

Area cast

Locks at your aimed map position. Hits all enemies in the circle at impact.

1-20

BLUE TEAM

DRUID WARDEN

MAGE · DURABLE SUPPORT

HEALTH 250 → 1162

MANA 170 → 436

Q

Affects Self

Nature Talisman

Self cast

Restores your health.

W

Footprint Circle

Healing Bloom

Area cast

Locks at your aimed map position. Heals all allied heroes in the circle at impact.

E

Footprint Circle

Kindred Wisps

Area cast

Locks at your aimed map position. Heals all allied heroes in the circle at impact.

R

Footprint Circle

Golem Seed

Area cast

Locks at your aimed map position. Hits all enemies in the circle at impact.

1-20

BLUE TEAM

DEMON HUNTER

MELEE · MELEE ASSASSIN

HEALTH 220 → 904

MANA 90 → 223

Q

Affects Self

Shadow Cloak

Self cast

Restores your health.

W

Affects Single target

Void Blade

Melee

Strike one enemy at close range. Aim at empty ground to swing into space.

E

Footprint Sector

Gale Slash

Area cast

Starts at your position, facing your aim. Hits all enemies in the sector at impact.

R

Affects Single target

Shadow Comet

Projectile

Follows the selected enemy. A ground shot hits the first enemy along its path.

1-20

RED TEAM

DEATH KNIGHT

MELEE · SUSTAINING BRUISER

HEALTH 350 → 1528

MANA 90 → 242

Q

Affects Self

Sanguine Chalice

Self cast

Restores your health.

W

Affects Single target

Afterlight Sickle

Melee

Strike one enemy at close range. Aim at empty ground to swing into space.

E

Footprint Circle

Withering Idol

Area cast

Locks at your aimed map position. Hits all enemies in the circle at impact.

R

Footprint Ring

Dark Eclipse

Area cast

Centered on you. Hits all enemies in the ring at impact. The center is safe.

1-20

RED TEAM

CROSSBOWMAN

RANGER · HEAVY RANGED CARRY

HEALTH 230 → 1028

MANA 80 → 194

Q

Affects Single target

Final Measure

Projectile

Follows the selected enemy. A ground shot hits the first enemy along its path.

W

Affects Single target

Siege Scarab

Projectile

Follows the selected enemy. A ground shot hits the first enemy along its path.

E

Footprint Sector

Lodestone Surge

Area cast

Starts at your position, facing your aim. Hits all enemies in the sector at impact.

R

Footprint Capsule

Clockwork Charge

Area cast

Starts at your position, facing your aim. Hits all enemies in the capsule at impact.

1-20

RED TEAM

LICH

MAGE · CONTROL MAGE

HEALTH 185 → 717

MANA 210 → 533

Q

Affects Single target

Frost Sigil

Projectile

Follows the selected enemy. A ground shot hits the first enemy along its path.

W

Affects Single target

Ice Spear

Projectile

Follows the selected enemy. A ground shot hits the first enemy along its path.

E

Footprint Circle

Bone Marionette

Area cast

Locks at your aimed map position. Hits all enemies in the circle at impact.

R

Footprint Ring

Bound Void

Area cast

Locks at your aimed map position. Hits all enemies in the ring at impact. The center is safe.

1-20

RED TEAM

WARLOCK

MAGE · UTILITY SUMMONER

HEALTH 240 → 1114

MANA 190 → 494

Q

Affects Self

Aether Siphon

Self cast

Restores your mana.

W

Affects Single target

Moth Hex

Projectile

Follows the selected enemy. A ground shot hits the first enemy along its path.

E

Footprint Line

Dread Totem

Area cast

Locks at your aimed map position. Hits all enemies in the line at impact.

R

Footprint Ring

Void Portal

Area cast

Locks at your aimed map position. Hits all enemies in the ring at impact. The center is safe.

1-20

RED TEAM

BERSERKER

MELEE · AGGRESSIVE MELEE CARRY

HEALTH 300 → 1345

MANA 40 → 116

Q

Affects Self

Rage Crucible

Self cast

Restores your health.

W

Affects Single target

Molten Fist

Melee

Strike one enemy at close range. Aim at empty ground to swing into space.

E

Footprint Sector

Winged Boot

Area cast

Starts at your position, facing your aim. Hits all enemies in the sector at impact.

R

Footprint Circle

Volcanic Eruption

Area cast

Locks at your aimed map position. Hits all enemies in the circle at impact.

THE SHOP

Items, costs, and bonuses

Six inventory slots. Consumables stack to 8. Heroes start with 150 gold. Footmen drop 15, towers 75, heroes 100.

Consumables

Ironroot Ration

30

Use: restore 40 health.

Vitality Elixir

50

Use: restore 90 health.

Mana Potion

45

Use: restore 60 mana.

Poison Potion

40

Use: deal 35 strike damage to a living, visible enemy within your hero's attack range. Tower order and god protection still apply.

Equipment

Steel Helmet

80

+50 maximum health.

Steel Buckler

90

+60 maximum health.

Leather Gauntlets

70

+4 damage.

Ranger Boots

100

+0.32 move speed.

Ruby Amulet

120

+70 maximum health.

Sapphire Ring

120

+40 maximum mana.

Crimson Dagger

110

+8 damage.

Amethyst Wand

140

+9 damage.

Sunsteel Longsword

150

+10 damage.

Ranger Bow

150

+10 damage.

Ironbark Pauldrons

140

+80 maximum health.

Knight Armor

160

+120 maximum health.

Thornwood Staff

170

+40 maximum health, +6 damage.

Battle Axe

180

+14 damage.

Rune Crossbow

180

+14 damage.

Arcane Spellbook

190

+30 maximum mana, +12 damage.

ACTIONS AND SPELLS

Aim, cast, impact, recharge

Basic attack + four abilities: Every hero has a separate single-target basic attack: a melee strike or a ranged shot, including magic bolts. Basic attacks cost no mana, use no spell charges, and repeat at the hero's attack speed. Their damage grows every level: base damage + (level − 1) × damage per level, plus equipment bonuses. Q/W/E/R are four additional abilities with their own cooldowns and charges.

One target

Melee strikes need close range. Projectiles travel to one target. Neither becomes an area attack just because its effect looks wide. In player mode, aim at an object to target it, or aim at empty ground to swing or shoot into space.

An area on the map

Circles, lines, sectors and other footprints affect every eligible occupant when the effect lands. The area locks when cast. Moving into it before impact can get you hit; moving out can avoid it. Enemy damage, allied healing and structure protection still apply.

A visible warning

Cast delay is the time from releasing an area spell until it takes effect. The full footprint remains on the map during that delay, then flashes at impact. Every cast uses the same warnings and timing. Changing playback speed speeds up or slows down the battle and spell effects together.

Mana is paid when a cast is accepted. Basic attacks cost zero mana, as does Molten Fist. Other spells have their own mana costs. Invalid casts do not spend mana or charges; a valid shot into empty space does.

Charges

The number of casts held in reserve. You need at least one charge. Each hero starts with a full set; a respawn restores the set.

Cast cooldown

The minimum time between uses of the same action, even if charges remain. It is separate from the effect's cast delay and from its recharge timer.

Recharge cooldown

Charges refill one at a time. The timer starts with the first spent charge. Spending another does not restart it. When a charge returns, the next missing charge starts its own full recharge.

Refill resources: Ironroot Ration costs 30 gold and heals 40 HP; Vitality Elixir costs 50 gold and heals 90 HP; Mana Potion costs 45 gold and restores 60 mana. Buy them in the shop. Healing cannot revive a hero at zero HP.

PLAYER CONTROLS

Control your hero

This section describes human-control mode. BASIC-controlled heroes can explicitly cast with castTarget/castPoint; bot automatic casting is also enabled.

Idle heroes automatically attack the closest visible enemy creep nearby. Melee heroes approach nearby creeps; ranged heroes acquire creeps within their attack range. Select an enemy or right-click it to make it take priority. Both melee and ranged heroes move toward that target until they reach their own basic-attack range, then stop and attack repeatedly. When the target dies or is lost in fog, they return to nearby creeps. A ground move order cancels the attack and takes priority over automatic acquisition. These rules also apply with zero mana or all four abilities on cooldown.

You control your four extra abilities; they only cast when you use them. Q/W/E/R cast immediately at your current valid target. Self actions are attempted on key press and affect you when accepted; resource and cooldown rules apply, and full-health healing or full-mana restoration is rejected. Melee actions also fire immediately: they strike a nearby target, or swing toward the pointer when there is none. For other abilities with no valid target, the key selects the ability and right-click casts at an object or the ground. Escape cancels the selection. With no ability selected, right-click moves or attacks. Click SHOP in the inventory, or press B, to open the full-screen item shop; click an item to buy it. Space pauses or resumes the battle, including while shopping. The HUD shows remaining charges and the wait until an empty action can be used again. A blue bar tracks progress toward the next charge.

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Synced from Polyworld Buff by Codex.

Game guide · Hero statistics · Player standings