The Arena has arrived!

The time has come for your Blade to cross swords with some of the fiercest competition in Tamriel. Preparation is essential for The Elder Scrolls: Blades’ new player-versus-player mode, so get a leg up with our special beginner’s guide to the Arena!

Locating the Arena

You can’t fight in the Arena if you can’t find the Arena! The PvP modes unlocks at Player Level 5 the next time you visit your town. You can learn more by talking to Noura, who is located on the left-hand side of town.

Don your strongest gear (and keep it maintained)

These are real players you’ll be squaring off against in the Arena. Make sure your character is equipped with the best gear available! While your stuff can’t break during an Arena match, it can still break afterwards. Use the repair option in the Arena menu to have an available Blacksmith in your town repair your broken equipment.

Stock up on supplies

In addition to weapons and armor, you’ll also want to come to the Arena prepared with potions and poisons to give you an edge in battle. You must equip consumables in the lobby before a match starts but not to worry: a prompt will appear before matchmaking to let you know if you’ve forgotten to stock up. You can only use one potion or poison per round, so choose wisely!

Check your status

Combat in the Arena isn’t settled simply by the strongest sword. Keen fighters also use conditions to wear down their opponents. Conditions can be inflicted on a foe through spells, abilities, enchanted gear or dealing a set amount of elemental damage. Some status effects include:

• On Fire: Inflicts additional fire damage over time and prevents Health regeneration.
• Frozen: Slows down weapon swing speed and prevents Stamina regeneration.
• Poisoned: Inflicts poison damage over time while also reducing maximum Health for the duration of the round.
• Drained: Hinders Magicka regeneration and healing.

Dress for success

In between rounds, players can switch up their equipment and spells. This is a great opportunity for a cunning entrant to turn the tables on their opponent! For example, if a foe is giving you trouble with fire spells, slip into some fire-resistant armor or equip defensive spells like Absorb, Ward or Resist Elements to stay one step ahead of the competition.

Maximize your combos – and minimize your foe’s

Swinging your weapon haphazardly won’t get you far in the Arena. When your opponent’s guard is down, utilize combo attacks to get in the most damage possible! To combo attack, alternate your attacks from side to side in rapid (but controlled) succession. Be careful: while powerful, combo attacks can be predicted and blocked if your opponent recognizes a pattern. Vary up your offense to keep enemies on their toes!

Artful dodging

Getting stunned by an ability or a blocked attack can quickly turn the tide of battle against you! Take advantage of abilities that help you break free from stun effects such as Dodging Strike, Adrenaline Dodge, Focusing Dodge, Renewing Dodge and Recovery Strikes. While useful against stuns, note that these abilities won’t do you any good against a Paralyze status effect!

Use elements to your advantage

Spell effects that shock and freeze your opponent are so much more than flashy damage – they can debilitate your foe’s actions! Spells that Shock opponents can drain their Magicka, preventing them from casting spells of their own. Frost spells reduce your opponent’s Stamina, cutting them off from using their abilities! Keep an eye on your foe’s skills to see if they’re reliant on Magicka or Stamina as well as what spells they’re resistant to. Counter them with the right elemental response and you’ll be a champion in no time!