PvP (Player vs. Player) is a feature of Elsword that allows players to battle each other.
Videos
Sparring
Sparring can be accessed by talking to Camilla, the PvP NPC who appears in every town, and choosing the Sparring option. This will take you to the Sparring Lobby.
Matches in the Sparring Lobby have no effect on your Rank, Rank Points (RP), and neither award nor subtract Arena Points (AP). Consequently, you also cannot gain your rank from Sparring matches.
In the Sparring Lobby, you can either create or join a Sparring Room. Each room can have a maximum of 8 players in it at once, with up to 4 players on each team. When creating a room, there are several settings you can adjust to customize the fights in the room.
Channel
There are three channels to choose from in the lobby: Practice, Free, and Competition.
- Practice Channel: As the name implies, a channel for practice. MP regeneration is much faster than usual in the Practice channel, and both kills and match time are infinite. All players will have their stats heavily normalized, making gear nearly irrelevant. However, most sockets are left untouched, so having more sockets will give you an advantage. Due to HP being one of the normalized stats, some skills may have the ability to kill opponents in a single hit, such as Energy Spurt and Pain of Caladbolg. This also causes both the Fire and Nature elemental effects to be much deadlier than in Arena.
- Free Channel: Functions closer to Arena PvP, but still suffers from the same stat normalization as the Practice Channel. More modes and options are available in Free Channel, such as being able to adjust kills and playtime, as well as access to the Team Match mode.
- Competition Channel: Under normal circumstances, this channel is closed. It is only opened for official tournaments run by the staff of the server, and can only be accessed by the GMs and participants of the tournament. Specifics of normalization in this channel are currently unknown. Note: During the NA Winter League Tournament, GM Skillz said in a forum post that the normalizations in the Competition Channel were equivalent to the ones in Sparring. Whether or not this is true is uncomfirmed.
Match Type
- Team Match: A battle that gives each player one life. There must be the same amount of members on each team in order to start. This mode does not exist in the Free Channel.
- Team Death Match: A battle that gives team points depending on the number of kills for each team. There can be an uneven amount of players on each team, but the team with less players will be granted a damage, awakening charge, and MP buff.
- Survival: A free-for-all. The player with the most kills in the battle wins. This mode favors the usage of large area-of-effect skills, such as Generate Black Hole and Wind Wall.
Item Rules
- Item Mode: Allows random items to appear on the battlefield which can change the tide of the battle.
- Power Mode: Disables random items from appearing.
NOTE: Survival rooms cannot be changed to Power Mode, they can only be created in Item Mode.
Miscellaneous Options
- Room Name: Allows you to title your room. You can also edit the room name after creating the room by clicking in the text box at the top of the screen.
- Playtime: Allows you to set how long the match will last. The minimum time you can choose is 200 seconds, while the maximum is 1100 seconds. Team Matches only allow a maximum of 400 seconds.
- Kills: The number of kills needed in a Team Death Match or Survival Battle in order to win. The maximum kills allowed in Team Death Match is 28, and 12 in Survival. This option does not appear for Team Match.
- Number of Players: After creating the room, you may click on character slots to open or close them. In Team/Team Death Match, only an even number of player slots can be opened/closed.
- Private Room Option: Normally, your room is completely open to anyone who decides to join. By checking the mark next to the lock icon, your room will become private, and users will be required to enter a password before they can join. The password can be any length from 1 to 12 characters, so long as it is only letters and numbers. This can also be changed from inside the room by clicking on the lock next to the room title.
- Map Select: The Room Leader can click this button after creating the room to choose which map the fight will take place on. If a map is not selected, the map will be chosen randomly once the match begins.
Arena
Arena PvP is, in a sense, the "official" PvP. Each match will have an effect on your server-wide ranking, as well as rewarding AP, a currency used to buy items from Camilla's PvP Shop. Winning a match will also reward RP, which is used to determine your ranking within whatever rank you currently hold. Be careful, as losing a match will also subtract RP!
Arena can currently be accessed in two ways: Talking to Camilla and choosing Arena, or simply clicking the Arena tab when in a town or field. From there, you can choose either a one-on-one fight, two-versus-two or a three-versus-three fight. If you are in a party of two or three, you may only choose either 2v2 or 3v3.
Rank
When you first create a character, they will have no rank. To obtain a PvP rank, you must participate in ten qualifier matches. After the end of your tenth match, you will be awarded your rank. The ranks, from lowest to highest, are E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, and SSS. Your rank determines many things, such as:
-The amount of AP you can gain from matches.
-The strength of the players you are matched with.
-The strength of Epic NPCs you can encounter.
-The items you can purchase from Camilla's Shop.
To increase your rank, you must consistently win matches in Arena. Doing so will increase your AP Tier, an unspecified variable that can be determined by finding the amount of AP you receive from winning a 1v1 match. Upon reaching certain AP Tiers, you can rank up by winning a few matches at that tier. Conversely, you can rank down by consistently losing and dropping down AP Tiers.
In 2v2 and 3v3, AP tier can be calculated using the formulas below.
n = (K + A) / 2 = (average of kills and assists)
2v2 Win: (AP won) / (n + 3)
2v2 Lose: (AP won) / (n + 0.75)
3v3 Win: (AP won) / (n + 4)
3v3 Lose: (AP won) / (n + 1)
Take note that disconnecting and/or leaving a match early does not negatively impact your AP tier. Rather, you will lose RP instead, which has NO bearing on your letter rank, and only becomes relevant at SSS for board placement.
Also, every time you rank up, your RP will be RESET to zero. Ranking down will yield a little bit of RP.
| Required AP to rank up: | |||||||||
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| Rank | 
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| Required AP | 20 | ? | ? | 36 | 46 | 60 | 72 | ? | |
After reaching SSS, you may continue rising in AP Tiers until you reach the maximum AP gain of 106. However, losing a single match on 106 AP Tier will immediately drop you back to the 104 AP Tier.
Camilla's Shop
You can use the AP you obtain from Arena matches to purchase special items from Camilla. Below are some of the items you can get:
Basic Magic Stones
| Name | Description | Image | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magic Stone | Used to socket weapons and armor with a random stat. |
|
1000 ED
150 AP |
| Advanced Magic Stone | Used to socket weapons and armor with a random stat, with a higher chance of better values than a basic Magic Stone. |
|
1000 ED
450 AP |
Enhancement Stones and El Shards
| Name | Description | Image | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blessed Weapon Enhancement Stone | Used to enhance weapons of any level. |
|
1000 ED
450 AP |
| Blessed Armor Enhancement Stone | Used to enhance armor of any level. |
|
1000 ED
100 AP |
| El Shard (Mystery) | Used to apply random attributes to weapons and armor. They can also be identified into specific elemental shards with items from the Alchemists. |
|
1000 ED
500 AP |
Stat-Specific Magic Stones
| Name | Description | Image | Cost and Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparring Magic Stone [Additional Damage] | Sockets your equipment with Additional Damage (Match-only) |
|
1000 ED
606 AP |
| Sparring Magic Stone [Damage Reduction] | Sockets your equipment with Damage Reduction (Match-only) |
|
1000 ED
606 AP |
| Sparring Magic Stone [Awakening Time] | Sockets your equipment with Awakening Time (Match-only) |
|
1000 ED
294 AP |
| Sparring Magic Stone [HP] | Sockets your equipment with HP (Match-only) |
|
1000 ED
234 AP |
| Sparring Magic Stone [Awakening Charging Speed] | Sockets your equipment with Awakening Charge Speed (Match-only) |
|
1000 ED
294 AP |
| Sparring Magic Stone [Movement Speed] | Sockets your equipment with Movement Speed (Match-only) |
|
1000 ED
234 AP |
| Sparring Magic Stone [Critical] | Sockets your equipment with Critical (Match-only) |
|
1000 ED
450 AP |
| Sparring Magic Stone [Action Speed] | Sockets your equipment with Action Speed (Match-only) |
|
1000 ED
450 AP |
| Sparring Magic Stone [Accuracy] | Sockets your equipment with Accuracy (Match-only) |
|
1000 ED
234 AP |
| Sparring Magic Stone [Evasion] | Sockets your equipment with Evasion Rate (Match-only) |
|
1000 ED
234 AP |
| Sparring Magic Stone [Jump Speed] | Sockets your equipment with Jump Speed (Match-only) |
|
1000 ED
234 AP |
Dual-Socket Magic Stones
| Name | Description | Image | Cost and Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparring Magic Stone [Explosion] | Sockets your equipment with Additional Damage and Damage Reduction (Match-only). |
|
1000 ED |
| Sparring Magic Stone [Destruction] | Sockets your equipment with Critical and HP (Match-only). |
|
1000 ED |
| Sparring Magic Stone [Agile] | Sockets your equipment with Action Speed, Movement and Jump Speed (Match-only). |
|
1000 ED |
| Sparring Magic Stone [Combustion] | Sockets your equipment with Evasion and Accuracy (Match-only). |
|
1000 ED |
| Sparring Magic Stone [Wrath] | Sockets your equipment with Awakening Time and Awakening Charge Speed (Match-only) |
|
1000 ED |
The new Season 2 PvP gear can also be purchased from Camilla, see Sparring Equipment (Season 2) for information on the sets for your class. Buying these from Camilla is unnecessary, as you acquire them during the story quest for free.
Tips and Tricks
The Arena is a cut-throat competition that takes hours of practice and perseverance to master, but there are some basic tips that every character should follow:
Establish good baseline stats before PvPing: The main stats that are vital to PvP are your three speeds, Critical, HP, Additional Damage and Reduced damage. Having a minimum of 20% in your speeds allows you to both move and attack at a brisk pace, staying one step ahead of your enemies. This is the most important thing you should work on with sockets, as low speeds will allow other players to easily catch you and even slip out of your combos. Having around 30% critical will greatly help your damage output, and stacking HP will increase your overall durability. Having a minimum of 30% reduced damage is almost as essential as HP, and serves the same purpose. Additional damage benefits Multi-hit classes more than others, (CBS, NW, YR) but it is still helpful to have around 4k Additional damage. If you don't have accuracy at around 20%, it is recommended to get it there before upgrading other stats, unless you have ranked Counter Chance.
Aim for "End-game" gear: Most of the higher ranked players sport one of the so-called end-game gear sets, and you should aim to do the same. Which set you should use is dependent on your character and your own play style. Until you acquire these equips, the PvP gear you get through the story can be a nice alternative, as they are easy to socket and attribute.
Don't do 3v3 for your qualifying matches: 3v3 can be a fun, fast-paced battle mode as you advance in your Arena career, but don't try to dive right into it. A large element of 3v3 is luck, so you should stick to the more reliable and predictable 1v1 until you feel confident enough to attempt 3v3. You should also avoid 3v3 if you dislike battling against spammers.
Know your attributes: Attributing your weapon and armor can mean the difference between life and death. Certain characters and classes can utilize elements better than others, refer to the Attributing Equipment guide to see what some options are for your setup. Furthermore, remember to add resists smartly. All elements can be deadly if used correctly, so learn which ones you're most vulnerable to and attribute your armor to resist them.
Aim for a Magic Necklace: While not necessary, a Magic Necklace can give you a serious leg-up in Arena. 30% extra MP from attacks both dealt and received adds up quick, and lets you both break more often and dish out more damage with more Special Actives.
Consider a B-Slot: Another unnecessary item, but it can be a nice tool to have. More skills available to use at once will increase your versatility and unpredictability.
Mana breaking is not a "noob" tactic, use it to your advantage: Contrary to what the ragers would have you believe, mana breaking is an incredibly useful technique that can save you from losing a match in one catch. There are plenty of players who know how to reset the knockdown counter, and have no qualms about killing you in a single combo. Of course, there are some situations where it's better to simply take some hits, but when those are is something you can only learn through experience.
Hit And Run: Although this may seem like a noob tactic, but this may come in handy when you're about to die in a match.
Awaken when necessary: The delay from awakening as well as the damage increase can easily turn the tide in a match, allowing you to escape combos, catch opponents in combos, and power up your attacks. Don't be afraid to use it when your back is against the wall.
Music
Tree of El - Bottom - music05_stage
Tree of El - Top - music006_boss
Wintery Velder - music007_boss
Elrios Bay - music007_boss
Wally's Castle Rooftop - music009_boss
Banthus Room - music011_boss
Bethma Lake - music012_stage
Wally's Castle Centre - music017_boss
Cargo Airship - music020_stage
Durahan Coliseum - music026_stage
Tyrant's Arena - music026_stage
Hope Bridge - music032_stage
Garpai Sandstorm - music055_stage
Sander Oasis - music056_stage
Trivia
- There is a secret Dark Forest PvP map made for Developing Purposes. Information about this map is currently unknown. Can only be accessed through debug map-select.
- Before the PvP revamp (commonly known as Season 1 Arena), all matches took place in the Sparring Arena.
- At this point, the ranks only went from D to SS, and all players started at D.
- AP also didn't exist at this point. Instead, winning gave you VP (Victory Points). These were mainly used to buy items from Camilla, but her shop was much more limited than the Season 2 shop.
- In Season 1 Arena, all players started at F Rank, and had to work their way up to higher ranks. Anyone with a rank from pre-Season 1 got to keep their rank.
- Season 1 wiped all players' VP, and introduced AP. They were used to purchase Season 1 PvP gear from Camilla, and also for some items at the Accessory shops.
- Season 2 PvP introduced the concept of qualifier matches, wiped all players' current ranks and RP, and also removed F Rank and added SSS Rank.
- It also introduced a new damage table that heavily nerfed most skills over 120MP in Arena.
- Furthermore, most of the normalization that existed in Season 1 was removed, the most prominent being the restrictions on HP.
- In Roman mythology, Camilla is a famed virgin warrior, which may have lead to the NPC Camilla's name.
- Prior to the Season 2 revamp, 2v2 mode existed in Arena queuing. However, it was removed due to its unpopularity in Korea. Despite being much more popular in the North American and European server, it was also removed there due to coding conflicts.
- However in NA, 2v2 mode was reinstated after the July 15th, 2014 Patch.(In EU after the July 30th, 2014 Patch)
| Epic NPCs | |||||||||
 Lowe |
 Penensio |
 Speka |
 Noah |
 Amelia |
 Lime |
 Edan |
 Valak |
 Q-Proto_00 |
 Apple |