Duels in an MMORPG: one on one, stakes and an honor rating

A duel is the oldest and most honest way to find out who is stronger. No allies and no passers-by: only you, your opponent and how each of you plays your hand. In Zarhold a duel is not a pastime at the city gates but a separate part of the game with its own record, history, stakes and season rating.

Here is how it works.

How to challenge someone

You can challenge any hero of any level from the nickname menu in chat, the hero inspect window or a party frame. Level is no limit: a level 1 hero can challenge a level 60 hero and the other way round. The opponent sees a challenge card with portraits, levels, classes and the record of both, and decides whether to accept.

If there is nobody to fight, open the Challenge board in the Duels tab of the arena. It lists heroes who are looking for an opponent right now: online and not in battle. Join the board yourself (a post stays for twenty minutes) or challenge someone who is already waiting.

A fair fight

A duel is turn by turn, one minute per turn. The opponent hand and deck are shown only as card backs: you see how many cards they hold, not which ones. The server decides the outcome of every turn and every random roll, so nothing can be peeked at or swapped.

A fight with a world resident is training. Residents always accept, but such a fight does not count towards your record, history or rating, and stakes are unavailable. It is a good way to try a deck before a real duel.

Record and history, forever

Every fight with a live opponent is recorded forever for each side. The duelist card shows:

• wins, losses, draws and win rate;
• the current and best win streak, and the fastest win in turns;
• the opponent you fought most and the one who beats you more often;
• wins against every class.

Duel history is paged: when the fight was, against whom, who challenged whom, how it ended and what level each hero had at that moment. Any hero record is visible on the website too, in the Armory.

Duels have their own achievements, for example First Blood for your first win and David and Goliath for beating a hero five levels above you. Beat all ten classes to earn the Master of All Schools title.

Stakes: gold and items

When challenging a player you can stake gold from each side and up to three of your items. The stake is taken from each side when the opponent accepts, and items are held in escrow during the fight. The winner gets everything by mail, with a 5 % fee on the gold. A draw returns each stake; surrender and disconnect count as a loss.

To keep stakes a game rather than a trade:

• gold goes up to 100 from each side at any level, and both fighters must have the stake before the fight;
• up to three stakes a day with one opponent and up to 300 gold a day in total;
• the account must be older than three days;
• only tradeable items can be staked, not heirloom, named or legendary; if your items are at stake, the opponent puts in items worth at least 80 % of their vendor value.

Stakes are not available on every platform.

The Honor Circle, the duel rating

Duels have their own season rating, the Honor Circle. Everyone starts the season with 500 points. A win over an equal gives +20, over a stronger hero more and over a weaker one less. Strength counts both points and level: a level 60 hero beating a level 30 gets only +1, while the level 30 hero beating a level 60 gets +39.

Only duels between live heroes count. Points change for at most three fights a day with the same opponent, and heroes of one account give no points to each other, so the rating cannot be farmed.

The season table of the top 100 is open in the game and on the website under Ratings. At the end of the season first place gets the First Blade of the Circle title and a golden portrait frame, places two to ten get the Blade of the Honor Circle title and a frame, and the whole top hundred gets the Member of the Honor Circle title. The hero who gains the most points in a week wears the Duelist of the Week title.

Duelist marks and the shop

Every win that counts for the Circle gives 10 duelist marks. They never expire when the season changes and are spent in the Marks shop:

• the Knight of the Circle title, 150 marks;
• the Crossed Blades portrait frame, 300;
• the Thrown Gauntlet card back, 500;
• the Arena of Honor battle board, 900.

The shop sells looks only: nothing there adds power in battle.

Duels FAQ

Can I challenge a hero far above my level?

Yes. Level does not limit a challenge. In the Honor Circle a win over a higher hero brings more points, and a loss to them takes fewer.

What happens if the opponent disconnects mid-fight?

A disconnect counts as a loss for whoever left. If there was a stake, it goes to the winner.

Do duels with world residents count for the rating?

No. A fight with a resident is training: no record, history, rewards or stakes.

Do duelist marks expire at the end of the season?

No. The season resets Honor Circle points, but your marks stay.

Summary

A duel in Zarhold is a one-on-one fight under fair rules, where every win stays in your history and the strongest earn a place in the Honor Circle. Want to test yourself? Jump into the game, open Duels and join the challenge board.