The arena is a tough cookie. You might be thinking - "How much different it will be, than the campaign? Same enemies, same heroes, same equipment. Right? R-r-right, guys?".

WRONG

Arena is an addition to the main part of the game (Campaign), but for achievements it acts the same. This basically means, that you can earn achievements, that you normally would at any Campaign progression.

It consists of 2 types of encounter:

• Battles
  
• NPC entity

After you complete all of your battles (sometimes after you reach level 10) you will be rewarded with a nice achievement and granted your citizenship on the Mirror Worlds.

Here's the interesting part, as well. Logically, one would think, that any party composition would work, right? It worked for the Campaign, why shouldn't it work for the Arena?

Well....it doesn't. You are faced with wave battles from your first encounter (battles that last 2 or 3 rounds). Enemies are brutal. These are not your typical worms from the first Derelict. You can and will be faced with elite enemies right from the start.....and they hurt. A lot.

To counter this we have to ensure our tactic is correct right from the start. What should we go for?

• A defensive tactic, that will overlast enemies damage by recharging the shields? No.
  
• A utility tactic, that opens itself later on as you gain levels, like the stealth team? No.
  
• Killing enemies as fast as possible with AOE damage right from the start? B-b-bingo! 🥳

• Technician
  A guy that can be specialized in recharging the shields, plus making them solid or placing another body on the field in the forms of droids. Sounds solid, correct? Well... in theory. In reality though, that one turn, that you will be wasting on placing a weak (they really are weak) droid or recharging shields will not help you. It will even hurt you.
  
  By placing a droid you effectively waste a turn, that at minimum could be spent to strengthen/recharge the shields, and at maximum could be spent on hacking (stunning) mechanical enemies or damaging them.
  
  Is Technician known for big chunks of damage though? Not really. You could make him shine, but that would require some hefty leveling and you are not going to survive the early fights.
  
  
• Medic
  A solid choice in a form of buffer/debuffer and even healer. Medic is a good hero to have, that can seriously pump up the damage of your Damage Dealers by either a) energizing them, effectively giving them more cards to play per round or b) increasing their +% damage by applying buffs.
  
  On early levels he can even deal some support damage or stun biological enemies/removing debuffs. I'd go for a Medic If I was you.
  
  
• Miner
  An AOE damage dealer with good defensive stats (high base HP). His skills can inflict massive AOE damage making fights easier & faster and you know what that means...faster kills = less damage taken. We cannot risk on taking damage at Arena.
  
  You can specilise this bad boy any way you can, but I'd say he was created to spam grenades at the enemies and applying on top of the already big AOE damage, some DOT's as well in a form of burns.
  
  
• Inventor
  The latest hero to join DSD. Inventor is a semi-tank/support with skills, that heal him while dealing AOE damage. Difficult at early levels, but shines later on. This hero could be specialised in Chemist as well and be the primary healer of your group, effectively giving you a second chance at tough fights.
  
  
• Tracker
  A glasscannon damage dealer. Can be specialised any way you want. Ranged? Melee? He got you, fam. The only thing you should worry with him is not how many enemies there are, but how to protect him - and he got the tools for that with in-built stealth mechanics.
  
  Risky choice, but pays well if you babysit him through the early levels.
  
  
• Bruiser
  A second AOE damage dealer and CC (crowd controller, effectively stunning enemies) tank. His damage at early levels may not be something, that will impress you, unlike Miner's, but later on this bad boy shines just as bright.
  
  With built-in AOE moves, that can stun and skills, that increase damage resistance & armor, you can be sure, that once you taunt the enemies - he will survive as well as his party members.
  
  
• Scrapper
  This little boy brings some utility skills in a form of 'Dirty Bomb's (-% accuracy on enemies) and energizing the party. It could replace the Medic, while also bringing some supportive damage as well.
  
  
• Leader
  Another excellent buffer for our party with high Initiative (let's you start your turn before allies/enemies). Effectively this guy will do nothing else, than to energize your party & adding those deadly attack cards in their hands.
  
  Built right (and with some equipment drop luck) and he can inflict some serious mental damage/debuffs, effectively doubling your damage output.

For this guide I will be using an effective team of: Medic, Leader & Miner (MLM). This guys bring the necessery buffs for our AOE damage dealer, while he deals TONS OF DAMAGE to the waves of enemies.

Fights will happen as usually, where the only difference would be them having waves. Sometimes you will face a difficult fight without any waves (rivaling party or elite enemies).

Just try your best to focus your damage and eliminating the most dangerous enemies out there first.

After each fight you will face a neutral NPC, that will give you one of 3 options to chose from:

• Heal your crew (and ressurect dead teammates)
  
• Give you x2 equipment of your choice (the only sure way to get better equipment)
  
• A buff for your whole team (+5% evasion or +1 armor for everyone and so on)

TIP: You can effectively save before the NPC and load up the game each time you are not satisfied with the buff options he will give you until you get the best (+% evasion usually are the best or +% debuff/stun resist).

He goes always first and his only job is to use 'Inspire' (allies draw x2 cards + 50% to energize) or 'Compliment' (ally draws x4 cards + 4 initiative + 20% damage). He's there to stabilize our hand deck and set up our next guy's hand for some buffs.

Skills (he only reached level 8):

• Inspire - 3 points (max cards in the deck)
  
• Firestarter - 3 points
  
• Rehearsed - 3 points
  --- QUARTERMASTER SPECIALISATION ---
  
• Lead by example - 3 points (max cards in the deck)
  
• Inspire - 1 point
  
• Empower Weapons - 3 points
  
• Drill Training - 2 points

For the last 2 levels you can with anything you feel like, but make sure to chose 'Elemental Amp', as it will buff up your Miner's damage by a lot.


He goes second, after the Leader, and he is the buffer of our group. Eventially it comes down to using 'Adrenaline Booster' (energize x1 + 3 initiative) and 'Combat Stimulant' (+25% evasion, +4 initiative, +20% critical success & +15% damage) on the Miner.

Sometimes you can do a few 'Nerve Toxin' (after 2 turns deal 66% of enemy's health back to him as damage) on some really FAT enemies or a few 'Healthy Haze' (self and allies receive 29 health) for some heals.

Skills:

• Adrenaline Booster - 3 points (max cards in the deck)
  
• Regenarative Suit - 1 point
  
• Medical Diligence - 2 points
  --- CHEMIST SPECIALISATION ---
  
• Combat Stimulant - 3 points (max cards in the deck)
  
• Understanding of Anatomy - 2 points
  
• Stronger substances - 3 points
  
• Healthy Haze - 2 points (max cards in the deck)
  
• Symbiosis - 3 points
  
• Positive side effects - 2 points
  
• Power injection - 2 points (max cards in the deck)

The only Damage Dealer this group has. Pre-level 4 (specialization) he has a in-built AOE attack, bur right after level 4 (chose Demolitionist and go with the grenades path) he does either 'Incendiary Grenade' (AOE + burn/turn damage) or you can do a devastating 'Sweeping Fire' (AOE + 100% ignores enemy evasion) instead.

Skills:

• Blasting charges - 1 point (max cards in the deck pre level 4, 0 cards in deck after)
  
• Mining veterancy - 3 points
  
• Strip away defenses - 1 point
  --- DEMOLITIONIST SPECIALISATION ---
  
• Incendiary grenade - 3 points (max cards in the deck)
  
• Yearrning for explosions - 2 points
  
• Volatile materials - 3 points
  
• Sweeping fire - 3 points (max cards in the deck)
  
• Fiery materials - 3 points
  
• Excessive weapon modifications - 2 points
  
• Unrestrained destruction - 2 points (max cards in the deck)

Equipment will be scarce, since even though you get a lot of weapons/modifications from each fight - you are not guaranteed to get something usefull for your class.

As always, the rule " less cards in hand = better deck" applies here as well, so feel free to unequip any items, that add a lot of unnecessary cards to your hand deck. Fights are more brutal in Arena, than in Campaign so a better (and stable) card drawing is a must.

You can get new equipment from the NPC after each fight, by chosing the corresponding option. While the item he will give you will have random stats/cards, at least that way you can scale your party according to their level.

The Arena is a tough cookie, even on the 'Normal' diffuclty. You will be angry, you will fail a lot and you will cry, but you can help yourself by saving the game after each successfull battle and load up anytime something goes wrong.

If it's in the game - then it's a feature 😉 so do it as much as you can. Wish you luck, scavenger!

You can always check out my second guide of a 'Hardcore' campaign stealh team.