2007 - (09/04/2007) Pankration in the Pit

After years of petitioning by the people, the Empire has finally agreed to open the Pit's gates and allow Pankration matches to be held once again. Soultrappers from all across Vana'diel have already begun to arrive with their trusted pets, eager to take part in what is destined to be one of the most heated events in Aht Urhgan history!

What is Pankration?
Pankration (pan-kra-tee-on) is an ancient sport that pits fierce beasts against one another in a winner-takes-all melee. Clawing, cleaving, slicing, striking, enchanting, eviscerating, butting, bashing... Once in the battlecage, anything goes! Does your monster have what it takes to rise to the top?



1. Gotta Catch 'em
Your first step in becoming a soultrapper begins with obtaining an image of the monster you wish to enter in Pankration. Head down to the Pit with some Imperial credits and purchase a soultrapping device (also called a "Soultrapper") and some blank soul plates. The Soultrapper acts as a type of camera which records the vital information of monsters onto soul plates. Once you have equipped these items in your Ranged and Ammo slots, sneak up on a ferocious fiend and snap away. If you are successful, you will be able to use your newly acquired soul plate to create an item that will allow you to call forth a monster, or apply the monster's skills to another monster. You'll be happy to know that pictures can be taken of most all monsters residing in Vana'diel, even the more "notorious" ones, such as behemoths and rams.

2. Soul Reflectors
Now take your soul plate back to the Pit and trade it along with an ice crystal to the proper attendant. If the plate is one that contains the image of a summonable monster, you will receive a soul reflector infused with the information from your soul plate. But before you can call your monster up for a Pankration battle, you must first submit the reflector for inspection. If it passes all of the Pit's quality assurance tests, it will be deemed an official soul reflector and you and your monster will be one step closer to the battlecage!

But what can you do with those soul plates that can't be forged into soul reflectors? Some monsters (such as beastmen) have such strong wills that it is impossible to coerce them into fighting for you. However, that doesn't mean you can't take advantage of their skills and teach those techniques to more impressionable monsters. Try trading one of these unforgeable plates and a reflector to a Pit attendant. If certain conditions are met, the attendant will take the skills from that plate and add them to the monster on your reflector! Imagine the sort of havoc a forest hare with deadly dark knight abilities could wield upon its enemies!

3. Red Tape
The Pit consists of four "battlecages" where Pankration matches are constantly being held. Once you have acquired an official soul reflector, take it to a registration officer to sign up for one of the following two types of battles:

- Exhibition (Battlecages "Annihilation" "Bloodlust" "Carnage") As long as there is an opening, soultrappers can enter their monsters in exhibition matches at any time they wish. However, there are no level restrictions in any of the three cages, and no records of winners or losers will be kept. If you wish, you can have your monster pit against the monster of your choice by forming a party with the monster's owner and reserving an entry slot for your opponent when submitting your application.

- Tournament (Battlecage "Diablo") Pit your monster against the current cage champion. If it wins, it is declared the new champion and will continue to battle opponents until it is dethroned. How many matches can you win?

4. Round One......Fight!
When your monster's match is about to begin, you and your opponent will be paged. Proceed to one of the cage officials and you will be transported to the control platform where you will be able to give simple orders to your monster via the speaking tubes. Once the battle begins, the monsters will fight it out until one collapses, with the one still standing declared the victor. If both monsters are still alive when the gong sounds the end of the round, the creature with the most HP remaining is crowned the winner. Adventurers whose monsters are not currently participating in a match can take in all the excitement of the other matches from an elevated stage in front of each battlecage.

5. Level UP!
Once your battle has ended, trade your official reflector to a registration officer to confirm match results. Only after confirming match results will you receive your reward and your monster earn experience and skill points. DO NOT forget to complete this process!

Customizing your Monster
In addition to earning EXP through participating in Pankration matches, there are other methods through which your pet can become stronger.

1. Feral Skills
All monsters have unique inherent characteristics such as abilities, battle techniques, and magic spells. These are known as "feral skills." However, certain skills often remain dormant until monsters attain a certain level. It is not always a good idea to dismiss a monster as weak until you have had the chance to see it perform at a level where it can call upon a full arsenal of skills.

2. Discipline & Temperament
The following traits will change depending on the type of orders you give your monsters, as well as the frequency with which you give them:

- Discipline The more disciplined your monster is, the more likely it is to correctly respond to orders given during a match.

- Temperament Monster temperament is measured in two ways:
 * Wild vs. Tame
 * Aggressive vs. Defensive

A monster's temperament directly affects how it acts during battle. For example, a tame and defensive monster may choose to use stunning techniques on an opponent attempting to cast a powerful spell or use a weapon skill.