Arena season 16: New Year, New Challenges!

[BROT42]

Congratulations to all participants and winners from the previous season!

But wait, what exactly is "the Arena?"

The Arena is the competitive mode on BGA. If you master a game and want to play it competitively, this is THE mode to use, so you can challenge the best players and get the most experience points.

The Arena is organized in seasons of 3 months each. Achievements are awarded to the best players at the end of each season.

To play in the Arena: select "Play" and then choose "Arena" instead of "Simple game."

Read more about Arena mode

Arena format and Gurus

In the previous seasons, it was you (more exactly the gurus) who chose the game formats for the Arena: player number, options used, ...

We are very happy to see that this way of doing things contributed to making the Arena more popular: thank you to all gurus for their smart suggestions and their votes!

Rules updates

No Arena rules are changing this season. It does not mean we are 100% satisfied with how the Arena is running, but you seem to appreciate the current rules so we want to keep them as they are for now.

Season 16 is NOW Launched.

The new Arena is now open for its new season.

Some Explanation About: Relegations

At the end of each season, after winners have been awarded, you are relegated.

Some custom relegation rules may have been applied to games for some reason (ex: we decided to update the number of leagues), but in general here is what happens:

• For games with 6 or 5 different leagues, all players are decreased by 3 leagues.
• For games with 4 different leagues, all players are decreased by 2 leagues.
• For games with 2 or 3 different leagues, all players are decreased by 1 league.
• For all games and all leagues, your number of Arena points is reset to 1, and your AES ("Arena Elo") is reset to 1500.

It's up to you to find the way to the elite!

May the odds be ever in your favor!

You'll find soon below the updated options for each game for this new arena season

[BROT42]

7 Wonders:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "3")

A Feast for Odin:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")
• Occupations: "A, B and C" (prev: "A and B")

After Us:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Age of Civilization:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Agricola:

• Draft mode: "Draft 7 out of 10 cards, Occupations with Minors" (prev: "Draft 7 out of 8 cards, Occupations with Minors")

Anachrony:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")
• Path selection: "Manual" (prev: "Automatic")
• Paradox rolls: "Use Paradox die" (prev: "No roll")

Apocalypse at the Zoo of Carson City:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Arctic Scavengers:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")
• HQ expansion: "Modules 1 and 2: Engineers and Buildings" (prev: "Do not use")
• Recon expansion: "Do not use" (prev: "Modules 1 and 2: Liars and Thieves")

Ark Nova:

• Difficulty level: "Normal" (prev: "Experienced")
• Map Pack: "Enabled" (prev: "Disabled")

Art Decko:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Barrage:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "2")

Beyond the Sun:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Big Time Soccer:

• Match type: "Cup" (prev: "League")

Boomerang: Europe:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Bärenpark:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Carnegie:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")
• Departments: "Open Bar Setup" (prev: "Base and Expansion Departments")

CATAN:

• Harbor layout: "Shuffle harbor pieces" (prev: "Shuffle frame pieces")

Caverna:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "4")

Challengers:

• Robot difficulty (only affects games with an odd player count): "Level 1" (prev: "Level 3")
• Deck size numbers: "Yes" (prev: "No")
• Show other parks: "Yes" (prev: "No (useful for tournaments)")

Chicago Express:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "5")

Chocolate Factory:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

City of the Big Shoulders:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "4")

Clans of Caledonia:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")
• Use Kickstarter-Contributed Tiles: "On" (prev: "Off")

Colt Express:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "3")

Commander Chess:

• Checkmate by Commander only: "Off" (prev: "On")

Connect Four:

• Board size: "9x9" (prev: "8x9")

Copenhagen:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Coup:

• Number of players: "5" (prev: "3")
• Factions: "Yes" (prev: "No")

Crazy Farmers:

• Undo mode: "Limited Undo" (prev: "Full Undo (beginners)")

Cribbage:

• Match Length: "One Game" (prev: "Best of 3")
• Cut for Deal: "Randomly Pick Dealer" (prev: "Cut for Deal")

Crypt:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "4")

Diam's:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Diceathlon:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

DIG UP Adventure:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Don't Go In There:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "4")

Earth:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Elfenland:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "4")
• Game variant: "Standard" (prev: "Hometown")

Eminent Domain:

• Scenarios: "Off" (prev: "On")

Eruption:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Exploration: Warzone:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Faraway:

• Advanced variant: "Active" (prev: "Disabled")

Flaming Pyramids:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "4")

Florenza: The Card Game:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

For-Ex:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Forest Shuffle:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

French Tarot:

• Number of players: "5" (prev: "4")
• Bonuses: "Poignées + Misères" (prev: "Poignées only")
• Minimal bid: "Guard" (prev: "Small")

Gaia Project:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "3")
• Game Setup: "Variable map" (prev: "Random map")
• Map Size: "Normal" (prev: "Reduced map size (recommended for 3 players)")
• Faction Selection: "Draft selected factions" (prev: "Draft random factions")
• Faction Bans: "Disabled" (prev: "Enabled")

Get on Board: Paris & Roma:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")
• Scoring: "Hidden" (prev: "Visible")

Get the MacGuffin:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "4")

Ghost At Home:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Glow:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Go Nuts for Donuts:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "4")

Good Cop Bad Cop:

• Zombies Expansion: "Enabled" (prev: "Disabled")

GORami:

• Board size: "24 fields" (prev: "16 fields")

Great Western Trail:

• Live scoring: "On" (prev: "Off")

Hadara:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")
• Show score during the game: "No" (prev: "Yes")

Hadrian's Wall:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")
• Difficulty: "Medium" (prev: "Easy")

Happy City:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Hawaii:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "4")

Heat: Pedal to the Metal:

• Mode: "Standard" (prev: "Beginner")
• Garage module: "All upgrades" (prev: "Disabled")
• Weather module: "Enabled" (prev: "Disabled")
• Championship: "Season 1961 (3 races)" (prev: "Random championship")

Hex:

• Board size: "Twelve: 12x12" (prev: "Nash: 14×14")

Hoarders:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "4")
• Theft mode: "No Hamster bluff" (prev: "Allow Hamster bluff")

Homesteaders:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

K2:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")
• Red piece (5 only): "No" (prev: "Yes")

Kabaleo:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Kalah:

• Number of stones in hole: "5" (prev: "6")

Kami:

• Game Modes: "Soldier" (prev: "Kami")

King of the Pitch:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "4")
• Captain Cards: "disabled" (prev: "enabled")
• Two Extra Match Cards for 3 and 4 Players: "disabled" (prev: "enabled")

Krosmaster Arena:

• Format: " BGA Season 16" (prev: " BGA Season 15")

La Granja:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Legendary Inventors:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Lewis & Clark:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Libertalia:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Lost Explorers:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Lucky Numbers:

• Setup: "Michael's setup" (prev: "Easy setup")

Medo:

• Board size: "7 hexagons per edge" (prev: "5 hexagons per edge")

Meridians:

• Advanced mode: "No" (prev: "Yes")

Mod Ten:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Moon River:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")
• Scenarios: "Timber Rafting" (prev: "Random")

My City: Roll & Build:

• Type of game: "Single Chapter" (prev: "Mini Campaign")
• Chapter selection: "Random Chapter" (prev: "Chapter 2")
• Episode selection: "Episode 1" (prev: "Episode 6")

Nidavellir:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

NXS:

• Game Type: "Medium Game-Single Merchant (10 pieces)" (prev: "Random Start Position (10 pieces)")

OASIS New Hope:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")
• Specialist variant: "Yes" (prev: "No")

Obsession:

• Expansion: "Wessex & Upstairs Downstairs" (prev: "Wessex")

On Tour:

• Board: "USA" (prev: "Europe")

Papayoo:

• Shifting discard (variant): "Disabled" (prev: "Enabled")

Paris Connection:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "4")

Pax Pamir: Second Edition:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "3")

Pingimus:

• Rounds: "5" (prev: "3")
• Hard timeout: "1 Minute" (prev: "Off")

Planet Unknown:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "4")

Pugs in Mugs:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Race for the Galaxy:

• Expansion: "The Gathering Storm" (prev: "Brink of War + Rebel vs. Imperium + The Gathering Storm")
• Takeover: "Random" (prev: "No takeover")

Rage:

• Bidding: "Bids are hidden and revealed at the end of each round" (prev: "Bids are hidden and revealed after the bidding phase")

Railroad Ink:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Railways of the World:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "5")
• Game Map: "Railways of Portugal (Max 4 players)" (prev: "Railways of North America (Max 5 players)")

Red7:

• Victory condition: "Points (quick game)" (prev: "Points (standard game)")

Reflection:

• Grid size: "8×8" (prev: "10×10")
• Items: "20 items" (prev: "23 items")

Rolling Pins:

• Parallel Players: "Turn by Turn" (prev: "Full")

Sahwari:

• Choose your leader: "no" (prev: "yes")
• Score calculation: "At game end only" (prev: "At the end of the turn")

Space Empires: 4X:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "2")
• Scenarios: " - 4-Player Deep Space" (prev: " - SMALL 2-PLAYER MAP")
• ✹ Warp points ✹: "✹ Use Warp points" (prev: "Don`t use")

Spots:

• Tricks: "Off Leash Variant" (prev: "Random Recommended Set")

Streets:

• Business Expansion: "Use Business Tokens" (prev: "Not Used")
• Solo Difficulty Level: "Easy Grifter" (prev: "Normal Grifter")

Takara Island:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Talon:

• Terrain?: "1 = Light Terrain" (prev: "Randomly chosen (1d10)")
• Type of battle?: "Randomly chosen (1d10)" (prev: "4 = Priority Target Mission")
• Ship Points: "Randomly chosen (1d10)" (prev: "4 = 500 Ship Points")

Terra Mystica:

• Game board: "Random" (prev: "Base Game")

Terra Nova:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")
• 2 players variants: "Planner Variant" (prev: "No")

The Builders: Antiquity:

• Undo: "Enabled" (prev: "No undo when picking cards")

The Builders: Middle Ages:

• Undo: "Enabled" (prev: "No undo when picking cards")

The Gnomes of Zavandor:

• Version: "BGA-Version" (prev: "Standard")

The Isle of Cats:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

The Jelly Monster Lab:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")
• Shuffled labs: "no" (prev: "yes")
• Achieved monsters to end: "5" (prev: "4")

The King's Guild:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

The Palaces of Carrara:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Through the Ages: A new Story of Civilization:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Thurn and Taxis:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Tichu:

• Game length: "Classic (1000 points)" (prev: "Half Game (500 points)")

Tiny Farms:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")
• Barn Wheel: "Original" (prev: "Random")

Tock:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "2")
• Game type: "2 vs 2 (if possible)" (prev: "Free-for-all")
• [VARIANT] Effect of the 5: "5 forward, own pawns only" (prev: "
• 5 forward, any player pawn including own")

Tzolk'in:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "4")
• Uxmal corn limit: "Limit to 20 corn (designer variant)" (prev: "No limit")

Ultimate Railroads:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "2")

Unconditional Surrender! World War 2 in Europe:

• Scenarios: "France 1944" (prev: "USSR 1941")

Vaalbara:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

War Chest:

• Game Options: "Complete" (prev: "Base")

Whist 22:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "4")

Wizard:

• Foresight: "Yes" (prev: "No")

Wizards of the Grimoire:

• Lost Pages expansion: "Yes" (prev: "No")

Yahtzee:

• Rule set: "Random" (prev: "Yam")

[Wonderful Plays]

Can you explain how turn based termination works? Because it clearly didn't work like written in the FAQ see the game here:
https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=34260
https://boardgamearena.com/table?table=455635346
I got a game loss, despite having used way less time than the other player

[Wonderful Plays]

Another problem: in Season 15 you've added 1 league for each arena game. In this season people who were by the end of season 15 at that added league, didn't get their ranking reset and are currently leading arena.

[LesserJester]

Another problem: in Season 15 you've added 1 league for each arena game. In this season people who were by the end of season 15 at that added league, didn't get their ranking reset and are currently leading arena.

Sadly this appears to be the case yes. There are a load of platinum people in Next Station London with the current top player (lincolnsbruder) on platinum 6 despite having last played the game on 7th January. Same goes for other games. Ticket To Ride Europe currently has a host of people whose arena score has been entirely preserved and carried over. The top player there is currently on 1994, and all the elite rankings have remained as elite. BGA please fix this asap

[Vandaley]

Thurn and Taxis is on a rotation and should have rotated to 2 player. It also did not rotate last season and needed a reminder, so it seems it might have fallen off a rotation list that might exist as it has rotated the previous 5 or 6 times.

[thoun]

Another problem: in Season 15 you've added 1 league for each arena game. In this season people who were by the end of season 15 at that added league, didn't get their ranking reset and are currently leading arena.

Sadly this appears to be the case yes. There are a load of platinum people in Next Station London with the current top player (lincolnsbruder) on platinum 6 despite having last played the game on 7th January. Same goes for other games. Ticket To Ride Europe currently has a host of people whose arena score has been entirely preserved and carried over. The top player there is currently on 1994, and all the elite rankings have remained as elite. BGA please fix this asap

All players should have kept their rank for ticket to ride Europe. It isn't reset for games released less than a month before the end of arena, because first season would be too short.

[LesserJester]

All players should have kept their rank for ticket to ride Europe. It isn't reset for games released less than a month before the end of arena, because first season would be too short.

Ah, that at least makes sense. It's still borked for:

• Ticket To Ride
• Next Station London
• Azul
• SpaceBase
• Innovation
• Splendor

and I imagine many others. Those are just the ones I've looked at so far.

Bug report raised here. https://boardgamearena.com/bug?id=110109

Please vote

[newdobble]

I didn’t get my badge for Dobble Connect

[lanzi]

Happy new year and thanks to all for their efforts to make the Arena possible.

It seems their is an error in the new Kahuna-Ranking.

All players, who ended up in gold weren't decreased and are now higher than the elite-players of the last saison.

Best wishes!