1) Start a topic by choosing your combatant and your location. For example, you could choose Godzilla and decide to fight your opponent on Monster Island (although you don't have to choose a monster, you can choose whatever character you'd like).
2) Wait for someone to accept the challenge (or instead of starting your own match, you can be the one to accept somebody else's challenge). The person who accepts the challenge must choose their own character to fight (Anguirus, for example).
3) Once the combatants have all checked in, the person who starts the match can begin by typing the word "Attack:" followed by a move (please note, every attack must be preceded by the word "Attack:"). For example: "Attack: Godzilla spotted his opponent and unleashed his heat ray!"
4) Once the attack is posted, the forum has a built in random-event generator that will list the result of the attack and give instructions on how to respond. For example, if the random-event generator says that the previous move was a "Success!", then the current combatant would respond with something like:
"Attack: Anguirus took the brunt of the heat ray. He turned around and countered with a headbutt."
If the previous move was a "Miss!", then the current combatant would respond with something like: "Attack: Anguirus evaded the attack. He turned around and countered with a headbutt." There are also special events that pop up from time to time, too.
5) The battle continues until someone has reached the number of successful hits necessary to win the match. The default number of successful hits necessary to win is 15, but the combatants can agree on a different number before the first attack if they so choose. The losing combatant must concede defeat, for example: "Anguirus fought valiantly, but his opponent was too much. He retreated to the sea, defeated... but perhaps someday, a rematch would decide things differently."
6) Any number of special rules can be implemented by the person who starts the match. For example, there is a rare event known as an "INSTANT KO!". Some people prefer to use a special rule that makes these count as a standard attack. Tournaments and transformations are all allowed in battle. A combatant can attack any number of opponents in a match that features more than two players. Attacks that would otherwise be considered illegal (like Armor Mothra's "Transcending Fate"), are allowed, since the effectiveness of the attack is based on the random-event generator.
7) If you have any questions, please consult the Shadow Arena Questions and Answers topic. Have fun
.