Gladiator missions. Almost every video roleplaying game has them, and Fable® is no different. Once you've really started to prove your worth as a hero, the Guildmaster will recommend that it's time for you to prove your worth in the gladiatorial arena of Witchwood. Can you go the distance and last through every round?
The rewards can be sweet, but the risks are great. And, like almost everything in Fable, you'll also have to make some key choices between good and evil that will affect your character throughout the game.
Square off for the Fable gladiator level!
Before the Sturm und Drang Prior to entering the Arena, you have the chance to gear up for the fight. Melee-heavy characters (which I admit I've been playing with glee) can load up on the best armor and weapons for sale thus far, if you've got the gold.
If not, you might just want to make sure you're well stocked with potions, especially a few Resurrection Phials. But, buy wisely. You won't get kicked out of the tourney if you leave the arena in mid-fight to buy items, but you will sacrifice any winnings from your next battle.
Flourish attacks are the key to melee success.
Buzz On In The Arena challenge at Witchwood consists of eight main rounds and a mystery ninth round that I won't spoil here.
Wasps: Your first fight will remind you of your first melee combat outside of training. Hordes of malevolent giant wasps want to turn you into a picnic. You shouldn't have too much trouble fighting these wasps, though, and they give you a good opportunity to learn the basics of the Arena. In each round, enemies come at you in waves (increasingly difficult). The announcer calls out a three-count between each of these, and during that time, you can apply quick healing. You can also use this relatively straightforward first battle to start building the combat multiplier.
Hobbes: In Fable, Hobbes are like a cross between dwarves and goblins. They live in caves, are about waist high, and would be cute … if not for their bomb-lobbing spell casters and hammer-swinging melee fighters. You've probably faced them before, so you'll know the drill: target ranged attackers first and block repeatedly to build up Flourish.
Balvarines: You've probably already fought these guys to earn your way into the arena. They're your basic giant werewolves that attack in packs, and they're led by an extra-tough white Balvarine pack leader. This will be the toughest fight yet, so make sure you're using a silver weapon to help even the odds. Oh, and there's a surprise: since this is the beginning of the team rounds, you'll get help from an old friend.
Undead: Maybe it's just me, but I've found the Undead to be much less of a problem than the Balvarines because they're slow, lumbering, and are even more vulnerable to silver weapons and well-timed Flourish strikes. Just make sure to dodge the unblockable strikes of the larger varieties.
Bandits: It's time to get back to fighting the living. These hordes of bandits have ranged attacks that are very difficult to block and tough melee-capable leaders. Their attacks are better-coordinated than the Balvarines', and the arrow shots make it tricky to keep your Flourish going, so close in on shooters as soon as you can to force them to draw steel.
These Earth Trolls are waiting to smash you.
Earth Trolls: You were expecting nymphs? The smaller species of trolls are still a nasty proposition, especially when you've got to face two of them. Try to close in and hammer on one at a time, rolling and dodging often to get away from their earth-shattering knock-back attacks. Once one is down, it's much easier to get rid of the lone survivor, but you should expect to use a potion or two.
Stone Trolls: Great, more trolls! But, these trolls are twice as big and three times as tough, throwing boulders and doing even stronger ground-slam attacks up close. Basically, you should stick with the same tactics that you used with the trolls you fought before.
Arachanox and Friends: What could be worse than a mated pair of Stone Trolls? How about a single, giant scorpion that shoots green magical blasts, charges like a freight train, swings pincers the size of Buicks, and spawns her own army of mini-scorpions? Arachanox is the ultimate boss, but she's actually a little easier to beat than the Stone Trolls because there's only one of her, and she has a pattern to her strikes. Her first move is a bull rush that can be easily avoided. Just keep running. Wait for the scorpion to go after your partner, and you'll see her flashing red, which means she's targetable. Get some strikes in and dance back until she charges up a ranged energy blast. Dodge the shot, and she'll get stuck in the ground briefly. Hit her from behind for a few strikes; then, get out of the way and wait for the process to begin again. At certain points, she'll burrow underground and spawn mini-scorpions, but they can be dealt with fairly quickly and easily, building your combat multiplier in the process.
The Final Battle: There's one more foe to face after Arachanox, but we'll let you discover this one for yourself. Trust me, you might see part of it coming, but the decision part can be rough. Here's a hint. There's a particular boast you can make that will only come into play for this fight.
