Battles
Combat is the heart of Chat Wars. Every hour, battles resolve across the map. Your faction, your location, and the time of day determine what kind of fight you're in.
For how factions and territory work, see Castles and Alliances.
Battle Types
There are four types of battles in the game:
| Type | What happens | When | Ownership changes? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ownership | Fight for control of a map tile | Daily at 16:00 UTC | Yes - winner takes the tile |
| Skirmish | PvP fight on the map | Every hour | No - pure combat for rewards |
| Ruins | PvE raid against a boss | Every hour | No - group challenge |
| Fortress | Alliance war for fortress control | Every other Thursday at 16:00 UTC | Yes - winner takes the fortress |
Ownership Battles
Territorial fights where the winner takes control of the tile. Started by placing a Claim on an enemy tile during the claim window (15:00-15:50 UTC). The battle resolves at 16:00 UTC.
Who fights together:
- Castle players (solo, no alliance) and alliance members without a fortress fight as one Castle team
- Alliance members with a fortress fight as their own Alliance team
- NPC Guards defend the tile alongside the territory owner
Rewards:
- Winners get gold, XP, and loot
- Losers do not receive an experience penalty
- Gold is only stolen from the losing side if the defender is defeated
Skirmish Battles
PvP combat without ownership change. Started by placing a Trigger on a tile. The battle resolves at the next hour mark (:00).
Who fights together:
- Each faction fights independently - every alliance is its own team, solo Castle players form a Castle team
Rewards:
- Winners get gold, XP, loot, and Blood Shards
- Losers receive an experience penalty and lose gold
- Gold stealing is always active
Ruins Battles (PvE)
Group content where players fight a boss together. Available at Ruins tiles on the map.
- All players at the tile fight together against the NPC boss
- Winners get standard rewards and Echo Orbs
- Ruins battles run every hour, independent of other battle types
Fortress Battles
The highest-stakes PvP event. Alliances fight for control of strategic fortress points every two weeks. The winner gains protected territory, a growing Vault treasury, and access to an exclusive Arsenal shop.
Fortress battles pause all other combat types during their hour.
For full details, see Fortress Battles.
NPC Guards
Some map tiles are guarded. When an ownership battle happens on a guarded tile, NPC Guards join the fight.
On Castle territory (inside a quadrant): Guards fight alongside the Castle that owns the territory. They reinforce the defenders.
On neutral territory (border tiles along the center axes): Guards fight as their own independent faction. They defend against everyone.
Battle Schedule
All battles resolve at the top of each hour (:00 UTC):
| Time (UTC) | What resolves |
|---|---|
| Every hour at :00 | Skirmish battles, Ruins battles |
| 16:00 daily | Ownership battles (from Claims placed at 15:00-15:50) |
| 16:00 on Fortress Thursdays | Fortress battles (ownership/skirmish paused this hour) |
Claim window: 15:00-15:50 UTC daily. This is when you can place Claims for ownership battles.
How to Fight
- Move to a tile on the map
- Use the
/combatcommand - The menu shows what's available based on your location and the current time
Tip: When you Scout a tile, if combat is available, you'll see a /combat hint.
Last updated Mar 1, 2026