Zaishen Challenge

General Description
The Zaishen Challenge is a Challenge, i.e. a training arena to simulate PvP battles against AI-controlled opponents. Players can fight against the team of their choice in any of five arenas.

Once you have beaten five of the six available computer AI teams, you unlock the Zaishen Elite.

One account can only earn a total of 2,000 faction per day from the Zaishen Challenge. On the battle in which you would exceed 2,000 faction, your winnings will cap at 2,000 regardless of whether you win or lose that battle. You will not be permitted to earn any more faction in Zaishen Challenge or Zaishen Elite for 24 hours. You can still earn faction from Guild versus Guild, Random Arenas, Team Arenas, Hero Battles, Alliance Battle and Heroes' Ascent.

It is possible to earn up to 6,000 faction per day with consecutive wins in the Zaishen Elite. See that article for a description of earning faction above the 2,000 cap.

How to get there
The Zaishen Challenge is located on The Battle Isles.

To be able to map travel to the Zaishen Challenge you must first "unlock" it. This is done by beating all 4 computer AI teams in the Training Arena (found on the Isle of the Nameless). After beating the fourth team you will be transported back to The Battle Isles. You will then be able to map travel to the Zaishen Challenge, where you will be able to select a battle arena from the ""Select Mission"" button on your Party Menu.

Unlocking is per account. This means that once one character has unlocked it, all the characters on the same account will have the area unlocked.

Exits

 * Great Temple of Balthazar (to the Northwest)
 * Zaishen Elite (via the Forbidden Path)

Quests

 * Challenge Master Rioka: The Path of the Zaishen Elite

NPCs

 * Challenge Master Rioka
 * Rune Trader
 * Willem (Priest of Balthazar)
 * Xunlai Agent (Storage) (2x)
 * Henchmen Level 20:
 * Zaishen Fighter
 * Zaishen Healer
 * Zaishen Archer
 * Zaishen Mage
 * Zaishen Guard

Mission
If you hit the "Select Mission" button in your Party Window, you may select one of the arenas and opponent teams below. The objective is to beat five of them, in any order and over any span of time. Each one presents a different set of difficulties.

Arenas
The match type on all of these arenas is 4-vs-4 Annihilation:
 * Heroes' Crypt
 * D'Alessio Arena
 * Fort Koga
 * Amnoon Arena
 * Shiverpeak Arena

Opposing Teams

 * "I Will Avenge You!" Warriors - A typical IWAY team, using pets and attack skills.
 * Smiting Monks - Making heavy use of Smiting Prayers, can be deadly if the players are trapped in the middle of their group.
 * "Victory Is Mine" Trappers - Trappers using "Victory is Mine!", one of the hardest groups of Zaishen.
 * Degeneration Team - Mesmers and Necromancers using Health degeneration hexes, providing medium difficulty to most groups
 * Obsidian Spike Elementalists - Elementalists cause spike damage with Obsidian Flame, along with earth defenses and Heal Area.
 * Illusionary Weaponry Team - Mesmers using Illusionary Weaponry, one of the easiest groups of Zaishen.

Tricks to defeat the teams
Opposing Team: Trappers.

Yourself: Ranger or Elementalist, using traps.

Your heroes: Trap rangers, elementalists/rangers using traps work too. Frozen soil is recommended, as well as some energy / spirits like brambles.

Arena: Heroes' Crypt.

Strategy: as soon as you have loaded, open your window panel for your trap heroes. Then, put some spirits up and keep trapping until the opponents come to you. Walk a bit back and let the rangers come into your traps. They should go down in about 10 seconds.

Opposing Team: IWAY.

Yourself: Any tank. D or W. The goal is to block the bridge, clumping the team in front of you, and allow your heroes to do their job.

Your heroes: 1 ranger with frozen soil, the rest with AoE / damage spells. Monks / rez not necessary if the tank can survive long enough.

Arena: Heroes' Crypt.

Strategy: as soon as the doors open, flag the team right behind you on the bridge, and force your ranger to cast frozen soil at that location. The IWAY team will go down quickly under the fire of 3 offensive builds (+1 tank / damage melee), and will not be able to resurrect itself due to the frozen soil.

Alternate Strategy: Any 55 hp character can do this with a minimum of effort. Just be wary of the Disrupting chops and you will be fine. The faster they swing, the more Energy/Health you get and the more Damage they take.

Opposing Team: IWAY team (bug exploit method).

This is another way to faction farm quickly.

Arena: D'Alessio arena

Strategy: When you spawn there are pillars in a circle around your spawn zone. If you stand behind the pillar in the front on the right the iway team will not attack you but go back and forth on the other side of the pillar. From behind the pillar you can cast some aoe spells, it is unknown which ones will trigger the iway team to begin attacking you.


 * Note (01/16/2007): It seems that they IWAY team will move back and forth until someone dies. After that, the remaining members seem to find their way around the pillar to attack you.  It may be that you must be in an exact spot.  Anywhere behind the pillar will keep them from attacking you until one of them dies though.

Trivia

 * Although it is not a combat area, the Zaishen Challenge location has what appears to be a resurrection shrine.
 * If you lose a match in the Zaishen challenge, all the AI opponents will say "gg", as in "good game".