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 group of Zaishen.
 * Degeneration Team - Mesmers and Necros using Health degeneration hexes, providing medium differculty to most groups
 * Obsidian Spike Elementalists - Elementalists cause spike damage with Obsidian Flame, along with earth defences and Heal Party.
 * Illusionary Weaponry Team - Mesmers using Illusionary Weaponry, one of the easiest group of Zaishen.

Tricks to defeat the teams
You can easily solo the challenge with three heroes using the following team combination and specific set of opponents.

Opposing Team: Obsidian Spike Elementalists.

Yourself: D/Any with a 20% longer enchant scythe and an offensive-oriented build.

Your heroes: Ranger (pure interrupt), Mesmer (pure interrupt), Healer (with Infuse Health).

Arena: D'Alessio Arena.

Opposing Team: Smiting Monks.

Yourself: D/Any with any scythe and an offensive-oriented build. Your dervish build should include Avatar of Lyssa, Watchful Intervention, Conjure flame, Heart of Fury, Chilling Victory, Mystic Sweep and Eremite's Attack.

Your heroes: Dervish (identical to yourself), two E/Rit (Fire AoE with Searing Flames, Liquid Flame, Meteor, Splinter Weapon).

Arena: Any (Shiverpeak Arena works well).

Strategy: As soon as the map loads, cast Watchful Invention, Lyssa (both dervish) and have your E/Rit's cast Splinter Weapon. Wait until 3-4 seconds is left before map start, cast heart of fury. Run straight towards the middle. If your on Shiverpeak both teams should meet in the icy river. The smiting monks will always stand bunched, all you need to do is spam your three attack skills, your dervish should follow suit, your ele's will cast Searing Flames and Liquid flame. This should kill all the monks instantly and you can watch as they all fall over. Meteor should prevent them from Res'ing each other just in case this doesn't happen, works everytime!

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 the doors open, move to the bridge, and cast traps (and force your heroes to cast traps), especially different traps for best effect. Cast as many as you can before the opposing team gets to you. Then move a bit backwards and repeat (especially on choke points). The trick is to move back slowly such that you're never exposed to their traps, and let them get the brunt of your own traps. If they retreat, stay there casting traps and wait for them to come back. I did this with a Dervish/Rit, 1 ranger, 2 elementalist/rangers, and it worked exceptionally well on 2nd try.

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 rez itself due to the frozen soil.

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.

Zaishen Challenge and PvE
Zaishen Challenges' AI annd skill bars are, many considered, the best in the game. It had been widely suggested that these kind of skillbar design and AI be used in normal PvE, to a lesser extend.

Trivia
Although it is not a combat area, the Zaishen Challenge location has what appears to be a resurrection shrine.