Armax Arsenal Arena

This article is about the location in Mass Effect 3: Citadel. For the manufacturer, see Armax Arsenal.

The Armax Arsenal Arena is a combat simulator complex located in the Citadel's Silversun Strip.

Overview

The Arena features a huge rectangular room that can project fully-immersive holographic environments and scenarios for public entertainment. Outside the room, spectators watch along the upper areas of the room, and they can buy their refreshments at a food kiosk nearby. Combat participants can redeem their prizes at a company store opposite the food kiosk, with procurement and weapon upgrade terminals located nearby. Injuries may be patched up in the infirmary adjacent to the food kiosk. Kiosks are staffed with VIs taking the form of female turians.

Combat participants proceed downstairs from the spectators' level to an athletes-only area, where they can set the combat scenarios they wish to plug into their fight in a conveniently-placed terminal. Near the terminal is a ready room featuring an armor selection computer, a weapon bench, a datapad containing some basic arena rules and the elevator to the simulator itself.

Initially, the place is nearly devoid of anyone. As more and more matches are fought, the arena stands, lobby, ticket booths, and concession stands become more and more crowded with spectators.

Arena Combat

Commander Shepard can battle holographic enemies to score points and earn prizes. After retaking the Normandy, Shepard is given a complimentary pass by the arena's staff. Initially, Shepard is only able to challenge the Cerberus and geth enemy sets at the Foot Soldier level. Additional map layouts, enemy factions, ally licenses and combat modifiers can be earned as Prizes from the Arena store by successfully completing matches and accumulating points.

Squad

Commander Shepard can select members of the squad to provide support in a match. Previous squadmates Urdnot Wrex, Miranda Lawson, Jack, Jacob Taylor, Samara, Grunt, Zaeed Massani, and Kasumi Goto can also be recruited for arena matches, provided they are still alive; these squadmates have three ranks unlocked in each of their powers, and have one less available point to spend on powers than regular squadmates. There is also the option to go solo or with only a single squadmate.

Maps

Random Map can also be selected from the following.

Initially Available

Wingman

Blasteroid

Unlockables

Spin Zone

Prime Evil

The Armax Classic

Pain Train

Brimstone

Fatal Error

Enemy Combat Sets

Five Enemy Combat Sets are available to select as opponents in the Arena:

• Cerberus - Initially available.
• Geth - Initially available.
• Reapers - Must be unlocked.
• Collectors - Must be unlocked.
• Mirror Match - Must be unlocked.

Random Enemy can also be selected.

Enemies can be fought at three Challenge levels. These levels dictate what enemies from the Set are available as opponents:

• Foot Soldier - Initially available.
• Elites - Must be unlocked.
• Super Elites - Must be unlocked.

Random Challenge can also be selected.

Score Modifiers

There are six Score modifiers that can either help or hinder Shepard. They must all be unlocked:

• No Medi-Gel - Awards a +10% bonus.
• One-Shot Player Shields - Awards a +20% bonus.
• Enhanced Enemy Shields - Awards a +10% bonus.
• Enemy Damage Boost - Awards a +10% bonus.
• No Placed Ammo - Awards a +10% bonus.
• Player Damage Boost - Imposes a -10% penalty.

Bonuses

• If the match finishes in under five Earth-standard minutes, there is a bonus of 200 points.
• A bonus capture-objective appears between rounds that is worth 200 points each time.
• Kill streak bonuses will accrue whenever a player takes out enemies within five seconds of the last kill. The value of the kill streak increases significantly for each additional kill, up to a maximum of 10 kills.

Prizes

There are three Prize ranks, determined by score in the Arena. Scoring 1999 or fewer points will net a Bronze Prize, between 2000 and 5999 points awards a Silver Prize, and scoring at least 6000 points means a Gold Prize. The prizes can be redeemed in the Arena store.

Bronze Prizes

• Spin Zone map
• Prime Evil map
• The Armax Classic map
• Pain Train map
• Brimstone map
• Ally License - Wrex
• Ally License - Jack
• Ally License - Grunt
• Ally License - Jacob
• Ally License - Miranda
• Ally License - Samara
• Ally License - Kasumi
• Ally License - Zaeed
• 900 Credits

Silver Prizes

• Modifier - No Medi-Gel
• Modifier - Reduced Player Shields
• Modifier - Enhanced Enemy Shields
• Modifier - Enhanced Enemy Damage
• Modifier - No Ammo Crates
• Modifier - Enhanced Player Damage
• Reaper Combat Set
• Elite Challenge
• 3 Bronze Prizes
• 3000 credits

Gold Prizes

• Collector Combat Set
• Super Elite Challenge
• Mirror Match Combat Set
• 3 Silver Prizes
• 10000 Credits

In addition to the standard prizes, scoring 9999 points or more will reward you with a choice of three Cerberus armors: the Cerberus Nightmare Armor, Cerberus Shade Armor, and Cerberus Spirit Armor. Only one armor suit can be chosen.

Missions

• Mission: Citadel Arena: Geth Challenge
• Mission: Citadel Arena: Spin Zone Elite Challenge
• Mission: Citadel Arena: Medi-Gel Challenge
• Mission: Citadel Arena: Reaper Solo Challenge
• Mission: Citadel Arena: Thermal Clip Challenge
• Mission: Citadel Arena: Prothean Challenge
• Mission: Citadel Arena: Cerberus Challenge
• Mission: Citadel Arena: Charity Reaper Challenge
• Mission: Citadel Arena: Unusual Scores

Arena Messaging Service

Shepard receives arena-specific emails while climbing the Arena's scoreboard rankings. The very first mail is an introductory primer for Arena beginners.

Welcome to your AAA experience! Welcome to the Armax Arena, where the danger is fake, but the excitement is real! New athletes can challenge the Cerberus and Geth enemy sets at the Foot Soldier level. Additional layouts, enemies, and ally licenses can be purchased from the Armax store on the main level of the arena. Completing any match awards a bronze, silver, or gold prize depending on your point totals. These prizes are redeemable at the arena store for credits or to unlock play options.   Bonus points can be acquired by finishing the match quickly, capturing bonus objectives, kill streaks, or taking voluntary handicaps. Voluntary advantages can be taken, but these reduce the final score. See you in the sim! -The Armax Arsenal Arena Team

Some of the emails are challenges for the Commander to progress through an arena game under certain conditions. Those emails are listed on their corresponding mission articles. Others are messages from Shepard's growing fanbase. These fan emails come from all sorts of beings human or otherwise, as evidenced by names, writing patterns, and all manner of contextual clues.

Welcome to the club From: This One is Number One Commander, This one just noticed your appearance on the leaderboards and wished to offer its congratulations. It advises that success in combat sports can bring out an enthusiastic fan base. Do not worry about them. Most are quite harmless. Wishing you gentle tides, Number One

Hello from Kithoi Ward! From: Rosulinix Praecelsus Commander Shepard! Just wanted to let you know that we're big fans out in Kithoi Ward. I'm a bartender at a club, and we put your match up on the vidscreen by popular demand. Next match, I'm setting up a drinking game, so just imagine that there's going to be a room full of ward rats downing shots whenever you grab a bonus objective. Try hard out there, but try not to give my customers alcohol poisoning! Rose

You've got my daughter rooting for you From: Vereen Silvosus Commander Shepard: My daughter Pelas and I tuned in to the combat simulator download last night, and I was surprised to see you competing. Pelas has been fascinated with humans, and I think it's good for her to have non-turian role models. Anyway, if you ever get tempted to fall into some terrible scandal the way so many famous people do, please remember our family is looking up to you. In the meantime, go get 'em!

Telemetry From: Elois Errin Hi, Commander Shepard! Huge fan! Interested in making you better. Attached is a spreadsheet to track your real metrics, not just the fresh-from-the-water pap the arena computers give you. It's a system of my own design, which, is to say, it's more intensive than some Armax employee's bare-bones idea of statistical analysis. With this, you should be able to up your hit-to-kill ratio, reduce running distance to avoid fatigue, and post the results for all to see. High-def instructional vids included! E.E. ((ERROR: ATTACHMENT EXCEEDS ALLOWABLE FILE SIZE))

SHEPARD ROCK!! From: ARNGAR SEE YOU IN COMBAT SIMULATOR!! HEADS EXPLODING BUT NOT YOURS! RACK UP KILL STREAK SCORES!! HAVE NOT SEEN KILLING LIKE THAT SINCE TRIBAL WAR ON HESHTOK! SHEPARD AND VOID DEVILS 4 EVER! ARNGAR

Thanks, I guess. From: Ashanti Morrisey I don't know if you'll read this but my brother is having a nervous breakdown because of you, seriously he's spent who-knows-how-much money on combat simulator gear and wanted to turn pro and then you came along and beat his score and he's moping around the house because he knows he can't compete with a freaking Spectre and he was depending on the money to pay down some debt and I just wanted to write to you and say this is actually a good thing, because now I think he's more open to getting a real job and also it makes him more nervous about enlisting which is good 'cause he'd get totally killed and it really works out better this way so thanks.

I made this for you From: Randi Nowan Attached are some files from what I call Project Shepard. I did a screen capture of your match in the simulator and made a 3:1 ratio bust of your head in cheddar cheese. As my video journal shows in the time lapse section, it took a while, but it was worth it. I'm happy with everything except the chin, where you can see it sagged a little and I had to reinforce it with struts. Let me know what you think!

The wrong side of history From: warrior2200 I don't know why you do matches against Cerberus. I thought you had a good sense of what humanity needs, but I guess that just isn't the case. I'm not a racist, but I think it's pretty clear Cerberus has been singled out as the whipping boy for everyone in the galaxy. Seriously, they televise matches where people shoot them like dogs, but I bet it'll be a cold day in hell when they let you shoot Council races or Alliance soldiers. That's what you get when arena management answers to the turians, I guess. Blake

Our love is meant to be From: Salora T'Ron You stand floodlit in front of millions And I in the dark The screen separates us But as your heart hammers mine echoes it and we are one. I embrace this brief human moment As if it were eternity. Your most devoted fan, Salora

I'm your #1 fan! From: Anexi Kestratos Shepard: That last match just goes to show the difference between a killer like you and the soft-skinned children who are just playing games. Some humans are the spiritual descendants of indolent flower-eaters, but you? You're right up there with Patton and Attila and Vlad Tepes. Speaking of, don't you think the arena should have some good map layouts from human history? I'd love to see a fight amongst all those impaling stakes. I've proposed it a few times, but the arena guys just say something about impressionable youth and then makes some really insulting cracks about turian fan mail. Shouldn't they be glad we care so much? P.S. The bluish blot in the attached pic is just my way of signing off. You know, a thumbprint in DNA so you know it's me.

See Also

• Pinnacle Station - A top-secret military facility on Phoenix that houses a combat simulator for the express purpose of training high-level operatives.
• Alliance News Network - Profiles in Courage

Trivia

• The tiny icons on the simulator upgrade shops depict the effect of items bought from them: squadmates on Bronze, score modifiers on Silver, and Collectors plus super elite enemies from Gold. Mordin can be seen on Bronze despite his unavailability as a squadmate, as are regular Mass Effect 3 companions Tali and Liara.