This section covers challenging and engaging in battles with your monsters. Web Battles form the basis for Battling Dragons. Your familiar and at least one enemy monster fight it out to increase their power and reputation.

What are Web Battles?
How do I challenge someone to a battle?
How do I accept a battle after being challenged?
I do not want to fight. How do I cancel the challenge?
What techs will my familiar use in battle?
How do I decide which actions my familiar will take in the battle?
What happens during the fight?
How can I find out what is happening during battle?
How do I win a match?
What happens when the match ends?
How much experience do I earn from fighting?
What is valor?
How can I get into more battles?
What does the future hold?

What are Web Battles? Web Battles are the oldest form of Battling Dragons combat implemented on its second year of existance, changing it from just a plain adoption center to a force to be reckoned with. Web Battles are matches between two opponents with two monsters. Over a time period, the monsters will fight until one emerges victorious. It is a battle between familiars and web sites, if the combatants own any, for the monster whose owner's site receives more hits will be given a distinct advantage in battle.
One of the greatest advantages to the Web Battle system is that you are not required to be present during the fight. By setting your monster's AI beforehand, it will begin fighting as soon as the challenge is accepted. This eliminates the need for both you and your opponent to be on-line at the same time, and allows this game to be something you can play as little as every time you check your e-mail.
How do I challenge someone to a battle? You have several options to find an opponent to battle. The most reliable of these is to check the Battle Board where those seeking battles post themselves. Your next best option is to conduct a search for an opponent, most likely close to your familiar's level. You can also check player rankings, challenge a member by name, or happen upon another member's web site with their creature displayed on it.
You may not challenge any monster with a level five greater or five less than your own.
You may only challenge or be challenged by one other member at any time.
A challenge will instantly be canceled if it goes ten days without a response.
How do I accept a battle after being challenged? If someone challenges you to a battle, you will receive an e-mail notifying you of such. This is the reason you must keep your e-mail address current. You simply follow the instructions given to you to accept the challenge; go the the Battling Dragons main page and log into your account. The first thing you see will be a summary of your opponent and a decision to accept or decline from the battle. You will also be presented with the opportunity to compare the potential opponents side-by-side.
You may only challenge or be challenged by one other member at any time. You must cancel a battle if you do not want to fight; otherwise, you will not be able to challenge or be challenged by anyone else until the challenge stagnates and is automatically cancelled in ten days.
I do not want to fight. How do I cancel the challenge? Anytime before a battle, whether you originally issued the challenge or were challenged yourself, you may log into your Battling Dragons account. Immediately will be a form in front of you. Check the box to cancel the challenge and submit.
If battle has already begun, you cannot get out of the battle. You must wait for it to end.
What happens during a match? Every hour during a match, a timed program checks to see if either of the two monsters is able to act. Speed is what determines how often a monster may act. Typically, it is once every four hours, but it may be more or less depending on your monster's Speed. Once able to act, it will use a command designated by its AI. This continues until one runs out of Life.
Battles occur automatically. It is not required that you be at your computer when the match is going on. Longer matches may take a couple days. You may check on a battles progress at any time by logging into your account.
How can I find out what is happening during battle? By logging into your account, you can see how your familiar is fairing. You will see its current life, opponent, and even how its statistics have been modified by the ensuring fight.
When life is red, your creature is in danger. When gray, it is moderately hurt.
When a statistic (strength, speed, agility, and so on) is red, it means that it is currently below its base value; a technique has reduced it.
When a statistic is brightly colored, it has been enchanced by a technique.
You will also see a log of recent events displayed at the bottom of the page. A link will be provided to see the entire log.
How do I win a match? The first monster to bring its opponent's Life to zero wins a match. Although a good battle plan and a little luck are very important in BD, you should also know your opponent. Some monsters will simply have an advantage against other species; compare your elements and spells to your foe's. Compare statistics like Strength and Defense, Arcane and Virtue, Strike and Agility.
You also should use your techs wisely. If you are planning on attacking your foe magically, do not raise your Strength or lower your foe's Defense. If your opponent is not inflicting negative status on your monster, do not cure your familiar. Most importantly, do not use statistic alterations in excess; they are key to having a good fight, but not when you waste them maxing-out a stat again and again.
What happens when the match ends?
How much experience do I earn from fighting?
When the match comes to a close, one win and one loss are assigned accordingly. The victor will receive a little over ten times the loser's level in experience points; the loser will receive little over two times the victor's level in XP.
At the end of battle, Valor will be appropriately modified, if applicable. What is valor? Although wins and experience can tell you how much a monster has battled, Valor reveals how couragous it was in doing so. Every monster begins life with fifty valor. Valor can change whenever an opponent of a different level is battled.
If the opponent is of a greater level, a monster's valor will increase by that level difference if it wins the battle. There is a fine line between bravery and stupidity, and victory draws it.
If the opponent is of a lesser level, a monster's valor will decrease by that level difference if the higher-leveled monster challenged the lower-leveled one. If a weaker monster challenges a stronger one, no valor will be lost. In fact, it is that monster's right to snuff out their hubris without penalty.
Valor is used to sort the Player Rankings by Modified Points, which reorders the normal standings to take into account bravery.
The highest possible valor is one hundred; the lowest is zero.
How can I get into more battles? The best way to find battles is to post yourself on the Battle Board. This will let others who are seeking an opponent see that you are as well. Another way to ensure more battles is to respond to all challenges -- not accept, just respond to. If you do not cancel a battle you do not wish to partake in and instead let it sit around for ten days, automatically cancelling it, you can lead other members to believe that you no longer check your e-mail, are an inactive account, or are just plain lazy. Reputations are pretty strong in Battling Dragons. Make sure yours is a good one.
What does the future hold? Earlier this year, the revolutionary M4 system was released. It did not last long, though, since Version Four quickly rid of it. Many of its ideals still echo throughout the new system. Here is an old list of some of the things M4 offered, and the new battle system will as well: