[b]Pet Battles[/b]

[i]Throw paws, not shade. This page explains how battles work on Watership Town.[/i]


[b]Overview[/b]
Battles are quick matchups between eligible pets. Both reserve fighters and battle-ready pets can face each other. The outcome is decided by comparing stats, applying any situational modifiers (weather, time of day, mutations), and awarding prizes to the winner.



[b]Who can fight? (Eligibility)[/b]
Your pet must be Level 3, alive, not sick, not pregnant, and at 30 or higher Health. The pet also needs either the battle_ready flag or the reserve_can_fight flag. Female caretakers of level-1 kits cannot fight; males with kits are allowed. Meeting these rules makes the pet show up in the battle selector.



[b]Finding an opponent[/b]
The arena looks for opponents that also meet the same rules. Pets from your own colony are not selected for arena fights. Block lists are respected in both directions. If no opponent is available, try again later or switch pets.



[b]How a fight is decided[/b]
Each battle is “best of three” across [u]Strength[/u], [u]Agility[/u], and [u]Intellect[/u]. The pet that wins more of those comparisons wins the fight. If it’s perfectly tied on wins, the higher total across the three stats wins; if still tied, it’s a coin flip.



[b]Stat modifiers (the spice)[/b]
Certain mutations always adjust stats (for example, “Strong Jaws” helps Strength). Some modifiers depend on context, like weather or night time (for example, “Keen Senses” at night). These are applied to both pets before the comparison, so the environment really matters.


[b]Damage, energy, and streaks[/b]
After a fight, both pets take a small hit to Health and Energy. Health loss is a random amount in a modest range; Energy cost is modest as well. Battle-ready status is not auto-cleared after a fight, so you can keep battling while your Health stays at 30 or higher. If a pet’s Health reaches 0, it will be marked not alive and cannot continue.



[b]Rewards[/b]
Winners may receive a small bundle of resources. The resource type is random (wood, stone, herbs, water, or meat) and the amount is modest. If your pet belongs to a colony, rewards are credited to that colony. If not, you’ll get a message encouraging you to join or form one.



[b]Why can’t my pet fight?[/b]
If a pet doesn’t appear in the selector, check the common blockers. Make sure the pet is Level 3, alive, not sick, not pregnant, and at least 30 Health. Confirm that either battle_ready or reserve_can_fight is set. If the pet is a female with level-1 kits, she can’t enter. If everything looks right but no fights start, there might be no eligible opponents outside your colony at the moment.


[b]Tips[/b]
Keep an eye on weather and time-of-day if your build leans on certain mutations. Heal or rest when Health dips below 30. Toggle battle_ready in your dashboard or set reserve_can_fight in My Pets when you want a particular fighter to be available.



[b]Changelog notes[/b]
Battles now require Health ≥ 30 instead of full Health. Reserve and battle-ready pets can fight each other. Battle-ready is no longer cleared automatically after fights.