Halloween 2020 "Key Battle" Tips, Times, Rewards

Update 0.9.10 delivers a new temporary battle type Key Battles to the game.

Demonstrate your skills in a futuristic competition by assuming command over a ship that represents one of three corporations! The event's atmosphere can be felt even before entering the battle in the new themed Port.

Major Things You Should Know

The new battle type pits 16 players against each other and AI-controlled monsters on the gigantic Polygon map.
You start out alone, but you can gather a team of up to three ships directly in battle.
For destroying monsters and other players, you'll get a temporary resource—Battle Points. Having accumulated a certain number of Battle Points in one battle, you’ll unlock the ability to reinforce your ship directly in that battle. However, upgrading your ship in battle will not actually spend Points—all earned Points will appear in your Port regardless of any upgrades made in battle.
The Battle Points you accrue can be exchanged for various rewards in the Armory.
As you get closer to the center of the map, you'll find a specially marked monster with a key. After destroying the monster, you'll receive its key. This will allow you to exit the map via the Portal.
When all the keys have been used or the Portal is closed, the remaining ships will be transported to a special area—the Octagon. The final battle takes place in a gradually shrinking combat zone. The last surviving ship will also leave the Polygon successfully.
Successfully escaping the Polygon will bring you additional Battle Points.
Each of the three ships offers a wide variety of modules that can have a significant impact on gameplay.

Tips

Try different combinations of modules and armaments—you can assemble a ship that's to your liking. Don't be afraid to experiment—you need to act unpredictably on the Polygon.
Destroy the first monsters you encounter and upgrade your ship as quickly as possible. This will give you an advantage in encounters with other players.
It's not necessary to immediately attack players—the reward you would receive for attacking them at the beginning of the battle is minimal.
As you get closer to the center of the map, the monsters will become more dangerous, but you'll also receive more Battle Points for destroying them.
If you don't have enough keys for the entire Division, be prepared for the fact that your new comrades are highly likely to become enemies as you try to head for the Portal.
Divisions are also active in the final battle in the Octagon. But the winner will be the last ship afloat.

Rewards

The Battle Points you earn in battle can be exchanged for various rewards in the Armory.

In addition, new Commanders with 10 skill points and bundles with Commanders from the Halloween events of previous years can be obtained in in the Armory in exchange for doubloons.

Please note: Battle Points can be exchanged for rewards in the Armory only until the end of the Key Battle event. After the end of the event, they will be exchanged for credits at the rate of 1 Battle Point : 75 credits.

Key Battle Rules

To access Key Battles, you must have fought at least 21 battles in the available battle types.

Instead of the usual rectangular Minimap, the new battle type features a round one with the player's ship at its centre. It displays everything within the spotting range of your ship. For destroying monsters and other players' ships, you earn a temporary resource. "Battle Points". Having accumulated a certain number of "Battle Points", you can reinforce your ship directly in battle. To select one of the two improvements, use Ctrl+1 or Ctrl+2. You don't need to spend any "Battle Points" to make your selection, and because improving your ship won't cost any Points, don't delay installing an upgrade—do it as soon as you can. After the end of the battle, "Battle Points" can be exchanged for rewards in the Armory.

You can earn additional Battle Points by exiting through the Portal in the centre of the map. To do that, you need to destroy one of the special monsters and get a key. The number of available keys is limited. The Portal opens some time after the start of a battle, remains open for a few minutes, and then closes.

After the last key has been used or the Portal has closed, the remaining ships will be transported to a special arena—the Octagon. The final battle takes place in a gradually shrinking combat zone. Ships constantly receive damage when situated outside the boundaries of this zone. The last surviving ship will successfully leave the Polygon and receive additional Points. Players are not allowed to enter Key Battles in Divisions, but you can assemble a team of up to three ships directly in battle. To invite a player to your team, aim at them and press F. When you receive an invitation, the top of the screen displays who sent the invitation and how to accept or decline it. While you are on the same team, you cannot deal damage to each other, and all Points earned are divided equally. However, only one player can use one key, which is why you'll face a choice—go all the way with your allies, or turn your guns against them and escape as a lone wolf via the Portal. When you decide to leave the Division of allies, hold Tab and open the Team Members tab. Under this tab, you can view the weapons and consumables of your temporary allies, as well as choose to leave the Division.

If your ship gets destroyed or you escape through the Portal, you don't need to wait for the end of the battle to enter a new one—your ship will be immediately ready for the next battle.

Ships and Armaments

Three ships in total are available for Key Battles in Update 0.9.10. Each of them offers a wide variety of modules that can have a significant impact on the gameplay and ships' exteriors.

The first ship, Valkyrie, is available immediately with the start of Key Battles. In addition to the new ships, completing combat missions will also unlock new hull modules, primary and auxiliary armaments, and a special module that changes the ship's consumables. More details are available in the game client. Please note: Commander skills, camouflages, and signals are disabled in Key Battles.

Valkyrie

The first available ship is well-suited to trying out the new battle type. Her main armament doesn't differ much from the usual guns, and her stock hull increases the effectiveness of ramming with the ship's bow. For experienced Key Battle players, Valkyrie can offer mortars that deal damage with HE shells, even when landing in the water near the target, as well as a special consumable that provides temporary invulnerability.

Gale

To obtain Gale, you need to complete a special combat mission playing Valkyrie. The mission will become available with the start of the event. Instead of consumables, Gale uses energy distribution mechanics that improve the ship's parameters. Select the desired bonuses and then reroute energy to them using the appropriate keys. If you activate two or three bonuses at the same time, an equal amount of energy will be supplied to each of them. The ship's main armament is torpedoes. The stock torpedoes don't offer any surprises. However, among the weapons that are unlocked by completing combat missions, there are special torpedoes that can temporarily disable enemy weaponry, as well as plasma torpedoes. Plasma ammunition heats up the target's armor and temporarily increases the damage dealt by subsequent hits of plasma shells and torpedoes to the same area. Gale's auxiliary armament is an effective secondary battery with a small firing sector.

Heracles

To get Heracles, you must complete a special combat mission playing Valkyrie or Gale. The mission will be available from November 13. The ship's main battery utilizes wavecasters or lasers. The larger the area of the ship that's hit by the wave is, the more damage that's dealt. Waves can also destroy torpedoes and neutralize other waves. Lasers fire with a delay—taking the necessary lead on the target might take some getting used to for newcomers to Key Battles. They hit the target instantly and with perfect accuracy, inflicting heavy damage. Heracles's consumables enable you to select, for example, auras with bonuses for allies; an immediate 180-degree turn (U-turn); or emitting a circular wave, similar to that of wavecasters.