Phantasy Star Online Version 2 Battle Mode Guide
                  By Makiro MK II (Makoto, Fish God, DE Rol, lol)
                    "I Kill monsters, therefore I am"             
Note: I Don't mind if you use this on your site as long as its in full and you e-mail me first,
this guide took a long time to do, I may have no life, but still, it was hard work

WHATS IN THIS GUIDE?
I got a lot of stuff: How to win battle games, tips for them, good character classes ect ect
I also have small dedications to people that have helped me out :)
I Have most of the stuff I intended on doing put in, look out for updates!

BATTLE:
There are many different rules for battle mode each varies vastly from the last,
There are two levels in battle mode, spaceship and temple, my favourite being
The temple, however my favourite rule is rule 1, which is spaceship, so I get a
Lot of variation in my games. Battle mode can be a lot of fun and despite belief
Of A LOT of newbies, you don't lose your weapons in battle so there is no 
Excuse, lol. As well as the heavily ruled (is that a word?) battle modes there
Is also an 'F1 Battle' where there are no rules, I however, find these irritating
But, if that's what you like, you should make the most of it before DC PSO dies.
Also battle mode Caters for every experience and skill level, some rules set you to 
Lv 1, and In my experience Lv 200 people get thrashed on rule two, no idea why, hehe.

HOW TO PLAY UNDER CERTAIN RULES:
Rule 1:
Area: Spaceship
My Rating: 9/10
Recommended skill level: Beginner
Summing Up:
There's not really many rules here, so it's up to you really, often people add
Their own rule, no spreads for example, or no stealing, and if everyone agrees
Then please remember, there is nothing more annoying than some ignorant loser
That uses his own rules :P. I like to add extra rules for variety, yesterday me and
Akuma had a "no guns" rule one game, and it was pretty fun, but then again it was
Mainly because I kept wasting him with my s-rank mechgun, hehe.
And remember, no shifta and deband actually means: NO SHIFTA AND DEBAND
Lol, jk Akuma
Tips:
Smash the joystick around when in ice for an early breakout.
De-equip your weapon after getting critically damaged health.
When playing against someone with many S-ranks use state/maintenance,
A Few God/Battles wouldn't go amiss either
Rule 2:
Area: Temple
My Rating: 7/10
Recommended Skill level: Beginner
My favourite level, but not my favourite rule, I had a lot of fun playing rule 2
With Jane and kasumi, sure, I lost but battle is better when you have a lot of fun
And to Jane and kasumi: YOU ONLY WON BECAUSE YOU HAVE MAGIC, lol
Sometimes I really resent being a HUcast, but never mind, I resigned myself to the painful
Torture of no magic...its my fault, at least I can use BERDYSH, my favourite weapon
Shame its not so powerful...anyway, rule 2 is a good rule if the characters levels are quite
Unbalanced and you want something fair.
Tips:
Smash the joystick around when in ice for an early breakout.
Get a gun to unlock the fences by shooting the button.
Shoot the weak walls to get through the to the other side.
Rule 3:
Sorry, To be updated soon
Rule 4:
Sorry-To be updated soon
Rule 5:
Sorry-To be updated soon
Rule 6:
Area: Spaceship
My Rating: 7/10
Recommended Skill Level: Advanced
This is a good rule, its fun to play, and because there's not a big area to roam around in,
The cowards lose out :P I have had a few good battles here, my big battle with sel, in
Which I proved we were at equal skills, and my battle with kasumi and punk spade, where
A lot happened
Tips:
If you get incased in ice, smash the joystick around and you break out earlier.
If you are about to die, de-equip your weapon so you still have it on you after you die. 
Rule 7:
Sorry-To be updated soon
Rule 8: 
Sorry-To be updated soon

WEAPON USAGE IN BATTLE MODE:

SABER TYPES:
Difficulty: Beginner
A Saber is one of the most user-friendly weapons in existence its quick
And in the case of the yamigarasu, deadly.
To use a saber to its maximum potential you can attack from anywhere
But I recommend the method of a stealthy back attack, remember, only
Talk in battle when you have to, it leaves you open to attack and also
Gives away your position, so creep up behind them, finish a N-N-H
Or N-H-H attack and manoeuvre around them until they get back up
Then keep the motion going until you have the advantage, then break out
Your strongest weapon and take a final blow.
Best situation for use:
Any approach works, the saber is fast, so you will often have the
First blow.
Tips:
If you are u against a needle or sword type use a N-H or H attack
Because they have a wide area of attack.
If you are a hunter, get yourself a yamigarasu, they are one of
The best weapons you can use in battle mode
If you are a HUnewearl, remember only do 2 strings

SWORD TYPES:
Difficulty: Intermediate/advanced
Slow and strong, this ranger equivalent of a mechgun is not to be taken
Lightly.
Swords are not widely used in battle mode, with the exception
Of Sealed-J-Swords, and I think once you know how to use
Them without getting smashed up by an Ano Rifle you'll be fine
(You have no idea how much I hate Ano rifles)
First make sure you don't have a yamigarasu in your
Inventory, if you do, ditch the sword, it aint worth it, lol
The a sword attacks slowly, so make sure you creep up On your
enemy, 'cause swords are slow but they can Sometimes kill in one
hit (e.g. huge battle fan, my favourite sword-type) so if you have
A sword, make sure it's a good one, J-swords and huge battle fans
Can do a lot of damage, and it shows, considering how hard it is to
See a legit one remember-a j-sword with any grind is not legit.
Swords do not normally have very good ATA so use N-H-H or, if
You have maxed out your ATA, H-H or H-H-H if you are feeling brave
Tips:
Remember that this weapon isn't exactly fast, so use with caution, and make
Sure for team battle, no allies should be nearby

PARTISAN TYPES:
Difficulty: Advanced
Normally just written off as another sword type, these weapons are
Often vastly stronger.
They are a bit faster than swords but are sometimes weaker so I put
Partisans down as advanced, there is nothing else to say really, look at
Sword section for how to use
Tips:
Remember that partisans are only a bit faster than swords, so use with 
Caution and make Sure for team battles that no allies should be nearby

DAGGER TYPES:
Difficulty: Beginner/Intermediate
Fast and powerful, they may be small...But who cares?
My brother (BERNIE, he got noled, I think he is rashwind now) used to love this type, s-rank
daggers Cause major damage on battle mode, they didn't add many daggers for
V2, so daggers have kinda died out, I am still a fan though!
They are quick, so Saber rules apply, but they have a mechgun-like wait
After a full combo, so just use an N-H, if you are wary;)

SLICER TYPES:
Difficulty: Advanced, or to use to its full potential, expert
Although this weapon can be annoying at times, a good player can cause a 
good deal of chaos with one.I don't really like slicers that much and I only
know one person who does. However, take the time to master them and you'll have no problem
winning often.First thing to take not of is the wait after a 3 hit combo, it embarrasses
even the mechgun So, as with many other weapons, use a two hit combo instead of three.
They hit all enemies, so it's good for wiping out a small group of players
Tips:
N-H Or H-H Combos only unless you are SURE that there will be no threat after
Slicers can destroy traps, so you don't have to lug a gun around with you

HANGUN TYPES:
Difficulty: Newbie, just aim and fire
A Very newbie friendly weapon, good for all occasions
Very versatile, losses in power, but makes up for it in speed, can shoot
Traps, hit from a good distance and fits in the palm of your hand ~_^
You cant really go wrong with a good handgun, and they can often
Do good damage (damn yasminkovs ^_^; )
Not really much else to say, except: please don't kill me!

RIFLE TYPES:
Difficulty: Newbie
Exactly the same as a handgun, except looks nicer.
Look at the handgun section for how to use

MECHGUN TYPES:
Difficulty: Intermediate
I love mechguns, especially now I have S-Rank mechs ^_^
Easily a hunter's best friend, these can be very useful in battle ESPECIALLY if they are
S-Ranked."HEY!" and "UNFAIR!" were the screams of akuma as counterfiet0 and me
Wasted him with our S-Rank Mechs, and the special on S-Rank mechs is just...pure evil
But...who cares?
The one problem with mechguns is the wait after you finish firing; it's not really a problem
As long as you get a good few steps away from your opponent
Tips:
Get good distances from enemies
Use the special on S-Rank mechs
Be prepared for the annoying wait between combos

NEEDLE TYPES:
Difficulty: Idiot proof, a moron could use this weapon
EVERYONE hates needles, but they can be fun at times.
A Funny strategy for needles is stand in a corner and just keep pressing A
Someone steps in your way and gets blown up to smithereens, you win
On second thought...don't do that :P
Needles have good range and can kill most things, but before you use one:
Please, PLEASE ask everyone else if they don't mind you using it
And if they say don't use one, don't get mad, or use one anyway
"NO DOM, NO NEEDLES!" man, me and counterfeit said that so much
Its lost all meaning...By the way akuma, I'm just joking wit' ya, we're mates
You can deal with the jokes right?

TWIN TYPES:
Difficulty: Beginner
A Good, strong weapon that hits 6 times in a combo
Twins are just like daggers, but with a better range, so refer to the
Dagger section for how to use.

All force weapons use mostly the same, so I wrote one section for them:

ALL FORCE WEAPONS:
Difficulty: Intermediate/Advanced
I personally would recommend a force not use weapons, as they don't
Do good damage because forces are technique based but...if I must...?
Force weapons are slow and don't do much damage, so I advise you use
A short combo to stun your opponent and use grants or something to
Finish them off, remember: Level 30 techs are lethal.

USING DIFFERENT CLASSES:
HUmar:
A Very good class, reasonably good with spells, can use some cool weapons, and is a very 
popular class, although most HUmars are starting to look the same for some reason...
Available Weapon Types:
Sabers
Swords
Partisans
Daggers
Slicers
Mechguns
Handguns
Twins
Needles

HUcast:
My favourite class: No techs, but stronger than other characters, and...you can use BERDYSH! 
The coolest looking weapon in PSO.
Available Weapon Types:
Sabers
Swords
Partisans
Daggers
Slicers
Mechguns
Handguns
Twins
Needles

HUnewearl:
A Popular class, can use the 2nd coolest looking weapon, HEART OF POUWM
Available Weapon Types:
Sabers
Swords
Partisans
Daggers
Slicers
Mechguns
Handguns
Twins
Needles

RAmars:
The best RA, can use techs, and other cool stuff
Available Weapon Types:
Sabers
Rifles
Shots
Slicers (I Think, if you can confirm this e-mail me and you'll be in my thanks section ^_^)
Mechguns
Handguns
Twins
Needles

RAcast:
A Pretty cool ranger, good power but a bit lacking in DFP, sel's New Character is a RAcast
And likes his yasminkov 9200H "Look! Its like terminator," fool, lol, jk
Available Weapon Types:
Sabers
Rifles
Shots
Slicers (I Think, if you can confirm this e-mail me and you'll be in my thanks section ^_^)
Mechguns
Handguns
Twins
Needles

RAcaseal:
Good DFP but lacks the ATP of the RAcast
Available Weapon Types:
Sabers
Rifles
Shots
Slicers (I Think, if you can confirm this e-mail me and you'll be in my thanks section ^_^)
Mechguns
Handguns
Twins
Needles

FOmarl:
I don't use FOs, so I forgot what they are like
Available weapon types:
Cane
Rod
Wand
Handgun
Saber
Slicer
Mechgun

FOnewm:
I don't use FOs anymore, so I forgot what their stats are
Available weapon types:
Cane
Rod
Wand
Slicer
Saber
Handgun
Mechgun

FOnewearl:
Poor neglected FOnewearls, can hardly use any S-Ranks
Available weapon types:
Cane
Rod
Wand
Handgun
Saber
Slicer
Mechgun


   (---------)    I    I       /--\        I\         I      I  /      /-----    /-\             
       I          I    I      /    \       I  \       I      I /       \         \-/       
       I          I----I     I------I      I    \     I      I/         \             
       I          I    I     I      I      I      \   I      I\          \       /-\  
       I          I    I     I      I      I        \ I      I \     --- /       \-/ 

(I know that looks really bad, but i suck at ASCII,and i wrote it in notepad, so it might
look strange in a browser...i dont know though)

Here's a dedication for all my friends and other people that made this guide possible:

SEGA
For making a really cool console

SONIC TEAM
For making a really cool game

ALL DC SUPPORTERS
For sticking by this amazing console ^__^

AKUMA
For being a really good friend, always up for a battle or a trade, and not being a sore loser 
after a fight. One of my best online (and real life) friends.

Selix
For constantly losing to me, nah JK sel, I'm just kiddin' wit' ya!
Sel has good skills in BA, and no matter what happens, it doesn't dampen his spirits, 
So he's the perfect candidate for BA

Counterfiet0
FISH GOD!...*ahem*...sorry, anyway, counter is a good friend in real life and a good BA companion.
But the insane jabberings don't help: "blark!" and "jabberclackers" to name a few :P

Kasumi
For thinking I was insane when I wanted to play rule one, kas' is fun to play with, 
but rated 18 due to phrases of an adult nature :D she is really skilful, and can kick my 
ass on rule 2 ^_^;

Jane Nanyako
I can only hope I spelt that right...anyway even though I have only played BA with Jane 
about twice, I talk to her quite a bit, she's pretty funny, and is good at rule 2.

ANDROID 2002
For constantly saying: "lets play again!" and not getting to annoyed when I wanna go with 
blizzard instead of him...sorry

Blizzard87:
Hiya! I don't have much to say since I haven't played BA with you, but I couldn't NOT 
mention you ^_^

Seiphar:
"I WANT MY GUN!"...Haha, shame it didn't do anything to me in the end.

Revolution:
For giving me good fun in BA games

Nova:
As above ^_^

GEKIDASKY:
Although you spend more time annoying me than helping me, I added you anyway :P

-:RashWind:-
My brother, for asking too many questions ^_^

PunkSpade:
For not being a sore loser, and for JUST beating me by about 1/2 a second, 
he is pretty funny too!

God Of Tek:
For constantly wimping out of BA

I'm sorry if I didn't mention you, just SM me in the game and I'll add you.

HELP ME OUT SECTION:

Any info would be handy about something i have not put in ect ect
And whether a RA can use slicers
And if you wanna put in a suggestion about what i should add, mail me as well
And although this is'nt PSO related, i want to know if you have seen the word
makiro anywhere, i could have SWORN i made it up...

OK, That's it!
If you want me to add anything to this guide: Truemakiro@hotmail.com, just mail me 
and I'll sort it out