Arena battling

A form of gladiatorial combat typically using MULS-P or MULS-P2 units, due to their high modularity and ease of repair. Betting on arena matches is encouraged; most competitors also bet on themselves.

During the First Huffman Conflict, arena battling was a popular pastime among the mercenaries the OCU and Britannia pumped into their forces on the island. Wanderpanzer conflict was in its infancy and this provided an easy, low-impact excuse to train and added excitement. Over time, arena battling became an end in itself. After the defeat of Zentradi terrorist Quamzin Kravshera, arena battling spiked in popularity as dispossessed Zentradi still heavily inclined to fighting with no other outlet joined the fray.

Today, arena battling remains popular in desperate areas and large mercenary encampments as an alternative to -- and pipeline for -- Vulture-style scavenging. Arena battles usually go to time or machine disabling, and killing is discouraged. It is estimated that there are about 25,000 active participants in arena battling in the Earth Sphere. Casualty estimates range from 30/year to 900/year depending on who you talk to.

Arena battling occupied a hazy legal standing until 0080, when the terms of the Gundam Fight legislation rendered it virtually impossible to distinguish Gundam Fight training from arena battling. Areas with stricter gambling laws use the common workarounds for gambling.