Battle Tower Mk.VI
The central pillar of Battle-by-Post!
What is the Battle Tower?
The central pillar of Battle-by-Post!
Open to trainers one and all, the Battle Tower is the beating heart of BBP's battling ecosystem! Come here to try new strategies, to let off some steam, to arrange a truly strange battle, or to just enjoy the simple joy of competition!
This thread is for seeking casual matches in just about any format you can imagine. One player will post as a match seeker, proposing a ruleset and seeking an opponent. One or more other players will respond as match challenger, accepting the match until all of its teams are full. As this is happening, another player will respond as the referee for that match, if the original match seeker is participating as a battler.
If you're still Trainer Level 0, you can only participate in Beginner Battles. You can participate in other battles starting at Trainer Level 1.
How to Seek a Match
To seek a match, simply post here in this thread that you wish to do so.
You can look for one of the following Default Formats, or you can make your own.
| Standard Rules | Beginner Rules | Flash Rules |
|---|---|---|
Bring 5, Pick 3 Singles Standard Hours Level 1 to 4 (Specify) 10-item Backpack Half-Start Enabled All other rules standard | Bring 3, Pick 1 Singles Standard Hours Level 0 6-item Backpack Players may bring their starting items only.* All other rules standard | Bring 2, Pick 1 24 Round Hours, 12 Battle Hours Level 1 to 4 (Specify) 3-item Backpack 0 Recoveries, 0 Chills All other rules standard |
*The starting items are one (1) each of 
Oran Berry, 
Lum Berry, 
Lucky Egg, 
Life Orb, 
Muscle Band, and 
Wise Glasses.
Oran Berry, Lum Berry, Lucky Egg, Life Orb, Muscle Band, and Wise Glasses.If you use the Beginner Rules, with no changes, you don't have to pay any JC for your battle.
Custom Battles
If you want to customize your battle, you can do so in your match-seeking post. You'll define one or more of the rules listed below, based on what kind of battle you'd like to play in.
- Match Format: (Default: Singles) Singles, Doubles, etc. How many Pokemon are on each team's field at a time.
- Team Size: (Default: 3) How many Pokemon each trainer will use over the course of the battle.
- Species Restriction: (Default: On) Allow ("off") or forbid ("on") having multiple Pokemon with the same starting Species and Forme in a team.
- Selection Size: (Default: Team Size + 2) In most matches, trainers will send in more Pokemon than the Team Size. Some of their sent in Pokemon won't be used that battle.
- Disqualification Time: (Default: 48hr) How long each user has to post, when it's their turn to post. This is enforced loosely in casual matches, but we do want matches to move at some pace.
- Battle Level: (No default) What Level your Pokemon will fight at. Pokemon won't be allowed to use moves or Techniques that are earned at Levels higher than this value; and if the Battle Level is 1 or lower, they won't have their Hidden Ability in this battle. They'll keep their Nature and other features, however.
- Substitution Count: (Default: Battle Level + 2, to a max of 4) How many substitutions trainers can order for each of their Pokemon.
- Backpack Size: (Default: Team Size * 3 + 1) How many items each trainer will send to the battle.
- Advanced Techniques: (Default: "All" if the Battle Level is 4, and "None" otherwise) If the battle level is 4, players should specify which Advanced Techniques are permitted, if any.
- Technique Control: (Default: 1 if the Battle Level is 4, and 0 otherwise) How many Techniques each team may use.
- Arena: (Default: BBP Arena) If the battle has any special effects or rules, they should be assigned to the arena. You can write a flavor justification, if desired. Using arena effects, just about any match you can imagine can occur. Only these restrictions apply:
- The arena can't give players Pokemon they don't own, including whatever loophole someone's picturing. (Auto-transforming into another Pokemon of the trainer's choice, for example.)
- The arena can't up-level Pokemon into Levels that they have not earned. (Though this is enforced less strictly; an arena that allowed each Pokemon to gain Mega Evolution benefits a la this old-generation match would be permitted due to not being "just" a rental match.)
Any match rule with a default value will have that value, if left unspecified by the match seeker.
See 1.3 Match Rules in the handbook for more detailed breakdown of each match rule's function; as well as additional rules you can play with when seeking a match.
The handbook specifies permitted values for each rule, but other values are possible. If you do use nonstandard values, you'll have to describe how the rules change affects your match.
Example: Liz posts wants to seek a Doubles match with "2.5" substitutions per Pokemon. To her, this means that each team to issue no more than five substitutions total to their Pokemon—but potential challengers seem confused by this.
Instead of using a strange number, she would be better served just specifying that she has customized the rule, and spelling out what she means in her match post.
When you post to seek a match, repost the Battle Queue from the post before you, adding your match. For each other player your match will need, post that user's name or that the slot is unfilled (with ???).Once you're done, your match-seeking post might look like this:
How to Challenge a MatchIf you wish to challenge one or more matches posted by other players, simply post here in this thread with a @mention of that user, and indicate which role you'd like to fill in those matches.
If you are challenged specifically by another user, you still have to reply in this thread that you are accepting the challenge.
Any match rule that has no default value, not specified by the match seeker or another match challenger, may be specified by you.
When you post to challenge a match, repost the Battle Queue from the post before you, adding yourself to the match or matches in the queue that you are joining.
Once you're done, your match-challenging post might look like this:
How to Referee a Match
Just like challenging a match, you can become a match's referee by posting here in this thread that you will do so, and @mentioning each battler.
When you post to seek a match, you can make yourself the referee of that match instead of a participant if you desire. If you do, you'll be waiting for players to challenge your match as the battlers as normal.
Just like seeking or challenging, when you post to referee a match, you should repost the Battle Queue.
Once you're done, your match-refereeing post might look like this:
(A full match with no open positions should be removed from the queue, typically. This is just an example.)
Starting your Match
Once all positions in the battle are filled, the battlers will privately message their Pokemon profiles and their chosen items to the referee. Using these, the referee will make the first post of the battle thread in the main BBP Forum, using the "Ongoing" tag.
If there are any match rules remaining that have no value specified, that don't have a default value; the referee must select those values as they create the battle thread. Make sure you set all of the match rules, lest you get an unpleasant surprise.
The referee will also create the first round's posting schedule, typically by having the Match Seeker issue orders to their Pokemon, and having each Match Challenger issue orders in the order that they signed up for the battle afterwards. Thus, this means that the Challengers and Seeker will send out and equip their first Pokemon in reverse order.
Example: Isaac and Madeleine accept Liz's free-for-all match, in order. Once the battle starts Madeleine will send out her Pokemon first, then Isaac. Liz will send out her Pokemon last, and will issue orders first. After she does, Isaac will issue orders, then Madeleine, and then the referee will process the round.
Any number of stipulations can change this initial order—most commonly, by requesting that the first post schedule be sorted randomly—so pay close attention to the rules of the match you're posting!
Alternative Casual Matches
In addition to playing just about any kind of battle, players may also arrange casual Pokemon Contests in this thread.
To do so, you'll need a referee and three entrants. Instead of the [Ongoing] forum tag, the thread will be made with the [Contests] tag.
The entry cost for casual Contests organized in this thread is the same as casual battles: 2 JC from each entered player.
Instead of any usual Contest rewards, players will earn rewards as if they participated in a 1-Pokemon casual battle, and the referee will earn rewards as if they had reffed a 1v1v1 casual battle.
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TC and 
RC as progress rewards, and will spend or earn 
JC.
Players
Referees
Player-Referees
