The History of Battledome Challengers, Part 4

     In the last special edition of "The History of Battledome Challengers", we brought in five new BLUMAROO challengers, talking about their tactics and exactly how they ended up in the Battledome. Making a total of fifteen challengers that we've broken down the history of so far. Every week, for five weeks total, I'll be here breaking down a selection of Battledome challengers for you to learn about. Maybe you will end up more inspired to take down some of the worst foes imaginable, as an extra slap in the face to them for trying to destroy Neopia. Or you will just want to practice with them to get stronger for the next mini-plot!

     Let's recap who we talked about last week:

     We talked exclusively about Blumaroo opponents, starting with Advisor Broo. He is a possibly malicious advisor to King Roo, trying to keep the King distracted with Dice-A-Roo so he can maybe do terrible things, like taking over Roo Island. No one really knows what he is up to for sure.

     Then we moved on to the famous vampire Count Von Roo. He can only be woken up in the middle of the night for you to gamble your levels on, trying to get strong enough to beat him, but risking becoming the weakest Neopet ever. Don't wake him up in the day time though, no one knows what punishments you may face.

     From there we went on to Dr. Sloth's most loyal subject, Commander Garoo. He's been heavily involved in Sloth's evil plots and has never turned his back on his "great" leader. He is especially dangerous for his blind faith in Frank.

     The Charming Subversive is a member of The Sway, a secret society in Neopia attempting to take over the Obelisk. He is highly intelligent and cunning, able to manipulate most people into giving him his way.

     Finally we talked about the only retired challenger in our series, the Pillager. He came into existence during the Hannah and the Ice Caves plot and was adamantly against Hannah. He was one of many trying to stop her. He was a member of the Thieves Guild but seems to have retired from the Battledome, at least for now.

     That brings us to this week's group!

     S750 Kreludan Defender Robot

     Difficulty HP: 14, 21, 28

     Unlocks: Automatically!

     The S750 Kreludan Defender Robot is one of my favorite opponents due to his diverse history. He is a fairly easy opponent despite his massive size, so he is one of the first many Neopians beat. He has made his way all around Neopia, not just residing in the Battledome. His main job is guarding the Kreludan Mining Corp on the moon, stopping users from entering the mine without proper authorization. He was also involved in the Lost Desert Plot, where a Kau Fortune Teller would give out an eight digit code that could be put in the S750 Kreludan Defender Robot, and he would reward the user with a piece of parchment to aid in solving the puzzle.

     Not only has he done all this, but he is also an avid gamer! He has been a competitor in Better Than You twice now. Once competing in Lost in Space Fungus with a score of 2,500, but also with a score of 22,001 in Slorgs in Space. Who know such a giant robot wanted to destroy little tiny Slorgs so badly?

     Shadow Usul

     Difficulty HP: 175, 300, 700

     Unlocks: Through a random event.

     She is a shifty character, lurking in the shadows of Neopia Central and ready to jump out and attack unsuspecting Neopians. She loves to steal items from users, so it is wise to keep your valuables stashed away in the safety deposit box. Many users have gotten very expensive things taken away, like morphing potions or rare weapons, and so they have taken her to the Battledome to get their revenge. You won't be able to get the item back that she stole, but you can comfort yourself with the delicious pastries she rewards upon her defeat. Hopefully she'll never steal from her and you won't ever have to battle her.

     Pant Devil

     Difficulty HP: 21, 42, 63

     Unlocks: Through a random event or at the Wheel Of Excitement on an unlucky spin.

     One of the worst villains in all of Neopia for the sheer terror he strikes in the hearts of users everywhere. He swoops in and steals expensive items from you, just like the Shadow Usul, but there is something even more sinister about him. He's a chump, too, because at least the Shadow Usul can fight in the Battledome. This guy barely has any strength, even at his highest difficulty, and can have his butt whooped quickly. All he does is harass people and get away with their stuff before they have a fair chance at stopping him. I recommend fighting him as often as possible to try to scare him off from stealing from you. If you're lucky you will run into his brother who will gift you something as an apology.

     The Brain Tree

     Difficulty HP: 105, 126, 147

     Unlocks: Completing one of his quests.

     The Brain Tree resides in the Haunted Woods and will asked you some very difficult questions. There is only one way to know the answer, and that is to consult The Esophagor (who we will learn about shortly). He has an incredible amount of knowledge, but due to his heavy routes he can't travel himself to gain more knowledge.

     While he is terrifying to look at, you may be wondering why he would be in the Battledome. He isn't evil by any means, in fact he is in the Battledome to train himself and get stronger. He is a gatekeeper, guarding the entrance to a secret area of the Haunted Woods where a deadly monster is living. The monster occasionally tries to escape, fighting the Brain Tree and causing the scars you see on his trunk, but the Brain Tree is always able to subdue him. Because of all this stress, the Brain Tree is sometimes in a bad mood and is known to threaten or attack innocent people passing by.

     Esophagor

     Difficulty HP: 2,000, 2,500, 3,000

     Unlocks: Completing one of his quests.

     The Esophagor is a horrifying presence in the Haunted Woods, and no one knows for sure what he is. He crawls out of the goop with red beady eyes and a gaping mouth begging to be fed spooky foods. He has the answers to many of the Brain Tree's questions, the two of them would make a great duo if either could move from their respective positions. He requires you to feed him spooky foods before he will give you the answer. He speaks by dragging out his syllables and was involved in the Tale of Woe plot along with the Brain Tree. Sophie, Bruno, and Gilly visited him to gain more information about the Spirit of Slumber but was not able to help. He needed the spirit's true name to know the date of his death, but the Brain Tree could not reveal the spirit's true name without the date of his death. They were stuck between a rock and a hard place. Eventually they were able to solve the puzzle, but Sophie alluded to a bad history with the Esophagor, but details of that never came to life.

     No one is really sure why he is in the Battledome, but he is extremely strong. He may just like to fight. Speaking of extremely strong, that brings us to next week's extra special final edition! We will be speaking to some of the strongest competitors, all who have a maximum power of over 850 to celebrate the 850th edition of the Neopian Times!!