PvP (Complete)
The full PvP guide — World vs PVP Mine, combat tag, bounties, killstreaks, ELO, trophies, combat enchants, and kits.
PvP in Imperium is built around the PVP Mine - a void-world arena where the richest ores in the empire are guarded by free-for-all combat. Outside the mine, PvP is consent-driven (bounties, duels, the Colosseum); inside it, anything goes. The system is driven by three coordinated services: PVPService (engagement rules, kill rewards, bounties, killstreaks, ELO), PVPMineService (the arena, block values, death drains), and CombatEnchantService (custom weapon + armor enchants). This guide covers all three plus the meta strategies for climbing.
The Two PvP Modes
| Mode | Risk | Reward | Balance at risk? |
|---|---|---|---|
| World PvP (general) | Combat-tagged for 15s | $500 + $5/trophy + 100 ⛁ + bounties + ELO + the death-penalty transfer | On a PvP kill: victim loses 20% Denarius / 20% Auctoritas / 10% Civitas to the killer. Environmental deaths lose nothing. |
| PVP Mine | Free-for-all in the richest mine | 2× block values + 5 ⛁/block + kill loot | On a player kill: victim loses 20% of Denarius + Auctoritas; killer takes 25% of the drain. Environmental deaths in the mine no longer drain (the old full-balance wipe is disabled). |
The full-balance drain is gone. The PVP Mine used to zero your wallet on any death - it now charges a 20% drain on player kills only (the killer pockets a quarter of it, plus a spoils pouch of 25% of your last-5-minutes mine earnings). Sanctioned minigames (CTF, Colosseum) charge no death penalty at all, and public mine worlds keep your inventory on non-PvP deaths.
Combat Tagging
The moment you deal or take damage in PvP, you are combat-tagged for 15 seconds. While tagged:
- Logging out kills you. The server sets your HP to 0 on next-tick, triggering the death event (and the balance drain if you're in the PVP Mine). Logged in code as
handleCombatLogout. - The tag clears on safe-zone entry or after the 15-second timer expires (no fresh damage).
- Re-entering combat resets the timer - you cannot wait it out while actively fighting.
The PVP Mine uses the same 15s combat-tag window and adds a last-damager tracker valid for 10 seconds - even environmental deaths (lava, fall) within that window credit the last damager as the killer for loot purposes.
Safe Zones
The PVP Mine entrance has a 10-block-radius safe zone in the spawn world (centered on -122.5, 266.5) where PvP is disabled. Use it to bank, sell, swap gear, and buff before re-entering. Y is intentionally not bounded, so you can't be ganked mid-jump.
The mine itself (X 63-163, Y 66-114, Z -139 to -39 in the dedicated PVP_Mine world) is full-PvP. WorldGuard denies TNT, creeper explosions, fire spread, and mob spawning globally; the mine region overrides to allow block break/place so you can mine.
Kill Rewards - Full Breakdown
| Reward | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Denarius kill bonus | $500 + $5 per victim trophy | Scales with the victim's lifetime PvP prestige - high-trophy targets pay more. |
| Auctoritas tokens | 100 ⛁ per kill | Flat per kill, configured in pvp.yml pvp.rewards.kill.amount. |
| Death penalty transfer (outside the PVP Mine) | 20% / 20% / 10% | A PvP kill outside the mine drains 20% of the victim's Denarius, 20% Auctoritas, and 10% Civitas - all transferred to the killer. Environmental deaths lose nothing. |
| Kill drain (PVP Mine) | 20% of balances | Dying to a player in the PVP Mine drains 20% of Denarius + Auctoritas; the killer takes 25% of the drain (5% of the balance), plus a spoils pouch of 25% of the victim's recent mine earnings. |
| Active bounty pool | Variable | All unclaimed bounties on the victim pay out to the killer in one transaction. |
| Trophy changes | Killer +1 / victim -10 | Trophies scale the Denarius kill reward - high-trophy players are worth more to kill. |
| Killstreak increment | 1 kill | Triggers milestone broadcasts and bonus currency at configured thresholds (5/10/25/50/100). |
| Player head (optional) | 1 head | Drops at the victim's location (head_collection is enabled). |
| ELO rating change | ±variable | Standard ELO (K=32, provisional 64, Master 24); killer gains, victim loses (floored at 0). |
Kill-farming is detected and blocked two ways. Repeated kills of the same victim within 10 minutes have rewards decay ×0.5 → ×0.25 → 0 (the decay resets after 60 minutes without killing that victim), and an abuse check blocks pair/session-farmed kills outright - no rewards are paid and the victim's balance is protected. Streak bonuses are suppressed while the decay multiplier is zero, so a farmed pair can't farm streak rewards either.
The Bounty System
Any player can place a Denarius bounty on another player with /bounty place <player> <amount>. The minimum is $1,000 (configurable in pvp.yml). The Denarius is withdrawn immediately and held in escrow.
- Multiple bounties stack - every unclaimed bounty on a target sums into a single pool.
- Any kill counts - world PvP, PVP Mine, or Colosseum. The killer gets the entire pool in one transaction.
- Bounties are public - check the top targets with
/bounty top. - Admins can place server-funded bounties via
adminPlaceBountyfor events.
Killstreaks & Milestones
Consecutive kills without dying build your killstreak. At configured thresholds (from pvp.yml pvp.milestones), the milestone fires:
- A currency reward (Denarius, Auctoritas, or whatever the config specifies)
- A direct message to you with the milestone text
- A server broadcast: "⚔ <player> is on a <N> killstreak!"
Death resets your streak to zero. There's no grace period - one death undoes the whole run. See Killstreaks for the full milestone table and tips.
Trophies & ELO
Every kill adds +1 trophy to your permanent stat; every death subtracts 10 trophies (configurable). Trophies scale the Denarius kill reward linearly - high-trophy players are worth more to kill, which creates a self-balancing "rich target" economy.
ELO uses the standard formula with K=32:expected = 1 / (1 + 10^((victimELO - killerELO) / 400)), then change = 32 × (1 - expected). Killer gains the change; victim loses it (floored at 0). Everyone starts at 1000. See Arena Ranking (ELO).
Combat Enchants - The Weapon Table
The /ce command family stamps custom enchants onto weapons and armor via the CombatEnchantService. Every enchant is config-driven (see combat_enchants.yml), with proc chances and per-level scaling. Below is a curated list of the strongest options - there are 50+ total.
Weapon (Sword / Axe / Bow / Crossbow)
| ID | Name | Type | Max | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
lifesteal | Lifesteal | Healing (weapon) | 5 | Heals attacker 1 HP per level on every hit. The single most impactful melee enchant. |
bleed | Bleed | Damage over time | 5 | 20% chance to deal DoT - 1 + 0.5/lvl damage per 20-tick interval for 5s. |
thunderbolt | Thunderbolt | Burst damage | 3 | 5% chance to summon a lightning bolt + 5 bonus damage. |
inferno | Inferno | Ignite | 4 | 15% chance to set the target on fire; duration scales +20 ticks/level. |
shatter | Shatter | Anti-armor | 5 | Every hit: +0.25 damage per armor point the target wears, scaling with level. |
executioner | Executioner | Execute | 5 | +30% damage per level when the target is below 40% HP. |
berserker | Berserker | Last-stand | 5 | +20% damage per level when YOU are below 50% HP. |
vampire_fangs | Vampire Fangs | On-kill heal | 3 | Heals 4 HP per level on kill (not hit). Pairs with Lifesteal for sustainable 1vN. |
poison_edge | Poison Edge | Status (target) | 5 | 8% chance to poison for 5s; amplifier scales with level. |
frostbite | Frostbite | Slow | 5 | 12% chance to slow the target; amplifier scales with level. |
true_damage | True Damage | Armor pierce | 5 | Every hit: 1 + 0.5/level damage that bypasses armor entirely. |
chainsaw | Chainsaw | Armor pierce | 5 | 15% + 10%/level of damage ignores armor. |
crowd_control | Crowd Control | AoE damage | 4 | 25% chance to splash 40% + 10%/level of damage to nearby enemies in 4 blocks. |
knockback_cannon | Knockback Cannon | Knockback | 3 | 30% chance to launch target with strong horizontal + 0.6x vertical knockback. |
Armor
| ID | Name | Max | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
bulwark | Bulwark | 5 | Flat damage reduction - 1 HP per level per armor piece. With 4 pieces at Lv 5, -20 HP per hit. |
phoenix_revive | Phoenix Revive | 1 | On lethal hit: revive at 50% HP with brief invulnerability. 5-minute cooldown. |
thorns_reflect | Thorns Reflect | 5 | Reflect 10% per level of incoming damage back to the attacker. |
evasion | Evasion | 4 | 5% + 4%/level chance to completely dodge an incoming attack. |
last_breath | Last Breath | 2 | On lethal hit: cling to 1 HP with brief Regeneration II. 90s cooldown. |
damage_cap | Damage Cap | 4 | Any single hit is capped to 10 - 1/level HP. Hard counter to burst builds. |
heat_shield | Heat Shield | 1 | Complete immunity to fire and lava damage. |
last_stand | Last Stand | 3 | Grants Resistance when the wearer drops below 50% HP. |
Enchants are read from the attacker's held weapon on hit and from the victim's 4 armor pieces on damage taken. Status effects (Poison, Wither, etc.) use Bukkit PotionEffectType names. All proc chances are per-hit; weapon enchants with proc-chance: 1.0 fire every time.
The PVP Kit
The standard PVP loadout is a custom-enchanted netherite kit granted by admins (or earned through high-end crates/events). A typical min-maxed build:
- Sword: Lifesteal V + Bleed V + Executioner V + Chainsaw V + Vampire Fangs III
- Helmet: Bulwark V + Phoenix Revive I + Last Breath II
- Chestplate: Bulwark V + Damage Cap IV + Thorns Reflect V
- Leggings: Bulwark V + Evasion IV + Heat Shield I
- Boots: Bulwark V + Last Stand III
See Equipment for the armor-set system and how PVP kits are distributed.
Combat Styles - 1.8 vs 1.9+
Imperium supports both combat styles via a per-player toggle. The 1.8-style mode removes the 1.9 attack-cooldown for faster, spam-click PvP; the 1.9+ mode retains the cooldown for tactical timing. Switch with the combat-style command (see Commands). Most top PvPers prefer 1.8 for the higher DPS.
Strategies - Surviving & Climbing
PVP Mine Survival
- Bank before entering. Sell your Sarcina, deposit spare Denarius via
/withdrawbanknotes, store them in your vault. Enter the mine with only what you can afford to lose. - Stay near the walls. The center is where 1vN ganks happen. Mine in a corner where you can fall back to the safe zone.
- Watch the BossBar. It shows the next reset timer and player count. Few players = safer mining; many players = high alert.
- Watch for events. PVP Mine events multiply Denarius AND tokens - but they also draw the whole server. Mine aggressively during the event window or skip it.
Killstreak Preservation
- Equip Lifesteal. The single biggest streak-protector - every hit heals, so you can out-sustain chip damage.
- Carry Phoenix Revive. One get-out-of-death-free per 5 minutes can save a 50-kill streak from a single mistake.
- Bank milestones immediately. The currency reward is already yours, but if you die on a 50-streak after only collecting 10-kill rewards, you've lost nothing extra - don't get greedy.
Bounty Hunting
- Check
/bounty topregularly. Targets with high bounties are usually online and active - track them via the friends list or legion mates. - Coordinate with legion members to corner a target in the PVP Mine. Only the killing blow gets the pool, so agree in advance who claims it.
- Self-bounties are not blocked, but they don't pay out to yourself - your killer gets the pool. Useful for tipping friends if you're leaving the server.
Quick Reference
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Combat tag duration | 15 seconds |
| Last-damager window | 10 seconds (PVP Mine) |
| Base kill reward | $500 + $5 per trophy + 10 ⛁ |
| Trophy loss on death | 10 (configurable) |
| Minimum bounty | $1,000 (configurable) |
| Kill-pair cooldown | 5 minutes (anti-farm) |
| Max kills per victim per session | 3 (anti-farm) |
| PVP Mine kill loot split | 25% to killer, 75% destroyed |
| PVP Mine death drain | 100% of Denarius + Auctoritas |
| PVP Mine base token rate | 5 ⛁ per block |
| Safe zone radius | 10 blocks around entrance |
| Combat log penalty | Death (full drain in PVP Mine) |
| ELO K-factor | 32 (standard formula) |
| ELO starting rating | 1000 |
| Mine region | X 63-163, Y 66-114, Z -139 to -39 in PVP_Mine world |