The Circle of Equals
The combats are fought in a clearly defined area known as the Circle of Equals. In any trial, the two sides fight a ritualized battle-sometimes hand-to-hand combat, sometimes full-scale combat between 2 clanns. Sometimes a combatant may find himself not being able to continue the fight and by stepping out of the Circle of Equals he is considered lost but in doing so it also means a breach of personal honor for surrendering a fight.

The Bidding Process
The prospective combatants then further reduce the scale of battle by bidding. Every conflict begins with the batchall, in which the defending force is clearly announced to the attacker. The commanders among the attacking force then proceed to bid with each other for the right to attack the target. The commander who bids the smallest and least powerful force is awarded the honor of making the attack. By ensuring that the smallest possible attacking force will be used to take the objective, the bidding process limits the loss of warriors and materiel.

The Combat
Once battle is joined, the warriors begin the ritual of zellbrigen, or dueling. Each warrior challenges a single opposing warrior to a duel, and the two fight each other one-on-one. No other combatants on the field will join in such a battle; doing so is a serious breach of honor. In fact, if one side in a battle outnumbers the other, the excess warriors will stand by without interfering; they will enter the fray only when one of their comrades falls. In rare circumstances a breach of Clan honor may touch off a melee, where all units on the field may freely fire on the opposing side. However, the Clans usually reserve this barbaric practice for opponents they consider dishonorable, such as other guilds who knows no honor.