Panel

Panel (パネル), or Square (マス), is a feature from the battle screen in the Mega Man Battle Network and Mega Man Star Force series, battles taking place in a field made with panels. The type of panels can be changed for varying effects.

About
In the Mega Man Battle Network series, panel types are crucial to Net Battles. The typical NetBattle field is made with 3x6 panels with no type, but it is not uncommon for the panel type to change during the course of the battle. In certain battles, some panel types start out changed from Null. There are Battle Chips that can change panel types, such as IceSeed or LavaSeed. Some attacks have Breaking qualities that allow them to crack the panels, making them holes when someone steps off them. Breaking a panel will negate any previous panel changes and turn it into a Cracked Panel.

The Geddon series has a variety of effects on Panel Type, ranging from cracking all panels to turning the entire battlefield to poison. In Mega Man Battle Network 6, panels can be changed to force anyone who steps on them to move in a certain direction. Attacks like Holy Dream inflict damage based on the presence of specific panels. There are also Battle Chips that require certain conditions like Holes to be present in order for them to work, such as Snake and Geyser.

In the anime
In the anime series, panel effect chips are rarely seen, as there is no "grid" when characters fight. Area Steal works differently than in the games,rather than stealing part of the opponent's area, it instead allows a Navi to teleport a short distance, and is often used by character to appear behind an enemy or to get away from them.

Seed chips are also seen, but have added effects that would make them useful in the anime, such as a GrassSeed not only turning the ground into grass, but growing vines that entangle the intended target.

Null
A standard panel with no effect.

Appears in:
 * MegaMan Battle Network (first appearance)
 * Mega Man Battle Network 2
 * Mega Man Battle Network 3
 * Mega Man Battle Network 4
 * Rockman.EXE 4.5 Real Operation
 * Mega Man Battle Network 5
 * Mega Man Battle Network 6
 * Mega Man Battle Chip Challenge

Cracked
A damaged panel. If hit by an attack that would crack it, or if a Navi or Virus without FloatShoes steps off it, the panel becomes Broken.

Appears in:
 * MegaMan Battle Network (first appearance)
 * Mega Man Battle Network 2
 * Mega Man Battle Network 3
 * Mega Man Battle Network 4
 * Rockman.EXE 4.5 Real Operation
 * Mega Man Battle Network 5
 * Mega Man Battle Network 6

Broken
A heavily damaged panel. Only Navis and Viruses with AirShoes can stand on it. After a short time has passed, the panel becomes a Null panel.

Appears in:
 * MegaMan Battle Network (first appearance)
 * Mega Man Battle Network 2
 * Mega Man Battle Network 3
 * Mega Man Battle Network 4
 * Rockman.EXE 4.5 Real Operation
 * Mega Man Battle Network 5
 * Mega Man Battle Network 6

Missing
A panel which has been completely removed. Only Navis and Viruses with AirShoes can stand on it.

Appears in:
 * Mega Man Battle Network 2 (first appearance)
 * Mega Man Battle Network 3
 * Mega Man Battle Network 4
 * Rockman.EXE 4.5 Real Operation
 * Mega Man Battle Network 5
 * Mega Man Battle Network 6

Grass
A panel overgrown with grass. Wood-type Viruses and Navis that stand on grass panels heal over time. Fire element attacks turn the panel into a Null panel, dealing additional Fire element damage equal to the original chip's power (Null element in Battle Network 6).

In Battle Network 2 and 6, Tornado attacks that hit grass panels deal double damage and turn the panel into a Null panel.

Appears in:
 * Mega Man Battle Network 2 (first appearance)
 * Mega Man Battle Network 3
 * Mega Man Battle Network 4
 * Rockman.EXE 4.5 Real Operation
 * Mega Man Battle Network 5
 * Mega Man Battle Network 6
 * Mega Man Battle Chip Challenge

Ice
A panel that has been frozen solid. A non-Aqua Virus or Navi without FloatShoes that moves onto an ice panel will slide until they land on a non-ice panel or can move no further in that direction.

In Mega Man Battle Network 2, 3, 4 and Battle Chip Challenge, Elec element attacks deal double damage to anything standing on an ice panel.

In Mega Man Battle Network 6, Aqua element attacks will freeze anything standing on an ice panel, causing them to be unable to move for a few seconds and take double damage from Breaking element attacks. This also changes the panel into a Null panel. Tornado attacks on ice panels will also turn the panel into a Null panel and deal double damage.

Appears in:
 * Mega Man Battle Network 2 (first appearance)
 * Mega Man Battle Network 3
 * Mega Man Battle Network 4
 * Rockman.EXE 4.5 Real Operation
 * Mega Man Battle Network 5
 * Mega Man Battle Network 6
 * Mega Man Battle Chip Challenge

Holy
A panel granted blessed power. Anything standing on a Holy panel takes half the damage from all attacks.

Appears in:
 * Mega Man Battle Network 2 (first appearance)
 * Mega Man Battle Network 3
 * Mega Man Battle Network 4
 * Rockman.EXE 4.5 Real Operation
 * Mega Man Battle Network 5
 * Mega Man Battle Network 6

Poison
A panel covered in a foul sludge. Anything that stands on a poison panel takes damage over time, unless it has FloatShoes.

Appears in:
 * Mega Man Battle Network 2 (first appearance)
 * Mega Man Battle Network 3
 * Mega Man Battle Network 4
 * Rockman.EXE 4.5 Real Operation
 * Mega Man Battle Network 5
 * Mega Man Battle Network 6
 * Mega Man Battle Chip Challenge

Lava
A panel covered with molten lava. Navis and Viruses which are Fire element, or have FloatShoes, may stand on it safely. All other Navis and Viruses that stand on it will take Fire element damage. Being hit by an Aqua element attack, having an object placed on it or being stood on by a non-Fire element without FloatShoes will turn the panel into a Null panel.

Appears in:
 * Mega Man Battle Network 2 (first appearance)
 * Mega Man Battle Network 3
 * Mega Man Battle Network 4
 * Rockman.EXE 4.5 Real Operation
 * Mega Man Battle Network 5
 * Mega Man Battle Chip Challenge

Magnet
A panel that has been magnetised.

In Battle Network 2, Magnet panels draw in anything that stands directly above or below them.

In Battle Network 5, Magnet panels cause anything that steps on them to step off again in a different direction, depending on the direction they were stepped on from.

Appears in:
 * Mega Man Battle Network 2 (first appearance)
 * Mega Man Battle Network 5 (first appearance of second variety)

Metal
A panel made from solid steel. Cannot be cracked or broken.

In Battle Chip Challenge, Navis standing on metal panels take double damage from Elec chips.

Appears in:
 * Mega Man Battle Network 3 (first appearance)
 * Mega Man Battle Network 4
 * Mega Man Battle Chip Challenge

Sand
A panel covered in sand. Whenever a Navi or Virus steps on a sand panel, they are rendered unable to move for a very short time. Tornado attacks that hit sand panels deal double damage. Sand panels appear in MMBN4, albeit as temporary sand traps that prevent those caught in it from moving as long as it's present.

Appears in:
 * MegaMan Battle Network 3 (first appearance)
 * MegaMan Battle Network 4

Dark Hole
Hole, known as Dark Hole (ダークホール) in Japan, is a portal to a Dark World.

In Mega Man Battle Network 3 Dark Holes on the field last for a very short time and enable use of Dark Giga Chips while they are open. Its chip is found in a Blue Mystery Data in Secret Area 3.

In Mega Man Battle Network 4, Dark Holes increase the power of Dark Chips, and cause LaserMan.EXE to heal over time just by existing. It is created with the Evil Chips Hole or Dark Line, which can only be used by evil Navis and increase the power of DS Navi Chips. If MegaMan has maximum "karma", Dark Holes disappear if he comes into contact with them.

In Mega Man Battle Network 5, Liberation Missions contain Dark Holes (ヤミのあな) panels that summons guardians to protect the Darkloids. The player's team can only face the area's Darkloid after destroying all Dark Holes.

Appears in:
 * Mega Man Battle Network 3 (first appearance)
 * Mega Man Battle Network 4

Sea
A panel that has been flooded by water. Whenever a non-Aqua element Navi or Virus steps on a sea panel, they are rendered unable to move for a very short time. An Aqua element Navi or Virus on a sea panel will duck under the surface, becoming invulnerable except to Elec element attacks, or attacks which hit the ground; however they reveal themselves when attacking. Elec attacks deal double damage to Navis and Viruses on sea panels. Tornado attacks that hit sea panels deal double damage and turn the panel into a Null panel. After a short time, sea panels turn into Null panels.

Appears in:
 * Mega Man Battle Network 5 (first appearance)

Conveyor
A panel that pushes people around. Navis and Viruses on conveyor panels that don't have FloatShoes will be pushed in the direction indicated by the arrows. After a short time, conveyor panels turn into Null panels. Conveyor panels also turn into Null panels if hit by a Wood-element attack.

Appears in:
 * Mega Man Battle Network 6 (first appearance)

Volcano
A panel with a dangerous fire spout on on it. At regular intervals, all volcano panels on one side of the battlefield or the other will erupt, dealing 50 fire damage to anything standing on them. When hit by an Aqua element attack, a volcano panel turns into a Null panel.

Appears in:
 * Mega Man Battle Network 6 (first appearance)

Panel Gallery
''Note: In MegaMan Battle Network 1, the only kinds of panels were Null and Cracked, and each had multiple appearances depending on location. Broken panels disappeared entirely, although they did return after a short while as usual.''

Below is the list of different panels as they appear in their respective games.