1v1 duels the guide
How to win a 1v1 duel on Minecraft Bedrock: the classic and Stick kits in detail, when to eat, when to throw potions, and how to play sudden death.
Published 23 October 2026 by the PaffMC team
The formula
Every player starts at 1,000 Elo. Before a ranked duel, the server works out your chance of winning from the Elo gap:
chance = 1 / (1 + 10^((opponent Elo - your Elo) / 400))
After the duel, your Elo changes by K × (result - chance), rounded, where the result is 1 for a win and 0 for a loss. On PaffMC, K is 32. A win always gives at least 1 point, a loss always costs at least 1.
Worked examples
| 1,000 vs 1,000 | 50% chance: +16 if you win, -16 if you lose |
|---|---|
| 1,000 vs 1,200 | 24% chance: +24 if you win, -8 if you lose |
| 1,200 vs 1,000 | 76% chance: +8 if you win, -24 if you lose |
Beating someone stronger pays a lot, losing to someone weaker costs a lot. That is why a run of easy wins barely moves you up.
Placement matches
Your first 3 ranked duels of the season are placement matches: they count more (K is then 40) to bring you quickly to your real level. You show up on the season leaderboard after those 3 duels.
Ranks
| Bronze | 0 |
|---|---|
| Silver (Argent) | 950 |
| Gold (Or) | 1,100 |
| Platinum (Platine) | 1,250 |
| Diamond (Diamant) | 1,400 |
| Champion | 1,600 |
Reaching Diamond or Champion is announced to the whole server. Stick duels have their own Elo, separate from classic duels.
How the queue finds your opponent
The queue first looks for someone within 100 Elo of you, then widens the gap by 10 points per second of waiting, up to 600. After 90 seconds it accepts any opponent. It also avoids putting you straight back against the person you just played.
What does not count
- After 3 ranked duels in one hour against the same player, the next ones no longer change Elo.
- A duel against an account on the same connection or device as you is not ranked: alt accounts are useless.
- A ranked match against a bot (when nobody else is free) does not change your Elo.
- Quick duels and invite duels are never ranked.
End of season
A season lasts 30 days. At the next season, your Elo is pulled towards 1,000 while keeping half of the gap: 1,400 becomes 1,200, 800 becomes 900. Every ranked player gets a season title, the top 10 get ember wings and number 1 gets a crown. The leaderboard is live on the Leaderboards page.
How to actually climb
- Play opponents at your level: the queue takes care of it. Dodging stronger opponents does not protect your Elo, it just stops you winning the big points.
- Play in short sessions: after two or three losses in a row, take a break or switch to quick duels. Fatigue costs more Elo than any opponent.
- Keep an eye on your peak: your best Elo of the season is saved in your ranked stats. The leaderboard follows your current Elo: what counts is how you end the season, not one good evening.
- Work on one thing at a time: the first hit, then apples, then sudden death. The duel guide covers each point.