Axie Infinity Review: Can You Really Earn While You Play?

With sudden popularity in June 2021, Axie Infinity became one of the most hit games built on blockchain. Players can earn between $10-50 a day while playing the game. Not surprisingly, the game has become a source of income for many players, especially in the Philippines.

The gameplay was able to capture players from different age groups due to its similarities with the popular game Pokémon, where you battle, raise, collect and breed Axies. However, because of the hype, Axie Infinity has become quite expensive to join for new players due to the high commission on sales on the Marketplace.

What Is Axie Infinity

Axie Infinity is a crypto game developed and published by Sky Mavis, a Vietnamese tech company. The game runs on the Ronin and Ethereum blockchains and enjoys a huge active community. In Axie Infinity, you can grow, fight, collect and trade the Axie creatures with other players.

The main difference between Axie Infinity and other games is that you can convert the rewards you earn into real crypto assets. You will need three Axies to start playing, and you can get them from the official Axie Infinity Market to begin playing.

Before purchasing your Axies, you must take some time doing your research to get the best Axies. You will be playing with the Axies for a while before you get a chance to get others. Axie Infinity aims to change the gaming economy, where they now pay its players. It has already happened with the Philippines players making cents in Small Love Portions (SLP) while playing.

Key Features

Pros and Cons

Axie Infinity is among the most popular blockchain games in the market currently. You might be tempted to start playing soon, but you must first understand that the game is an investment. As with any other investment, you must weigh its advantages and disadvantages to see if it’s worth your effort, money, and time.

The Pros

• Compatible Across Different Platforms

You can play Axie Infinity on Android, Windows, macOS, and iOS. It is, therefore, accessible to players across all major platforms worldwide. Sky Mavis wanted the game accessible to all kinds of players.

• Offer an Engaging Gameplay

Axie Infinity offers very engaging gameplay. The games resemble Hearthstone and Pokemon games, which focus on PvP battles and breeding Axies. The PvE characteristics are enough to hook the players and keep them engaged.

• Its P2E Model

P2E games offer a passive source of income to their players. Most players have a chance to earn a substantial amount of money when they play the game right. The SLP (Small Love Portions) and The AXS (Axie Infinity Shard) can be traded for Ether.

• The Axies are the NFTs

The Axies you buy, collect, and breed are all your NFT assets. This means that you can sell the Axies to other players for profit. The Axies that you have has a collection of NFTs that you might benefit from if the game continues to perform well.

The Cons

• Capped Earnings

Players can earn SLPs (In-game currency) and AXS when they complete the daily quests, win PvP battles, and finish tasks. The developers have capped the amount a player can earn from each activity.

Note that you will have to put in a lot of time and effort to earn any amount from the game. You will have to complete the daily tasks and a few adventure stages and play a couple of PvP battles to make 40 to 50 SLPs.

You have to be consistent with the game to make it a steady income stream hence a huge time investment.

• A High Entry cost

Axie Infinity has a high entry cost. Before you start playing, you must buy three Axies from the game’s marketplaces. In the beginning, the three Axies would cost around $500, but the cost of entry has tripled over time due to increased popularity.

The high entry cost is a barrier to entry, but some players hire other players to play on their behalf, so you do not need to buy the Axies. If you are not in a position to purchase the Axies yet, you can look for players who can lend you their Axies and enjoy the game.

• Economic Uncertainty

There is a lot of controversy surrounding NFTs and crypto, where some observers and experts have expressed concerns about the surging trade of NFTs. Most observers and experts believe that the NFT market is an economic bubble bloated by the hype. Thus, controversy has also fueled the volatility of cryptocurrencies. While Ether and Bitcoin have increased in price over the years, it is hard to overlook the sudden fluctuations

How to Start Playing

Want to start playing Axie Infinity? Here are the steps to follow:

Step 1: Download the Game Client

The first step is to download the game client from its official website. When on the website, click the Play Now button, and the system prompts you to download a file and install the software on your device.

You will need to select the appropriate download option depending on the device that you are using. Here we will look at the prospect of using a personal computer.

Step 2: Create an Account

To start playing, you must first buy your Axies. You will need a Ronin cryptocurrency wallet for this part. You can install a browser extension from https://wallet.roninchain.com/ or as an app on iOS or Android.

Once you download the browser extension, you can create a wallet by:

• Creating a password
• Type in your recovery phrase
• Enter the recovery phrase verification words

Creating a Ronin wallet on other devices is very similar to the process we have indicated above.

Once you have created your Ronin wallet, you can now log in to the Axie Infinity Marketplace with the Ronin account you have created.

Once you log in, you will need to give your username, followed by an email address and password for the game account. After that, you can move to the next step.

Step 3: Purchase Your Axies

You will now need to purchase your Axies from the marketplaces. The Axies are sold as adults and as matured in an egg. It only takes five days for an egg to form into a full-grown Axie.

The main page of the Marketplace will allow you to select the characteristics of interest, including Axie’s age and class. The platform also has tools that help sort the offers by price.

Step 4: Start Playing

Once you have purchased the Axies, you can now start playing. To play, you must log in to the previously downloaded game client with the Axie Infinity account you created earlier.

The Game Play

Introducing Axies

Axies are axolotls who live in a world called Lunacia. Each Axie has different characteristics that set it apart from its counterparts. Axies differ in color and in the number of body parts they have. You can find the Axie’s features from its card in the Axie Infinity Marketplace and in your personal cabinet.

There are different classes of Axies, each with its advantages and disadvantages. Here are the main Axie classes you will find on the Marketplace:

• Plant: They have high health. They can be healthy but move very slowly, which is a huge disadvantage in the game.
• Beast: These are Axie warriors capable of inflicting much damage on the enemy. They, however, have poor health.
• Bug: These Axies have a high life span and hit accuracy but are inferior to other Axie species in strength.
• Bird: These are the fastest Axies. They, however, score less than other Axe species in terms of health and fighting power.
• Aquatic: These Axies are in good health and speed compared to other species. However, they have a low hit accuracy.
• Reptile: These Axies are fast and hard. They, however, have low impact strengths, which sets them apart from other Axie species.

Axie upgrades are available to players, requiring replacing parts of the Axolotl’s torso. Replacement affects the basic performance of the Axies and can range from:

• Normal
• Rare
• Ultra-rare
• Legendary
• Mystical

Mystical Axies are rare and only occur in a small fraction of the Axie species.

Game Modes

Axie Infinity has two game modes which include:

• PVP Battles
• PVE Adventure

Each player has 20 units of energy per day, and the local currency must be used to pay for playing in one mode or another. For example, one PVP game will cost you one energy unit. You must figure out how much energy you will spend on each game mode.

1. PVP Battles

The battles are between live players in a special arena on the PVP mode. You will have three Axies on your side of combat. Each Axie takes time fighting the opponents. The winner of the battles is the player who defeats all three enemy pets. Crushing your enemy gives you experience and valuable items such as potions, power-ups, and other resources.

2. PVE Adventure

On the PVE Adventure mode, the players explore the world of Lunacia with their Axies. During the journey, you will encounter hostile creatures that grow stronger every time. With each defeat, you gain experience and your points level up, but periodically the players will need to start over from the beginning. Still, they will eventually come across an opponent they cannot defeat.

Axie’s Role on The Battlefield

Positioning your Axie is essential mostly because of how the Axie chooses to attack. Axies attack the closest enemy and of the two targets at the same distance from the attacker; the selection will be random.

This means that in the frontline, there is usually a tank that takes on the most damage; in the backline, there is a tank with little health but needs to do as much damage as possible. Axies are divided into three types of fighters, including:

• Tank

This is often an endurance fighter who can absorb enemy damage. They will protect your back lines when you get the energy and cards to perform combos. If the tank is not present, all your other Axies will die before they deal with any damage.

Axie plants are best placed in tank positions. They are the healthiest Axies, and their cards have a bonus that allows them to heal faster. This increases their chances of survival and therefore offers a high defense rate.

• Damage Dealer

These Axies deal with the damage from the fights. Damage dealers should deal as much damage as they can or play a three or 4-card combo before they are killed. This way, they can eliminate one of their opponents before killing them.

Birds are best suited for this position due to their high damage and speed but weak shield. They are best placed on the mid or far line. Water creatures are also suited for this position as well.

• Support

A support player can either debuff or heal itself and its teammates. Supporters are of different classes, including insects and water creatures. Axies with many health and other features like buffing, fear imposition, speed reduction, or attack will offer the much-needed support in any case.

How Exactly Can I Make Money in Axie Infinity?

When you play and win in Axie Infinity, you earn SLP tokens. These tokens can be traded in KuCoin, Binance, FTX, and Gate, io. The SLP cryptocurrency can be earned and withdrawn within 14 days after the first game and subsequent withdrawals every 14 days.

Here are the ways in which you can earn SLP from the game:

Daily Quest

The Daily Quest is updated once a day and is made of three items which include:

• Daily check in-you can check in by pressing the Check In button
• Complete 10 Adventure mode levels- You must make the first ten adventures
• Win 5 arena matches-you must win five arena matches

Once you complete the daily quest, press the Claim button and receive 25 SLP.

PvP Arena

This is where your Axies battle other users’ Axies. The battles are fought in teams of three on three, and the winner receives the bounty in SLP and raises their tank. The higher the ranking, the higher the bounty and the more challenging the opponents.

PvE Adventures

If you do not want to participate in the PVP battles, you can opt for PvE Adventures. Here you will play against computer-controlled enemies.

Each new enemy you face will be stronger than the one you defeated previously. Here you can earn a maximum of 100 SLP per 24 hours in this mode.

Breeding

You can cross-breed Axies to produce offspring. Each Axie can only participate in breeding only seven times. The breading commission is 4 AXS tokens, and a fixed amount is sent to the Axie Community Treasury. The breed offspring can be sold on the Axie Infinity Marketplace.

Other Things to Know

Axie Infinity Rewards System

You can earn SLP in Axie Infinity in three ways. They include:

• Complete the daily quests and earn +25 SLP per day
• Complete missions in Adventure (+0-50 SLP per day). It doesn’t consume energy to earn SLP but consumes power to earn EXP;
• Win games in the Arena (+0-21 SLP per win). Consumes energy to earn SLP.

The Axie Infinity Tokens

Axie Infinity has only two tokens, i.e., AXS and SLP. SLP (Small Love Portions) is only used in the game and can easily be exchanged for fiat money or other crypto tokens on crypto exchanges. AXS (Axie Infinity Shards) is an ERC 20 governance token for the Axie Universe.

Holders of the AXS will shape the future of the Axie Infinity community by giving support towards upgrades and directing the community treasury.

To buy the tokens, you will need access to a crypto exchange platform supporting the Axie Infinity token. You can currently access the Axie tokens on Gemini and Coinbase.

Tips for a Good Start in Axie Infinity

1. Do Extensive Research

Axie Infinity has a solid user base and is very competitive. Before you start playing the game, we recommend you first spend your time studying the guides and resources available online. Axie Infinity has a very active subreddit where users share their best combos, team-building strategies, and insights on the game.

It is also essential to know the initial investment cost. As of this writing, you can buy an Axie for 0.15 Ethereum, around $350. You will therefore need roughly $1000 as your initial investment.

2. Choosing the Best Axies to Purchase

Playing Axie Infinity is simple, but you need more insight before investing in a team. You are going to easily save a lot of money and stress in the future. Always look at the leaderboard to see what the top players are using before you purchase your Axies, and ensure that the Axies you buy have top-tier cards.

Having useless cards can damage you in battle, making the Axie a lot harder to sell when you want to change your team.

3. Team Upgrades

Keep in mind that Axie Infinity is an ever-evolving game. This means that works today might not work in two months to come. The meta is constantly changing as it is with the cards nowadays.

4. Keep Up with the Market Trends

One of the best ways to keep up with the changes in the game is to keep up with the market trends.

5. Know When to Sell Out

If your team stops performing well, it is essential to know when to sell out and purchase a new team. The best part about the Ronin blockchain is you will not incur any fees selling or purchasing Axies in the Marketplace.

6. Utilize Third-Party Resources

It is essential always to use guides and resources developed by third parties. Keep checking the different resources periodically published and offers a ton of information about the best gaming strategies.

Closing

Axie Infinity is among the best Play-to-earn game. It has excellent gameplay, complex mechanics, and engaging metaverse, and one of the fastest-growing teams and communities. While it may be an excellent investment, it is essential to understand all the risks before investing. There is no guarantee that your investment will return, and your ROI might also take a while before it fully manifests.

Key Takeaways

• Axie Infinity is developed on blockchain.
• Sky Mavis built Axie Infinity, and the team has amassed a community of millions of players worldwide.
• Axie Infinity Tokens are either in AXS or SLP. SLP is used in the game and can be swapped for fiat currency, while AXS is a token for the Axie Universe and is accepted in the Axie NFT marketplace.

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