Trying Out “ALMOST” Meta Axies
First things first, what I mean by trying out Axie is “BUYING” an Axie “THEN SELLING” it after using or “TRYING” it out on PVP. Another thing to clarify is why I say “ALMOST” Meta Axies. This only means that the Axie does not have the exact part or card that is used in higher ranks of PVP.
So here's the situation. I had some extra fiat sitting around my Binance account. Prices of Axie are still very low. So it gave me an idea to purchase an Axie that could help me win more Arena battles. I wanted to try a Bird Axie with Double Talk and Post Fight card parts since they were supposedly "OP" or Overpowered. Double Talk card is able to bypass shield and inflict a status effect called sleep. Sleep allows the next attack to pass through the shield once more! Isn't that broken and OP?! On the other hand, Post Fight card deals a massive 120 damage despite being a 0 energy card! Add those 2 cards together and you have a veritable Arena Menace!
Extreme Damage right?
Bypasses Shields
Or so I would have thought until I actually used it. Here's the thing though, I lack the funds to purchase the best one. This bird Axie build requires 3 more requirements in order to be "Legit OP Bird". These 3 requirements are the following:
Egg shell horn part - Great damage as well as the debuff Aroma to self. This allows outplay(self sacrifice by attracting damage) when necessary but requires the next skill;
Blackmail skill - Massive damage as well plus the ability to pass debuff to opponent. This is the best card to pair with Egg shell.
61 speed - This is the max speed for Bird Axies. It requires 6/6 bird parts. This will ensure that this bird Axie have a chance against other bird Axies(specially those with dark swoop)
Since I lack funds I decided to try the cheaper version, a chop Bird Axie. This means that the Axie has one part from another class. This can mean many things:
- Reduced damage or;
- Reduced speed or;
- Lack in synergy of skills;
- No change at all if using an Aqua Axie card with damage(can be expensive as well)
This article will not be an explanation of each gameplay but will be about my experience when using the Bird Axie. I hope you enjoy it!
PS: Axie that I will use will have a Post Fight and Double Talk card on it.
TRIAL BIRD 1: Egg Shell + Sponge
This Axie has 61 speed, up to 180 shields from Sponge. The theory I made while trying it out was this:
Double Talk & Postfight will be used as a finisher for high shield opponents such as Plant Axies and Terminators.
Egg Shell & Sponge will be used to divert damage from opponents but still surviving due to high shields
The result? I was able to win 11x that day. Bypassing shields is definitely broken. Having 61 speed ensures that I will attack first which is a first time for me due to the fact that I usually use a slower Axie. Despite all this, it still felt underwhelming with the lack of damage. Sponge is a defensive skill but lacks damage. Furthermore, I cannot use Eggshell all the time since I do not wish for the bird Axie to die quickly.
Here are some gameplay while using this bird Axie:
Trial Bird 2: Bamboo Shoot + Pigeon Post
After the previous experience with the first trial bird, I wanted to try a bird Axie with a damage dealing card I can use all the time. But I also felt greedy by wanting some defense for my Axie(a big mistake). So I tried the Blackmail card from Pigeon Post back part as well as the Bamboo Shoot horn for the high shield. Compared to the first trial bird Axie, this second one has damage but lacks speed and outplay potential. Only after losing Egg Shell did I know how strategic and useful the skill was. With 58 speed, I am also defeated by other bird Axies with 61 speed! My winrate with this Axie has been really low!
Here are some gameplay videos while using this bird Axie.
Did I Learn My Lesson? Maybe?
Having 61 speed for a bird is really important. It is a basic requirement for a bird in order to be competitive in higher ranks. Aside from that, it is essential to have a midline Axie that is capable of defeating an opponent's tank in a more reliable manner. Using Double Talk and Post Fight early in the game is not an advisable tactic as well! It is essential to keep the cards for late game as a finisher otherwise the game will swing favor to the opponent.
I have also learned not to purchase an Axie just to try it out. Selling it to try other Axies has been really hard recently lol. On the bright side, the Axie still is 1 Breed Count which means I can still get value out of it.
But the real question is this, did I really learn from this experience or will I be “Trying” out Axies once more? Well I don’t really know XD.
Extra Notes
Wow! Trying out new Axies is so fun! I wish I had more fiat currency to spend to build newer teams! I was nervous while buying the Axies since I was planning to sell them again afterwards to try out other Axies. Due to this, I basically disregarded the synergy of the Axie with my current Axies! Good thing it worked out somehow lol.
Now let's talk about trying out Axies. My plan was to buy an Axie, try it for one day then sell it afterwards. I was able to sell the first trial bird Axie quickly due to its 61 speed. However, it has already been 2 days yet I am still unable to sell the second trial bird! Welp, looks like I am stuck with this Axie for a while. If I cannot sell this one, I will have to breed it someday and resell it at the floor price. I wish I was stuck with the first trial bird with eggshell though. Speed is everything for a bird! Moreover, baiting damage from enemies was fun!
With the lesson learned, all I can say is "don't be like me". There is no such thing as a free trial XD. Thank you for reading~