When Sky Mavis, the creator of Axie Infinity recently came up with the idea of Axie Infinity Origin, the idea was to make the game simpler and more accessible. Unlike the predecessor, Axie Infinity Origin does not require any initial investment from the user. This means that there is no need to buy Axies from the marketplace or even connect to a Ronin wallet to play the game.
While the structure of the game remains the same, there is a brand new interface, game mechanics, art, special effects, storylines, and an expansive onboarding experience. A major change to game mechanics is the introduction of new Buffs and Debuffs which aims to redefine the battle mechanics
What are Buffs and Debuffs?
In any player vs player (PvP) game, buffs and debuffs refer to the positive and negative status effects experienced by a team or a character that often determines the outcome of the battle. As the name suggests, buff refers to the positive status effect that is beneficial to your team while debuff refers to a negative status that is harmful to your team. Together buffs and debuffs play a crucial role in determining the winner of a match.
Buffs In Axie Infinity Origin
Currently, there are 12 buffs in Axie Infinity Origin. All these buffs are designed to help your Axie win the battle. These buffs are:
Bubble
The bubble buff can be used as a form of defense. It blocks five DMG per stack and can be used a maximum of three times. After it completes three stacks, it turns into a bubble bomb.
Bubble Bomb
After the bubble is stacked three times, it transforms into a bubble bomb. Unlike its predecessor, bubble bomb is an offensive buff. In your next attack, the bubble bomb explodes and deals 20 DMG to all the enemies.
Cleanser
The cleanser is neither defensive nor offensive. The main aim of the cleanser is to return the axie in prime fighting condition. It does this by removing one debuff that is applied on the target.
Feather
This buff is used to inflict bonus DMG on the opposing axie and also to heal itself. For each stack of feathers that your Axie consumes, it inflicts two bonus damage on the opponent and restores two HP of its own. A maximum of 10 stacks of feather can be used in a battle.
Healing Boost
As the name suggests, this buff is used to restore the HP of your Axie. Healing Boost increases the healing card effect to the unit by 1 HP for each stack.
Meditate
Meditate is one of the most versatile buffs in the game. When you use Meditate, you go into a state of meditation for two rounds. If you are attacked while meditating, you wake up and gain three rage points. If not attacked, you gain one cleanser to remove the debuff and also gain one energy after the effect ends.
Shield
As the name suggests, Shield is used to deter the attack from your enemies. When this is used, the Axie has Shield gained from cards increased by 1 per stack. This means as you stack more, the more powerful the shield effect becomes.
Damage Boost
If a battle prolongs, it is always favorable to try and find a way for it to end it quickly. Damage boost is a buff that increases attack DMG by one per stack to enable. So if you start using it in the early part of the game, by the time the end game phase comes, the damage you deal will have increased significantly.
Fury
When used well, fury is a buff that has the ability to turn the tide of a battle. You gain one energy when you transform and deal double damage. However, when using fury, you only last for one turn.
Leaf
Leaf is a simple buff but the role it plays in a battle is huge. When used, you regenerate five HP at the end of your turn. This can be used upto five times
Rage
Rage is one of the most versatile buffs in the game. Damage is increased by two when the player uses rage. After you reach 10 rage stacks, you can also transform into the fury form.
Stealth
Stealth mode is actually very effective depending on the circumstance it's used in. When a player uses stealth, it cannot be attacked directly. Stealth mode ends if the player uses a card.
Wolfpack
Wolfpack signifies the true teamwork buff. If the target gets attacked multiple times in a turn, all allies gain 3 rage. This can be very helpful when setting up your next attack.
Baby
This buff is really useful in the early game when axies have higher HP. When this buff is active, an attack deals 33 bonus DMG if the HP of user is above 66%
Debuffs in Axie Infinity Origin
Debuffs are negative status effects that indirectly harm your opponents. When timed right, debuffs trip up your opponents and make it hard for them to stick to their strategy. Currently, there are 14 debuffs. These include:
Bleed
Bleed is a simple debuff and is relatively easy to use. If the bleed debuff is inflicted, the target loses 15 HP when it uses a card. This debuff will be extremely helpful in the end game.
Disarmed
As the name suggests, this is a restricting debuff. When the disarmed status is active, the target is unable to use any attack cards. This can be a brilliant defensive debuff if timed right.
Fear
This debuff is aimed at ruining the opponent’s plans. Whenever the opponent uses an attack card, fear shuffles a confused in its draw pile.
Heal Block
This is a relatively simple debuff with only one aim. That is to stop the target from healing. When this debuff is active, the target cannot heal and is therefore forced to use buff or play with its current HP.
Poison
When the poison debuff is used, the target loses three HP per stack and the number of stacks are reduced by one. This might be helpful in preventing a Fury form from reaching 10 rage stacks. This can be stacked to a maximum of 30.
Sleep
While this debuff is inflicted, the target gets into a state of sleep and cannot use any cards. However, this debuff is removed if the target is attacked. So players can use this and buff their own Axies while the opponent is asleep.
Vulnerable
As the name suggests, this debuff makes the target vulnerable. When this status is active, the target receives 20% more attack damage. This debuff might be used in the early game to gain lead or in the late game to swing the battle in your favor.
Deathmark
Deathmark is a very restricting debuff. In a way, this debuff inflicts collateral damage on the target. Whenever the opponent plays an attack card, the target will take 13 damage per energy spent.
Doubt
If used well, doubt can have major results in any battle. The mechanics of doubt is fairly simple. When doubt is active, the target gains 20% less HP from healing.
Fragile
Fragile is a debuff that indirectly has huge influence in any match. When debuff fragile is applied the target gains 20% less shield protection from the cards. This might come in handy when used in the late game phase where the opponents try to nullify your damage output.
Hex
The use of the hex is fairly simple but the implications it has on a battle are really tremendous. Whenever a target uses a non-attack card, hex shuffles a confused card into its draw pile.
Silence
Silence is another one of the restricting debuffs. Silence makes it so that the target cannot use a non attack card. Depending upon the situation, silence might be a game-changing debuff.
Stunned
Arguably, stunned is one of the best debuffs in the game. When stunned the target cannot perform any action. As a result, this limiting debuff works well in combination attacks.
Weak
As the name suggests, this debuff makes the target weaker. When this debuff is active, the target deals 20% less damage. This debuff can be really useful in late-game situations when teams do not have a lot of HP left.
Neutral Status Effect
Neutral effects can act as a Buff or a Debuff depending on how it is used. At the time of writing only one neutral effect exists. That is
Taunt
When taunt is active, the target is always targeted by an enemy's attack abilities. Due to this, Taunt might be really helpful in focussing your opponent’s attention on your Tank or on the weakest hero on the enemy side.