- The Most Useful Axie Infinity Gameplay Guide [Season 20 Update] - February 21, 2022
- An Honest and In-depth Review of Axie Infinity - January 29, 2022
- Age of Rust Review: An NFT Game Review - January 20, 2022
By Asad Mehmood ([email protected])
TABLE OF CONTENT | |
1.0 | Axie Infinity Season 19 Cards Tier List |
1.1 | S Tier – The Best Overall Cards |
1.2 | A Tier – Best Current Meta Cards |
1.3 | B Tier – Most Popular Cards: Decent Mid/High-MMR Choices |
1.4 | C Tier – Popular But Got Better Alternatives Available |
1.5 | D Tier – Low MMR, Low Utility Cards |
1.6 | E Tier – Cards With Extremely Limited To No Use In The Current Meta |
2.0 | Frequently Asked Questions and Answers |
Axie Infinity is undoubtedly the greatest success story in the world of NFT games so far. Since its inception three years ago in 2018, when nobody had even heard of the term NFT, much less knew what it was, the game has managed to achieve almost 3 million daily active users, a company valuation of 3 billion USD, and the title of a unicorn startup, all even before its planned launch in the Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store.
In this article, I’ll be going over all 132 ability cards that are present in the game right now. After the last season, the game had a meta-defining card balancing update, which resulted in new cards and combos emerging on the rank ladder in season 19.
With a month coming to its conclusion after the balance patch, it is a good time to see which cards are performing well and which are not. It is to be noteworthy that many cards in the game show their true potential when played in chain, combo, or a certain type of team.
For that reason, this tier list will place cards in tiers as defined by their gameplay potential in the right team, the right chain, and the right combo, as they are intended to be played in the current meta. Now, without further ado, let’s dive into my Axie Infinity season 19 cards tier list.
Axie Infinity Season 19 Cards Tier List
Image by: leveldash.com
S Tier – The Best Overall Cards
The cards in this tier are the best overall cards that you can slap on your Axies with your eyes closed. These provide the best utility and stats in their class and are always a reliable option to have in your deck.
Acrobatic
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 100 | Shield: 50 |
Apply Speed+ to this Axie for 2 rounds when attacking |
Hare Dagger
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 120 | Shield: 30 |
Draw a card if this Axie attacks at the beginning of the round. |
Heroic Reward
|
Cost: 0 | Attack: 60 | Shield: 0 |
Draw a card when attacking an Aquatic, Bird, or Dawn target. |
Twin Needle
|
Cost: 0 | Attack: 40 | Shield: 0 |
Attack twice when comboed with another card. |
Prickly Trap
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 115 | Shield: 20 |
Deal 120% damage if this Axie attacks last. |
Spicy Surprise
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 90 | Shield: 50 |
Disable target’s mouth cards next round. |
Ivory Chop
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 80 | Shield: 80 |
Draw a card if this Axie’s shield breaks. Can only trigger once per round. |
Surprise Invasion
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 90 | Shield: 60 |
Deal 130% damage if the target is faster than this Axie. |
Cattail Slap
|
Cost: 0 | Attack: 20 | Shield: 30 |
Draw a card if struck by a Beast, Bug, or Mech card. |
A Tier – Best Current Meta Cards
Cards in this tier are the staple for current high-end meta Axies. These make cards mostly require to be played in certain chains, combos, and teams to show their true potential. If you are looking for the cream of the bunch, these are it.
Vegetal Bite
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 30 | Shield: 30 |
Steal 1 energy from your opponent when comboed with another card. |
Tail Slap
|
Cost: 0 | Attack: 20 | Shield: 0 |
Gain 1 energy when comboed with another card. |
Third Glance
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 80 | Shield: 50 |
Randomly discard 1 card from your enemy’s hand. |
Crimson Water
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 120 | Shield: 30 |
Target injured enemy if this Axie’s HP is below 50%. |
Sinister Strike
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 130 | Shield: 20 |
Deal 200% damage on critical strikes. |
October Treat
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 0 | Shield: 110 |
Draw a card if this Axie’s shield doesn’t break this round. |
Aqua Vitality
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 80 | Shield: 35 |
Successful attacks restore 50 HP for each Anemone part this Axie possesses. |
Aquaponics
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 80 | Shield: 35 |
Successful attacks restore 50 HP for each Anemone part this Axie possesses. |
Juggling Balls
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 40 | Shield: 30 |
Strike 3 times. |
Piercing Sound
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 80 | Shield: 40 |
Destroy 1 of your opponent’s energy. |
Sugar Rush
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 125 | Shield: 20 |
Deal 10% additional damage for each allied bug Axie. |
Balloon Pop
|
Cost: 0 | Attack: 40 | Shield: 0 |
Apply Fear to target for 1 turn. If defending, apply Fear to self until the next round. |
Eggbomb
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 120 | Shield: 0 |
Apply Aroma on this Axie until the next round. |
Peace Treaty
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 120 | Shield: 30 |
Apply Attack- on target. |
All-out Shot
|
Cost: 0 | Attack: 110 | Shield: 0 |
Inflict 30% of this Axie’s max HP to itself. |
Triple Threat
|
Cost: 0 | Attack: 40 | Shield: 10 |
Attack twice if this Axie has any debuffs. |
Terror Chomp
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 100 | Shield: 35 |
Apply Fear to target for 2 turns when played in a Chain. |
Disguise
|
Cost: 0 | Attack: 20 | Shield: 20 |
Gain 1 energy when comboed with a plant card. |
Sunder Claw
|
Cost: 0 | Attack: 20 | Shield: 0 |
Randomly discard 1 card from your enemy’s hand. |
Bug Splat
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 110 | Shield: 50 |
Deal 50% more damage when attacking Bug targets. |
Scarab Curse
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 110 | Shield: 40 |
Target cannot be healed for 2 rounds. |
Mite Bite
|
Cost: 0 | Attack: 30 | Shield: 0 |
Add 100% more damage when comboed with another card. |
Wooden Stab
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 105 | Shield: 40 |
Deal 120% damage if this Axie’s shield breaks. | |||
Cleanse Scent
|
Cost: 0 | Attack: 0 | Shield: 50 |
Remove all debuffs from this Axie. |
Drain Bite
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 60 | Shield: 60 |
Heal this Axie by the damage this card inflicts. |
Chomp
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 75 | Shield: 50 |
Apply Stun to enemy when comboed with at least 2 additional cards. |
B Tier – Most Popular Cards: Decent Mid/High-MMR Choices
As the title says, this tier represents the cards that are most commonly used and make up most of the mid to high MMR range of the teams in the meta right now.
Grub Explode
|
Cost: 0 | Attack: 70 | Shield: 0 |
Deal 200% damage when attacking in Last Stand. Axie’s Last Stand ends after it attacks. |
Numbing Lecretion
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 30 | Shield: 30 |
Disable target’s melee cards next round. |
Nut Crack
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 105 | Shield: 30 |
Deal 120% damage when comboed with another ‘Nut Cracker’ card |
Nut Throw
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 105 | Shield: 30 |
Deal 120% damage when comboed with another ‘Nut Cracker’ card. |
Spike Throw
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 80 | Shield: 50 |
Target enemy with the lowest shield when comboed with 2 or more cards. |
Upstream Swim
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 110 | Shield: 30 |
Apply Speed+ to this Axie for 2 rounds when comboed with another Aquatic class card. |
Scale Dart (Aquatic)
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 120 | Shield: 30 |
Draw a card if the target is in Last Stand. |
Hero’s Bane
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 120 | Shield: 30 |
End target’s Last Stand. |
Clam Slash
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 110 | Shield: 40 |
Apply Attack+ to this Axie when attacking Beast, Bug, or Mech targets. | |||
Angry Lam
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 110 | Shield: 40 |
Deal 120% damage if this Axie’s HP is below 50%. |
Fish Hook
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 105 | Shield: 20 |
Apply Attack+ to this Axie when attacking Plant, Reptile, or Dusk targets. |
Chitin Jump
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 30 | Shield: 30 |
Prioritizes furthest target. |
Shipwreck
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 60 | Shield: 90 |
Apply Attack+ to this Axie if its shield breaks. |
Luna Absorb
|
Cost: 0 | Attack: 0 | Shield: 30 |
Gain 1 energy. |
Nitro Leap
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 120 | Shield: 35 |
Always strike first if this Axie is in Last Stand. |
Revenge Arrow
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 125 | Shield: 25 |
Deal 150% damage if this Axie is in Last Stand. |
Cockadoodledoo
|
Cost: 0 | Attack: 0 | Shield: 30 |
Apply Attack+ to this Axie. |
Soothing Song
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 60 | Shield: 0 |
Ignore shield. Apply sleep to target. |
Headshot
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 130 | Shield: 0 |
Disable target’s horn cards next round. |
Dark Swoop
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 25 | Shield: 0 |
Target fastest enemy. |
Blackmail
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 120 | Shield: 30 |
Transfer all debuffs on this Axie to target. |
Risky Feather
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 150 | Shield: 0 |
Apply 2 Attack- to this Axie. |
Smart Shot
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 50 | Shield: 10 |
Skip the closest target if 2 or more enemies are remaining. |
Anesthetic Bait
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 60 | Shield: 90 |
Apply stun when struck by |
Blood Taste
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 80 | Shield: 40 |
Heal this Axie by the damage inflicted with this card. |
Dull Grip
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 110 | Shield: 30 |
Deal 30% more damage to shielded targets. |
Sticky Goo
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 40 | Shield: 60 |
Stun attacker if this Axie’s shield breaks. Can only trigger once per round. |
Allergic Reaction
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 100 | Shield: 30 |
Deal 130% damage to debuffed targets. |
Leek Leak
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 60 | Shield: 80 |
When hit, disable the attacker’s ranged cards next round. |
Vegan Diet
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 75 | Shield: 75 |
Heal this Axie by the damage this card inflicts on a Plant target. |
Turnip Rocket
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 60 | Shield: 80 |
Target a bird if comboed with 2 or more cards. |
Aqua Stock
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 45 | Shield: 80 |
Gain 1 energy if this Axie is struck by an Aquatic card. |
Gas Unleash
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 20 | Shield: 20 |
Apply poison each time this card is used to attack or defend. |
Overgrow Keratin
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 90 | Shield: 30 |
Recover 20 shields per turn. |
Nile Strike
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 85 | Shield: 60 |
Apply Speed- to target for 2 rounds. |
Venom Spray
|
Cost: 0 | Attack: 20 | Shield: 30 |
Apply 1 poison to target. |
Bulkwark
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 20 | Shield: 80 |
Reflect 40% of melee damage back at the attacker. |
Kotaro Bite
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 85 | Shield: 30 |
Gain 1 energy if the target is faster than this Axie. |
Why So Serious
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 95 | Shield: 55 |
Heal this Axie by the damage inflicted with this card to Aquatic targets. |
Scaly Lunge
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 110 | Shield: 50 |
Deal 120% damage when chained with another “Lunge” card. |
Tiny Catapult
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 80 | Shield: 50 |
Reflect 50% of ranged damage back at the attacker. |
Critical Escape
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 90 | Shield: 20 |
Reduce damage taken by 15% this round. |
C Tier – Popular But Got Better Alternatives Available
Once again, as the title suggests, this tier consists of the cards that are quite popular in the game right now, however, there are better alternatives available for these. You can consider these the 2nd options in case you can’t find a top-tier card for your Axies.
Bug Noise
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 110 | Shield: 40 |
Apply Attack- to target. |
Barb Strike
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 90 | Shield: 40 |
Apply poison to target when played in chain. |
Carrot Hammer
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 70 | Shield: 40 |
Gain 1 energy if this Axie’s shield breaks. Can only trigger once per round. |
Ivory Stab
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 80 | Shield: 30 |
Gain 1 energy per critical strike dealt by your team this round. |
Star Shuriken
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 110 | Shield: 10 |
Target cannot enter Last Stand if this card brings its HP to zero. |
Spinal Tap
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 100 | Shield: 20 |
Prioritize idle target when comboed with at least 2 additional cards. |
Sneaky Raid
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 20 | Shield: 40 |
Target the furthest enemy. |
Tiny Swing
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 80 | Shield: 40 |
Deal 150% damage after round 4. |
Jar Barrage
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 80 | Shield: 20 |
Attacks that break this Axie’s shield cannot do additional damage. Can only trigger once per round. |
Slippery Shield
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 10 | Shield: 145 |
Add 15% of this Axie’s shield to adjacent teammates. |
Disarm
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 100 | Shield: 40 |
Apply Speed- to target for 2 rounds. |
Scale Dart (Reptile)
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 90 | Shield: 60 |
Generate 1 energy when attacking a buffed target. |
Vine Dagger
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 20 | Shield: 30 |
Double shield from this card when comboed with a plant card. |
Neuro Toxin
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 100 | Shield: 55 |
Apply Attack- to poisoned targets. |
Seed Bullet
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 30 | Shield: 50 |
Target the fastest enemy. |
Healing Aroma
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 0 | Shield: 50 |
Heal this Axie for 120 HP. |
Refresh
|
Cost: 0 | Attack: 0 | Shield: 50 |
Remove all debuffs from a teammate if it’s directly in front (same row) of this Axie. |
Buzzing Wind
|
Cost: 0 | Attack: 10 | Shield: 30 |
Apply Fragile to target until next round. |
Mystic Rush
|
Cost: 0 | Attack: 30 | Shield: 0 |
Apply Speed- to target for 2 rounds. |
Bug Signal
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 80 | Shield: 50 |
Steal energy from your opponent when chained with another “Bug Signal” card. |
Air Force One
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 120 | Shield: 30 |
Deal 120% damage when chained with another “Trump” card. |
Early Bird
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 110 | Shield: 20 |
Deal 120% damage if this Axie attacks first. |
Patient Hunter
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 130 | Shield: 0 |
Target an Aquatic class enemy if this Axie’s HP is below 50%. |
Insectivore
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 110 | Shield: 40 |
Target Bug class enemy if this Axie’s HP is below 50%. |
Cool Breeze
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 120 | Shield: 30 |
Apply Chill to target for 2 rounds. |
Heart Break
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 120 | Shield: 20 |
Apply Morale- to the enemy for 2 rounds. |
Single Combat
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 80 | Shield: 0 |
Guaranteed critical strike when comboed with at least 2 other cards. |
Night Steal
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 80 | Shield: 10 |
Steal 1 energy from your opponent when comboed with another card. |
Rampant Howl
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 120 | Shield: 30 |
Apply Morale+ to your team for 2 rounds if this Axie attacks while in Last Stand. |
Branch Charge
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 125 | Shield: 25 |
Increase crit chance by 20% if chained or comboed with a plant card. |
Self Rally
|
Cost: 0 | Attack: 0 | Shield: 30 |
Apply 2 Morale+ to this Axie for 2 rounds. |
Death Mark
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 100 | Shield: 30 |
Apply Lethal to target if this Axie’s HP is below 30%. |
Water Sphere
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 120 | Shield: 30 |
Apply Chill to target for 2 rounds. |
Shell Jab
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 100 | Shield: 50 |
Deal 130% damage when attacking an idle target. |
Swift Escape
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 105 | Shield: 20 |
Apply Speed+ to this Axie for 2 rounds when attacked. |
D Tier – Low MMR, Low Utility Cards
The D tier includes the cards which are straight-up bad in the current meta. They have really limited utility in the game right now and are often the reason for the downfall for Low MMR teams.
Shelter
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 0 | Shield: 115 |
Disable critical strikes on this Axie during this round. |
Deep-Sea Gore
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 50 | Shield: 80 |
Add 30% to this Axie’s shield when attacking. |
Poo Fling
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 30 | Shield: 100 |
Apply Stench to target until the end of round. |
Sweet Party
|
Cost: 2 | Attack: 0 | Shield: 40 |
Heal front teammate for 270 HP. If there are no front teammates, heal this Axie instead. |
Shroom’s Grace
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 0 | Shield: 40 |
Heal this Axie for 120 HP. |
Flanking Smack
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 100 | Shield: 40 |
Deal 120% damage if this Axie attacks first. |
Aqua Deflect
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 70 | Shield: 80 |
Cannot be targeted by Aquatic cards if this Axie has teammates remaining. |
Bamboo Clan
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 80 | Shield: 70 |
Increased 20% damage when chained with another plant card. |
Grub Surprise
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 100 | Shield: 50 |
Apply Fear to shielded targets |
Chemical Warfare
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 30 | Shield: 100 |
Apply Stentch to enemy for 1 round. |
Ill-Omened
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 110 | Shield: 30 |
Apply Jinx to target for 2 rounds. |
Feather Lunge
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 110 | Shield: 50 |
Deal 120% damage when chained with another “Lunge” card. |
Puffy Smack
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 100 | Shield: 50 |
Skip targets that are in Last Stand. |
Woodman Power
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 80 | Shield: 80 |
Add Shield equal to the damage this cards deals to Plant targets. |
Merry Legion
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 75 | Shield: 85 |
Add 20% shield to this Axie when played in a chain. |
Swallow
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 80 | Shield: 30 |
Heal this Axie by the damage inflicted with this card. |
E Tier – Cards With Extremely Limited To No Use In The Current Meta
This is the E tier. The list ends here. This is the worst possible tier. I don’t think it needs further explanation.
Forest Spirit
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 0 | Shield: 40 |
Heal front teammate for 190 HP. |
Sunder Armor
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 40 | Shield: 90 |
Add 20% shield to this Axie for each debuff it possesses. |
Gerbil Jump
|
Cost: 1 | Attack: 40 | Shield: 20 |
Skip the closest target if 2 or more enemies are remaining. |
Black Bubble | Cost: 1 | Attack: 110 | Shield: 40 |
Apply Jinx to target for 2 rounds. |
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
People are often intrigued by some specific questions regarding the topics that I write about. So here are some frequently asked questions about the Axie Infinity Card Tier List and my answers to them.
Question: What is the best Axie card?
Answer: With 9 Axie types, 6 card classes, and over 130 ability cards in Axie Infinity right now, you can pick one and say it’s the absolute best, do-it-all card. The game has a class and combo system which adds additional layers of complexity to determining the real value of a card.
With that said, the cards in the S tier of this list are undoubtedly the best cards in the current META of Season 19 of the game.
PS: I was today years old when I found out that “meta” stands for “Most Effective Tactics Available”, despite understanding the general meaning of the word as a gamer before already.
Question: What are the best cards to draw at the start of the game, Axie Infinity?
Answer: Once again, best cards is a really relative term, however, I do have a few combos in mind that can be good options to have as your starting hand in Axie Infinity. This shortlists mainly consist of cards that can help you gain some energy control without wasting your energy at round one as well.
• Cactus
• Serious
• Nimo
• Luna Absorb
• Bug Signal
Question: What is the best class in Axie?
Answer: In season 19, I believe the meta favors dusk axies heavily. This is because they are the fastest Axies after Bird and Aqua Axies, both of whom do less class damage to dusks. In the current version (Battle V1), the game is heavily centered on the speed of axies, which determines who gets to attack first.