The Defiant

The Ultimate Beginners Guide To The Axie Infinity Game and Marketplace

This handy primer explores the Axie Infinity game, from its driving concepts to its tokenomics and use of NFTs.

By: Kurt Ivy Loading...

The Ultimate Beginners Guide To The Axie Infinity Game and Marketplace

The Axie Infinity game is one of the biggest and most well-known Web 3.0 platforms, built on a blockchain and making use of Non-Fungible Tokens (‘NFTs’). The use of the Axie Infinity ecosystem has skyrocketed in recent times.

The platform actually provided residents of the Philippines with a means of earning an income due to job displacement from the Covid-19 pandemic. They earned so much that the government declared that revenue generated from this platform was subject to income tax.

With nearly three million daily active players and $3.6 billion traded through its in-house NFT marketplace (as per its official webpage), it’s worth looking into Axie Infinity for the gameplay andthe potential return on investment.

The Axie Infinity Game – Core Concepts

Axie Infinity is a Play-To-Earn game, built on a distributed ledger (aka a blockchain), where Axies are represented as NFTs, which are stored on a blockchain. Axies can be sold through the in-house peer-to-peer marketplace. The Axie game is built on the Ethereum blockchain, and the Axies are priced in ETH, the native cryptocurrency for Ethereum.

You can’t understand the Axie game without understanding some key terms, so let’s break them down:

  • Blockchain – Also known as a distributed ledger. The core feature is decentralization. The blockchain enables safe, secure, and pseudo-anonymous transactions without requiring a third party for transaction verification. Due to these attributes, it can be applied to any industry as a replacement for transaction data storage.
  • Non-Fungible Tokens – A digital asset stored on the blockchain. It is similar to a cryptocurrency, but every coin is unique instead of a handful of identical copies. They also cannot be duplicated or destroyed. This means it can be used to denote ownership of any digital asset on a blockchain, such as an Axie.
  • Play-To-Earn – Often abbreviated as “P2E” and one of multiple gaming revenue generation models. This modern gaming model means that gamers get rewarded for their time. Traditionally, gaming platforms simply took money from customers with no possibility of reward.
  • Cryptocurrencies/Tokens – Unlike NFTs, cryptocurrencies are exchangeable for other tokens in the same class. For instance, one Bitcoin will always equal one Bitcoin, and all Bitcoins are identical, like a handful of pennies. Axie Infinity calls their coin the Axie Infinity Shard ($AXS). The $AXS crypto governance token is used to claim rewards and even vote in the Axie ecosystem. Like all tokens, the $AXS coin price can vary. Aside from the $AXS crypto token, the platform also uses Smooth Love Potions ($SLP) for breeding NFTs. The $SLP crypto price can also vary.
  • Staking – When you stake tokens, they become locked and are unable to be transferred or traded. You are putting them to work and you earn rewards for doing so. A little like earning interest on legacy banking deposits, but more efficient and integrated into a superior blockchain ecosystem.

That’s enough concepts to get you started with the Axie Game!

The Axie Infinity Gameplay

To begin, you’ll need to go through the Axie Infinity download, set up a digital wallet, and purchase Axies. After setup and Axie Infinity download, you can then engage in three vs. three combat against other Axie teams. There are two broad gameplay modes — player vs player (PVP arena mode) and player vs environment (PVE adventure mode).

DeFi AlphaPremium Content
Start for free

The gameplay revolves around energy units. The more Axies you have, the more energy you generate. It costs one energy unit to go to battle. This energy is needed to earn rewards in the Arena mode and experience points in the Adventure mode. You can go to battle without energy, but you won’t gain $SLP.

Smooth Love Potion Soars 70% in 24 Hours Behind Axie Infinity Update
Smooth Love Potion Soars 70% in 24 Hours Behind Axie Infinity Update

Smooth Love Potion Soars 70% in 24 Hours Behind Axie Infinity Update

Smooth Love Potion, the token attached to Axie Infinity, is soaring after a major update.

The Defiant The Defiant

During the battle, each Axie has four cards that represent a special ability. You can play four cards at a time, but players need to be intelligent in terms of how they use their energy (most cards cost one energy to play). The aim of the gameplay is to kill all of your opponent’s Axies before they kill yours.

There are many tactical elements to the game. For instance, it’s often recommended to have a “Tank” on the front line, as they have powerful defensive capabilities. In the arena matches, you will be positioned against players with similar skill levels so you don’t have to worry that your opponents are not far stronger.

Axie Infinity Gameplay Advantages

There are many reasons as to why the Axie game is so popular, and not just because of financial rewards. Each Axie NFT has unique strengths and weaknesses due to its genes and you can even breed Axies to create offspring. There are six categories of Axie to choose from: Bugs, Beasts, Birds, Plants, Reptiles, and Aquatics.

Each Axie has four parts that represent a special capability. When purchasing Axies, note that the most powerful of them will have different parts that work together. For example, an Axie with four parts of a similar nature will deal 15% more damage.

Moreover, there are open tournaments and you can also earn rare treasures in adventure mode. You can even become a land baron and start your own kingdom. Axie Infinity is continually adding new features to its online universe and the best way to understand the gameplay is to get started.

The Axie Infinity Crypto Marketplace

Axie Infinity has its own in-house marketplace for the sale of Axies, land, and assets. The Axie universe is known as Lunacia. The Katana Axie marketplace is also live as of November 2021. Katana Axie is a decentralized marketplace on Ronin, allowing the easy exchange of Axies. If you want to purchase Axies on a marketplace like Katana Axie, you’ll need ETH.

Keep in mind that Axie Infinity is not a free platform, though the Katana Axie marketplace reduces fees a little. There is an upfront investment with your Axies. To get started you might need between $700 to $1,000. This is because you’ll need three Axies, which cost between $200 to $350 each.

Also, remember that there are two Axie Infinity coins. Both Axie Infinity coins serve different functions. The first is the $AXS crypto token. The second is the $SLP crypto token. The $AXS coin price, the $SLP crypto price, and the Axie Infinity price (the general price for Axies NFTs) can all change over time. These tokens can be used on the Katana Axie marketplace and other exchanges.

Additional Tools For The Axie Infinity Crypto Game

There are some other tools that you can use to help you along in Lunacia and the wider Axie Infinity crypto universe. These tools might include:

  • The Breeding Simulator This allows you to paste in the IDs of two Axies to see how the process would work (though it’s not a guarantee of the outcome).
  • The Freaks Web Extension Shows the number of breeds, HP, speed, purity, pending exp, and hidden genes for the Axie Infinity game.
  • Pricing Calculator This allows you to paste in the Axie ID to see how much it’s truly worth and what the Axie price should be. The Axie price can continually change.
  • AxieZone The AxieZone is a site dedicated to all things Axie. Visit AxieZone and use the associated tools to reduce the learning curve.

Takeaway: The Axie Infinity Crypto Game

The Axie Infinity game is engaging, addictive, and fast-paced. It’s a mix of investment, gaming, and strategy and it’s no surprise that millions of people are hooked.

The online community and support are huge and seem to be increasing rather than dropping off.

The Axie game has a lot of special features and you’ll need to be focused and determined if you want to be competitive and profitable – just like in real life.

Kurt Ivy is a contributing writer to The Defiant.

Subscribe to DeFi Daily Newsletter and Get Smarter on DeFi & Web3.

80k+ investors informed every day.