Mabinogi Duel is another new TCG – that’s short for trading card game – for iOS and Android devices, and it’s by one of those familiar names in the mobile gaming space, NEXON. In other words, this is a deck-building game where you can form a deck of 12 cards, create your own tactical strategies, and play the right cards to beat out your opponents, may they be human or AI enemies. The game includes a story mode, which NEXON suggests you play so you can “learn easily how to play the TCG,” though the real fun, of course, is playing against other humans. You can create “unique tactics” with hundreds of different cards – probably not millions, as the game claims – and trade cards with friends or other human players.
Like in other games of this kind, Mabinogi Duel has a rather steep learning curve. There are so many things for you to pick up in this game before you can call yourself an expert deck-builder. And while this list of Mabinogi Duel tips, cheats and strategies won’t make you an expert overnight, you can refer to it any time you need help playing the right cards or planning the right strategies, or if you’re just starting to play and need a good head start.
1. Don’t Waste Time, Complete The Campaign Right Away
The very first thing you should focus on in this game is the campaign – that’s the aforementioned story mode in Mabinogi Duel. Sure, it might not sound like fun playing against the game’s artificial intelligence instead of a real, live breathing person in another part of the world, but there’s more to playing the campaign than playing the TCG equivalent of solitaire. You’ll pick up some tips from NEXON itself, as the campaign also serves as a tutorial of sorts. Do not skip the dialogue, as those seemingly inconsequential tidbits of conversation may, and will contain something important you shouldn’t gloss over.
2. The AI In This Game Is Pretty Weak
It would appear that some game makers want people to focus on the social side of things by making their games’ AI very easy to beat. That is indeed the case in Mabinogi Duel, as the AI here is, to put it lightly, not very smart at all. Computer-controlled opponents leave gaping holes in their defense, so it’s going to be just as easy as using high-defense cards against the AI’s heroes. While you will still need to plan your tactics in advance, it’s always good to take advantage of the game’s weak AI and use the computer opponents as practice.
3. Don’t Get Ripped Early On By The Cat Merchant
The Cat Merchant may seem like a quirky little character, and for some, he can get really annoying. Worse, his deals will typically leave you holding the short end of the stick. For the first few days, don’t accept anything that he offers you, unless you’ve got a good idea of what’s in it for you with your current deck of cards and you’re sure that you’re making a deal that would benefit you.
4. When Should You Level Up?
Now, that we’ve gotten past some of the basic tips, let’s talk about some tips you can now use when playing against other humans. Leveling up, for starters, is best done if you do it as soon as possible. A new level-up boosts the stats of your card, and then some – you’ll also get bonus resources, and will get to perform more actions in one turn. Generally speaking, your goal should be to max out your cards to Level 3 (the maximum level) as soon as possible.
5. Play Your Cards Smartly When It Comes To Resources
Speaking of resources, you can get several kinds of resources in the game, albeit at random. That means you’ll need to balance things out quite a bit, and in most occasions, play all cards that are available before you draw new resources. Note that we said most, though, as some cards shouldn’t be played in such situations. Additionally, be vigilant, as some of the cards you play may add or deduct resources from you or from the enemy.
6. Don’t Reviving Cards Needlessly
If you’re all out of cards and have nothing more to play, then you have the option of reviving some of the cards that have since been “killed.” This would cost you Health Points, and should not be done each time a card gets lost. Wait until you’ve lost at least four to five cards, so that way, any loss of HP will be worth it. Always look at the number next to the coffin in the resources area to see how many health points you’ve lost.
7. Complete The Daily And Draft Missions
The game comes with Daily and Draft missions, and we suggest that you complete both of them. When completing missions, harder ones give you better rewards, so it would be best to start with the hardest one before working your way to the easiest. This allows you to maximize your rewards per mission.
8. General Tips On Deck-Building
Last, but not the least, you may be wondering how we could teach you how to build a perfect deck without taking up one whole article. While NEXON exaggerates a bit in the game’s description, the cards here are so varied you probably won’t ever see anyone else with a duplicate of yours.
Generally speaking, you should focus on the cards you will be able to use the most. But seeing as that’s too simplistic, read on as we give you more advice on this matter. Until you’re able to build a formidable single- or double-element deck, which may take some time, try to even things out and have three elements well-represented, with four cards per element. You can also combine two high-value cards from one element and mix the other two cards with those of a lower value. RPG mechanics also play a part here – balance your team between your offensive cards and your support/action cards. Additionally, you’ll want to have high and low value cards represented, so you’ll have something to play for resources.