Axie Infinity V2 vs Origin: Which one is better for you?
Axie Infinity Origin is now here, and players all around the world can now try the much-anticipated version of the worldwide NFT game phenomenon which will be its main version moving forward.
Though for now, the game is still in its early access. Only PC players were the ones who can try Origin so far through the Mavis Hub game client. However, Sky Mavis assured everyone that the game will gradually be available to mobile users as more feedback is received by them from the early testers.
Comparisons will surely be a rampant part of Axie Infinity with version 2 of the game still existing alongside Origin. A lot of factors from the established version are now being compared with what version 3 has to offer. There are some that we can call improvements, while there are also some that we wish just stayed in Origin.
Axie Infinity vs Origin – Cards comparison
The cards which are the main tool used by players to battle in the game are incomparable in almost every aspect. The majority of the effects of the version 2 cards are just way different compared to their version 3 counterparts. The cards of the free starter Axies when used in version 2 are mediocre at best, though in Origin, it’s a whole different thing.
We did our preview on Axie Origin back and mouth cards before, but were not expecting such massive changes to how the game is played. As I was playing the free starter Axies which anyone can get as long as you register and create an account to the game (you don’t need to invest money to be able to get these), I went 10-2 using these, beating a handful of meta teams from version 2.
These include Jumping Poison and Triple Aqua builds to name a few. The synergy of starters is very on-point. (Plant) provides healing and utility which a typical tank does, (Beast) is an absolute killer especially when the Rage meter gets full, and (Aqua) is an overall sustain/finisher that can go 1v1 in the last rounds of the game.
One example of how good these starter Axies are during my game against a Jumping Poison build. After using the majority of my shield and healing cards from (Plant) in rounds 1-2, it was easy for me to utilize every energy per round to deal a handful of damage from (Beast) and (Aqua).
The 320 HP per Axie became very much easier for me to take down the opponent, especially his or her tank which was the usual Poison comp tank with (cards). Also, utilizing the Rage stacks of (Beast) really paved the way to annihilate the opponent’s mid Axie easily, dismantling his or her offense to setup (Aqua) for a dominating 1v1 scenario with the backliner.
Axie Infinity Version 2 vs Origin – Gameplay Differences
Now, what could make these once mediocre cards become more effective aside from changing their effects entirely? Well, it’s the change of gameplay Origin has to offer.
With Origin only having 3 energies per round which cannot be saved to bring in the progressing turns, as well as cards being discarded every end of the turn (unless it has the Retain mechanic), the game has shifted from a more strategic-based meta where longer set-ups can manage to a rush game where offense is more viable.
Why? Because of energy spending. Every turn, you have 3 energies to spend, and it won’t matter if you save some for the next rounds since it won’t be carried over. That is why more offensive cards with a good to high amount of damage are much more appreciated in this kind of gameplay. And with the HPs of all of the Axies now being set to a standard 320, an easy three-card combo of 60-80 damage cards can already half the HP of a single Axie.
Of course, the presence of shields is always there. Bugs that have tremendous defensive capabilities with cards such as Gravel Ant, Leaf Bug, and Snail Shell. But since cards cannot have both damage and shield, many players may just opt to use damage cards to serve the purpose of taking down opponents since killing the Axies is the main goal of the game.
Overall thoughts on Axie Origins
It’s still early to conclude which one is better. Is it version 2 or Origin? But there are factors that may help players realize things, especially when buying Axies since this is a real investment where lots of money are involved.
One of those is the complexity of version 2 now being appreciated when version 3 arrived. To sum it up, Origin is easier to play than version 2. With the given gameplay of the new version, it is really not that hard to play what you need to use every turn since it is now more of a faster-paced game compared to version 2.
Version 2 of Axie Infinity was very much seen as a competitive game because of its complex nature where setups were developed because of the synergy or mechanics a certain build can offer. But still, with the help of the newly introduced Runes and Charms, the Origin meta may still see variations every now and then despite the faster gameplay it entails.
And also, we are still on day 2 since Origin was released. The meta and the best setups cannot be fully determined at the moment. It would probably take weeks, or even months to see what are the best combinations can be used, especially if there would be completely broken decks that may emerge as time passes by.
But in a nutshell, Origin is very different from V2. That’s something solid that we can say right now. Yet still, this is the early access stage of the game, so changes would be very common every now and then. Balancing the card effects or even determining the right and fair game mechanics are part of getting the best version of Origin. Who knows, maybe this final version of Axie Infinity is something we can really lean on in the long run.