As the counterpart to the Attack+ buff, Attack Down instead inflicts a 20% damage penalty to the next attack and is also stackable.
Currently, only Bird and Bug cards have access to this debuff, namely Peace Treaty, Risky Feather, Bug Noise, and Neuro Toxin, respectivel
Inflicting this debuff significantly reduces the damage output of the enemy Axie, especially those with a class disadvantage.
Because this debuff is also a percentage value, it can be countered by using an already low damage move first before high damage one, reducing its effectiveness.
One must also be cautious when using the move Risky Feather, since it inflicts Attack- on the user, instead of the target.
See all the possible card effects in our Guide to Axie Infinity Buffs and Debuffs.
How Can I Use It?
Target Axies that are known for high damage. Aqua, Beast, and Bird Axies that receive this debuff will be not as threatening because their damage will be heavily cut.
This debuff is also beneficial when it comes to 1v1 situations because it reduces the threat of the enemy Axie, especially if they have high damage cards.
Insight and Recommendations
Based on my experience, Peace Treaty is annoying to fight against. It not only has high base damage, but it also applies Attack- to its target, adding insult to injury.
Risky Feather is more manageable because even though it boasts one of the highest base damages in the game, its effect drastically reduces the following attack’s damage because of the 2 stacks of Attack-.
However, if your opponent uses a low damage move after using Risky Feather, the damage penalty will not be as effective. I also haven’t seen an Axie that has received more than 2 stacks of this debuff. I don’t think it stacks more than that because having less than 60% of your attack’s damage left would be extremely hard to counter.
On the other hand, Bug Noise is one of the higher damage Bug cards and I think it’s a great move to have in terms of damage.
However, not a lot of people run Bugs, due in part to their relatively low damage and class disadvantage against meta classes. They’re usually meant to serve as utility Axies, but are only truly effective in specialized teams (e.g. Triple Bug Signal team).
Neuro Toxin seems like a good card to have if you run a team that focuses on poisoning the enemy. It could also be viable on its own in certain situations because it is one of the high damage Reptile cards and provides a decent number of shields.
It’s important to note that most Reptiles in teams at the moment focus on cards that can lock opponents down, such as Chomp. Adding the Bug cards Sticky Goo and Allergic Reaction form what’s known as a “terminator.”
Pro Tips:
- Attack- is a good buff to keep your opponent’s damage output down, but the cards that inflict this buff are either lacking in certain aspects or too hard/inconsistent to pull off effectively.
- Risky Feather is a double-edged sword. It offers high damage at the expense of lower damage on your next attack. Either using a low base damage attack when the debuff is up or cleansing/transferring it could help mitigate its effects.
- If your Axie is affected by Attack-, calculate the new damage values you will dish out and compensate with another card if needed to ensure the enemy Axie does not survive.
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