With the introduction of season 18, PvP became a more lucrative mode in Axie Infinity. In that update, PvE earnings were capped lower, while PvP play began earning more! 

As a result, players are starting to sell their poor weak Axies in search of better ones.

Now more than ever, the stronger your Axies are, the more you earn. Looking around the web, I haven’t seen anyone writing about meta Axies yet. 

Well, here it is! A guide to the mightiest Axies in existence.

You can find lots of tips and tricks below on using and countering or using common meta Axies!

What Are “Meta” Axies?

Let’s first define the word Meta. “Most Effective Tactics Available” is an in-game strategy that is shared by its players. It’s a common word for online PvP games, such as Valorant, League Of Legends, etc.

In Axie Infinity, better Axies can give the player an upper hand in PvP. With everyone holding a meta Axie, leveling the playing field encourages tactical battles.

What Are Some Common Meta Axies?

Before Axie teams are formed, individual characteristics are assessed. The better an Axie is at performing their role, the higher the chances of winning.

Below are common powerful meta Axies that you may face in combat (Matchmaking Rating range: 1000-1500).

Speedy and Offensive Aquas

Aqua classes had the highest win rate in Season 17. This class is known for speed and it’s common to see cards with 100+ points in damage.

Because Aqua Axies are everywhere in Season 18, speed manipulation became a key factor in battle. The faster an Axie is, the faster it can finish off an opponent.

Aqua Axies are usually at the backline and seldomly on the midline. People love to use these Axies in one-on-one scenarios.

Aqua Tactics

Aqua class Axies primarily use energy and combos for attacking. It’s best not to use aqua cards until you have a combo set up to finish off an Axie.

Remember! Aqua Axies are strong against Beasts, Bugs, other Aquas, and Birds!

Combat:

• Use only 3 cards with 100+ damage each for Beast and Bird Axies to conserve energy. Trust me, with an Aqua, those two Axie classes are gone in 3 cards
  
• If you have speed manipulation cards like Upstream Swim, and your Aqua is slower than the opposing Axie, always attempt to increase your speed. Like Sonic the Hedgehog once said, “Gotta go fast!”
  
• Rely on your Beast (if you have one) to handle Plant or Reptile tanks. You should save your cards for later rounds and Aquas deal no additional damage to Plant/Reptile tanks

Drawbacks:

• Since Aquas are commonly placed on the backline, they’re prone to backdoor attacks (cards that target the furthest Axie, fastest Axie, etc.)
  
• If the backline of your opposing team is a Reptile, you’re in for a rough ride. A Reptile Axie is an Aqua’s nemesis in duels because of class advantage. They also have better defensive abilities, rendering the Aqua’s 100+ damage cards useless 
  
• If your Beast (if you have one) dies first without taking out the opposing Plant/Reptile tank, a single Aqua will struggle to eliminate it.

RIMP Donut Beast

(Ronin + Imp + Dual Nutcracker)

Beast Axies are common in arena matches as specialists in obliterating tanks. This particular Beast is what many can consider a “glass cannon”.

Just looking at the card abilities, it’s pretty obvious. You have a guaranteed critical strike and two high-damage cards. Believe me when I say that these three cards make any Plant/Reptile Axie cower in fear.

Not only can it deal scary amounts of damage, but it can also restore energy. Ivory Stab is every Beast Axie’s best friend. Beasts have high morale, making critical hits very likely. Pair it with the Single Combat ability and you get free energy!

Combat:

• Be mindful of the damage that your Beast deals, sometimes using 4 cards wastes energy because you only needed 3 cards to knock an Axie out
  
• If you have an Aqua Axie behind your Beast, the latter can act as a meat shield to save energy
  
• Only play Nut Cracker cards with other Nut Cracker cards to maximize damage

• Use Beast cards with energy accumulation, having a Beast will take a toll on your energy count, so having energy-producing abilities is advantageous

Drawbacks

• Knocking out Plant/Reptile tanks relies on timing. Occasionally, a Plant can deploy two to four cards that raises its shield high enough to withstand a combo from a Beast
  
• Beast Axies are low in the HP stat they can be wiped out by Aquas or Birds (the class they’re disadvantaged against) within three cards
  
• Beast card combos consume A LOT of energy, so conserving energy is harder if you don’t properly play your cards.

Terminator Reptile

Known for being a meta Axie in higher MMR, Terminator Reptiles are deadly backline Axies. Specializing in good defense and Stun debuffs, Terminators can solo nearly any kind of Axie.

Terminators have cards with the perfect synergy. Mystic Rush reduces speed which is a debuff, while Allergic Reaction deals extra damage because of the debuff. 

Sticky Goo and Chomp are stun-inflicting cards. Sticky Goo is for defense while Chomp is for the offense. Stun cards like these make it hard for single Axies to attack Terminators.

Combat:

• Terminators are best for 1v1 duels, it’s a good tactic to save up important cards like Chomp or Sticky Goo
  
• If you ever sense that a backdoor combo is imminent, just execute defensive cards like Sticky Goo
  
• Stun can bypass shields, proper use of Chomp (eg. Mystic Rush > Chomp > Allergic Reaction) in combos can ignore defenses
  
• Abuse your Sticky Goo card on defense, even if players use filler cards, they tend to assume that the shield will break within one card, often the shield doesn’t break and they waste a handful of energy while you take less damage

Drawbacks

• Filler cards are cards that have no energy cost nor damage. Players can counter defensive Terminators by adding a filler card after breaking the shield. This allows the stun to be removed with the filler.
  
• Like any other Reptile, Terminators are weak against Beast Axies. Critical hits from a Beast can cripple a Terminator reptile, despite having a defensive stun ability
  
• Soothing Song can ignore shields, therefore ignoring the Sticky Goo condition of breaking the shield to inflict stun won’t trigger
  
• Gravel Ant is a Bug body part that can disable a Terminator’s Chomp ability; this removes one of a Terminator’s damage-dealing moves, making its offensive round weaker
  

• Weak against regenerating Axies in 1v1 situations.

You can read more about Terminator Reptiles in this article:

Axie Infinity: How To Counter Terminators

Let me show you this Reddit post on a Terminator user who massacred a whole team. The opponent was using filler cards, but in the end, the Reptile was just better: https://www.reddit.com/r/AxieInfinity/comments/oiihck/heres_why_terminator_reptile_cost_a_lot/

I feel pity for this guy’s opponent, I really do. Dude thought he won the match.

Doubletalk Bird

Backdoor Birds? Nah. This is the real meta bird Axie, the Doubletalk Bird.

This Axie has Soothing Song, an ability that inflicts Sleep which ignores enemy shields. You can basically damage an Axie’s HP even if they have more than 500 shield points.

Along with three 120+ damage cards, you’re gunning through any Axie’s defenses. With an Axie like this, you’ll be able to talk a lot of smack AND back it up.

(Image is an ideal Doubletalk Bird build. Body parts may vary depending on preference.)

Combat:

• Using the Soothing Song ability has a specific combo: Soothing Song > any high damage card > Soothing Song any high damage card, that’s your ticket to bypassing any Axie shield
  
• Eggbomb is what players call the “big brain” card. With the right timing, you can save your frontline or midline by pulling away enemy attacks
  
• Doubletalk can be paired with other class body parts. Some players put Doubletalk on Aquas or Beasts to kill high shield Axies easier.

Drawbacks

• Efficiently use Post Fight or you might end up knocking out your own Axie, you don’t want that right?
  
• For this particular build, you have nearly zero shields, so any backdoor or burst attack can easily nuke you

• Doubletalk Birds can struggle against beefy Plant/Reptile tanks (although you can ignore their shields, crippling them can take a couple of turns depending on the class of your cards)

Yam Plants

Plants are always passive, regenerating health and building shields. This particular build is different from the rest, because its “defense is the best offense.”

Yam is a Plant body part that applies poison defensively and offensively. A Yam Plant applies poison on the Axies that it attacks and it defends from. So if an Axie were to hit it with four cards, the attacker receives four stacks of poison.

The poison cannot be removed over time, so it has to be cleansed by a debuffing ability. Axie teams that can prolong a fight typically have poison abilities to decay enemies.

(Image is an example of a Plant build with Yam. Body parts may vary depending on preference.)

Combat:

• Predicting when enemy attacks are coming can benefit Yam Plants;  the more Axies attack you, the more poison you apply
  
• Poison is a stackable debuff, meaning multiple applications of poison can increase its damage over time
  
• Yam Plants have more HP since they’re tanks, making the usage of Gas Unleash more often before getting knocked out
  
• “Remove Debuff” abilities are rare in low-mid MMR ranges, but high MMR players use Bidens to counter poison teams.

Drawbacks:

• Getting knocked out without playing Gas Unleash means that you won’t be able to inflict poison
  
• Axies that have regenerative abilities can withstand poison over time
  
• Some Axie abilities can remove debuffs, which can also remove poison

“Immortal” Anemone Aquas

The funny thing about this meta Aqua is that it never dies. I thought it was exaggerated, ‘till I went against one in arena mode. Oh boy, the legend is true!

Anemone Aquas heal the Axie by each successful attack, meaning that they don’t have to damage health. One Anemone part is useless, but having two of them means that they can heal 300-400 HP in one combo.

These guys are elites in a 1v1 battle. They can stay alive for as long as they have energy.

Combat:

• You have to estimate when a combo attack is coming. Anemone cards have a good amount of shield points, so surviving an attack is likely when you deploy these cards against a combo
  
• Having a Nimo body part generates energy, allowing the user to play a combo of 3 Anemone cards each round

Drawbacks:

• Anemone Aquas are sustain types, not burst; they deal less damage for each round
  
• Stuns like Fish Snack or Sticky Goo can negate the heal of an Anemone card (Fish Snack cards can continuously stun any Aqua or Bird attacks)
  
• Disable cards like Headshot or Numbing Lecretion can prevent an Anemone Aqua from using Anemone cards.
  
• Receiving burst attacks when you don’t have energy or Anemone cards can get you knocked out.

Meta Axie Teams

A guitar without strings nor a base is impotent. Not a single part is left out; everything pieces together to procure that sweet harmony.

Like a guitarist, an Axie Infinity player can wreak havoc with the perfect guitar. Building a meta team can increase one’s chances of triumphing.

Here are some common examples of meta Axie team lineups.

Don’t forget that these are just the common ones! Some high-ranking players get super creative in jumbling their Axie teams.

Aqua/Bird-Beast-Plant (ABP/BBP)

This is one of the most common lineups in Axie Infinity. It has everything simple, a duelist, a spear, and a shield.

Aquas and Birds are interchangeable. Both are superior backline Axies, taking up the role of primary damage-dealers.

Aqua/Bird – A trusted endgame Axie. Commonly placed on the backline or midline, Aqua/Bird Axies stand as the primary damage dealers and late-game duelists.

Beast – Every Axie team’s spear is their beast. Tanks are the shields, and every meta Beast Axie’s job is to pierce through the tank. Taking down the enemy’s defense is a stepping stone to victory. Killing a tank also quickens the pacing of the game, pressuring the other player to use cards.

Plant – Every team needs a defensive Axie, and plants play the role of the tank. Tanks have energy-producing cards built for utility and defense. This kind of Axie is useful for ABP because Beasts and Aquas need a lot of energy.

Aqua-Aqua-Plant (AAP)

Known for their speedy nature, AAP lineups exploit the capabilities of Aquatic Axies. Versatile in damage and speed, these lineups can clear the field in an instant.

Faster, stronger, and bulkier, Aquas are feared specimens in the metaverse for their sundry skillset and menacing base stats.

AAP teams are relatively faster than most Axie teams and like they say…speed kills.

Dual Aquas – A great lineup for AAP teams has one all-out damage Aqua and another with energy accumulating abilities. Like I’ve said, aqua Axies need A LOT of energy to pull off insane damage. 

Reptile-Beast-Plant (RBP)

The typical counter to Aqua Axies are Reptiles. Players utilize the beefiness of Reptile Axies to outlast and demolish Aquatic Axies.

The abundance of Aqua and Bird Axies in PvP became an issue for most players, so anti-AAP/BBP teams were made. Reptiles are tanky nuisances capable of sustained or burst damage, proving to be Aqua and Bird Axies’ kryptonite.

With an RBP lineup, players can break through the tank Axie and immediately deal with the last two Axies. It can quickly escalate to a 1v1 between the backline Axies.

Reptiles – There are a lot of reptile variations. Some use poison to slowly decay their opponents, while some reflect incoming attacks for defense/offense. 

Because Reptiles are generally slower, so some of their cards like Surprise Invasion and Disarm are solely made for countering faster Axies. Duels between a Reptile and an Aqua or a Bird can get one-sided depending on how good the players are.

Remember! Some losses are inevitable. Axie Infinity’s Axies work like Rock-Paper-Scissors, so you can’t win all the time!

Reptile–Reptile-Plant (RRP)                                     

Reptile capabilities are versatile, giving players a competitive edge. You can poison, reflect, defend, or just completely obliterate your opponent in late-game scenarios.

Dual Reptiles – Let’s take that image as an example. Notice their tail body parts, each of them has a poison inflicting ability. It’s fair to say Xgem’s RRP lineup is poison-based.

Poison-specific lineups are slow killers, decomposing opponents with each card used. You can browse through the different kinds of Reptile body parts, and see what fits your playing style the most. With that, anyone can assemble a synergized RRP team.

But so far, this is just one example of a Reptile-based team. There are a lot more variations to these lineups and players get creative on compiling body parts to synergize the Axies better.

What’s the Strongest Axie?

If you ask me, there is no such thing as the “strongest Axie” in the metaverse. Axie Infinity’s PvP matches are all played like chess; you never know what piece they’re going to use or what kind of strategy they’re formulating. A pawn CAN checkmate you in the right situation. 

I made this guide solely for those people clinging to their losing Axies. Change came with Season 18 and you should adapt. Take a fresh look at the powerful Axies that await new players.

In the end, meta Axies exist to balance the competition. Changing your Axies to more powerful ones can turn PvP massacres into competitive matches.

I also realized that the Axie metas develop every day. Players find new and creative ways to synergize Axies. And they become popular if they’re pretty strong.

Because of this, meta Axies work as a dynamic system of creativity. Where players can continuously search for that power and competitive edge.

Author’s Note: I’ll be updating this article whenever I can. Playing Axie Infinity every day brings new knowledge on meta Axies.

What do YOU think? Did I miss any common meta teams? Let me know in the comments below!