Speed Up is a stackable (max of 5) buff that grants the Axie a 20% increase to the Speed stat that lasts until the next round.
Speed+ makes your Axie faster, which in turn bumps it up the priority list for play order, meaning the fastest Axie in the current round will move first.
Only Aqua and Beast Axies possess this buff. This buff is arguably the best buff since it dictates the order in which Axies play their moves
This buff is important when moving first gives you the advantage. For example, Aqua and Bird matchups usually boil down to who attacks first, since both hold no class advantage over the other.
Unfortunately, Bird Axies are naturally fast and have high damage cards, spelling bad news for the Aqua during 1v1 fights. However, using cards like Swift Escape and Upstream Swim effectively can turn the tides of battle in one’s favor.
See all the possible card effects in our Guide to Axie Infinity Buffs and Debuffs.
How Can I Use It?
I use this buff on my Aqua a lot since I have both Upstream Swim and Swift Escape. I use it to outspeed Bird Axies in 1v1s and counter opponent Speed+ buffs, maintaining my speed advantages in battles.
Insight and Recommendations
Speed is extremely important in battles and the faster Axie usually decides the winner, especially in lower MMRs. A good strategy to employ in 1v1 situations is to use Swift Escape and Upstream Swim to get a speed boost before it starts.
In order to effectively use Swift Escape, you must make sure that your opponent attacks you with as many cards as possible while having enough health points to remain alive.
2 Swift Escapes or 1 Swift Escape + 1 Upstream Swim ensures that you have the maximum number of stacks possible, and you have a chance at surviving the onslaught of your opponent’s attacks. This strategy is especially good against enemies that also have those moves, but are slower than your Axie to begin with.
The card Acrobatic could be useful when fighting against an Aqua or Bird Axie, since they both hold the speed advantage over a Beast. Unfortunately, you have to get attacked first, so that reduces the number of situations you can effectively use the card. This is because the two previous classes can easily burst your Beast.
However, if you manage to pull it off, you can keep your Beast alive for a few more rounds and possibly outplay your opponents with high damage combos if they don’t have Speed+ themselves. Otherwise, this card isn’t as useful as the top-tier Beast cards.
Pro Tips:
- If two Axies have the same number of Speed+ stacks, they usually assume the same order of priority as they started with.
- Having a higher Speed stat than enemy Bird Axies could ensure that you can pull off your combo before getting bursted, it could also grant you peace of mind if you are unsure whether you can survive their attacks before you can even do yours, since you’ll be the first to move anyway.
- Maintaining your speed is important when it comes to 1v1s. Learn how to effectively manage your Speed+ stacks and you’ll be winning 1v1 situations like it’s nothing.
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