Stench is a debuff that makes the Axies ignore the affected Axie.
This debuff works against any target and it is used in target prioritization, as well as bypassing the frontline Axie.
As of now (September 2021), the Bug card Chemical Warfare and the Reptile card Poo Fling are the only cards capable of inflicting Stench.
This debuff is great at slipping past the enemy frontline and attacking the enemy directly behind the affected Axie.
When used alongside other high-damage attacks and card combos, Stench can easily burst unsuspecting targets.
See all the possible card effects in our Guide to Axie Infinity Buffs and Debuffs.
How Do I Use It?
Inflicting Stench on the frontline Axie then following up with a devastating combo is a great way of using it.
You can bypass a tanky Axie that could probably soak up most of your damage and your opponent could waste energy trying to defend an Axie that won’t even take the brunt of your attacks. If you have cards that can apply Stench on two of your Axies, you can even reach the backline Axie and burst it.
There are also teams in higher MMR that utilize Stench to apply debuffs on the mid and backline Axies, which is usually Poison.
Insight and Recommendations
Chemical Warfare and Poo Fling both inflict Stench on enemy Axies, but the latter is more common, especially in high-level play. Both cards have decent amounts of shielding (updated to 80) and are reliable when it comes to applying Stench.
Chemical Warfare is a Bug tail part. It’s a decent card, but it may get overshadowed by other tail moves in the Bug class, depending on the team composition. Namely, cards such as Allergic Reaction, Anesthetic Bait, and Numbing Lecretion are good Bug tails.
- Allergic Reaction deals increased damage against debuffed targets
- Anesthetic Bait and Numbing Lecretion are good for locking down Axies that belong to the Aqua or Bird class, and those whose attacks are mostly melee.
Poo Fling is a Reptile horn part. It’s not ideal for Reptiles that are damage-oriented, but there are players who found success in incorporating it on their Poison builds.
It is used in tandem with cards like Gas Unleash, Barb Strike, and Venom Spray, as well as other targeting cards, to poison the backline Axies.
Poo Fling, like Chemical Warfare, does not deal a lot of damage, so teams that have them must compensate with other means of inflicting damage. It could be either through high-damage cards and bursting the enemy Axies, or through Poison and slowly killing affected opponents.
It’s important to note that both of them only last for 1 round, which makes it useless if it gets applied last or by the slowest Axie on your team.
I recommend having it on the fastest Axie you have so you can apply it before you attack, ignoring the tank.
Pro Tips:
- Stench is useful in bypassing enemy frontlines, use it first before playing your combos in order to focus the damage dealers at the back
- Don’t get Stench on your slowest Axie because it will make Stench a useless debuff
- You can counter Stench by using cards that can remove debuffs, just make sure you are faster than the follow-up combo
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