Playing Axie Infinity gives income in the form of SLP (Smooth Love Potion) that maintains its ecosystem, particularly by running the fees of breeding within the game for Axies. This mainly comes in three forms: adventure mode, arena mode and daily quests which correlates with playing adventure/arena matches. Adventure mode arguably gives better rewards, able to give consistent wins by knowing the opponents a player would be up against, playing the same level again and again. However, arena mode would appeal to a wide range of players, particularly in terms of its associated competitiveness, going up against other players to require greater skill and strategy that makes Axie Infinity more entertaining. It could also be more rewarding by hitting high within the arena leaderboard for AXS rewards, becoming higher and higher as the ranks go up. Although pushing up ranks for beginners may seem like the best way of maximising SLP rewards within arena mode, there could be a better method: purposing losing.
The Strategy
Purposely losing? That would sound strange to the majority of not only Axie Infinity players but players overall. If the purpose of a game is to win, including Axie Infinity, then why lose? The answer is SLP rewards. As a refresher the SLP rewards for winning within arena mode according to the MMR is shown below:
Under 800 - No SLP gained
800-999 - 1 SLP per win
1000-1099 - 3 SLP per win
1100-1299 - 7 SLP per win
1300-1499 - 8 SLP per win
1500-1799 - 9 SLP per win
1800-1999 - 10 SLP per win
2000-2199 - 11 SLP per win
2200+ - 12 SLP per win
Note that the SLP rewards are approximate and can differ in-game.
Assume that as a beginner, they would settle around the 1100-1299 range, thus earning 7 SLP per win. Assume that the beginner gets a win rate of 50%, moving gradually up the leaderboard, and manages to tip over the 1300 mark to get 8 SLP, settling now around 8 SLP. Because the MMR is much higher, the beginner is more likely to lose, facing against higher skilled players and more powerful Axies. The beginner could get a 50% win rate on average for the 1300-1499 range but 60% 1100-1299 range, maybe even higher to 80% if they play on the low range close to 1100, playing against newbie players. To sum up this hypothetical setting, 1300-1499 range - 8 SLP per win, 50% win rate. 1100-1299 - 7 SLP per win, 60% win rate on the high end, 80% on the low end.
With the first threshold energy at 20, that means that the beginner would daily have 20 games to play that earn SLP rewards. For the 1300-1499 range, the beginner at a 50% win rate wins 10 games for 80 SLP. For the 1100-1299 range, the beginner wins 12 games for 84 SLP on the high end and 16 games for 112 SLP, which is an additional 42 SLP per day. For this hypothetical situation, a beginner would be better off in the lower rank of arena mode to earn much more SLP, so how is it done? Losing on purpose.
Now, losing on purpose is not to be done when energy is available but when all the energy is used. After all, energy is used, purposely go a losing streak to go down close to the end of an MMR range to face easier players, then when the energy returns, come back on a winning streak to consistently earn SLP. For the hypothetical situation it is a massive earning jump, though for other ranges it may not be so, so make sure to check that the range movement is worthwhile before making the move.
Legitimacy Of Strategy
With making a purposely losing streak, it may seem to be against the rules of Axie Infinity, a way to exploit the system and earn additional SLP. However, this strategy of purposely losing within arena mode is not an exploit, rather a taking advantage of the system. Note that if it was an exploit, it would apply to all MMR ranges but this is not the case, especially for higher-ranked players to incentive players to push their MMR and lower-ranked players that receive minimal SLP rewards. As of the 29th of July, 2021, Axie Infinity's Terms of Use does not appear to mention any form of purposeful losing to make additional rewards as against its service, thus theoretically being legal and rightful.
Think of other games as well that rely on a competitive system. Many players purposely lose to face low-skilled players, and in most cases, no bans or punishments have been conducted upon such players. For Axie Infinity, ensure that no bots or automated software are used since this can go against its Terms of Use, resulting in a punishment that potentially could be a ban.
The strategy is likely to be targeted towards beginners who find themselves struggling to move up the ladder of Axie Infinity, giving them a satisfying win streak as they make meaningful enjoyable matches, something that could be difficult to discover in highly competitive matches. This becomes even more so for players that have unsuitable Axies, purchasing the 'floor' (i.e. first to appear) Axies in the hope to join the Axie Infinity craze as soon as possible, where a strategy and tendency to win becomes harder. The strategy would also help in saving energy by completing the 5 arena mode wins quest quicker, allowing more adventure mode matches for players who find themselves more thriving thereon.
Final Words
The strategy of purposing losing arena mode for additional SLP rewards is real within Axie Infinity, though does not work with every player, each having their own MMR rate, win rate, SLP rewards and other factors determining the strategy's effectiveness. For beginners, it could be an option to raise SLP rewards as they may find themselves struggling to win arena mode matches against high-skilled players. Is it worth it? That is for the player to decide. Whether they want higher SLP rewards or move higher on the ladder, it is up to them and they need to make their decision based on the circumstances they have become with. The strategy could be a great one for some, staying legal within Axie Infinity's legal scope, building SLP rewards for higher potential earnings.
Disclaimer: The information above is not financial advice and is for educational and entertaining purposes. All information is of my personal opinion and is based on the research I have made. Any information on this article should not be mistaken as fact, and any decision with crypto means you need to DYOR (Do Your Own Research)
