Tips to get Started with Axie Infinity

If you’re thinking of jumping into Axie Infinity, check out this article for some information that might help new players get started with Play to Earn gaming.

Image Credit: Axie Infinity (used with permission)

Axie Infinity is taking the world by storm as the newest and best play-to-earn game with potential to disrupt entire local economies. For more information about why Axie Infinity is a great game to get involved with, check out my last article which you can view here. If you have made the decision to give the game a try and begin your journey within the Axie Infinity metaverse, then there could be a steep learning curve if you are not familiar with cryptocurrency, NFTs, and blockchain-based gaming. This article will cover a few important tips for starting out in Axie Infinity.

• Web Browser: Google Chrome currently works really well with Axie Infinity. The game isn’t currently on the non-beta version of the iOS app stores, and it doesn’t work exceptionally well on Safari in my experience. Chrome has extensions for the “wallets” you will need (more on that next), and the download for direct access to Axie Infinity through Google Chrome has been the best version so far that I have played through.
• Cryptocurrency Wallets: If you are completely new to cryptocurrency, then you might not understand the concept of a digital “wallet”. But the short version is that this software will securely store your crypto and digital assets. No one will be able to access the wallet except for you (and anyone you give access to). Currently, you will need at least two separate wallets for Axie Infinity. The first is an Ethereum wallet, and a good one to use is Metamask. Simply search for the Metamask Chrome extension, download it, and then follow the prompts to set it up. It’s free to register for it. The second is a Ronin wallet which interfaces directly within the Axie Infinity game. This one is also free to set up. During the set up for both wallets, the systems will provide a twelve word security phrase for securing your account. Be very careful to never share that information with anyone else. Be very careful to never lose that information. And try to avoid storing it anywhere online.
• You may be able to buy Ethereum directly through Metamask using a credit card or bank card (depending on where you live). If you cannot, then you will need an account with Coinbase, Binance, or Crypto .com so that you can buy Ethereum, AXS, and/or SLP and then transfer it to your Metamask wallet. The transfer instructions should be relatively straightforward, just be sure to double check that you use your correct wallet address. Also, keep in mind that there are usually fees associated with these transfers which can range anywhere between $8 and $50 depending on how busy the Ethereum network is at any given time. You can save on fees by being patient and checking fee costs at different times of the day, or in some cases, by choosing a lower fee cost (but it might take much longer to transfer) within your transfer interface. The time it takes for these transfers to finish can range anywhere from instantly to a few hours depending on several factors.
• Once you have Ethereum in your Metamask wallet, you then need to transfer it over to your Ronin wallet. I know this sounds redundant, but it’s the way things work for now (Axie plans to introduce upgrades to the Ronin wallet coming soon to reduce redundancies and to make the user experience even more seamless). But there are no Ethereum GAS fees for transactions inside of the Ronin wallet interface, so that works in our favor. The Ethereum is used to buy Axies (as well as land and items for the land), and you will need at least three Axies to begin playing the game.
• If you plan to do any breeding early on, then you will need AXS and SLP on your Ronin wallet as well. Currently, you cannot swap or convert across those assets inside of the Ronin wallet… so you would want to carry out the swaps (you can convert Ethereum into SLP and/or AXS) within Metamask before you start sending assets over to Ronin. If you are not doing any breeding of the Axies early on, then you don’t need to worry about AXS or SLP at the start. There are several full breeding guides available online if you need more information about costs and the processes for breeding.
• Also, you will need to manually add the AXS and SLP wallets to your Metamask account (it is, by default, just an Ethereum wallet). You can do this by opening a tab within your Chrome web browser and going to coingecko.com. Make sure that you are logged into Metamask, and then search for SLP/ AXS and look for the little fox icon towards the top right of the page, click it, and the wallet will be added. Alternatively, you can copy/paste the contract address into Metamask after clicking on “Add Token” towards the bottom of the Metamask interface.
• Please note that when transferring Ethereum, SLP, or AXS over to Ronin you MUST use an interface called the Ronin Bridge. If you try to transfer directly to your ronin wallet address without using bridge, you will have problems. So this is very important. The Ronin Bridge can be found by going to the Axie Infinity Marketplace and clicking on the link that says bridge towards the top. Keep in mind that you will need to leave a bit of Ethereum behind in your Metamask wallet to account for the transfer fees.
• Within the Axie Infinity marketplace you will find options to log-in using Ronin (which will create your account with Axie Infinity), and within the settings you will also be able to link your Metamask wallet. At this point, you should be ready to begin searching for your first Axies!
• When looking through the options for your first Axies on the marketplace, be patient. Taking your time and looking for the best deal, and good value is paramount to getting a great start in the game. At current prices, the three Axies will likely cost you around a thousand dollars at least (read down below to see how much return you can expect to make back in the first month). Do some research either through YouTube or using sites such as Axie Zone, Axie World, or other online resources. Watch the market for a bit using the dashboard interface to see what prices Axies are being purchased for, you can also see which Axies are being listed for sale in real time. This is the best way to find good deals. Also check the marketplace using the filters to see what current builds are selling for that you might be interested in.
• Once you have your three Axies, you will be able to log in to the Axie Infinity game and begin earning SLP just by playing! Keep in mind that in adventure mode, you can continue earning SLP even once all of your energy is gone (only the experience will stop accruing) up to the limit of 100 SLP per day. You can also get 50 SLP per day by completing the daily event mission. And then you can easily earn 20–50 more SLP in the Arena mode battles. In a month, this ends up being 4,000–6,000 SLP if you play diligently every day. The current value of SLP at the time of publication for this article is around 30 cents each, so currently you can make back all of your initial investment within the first month and then just keep going from there.
• Once you are making lots of SLP in the game, there are a few things to keep in mind. You must wait 15 days before SLP that you earn in-game is unlocked for you to claim and then withdraw/convert to whatever currency you choose. Also, when you transfer SLP from Ronin to Metamask you MUST use the Ronin Bridge just as it was required for sending crypto over into Ronin. You also should make sure that you have some ETH inside your Metamask wallet for the Ethereum transaction fee (usually $8 to $20 worth depending on how busy Ethereum is on any given day). Also, when transferring from Ronin to Metamask you should only choose the regular/normal GAS fee option. Do not choose the cheaper option for transfer fee, as it could mess up the transfer according to some posts online as well as my own personal experience (only when transferring FROM Ronin).
• Keep in mind that because the game is growing so quickly, sometimes the servers go down or lag a bit. Things have been improving lately, but we all just have to be patient with that.

Thank you for checking out this article! If you have any information to add, or if you have any questions or feedback please let me know in the comment section. Keep in mind that all of this is subject to change as time goes on. Always verify and cross reference information you find online to be sure of accuracy. I will reply to all questions.

I am not directly affiliated with Axie Infinity, except that I like the game and want to help others get involved with it.

Happy Gaming!