Gameplay

When you play the RWBY: Amity Arena for the first time, it will take you through a guided course that would generally familiarize you with the basics of the game. Nonetheless, even if you had a general idea of what you need to do in the game, you've probably still find it difficult to win actual matches against non-AI opponents. So in this part of the guide, we'll break it down to sections -- of what needs to be done in the game, to get you aligned with the proper way to progress.

Main Hub

Among the most basic ones to familiarize yourself with is the game's main hub. Here you get to access the different activities to do in the game like events and missions, and fiddle around with your deck, cards, and basically try efforts on getting a better roster to fight your battles. On the Interface section of this guide, we've listed the different buttons you see in the main hub, along with their appropriate function.

During your first few minutes in the game, it will gradually pitch to you its different sections to let you take part in the different activities you can do, as well as hint you of their functions.

Main Battles

This is where battles are played (or at least are auto-played) and makes up the actual competition that players are all trying to win. The basic concept is to bring down the main tower (center) of the opponent, or at least earn more points than that of your opponent before the time runs out. Each battle lasts 3 minutes, with a chance to be extended another minute if both players happen to have equal number of points. Each tower is given 1 point (gems). The middle tower will be inactive until you bring down any of the side towers, or try to hit it.

Summoning Requirements:

1. Aura - casting currency which you gradually earn overtime. There is a random point in the game where you earn twice as much aura -- which then makes it easier to summon stronger characters in the battlefield.

2. Availability of the Card in hand - your deck is comprised of 8 characters, but the arrangement of how they show up in your hand is randomized. Even if you have someone in your roster that is particularly useful at a pertaining situation, if you don't have it in the current cards in your hand, you can't summon it to battle.

During the entire battle, you repeatedly draw out cards to add your cards at hand. As they are spent (summoned in the battlefield), they automatically get back to your deck - and are included among the random picks to be drawn out.

Some cards in the game have special skills too while they are in the battlefield. These characters when summoned, enable you to perform special functions like inducing area of effect damage, create a decoy, or even cast some de-buffs on your opponent's characters.

Game Progress:

Unlike other card collecting games where you'd typically have a PVE (player versus environment) mode to play with, where you could easily define your state of progress, this game doesn't have one. Instead, game progress can be measured by your overall win rate, and through your number of trophies.

Improving your win rate however, is not as simple. There are a couple of things you should do correctly in order to get a better chance at winning battles. Although like any other card collecting game, the basic concept is to put together a well synergized deck that can easily get through any hurdle.

Among the factors to consider are:

1. The variety of skilled characters to put in, and picking which skills are attuned to your play-style.

2. Balancing the number of heavy characters (tank but expensive to cast), support (volume units), and skilled characters.

3. Preparing a combo move in your deck - there are a number of great combos (pairing a set of characters in a deck) to put together in your deck -- that being able to successfully cast them side by side would usually give you an advantage.

4. Checking the Casting Requirements of your roster - it would make no sense to put together a team of heavy characters that you'll have difficulty in summoning as it would give you a problem with crowd control. Similarly, putting together a deck of entirely support characters wouldn't get you anywhere in destroying any of your opponent's towers.

Apart from this, there is also the upgrading/leveling part of the game -- where you can typically improve the base stats of the character you are upgrading. To do this, you basically are required to collect a number of copies of a pertaining card you wish to upgrade, along with an increasing value of Lien (as you progress through the levels of that card) to actually perform the upgrade. Of course, to get your hands to those requirements, you'd have to participate and win matches -- in order to earn them through the rewards you get from winning.

Additionally, as you improve on your deck and the very characters themselves, you'd eventually level up as a player and improve on your rank. What this does in return will improve the base stats of your turrets in the battlefield (both attack and hit points).

Other In-game Tasks

Some additional optional tasks are also introduced as a means to provide you with a pseudo goal. In return, subscribing to their requirements would usually reward you with a small chunk of free premium dust. These are usually laid out in special events, or through the daily missions.

There is also the academy -- which is fundamentally the social aspect of the game where you basically get to form an alliance with a group of people, have a great time chatting with each other, and actually send and receive help from your friends, through sharing of card requests to the academy co-members.

Unlock Further Content (complete the playable cards and characters, arenas, emoticons, and special character clothing/skin)

As you try to perform the missions delivered to you, you'll soon learn that there's a lot to unlock in the game and shall only be available when you reach or meet certain requirements in the game. For the most part, sections in the game will gradually be unlocked as you improve on your current rank.