If you're reading this, you likely are just getting started at Elements or are struggling to succeed.
This guide should give you the basics on how to advance in the game and enjoy it along the way!
Feel free to send a private message on the forums to UTAlan if you have any questions or issues with this guide!
Let's get this out of the way early. If you are going to succeed at Elements the Game, you are going to grind. A lot. That means playing game after game after game after game. This isn't for everyone, and that's okay. But there is no shortcut to getting all the rare cards.
To get a taste of the grinding, do the 500 score quest. This is just a small sample of what it will be like to play games over and over to achieve a long term goal. Sometimes that goal will be score, sometimes it will be electrum (the in-game currency), sometimes it will be winning cards.
Which leads me to a similar point - this game has a large randomness factor (often referred to as RNG). A coin is flipped each game to see who goes first, your deck is shuffled before each game, Quantum Pillars generate 3 quanta from random elements, and winning against False Gods and Arena decks give you a chance to win cards via slots. It can be frustrating to lose due to RNG, or to go on a nice win streak and not win a single card from the slots. Getting frustrated is okay, but if you want to master this game you'll need to be able to move on and keep going.
Most importantly, no matter how long you have to grind, no matter how much RNG screws you, try to find joy in the game. It is fun! Experimenting with new decks, advancing levels in Arena, and earning enough electrum to upgrade another card are worth it! Plus, the social aspect of the game (more details on this later) can add even more fun and joy than you thought possible when you first created your Elements account!
Possibly the most important thing you can do in Elements is to spin the Oracle every day. This gives you your best opportunity at winning a Nymph, one of the rarest card types in the game. It also tells you which False God you will face on your next attempt, giving you the chance to prepare a specific deck to counter that particular False God. Winning that games gives you a chance at winning an upgraded card. Do this every single day, if you can. Even if you don't have time to grind, you should have time to spin the Oracle.
Doing this also gives you the chance at some passive income. After spinning the Oracle, visit the Arena and you'll notice that you can create your own Arena deck. Every time someone faces your Arena deck and loses, you will gain electrum. You don't even have to be logged in for this! Just make sure you collect your income on a regular basis.
You should create a new deck every few days, unless your current deck is doing extremely well. The best way to judge how your existing deck is doing is based on its Win/Loss record and its Ranking. If you have more than 1-2 losses per day, or if the deck has been up for more than 7 days, it's probably time to put up a new one.
Once you've estabilshed a decent card base, you should be able to build a decent deck to face Arena. This is a great way to keep things dynamic while grinding (as you'll face a variety of decks) and give yourself a chance at some rares (including shards!).
Which deck should you build? That's a great question without a single answer. Check out the Arena subforum for ideas.
Which arena level should you face? That partly depends on what kind of decks you're able to build. There are few (if any) completely unupgraded decks that can fare well in Platinum. But it also depends on what your goal is. Gain electrum? Gain score? Gain rares? Different people will likely give you different answers on which level is the best for each of these. But I've found that if you can succeed in Silver, this will give you the best chance at increasing electrum, score, and chances at rares.
Tired of grinding? Ready for something a little more dynamic and social? Try out a Weekly Tournament! This will pit you against other players in a single-elimination tournament. Plus, the winner gets a code that can give you a Mark or Nymph!
The ruleset changes each week, often incorporating themes, banned cards, and more! You can prepare your decks throughout the week, though occasionally the rules feature Speedbuilding - you don't get to see the rules until right before the tournament. This will help challenge your deckbuilding skills as you try to throw together a successful deck under pressure!
Elements the Game is an incredible game. It's fun, has dynamic aspects, and you could play forever. But the joy doesn't end within the confines of the game itself. The Elements Community is incredible. There isn't anything else on the internet - or in the world - quite like it. The people are amazing - if you have to invest your time somewhere, invest it into friendships with them. You won't regret it, I promise.
Here are a few ways you can get involved:
Again, feel free to send a private message on the forums to UTAlan if you have any questions or issues with this guide!