Post by Spex on Oct 30, 2014 17:49:46 GMT
PEX’s GUIDE TO MONSTER SQUAD
Version 1.0
Last Updated: 10/30/2014
Original link: monstersquad.boards.net/thread/3/spexs-guide-monster-squad
INTRODUCTIONS
Hello everyone! This guide will help you understand the different team compositions in the game and what their strengths and counters are. In the future, I will add content to this guide so watch out for them. Feel free to add feedback or suggestions at any time!
Before I start, I want to introduce myself. My name is Jordan aka Spex on Monster Squad. I’ve been playing the game for a month or so now and just wanted to share my knowledge about the game with you. I currently play Monster Squad on Android and I am capable of reaching top 10~50 in arena if I play often. Currently I am sitting around the 10-15th spot. If you would like to message me, please feel free to message me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/anilaoj0622) as I check my messages often.
Read through carefully so you don’t miss anything! With that, let’s begin!
TEAM COMPOSITIONS
Here are team compositions that I’ve crafted through my experience in arena. So by no means do you have to follow them exactly. If you have your own suggestions, please message me! I will add more to the guide with your feedback and suggestions! Thanks
ALSO, with the new Halloween patch, new monsters have been added to the roster. Most of them will not be included in this guide for now.
How to Choose a Successful Team
A successful team is one that works together. I cannot stress this enough but having a one-attribute team is the first step to success. By this I mean having a team that is all fire or water, etc, etc. This is because all monsters on the team will benefit from each other’s team bonuses such as Pheonatrix’s bonus to increase all Fire monsters’ critical chance by 25%. Also, leveling them all up to 30 and +5 boosted will maximize their efficiency in arena so try to get them there as soon as possible! You may still be successful in your matches with A+ or A++ teams but you will greatly increase your odds if you get your teams to S or S+.
Leaders are most likely a defender or an attacker. I rarely ever see a support leader in arena, mainly because they don’t have the skills needed to either survive or kill the opposing team leader.
Good defender leaders are ones that can provide shields for either itself or the team such as Wynasheros’ Gibberish skill – Absorbs damage to the team with stage 5 shield. This will help with team survivability since shields are able to block incoming damage, whether it is direct damage or damage over time effect such as a bleed. During battles, a leader that survives is really important because if they die, the team dies. Keep this in mind when choosing your leader.
Good attacker leaders are ones that deal tons of damage with one or two moves, such as Pentacorn’s Blade of Light - Attacks with 330% ATK ; inflicts stage 3 bleed. Unlike defender leaders, attacker leaders have less HP and DEF so they need to take down the enemy leaders quickly before they are taken down themselves. In arena, these skills deal a ton of damage to enemies and the bleed effect also puts pressure on them.
Team members range from attackers, defenders, and supporters.
Attackers have skills that deal direct damage to a single target or an AOE (area of effect) to multiple targets. Some single target abilities leave a DOT (damage over time) which is very effective in putting pressure on the enemy. AOE skills may deal direct damage and some may also take away enemy buffs.
Defenders mostly will have a single target ability that either stuns or leaves a heavy DOT damage.
Supporters will provide shields to the team leader, a buff to the team, or a debuff to the enemy team.
Team Setups
*I will classify the following teams with these setups*
Balanced setup – A team that provides a balance of survivability and team damage
Offensive setup – A team solely dedicated to dealing immense damage to individual enemies
Defensive setup – A team that focuses on survivability
*Counters* NOTE: This may not always be the case but is the basic concept to winning.
Fire > Nature
Nature > Water
Water > Fire
Normal = No weakness and better stats
--
Feel free to disagree with me here but provide your reasoning please.
Balanced > Defensive
Offensive > Balanced
Defensive > Offensive
/\|/\|FIRE|/\|/\
TEAM 1 - Balanced setup
LEADERS: TWINBLAZE/BALRAK/BEBLAZE/HARM HOUND
KOONGA
PHEONATRIX/KAIRAX
RUBYFANG
---
This team provides both offense and defense. Twinblaze provides a stage 5 shield to the team if it chooses to do so during fights. This blocks a ton of damage and allows your team to survive long enough for the team members to perform their skills. Also worth mentioning is its ability to heal itself while attacking the enemy. It’s good for trading damage between the enemy leader in the first few seconds of the fight. Balrak focuses more on multiple target heals and damage with a weaker shield than Twinblaze’s. After using these two, I would recommend Twinblaze still because of his stronger shield and the ability to trade damage with the enemy leader in the start of the fight. For those that are not able to get either of these two leaders, Beblaze is also a good leader to start with. Don’t underestimate its 400% ATK. I’ve one shotted a Nature leader before with him! His survivability is also decent with the Stage 2 shield. It’s cheap and only uses 60 energy! Harm Hound, I personally have never used but he is a 6 star monster and also provides a stage 3 shield to himself. What makes him viable as a defensive leader is the shield but with his ability to reflect 50% of damage dealt back to the enemy makes him a worthy leader to have. It’s a great counter to offensive leaders. Koonga provides both a heal and an ATK buff so before Pheonatrix and Rubyfang attacks with AOE skills, Koonga needs to heal so they have more damage output. At times, this team can be knocked out by total offense setups because Twinblaze chooses not to use its shield to block damage. If this team is able to survive damage long enough fo Pheonatrix and Rubyfang to deal damage which most of the time will knock out a Nature monster(s), then victory shall be yours against most balanced and total offense setups. Defensive setups are a bit harder to win against without a team member that deals single target damage. That’s where Kairax comes into play. With 330% attack and a stage 3 poison, this will bruise the enemy leader and is a better replacement to Pheonatrix. Most teams you will notice will have Pheonatrix due to the fact that Kairax is only available via fusion/yellow cubes, unfortunately. Fire teams by far are the hardest to win victory with due to this fact. Also, facing against offensive nature teams, it is really dangerous to run a balanced setup due to the fact that these enemies have one of the highest attack stats in-game and can still kill your advantageous fire team.
TEAM 2 – Offensive setup
Leader: CREEMAG
KOONGA
PHEONATRIX/KAIRAX
RUBYFANG
--
Total offense teams focus on killing the enemy leader in seconds before their members are able to perform their skill. Creemag has a 320% ATK skill that leaves a stage 3 bleed as well as a 200% and 2 sec stun. I have put him in the total offense setup due to the fact that he is much squishier than defender leaders but has the ability to end the battle before the enemy team can react. I do recommend Kairax with this team because it has 45% ATK to the team. Also, Koonga is a must to give a bonus 30% ATK with the heal. This will take down shields quickly, no matter if it’s a stage 5 shield. Do take note that offensive setups do require the leader to either stun or use its high ATK move within the first few seconds of the fight. Otherwise, it becomes more difficult to survive with a squishy team leader.
TEAM 3 – Defensive setup
Leader: TWINBLAZE/BALRAK/HARM HOUND
KOONGA/HARM HOUND
PHEONATRIX/KAIRAX
RUBYFANG/HARM HOUND
--
Harm Hound. This guy gives 80% bonus HP to the team which classifies this team setup as defensive. Not only that but his skill decrease’s enemies’ attack by 50% for 20s which gives more survivability. I’ve never tried this comp before but I believe it’s safe to replace Koonga or Rubyfang. Only replace Rubyfang if you have Kairax, otherwise this team won’t have much damage to take down the enemy leader. If you are facing a total offense setup, I recommend using Twinblaze | Koonga | Kairax | Harm Hound. Your team will have bonus 45% ATK and 150% HP. The HP bonus will help Twinblaze survive the burst damage from the enemy team leader’s big attack. Harm Hound as a leader is a setup that I’ve never used or fought before but I’ve seen other attributes use a leader similar to Harm Hound. As leader, he is able to take a decent amount of damage, considering the fact that he is a 6 star monster and has a personal 3 stage shield. What makes him GREAT at fighting offensive setups is his reflect. Once he puts this up, 50% of damage taken is done back to the enemy. Since he is naturally tanky and an offensive enemy leader is squishier, this reflect damage will hurt the enemy and provides a good trade between both leaders. Once he survives and allows team members to attack, Kairax should be able to finish off the wounded leader.
~{(WATER)}~
TEAM 1 - Balanced setup
Leader: CHILCHILLA/WHALKING/BEETORTLE/SHAAAAARK (lol I love this name)
JELLIKING
GROCHEI/NALADDIN
AZUREFANG
--
Chilchilla and Whalking are much like Twinblaze and Balrok. Chilchilla has the bigger shield and is more focused on survivability with its single target attack/heal combo, while Whalking focuses more on team survivability and multiple target damage. In most setups, you’ll find fighting with Whalking successful due to its high balanced stats and skills and the lack of a good offensive FIRE leader (assuming you’re always using a water team to fight fire). Creemag, the offensive fire leader has weaker stats than other counterparts so it’s rare that you’ll find yourself getting killed by one (although it’s still possible?). I still recommend using Chilchilla when it comes to fighting offensive setups because of the higher survivability with a stage 5 shield instead of stage 3, and an attack that also heals Chilchilla. This allows for surviving in time for members to make their move. Jellyking is by far one of the best offensive healers in-game due to the fact that it has a 80% HP bonus instead of 70% from the other attribute counterparts. Grochei is Pheonatrix’s water counterpart. Only use if you don’t have Naladdin. Naladdin is a much better choice because of the single target 330% ATK which in most cases will finish off, and I mean FINISH off a team leader, thus winning you the duel. If the enemy doesn’t die to that attack, the DOT will finish it off. IF NOT, Azurefang will do the job with its powerful AOE attack. It may not be a single target 330% attack, but it can sure pack a punch! If the leader isn’t left dead, it will surely kill an enemy member. Beetortle has been one of my most favorite because it’s the EASIEST water leader to get. Much like Beblaze, Beetortle has a stage 2 shield for itself for survivability, but what makes it much much better is its 450% ATK instead of Beblaze’s 400%! This makes Beetortle a good leader and trust me when I say this, I’ve one shotted many enemy Twinblazes with this attack! It’s DEADLY! The only times I’ve lost are against offensive teams because Beetortle, unfortunately, is a 5 star monster and many 6 star offensive leaders can kill it with ease. Shaaaaark! Need I say more? His name seriously is hilarious. It gave me and my girlfriend a laugh after seeing it. This critter is the water counterpart to Harm Hound. Good balance leader with its stage 3 shield, a great 180% ATK towards multiple targets, and the godlike 50% reflective damage thorns – deadly against offensive enemies.
TEAM 2 – Offensive setup
Leader: TURANGA
JELLIKING
GROCHEI/NALADDIN
AZUREFANG
--
Turanga is that beastly looking wolf. With the ability to deal 320% ATK to an enemy as well as a stage 3 bleed, no enemy will be able to survive long when this is dealt to them. Offensive leaders such as Turanga is great for locking down an enemy leader with stuns and high damage attacks. Keep in mind that there is a lower chance for victory if Turanga chooses not to use his stun or high attack damage. He is squishy and cannot survive as well as defender leaders. Jellyking is by far one of the best offensive healers in-game due to the fact that it has a 80% HP bonus instead of 70% from the other attribute counterparts. This allows for a bit safer offensive setups, due to the fact that it gives your squishy leader a bit more HP. I recommend using Naladdin instead of Grochei in this setup, he is available through the icicle island. Naladdin has the 330% ATK while Grochei has 180% ATK multiple targets. We want to take down the enemy leader as soon as possible. Azurefang will finish off any survivors that have dealt with the Turanga/Naladdin high attack combo!
TEAM 3 – Defensive setup
Leader: CHILCHILLA/WHALKING /SHAAAAARK
JELLIKING/ SHAAAAARK
GROCHEI/NALADDIN
AZUREFANG/ SHAAAAARK
--
Shaaaaark. This guy gives 80% bonus HP to the team which classifies this team setup as defensive. Not only that but his skill decrease’s enemies’ attack by 50% for 20s which gives more survivability. I’ve never tried this comp before but I believe it’s safe to replace Jelliking or Azurefang. Only replace Azurefang if you have Naladdin, otherwise this team won’t have much damage to take down the enemy leader. If you are facing a total offense setup, I recommend using Chilchilla | Jelliking | Naladdin | Shaaaaark. Your team will have bonus 45% ATK and 160% HP (an additional 10% bonus HP compared to other attributes with defensive setup). The HP bonus will help Chilchilla survive the burst damage from the enemy team leader’s big attack. Shaaaaark as a leader is a setup that I’ve never used or fought before but I’ve seen other attributes use a leader similar to it. As leader, he is able to take a decent amount of damage, considering the fact that he is a 6 star monster and has a personal 3 stage shield. What makes him GREAT at fighting offensive setups is his reflect. Once he puts this up, 50% of damage taken is done back to the enemy. Since he is naturally tanky and an offensive enemy leader is squishier, this reflect damage will hurt the enemy and provides a good trade between both leaders. Once he survives and allows team members to attack, Naladdin should be able to finish off the wounded leader.
*~By the way, most of these are repeats from previous section. I just added a few changes to it so you’re not experiencing Déjà vu~*
<>|NATURE|<>
TEAM 1 - Balanced setup
Leader: WYNASHEROS/JUMBO/KAYN/FRIVOLYCAN
TRYANT
KABLOOM/MOONKNIGHT
JADEFANG
--
Let me first make a comment about the nature attribute. It is my favorite attribute because it has JUMBO. Yessss. He is one funny looking fella and he does work!
Okay. So much like the fire and water counterparts, these leaders have the same effect. Wynasheros and Jumbo are much like Twinblaze/Chichilla and Balrok/Whalking. Wynasheros has the bigger shield and is more focused on survivability with its single target attack/heal combo, while Jumbo focuses more on team survivability and multiple target damage. Against Turanga, the offensive water leader which has decent stats compared to its counterparts, it’s possible to get killed by one. I recommend using Wynasheros when it comes to fighting offensive setups because of the higher survivability with a stage 5 shield instead of stage 3, and an attack that also heals Wynasheros. This allows for surviving in time for members to make their move. Tryant has the same stats as the fire healer Koonga. Unfortunately, we only gain 70% bonus team HP compared to Jelliking’s 80%. Kabloom and Moonknight will be your two choices for damage, along with Jadefang. I recommend Moonknight overall, because he is available to get in the jungle island, compared to Kairax (fire counterpart) which is only available through fusion/yellow cubes.
Kayn is also a good leader to start with. Don’t underestimate its 400% ATK. Her survivability is also decent with the Stage 2 shield. It’s cheap and only uses 60 energy! I suggest not keeping Kayn for a long time since Wynasheros is available via jungle island. It’s a much better choice because you don’t want to have a 5 star monster as a leader when a 6 star is available. Frivolycan is very rare. I have only seen like one or two out there. Frivolycan is a good balance leader with its stage 3 shield, a great 180% ATK towards multiple targets, and the godlike 50% reflective damage thorns – deadly against offensive enemies. Then there’s Jadefang with the 190% ATK to multiple targets.
TEAM 2 – Offensive setup
Leader: KROKODIN
TRYANT
KABLOOM/MOONKNIGHT
JADEFANG
--
Before I begin, I have to say they nerfed Krokodin. Before he was overpowered to the max! Now, he is a S class monster and by far the highest stat and best offensive leader in-game! Before, he had a 250% ATK and 2s stun, while the second highest stat Pentacorn as well as the other offensive leaders mentioned previously in this guide (Creemag and Turanga) have 200% ATK and 2s stun. As of today, he now has 200% ATK with that stun. Compared to Pentacorn’s base attack stat of 799, Krokodin has a massive 835 attack stat along with a 330% ATK that inflicts stage 4 bleed! Pentacorn has a 330% ATK with stage 3 bleed. Creemag and Turanga only have 320% ATK with a stage 3 bleed. Aren’t these stats enough to prove that Krokodin is by far the strongest out of all of the offensive leaders? Coupled with Tryant’s 30% ATK bonus with a 175% REC team heal, Moonknight’s 330% ATK and stage 3 bleed, and Jadefang’s 190% ATK on multiple enemies, this team composition will leave no survivors behind. Do take note that playing with offensive setups, in order to win, Krokodin must kill or severely damage the enemy team leader and survive in time for the members to deal damage in order to take victory. The reason why I didn’t mention Kabloom is because Moonknight is available via jungle island. Kabloom is just a waste of time to level up and boost in my opinion. She is still viable but there are better choices.
TEAM 3 – Defensive setup
Leader: WYNASHEROS/JUMBO/KAYN/FRIVOLYCAN
TRYANT
KABLOOM/MOONKNIGHT/ WYNASHEROS
JADEFANG/SHELLTOR**/ FRIVOLYCAN
--
There are multiple compositions for this setup. Let me explain one that I’ve seen worked well in arena.
JUMBO | TRYANT | WYNASHEROS | SHELLTOR
I’ve lost to this team with my balanced fire team setup. It’s a super tanky setup with 150% HP and 30% DEF team bonuses. Jumbo plays a balanced role by having a stage 3 shield on top of a decent 75% REC team heal and a 190% ATK towards multiple enemies. Tryant with the 30% ATK bonus with a 175% REC team heal, Wynasheros with the 320% ATK and 2s stun, and Shelltor and his 10s stage 5 bleed. This is an overall nice defensive setup. It is missing the high end attack damage monsters but it has a balance of defense, team heals, and enemy leader controls (stun and bleeds); this is a very viable defensive team composition. As for other compositions with the other leaders mentioned above, I don’t recommend the other leaders as much as Jumbo, because they don’t have as much damage and team support as he does. If you’re going with the other leaders (Wynasheros, Kayn, or Frivolycan), use a more offensive team lineup such as Moonknight/Jadefang/Shelltor that targets the enemy leader. Remember, when playing with a defensive setup, your main goal is to survive against an offensive enemy team. This means that you want to keep your leader alive through shields, reflects, HP bonuses, and damage reductions while leaving behind Moonknight to deal that 330% ATK and stage 3 bleed towards the enemy leader. Moonknight is a must have in the team while the rest you can choose between Tryant, Frivolycan, Shelltor, Kabloom, and Jadefang.
** Now a setup that I am currently leveling and have high hopes for is this:
WYNASHEROS | TRYANT | MOONKNIGHT | SHELLTOR
I have not seen the other attributes that are the counterpart of Shelltor.
Shelltor is one unique 6 star monster in the game. I suggest farming for one if you’re thinking of making a nature team. He gives team members 80% bonus HP and his skill inflicts a stage 5 bleed for 10s on an enemy. That is brutal in combination with Moonknight’s 330% ATK and stage 3 bleed. The enemy leader will be so pressured after experiencing this combo. Having a stage 3 and stage 5 bleed on yourself will leave you screaming, MEDIC! I NEED A HEAL NOW!
Not only that but it is a safe replacement to Jadefang, which only provides 30% critical chance increase to the team and a 190% ATK to multiple targets. Let me explain. By replacing Jadefang with Shelltor, you will lose AOE damage, some critical chance for more damage, but in turn, you will have a tankier leader that can survive longer for your team members to perform their skills. Also, losing that 190% AOE attack isn’t a big deal when you apply a stage 5 bleed on the enemy leader. Put this on top of Moonknight’s 330% ATK and you will see a dead enemy leader in no time. This is a great counter to those pesky offensive teams *cough* PENTACORN *cough*
-=*|NORMAL|*=-
We finally move on to the normal attribute. Take note that most normal monsters have higher stats than their counterparts and they have no weakness to the other attributes. Also note that most normal monsters are harder to get because they are only available via fusion/yellow cubes.
TEAM 1 - Balanced setup
Leader: ESPIKA/KATADON/OCTOQUEEN/CHARMEW
SPOOKING/AMIYOM
FORTINA/GOLDVERIN/MANTIROAR/MOONBRIGHT*
RUBYFANG/GOLDVERIN/MANTIROAR/MOONBRIGHT*
--
This will be a guide to starting a normal team. Before you even consider making any type of normal setup, you might want to get Spooking before anything else. Spooking is an essential aspect to the team but if you really want to get started right away, Amiyom is the only replacement. The reason why Spooking is essential is because of his 175% REC team heal adds a 30% ATK bonus to the team as well as a 70% HP Bonus team passive. This makes the team tankier and deal more damage. Amiyom on the other hand has a bigger heal due to her passive 75% REC increase along with her 150% REC skill. On top of that, she is also able to cure all status effects on her teammates. This makes the team a bit more defensive but due to the high stat nature of the normal attribute, Spooking just enhances it further. Once you have your healer set up, you can move on to the leaders. Any of these will do fine but the easiest to start with is Octoqueen. She is available on the story island and performs decent at her role. Octoqueen is used for her stage 2 shield, great for protecting herself while standing in the leader position. Not only that but her 400% ATK will deal a decent amount of damage to an enemy. Once you get lucky with fusions or yellow cubes and you get either Espika or Katadon, you may continue with them. But in the meantime, let’s talk about Charmew. As of the Halloween patch, Charmew has been made available on the Hard level of Desert Isle. She makes a great leader with her stage 3 shield, the 50% reflective skill for 15s, and the 190% aoe ATK. Espika can be received from fusions, yellow cubes, or by recruiting 10 friends via the Friends option in-game but will appear in its 4 star form, Esper. Espika has the stage 5 shield, providing him and his team with nice damage absorption. This also helps him to stay alive as a leader, along with the ability to attack while healing himself with a skill. Katadon’s effectiveness on the other hand, has a wider range, equipped with a 75% team heal, a stage 3 shield, and a 190% aoe ATK. Once you have your leader down, this is where you decide what members you want, that is whatever is made available to you. Fortina, Goldverin, and Rubyfang are your three damage dealers that are available via the story islands. Fortina has a 180% aoe ATK, while Rubyfang comes with a 190% aoe ATK, which is much stronger than Fortina’s, especially since Rubyfang has a higher base attack stat. Goldverin on the other hand is a unique 5 star S class monster. He can deal a massive 300% ATK which not only deals damage but decrease’s the target’s DEF by 60% for 20s, leaving them more vulnerable to Rubyfang or Fortina’s attacks. Mantiroar is a rare monster only available via fusions and yellow cubes. This is a great replacement for either Rubyfang (for more enemy leader sniping) or Goldverin (for a higher damage skill). Mantiroar deals 330% ATK along with a stage 3 bleed. As of the Halloween patch, Moonbright has also been added to Monster Squad’s roster of normal attributes. She is available through Moonlight Desert’s Hard mode as a 4 star monster but can evolve to 6 stars. She has the ability to attack with 200% ATK, stunning her target for 5s, and decreasing their DEF by 50% for 10s. Her passive team ability is increasing normal monsters’ ATK by 40%. She is also a viable replacement for one of your team members.
TEAM 2 – Total offense setup *THE ONESHOT QUARTET*
Leader: PENTACORN
SPOOKING
GOLDVERIN/MANTIROAR/MOONBRIGHT*
RUBYFANG/ GOLDVERIN/MANTIROAR/MOONBRIGHT*
--
Pentacorn. I cannot count how many times my S class teams have lost solely to her/him(?). With a massive 330% ATK that leaves a stage 3 bleed on the target, enemies will have a hard time dealing with this monster. Pair this amazing offensive leader with a Goldverin, and the enemy will be dealt with 300% ATK and 60% reduced DEF for 20s. If they are still alive, add Mantiroar or Rubyfang’s 330% ATK and stage 3 bleed or 190% aoe ATK respectively and no enemy leader will survive. Again, Moonbright is a new monster with 200% ATK, stunning her target for 5s, and decreasing their DEF by 50% for 10s. Her passive team ability is increasing normal monsters’ ATK by 40%. She is still new so I don’t know how well she performs.
TEAM 3 – Defensive setup
Currently, I have no setup for this attribute.
CREDITS
Thanks to NEXON M Inc. for creating such an amazing app. Thanks to Jason Nguyen for providing me a place to give my guide a home. I hope I have helped you with your adventures in Monster Squad. Again if you have any questions, suggestions, feedback, please message me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/anilaoj0622). Feel free to send me a friend request along with a message so I know who you are and what you want, lol. I am also offering free guidance to anyone. Thanks everyone and enjoy
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