Mastering Magic Chess: A Comprehensive Guide to Mobile Legends’ Auto Battler

Magic Chess is a popular auto-battler game mode within Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, offering a strategic and engaging experience distinct from the core MOBA gameplay. In Magic Chess, players assemble teams of heroes, strategically position them on a chessboard-like arena, and watch them battle automatically against opponents. Success hinges on understanding hero synergies, managing resources, and adapting to the ever-changing landscape of each match. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the intricacies of Magic Chess, providing detailed steps and instructions to help you master this captivating game mode.

## What is Magic Chess?

Magic Chess is an auto-battler game, where players do not directly control heroes during combat. Instead, you build a team of heroes, arrange them strategically on the board, and the game handles the battles automatically. The goal is to outlast seven other players by strategically managing your economy, building powerful hero synergies, and upgrading your heroes to become the last player standing. The gameplay loop revolves around the following phases:

* **Preparation Phase:** During this phase, you use gold to buy heroes from a shared pool, sell heroes, combine duplicate heroes to upgrade them, position your heroes on the board, and strategize for the upcoming battle.
* **Combat Phase:** Your heroes automatically fight against an opponent’s team. The winning team deals damage to the losing team’s Little Commander (your avatar). If your Little Commander’s health reaches zero, you are eliminated from the game.
* **Income Phase:** After each round, you receive gold based on factors like your interest (accumulated gold), win/loss streaks, and any special items or hero skills that provide additional income.

## Getting Started with Magic Chess

1. **Accessing Magic Chess:**

* Open Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
* On the main screen, look for the “Arcade” or “Casual” section.
* Tap on “Magic Chess” to enter the game mode.

2. **Understanding the Interface:**

* **The Chessboard:** This is the 8×8 grid where you position your heroes. Strategic placement is crucial.
* **The Shop:** Located at the bottom of the screen, the shop displays five heroes available for purchase. The heroes offered in the shop refresh each round.
* **The Bench:** This is where you store heroes you’ve purchased but haven’t yet placed on the board. It has a limited number of slots, so manage it carefully.
* **Gold:** Your primary resource for buying heroes and upgrading your Little Commander’s level. Earned through various means.
* **Little Commander:** Your avatar in the game. Its health represents your remaining life. You can select different Little Commanders, each with unique skills.
* **Hero Information:** Tapping on a hero displays their stats, skills, origins (factions), and classes. Understanding this information is essential for building effective teams.
* **Round Information:** Displays the current round number, the opponent you’ll be facing, and any special events occurring in the round.
* **Synergy Information:** Located on the side of the screen, this displays the active synergies based on the heroes you have on the board. Activate powerful bonuses.

## Detailed Steps to Play Magic Chess

### 1. Understanding Heroes: Origins and Classes

Heroes in Magic Chess are defined by their **Origin** (faction) and **Class**. These determine the synergies you can activate by having multiple heroes of the same Origin or Class on the board.

* **Origins:** Examples include Empire, Northern Vale, Abyss, Light, Eruditio, Mech Era, Dragon Altar, and Celestial Palace. Each origin provides a specific bonus when you have a certain number of heroes from that origin on your team.
* **Classes:** Examples include Assassin, Mage, Fighter, Tank, Marksman, Support, and Swordsman. Similar to Origins, Classes grant specific bonuses when you have multiple heroes of the same class.

**Why are Origins and Classes Important?**

Synergies are the backbone of a strong Magic Chess team. Activating synergies provides significant stat boosts, unique abilities, or other beneficial effects that can dramatically increase your team’s power. Understanding which heroes belong to which Origins and Classes is crucial for planning your team composition.

**How to Learn About Origins and Classes:**

* **In-Game Information:** Tap on a hero in the shop or on the board to view their Origin and Class information.
* **Magic Chess Wiki:** Many online resources, such as wikis and fan sites, provide detailed information about all the heroes, Origins, and Classes in Magic Chess.
* **Experimentation:** The best way to learn is by playing the game and experimenting with different hero combinations to see which synergies work well together.

### 2. Managing Your Economy (Gold)

Gold is the lifeblood of your Magic Chess empire. Efficiently managing your gold is essential for upgrading your Little Commander, buying heroes, and securing victory. Here’s how to maximize your gold income:

* **Base Income:** You receive a base amount of gold at the start of each round. This amount increases as the game progresses.
* **Interest:** You earn interest based on the amount of gold you have at the end of each round. The maximum interest you can earn is typically 5 gold, achieved by having 50 or more gold. Therefore, you should aim to maintain at least 50 gold to maximize your interest income.
* **Win/Loss Streaks:** Winning or losing multiple rounds in a row grants bonus gold. Winning streaks provide more gold than losing streaks. However, even losing streaks can be beneficial, as they allow you to accumulate gold for future power spikes.
* **Hero Skills and Items:** Some heroes and items provide bonus gold income. Keep an eye out for these opportunities to boost your economy.

**Spending Your Gold Wisely:**

* **Early Game (Rounds 1-10):** Focus on building a basic team composition and maintaining at least 50 gold to maximize interest. Avoid spending too much gold on re-rolling the shop, unless you’re desperately searching for a specific hero. Leveling up your Little Commander to level 5 or 6 is a good strategy.
* **Mid Game (Rounds 11-20):** Start refining your team composition and upgrading your heroes. Decide on a specific synergy you want to build towards and focus on acquiring those heroes. Spend gold on re-rolling the shop if necessary, but continue to prioritize interest. Leveling up your Little Commander to level 7 or 8 to add more heroes on the chessboard.
* **Late Game (Rounds 21+):** Focus on maximizing your team’s power. This may involve upgrading heroes to 3-stars, adding powerful 5-cost heroes to your team, or adjusting your positioning to counter your opponents. Spend gold more freely on re-rolling the shop to find the heroes you need. Level up your Little Commander to level 9 or 10 to complete the team.

### 3. Building Your Team Composition

The key to success in Magic Chess is building a strong and synergistic team composition. Here’s how to approach team building:

* **Identify a Core Synergy:** Choose a primary synergy you want to build around. This could be based on Origins (e.g., 6 Empire) or Classes (e.g., 6 Assassin). Consider popular and effective team compositions.
* **Select Complementary Heroes:** Choose heroes that complement your core synergy and provide additional benefits. For example, if you’re building a 6 Assassin team, you might include a few Tank heroes to provide some front-line protection.
* **Consider Counter-Strategies:** Think about what your opponents might be playing and choose heroes that can counter their strategies. For example, if your opponents are relying on magic damage, you might include heroes with magic resistance.
* **Prioritize Upgrades:** Focus on upgrading your key heroes to 2-stars and 3-stars. Upgrading heroes significantly increases their stats and power.
* **Flexibility:** Be prepared to adapt your team composition based on the heroes you’re offered in the shop and the strategies your opponents are using. Don’t be afraid to switch your core synergy if necessary.

**Popular Team Compositions:**

* **6 Assassin:** High damage output with critical strike chance and burst damage.
* **6 Mage:** High magic damage output with area-of-effect spells.
* **6 Fighter:** Balanced team with good damage and survivability.
* **6 Swordsman:** High Attack speed with a lot of damage.
* **6 Mech Era:** Damage reduction, magic resistance and extra damage.
* **Empire + Assassin:** Good damage and survivability.
* **Dragon Altar + Mage:** High magic damage output with fast mana regeneration.

These are just a few examples, and there are many other viable team compositions in Magic Chess. The best team composition will depend on the current meta, the heroes you’re offered, and your personal play style.

### 4. Hero Placement and Positioning

Strategic hero placement is crucial for maximizing your team’s effectiveness. Here are some general guidelines:

* **Tanks in the Front:** Place your Tank heroes in the front row to absorb damage and protect your damage dealers.
* **Damage Dealers in the Back:** Place your Marksman and Mage heroes in the back row to keep them safe from enemy attacks and allow them to deal damage from a distance.
* **Assassins on the Flanks:** Place your Assassin heroes on the flanks (sides) of the board to allow them to quickly jump to the enemy backline and eliminate key targets.
* **Consider Enemy Positioning:** Observe your opponents’ positioning and adjust your own accordingly. For example, if your opponent has a strong backline, you might want to place your Assassins on the opposite side of the board to target them more effectively.
* **Use Corners:** Positioning heroes in the corners can make them harder to target by certain abilities and allow them to survive longer.
* **Protect Your Carry:** Identify your primary damage dealer (carry) and position them in a way that protects them from enemy attacks. This might involve surrounding them with Tank heroes or placing them in a corner.

**Advanced Positioning Techniques:**

* **Baiting:** Positioning a low-health hero in a vulnerable spot to draw enemy fire away from your key targets.
* **Countering Assassin Jumps:** Placing a Tank hero in the corner to prevent enemy Assassins from jumping directly to your backline.
* **Spread Positioning:** Spreading your heroes out to avoid being hit by area-of-effect abilities.

### 5. Little Commander Skills

Each Little Commander in Magic Chess has unique skills that can be used to provide various benefits to your team. Understanding and utilizing these skills effectively is crucial for gaining an edge over your opponents.

* **Skill Activation:** Little Commander skills typically have a cooldown and can be activated manually during the preparation phase.
* **Skill Effects:** Little Commander skills can provide a wide range of effects, such as:
* **Gold Generation:** Providing bonus gold income.
* **Hero Upgrades:** Upgrading the star level of your heroes.
* **Damage Boosts:** Increasing the damage output of your heroes.
* **Healing:** Restoring health to your heroes.
* **Crowd Control:** Stunning or slowing enemy heroes.
* **Hero Summoning:** Summoning additional heroes to the board.

**Choosing the Right Little Commander:**

The best Little Commander to choose will depend on your play style and the team composition you’re building. Consider the following factors:

* **Early Game vs. Late Game:** Some Little Commanders are better suited for the early game, while others are more effective in the late game.
* **Economy vs. Combat:** Some Little Commanders focus on generating gold, while others provide direct combat buffs.
* **Synergy with Team Composition:** Choose a Little Commander whose skills synergize well with your team composition.

**Examples of Little Commanders and their Skills:**

* **Remy:** Remy’s skills focus on generating gold and providing bonus experience to your Little Commander. He is a good choice for players who want to prioritize economy and reach higher levels quickly.
* **Eva:** Eva’s skills focus on providing combat buffs to your heroes, such as increasing their attack damage and critical strike chance. She is a good choice for players who want to build aggressive team compositions.
* **Benny:** Benny’s skills focus on healing your heroes and providing crowd control. He is a good choice for players who want to build durable and resilient team compositions.

### 6. Itemization

Items in Magic Chess provide additional stats and effects to your heroes, further enhancing their power. Items are acquired from creep rounds (rounds against computer-controlled enemies) and through certain Little Commander skills.

* **Item Combination:** Most items can be combined with other items to create more powerful items with enhanced stats and effects.
* **Item Prioritization:** Prioritize items that synergize well with your heroes and team composition. For example, damage items are best suited for Marksman and Assassin heroes, while defensive items are best suited for Tank heroes.
* **Item Management:** Be mindful of which heroes you equip with items. Some heroes benefit more from certain items than others.

**Key Item Combinations:**

* **Blade of Despair + Berserker’s Fury:** Massive damage output for Marksman and Assassin heroes.
* **Immortality + Antique Cuirass:** Provides high survivability for Tank heroes.
* **Glowing Wand + Holy Crystal:** Enhances magic damage output for Mage heroes.
* **Demon Hunter Sword + Golden Staff:** Enables dealing damage based on target’s HP and attack speed.

### 7. Adapting to the Meta and Opponents

The Magic Chess meta is constantly evolving, with new heroes, items, and strategies emerging regularly. It’s important to stay up-to-date on the current meta and adapt your play style accordingly.

* **Follow the Meta:** Pay attention to which team compositions and strategies are currently popular and effective. This can be done by watching professional Magic Chess players, reading online guides, and experimenting with different team compositions yourself.
* **Counter Opponents:** Observe your opponents’ team compositions and strategies and adjust your own accordingly. For example, if your opponents are relying on magic damage, you might want to include heroes with magic resistance or build items that provide magic resistance.
* **Scout Regularly:** Regularly scout your opponents’ boards to see what heroes they are building and how they are positioning their heroes. This will allow you to anticipate their strategies and counter them effectively.

### 8. Tips and Tricks for Success

* **Learn the Heroes:** Familiarize yourself with all the heroes in Magic Chess, including their Origins, Classes, skills, and stats.
* **Master Economy Management:** Efficiently manage your gold income to maximize your interest and afford the heroes you need.
* **Build Synergistic Teams:** Focus on building team compositions that activate powerful synergies.
* **Position Strategically:** Place your heroes strategically to maximize their effectiveness and protect your key targets.
* **Utilize Little Commander Skills:** Use your Little Commander skills effectively to gain an edge over your opponents.
* **Adapt to the Meta:** Stay up-to-date on the current meta and adapt your play style accordingly.
* **Practice Regularly:** The more you play Magic Chess, the better you’ll become at it.
* **Watch Pro Players:** Observe how professional Magic Chess players play and learn from their strategies.
* **Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment:** Try out different team compositions and strategies to find what works best for you.
* **Stay Calm:** Magic Chess can be a frustrating game at times, but it’s important to stay calm and make rational decisions.

## Conclusion

Magic Chess is a complex and rewarding game mode that requires strategic thinking, resource management, and adaptability. By following the steps and tips outlined in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to mastering Magic Chess and dominating the competition. Remember to stay up-to-date on the current meta, adapt to your opponents’ strategies, and practice regularly to improve your skills. Good luck, and have fun!