# Newbie with good questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Created:** [December 1, 2016, 9:49am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018 "2016-12-01T09:49:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![hermanbloom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@hermanbloom](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/hermanbloom)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 11:32am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018/141 "2016-12-22T11:32:48Z")
Hey gang. Very much settled into the Khorvash/Valk team mode. Completing lots of Kingdoms now on the back of those two, and it has allowed me to switch Hero class and start levelling those other areas. Still trying to find a Purple (Hero is Green currently) to help on the team, settled on Poison Master for now as others I have tried haven’t done much (I was excited when I got Tassarion but he seems rubbish? Werewolf very expensive and others also haven’t done much to help) but other than that it’s progressing well. I notice quite a few traits seem team-based, so bonus for other Green Allies, or bonus if you are all Giants etc. Is it wise to use teams that are all linked like that? Or do people generally just use their own teams and it’s simply a nice but not game-changing bonus to have these traits help you? ---
**Author:** ![Annaerith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/annaerith/32/13840_2.png) [@Annaerith](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Annaerith)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 11:44am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018/142 "2016-12-22T11:44:03Z")
team bonuses like this are nice but not game changing, so id say yes ignore them unless u can snag it as a bonus traits that i could tell you that are nicer then you might think are ‘link’ ones - they give bonus mana for certain color gem matches - and that can help a lot if u stack some links along with a proper flag, so sometimes i stick a less usefull troop with a proper link just to cheese up charging the other 3 units whats your entire team right now? i dont remmember and sorry but dont wanna scroll up all the way tryng to figure that out 😛 ---
**Author:** ![hermanbloom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@hermanbloom](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/hermanbloom)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 11:50am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018/143 "2016-12-22T11:50:34Z")
No problem, I have asked a lot of questions! Currently I have Khorvash lead (Blue/Brown), then Valk (Yellow/Red), Hero (Green) and then Poison Master (Blue/Purple). Using Broken Banner (+1 Blue and Brown when matching). Am trying to save for Valk’s last trait to gain bonus Blue Mana when matching). Not sure where to get the two x Arcane Storm Traitstones though. ---
**Author:** ![Annaerith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/annaerith/32/13840_2.png) [@Annaerith](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Annaerith)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 11:52am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018/144 "2016-12-22T11:52:11Z")
storms drop at adana 🙂 (you can click explore to see the colors drop if you arent color blind) ---
**Author:** ![Emos](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/emos/32/5163_2.png) [@Emos](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Emos)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 11:52am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018/145 "2016-12-22T11:52:43Z")
You can farm Explore mode in Adana, that kingdom will drop Arcane Storm (Red/Yellow). EDIT: Doh! Beat to the punch 😉 ---
**Author:** ![hermanbloom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@hermanbloom](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/hermanbloom)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 11:54am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018/146 "2016-12-22T11:54:13Z")
Perfect, thankyou guys! Haven’t really tried Explore yet, will go do that now! ---
**Author:** ![Annaerith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/annaerith/32/13840_2.png) [@Annaerith](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Annaerith)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 12:01pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018/147 "2016-12-22T12:01:07Z")
the green unit instead of hero could be **tyri** (depends how much mana can your tyri pick?) or **soothsayer** (needs to be traited) i think sooth would be cool, boosting magic for your party giving mana 🙂 brown link, curse, empowered - all useful traits, and the spell useful too you can find arcane forest for it in Zaejin ---
**Author:** ![hermanbloom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@hermanbloom](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/hermanbloom)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 12:06pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018/148 "2016-12-22T12:06:08Z")
Great! I can Ascend Sooth one level, and get the first two traits. So looks like I will be Exploring in Adana and Zaejin for a while! ---
**Author:** ![Annaerith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/annaerith/32/13840_2.png) [@Annaerith](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Annaerith)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 12:08pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018/149 "2016-12-22T12:08:35Z")
sooth really shines only after he gets that empowered so you might wanna put him in after u get the 3rd trait 😛 then u can start the game with his cast and get a free mana ---
**Author:** ![hermanbloom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@hermanbloom](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/hermanbloom)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 12:47pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018/150 "2016-12-22T12:47:29Z")
I just got really lucky and got the Arcane on my first try in Zaejin (10 goes on Adana and nothing but minor’s so far) and made Sooth full-trait. It was an excellent call, thankyou! Once I have Valk’s third done, the bonus to Blue and Brown matches is going to help a hell of a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Shimrra](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/shimrra/32/87_2.png) [@Shimrra](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Shimrra)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 2:47pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018/151 "2016-12-22T14:47:46Z")
Storm drops at Dragons Claw also, if you have it unlocked. Also goes towards the current event. ---
**Author:** ![hermanbloom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@hermanbloom](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/hermanbloom)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 3:08pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018/152 "2016-12-22T15:08:41Z")
Thankyou, not unlocked but it is visible on my map so will rectify that now. Got one Arcane drop from about 30 levels so just need one more for Valk and will then go back to doing Kingdoms. ---
**Author:** ![Strat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Strat](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Strat)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 3:16pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018/153 "2016-12-22T15:16:02Z")
> [@hermanbloom](#): > > Knew I forgot something! At the end of the Arena run, it offered me three troops. One of them I didn’t have. it was a Blue troop but the gem cost was 431 gems?!? **Never ever** buy the troops at the end of Arena. Save your Gems for the Chests! I recall posting the costs were insanely exuberant and an ex-dev said they were geared for early to mid game players. I guest that’s you. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dustin1280](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/dustin1280/32/7970_2.png) [@Dustin1280](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Dustin1280)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 3:16pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018/154 "2016-12-22T15:16:19Z")
I think this is one of the best video game communities out there. I rarely see any serious vitriol, almost everyone is willing to offer a helping hand. It is VERY hard to get mocked/teased on this forum, though I have seen some topics that downright deserved it. Really really love this community. ---
**Author:** ![Stan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/stan/32/29888_2.png) [@Stan](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Stan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 12:49am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018/155 "2016-12-23T00:49:25Z")
> [@hermanbloom](#): > > I have Khorvash lead (Blue/Brown), then Valk (Yellow/Red), Hero (Green) and then Poison Master (Blue/Purple). Using Broken Banner (+1 Blue and Brown when matching). Another approach you could consider would be to replace your green hero with a troop that uses Green/Blue, then shift your focus to filling Valkyrie so that she can fill all 3 of your troops at once. In that case, you might also change your banner to Red/Yellow. Druid and Rowanne would be good possibilities, but I would probably put either of them in 4th position so you can fill Khorvash and Poison Master first (Khorvash for obvious reasons and PM so he can explode gems to refill everyone). Druid has really good traits for synergy (water link gives you bonus blue mana on every blue match, which really adds up with Valkyrie casting often, blessed adds bonus stats to all your troops and fast starts the match with 6/12 mana). ---
**Author:** ![hermanbloom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@hermanbloom](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/hermanbloom)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 8:25am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018/156 "2016-12-23T08:25:28Z")
Thanks for the advice! I will do something like that for C team and play around with them to see what fits. ---
**Author:** ![Kharybdys](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/kharybdys/32/2023_2.png) [@Kharybdys](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Kharybdys)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 11:04am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018/157 "2016-12-23T11:04:02Z")
Once you’ve unlocked all kingdoms (that first!) you could also try to start working towards traiting Khorvash. Those stones drop at Broken Spire or Blackhawk. All his traits are worthwhile. About the team bonuses, the lower your average stats are (the lower your level) the more useful they are, but they only help to offset a certain amount of missed synergy. The team you are building is already more synergetic than you can hope to compensate with team bonuses. As a reference, I am currently (mid to endgame) PvPing with a team of Khorvash, Queen Mab, Valkyrie and Famine (last slot replacable by Mercy or Snowman too) (Double yellow banner if with Famine, Dragon otherwise), and still going strong with that. My quick soulfarming/traitstone farming team is Queen Mab/Rowanne/Valkyrie/Mercy (Dragon Banner) where the three traits on Mercy are the most important. ---
**Author:** ![hermanbloom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@hermanbloom](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/hermanbloom)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 11:52am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018/158 "2017-01-25T11:52:37Z")
Hi all, I am still here! We were lucky enough to have a new addition to the family born early January so that has diminished by playtime somewhat! But I am still plugging away at the Kingdoms (81% complete currently). Will then farm stones for Khorvash as I only have his first Trait completed. I got a Queen Mab the other day but haven’t really used her yet, still rolling with Khor, Valk, Soothsayer and Poison Master. ---
**Author:** ![Isis\_Kitty](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/isis_kitty/32/9189_2.png) [@Isis\_Kitty](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Isis_Kitty)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 12:10pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018/159 "2017-01-25T12:10:33Z")
Good to hear from you Herman, congrats on the new baby! You are playing the game at a very interesting time, and I hope you enjoy it and continue to ask questions about what you need help with. (If nothing else, this thread has become an easy link to others with their own similar questions!) ---
**Author:** ![hermanbloom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@hermanbloom](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/hermanbloom)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 12:18pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018/160 "2017-01-25T12:18:04Z")
Thanks Kitty. I will for sure be asking a few more things in here shortly! [Previous page](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018.md?page=7) [Next page](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/newbie-with-good-questions/16018.md?page=9)