How to dominate in Solstice Arena - hints, tips, and tricks

As I stated in my review of Solstice Arena, A Bit Lucky and Zynga's freemium game is an accessible but time-intensive MOBA for mobile.

Though it's a good place to start for anyone new to the genre - it's faster paced than many games of the genre, and has a comprehensive tutorial - the more subtle elements of play aren't exactly well signposted.

Luckily for you, you, and you, I'm here to tell you all exactly what those subtler elements are. Well, some of them at least.

As with any MOBA, you'll only get better at Solstice Arena with practice. But taking on board the below information and committing it to memory should help you on your way.

Oh, and give your team the edge over your opponent's.

There are two main resources you should concern yourself with in battles. The first of these resources is Gold.

You'll find a few bits of Gold scattered about, but you can find the main haul in the centre of the arena, specifically in the Chest which periodically appears. The team that opens it will be rewarded with a huge injection of funds to purchase new upgrades in the shop back at the base. So, yep, it's well worth acquiring.

If you can, head there in a team of two, but preferably ensure that all three of you are focused on the Chest. By doing so, you will turn it towards your side of the play field (and open it) much faster than individually. Conversely, if your team has the opposing side all tied up near its own towers, don't be afraid to head towards the Chest and grab it while the opposition is distracted.

You should ensure, however, that Gold is not your only focus, for you should also be buffing your character with the various elements scattered about the arena. They come in different flavours, but each augments your character's abilities and makes your character directly more effective in combat.

This is where character-specific play begins to take on greater importance. To be honest, though, it's an area of the game that should be at the forefront of your mind all the time you're playing.

There are two schools of thought on upgrading your characters during battle. You can either go the min-maxing route - whereby you increase your skill in a specific area you're already skilled in - or you can spread your improvements more evenly to offset any potential weaknesses.

If you prefer to play as a tank character - a hero that can withstand a lot of damage and often deal it out in spades - then you might want to focus on grabbing Iron, as it fortifies your toughness and enables you to take even more damage. Alternatively, but along the same lines, you might want to change things up to fool your opponent and increase the movement speed above all else.

Why? Because your opponent will expect a lumbering heavy when it sees your character, and not a fleet-of-foot tough guy. It's a dangerous strategy, but one to consider.

You should also be very aware of your hero's special moves, and what additional effects they have on opponents. Wading into battle knowing vaguely how to play Marco the Assassin is fine, but if you don't know that the Death From Above move is best used on weaker opponents from a distance, you're going into a fight without all the necessary info.

And one of those crucial pieces of info you should have locked away safely in your brain is that you are always stronger in numbers.

Make friends in the game whenever you can, and invite them to join your team before battling. This way, you'll get to know the player, his particular play style, have a good idea of which character he'll bring to the conflict, and how he'll use that character.

Furthermore, if you have friends nearby who also play Solstice Arena, try playing in a group in the same room or over Skype. It might seem like a bit of a cheat, but being able to directly communicate with your party can be a real boon, especially when tackling tougher opponents.

It also makes co-ordinating attacks far easier. By guaranteeing that everyone in your group is attacking a specific player at once, you will be able to dispatch him quickly.

If the same thing looks like it's about to happen to you, though, try to rally your troops to help you. Or spread out and attack your opponents' towers to force their hand and compel them to return to their HQ.