Shadow Fight 2, a role-playing fighting game developed by Nekki, requires a certain strategy for moving up the food chain and becoming powerful enough to defeat the demons blocking your path to victory. Managing your coins and gems, building a proper gear set and using the correct strategy for winning battles are all critical if you ever hope to re-seal the demons behind the Gates of Shadows. If you’re just starting out in Shadow Fight 2 , this beginner’s strategy guide is for you.

Winning Battles

While the fighting strategy in Shadow Fight 2 depends heavily on the weapons you’re using, and in later levels ranged weapons and magic abilities come into play, you’ll be using primarily kicks and punches during the first part of Shadow Fight 2.

The First Strike buff, which occurs when you get the first damage inducing hit in a round, can set the tone of a battle. Start each fight by blocking your opponent's initial attack (any direction away from your opponent on the directional pad), fake retreat, wait for them to either miss or hit your block and then swoop in for a First Strike.

Secondly, you have to understand the role of kicks compared to punches. Kicks are great for disrupting enemy attacks and movements, but punches are your meal ticket, and more importantly, head strikes. When your opponent is coming toward you, use your kick move to disrupt them, either while they’re building up for an attack or moving toward you, and then spam the punch move while aiming the d-pad toward your opponent's head. If you can get them next to a wall, you’re golden to unleash some combo justice.

Thirdly, go to your dojo and practice your moving tricks. This means using the wall to jump escape a trapped corner, rolling past your opponent to surprise them from behind and ducking vs. jumping. Play around with the d-pad until you feel comfortable.

Managing Coins & Gems

Try not to spend coins whenever you do have to. A good rule of thumb is that when facing a new opponent, if they’re rated as “Insane” or higher, you’ll need to bite the bullet and buy something new. Thankfully, there’s a way to farm gems if you don’t feel like purchasing a Gem pack.

Shadow Fight 2 has two options for farming gems. You can access this panel in the gear/store menu (outline of weapons). You can either by complete free offers, or by watch video advertisements. Completing free offers means filling out surveys (“Pepsi or Coke? Tell us your favorite!” for 41 Gems) while the video advertisements are about 15 seconds long for 1 Gem.

There’s also a rewards by completing in game achievements. This usually gives a player about 1 Gem per achievement, but as you go through the game, the rewards ramp up proportionally. You have to claim the Gem rewards, so don’t get forget. You can access this panel in the skill/moves menu (outline of player icon).

Tournaments, survival mode and duel mode are great ways to build up your coins in the meantime, however. If you’re running out of energy and can’t farm anymore, simply change the time forward on your system clock and the reboot the game. Your energy should be replenished.

Gear Sets, Skill Trees & Moves

Unless you absolutely have to buy new gear, hold off and save your coins for the next level. If all your possible opponents are rated “Insane,” then it’s probably time to buy new gear. Defensive gear is more important than offensive gear, as there’s just no way to be a glass cannon in this game without frustrating yourself each time you get two-shotted, so prioritize accordingly.

Skill trees in the early parts of the game aren’t emphasized, but figure out your strategy and stick with it. Make sure to keep percentages in mind while choosing skills as well. For example, the first two entries in the skill tree are “Desperate” vs. “Cobra.” While “Desperate” sounds good initially, a 15 percent increase in damage when your character only has (let’s say) 10 attack points is only a 1.5 damage bump.

When you include the fact that you’re only going to have a limited amount of time to use that extra 1.5 damage — it’s assumed you’re on the ropes if your health is below 20 percent — then “Cobra,” which takes off 10 percent of an enemy’s health bar about once every five fights, starts making a lot more sense. “Cobra” gives you a 40 percent chance to add damage to a successful First Strike buff.

Make sure to practice your available moves in the dojo as well. You can see what moves you can do in the skill/moves menu (outline of player icon) by clicking on the kick panel. Practice them, and take note whenever a new move pops up, such as the leg sweep. This move is one of the first you will learn, and is a great way of disrupting an enemy advance or an attack. You can do this move by hitting down on the d-pad and clicking the kick button twice.

Do you have any tips or tricks that helped you progress in Shadow Fight 2 ? Send us an email at m.gardiner@idigitaltimes.com and if we like it, we’ll feature it. And, of course, give you props for the tip.