Like with many other MOBAs out there, Onmyoji Arena has a steep learning curve that players will need to master before thriving in the battlefield. However, in this game particularly, this entry level might be a  tad more difficult due to the amount of Japanese terms thrown about casually in the game’s many systems, which can overwhelm some of us here in the West. Despite this, however, Onmyoji Arena is one of the good mobile MOBAs out there, with just under 100 characters to unlock, and a great focus on balanced and engaging gameplay, as well as a variety of game modes to keep things fresh and break up the monotony of the standard 5v5 matches.

Nevertheless, if you’re just starting out in Onmyoji Arena, and particularly if you’re new to the MOBA genre, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with a few terms and concepts. And in this guide, you’ll find a crash course with all the basic terms and knowledge you’ll need to know before getting started in this game. Especially if you plan on jumping into the ranked gameplay, keep these concepts in mind at all times.

The Different Types of Shikigami and Their Roles

By far, one of the most important things you should learn in Onmyoji Arena, are its characters and what roles they can accomplish. 

In this game, the different heroes and champions that you can unlock and use in combat are called “Shikigami”, and they come in many different shapes and sizes, and more importantly, they each have a varied skill set and category that makes them suited for different roles. And the best part, at least for competitive gamers, is that Onmyoji Arena is actually one of the better balanced MOBAs in the platform, and you’ll rarely find worthless or overpowered Shikigami.

With that being said, one of the first things you should learn is the different types of Shikigami, as it’ll give you an idea of what the characters can do, even without knowing about their actual skill sets. These characters come in six different categories:

• Samurai: Often offering a balanced kit that lets them deal acceptable damage, but also absorb lots of punishment, Samurai heroes are bruisers that thrive in the top lane. These powerful Shikigami are usually the ones that initiate battles. However, though they’re not as tough as Tanks in terms of survivability, their offensive potential is much higher.
• Mage: Simply put, these are the damage dealers that can nuke their targets with a few skills. A fed or farmed Mage can spell doom for any team as their abilities can hit extremely hard, though they’re often left vulnerable after exhausting their kits.
• Marksman: In contrast with Mages, Marksman Shikigami deal most of their damage with basic attacks, and thus are considered the “hard carries” of the game if fed and farmed. In this sense, it’s not unusual for a character in this category to waltz up to the enemy, spam a few auto attacks, and get several kills. 
• Ninja: These Shikigami consist of characters with high mobility and explosive kits that can deal tons of burst damage. These properties make them ideal for the jungle as they can gank effectively any lane. However, with the proper know-how, Ninjas can go basically in any lane except bot.
• Tank: The defensive powerhouses of the game, with little capacity for damage, but with unparalleled survivability. Their kits are often rounded out with CC and crowd control effects so that, while they can’t really eliminate enemies on their own, they can incapacitate and pick them off for their allies to take care of. A good tank is the first to enter combat and the last to leave the field.
• Support: The Marksman’s best friend. The Support Shikigami frequently go on the bottom lane alongside their carry, supporting them by healing, providing buffs, and harassing the enemy team, so that their allies can farm in peace. However, Supports are also great for scoring early kills if they manage to pick off a careless enemy with a stun or slow.

If you’ve played other MOBAs in the past, you’ll find that these character categories are very reminiscent of their counterparts, with Samurai and Tanks acting more like the defensive and bruiser characters; Mages and Marksmen being the magical and physical carries, respectively; Ninjas being a hybrid of carries and gankers, ideal for jungling, and Supporters, well, being just that—the supportive backbones of their respective teams.

The Onmyodo System

Aside from the characters themselves, which bring their own stats and skills to the table, you can further customize and tweak their capabilities through the Onmyodo system, which are equippable passives that you can choose and configure from the main menu screen. These abilities confer a variety of different effects to your Shikigami, some of which can often make or break their intended purpose. For instance, a Tank with a certain set of Onmyodo could potentially become a jungler, or even perform the role of a bruiser.

Every Onmyodo set has one Main Onmyodo, which grants an important passive buff that persists through the entire match, and three ability Onmyodo, which confer lesser passives and stat boosts, but only after you reach a certain level in the match. 

Play Onmyoji Arena on PC

Play Onmyoji Arena on PC

You begin with four different sets of Onmyodo all set and ready to go, so you won’t really have to worry about it. Just choose one for whether you’re playing a physical or magic damage dealer Shikigami, a tank, or a support, and you’ll be set to go. Later on, however, we strongly suggest exploring this system thoroughly to understand what each of these Onmyodo can do, and also to devise your own sets adapted to your general playstyle and role.

The Variety of Spells

Last but not least, your Shikigami can also equip up to two different spells per match. These spells are abilities different from their usual repertoire, and are often on a long cooldown, but that offer important effects that could help them survive in their lanes, get a kill, or support their teammates in some way or another.

Knowing about these spells is pivotal, as their effects are immediate and can often shift a battle in your favor, or help you to escape situations where you would be otherwise eliminated. To this end, here’s a quick rundown of every spell in Onmyoji Arena:

• Subdue: Deals true damage to a monster or minion. Also recovers HP if the target is a monster. 

• Cleanse: Removes all control effects and grants immunity to further CC for 2 seconds. 

• Barrier: Erects a protective shield around the user and nearby allied Shikigami. The barrier lasts for 3 seconds and protects against a fixed amount of damage. Subsequent uses within a short period reduce the effect of further barriers.

• Flash: Instantly moves the user towards the target location a short distance away. Can go over barriers and obstacles

• Bind: Reduce the target’s damage and movement speed by 50% and 40% respectively, while reducing the user’s damage by 20%, for 3 seconds.

• Pace: Increases the user’s movement speed by 30% for 10 seconds.

• Corrode: Deals light true damage to the target, while also revealing their vision to the user’s team for 4 seconds.

• Heal: Restores the HP of the user and nearby Shikigami, while also reducing damage taken by 15% for 3 seconds.

• Seeker: Summons two seeker minions that chase nearby enemies. Once they reach their target, the enemy suffers a 35% movement speed reduction that lasts for 2 to 6 seconds, which is extended by the time the minions have to chase the enemy around the field. Additionally, while the enemies are slowed, their vision is also revealed to the user’s team for the entire duration of the spell.

• Shift: After 4 seconds of channeling, the user can teleport to the targeted turret or minion. This spell can be canceled by pressing the button once again, which will refund 50% of the cooldown.

• Rapid Break: This spell is only available in “Mix-up Fight”. After a short charge period, the player rushes towards the desired direction, stunning the first enemy Shikigami they reach for 0.5 seconds.
• Unyielding Heart: This spell is only available in “Mix-up Fight”. Instantly grants 30% attack speed and 20% lifesteal for 6 seconds.

As we mentioned above, you can take up to two of these spells at a time, and the combination can either make or break your composition. Make sure to coordinate with your teammates so that you don’t take duplicate Barriers or Heals, as well as to determine the order in which you will use your Pace spells so that you don’t waste them all on a single target at the same time.

And that’s for all you need to know about Onmyoji Arena to prepare for your first matches. Make sure to check out our team composition and combat tips and tricks to learn a few pointers on how to actually dominate in the field with any role.