Cantina Royale is a top-down mobile shooter game that plunges players into fast-paced online multiplayer battles, blending elements of a MOBA game and play-to-earn mechanics. Featuring a diverse roster of champions and an extensive arsenal of weapons, the game combines strategic gameplay with visually engaging environments. Players navigate through various game modes, honing their skills and tactics in intense combat scenarios. As they progress, they can earn rewards and unlock new content, making Cantina Royale a dynamic and engaging experience for both casual and competitive players. 

Gameplay Overview 

Cantina Royale's latest version features two main game modes: the 5v5 "Team Clash" and the free-for-all "Rumble." In Rumble, players engage in a thrilling 10-player solo showdown on the icy Winter Planet, navigating a shrinking battle zone, destroying crates, and collecting stars for power-ups like health regeneration and speed boosts. Initially available in casual mode, Rumble requires quick adaptation and intense combat. The primary play-to-earn opportunities currently lie in the Rumble mode and the competitive "Arena," which this guide will focus on.

Before we continue with the guide, here are the steps to initially get onboarded to the world of Cantina Royale:

Getting Started

1. Download and Install: Download Cantina Royale on your preferred device (now available on Android and iOS).
2. Create a Wallet: Set up a MultiversX (Since Cantina Royale is a mobile game, an Xportal wallet is preferable) to receive your earnings. But take note that you don’t necessarily need a wallet to start playing and earning. The wallet is only required once you reach the earning limit as a guest. You can then manage your game assets through the dashboard of your Verko account. 
3. Account Setup:  Once installed, the game will guide you through a beginner's walkthrough to help you get started. You can also link your MultiversX wallet through the account settings, which are accessible from the upper right corner of the game's homepage.

Gameplay

Being a top-down shooter combined with MOBA elements, Cantina royale gameplay revolves around Characters, also called Champions. These champions have varied playstyles and roles, such as tanks with high HP, supports that buff teammates, and carries to deal high amounts of damage. Currently, each champion has 1 unique skill that recharges throughout the battle. Free champions can be earned through gameplay, while NFT champions offer additional gameplay and earning perks.

Weapons

Cantina Royale offers a diverse gameplay experience through its variety of weapons. Champions are not restricted to specific weapon types, allowing players to creatively mix and match different weapons to suit their strategies. Starter weapons include:

• Blaster (Automatic): Versatile with rapid firepower, featuring a "Shield Breaker" perk for 10% more damage against shields.
• Boomstick (Scatter): Powerful at close range with a "Fast Reload" perk that boosts reload speed by 50% after a kill.
• Railgun (Precision): Long-range sniper with an "Overcharge" perk for 10% additional damage after hitting an enemy.
• Mortar Gun (Explosive): Launches explosive projectiles with a "Burn" perk that leaves fire on the ground, damaging enemies.
• Tesla Gun (Elemental): Unleashes electrical attacks with an "Electric Vamp" perk that recharges shields when dealing damage.

Ready to Rumble

With the basics of champions and weapons covered, it's time to dive into the intense action of the Rumble game mode. Rumble is a 10-player free-for-all battle royale where players fight to be the last one standing. The map's shrinking ring continuously damages those outside it, forcing survivors into close encounters. This mode also features the play-to-earn element via the "Arena" Feature, accessible from the bottom right of the homepage. 

As you begin a Rumble match, your character is dropped into a random location on the map, which features various terrains that you can strategically use to your advantage. You can hide in bushes to remain unseen and ambush enemies, use walls to block enemy projectiles, and gather XP by breaking XP boxes and collecting the dropped stars. Each level-up boosts your character's stats and offers a choice of power-ups, similar to roguelike games.

These power-ups focus on combat enhancements, such as increased shield/HP, higher damage, faster reloads, and quicker skill cooldowns. Your champion's skills and weapons are crucial in this mode, as different builds can dictate varied strategies. Some builds might favor a cautious approach, waiting for skills to recharge, while others dive into action early, leveraging immediate combat advantages such as long-range attacks or burst damage.

The shrinking ring will eventually lead to the last man standing, who will secure 1st place in the match. To earn better rewards, players should aim for a top 3 finish or higher. Each match in the arena can yield rewards such as Crowns (currency tied to $CRT), trophies (for league rankings with increasing rewards for each tier), and adjusted leaderboard placements.

Continuous Character and Weapon Upgrades

Characters (Champions) and weapons in Cantina Royale are more complex than just the basic attributes we discussed earlier. Players can continuously upgrade them for better stats. Each game played rewards players with a "lootbox" that can contain shards (soft currency) and champion copies. Collecting enough copies allows players to upgrade champions for improved stats.

Cantina Royale features a talent system akin to League of Legends' rune system, adding a layer of customization to gameplay. Unlocked at character level 7, players receive 5 talent points to allocate among talents in Valor, Tactics, and Resolve categories. This system enables unique specialization and growth, allowing players to tailor their characters' playstyles and unlock potent abilities.

Similar to Champions, weapons in Cantina Royale also have a continuous upgrade path involving fusing, upgrading, and the Weapon Forge. Weapons have a star rating from 1 to 6 stars, which can be increased by fusing two additional weapons of the same type, collection, and star rating, unlocking new bonuses. Each weapon can also be upgraded up to level 20 by earning XP through use in matches and spending shards, enhancing their damage.

The Weapon Forge allows players to acquire new weapons via daily spins, epic spins for higher star weapons, and Arsenal-X spins for NFT weapons. Weapon coins, earned from Career Road, Battle Pass, Arena Royale, and special events, are used in the Forge to obtain these new weapons.

How to Play and Earn

Earning in Cantina Royale is accessible for both free-to-play players and NFT owners, with the primary currency being "Crowns," tied to the $CRT token. Before diving into the earning methods, here's a brief overview of Cantina Royale's currencies:

• Crowns: The primary in-game currency, representing $CRT (1 $CRT = 100 Crowns). Crowns can be earned as rewards in the Arena and by staking NFTs in the Lending Program.
• Gems: These are the premium currency in Cantina Royale. Gems can be earned in limited amounts through gameplay or purchased from the in-game store using in-app purchases and Crowns.
  
• Shards: The soft currency of the game, earned by playing with any character. Shards are the main currency for in-game economy transactions.
  

Let's Earn Crowns 

To earn Crowns, and eventually $CRT, players can compete in The Arena mode, which functions similarly to a ranked mode in MOBAs. In each match, players earn Crowns based on their post-match placement and current league. Additionally, every match adjusts the player's position on the event leaderboard, which rewards top players with great amounts of Crowns.

Free-to-play players might find it challenging to compete against NFT champions and weapon owners as they climb the ranks. This issue can be addressed with Cantina Royale's seamless in-game rental system, which we'll discuss in the next section.

NFT Staking and Lending Platform

Cantina Royale's NFT Lending Platform makes it easy for players to borrow NFTs and for holders to earn passive income, lowering barriers for newcomers. NFT holders can stake their assets, keep ownership, and earn weekly rewards from the staking pool based on their NFT's level, rarity, and time listed. Borrowers can enhance their gameplay by renting NFTs without the high costs of ownership, earning a share of in-game rewards (CROWNS) while contributing to the staking pool.

To borrow an NFT champion, players can go to the Champions tab and select the Borrow Champion section, choosing to spend shards or gems for higher-level champions. Alternatively, if you know someone renting their NFTs, they can rent directly to you through the Direct Borrow system. But do take note that borrowed champions will have a set amount of time before being automatically returned to the owner, and there is a maximum amount of matches you can play with the borrowed champions. 

Cantina Royale offers various NFT collections, with the most utility and gameplay impact coming from NFT characters and weapons, such as the Genesis Apes collection and the Arsenal X NFT weapon collection. Take note that these NFTs reside on the MultiversX blockchain (formerly known as Elrond) and are listed in $EGLD.

Gameplay Tips and Tricks 

Cantina Royale offers diverse gameplay by allowing players to mix and match champion stats, skills, and various weapons. To excel in the game, you need to be creative with your builds. Here are some general tips and tricks:

• Use Terrain to Your Advantage: Utilize walls and obstacles to block enemy bullets and hide from opponents. 
• Leverage the Shrinking Ring: Sometimes the ring will close towards your enemy, forcing them to move towards you. Use this to your advantage by positioning yourself strategically and limiting their movement options.
• Know Your Champion's Skills: Familiarize yourself with your champion’s abilities. For example, the champion Cranky has a revive skill that can bring him back to life after being killed, which is especially useful in last-man-standing situations.
• Be Creative: Experiment with different combinations of weapons, skills, and champions. The game’s flexibility allows you to develop unique and effective strategies, so don’t be afraid to try new things and have fun.

And that wraps up our Cantina Royale Beginners' Guide! We hope you're pumped and ready to dive into the action. Armed with this knowledge, you're all set to mix and match your champions and weapons, conquer the Rumble mode, and climb the ranks. May your battles be epic and your rewards abundant! See you in the arena, and may you claim those Crowns like a true champion!