Tiers and Stages

The most important thing about the Illuvium franchise and its Arenas is their incredibly diverse megafauna. The megafauna that roams the world of Illuvium are called Illuvials and are quite similar to monsters from other collection games. They are split up into a rarity Tier and their evolution Stage. They have their own unique capabilities and have a price tag whenever you want to use them.

Illuvials have an innate rarity starting from Tier 0 all the way to the highest rarity, Tier 5. These Tiers are used to give a sense of value to any asset in the game. Illuvials from a higher Tier have slightly stronger abilities and more difficult mechanics. Tier therefore means more than just the difficulty of obtaining them. It determines their battle prowess but also the difficulty of using them.

All Illuvials have 3 Stages to their Line. As showcased in the Axolotl Line: Atlas -> Axon -> Axodon, Illuvials go through their separate life phases when they reach a higher Stage. The baby axolotl, Atlas, becomes the adolescent form in Axon and becomes fully matured in Axodon. Along with their maturity, their abilities take a more pronounced shape and Illuvials specialize their attributes as they gain a second Affinity or Class. Two of these primary Affinities or Classes combined are called Composites.

Both the Stage of an Illuvial and its Tier determine the cost of an Illuvial. A low Tier Illuvial will cost a small amount of Mastery Points to place on the board, while a rare and powerful Illuvial costs more Mastery Points. This means that Tier 0 Stage 1 Illuvials will be the least expensive, whereas Tier 5, Stage 3 Illuvials are the most costly. Mastery Points are obtained at the start of a battle and increase as you play more rounds. At the start of a battle, your approach might involve either placing multiple low-cost Illuvials for board coverage or strategically deploying a single high-value Illuvial, depending on your preferred tactics and overall strategy.