Hello! Welcome to an Advanced Arena Guide! In this Guide, I'll try to cover as much as possible about Arena.
Goal: Be the last player standing / Don't let your health go to 0
Mechanics: Buy creatures to form a team. Buy three 1* of the same creature to upgrade it to 2*. Buy nine 1* of the same creature (a.k.a three 2* of same creature) to make a 3* creature. (3* is the max, but you can use duplicate creatures in team!)
Now, where do I start…
[!] This will be an indicator for potential tips and tricks that you can use.
Feel free to ping me if there's corrections and updates to be added to this guide!
(Copy these terms and Ctrl+F to search through the post)
A. Useful Terminology
B. Paws and Uses
C. Synergy
D. Mechanics
E. Creature Stats
F. Extra Tips
Other links: Oversimplified Guide
A. Useful Terminology
- Paws: Money.
- Creature: The things you use to make a team for battle. The things you buy, sell, and merge to upgrade. (A.k.a Models in official guide)
- Round: The entirety of a battle from start to end, as well as the extra time to prepare for next Round. The next Round starts when the next battle begins.
- Turn: How a part of a battle goes. A full turn is when all creatures have made their moves. Every creature will attack at least once before a turn ends.
- Interest: Extra money you get. +1 Paw for every 10 Paws you have before a Round starts. +3 is the maximum Interest.
- Shop: Self-explanatory, place to buy creatures. All creatures cost 1 Paw each.
- Refresh: A.k.a Shop Refresh, you replace all (or the empty list of) creatures in Shop with 4 new creatures. Costs 2 Paws per Refresh. You get one free Refresh after a Round ends, use it before the next Round begins.
- Party: A.k.a Team. Slots filled with creatures ready for battle.
- Waiting Slot: Bench. (See official guide. Waiting Slot makes more sense to me.)
- Sell: The act of removing a creature from your party or waiting slots. Selling a 1* creature gives 1 Paw, selling a 2* creature gives 3 Paws, while selling a 3* creature gives 6 Paws.
- Passive: Automatic skill that does things. Left of skill row.
- Move: What a creature does on a turn. Can do nothing, perform an Attack or a Special. (For simplicity sake, I will use Extra Move instead of Extra Turn as it's slightly misleading when all creatures are under the same number of Turns.)
- Attack: Normal move, using Attack for simplification (it can be an attack or not an attack). Middle of skill row.
- Special: Secondary, stronger move. Right of skill row.
- Energy: Yellow bar under health (green) bar of creatures. When it's full, next attack will be a Special. (With some exceptions such as Intersect.)
- Synergy: The colorful icons that light up on the list of synergies, as well as the effects of corresponding synergies. All creatures have 3 Synergy icons.
- Front Row: The first two slots in your party will be put in this row. The Front Row is normally the first creatures to take damage from enemy's moves.
- Back Row: The last three slots in your party will be put in this row. The Back Row starts taking damage when your creatures in Front Row is defeated, unless if enemy uses a move or synergy that targets Back Row.
- Heal: Recover creature health. Or, opposite of damage. You cannot recover more creature health if it's already full.
- Shield: “Extra health” that your creature have. It's separate from your creature's health and can stack.
- Stun: Your creature skips a turn. Unless specified by the skill to Stun multiple turns, they don't stack.
- Bleed: Creature loses an amount of health every turn based on enemy's damage, how many turns also depend on enemy's move. Ignores shields and can stack.
- Poison: Same as Bleed. The main difference is some Specials allow you to turn all Poison damage into a one Turn damage.
- Dodge: The chance for a creature have to completely avoid incoming damage, including both single-target and multiple-target moves. Different creature have different stats.
- Crit: The chance for a creature to deal double the damage in next Attack or Special. Different creatures have different stats.
B. Paws and Uses
Despite the official guide to how Paws work 2 years ago, it's not the same now. Here's how Paws actually work:
You start an Arena match Round 1 with 1 Paw.
Every start of Round after that, you get +3 Paws by default, no matter what.
If you win, which is a Victory, you get +1 Paw. If you win consecutive times after that, you get additional bonus paws that stack, up to +3 Paws maximum.
For example, if you win 5 Rounds in a row, you get a minimum of:
Round 1 : +3 +1 = +4 Paws
Round 2 : +3 +1 +1 = +5 Paws
Round 3 : +3 +1 +2 = +6 Paws
Round 4 : +3 +1 +3 = +7 Paws
Round 5 : +3 +1 +3 = +7 Paws
If you lose, which is a Defeat, you don't get the Victory extra Paw. However, if you lose consecutive times after that, you get additional bonus paws that stack, up to +3 Paws maximum.
Same example as above, but will reiterate for clarity. If you lose 5 Rounds in a row, you get a minimum of:
Round 1 : +3 Paws
Round 2 : +3 +1 = +4 Paws
Round 3 : +3 +2 = +5 Paws
Round 4 : +3 +3 = +6 Paws
Round 5 : +3 +3 = +6 Paws
For every 10 Paws you have before a Round starts, you get an extra +1 Paw before the next Round. This is called Interest, and you can gain a maximum of +3 Paws from Interest.
[!] Because it calculates Interest before a Round starts, you can manage your Paws a bit. Example scenario: You have 30 Paws, and there is a creature in shop that you want to buy. Wait till the Round starts, after that, buy the creature or refresh the shop. Even if you have 29 or less Paws after the battle ends, you will still get +3 Interest.
You can gain more Paws by Selling your creatures. Selling:
1* creature = 1 Paw
2* creature = 3 Paws
3* creature = 6 Paws
Paws are used for buying creatures from shop and upgrading them to 2* and 3*.
To reiterate, buy three 1* of the same creature to upgrade it to 2*. Make three 2* of the same creature to upgrade it to 3* (which means buying nine 1* of same creature in total).
Each creature costs 1 Paw, and refreshing the shop costs 2 Paws.
[!] Don't rush to refresh the shop! After every Round, you get a Free Refresh, use that to your advantage.
*Sometimes the Refresh isn't free after a Round ends, I am not sure what's causing this problem.
C. Synergy
Synergy is the icons that are above the creatures. Every creature have 3 Synergy icons. If you have a certain number of the same type of synergy, that synergy will activate. A short, comprehensive guide to synergies shall be listed below.
[!] When you're lacking the right creature for your team, sometimes it's not a bad idea to put two of the same creature in your party. You can either upgrade both of them to 3*, or keep the party until you have found a replacement.
Offense Synergy
Assailant
(4) Damage +20%
(8) Damage +40%
Costly synergy for strong attackers.
Co-synergy: 
Ideas:
If going for full damage, find 
creatures tend to have Pack Mentality Passive, which increases every creature's attack that has the same Passive by 10%.
for Back Row damage, for chance to get extra turns for extra damage. (3) and (5) for extra damage as well.
Not all full teams survive well, especially if they don't move first. is recommended to keep team alive. Some creatures have Attacks that heal 100% of damage dealt, so it's also a good idea to have it for a balance of offense and defense.
Rogue
(2) All ally +10% crit
(4) All ally +20% crit
(6) All ally +30% crit and target lowest health enemies
Selfish synergy that only benefits creatures.
On the plus side, all always attack Back Row enemies first.
Co-synergy: 
Ideas:
Less of a synergy, more of a way to skip Front Row tanks and damage Back Row enemies, especially if there are strong attackers on the enemy team.
The full (6) synergy is useful to take down Back Row enemies one by one as it makes sure all creatures focus on one enemy first. Worth going for if the enemy uses a standard tanky Front Row and offensive Back Row.
Some have Special that increase crit to 100%, so it's a bit redundant to go for the synergy, except for (6). Do not use Motivate as creatures will keep using Special that raises own crit but ends up attacking once every 2 turns. (Or don't use those creatures.)
Damage the enemies more with and/or . The synergy is recommended for the chance of your creatures dealing massive damage to enemy's Back Row with extra turns.
synergy creatures are often effective in stunning enemy's Back Row for multiple turns.
If nothing else, a creature on its own is good enough if it has high attack power.
Primal
(3) 1 random enemy -6% health for 5 turns
(5) 3 random enemies -10% health for 5 turns
*The per turn math is the same as the total damage in site description
Poison damage. Deals more damage than other creatures, but slower. A balance of offense and defense is suitable for this team.
Poison damage ignores Shield.
Co-synergy: All
Ideas:
As it deals the full damage in more than one turn, a team needs to stay alive for as long as possible. Full defense is also good, but it's also not a bad idea to add offense. Full offense is risky for this team.
synergy tends to go with , making sure to target Back Row enemies and not wait for Front Row enemies to fall down.
to activate powerful Special.
and/or (3) for more damage on the offensive side.
and for defense to stay alive longer, especially when some creatures have Passive that poisons attackers.
is a rare, but workable synergy.
Tactician
(1) +5% dodge
(3) +20% damage
(5) +50% crit
The synergy but better. Affects the entire party, gives a slight dodge boost that may turn the tables, and a massive crit boost that surpasses full synergy.
Co-synergy:
Ideas:
A full (5) synergy is a very strong offense team that can wipe enemies quickly, almost requiring no other synergy, save for tanky Front Row creatures. And if you have creatures, use them in tandem to damage Back Row enemies.
and allows for more damage.
Some creatures have Special that makes only your team make moves in next Turn, and if you have those creatures, synergy would help.
Defense Synergy
Protector
(4) Health +20%
(6) Health +30%
(8) Health +40%
The tank synergy. For tanky teams, or creatures that need to protect the squishy attackers.
Co-synergy:
Ideas:
Combine and to get a really sturdy team. Make sure that the Front Row have moves that protect the Back Row, and the Back Row have moves that support and heal the Front Row.
helps teams with Special that gives Shield and Intersect (stops an enemy move).
tries to sneak into the Back Row and defeat one or two enemies while the rest of your team tries to stay alive. Victory can be achieved by surviving more than your opponent.
For a balanced defense and offense team, (3) and for more damage.
(1) for a small dodge boost. It may help, who knows.
Healer
(3) Heal 15% per turn for 2 turns
(6) Heal 15% per turn for 4 turns, stacks with previous synergy.
Or, Heal 30% per turn for first 2 turns, Heal 15% per turn on next 2 turns.
What's as good as more health? Keeping that health!
Co-synergy:
Ideas:
As heal is based on creature's health, synergy for more healing, and tankier creatures overall.
For creatures that heal with Special, synergy and creatures whose Special increases energy.
(1) for extra dodge, and creatures that have the Special Coordinate (skip enemy's turn) to stay alive longer.
As the theme of this synergy is staying alive, synergy works well in damaging enemies over time.
Some creatures have Attack that heal based on damage dealt, so and synergies may be useful.
Support Synergy
Support
(3) Start with +30 energy
(5) Start with +50 energy
Name is self-explanatory, for teams that like to use Special.
Co-synergy:
Ideas:
Some creatures have Special called Motivate that gives all allies +25 energy each turn. Use them wisely. Having two or more creatures with Motivate will make them use Special more often than Attack, relying on other creatures to use their Special and not fall down. Try to avoid using Motivate with Special that buffs your team, such as increasing own crit and giving all allies extra damage.
creatures tend to have powerful stun Special, which will work well with synergy.
Some creatures have Coordinate that skips enemy's turn.
The synergy is an option to allow your party to get more turns, meaning more energy and more Special usage.
Powerful Special like creatures that gives Shield and Intersect (stops an enemy move and counters them) works well with this synergy.
creatures that can heal, should heal more. Especially if they have low attack power.
Dueler
(2) +10% extra turn chance
(4) +20% extra turn chance
(6) +30% extra turn chance
Gamble on a win, and you may actually win. A luck-based team that sometimes works wonders.
Co-synergy:
Ideas:
If you're not too focused with getting more extra turns, even (2) synergy is enough for your team to take advantage of it. Hope your creatures get the extra turns when most needed.
synergy for the various benefits, but more importantly for some creatures Coordinate that can skip enemy's turn.
The and (3) synergy for more damage as your attackers get extra turns.
Naturally, synergy works well with in using more Special, as more turns mean more energy gain.
The creatures could deal large damage to the Back Row when getting extra turns, even if there's just one of them.
Some creatures heal when they Attack. Though the synergy may not be necessary, the extra heal may be useful.
D. Mechanics
Your party size increases on a fixed rate of 1 EXP per Round, which doesn't mean much. In short, you can refer to these numbers for at what Round you'll unlock new slots:
You start with 1 slot
End of Round 1 = 2 slots
End of Round 3 = 3 slots
End of Round 7 = 4 slots
End of Round 11 = full 5 slots unlocked
The Front Row is the first 2 slots of your party. It will be on front row in battle and will be the first targets of attack by opposing enemies, unless they're creatures.
The Back Row is the last 3 slots of your party. They are the next targets of attack after the Front Row has fallen. As for , the Back Row is the first priority. Also, some attacks can attack the Back Row.
[!] There is little reason to put tanks in the Back Row, unless your opponent is running a highly synergy team.
Every creature have hidden stats, meaning the stats are not shown in Arena. Sometimes you have to figure out which creatures are attackers, which are tanks, and looking at synergy icons can be a good idea. Or you can check the Companions Page.
These hidden stats are: Health, Attack, Defense, Speed, Crit, and Dodge.
Moves and synergies have affected Health, Attack, Crit, and Dodge, but Defense seems to be unaffected, as well as Speed.
Speed determines the order of the creatures that move per turn.
When a battle begins, your party and your opponent's will move once per turn (unless they have certain effects). When energy is not at max, creatures will use Attacks.
Energy is the yellow bar under a creature's (green) health bar. Maximum energy is 100 and when a creature has maximum energy, its next move will be a Special. Exception to this is if the Special is Intersect (which activates when an enemy creature makes a turn, even if not using damage moves).
A creature gains energy when it attacks or is attacked. Therefore, strategically putting a creature to take hits in Front Row will allow it to activate its Special faster.
[!] Composition can sometimes be trial and error. If there's a creature that you want its Special to activate and it falls down too quickly on Front Row, swap its position to the Back Row. If it activates too slowly in Back Row, try swapping it to the Front Row. Don't be afraid to try new things, and learn from them!
Multiple Stuns on the same target does not stack. Everything else seems stackable, from buffs to debuffs. Coordinate (Special that skips enemy's turn) also does not stack.
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