Arena of Valor Switch & Mobile Guide: Arum the Conjurer

When it comes to the mobile MOBA genre, one particular title that is steadily growing is Arena of Valor. We’ve been spending some quality time with this multiplayer gem and will soon by trying it out on the Nintendo Switch. However, leading up to that, we wanted to highlight some of our favorite characters, talk about some basic strategy theory, and break down some of the item builds being used. We’ll be starting with Arum the Conjurer, a tank that can also be used as a brute of a challenger, able to tango with many characters with ease.

Abilities

To get started, let’s take a look at Arum’s abilities, which are fairly easy to understand even for new players. 

Passive - Ravenous Beasts: Arum’s spirit beasts deal 60 (+0.5 AP) (3% of target’s max HP) as magic damage and heal Arum for 60 (+0.4 AP) (3% of own max HP) whenever they hit an enemy. If the beats hit a minion, then Arum is only healed 1% of her maximum HP.

This passive ability is what makes Arum unique. As a tank, she is able to stay in the fight longer, but with her swirling beasts (she can have up to three) she can extend those fights due to the lifesteal element. These beasts are what Arum players should always have going, although they do reveal the player when trying to hide in bushes, meaning that clever flanks from the jungle are more effective that bush ganks.

Lion Tamer - Arum unleashes a roar that deals 250/300/350/400/500 (+0.4 AP) magic damage and summons a spirit beast. While beasts are active, using the skill again and damaging an enemy will reduce the cooldown by 50%. Arum can summon up to 3 beasts, and the number of beasts determines the power of Uncaged.

This is the ability that summons the beasts and there are a couple ways to go about using it. Having three beasts going beforehand can be effective when running into team fights, yet this also means that the player will miss out on those close range bursts that are possible due to the cooldown. Alternate these two different styles based on the situation and throw off opponents.

Uncaged - Arum consumes all her spirit beats to spawn a lion that charges at the target area, dealing 500/600/700/800/900/1000 (+0.6 AP) magic damage. Arum gains a short speed boost after casting.
The Lion charges ahead the same number of times as the number of beasts consumed. The effects are as follows:
1st charge: reduces enemy movement speed by 50% for 1 second.
2nd charge: reduces enemy movement speed by 90% for 1 second.
3rd charge: stuns the enemy for 1 second.

Uncaged can be a major damage dealer, as well as a handy crowd control tool for setting up combos. With the added speed boost, this can also be an effective way to deter those chasing Arum. It’s best to try and line up the three pounces of the beast, so try to catch players that are running away, or fire off the ability slightly ahead so they walk into a stun.

Snare - Arum summons her 3 spirit beasts immediately and binds herself to the target hero for 2.5 seconds. While active, both Arum and the enemy hero are immobilized, and damage taken by either one will be replicated on the other. This spell cannot be interrupted, and Arum cannot attack or use abilities while it is active.

Arum’s ultimate is excellent at taking out most single targets. Sneaky players will be able to jump enemies under their own tower for added damage. It’s also smart to use Uncaged before Snare, as Snare will replenish three beasts. Using Snare in a team fight, also makes Arum a target which can result in an uneven trade, so be careful. It’s also not advised to use Snare when low on health.

General Strategy

In the laning phase, Arum is a great bully character, especially against other melee fighters. In 1v1 situations, she is able to use the minions to stay healed and continue to be a problem for the opponent. However, skilled ranged characters are able to kite around Arum. Sticking close to deal damage and then catching the opponent off-guard as they attempt to disengage will be the main approach to early game. When Snare is available, try diving them under towers for extra damage and swagger.

When it comes to picking a talent, Arum benefits from Flicker, but lower level players could find sprint useful for keeping up with those fleeing or to turn tail themselves. Purify is also useful when fighting crowd control, but play around with talents depending on the build at work. Arum is one of the more variable tanks, making her easy to build and great for those that enjoy item countering their enemies.

Pairing up with a ranged character can make for a powerful roaming unit that’s able to assist other lanes. We found that playing next to a Yorn or Valhein in lower level play is a great place to be. Even alone though, Arum can be a force to be reckoned with and it only took a couple matches before we got a hand on how she works. 

Item Building Concepts

With Arum, there are several ways to build her, meaning that there is room for player expression through her item loadout.

When it comes to boots, the Gilded Greaves are great for their movement speed, magical defense, and added resistance. Otherwise Sonic Boots can help keep Arum alive when tackling physical damage fighters.

Two items that can be used as a build foundation are Gaia’s Standard and the Amulet of Longevity. These two items boost the amount healed, movement speed, and increase overall health. Stay alive longer and keep the beasts snacking!

From there the item game is all about tailoring Arum to player preference or to take down a pesky opponent. The Mantle of Ra provides burn damage to nearby with extra damage towards minions and jungle monsters. Grab this one if staying in the fray seems appealing. Mail of Pain can also be useful in that style against those doing physical damage. Frosty’s Revenge is also a useful pick for just about any build.

Again, play around with the basics or create something completely unique.

Arcana Setups

Look for ways to boost up Arum’s early advantages, as well as items that boost her movement and health. Locking down a few solid builds to rotate through depending on how a game is going can make for a good basis when choosing Arcana (which is similar to the Masteries system in League of Legends) and presets can be setup to choose during character select.

Closing Thoughts

A skilled player can dance with most enemies, aside from Marksman and Assassins class characters and even some of those can be caught off-guard. Stick close to rack up the lifesteal and just when the opponent reveals a weakness or the line breaks in a team fight, jump them with an aimed Snare or use Uncaged on those running away. While playing casually, it seems that a lot of players gravitate towards the damage dealing Marksman, so showing up to the brawl as a Tank can be a sight that could have teammate cheering.

For a closer look at character stats and how they are affected by various items, the in-game build manager is perfect for crunching numbers. There is also a hero trial that can be used to play around with distances of each ability. Arena of Valor is a game that begs to be tinkered with and those interested in getting the most out of their characters have a lot of check out. 

With the added layer of analog controls through for movement, we actually found Arena of Valor easier to approach than the click-heavy League of Legends, which after many years of changes is a bit daunting to approach as a new player. With Valor it's an incredibly similar setup in a lot of ways, but for some reason we found it easier to control and teach to others. For those intrigued by the MOBA genre, Arena of Valor isn't a bad place to start. 

Soon, we’ll be able to check out how this mobile MOBA fares on the more capable (at least compared to most mobile devices) Nintendo Switch. We’re excited to see how it fares with a traditional controller and with the popularity of the console we could see something magical happen in esports and competitive scenes. There is definitely money to be earned already in major tournaments. 

Until then, check out Arum in all of her bestial glory.