Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is finally here, and you can start swinging magic for free on iOS and Android.
Developed by Niantic, the same minds behind Pokémon GO, Wizards Unite is all about the secret world of wizards and witches. Using Augmented Reality features in your smart phone, you’ll be able to search real-world locations, capture fortresses, spot hidden creatures and magic artifacts, and generally play out an awesome Harry Potter fantasy adventure anywhere you go.
It’s also a complicated little game — Pokemon GO players should have plenty to latch onto, but the rest of us might get lost in this wizarding world. Below, I’ve got 10 tips you should know before delving too deep. This list is designed for players that already know the basics, but need a few pto-tips to manage all the systems at play.
Download Harry Potter: Wizards Unite for free here: iOS |Google Play | Galaxy Store
#1. You Have Limited Inventory — Make Room For Rare Ingredients
When you start the game, you’ll be hunting for all sorts of collectibles, ingredients, and items. You’ll have a very limited Vault — only 50 potions and 200 ingredients. That will get filled up fast, and as you level up and play longer, you’ll have to make room for more. You can delete your ingredients — just remember to do it before you find more foundables.
#2. Craft Potions & Use Them Often — Especially If You Plan On Playing A Lot!
If you’re planning on playing long sessions, it makes the most sense to craft potions constantly. You’ll quickly refill your ingredients with foundables, and you get XP bonuses for constantly brewing. Brewing takes a little bit of time when you first start, but there are ways to speed things up — if you’re constantly using potions, you’ll have an easier time, and have more room for new potions / ingredients in your vault.
#3. You Can Speed Up Crafting With Master Notes
Here’s something you might not notice — when brewing up potions, click the spoon on the cauldron to get Master Notes. By performing these gestures, you’ll speed up the brewing process by about 10%. After brewing three of the same type of potion with Master Notes, they’ll be saved to the recipe so you won’t need to memorize the gesture.
#4. You Can Purchase An Inventory Upgrade For $10 — It Might Be Worth It
You can also purchase a vault upgrade for $10. If you’re a serious player, it’s probably worth spending a little real-life money to make life much, much easier. The starting inventory is so small, it can get aggravating just trying to manage all the stuff you’re getting. Ease off and just enjoy with this in-app purchase. You’ll earn enough in-game currency eventually, and you can use it to buy a Vault Upgrade without even spending real-life cash.
#5. Save Your Silver Keys For Long Portmanteaus
You’ll be collecting lots of Keys in this game — Gold Keys and Silver Keys. They’re useful to open Portmanteaus. Use your Gold Keys on the shortest Portmanteaus (2km), and save your Silver Keys for longer Portmanteaus (5km, 10km). You’ll get lots of Silver Keys early on, but you don’t want to waste them. The game gets much stingier later!
#6. Use Brain Elixirs Before Opening A Portmanteau
Brain Elixirs are special potions that double the amount of XP you earn from opening a Portmanteau. You might think you need to save these, but it’s smarter to just use them every time you open a Portmanteau — it’s one of the best ways to earn XP. Drop a Brain Elixir and open a Portmanteau, and you can get 1,000+ XP.
#7. Save Up 30 Spell Energy Before Going For Fortresses
Fortresses are the arenas of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. There, players will sling spells and fight to take control. Before attempting a Fortress, you’ll want a good amount of Spell Energy — about 30 or more. These areas are long, and if you run out of energy, you’ll just get dumped out with nothing to show for all your hard work. You can pay 100 Gold to continue, but that’s a pretty steep price. You don’t want to do that every single time.
#8. You Can Cast Spells From The Overview Menu By Dragging & Dropping
From the overview menu in a Fortress, you can see what is going on with other players — everyone is locked in a one-on-one battle, but you can still cast spells from here. Your spells are in a list, and dragging one will show you who (or what) you can cast it on. Simply drag-and-drop spells to cast them on friends or foes.
NOTE: You can more Spell Energy from defeating opponents. If you team up with a friend, both players will get more Spell Energy when they win.
#9. When Fighting In A Fortress, Match Against The Right Opponents
Every foe is one of three types — depending on the foe, you can match against them with an advantage. Try to match yourself against enemies that give you a green [+] bonus. That’s the ideal, but it isn’t always possible. You can check advantages on the Overview menu.
#10. If You’re Looking To Farm XP, It’s Easier To Complete Level 1 Fortresses
If you’re farming for XP, the best thing to do is focus on completing Level 1 Fortresses. Higher level fortresses give you better rewards, but the XP isn’t that much better. Just play through Fortress Level 1 quickly and grab your 250 XP reward. Enjoy some Brain Elixir with that to double your rewards.
That’s all the tips we have so far! Check back soon for more guides, secrets, and information on Harry Potter: Wizards Unite!
