Beginners Guide to Gem Matching - January 2018 Update

Matching Gems for a Single Enemy

Every time you match 3 gems, each of your monsters of that element will hit one enemy for 100% damage.  The damage done will be equal to your monster's attack statistic after all bonuses have been applied (passive, zodiac, event, etc).

One match of 3 leaf gems

Total Leaf Attack: 100%

Enemies hit: 1

If you connect more in that chain, you'll gain an extra 20% attack for each additional gem.

One match of 4 leaf gems

Leaf Attack: 100%
Extra gems in matches: +20%
Total Leaf Attack: 100% + 20% = 120%
Enemies hit: 1

Every additional 3 gem match will gain another 100% attack for mobs in that element.  In the example below, note that the bottom two matches are not considered to be connected as they only have 2 gems in a row vertically.

Three separate matches of 3 leaf gems

Leaf Attack: 300%
Extra gems in matches: 0%
Combo Bonus: x140% (2 extra matches)

Total Leaf Attack: 300% x 140% = 420%

Enemies hit: 1

Whenever you make more than one match, you then multiply the combo bonus of x(100% + 20%) for each match above a single match regardless of the elements.  The addition above the original 100% multiplier is shown in the bottom left hand corner of your screen after your gem matching.  In the example below, the player has made 6 gem matches, and receives +20% for each of the extra 5 matches beyond the first, for a total combo multiplier of x(100% + 100%) = x200%

The example below shows two matches of 3 gems in different elements:

One match of 3 leaf gems and one match of 3 water gems

Leaf Attack: 100%
Extra gems in leaf matches: 0%

Combo Bonus: x120% (1 extra match)
Total Leaf Attack: 100 x 120% = 120%

Enemies hit: 1

Water Attack: 100%
Extra gems in water matches: 0%

Combo Bonus: x120% (1 extra match)
Total Water Attack: 100 x 120% = 120%

Enemies hit: 1

If you don't have any monsters in your team of a particular element that you've matched, there won't be a resulting attack from that match. However, the match will contribute to the combo bonus and will help you clear the board for more gems in the element(s) you need.

The highest combo bonus that I've seen is this screenshot from SHAKA28 with 21 total matches, for a combo bonus multiplier of x500% (100% + 20% for each of the twenty extra matches = 100% + 400% = 500%).

21 Total Matches gives 400% Bonus.

Screenshot provided by SHAKA28

Matching Gems for Multiple Enemies

The significant number is matching 5 gems in a straight line, L shape, T shape or a cross. Your mobs then will attack all of the enemies for 140% (100% for 3 matches and 40% for the extra 2 gems). If you're facing 5 enemies like in pvp or arena, this is what you want to aim for.

5 Gem Match - Straight Line

Leaf Attack: 100%
Extra gems in matches: +40%

Combo Bonus: +0%
Total Leaf Attack: 100% + 40% = 140%

Enemies hit: All

5 Gem Match - L Shape

Leaf Attack: 100%
Extra gems in matches: +40%

Combo Bonus: +0%
Total Leaf Attack: 100% + 40% = 140%

Enemies hit: All

5 Gem Match - T Shape

Leaf Attack: 100%
Extra gems in matches: +40%

Combo Bonus: +0%
Total Leaf Attack: 100% + 40% = 140%

Enemies hit: All

5 Gem Match - Cross

Leaf Attack: 100%
Extra gems in matches: +40%

Combo Bonus: +0%
Total Leaf Attack: 100% + 40% = 140%

Enemies hit: All

If you're aiming to hit multiple mobs, try to get one 5 gem match in the element of your mobs, and then another 3 gem match in the same element. This hits all the mobs for an extra 100%. If you can find another 3 gem match in the same element, this goes up another 100%.

Matching 5 gems and 3 gems of the same element

Leaf Attack: 200%
Extra gems in matches: +40%

Combo Bonus: x120%
Total Leaf Attack: (200% + 40%) x 120% = 288%

Enemies hit: All

When you're aiming for multiple matches in the same element, make sure to keep them separate.  Whenever three gems are in a row, your matches will connect, whether you intend for them to or not.  The example above used 9 leaf gems in 3 separate matches for a total attack of 340%. The example below was aiming for 3 matches as well, but they've accidentally been connected vertically and have combined into one single large match. The total attack has been reduced to 220%.  However, as there are at least 5 gems involved in this match, all enemies will be hit with this attack.  (A better use of 9 gems for multiple enemies will be to make one match of 5 gems and one match of 4 gems for a total attack of 280%)

 

One connected match of 9 leaf gems
Leaf Attack: 100% (1 match)
Extra gems in matches: 120% (6 gems more than 3)
Combo Bonus: 0%
Total Leaf Attack: 100% + 120% = 220%

Enemies hit: All

Which Enemies will my Monsters Attack?

When you're faced with multiple enemies, how do you know where your attack will go?

By default, the game will optimizes your attacks by directing them to where they will do the most damage with the intent to remove the lowest health monsters first.  This reduces the number of monsters you need to hit and also reduces the number of actives (like snipe, group heal, counter) that your opponent can use.  The game will also check where your monsters gain an elemental advantage, and will apply your attack where you'll do the most damage.  The damage from a wind monster will usually be sent to hit a rock enemy, if possible.

You can also target where you want your attacks to go manually by clicking on the monster you want to hit before you make your turn.  This can be useful to help remove a monster with high health/attack, a strong active, or a danger bar that you want to remove.  In the example below, I've clicked on the right boss to direct my attacks to this monster.

Right boss has been targeted by clicking on it before my turn

Note that actives are designed differently and they will always target the enemies with the highest health.  There is no way to change the target of these active abilities.

Rainbow Special PvP Worked Example & Video

The video below shows two of the best PvP players, facing off with rainbow special teams: Jarennn vs Grapes1982. Both players are playing with level 1 specials in each element, which each has 50 attack points. Watch how many multiple 5 gem matches in different elements, plus extra 3 gem matches for their extra attack and combo bonus, Jarennn can make so very quickly.

For Jarennn's first attack, he matches 0 rock, 3 fire, 3 leaf, 5 wind and 5 + 3 water, as shown in the screenshot below.  

These 6 matches gave him a combo multiplier bonus of: 100% + (5 x 20%) 100% + 100% = 200%.

The total attack on each special is shown below:

The calculations of these attacks are as follows:

Rock Attack:  0 as no rock gems were matched.

Fire Attack:  50 x 200% (combo bonus) = 100
Will be directed at the leaf special for maximum attack (elemental bonus is added after attack)

Leaf Attack:  50 x 200% (combo bonus) = 100
Will be directed at the water special for maximum attack (elemental bonus is added after attack)

Wind Attack:  50 x 140% (2 extra gems) x 200% (combo bonus) = 140

Will be directed at all five opponent specials as 5 wind gems were matched.

*** 141 is shown in the screenshot above due to troop attack bonus

Water Attack:  50 x 140% (2 extra gems) x 200% (combo bonus) + 50 x 200% (combo bonus) = 140 + 100 = 240.

Will be directed entirely at all five opponents as 5 water gems were matched

 *** 241 is shown in the screenshot above due to troop attack bonus

The final attacks are shown in the screenshot below. To identify the element of the special that each attack has hit, look at the colors of the health bars below the specials.  To identify the element of the special attacking, read the color of the damage numbers shown.

Note that the fire damage has hit leaf, and the leaf damage has hit the water special.  In both cases, the total attack increased by 4 attack points due to the 30% element bonus (normally would be 3 points but troop attack bonus has increased this).

Water and wind damage has attacked every special.  The water damage was increased (30% element advantage) when it was applied to the fire special and reduced against the leaf (-25% elemental disadvantage).  The wind damage was increased when it hit the rock monster due to the 30% elemental advantage.

How is Matching Hearts Different?

At the simplest level, matching hearts heals your monsters by the amount of their recovery statistic (plus any combo or extra gem bonuses).  However, matching hearts isn't quite the same as matching regular gems.

In most situations in the game, the health of your team is combined into one total health bar, and when that reduces to zero your team is considered to be defeated.  As there is only one health bar to consider, you need to treat healing as though it is a single monster event.  Only match sets of three hearts (as though you were attacking a single enemy).  (Matching 5 hearts in this situation simply gives you an extra 40% for the two additional gems in the match).

In regular battles, your team has only one health bar

(10470 is the combined health of the team here).

Match 3 hearts to heal all of your monsters

There are exceptions to this though.  In PvP (player vs player) matches, or Arena matches, your monsters are shown with their individual health bars.  This means that when the health of any of your monsters reaches 0, they no longer participate in the battle.  In these two exceptions, healing works the same as regular gem matching does.  If you make a 5 heart match, all of your monsters will be healed.  If you only make a 3 heart match, only your lowest health monster will be healed.  (Treat PvP and Arena healing in the same way as attacking multiple enemies).

In PvP (and Arena) your mobs have individual health bars

shown directly below their picture.

Match 5 hearts to heal all of your monsters

Match 3 hearts to heal only your lowest health monster

Using Swaps and Element Swaps

Swap and Element Swap are actives that players use on their team to increase the number of gems on the board in one element after they activate.  Most players use these in conjunction with a single element team.

When swap activates, it changes all hearts on the board into a different element gem.  Fire swap, for example, changes all hearts on the board into fire gems and is especially useful if all 5 monsters on your team are fire monsters. To play with a swap, try to avoid matching hearts while you're playing so that you can change all of these into fire gems.

Fire Swap changes all heart gems into fire gems

When swap activates, it changes all gems of its weaker element on the board into a different element gem.  Rock element swap, for example, changes all wind gems on the board into rock gems and is especially useful if all 5 monsters on your team are rock monsters. Fire element swap will change all water gems into fire gems.  To play with an element swap, try to avoid matching these weaker element gems while you're playing so that you can later change these into fire gems.

Rock Element Swap changes all wind gems to rock gems

Players with single element (mono) teams, often use both element swap and swap together on their team so that they can have a turn where both activate and they can make a large number of combinations in a single turn. Others choose to activate these in separate turns to help avoid their matches from linking together.

Reward monsters (prizes for trophies earned in an event) are often released with swap+ and element swap+ as their active ability.  It's also possible to sometimes receive a swap monster from spins, but these are combined with "old passives" that are hard to level up.


Video Examples of Using Swap and Element Swap

The video below is an old one by lmslickrick showing how to rearrange your board into single 3 gem matches after swap and element swap have activated. This video shows a common process many players use to make a non-attack match each turn to speed through until swap and/or element swap activates.

This next video (also by lmslickrick) shows a different approach as the battle was based on 8 turns and wasn't time limited. This allows players to spend the time clearing the board of everything but hearts in preparation for swap to activate.  lmslickrick carefully avoids matching hearts each turn, while attempting to clear the board of other gems and relocate the heart gems to make his combinations easier.