Wizards Unite is the new augmented reality app game from Niantic, the same company that brought us all Pokemon Go. In this blog post, I'm sharing tips and tricks for Wizards Unite, as well as strategies for getting more energy, more coins and all kinds of fun stuff.
If you're anything like me (I mean, you are or you wouldn't be reading this) you have been waiting a very long time for this game to come out. When the previous Harry Potter game came out — Hogwarts Mystery — I was excited. But when I found out about Wizards Unite, Hogwarts Mystery lost all interest for me. There is nothing like walking through the real world and encountering creatures and characters and things from Harry Potter!
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The information in this blog post based on my own experience, plus tips and tricks from the IGN Wizards Unite wiki.
Getting Started
Fill Out Your ID
Your ID looks really cool, like a passport. Choose a name and a profession. My name is Hepsibah Witch. I chose Hepsibah because it's my favorite name in all the books. And I chose Witch for my last name because I couldn't think of a really good last name that would fit.
As for a profession, I chose to be a professor just because I'm all about education. I was truly a nerd in school. I was that person. You can also be an Auror or you can be a Magizoologist.
I feel that's limited. What about Magical Law Enforcement? What about a wand maker? I understand they can't have all the wizarding professions, but a few more would have been nice.
Once you choose a profession, you start “taking lessons.” You earn scrolls and books when you complete tasks or earn achievements. Then you “spend” those on learning lessons in your profession. The more lessons you take, the better you get in your profession and the stronger you are in combat and in catching Confoundables.
Choose a Wan
The game doesn't have all the one choices that I wanted. I wanted to choose reed for my wand because that's the kind I bought in the Wizarding World at Universal Studios, Orlando. I chose reed because it's for wordsmiths. I'm a writer and reed was supposed to be good for writers. But Wizards Unite doesn't have that option But they have all kinds of other wood for wands.
You can look up one of your favorite characters, see what kind of wand they have, what's in the core of their wand, and choose the same thing.
Then you get to take a selfie. They have all kinds of awesome filters. I change my ID picture pretty much daily because, as you level up, more frames and filters and stickers become available.
You're also going to choose a house. I'm Gryffindor.
Gameplay
You'll start encountering Confoundables right away. I run into a lot of Care of Magical Creatures Confoundables because there's a Care of Magical Creatures flag planted in the park next to my house. When you encounter them, you trace a spell to release them and return them to wherever they came from.
You expend wand energy every time you use a spell, whether you're casting a spell to bust up a Confoundable or you're casting a spell to fight an enemy, or you're casting a spell to grow your plants. (More on plants in a mo'.)
What to Look For
I'm very lucky. I have three inns and a fortress that aren't even a quarter of a mile away from me. (I don't know what that is in kilometers for you, UK people).
Inn
You visit an inn to “eat” and recharge your wand energy. It's random what you'll get to eat. You might eat Honeyduke's candy; you might eat Honeyduke's chocolate; you might eat Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans; you might eat a full course meal. The bigger the meal, the more wand energy you get. So, if you drink pumpkin juice, guess what? You get about three energy. You can “eat” again at that inn after five minutes.
But I don't really want to sit at an inn for half an hour to really build up my wand energy. (Although, if you're desperate, you could.) My number one frustration is how quickly your wand energy depletes and how difficult it is to replenish. I know Niantic and the other companies involved want to make money. I know they want us to spend money to buy more wand energy. I get it. But in other games it is much easier to replenish that which you lose. Even in Pokemon Go, I felt that getting more Pokeballs was much easier than it is to get more wand energy.
Fortress
Also be on the lookout for Fortresses (they look like castles). That's where you do battle and win Wizard Challenges. I found these to be difficult in the beginning. You might want to level up a bit before you head to a fortress. That way you won't use up a lot of your wand energy for no reason. If you can't beat the enemy, level up and come back.
There are rooms in the fortress that you work your way through. The higher the room, the harder the foes are to beat, but the better the rewards are. You can also team up with friends to defeat enemies in the fortress.
To fight an enemy, a.k.a. take a Wizarding Challenge, you must use a runestone that you've earned. Again, the higher the number on the runestone, the more difficult the enemy will be to beat. And, your enemy's category is usually related to the kind of runestone you choose.
Greenhouse
There are also greenhouses. as I mentioned, where you can grow plants, which are used as potion ingredients. When you enter a greenhouse, you're given three pots. It's like the shell game. And you pick one. And depending on what you pick, you might get ingredients, you might get seeds or you might get energy.
You can also earn more energy when you finish daily tasks or S.O.S. assignments or level up. Those things can be found in the box in the bottom right with the checkmark.
Items
Dark Detectors
Now, I didn't understand these at first at all. Now I am so psyched about them that I want to go out and plant a bunch of Dark Detectors everywhere.
You post Dark Detectors at inns. They work like lures do in Pokemon Go. The more Dark Detectors you post (up to 3) the more Confoundables you'll attract. At least, that's the theory.
Before I understood them, I made the huge mistake of putting down a Dark Detector and then going on my merry way! I probably missed out on a ton of Confoundables.
Potion Ingredients
You pick up potion ingredients as you explore. You brew potions in your vault. The potions are pretty self-explanatory, except for the Master Notes. I didn't know you could stir your cauldron until I read it online! Tap the spoon handle and then try to guess how to stir the pot to make it brew faster. (Refer to this chart for how to stir your cauldron.) Once you guess the correct order, it will be saved in the Master Notes.
Portkeys
Dude. Portkeys are locked in these triangular-ooking portmanteaus. They should pop up as you explore and you just tap on it to collect it, like you would a potion ingredient. But inside is a portkey. To open the portkey, use one of the keys that you've earned by leveling up or winning challenges. Then you have to walk a certain distance to unlock it. Kind of like hatching an egg in Pokemon Go. And yes, your app has to be open for it to track how far you're walking.
I finally got one unlocked and it was so worth it! I tapped the portkey and a square came up on my screen. The game said to place that square somewhere. So I placed it in front of me — I happened to be in my living room — and then a portal apepars! Like a window to another place! And the other place was Borgin & Burkes! That's my favorite store in Knockturn Alley in the Wizarding World in Orlando. You literally, physically have to walk through the portal to get to the other place. And I did. And when you get to the other place, there are Confoundables and things that you can't get back in your world.
Potions
I am a potion fiend. I'm unhappy to use up my potions, because it also uses up ingredients. But, using my ingredients to brew potions opens up room in my vault. I have run out of space in my vault many, many times.
When your vault gets full, I wish you could sell ingredients and potions and runestones and things to make room and make a little coin. You could see them for less than you paid or less than they're worth. I think that would make it a lot easier to get energy. But, you can't.
Tasks
When you start playing Wizard's Unite, focus on doing your daily tasks. You can see the list when you click on the checked box in the corner. If you focus on those every day, you will automatically do all these other things that I'm talking about.
Story
Of course, there's a story within Wizards Unite. There's a mystery about Penelope and Grim Fawley. As you progress in the game and find clues, you find out a little bit more of the story.
I was bummed that the actual actors and actresses aren't doing their characters' voices. Harry Kind of sounds like Daniel Radcliffe, but it's definitely not Emma Watson as Hermione. But you mainly deal with a different character from the ministry named Constance.
You will encounter characters from the Wizarding World and creatures from the Wizarding World that you're familiar with. So far, my favorite encounter has been with Snape. Peeves is also fun.
Code Names
Now, I wasn't aware of this until I read about it. Code names in Wizards Unite are basically usernames, once a name has been picked at cannot be used by anyone else. There are certain areas of the map where nearby players will be able to see your code name on the map. I have not encountered that yet but I am not in a highly populated area, and I am certainly not in an area where a ton of Harry Potter fans are. (I stand out like a sore thumb. You have no idea. I think I'm probably the only grown up playing this that I know.) If you live in a major metropolitan area, you will probably see other code names on your map.
You'll also be able to see your friends' code names. (Feel free to invite me to be your friend. I've said yes to everyone because I can't tell who you are.) Friends come with benefits because you win an achievement when you get 20 friends.
Your name will also be displayed when you interact at fortresses.
Bottom Line
I'm having a blast with Wizards Unite. It's so, so fun. You don't have to be an expert to play. As my daughter says, if I can do it, anyone can do it. I hope that you took some Wizards Unite tips and tricks that will help you build up energy and build up coins. Focus on those daily tasks in your registry, and anytime you see that red dot, tap where the red is, because then you'll see what you just earned.
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