Arena of Valor (AoV) - Pre-Game To Do List

We go over the pre-match to-do list and look at the screens you'll encounter pre- and post-game.
Tutorial
← Ranked Match Pre-Game To Do List Match Flow →

Pre-Match To Do List

Before you get into any game, ranked or not, it’s a good idea to customize the settings for any and all heroes you might wind up piloting.

Set Your Item Build

First off, go to the Armory and mess around with a build that matches your play style. See what the default build advises and compare it to pro builds.

Arena of Valor Pre-Match 1

Even if you have no experience with the items in Arena of Valor, it’s worth your time to see the kinds of effects items can have.

Arena of Valor Pre-Match 2

Set up Your Arcana Page(s)

Arena of Valor Arcana - Arcana Pages

Players above level seven will need to set up one or more Arcana pages that fit the attributes of the heroes they intend to play. Standard (non-magic) life steal, for instance, is useless on a mage, so plan accordingly. You’ll typically want at least two Arcana pages if you want to stay flexible with your hero classes.

Change Your Settings

There are a variety of settings you can play with to make life easier in the middle of a game, particularly under the Control, Interface, and Quick Chat tabs. We recommend the following settings:

Control:

Arena of Valor Recommended Settings

  • Target Lock Mode – Auto-lock. Your standard attack already prioritizes heroes, and you can target minions with the next setting
  • Attack Mode – Minions and Towers. This setting allows you to target seamlessly between the three types of enemy targets (though sometimes you’ll accidentally hit a monster instead of a minion). Very useful when you need to last hit a minion or tower and there’s a pesky hero in the way
  • Targeting Priority – More of a personal preference, but we give a slight edge to Lowest HP amount, as that is most likely what you’ll want to be targeting
  • Avatar Lock Mode – Show avatars can be a nuisance to new players who prefer less screen clutter, but we recommend it for experienced players
  • Ability Targeting – Ability Wheel gives you extra flexibility since tapping an ability has the same effect as turning on Auto-aim
  • Ability Cancellation -This one’s up to your personal preference. Some players may have a tendency to accidentally cancel an ability if “Drag outside the ability area” is on. Others can’t be bothered to drag to the far-away cancel button
  • Ability Wheel Sensitivity – This is relevant for ground-targeted abilities like Yorn’s Explosive Arrow or Kriknak’s Drone Drop. We recommend middle sensitivity, though some players may prefer high. Low sensitivity is not advised, as certain abilities become unwieldy
  • Ability Wheel Placement – Centered on Finger makes it a little easier to tap the ability in the first place, though there’s little difference between the two.

Side note: “Camera Movement” and “Camera Sensitivity” can only be adjusted in-game and are located in the “General” tab. We recommend that Camera Sensitivity be set to 100%, while Camera Movement is a personal preference (though “Slide” is standard).

Interface:

Arena of Valor Recommended Settings 1

  • Quick-Buy Placement – Right Side allows you to easily buy items without reaching over to the left side with your right thumb (or stopping because you used your left thumb)
  • Expanded Mini-Map Placement – Personal preference, though we like the right side
  • The rest of the interface options are fine in their default state, though you’re free to change them

Quick Chat:

Arena of Valor Recommended Settings 2

  • Useful phrases like “I need backup!” and “Clear the minion wave!” can be very useful in game
  • Some phrases like “Rally for a team fight!” are already available on the game screen, so it’s best not to waste a slot on them
  • Flame your allies at your own risk

Streaming:

Arena of Valor Recommended Settings 3

  • Streaming is the latest update of Arena of Valor’s game settings. It enables the player to livestream his match on social media platforms or streaming sites particularly Facebook Live, Twitch or YouTube.
  • Note that not all smartphones or tablets have the capacity to stream. Check with your device provider about the specs and ask how to enable the streaming function with your chosen smartphone or tablet.

Pre-Match Screens

After you’ve chosen to join a Casual or Ranked match and taken the plunge to jump in, it usually only takes a few seconds to find a match for you.

Arena of Valor Pre-Match Screen - Match Found
Press Enter and you’re good to go (conversely, if you don’t press Enter, you may have to wait to join another match).

Arena of Valor Pre-Match Screen - Hero Selection Lobby
Choose a hero, keeping in mind balanced team composition. You can chat with your teammates here and declare your intentions (or yell at them to choose a Tank). Don’t forget to select a suitable talent and Arcana page before the match begins.

Arena of Valor Pre-Match Screen - Match Waiting Screen

Perhaps an all-mage composition wasn’t the best idea
While the game loads, study your opponents’ team composition and talents. A hero who has chosen “Punish,” for instance, is certainly going to be jungling at the start of the game.

Post-Game Screens

Once you’ve played through a game, an MVP will be declared, followed by screens showing what gold, experience, and other rewards you’ve earned:

Arena of Valor Post Game Screen - Player Victory Screen
Tapping through will bring you to the score screen, where you can view the kills, deaths, assists, gold earned, awards, items purchased, and final level of you and your opponents on the Battle Stats tab.

Arena of Valor Post-Game Screen - Battle Details

If only all matches were like this
On the details tab, you can see the total damage, damage to heroes, and damage taken for you and your teammates. You can also view the match length and time and date of the match.

Arena of Valor Post-Game Screen - Battle Stats
Clicking on the + next to an ally or opponent sends them a friend request. Conversely, tapping the ! in the top right corner will switch the friend requests to report buttons. Keep in mind, though, that reporting someone can have serious consequences. It’s perfectly acceptable to report someone who is maliciously AFK or verbally abusive; it is not acceptable to report someone for not being good at the game.

With all the background information at our disposal, let’s get into a game and learn some basic strategy.

Tutorial
← Ranked Match Pre-Game To Do List Match Flow →

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