Guide [Issue 80] Road To 1,000,000 Crystals

[GrandExecutioner 1,403]

 

An Introduction Before The Introduction

I'm going to take you through my thought process on how I've come to write my first ever guide. Is this part a waste of time? Possibly, yes. But hey, you're already reading this.

I've written all sorts of articles. Stories, reviews, pieces that I imagine must go in the 'other' category. What I haven't and initially never planned to write was a guide...ever. I told myself I must never go down this route. No matter what happens, I should never be tempted to stray down the dark path of writing a guide. Because once you're there, there's no coming back. And well...here we are.

Granted this isn't your conventional guide and I have no intention on writing in the same formality as other guides. One must not deter a reader from this opportunity of education after all. Nah. That's not me. You'll find my writing style pretty relaxed for a guide. Worryingly so you could say.

I also can't be bothered to look up synonyms in order to unnecessarily complicate stuff using long, complex words. Take this as my present to you.



The Actual Introduction

Life as a non-buyer is hard. I feel your pain tankers. But buyers don't have to have the advantage in battles. Yes, you heard me right. They don't! Careful planning and being conscious of your crystal wallet will leave you on level platform. No. A higher platform. Suddenly, buyers will be envying YOU.

Why?

Because they spent money to get to the position you are at - you, who spent nothing. Zilch. Nada.

I have no doubt many of you (if not all), clicked on this article due to the word crystals being followed by a large number of 0s. Too good to be true? It gets even better. I am telling you that you can earn 1,000,000 crystals all by the rank of (Lieutenant General) without spending a cent.

What qualifies me to make such a bold and daring statement? Well, by , yours truly had more than 1,500,000 crystals stacked up on this account without touching my real, physical wallet. Yes, I have one and no the credit card is not my mums'.

Let's take this bit by bit. Why did I choose the rank ? First, let me get this out the way, this guide is absolutely NOT aimed only for players below the rank of (Lieutenant General) exclusively. Whether you're a Legend or a Warrant Officer, these tips will come in useful to all. Now on to the rank itself. As many of you know, is when M3s first unlock in the form of kits. As such, this is the rank where you will want as many crystals as possible so that you can take your fancy and splash out on some M3 gear early. Needless to say this will instantly give you an advantage in the field.

In a nutshell, this guide will go through my journey including both the stuff I did and some of the stuff I wish I did to get to that 1 mil crystal goal.

So let's get to it.

There are two ways to get to 1 million crystals. You can either go down the short, easy route or the long, hard route.

 

 

The Easy Way - How To Get 1,000,000 Crystals In A Matter Of Seconds

 

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STEP 1: Open a container.

STEP 2: ...

 

If for some bizarre reason, the above is not possible you're going to have to take the hard way to 1,000,000 crystals outlined below.

The Hard Way

 

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Create a plan
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Exactly what it says on the tin. The first step to getting to that magic 7 digit crystal count is by managing your virtual wallet. And to do that you need to have a plan. A long-term plan. Now, this next part is going to sound very much like a garage analysis. But trust me, you need to know it to understand how I regulated my crystal expenditure.

Personally, I always knew that M3s were the ultimate goal- as obvious as that sounds (and I will get on to that later). For that reason, in the early ranks, all I used was Firebird M1. I had managed to save up to be able to buy a single M2 kit by Warrant Officer 5. That kit was of course Tornado. The M2 XP kit with the very expensive Spark paint (which costs more than the entire kit). This was a good choice on my behalf even if I do say so for myself. In the lower ranks, M2 railgun was incredibly effective and it allowed me to participate in XP/BP battles early. The format which I enjoyed the most.

Magical 'Tornado' gold hunting abilities B)

But I knew I couldn't stick with this combination forever in normal battles. Soon and still at the same rank, I had purchased M2 Isida at a sale. This purchase was actually partially funded by something else (which again, we will get to later).

Just those 3 M2s lasted me a whopping 8 ranks. Unfortunately, by that time I had reached the high ends of the M2 ranks and M3s started popping up frequently in my matches. And let me tell you. Having a light hull, I would constantly be slaughtered in non-PRO battles. Well, no more I said! No more! At Brigadier, I had enough of being tossed around in battles and surrendered some crystals to be able to buy Viking M2 at another sale. By then I had a comfortable 400k from just saving up and using the drugs I gained from my missions only. I have no regrets on buying Viking M2 mainly because I knew I had the crystals to spare, but also because it helped me to complete my missions a lot faster. In addition to that, I was able to get a real taste of the hull and loved it. I knew that I needed the M3 version in my garage.

After what seemed like forever (and actually not that long ago), I had reached the promised land rank of Lieutenant General with around 1,500,000 crystals in my pocket. Before then, I had a general idea of which kits I wanted to buy. A light, a medium and a heavy. The light would have been Touche, simply due to the fact that I wanted M3 BP. The medium was going to be Paladin for two reasons. One, it has Viking. Two, it was one of the cheapest M3 kits out there and a bargain compared to others. I wasn't 100% sure about the heavy kit but I had contemplated between Rock Climber, Gustav, and Ram. In the end, I realised I had a strong dislike for heavy hulls and ended up being set on Prometheus. I loved using Firebird and the M3 looked incredibly fearsome. Unfortunately, it is also the only Firebird kit (sort that out Tanki, seriously).

To summarise, the main points to take away here is to have at least an idea on what you are going to buy and when. This will not only help you in avoiding splashing out on irrelevant purchases but will give you a target to save up to.

Once you get the distractions out of the way and have a clear goal alongside a plan to get there, it is so much easier to save those crystals.

The second point here is to keep an eye on kit rotations in the garage. Plan in advance when you're going to get your hands on a kit and make sure it's a nice variety so that you can mix and match. Don't get a kit where you already have 1 or more of the items.

Keep an eye on those kit rotations!

The final, obvious key thing to note here (yes, I expect you to be taking notes) is that M3s are available only in KITS at Lieutenant General. That means many, many, many tankers face plant spectacularly in the trap where they rank up to but don't have enough for a kit. This is so easily avoidable if you plan early on. So don't be that guy! Or girl!

Get that advantage and get your hands on those M3s before you reach Marshal so you can have blissul gameplay for a couple of ranks.


Shop Smart
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As I've mentioned above, M3s are your "end game" turrets. As such, everything before is just temporary until you reach your end-game turret. With that in mind, you can see how it is pointless to buy every single M2 and M1 leading up to the M3 ranks. Those crystals are better saved for the M3 equipment you will actually need. Ignore the people who say you've got a weak garage because you only have 3 or 4 M2s at Major General. If you have an impressive number of crystals set aside to invest in M3s when you reach the M3 ranks, you can be smug knowing you are going to destroy the person who said that very soon. If you don't however, then I seriously question where those crystals have gone.
Utilise those sales. Don't buy a turret or hull at full price. Try and be patient, wait for a couple of weeks in order to get the same piece of equipment for half the price. Remember there's almost ALWAYS a sale accompanying an event. Use this knowledge to your advantage. Don't spend crystals outside sales. Unless, it is of course, to buy a kit because sales don't apply there my friend.

Having said that, AVOID the temptation to go on a shopping spree before the M3 days. Just because there's a sale DOES NOT mean you need to purchase something.


Play Smart
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There's one big point I want to get across in this section. And that's drugging. I can't stress how many times I see players drugging like there's no tomorrow. I don't mean just buyers. There are non-buyers who seem to have their fingers stuck on the numbers from 1 to 4 (not 5 because let's be real if they had gold boxes, they'd drop it for themselves).

Drug conservatively. Use supply drops in battle as much as you can and don't jab the 2,3,4 keys as a reflex as soon as you spawn. Use drugs which you have gained from missions and other events. Try not to use supplies as soon as you spawn when there are no enemies around. Make full use of your overdrives. Make full use of your teammates' overdrives. The list of different strategies goes on.

Seriously going crazy with drugs will only feel good for a short while. Not only will you be craving for that fix when you run out of supplies, but it also seriously dents how deep your crystal pocket goes. It's time you got out of the habit. Ultimately, drugs cost crystals.

Suns out, guns out, drugs out! For reference, the above picture is how to NOT drug sparingly.

Avoid joining the losing team in a PRO battle. If the scores are close, then by all means feel free to join. But if a side is losing by a large margin and will inevitably lose by the end of the match, do not join in the hope of a miracle comeback. It sounds cold, but you have to think about the crystals you will be missing out on. Of course, this is totally irrelevant in matchmaking where you won't be able to choose your teams.

Finally, perhaps the most simple point, do not leave before a battle ends. Again, it is just crystals being lost. Eventually, all these crystals that you never collected will start adding up.


Every Mission Helps
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Do your missions! There are so many bonuses from doing them that it becomes a crime not to. It will help you to stock up on drugs as well as crystals. Even more than that, you never know what you could get from containers. It might be 1,000,000 crystals from the exotic container which would not only make your life a lot easier but would render this guide useless.

I'm going to leave it at that. It's a pretty simple concept. Do your missions.

 

Widen Your Horizon
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This was without a doubt, my main source of income. Let me explain what I mean by 'widening your horizon'. Put bluntly, there are pots of crystals OUTSIDE battles!

When I bought an M2 Isida straight after Tornado kit, you may be wondering how I accumulated those crystals at such a low rank without buying. The answer lies outside battles and in the forum. Having joined a clan, I had discovered an entirely new world in Tanki. The Tanki Online Forum. Before long, I began participating in a weekly contest called the Tanki Thinking Challenge. For clarity, this was the first edition when it used to be run by several years ago.

Little did I know that was only the start. Years later, I was back to earning crystals through the forum. This time, on the other hand, it was through writing. I had begun to win countless crystals from writing contests such as 'Continue The Story' and 'Write For The Newspaper'. Entering articles in these competitions seriously boosted my crystal wallet in a very short space of time and in a few months I gained several hundred thousand crystals.

I smell contests...

But if you don't enjoy writing and feel you utterly despise it, I will first ask you what you are doing reading this on the Tanki Online Newspaper. But after that, I would tell you that there are other ways of earning crystals other than writing.

If you're artistic, there are always contests floating around for hand-drawn art and even ones that test out your photoshop skills.

If you believe you have no creativity at all but know the game well, there are still contests in the Newspaper that test your Tanki Online knowledge such as quizzes or 'Guess The Map'.

If you're extremely skilful, why not have a go at eSports tournaments and try and earn colossal amounts of crystals from winning and maybe even prestigious paints.

A huge benefactor for me was the Tanki Online War. Having been on the winning team and participating in every round, I had a mountain of containers by the end of it. This probably totaled around 200k in raw crystals alone along with plentiful drugs and some paints.

The list goes on. There is something for everyone. Always keep an eye out for News and Development for up and coming contests.

So that's the story of my life...

Okay, it's time to wrap things up. I've been rambling on about my Tanki journey for a long time and it's time you returned to yours.

These tips are by no means a secret. Nor are they exhaustive. There will be other ways to get crystals. There's no magic way to conjure up 1,000,000 crystals without any work whatsoever (actually there is, but its called hax. Not recommended people, got it?). Despite this, you'd be surprised at the vast number of players who don't put the above guidelines into practice. So many players struggle on saving up crystals. But if you work hard to get those crystals, it'll be so much sweeter and more rewarding than if you clicked 'Buy' in the Shop. In effect, you'll enjoy playing with that turret more knowing you earned it. If you can put into action only a few of these tips, you'll see your crystal income start to flourish. I can guarantee you of that.

A lot of players manage their crystals poorly and so their garage suffers in the later ranks. This can lead to a lot of frustration in battles where you will inevitably pay the consequences of having weaker equipment. As a sort of domino effect, it's not uncommon players end up quitting the game complaining that buyers have ruined the game. Some quit the game entirely while others create new accounts so that they can get better equipment and not go through the same mistakes as the first time. There will always be buyers. The game cannot run otherwise. The trick to successfully competing with buyers is being careful how and when you spend crystals.

In the modern day of Tanki, it is as hard as ever to keep up without buying. But nowhere near impossible. Don't be left behind!

Header created by my one true love: @Viking4s

 

[thethiefofvictory 339]

Play Smart

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There's one big point I want to get across in this section. And that'd drugging. 

*that's

 

Great article, though, loved the unconventional style, keep it up!  ;)

Edited October 6, 2018 by kaisdf
Fixed it molt :c

[GuidoFawkes 2,361]

didn't you get most of those 1500000 crystals from writing contests?? :blink: :blink: :blink: 

[Total_SkiIl 1,983]

grand exterminator would have sounded better

 

---

 

I hope some newbies actually read..

 

 

Edit:

In the modern day of Tanki, it is as hard as ever to keep up without buying. But nowhere near impossible. Don't be left behind!

 

I feel this should be corrected, as due to the current mission chain rewards it is easier than EVER.

Edited October 6, 2018 by Total_SkiIl

[GrandExecutioner 1,403]

didn't you get most of those 1500000 crystals from writing contests?? :blink: :blink: :blink:

 

You are right, a lot of my crystals have come from writing contests- which I stated quite clearly in my article. But this guide is called 'Road To 1,000,000 Crystals' not 1.5 mil crystals. Even putting aside the fact that writing contests are a method of earning crystals (mentioned again in my guide), I got to 1 mil without them.

[You.Have.to.die 519]

It has been a long road, but I'm glad you finally made it. I also made it to 1M using newspaper money. Entering contests is a priority, and enjoying them is just an added bonus. Not too long before you reach Marshal. Also, how long ago was that first photo? That was like your first year of being a clan leader!

[E_polypterus 2,374]

Hey grand executioner,

Did you get crystals for writing this article? If so,how much? Because I too want write one in my leisure time and get some free crystals.

 

And in one part of your article it said some tankers quit their old acc. And start up new ones. Well I'm one tanker who did that. So I'm in warrant officer 1 and bought two m1 kits(harvester kit and fighter kit), I bought fire m1 for 2,600 cry and mammoth m1 for 2700 cry as well. Now I've got 35 500 cry,So I'm saving up to buy either the anaconda kit or boar kit. Which kit would be better?tornado kit sounds good too but like you said it would be hard to play with it in non-pro battles.

[Pun 902]

Great Article , this is interesting

[GrandExecutioner 1,403]

It has been a long road, but I'm glad you finally made it. I also made it to 1M using newspaper money. Entering contests is a priority, and enjoying them is just an added bonus. Not too long before you reach Marshal. Also, how long ago was that first photo? That was like your first year of being a clan leader!

Both of us have come a long way. Ironically, I remember we were the same rank at the start and are still the same rank now.

 

The picture was taken years ago. In fact, I'm pretty sure it may have been my first Tanki pic. I'm also fairly sure you were in the same battle.

 

 

Hey grand executioner,

Did you get crystals for writing this article? If so,how much? Because I too want write one in my leisure time and get some free crystals.

 

And in one part of your article it said some tankers quit their old acc. And start up new ones. Well I'm one tanker who did that. So I'm in warrant officer 1 and bought two m1 kits(harvester kit and fighter kit), I bought fire m1 for 2,600 cry and mammoth m1 for 2700 cry as well. Now I've got 35 500 cry,So I'm saving up to buy either the anaconda kit or boar kit. Which kit would be better?tornado kit sounds good too but like you said it would be hard to play with it in non-pro battles.

 

To be honest, I don't know.

 

You have a lot of M1s. More than you probably need. But what's done is done. Just focus on saving up to any M2 kit right now. It comes down to personal preference. I have always like XP/BP combos which is why I bought Tornado, but if you're not a fan of the mode, I would recommend Boar over Anaconda as I do not like Vulcan one bit. But again, personal preference. You may be excellent with Vulcan and so that kit would suit you better. 

[E_polypterus 2,374]

Thanks a lot. But I thought we get crystals by writing articles. Anyway,I'm a pro in both but I think I'll take anaconda since I like Vulcan and the paint too.

And I also participated in the "caption this" event. If I do win in this do they give rewards to our account on mondays? And they would inform us on the forum right?

[Viking4s 10,791]

No problem bro. It was a pleasure (and I love crystals).

Nice article - The hard-way is the most rewarding way. 

Little help on the way is always appreciated (thanks to the newspaper contest, friends and sales)  :wub: .

[GrandExecutioner 1,403]

Thanks a lot. But I thought we get crystals by writing articles. Anyway,I'm a pro in both but I think I'll take anaconda since I like Vulcan and the paint too.

And I also participated in the "caption this" event. If I do win in this do they give rewards to our account on mondays? And they would inform us on the forum right?

Crystal prizes are issued out on Mondays yes. They won't inform you though. You'll have to check for the results yourself when they are released in the next issue.

 

 

No problem bro. It was a pleasure (and I love crystals).

Nice article - The hard-way is the most rewarding way. 

Little help on the way is always appreciated (thanks to the newspaper contest, friends and sales)  :wub: .

 

:wub:  :wub:  :wub: 

[Total_SkiIl 1,983]

 

 

I would suggest you ask future questions about what to buy? and which is better? here.

 

Not that Grand can't answer your questions, he surely can, but there you will be able to get more answers.

Edited October 8, 2018 by Total_SkiIl

[iliastankichampion 1]

Nah bro i prefer the ez way

http://prntscr.com/l3jmi4

[GrandExecutioner 1,403]

Nah bro i prefer the ez way

http://prntscr.com/l3jmi4

Your first post too. ;)

[Sniper1954_the_dark 52]

Very good article. When first starting out, it is easy to get caught up in wanting to try out every new turret and hull. Kinda like a kid in a candy shop. If you use what I call buying discipline, you can really do well without spending a lot of money. And....of course getting a lucky break with the crates doesn't hurt either. I have already gotten 2-100,000 crystal crates myself ( I still can't believe that!) anyway. Keep up the good work.

[hi-its-mebachoo_3000 1,247]

You drop the gold with the 6 key, not 5 :P.

Edited October 13, 2018 by hi-its-mebachoo_3000

[IsrvGod2 12]

 

Awesome article!! You touched all the fine points. I have two accts. My first one more than 2 years old is currently at Field Marshall. I did all the wrong things to get that far. I bought either with crystals earned or credit cards everything I could get my hands on. That account has all M2 hulls with 2 M3's. Plus 3 M3 turrets. Also all alts to go with those turrets. I have no idea how much that all cost. Needless to say it was not a smart move on my part. With my newest account with the rank of Major General. Is just hitting 1 year old. That's fast. Why? Saving crystals along with smart buying. You brought up the subject of waiting for events. Good advice. Tanki has so many of them it's hard not to be smart with your crstals. Another great point you touched on was not buying an entire garage. Good advice. Acquire 2 turrets and 2 hulls. Constantly upgrade this equipment. Be patient. Be dilligent. Become proficient with these tanks. You'll see crystals slowly build up. 2 other points you touched on that are worth mentioning again. Complete your daily missions. I get 75K every month for completeing my daily missions. That doesn't include the crystals I earn during those daily missions. And 1 final point you don't have to be a buyer of crystals in the shop. I agree totally. But, becoming a member for a few dollars a month has increased my crystals beyond my expectations. The rewards will be very visable. Thanks again for a great article. IsrvGod2/TinCanJoe

Edited October 10, 2018 by Flexoo
Please do not quote whole topic. Thank you.

[GrandExecutioner 1,403]

You drop the gold with he 6 key, not 5 :P.

Mults drop gold with the 5 key.

 

 

Awesome article!! You touched all the fine points. I have two accts. My first one more than 2 years old is currently at Field Marshall. I did all the wrong things to get that far. I bought either with crystals earned or credit cards everything I could get my hands on. That account has all M2 hulls with 2 M3's. Plus 3 M3 turrets. Also all alts to go with those turrets. I have no idea how much that all cost. Needless to say it was not a smart move on my part. With my newest account with the rank of Major General. Is just hitting 1 year old. That's fast. Why? Saving crystals along with smart buying. You brought up the subject of waiting for events. Good advice. Tanki has so many of them it's hard not to be smart with your crstals. Another great point you touched on was not buying an entire garage. Good advice. Acquire 2 turrets and 2 hulls. Constantly upgrade this equipment. Be patient. Be dilligent. Become proficient with these tanks. You'll see crystals slowly build up. 2 other points you touched on that are worth mentioning again. Complete your daily missions. I get 75K every month for completeing my daily missions. That doesn't include the crystals I earn during those daily missions. And 1 final point you don't have to be a buyer of crystals in the shop. I agree totally. But, becoming a member for a few dollars a month has increased my crystals beyond my expectations. The rewards will be very visable. Thanks again for a great article. IsrvGod2/TinCanJoe

 

Sounds like you get the gist. I'm glad it helped- if at least to support what you learned through your first account.

[Shaftermath 185]

Interesting read, thanks GE.

There's a third way too, but rather than discuss it here, maybe I'll write the article. :)
 

[GrandExecutioner 1,403]

Interesting read, thanks GE.

 

There's a third way too, but rather than discuss it here, maybe I'll write the article. :)

 

Looking forward to reading it.  :D

[DragonOfStorms 2,706]

Great topic. This really reflects my strategy as well - I'm at 1.04 million and counting.

[Michael828 816]

On my profile it says I already earned 1.37 million crystals in my gaming career....

 

Although I barely remember only like 2 times where I actually had more than 100,000 cause I always wasted them on useless stuff.

[rishabhhaunt 1,629]

Best way to earn crystals, 1 mission per day, no exp. I earn 300k-1mil per rank by that ;) (but rank once in a year  :ph34r:  :ph34r:  :ph34r: )

I earlier earned like 200k-300k per rank, but after i reached brigadier(and used my 200k which i had for buying equipments and supplies) i was left with nothing. I didn't had crystals to buy some speeds for parkour as well. Then I started saving drugs by doing 1 mission a day and easily got weekly supplies and crystals and also containers. It has been around 8-10 months since i ranked and I am up halfway and I play the game nearly everyday(except from the past 20 days when I haven't played a bit). I do 1 mission and move to parkour battles as it is the only interesting thing for me in this game. I am with 660k right now(and used aorund 100k this rank for buying supplies and around 80k for equipments). Also, I have an alt account called @rishabhk where i use the same strategy and I've got 2 m2.7, all available m2's at that rank (except hornet) and 4 more m1's which are 10/10. It is so easy to get crystals without ranking  :lol:  :lol: .

Edited October 15, 2018 by rishabhhaunt

[P.4.R.K.O.U.R 329]

I didn't have crystals to buy some speeds for parkour as well.

But I don't need any... :ph34r: