Each map in Wickland has a handful of spawn locations, and all item and beast locations are preset. This means that it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with all of the maps, and more importantly, learn where to go when a match starts. This is especially crucial in duel, where beast pick-ups do not respawn unless the owner loses it during combat; being able to seize a majority of the beasts in the first few seconds of the duel makes it much easier to win.

Additionally, there are many spots around the map where wall-jumping at the right moment can lead you to shortcuts that can you time. Experiment with them in Explore mode! It can be hard to put what you learned into actual matches consistently (I know I personally still struggle with it at times), but it's something that you'll gradually get used to over time.

I often see players sticking to their default Human character after a fresh spawn and engaging others right off the bat (usually in warm-up, as you can respawn after death). While the crossbow itself is not a bad weapon, damage mitigation with the Human character is very poor. In comparison, beasts can absorb a fairly heavy chunk of incoming damage and apply a portion of it to their armor value. It's worth the effort to stack up on beasts and health/armor pick-ups before engaging an opponent to maximize your chances of survival, especially in duel mode.

This section only applies to Warm-Up.

In warm-up, beast pick-ups respawn periodically, and picking them up again is a good idea if you have less than 100 armor and/or have less than the default amount of ammo on it. For example, if you control Tass (frog monster) and you have 80 armor and 70 ammo on it, picking up Tass again will raise it to its default values, meaning that you will have 100 armor and 100 ammo on Tass again.

Do note that picking up beasts you already own cannot raise armor/ammo counts above their default. For example, if you control Tass with 80 armor and 120 ammo, picking up Tass again will only raise armor to 100; ammo will stay at 120 and not go to 200.

In duel mode in particular, after the initial beast pick-up rush finishes, armor pick-ups will become an important resource to maintain. Each beast you control have a lifeline of its own, and losing one can be a major setback. In duel mode, beasts do not respawn on a constant timer like in warm-up mode, so keeping yourself on top of armor is especially important in the former.

It's very useful to have custom key bindings for each beast - that way, you can instantly switch to any beast you own to top off on armor without solely relying on the 1-8 keys or the scroll wheel, which can get cumbersome. It's also good practice during combat as well, since you'll be able to change to a specific beast instantly without scrolling. Using the keys around the WASD area is a good start.

When an enemy beast's armor value approaches dangerously low levels, you will be able to hear cries that should give you an idea of how much armor is remaining on it. When a beast "dies", you will see a huge blood burst animation on the enemy - this is important because you will know that the opponent lost a beast (and not because he/she switched to a different beast). Be mindful of these as they help immensely in duel; it sets the stage for a beast to be contested after it respawns.

It also helps to learn to distinguish the various beast cries so that you can make an informed decision on whether you should continue to push on with your attack.

Above all, enjoy yourself! Dueling can be a very mentally taxing mode to play, so don't kick yourself if you feel that you don't have a good handle on item control. To get yourself back on track, I find that a few sessions of warm-up always helps with the jitters; be defensive when you're lacking beasts and health/armor, and move in for kills when the time is right. A few rounds near/at the top of the scoreboard are a confidence booster, too.

The Quick Gameplay Overview guide contains additional information if you're looking for more.

Have fun! Feel free to reach out to me if you have any comments, additions, or suggestions.