Quad-Boxing in Wizard101

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I recall a couple of you asking us Final Bastion members to share some of our experiences while playing Kingsisle games, and in this article I’m going to cover something remarkably similar. It’s no specific experience of mine, but rather the style I play Wizard101. Over the time, I have gotten used to playing Wizard101 by quad boxing. I play with 4 accounts, but I definitely recommend starting with one and then start dual-boxing before jumping right to quad-boxing.

 

What is Quad-Boxing?

It’s a rather common feature that is not unique to Wizard101, but also to any other game. The main concept is being able to run more than one of the same game at the same time. In this case, there will be 4 Wizard101 games open at the same time. It can be any number of accounts / games, but in this article I’m going to focus on quad-boxing. Also note (as this is a common question I get asked) this is not something that will breach Wizard101’s terms of use.

 

How is it possible?

It’s simple enough… or not! You require as many accounts as you are planning to play. Thus, 4 games equals 4 accounts.
Additionally, you will notice the window on the right popping up when you try to log in with multiple accounts at the same time. This only pops up when you try to open multiple launchers (not the game itself). You can counter that issue by simply opening one launcher at a time, and when you hit ‘Play’ it’s safe to open another one.

 

Requirements

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There are a couple of things you probably should know before going down this rabbit hole.

• First of all, it takes time! Yes, playing multiple wizards at the same time will obviously take more time than playing one. You have to factor in a lot of issues such as single player restricted battles, and some side activities including gardening, pet training and crafting.
• It can also be a cost issue, especially if you are planning on playing the entire game and not just the free-to-play content. I personally recommend doing the free-to-play content first before purchasing crowns or memberships, to test whether you like playing more than one wizard or not and decide from there. However, if you are committed and have the resources needed, I recommend getting the one year membership deal.
• Another factor to consider is your computer. Make sure your computer can handle multiple games at once!
• One last thing! Patience! You will need it at times, but trust me it will pay off with the amount of fun you will have.

 

Restrictions

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There are also a couple limitations you will have to face. First, you won’t be able to play in full-screen. Of course this can be avoided with specific setups, but generally you won’t be able to. Also, choose which resolution you prefer to run. I prefer running all 4 games using 1920×1080 and switch windows from the taskbar. However, you might prefer running all games in small resolutions so you can see everything side by side. Second, and this is more of a tip rather than a restriction, only keep one of the games’ sound turned on. Protect your ears, it can be quite strange listening to 4 games at the same time. Third there is the battle timer! You’ll need to be quite agile as to pick the right spell in those pesky 30 seconds, and not to mention getting all your wizards in the duel circle on time!

One more thing! Do consider that if you’ll be playing 4 wizards there won’t be room for anyone else to join you. Unless that is your intention, do be warned that it can become quite lonely and this can reflect on your friends list!

 

PvE vs. PvP

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Before going any further you need to ask yourself, “Am I a PvE or a PvPer?”. There are little similarities to these sides of Wizard101 and they certainly impact how you look at the game. Personally, I am a PvE person and my idea of fun in Wizard101 is going after some tough boss like Omen Stribog, Mimic or Malistaire in Darkmoor. So, believe me when I say I can’t imagine myself even dual-boxing in PvP let alone quad-boxing, but if you think you can handle it then who am I to stop you.

In PvE you know what to expect and can come up with extremely reliable strategies to overcome the enemy, however I cannot say the same for PvP due to the lack of predictability from your opponent. Consider this before taking action!

 

The Perks

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It’s not all dark and gloomy, actually not at all! There are various benefits to Quad-Boxing such as:

• Four times the rewards! Imagine all that loot in Darkmoor or other dungeons!
• You can solo anything. While this may take some time and getting used to you will be able to solo every PvE battle out there.
• You can use your wizards as teleport markers in your downtime, such as when browsing the Bazaar, gardening, pet training in Pet Pavilion.
• Training multiple pets at the same time. Pet Pavilion games are not that hard to navigate so they can be easily managed by quad-boxing!
• Even though this one is rare and requires the approval of Kingsisle, you can transfer high level characters between accounts. Do remember that you need the accounts to have an active one year long membership, the accounts be linked together and Kingsisle has to approve through their internal safety checks.

 

Assembling the Right Team

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Before starting your adventure in Unicorn Way do take some time to consider what your team will look like once it’s leveled up some more. I always dreamed of having my perfect team be made up of a support Sorcerer (Balance), a healer Theurgist (Life), a tank Necromancer (Death) and a Diviner as a hitter (Storm). Once I achieved this team and got them geared up at high levels I felt unbeatable! So take some time to consider the wizard combinations that mix well together.
On the other hand, you can always choose to have more than one hitter to try and speed things up. It all depends on your personal preferences. I’ve run both a team with one hitter and a team with 3+ hitters and they are both very effective. I tend to lean more towards the one hitter setup.

 

Deck Setup

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This requires some co-ordination which you’ll easily get over time. First, learn your wizards’ power and limitations and then you can set the right deck. As I previously mentioned, I prefer to use my Balance, Life, Death and Storm team and this is the deck setup I use for most battles. Note: This isn’t a deck recommendation, but an overview of what you could use. I prefer not to throw in many shields or heals as they can overcrowd my decks with spells I don’t see as a priority. Also, this is meant for high level wizards as evidence from the shadow spells. At lower levels (first arc) having more than one hitter is highly effective.

As you will probably notice I refrain from tossing a lot of cards in my spell deck. This is due to the fact that you will only have the 30 seconds to pick the right cards and you won’t always have the luxury of discarding / drawing cards due to the time limit. Do throw in some other spells such as Donate Shadow and other spells that can work perfectly in a team. Got to remember to have fun, no? Additionally, make sure you make the best use of your side decks! Don’t overload it with spells you think you won’t need, but do keep useful utility spells such as cleanse charm, pierce and so on as you may never know what surprises those enemies may throw at you.

 

Tips and Tricks

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Trust me, you need to know these!

• Dual player mounts are a life saver! Cannot thank Kingsisle enough for the Creepy Clown Car! Other plausible mounts include:
  • Hydra mount – dropped from Hoard of the Hydra pack
  • Tyrannosaurus Rex – dropped from Ixcax Cursedwing
  • Winter Treant – dropped from Omen Stribog
  • Pirate Rowboat – dropped from Captain Hockins
• Use the ‘NumLock’ key to enter battles. This will enable your wizard to run in the direction they’re facing on their own.
• Farming for gear can be more effective than crafting in a quad-boxing scenario.
• No over crowded decks!

 

To conclude, I’d like to point out that these are my personal thoughts and views on the matter. This method of gameplay is strictly not for everyone as what I’ve gathered from personal experience. However, if you are interested in it but think you can’t manage 4 at a time, don’t worry! Take baby steps and add one account at a time. That is how I and several other Quad-Boxing players started after all!

Are you going to try mastering Quad-Boxing
or have you done it already?

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