I have to say that from my point of view (a new player to CS) that the Low Level guide is mostly a guide to angering. It doesnt specifically lead new players through the game. It spends a couple of lines talking about gems available, but it doesnt tell you what you need to do to be able to complete other levels. I think a low level guide needs to be more tailored to new players and give specifics to keep players interested. I'm currently level 23 and i'm stuck progressing on the harder maps (which I get with all gemcraft games and then have to go look for guides to suggest best gem types and strategies to get further)
Can someone do a guide for new players or at least point people to one that is useful instead of talking about stuff that is fairly meaningless to anyone except a hardcore Gemcraft player?
the reason for the guide's talking about angering is that is the key to getting through higher levels. You have to go back to redo the levels you have completed, using battle traits and or angering the waves in order to get more experience and thus higher levels. The game is designed that you cant just work your way through from level to level in a "linear" fashion for lack of a better word. So read the guides about angering, and then go back and do some of those levels you have done already to boost your wizard level, then try those harder maps. This in turn will let you access the other gem types and open up the strategy and discussion about gem types and how to combine them for different maps. Most guides lean towards premium players who have bought the wizards pouch, but the general concepts will apply for those who have havent. I have "beaten" the game both with and without the pouch, and while its easier with, my basic strategy works with both.
My only comment in hind sight, is i talk about just angering with Grade 1 gems. i would say now that once you get up to 4 or 5 grade 1s, you could upgrade to a grade 3, and only bomb one or two. See how comfortable you are with it.
Actually jdguy99, the angering was in the "low-level guide" because originally it was written for players up to level 1000. So as I've posted there, its not really a true "low-level" guide lol.
I think Jdguy meant my guide. Ironically, my guide-as flawed as it is, since it doesn't help total newbies much at all-is still the only true "low level" guide. the other guy wrote it for premium.
Perhaps I should have called it "munchkin's guide to low level".
Angering is very much the method of choice to claw your way out of the low level category into the mid level bracket.
Suppressing gem was changed, too, it's not like anyone uses it, though.
If you are interested on the change Peter put down some weird coefficients there and completely defeated supergemming: the best recipe for suppressing is simple U.