Big Time continues to establish itself as a major force in web3 and blockchain gaming. The cooperative MMORPG Preseason Launch brings a wave of new systems built around player crafting and economy. If you want to understand Time Wardens and how they fit into your gameplay loop, here's what you need to know.
What is a Time Warden?
Time Wardens are collectible specialists that handle the creation, enhancement, and maintenance of Hourglasses. They're the backbone of Big Time's crafting economy, letting you manipulate time-based resources to generate rewards.
Rarity
Time Wardens span ten rarity levels, from Common at the bottom to Unique at the top. Rarity dictates which Hourglasses a Time Warden can work with. A Legendary Time Warden can craft, upgrade, or recharge Hourglasses from Common all the way up to Mythic. The core rule: any Time Warden can only interact with Hourglasses one rarity tier above its own level or below. Higher rarity means broader crafting range and access to better gear.
Types
Time Wardens come in four types, each marked by a distinct color scheme and a specialized bonus that speeds up specific crafting tasks. The four types break down like this:
- Time Warden of Brilliance: Red/Blue coloring. Specializes in recharging Hourglasses.
- Time Warden of Prosperity: Blue/Green coloring. Focuses on crafting new Hourglasses.
- Time Warden of Expedience: Green/Red coloring. Handles both recharging and crafting at 50% efficiency for each.
- Time Warden of Ascendancy: Rainbow coloring. Performs both recharging and crafting at full 100% efficiency.
Each type accelerates its specialty action. How much faster depends on the Time Warden's rarity. Single-focus types generally outpace multi-focus ones in their area of expertise. The Rainbow variant is the exception: you can toggle between Red, Blue, and Green modes, activating whichever bonus you need at the moment. This flexibility lets you adapt your Time Warden's role to match your current crafting priorities.
Beyond Rainbow, all Time Wardens display two colors. You pick one of the two to activate specific bonuses. Red/Blue grants a 5% boost to crafting and recharging speed plus a 5% discount on Time Crystals costs. Blue/Green adds an extra bonus roll slot and cuts Time Crystals costs by 5%. Green/Red increases crafting and recharging speed by 5% and adds one bonus roll slot. Rainbow combines all three sets of bonuses into one package.
Crafting and Upgrading Big Time Hourglasses
Time Wardens consume Time Crystals to craft and upgrade Hourglasses. Freshly crafted Hourglasses start empty. Before they can generate $BIGTIME Tokens, a Time Warden must recharge them.
Recharging Big Time Hourglasses
Hourglasses drain over time and need periodic recharging. Time Wardens spend Time Crystals to refill them, keeping your token generation running without interruption.
Dismantling Cracked Big Time Hourglasses
If you're sitting on surplus Cracked Hourglasses, you can dismantle them to recover a fraction of the $BIGTIME tokens they would have produced. This is most useful when you own multiple Hourglasses or high-rarity versions you don't have time to fully deplete. Dismantling requires a small Time Crystals investment and takes some time to complete.
Leveling Up Your Time Warden
Time Wardens gain experience through crafting and recharging actions. Once they've accumulated enough experience, you can spend Time Crystals to level them up instantly. Higher-level Time Wardens work faster and unlock additional crafting bonuses that improve your output.
When you craft with a Time Warden, you can use bonus rolls to improve the result. Spending Time Crystals lets you lock in specific bonuses, letting you chase the best possible outcome for your crafting session.
Time Wardens drive Big Time's crafting economy, handling everything from Hourglass creation to maintenance. As you dig into the game's systems, lean on your Time Warden to maximize both your rewards and your efficiency.