Beginner Tips for Ashes of Creation

Getting started in Ashes of Creation can be a bit daunting. With so many different systems to learn – like character archetypes, crafting, and quests – it’s easy to stumble or miss key features, especially if you’re new to the early access version or returning after a break. This guide will provide helpful tips and tricks to help you understand the game and make steady progress without frustrating setbacks.

Choose the Right Archetype

In Ashes of Creation, choosing your archetype at the start is a crucial decision, as it’s your main class and can’t be altered. Later, at level 25, you’ll pick a second archetype that blends with your first, defining your ultimate class.

Secondary archetypes aren’t available yet in the early access version, but the developers plan to add them in a future update. Because of this, your first choice of archetype is really important – you’ll be sticking with it for a while without knowing exactly how all the archetypes will work together. So, it’s best to carefully consider how each one plays before making your final decision.

Choose Your Starting Region Wisely

I’ve been spending some time with the Ashes of Creation Early Access, and right now you’ve got two areas to jump into: Riverlands and The Anvils. While both are functional, let me tell you, they aren’t created equal when it comes to new players. One’s definitely more welcoming than the other if you’re just starting out.

The Riverlands is a great place to begin your adventure in Ashes of Creation. It’s designed to be friendly for new players, with clear goals, helpful guidance, and a smooth learning curve. If you’re new to the game’s systems, we recommend starting here.

The Anvils area shows a lot of promise, but it’s still under development. Quests there are generally harder, and much of the content is designed for groups. If you don’t have a regular team to play with, you might find it quite challenging when you first start exploring.

Use Free Starter Weapons

When you start the game, take a moment to get your bearings. Before running off, press the ‘M’ key to open your map and look for quest markers. These markers show you where to find characters who can give you quests and rewards.

Early in the game, you’ll find some free weapons in the beginning area. Remember to add them to your inventory (by pressing ‘I’) and then right-click to equip the ones you want to use.

Feel free to pick the weapon that best suits how you like to play, and don’t be afraid to try different ones. Your first task will be to defeat goblins as you travel to the next location.

Level Up Through Early Quests

The quickest way to gain experience and rise in levels, especially when you’re just starting out, is by completing quests. You’ll find plenty of quests in the beginner areas that allow you to reach level 6 or 7 all on your own. These quests provide valuable experience, basic equipment, and help you learn how the game works. Actually, it’s often faster to do these quests by yourself rather than with a group, because they’re designed for solo players.

Get into the habit of regularly checking your map for new quests and finishing them before continuing your adventure. Ignoring these early quests can make the game more difficult and require more repetitive tasks later on.

Collect Two Mounts When Starting Out

Traveling on foot is slow and difficult, so getting a mount early in the game is important. You’ll get a basic mount as part of the initial quests. Keep in mind that, unlike some games, mounts in Ashes of Creation aren’t invincible and can be defeated.

If your mount is defeated, it takes about 10 minutes before you can summon it again. Depending on just one mount can be risky, leaving you stuck in dangerous situations with no quick escape. To prevent this, it’s best to get a second mount as soon as possible. That way, if one dies, you can instantly summon the other to get to safety while you wait for the first mount’s cooldown to finish.

Join A Guild

As you progress in Ashes of Creation, joining a guild will become increasingly important. Although you can manage the early stages of the game solo, the game is truly built for playing with others and fostering social connections. Many of the later activities are much more fun and rewarding when experienced with a group.

Joining a guild makes improving your character and advancing in the game much easier. Guildmates can quickly team up for quests and challenging content, share valuable items, and help each other gather and create materials. Guilds also create a fun and social experience, letting you play with others whether you’re completing quests, battling monsters, or engaging in player-versus-player combat.

Understand the Destiny System

Destinies are a key feature in Ashes of Creation, particularly helpful for players just starting out. They’re designed to introduce you to everything the game has to offer by motivating you to experience different activities like fighting, collecting resources, and exploring the world. Think of them as short quest lines that gently guide you through the game’s mechanics.

Press the L key to open the Destiny menu. From there, you can quickly get rewards for completing milestones – things like experience, glimmer, and helpful items. As you progress through Destiny tracks, you’ll unlock better tiers with even more powerful rewards.

Watch Out for Death Penalties

Death in Ashes of Creation has serious consequences, especially early on. When you die:

You gain XP debt, which must be worked off before earning new experience.
You lose some of your carried materials, including glint.
Half of those materials can be recovered by returning to your ashes.
While a single death isn’t devastating, repeated deaths can slow your leveling significantly. Always fight enemies appropriate to your level, use your abilities correctly, and avoid unnecessary risks when carrying valuable materials.

After you die, your body stays in the game for a short while, giving you a chance to go back and retrieve your lost items. But if you don’t get to it before it disappears, everything on it is lost forever.

Store Materials Regularly

If you’re new to Ashes of Creation, expect to die frequently as you learn the ropes of combat, enemy patterns, and how to position yourself effectively. Dying isn’t a minor setback – you’ll lose a significant amount of items from your inventory, including important resources and valuable glint.

It’s really important to get into the habit of using storage for anything you earn. Try not to carry around too many items, or valuable ones, particularly when you’re going on tough quests or to dangerous areas to gain experience.

2025-12-16 21:40