Blade & Soul
Blade & Soul

Beginner's FAQ

Beginners in Blade & Soul learn how to start with your character and initial steps to begin slaying demons and mastering martial arts effectively.

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Beginner's FAQ

Welcome, fledgling warrior, to the vibrant and dangerous world of Blade & Soul! This FAQ is designed to equip you with the essential knowledge and actionable steps to navigate your early adventures and establish a strong foundation. Don't worry, we'll cover the basics and get you slaying demons and mastering martial arts in no time!

Q1: How do I get started with my character and initial gear?

Upon creating your character, you'll be thrust into the tutorial zone. Pay close attention to the initial quests, as they guide you through basic movement, combat, and skill usage. Your first priority is to complete these introductory missions to unlock essential features and receive your starting equipment.

  • Follow the Main Story Quests: These are marked with a yellow arrow on your minimap and are crucial for progression. They will lead you through the early zones like the Viridian Coast and Cinderlands, providing a steady stream of experience, gold, and gear.
  • Equip Your First Weapon: You'll receive your first weapon, typically a Novice Weapon, during the very first tutorial quest. equip it immediately by opening your inventory (default key: I) and dragging it to the weapon slot.
  • Soul Shield Basics: Your initial Soul Shield pieces will be awarded through early quests. These are vital for defense. Collect all 8 pieces to complete your first set, such as the Viridian Coast Soul Shield, which offers basic defensive stats. These pieces drop from various enemies and quest rewards in the Viridian Coast region.
  • Accessory Acquisition: Look out for your first accessories like the Novice Ring and Novice Earring from early quest rewards. These provide small but important stat boosts.

Q2: What should I focus on during my first few hours of gameplay?

Your initial hours in Blade & Soul are all about learning the ropes and powering up your character efficiently. Here's a breakdown of key activities:

Combat and Skill Mastery

  • Practice Combos: Each class has unique skill rotations. Spend time in the tutorial area or against low-level monsters to practice your basic attack chains and skill combos. Understanding your class's flow is paramount.
  • use Defensive Skills: Blade & Soul's combat is highly active. Learn to use your defensive skills like blocks, parries, and evasions (often tied to your 'F' or 'Tab' keys) to mitigate damage and set up counter-attacks.
  • Stun and Knockdown: Pay attention to enemy "CC" (Crowd Control) bars. Using skills that apply Stun, Knockdown, Daze, or Grapple at the right time can interrupt powerful enemy attacks and create openings for massive damage.

Questing and Progression

  • Prioritize Main Story Quests: As mentioned, these are your primary source of experience and progression. They unlock new zones, features, and provide significant gear upgrades.
  • Daily Quests (Dailies): Once you reach the Cinderlands, you'll start encountering Daily Quests. These are repeatable quests that offer valuable experience, gold, and often crafting materials or reputation tokens. Look for the blue quest markers.
  • Side Quests: While not as critical as Main Story quests, side quests (green markers) offer additional experience and sometimes useful items. Complete them if you need a boost or want to explore more of the lore.

Q3: How do I upgrade my gear effectively as a beginner?

Gear progression in Blade & Soul involves several systems. As a beginner, focus on these core methods:

Weapon Upgrades

  • Evolving Your Weapon: Your primary weapon, such as the Hongmoon Weapon you receive early on, is designed to be evolved. This process involves "feeding" it other weapons and upgrade materials.
    • Materials: You'll need Evolution Stones (like the Viridian Evolution Stone) and other weapons (often dropped from dungeons or purchased from merchants) to evolve your Hongmoon Weapon.
    • Process: Open your inventory, right-click your Hongmoon Weapon, and select "Evolve." Drag the required materials into the slots and confirm.
    • Where to find materials: Early Evolution Stones are often quest rewards or can be purchased from the General Merchant in major hubs like Bamboo Village or Jadestone Village.

Soul Shield Upgrades

  • Fusing Soul Shields: Soul Shields can be fused with other Soul Shield pieces to transfer their bonus stats. This is crucial for optimizing your defensive capabilities.
    • Fusing Materials: You'll need specific Soul Shield Prisms (e.g., Viridian Soul Shield Prism) and a Soul Shield piece with the desired stat to fuse.
    • Process: Open your inventory, right-click the Soul Shield piece you want to improve, and select "Fuse." Place the prism and the "fodder" Soul Shield (the one with the stat you want to transfer) into the slots.
    • Stat Prioritization: As a beginner, focus on fusing for Critical Hit Rate, Accuracy, and Defense.

Accessory Upgrades

  • Evolving Accessories: Similar to your weapon, your primary accessories (ring, earring, necklace, bracelet, belt) will also be evolvable. The process is identical to weapon evolution, requiring specific Evolution Stones and other accessories as fodder.
  • Early Accessory Sources: Main story quests and early dungeons like the Blackram Narrows are excellent sources for your first set of evolvable accessories.

Q4: What are the most important currencies and how do I earn them?

Understanding the various currencies is vital for managing your resources:

  • Gold (G): The primary currency for purchasing items from merchants, repairing gear, and using the marketplace.
    • Earning Gold: Completing quests (Main Story, Dailies, Side Quests), selling unwanted items to merchants, and participating in dungeons are your main sources.
  • Silver (S) and Copper (C): Smaller denominations of gold. 100 Copper = 1 Silver, 100 Silver = 1 Gold.
  • Naryu Coin: A valuable currency used for purchasing rare crafting materials, weapon/accessory upgrade materials, and special items from the Naryu Coin Merchant.
    • Earning Naryu Coins: Primarily obtained from completing Daily Quests, especially those in higher-level zones and dungeons.
  • Soulstone: A crucial crafting and upgrade material. Used in weapon evolution and crafting various items.
    • Earning Soulstones: Dropped by monsters in specific zones (e.g., Cinderlands), obtained from Daily Quests, and can be purchased from the marketplace.

Q5: Any general tips for a new player?

  • Join a Clan: Clans offer a community, often providing buffs, and can help you find groups for dungeons and quests. Look for a beginner-friendly clan in the chat or on the official forums.
  • Don't Be Afraid to Ask: Blade & Soul has a generally helpful community. If you're stuck, ask in general chat or your clan chat.
  • Explore the Marketplace (F5): Familiarize yourself with the marketplace. You can buy and sell items here, which is crucial for acquiring specific upgrade materials or earning extra gold.
  • Repair Your Gear: Always repair your weapons and accessories at a Blacksmith or by using a Repair Tool item. Broken gear loses its stats!
  • Save Your Consumables: While it's tempting to use every healing potion, try to save your more potent consumables for challenging boss fights or dungeons.