Your first runs & builds

What is a useful goal for a first run?

Pick a question you can answer on the next attempt: which passive matches your weapon, whether a pickup changes your attacks, or how a follower enters your squad. This is an editorial learning approach, not an in-game requirement.

For an evolution attempt, Petersilie’s guide suggests focusing upgrades on a main weapon rather than spreading them too widely. Use the recipe lookup to plan the pairing, then check the weapon’s own maximum and any max-passive requirement. No listed recipe guarantees survival through a stage.

Which combinations did the developer actually describe?

The official 21 October Squad System post gives two examples:

• Bastian Carthalos + Lorai: Lorai’s fog draws enemies toward Bastian’s close-range attacks.
• The Castellan + Trooper Kozlowski: the Castellan benefits from followers; Lasgun upgrades bring in additional troopers.

These are official examples of interactions, not evidence that they rank above all other combinations after launch. Names in a suggested squad do not automatically tell you how to unlock those characters.

What should I know about permanent upgrades?

The October demo announcement describes meta-progression where maximising upgrades in one universe affects the other. A launch-era player reply from MadLeeTKG narrows that to the last enhancement upgrade. See enhancements for the evidence boundary.

In another Steam discussion, Ketamarine recommends working on extra attacks in the Sigmar universe and putting early points into magnet. That is an individual spending preference. We have not independently established a universal optimal order, total cost or fastest route.

How do I avoid mixing separate systems?

Keep these questions separate:

1. Evolution: do I have the weapon, passive and required upgrade state?
2. Followers: can my chosen champion wield this weapon, or will an ally use it?
3. Permanent progression: which upgrade or unlock carries between attempts?
4. Exploration: does an achievement name a relic or rescue objective on this map?

The items guide distinguishes pickup effects from persistent collectibles. The achievement list provides the collected condition text, without inventing steps the text does not give.

Why can advice differ between platforms?

The 11 November v2.1.6 patch initially applied to Steam, with other platforms scheduled later. Demo posts can describe an older balance or naming scheme too. If an instruction disagrees with your screen, record your platform and displayed version before assuming you made the wrong choice.