Beginner's Guide
Beginner’s Guide – Surviving Your First Hours
Welcome to Grayshaft. This spoiler-light guide delivers 10 essential tips so you can navigate a world without quest markers, manage stamina, and survive tough early encounters.
Caption: Early in Of Ash and Steel, focus on exploration and survival – Tristan starts with nothing but his wits.
Sat Nov 28 2025
(Прохождение): Эта статья поможет начать прохождение Of Ash and Steel с советами для первых часов игры.
Start with the Prologue
The game won’t hand-hold later—learn from NPC hints and journal clues now.
Listen to NPCs and read journal notes; they replace quest markers (Gamespot). Use landmarks and the compass to navigate—there is no minimap, so build your mental map or jot notes.
10 Tips for the First Hours
Condensed, spoiler-light advice for your opening run.
- Follow the prologue cues and NPC directions—no objective arrows will bail you out. Keep an eye on unique landmarks (broken statues, caravans, lantern trails) instead of expecting a minimap ping.
- Embrace the no-marker design: explore by compass direction and visual anchors. Unlock regional maps slowly at cartographer tables; Tristan really is mapping the island.
- Learn stances early. Light/Windborne is stamina-friendly for beginners; Balanced is reactive; Heavy/Cataclysm hits hard but punishes mistakes. Practice swapping mid-fight.
- Spend early attribute points on stamina plus one damage stat (Strength for heavy weapons, Dexterity for light blades/bows). Add Fortitude so you survive two hits instead of one. Insight can wait until you stabilize.
- Do safe loot runs first. Sprint to the Emberwatch caravan to grab weapon cores without a boss fight, and scavenge shards/herbs around early ruins before tackling elites.
- Craft a reliable blade + guard at the first workbench. A basic Iron Broadsword with a reinforced guard will outperform rusty drops. Upgrade instead of praying for legendaries.
- Join a faction once offered (Iron Legion for defense/armor shred, Ashen Ordeal for stamina/bleed). Perks start accruing immediately—don’t delay the choice too long.
- Alternate story beats and exploration. Unlock the capital (Grayshaft) for vendors and trainers, then sweep the region for sidequests before pushing the main quest.
- Rest often. Benches/campfires heal and reset fatigue; craft food for regen buffs. Nights are harsher—travel by day until you have better gear.
- Save frequently and treat deaths as scouting. If an area feels overtuned, retreat, craft, and return stronger.
Build & Progression Basics
Stats, trainers, and gear that smooth out the curve.
Attributes
Strength boosts heavy hits; Dexterity favors lighter blades and bows; Insight aids crit/dialogue; Fortitude bolsters health; stamina governs everything. Pick a focus so you can meet trainer requirements for new skills (trainer gating noted here).
Equipment & Crafting
Early loot runs fund your first reliable sword/guard combo. Use the weapon crafting guide and simulator to verify stamina per combo before committing shards.
Routes & Next Steps
Where to head after the opening hours and how to personalize Tristan.
Power Leveling
Follow the early-game power leveling routes for shard grabs without bosses. Save a heavy stance setup in favorites for sudden elites.
Faction & Builds
Unsure about Iron Legion vs Ashen Ordeal? Read the faction guide and test both in the calculator. For stance clarity, skim the stance guide before locking a build.
Still lost? Watch gameplay clips on the Steam page and join community discussions for route tips. Console-only players should monitor the console FAQ for port news.