Warborne Above Ashes is a thrilling fusion of Albion Online and the large-scale faction warfare of Foxhole. With its month-long playtest, many players are jumping in to see what's different about this game. If you are a newcomer to Warborne, this guide will explain the fundamentals, critical mechanics, and tips to help you get started.

• What is Warborne Above Ashes?
• Unlocks
• Is Warborne Pay-to-Win?
• Gathering
• Spend Your Currency Wisely
• Research Center
• Prioritize Upgrades Strategically
• Essential Tips

↖ What is Warborne Above Ashes?

Warborne is a multiplayer online game that integrates the combat systems, ZVZ (zerg vs. zerg) gameplay), and progression of Albion Online with Foxhole’s faction-based epic warfare.

• Partial Loot System: When you die, you lose half of your inventory and one randomly chosen piece of gear, like a weapon or boots.
• Drifter Class System: You can pick a drifter class to customize your playstyle. Gain up to three loadouts—each giving you a different preset—and respawn with various gear mid-battle.
• Faction Warfare: Fight in geared battles and capture territories based on Foxhole’s war mechanics.
• Solo and Group Content: While faction warfare is the main focus, there are also some solo activities like gathering and dungeon crawling which are not as well developed as in Albion Online.

Quick Tips for Starting

A solid start in Warborne will help you enjoy the game and progress in a timely manner.

• Finish Tutorial Quests: Pay attention to quests on the right section of the screen. These quests help you gain essential currencies and also provide helpful guiding tips on mechanics. You are free to leave the area, but you may continue working on the objectives for further progression.
• Focus on Equipment and Drifte Unlocking:The first few unlocks are fast paced, but they slow down significantly after the first couple of days. Strategically unlock certain armors and weapons to best match your playstyle.
• Strategize Your Loadouts: Create drifter specific equipment sets for each individual. To make the most of the resurrection mechanic in battles, multiple loadouts should be prepped and standing by.
• Take Part in Faction Wars: Join faction specific skirmishes to gain players and push your team’s progress. These wars form the core of Warborne’s gameplay. They are also a superb method for making connections within the game.

Progression Strategy:

To make steady progress in the first few weeks, pay attention to the following areas:

↖ Unlocks

Getting new armor and drifters is an important part of Warborne. Making the wrong decisions in the beginning will bring progress to a crawl. Here are some key factors to keep in mind.

• Front-Loaded Unlocks: In the early game, you gain a lot of unlocks. These however, slow down later on. Plan ahead!
• Stat Weights Matter: Every drifter has weighted stats that determine how useful they are based on specific attributes. The wrong allocation can cripple performance.
• Drifter Specializations:
  • Agility Drifters: Best for physical-based damage. Ideal for melee bruisers.
  • Strength Drifters: Great for tanks, as strength boosts HP and immunity control.
  • Intelligence Drifters: Perfect for mages and supports.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

• Stat Weights: Don't allocate stats randomly. For example, Umbra excels in agility, but benefits minimally from intelligence. For maximum impact, equip her with agility-based weapons.
• Unplanned Progression: Certain early choices can lock you out of some armors or weapons. Think ahead about your playstyle (tank, bruiser, mage, etc).
• Wrong Weapon Association: Equipping drifters weapons that do not match their stats results in weak damage or utility.

Quick Tips:

• Create Your Role: Designing your play style (tank, bruiser, or support) encourages specific unlocks, so decide early.
• Optimize: Synergy should be employed as drifters and weapons are matched to each other's strengths.
• Exercise Patience: Don't rush decisions as more powerful drifters unlock as the server progresses.

Example Stat Allocation:

↖ Is Warborne Pay-to-Win?

One of the most frequently asked questions about Warborne is whether it's a pay-to-win game. Here's what we know:

• Subscription Model: Warborne is subscription based like Albion Online. Solar Bites (premium currency) unlocks numerous benefits for gamers.
• Two Currencies: The game features two types of currencies:
  • Stardust (or Star Tokens): The standard in-game currency.
  • Solar Bites: Premium currency that can be earned (in limited ways) or purchased.
• Pay-to-Win Concerns: Paying users, for instance, can purchase powerful potions which give a player an edge.

Undoubtedly, it is unclear how much added advantage there is but one could assume it's not far off from Albion Online. The game has not fully been released yet, but allowing trade with Solar Bites really puts the game balance to question.

↖ Gathering

The importance of gathering is the most overlooked element of Warborne that stuns us as players.

• Essential for Progression: Gainning experience and crawling through the crafting market level by level.
• Limited Trading: funnel resources drowned to relearn how to be self-sufficient helps in self-sustaining thriving.
• Self-Sufficiency:  aims to raise the ability of the players into thriving or surviving to sustain themselves.

Gathering Tips:

• Steadily focused to level up gathering skills first.
• Create potions regularly so you never stop short.
• Explore all areas for unique materials.

↖ Spend Your Currency Wisely

Currency management is another key factor for success in Warborne. Here's how to make the most of your earnings:

• Solo Rifts & Fire Traps: Use your currency to open solo rifts and spawn fire traps. These provide valuable rewards and enhance gameplay.
• Avoid Hoarding: Don't let your currency pile up unused. Many players end up with hundreds of unused points by the end of playtests.
• Upgrade Strategically: Invest in upgrades as you progress to maintain a competitive edge.

Quick Currency Tips:

↖ Research Center

The Research Center is your primary focus when progressing through Warborne. It facilitates upgrading parts of the gameplay as mining speed and the capability of the drifter. Make sure to focus on these upgrades as soon as you can:

XRG Mining Bot Tier:

• This upgrade improves the value of XRG (currency) that will be collected by your mining bot.
• Generating more XRG enables further upgrades and is therefore the most important upgrade to focus on.

Drifter Tier Upgrades:

• This feature allows the upgraded maximum level and statistics of the drifter.
• Stronger drifters enable better performance in battles as well as challenges.

Notes: Don't forget to spend your initial currency on the upgrades for the mining bot and drifter tier first, before spending on other features.

↖ Prioritize Upgrades Strategically

Upgrades in Warborne take time, and as you progress, the duration increases significantly. For example:

To avoid falling behind: Always keep an upgrade running in the background. Start long upgrades (like drifter tiers) during downtime or before logging off.

↖ Essential Tips

Tip 1. Understand Scrap Post Sizes

Scrap posts are a key part of the game for earning loot, gear, and money. However, not all scrap posts are created equal. 

Check the Recommended Player Count: Each scrap post is designed for a specific group size (e.g., 3 players, 25+ players).

•   Small scrap posts: Ideal for groups of 3 players.
  
•   Large scrap posts: Designed for larger groups (25+ players).

Avoid Wasting Time in Large Groups at Small Posts: If you're part of a large group (e.g., 45 players), don’t waste time clearing small or medium-sized scrap posts. The loot rewards are minimal and not worth the effort.

Note: Focus on smaller scrap posts that align with your level and group size for efficient farming.

Tip 2. Stay Within Your Level Zone

The Warborne map is divided into zones with tiered difficulty levels (up to Tier 11). To maximize your efficiency:

• Farm in Zones Close to Your Level: Stick to zones where mobs are 5–8 levels above your current level. This ensures you'll get decent rewards without wasting time.
• Avoid Red-Level Mobs: Mobs that are 10+ levels above you appear red on the map. These are highly inefficient to farm solo or even in groups. Clearing these zones takes too long and offers minimal rewards.
• Server Progression: The server progresses over a month, with level caps increasing daily. Don’t rush into higher-tier zones before your level allows it—wait until the cap increases.

Tip 3. Upgrade Your Drift Mark Quickly

Your Drift Mark is an essential tool in Warborne. Prioritize upgrading it as soon as possible to enhance your gameplay experience. A higher-level Drift Mark will help you:

• Navigate the map more efficiently.
• Access better rewards and areas.
• Improve your overall performance in both PvE and PvP content.

Efficient Farming Tips

Warborne Above Ashes is all about strategy and making the most of your time in-game. By focusing on appropriately sized scrap posts, farming within your level range, and upgrading your Drift Mark early on, you'll set yourself up for success. Stay tuned for more guides and updates as we continue exploring this incredible MMO.