DragonSword: Awakening Beginner Guide

✅ Beginner Checklist (13 Steps)

1. Complete the opening tutorials
2. Learn the dodge and camera controls
3. Understand Active Skills
4. Identify which Status Ailments your Heroes apply
5. Learn how Signal Skills appear
6. Build one functional three-Hero team
7. Follow the main story until core systems unlock
8. Check new Hero and recruitment menus
9. Save limited upgrade materials
10. Explore nearby caves and watchtower cellars
11. Collect ingredients and test Cooking
12. Review Familiar functions
13. Install and run the game from an SSD

🎯 What To Do First

1. Complete the Opening Tutorials

The opening sequence teaches basic attacks, Active Skills, dodging, camera control, Hero switching, status indicators and Signal prompts. Don't skip these — the combat system is deeper than it first appears, and the tutorials lay the foundation for everything that follows.

2. Follow the Main Story Until Core Systems Open

DragonSword gates many systems behind story progress. The optimal early-game rhythm is: main quest → unlock new system → test it out → explore nearby areas → return to the story. Don't try to 100% the map before you have the tools to reach everything.

3. Learn One Reliable Combat Chain

Master one three-Hero combo before experimenting with others. The basic pattern is:

• Starter applies the first status condition
• Connector responds with a Signal Skill and creates the next opening
• Finisher converts the opening into big damage or crowd control

⚔️ Combat System Basics

DragonSword: Awakening combines open-world exploration with a three-Hero tag-action combat system built around Status Ailments, Signal Skills and character switching. Individual character strength is only one part of combat — team synergy matters more.

Three Core Mechanics

Combat Tips from Veteran Players

• Skill cooldowns are reduced by attacking enemies — stay aggressive
• Switching characters gives brief i-frames until your next attack or Signal Skill
• Enemies with a white stagger bar are easy to launch; Super Armor enemies are not
• Each character has only 2 Active Skills, but also Signal Skills and Grab Skills in combat
• Dodge attacks (dodge + attack) are an important part of your moveset

👥 Building Your First Team

Every team needs three roles. These are team positions, not permanent classes — a Hero can fill different roles depending on who they're paired with.

Action-Oriented vs. Relaxed Playstyles

• Action team (high skill, high reward): Charlotte + Johnny + Reina — all high-DPS, very mobile, can clear endgame with good play
• Ranged relaxed team (easier endgame): Sion + Othello + Dana — ranged output, more forgiving positioning

💰 Resource Strategy

The single most important early-game principle is concentration, not equal investment. Spreading materials thin across every Hero will leave you with a weak team overall.

Core Principles

• Develop one Starter, one Connector, one Finisher — focus on your main team
• Upgrade high-use skills first, don't level everything equally
• Keep a reserve of rare materials — you'll need them later
• Don't spend recruitment currency (Fate's Invitations) too early — wait until you know which Heroes you want
• Set bonuses only need 3 pieces to trigger, not 5 — you can mix sets (3+2) for better stats

Key Currencies

🗺️ Exploration Tips

• Activate nearby travel points as you explore — fast travel saves enormous time
• Check buildings, watchtowers and caves — many hidden chests and items are indoors
• Collect ingredients and speak to residents — cooking provides useful buffs
• Mark locations you can't complete yet — you'll come back with better tools
• Underwater areas contain lots of hidden content — unlock the water mount early by pushing the story
• Regional bosses refresh daily at 9 AM — they drop skill scrolls and forging molds

Mount System

Mounts unlock through mercenary leveling and story progress. Key tips:

• Different variants of the same mount unlock a second skill usable on other mounts
• The Deluxe Edition baby dragon can dash in any direction mid-air
• The Bright Crow Tit (Novice Mercenary unlock) can also air-dash after completing 20 mini-games for its second variant
• Only one mount can go underwater — unlock it early via story progress

❌ Common Beginner Mistakes

👹 Boss Fight Tips

• Check if the boss is resisting your primary condition — swap to a different ailment if needed
• If a setup skill keeps missing, check if the boss has Super Armor during that phase
• Long animations can be interrupted — learn which skills are safe vs. risky
• Prioritize survival while learning — you can optimize damage once you know the patterns
• Use switching i-frames to dodge big attacks

🖥️ PC Setup Recommendations

• Install on SSD — the game loads large open-world areas, an SSD dramatically reduces pop-in and load times
• Update your graphics driver to the latest version
• Restart your PC before long sessions
• Close background applications to free up RAM and CPU
• Check your frame-rate limit settings — uncapped framerate can cause instability on some systems

📚 Next Steps

Once you're comfortable with the basics, dive deeper into these systems: