Remnant: From the Ashes Beginner Guide

Many of us like to put ourselves through a good challenge every now and then, and Remnant: From the Ashes is one of them. If you’ve found yourself struggling or are simply looking for some tips start, we’ve got you covered. I put 40 hours into Remnant, beating it once with a friend and once solo, and helped others finish the game too.  Take a look below at our Remnant: From the Ashes beginner guide for some help in beating it yourself. The only spoiler is minor, and it describes a debuff early on in Remnant.

Remnant: From the Ashes Beginner Guide

Archetypes Aren’t Permanent Classes

When you first create a character in Remnant, you have to pick an Archetype that will give you your starter loadout. This includes your armor, gun, weapon mod, and a unique trait. While it’s still a good idea to pick what interests you, you can unlock everything on other Archetypes too.

The developer, Gunfire Games, said in their Discord that around 30 minutes into Remnant, you could purchase the gear other Archetypes have. However, you won’t immediately get the weapon mod, which is a unique ability attached to your weapon. The starting trait is also something you’d need to unlock by chance.

The three different Archetypes are:

• Scrapper - The Scrapper starts with a Shotgun and gear set that encourages fighting closer to enemies for more damage. It also has one of my favorite weapon mods: Hot Shot. It adds fire damage to your ammo and has a chance to set your target on fire.
• Ex-Cultist - The Ex-Cultist starts with a double-barreled Coach Gun and gear set to help charge your weapon mod. They’re known as the support class since their starting weapon mod puts a healing aura on the ground. This is also a favorite weapon mod for many, even playing solo, since it helps in tough situations.
• Hunter - The Hunter starts with a Hunting Rifle and gear set that increases weak spot damage. Their starting weapon mod reveals all nearby enemies and increases your critical hit chance against them to 100 percent. I picked the Hunter first because I thought they looked cool. In reality, the Hunting Rifle is a strong weapon if you can aim well.

You Can Switch Shoulders

I played on PC, so I know the default key bind is shift while aiming down sight to switch shoulders. This is such a simple tip, but I didn’t realize it until TechRaptor writer Austin Suther pointed it out.

The benefit of switching shoulders in any third-person shooter is that you can look around a corner without completely revealing your body. This makes it easier to shoot enemies if you find yourself on the wrong side of a wall. Remnant always shifts your character to the left side of the screen by default, so it can’t be locked. But it can be switched on the fly when needed.

It helps you get a shot on someone while preventing yourself from getting shot simultaneously.

Learn the Debuffs in Remnant

When I first started playing, I had a guide that told me what each of the different debuffs did and how they affected me. I don’t know about you, but I forgot it almost immediately. This is where Gunfire Games made the right call by showing what each debuff on you does when you open your inventory. It will show at the top left of your screen in Remnant.

It’s important to know what each debuff does so you know how it affects you and what you can do to get rid of it. To not spoil anything, we’ll only show the first couple of debuffs you’ll encounter.

• Infection - Causes you to cough randomly, interrupting everything. Oilskin Tonic cures this.
• Burning - Causes damage over time. Rolling helps put it out, and Hydro Coolant cures it immediately.
• Bleeding - Causes damage over time. Bandages cure this.

If you can’t get rid of a debuff, hitting a checkpoint will always heal you and cure them. Quick tips on those three. You can dodge roll out of a cough from Infection and save some time while avoiding danger. I rarely used Hydro Coolants for burning because of how quickly rolling removes it. Bleeding is frustrating because it drains slowly, so make sure you have bandages. If you don’t, there’s an item that heals you over time called Bloodwort.

Don’t Be Afraid to Explore

Those who explore will benefit the most in Remnant. By exploring, you can find new gear, side areas with bosses, crafting materials, scrap for buying items, and more. Take advantage of the map in-game, as it will darken areas you haven’t traveled to yet. Also, Gunfire Games hid some secret puzzles that you might miss otherwise.

The real plus side is the crafting materials and scrap you can find. There are plenty of breakable containers and tables with hidden items in them. The reason I emphasize the importance of scrap and crafting materials is that they’re needed to upgrade your gear.

Dodge Rolling is Your Best Friend

The difficulty in Remnant often forces you to flee for cover, and in many cases, you have to dodge an attack; otherwise, it will hit you. I’ve had plenty of times when an enemy snuck up behind me, and I dodged just in time. The audio cues often signal an incoming attack too.

If you can dodge an attack, you never have to worry about the difficulty since you’re not taking any damage. The dodge roll makes you invincible for a short window. If you’re able to train your reflexes to that window, you’re set. If you’re starting out, I recommend dodging out of the way and dodging often.

Another neat trick about dodge rolling is that it immediately breaks containers in your environment. So give yourself a concussion to get those items! Just don’t try it in real life.

Vigor and Endurance Traits

When you first create a character, you’ll have three traits. Two of these traits are always the same regardless of the character: Vigor and Endurance. I can’t emphasize how important these two are because they play a role in your game at all times. 

Traits in Remnant are how you build your character because they give you passive bonuses. As you level your character, you’ll unlock trait points, which you can allocate to whatever you choose. Every trait has a maximum of 20 trait points that can be put into it. Here’s why you need Vigor and Endurance.

Vigor increases your health by 2.5 per point. Depending on your skill level, you might want to focus on maxing this first or only put a few points into it. Feel it out as you play. But you’ll feel the pain of that one-hit attack.

Endurance increases your stamina by 2.5 points. Your stamina drains when running or dodging. Increased stamina means you can dodge more, and in some boss fights, you’ll want it. It gives you room to make a mistake when you have extra. Also, it makes running around a whole lot less frustrating when you don’t run out immediately.

Remnant’s Campaign Saves the Host

This is less about learning how to play the game better and more so something useful to know. Remnant is designed for up to three people to play together, but only one person’s story progresses when they do. If you plan on playing with two friends and start a game where they join you, only your campaign progresses.

Each character’s level and gear will save, however. This means you can play with your friends and still level your character, but if you’re not in your own world, your campaign will stay wherever it was last. If you plan on playing with a group, you might want to choose one person to always host the campaign.

Good Luck, and Enjoy Remnant: From the Ashes

I hope some of these basic tips help you understand Remnant a bit more and make your playthrough a little less difficult. If you learn something you think others should know, be sure to comment below because we can all use a little help! And if you have a question, feel free to comment, and I'll try to help you.

Remnant: From the Ashes is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam,