Wo Long Fallen Dynasty beginner's guide, tips and tricks
Here are some helpful tips to find your footing and gain strength in this turbulent world.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty can really test your patience and for a beginner the first few hours in game could easily become overwhelming. Fortunately, there are plenty of small things that you learn on the way that eventually make your journey easier.
If Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is your first experience with a Soulslike then all of the small elements that build up to making your battles easier or harder are easy to overlook. Especially when the first boss you meet is incredibly intimidating.
However, fear not, as we've battled through and put together this Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty beginner's guide filled with tips and tricks to make your experience that much easier.
Visit the training grounds
As soon as you begin the story and find your first Battle Flag, you can use the 'Travel' option to open up the world map. On this map is an area called the 'Training Grounds'.
Visiting this area will give you a brief, but useful, rundown of how battles work in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. From conjuring Wizard Spells to using your Divine Beast, as well as blocking techniques that are crucial for beating the first boss, the tutorials prepare you for the rest of the game.
Granted, in the first mission most of these battle techniques aren't available, you will still be well equipped for the challenges that are ahead.
Focus on collecting Genuine Qi
This ideally should be your priority from the moment you set foot into the main story. Building your character's strength is the best use of your time, especially in the first mission. The enemies you face will challenge you, but defeating them will give you Qi.
You can get Qi through defeating enemies. We found a good trick for this, we essentially farmed the Qi when we found an area with a Battle Flag and easy enemies. Run around between the flags, defeating enemies along the way. Each time you collect a chunk of Qi, go and rest at the flag to respawn the enemies, then begin again.
Monitor Morale
Morale is one of those elements that can go unnoticed if you skip through the tutorial. We did this, and instantly regretted it as it's a key part of being able to fight difficult enemies. The higher your Morale is, the less damage you will get from enemies and the more battle elements become available to you.
Morale can be farmed in the same way that Qi is, however you should try to avoid being struck by an enemy. When you are hit by an enemy, your Morale will be reduced. Also, when fighting big boss enemies, losing to them will significantly reduce your Morale.
The maximum level your Morale can reach is 25, which is more than enough to be able to battle anyone who dares to cross your path.
Your enemies have Morale too, and knowing the level of theirs will help you prepare yourself for the fight. This is more useful for big bosses, but you can do this with smaller enemies too.
To track the Morale of an enemy, look above their heads when you get close to them. The colours will indicate one of three things:
- Red - Their Morale level is much higher than yours.
- Yellow - Their Morale is higher than yours, but not by a lot.
- Green - Their Morale is lower than or equal to yours.
Enemies in the red or yellow category can be tougher to defeat, but they do give substantially better rewards. That being said, if you're looking to farm Morale or Qi quickly, then stick to the green ones for now.
Deflect, Dodge and Counter
Going into any fight with your weapon drawn and swinging around aimlessly will ultimately get you killed. Dodging enemy attacks and countering them are crucial things to do to be able to win a fight. You can also deflect attacks, though we recommend doing this for smaller enemies only.
Most enemy attacks can be dodged too, but this does use up your spirit level so use it wisely. For smaller enemies, dodging one of their attacks should open up a small window for you to take them down before they notice you.
For bigger bosses, and some enemies, dodging is great but countering is the best thing to do. Normal attacks can be countered, but the ones you should watch out for are the unguardable attacks.
Before unleashing one of these attacks, your enemy will briefly glow red. If you counter this attack at the right time, you will make a powerful counter attack that will significantly damage your enemy.
If you need help getting started in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, then check out our beginner's tips and tricks. When it comes to bosses, we have strategies for Zhang Liang, Zhuyan, Fengxi, Zhang Bao and Zhang Jiao. Don't forget to take a look at our Marking Flag locations, Vengeance Flags and how to feed Shitieshou guides too.
Pay attention to your spirit level
Various actions can consume your spirit. If your spirit level gets too low, you will be exhausted and extremely vulnerable for a short period of time. In big boss fights, it is possible to be killed in these few sections, so monitoring your level is vital.
Your spirit level is displayed by the small bar beneath your HP in the middle of the screen.
The following actions all consume different levels of spirit, so keep an eye on your level after doing each one:
- Wizardry Spells
- Dodging
- Deflecting after an action attack
- Countering
- Spirit Attacks
- Fatal Strikes
- Martial Arts
However, there are also plenty of ways to raise your spirit level:
- Wizardry Spells
- Normal Attacks
- Deflecting (on its own)
- Replenishes over time
As many actions cross over between giving spirit and consuming spirit, the best thing you can do is continuously monitor the gauge in the middle of the screen.
Use stealth attacks
Where you can, use stealth attacks as they can usually take down a basic enemy in one blow. This helps you to avoid being engaged in a fight that may damage your Morale level and it's a quick way of taking down enemies to farm Qi.
The easiest way to successfully pull off a stealth attack is from above. Slowly walk to the edge of the higher area to look down on your target. As long as they don't spot you, jump and press the right control (you can check this in settings) to perform a stealth takedown.
The next way to perform one is to slowly walk up behind an enemy without being detected. Again, if you're not caught, press the appropriate control to perform the takedown.
Build and use Wizardry Spells
Around midway through the first area you can access your Wizardry Spells and learn new ones by resting at a Battle Flag. These will cost you points, but you collect these as you level up your character.
You can only carry four spells at a time, so if one set isn't working for you in a fight, then head back to a Battle Flag and switch some out to see if they make a difference.
Wizardry Spells do consume spirit, but they offer numerous perks and attacks that are extremely useful. Here's a few examples of perks from these spells:
- Lowered spirit consumption.
- Faster movement for a period of time.
- Fire attacks.
- Increased protection for a period of time.
- Poison attacks.
- Elemental traps.
There are numerous Wizardry Spells to collect, and finding your perfect set will take a bit of experimentation.
Monitor your equipment and weapon weight
As you go from area to area slicing down your enemies, you will come across new pieces of equipment and weaponry to collect. We recommend picking up as much as you can initially, because you can sell what you don't want later on.
Each piece of equipment has unique stats, which you can check to make sure you're building your character to be strong in the areas you want them to be. However, some items also have a 'Set Bonus' that gives you an extra perk or two if you're wearing the entire set of that item.
Also, your equipment and weaponry protects you but it can hinder you too. Different items have different weights, and the heavier the item is the more it can slow you down in battle. If you want to wear or use a heavier item, you will need to think about changing your battle strategy to suit the pieces you currently have equipped.
You can check an item's weight by selecting it from the equipment menu:
Summon your Divine Beast
Once you've reached a certain point early in the story, you can unlock a powerful move that will instantly turn the tide of any battle. The Divine Beast is an action that is well worth waiting for, but don't forget to use it!
In the midst of fast-paced battles where you're fighting to stay alive, revive your ally, and counter numerous attacks it can be extremely easy to forget some of the tools at your disposal. If you need a bit of time to regain some health, or you just need to get away to a safe distance, you can summon your Divine Beast once their marker is charged.
Your Divine Beast gauge can be seen in the diamond formation on the right of your screen. We've marked exactly where on the image below:
Listen to your allies
Allies that you meet through the story and join you in battle have a lot to say sometimes, but they are worth listening to.
Often, even when it seems like they're talking about nothing, an ally will actually give you a tip or a hint for how to get past a certain obstacle. Also, if you come to an enemy or area that you're not strong enough to fight then your ally can make a small comment to let you know this.
