Enshrouded Beginner's Guide — First 10 Hours Walkthrough

You awaken in the Cinder Vault, the game's starting area. Don't panic — this is the tutorial zone. Follow the glow and interact with the Flame to receive your first Flame Altar blueprint. You'll step out into the Springlands, the beginner-friendly first biome.

Step 1: Gather Wood and Stone by Hand

Before you can craft tools, you'll need to collect resources manually. Walk up to small trees and rocks on the ground and press the interact key to pick up Wood and Stone. Collect at least 10 Wood and 10 Stone to start.

Step 2: Craft a Stone Axe and Stone Pickaxe

Open your crafting menu (default: C) and craft a Stone Axe (5 Wood + 5 Stone) and a Stone Pickaxe (5 Wood + 5 Stone). These are your first tools and will dramatically speed up resource gathering.

• Stone Axe — Chop down trees for Wood, Plant Fiber, and Seeds
• Stone Pickaxe — Mine rocks for Stone, Clay, and Flint

Step 3: Scout for a Base Location

Walk away from the Cinder Vault and find a flat area of open ground outside the Shroud. Look for a spot that is:

• Flat — you don't want to build on a slope
• Near trees and stone deposits — easy access to materials
• Outside the purple Shroud zones — check your map for safe areas
• Within walking distance of the Cinder Vault — you'll return here often

Step 4: Build Your Flame Altar

Once you've found the perfect spot, open your build menu and place the Flame Altar. This is the heart of your base. It acts as a respawn point, a fast-travel hub, and a power source for your crafting stations. The altar creates a safe zone around itself where enemies cannot spawn.

Step 5: Craft a Workbench

With the Flame Altar placed, craft a Workbench (5 Wood, 2 Nails). The Workbench unlocks higher-tier tools, weapons, and building materials. Place it near your Flame Altar.

Step 6: Build a Basic Shelter

Using the building menu, construct a simple shelter around your Flame Altar and Workbench. You don't need anything fancy — even a 4-wall structure with a roof will protect you from the elements and give you a sense of home. Use Scrap Wood and Rough Stone blocks available from the start.

You have shelter, tools, and a workbench. Now it's time to expand your capabilities. Hours 3-5 are all about mobility and NPC progression — two things that completely change how you play Enshrouded.

Step 1: Craft the Glider (Your #1 Priority)

The Glider is the single most important early-game item. It allows you to glide from high points, cross gaps, and escape danger. To craft it, you'll need:

• 8 Shroud Wood — found in the Shroud zones near the starting area
• 6 String — crafted from Plant Fiber at the Workbench
• 2 Shroud Spores — dropped by Shroud enemies

Once crafted, equip the Glider in your utility slot (R to switch items, Space to deploy while airborne). Practice jumping off small cliffs to get a feel for the controls.

Step 2: Find and Rescue the Blacksmith

The Blacksmith is the most important NPC you'll rescue early on. He unlocks weapon crafting, tool upgrades, and armor. Without him, you'll be stuck with basic gear.

The Blacksmith is located in a camp in the Springlands, roughly southwest of the Cinder Vault. Look for a building with a large forge inside. Approach the Blacksmith and interact to free him. He'll automatically return to your Flame Altar for summoning.

Step 3: Summon the Blacksmith at Your Base

Back at your base, open the Flame Altar menu and select Summon NPC. Choose the Blacksmith to place his work station. The Blacksmith unlocks:

• Copper tools — better axe, pickaxe, and hammer
• Basic weapons — swords, bows, and wands
• Grappling Hook — see next step
• Armor crafting — basic cloth and leather armor sets

Step 4: Craft the Grappling Hook

With the Blacksmith at your base, craft the Grappling Hook. This requires:

• Metal Scraps — found in ruins and enemy camps
• String — from Plant Fiber
• Wood — you should have plenty by now

The Grappling Hook lets you latch onto wooden surfaces and pull yourself up. Combined with the Glider, it makes vertical exploration practical and fun.

Step 5: Upgrade Flame Altar to Level 2

To upgrade your Flame Altar, you need:

• 5 Shroud Liquid — gathered from glowing Shroud deposits in Shroud zones
• 10 Stone — easily mined
• 5 Wood — basic material

Flame Altar level 2 increases your Shroud survival timer and allows you to build larger bases. It's the gatekeeper to mid-game content.

Step 6: Enter Shroud Zones

With Flame Altar level 2, you can safely explore the lower-level Shroud zones. The Shroud timer now gives you roughly 3-4 minutes of safe Shroud exposure. Look for:

• Shroud Roots — destroy these for Skill Points!
• Shroud Liquid deposits — needed for further upgrades
• Chests and loot — Shroud zones have better loot than the overworld
• Shroud Spores — dropped by Shroud enemies, used in crafting

You're well-established now. Hours 6-10 push you into the game's first major biome transition and your first real boss fight. This is where Enshrouded really opens up.

Step 1: Rescue the Hunter, Alchemist & Carpenter

Three essential NPCs are waiting to be found. Rescue them in any order, but we recommend the Hunter first — her arrows and ranged weapons make boss fights significantly easier.

• Hunter — Located in the Springlands in a ruined tower. Rescue her to unlock ranged weapon crafting, hunter armor, and advanced arrows. Essential for the Fell Warden fight.
• Alchemist — Found in a cave system in the Springlands. He unlocks potion crafting, magic items, and Shroud survival potions that extend your timer.
• Carpenter — Located in a camp in the eastern Springlands. He unlocks advanced building materials, furniture, and base quality-of-life items like chests and doors.

Step 2: Upgrade Flame Altar to Level 3

Flame Altar level 3 requires:

• 10 Shroud Liquid — gather more from Shroud zones
• 5 Shroud Spores — from Shroud enemies
• 15 Stone & 10 Wood — basic materials

Level 3 gives you a longer Shroud timer and allows you to enter the Revelwoods biome. It also expands your base building area significantly.

Step 3: Enter the Revelwoods

The Revelwoods is the second biome, connected to the Springlands via a path to the northeast. It's a dense forest with tougher enemies and richer resources. Be prepared:

• Recommended level: 5-6
• Bring: Copper weapons, basic armor, healing items, arrows
• Watch out for: Wolf packs, Shroud walkers, and the Fell Warden's patrol area

Step 4: Establish a Second Base

At this point, running back to your starting base every time you need to craft or rest becomes tedious. Place a second Flame Altar near the Revelwoods entrance to establish a forward base. This serves as a fast-travel point, a crafting hub, and a safe haven during exploration.

Step 5: Defeat the Fell Warden (First Boss)

The Fell Warden is the first major boss you'll encounter. He patrols the Revelwoods near a large Shroud root structure. Here's how to prepare:

• Recommended level: 6-7
• Weapons: Copper Sword or better, a bow with at least 50 arrows
• Armor: Hunter armor or Blacksmith basic armor set
• Consumables: at least 5 healing items, a Shroud survival potion
• Skills: Double Jump (Survivor tree) is strongly recommended

Fight Strategy

The Fell Warden has a few key attack patterns. Learn them and you'll win:

• Charge attack — He charges in a straight line. Dodge sideways.
• Ground slam — AOE attack. Jump or Double Jump + Glide to avoid.
• Shroud beam — He fires a beam from his chest. Keep moving sideways.
• Summon phase — At ~50% HP, he summons smaller Shroud enemies. Clear them quickly.

General strategy: Stay at mid-range with a bow. Fire arrows during his attack cooldowns. When he charges, dodge and get a few melee hits in. During his summon phase, prioritize the adds. Rinse and repeat. Don't get greedy — two hits then retreat.

Step 6: Begin Skill Point Allocation

By now you should have accumulated several skill points from leveling up and destroying Shroud Roots. Here's a solid beginner build:

• Survivor tree (priority): Double Jump (game-changing), Dessert Stomach (extends food buffs)
• Healer tree: Emergency heal (passive healing when low HP)
• Assassin tree: Updraft (extra height on jump for Glider combos)
• Save 2-3 points for unlock requirements in higher-tier skills

• Building your first base inside the Shroud — Your Flame Altar cannot be placed in Shroud zones. You'll have to tear everything down and relocate. Always scout a safe, flat area first.
• Ignoring NPC rescue quests — NPCs aren't optional. They unlock your entire tech tree. The Blacksmith alone unlocks weapons, armor, tools, and the Grappling Hook. Rescue them as soon as you can.
• Not upgrading the Flame Altar early — Your Flame Altar level gates everything: Shroud timer, base size, biome access, and NPC stations. Prioritize upgrading it to level 2 and 3 before anything else.
• Wasting skill points without a plan — Skill points are limited early on. Don't spread them across every tree. Pick a focused build (Survivor is the best starter path) and commit to it. Respeccing costs Runes.
• Entering high-level Shroud zones too early — Just because you can enter a Shroud zone doesn't mean you should. Check the enemy levels first. A level 8 Shroud zone at level 3 is a death sentence. Check your map for difficulty indicators.
• Not using fast travel — Many new players forget they can fast-travel between their own Flame Altars. Mark your Altars on the map and use them liberally.
• Hoarding resources instead of crafting — Resources in Enshrouded are plentiful. Don't hoard — craft gear, build upgrades, and progress. The only things worth saving are Shroud Liquid and Runes.