If you’re jumping into DragonSword: Awakening for the first time, the game can honestly feel a little overwhelming. It throws a beautiful open world, flashy combat, dozens of systems, exploration mechanics, crafting, gear, mounts, Karma, Awakening, raids, and more at you almost immediately.
The good news? You don’t need to understand everything on day one.
After spending a lot of time with the game—and learning plenty of lessons the hard way—I’ve put together everything I wish I knew before starting. This guide is meant to save you hours of trial and error while still letting you enjoy discovering the world on your own.
The biggest mistake new players make is trying to rush every system at once. Don’t. DragonSword rewards steady progression, exploration, and understanding your favorite characters rather than simply chasing bigger numbers.
So grab your weapon, take your time, and let’s go through everything you should know from your first hour all the way to the endgame.
DragonSword Awakening Beginner Guide – Gear & Progression
If there’s one piece of advice I’d give every new player, it’s this:
Just keep playing the main story.
The story isn’t there just for the narrative. Nearly every important gameplay feature is tied to story progression.
By clearing chapters you’ll unlock:
- New characters
- Character Exchange Tickets
- Exploration mechanics
- Mounts
- New regions
- Better farming locations
- Important progression systems
- Endgame content
Many players stop the story to grind early. Honestly, that’s rarely worth it because the game naturally unlocks stronger rewards as you progress.
Think of the story as your progression checklist.
Character Unlocks
DragonSword doesn’t lock characters behind random gacha pulls.
Instead, you’ll earn Character Exchange Tickets throughout the story.
Simply:
- Finish story chapters
- Collect tickets
- Visit the Exchange Shop
- Unlock whichever character interests you
This system gives players much more freedom since you aren’t relying on luck.
Complete Hero Quests
Hero Quests are some of the best side content in the game.
Besides expanding each character’s story, they reward you with:
- Character Tickets
- Exclusive Karma
- Additional progression materials
Some heroes currently have much better questlines than others, but they’re all worth completing for the rewards alone.
Even if you don’t plan on using that character, don’t skip these quests.
Dismantle Exclusive Karma
This is something many players discover way too late.
If you receive an Exclusive Karma for a character you never plan to use, you can dismantle it.
Doing so gives you resources that let you exchange it for another Exclusive Karma that better suits your favorite character.
Instead of letting unused gear collect dust, recycle it into something you’ll actually use.
It’s one of the smartest ways to maximize your resources.
Explore Absolutely Everything
DragonSword is one of those games where exploration constantly rewards your curiosity.
Seriously…
If you see a cave…
Go inside.
If you notice a waterfall…
Check behind it.
See a strange cliff?
Climb it.
Many valuable rewards are hidden in places the main story never points you toward.
Exploration rewards include:
- Treasure Maps
- Awakening materials
- Upgrade resources
- Secret puzzles
- Hidden chests
- Character progression items
- Currency
The world feels handcrafted, so wandering around rarely feels like wasted time.
Underwater Exploration Is Worth It
One area many players ignore is underwater exploration.
There are hidden:
- Chests
- Materials
- Collectibles
- Secrets
You’ll eventually unlock the mount needed to explore underwater through story progression.
Once you get it, revisit earlier areas because you’ll likely discover things you couldn’t access before.
Mount System
Mounts aren’t just cosmetic.
Each one comes with unique movement abilities that make exploration much easier.
As you unlock different versions of the same mount, additional skills become available and can often be shared across other mounts.
That means unlocking more mount variations makes every mount stronger.
Some examples include:
- Better aerial mobility
- Faster movement
- Improved exploration
- Air dashes
- Underwater travel
Deluxe Mount
The Deluxe Edition includes a Baby Dragon that has a unique air dash.
It sounds amazing…
But don’t worry if you don’t own it.
Later in the game you’ll unlock another flying companion that provides a very similar mobility option.
So this isn’t something free players need to stress over.
Button Mashing
DragonSword’s combat looks simple.
It absolutely isn’t.
Once you understand its mechanics, it becomes one of the most satisfying action combat systems around.
Every character has:
- Ground combos
- Air combos
- Dodge attacks
- Skills
- Signal Skills
- Grab abilities
- Character switching
- Team attacks
- Break mechanics
The more you experiment, the more combat opens up.
Every Character Plays Completely Differently
One of the game’s biggest strengths is how unique every character feels.
Some focus on:
- Speed
- Air combat
- Heavy attacks
- Range
- Magic
- Crowd control
- Status effects
Others specialize in juggling enemies or constantly staying airborne.
Instead of picking characters based solely on tier lists, spend time learning their movesets.
A character that feels comfortable to play will usually outperform a supposedly stronger one you don’t enjoy.
Charlotte Is One of the Best Early Investments
Charlotte quickly becomes a fan favorite.
She’s fast.
Extremely mobile.
Deals excellent damage.
Can attack from range.
Uses shadow clones.
Excels at aerial combat.
She rewards players who enjoy aggressive, stylish gameplay.
If you enjoy action games with flashy combos, Charlotte is hard to put down.
Two Great Teams for Different Playstyles
One interesting thing about DragonSword is that different teams fit different personalities.
Aggressive Combo Team
A strong action-focused setup is:
- Charlotte
- Johnny
- Raina
This team excels at:
- Air combos
- High DPS
- Fast movement
- Stylish gameplay
- Advanced combat
It requires more skill but feels incredibly rewarding.
Relaxed Ranged Team
If you prefer a safer approach, consider:
- Sice
- Otellio
- Dana
This lineup focuses more on:
- Range
- Spell casting
- Safer positioning
- Easier boss fights
- Comfortable farming
Both teams are excellent.
Choose whichever matches your preferred style.
Follow Recommended Teams
The game suggests team synergies.
They’re useful.
But they’re not mandatory.
You can mix characters however you like.
The only time optimized teams become truly important is during difficult endgame content like:
- Tower of Trials
- High-level Raids
- Late-game bosses
For normal progression, feel free to experiment.
Character Switching
Switching characters isn’t only for dealing damage.
It also grants brief invulnerability.
Experienced players use this to avoid deadly attacks without wasting dodges.
Learning when to switch becomes one of the biggest skill improvements you’ll make.
Break and Stagger
Many enemies have a white bar beneath their health.
This represents their stagger or break gauge.
Once broken:
- They become easier to juggle.
- Team attacks become available.
- Longer combos become possible.
- Damage windows open up.
Boss fights become much easier once you learn to break enemies efficiently.
Skills Recharge Faster When You Stay Aggressive
Unlike many action RPGs, skill cooldowns aren’t purely timer-based.
Landing attacks helps recharge your abilities faster.
That means aggressive play is usually rewarded.
Standing back and waiting often lowers your damage output significantly.
Awakening Unlocks
Every character becomes much stronger after Awakening.
Awakening unlocks:
- New abilities
- Improved skills
- Additional move options
- Character upgrades
- Master Skill (Grimoire)
Many characters feel completely different once fully awakened.
Unlocking the Master Skill
Your Master Skill becomes available after reaching Level 30.
However, you’ll also need Treasure Maps found throughout exploration.
Most Treasure Maps come from:
- Puzzle chests
- Hidden areas
- Crystal block puzzles
- Secret exploration rewards
These maps mark treasure locations containing Awakening Points.
Finding them is absolutely worth the effort.
Gear Crafting Explained
Every character benefits from different gear.
For example:
Charlotte specializes in Poison damage.
That means Poison-focused equipment is naturally stronger for her than random alternatives.
Always build gear around your character’s strengths rather than chasing the highest gear score.
Choose Your Main Stats Carefully
When crafting gear, you’ll eventually choose main stats.
This choice matters.
For DPS characters, valuable stats include:
- Critical Damage
- Critical Chance
- Attack Power
Chest pieces generally provide the largest values for important offensive stats, making them ideal for your strongest bonuses.
Think before crafting because materials become expensive later.
Reforging Gear
Reforging allows you to reroll secondary stats.
You’ll spend resources to replace unwanted bonuses with stronger ones.
For example, Charlotte benefits from:
- Airborne Damage
- Critical Damage
- Attack Power
- Defense Ignore
There’s quite a bit of RNG involved, so don’t expect perfect rolls immediately.
Good gear takes time.
Farming Materials Efficiently
You’ll spend plenty of time farming resources.
Your main farming priorities should be:
- Gold
- Character EXP
- Gear Upgrade Materials
- Crafting Materials
- Skill Upgrade Scrolls
Fortunately, almost every activity rewards something useful.
Even ordinary missions slowly build your overall account.
Spend Mission Medals Wisely
Every completed mission awards Medals.
These can be exchanged for:
- Crafting materials
- Skill Scrolls
- Upgrade items
- Character resources
Don’t ignore the Medal Shop.
It becomes one of your most reliable progression systems.
Understanding Karma
Karma acts similarly to a character’s weapon system.
Each character has:
- Basic Karma
- Exclusive Karma
Exclusive Karma often unlocks entirely new mechanics.
For example, Charlotte gains the ability to detonate her shadow clone.
That’s a massive gameplay improvement rather than just a stat increase.
Farm World Bosses Daily
World Bosses are worth making part of your routine.
They can reward:
- Karma
- Upgrade materials
- Character progression items
Since drops are random, consistent farming pays off much more than occasional runs.
Daily Activities
If you’re logging in every day, prioritize:
- Regional Bosses
- World Bosses
- Sacred Light activities
- Daily missions
- Material farming
- Skill upgrade materials
These take relatively little time while giving huge long-term value.
Fragment of Sacred Light
This is one of the most valuable currencies in DragonSword.
You’ll mainly obtain it from:
- Chests
- Exploration
- Mini-boss encounters
- Activities
Later, you’ll exchange these fragments for extremely valuable progression materials.
Whenever you see an activity rewarding Sacred Light Fragments, it’s worth doing.
Gear Set Bonus Tips
A common beginner mistake is wearing five pieces of the same set.
In many cases, that’s actually unnecessary.
Several gear sets only require three pieces to activate their full bonus.
This opens the door to mixing different sets.
For example:
- 3-piece Poison Set
- 2-piece Airborne Damage Set
or
- 3-piece Venom Set
- 2-piece Stun Set
Hybrid builds can often outperform full sets depending on your character.
Moon Keys Are Worth Saving
Throughout exploration you’ll encounter special locked chests.
These require Moon Keys.
Moon Keys come from:
- Exploration
- Story progression
- Quests
- Adventure Emblems
Don’t waste them carelessly.
Some of the rewards inside these special chests are genuinely valuable.
Endgame Is Surprisingly Challenging
DragonSword doesn’t suddenly become easy once you finish the story.
Quite the opposite.
Late-game content like:
- Raids
- Tower of Trials
- High-level bosses
will punish weak builds immediately.
Poor gear, bad team composition, or incomplete upgrades can result in getting defeated in just a few hits.
That’s why building your characters properly matters so much.
DragonSword: Awakening ended up being one of those games that gets better the longer you play. The first few hours introduce the basics, but the real fun begins once you start experimenting with team compositions, mastering combat, and fine-tuning your builds.
What impressed me the most is that progression feels earned. You’re not chasing random gacha pulls or hoping luck carries you. Every stronger character, upgraded piece of gear, hidden treasure, and combat improvement comes from actually playing the game.
If you’re just starting out, don’t feel pressured to rush to the endgame. Enjoy the story, wander off the main path whenever something catches your eye, complete Hero Quests, experiment with different characters, and learn the combat instead of simply mashing buttons. By the time you reach raids and high-level challenges, you’ll appreciate just how deep DragonSword’s systems really are.
Take your time, explore everything, and before long you’ll have a team that’s ready to tackle even the toughest bosses the game has to offer.