In We Who Are About to Die, making smart financial decisions early on is essential for setting up a long and successful gladiatorial career. If you’re struggling with early-game progression or find yourself constantly broke after just a few fights, here are some essential tips and tricks to stretch your gold and maximize your odds of survival.

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1. Prioritize Weapons and Shields First

At the very beginning of your run, focus exclusively on getting a solid weapon and shield. Don’t worry about armor or helmets right away—a good shield will do more to keep you alive than basic armor, especially in early fights. If you start with armor that has negative fame multipliers, sell it immediately to free up gold and boost your fame generation.

Alternatively, you can grab a two-handed weapon to save money, as it lets you skip buying a shield altogether. Two-handers also deal high damage, which is especially effective against the poorly armored enemies early in the game.

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2. Check the Fight Board Before You Spend

The moment you finish a fight, go straight to the fight board to see your next options. This lets you prioritize your spending, healing, and shop rerolls more effectively. Look for:

• Luck of the Draw: Great when you don’t have a good weapon.
• Spoils to the Victor: Lets you keep enemy gear.
• Many vs. One (or 1vMany): Teammates can carry the fight if you’re low on health.
• Insurance: Useful when you’re worried about gear durability.

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3. Target Early 1vMany Fights

While intimidating, early 1vMany fights are gold mines. Enemies often have minimal armor and weapons, so you can dispatch them quickly and earn significantly more than other fight types. Just one or two of these can give you enough gold to buy top-tier gear.

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4. Build Out from a Core Loadout

After buying a strong weapon and shield, aim to build out your gear steadily. For example, after a couple of profitable fights, invest in a solid shield or an improved weapon. Once those are secured, start adding armor and accessories to round out your build.

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5. Betting Strategy

Bets can give you huge bonuses, but you need to be selective:

• Avoid high-damage bets: Damage doesn’t count if an ally or the environment contributes, and enemies only have 100 HP.
• Prefer time-based bets: If your average fight time is under 2 minutes, use that stat to your advantage and pick time-limited win bets.
• Team bets are great: Bets like “3 teammates survive” in a 4v1 are very achievable.

Always check bets before spending, and leave some gold to place them. Sometimes a lower-paying match with a favorable bet can earn you more overall than a higher-paying one.

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Final Thoughts

By following these strategies, you can stretch your gold farther, gear up faster, and survive longer. Mastering your financial decisions early on sets you up for mid-to-late game success, and ensures you’re never left weaponless in the pit.

Good luck in the arena—may your coin purse stay full and your shield stay unbroken.