Lords of the Fallen: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide

Lords of the Fallen can be intimidating for new players, but with the right knowledge, you can navigate its complex mechanics with confidence. This guide will cover every essential aspect of the game without spoilers, helping you start strong and avoid common pitfalls.

Character Creation and Class Selection

The first decision you’ll make is choosing a class, which dictates your starting stats and gear. Your class subtly hints at the type of build you may want to pursue. Here’s a breakdown of the main options:

Hollow Knight – Heavy armor, sword and shield; excels in strength and endurance, ideal for tanky, strength-based builds.
Warwolf – Strong and durable with good agility, perfect for massive weapon users.
Partisan – Balanced across multiple stats, suitable for versatile playstyles.
Morstead Infantry – High agility, great for spear users and nimble combat.
Black Feather Ranger – High agility, built for bow-based combat.
Exiled Stalker – Agility-focused dual wielder, excellent for status effect builds.
Orion Preacher – High Radiance for holy magic.
Pyric Cultist – High Inferno for powerful fire spells.
Condemned – A blank slate with all stats set to nine, offering full customization at the cost of early game weakness.

Each class has its strengths, and while your choice will impact your opening experience, you are never locked into one specific playstyle as you level up.

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Gaming Headset
Gaming Mice
Mechanical Keyboards
Game Controllers
Gaming Chair

Understanding the UI and Core Mechanics

The game’s UI provides critical information:

Top Left Corner – Buffs and effects from gear.
Health & Stamina Bars – Health is depleted by damage, stamina by dodging, sprinting, or attacking.
Ammo & Soul Flay Ability – Ammo for ranged combat, and Soul Flay for pulling enemy souls.
Vigor (Top Right Corner) – The game’s currency for leveling up, similar to Souls in other games.
Item Hotbar (Bottom Left) – Quick-access items, such as healing flasks.
Lantern Abilities – Used for interacting with the Umbral Realm and extracting souls from enemies.

Combat and Dodging Mechanics

Lords of the Fallen has a deliberate and methodical combat system. Here are key mechanics:

Dodging: Stamina-based and crucial for avoiding damage.
Blocking & Parrying: Shields reduce damage but cause Wither damage, which can be regained by counterattacking.
Staggering: Enemies have stagger meters; landing precise attacks can open them for devastating counterattacks.
Dual Wielding: Ideal for status effect builds, applying debuffs like Bleed at twice the speed.
Magic & Spells: Unlike most Souls-like games, you can cast many spells before running out of mana, and there are several ways to replenish it.

The Umbral Realm: A Unique Mechanic

The game features two overlapping worlds:

Axiom (Living Realm): The standard world where most combat occurs.
Umbral (Death Realm): A shadowy alternate world accessible via your Lantern.

Why Enter the Umbral Realm?

Solve puzzles and bypass obstacles.
Discover hidden paths and enemies.
Retrieve fallen Vigor if it lands in difficult spots.
Deal with enemy parasites and trigger certain effects.

Be careful: The longer you stay in the Umbral Realm, the more dangerous enemies become.

Death and Vigor Management

If you die in Axiom, you are sent to Umbral for a second chance.
If you die in Umbral, you lose all collected Vigor unless retrieved before dying again.
If Vigor isn’t where you died, an NPC likely picked it up—look for enemies glowing blue and defeat them to retrieve your lost currency.

Resting, Upgrading, and Leveling Up

Vestiges (Bonfires)

Vestiges serve as waypoints where you can rest, heal, and upgrade your character. These are the only truly safe places in the game.

Use Umbral Seeds to create temporary vestiges where you need them.
Spending Vigor early and often is crucial to avoid losing progress.

Leveling Up Stats

Each stat serves a specific function:

Strength: Improves melee power for heavy weapons.
Agility: Enhances speed and effectiveness of lighter weapons.
Endurance: Increases stamina and carry weight.
Vitality: Boosts health pool and defense.
Radiance: Powers up holy magic.
Inferno: Enhances fire-based spells.

Soft caps occur at 40 for Vitality and Endurance, 50 for Strength, Agility, Radiance, and Inferno, with hard caps at 75.

NPCs and Upgrades

Your sanctuary is home to critical NPCs:

Blacksmith: Essential for upgrading weapons up to +10 using progressively rarer materials.
Healer: Upgrades your healing flask for better health restoration.
Lantern Master: Allows socketing Umbral Eyes into your Lantern for additional effects.
Remembrance Keeper: Trades boss souls for unique weapons and armor.
Merchants: Sell spells, runes, and Umbral Seeds.

Talking to NPCs multiple times is key, as they often unlock new dialogue options, rewards, or shops.

Weapons, Gear, and Weight Management

Weapons scale with stats—always check the scaling rank (F to S) before upgrading.
Wearing heavy armor reduces mobility but increases defense.
Jewelry provides passive buffs like increased stamina regeneration or higher damage output.
Runes can be slotted into weapons, offering enhancements like elemental damage or stat boosts.
Tinks allow you to customize gear appearance without affecting stats.

PvP, Co-Op, and Revenge Mechanics

PvP: You may be invaded by players seeking to defeat you for currency rewards.
Co-Op: Players can join your world but won’t save their progress unless they host their own game.
Revenge System: If another player dies to an NPC, you can avenge them by following red butterflies to the enemy, earning unique rewards.

Navigation and Exploration Tips

Follow Beams of Light: These guide you toward main objectives.
Break Objects: Barrels and crates often hide loot or enemies.
Check the Environment: Hanging bodies, glowing objects, or vibration hints often signal hidden loot.
Reassess When Stuck: If enemies feel too strong, you likely missed an area meant to prepare you.

Final Thoughts

Lords of the Fallen offers deep mechanics and challenging combat, but with patience and smart resource management, you can overcome its toughest obstacles. Focus on learning enemy patterns, optimizing your build, and exploring thoroughly. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to experiment and enjoy the variety of playstyles the game offers.

With this guide in hand, you should be well-equipped to start your journey in Lords of the Fallen with confidence. Good luck, and may your Vigor remain safe!