Wo Long: Fallen Dynastyis a historical fantasy action RPG set in ancient China. With combat based on both martial arts and weapon mastery, players take on the role of a nameless soldier and are forced to take on powerful demons and monsters as part of the game’s campaign.

Described by many as a soulslike,Wo Long: Fallen Dynastyis a game that, at times, can be intense and challenging. While its combat is satisfying and fun, it can definitely take some getting used to. For players who are just starting out playingWo Long: Fallen Dynasty,these beginner tips should make the learning curve a little easier.

wo long fallen dynasty

8Get Used To Spirit Gauge, Health Bar, & Morale Rank

A major part of feeling comfortable with the combat inWo Long: Fallen Dynastyis adjusting to the game’s Morale Rank, Spirit Gauge, and Heath Bar. While the Health Bar is fairly self-explanatory, Spirit Gauge represents a player’s stamina. Morale Rank is a type of power ranking that players receive for a given mission.

Related:Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty: Best Staff Build

Spirit Gauge is especially important. Players need sufficient Spirit Gauge to block attacks properly, as well as stun enemies. Enemies can also stun the player if they manage to overcome their Spirit Gauge. Like mastering the title’svarious weapon types, getting familiar with the Spirit Gauge, Health Bar, and Morale Rank are crucial for becoming a pro atWo Long: Fallen Dynasty.

7Watch For Unblockable Enemy Critical Blows

Critical Blows are perhaps the biggest threat that players need to be mindful of inWo Long: Fallen Dynasty. This is because Critical Blows are actually unblockable, making them very dangerous to deal with (unless players use abow build, which allows for effective ranged attacks).

Enemies will begin to glow a dark red when attempting to use a Critical Blow, which players can keep an eye out for to dodge them in time. Essentially, this is the only way to negate the threat that they pose. Players should do their best not to lose sight of any one enemy for too long.

wo long fallen dynasty

6Master Normal Attacks, Spirit Attacks, & Martial Arts

One of the most exciting aspects ofWo Long: Fallen Dynastyis the game’s varied, dynamic, exciting combat system. Players can utilize their character’s Normal Attacks, Spirit Attacks, and Martial Arts to become a sheer force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, especially if they come up with a build that best suits their playstyle. For instance, aspear buildis often a great choice for players who prefer melee weapons with longer range.

Related:Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty: Best Fire Phase Spells, Ranked

Martial Arts, in particular, should be used sparingly. They’re great for breaking through an enemy’s guard, but they do also consume part of the Spirit Gauge. To make them as effective as possible, players can combine their Martial Arts with Normal Attacks and Spirit Attacks to do other kinds of damage to their foes.

5Make Use Of The Training Grounds

InWo Long: Fallen Dynasty, just as in life, practice really does make perfect. The best way for players to get better at the game is simply through working on their skills and getting as used to its combat system as possible, which largely comes through repetition and muscle memory (as well as getting thebest armorand weapons in the title, naturally).

So, players struggling with any aspect of the game should visit the Training Grounds to work on it. While this might not seem that appealing at face value, combat in the title is satisfying enough that even practicing it can be pretty fun.

wo long fallen dynasty

4Collect As Much Genuine Qi As Possible

Collecting Genuine Qi is one of the most important things players can prioritize inWo Long: Fallen Dynasty. Players can use Genuine Qi to level up, as well as upgrade their weapons. Farming Genuine Qi is probably the most efficient way of collecting it. This might not sound very appealing, but, with the right strategy in place, players can actually farm Qi fairly quickly.

Related:Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty: Best Wood Phase Spells, Ranked

Additionally, being underleveled for bosses and enemies makes the game far harder. (Players will definitely want to be a high enough level fortough encounters like Taotie, for instance.) Naturally, some players will prefer this if they want the game to be as challenging as possible, but for everyone else, collecting Qi wherever and whenever possible should be a priority.

3Learn How To Evade & Deflect In Combat

In some respects,Wo Long: Fallen Dynastydraws inspiration from the Soulsborne franchise, and can probably be described as a Soulslike. One example of this is the importance of learning to properly dodge and evade in combat, which, just like in theSoulsbornegames, is crucial inWo Long: Fallen Dynasty(especially for players with builds based on combat in close quarters, like asword build).

All attacks other than Critical Blows can be deflected, and it’s arguably the best way for the player to defend themselves while not taking damage. By deflecting blows, players can maintain their attacking momentum without dying.

wo long fallen dynasty

2Marking Flags Are Not Checkpoints

Something that confuses players inWo Long: Fallen Dynastyis that the game uses both Marking Flags and Battle Flags in its maps. While they may sound very similar, their functions are actually different.

Related:Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty: Soft Caps For Each Virtue

Battle Flags operate as checkpoints, whereas Marking Flags do not. Instead, Marking Flags are usually hidden, and players can use them to restore their HP and remove any status effects that might be present in that part of the map, as well as raise their Fortitude Rank. However, they won’t save players' progress, which is important to remember.

1Don’t Be Afraid To Leave Minibosses For Later

There’s a number of pretty tough minibosses sprinkled throughout the various stages ofWo Long: Fallen Dynastythat players are likely to struggle with earlier in the game (as well as some very challenging bosses, likeDemon Liu Bei). It’s important to remember that, if players aren’t able to take out a particular miniboss, they can actually return to that part of the game later to fight the miniboss again.

It’s worth doing this, too, as minibosses inWo Long: Fallen Dynastyoften guard treasure or similar valuable items. Besides, taking on minibosses when players are at a higher level is generally far easier.

wo long fallen dynasty

Wo Long: Fallen Dynastyis out now on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S and X, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and PC.

MORE:Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty: Things We Want To See In A Sequel

wo long fallen dynasty

wo long fallen dynasty

wo long fallen dynasty