Warhammer Survivors is out today, November 10, and it throws you straight into the deep end: two Warhammer settings, more than 40 champions, more than 70 weapons, and hordes that do not stop coming. This Warhammer Survivors beginner guide covers the habits that actually keep a new player alive, from picking a first champion to evolving weapons and spending gold between runs.
The basics first. Warhammer Survivors is a single-player pixel-art bullet-heaven roguelite from Auroch Digital, made with Warhammer and poncle, the team behind Vampire Survivors. You pick a champion, survive escalating hordes, collect weapons and power-ups, and evolve your attacks into stronger forms. Runs end, gold persists, and each attempt unlocks more characters, weapons, abilities, and relics. It launches today on PC, consoles, and mobile for $7.99 (GBP 6.39, EUR 7.49) with a 10 percent launch discount, unlocking at 10 a.m. GMT, 5 a.m. ET, and 2 a.m. PT, according to the official launch announcement on Steam.
Warhammer Survivors Beginner Guide: The 10 Tips
1. Start with Malum Caedo. The Ultramarines Sternguard Veteran from Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is the most forgiving first pick. His Chainsword hits in a wide arc in front of him, which means you do not need perfect positioning to clear the early waves. Neave Blacktalon, the Stormcast Eternal from Age of Sigmar, is the other strong starter, with Tempest Axes that reward movement. Pick one, learn the loop, then branch out.
2. Keep moving in wide arcs. Standing still is how runs end. The hordes close in from every side, and the safest pattern is a slow, wide circle that keeps enemies bunched in front of your attacks. Do not sprint into a corner to grab a gem, and do not chase stragglers. Kiting in wide arcs keeps your options open and your escape routes clear.
3. Learn what your starting weapon actually does. Some weapons aim automatically, others fire in a fixed direction or from your position. Spend your first run watching how your weapon behaves instead of trying to optimize it. A weapon that fires where you point is a different tool from one that fires on its own, and your movement should match the weapon, not fight it.
4. Focus on two or three weapons, not six. The most common beginner mistake is spreading level-ups across every weapon that appears. Pick two or three core weapons early and feed them every upgrade. A maxed weapon with an evolution is worth far more than five half-leveled ones, and evolutions are where runs turn from survival into domination.
5. Pair weapons with the right passive to evolve them. Evolutions need a specific weapon plus a specific passive support item. Community guides from the demo confirm several pairings: Chainsword plus Tape Measure for more range and bleed, Bolt Pistol plus Dice Cube for rapid fire with critical hits, and Power Fists evolving into an attack that summons Marneus Calgar with the Gauntlets of Ultramar. When a passive appears, check whether it completes an evolution for a weapon you already carry before grabbing something random.
6. Prioritize movement speed early. If you cannot outrun the swarm, your damage does not matter. Movement speed buffs are the single most valuable early pickup in the game, because every other decision depends on being able to reposition. Grab them whenever they appear in the first few minutes, even over a small damage increase.
7. Kill green elites for chests. Elites stand out from the horde and drop chests when killed. Those chests hold the upgrades that accelerate a run, so it is worth steering toward an elite when one spawns nearby. Just do not tunnel on it: if the horde closes in while you chase, the chest is not worth the run.
8. Rescue allies when the map offers them. Warhammer Survivors hides rescue objectives behind question marks on the map. Rescuing characters like Kozlowski adds squadmates who fight beside you, and some rescues unlock new weapons. The rescue fights can be dangerous, so go in with a leveled weapon and a clear exit, but do not ignore them. A rescued ally changes the math of every wave after.
9. Remember that 40K and Age of Sigmar progress is separate. Characters, upgrades, and unlocks do not transfer between the two settings, with only some passives shared. That means your early gold and unlocks should go into one setting first, not split across both. Pick the setting whose champions you like, build a roster there, and treat the other as a second campaign for later.
10. Spend gold between runs with a plan. Gold persists across runs and buys characters, weapons, abilities, and relics. The temptation is to spend it the moment you have it. Instead, save for the unlock that opens a new playstyle, a champion whose starting weapon covers a gap in your roster, or a relic that changes how runs start. Relics can open alternate modes, so a single well-chosen purchase can matter more than five small ones.
What Else to Know Before Your First Run
The demo that ran in October will not carry progress into the full game, so everyone starts fresh today. That is good news for new players: the community knowledge from the demo, the evolution pairings and rescue routes, is public, but nobody has a head start on unlocks.
A few more things worth knowing. Stages have distinct enemy factions and secrets, so learn one stage at a time instead of trying to master the whole game on day one. Extremis bosses close out stages, and they punish players who arrive with unfocused builds, so treat the boss as a gear check: if your core weapons are not evolved by then, the next run is the time to fix that. Pick-ups like the Melta-bomb and Hellfire Ammo are powerful but can hurt you if used carelessly, so read what a pickup does before you grab it in the middle of a crowd.
If you want a second opinion on the loop before diving in, our ARC Raiders Frozen Trail beginner guide covers a different kind of extraction pressure, and our Phantom Blade Zero beginner guide has the same survive-first mindset applied to a much harder action game. For Warhammer Survivors, the rule is simple: move, focus your build, evolve early, and let the gold do the long-term work. The hordes will not get easier. You will get better at meeting them.
