Winds of Valen — Guides

💰 Money Guide

Effective methods for earning gold, from early game skilling to late-game combat.

🟢 Early Game Money

One of the most effective early-game money strategies is leveling Smithing and selling crafted helmets for profit.

⚒️ Smithing Helmets

• Start by buying ores and smelting them into Bronze Bars.
• Craft Bronze Helmets (requires Smithing level 8) and sell them for profit.
• Once you have some gold, begin buying bars directly instead of smelting them yourself.
• Progress through helmet tiers as your Smithing level increases: Bronze → Iron → Steel Helmets.
• Crafting higher-tier helmets increases speed and profit, making this a consistent early-game method.

🔵 Late Game Money

🥇 Option 1: Mithril Smithing (Best Long-Term Method)

Currently the most efficient way to make money via Smithing while training Mining and Smithing simultaneously. Uses Mithril Ores and Coal Ores to produce Mithril Bars, then crafts Mithril Helmets for profit and experience. The mith route is located in Town 2.

⛏️ Mining Phase

• Go to a Mithril Rock and mine a full inventory (28 ores).
• Walk to the Bank and deposit all ores.
• Repeat until you have the desired amount of Mithril Ore.

🔥 Smelting Phase (Optimized)

Each Mithril Bar requires 1 Mithril Ore + 2 Coal Ore. Optimal batch with 28-slot inventory: 9 Mithril Ore, 18 Coal Ore, 1 slot for Coins.

⚒️ Crafting Phase

• Withdraw 28 Mithril Bars from the Bank.
• At Anvil, craft Mithril Helmet (7 per inventory).
• Deposit all 7 Mithril Helmets to Bank.
• Repeat until all bars are used and sell helmets at the nearest shop.

🔁 Summary Loop

Phase	Action	Quantity per Trip
Mining	Mine Mithril Ore	28 ores per inventory
Smithing	Withdraw Mithril Ore	9 ores per batch
Smithing	Buy Coal Ore	18 Coal Ore per batch
Smithing	Smelt at Furnace	9 ores → 9 Mithril Bar
Smithing	Bank Mithril Bar	9 bars per trip
Smithing	Withdraw Mithril Bar	28 bars per inventory
Smithing	Craft Mithril Helmet	7 helmets per inventory
Smithing	Bank Mithril Helmet	7 helmets per trip

🗡️ Option 2: Skeleton Knight Hunting

Kill Skeleton Knights inside West Mine to collect Skeleton Greatswords, which can be sold for profit. Trains Attack or Defence while earning gold.

• Travel to the West Mine.
• Defeat Skeleton Knights and collect Skeleton Greatsword drops.
• Sell Skeleton Greatswords to players or shops.

🎣 Option 3: Blue Gill Fishing & Essence Processing

Mid to endgame money by reaching Fishing level 30 and catching Blue Gills in bulk. After banking a large amount, process them in Town 1 to generate Essence — typically 18–40 gold per essence due to high demand from potion crafters.

• Train Fishing to level 30, catch Blue Gill in bulk.
• Travel to Town 1, use the Cutting Table to process fish.
• Use the Reduction Station to convert Essence Glands into Essence.
• Sell Essence to players for profit.

⚡ Fastest Method (Most Efficient Rotation)

• Take 14 Blue Gill from the bank.
• Process at Cutting Table → receive 28 Essence Glands.
• Go to Reduction Station → convert all glands into Essence.
• Return to bank, deposit all Essence. Repeat.

🧪 Option 4: Elder Trout → Large Strong Health Potion Brewing

High midgame to endgame money combining Fishing and Potion Making to craft Large Strong Health Potions in bulk.

Requirement	Level
Fishing	Level 40
Potion Making	Level 40

Material	Quantity
Blue Gill	1,000
Elder Trout	2,000

This allows production of up to 2,000 Large Strong Health Potions per full batch. See the detailed step-by-step in the Potion Making Guide for the full brewing rotation.

⛏️ Mining Guide

Learn how to efficiently mine ores, gain XP, and maximize profit in Winds of Valen.

Mining is a gathering skill that allows players to extract ores from mining nodes. It is essential for Smelting and Smithing, making it a key skill for progression and early-game gold-making. Mining becomes increasingly profitable at higher levels, especially with Mithril Ore and Gold Ore.

⚙️ How Mining Works

• Have a pickaxe equipped (having it in your inventory is not enough).
• Meet the required Mining level.
• Have sufficient Mining Power from gear to mine efficiently.
• Inventory has only 28 slots and ores do not stack.
• Banking ores allows selling or using them for Smelting/Smithing.
• Dropping ores increases XP per hour but gives no gold.
• Mining any ore has a chance to drop Gems (quality scales with ore tier).
• All players start with a Copper Pickaxe.

💎 Ore Experience & Profit

Ore	Mining Level	EXP per Ore	Approx. XP / Hour	Approx. Gold / Hour
Tin Ore	1	15	~24,000	~1,600g
Copper Ore	1	15	~24,000	~1,600g
Iron Ore	10	30	~29,000	~1,900g
Coal Ore	20	80	~73,000	~1,500g
Mithril Ore	30	150	~71,000	~3,700g
Gold Ore	40	350	~153,000	~24,500g
Gold Dust	40	350	~271,000	~54,000g

📍 Best Mining Spots

Ore	Location	Notes
Mithril Ore	West Mine	Quick trips; only 3 Mithril Rocks
Mithril Ore	Elven Haven	Most Mithril Rocks; bank slightly farther
Gold Ore	Town 2	Best gold location; close to bank
Gold Dust	Darklands	Only Dust location; dangerous PvP zone
Copper / Tin	Town Mine	Best for beginners
Iron / Coal	Near Forest Entrance	Low-risk, mid-level players

📈 Recommended Progression

Levels	Ore	Notes
1–9	Copper & Tin	Fast XP, low profit, low-quality Gems
10–19	Iron	Decent XP, low-medium profit, medium-quality Gems
20–29	Coal	Moderate profit, mid-level XP (buyable at Town 2)
30–39	Mithril	High XP & profit; cannot be purchased
40+	Gold Ore / Gold Dust	Very high XP and income; mine near Town 2

💡 Tips for New Players

• Always equip your pickaxe before mining.
• Remember the 28-slot inventory limit; plan bank trips in advance.
• Mining near a bank maximizes efficiency.
• Dropping ores increases XP per hour but earns no income.
• Focus on one ore type at a time for maximum efficiency.
• Upgrade your pickaxe and Mining Power gear as soon as possible.
• Pre-banking Mithril Ore saves time for Smithing later.
• Gold Dust offers the highest XP and income but carries PvP risk.

🔨 Smithing Guide

A comprehensive, new-player-friendly guide for smithing in Winds of Valen.

🛠️ How Smithing Works

Smithing has two steps: Smelting (turning ores into bars) and Smithing (turning bars into equipment). You gain experience twice for every bar — once when smelting and once when smithing.

Tier	EXP per Bar
Bronze	15
Iron	30
Steel	55
Mithril	155
Gold	800

💡 Best Smithing Methods

Category	Recommended Item
Best overall EXP & profit	Mithril Platelegs (if mining your own Mithril Ore)
Best if bars already banked	Mithril Sword
Best lazy / town-only method	Steel tier (EXP: Steel Sword, Profit: Steel Helmet)

💰 Early Money-Making Method

Buying bars, smithing helmets, and selling to vendors is one of the best early-game money methods. Helmets use fewer bars, have high vendor value, require no mining, and work from very low levels.

• Buy bars from stalls or players → Smith helmets → Sell to vendor → Repeat.
• Best tiers: Bronze (early starter gold), Iron (steady early profit), Steel (excellent early money).

⚒️ Key Information

• Pickaxes and hammers must be equipped.
• Players start with a Copper Pickaxe but no hammer (costs 10g).
• Smelting does not require a hammer.
• Pickaxes and hammers cannot be crafted.

⛏️ Ore & Mining Requirements

Mining Level	Pickaxe	Ore	EXP per Ore
1	Copper Pickaxe	Copper Ore / Tin Ore	15
10	Iron Pickaxe	Iron Ore	30
20	Steel Pickaxe	Coal Ore	80
30	Dwarven Pickaxe	Mithril Ore	150
40	N/A	Gold Ore / Gold Dust	350

🔨 Smelting & Smithing Requirements

Level	Item	Ingredients	Duration	Sell Value
1	Bronze Bar	Copper + Tin	3s	4g
10	Iron Bar	2× Iron	4s	14g
20	Steel Bar	Iron + Coal	5s	28g
30	Mithril Bar	Mithril + 2 Coal	6s	140g
40	Gold Bar	8 Gold Ore/Dust	15s	700g

🏆 Best Smithing Choices by Tier

Tier	EXP Choice	Profit Choice
Bronze	Bronze Sword	Bronze Helmet
Iron	Iron Helmet	Iron Helmet
Steel	Steel Sword	Steel Helmet
Mithril	Mithril Platelegs / Mithril Sword	—
Gold	Gold Bar / Gold Dust	—

📊 EXP / Hour & Profit / Hour — Mining

Method	Level	EXP / Hr	Profit / Hr
Mine 14 Copper/Tin & bank	1	24,000	1,600g
Drop Copper/Tin	1	30,436	0g
Mine 28 Iron & bank	10	29,077	1,938g
Drop Iron	10	64,800	0g
Mine 28 Coal & bank	20	73,309	4,580g
Drop Coal	20	160,000	0g
Mine 28 Mithril & bank	30	70,986	3,784g
Drop Mithril	30	105,000	0g
Mine 28 Gold Ore	40	153,391	24,543g
Mine Gold Dust*	40	271,942	54,000g

*Gold Dust assumes uninterrupted mining and bar conversion.

📊 EXP / Hour & Profit / Hour — Smithing

Bronze Tier

Method	Level	EXP / Hr	Profit / Hr
Buy ores → bars	1	13,170	0g
Buy bars → Platelegs	2	51,428	-6,428g
Buy bars → Swords	4	64,158	-4,277g
Buy bars → Platebody	6	53,731	-3,582g
Buy bars → Helmets	8	57,092	2,854g

Iron Tier

Method	Level	EXP / Hr	Profit / Hr
Buy ores → bars	10	28,080	5,616g
Buy bars → Platelegs	12	86,688	-18,782g
Buy bars → Swords	14	108,451	-23,497g
Buy bars → Platebody	16	110,204	-23,877g
Buy bars → Helmets	18	116,756	8,756g

Steel Tier

Method	Level	EXP / Hr	Profit / Hr
Buy ores → bars	20	41,250	12,000g
Buy bars → Mining Gloves	21	241,900	29,321g
Buy bars → Platelegs	22	268,474	-24,406g
Buy bars → Swords	24	279,529	-25,411g
Buy bars → Platebody	26	241,463	-21,951g
Buy bars → Helmets	28	251,428	57,142g

Mithril Tier

Method	Level	EXP / Hr	Profit / Hr
Buy bars → Platelegs	32	811,636	-214,690g
Buy bars → Swords	34	826,666	-218,666g
Buy bars → Platebody	36	769,655	-203,586g
Buy bars → Helmets	38	720,000	-190,451g
Self-mined bars → Platelegs	32	811,636	832,581g
Self-mined bars → Swords	34	826,666	848,000g
Self-mined bars → Platebody	36	769,655	789,517g
Self-mined bars → Helmets	38	720,000	738,580g

Gold Tier

Method	Level	EXP / Hr	Profit / Hr
Gold Ore → Bars	40	135,000	270,000g
Gold Dust → Bars	40	433,548	379,354g

🎣 Fishing Guide

Learn how to be a master angler. Beginner-friendly tips included!

⚙️ How Fishing Works

• Have a Bait Knife in your inventory (to create bait).
• Equip a Fishing Rod (having it in inventory is not enough).
• Have enough Bait in your inventory.
• Meet the required Fishing level.
• Have sufficient Fishing Power from gear.

🎣 Fishing Rods & Tools

Tool	Fishing Level	Cost	Bought From
Bait Knife	1	10g	Fishing Stall in Town 1
Crude Fishing Rod	1	10g	Fishing Stall in Town 1
Sturdy Fishing Rod	20	1,000g	Fishing Stall in Town 1

🪝 Bait

Bait	Bought / Crafted From
Worm Bait	Fishing Stall in Town 1
Small Fish Bait	Minnow, Blue Gill
Medium Fish Bait	Common Trout, Perch, Bass, Blue Gill
Large Fish Bait	Elder Trout

🐟 Fish

Fish	Level Required	XP per Catch	Bait Required
Minnow / Rare Minnow	1	8	Worm Bait / Tiny Fish Bait
Common Trout / Rare Trout	5	75	Small Fish Bait
Perch / Rare Perch	10	225	Small Fish Bait
Bass / Rare Bass	20	200	Small Fish Bait
Blue Gill / Rare Blue Gill	30	75	Small Fish Bait
Elder Trout / Rare Elder Trout	40	500	Medium Fish Bait
Carp / Rare Carp	??	??	?? (not yet in game)

🪱 Fish Output (Bait Knife)

Fish	Output
Minnow	2 Small Fish Bait
Rare Minnow	5 Fish Oil
Common Trout	2 Medium Fish Bait
Rare Trout	Weak Magic Power Gem
Perch	2 Medium Fish Bait
Rare Perch	Potion Making Power Gem
Bass	2 Medium Fish Bait
Rare Bass	Magic Power Gem
Blue Gill	1 Small Fish Bait + 2 Medium Fish Bait
Rare Blue Gill	15 Fish Oil
Elder Trout	2 Large Fish Bait
Rare Elder Trout	Smithing Power Gem

🏞️ Fishing Spots

🎯 Fishing Tips & Strategy

• Reach level 30 to catch Blue Gill, then use your Bait Knife on them to collect bait.
• Bank Blue Gills for later Essence making; bank Rare Blue Gill for Fish Oil.
• Level up Potion Making to craft fishing potions to catch more Blue Gills.
• Alternative: Purchase Common Trout from the Fishing Stall for 8g and cut for bait.
• Once you have enough bait and potions, switch to Elder Trout spots for faster XP.

🧪 Potion Making Guide

Learn how to be a master potion maker. Beginner-friendly tips included!

⚙️ How Potion Making Works

1. Fish for the necessary materials (see Fishing Guide).
2. Cut your fish at the Cutting Table.
3. Process materials at the Reduction Station or Pestle And Mortar.
4. Craft potions at the Cauldron.
5. Purchase Vials at the Potion Stall to collect your potions.

🛠️ Resources

Resource	Cost	Notes
Small Vial	1g	For small potions
Large Vial	10g	For large potions
Gilded Vial	50g	Holds more potion
Small Fang	75g	Also drops from monsters; used for Fang Dust
Mud Root	60g	Also drops from monsters; used for Root Paste

🐟 Fish Cutting (Cutting Table)

Fish	Level	Output	Duration	XP
Minnow	1	2 Small Essence Gland	2s	10
Common Trout	5	2 Scrap Fish Flesh + 1 Small Essence Gland	2s	10
Perch	10	Fish Scales + Small Essence Gland	2s	30
Bass	20	Plain Fish Flesh + Small Essence Gland	2s	20
Blue Gill	30	2 Essence Gland	2s	40
Elder Trout	40	Hearty Fish Flesh + Essence Gland	2s	70
Carp	50	Hardened Fish Scales + Small Essence Gland	2s	??

🔄 Reduction (Reduction Station)

Fish / Resource	Level	Output	Duration	XP
Rare Minnow	1	5 Fish Oil	5s	50
Small Essence Gland	1	2 Essence	0.5s	4
Rare Blue Gill	25	15 Fish Oil	5s	140
Essence Gland	30	10 Essence	0.5s	10
Hearty Fish Mash	35	Hearty Extract	3s	90
Hardened Fish Scales	45	Polished Fish Scales	4s	??

🪨 Crushing / Grinding (Pestle And Mortar)

Resource	Level	Output	Duration	XP
Fish Scales	5	Crushed Fish Scales	2s	30
Mud Root	10	Root Paste	3s	35
Plain Fish Flesh	15	Fish Mash	2s	40
Small Fang	20	2 Fang Dust	3s	45
Hearty Fish Flesh	35	Hearty Fish Mash	3s	80
Polished Fish Scales	35	Fine Fish Scales	4s	??

🧪 Potion Brewing (Cauldron)

Potion Type	Level	Ingredients	Duration	XP
Weak Health	1	10 Scrap Fish Flesh + 25 Essence	20s	500
Fishing	5	10 Fish Oil + 25 Essence	20s	500
Shields	10	10 Crushed Fish Scales + 50 Essence	25s	1,500
Mining	15	10 Root Paste + 50 Essence	25s	1,000
Health	20	10 Fish Mash + 50 Essence	30s	1,500
Attack	25	10 Fang Dust + 200 Essence	30s	1,500
Strong Health	40	10 Hearty Extract + 200 Essence	40s	3,250
Strong Shields	50	10 Fine Fish Scales + 500 Essence	50s	??

🧴 Creating Potions (Vials)

Vial	Level	Holds	Per Cauldron Batch	XP per Potion
Small Vial	1	50ml	20 potions	10 (200 per cauldron)
Large Vial	25	100ml	10 potions	20 (200 per cauldron)
Gilded Vial	50	150ml	??	??

🔁 Efficient Full Production Rotation

Optimal method focusing on smooth bank usage, minimal downtime, and full 28-slot inventory efficiency.

Phase 1: Material Preparation

• Fish Elder Trout at Town Mine in Town 1.
• Fish Blue Gill at Forest Alcove near the mercenary bank.
• Bank everything until ready to mass process.

Phase 2: Processing Blue Gill (Essence Stockpile)

• Set bank withdraw amount to 14.
• Withdraw 14 Blue Gill → Process at Cutting Table → Take Essence Glands to Reduction Station → Convert to Essence → Deposit all → Repeat.

Phase 3: Processing Elder Trout (Extract Production)

• Withdraw 14 Elder Trout → Process at Cutting Table.
• Use Pestle And Mortar: Hearty Fish Flesh → Hearty Fish Mash.
• Use Reduction Station: Hearty Fish Mash → Hearty Extract; Essence Gland → Essence.
• Deposit all → Repeat.

Phase 4: Brewing Rotation (28-Slot Optimized)

Strong Health Potion XP Breakdown (per 10 fish)

Action	XP
Cutting Elder Trout	70
Grinding Hearty Fish Flesh	80
Reducing Hearty Fish Mash	90
Reducing Essence Gland	10
Cauldron	3,250
Bottling	20
Total	5,950 XP

📖 New Player Guide — Getting Started

A comprehensive guide to efficiently level your character from day one to boss fighter in Winds of Valen. Written by Ymko.

🧭 Before You Start

Winds of Valen is a sandbox MMORPG — there are no classes. Your character can use Melee, Archery, and Magic all at once. Skills level by doing: swing a sword to gain Attack XP, equip a shield in Defence Stance to gain Block XP. This guide focuses on the fastest melee combat path from level 1 to mid-game, which is the most beginner-friendly route.

When you start, nothing is explained. You begin at the character creator, then drop into Town 1 with two starter items: a Copper Sword and a Copper Pickaxe.

• Switch between Attack and Defence stances by clicking the sword icon in your HUD. Setting stance to Defence levels the currently equipped shield skill.
• Heal for free by left-clicking the Green Crystal in any town you've visited.
• Dying in non-PvP areas has no item loss penalty — you simply respawn at the nearest visited town. Dying in a PvP zone loses equipment and inventory items.
• Open your map with M. Talk to NPCs and explore to discover towns and unlock new respawn points.
• Sell items at any shop: go to the Sell tab and right-click an item — no dragging required.
• Holding Left Mouse Button keeps your character moving. Walking and attacking both use Left Click.
• Rotate the camera by holding Right Click (recommended) or Middle Mouse Button (default).

🕹️ Important Controls

• Hold Middle Mouse + Drag — Split item stacks evenly.
• CTRL + Middle Mouse + Drag — Split an exact amount from a stack.
• CTRL + Drop item — Drop every item of the same type at once (useful for clearing a full inventory of ore).
• Right-Click an item — Auto-move it when selling, trading, or storing.
• Drag a socketed gem away from an amulet or ring — Remove it from an item.
• Drag a gem onto an amulet or ring — Socket the gem.

💬 Useful Chat Commands

• /commands — Show all in-game commands.
• /unstuck — Moves your character to the nearest visited town (30 min cooldown).
• /block "playername" — Block all messages from a player.
• /unblock "playername" — Remove a block.
• /kd — Show your kill/death stats in chat.

📊 HUD Overview

• Inventory Icon — Opens your bag (28 slots).
• Equipment Icon — Shows your currently equipped items.
• Statistics Icon — Shows base levels and XP for each skill.
• Stance Icon — Switch between Attack and Defence training (Evasion/Parry, Block, Warding). Defence stance levels the currently equipped shield skill.

🧌 Step 1 — Beginner Combat

Duration: ~20 minutes

You have two good options to start leveling right outside Valen Gate:

• Farmlands (southeast of Valen Gate): Hens and Roosters (both level 1) roam the open fields — easy targets with no real threat. Cows (level 5) are also here if you want a small step up. Great if you want a stress-free start.
• Broken Village & Goblin Cave (south of Valen Gate): Goblins (level 1) give slightly better XP and gold. Kill 2 at a time and always collect rings — sell them except the first one (equip it).
• If low HP: die & respawn if out of potions, OR walk back to town.
• Tag along with others fighting a mob if needed.
• Dying has no penalty. Do NOT buy potions yet.

☠️ Step 2 — Skeletons & Iron Sword

Duration: 5–10 minutes

• Head south past the Broken Village and Wheat Fields to reach the Wheat Fields Graveyard and fight Skeletons (level 6) — they give more XP and can drop Helmets and Shields.
• Buy an Iron Sword in town.
• Buy as many cheap potions as possible.
• Put your pickaxe in the bank.
• Level Attack until you get drops: Skeleton Helmet, Skeleton Shield. Equip items as you get them.

🏆 Step 3 — First Boss

Duration: 5–10 minutes

• Return to Goblins and fight the Goblin Berserker.
• Farm until he drops his axe.
• When he glows red, move to his side fast to avoid the cone attack.
• Slot your 2H weapon, main sword, and shield.
• Use 2H for general fighting; sword + shield for bosses.

🏹 Step 4 — Bandits & Gold Ring

Duration: 25–30 minutes

• Heal fully in town, buy more potions.
• Head to the Forest Alcove (east of Valen Gate) and fight Bandits (level 10).
• Repeat runs until you can afford the first amulet.
• Goal: Get a Gold Ring to boost damage.
• Don't use better potions — save gold for later.
• Use all remaining potions, then return to town.

⚒️ Step 5 — Smelting & Crafting Gold

Duration: 20–40 minutes if short on gold

• Sell your level 10 sword and Goblin Axe. Keep only 2 items in inventory.
• Buy a hammer and equip it.
• 8 Tin + 8 Copper → Smelt → Craft Pants
• 12 Tin + 12 Copper → Smelt → Craft 2 Swords
• 10 Tin + 10 Copper → Smelt → Craft 1 Chest
• 24 Bronze Bars → Craft 6 Helmets → Sell → Repeat for 47 total helmets
• 18 Iron Ore → Smelt → Craft Iron Pants & Chest → Equip
• 24 Iron Ore → Smelt → Craft 6 Iron Helmets → Equip 1, Sell rest
• Repeat Iron Helmets until reaching ~1,200 gold (~445 per inventory).

🛡️ Step 6 — Ward Shield & Level 20 Sword

Duration: 5–10 minutes

• Buy a Ward and Level 20 Sword.
• Put both on your action bar.
• Go to Goblins and level Ward to level 10 (Defensive Formation).
• Return to town and sell all your loot.

👑 Step 7 — Second Boss

Duration: 15–20 minutes

• Buy 3× 50-gold potions and a few 10-gold ones.
• Head to the Bandit Leader in the Forest Alcove (level 25 boss).
• Use potions only once you understand his mechanics.
• Stance: Defensive
• Goal: Farm the Bandit Spear — expect a mechanics-heavy fight.

📦 How Loot Works

Loot is based on the damage you deal to an enemy. The more damage you inflict, the higher your chance of receiving that enemy's drop. Multiple players can receive loot from the same enemy if they all contribute damage — and boss scaling increases item drop quantities with more players present.

Some drops appear as a "?" with a percentage — this is a rare drop chance. Each time you defeat that enemy without receiving the item, the percentage increases slightly until it eventually drops.

🔄 How To Trade

• Right-click the player you want to trade with to open their Player Window, then click 🟢 Trade to send a trade request.
• If the Player Window doesn't open, press the arrow icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
• Once both players accept the invite, the Trade Window opens. Place items and/or coins, then both players press Accept.
• A second confirmation screen appears — both players must press Accept again. This prevents last-second scams such as swapping items or changing the coin amount.

🛡️ How To Level Shield Skills Guide

A beginner-friendly guide on leveling your shield skills: Block, Evasion, and Warding. by Alice

🛡️ Introduction

Shield skills let you block, evade, and ward attacks effectively.

Skill	What it Blocks
Block	Heavy damage (2-handed swords or Heavy Bows)
Evasion (Parry)	Quick attacks (1-handed swords or Quick Bows)
Warding	Spells (bosses, mages, elf scholars, staffs, wands)

🔰 How to Level Shields

🛡️ Shield Acquisition

• First Block Shield — dropped by skeleton at the Wheat Fields Graveyard.
• Next Block Shields — purchase directly at the Shield Stall.
• Warding Shields — purchase directly at the Armour Stall & Shield Stall.
• First Parry (Evasion) Shield — dropped by Highwayman at the Path at West mine.
• Next Parry Shield — purchase directly at the Shield Stall..

⚔️ Shield Training Tips

• Always keep Defence stance active while leveling shields.
• The game remembers the last used stance after a relog or weapon switch.
• Equip the correct shield for the type of damage you want to block — choose your enemy carefully.
• Equip the correct weapon for the type of skill you want to train.
• Evasion requires patience since the first shield is drop-only.

👑 Conquer the Giants: Ultimate Bossing Guide

By Artio — Stop grinding mobs and start hunting the giants. A complete introduction to boss mechanics, preparation, and group strategy.

⚔️ Why Bossing?

Bossing requires awareness, positioning, shield swapping, and teamwork. In return, bosses offer some of the best rewards and most exciting combat available.

• Top-Tier Loot — Many of the best equipment drops come from bosses.
• Better XP — Higher experience compared to regular enemies of similar level.
• Engaging Gameplay — Mechanics make encounters far more interactive than standard grinding.

🎒 Preparation is Everything

🕒 When to Start Bossing

Scenario	Recommended Level
Group (Duo/Trio)	~5 levels above the boss's minions
Solo Attempt	~10 levels above the boss's minions

👥 Group Dynamics

Group Size	Result
Solo	Slower kills and lower XP due to lack of scaling
Duo / Trio	Best balance of scaling, speed, and loot quality
Mass (4+)	Boss scaling becomes harsh; rewards per player decrease

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Player Roles

🛡️ Boss Mechanics

Bosses change their attack types depending on the weapon they use. Watch the boss's weapon animation to choose the correct defensive shield.

Boss Weapon	Damage Type	Recommended Shield
Standard Weapon	Heavy physical damage	Heavy Shield
Glowing Weapon	Magical damage	Warding Shield
Rapier	Quick / agile attacks	Evasion Shield

⚡ Ability Cheat Sheet

Ability	What to Do
Whirlwind	Tank steps aside while DPS stay behind the boss
Lightning Beam	Slowly circle the outer ring to control the beam
Fireballs / Stalactites	Move out of red impact circles immediately
Tornadoes	Avoid completely; tanks should reposition the boss away
Stomp / Charge	Run out of the impact circle or sidestep the charge
Adds (Summoned Enemies)	DPS eliminate immediately; use Evasion shield vs Elf adds

💡 Bossing Tips

• Always watch the boss weapon to anticipate damage type.
• Coordinate shield swaps with incoming mechanics.
• Tanks should position the boss away from hazards and tornadoes.
• DPS should prioritize add spawns before returning to the boss.

🏹 Archery Guide

How to use Archery in Winds of Valen — bows, arrows, ranged power, leveling path, and what Defensive stance does for archers.

Archery was added in the March 2026 update as the first new combat skill beyond melee. It introduces bows, arrows, and a dedicated Ranged Power stat. Archery lets you attack enemies at range, which is especially effective for kiting — attacking while moving to stay out of melee reach.

🟢 Getting Started — What You Need

Before you fire a single arrow, you need three things:

📈 Archery Leveling Path

Archery Level	Bow to Use	Where to Train	Tips
1–10	Crude Bow or Goblin Bow	Farmlands — Broken Village	Kite enemies — shoot and retreat. Buy arrows in bulk from Archery Stall.
10–20	Wood Bow or Birch Bow	Wheat Fields Graveyard	Use a Heavy Bow for heavy damage or Quick Bow for pierce. Stock up arrows.
20–30	Birch Bow / Goblin Bow	Goblin Village / Forest Alcove Bandits	Kiting becomes very effective here. Stay at max range.
30+	Willow Bow / Exotic Bow	West Mine Skeleton Knights / Mercenary Camp	Equip Ranged Power jewellery. Upgrade bow immediately at level milestone.

⚙️ Requirements to Use a Bow

• Have a bow equipped (not just in inventory).
• Have the correct arrow type in your ammo slot that the bow supports — the supported arrow types are listed in the bow's description.
• Meet the required Archery level to equip the bow.

🏹 Bow Types

Bow Type	Damage Type	Attack Speed	Range
Heavy Bow	Heavy damage	Slow	Long range
Quick Bow	Pierce damage	Fast	Short range

🪶 How Arrows Work

• Every shot consumes one arrow. If you run out, you cannot attack.
• Arrows set your Pierce Accuracy — not the damage type itself.
• Check a bow's description to see which arrow types it supports — not all arrows work with all bows.
• Keep a stock of arrows in your inventory before going out to fight.

📈 Training Archery

Stance	What It Trains
Attack Stance + Bow	Archery skill (offensive)
Defensive Stance + Bow	Evasion skill (defensive)

💪 Ranged Power Stat

Archery introduced a new Ranged Power stat. This works similarly to Melee Power — it boosts your ranged damage output. You can find Ranged Power on:

• Amulets — now carry both Melee Power and Ranged Power stats
• Rings — now carry both Melee Power and Ranged Power stats
• Evasion-type armour added with the Archery update

🎯 Kiting — The Key Archery Technique

Archery is effective for attacking while moving. You can click to attack an enemy and immediately move away — the arrow fires as you retreat. This lets you:

• Fight enemies that would be dangerous up close
• Stay out of melee range while dealing consistent damage
• Train Archery safely on higher-level mobs by keeping distance

⚠️ Important Restrictions

• You cannot attack bosses with archery from outside the boss arena — this was patched out after the Archery update.
• Using a potion still stops your attack, same as melee.
• Cancelling an attack early puts it on a 1-second cooldown instead of the full cooldown — cancelling after landing the hit results in the normal full cooldown.

💡 Archery Tips

• Always check a bow's description for its supported arrow types before buying arrows in bulk.
• Use a Quick Bow for fast, pierce-focused fights. Use a Heavy Bow for heavier hits at longer range.
• Equip rings and amulets with Ranged Power to boost archery damage.
• Switch to Defensive Stance with your bow equipped to passively train Evasion while fighting.
• Stock up on arrows before leaving town — running out mid-fight leaves you unable to attack.

🧪 Damage Types & Weapon Choice Guide

How to read enemy weaknesses, pick the right weapon, and match the right shield — the single most important combat skill in Winds of Valen.

Every enemy in Winds of Valen has specific attack types and specific defence weaknesses. Choosing the right weapon and shield for each fight is not optional at mid-to-high level — it is the core of how combat works in this game.

⚔️ Damage Types

There are several damage types in the game. Each weapon deals one or more of these:

Damage Type	Dealt By	Blocked By
Heavy	2-handed melee weapons, Heavy Bows	Block Shield (Defence)
Pierce	1-handed weapons, Quick Bows	Parry Shield (Evasion)
Slash	1-handed swords, 2-handed swords	Parry Shield (Evasion) / Block Shield (Defence)
Fire	Fire Wands / Staves	Warding Shield / Fire Defence gear
Ice	Ice Wands / Staves	Warding Shield / Ice Defence gear
Lightning	Lightning Wands / Staves	Warding Shield / Lightning Defence gear
Mystical	All magic weapons (wands & staves)	Warding Shield (Warding)

🛡️ Shield Matching — What Blocks What

Shield Type	Skill It Trains	Blocks
Block Shield	Defence	Heavy damage
Parry Shield (Evasion)	Evasion	Quick / Pierce attacks
Warding Shield	Warding	Mystical / Magic attacks

🗡️ Weapon Choice — Exploit Enemy Weaknesses

Every enemy has different defence stats. Target the lowest defence stat to maximise your damage output:

Enemy has low...	Use this weapon type
Pierce Defence	1-handed weapon or Quick Bow (pierce damage)
Slash Defence	1-handed or 2-handed sword (slash damage)
Heavy Defence	2-handed weapon or Heavy Bow (heavy damage)
Fire Defence	Fire Wand or Fire Staff
Ice Defence	Ice Wand or Ice Staff
Lightning Defence	Lightning Wand or Lightning Staff

🔄 The Full Efficient Combat Loop

📋 Quick Reference: Weapons by Damage Type

Weapon	Damage Type(s)	Can Use Shield?
1-Handed Sword	Slash, Pierce	✅ Yes
Melee 2-Handed Weapon	Slash, Pierce, Heavy	❌ No
Bow	Pierce, Heavy	❌ No

📖 Damage and Block Example: Skeleton Knight (Level 26)

Let's walk through the full decision process for this enemy:

Skeleton Knight — Attack Stats (determine which shield to equip)
Quick Damage	0
Heavy Damage	80 🔴 (highest → equip a Block Shield)
Mystical Damage	0

Skeleton Knight — Defence Skills (determine damage reduction)
Defence	20
Evasion	15 🔴 (lowest → use Quick/Pierce weapons)
Warding	20

Skeleton Knight — Defence Stats (determine hit accuracy)
Pierce Defence	50
Slash Defence	15 🔴 (lowest → highest accuracy)
Ice Defence	75
Fire Defence	20
Lightning Defence	5 🟢 (very low → best accuracy for magic)

💡 Key Tips

• Combining the right shield to reduce damage taken with the right weapon to exploit weakness significantly improves survivability, damage output, and skill training speed.
• At higher levels, choosing the wrong shield becomes much more punishing — enemies hit harder and the mitigation difference is larger.
• Check the Enemy List page on this site for specific enemy weaknesses per mob.
• Boss enemies often alternate between multiple attack types — be ready to swap shields mid-fight.
• Some Bosses have 2 strong or identically strong Damage stats. This is because some bosses switch damage type mid fight (Example: heavy to mystical)

🔄 Gear Swapping Guide

Gear swapping is the core skill expression in Winds of Valen. Here is how to set it up, when to do it, and what to practice.

This game is built around gear swapping. The hotbar (Q, W, E) exists specifically for weapons, shields, and potions so you can swap instantly during combat. Mastering this is what separates new players from experienced ones — especially in boss fights and PvP.

🎮 Setting Up Your Hotbar

The hotbar has 3 slots bound to Q, W, E by default. These can be rebound in settings. Load them with the items you switch between most during combat:

⚔️ When to Swap — PvE

In PvE, gear swapping is primarily about matching your shield to the incoming damage type and your weapon to the enemy's weakness. The key moments to swap:

• Boss changes weapon — watch the boss's weapon animation. A glowing weapon means magical damage → swap to Warding Shield. A standard heavy weapon → swap to Block Shield. A rapier → swap to Parry Shield.
• Adds spawn — add enemies often use a different damage type from the boss. Identify their type and adjust if needed.
• You switch to training your shield — go to Defence stance and swap to the shield you want to level.

🗡️ When to Swap — PvP

In PvP (Darklands), gear swapping becomes a mind game. Both players constantly adapt to each other:

Situation	What to Do
Opponent equips Block Shield	Switch from heavy weapon to pierce or slash weapon
Opponent equips Parry Shield	Switch to heavy weapon (2H sword or heavy bow)
Opponent equips Ward Shield	Switch from magic to melee damage
You don't know their setup	Open with a damage type and watch how they react

🛡️ Shield Flicking

Shield flicking means briefly equipping a shield to absorb an incoming hit, then swapping back to your weapon to continue attacking. This is especially useful with 2-handed weapons since you cannot hold a shield while attacking, but can swap to one in the moment before an enemy's hit lands.

• Watch the enemy's attack animation.
• Press the shield hotkey just before the hit connects.
• Immediately press your weapon hotkey to resume attacking.

🏃 Practising Gear Swapping

The community wiki site includes a dedicated Combat Practice tool — a browser-based exercise for practising weapon and shield swaps with your hotkeys, including keybinding practice. It is designed exactly for building muscle memory for gear swapping before you apply it in real fights.

• Practice with low-risk enemies first (Goblins, early Skeletons) to build the habit.
• Set up presets in the Equipper tool to plan which gear sets you'll swap between.
• Start with just 2 items on the hotbar (weapon + one shield) before adding more complexity.

💡 Key Rules to Remember

• Using a potion stops your attack — this is intentional. Plan potion use between attack animations.
• Cancelling an attack before it lands → 1-second cooldown. After landing → normal full cooldown.
• In PvP, you cannot log out during combat. Force-closing leaves your character in-world for 60 seconds.
• 2-handed weapons (Elven Sword, Skeleton Sword, Spear, Goblin Axe) cannot be paired with a shield simultaneously — you must swap.

🔮 Magic Guide

A complete guide to using Magic in Winds of Valen — wands, staffs, essence, warding, and how the weapon-based spell system works.

🟢 Getting Started — Your First Steps into Magic

Magic is not a traditional spellcasting system — you do not unlock spells or pick a mage class. Instead, magic comes entirely from your weapon. Here is how to start:

📈 Magic Leveling Path

Magic Level	Wand to Use	Where to Train	Tips
1–10	Beginner Wand → Fire Wand	Farmlands — / Broken Village	Use Attack Stance. Stock up on Essence before going out. Cut Minnow for cheap Essence.
10–20	Birch Fire Wand or Birch Ice Wand	Wheat Fields Graveyard / Goblin Village	Birch Ice Wand slows enemies on hit — great for kiting. Buy at Wand Stall for 200g.
20–35	Willow Fire / Ice / Lightning Wand	Forest Alcove / Mercenary Camp / West Mine	Willow Wands available at Wand Stall for 1,000g each. Ice variant applies 30% slow.
35+	Ornate Fire Staff	Elven Haven	The Ornate Fire Staff is currently the best magic weapon ingame.

⚙️ How Magic Works

Magic in Winds of Valen is entirely weapon-based. There are no standalone spells to learn or a spellbook to unlock. All magical abilities come directly from the weapon you hold.

• Equip a Wand or Staff (Fire, Ice, or Lightning) to use magic.
• Wands and staffs must be charged with Essence to function — similar to how bows consume arrows.
• Every shot consumes a small amount of Essence (Energy) from the weapon's charge.
• You start the game with a free Beginner Wand (with 10 charges).
• The Wand Stall in Valen Gate sells replacement and upgraded wands.

🔋 Charging & Discharging Wands / Staffs

🔮 Where to Get Essence

Essence is the fuel for all magical weapons. There are two ways to obtain it:

• Defeating Elves or Bosses — Elves and Bosses drop Essence directly.
• Processing fish — Use the Cutting Table to get Essence Glands, then convert them at the Reduction Station to Essence.

Source	Output	Notes
Small Essence Gland (from fish)	2 Essence	From Minnow, Common Trout, Perch, Bass
Essence Gland (from Blue Gill / Elder Trout)	10 Essence	Requires Potion Making level 30 to reduce
Elves and Bosses	1-500 Essence	Most high level Bosses drop Essence

🛡️ Warding — The Magic Defence Skill

Warding is a separate defensive skill — not the same as Magic. Magic is offensive (leveled in Attack Stance), Warding is defensive (leveled in Defensive Stance). Warding reduces damage from Mystical and magical attacks.

Shield	Warding Level	Block Power	Buy Price	Source
Novice Ward	1	35	500g	Armour Stall / Shield Stall
Apprentice Ward	10	50	2,500g	Shield Stall
Adept Ward	20	70	10,000g	Shield Stall

All Warding Shields can be purchased from stalls — no enemy drops required. To level Warding, use a magic weapon or a Warding Shield while in Defensive Stance.

📈 Magic Leveling Tips

• Train Magic in Attack Stance with any wand or staff equipped.
• Use Defensive Stance with a wand to train Warding instead.
• Stock up on Essence before going out — running out mid-fight leaves you unable to attack.
• The Birch Ice Wand and Willow Ice Wand apply slows on hit, which is useful for kiting enemies (staying at range while moving).
• Wands can be paired with a Shield to mitigate damage while fighting.
• Boost your damage by equipping Jewellery (Neck/Ring slots) and a Trinket with Magic Boosts.
• The Fire Totem trinket (dropped by Fire Lich at 5%) reduces energy consumption by 25% — great for conserving Essence.

💪 Boosting Magic Power

Magic damage is boosted by the Magic Power stat, found on:

• Rings and Amulets — equip Magic Power jewellery in the Neck and Ring slots.
• Gem sockets — Weak Magic Power Gem, Magic Power Gem, and Strong Magic Power Gem can be socketed into jewellery.
• Trinket slot — Items like the Fire Totem provide additional utility for magic users.

⚠️ Important Magic Rules

• Magic is not a standalone spellcasting system — all abilities are tied to the weapon you hold.
• Wands and staffs must be unequipped to be charged or discharged.
• Staffs are 2-handed — no shield can be used simultaneously.
• Using a potion stops your attack, same as melee and archery.
• Magic deals Mystical damage — always blocked by Warding Shields. Keep this in mind when facing magic-using enemies and bosses.