Winds of Valen — Guides

📖 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).
💡 All three towns have Green Crystals. Tag them early — they set your respawn point and let you heal for free during grinding.

🕹️ 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.
💡 Local Chat shows players within view distance. Global Chat covers the entire map. A red square on a tab means unread messages.

🧌 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.
🎯 Leveling Priority: ATK 5 → DEF 5 → ATK 10 | Switch ATK/DEF training via the sword icon.

☠️ 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.
🎯 Leveling Priority: ATK only | Slot potions carefully — healing mid-fight cancels your action and requires retargeting.

🏆 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.
🎯 Leveling Priority: ATK ~15 (14 is fine)

🏹 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.
🎯 Leveling Priority: DEF 10 → ATK 20 → DEF 15

⚒️ 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).
💡 Smelting grants more XP than mining — always smelt your ores rather than selling them raw. Iron Ore becomes available to mine at Smithing level 10, found at the Forest Alcove and West Mine.

🛡️ 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.
💡 Use 25-gold potions when forced to run, 250-gold potions when you are not — but prefer the 25-gold ones.

📦 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.