Odin is a complex MMORPG full of progression systems, traps that can slow your growth, and smart ways to become much stronger over time. This guide covers everything you need to know to start your journey the right way—from your first quests to long-term strategies that will shape your account.

Main Quests First – Always

When you load into the world for the first time, your biggest temptation might be to run off into the wilderness, kill mobs, and grind levels. Don't. This is one of the biggest early mistakes that wastes your time. The best way to progress in Odin: Valhalla Rising during the early stages is by focusing entirely on your main questline.

The main quests unlock the game's core systems. You won't get access to features like the rune system, codec entries, weekly dungeons, crafting, or important town quests without advancing your main story. Until you reach around level 50, grinding mobs outside of quest objectives is highly inefficient. Your questline provides the best XP and progress, and it's designed to take you to the right places at the right time.

Gear Strategy – Don't Overinvest Early

In your first 20 to 30 levels, you'll come across plenty of gear drops. It's tempting to enhance everything to the max and chase higher numbers, but that's a trap. You should only enhance what you need, and even then, stop at around +3 to +5. Enhancing gear past that point is costly and usually wasteful early on.

Your real goal is to dismantle extra gear, save enhancement materials, and start crafting rare-quality gear once you hit level 30. At that point, you'll be able to buy blueprints from town NPCs and begin unlocking meaningful crafting recipes. This is when you'll start to build your first solid, long-term gear sets.

The Rune System – Huge Stat Gains

At level 30, a major feature unlocks: the rune system. This is one of the most important aspects of character development in Odin. You'll start with three rune slots, and just equipping runes (even common ones) grants instant stat boosts like attack power, critical hit rate, health, and defense.

What makes the rune system so powerful is its connection to your codeex. Every rune you equip is registered permanently to your account, giving you ongoing passive stats. Don't overthink it at the beginning—just slot in any runes you find, activate those codeex bonuses, and keep progressing.

Summons Aren't Just Cosmetics

A lot of new players think summons—like avatars, weapon spirits, and mounts—are purely cosmetic. They're not. Every summon you collect, whether you use it or not, is automatically added to your codeex, which translates to permanent stat boosts.

Some of the stats you can gain from summons include attack speed, casting speed, EXP gain, and bonus damage. Early on, don't worry about getting the highest rarity possible. Instead, focus on collecting a wide variety of summons to fill out your codeex. In the early game, quantity is more important than rarity.

Weekly Dungeons – Plan Before You Burn

Once you hit level 30, you'll gain access to weekly dungeons. These dungeons offer some of the best rewards in the game, including skill books, enhancement scrolls, and crafting materials. However, you only get a limited number of entries per week, so they require smart planning.

Before you dive into a weekly dungeon, ask yourself what your account needs the most that week. Are you short on enhancement materials? Do you need a new skill book? Pick your dungeons based on what will help you progress most effectively. Don't just spam them, or you'll end up with the wrong rewards.

Open-World PvP – Be Careful Out There

Odin features open-world PvP in many zones. As you progress into higher-level areas, PK (player killing) becomes a reality. If you're killed by another player, you could lose time, experience, and momentum. If you kill too many players without reason, you'll gain negative karma and may even be attacked by town guards.

Until you're confident in your gear and know the PvP zones well, it's usually best to avoid unnecessary fights. Getting pulled into PvP when you're trying to complete quests or farm resources is more frustrating than rewarding for most new players.

The Codeex – Your Permanent Power Growth

The codeex is the most important long-term progression system in Odin. Every item you equip, every rune you slot, every summon or seal stone you obtain, gets logged into your codeex and gives you free passive stat bonuses. These include health, attack power, crit rate, elemental resistance, and more.

Here's the key tip: always equip new items at least once before dismantling them. That's the only way they get registered in your codeex. Even if the item isn't useful for your build, it's worth equipping just for the permanent stat increase. Over time, the codeex becomes the primary source of your strength, often more than raw levels or gear upgrades.

Daily Habits That Make a Huge Difference

To grow consistently, develop strong daily habits. Every day, make sure you:

• Complete town quests: These give big XP rewards and crucial upgrade materials.

• Track and complete feats: These are achievement-like objectives that feed into your codeex and reward you with gear, scrolls, and other resources.

• Register all new items to your codeex: Don't let things rot in your inventory. Equip, register, and dismantle.

• Keep your inventory clean and organized: A cluttered inventory slows down your progress and can result in lost opportunities.

Also, consider expanding your inventory using Odin: Valhalla Rising Diamonds. Yes, it costs premium currency, but the value is worth it. More inventory space allows for more loot, easier codeex progression, and smoother gameplay overall. It's one of the best uses of diamonds early on.

Final Tips to Start Strong

To wrap up, here are some golden rules that every beginner should follow:

1. Don't over-enhance early gear. Stop at +3 to +5 max. Save your high-quality materials for when you craft rare or epic items later.

2. Equip everything new at least once. Register it with your Codeex before you dismantle or sell it.

3. Use diamonds wisely. Prioritize permanent upgrades like inventory expansion over gambling on random summons.

4. Main quest first, always. That's where the real progression comes from early on.

5. Think long-term. Odin isn't a game where you rush levels. The strongest players are the ones who slowly and steadily build up their codeex and account stats.

Conclusion

Odin: Valhalla Rising is a game where knowledge and planning give you a serious edge. It's not about who hits level 60 the fastest—it's about who stacks the most permanent stat gains over time. From your gear enhancements to rune selection, from codeex strategies to smart dungeon planning, every decision you make has long-lasting effects.

Follow the tips in this guide, avoid the most common early mistakes, and you'll be on your way to building a powerful, efficient character that can handle everything Odin throws at you. See you in Valhalla.