If you’re new to Warborne: Above Ashes or thinking about diving in, this guide will help you get started and understand what makes the game so compelling. Whether you’re a recruit, a returning veteran, or simply curious about the “new era of MMO combat,” this is your complete breakdown of what to expect and how to thrive in the Warborne universe.

What Is Warborne: Above Ashes?

Warborne: Above Ashes is a large-scale, sci-fi-themed MMO that blends real-time strategy, MOBA-inspired combat, and faction warfare into one cohesive experience. The game is played from a top-down perspective, giving players a commanding view of sprawling battlefields where rival factions fight for land and dominance.

Every action in Warborne feeds into one central idea — prepare for and engage in PvP. Whether you’re gathering resources, crafting gear, or defending your faction’s stronghold, you’re constantly at risk of encountering other players. It’s a game that rewards teamwork, strategy, and adaptability.

Faction and Warband System

From the very beginning, you’ll choose a faction — a crucial decision that determines your starting location, allies, and available Warbands (the game’s equivalent of guilds).

While solo play is possible, Warborne is best experienced as part of a Warband. These player-led armies coordinate attacks, defend harvesters, and engage in massive PvP wars over control of the map. Joining a Warband through the in-game recruitment system or community hubs (Discord, Reddit, etc.) gives you access to coordinated events, group farming, and large-scale faction operations.

If you already have a gaming group or guild, Warborne is the perfect place to test your teamwork under fire.

The Drifter System — Choose Your Role

Instead of locking you into a single class, Warborne uses a Drifter system. Drifters act as your playable characters, each with unique active and passive abilities. You can own and swap between multiple Drifters — even mid-battle — to adapt to different combat situations.

As you level up Drifters, you’ll assign points to Strength, Agility, or Intelligence, each representing a combat archetype:

• Strength: Boosts HP and block chance — ideal for tanks and melee bruisers.

• Agility: Increases attack speed and critical rate — best for assassins or ranged DPS.

• Intelligence: Improves mana and cooldowns — perfect for mages and healers.

Your Warband may also expect you to maintain several well-leveled Drifters and gear sets to ensure flexibility during battles. Being prepared to fill multiple roles can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Gearing Up and Resource Management

Gear progression in Warborne revolves around blueprints and data fragments, with rarer gear requiring higher-tier blueprints. Planning ahead can save a lot of time — especially since resource gathering is competitive and often contested by other players.

The main in-game resources include:

• Starfall Tokens: Base currency for trading and crafting gear.

• Exergy: A mined mineral essential for upgrades.

• Eclipsium: Premium currency earned through the faction pass, used to unlock Drifters and upgrades.

• Warborne Above Ashes Solarbite: High-value currency for auction house trades.

Supporting your Warband by delivering gathered materials to your shared Driftmark (base) also grants personal bonuses and contributes to group progress.

Seasons and Progression

Warborne uses a seasonal system. Each season resets much of the game’s progression, giving players fresh opportunities to rise through the ranks. Some elements, such as certain gear or Drifters, carry over, but each new season is essentially a fresh start — complete with evolving faction wars, land grabs, and new challenges.

If a season is nearing its end, it may be smart to wait for the next one to launch — but catch-up mechanics ensure new players can still stay competitive.

Driftmark Base — Your Command Center

Your Driftmark acts as both a home base and a strategic hub. Here, you can:

• Craft consumables and gear

• Mine Exergy

• Upgrade your base

• Access the underground bazaar

• Launch Rift missions for XP and loot

The Research Station is especially important, as it determines your technological progression. Prioritize upgrades like Drifter enhancements, Exergy mining bots, and advanced equipment. Saving resources for critical upgrades can pay off in the long run.

Combat, Loot, and Risk

When you die in Warborne, you’ll lose half your inventory and one equipped item. This semi-loot system keeps combat meaningful while encouraging players to fight more often instead of avoiding PvP entirely. Loot from fallen enemies is distributed automatically to participants, ensuring you’re rewarded for helping in combat.

This balance of risk versus reward makes every battle feel intense but not punishing.

Leveling and PvE Activities

Leveling up can be done through the main questline or by engaging in various activities:

• Rift Missions: Excellent XP sources, especially in groups.

• Harvester Dungeons: Great for gear XP, though rewards are split among party members.

• Vein Hold Extractions: Time-based PvP/PvE hybrid events with big payouts.

• Gathering: Always valuable for crafting and Warband upgrades.

Even while exploring or fighting, keep an eye out for gathering opportunities. Having a dedicated “Mole Drifter” build with gathering bonuses is a good way to stay efficient.

Warband Warfare and Land Control

At the heart of Warborne lies territory control. Warbands compete to capture and upgrade Harvesters — strategic points that produce resources and serve as PvP objectives.

To claim a Harvester, your Warband must defeat mobs, deploy demolishers, and destroy the Harvester’s core during wartime. Once captured, you can upgrade it to expand your Warband’s reach into deeper, more contested zones.

The strongest Warbands will hold multiple Harvesters, earning prestige, resources, and a tactical advantage for their faction.

Choosing the Best Drifters and Weapons

While balance is constantly evolving, some standouts from recent playtests include:

• Best Offensive Tank: Varnax — great mobility and area control.

• Best Defensive Tank: Sokos — unmatched crowd control with his sandstorm field.

• Best DPS: Overdrive — excels in burst damage and mobility.

• Best Healer: Revelation — strong AoE heals and damage resistance buffs.

Top-tier weapons include:

• Predator Split Bow – devastating ranged DPS, especially with agility builds.

• Wing Blade – powerful AoE knockups and defense shredding.

Final Thoughts

Warborne: Above Ashes stands out as one of the most ambitious PvP-focused MMOs in years. Its mix of strategic combat, faction-driven warfare, and persistent world systems makes it both challenging and deeply rewarding.