Where Winds Meet Beginner’s Guide: Essential Advice for a Strong Start

This is a comprehensive guide for anyone starting out in the Wuxia open-world game Where Winds Meet, this guide is put together by information from Ulfhednar and other experienced players.

The primary goal for any new player in Where Winds Meet is to understand what progression route you want to go as swapping down the line seems to be quite time consuming. This game is set in 10th-century China during a period of upheaval, and the sheer scale of the world can be overwhelming, so approaching it with a clear, systematic plan can help.

Initial Character Setup and Weapon Selection

When you first enter the world, your starting decisions impact your initial hours of play. While the game encourages freedom, a calculated start will save time later on.

• Weapon Priority: It is recommended that beginners choose the Umbrella or the Spear as their starting martial arts weapon.
  • Umbrella: This choice is optimal because it can take a significant amount of time (over 15 hours) to unlock naturally if you miss it early on. It provides a versatile option for ranged and close-quarters combat.
  • Spear/Sword: These are good, balanced choices for melee combat. The core advice here is to avoid weapons like the Dual Blades or Healing Fan, which unlock quickly (within 2-3 hours) through standard progression, making them poor choices for your dedicated starter pick.
• Early Strategy: Until you are comfortable, avoid ultra-specialized builds. The game’s design supports a wide variety of combat styles—melee, ranged, and hybrid—but the early game is best spent testing which suits your playstyle

Combat Fundamentals: Beyond Button Mashing

The combat in Where Winds Meet is fast and relies heavily on technique, not just brute force. Learning to handle the system early is important for success in boss fights.

• Weapon Switching (Dual-Wielding): Master the ability to switch between your two equipped weapons quickly. Being able to swap weapons mid-fight is crucial for adapting to enemy attacks and varying your damage output.
• Dodging and Parrying: Do not simply hold down the attack button. Many tougher enemies and bosses require precise timing.
  • Parry: The game has generous parry windows. You should aim to parry “Red Attacks” for massive counter-attack opportunities.
  • Dodge: You must dodge “Yellow Attacks” entirely, as they cannot be parried.
• Stamina is Key: Stamina is consumed for essential actions like dodging and heavy attacks. Ulfhednar’s knowledge highlights the importance of the full-eye-frame dodge mechanic, which costs stamina, so keeping the stamina bar managed is crucial for survivability.

Progression and Permanent Power Systems

The most effective way to gain power early on is to focus on systems that grant permanent character enhancements, Ulfhednar emphasizes this as it is the difference between efficient and slow progression.

The Curiosity System

This system is frequently overlooked by new players but provides permanent stat bonuses. These “oddities” are scattered throughout the open world:

• Purple Flowers: These are used to increase Health and Stamina.
• Crickets: These provide boosts to your Attack Power and Defense.
• Butterflies: These are often linked to unlocking special abilities and enhancing your Martial Arts.

The simple act of collecting these small items as you explore and trading them with the Curiosity Vendor will create a massive power difference over time.

Martial Arts and Breakthroughs

• Martial Arts Leveling: Always upgrade your martial arts level immediately when you can. This is the single largest damage increase you can obtain and requires Jade Coins earned from quests and exploration.
• Breakthroughs: These events provide substantial rewards and are milestones in your progression. A Breakthrough typically grants a full gear set upgrade, new weapon options, skill points, and significant currency rewards. Make sure your equipment is current-level before attempting them.

Exploration and Getting Around

Exploration in Where Winds Meet is not just scenery; it is directly tied to character progression and utility.

• Wuxia Traversal: The game incorporates impressive Wuxia-style movement mechanics—climbing, gliding, and running on walls. Use these traversal abilities constantly, as mobility is linked to both exploration and combat success.
• Regional Completion: Aim for 100% completion in your starting regions before moving to new ones. Achieving certain regional discovery thresholds unlocks essential quality-of-life features, such as the ability to walk on water and enhanced movement speed, which are necessary for efficient world travel.
• Resource Collection: Do not rush the main quests. Spend time collecting resources, interacting with NPCs (even minor ones often give side-quests), and uncovering hidden areas, as early exploration yields crucial gear and upgrades.

Use our Where Winds Meet map to help you locate essential resources, NPCs, essentials, quests, and more!

Conclusion and some additional Tips

• Home Base/Life Skills: The game includes deep non-combat systems like building a home base and managing a business empire. You can recruit NPCs and assign them roles like Chef or Miner to automate production (e.g., Ink, Pottery, Wine). For beginners, it is best to start small and focus on gathering materials before building a full production line.
• Monetization Note:Where Winds Meet is free-to-play. According to developer information, the monetization is cosmetic only, meaning there are no power-boost purchases available. You should focus on earning in-game currency through play and save premium currency for items you genuinely like later on.

By focusing on these fundamental systems—making intelligent weapon choices, learning to parry, and prioritizing the permanent Curiosity and Martial Arts upgrades—any player can set themselves up for success in the chaotic, but visually engaging, world of Where Winds Meet.