Dragon Wilds offers a fresh take on survival crafting, blending magic, exploration, and base-building. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned player, these 10 essential tips will help you optimize your gameplay, avoid common pitfalls, and dominate the early to mid-game.
1. Upgrade from Campfire to Cooking Pot ASAP
- Most foods in Dragon Wilds don’t provide buffs, but recipes from the Cooking Pot do (e.g., Fortified Crunchies for poison resistance).
- Cooking Pot meals stretch your hunger/thirst further, saving resources long-term.
Pro Tip: Prioritize unlocking the Cooking Pot before expanding your base—it’s a game-changer for sustainability.
2. Farm Vaults for Fast Travel (Load Stones)
- Look for blue gate symbols on your map—these are Vaults (enemies are Level 2, so bring Tier 2 gear).
- Rewards: Vault Shards & Cores, used to craft Load Stones (teleporters).
- Why? Fast travel is crucial—you can teleport even when over-encumbered, unlike most survival games!
Pro Tip: Always carry materials to build teleporters in new zones (e.g., Whispering Swamp).
3. Don’t Overbuild Early—Stay Mobile
- Your first few bases should be small and functional (crafting/storage only).
- You’ll relocate often to farm zone-specific resources (e.g., flax in Brambleme Valley).
- Save elaborate builds for late-game when you’ve unlocked better gear and a permanent location.
4. Use Ghost Mode to Plan Bases (Press F)
- Toggle Ghost Mode (F) to place blueprint structures without spending materials.
- Perfect for testing layouts before committing resources.
- Works for walls, decorations, and functional builds—no more wasted mats!
5. Keep Runes After Death (Use Windstep!)
- Unlike other items, runes stay in your inventory when you die.
- Use Windstep or other movement skills to quickly retrieve your tomb.
6. Farm Rune Essence Efficiently
- Shoot floating rune nodes with a bow to drop them all at once, then use Rock Explosion for mass harvesting.
- Faster than hitting them individually!
7. Chests Reset Every Few Days (Free Loot!)
- World chests refill after sleeping/saving/quitting.
- Loot includes XP boosts, runes, potions, and essence—great for early-game power spikes.
- Exploit? Some may consider it cheesy, but it’s a legit way to farm rare items.
8. Unlock Skills for Massive QoL Upgrades
- Each skill tree (Mining, Crafting, etc.) grants passive buffs (e.g., -25% weight for stone/clay at Mining Lv5).
- Must-have abilities:
- Superheat (speeds up kilns/cooking)
- Astral Axe (instantly chops trees)
- Magical Mending (repairs all dropped gear at once)
9. Staff Users: Swap Elements Instantly
- Equip different elemental runes (fire, wind, etc.) by right-clicking them in your inventory.
- Switch mid-combat for tactical advantages (e.g., fire for DPS, wind for knockback).
10. Use Spells for Faster Resource Gathering
- Splinter Ability: Instantly turns fallen trees into logs.
- Rock Explosion: Mines multiple ore nodes at once.
- Magical Mending: Repairs all tools in seconds (drop them, cast, re-loot).
Final Thoughts
Dragon Wilds rewards efficiency and smart planning. Focus on fast travel, skill unlocks, and resource farming before committing to a mega-base.
Which tip helped you the most? Let me know in the comments!
