We've put together this SWORN beginner's guide to set you on the right path toward mastering the Vigilante, Monk, Rook, or Specter characters. With the right tips and tricks, you’ll extend your runs and make the most of every attempt.
SWORN Tips & Tricks - Resources, Spells, Weapons, Fae Lords & More
SWORN offers a wealth of build options and investment paths, which can feel overwhelming at first. Fortunately, the game gives you plenty of flexibility to play your way - it’s just a matter of finding the approach that suits you best.
All Resources Ranked - What They Do & How to Get Them
There are a total of 6 different resources in SWORN, and you’ll often be forced to choose between them, or if you unlocked the Trials of Combat, sometimes you’ll get the extra chance to farm certain currencies. To make your decision less daunting, here are all the resources ranked from the most useful to the least urgent to collect.
| Resource | Description | How to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Crystal Shard | Unlocks Arcane Powers | Start choosing Crystal Shards over Gold when your run starts losing steam. Sometimes, it’s best to go back and invest in stronger permanent passives. |
| Fairy Embers | Unlocks new weapons and characters | If you want to try out all the characters, Weapons, and Spells prioritize this currency! Some later unlockables have steep prices. |
| Moonstone | Unlocks bonus features | Moonstones are rare, but they allow you to purchase opportunities for extra rewards through Trials of Combat or Bounty Board completions. Alternatively, they can unlock new Shops or Blessings to enhance your runs. |
| Gold | Spent in Shops during your runs | Gold does not carry over to your next run, so use it while you can! Choose Gold when testing the limits of your build. Shops offer useful upgrades and Healing Items, but they’re not cheap! Setting aside some gold for emergencies is a good precaution and can often turn the tide when things get tough. |
| Grail Water | Unlocks spells and eventually upgrades weapons | Grail Water isn’t common, especially in the early stages. If you want to invest in your favorite weapons, pick up this currency whenever you see it. |
| Silk | Unlocks cosmetics | The least important currency unless you’re aiming for a specific cosmetic. |
Fae Lords List - Best Blessings to Choose
Know your Fae Lords and what they best synergize with. What the “right” choice for you ultimately depends on your build and personal preference. A good rule of thumb is to focus on 1 - 2 Fae Lords with good synergy, for example:
- Fast Weapons: Gogmagog + Lugh for a deadly, immobilizing, crit combo
- Spell Build: Beira (Spell regen passives) + Lugh (Single-target Spell)/Oberon (Multi-hit Spell) damage increase
| Fae Lord | Blessing Description | Works Great With |
|---|---|---|
| Babd, The Dark Omen | Gives Attack/Spell the Backstab ability (deal a certain percentage bonus damage when attacking from behind). Grants mobility buffs such as faster Dash recharge speed and Invisibility. | + Vigilante's Shadow Strike Spell + Boomerang-style Weapons + Overhead Attacks/Spells + Co-op sessions |
| Beira, The Frozen Witch | Increases damage by a flat amount and inflicts Chill (slows enemy movement and attack speed, up to 10 stacks) Spell Charge Blessings (increases max Charges or regen speed). | + Fast Weapons + Multi-hit Spells |
| Cilona, Mother of Banshees | Increases Damage by a certain percentage and inflicts Weak (reduces enemy damage). Grants trap damage resistance. | + Heavy-hitting Attacks/Spells (for highest scaling) |
| Gogmagog, The Last Giant | Increases Damage by a certain percentage and inflicts Stagger (enemies become temporarily stunned and are immobilized). Grants a Damage Shield. | + Fast Weapons (applies Stagger faster) |
| Lugh, The Hand of Fate | Increases Damage by a certain percentage and gives your attacks/spells the chance to Critical Hit. Grants Gold-earning passives or additional skills that cost Gold to use (50% damage reduction in exchange for 20 coins per save, for example). | + Fast Weapons (more chances for Critical Hits) + Hard-hitting Weapons (best damage scaling) + Dash |
| Mab, Queen of Spiders | Applies Venom (deals a flat amount of damage over time) or Applies Infected (inflicts enemies with a short-duration Infected status effect. If the enemy dies, a Spider spawns. Spiders fight alongside you for a set duration of time). Health regeneration passives | + Fast Weapons (to apply most stacks of Venom) + Dash |
| Oberon, King of the Fae | Increases Damage incrementally by a certain percentage (up to 10 stacks) | + Fast Weapons (most consistent for max stack upkeep) |
| Titania, Queen of the Fae | Applies Ignite (single instance of a high-percentage Damage Bonus). Has a cooldown of 8 or fewer seconds. | + Single-target Spells + Heavy-hitting Attacks |
How to Upgrade Weapons
The best Weapons in SWORN are ultimately the ones that cater to your playstyle. The Vigilante is a great starting character with versatile ranged and close combat options. To grasp your general playstyle, try playing around with some builds like:
- Sword + Blade Rush for an agile, close-combat build
- Bow + Dagger Flurry for a full-ranged build
- Bow + Shadow Strike for a ranged assassin build
- Chakrams + Shadow Strike for a full backstab build
Weapon upgrades aren’t available at the start of the game — you’ll unlock this feature after defeating Sir Gawain. To use your Grail Water most efficiently, it’s best to hold off on upgrades until you’re confident in your weapon choice.
Related: Best SWORN Builds - Vigilante, Monk, Rook, and Specter
Best Way To Spend Crystal Shards - The Source
At the start, invest Crystal Shards in Vitality in the Life skill tree, with a goal to unlock the Resurrection Token (revives you when you die). SWORN has five skill tree branches within The Source: Life, War, Wealth, Treasure, and Devotion. But in the early game, you’ll only have access to the first two.
- Life improves your overall starting health and grants health regen abilities.
- War improves Spell Damage, Movement Speed, and reduces your Ally Revival cost.
- Wealth gives Gold at the start of your run, unlocks a passive Gold-earning ability, and reduces your Ally Revival cost.
- Treasure increases Fairy Ember and Grail Water earnings. It also unlocks the ability to reroll blessings.
- Devotion increases your odds of receiving Uncommon, Rare, Epic, and Legendary blessings.
SWORN Beginner's FAQ
Choose Nimble, as it gives you another Dash Charge. That's a game-changer as it allows you to avoid attacks efficiently. It's way more important than having another spell attack.
While it's tempting to spend Fairy Ember to unlock all classes, focus on Monk at the start until you get the Tome weapon for her. Investing in too many characters will slow down your progress at the beginning when you're short on resources.
There are no really bad Fae Lords in the game, it's more about picking ones that are in line with your build. For example, the best choice for Vigilante with a bow is Mab and her poison damage attack buffs.
Now that you know more about SWORN, check out 10 Best Action Games on Pro Game Guides.
Emily is a lifelong gamer with a soft spot for story-rich RPGs like Rune Factory, Fire Emblem, Xenoblade Chronicles, and the Legend of Zelda, but is always eager to try out highly-recommended games. She is a freelance writer with over three years of experience and is passionate about creating accessible guides about complex game mechanics.