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Start with the story and learn how Jinwoo’s skills and weapons, hunter teammates, and Army of Shadows fit together; then use the story gates to track when artifacts and crafting become available. The key thresholds below come from Netmarble guides that carry test-version caveats, so check the current client before planning around them.
How does combat and progression fit together?
Solo Leveling: ARISE adapts the Solo Leveling webtoon into an action game. You play as Jinwoo, level him, choose combinations of skills and weapons, team up with hunters, and summon an Army of Shadows. Netmarble describes those choices as a way to shape Jinwoo’s combat style, rather than prescribing one universal setup. Netmarble’s August 27, 2026 update announcement describes the game’s broad combat loop.
For a new player, that means progression is not just leveling Jinwoo: story progress opens systems, while your available hunters, equipment, skills, and shadows give you more ways to approach battles. Learn each system as it becomes available instead of trying to plan a late-game build before you know what your account has.
How should I approach combat?
Build familiarity with the options the game gives you, rather than searching for a single correct rotation. Jinwoo can combine skills and weapons, and the game’s roster and balance change over time. The official material cited here does not establish an exact beginner rotation, skill priority, or weapon pairing.
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- Experiment with the skills and weapons you have unlocked, and notice which combinations feel manageable for the encounter.
- Use hunter teammates and the Army of Shadows as part of your broader combat setup; the sources cited here do not specify a fixed sequence for deploying them.
- Check current in-game descriptions and requirements before investing heavily in a particular setup. Netmarble has documented changes to weapons, hunters, and artifact effects in dated updates.
How do I build a team?
There is no evidence-backed “best starter team” in the official sources cited here, so treat team building as a choice among the hunters actually available to you—not a universal ranking. A player’s question about hunter elements, teams, and weapon builds illustrates the kind of decision beginners face, but it is community wording, not official team guidance. Example of that community question.
When comparing hunters, start with details confirmed in your current client: their displayed role and element, the encounter’s requirements, and the materials needed for any planned investment. Recheck advice against current balance; a roster or build recommendation tied to a past update may not reflect the game you are playing.
When do artifacts and crafting unlock?
Artifacts and artifact crafting have different gates. Netmarble’s guides provide the following thresholds, but both guides say they reflect a test version, so verify them in-game.
| System or item | Unlock condition in Netmarble’s guide | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Artifact equipment menu | After Chapter 5, Episode 1, “The Hidden Quest” | Artifacts can equip Jinwoo and hunters. Matching artifact sets grant additional effects. Netmarble’s artifact guide. |
| Necklaces and bracelets | After Chapter 9 | These accessory slots are listed as later artifact unlocks in the same guide. |
| Rings and earrings | After Chapter 12 | These slots are listed as later artifact unlocks in the same guide. |
| General crafting | Jinwoo level 7 | Crafting consumes the listed materials and Gold; the guide says it cannot fail. Some hunter weapons and items cannot be crafted. Netmarble’s crafting guide. |
| Artifact crafting | Clear Story Hidden Chapter 1, Episode 8, “Unknown Power,” on Normal | This is a later crafting gate, separate from unlocking the artifact equipment menu; the guide lists material and Gold costs. |
Once artifacts are available, look at set effects as well as individual pieces: the guide says matched sets add effects. Because the guide is marked as test-version documentation, treat its gates and details as a starting reference rather than a guarantee of the current client’s behavior.
Which progression details have changed?
Version matters. Netmarble’s May 7, 2026 update revised the main story in Chapters 3–20, added Chapters 32–34 to Normal and Reverse modes, and raised Jinwoo’s maximum level from 140 to 150 through a job change. It also unified entry currency for Gates, Unstable Dungeon, Battlefield of Chaos, and Hunter Archive. These are dated update notes, not permanent beginner rules. Read the May 7, 2026 update announcement.
On August 27, 2026, Netmarble announced Lee Joohee, Pilgrim of the Labyrinth, as a Light-element Buster with prism-based skills; added Hard and Reverse Hard difficulties for Hidden Chapters 11 and 12; introduced Jinwoo’s SSR weapon Spirit Blade: Snowstorm; and adjusted selected Jinwoo weapons, hunters, and artifact set effects. These changes make older build advice especially worth checking against the live game. Read the August 27, 2026 update announcement.
Quick Recap
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What should a beginner prioritize?
- Advance the story. Story progress is the documented route to the artifact menu and, later, artifact crafting.
- Level Jinwoo and explore available combat options. The game’s core progression includes leveling Jinwoo and choosing skills and weapons; the right combination depends on the options currently available to you.
- Use crafting when it becomes available. Check the listed material and Gold cost first, and do not assume every hunter weapon or item can be made.
- Recheck build advice against update dates. Hunter, weapon, and artifact balance changes are documented in Netmarble’s 2026 announcements, so avoid treating older rankings as timeless.
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