Witchfire: Tips for Beginners

Witchfire combines souls-like and rogue-lite elements to offer a challenging adventure where you, a Preyer, heads out to defeat the dreaded Witch of the Black Sea and her undead hordes. The game is designed to be punishing, especially for new players. With several gameplay systems (and their vague descriptions) working in tandem, it can be quite frustrating to get a grip on what to do and how.

That, however, is not saying Witchfire is something to stay away from. On the contrary, once you understand its inner workings and mechanics, the game becomes extremely addictive. The following are some excellent beginner tips to help you in that regard. Go through them all before jumping into Witchfire.

Classes Do Not Matter

Classes only define your starting loadouts in Witchfire. They can all unlock the same weapons, spells, and items by just playing the game. Nothing is kept exclusive to a particular class. The only difference lies in their starting gear, stats, and levels. Some offer a head-start on Witchery to boost your spells. Others focus on Endurance for increased mobility. Saint, for example, is the only class with a demonic weapon unlocked. You have to reach level 10 otherwise to unlock one. Hence, do not spend an eternity on the class selection screen.

You Are Not Meant to Complete Each Map the First Time

Treat Witchfire as the rogue-lite game it is. Each map can only be completed by following a certain progression order. Island of the Damned, the first map you play, can be cleared of all enemies, but its main underground chambers and vaults only become accessible after playing the second map, Scarlet Coast. Hence, in typical rogue-lite fashion, you reach specific milestones and solve riddles across maps to progress the storyline. That is how you beat the final boss of each map.

Healing Is a Luxury

Never engage enemies with the thought that you can always heal yourself in Witchfire. You get only one healing elixir per expedition, at least at the start. While leveling up unlocks more elixir slots, getting caught by enemies at the wrong moment will always mean death. You cannot expect to survive an onslaught at high Gnosis, even with a high Vitality stat.

You Can Recover Your Corpse

Death is not as permanent in Witchfire as you would think. While you do lose all of your unbound items (ammunition, volatile witchfire crystals, supply chest keys, etc.) upon death, you can return to get them back.

Your corpse will be marked on the map with a tombstone icon, as shown in the image above. It will not appear on your mini-map, so make sure to open the whole map to mark a waypoint. This is one tip that every beginner can use to level up fast in Witchfire.

Watch the Mini-Map for Enemies and POIs

The mini-map is an important tool for survival and looting in Witchfire. It shows the locations of enemies, chests, treasures, and other points of interest based on the map. Even better, the mini-map icons also differentiate normal enemies from elites, normal chests from locked supplies and ammunition chests, etc.

This is critical information when running through an area, especially for players familiarizing themselves with their surroundings. Keeping an eye on the mini-map helps watch your flank and maneuver during enemy encounters, loot ammunition, and farm gold or other resources.

Understand What Gnosis Is Before Upgrading It

While exploring the Hermitorium, you will notice several locked features that require a specific Gnosis level. Similarly, every map has areas that are inaccessible unless you meet their Gnosis requirements.

Gnosis is just another word for difficulty in Witchfire. Each level spawns new, harder enemies called elites. Having a higher Gnosis also unlocks new maps, areas, vaults, bosses, gear, and chests. It is a necessary part of progression. However, do not increase your Gnosis blindly because, once upgraded, you cannot revert to your previous difficulty level without starting a new profile.

Stat Distribution Defines Your Early-Mid Game

Something else players, especially beginners, should learn is how to manage their stats in Witchfire. Every time you level up a stat, your next level up becomes more expensive. Hence, the initial few levels might seem easy, but you will soon need thousands of witchfire crystals for a single stat upgrade. Since higher stats significantly impact gameplay, upgrading the best stats at the Ascension Shrine can give you a massive edge in combat.

Dash to Stun & Avoid Attacks

One of the most common mistakes beginners make in Witchfire is skipping the tutorial. The testing grounds at the Hermitorium show you how to use your Dash ability, which is critical to survival. Firstly, always remember to dash to avoid enemy projectiles, leaps, and attacks. This is your go-to way to get around the battlefield. Secondly, dashing with full stamina reveals red orbs called Soul Sigils. Shooting them stuns and amplifies damage taken by the enemy. They are incredibly useful when pitted against multiple enemies at higher difficulty levels.

Different Elements Mix for Devasting Combos

All weapons and spells do elemental damage that can be combined for bonus effects. The best loadouts in Witchfire determine how quickly you can clear all enemies in an area. Fire and Ice, for example, mix to create large explosions that do insane damage. This is also one of the best elemental combos to go for in the game.

Preserve Your Ammo

There is no way to increase your ammo in Witchfire. You can only loot ammo from chests and enemies, which is not always guaranteed. So, learn to preserve your ammo by taking headshots to deal the most damage.

You also amplify your damage by staying within range. Every weapon is the most effective at either close, medium, or long range. Shotguns, for example, are useless at medium or long ranges. You will also know you are not in range if your damage counters appear in white, single digits. The difference can be anywhere from a couple of bullets to a whole magazine to take down an enemy from far off.

In addition, do not be afraid to spam spells. They do damage themselves, and often soften up enemies for you.

Double-Jump to Avoid Fall Damage

Finally, a little tip to help you navigate the terrain better. You can double-jump in Witchfire to reach vantage spots, cross large gaps, or avoid enemies. Jump from too high a spot, though, and you will take fall damage. To negate that damage, remember to double-jump just before hitting the ground. This is very useful when you have to cover more ground. For example, you can jump from the top of the hill of the Wailing Tower instead of going around the cliffside.