Start in the 40K campaign as Malum Caedo, kite in wide arcs, kill green elites for chests and recruit Kozlowski early to survive your first runs.
Warhammer Survivors How to Play: Beginner Guide and Survival Tips
Start with the Warhammer 40,000 campaign as Malum Caedo and let his Chainsword do the early work. Keep moving in wide arcs, kill every green-highlighted elite for its chest, and clear the first question-mark rescue so Trooper Kozlowski joins your squad. Stand still, spread upgrades across six weapons, or ignore elites and you will likely die around minute three. Everything below reflects the demo as of October 2026, with full launch set for November 10.
- Pick the 40,000 campaign first, Age of Sigmar second.
- Move constantly. Positioning beats aiming in this genre.
- Green elites first, question marks second, stragglers last.
- Recruit Kozlowski with a Lasgun pick and snowball from there.
Which Universe Should You Play First?
Warhammer Survivors ships with two campaigns, Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Age of Sigmar, and press hands-on coverage describes them as effectively two separate games with independent unlocks, stages, and achievements. Nothing carries between them, so the pick is about comfort, not efficiency. For a first run, 40,000 is the easier on-ramp.
| Factor | Warhammer 40,000 (play first) | Age of Sigmar (play second) |
|---|---|---|
| Demo starter | Malum Caedo with Chainsword | Neave Blacktalon with Tempest Axes |
| Early game plan | Walk at the swarm, melee does the work | Pair axes with the Sabaton passive toward Whirlwind Axes |
| Early enemies | Tyranid swarms, including Synapse-backed Warriors | Skaven warbands in endless rat-horde waves |
| Why this order | Simplest possible loop: move, chop, collect | Rewards players who already grasp kiting and evolution combos |
Malum Caedo is the opener the IGN preview author started with, and his Chainsword needs no setup. Neave teaches the evolution system instead, since her Tempest Axes plus Sabaton movement passive combine into Whirlwind Axes. The full comparison of progression rules lives in the 40K versus Age of Sigmar campaign guide.
Official source: Warhammer Survivors on Steam
Announced totals are 40-plus characters, 75-plus weapons, and 15-plus stages, but only a slice is playable in the demo. The character roster tracks confirmed names only.
Your First 5 Minutes, Minute by Minute
Single runs in the demo last roughly 5 to 20 minutes per hands-on testing, so the first five minutes decide most short runs.
| Time | Priority | What to actually do |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00-1:00 | Survive contact | Hold a wide arc around the spawn pack. Never stop to admire damage numbers. |
| 1:00-2:00 | First levels | Take damage or area options over a fourth weapon. Sweep up drops as you move. |
| 2:00-3:30 | First rescue | Push toward the nearest question mark and free whoever is pinned there. |
| 3:30-5:00 | First elites | Hunt green-highlighted elites. Their chests are the fastest power in the run. |
The opening minute punishes one habit above all: stopping. Packs converge on your position, so every still second shrinks your exits. Pick open ground, walk it, and let your weapons clear what follows. Collect drops by pathing through them rather than doubling back into the pack you just escaped.
Level choices in minutes one and two should deepen, not widen. A level-two starter kills faster than two level-one weapons, and faster kills buy more drops and levels.
How to Move: Kiting Basics That Save Runs
Kiting means dragging the horde behind you in a shape you control, then cutting across the tail when your weapons are ready.
First, orbit instead of retreating. Running straight stretches the pack into a spear aimed at your back. Wide circles bunch enemies into a ball that area damage eats alive; when the ball gets too dense, cut through a thin edge.
Second, never corner yourself against map edges. Hands-on coverage notes that the demo mixes open plains with tighter corridors, and corridors forgive far less. Enter a narrow stretch only to chase an elite or a rescue, and know your exit first.
Third, move toward value: an elite, a question mark, drops, open ground. Glance at the screen, pick the highest-value target, and path through drops on the way.
If you catch yourself standing still, you are already making a mistake. Keep one thumb or two fingers permanently on movement and treat repositioning as your main attack. Builds win runs, but movement survives long enough for the build to exist.
Level-Ups, Elites and Chest Priority
Not all pickups deserve equal attention. Rank everything against one question: does this make my next two minutes stronger?
| Pickup | What it does | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Green elite chest | Random rewards that can upgrade up to five weapons or passives at once | Highest, always detour |
| Question-mark rescue | Frees a character who can join you as an ally | High, do the first one fast |
| Nuln Oil with fire | Oiled enemies take extra damage when ignited | High only if you already run fire |
| Loose drops | Level and gold income along your path | Collect en route, never backtrack far |
Green elites are glowing, tougher enemies that drop randomized chests: the single fastest power spike available. A chest that lands five upgrades at once can double your damage in one pickup. When objectives compete, kill the elite first. Rescues wait, but a live elite keeps pressuring you during the rescue.
Nuln Oil deserves a special note because it looks weak and plays strong. Demo testing confirms the loop: splash oil on a pack, then ignite it for bonus damage. Without a fire source it is merely okay, so only upgrade it once you hold something flammable. The full breakdown is in the Nuln Oil mechanics guide and the weapon evolution guide.
One honest warning from press coverage: evolution combinations are hard to look up in game, a weakness the IGN preview specifically calls out. Only three recipes are confirmed by testing, so do not chase combos from unverified comments.
Recruit Allies: Your First Power Spike
The ally system is this game's signature twist. Picking up certain signature weapons recruits their owners as NPC squadmates who fight beside you, snowballing one gun into a fire team. Full rules are in the ally squad system guide; beginners need exactly one sequence.
Rescue Trooper Bartosz Kozlowski at a question-mark event, then take a Lasgun when it appears. The Lasgun pick recruits him, and from that point two guns clear packs that one gun could not. That is the early snowball: rescue, recruit, out-damage the curve, repeat.
The newer demo adds a second showcase rescue, the Legend of Catachan, pinned northeast of spawn about two minutes out and ringed by Warriors projecting Synapse Emitter auras that strengthen nearby enemies. Kill the aura carriers first, then finish the rescue. Do not attempt long rescue marches before your build can kill while walking: hands-on impressions call repeated rescue treks the demo's most tedious stretch.
Official source: Warhammer Survivors — Auroch Digital
Hands-on press describes the ally loop as the game's standout system, with one outlet calling the growing squad a lovely touch of battlefield chaos (Rock Paper Shotgun hands-on). For character openers, see the Malum Caedo guide and the Neave Blacktalon guide.
Beginner Mistakes Checklist
Run through this list after each death. Most failed runs trace back to one of these six.
| Mistake | Why it kills you | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Standing still to aim | Packs converge and cut off escape routes | Move always, let the build aim |
| Leveling five weapons evenly | Nothing reaches its kill breakpoints | Focus two or three until elites fund the rest |
| Skipping green elites | You miss the run's biggest power spikes | Detour for every elite you can reach |
| Postponing the first rescue | You fight the mid-game solo instead of as a squad | Clear the first question mark before minute four |
| Expecting progress to cross campaigns | Unlocks and progress are independent per universe | Treat each campaign as a fresh start |
| Spending gold mentally mid-run | Gold is meta progression for between runs, not healing | Die rich: gold unlocks characters, weapons, and relics anyway |
That last point reframes death. Gold persists across runs and funds permanent unlocks, and relics unlock alternate modes such as faster high-experience runs or hardcore variants. Details are in the meta progression guide.
FAQ
Which universe should a total beginner start with?
Warhammer 40,000. Malum Caedo's Chainsword works with zero setup, and the early loop teaches movement before systems. Move to Age of Sigmar once kiting feels automatic. Progress does not transfer, so nothing is lost either way.
Who is the best starter character?
Malum Caedo, based on demo testing. His Chainsword clears contact-range packs immediately, and his rescue chain into Kozlowski is the smoothest power spike available. Neave Blacktalon is the second-best pick once you want to learn evolutions.
How do weapon evolutions work?
Pair a leveled weapon with its matching passive and claim the evolution, typically through elite chests. Only three recipes are confirmed: Tempest Axes plus Sabaton into Whirlwind Axes, Fidelis into Purgator Mirabilis, and the Rope and Grapnel line into a banshee mist blast. Treat other claimed recipes as unverified.
Do I keep anything when a run ends?
Yes. Gold carries across runs and pays for permanent unlocks including characters, weapons, abilities, and relics, which is officially confirmed on the store page. Check the demo download guide to practice this loop now on Steam or Xbox before the November 10 launch.
Is the demo enough to learn the game?
Largely yes. Press impressions put the demo at roughly two hours to clear most objectives across both universes: movement, elites, chests, rescues, allies, and one evolution. The full launch adds the remaining characters, weapons, and stages, so expect the meta to shift on day one.
Related Guides
- 40K versus Age of Sigmar campaign guide - why 40K is the right first pick, with independent-progression rules.
- Malum Caedo guide - full Chainsword opener plus the Kozlowski rescue sequence.
- Ally squad system guide - recruitment rules behind this page's snowball.
- Weapon evolution guide - the three confirmed recipes and how elite chests feed them.
More Warhammer Survivors Guides
October 2026 demo adds The Legend of Catachan, rescued to the northeast, and Lyssa Revenya with Rope and Grapnel. Unlock steps and IGN verdict.
Demo weapon rankings for Warhammer Survivors: S/A/B tiers from IGN, PC Gamer and community play, plus who to start with. Demo only.
Tyranid Synapse auras, Ork WAAAGH surges, and the Skaven Bell of Doom explained, with the kill-first order that saves runs.
Extremis Bosses like the Norn Emissary flip bullet heaven into bullet hell. Confirmed roster, mechanics, and demo-era build plan.
Play Malum Caedo with the Chainsword, rescue Kozlowski, take the Lasgun to recruit him, then level the squad to snowball demo runs.
Gold in Warhammer Survivors persists across runs and unlocks characters, weapons, abilities, and relics that open alternate modes. Spending order inside.
Morvenn Vahl brings the Fidelis bolter, evolving into Purgator Mirabilis, and Lyssa Revenya drags Skaven into the Ghost of Rhea fog. Bios and evolutions.
No co-op announced. Warhammer Survivors is listed as single-player on Steam, and crossplay plus cross-save remain unconfirmed as of October 2026.