In Of Ash and Steel, you step into the shoes of Tristan, a cartographer whose journey begins with a shipwreck on the mysterious island of Greyshaft. After witnessing the brutal massacre of your crew, survival becomes your primary objective. From rolling meadows and dense woodlands to snow-covered mountains, Greyshaft is a perilous land, demanding careful navigation and strategic planning. 

This guide highlights key tips and strategies to help you thrive in the early stages and beyond, covering core mechanics such as attributes, skills, crafting, and exploration. For those eager to jump into the game without spending too much time building from scratch, Z2U offers cheap Of Ash and Steel accounts, making it easier to start your adventure fully equipped.

Rely on Environmental Clues, Not Quest Markers

Although Tristan's profession is cartography, you won't have a usable map at the beginning. The game also lacks traditional quest markers, meaning you must carefully interpret clues from NPC dialogue and your quest log to locate objectives. Think of it as a throwback to classic RPGs like Gothic or Morrowind, where exploration and observation were critical. While a compass in the top-right corner offers some guidance, initial navigation can be challenging as you familiarize yourself with the landscape. Paying close attention to environmental hints and conversations is essential for progressing.

Choose Your Attributes Wisely

Character attributes in Of Ash and Steel play a significant role in shaping Tristan's development throughout the game. Understanding how these stats influence your abilities is crucial:

Strength: Boosts melee damage, enables wielding heavy weapons, and allows you to lift large objects.

Dexterity: Increases damage with bows, swords, and rapiers, and unlocks more advanced DEX-based weaponry.

Stamina: Extends your running and swimming endurance, improves underwater breathing, and allows more frequent attacks and dodges in combat.

Insight: Enhances critical hit chances and unlocks additional dialogue options during conversations.

Fortitude: Raises health points, provides better resistance against various damage types, and slightly improves stamina regeneration.

Certain dialogue choices in the prologue provide bonus attribute points, and each level-up grants an additional +3 stat points. Carefully allocating these points based on your preferred playstyle is key to long-term success.

Skill Unlocks Depend on Attributes and Trainers

The skills you can acquire in the game are closely tied to your attributes and the trainers you meet. Survival skills allow you to set up camps, skin animals, and use environmental objects in combat, while higher-tier Survival perks can unlock additional diagrams and blueprints. Crafting skills let you craft and upgrade equipment and mine resources, and advanced perks give access to more specialized crafting blueprints. War skills unlock combat abilities, weapon mastery, parrying, and heavy strikes. To unlock these skills, you need to meet certain requirements. 

Some skills demand high levels in specific attributes; for example, advanced Crafting perks require both Insight and Fortitude, whereas Master Blacksmith perks require Strength and Insight. Additionally, acquiring skills costs gold, and you must seek out specific trainers in the game world, such as guards who teach War abilities or artisans who provide Crafting lessons.

Players looking to save time and start with fully developed characters can buy Of Ash and Steel account from Z2U, featuring advanced stats and unlocked skills.

Utilize Workbenches and Tools

Creating and improving items is essential for survival. The workbench allows you to craft consumables, bows, and basic gear upgrades. At the tannery, you can turn animal hides into cloth or leather if you have the necessary Survival skills. Sharpening stones help hone weapons to increase damage, while armor reinforcement kits improve defensive resistances. Anvils enable melee weapon crafting, and with advanced smithing skills and rare materials, you can eventually create unique weapons like the Pride of Tantares. Alchemy stations allow you to make healing potions and buffing concoctions once you have unlocked relevant Survival skills. Using these tools strategically ensures that your equipment is always up to the challenges of Greyshaft.

Fishing for Sustenance

Fishing is another reliable source of food. To fish successfully, you must find a suitable spot in rivers or ponds and have bait. When a fish interacts with the bait, you need to respond accordingly: if the bobber sinks, press the left mouse button to hook it; if the fish moves side to side, use the right mouse button to reel it in. Fishing lines deteriorate over time, but skilled players can use the spacebar to quickly pull in a catch, taking a calculated risk for efficiency.

Maximize Gold and Experience Gains

Earning gold and experience points is crucial for progression. Shrines scattered across Greyshaft grant XP when you pray and make an offering. Reading new books not only expands your knowledge but also provides additional experience points. Crafting materials, herbs, and other items you don't need can be sold to vendors through dialogue options, effectively functioning as a "sell all" system. Efficiently managing your resources ensures that you have the gold and skills necessary to tackle the island's challenges.

Final Thoughts

Of Ash and Steel emphasizes exploration, strategic stat allocation, and thoughtful crafting. Success relies on understanding the game's mechanics, observing your surroundings carefully, and making smart decisions with your resources. By navigating without quest markers, wisely distributing attribute points, unlocking skills strategically, and crafting and gathering effectively, Tristan can survive and flourish in the harsh environment of Greyshaft.