Master Avowed’s starting weapon selection with expert strategies for beginners and advanced players alike.
Introduction: The Critical First Choice
The opening moments of Avowed thrust you into a pivotal decision that shapes your early combat experience. Following a devastating ship assault that strands you at Fort Northreach, you’re immediately confronted with character creation – a process where your background selection locks in your inaugural weapon.
This initial armament isn’t just a cosmetic choice; it’s the tool you’ll wield through the entire tutorial segment, directly influencing your first impressions of Avowed’s combat mechanics, enemy engagement strategies, and movement during combat. Many players underestimate how this early weapon familiarity affects their learning curve.
Your chosen background dictates more than just starting statistics – it determines your fundamental approach to early encounters. This guide will help you navigate that choice strategically, examining each weapon’s practical applications, revealing optimal pairings with character classes, and providing actionable advice for both novice explorers and seasoned RPG veterans diving into the Living Lands.
All Starting Weapons & Background Pairings
Avowed’s character creation system directly ties your selected background to a specific starting weapon. This design creates immediate role-playing cohesion but requires understanding the implications of each pairing. Below are the confirmed background-weapon combinations:
- Noble Scion: Sword
- War Hero: Greatsword
- Vanguard Scout: Bow
- Arcane Scholar: Dagger
- Dead-Eye Bandit: Pistol
Each weapon becomes available immediately during the tutorial sequence. For instance, Arcane Scholars find their dagger propped against barrels and crates near your initial meeting with Garryck, positioned conveniently beside a Health Potion for the impending skirmish.
Critical Insight: While weapons have statistically balanced early-game performance, their combat feel differs significantly. Daggers encourage aggressive closing maneuvers, bows reward positioning and distance management, greatswords demand timing for their slower swings, and pistols require ammunition awareness. These stylistic differences matter more than raw damage numbers during initial hours.
Strategic Selection: Best Starting Weapon Analysis
The Sword emerges as the most strategically sound starting weapon for most players, particularly those new to Avowed’s combat system. Its prevalence throughout the Living Lands means you’ll encounter numerous upgrade opportunities, replacement options if lost, and a wider variety of magical/enchanted variants compared to more specialized arms.
For players opting against the Noble Scion background, consider these class-aligned alternatives:
- Ranger Builds: Vanguard Scout (Bow) – Excellent for kiting enemies and exploiting environmental advantages
- Wizard/Sorcerer Builds: Arcane Scholar (Dagger) – Allows spellcasting while maintaining a close-range option
- Warrior/Fighter Builds: War Hero (Greatsword) – Maximizes melee damage output for strength-focused characters
- Hybrid/Experimental Builds: Dead-Eye Bandit (Pistol) – Provides unique ranged option with different resource management
Common Mistake to Avoid: Don’t overvalue starting weapon damage statistics. Early-game enemies have minimal health pools, making attack speed, stamina consumption, and move-set familiarity more impactful than raw damage. A faster dagger that lands three hits often outperforms a slow greatsword that misses or gets interrupted.
Advanced Tip: Consider your planned ability investments. If you intend to specialize in dual-wielding later, starting with a dagger provides immediate practice. Planning to invest in archery talents? Beginning with a bow accelerates your proficiency curve. This forward-thinking approach separates optimized characters from merely functional ones.
Flexibility & Future Options
Avowed deliberately avoids locking you into your initial weapon choice. The game’s design emphasizes experimentation and adaptation, with numerous systems ensuring your starting selection doesn’t define your entire playthrough.
Throughout the Living Lands, you’ll discover weapon caches on defeated enemies, purchase specialized arms from city merchants, and receive unique weapons as quest rewards. This abundance means selecting War Hero but preferring swords later remains completely viable – you’ll simply need to locate one through exploration or commerce.
The respec system further enhances flexibility. For a modest gold fee, you can reallocate attribute points and abilities at certain locations, effectively retooling your character to better utilize newly acquired weapons. This mechanic encourages trying different combat styles without requiring entirely new characters.
Practical Consideration: Early weapon switching has a learning curve. If you change from a dagger to a greatsword after several hours, expect an adjustment period for the different attack animations, stamina costs, and positioning requirements. Practice against weaker enemies before facing tougher foes with unfamiliar weaponry.
Advanced Optimization & Pro Tips
Beyond the initial selection, several advanced strategies can maximize your early-game effectiveness regardless of chosen weapon:
Resource Management: Ammunition-based weapons (bow, pistol) require early inventory management. Scout for ammunition caches during exploration, and consider carrying a melee backup for situations where ammunition runs low. Melee weapon users should monitor durability and keep repair materials handy.
Combat Positioning: Your weapon dictates optimal engagement ranges. Bow users should utilize high ground and environmental cover. Dagger wielders need to master dodge mechanics to close distances safely. Greatsword users must time their slower attacks around enemy attack patterns.
Early Upgrade Priority: Invest initial resources into improving your chosen weapon type rather than experimenting with multiple categories. A +1 enchanted sword outperforms three basic weapons of different types. Specialization yields greater early-game returns than diversification.
Companion Synergy: Consider how your starting weapon complements potential companion abilities. Some companions excel at crowd control that sets up melee attacks, while others provide buffs that enhance ranged precision. This synergy becomes increasingly important in challenging group encounters.
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