The Corepunk Early Access launch is finally here, and you’re ready to dive in—but what should you focus on first? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here are 5 essential tips to kickstart your adventure on Day 1.

Useful Links:

• Sign up and play Corepunk today: Corepunk Referral Link
• Early Access Review
• Complete Beginners Guide
• The Tank Club Discord

Gold is your key to early success in Corepunk. You’ll need 400 gold for a motorcycle mount at level 8, giving you a game-changing 75% boost in movement speed. Here’s how to build your fortune quickly:

Quest, Loot, and Smash
Complete quests to earn gold and XP, loot every chest, smash every barrel, and grab anything not nailed down.

Sell the Right Stuff

• Prioritise selling high-value items like Biosteroid Shots (0.5+ value).
• Skip junk (anything worth 0.01).
• Don’t hoard unnecessary crafting materials craft them for better returns.

Craft for Profit
Turn cheap materials into valuable consumables or gear:

• Alchemy Items like Adrenaline Shots or Mana Pipes sell well to merchants.
• Craft Weapons, Artifacts, and Runes to trade with other players for better prices.

What to Spend Gold On

• Motorcycle Mount: A must-have for faster travel.
• Weapons & Artifacts: Boost your damage and survivability.
• Chips & Runes: Power up your gear.
• Tier 2 & Tier 3 Gear: Essential upgrades at levels 10 and 20.
• Crafting Plans: Snag rare recipes when you find them in shops.

Gold isn’t just currency, it’s your ticket to smoother exploration, faster questing, and domination in Corepunk. Spend wisely, and you’ll be off to a blazing start!

In Corepunk, levelling takes time and rewards efficiency. With a slower levelling pace than some MMORPGs, having a plan will give you a crucial edge.

Start by completing the initial introduction quests, then focus on clearing the map and discovering all NPCs in Goldenfield Town. Speak to every NPC and ask them “Need Help” to collect all available quests.

When exploring the nearby areas, follow these tips:

• Defeat all enemies you encounter for valuable experience.
• Loot containers and break objects for additional rewards.
• Collect materials along the way, as they’ll be useful for professions.
• Interact with quest items to speed up quest progress.

This approach lets you tackle multiple quests at once, boosting your efficiency. Return to town after completing several quests for a big XP gain.

Move Beyond Goldenfield Town

Goldenfield Town, the central hub, can become crowded with players, creating a bottleneck. Aim to leave the area ASAP. Head west at level 8+ to find less populated areas with enemies of a similar level. These zones also feature abundant resource nodes, perfect for levelling your professions.

You may face challenges venturing too early, so ensure your gear and build are solid before moving out.

Team Up to Get Ahead

Forming groups with friends or other players is an excellent way to progress faster. Working together allows you to take on tougher enemies and leave crowded areas sooner. Plus, dividing professions and builds among your group can maximise efficiency and resource gathering.

Specialising in one gathering profession and one crafting profession is the key to unlocking the full potential of Corepunk’s profession system. By focusing on a single gathering and crafting skill, you’ll gain higher efficiency levels, enabling access to better perks and the ability to gather higher-quality materials.

To understand efficiency mechanics in-depth, check out our Complete Beginners Guide.

Why Specialise?

While early quests ask you to try all professions, it’s best to focus on one gathering and one crafting profession afterward. Efficiency is divided among all active professions, meaning spreading your attention reduces your effectiveness across the board. Concentrating your efforts lets you unlock perks at 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%, significantly boosting your chosen professions.

What About Cooking?

Cooking operates separately and doesn’t impact your efficiency for other professions. Feel free to cook items without worrying about efficiency loss.

Ideal Profession Pairings

Here are some great combinations to get you started:

• Construction & Logging or Mining
• Weaponsmithing & Mining
• Alchemy & Herbalism
• Mysticism & Butchery

These pairings align well with the materials required for crafting, though some crossovers exist.

Efficiency Locking

If you need to diversify temporarily, you can lock efficiency by hovering over a profession and selecting the lock icon. This prevents efficiency loss when dabbling in another profession. Keep in mind, locking isn’t permanent and can be adjusted as needed.

By specialising smartly, you’ll not only gather materials more efficiently but also craft better items, giving you a strong advantage as you progress.

Maximising your early game progression in Corepunk involves taking advantage of NPC shop rotations. Shops refresh every 60 minutes, but you need to interact with NPCs to trigger the update. Here’s how to make the most of it:

• Scout for Upgrades: Regularly check NPC shops for higher-tier crafting plans, weapons, artifacts, chips, and runes. These upgrades can significantly enhance your setup early on.
• Save Time and Gold: NPC shops often sell items that are easier or cheaper to buy than gathering and crafting them yourself. Keep an eye out for deals that save effort and resources.
• Plan Around Refreshes: Make it a habit to visit shops every 60 minutes. This increases your chances of finding valuable items and ensures you stay ahead in progression.
• Prioritise High-Value Purchases: Look for crafting plans and upgrades that align with your build or playstyle, such as better gear or materials for crafting powerful items.

Consistency is key- regularly checking NPC shops ensures you don’t miss out on rare or essential upgrades, helping you strengthen your hero and stay competitive in Corepunk.

Quests in Corepunk often offer multiple reward options, making it vital to choose wisely. Rewards can include cosmetics, artifacts, crafting materials, or items crucial for future progression. Here’s how to make the most of your quest rewards:

• Class-Specific Rewards: Check compatibility before selecting gear or cosmetics, as some may not be usable by your class. Choose items that fit your build to avoid wasted rewards.
• Cross-Quest Items: Certain quests provide materials needed for other objectives. For example, crafting an Assault Launcher requires Leather, made from 2 Beast Skins, which you can only get from a quest by Butch O’Hara at the Butchery Station. Missing or selling these items can slow your progression.
• Crafting Materials: Keep crafting materials rather than selling them, as they’re often essential for quests or creating valuable items. Having a stash of basic resources helps you tackle overlapping objectives efficiently.
• Quest Stacking: Accept as many quests as possible within one area. Completing them simultaneously saves time and ensures you collect all needed resources for crafting and progression.
• High-Value Items: If none of the rewards directly benefit you, choose the item with the highest NPC resale value to bolster your gold reserves.

Always prioritise rewards that benefit your current or future build and keep strategic materials for later use. A bit of planning ensures smoother progression and greater efficiency in Corepunk.