Looking for the best starting build in Dune: Awakening? This beginner-friendly guide breaks down the top skills, gear, and tips to help new players survive and thrive from day one.
Getting started in Dune Awakening can feel pretty overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time stepping foot on Arrakis. The game throws a lot at you right from the start, different classes to choose from, survival mechanics, gear options, and plenty of enemies. If you’ve just booted up Dune Awakening, you might find yourself wondering which path to pick, what skills to unlock, or which weapons actually help you get through those tough first hours.
There are five different classes in Dune Awakening, each with its own strengths and play style. You’ll find the Trooper, Swordmaster, Mentat, Bene Gesserit, and Planetologist. On top of that, you’ve got systems like crafting, water management, base building, and all kinds of tools to learn. With so many choices, it’s easy to get lost or feel like you’re missing something important.
That’s why we’ve put together this guide to show you a starting build that’s perfect for new players. If you want a smoother experience and a solid head start, this guide will walk you through exactly what to pick and why, plus a few extra tips from veteran players.
Dune Awakening: Best Starting Build for a Strong Early Game
Let’s talk about what makes a good starting build in Dune Awakening. If you want something that’s reliable, flexible, and easy to use, this setup is for you. The focus here is on the Trooper skill tree (but not starting as a Trooper), with support from the Planetologist and Bene Gesserit skills for extra resource management.
So, you should start as Bene Gesserit to kick things off.
Why Not Start as Trooper?
You might think Trooper is the best starting class, but there’s a trick: you can unlock the Trooper skill tree almost immediately after you begin, right in the first area of the game. Instead, pick a different class that looks interesting to you. Once you’re in the starting zone (Hagga Basin), head over to the Trooper trainer and unlock those skills too. While you’re there, you can also unlock the Planetologist skill tree early, giving you even more options to work with from the very beginning.
Check out our Trooper and Planetologist trainer locations guide here and here, respectively.
With this setup, you’ll have two or three skill trees unlocked before you even leave the starter area. This gives you more flexibility, better abilities, and a much easier time handling early challenges.
Must-Have Early Game Abilities
Here’s a quick look at the essential abilities you’ll want to pick up from the start. These are the skills that make exploring, fighting, and getting around way easier:
- Shigawire Claw (Trooper): Grapple to high spots, making climbing and moving around less of a pain.
- Explosive Grenade (Trooper): Toss out powerful blasts with no need for ammo.
- Assault Seeker (Trooper): Homing missile that’s perfect for clearing out stubborn enemies.
- Battle Hardened (Trooper Passive): Cuts down on ability cooldowns so you can use your best skills more often.
- Mountaineer (Planetologist): Reduces how much stamina you burn while climbing.
- Cutteray Mining (Planetologist): Lets you collect more resources when you’re mining.
- Rerouting (Planetologist): Speeds up your power recharge for all those tools.
- Bindu Sprint (Bene Gesserit): Super useful for fast travel and getting out of danger.
Building Out Your Skills and Passives
Let’s break down why these picks work so well together:
Trooper Skills:
Trooper’s toolkit is perfect for new players. The grapple lets you zip around without draining your stamina bar on endless climbing. Grenades are powerful, don’t need ammo, and get you out of trouble when you run dry during a fight. The homing seeker missile is not only fun but also helps you deal with groups or tough targets without much risk.
The complete Trooper skill tree can be found here.
Planetologist Skills:
You’ll find the Planetologist trainer early, so you can quickly grab some of their best passives. Getting more resources when mining means less grind and faster upgrades. Mountaineer makes it much less likely you’ll run out of stamina and fall during some tricky climbs. Extra power recharge is also a must since so many tools run off your battery.
The complete Planetologist skill tree can be found here.
Other Passives to Grab Early:
- Center of Mass (Trooper): If you’re not a sharpshooter, this boosts your body shot damage (at the cost of some headshot power).
- Suspensor Dash (Trooper): Lets you change direction mid-air, saving you from falls and helping with platforming.
- Vehicle Repair (Planetologist): Slows down permanent durability loss on your bike or buggy, so you won’t have to replace it as often.
- Fuel Efficient Driver (Planetologist): Cuts down on how quickly you burn through fuel, which is handy for all the travel you’ll do.
Your Go-To Loadout: Gear & Items
A solid build isn’t just about your skills, you’ll want the right gear and tools on your hotbar, too. Here’s what every new player should keep close by:
- Healkits: Always keep a good supply. You’ll take damage from combat, falling, dehydration, and more. Heal kits are easy to make, so stock up.
- Cutteray: You’ll need this for gathering rare resources and upgrades. Upgrade it as soon as you can for better returns.
- Melee Weapon (like a knife): You’ll run into enemies with Holtzman shields that block bullets, so a melee weapon is a must. Learn to use the perfect block for easy wins.
- Ranged Weapon (rifle): Pick one you like, but always keep a gun ready for enemies who stay out of reach.
- Vehicle Backup Tool: This lets you summon or store your vehicle so it doesn’t get destroyed by sandstorms, NPCs, or enemy players while you’re exploring.
- Dew Reaper and Literjon: Water is everything on Arrakis. Use the Dew Reaper to gather water from plants at night, and the Literjon to store what you collect. Stay hydrated! (Here’s how you can get water in Dune Awakening)
- Blood Extractor and Blood Sacks: This combo lets you collect blood from enemies, which you can convert into water for crafting.
- Holtzman Shield: Gives you extra protection, especially when closing the gap on ranged enemies.
- Suspensor Belt: Protects you from fall damage, which saves a ton of time (and frustration) as you explore tall structures.
- Power Pack: Powers almost all your important tools and abilities. Upgrade it whenever possible for better performance.
Essential Equipment & Armor Tips
Armor isn’t just about soaking up damage; what you wear can affect your heat resistance, stamina, and how often you need to stop for water.
- Scout Armor: Offers a good balance of protection and heat resistance. Heavy armor blocks more damage but will make you overheat and dash less often, which is a headache on Arrakis.
- Stillsuit: If you’re struggling with dehydration early, the stillsuit is a solid pick. It won’t block as much damage, but it makes managing water much simpler.
Extra Tips for a Smooth Start
To make your early journey in Dune: Awakening much smoother, try to unlock as many skill trainers as you can before leaving the starting area (all class trainer locations here). This will give you more flexibility with your build and lets you experiment with different playstyles.
It’s also important to keep your gear in good shape, but remember that every time you repair an item, its maximum durability drops a little, so be mindful about how often you fix things. Vehicles are incredibly helpful for getting around quickly and making resource runs easier, so always keep yours well-maintained.
Whenever you enter a new area, make sure to use the map probe early on. This clears up the map and reveals important locations, saving you time and helping you avoid unnecessary wandering. Finally, don’t worry too much about choosing the perfect class right away. The game lets you respec and swap skills easily once you find more trainers, so you have plenty of room to change your approach as you learn what works best for you.
And that covers our best starting build guide for Dune Awakening. If you have any questions, feel free to let me know in the comments below!
Looking For More?
Check out our Ultimate Beginner’s Guide, explore our Server Guide, or head to our Dune Awakening Hub for everything you need to get started!
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