Riders of Icarus Tips from a Senior Player

TL;DR

  • Complete all quests systematically to maintain level parity and avoid progression bottlenecks
  • Master familiar taming mechanics including weakening strategies and collection system optimization
  • Gather resources continuously and strategically select crafting professions for maximum utility
  • Understand class-specific mechanics like the Priest’s mote system and skill charging for optimal performance
  • Level familiars before sealing and temper gear strategically during leveling phases

While comprehensive Riders of Icarus guides remain scarce, valuable insights emerge from community forums, dedicated sub-reddits, and YouTube content creators. As a Priest main, I discovered significant early-game power advantages compared to my Assassin at equivalent levels, though this dynamic shifts in later content. These foundational strategies will accelerate your progression and prevent common beginner pitfalls.

Prioritize completing all available quests—main storylines, side objectives, and strategically selected repeatable missions. Falling behind in level creates substantial gameplay disadvantages; even a 1-2 level deficit significantly increases combat difficulty and reduces efficiency. While technically possible to tackle content above your level, maintaining parity ensures smoother progression and minimizes frustration.

Begin taming familiars immediately when the tutorial quest becomes available. Access your bestiary (default key: B) to review collection rewards for each zone—many early-game collection targets reside at the initial crash site following introductory cutscenes. Strategic weakening through combat makes taming significantly more manageable, especially against resilient targets.

This weakening strategy proves particularly crucial against elite and heroic familiars versus common variants. Practice on non-threatening targets to master the timing between reducing health and initiating taming attempts. Many players mistakenly believe they need assistance to weaken familiars, but solo taming remains entirely viable with proper technique. Failed taming attempts still allow immediate retries, though you’ll sustain damage during the process.

Crucially, release collection-specific familiars (those with poor combat utility) without concern—your bestiary permanently records successful tames. Only retain familiars worth leveling for combat purposes to avoid wasting Ellun currency on storage expansion.

Collect every resource node encountered during exploration—metals like copper, silver, gold, and iron alongside herbs including mushrooms and sage. Gathering requires no specialized training, making early resource accumulation both accessible and economically prudent. Beginner zones feature abundant, fast-respawning nodes with minimal competition, creating ideal farming conditions.

Tempering serves as the game’s enhancement system, boosting weapon damage and armor defensive values. During leveling phases, temper gear strategically rather than maximizing every piece—selective improvements provide significant power spikes without resource waste.

Always level familiars completely before sealing—once sealed, their stats become permanent. Higher-level familiars provide substantially better stat bonuses when sealed onto equipment. Carefully review familiar stat contributions before sealing to avoid wasting valuable familiars on inappropriate gear.

Crafting offers variable returns currently, with basic leveling recipes providing modest benefits. However, discovered rare recipes can significantly enhance gameplay. Unlike many MMOs, you can master all crafting professions simultaneously without restriction.

Alchemy (potions), Barder (pet equipment), and Cooking (sustenance) provide the most immediate utility during early and mid-game progression. These professions create consumables and gear that remain relevant until superior alternatives become available through other means.

Thoroughly study ability tooltips—many skills incorporate chain-casting mechanics that dramatically increase damage output or healing potency when executed in specific sequences.

Priests continuously generate and expend motes, with a maximum capacity of three available motes (this limit appears fixed throughout leveling). Early-game includes several mote-expending abilities, with Sacred Impact dealing substantial area damage affecting up to five targets simultaneously.

Several priest skills incorporate charging mechanics—while usable without charging, their effectiveness substantially improves when fully charged. Your initial ally-healing spell represents the first charged ability you’ll encounter, establishing this important gameplay pattern early.

Action Checklist

  • Complete all available quests daily to maintain level parity
  • Tame all collection familiars in starting zones and release non-combat variants
  • Gather every resource node encountered during travel
  • Level combat familiars to maximum before sealing for optimal stat bonuses
  • Selectively temper key gear pieces during leveling for efficient power progression
  • Master skill chain-casting and charging mechanics for class optimization

No reproduction without permission:GameCDjnh » Riders of Icarus Tips from a Senior Player Essential Riders of Icarus strategies for efficient leveling, taming, and crafting progression