This beginner guide walks you through the fastest path through your first hours of Iron Soul: Dungeon. You will learn the core loop, how the forge actually works, and the early choices that matter most.
The core loop in one line
Kill monsters → mine ore → forge better weapons → take on harder dungeons. Everything else is detail.
Step 1 — Pick a strong race early
Your race matters, and re-rolls are limited. Based on community testing, the top races are:
- Night Elf
- Fairy and Sorcerer (tied)
- Dragon-kin and Undead (tied)
If you roll one of these, keep it. See the best race guide for the full reasoning.
Step 2 — Learn the forge (this is the whole game)
The forge is how you make gear. The three-step flow:
- Pick your ores — try to use the same kind, don't mix randomly.
- Load the furnace — you can use up to 4 different ores; the screen shows a multiplier.
- Hit Forge — click when the hammer lands in the orange zone (heavier gear needs more hits).
Full details, ore costs, and recipes are in the forge guide.
Step 3 — Weapon choice: go light
The community consensus is clear: the light sword is the strongest weapon overall. Heavy swords hit slow, and the Crimson weapon should be avoided in the Endless Tower. See best weapon.
Step 4 — Redeem codes for free progress
Codes give free race re-rolls, season vouchers, and origin shards. Redeem them in-game via the Discord icon. Check the codes page for the current list.
Step 5 — Level up faster
To level up fast, focus on dungeons and the expedition/endless tower activities, and spend your early upgrades on damage so you clear faster. See how to level up fast.
The one thing not to skip
Getting pets early pays off — they run expeditions and enhance your equipment for you. You unlock them through expeditions or the Enhance equipment quest line (look for Cinder). See how to get pets.