Starting your journey in Where Winds Meet can feel overwhelming with its deep progression systems and countless mechanics. This free-to-play wuxia MMORPG offers incredible depth, but knowing where to focus your efforts early makes the difference between struggling and thriving. You'll discover essential strategies that transform new players into formidable martial artists within hours, not days.
What Weapon Should You Choose First?
Your starting weapon choice dramatically impacts your first 15-20 hours of gameplay. The umbrella stands out as the optimal beginner choice for several compelling reasons. Unlike other weapons that unlock naturally through story progression, the umbrella requires significant time investment if missed initially.
The dual blades and healing fan unlock within 2-3 hours of normal gameplay, making them poor starting choices. You can acquire the dual blades by completing specific camp missions around level 25, while the healing fan becomes available through golden needle quests early in your journey.
Tip
Choose umbrella or spear as your starting weapons. These provide the best long-term value since alternatives take 15+ hours to unlock naturally.
Weapon selection screen showing umbrella and spear options
Master the Curiosity System for Permanent Power
The curiosity system provides permanent character upgrades that many beginners overlook. These butterflies, crickets, and purple flowers scattered throughout the world grant substantial stat bonuses when collected and exchanged with the curiosity vendor.
Each curiosity type serves specific upgrade paths:
- Purple flowers: Health and stamina increases
- Crickets: Attack power and defensive bonuses
- Butterflies: Special ability unlocks and martial arts enhancements
Important
Never ignore curiosities on your map. These permanent upgrades compound significantly over time, creating massive power differences between players who collect them and those who don't.
Curiosity vendor showing permanent upgrade options
Essential Character Progression Systems
Martial Arts Upgrading
Your martial arts level directly correlates with damage output. Always upgrade your martial arts immediately when leveling up - this single action provides the largest damage increase available. The upgrade costs jade coins, which you'll earn through main quests and regional exploration.
Arsenal Enhancement
The arsenal system unlocks at level 50 and provides wholesale character power increases. This system allows you to place old equipment into storage slots, granting permanent stat bonuses based on the equipment's attainment value. Focus on filling arsenal slots with your highest-level gear as you progress.
Breakthrough Challenges
Every five levels starting at level 15, you'll face breakthrough challenges. These aren't just level gates - they're massive equipment upgrades. Each breakthrough provides:
- Complete gear set upgrades
- New weapon options
- Substantial currency rewards
- Skill point allocations
Warning
Don't attempt breakthroughs undergeared. Ensure your martial arts are current-level and you've completed recent equipment upgrades.
Combat Fundamentals Every Beginner Needs
Weapon Swapping Strategy
Where Winds Meet encourages active weapon swapping during combat. The umbrella excels at this mechanic - deploy it as a hovering turret, then swap to your secondary weapon for direct combat while the umbrella provides covering fire.
Effective combat rotation:
- Deploy umbrella in hover mode
- Swap to spear/sword for close combat
- Use crowd control abilities to manage multiple enemies
- Return to umbrella for ranged finishing moves
Parrying and Dodging
The game features generous parry windows, making defensive play highly viable. Red attacks can be parried for massive counterattack opportunities, while yellow attacks must be dodged entirely. Practice these timings early to avoid developing bad habits.
Currency and Upgrade Management
Jade Coin Efficiency
Jade coins fuel most character progression systems. Prioritize spending on:
- Martial arts upgrades (highest priority)
- Arsenal enhancements (level 50+)
- Equipment tuning (when you have surplus coins)
Avoid spending jade coins on cosmetics or temporary boosts until you've maximized core progression systems.
Regional Progress Rewards
Each region offers discovery-based rewards through exploration percentage. Reaching specific thresholds unlocks crucial abilities like water walking and enhanced movement speed. These quality-of-life improvements become essential for efficient world traversal.
Info
Aim for 100% regional completion before moving to new areas. The permanent upgrades significantly impact your overall gameplay experience.
Advanced Tips for Rapid Progression
Talent Point Optimization
Unlock talent slots strategically based on your preferred playstyle. Early talent points should focus on:
- Heavy attacks for your primary weapon
- Internal arts for mobility and utility
- Defensive abilities for survivability
Equipment Tuning Strategy
Once you unlock equipment tuning, use old weapons and gear as enhancement materials. This system allows you to significantly boost your current equipment's power level without waiting for random drops.
Your journey through this expansive wuxia world becomes dramatically smoother when you understand these fundamental systems. Focus on permanent upgrades, maintain current equipment levels, and embrace the weapon swapping combat system. These foundations will serve you well as you progress toward more advanced content and challenging encounters.