Start by advancing the story and leveling Jinwoo: the game’s core loop combines his customizable skills and weapons with hunter teammates and an Army of Shadows. Artifacts and crafting open at specific progression gates, so there is no need to plan a full equipment build before those systems are available. This guide reflects official information available as of October 4, 2026; check the live client for current details because Netmarble labels its artifact and crafting guides as based on a test version.
What do you do in Solo Leveling: Arise?
Solo Leveling: ARISE adapts the webtoon into an action game centered on Jinwoo. You level him, choose combinations of skills and weapons, bring hunters into battle, and summon an Army of Shadows. That describes the broad structure, not a required skill rotation: the official material cited here does not establish one universally correct combo or combat sequence.
For a new player, treat story progress as the route through the game’s systems. Play the chapters available to you, develop Jinwoo as you go, and check the game’s menus when a new feature becomes available. Some equipment slots and crafting options have separate chapter or level requirements.
How do combat and hunters fit together?
Jinwoo is your customizable combat character
Jinwoo’s skills and weapons are the parts of his combat setup you select and combine. Netmarble describes the game as letting players create their own combat styles by choosing combinations of skills and weapons. The announcement does not specify a best combination, so use the options available in your client and adjust for the encounter rather than relying on an unsupported fixed rotation. Netmarble’s August 27, 2026 announcement also notes that selected Jinwoo weapons were adjusted in that update.
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Hunters are teammates, not a single prescribed starter lineup
You can team up with hunters, but the official sources available for this guide do not establish a best beginner team, a tier list, or a universal element matchup rule. When choosing among hunters you own, inspect their descriptions and the encounter’s requirements in the current client. Compare only details the game actually shows—such as a hunter’s listed role or element—and account for the materials or other investment needed to develop them. A roster or balance recommendation can go stale when the game changes.
Weapons and balance change over time
Netmarble’s August 27, 2026 update introduced Lee Joohee, Pilgrim of the Labyrinth, as a Light-element Buster with prism-based skills, and added Jinwoo’s SSR weapon Spirit Blade: Snowstorm. It also adjusted selected hunters, Jinwoo weapons, and artifact set effects. Those are dated update details, not a promise that a particular character or weapon is best for a new account today. Check current in-game descriptions and later update notices before investing around a balance claim. Read the August 27 update announcement.
What should a beginner do first?
- Advance the story. Story chapters are tied to access for some progression systems, including artifacts and artifact crafting. Follow the stages currently available rather than trying to prepare for a system that has not unlocked.
- Level Jinwoo and learn the available setup options. The game’s central character can use combinations of skills and weapons; review what your client offers and try combinations that suit the fight. The sources cited here do not prescribe exact skills, weapons, or a rotation.
- Use hunters you have, without treating an unverified ranking as fact. Build a team from your available roster, checking each hunter’s in-game information and the encounter. The source material does not support specific starter-hunter recommendations or reroll advice.
- Check feature gates and costs before spending. Basic crafting starts at a Jinwoo-level threshold, while artifact crafting has a later story requirement. Crafting uses the listed materials and Gold; check the recipe and your inventory first.
- Recheck live details when the game updates. Netmarble revised story content and systems in 2026, and later updates changed characters, weapons, and balance. Treat older guide pages as reference rather than guaranteed-current instructions.
When do artifacts unlock, and how do sets work?
Netmarble’s artifact guide says the artifact menu unlocks after Chapter 5, Episode 1, “The Hidden Quest.” It describes artifacts as equipment for both Jinwoo and hunters, with additional effects from matching pieces into sets. The guide says necklaces and bracelets unlock after Chapter 9; rings and earrings unlock after Chapter 12. These gates are from a guide Netmarble identifies as based on a test version, so confirm the current requirement in your client if a menu or slot does not appear as expected. See Netmarble’s artifact guide.
| Artifact feature | Guide’s stated unlock | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Artifact menu | After Chapter 5, Episode 1, “The Hidden Quest” | Artifacts can equip Jinwoo and hunters; matching set pieces grant additional effects. |
| Necklaces and bracelets | After Chapter 9 | Slot availability is separate from the initial artifact-menu unlock. |
| Rings and earrings | After Chapter 12 | The guide is test-version documentation; verify the gate in the current client. |
The guide gives unlock points, not a best set for each character. Once artifacts become available, use the item and set descriptions shown in-game to decide what to equip; do not assume that a matching set is automatically better for every fight or hunter.
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According to Netmarble’s crafting guide, general crafting unlocks when Jinwoo reaches level 7. Artifact crafting is a distinct option and unlocks after clearing Story Hidden Chapter 1, Episode 8, “Unknown Power,” on Normal. Crafting consumes the materials and Gold listed for the chosen recipe, cannot fail according to the guide, and is not available for some hunter weapons or items. The guide is also marked as test-version documentation, so check the current menu for exact requirements and recipes. See Netmarble’s crafting guide.
- Before Jinwoo reaches level 7: general crafting is not yet available according to the guide.
- At level 7: general crafting becomes available; this does not by itself unlock artifact crafting.
- After the specified Normal story clear: artifact crafting becomes available according to the guide.
- Before confirming a craft: review the recipe’s material and Gold costs, since the listed resources are spent.
Which 2026 changes matter to progression?
Progression details can shift with updates, so dates matter when using older beginner advice. Netmarble’s May 7, 2026 update reported revisions to the main story in Chapters 3–20, the addition of Chapters 32–34 in Normal and Reverse modes, and a job change that raised Jinwoo’s maximum level from 140 to 150. It also unified entry currency for Gates, Unstable Dungeon, Battlefield of Chaos, and Hunter Archive. These are facts about that update, not a timeless description of every current menu or account state. Read the May 7, 2026 update announcement.
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The August 27, 2026 announcement added Hard and Reverse Hard difficulties for Hidden Chapters 11 and 12, alongside the hunter, weapon, and balance changes described above. For a new player, the practical implication is to use the story and progression labels currently shown in the client: an older guide may not reflect a later chapter revision or balance adjustment.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you follow a definitive starter build?
Not from the official material cited here. It confirms the game’s broad systems and several unlock gates, but does not substantiate an optimal starter hunter team, a best weapon or artifact set, an exact combat rotation, or a required physical purchase. Avoid treating a community question or old ranking as an official answer. If you are comparing options, ground the choice in current in-game descriptions, your unlocked roster, the encounter, and the investment each option requires.
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